Friday, May 11, 2012

Principal's Newsletter 5-11-12

It's fantastic to be back in the saddle again.  Here are some highlights of the week, and a sneak peek at some great stuff happening soon.


Learning "Targets"

Yesterday afternoon I escaped into the hills East of town to remind myself just how important the Field Studies program is.  I know I am repeating myself here, but I just can't help it.


Field Studies are, by far, the very best thing we do here.  

In three hours yesterday I saw: 6th graders catch and release a tiny lamprey, build a mock-up ecosystem to model the impact of deforestation, run through a salmon life cycle, engage delightedly with high school counselors, and -- yes -- get a bit homesick in a sweet and tired sort of way; and 7th graders eating peas porridge medieval gruel, making chain mail armor, building siege machines, launching arrows at targets, and play their hearts ot in a sunny meadow.  This stuff is good for the soul!  (The ticker and brain too;)  The children at the ESD-run programs are cared for so incredibly well; it is really a remarkable thing to behold.


New Yellow Paint and Orange Vests

A huge shout out is due the parent volunteers who are making our drop off time safer and saner!  Please help us out by noting the following changes.


During the remainder of this school year, parent volunteers will aid as traffic directors at 
the parking lot entrance to guide and resolve left turn congestion during peak pick up 
time, approximately 3:20-3:40 pm.  An additional volunteer will be stationed at the 
crosswalk in front of the main entrance of the school.
   
• Please keep crosswalks and sidewalks clear of vehicles at all times.
 
• No Parking zones have been added on either side of the crosswalk (grade school side of 
 the street).
 
• If traveling North on Breyman Ave., continue past the school and use the triangle area 
 to safely and legally turn around and proceed south on Breyman.  Engage in the line 
 of traffic already waiting.
 
• **Please note that it is illegal to block the flow of traffic when attempting a left hand 
 turn on a double yellow.  A left hand turn on a double yellow is only legal when the 
 turn can be made without stopping traffic.
 
Parent Safety Volunteers will monitor that left hand turns are not permitted, will assist sidewalk safety, 
flow of traffic, and children using the crosswalk.
  
We need 2-3 safety volunteers daily for 20-25 minutes.  
 
 
 Before beginning shift, come to the Riverdale Grade School office to get safety vests.
 
Thanks for your support in maintaining a safe environment for the children.



Speaker Series Continues

Radical Parenting
Author Vanessa Van Petten is coming to Riverdale!
Tuesday, May 15th, 7pm in the RGS Gym
Every parent fears “losing” their child. But youthologist Vanessa Van Petten translates what parents (of kids aged 7-25) want to say into what kids want to hear.
At 16, Vanessa Van Petten started her award-winning website, RadicalParenting.com, in reaction to sudden friction with her parents. Today, Vanessa and more than one hundred teen contributors help thousands of parents build and maintain healthy, strong, mutually-fulfilling relationships with their teenage children—by providing prescriptive advice straight from the source.
From classic fights like dating and chores to twenty-first century issues such as sexting and cyberbullying, she provides step-by-step guidance on every worry, including:
  • Lying
  • Social Networking
  • School
  • Peer Pressure
  • Sex
  • Drugs
It’s never too late to reconnect. Vanessa Van Petten helps you learn what’s really going on in your child’s life, and most importantly—understand when to put your foot down and when to let go. This lecture is helpful for parents with kids ages 7 to 25–the advice is timeless and can help in all parent child relationships.

2012-2013 Staffing

It's hard to believe it is already time to be rolling out staffing announcements, but here we are...

The staffing arrangements for the 2012-2013 school year are in place.  They reflect our configuration transition from mono grade classrooms in primary toward multi-age classrooms, and increased flexibility in the upper grades, including shared ownership of the program across disciplines and embracing the advantages of multi-aged groupings when possible.  Changes in grade level reflect individual teacher professional desire to grow and develop, as well as my own judgement about the continued success of our program.  We will have a seven period day in the middle school, once again, with a more robust elective selection at the end of the day.  The teachers are thrilled to know their assignments and have already begun doubling down on planning for next year!

Very soon, you will receive a survey requesting input into the particular learning environment most conducive to your child's needs.  It will focus on academic, social, and emotional needs, and will be limited to those categories in order that we can design balanced class lists for next year.


Primary Grades:
Preschool -- Barbara Lamb & Tammy Sutter
Full Day Kinder -- Jennifer Schulz
Half Day (AM) Kinder -- Leslie Charuhas
First and Second Grade -- Debbie Gorenstein & Pam Anderson
Third and Fourth Grade -- Lynn Evans, Sharon Whitehill & Michelle Sager

Fifth-Eighth Grades:
Brian Black -- English
Bill Mandis -- English
Todd Migchelbrink -- Social Studies
Jeff Robinson -- Social Studies
Dietrich Nebert -- Science
Jill Leve -- Science
Larissa Reece -- Math
Nick Hershman -- Math
Angela Dawes -- Spanish (ELL)

Specialists:
Leslie Charuhas -- PE
Nancy Helmsworth -- Art
Molly Scholz -- Music
Lisa Becker -- Literacy Specialist & Librarian
Lori Peterson -- Counselor
Sue Jonson -- Special Education

Cub Scouts Raise the Flags

In a serious but joyful ceremony this morning several Riverdale Scouts had the honor of raising the flags out front of the school.