Download The Riverside Roar for the week of March 29, 2021 (PDF)

 

We Want You Back!

If you haven’t already, please let us know if your scholar will be a Riverside Lion again next year! Let us know as soon as possible so we can hire enough staff to guarantee your scholar will have an in-person spot! Here’s what you do:

1. Fill out this short form:  http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/riverside_reenrollment
2. Send us a proof of residence (such as a utility bill) with your address and the date within the last 30 days. Even if you have provided this for us in the past, we need a new one.

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Spring Break

March 22 through March 26^th
Office hours: 9:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

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It’s Testing Time!

All Riverside students in grades 3 through 8 will be taking the Ohio State Tests beginning the week of April 5^th. Virtual students must come to the building to take the tests. If transportation is an issue, we will try to help. Please see the schedule below and let us know if you have questions or concerns.

For Ohio State Testing:

• All virtual students must arrive by 8:00 A.M. on the day of testing and have a ride home at 10:30 A.M.
• All students will receive breakfast. All virtual students will receive a lunch to go.
• All students must wear masks and will receive temperature checks.

 

Grab and Go Meals

Hybrid students will bring meals home every Wednesday.

Online families may pick up meals by pulling up to the kitchen door on the east side of the building. Pick up is on Thursdays from 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.

 

Upcoming Events

March 29 – Pajama Day

March 30 – Dress Like a Teacher Tuesday

March 29 – Wacky Wednesday

March 29 – Throwback Thursday

April 2 – No School

 

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Kindergarten and First Grade

Ms. Zwirgzdas 
azwirgzdas@acariverside.com

 

 

Second and Third Grade

Miss DeLong 
vdelong@acariverside.com

Hello families! This week the students did an outstanding job turning in their assignments! I am very proud of all of them! If your child is absent, please make sure they are logging into their iReady at home for at least 15 minutes a day. Thank you. Have a fun and safe spring break!

 

Fourth and Fifth Grade

Ms. Kenner 
akenner@acariverside.com

Hello Families,
This week in 4th and 5th grade, we continued reading the novel Holes. This is a book about a boy who is sent to a camp to dig holes as punishment, but finds the camp has more than meets the eye. We will be spending the next 5 weeks reading and writing the book as well as learning new vocabulary words. Students are doing a fantastic job tracking their Iready Minutes! The goal is to have 75 minutes (at least) by Friday in both math and reading (15 minutes a day). If your student is staying home but is not sick, I would encourage them to still get their minutes in at home.  Also, if you are interested in re-enrolling for next year, we will be giving out free long sleeve t-shirts to students who turn in their re-enrollment form and proof of address. It should be noted that proof of address should be something from the past 30 days. Students are writing explanatory pieces about their heroes! Thank you for all that you do!

 

Middle School

English Language Arts
Ms. Brents
adbrents001@acariverside.com

 

Math
Mrs. McConnell
mmcconnell@acariverside.com

Hello Middle school math families! The first week of 4^th quarter has come and gone already and we are focused on practicing our skills to prepare for testing. As we head into spring break, please remember that students have access to targeted math practice from home. iReady math can be used for 15 minutes a day to keep skills sharp during the break. If you need help accessing it at home, please let me know. Have a great, and safe Spring Break!!

Social Studies
Ms. Charley
mcharley@acariverside.com

This week, the 6th Graders learned more about how monotheism has affected the Eastern Hemisphere. The highlight of the week was playing Jerusalem Twister. The 7th grade also played Jerusalem Twister, although they are currently focusing on the Crusades. They will complete a DBQ over the Crusades when we come back from Spring Break. The 8th grade continued to learn about our first presidents. They developed their acting skill when we did several roleplays (skits) to learn about major events. I hope everyone has a great Spring Break!

Science
Mr. Voegele
SMVogele001@acariverside.com

Well we sprang ahead last weekend, and this weekend we officially move into Spring on Saturday! Which is the Equinox.  If you have a 7^th or 8^th grader they should know what that is. We have some VERY important events coming up.  The first has been since February and that is re-enrollment.  If you have not re-enrolled for next year or have not returned you proof of residence PLEASE do that ASAP.  We want to see your child next year here at Riverside Academy.  Secondly we have spring break next week, YEAH!  BUT rest up because after we come back from Spring Break it is spirit week and then STATE TESTING! We are now in fourth quarter look for your report cards and remember it takes a whole year of effort to get the grades you want (especially if you want that A).  So when we come back from spring break 8^th grade will be finishing heredity, 7^th grade will be floating in the tide, and 6^th grade we will start Modern Cell Theory.   Have a great weekend and a restful break.  See you March 29^th!

 

Intervention Specialists

Ms. Burns aburns@acariverside.com
Mr. Springer  tspringer@acariverside.com
Mrs. Frohlich cfrohlich@acariverside.com   

Hello! My name is Ms. Burns and I am the new Intervention Specialist here at Riverside. My job is to make sure my students are receiving the services and accommodations they need as documented on their IEP and I get the pleasure of working with them to achieve their academic and behavior goals! I also get the pleasure of walking alongside amazing families like yourself as an advocate and support to help ensure your child is getting the best education they can to become and achieve all that they can! I just wanted to take the time to introduce myself and tell you a little bit about me. I am originally from Lima, Ohio but I’ve traveled a lot in the recent years for school and with my family! I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education with a concentration in Special Education and am licensed to teach both. This is my third year teaching and I have previous full time experience working as a 3^rd, 1^st/2^nd and 5^th grade teacher as well as a reading specialist. I am passionate about education and guiding the next generation and I treat working with families as a true privilege and honor. I have a three-year-old daughter named Skylar. We recently moved to Cincinnati and enjoy to go on fun adventures like the park, the zoo and out for ice-cream! As for me I enjoy yoga, cycling, coffee and friends! I am so excited to work with Riverside!

 

Music

Ms. Sargent
hsargent@acariverside.com

This week in Music class, students in grades 2-8 took a trip to Hungary to explore the country’s music and dance. They also met the famous star, Pink. Kindergarten and first grade students got to learn about the Tambourine this week. Next week, students can look forward to learning about the famous rapper, Drake.

 

Physical Education

Mr. Louis
plouis@acariverside.com

Starting the 4th quarter this week, PE classes are finishing up lessons. Grades 6-8 are finishing up basketball by learning the importance of defense and reviewing the previous lessons. K-5 finished up balance and started basketball. Basketball is usually the most wonderful time of the year for students as it tends to be their favorite sport. Grades 6-8 also learned a new running game to increase their cardiovascular endurance.

 

 

 

Download The Riverside Roar for the week of March 15, 2021 (PDF)

 

It’s Testing Time!

All Riverside students in grades 3 through 8 will be taking the Ohio State Tests beginning the week of April 5^th. Virtual students must come to the building to take the tests. If transportation is an issue, we will try to help. Please see the schedule below and let us know if you have questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Ms. Lucas
Principal

For Ohio State Testing:

• All students must arrive by 8:00 A.M. on the day of testing.
• All students will receive breakfast.
• All students must wear masks and will receive temperature checks.

 

Grab and Go Meals

Hybrid students will bring meals home every Wednesday.

Online families may pick up meals by pulling up to the kitchen door on the east side of the building. Pick up is on Thursdays from 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.

