Riverdale Gazette
November 2020
Principal's Message
Dear Riverdale Families,
As I told you earlier this year, when I sit to write my monthly message to you all, I always look back at the month’s message from last year for inspiration (and also, quite honestly, to see if there’s anything I should just copy and paste). Last November I wrote to you about our International Night that was taking place on that Wednesday, the School Committee meeting that was being hosted at Riverdale the following week, and the Annual Turkey Trot that we were holding on the day before Thanksgiving. Although these events that have brought us together as a community can not happen this year, our community stays strong. We have more families than ever joining PTO meetings, families reaching out to each other to offer and/or ask for assistance, and, most importantly, our students are making more and more connections with their teachers and classmates. Other examples of these connections we’re making as a community are the Virtual Veterans Day Assembly that was sent to families last night and the Virtual Open Houses that teachers are holding this week and next. If anything, all of this is teaching us that our community is stronger than any pandemic that can be thrown our way!
With the Holiday Season upon us, I encourage you to keep that sense of community alive by making sure to reach out if there’s anything the school or your neighbors can help you with. Although our Thanksgiving and Holiday Gift Giving supports will be different this year, we’re still here to help!
Lastly, if you have not done so today, go congratulate your student(s). What they are doing is quite impressive, and they are doing it without being able to ask older family members how they handled learning remotely from home during a worldwide pandemic. It never ceases to amaze me what they and our staff are doing, but I also admittedly lose that perspective, so it’s nice to be reminded!
I hope you all enjoy your Veterans Day and the assembly, and I hope those that celebrate have a great Thanksgiving!
All my best,
Ed Paris, Principal
Counselor's Corner - Mrs. Elaine Sheehy, LICSW
I am always impressed by the generosity of our community at this time of year. If you would like to help a family in need and teach your children about the importance of helping the less fortunate, please be in touch. There are always opportunities to help others.
Please be in touch as soon as possible if you need Thanksgiving food assistance. If you are able, please consider donating a grocery gift card for a family in need this year.
If you need assistance for the Winter holidays, please reach out to me as soon as possible. This year our community partners are primarily offering gift cards rather than gift items to families in need due to covid restrictions. If you’d like to help a Riverdale family, please let me know.
Once again at this time of year, I would like to suggest that we all stop and take a moment to think about why we are thankful. One way to do this is to write a gratitude list or create a family gratitude jar and fill it with slips of paper with phrases about things you are grateful for. You can refer back to this list when you need a boost. Gratitude exercises help us to appreciate the positives in our lives even when life events are difficult. They can shift our mindsets and moods. Hand-writing your gratitude list items can help implant the positive thoughts in your memory. You can also say 3 things you are grateful for before you go to sleep to improve your sleep and your mindset. If you or your child are feeling so low that no ideas come, try to engage your imagination and imagine what in your life might inspire someone else to feel gratitude.
Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving!
You can reach me through the school’s main line: 781-310-2000, on my direct line 781-310-2709 or by email at esheehy@dedham.k12.ma.us Access my counselor’s website here: https://sites.google.com/dedham.k12.ma.us/esheehy/home
Nurse's Notes - Judy Byrne, R.N
Ask A Grader
Ask a second grader what a Veteran is.
Ask a third grader one academic goal they have set for themselves this week.
Ask a fourth grader the difference between an energy transfer and an energy transformation.
Ask a fifth grader: Identify 3 rights all U.S. citizens are guaranteed to as written in the U.S. Constitution.
REMINDERS
November 12 - Virtual Open House @ 6:00PM
November 25 - Early Release
November 26 & 27 - Thanksgiving Recess
December 9 - Early Release. Professional Development
December 23-31 - Winter Vacation, No School
About Us
Website: https://www.dedham.k12.ma.us/Domain/316
Location: 143 Needham Street, Dedham, MA, USA
Phone: 781-310-2200
Twitter: @DedhamRiverdale