Riverdale Gazette
December 2021
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Dear Riverdale Community,
There is nothing better than working with children around the holidays. Pandemic or no pandemic, there’s something contagious about the excitement many children bring to this time of year. Some are excited to see what gift they get each night of Hanukkah, some can’t wait to see what Santa has brought to put under their tree, and others are just plain excited to not have to wake up for school for a week! No matter the reason for their excitement, it most certainly brings a level of joy to the building. Don’t get me wrong…it brings a certain amount of craziness too, but we decide to focus on the joy!
As I’ve been doing with these messages, I encourage you all to take a moment and look back at where we were this time last year and how far we’ve come. Last year at this time, we still had most students coming for in-person learning only twice per week. On top of that, I had to send messages to you all to remind you about the travel ban we were still living under, which required students and teachers to quarantine for a certain amount of time before returning to school after the vacation. Now, although numbers across the country are rising and we’ve seen a very small number of cases at our own school, there is so much more hope. Teachers no longer log onto Zoom each morning, students come to school each and every day, and we have many of those students on their way to being considered “fully vaccinated,” which means they will no longer be considered close contacts of any positive cases in their classes. Again, there is hope.
I thank you all for the part you’ve played in our school’s successful reopening this year and low case numbers. It’s because you’ve all stayed vigilant, cooperated with our protocols and the protocols set forth by the Department of Education, and kept a positive attitude around your students that we’re able to have the year we’ve had so far!
I hope you all have an incredible winter vacation filled with lots of family, rest and the least amount of shoveling possible.
We’ll see you in 2022!!
Ed Paris, Principal
COUNSELOR'S CORNER - MRS. ELAINE SHEEHY, LICSW
Thanks to the generosity of the Riverdale community, and our PTO we were able to meet the needs of all Riverdale families that requested Thanksgiving holiday help this year. Dedham’s Food Pantry, and the Power of Community group also contributed. Please allow me to express appreciation on behalf of the families who felt the warmth of this community on Thanksgiving. Thank you to everyone who donated gift cards. We are in good shape for providing Winter holiday help and year long as –needed support as well.
It is not too late to contact me if you need assistance with holiday gifts for your family this year. Please call or e-mail if you would like to be involved in the gift program as a donor or a recipient.
The Dedham Community House has offered Riverdale 2 scholarship slots in its December Vacation Camp. Please be in touch ASAP if you would like your child to attend.
Happy, Healthy Holiday Season and New Year Everyone!
Elaine Goldberg Sheehy esheehy@dedham.k12.ma.us 781-310-2709 direct line
ASK A GRADER
Ask a second grader "how do you make a gingerbread house?"
Ask a third grader which addition strategy they prefer to use; partial sums, traditional, or open number line?
Ask a fourth grader to write fifty-seven hundredths in fraction form, decimal form, and dollars-and-cents notation
Ask a fifth grader to show you how to divide 326 by 7, Have them use and tell you about the "Dedham Middle School ...is the Best" strategy.
Fall Into Winter Music Showcase Update
Dear Riverdale Families,
Due to the rise in COVID-19 cases across our area and state, I have decided to make our Fall Into Winter Music Showcase closed to the public. Instead of coming to the school to watch the show, families will be able to watch the performance on Dedham TV, as it will be recorded, edited and broadcast on their channel, as well as on their website (link will be sent once completed). For those who want to watch it on television (it will play many times between tomorrow and January 1st), the channels are:
Comcast: Channel 22
Verizon: Channel 38
RCN: Channel 13
Livestream on Website: Click here
Although I am extremely disappointed that we can not welcome you all into our building to enjoy your students singing, one of my jobs as Principal is to maintain the safety of our students and their families. I do not believe having so many people in our auditorium together would be in the best interest of that safety.
In line with this thinking, the PTO has also decided to postpone the PTO Holiday Gathering, which was scheduled for tonight, December 21, 2021. We hope to reschedule that for sometime after the winter vacation.
I hope you all are able to enjoy the show from home and I look forward to the possibility of having you back in the school for the Spring concert!
Happy Holidays,
Edward F. Paris, Principal
NURSES NOTES - JUDY BYRNE, R.N.
Winter is coming! Please refer to the COVID-19 symptom list and keep students home if they are sick. *Please NOTE: Only PCR (Molecular) -or - NAAT (Nucleic Acid Amplification Test) tests are accepted for return to school. At-home, rapid antigen tests are not accepted to determine if the student is okay to return to school despite symptoms*
VACCINATED STUDENTS WITH these symptoms should stay home and get a PCR/NAAT test to return
- Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- New loss of taste or smell
- Muscle aches or body aches
VACCINATED STUDENTS WITH these symptoms should get a recommendation from their doctor and consider testing.
- Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
- Sore throat when in combination with other symptoms
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea when in combination with other symptoms
- Headache when in combination with other symptoms
- Fatigue when in combination with other symptoms
- Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other know causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms.
STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED who have ANY of the symptoms below should get a PCR/NAAT test before returning to school:
- Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- New loss of taste or smell
- Muscle aches or body aches
- Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
- Sore throat when in combination with other symptoms
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea when in combination with other symptoms
- Headache when in combination with other symptoms
- Fatigue when in combination with other symptoms
- Nasal congestion or runny nose (not due to other know causes, such as allergies) when in combination with other symptoms
IMPORTANT DATES
Wednesday, December 22 – Winter Concert
Thursday, December 23 - Pajama Day
Thursday, December 23 – Early Release Dismissal at Noon
December 24-January 2 – Winter Vacation
Tuesday, January 11 – Early Release, Dismissal at Noon
Friday, January 14 – Picture Retake Day
Monday, January 17 - Martin Luther King , No School
Tuesday, January 18 - PTO Meeting
GINGERBREAD HOUSES IN 2ND GRADE
ABOUT US
Email: avmartin@dedham.k12.ma.us
Website: https://www.dedham.k12.ma.us/Domain/316
Location: 143 Needham Street, Dedham, MA, USA
Phone: 7813102200
Twitter: @DedhamRiverdale