 

Upcoming Events

March 22-26 –  No School – Spring Break

March 29 – Spirit Week

April 5 – Ohio State Testing Begins

 

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Kindergarten and First Grade

Ms. Zwirgzdas 
azwirgzdas@acariverside.com

This week students have been hard at work learning about graphing data. Either with bar graphs, tallies, or pictures. Then further using that data to answer word problems. In reading students continue to work in centers to learn about information text ( bugs, animals, etc). This week in writing we are starting a project where students will write an opinion paper about their favorite type of food. Lastly, our plants have finally sprouted as students continue to tract their pea plants grow!

Enjoy the weekend, one week before spring!

 

Second and Third Grade

Miss DeLong 
vdelong@acariverside.com

Hello! Last week 2nd and 3rd graders worked on reading comprehension. They also did a wonderful job formulating a plan to teach kindness to a small child. They then took their plans and wrote complete sentences! This week we will start a new Magic School Bus book about bats!

 

Fourth and Fifth Grade

Ms. Kenner 
akenner@acariverside.com

Hello Families,

This week in 4th and 5th grade, we started reading the novel Holes. This is a book about a boy who is sent to a camp to dig holes as punishment, but finds the camp has more than meets the eye. We will be spending the next 5 weeks reading and writing the book as well as learning new vocabulary words. Students have been tracking their IReady minutes on our new bulletin board this week. The goal is to have 75 minutes (at least) by Friday in both math and reading (15 minutes a day). If your student is staying home but is not sick, I would encourage them to still get their minutes in at home.  Also, if you are interested in re-enrolling for next year, we will be giving out free long sleeve t-shirts to students who turn in their re-enrollment form and proof of address. It should be noted that proof of address should be something from the past 30 days. Thank you for all that you do!

 

Middle School

English Language Arts
Ms. Brents
adbrents001@acariverside.com

There are a couple resources students and families can use to stay sharp over spring break. One suggestion for students over Spring break is silent reading. The students have access to hundreds of thousands of books through Overdrive. Overdrive is an app in Canvas, and appears in blue text on the left side of the screen. The app even contains audio books! There is a similar app at the bottom of the home screen that is red, and contains audio picture books if you have children in younger grades. A second resourceful app in Canvas is  iReady. The curriculum in iReady is based on areas designated by a test each individual student took in January. iReady is a perfect tool for students to sharpen specific skills over break.

The middle school team is looking forward to seeing the students back, and refreshed March 29, 2021!

Math
Mrs. McConnell
mmcconnell@acariverside.com

We have one more full, week until spring break! When students return we will be in practice mode for the end of year state tests. I can’t believe we’re already talking about the end of the year. This year has flown by. We have one more quarter. Please remind students that it is important to continue full steam ahead. Let’s not slow down yet. 6^th Grade math is wrapping up a unit on factors and multiples, 7^th grade is wrapping up their Scale drawing unit with an art project, and 8^th grade is wrapping up a unit on systems of equations. Before we know it, the school year will be over. It’s important that students are practicing their math facts to keep them fresh in their minds. Students are supposed to be doing 15-20 minutes of iReady practice DAILY, for math AND for ELA. That’s 40 minutes of iReady daily. Please encourage students to do this while at home.

Social Studies
Ms. Charley
mcharley@acariverside.com

This week in Social Studies, the 6th Grade finished up building models of Stonehenge and began our next standard on Monotheistic Religions in the Eastern Hemisphere. We are focusing on Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The 7th Grade learned about Islamic Achievements during the Middle Ages and made their own presentations about the inventions. The 8th Grade finished their standard on creating a new nation and began learning about the first presidencies. I’m looking forward to our first full week in a while!

Science
Mr. Voegele
SMVogele001@acariverside.com

Good Day Riverside Academy Lions!
I want to start this week with a HUGE SHOUTOUT for my 8th grade Traditional class. You guys absolutely ROCKED your Mastery Assessment this week! Great job. For any virtual and hybrid students who have not taken it as Nike says JUST DO IT! Man I can’t believe we are now 75% or 3/4th of the way done with this year. Where has the time gone? State testing is coming so start getting in the habit of getting good sleep over Spring Break and be ready to hit the ground running. Also make sure that if you are home you are in my live sessions 8th grade is Tuesday and Thursday at 8:20. 7th Grade Wednesday at 9:15 and 6th grade Friday at 8:20. 6th Grade we are continuing at warp SPEED next week. 7th grade we are looking at Earth’s only natural satellite. 8th grade we are starting Punnett’s squares. It will Dominate your week (I promise).
As always have fun, stay safe and see you next week.

 

Intervention Specialists

Mr. Springer  tspringer@acariverside.com
Mrs. Frohlich cfrohlich@acariverside.com   

Hello Parents and Guardians. Does your family have plans for Spring Break? Don’t forget that 5^th graders and their families can visit National Parks for free until the summer. Did you know Cincinnati has a National Park? The William Howard Taft National Park is in Cincinnati. It’s currently closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it will be a fun place to visit once it opens, hopefully this summer. A national park that is open and within driving distance of Cincinnati is the Hopewell Culture National Historic Park in Chillicothe. There’s lots of acres to explore and run around. Now that the weather is improving, I hope everyone gets a chance to explore the wonderful national parks in Ohio and learn about Ohio’s interesting history.

 

Music

Ms. Sargent
hsargent@acariverside.com

This week in Music class, students in grades 2-8 took a trip to Guam to explore the country’s music and dance. They also met the famous band, The Beatles. Kindergarten and first grade students got to learn about the Tambourine this week. Next week, students can look forward to learning about the famous pop star, Pink.

 

Physical Education

Mr. Louis
plouis@acariverside.com

This week middle school is halfway through basketball lessons. We are learning how to dribble and shoot with proper form and technique. Next week we will finish up basketball. K-5 have been learning to catch and throw as well as sportsmanship and respect. Activities include “save the statues” and “keepers of the castle”. We are working diligently to become better people through Physical Education.

 

 

 

The Riverside Roar is our weekly newsletter to inform our families of all the great things happening at school. Newsletter is personalized with information from your child’s teacher. 

Download The Riverside Roar for the week of March 8, 2021 (PDF)

 

Save your scholar’s seat by re-enrolling today!

• Complete the form mailed to your home or the online survey at surveymonkey.com/r/riverside_reenrollment
• Submit a new Proof of Residence (POR) document to the main office, email to admissions@accelschools.com, or text to
  (216) 208-5052. For a list of qualifying documents visit http://acariverside.com/apply.

Each student who returns their form and proof of residence will receive a long-sleeved Riverside shirt that can be worn to school!

 

Grab and Go Meals

Hybrid students will bring meals home every Wednesday.

Online families may pick up meals by pulling up to the kitchen door on the east side of the building. Pick up is on Thursdays from 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.

 

Upcoming Events

March 5 – No School for Students – Professional Development

March 22-26 –  No School – Spring Break

March 29 – Spirit Week

 

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Kindergarten and First Grade

Ms. Zwirgzdas 
azwirgzdas@acariverside.com

 

Second and Third Grade

Miss DeLong 
vdelong@acariverside.com

 

Fourth and Fifth Grade

Ms. Kenner 
akenner@acariverside.com

Hello Families,

This week in 4th and 5th grade, we started reading the novel Holes. This is a book about a boy who is sent to a camp to dig holes as punishment, but finds the camp has more than meets the eye. We will be spending the next 5 weeks reading and writing the book as well as learning new vocabulary words. Students have been tracking their IReady minutes on our new bulletin board this week. The goal is to have 75 minutes (at least) by Friday in both math and reading (15 minutes a day). If your student is staying home but is not sick, I would encourage them to still get their minutes in at home.  Also, if you are interested in re-enrolling for next year, we will be giving out free long sleeve t-shirts to students who turn in their re-enrollment form and proof of address. It should be noted that proof of address should be something from the past 30 days. Thank you for all that you do!

