We have had a busy October! Students in grades 2-5 loved visiting the mobile Fab Lab and participating in STEAM activities this week. Check out the QCSD article and other highlights below.

This week is Red Ribbon Week, and we kick it off Monday by wearing red and saying no to drugs and bullying. We end it on Friday with our Halloween Parade. Families are invited to watch outside at designated areas. Don't miss the chance to order pizza for Halloween pick up as our PTO fundraiser. Richie, the Richland Panther, will be at pick up!

Our online spirit wear store is open! We are excited to offer new items. Get the details below.

We hope you can join us for our PTO meeting this Wednesday night at 6:30 in person in the Richland library or via Google Meet. Kate Whitman, Director of the Peace Center, will be a guest speaker. Everyone is welcome.

Together we THRIVE!

Have a wonderful last week of October!

Nicole Zuerblis

Richland Principal

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/rpw-ywyk-avb

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 617-675-4444‬ PIN: ‪475 299 618 3246‬#

The lab itself is a transit van that transports several carts full of equipment such as 3D printers, a laser engraver, CNC router, vinyl cutter, and a variety of robotics equipment. The Fab Lab also has laptop computers with specialized software programs to control and interact with the equipment.

The lab visited Richland for a one-week residency and will visit regional homeless shelters on the weekends and during the summer. A designated Fab Lab Program Coordinator accompanies the van and works with each site to provide age-appropriate curricula utilizing the equipment in ways supporting 21st century learning.

CHECK OUT THIS ARTICLE ABOUT RICHLAND'S FAB LAB VISIT!

Richland Elementary will have a Halloween Parade this year! Students are invited to dress in costumes and parade with their classes in the back of the school on the blacktop beginning at 2:30pm (weather permitting). Family members may view the parade in designated areas.

Please note:

• Students should not wear costumes to school. They should bring costumes with their name and teacher’s name clearly marked.

• Costumes depicting any violence or horror as seen in the movies, on the news, or in comics, are not permitted.

• Weapons of any kind, including metal, plastic, wood and cardboard are not permitted.

• Costumes should reflect age appropriate characters.

Students should not wear costumes to school. They will be provided classroom time to dress in costumes in preparation for the parade.

If you do not wish to have your child participate in the parade or the classroom activities that follow, please let your child's classroom teacher know. Your child will be provided with an alternate activity not related to this event.

In order to help ensure the safety and well-being of all our students and staff members, the following procedures will be followed:

• Parents/Guardians can watch the parade in the back of the school. Visitors will not be permitted in classrooms before or after the parade.

• The parade will begin promptly at 2:30pm and students will walk with their grade level.

• Fall classroom celebrations will occur after the parade. Only those parents who are assisting with classroom celebrations will be permitted into the building. Teachers will notify those parents and provide the office a list of parents who are assisting with classroom celebrations.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation with these procedures.

We hope this is an enjoyable day for everyone!

Below are this week's questions. We'd love you to participate!

MONDAY: How do you “press pause” when you feel upset or angry?

TUESDAY: Think of a time when you felt frustrated, and you “pressed pause.” How did you feel?

WEDNESDAY: What do you do to feel better when you’re sad?

THURSDAY: How do you feel today?

FRIDAY: What are you responsible for at home?

Little things can make a big difference. You can help support the Ronald McDonald House and others affected by childhood cancer or anyone else who needs the help from the Ronald McDonald House by collecting the little tabs you pull to open soda, soup or any other aluminum cans. The funds generated from recycling these aluminum tabs help offset The Ronald McDonald House expenses. Send in your tabs to Richland.

We are donating our tabs in honor of Rhiley who is a cancer survivor.

He is a 4th grader at Richland.

WHAT ARE HABIT TICKETS?

Each day, adults in the school building have tickets to give to any student they see exhibiting one of the 7 habits. Once a student receives a Leader Ticket, he or she will go to the office to sign our school Leader Book, pick a number at random for the placement of their ticket on the Leaderboard, and will bring home a postcard to show you so that you may share in their good news! Once the student has a ticket on the board, he or she is eligible to receive the "mystery motivator". When ten tickets in a row are up on the board, those students will spin a wheel to receive a mystery motivator prize. Examples of motivators are extra recess, lunch with Mrs. Zuerblis, and many more.

HOW CAN I HELP AT HOME?

We encourage you to discuss Leader in Me with your child at home. The characteristics of the 7 habits encourage responsibility and ownership of one's actions, as well as other leadership qualities. Ask your child to use the ideas shared at school when at home and in the neighborhood, and routinely check in with your child on how he or she is demonstrating these characteristics in different settings.

TOGETHER WE THRIVE!

With SafeArrival, families can report their child’s absence using any of these 3

convenient methods:

1.Using a mobile device; download and install the free SchoolMessenger app from the
Apple App Store or the Google Play Store (or from the links at https://go.schoolmessenger.com). Please note that the first time you use the app,
you will need to select Sign Up to create your account. To enter an absence, select Attendance, then Report an Absence.

• In addition to attendance information, in the app you will also see all of the School Messenger messages the school has sent throughout the year.

2. Use the SafeArrival website; https://go.schoolmessenger.com. The first time you use
the website, you will need to select Sign Up to create your account. Then, select Attendance and finally, Report an Absence.

3. Call the toll-free number; 1-833-834-4911 and report an absence using the automated phone system. To use this system, you must use or enter the phone number you
provided as your district contact number. Using or entering that phone number will link you to your child(ren).

These options are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Future absences can be reported at any time.

Currently, our district is providing ALL families with children up to the age of 18 with FREE breakfast and lunch for the remainder of the school year through funds from the US Department of Agriculture. There are no conditions to qualify. However, if you do not have a current application on file for the 2021-2022 school year, you could miss benefits from the State, should it decide to provide the Pandemic EBT Benefits again.

Please click here for the Free & Reduced Meal Program applications.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Stacy Reiss, Free & Reduced Lunch Program, at sreiss@qcsd.org or 215-529-2022.