The Riley Connection-

October 7th- Count Day

October 8th-9th- Book Fair Browsing During Library

October 11th- PTO Meeting, 6PM @ AGRO Liquid

October 12th- SJPS Board of Education Meeting @ HS, 6-8PM

October 14th-15th- Book Fair Shopping

October 16th- No School

October 19th- No School

October 20th-22nd Hearing, Vision, and Dental Screening

October 23rd- Senior Night Light Show @ HS 6-9PM

October 27th- OK2Say Presentation (4th and 5th)

October 30th- Halloween Parade 3:15PM

October 31st- Halloween

November 3rd- Election Day

November 11th- PTO Meeting, 6PM @ AGRO Liquid

November 9th- SJPS Board of Education Meeting @ HS, 6-8PM

November 11th- Veterans Day

November 23rd- Early Release 1:35PM

November 24th- Early Release 1:35PM

November 25th- No School Thanksgiving

November 26th- No School Thanksgiving

November 27th- No School Thanksgiving

November 28th- No School Thanksgiving

December 1st- Holiday Concert

December 13th- PTO Meeting, 6PM @ AGRO Liquid

December 14th- SJPS Board of Education Meeting @ HS, 6-8PM

December 21st- January 1st- No School Winter Break

January 5th- School Resumes

January 10th- PTO Meeting, 6PM @ AGRO Liquid

January 11th- SJPS Board of Education Meeting @ HS, 6-8PM

January 18th- MLK Day - No School

January 26th- MS Music Teachers Visit 5th Grade Students @ Riley

January 29th- PSC Survey Sent to Parents

February 7th- PTO Meeting, 6PM @ AGRO Liquid

February 8th- SJPS Board of Education Meeting @ HS, 6-8PM

February 12th- No School

February 15th- Presidents Day - No School

March 8th- SJPS Board of Education Meeting @ HS, 6-8PM

March 11th- Early Release 1:35PM

March 12th- Early Release 1:35PM

March 14th- PTO Meeting, 6PM @ AGRO Liquid

March 26th- April 2nd- Spring Break

April 5th- School Resumes

April 5th- M-Step Testing Begins (3rd, 4th, 5th Grade)

April 9th- PSC Survey Sent to Parents

April 11th- PTO Meeting, 6PM @ AGRO Liquid

April 12th- SJPS Board of Education Meeting @ HS, 6-8PM

April 22nd/23rd- RCADS Survey Administered to Students

April 29th- Riley Spring Concert

May 9th- PTO Meeting, 6PM @ AGRO Liquid

May 10th- PEAP Awards @ HS Auditorium 5PM

May 10th- SJPS Board of Education Meeting @ HS, 6-8PM

May 26th- MS Counselors Visit 5th Grade Classrooms

May 28th- 5th Grade MS Visit

May 31st- Memorial Day - No School

June 10th- Early Release 1:35PM

June 11th- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - Early Release 1:35PM

June 13th- PTO Meeting, 6PM @ AGRO Liquid

Hello Riley Families,

Welcome to October! Now that our students have settled into their routines, we have fully established our school-wide procedures and reviewed foundational skills across all grade levels. As we dive into new curriculum content and engaging classroom activities, our focus will beon active student engagement. We want every child to understand what they are learning, why it matters, and how to track their own progress.

You can help reinforce this at home! We encourage you to spark daily conversations about their school day—ask your child to share what they learned and have them teach or show you a new skill they've mastered!

This month, our PRIDE Focus is Respecting Others. We will emphasize this value through dedicated activities and lessons, as respect is a vital part of maintaining a safe, positive, and healthy learning environment for every student.

Important October Updates & Events:

• Count Day: Wednesday, October 7th. Attendance on this day is especially crucial, as student attendance directly ties to critical state funding for our school.

• Parent-Teacher Conferences: Held on October 13th and 14th from 4:30 PM – 7:30 PM.

  • Tuesday, October 13th: Dedicated virtual conference day.

  • Wednesday, October 14th: Dedicated in-person conference day.

  • (If you need to make alternate arrangements, please reach out directly to your child's teacher.)

• Book Fair: Shopping will take place during school on October 14th and 15th. Additionally, the library will be open for parents and families to shop on Wednesday, October 14th, from 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM during conferences.

• School-Wide Halloween Parade: Friday, October 30th, starting at 3:15 PM.

Thank you for your continued partnership and support in helping us make this a great school year!

Mr. Tisdale

Principal, Riley Elementary

At Riley Elementary, PRIDE is at the heart of how we support student behavior through our PBIS and MTSS systems. Each letter in PRIDE reminds us of the values we strive to show every day: Practice Responsibility, Respect Others, Include Kindness, Demonstrate Grit, and Exercise Safety. These expectations are taught, modeled, and reinforced throughout the school to help all students succeed both socially and academically. By following PRIDE, students build strong character and contribute to a safe, respectful, and welcoming school environment. PRIDE is not just a set of rules—it’s how we show who we are at Riley Elementary.

Each month this school year, our newsletter will highlight one part of PRIDE. Our hope is to share what these expectations look like at school while also offering families a few simple ideas that could be helpful at home.