 

Middle School

English Language Arts
Ms. Brents
adbrents001@acariverside.com

With the onset of spring comes refreshed teaching strategies. This week we’re tightening up the strategies we use to answer extended response questions. Its important to pour concentrated effort into extended response questions because this category yields the largest number of possible points of the state test.  We are dissecting essays questions to ensure we know explicitly what we are supposed to address. We are also setting up the outlines of our paragraphs before we even read the texts. Ask your student what are the three most commonly used questions words that appear on tests, and what they should change them to, and see what they can teach you!

Math
Mrs. McConnell
mmcconnell@acariverside.com

This week in middle school math… The end of the quarter is approaching fast. Students should be familiar with all of the wonderful technology available to help with math fluency. iReady, IXL, and Brain pop are available for students to practice math facts in school and at home. It is important, due to school ending abruptly last year, that students practice skills every night. If you have a device to connect to the internet at home, please ask how your student can access our digital math practice from home. 6grade is learning divisibility rules and working with factors. 7^th grade is wrapping up a unit on Scale drawings and scale factor. 8^th grade is wrapping up our study on linear equations and simultaneous equations. As usual, please contact me with any concerns.

Social Studies
Ms. Charley
mcharley@acariverside.com

This week in Social Studies, the 6th Grade finished up building models of Stonehenge and began our next standard on Monotheistic Religions in the Eastern Hemisphere. We are focusing on Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. The 7th Grade learned about Islamic Achievements during the Middle Ages and made their own presentations about the inventions. The 8th Grade finished their standard on creating a new nation and began learning about the first presidencies. I’m looking forward to our first full week in a while!

Science
Mr. Voegele
SMVogele001@acariverside.com

The weather is getting nice.  Which is great but that means a few things. 1. RE-ENROLLMENT!  Make sure you are saving your space for the 2021-2022 school year.  If you are in 8^th grade enrolling in your high school for next year.  We will help you with reference letters in the process.  2. State testing is coming.  Make sure that you are here and engaged for instruction.  On test days make sure you have had a good night sleep and breakfast.  3.  Great weather.  YEAH! But don’t forget to do your homework.  Ok on to the week ahead.  Number one next Tuesday is Short Cycles. Make sure you are getting on and taking them.  6^th grade is doing Force and Motion. 7^th grade we are looking into Space.  8^th Grade we are continuing heredity.

 

Intervention Specialists

Mr. Springer  tspringer@acariverside.com
Mrs. Frohlich cfrohlich@acariverside.com   

Hello parents and guardians. Now that it is finally getting warmer, many students may want to be outside instead of being inside and attending class online. A lot of parents have mentioned how difficult it is to get their children to complete and submit their online assignments. It can become a negative power struggle. Here are 2 videos that can help parents and students communicate more effectively and help students understand the importance of completing their work. The first video is for self-regulation and the second video is for attention and focus. They are short videos that shouldn’t take up too much of your time, but have important tips.

 

Music

Ms. Sargent
hsargent@acariverside.com

This week in Music class, students in grades 2-8 took a trip to The Philippines to explore the country’s music and dance. They also met the famous jazz pianist, Scott Joplin. Kindergarten and first grade students got to learn about the Drumkit this week. Next week, students can look forward to learning about the famous band, The Beatles.

 

Physical Education

Mr. Louis
plouis@acariverside.com

 

 

 

 

Check out Ms. Kenner and Ms. Lucas highlighted in a story done by WCPO Channel 9. The story focuses on different learning options throughout the city, including our ability to offer personalized learning options that best fit each individual family.

 

Read the full story:

https://www.wcpo.com/news/education/whats-the-best-way-to-know-if-remote-learning-works-for-a-student-that-depends-on-the-student

 

 

Watch our latest video to learn what makes our school special.  Join our pride today!

Enroll now »

 

 

 

The Riverside Roar is our weekly newsletter to inform our families of all the great things happening at school. Newsletter is personalized with information from your child’s teacher. 

Download The Riverside Roar for the week of February 8, 2021 (PDF)

 

Save your scholar’s seat by re-enrolling today!

• Complete the form mailed to your home or the online survey at surveymonkey.com/r/riverside_reenrollment
• Submit a new Proof of Residence (POR) document to the main office, email to admissions@accelschools.com, or text to (216) 208-5052. For a list of qualifying documents visit http://acariverside.com/apply.

Each student who returns their form and proof of residence by March 3, 2021, will receive a long-sleeved Riverside shirt that can be worn to school!

 

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Please see the link below to sign up for parent-teacher conferences. Teachers are available on Thursday, February 25, from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., and on Friday, February 26, from 10:20 A.M. to 3:20 P.M. The allotted time for each conference is 20 minutes and will be held virtually through Canvas. Use this link to select times: http://bit.ly/3cNFJuy

If you need assistance in scheduling, call us at 513-921-7777.

 

Grab and Go Meals

Hybrid students will bring meals home every Wednesday.

Online families may pick up meals by pulling up to the kitchen door on the east side of the building. Pick up is on Thursdays from 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.

 

Upcoming Events

February 1 through March 3 – Reenrollment Incentive

February 15 – Presidents’ Day – No School

February 25 – Parent-Teacher Conferences

February 26 – Parent-Teacher Conferences – No School for Students

 

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Kindergarten and First Grade

Miss DeLong 
vdelong@acariverside.com

Hello! This week the Kindergarten class will be focusing on the letter Q for English. They will practice writing it, and read a book titled The Queen. Ask your child about any new Q words they learned from the book! In math, Kindergarten will learn about picture graphs! The 1st graders will focus on -ar words such as far, car, star, etc. In math, 1st grade will continue to add and subtract as well as get a feel for gathering information, and greater than, less than, equal to signs.

 

Ms. Zwirgzdas 
azwirgzdas@acariverside.com

I hope you had a good week, even though it was fairly short! This week both kindergarten and first grade worked on solving word problems in math. In English we worked on words that end in -ing,-ang, and ung. Students have also started to learn about what is an organism in science. They are very excited as soon we will be getting a few tad poles in our class to follow the life cycle!

 

Second Grade

Ms. Patton
lpurvis@acariverside.com

Second grade has been doing great things this week. We have been learning about bonus letters and glued sounds.  We are blending and reading words with glued sounds and spelling words with bonus letters.  We are also learning how to make a Venn Diagram by comparing two texts.  In math we are learning how to tell time from an analog clock.  Also continuing three digit math problems. We know how to relate 10 more, 10 less, 100 more, and 100 less to addition and subtraction of 10 and 100. We are enjoying reading daily together out loud. One of the things we read about this week was solid and liquids.  A new update: Students will be taking their computers home now every night and then in the event that we have a snow day they can learn online. Have a wonderful weekend!  Let me know if there is anything I can do to help your student thrive here at Riverside!

