Dear Parents and guardians of Riverside students, 

 

We are getting the 2023-24 school year up and running here at the school.  I wish to welcome you and your children back to the school.  Our staff are all very excited to get things underway and to have our students return on Thursday of this week (August 31)! 

 

This email, the contents of which I will also post to our website, contains some important notes regarding school start-up: 

 

• Our Main Office is now open, operating under our typical hours of 8:00AM-3:30PM Monday-Thursday and 8:00AM-1:00PM on Fridays.  

2.     Homeroom teachers will be in contact with families of their students via email prior to the end of the working day on Tuesday.  We know this is a matter of great excitement for our students, and we thank all caregivers and our students for recognizing and understanding that classroom placements are made thoughtfully and in consideration of student learning needs. 

3.     At Riverside, we follow the CBE’s Traditional school calendar.  You can access a copy of our school-specific calendar here. 

4.     A “Summer Newsletter” was posted to our website back in late June.  You can access a copy of the newsletter here: 2023 Summer Newsletter2023 Summer Newsletter 

5.     Further information specific to Back To School was also posted to our website:  2023 Back To School Information 

6.     The first day of school is Thursday, August 31.  Classes for our Grade 1 through 9 students will begin at 8:10AM and end at 2:50PM, as usual.  Teachers will meet their students in a couple of locations starting at 7:55AM.  Ms. Copot will meet her first grouping for staggered entry on the compound (across the bridge); Grades 1-6 will meet on the field, where teachers will be holding signs identifying themselves; Grades 7-9 will proceed directly into the school.  We will welcome parents to say “have a good day and see you later” on school grounds but outside the building.  Kindergarten students will have a ‘staggered entry’ on August 31 and September 1, where they will join us at the school for a shorter period in smaller groups.  Ms. Copot will be sharing specific information about this staggered entry with families via email. 

7.     We very strongly recommend that all families set up a MyCBE/PowerSchool account.  This account is used for a wide variety of tasks and information, including academic information (attendance, grades, schedule), registration for lunch supervision and transportation, fee payment, and booking school conferences.  Sign up for a MyCBE/PowerSchool account here. 

8.     McCarthy Uniforms is the provider for school uniform tops this year.  We have some Riverside t-shirts in all sizes, which we will make available to families for purchase, and also have a small supply of other uniform tops if you have missed an ordering window.  I am also seeking to have ordering re-opened, but McCarthy Uniforms has advised that there would be a fulfillment window of 6-8 weeks before items are shipped. Please contact the Main Office if you are interested. 

9.     We are excited to host a couple of ‘kick off’ events later this week.  Our School Council has arranged for a tea/coffee event in the compound on the north side of 1^st Avenue (across the bridge) for all Riverside families to catch up, introduce themselves, and get reacquainted.  This will take place in the morning of August 31 before school begins.  Thank you to School Council for organizing this event and for your partnership.  We will be hosting a Welcome Back BBQ for students and staff on Friday, September 1.  This will be a hot dog lunch with a variety of options for people with dietary restrictions. 

10. I have received a number of emails from families concerned about access to before and after school care in the community.  I can certainly empathize with this stress and I am sorry to hear of these difficulties.  I consulted with our Leasing office and unfortunately, we are not able to accommodate a before/after school care program here at Riverside.  This is due to our facility being fully occupied and the need for access to the Gymnasium for athletics programming in Grades 6-9 after school. 

 

Finally, I have included our bell schedules and times for the upcoming year below. 

 

Grades 1 to 9 

Monday to Thursday  

·         7:55 AM  Doors open 

·         8:10 AM Classes begin 

·         11:35 AM – 12:20 PM Lunch break 

·         2:50 PM Dismissal 

 

Friday 

·         7:55 AM Doors open 

·         8:10 AM Classes begin  

·         12:25 PM Dismissal 

 

Kindergarten 

Monday to Thursday  

·         8:10 AM - 11:00 AM morning class  

·         12:00 AM - 2:50 PM afternoon class 

 

On behalf of all Riverside School staff, I wish you all the best for the 2023-2024 school year.  We are all looking forward to another great year of learning and community building! 

 

Steve Radder 

Principal, Riverside School