September 30, 2019
Dear
Parents/Caregivers,
Welcome to Fall! We
have lots going on at Riverton School this month, starting with WALK (OR BIKE)
TO SCHOOL DAY on Wednesday, October 2! Enjoy the sounds of the neighborhood,
see friends and neighbors and feel connected with your community on the
walk to school. Parents, children and friends can enjoy each other’s
company without the usual distractions. And walking (or biking) is a healthy
choice for you and for the environment! All good reasons to join in
on Walk to School Day! Join the movement that inspires entire communities
to come together and promote health and safer routes for students to walk and
bike to school.
Curriculum Night
Wednesday, October
9th is Riverton’s Curriculum Night. This is an opportunity for
parents and caregivers to come hear from your child’s teachers information about
what students will be learning at school this year. We hope to see you here at
Riverton School on Curriculum Night on Wednesday, October 9 from
5:00-6:00. Child care will be available.
Bully Prevention
Did you know that
October is National Bullying Prevention Month? At Riverton School we are
focused on creating a bully-free environment where everyone feels safe and empowered
to teach and to learn. We reinforce this message by teaching students to use
the PBIS bully prevention program called Stop, Walk and Talk to address
bullying or mean behaviors. It helps students know how to stand up to behavior
they feel is offensive or not wanted, and empowers students to be
self-advocates. The Stop, Walk and Talk strategy consists of three simple and
progressive steps: indicating through words and gestures to stop, walking away
if the problem continues, and finally talking to an adult if the problem is
still not resolved. The overall impact
of this bully prevention program is to decrease bullying issues at school in
order to create a more positive school climate.
On Wednesday,
October 23, Riverton School will be participating in Unity Day 2019. This is a
day the Riverton School community will come together and send one large ORANGE
message of support, hope and unity to show that we are together against
bullying and united for kindness, acceptance and inclusion. We invite all students, family members and
staff to wear the color orange that day to show that we care about making
Riverton a bully free school. Riverton students will be taking a pledge to
stand up against bullying by speaking up, reaching out and being a friend.
Pumpkin
Fest!
Bringing children and parents together at school is one of
the goals of Riverton’s PTO. Pumpkin Fest is a great Riverton tradition that
helps us to meet this goal. Be sure to mark your calendar for our PTO Pumpkin
Fest, which is Saturday, October 19 here at Riverton School.
Attendance Matters
To stay on track
in school, students need to come to school every day. Being absent for just two
days every month of the school year can put a child behind academically. Our goal this year is to ensure that every student attends school
regularly. According to Count
Me In, students with regular attendance are more likely to read well by third
grade. They also tend to be more engaged in school and feel better about
themselves. This is true for
every grade, PreK through high school. Families play a key role in making sure
students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so
important for success and in life.
It is understood that some absences
are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. Students must stay home when they are
ill. But we also know that when students
miss too much school, regardless of the reason, it can cause them to fall
behind academically. The most important message to our students is that
attendance matters. Absences add up quickly. Too many absences represent lost
learning time in the classroom. Your child is less likely to succeed if he or
she is chronically absent, which means missing 18 or more days over the course
of the school year.
We want to make the most of our time
together in order to support our students. We
are asking for your support in helping your child get to school by 8:20 a.m.
every day this year. Please call the
office at 874-8210 if your child is absent. Families should avoid
extended vacations that require students to miss school. Kindly try to line up
vacations and medical appointments with the school’s schedule.
When our students are not at school,
we notice because we care! We want to
ensure that everyone receives the education they need to reach their full
potential. We value your support and encourage you be an active participant in
your child’s education. Positive attendance is key to keeping students on track
academically and engaged in all aspects of school life. We look forward to
working together to support your child’s school success.
Safety First!
Keeping our
students safe is our number one priority, especially during morning drop off
and afternoon pickup. Our drop-off/pick-up is in the LOWER parking area, which
is the large lot near the Community Center/Pool entrance. Students should not
be dropped off in the morning before 8:05, and must be picked up by 2:50,
unless attending Rec, Learning Works or other afterschool programs.
Dropping off your
children in the morning should be a quick, kiss-and-go. Please do not park
along the drop off area. If parents need to come into the building, please pull
into a parking space to allow for safety and a smoother traffic pattern for
others. Also, please DO NOT drop off students in the bus loop or the smaller handicapped
parking area near the bus loop. The bus loop is only for busses and the smaller
parking lot is for visitors. Finally, please be sure to obey all the speed
limits on and surrounding the school grounds, especially when traveling through
the parking lot. Thank you for your help in keeping all students safe at
Riverton School!
Upcoming
dates:
October
2: Walk or Bike to School Day!
October 2: Early Release, 1:50 Dismissal
October
9: Early Release, 1:50 Dismissal
October
9: Curriculum Night, 5:00-6:30
October
9: Charleston Wrap Fundraiser due
October
11: No School
October
14: No School, Indigenous Peoples Day,
October
15: PK Dial Screening
October
16: Early Release, 1:50 Dismissal
October
16: PTO Meeting, 5:30 Please come and find out what you can
do to help support Riverton School!
October
19: PTO’s Pumpkinfest! 10:00-2:00
October
21: Picture Day! Smile!
October
23: UNITY DAY! WEAR ORANGE!
Cordially,
Mrs. Ann Hanna, Principal