 

Third Grade

Mrs. Apperson
wapperson@acariverside.com

We’ve had a great week learning in the 3^rd Grade! In social studies, each day we will read about a new important person in Black history such as, inventers, civil rights activists, and artists and musicians who have contributed to American society. In academics, the class took on-line assessment tests to determine what reading and math levels they are currently on. Our class scored on an average (some grade level, some lower) in both reading and math. In English Language Arts we’re learning about how to interpret informational text from maps, charts, and in reading non-fiction materials. In math we’re learning about geometry, reviewing subtraction with regrouping, and mastering and using the multiplication table. In science, the class is studying how to conduct experiments, and about vertebrates and invertebrates. Special note! Riverside is sending your child’s computer home with them on Thursday 2/4/2021. We’re expecting cold weather, and to ensure learning to continue we’ll be assigning work for remote learning if there is a snow day. The class is responsible to take good care of their computers while they have them at home. I look forward to connecting with you on the phone, by e-mail, and on DoJo.

 

Fourth and Fifth Grade

Ms. Kenner 
akenner@acariverside.com

This week 4th and 5th graders are working on Opinion Papers. They are writing 5 paragraph essays about something they feel passionate about. In Science, both grades are learning about light! In Social Studies, 5th grade is learning about Spanish Expansion and 4th grade is learning about the consequences of the Revolutionary War. In math, 5th graders are working on multiplying whole numbers by fractions, while 4th grade works on angles and measurements.

 

Middle School

English Language Arts
Ms. Brents
adbrents001@acariverside.com

All classes are working on writing multi-paragraph essays, and great insights were made regarding the content of our essays. This week our focus is maintaining organization, and a strong central idea while adding length to our essays.  The sixth grade will be working on standards R.L.6.1 and R.I.6.9, seventh R.L.7.1 and R.I.7.9, and eighth grade will be working on standards R.L.8.1 and R.I. 8.9. Additionally, the middle school will be sending out midterms this week, so be on the look out for those!

Math
Mrs. McConnell
mmcconnell@acariverside.com

This week in middle school math… Students have been working hard third quarter. I can’t believe we’re half way through the quarter already! With the possibility of snow days this semester, it is important for students to continue their daily math practice, even when they’re at home. Students have access to some great online math practice with iReady, IXL, and brain pop! Please let me know if you have questions about how to log in. 6th grade is working on finishing up a module about math operations with decimals. 7^th grade is finishing up some lessons about scale and scale drawings. 8^th grade is working on graphing lines and linear equations. Ask your student about their Math, parent newsletter!! If you have any questions please let me know.

Social Studies
Ms. Charley
mcharley@acariverside.com

This week in social studies, the 6th grade learned about maps and geography. Next week, they will start their standard on prehistory and focus on Stonehenge. The 7th grade finished their standard on the Middle Ages this week and started their standard on Africa (finally, somewhere that isnt Europe!) The 8th grade continued to learn about the revolutionary war and the differences in the war from the north and south. Next week they will learn about how Americas government was debated and created. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Science
Mr. Voegele
SMVogele001@acariverside.com

Good day Riverside Academy! Wow with snow days and the days I have had to take off being Daddy to my kids sometimes I feel like I don’t know if I am coming or going.  That being said I will be out Tuesday the 9^th for my sons very important doctor important.  But also next Tuesday the 8^th grade has another round of mastery tests.  I will have them available for them before I leave Monday night or Tuesday morning.  Do your best guys. Also don’t forget everyone has an ELA and Math mastery next week as well.  I was extremely happy with the severe weather pamphlets that were submitted to me. I am still waiting for hybrid and online 7^th graders.  Let’s keep up on all our work.  So on to next week.  6^th grade will be discussing changes of matter (freezing, boiling, condensation,  melting and the like), 7^th grade we will continue to look at ocean currents and what causes them, 8^th grade we are starting reproduction, genetics and heredity.  This will be a long unit.  At the end of the month we will be doing a genetics lab.  As always stay safe and stay warm this weekend it is going to get brutally cold.  Dress warm for Monday.  Also for you sports fans enjoy the Super Bowl this weekend.  (I wish the Bengals were there).

 

Intervention Specialists

The special education team has noticed that a lot of the students we work with are not taking the state-wide assessments seriously. Many of the students are rushing through their work. Most of these tests are not for a grade, but the tests are very important. The tests tell us what your student can do and what they need to work on. Many of the middle school students rushed through the tests and in return their scores didn’t reflect how well they read and also understand math concepts.

Please talk with your children and let them know the importance of taking the assessment tests, such as the Mastery Assessment, seriously.

Mrs. Bruner   mbruner@acariverside.com     
Mr. Springer  tspringer@acariverside.com    
Mrs. Frohlich cfrohlich@acariverside.com    

 

Music

Ms. Sargent
hsargent@acariverside.com

This week in Music class, students in grades 2-8 took a trip to Norway to explore the country’s music and dance. They also met the famous rapper, Tupac. Kindergarten and first grade students got to learn about the Gong this week. Next week, students can look forward to learning about the highly influential star, Beyoncé.

 

Physical Education

Mr. Louis
plouis@acariverside.com

My name is Patrick Louis and I am proud to be your new K-8 Physical Education teacher at Riverside Academy! I am certified to teach both Health and Physical Education and prior to this have worked at Finneytown and CPS schools. I have only been here for a week and a half so the first weeks have been dedicated to instilling structure in the classroom with rules and routines. I sent home a syllabus with students that lay out all guidelines about the class and how it is graded. 6-8th grades have been performing their initial assessments that include pushups, shuttle run and the mile. K-5 has been learning structure in the classroom along with mindfulness activities such as yoga and meditation along with some fun running activities.

 

 

 

The Riverside Roar is our weekly newsletter to inform our families of all the great things happening at school. Newsletter is personalized with information from your child’s teacher. 

Download The Riverside Roar for the week of February 1, 2021 (PDF)

 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Thank you for trusting us with your children every day. Like every school, there are things we do well and things we need to improve. What makes Riverside different then? We use data to make our decisions, and we embrace change when it needs to be made!

With that in mind, we truly hope that your children will return to Riverside next year. Early re-enrollment provides us the data we need to purchase supplies and alter staffing to meet our students’ needs. To encourage early re-enrollment, we are providing a long-sleeved Riverside T-shirt which can be worn to school for every student that re-enrolls and provides proof of residency by March 3, 2021. Parents and students who re-enroll by the deadline will be entered into a drawing for great prizes.

The re-enrollment form is included in this mailing. The form and your proof of residency may be mailed or brought to the main office between 9:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M.

As always, if you have questions, please call the office at 513-921-7777.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth A. Lucas
Principal

 

Grab and Go Meals

Hybrid students will bring meals home every Wednesday.

Online families may pick up meals by pulling up to the kitchen door on the east side of the building. Pick up is on Thursdays from 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.

 

Upcoming Events

February 4 – Progress Reports Distributed

February 5 – Professional Development – No School for Students

February 15 – Presidents’ Day – No School

February 25 – Parent-Teacher Conferences

February 26 – Parent-Teacher Conferences – No School for Students

 

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Kindergarten and First Grade

Miss DeLong 
vdelong@acariverside.com

My name is Miss DeLong. I am your child’s new Kindergarten and first grade teacher. In Kindergarten your child will focus on the letter K. We will read Koala and Kangaroo. Ask your child to practice reading this book to you! In math, your child’s focus number is 16 and they will work on story problems with the number six. In 1st grade, your child will work on the long e sound, ey and y words such as money, and bunny. In math, your child will continue to focus on subtraction. We learned two-digit subtraction last week!

