Dear Riverside Families, We hope you and your children have enjoyed celebrating Earth Week! A huge thank you goes to our Green Committee and parent volunteers for their efforts engaging our children in these wonderful activities all week long, not the least of which was the creation of this beautiful mural. Fitness Week will be happening next week, coinciding with National Bike/Walk to School Day and a very special all-school Bike Rodeo planned for after school on Wednesday, May 3rd. Please join the Wellness Committee for a fun and active week, which will also include a Sports & Dance Equipment Exchange (more details below)! In other exciting news, Riverside's 5th graders had the privilege of visiting historic Philadelphiayesterday. This beloved field trip last took place in 2019! A heartfelt thank you to our wonderful 5th grade teachers, lead class parents, and all the chaperones who helped make this trip possible. What a special memory this will be! Calendar reminders for the next few weeks include: May 1-5 – Fitness Week
May 1-5 – Youth Sports & Dance Equipment Exchange
May 3 – Bike Rodeo & Bike/Walk to School Day
May 3 – Dine or Take-out at Little Pub to Support the Riverside Run
May 5 – School Spirit Day: Fitness Fun
May 13 – Riverside Run
May 22 – Spring PTA General Meeting (more details below) Have a great weekend! Allison Maus & Clare Johnson
PTA Co-Presidents |
| ORDER YOUR SCHOOL SUPPLIES FOR 2023-2024 The PTA is once again sponsoring a school supply fundraiser for the upcoming school year. Order now and your child's box of supplies will be delivered directly to the classroom by the first day of school. Beginning May 2nd, please visit the SchoolKidz Teacher Tailored website and enter account number 83285. The site will close on June 6th. Once again earbuds and headphones will be available to purchase separately if new ones are required. It is strongly advised that Kindergarteners have headphones rather than earbuds. Please email Jenn Lacovara or Sharon Elkayam with any questions. |
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| FITNESS WEEK SPECIAL EVENTS: MAY 1-5 Monday, May 1: Five Minute Fitness Stations
We need volunteers to help with the activity stations during recess. Please consider volunteering during your child's recess shift. Sign up here! Wednesday, May 3: Bike/Walk to School Day & Bike Rodeo
Hit the road and bike to school for National Walk & Bike to School Day! To celebrate, the Health & Wellness Committee is partnering with Pedal Greenwich to host a Bike Rodeo directly after school from 3:30-5:00pm in the back field of the school. Students will be grouped by age (i.e., K-2, 3-5) and participate in educational and fun biking activities. You MUST complete this form for your child to participate. Please note: A guardian must be on hand for K-2 students. Students in Grades 3-5 may attend without a guardian. Friday, May 5: School Spirit Day - Fitness Fun
Students can dress up in their sports uniforms, tennis, dance or cheer gear or promote their favorite sports teams. Anything that gets them excited to get moving! |
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| YOUTH SPORTS & DANCE EQUIPMENT EXCHANGE Have extra sports and dance related gear, equipment and apparel around the house or garage? Need replacements for lost or broken items? The Green and Wellness Committees are partnering to host a New or Nearly New Youth Sports & Dance Equipment Exchange! Bins will be in front of the school from May 1-5. All donated items will be displayed for Riverside families and staff to take for FREE during the week of May 8th. Unclaimed items will be donated to local charities and organizations in need of sports and dance related gear and equipment. Please email the Riverside Green Committee with questions. ACCEPTED ITEMS: New or Nearly New YOUTH equipment, gear, and apparel for soccer, football, lacrosse, field hockey, golf, tennis, squash, volleyball, basketball, softball, hockey, ice skating, ballet, tap ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED: balls, mouth guards, water bottles, skateboards, skis & ski boots, swim gear, bike helmets, general exercise equipment, large yard items |
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| RUN, EAT AND RAISE MONEY FOR RIVERSIDE! On Wednesday, May 3rd, Little Pub will donate 10% of net sales between the hours of 5:00-8:00pm (dine-in or take-out) to the Riverside Run. Take a night off from cooking and support the Run! Make your reservation now!
