The Riley Connection

October 1st- Count Day

October 9th- RCADS (3-5)

October 10th- No School

October 13th- No School

October 14th-Hearing/Vision/Dental Screening

October 15th-Hearing/Vision/Dental Screening

October 18th- Fall Festival @ Riley 1-3

October 31st- Halloween

November 5th- Hearing/Vision Screening

November 13th- Early Release 1:35PM

November 14th- Early Release 1:35PM

November 26th- No School Thanksgiving

November 27th- No School Thanksgiving

November 28th- No School Thanksgiving

December 1st- Riley Music Concert @ HS

December 22nd- January 2nd- No School Winter Break

January- BAS and I-Ready Assessments

January 5th- School Resumes

January 9th-16th PSC - Parent Survey WIndow

January 19th- No School

January 20th-22nd- RCADS Student Survey (3-5)

February 3rd-4th- Book Fair Browsing for Students during Library

February 9th - 10th- Book Fair Shopping for students during Library

February 10th- Book Fair Open to Parents and Families 4:30-7

February 13th- No School

February 16th- No School- Presidents Day

March 5th- Early Release 1:35PM

March 6th- Early Release 1:35PM

March 9th- Student Council Presents at the Board Meeting @ 6:30 PM

March 18th- Spring Music Concert (TBD)

March 27th- April 3rd- Spring Break

April- M-Step Assessments

April 6th- School Resumes

April 10th-17th- PSC - Parent Survey WIndow

April 20th-24th-RCADS Student Survey (3-5)

May- BAS and I-Ready Assessments

May 11th- PEAP Awards @ 6PM

May 25th- No School- Memorial Day

June 4th- Early Release 1:35PM

June 5th- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - Early Release 1:35PM

Hello Riley Families,

As we step fully into the heart of fall and bid farewell to summer’s warmth, October is shaping up to be an exciting and productive month at Riley. Our students are deeply engaged in their learning, and established routines are helping everyone thrive.

We’re eagerly looking forward to welcoming you at our upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences. If you haven’t already scheduled a meeting, please reach out to your student’s teacher soon to find a convenient time.

This month, we’re also thrilled to host the Scholastic Book Fair—a wonderful opportunity for students to explore new books, embark on fresh adventures, and meet captivating new characters.

To cap off October, we will celebrate with a festive Halloween parade on the 31st, welcoming families into the building to share in the fun and community spirit.

We anticipate a fantastic month filled with growth, engagement, and joy, and we can’t wait to share it all with you!

Warm regards,

Mr. Tisdale
Principal, Riley Elementary

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on October 6th from 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. and October 7th from 4:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Conferences are by appointment and will be held virtually through Zoom. Please click on the red bar below to sign up to meet with your student's teachers. Sign ups will close prior to the start of school on October 6th to allow our teachers time to prepare.

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.

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.

Hello Parents,

We will be hosting our annual Riley Halloween Parade on October 31, 2024, 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.

St. Johns Public Schools, in partnership with Clinton County RESA, plans to administer a Social Emotional Behavioral screener to students in Grades 3-12 (the week of October 6th) as well as send out an optional parent survey for K-2 students (the week of September 26th). Riley Elementary will administer the RCAD screener on October 9th during the school day. This screener is recommended for students in these grades. The purpose of this screener is to ensure that appropriate supports are provided to students who may be struggling with emotional-behavioral-mental health issues. The screeners that will be utilized are called the “Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale” (RCADS-25) and "Pediatric Symptom Checklist" (PSC).

These are evidence-based, valid and reliable measure of students’ perspectives on their emotional and behavioral well-being. Our district, along with CCRESA, chose this measure due to the reliable nature of the screener. We have plans in place to respond quickly to any students who rate themselves to be elevated in either emotional or behavioral areas. This universal social-emotional-behavioral health screener is intended to be given three times a year (Fall, Winter, and Spring) similar to other academic screeners. Students will be given 25 items to which they can respond “Never,” “Sometimes,” “Often,” or “Always.” A sample of these statements are: “I feel sad or empty.”

“I have trouble sleeping.” “I feel worthless.” “I feel afraid that I will make a fool of myself in front of people.” “I worry that something bad will happen to me.”

Please know we are working in the best interest of our students and families with the intention of being proactive in ensuring all our students are given the support needed to set them up for success. If you have any questions or concerns about your child taking this assessment, please contact Mr. Tisdale.

*If you opted your student(s) out of the screener the previous school year, they are opted out of the screener this year as well. If you'd like to opt your student out please fill out the attached form below or email your students classroom teacher or Mr. Tisdale.

Bullying is a deliberate misuse of power in a relationship that tends to cause physical,

social and psychological harm. It can be an individual or group of individuals who are

misusing their power, or perceived power, over one or more persons who feel unable to

stop it from happening.

Bullying can occur anywhere, in-person, on-line in various digital platforms. It can occur

overtly or covertly.

Examples of mean or rude behavior not bullying:

-social rejection - single acts of nastiness

- random acts of aggression or intimidation

- mutual arguments, disagreements that only occur on occasions with no intent to cause

significant harm

-A physical fight or altercation that happens one time

The incidents above may cause distress, be hurtful, but they do not fit the definition of

bullying and are not an example of someone experiencing bullying because it is not

deliberate or repeatedly happening.

Early identification is important because of the potential short-term, long-term or lethal

consequences are something as a community we want to work hard to prevent. Please

report any bullying incident your child may experience to your school principal.

Additional resources:

Parentguidance.org Safeschool.gov

Stopbullying.gov https://ok2say.state.mi.us/

https://www.aacap.org/aacap/Families_and_Youth/Resource_Centers/Bullying_Resourc

e_Center/Home.aspx

1. We Encourage You to Fill Out the Education Benefit 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. You may qualify for discounts on:

      • Pay to play or Pay to Participate
      • Programs that provide food support
      • Programs that provide field trip support
      • Programs that provide school supplies or assist with school fees
      • Programs that provide holiday support
      • Potential household support for cable and internet

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

   4. 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

*** Click here to submit an Application ***

St. Johns Public Schools Education Benefit Form is strictly confidential!

Breakfast - 8:55AM - 9:15AM

KDG-1ST - Eat in the cafeteria

2ND-5TH - Eat in the classroom

Lunch - All students eat in the cafeteria

KDG - 11:40 - 12:05

1ST - 11:45 - 12:10

2ND - 12:15 - 12:35

3RD - 12:50 - 1:10

4TH - 12:20 - 12:40

5TH - 12:55 - 1:15

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