Ms. Zwirgzdas 
azwirgzdas@acariverside.com

I hope you all enjoyed the snow day we had yesterday! I know as a kid I always thought snow days were truly magical. This week both first graders and kindergarten worked on finishing their informational text writing.  The topic was about ocean animals that have adapted to survive in the ocean! This topic came from a book we read this week in class. The title of the book was, “ Is It Alive?”. Students got to choose which animal they wanted to write about,  and make a water color portrait to hang next to their writing.  Which will hang in our hallway for the month of February!

 

Second Grade

Ms. Patton
lpurvis@acariverside.com

Hi, this is Ms. Patton.  I have been teaching at Riverside Academy this year as a Title I Teacher and have recently been asked to teach second grade.

We are off to a great start!  The students are transitioning well, and we have been working hard on reading daily the scholastic readers. We also are focused on sentence structure, parts of speech, and our writing skills.  For math we are learning to write the different forms of three-digit numbers — the standard, expanded, and word form.  We are also mastering three-digit addition and subtraction problems. We have enjoyed learning new vocabulary words daily and we also have been learning about Christopher Columbus and his voyage to the new world during our Social Studies time. I look forward to watching your child grow academically over the next few months.

To help you partner with me I will be sending home a regular communication (every week or so) — these are “think sheets” to keep you posted on “positive” classroom behavior and to ask for your help in areas that need improvement. I use DOJO as well for class related communication and post often and will respond promptly to messages if you need to contact me. I look forward to meeting and connecting with you as I teach your child in the coming months.

Have a great day!

 

Third Grade

Mrs. Apperson
wapperson@acariverside.com

Hi! I’m Mrs. Apperson. It has been great to learn about each student in our 3rd Grade classroom! We just finished a combined Art/ELA project using adjectives to describe ourselves in an art and writing project. In math we’re mastering subtraction with and without regrouping, and we’re beginning multiplication and geometry. In social studies we’re learning about laws and U.S. symbols. In science we’re learning about vertebrates and invertebrates. Our spelling test over new vocabulary words is always on Friday. I look forward to meeting and connecting with you on DoJo, through sending home Student Behavior Evaluations, and by phone and e-mail.

 

Fourth and Fifth Grade

Ms. Kenner 
akenner@acariverside.com

This week 4th and 5th graders are working on Black History Month Research Papers. They are writing 5 paragraph essays about Black men and women throughout American History. This is due Thursday! In Science, both grades are learning about light! In Social Studies, 5th grade is learning about Spanish Expansion and 4th grade is learning about the consequences of the Revolutionary War. In math, 5th graders are working on multiplying whole numbers by fractions, while 4th grade works on angles and measurements.

 

Middle School

English Language Arts
Ms. Brents
adbrents001@acariverside.com

This week in English class we are continuing to reexamine citing evidence from the text to support our claims when writing responses. We’ve had minimal small group work in a traditional sense this school year, as I was trying to figure out how to navigate groups in the safest, and most engaging way. This week we will forge forward and work together in small peer groups in the safest way possible! The students have shared with me a couple great ways to accomplish this, and I’m excited to try out their methods! Sixth grade is working on standard R.L.6.1, seventh grade R.L.7.1, and eighth R.L.8.1.

Math
Mrs. McConnell
mmcconnell@acariverside.com

This week in middle school math. We are well into the third quarter and this year is flying by. Students have been doing well adapting to all the changes this year has given us and the first two quarters were really focused on getting adjusted. At this point in the school year, now that we are familiar with canvas and how to submit work, you may have noticed more assignments in Math. That is not a mistake. I am definitely expecting more from everyone this quarter. There has been some great progress this year and we still have far to go, but we can do it! Riverside Academy was able to get every student a calculator to borrow and I have assigned everyone a calculator to use. Thank you Riverside! Thank you Mrs. Lucas! These calculators have really come in handy and I’m so glad everyone has one without needing to share and worry about germs. Calculators are labeled and expected to stay at the school. I will be collecting them at the end of the year and awarding prizes for calculators in great condition.

On another note, with cold winter weather and the heaters being on, the school air can be very drying. Students have been asking for drinks during the day, but the school water fountains are turned off for health safety reasons. We do not have bottled water to offer to students. Please consider sending your student to school with a bottle each morning. It would greatly help!

Social Studies
Ms. Charley
mcharley@acariverside.com

This week in social studies, the 6th grade started learning about cartography. Next week we will be learning about bias in maps. In the 7th grade, students continued to learn about the middle ages. The 8th grades started their standard on the American Revolution. Everyone has had a great week and I’m looking forward to continuing through history!

 

Science
Mr. Voegele
SMVogele001@acariverside.com

Half way to the end of third quarter.  I hope everyone has taken their test on Canvas.  6th and 7th grade had assessments in their canvas and the 8th grades were in mastery.  I am very proud of the traditional 8th graders.  They showed me they are doing a great job of understanding and retaining the material we are learning.  I can say that now it is my time to help them look at state testing questions so they can do even better.  You guys rock!  With that on to the next week 6th grade matter and how it changes.  7th grade ocean currents and a thing called the Coriolis Effect. 8th grade radioactive dating (unlike absolute and relative dating).  Also reminder there is an in-service on Friday and I will be out next Wednesday.  BTW I am typing this at home and my sons say hello to you all. Have a great weekend and stay safe.

 

Intervention Specialists

Hello parents and guardians, students at Riverside have recently taken a Reading Mastery Assessment. The tests show our students need to increase their vocabulary. A great way to help increase your child’s vocabulary is to read to them or listen to audio books. E-books and audio books can be downloaded through the Cincinnati Public Library. A library card is free. Along with books, you can download magazines, movies, and games. The special education team every student to be successful and increasing their vocabulary will help them in high school and beyond. We are hope you are staying warm and safe during this blustery week.

Mrs. Bruner   mbruner@acariverside.com     
Mr. Springer  tspringer@acariverside.com    
Mrs. Frohlich cfrohlich@acariverside.com    

 

Music

Ms. Sargent
hsargent@acariverside.com

This week in Music class, students in grades 2-8 took a trip to Russia to explore the country’s music and dance. They also met the famous musician, Freddie Mercury. Kindergarten and first grade students got to learn about the Harp this week. Next week, students can look forward to learning about the highly requested rapper, Tupac.

 

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Parent –Teacher conferences will be held on two days. We will be available on Thursday, February 25, from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., and on Friday, February 26, from 11:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. All conferences will be held remotely. Look for information next week about signing up and how to connect with us.

 

 

 

The Riverside Roar is our weekly newsletter to inform our families of all the great things happening at school. Newsletter is personalized with information from your child’s teacher. 

Download The Riverside Roar for the week of January 25, 2021 (PDF)

 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Parent-Teacher conferences are one month away. We want to be available for you, so we are changing the scheduling of conferences slightly to accommodate different work schedules. Conferences will be held on two days. We will be available on Thursday, February 25, from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M., and on Friday, February 26, from 11:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. All conferences will be held remotely. We will send more information about signing up and how to connect at the beginning of February.

Of course if you would like to connect before then, just give us a call!

Sincerely,
Elizabeth A. Lucas
Principal

 

Grab and Go Meals

Hybrid students will bring meals home every Wednesday.

Online families may pick up meals by pulling up to the kitchen door on the east side of the building. Pick up is on Thursdays from 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.