Little Pub is located at 531 East Putnam Avenue in Cos Cob. |
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| SAVE THE DATE: MAY 22 SPRING PTA MEETING Please join us on Monday, May 22nd from 9:15-10:30am in the Media Center for the Spring PTA Meeting. We will begin with a brief review of PTA business items before welcoming our featured speaker, Dr. Fabian Agiurgioaei-Boie. Dr. Agiurgioaei-Boie will lead a parent workshop on Fostering Executive Function Skills and Responsibility in Children. More information on how to RSVP for the workshop will be coming soon. |
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| STUDENT COUNCIL & LUCKY DOG REFUGE On May 17th at pick-up time, Student Council members will be hosting a BAKE SALE for Lucky Dog Refuge, a safe haven for dogs from dire backgrounds, located in Stamford, CT. Please note: we ask that only parents or other adults purchase the baked goods. Along with the bake sale, Student Council will be accepting donations needed for the refuge. Please view the flyer for a list of needed materials. A donation bin will be outside the front of the school from May 10th to May 25th, and donations can be dropped off at any time. Please feel free to reach out to Cristina Fioravanti or Jessica Rosa, Student Council Co-Advisors, if you have any questions. Thank you for your support! |
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| WE’RE FILLING PTA ROLES FOR NEXT YEAR, FIND YOURS! A wide range of PTA volunteer roles are now being filled for the 2023-2024 school year. Whatever your interests or availability, we have many ways for you to contribute and make a positive impact. Our goal is to engage as many people as we can with the school. Please review our open roles and complete the volunteer interest form to express interest in one (or more) volunteer opportunities! If you have any questions or would like to learn more about PTA roles, please contact this year's nominating committee - Allison Maus, Hillary Harper and Betsy McIntrye. We look forward to hearing from you! |
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| ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS Plants for Sprouts with Stamford Museum and Nature Center
This week, Stamford Museum & Nature Center conducted Plants for Sprouts with the 1st grade. Students took a journey through the life of a plant from seed to adult by observing and touching real plant parts. They explored what a plant needs to grow and the jobs of different plant parts through song and 'building' their own plant! Upcoming Enrichment Programs - May 3:Climate Program with the Stamford Museum and Nature Center (Grade 5)
- May 8:Flying Contraptions with Stepping Stones (K)
- May 9:Science of Soil with the Stamford Museum and Nature Center (Grade 2)
- May 10:Animal Adaptations with Animal Embassy (Grade 1)
- May 16: Arts Field Day (Grades 3, 4 & 5)
- May 17: Reptiles and Amphibians with Animal Embassy (Grade 2)
- May 19: Program about the historic Revolutionary War period (Grade 5)
- May 23: Virtual Author Visit with Kelly Yang (Grades 3 & 4)
- May 24: Endangered Species with Animal Embassy (Grade 3)
- May 25: Town of Greenwich’s Watersheds (Grade 4)
- May 30 - June 2: Virtual Poetry Week with Ted Scheu (Grades K-4)
These programs are paid for by your generous donations to the PTA. Thank you! |
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| TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALLGAME! Calling all Riverside Families and Staff to come together for a NY Mets game on Saturday, June 17th at 4:10pm. Seats are limited. Be sure to get your tickets! Tickets this year include a Darryl Strawberry replica “shirsey” and a memorable on-field experience. |
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| THE RIVERSIDE REEL IS MOVING TO A NEW PLATFORM Please note that the Riverside Reel will be moving to a new online platform. As a result, it will be temporarily unavailable until the migration is complete. We will provide an update once the new site has launched. All existing albums have been preserved and will be posted to the new platform, and we will continue to create new albums as we receive photos & videos from upcoming PTA events and programs! If you have any questions, please email riversidereel@gmail.com. |
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| SPRING AFTERS IS OFF TO A GREAT START! Please remember to update School Dismissal Manager for any students that are registered for the Spring Afters session. You can add a weekly "Recurring Dismissal" for "Afters”. Simply click on the 3 lines at the top left of the screen and select "Recurring Dismissal," then "AFTERS”. Please remember to let the office know or update Dismissal Manager if your child is unable to attend his or her Afters session on a given day. |
