Riverview Families,
February is "I Love To Read Month" and your child will be doing some fun activities and challenges around that theme throughout the month while at school. It is a also a great time to put extra emphasis on reading at home which is not only extremely beneficial to your child's social, emotional, and academic growth - it is also a great way to bring your family closer together in a fun way. We read at our house every day in order to practice our skills and instill a love of reading in our kids. We use fun strategies like the ones below to make it extra exciting for our kids. Could any of these ideas work in your household?
Create a Reading Nook: Design a cozy reading corner with comfortable cushions, blankets, and soft lighting. Make it an inviting space where kids can escape into their favorite books.
Build Reading Time Into Regular Routine: It's sometimes hard to find time to read when it isn's already built into the schedule. Get kids into bed 30 minutes prior to bed time and have them read for that time. It is an awesome way to wind down and support a great night's sleep.
Visit the Public Library: We are so fortunate to have a wonderful local public library. Allow you child time there to explore and choose books that get them excited to read.
Themed Reading Challenges: Introduce themed reading challenges based on your child's interests. For example, a week of mystery books or stories about sports. Create a reward system for completing challenges.
Book-to-Movie Nights: Choose a book that has been turned into a movie. After reading the book together, have a movie night to compare the two and discuss the differences.
Reading Rewards Chart: Create a visually appealing chart where kids can track the number of books they've read. Offer small rewards for reaching certain milestones, like stickers, extra playtime, or a special treat.
Book Club for Two: Start a mini book club with your child. Choose a book, read it together, and then have a discussion about the plot, characters, and your favorite parts.
Interactive Storytelling: Encourage kids to create their own stories. Provide them with blank books or encourage them to write and illustrate their own tales. This fosters creativity and a deeper connection to storytelling.
Dishes or Read?: One of our family favorites! Everyone gets a job to do to help get supper ready and to help clean up when it's done. Sometimes we tell the kids that they can choose to do their job or spend the clean up time reading. They always choose reading if it gets them out of doing the dishes!
Audio Books and Podcasts: Introduce audio books or podcasts. This can be a great option for car rides or quiet time, and it allows kids to enjoy stories in a different format.
Remember, the key is to make reading a fun and enjoyable activity, fostering a positive association with books from an early age. Get creative. Have fun. And remember that modeling what being a reader looks like for your kids is probably the best way to get them to pick up a book themselves!
Best wishes for a great week!
Shawn Peck
Principal
Our friend from Ghana, Fatawu, will be back at Riverview to drum and dance with the 5th graders this week. We are SO excited to see him again!
Fatawu is also the founder of the Mbangba Cultural School in his home village of Tamale in Northern Ghana. Unfortunately, they do not have an actual schoolhouse to call their own. They borrow random spaces to have a place to learn as it is a very poor community that does not have money to support a school or the children’s education. In 2018, Fatawu took matters into his own hands and started raising money to build what he would call, the “Tiyumba Youth Development & Cultural Center.” A place to learn. A place to dance. A place to be safe. The TYDCC is still incomplete since construction of the school stops as soon as the money Fatawu raises runs out. His goal is to finally open the TYDCC this August 2024 and Riverview is so proud to be able to help him achieve his dream!
Want to know more about Fatawu, his home, and why this partnership is so important to us? Click here for an interesting and informative slideshow.
A reminder to be sure to order your 23-24 yearbook! Orders will be accepted until March 11, 2024. Yearbooks cost $16.00 (plus tax) and all orders are made online through Jostens. You can order by visiting www.schoolannual.com, and then clicking on "Buy student's yearbook". Select "Riverview Elementary, Farmington", MN and you will be in the right spot. You must know your child's teacher's name and the grade they are in. Place your orders online today!
Visit the RVES Spirit Wear School Store for lots of ways to show your school spirit. You can order online and pick up at school. Everything is super easy and all profits from sales are used by the Riverview PTP to support students and staff. Thank you for your support!
Please email spiritwear@rvesptp.org if you have questions or to arrange a pick up time at the school store.
Riverview CARES
- Cooperation
- Assertiveness
- Responsibility
- Empathy
- Self-Control
About Riverview: A Learner Centered Community
The mission of Riverview Elementary School, a learner-centered community that transforms the future of learning, is to ensure each individual continuously grows emotionally, socially, and academically to have a positive impact in their communities through:
- Honoring the diverseness of our communities
- Learning experiences driven by passions, sparks, and interests
- Reflection on the learning process and real-life experiences
- Collaborative relationships, trust, and open communication
Our Objectives:
- Each learner continuously demonstrates academic and personal growth.
- Each learner develops the skills to understand how they learn best.
- Each learner possesses the skills to advocate for themselves and others.
- Each learner continuously explores personal interests and passions to drive their learning.
Read more about our Strategic Framework here.
Email: speck@farmington.k12.mn.us
Website: https://rves.farmington.k12.mn.us/
Location: 4100 208th Street West, Farmington, MN 55024, USA
Phone: 651-460-1600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rve192