 

Upcoming Events

February 4 – Progress Reports Distributed

February 5 – Professional Development – No School for Students

February 15 – Presidents’ Day – No School

February 25 – Parent-Teacher Conferences

February 26 – Parent-Teacher Conferences – No School for Students

 

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Kindergarten/1st Grade

Ms. Zwirgzdas 
azwirgzdas@acariverside.com

My name is Miss. Zwirgzdas, I am your child’s new teacher. It has been great getting to know you children this week. Students have been working on their reading skills this week and new phonics skills -ink, -ank, and -unk. In math, first graders continue to work on number bonds up to 10 and kindergarten is working on adding objects in a group and comparing groups. Today is also the 100th day of of school. This week students have been creating t-shirts in the art room, doing 10 stamps of 10 different colors which creates a shirt of 100 objects.

Have a great weekend, and see you Monday!

 

4th/5th Grade

Ms. Kenner 
akenner@acariverside.com

This week 4th and 5th graders are working on Black History Month Research Papers. They are writing 5 paragraph essays about Black men and women throughout American History. This is due Thursday! In Science, both grades are learning about light! In Social Studies, 5th grade is learning about Spanish Expansion and 4th grade is learning about the consequences of the Revolutionary War. In math, 5th graders are working on multiplying whole numbers by fractions, while 4th grade works on angles and measurements

 

Middle School

English Language Arts
Ms. Brents
adbrents001@acariverside.com

All students have done a great job with the testing we had last week. The testing environments were on point, and everyone displayed a proper amount of focus and stamina to get the job done! My middle school students have made me so proud this week! The results from testing have yielded some great gains! Ask your student if their Lexile improved compared to the fall iReady test.

This week we need to reset a couple of writing norms, so we’ll be working on standard R.L.6.1, R.L.7.1 and R.L.8.1. All grades will also be updating their “personal vocabulary flashcards” according to the results of the iReady testing. We will also be creating narrative pieces based on the texts we’ve read as a class (Frankenstein by Mary Shelly and Money Hungry by Sharon Flake). We have brainstormed ideas as a class, and I’m super excited about the ideas we’ve created together! Stay tuned for more updates on their writing next week.

Math
Mrs. McConnell
mmcconnell@acariverside.com

This week in Middle school math. Students in all grades should have taken the iReady diagnostic. This is a tool that helps the program target skills specifically chosen for each student, so it’s important that the student works on this by themselves. We do not use this as a graded assignment. However, students are expected to practice skills in iReady at least 10 minutes each day, and that work IS graded on completion and effort. I have had a lot of questions regarding grades in canvas. Please don’t rely on what is showing in canvas. We use a different system, called powerschool, to track grades and the canvas system and the powerschool system don’t always communicate well. In addition, zero grades and missing assignments don’t show up in canvas, so it may look like your student has a better grade than they actually do. Missing assignments can bring grades down dramatically. If you have any questions please let me know.

Social Studies
Ms. Charley
mcharley@acariverside.com

This week in social studies, all grades participated in simulations, which is a kind of Roleplay. In the 6th Grade, students took a tour of the Silk Road to see who the best merchant could be. In the 7th Grade, students became a peasant, a knight, or a lord to represent feudalism. In the 8th Grade, students attempted to steal the declaration of independence. These simulations were packed with source analysis and everyone did a great job. I am looking forward to next week and continuing to use these interactive roleplays!

Science
Mr. Voegele
SMVogele001@acariverside.com

Man this year is really just running by quickly.  I just realized that we are now 3 weeks into third quarter. Meaning we are needing the midterm of the quarter. There are many missing assignments and quizzes in Canvas for online students.  To give you an idea most of my classes have had about 10 assignments already.  6^th and 7^th grade had a short cycle last week and have another short cycle next week.  8^th grade has been taking mastery tests to prepare for their state test.  Next Tuesday January 26^th every student has a Language and Math Mastery test.  And the 8^th grade also has a Science test.  Make sure we are staying up on our testing.  7^th grade will also be starting a three-day project this Friday the 22^nd and it is due Tuesday the 26^th on severe weather.  It is on Canvas. Now for the subject matters we have been studying.  6^th grade we are studying the physical and chemical properties of matter.  7^th grade we are working on the water cycle.  8^th grade we are doing relative dating and diversity.  As always stay safe and healthy and have a great weekend.

 

Intervention Specialists

Dear Parents and Guardians, the Special Education Department wants to let you know that the National Parks has a program to allow 5^th graders and their parents to visit national parks for free through August 31, 2021. This is a great way to get outdoors and explore nature.

There are 12 parks to visit throughout Ohio.

If you have any questions or would like to us to print the voucher, please call or email.

513.921.7777 ext 40904

Mrs. Bruner   mbruner@acariverside.com     
Mr. Springer  tspringer@acariverside.com    
Mrs. Frohlich cfrohlich@acariverside.com    

 

Music

Ms. Sargent
hsargent@acariverside.com

This week in Music class, students in grades 2-8 took a trip to Afghanistan to explore the country’s music and dance. They also met the famous rapper, Pop Smoke. Kindergarten and first grade students got to learn about the Banjo this week. Next week, students can look forward to learning about the legendary band, Queen.

 

 

 

The Riverside Roar is our weekly newsletter to inform our families of all the great things happening at school. Newsletter is personalized with information from your child’s teacher. 

Download the Riverside Roar for the week of January 19, 2021 (PDF)

 

Grab and Go Meals

Hybrid students will bring meals home every Wednesday.

Online families may pick up meals by pulling up to the kitchen door on the east side of the building. Pick up is on Thursdays from 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.

 

Upcoming Events

January 18 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – No School

February 4 – Progress Reports distributed

February 5 – Professional Development – No School for Students

 

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Kindergarten/1st Grade

Ms. Zwirgzdas – Hybrid and Online
azwirgzdas@acariverside.com

I hope you all had a relaxing winter break and everyone was able to stay safe and healthy. This was the first day back for students. Just a few reminders students will have four different courses, one for each subject. Please use the pin tool to distinguish these courses so that they do not get mixed up with courses from the previous quarter. As we became familiar with online learning once again this year, first graders were introduced to fractions and adding on a number line. Kindergarteners worked on determining how many objects would be left when solving for the missing number, as well as classifying shapes.

We have completed a second week of third quarter! I want to thank all students who turned in their writing piece, it feels even more like your children are a part of the school, seeing their work in the hallways. This week we had I ready reading testing, to see the growth in your child’s learning. First graders also learned about homophones and adding 3 different numbers to find the sum. Kindergarteners worked on learning about verbs and identifying a problem and solution of a story. Kindergarteners also worked on subtraction skills of how many are left? Students will be transitioning to a new teacher starting next week. Please check your inbox over the weekend and early next week for any updates on this.

