OWL NEWS

Owl Families,

Happy New Year! It has been wonderful to see our classrooms filled with scholars excited to kick off 2026. During these first few days back, we have had the joy of visiting classrooms and reminding all of us what it means to live The Riverside Way. Together, we revisited the importance of being safe, respectful, and responsible—every minute of every day, both in and out of school.

Here’s to a fantastic second semester filled with growth and success!

With Gratitude,

Heather Kama-Starr and Kyle Cohen

1/19 - MLK Jr. Day [No School]

1/28 - Family First Night at Applebee's

1/30 - Pre-K PD [No School for Pre-K]

2/4 - P/T Conferences [Early Release for Scholars]

2/13 - District PD [No Schools]

The School Choice Portal is officially open. For families who wish to keep their children at Riverside School for the 2026–2027 school year, no action is needed at this time—your enrollment will continue automatically.

However, all Pre-K and 8th grade families must make a choice for their child in the portal. If you have any questions about this process, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to help!

Families, we’ve noticed that some scholars’ backpacks are overflowing with items that aren’t needed for school. Please help us by ensuring backpacks contain only necessary school supplies. Items such as glass containers, toys, and other non-school materials should stay at home. Keeping backpacks neat and organized helps scholars stay focused and safe throughout the day. Thank you for your support in creating a positive learning environment!

We are excited to continue our Stay In The Game attendance initiative in partnership with the Cleveland Browns! In December, we celebrated 34 scholars who did not miss a single minute of instruction—what an incredible accomplishment!

We also recognized Kamari from Ms. McKay’s 5th grade classroom as our December “Owl-Star” for outstanding attendance and commitment.

Let’s keep the momentum going and make sure we all Stay In The Game every day!

With the weather getting colder we want to remind all families that our goal is to get outside for recess everyday, even when it's cold. Please make sure that your PreK-8th graders come prepared to go outside for approximately 20 minutes each day of the week. One thing to note, when the playground is full of snow or ice we need to stay inside. Here's hoping Mother Nature affords us time outside in the New Year!

Happy New Year Riverside!

We are thrilled to partner with the Cleveland Clinic and have their mobile van visit Riverside each month. Interested in having your child seen? Sign up below!

Welcome back from the PTC! We would like to thank everyone for their support of the Snowy Owl Winter shop and the Jersey Mike's Family First night in December. We are looking forward to the second half of the school year and the opportunities to be together with our Riverside community!

Upcoming Family First Nights:

Wednesday 1/21- Family First Night at Applebees- Westgate

Wednesday 2/11- Family First Night at Buffalo Wild Wings- Westgate

Recently, there has been an increase of families not following our Arrival and Dismissal procedures. It is essential that we all follow the established guidelines. Doing so will keep everyone safe and set a positive example for our scholars.

As a reminder:

• Please DO NOT block any of our neighbors' driveways at any point during Arrival or Dismissal.
• Please follow all parking/traffic laws.
• Please DO NOT cut across from Glencliffe Rd. to Montrose Ave.
• Please be kind to each other, the neighbors, and our educators.
• Please DO NOT park in the parking lot during dismissal.

All of our Arrival and Dismissal procedures can be found below.

DROP-OFF (Arrival)

• Drop-off begins at 9:15 AM.

• This is a rolling line: Pull up → Scholars hop out → Families drive off.

• Please ensure your child is ready to exit the vehicle quickly and safely when you reach the drop-off zone.

PICK-UP (Dismissal)

• Dismissal begins at 3:55 PM.

• Pick-up also follows a rolling line model: Pull up → Display your pick-up card on your dashboard → Wait for your child to be brought to you.

PICK-UP CARDS

• All families must complete [THIS FORM] to receive updated pick-up cards.

• All adults picking up scholars must have a pick-up card displayed.

  • If you don’t have a card, you will be asked to show ID.

  • If your child is riding with another Riverside family, that family must have a card for each child they are picking up.

• Cards from last year will not be accepted—all adults picking up will need newly printed cards for the 2025–2026 school year.

• NEW THIS YEAR -- Any family choosing to walk to Riverside to pick up their child, will need to pick them up, with a pick up card, from the cafeteria door. No families will be permitted to stand in front of the main entrance nor enter the main office from 3:30-4:05PM.

TRAFFIC FLOW & SAFETY

• Follow the traffic map carefully and enter the car line from Warren Road and Montrose Avenue.

• Do NOT enter from Glencliffe Road—this entrance is for bus riders only.

• Scholars will enter and exit only on the curbside of your vehicle.

• Do not block driveways, crosswalks, or park in our neighbors’ driveways.

• The school parking lot is closed to families during arrival and dismissal.

• The playground is closed to families and scholars during arrival and dismissal

• Please call the office (216-838-6700) if your child will not be at school.
• Scholars are tardy after 9:35AM.
• Scholars will not be released early from school without the office receiving communication and consent from a family member by 3:30PM. We also ask that scholars are not picked up between 3:00PM - 4:05PM. This is to support our preparations for dismissal.

In partnership with our families and communities, Riverside will develop responsible scholars, who think critically and creatively while becoming lifelong learners who make positive contributions to our diverse society. Riverside is committed to providing student-centered, inclusion-based educational practices that seamlessly incorporate technology, the arts, health, and fitness.

Riverside, we overcome, we evolve, we grow - today, tomorrow, and always!