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| EARLY MORNING PROGRAM: BACK IN THE CAFE ON FRIDAYS The Early Morning Program is back in the cafeteria on Fridays. Additionally, the Early Morning Program now heads to the Gym at 8:00am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, giving students a bit more exercise. If dropping off after 8:00am on Tuesdays and Thursdays, please bring your children to the front door. The EMP drop-in rate is $18 per day, and you may register your child and get more information here. Please contact Melissa Goldstein or Anne Akyuz with any questions. |
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| SAFETY DUTY: MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN JUST 15 MINUTES! Safety Duty is an important part of keeping our children safe at Riverside School. Volunteers make the morning drop-off process more efficient and secure. Volunteers assist children as they exit their vehicles in the front driveway from 8:30am - 8:45am daily and help to enforce the “Rules of the Road.” Sign up online. For more information, contact Sean Sullivan. |
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BINNEY PARK FIELD TRIP - Thursday, May 4th from 9am-12pm We need chaperones, please! The teachers have asked for 2-3 chaperones per class, and we still need volunteers for 5-P and 5-W. Email Kelsey Mayhall if you are available. |
GAGA BALL NIGHT - Friday, May 19th from 6-7:30pm This is a fun (5th grade only, drop-off) evening of Gaga Ball and pizza led by Bill Bogardus and Jay D'Andrea in the gym. Purchase a ticket for your child on RIVPTA.org > My Page. |
PARENT PARTY - Saturday, June 10th at 7pm Join 5th grade parents to celebrate the end of the year at the Kilcullen's! Check out the invite on RIVPTA.org > My Page. |
PTAC Nominating Period is Still Open! If you or someone you know is interested in working to make the Greenwich Public Schools the best they can be as a PTAC Committee Chairs or as a PTAC Executive Board member for the 2023-24 term (or would like to learn more about the roles), please contact the PTAC VP of Nominating. Open PTAC Committee Chair positions include: Academic Excellence, ALP, Curriculum Enrichment, DC Middle School Trip Special Committee, Digital Communications, Directory, Facilities, Scholarships, SES, Special Programs, 2E, Financial Review Open PTAC Board positions include: First Vice President, Secretary, Vice President of Curriculum, VP of Enrichment, VP of Facilities, VP of Nominating, VP of Student Support |
Subscribe to Receive Greenwich Public Schools Newsletters Make sure you are receiving GPS e-newsletters directly to your inbox! To subscribe, select the relevant newsletters below and click the orange "Follow" button on the right side of the page. |
North Mianus School Pow Wow The 2023 North Mianus School (NMS) Pow Wow Raffle is now live! All proceeds will benefit the NMS PTA and its programs for our children. We thank you in advance for your participation and support! The top prize this year is a $1,000 Amazon Gift Card!! To see all of the incredible prizes and buy tickets ($5/each), simply click here. This year's Pow Wow Carnival will take place on Friday, May 5th from 4pm-10pm and Saturday, May 6th from 12pm-10pm. |
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Glenville School: USCF Rated Chess Tournament On Saturday, May 13th from 9:30am-2pm, the Glenville School PTA will host the Inaugural USCF Rated Chess Tournament. All GPS Elementary Students are welcome to participate! The registration deadline is Thursday, May 11th. For more information, click here. |
GEMS Kids Triathlon The third annual GEMS Kids Triathlon will be held on Sunday, June 11th. The event format will be pool swim, on-campus bike course, and on-campus run course and is open to children from 6 to 14 years of age. There will be participation awards, T-shirts, goody bags, and age-group awards. Click here for event details and to register! |
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Open Arts Alliance: Summer Stage! Registration for the summer program at Open Arts Alliance (OAA) is now open for students in grades 1 through 12! Productions include Finding Nemo Jr., Lion King Kids, and Cabaret. Summer at OAA is a great time to make new friends, try new things and "just keep swimming!" Register here. |
Unbound Innovations XR STEAM Camp In partnership with The Greenwich Alliance for Education, Unbound Innovations XR STEAM Camp is a series of week-long immersive experiences in a broad range of innovative disciplines using virtual and augmented reality. It is taught by a 25-year Greenwich Public Schools veteran teacher with extensive experience in XR technologies. Students entering grades 6 through 12 will engage in World Building with XR tools, Game Design, Immersive Music, and Art Production, compete in challenges coding Robots to perform tasks, and create Engineering Simulations to solve global problems. For more information and registration, please visit www.unboundinnovations.org. |
| SUBMISSIONS Have something to add? Email us at: peekweekriv@gmail.com/ Deadline for submissions is 3pm on Wednesday of the school week |
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