 

 

Middle School

English Language Arts
Ms. Brents
adbrents001@acariverside.com

The middle school students and I are super excited for the fresh start 2nd semester offers!  The Canvas platform offers a parent portal that allows for parents to see everything the students have access to. All student assignments, due dates, live session schedules and students’ grades are available on the parent Canvas portal. Signing up, is a great way to keep up what’s going on in all middle school classes. Last week the 6th and 8th graders worked on standard R.I.6.8 and R.I.8.8 respectively. The standard concentrated on evaluating support offered in arguments. Seventh grade worked with the figurative language techniques of hyperbole, idioms, onomatopoeia and alliteration comprised in standard R.L.7.4

This week in English class we are wrapping up the first standards we worked on this semester and we’ll be having our first Short Cycles (tests). Short Cycles are only 6 questions, four multiple choice questions and two short answer responses. Parents can assist their student to prepare for their short cycles by having the student practice answering question in the ACE format (verbally or on paper), and checking out resources (even simple, entertaining ones like videos) regarding the following standards:

6th grade – R.I.6.8
7th grade – R.L.7.4 (figurative language)
8th grade – R.I.8.8

Math
Mrs. McConnell
mmcconnell@acariverside.com

Welcome back middle school math! I hope everyone had a safe relaxing holiday. It was a well-deserved break for all of us. We jumped right back into our lessons on Monday and the students did a great job not missing a beat. 6^th grade started a new Eureka math module which focuses on Arithmetic Operations Including division of fractions. The curriculum focuses heavily on using drawings and visual models to make the concept of dividing more concept based. The students really seem to be getting it. In 7^th grade we finished half of a unit on proportional values and had a mid-module test on Friday. It can be a difficult unit, but everyone is doing a great job! 8^th grade is busy learning linear equations and their graphs. We are halfway through this unit and there was a test on Thursday.

Second semester has gotten off to a great start. Don’t be alarmed if your student doesn’t have a lot of graded assignments so far this quarter. Grades 7and 8 both had mid module tests upon returning from break and I didn’t want to give a lot of graded work until after the test. Next week is also important because students are going to be taking the iReady diagnostic. This is a tool that students took in the fall to measure growth throughout the year. Please make sure students get plenty of rest so they can do their best and show us all how much they’ve learned this year so far! We will have dates for traditional and online students to take the diagnostic. We just ask that they hold off on doing iReady work until they are asked to get in for the diagnostic. I have every confidence that the students did great! Keep up all the good work at home and at school!

Social Studies
Ms. Charley
mcharley@acariverside.com

The middle school social studies students had a great week. The 6th Grade finished up Standard 9, which was about the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. They are now learning about the Qin and Han Dynasties. The 7th Grade will be finishing up their last Standard on Rome this Friday. Next week, we finally begin learning about the Middle Ages! The 8th Grade finished learning about events leading up to the Revolutionary War and will start learning about the War itself next week with Lexington and Concord. The 8th Grade, as part of their Level 3, wrote break-up letters to the British. I have discovered my students are all secret comedians. Have a great long weekend!

Science
Mr. Voegele
SMVogele001@acariverside.com

HAPPY NEW YEAR AND WELCOME BACK! Hoping that 2021 is even better than 2020.  We have hit the ground running.  Students already have work up and available on Canvas.  Reminder if you are an online or hybrid student start at the begin of every module and click every link.  I have readings linked by your agenda’s these have test every two to three weeks.  Also read all of the readings before taking your quizzes.  I do grade them all and they go into the grade book.  I am writing this on Wednesday and some of us are not getting off on the right foot because our quiz scores could be better.  If you have any questions email me, send me a message on Canvas or call the school.  On to what we are studying 6^th grade is moving into the study of Atoms, 7^th Grade is studying the Water Cycle, and 8^th grade is studying geological age.

This week 6th and 7th grade have a short cycle assessment on Friday. Make sure that you are getting on Canvas doing your work. 8th grade has a mastery test. Which should have been taken on Tuesday and needs to be completed if they have not finished it. On to the week that is and the future. 6th grade we are moving on with matter and what is matter. 7th grade we are moving onto bigger things, oceans and tides. 8th grade we are moving on to organisms and their diversity. As always if you have any questions email me or call me, I am always available. Please remember we don’t have school Monday because we are recognizing the life and times of a great American, Martin Luther King Jr. Let’s reflect on his life and contributions to America and have peace throughout the land.

 

Intervention Specialists

Dear parents and guardians, the Special Education team hopes everyone in your family is healthy and warm. Many of the elementary and middle school students struggle with fractions, decimals, and percents. With so many advertisements going on this time of year, it is a good time to practice with your students what it means when a product is ½ off or a certain percent off. It’s a great time to practice those math skills by talking about which store has the better sale price for the same item.

One of the special education team’s goals for the new year is to increase student’s vocabulary. One of the best ways to increase your student’s vocabulary is to read to them and discuss with them what was just read. You can also listen to the radio while in the car and listen/talk about ongoing events. Middle school students have a vocabulary list in Canvas that they frequently review.

513.921.7777 ext 40904

Mrs. Bruner   mbruner@acariverside.com     
Mr. Springer  tspringer@acariverside.com    
Mrs. Frohlich cfrohlich@acariverside.com    

 

Music

Ms. Sargent
hsargent@acariverside.com

Last week in Music class, students in grades 2-8 took a trip to Guatemala to explore the country’s music and dance. They also met the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.  Kindergarten and first grade students got to learn about the violin. This week students in grades 2-8 took a trip to Egypt to explore the country’s music and dance. They also met the famous musician, Post Malone. Kindergarten and first grade students got to learn about the Piccolo this week. Next week, students can look forward to learning about a rapper who was requested by the 4th and 5th grade class.

 

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Parents Right to Student Test Results and Parental Notification of Assessment Information

On January 8, 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) was signed into law. Section 1111(h)(6)(A) states that as a parent of a student in  our elementary school, receiving Title I funds, the school shall provide you with the following:

• Parents should be provided the level of achievement of their children each year based on the results of state assessments.
• Parents should be invited to an annual meeting to inform parents of their right to be involved in the planning of school improvement programs. In addition, a number of parent meetings should be scheduled to involve parents in decisions related to the education of their children.
• Include parents in an annual evaluation of the content and effectiveness of the parent involvement policy in improving the academic quality, including identifying barriers to greater participation by parents.
• Parents should be involved in decisions that determine how federal funds for parental involvement are used, including activities promoting family literacy and parenting skills.
• A school-parent compact should be developed that outlines how parents and the school share the responsibility for improved student academic achievement.

Section 1112(e)(2) of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) requires divisions that receive Title I, Part A, funds to notify parents of students attending Title I schools that the parents may request information regarding any state or division policy regarding student participation in required assessments.

• At the beginning of each school year, a local educational agency that receives funds under this part shall notify the parents of each student attending any school receiving funds under this part that the parents may request, and the local educational agency will provide the parents on request (and in a timely manner), information regarding any State or local educational agency policy regarding student participation in any assessments mandated by section 1111(b)(2) and by the State or local educational agency, which shall include a policy, procedure, or parental right to opt the child out of such assessment, where applicable. The notice must be made available in any language as requested by a parent.

If you have questions or concerns, please call me at 513-921-7777. Thanks! Ms. Lucas

 

The Riverside Roar is our weekly newsletter to inform our families of all the great things happening at school. Newsletter is personalized with information from your child’s teacher. 

Download the Elementary Riverside Roar for the week of December 14, 2020 (PDF)

Download the Middle School Riverside Roar for the week of December 14, 2020 (PDF)

 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Next week students will be participating in our winter mock assessment. Students in second through eighth grades will be tested in English, science, and math. We expect to see a lot of growth in our scholars!

Here is what you can do to help:

• Students need to be here every day to take the tests. If your student learns virtually, they must be logged on to their class through Canvas.
• Student should eat breakfast.
• Student should get a good night’s sleep. Seven to eight hours of sleep every night is recommended.
• Students should receive encouragement and come to school believing they can do well!

Sincerely,
Ms. Lucas, Principal

 

Grab and Go Meals

Hybrid students will bring meals home every Wednesday.

Online families may pick up meals by pulling up to the kitchen door on the east side of the building. Pick up is on Thursdays from 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M.