This month, our spotlight is on the R in PRIDE: Respecting Others. At school, this may look like listening when a teacher or classmate is talking, using polite words, or taking turns during games and activities.

At home, families might encourage respect by:

• Modeling kind and polite language during conversations
• Reminding children to listen when someone else is speaking
• Asking kids to help take care of shared spaces like the living room or kitchen

These small gestures remind children that respect helps everyone feel valued.

Parent-Teacher Conferences are coming up this fall, and we are offering two options to fit your schedule:

• Monday, October 13: Virtual Conferences (via Google Meet)

• Tuesday, October 14: In-Person Conferences (featuring our Book Fair Shopping Night!)

Please click the Sign-up link to select a time slot.

Note: If you prefer a virtual conference but those spots are filled, please sign up for a time slot on October 14 and type "Virtual" next to your child's first name.

Sign ups will close on Sunday, October 11th .

Students do not have to participate in dressing up for the festivities. If they do, please make sure to keep the costumes simple and school-appropriate. Please make sure the costumes are free of props and other accessories that resemble weapons, and are not overly frightening. We want to create a fun and enjoyable atmosphere for all students.

As we approach the exciting season of Halloween, I wanted to share some important details regarding our annual Halloween Parade and classroom celebrations.

Please read the following:

Halloween Parade:
On Friday, October 30th, we will host our Halloween Parade at 3:15 PM. Families are invited to join us for the parade, which will take place around the school grounds. Please see info below.

Classroom Celebrations:

All classroom celebration information will come from your child's classroom teacher as each classroom is doing something a little different. Teachers will reach out for any help they may need with volunteers or help with their class festivities.

Our goal is to celebrate creativity while maintaining a focus on learning. Thank you for your support in making this day enjoyable for everyone.

We will be hosting our annual Riley Halloween Parade on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 3:15 PM and will conclude by 3:35 PM. Students are excited to show off their creativity and Halloween Spirit. Below is a map of the parent viewing area. Our school parade will take students out of door 8 along the parent viewing area precisely at 3:15. Students will continue north along the outside of the cafeteria on the sidewalk, and then enter back into the building through door 1, heading back into their classrooms to finish the loop.

What if there's rain:

In case of rain, we will move the viewing areas to the gym and cafeteria.

Who can attend:

We kindly request that attendance be limited to parents and guardians only, due to space constraints.

What Time:

3:15 PM- 3:35 PM

What if I want to sign my child out after the parade:

Due to the number of parents expected we are having parents sign their children out in the classroom. Each teacher will have a sign-out sheet in their classroom. You can collect your students directly after the parade from their classrooms once you have signed them out. We kindly ask you to exit the building by 3:45 PM so we can proceed with our regular pickup and bus dismissal process.

How does this impact our normal pick-up routine:

We will have a normal pick-up and bus dismissal for students not being taken home after the parade.

School anxiety can show up in different ways—ranging from morning stomach aches to complete refusal to get out of the car. It often masks itself as irritability, acting out, or extreme withdrawal, making it tricky to pinpoint at first. Some tips to help your child overcome school anxiety are:

*Have a consistent morning and evening routine.

*Keep yourself calm and relaxed.

*Have a conversation with the teacher and/or school counselor.

*Have your child bring in one small item from home.

*Teach and role model problem solving skills.

A few calming strategies to work with your child are deep breathing exercises, countdown from 10 to 1, do something active and focus on positive thoughts.

Additional Resources include:

https://childmind.org/article/back-school-anxiety/

https://parentguidance.org

www.worrywisekids.org

In Michigan, hearing, vision, and dental screenings are offered free to all children in public, private, and charter schools, as well as preschools, childcare centers, and Head Start programs. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) manages the program. They will be out to Riley on October 20th, 21st, and 22nd. Below is a declination form that can be filled out and submitted by October 19th if you prefer to have your child excluded from these screenings for the 26-27 SY.

School lunches this year are free for everyone but we still need you to fill out a Education Benefit Form (formally called free and reduced application). WHY?

1. While we participating in Michigan School Meals which provides free meals to all students, we still need to track which students qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

2. Education Benefit Form help our school district qualify for more grants that will benefit all students academically.

3. Over 30 Million students participate in the National School Lunch Program every school day. Over 50% received Free Meals!

We know this is a lot of information to process. For your convenience, feel free to print

*** New Simplified Application ***

Strictly Confidential!

• St. Johns Public Schools Free and Reduced-price meal are strictly confidential!

• Family finance is a very personal matter and your application is handled with confidentiality and respect.

• Students receiving meal benefits are not identified in the service line.

• All students use the same service line and the computer screen does not indicate which students are free and reduced-price.

Email: tisdalea@sjredwing.org
Website: www.sjredwings.org/our-schools/rileyelementary/

Meet Our Staff: www.sjredwings.org/our-schools/rileyelementary/meet-our-staff
Location: 5935 W Pratt Rd DeWitt, MI 48820
Phone: (989) 227-5100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RileyElementarySchool