Thursday, August 25, 2011

Welcome Back!

I've been putting off writing this note for a few days now, knowing that it means the inevitable has come to be -- summer's unofficial end is here.

In the last few weeks children have been spotted in our hallways, helping us all to remember just why it is we are here.

I would like to encourage you to consider attending the keynote speakers Dr. MacNamara has lined up for the first day of faculty orientation. You all know and love Sylvia Gaes who will be kicking off our year in the morning. Dr. Yong Zhao will be speaking at 3:30 this Tuesday afternoon in the Commons. His book, Catching Up or Leading the Way has been on my bedside table all summer.

I'll write next week with a more substantive theme in terms of where our focus will be for the school year, but today's post is mostly logistical updates. The following are updates on a number of key housekeeping items.

Registration Paperwork

We held the first ever Registration Fair last week in an effort to capture as much of the beginning-of-the-year paperwork as possible. It was a success, and will be better next year based on what we've learned. If you have not yet dropped off registration paperwork, and would like to do so prior to the first day, you can find everything on the website and can drop off with Betsy any day this week.

Warranty Work

We're at the one-year mark, and the building has been alive with sub-contractors working to tweak our systems and fix any errors we discovered through the first year. Some of that work will continue through the next week, including some additional shelving in the library.

Playground Closure

The playground will be closed this week, from Tuesday through Friday, as we are repairing some items and raising the height of others. New specialized chips will be blown in on Friday making it as safe as possible.

7-8 Elective Selections

7th and 8th graders will receive elective selection forms on the first day of school. They will bring them home to be signed before returning on Wednesday.

5-6 Back to School and St. Helens Field Study Info

The fifth grade field study to St. Helens will be on September 20-23 this year. This means we will have to hold the Back-to-School curriculum event on September 15 for 5th and 6th grade only, ahead of time. It will begin at 3:45 and go until about 4:30. Following, there will be an informational session for 5th grade parents regarding St. Helens trip details.

Athletics

Interested in playing soccer or volleyball this Fall? All the forms are available online here. Contact your coaches ASAP:

6-8 Boys: Gavin Morton and Chad McHenry
6-8 Girls Soccer: Leslie Charuhas and Denise Gooding
6-8 Girls Volleyball: Sara Brounstein

New Clubs at Riverdale

We have two new opportunities for Riverdale students beginning this Fall: Destination Imagination (contact Michelle Janke) and Lego Robotics Competition Team (contact Don Volonte at donvolonte@comcast.net).

Other Dates to Remember:
  • PTC back to School Coffee will be at 8:30 in the Commons
  • Ice Cream Social is September 8th on the playground.
  • Pre-K and Kinder First Day is September 12!
  • Jazz Under the Stars is September 14th at 6:00.
  • Back to School Night (for all but 5-6) on September 20.
  • Picture Day is Wednesday the 28th.
I'm sure I missed something, but that should cover most of what you need to know for the first days of school. Honestly, I had a wonderful summer but I can't wait to have the kids back!