 

Upcoming Events

December 15-16 – Winter Mock Assessment for Grades 2 through 8

December 18 – End of 2nd Quarter

December 21 through January 1 – Winter Break – No School

January 4 – First Day of Third Quarter

 

Dismissal

We love all of our Riverside students! For our students that attend in person, we have several dismissal procedures in place to keep them safe.

1. Walkers are dismissed at 3:15 P.M.
2. Bus riders are called as the busses arrive.
3. Students who are picked up are called as their rides arrive. Parents and guardians must stay in their cars, maintain one lane while waiting, and continue to pull forward when possible.

If a student needs to leave school early, a parent must come in and sign them out. Any time missed DOES count towards truancy.  if you need to call the office regarding a dismissal change, please call before 2:45. We do not dismiss students between 3:00 P.M. and 3:15 P.M. Thanks!

 

Reminder

With colder weather comes changes in what students want to wear in the building. However, coats and hoodies may not be worn. This is a Board policy that is explained in the Student-Parent Handbook. If students are cold, they may wear only solid colored white, gray, navy, black, or beige knitted cardigans or knitted pullover sweaters. Thank you for your help with this! If you have questions, please call me any time.

 

Student attendance affects academic success.

 

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Kindergarten/1st Grade

Ms. White – Traditional
nwhite@acariverside.com

Hello parents/guardians! We only have one week left until Winter Break! Please don’t forget to check your child’s progress on class dojo. You can also check class dojo for all classroom updates. For the week of Dec. 14 to Dec. 18, we will be working on the following: Sounding out long vowel words, sounding out words that we want to write/spell, narrative writing, place value review, money review, addition and subtraction review. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to email me at nwhite@acariverside.com

 

Ms. Zwirgzdas – Hybrid and Online
azwirgzdas@acariverside.com

Hello Families,
Only one week left before break! I want to remind and encourage you to reach out for any assistance you may need on student work before the end of quarter. I have also been sharing my screen during live sessions at the end of the recorded lesson. I am more than happy to meet you at school to help with accessing and submitting assignments if needed. I will still accept late work for credit, however the last day for me to accept student work is December 18.
This week both Kindergarten and First grade did their first writers workshop during our live session. In math Kindergarteners worked on reading picture graphs and counting on one more place. First graders continued lessons that dealt with probability, as well as skip counting by 10’s and 5’s using nickels and dimes.
One more week, lets finish strong before break!
Miss. Z

 

2nd/3rd Grade

Ms. Brown – Traditional
ebrown2@acariverside.com

Hello Friends and Families,
I hope you are doing well and staying safe during this. This week the students will be working on mock assessments in both 2nd and 3rd grade. Make sure that they get enough sleep and have a hearty breakfast in the morning. We want all of our students to do well. We are revisting what stories are made of and the authors purpose in ELA. In 2nd grade the student are still trying to master place value while in 3rd the students are moving on the area and perimeter of shapes.
Hope you have a fantastic week!

 

4th/5th Grade

Ms. Kenner – Traditional
akenner@acariverside.com

Dear Parents and Guardians,
We have made it to the last week before winter break! We have a lot to get through this week. Monday students will have math tests. 4th grade will have a test over Greatest Common Factor and Least Common Denominator, while 5th grade will have a test over multiplying 3 digit numbers by 2 and 3 digit numbers. As far as holiday parties go, this will take place in the afternoon of December 18th. Students are welcome to bring in treats, as long as there is enough for everyone. There are currently 16 students. Continue to encourage students to read for 10-15 minutes a night, out loud! Thank you for your support!

 

Middle School

English Language Arts
Ms. Brents
adbrents001@acariverside.com

It’s an exciting time of year! It’s the conclusion of our first semester, and we get to show what we know this week! I love assessment time, because our students can show off all that we have learned! I especially look forward to reading the extended response questions because we’ve been working really hard on finding support for our answers in the text all school year long ( R.L6.1, R.L.7.1 & R.L.8.1) ! To help your student prepare for the tests review how to answer questions in the ACE format with them. You could ask them for sentence starters for each designation of ACE. For example: Tell me one way you can start your sentence when it’s time to explain your answer? How do you restate the following question: Write a paragraph discussing one character trait of the protagonist? Use the documents in the Resource module titled ACE infographic 1, ACE infographic 2, and ACE infographic 3 to provide support. I’m looking forward to seeing how far our students have grown!

Math
Mrs. McConnell
mmcconnell@acariverside.com

Middle school math is going strong! One more week, and we’ve made it to the end of second quarter!! WOW! That went by fast. This final week before Christmas break, students will be wrapping up second quarter assignments and also taking the WINTER State Assessment. Assessments are happening on Tuesday and Wednesday for all traditional students, and have already begun for online and hybrid students. These are very important for us to gauge how students are doing, and more importantly, how we are doing as teachers. Please make sure your student gets plenty of rest the night before the test and comes to school in time to have a good breakfast. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! If you have any questions please let me know – Mrs. McConnell

Social Studies
Ms. Charley
mcharley@acariverside.com

 

Science
Mr. Voegele
SMVogele001@acariverside.com

We are coming down the home stretch of second quarter and second semester. The traditional students you guys are doing awesome for the most part. Hybrid and online students you need to check your modules every Monday to see your agenda of work. You need to be working through all your assignments daily and submitting work on a regular basis. On Wednesday December 16th I will be holding live session reviews for you last assessment of second quarter which will be December 17th. The 18th is the end of the quarter. If your assessment is not in by 230 on the 18th it will be an F. I know you are all capable of doing my work.

On to the week ahead. 6th Graders are working on renewable energy sources. 7th grade we are getting electric with circuits and electricity. 8th grade we are shaking things up a bit with Earthquakes all of your assignments this week are on Canvas.

As always if you need something email or call me at the school. Stay safe and healthy.

 

Intervention Specialists

Dear Parents and Guardians,

This time of year is a good time to have your children practice writing a letter. You can have them make their own holiday card and have them write a poem or write a paragraph about a special memory inside the card. I’m sure relatives and friends would enjoy a homemade card. During the winter break is also a good time to practice their writing. Try having them keep a journal. Have them describe what the weather is like outside or describe how what their day looks like. It’s not for a grade, but just a great chance to improve their writing skills.

Please feel free to email or call us anytime with questions.

513.921.7777 ext 40904

Mrs. Bruner   mbruner@acariverside.com     
Mr. Springer  tspringer@acariverside.com    
Mrs. Frohlich cfrohlich@acariverside.com    

 

Physical Education

Mr. Holland
iholland@acariverside.com

We will start off with our normal stretches (arm rotations, push-ups, jumping jacks etc.) After stretching we will do our cardio/rhythm & dance. This is a fun activity for students. This part of the lesson is big on following directions. We do the cha-cha slide, freeze dance, and freestyle dancing as well.
This week we will learn different shooting and dribbling techniques. We will also play a game called knock out. We will continue to follow safety guidelines to keep staff, and students safe.

Music

Ms. Sargent
hsargent@acariverside.com

This week in Music class, students in grades 2-8 took a trip to Ireland to explore the country’s music and dance. They also met the famous rapper and musician, XXXTentacion. Kindergarten and first grade students got to learn about the viola this week. Next week, students can expect to hear lots of holiday music, and to do some art in music class! STUDENTS NEED TO BRING THEIR RECORDERS ON THURSDAY (12/17) INSTEAD OF FRIDAY (12/18) NEXT WEEK.