Red Pride Weekly - Family Edition

What a great week for our Gladiators! Our 2nd grade Gladiators rocked the house with their performance of "Swamped!" last Monday. Thanks to those families who came out and cheered them on. Our Gladiators were also focused on Undercover Dress Up Days and did a great job figuring out the theme. Look for the the return of Undercover Dress Up Days later in the year.

We have more in store for our Gladiators this week as we celebrate Red Ribbon Week. You can find more details below.

Important Dates

• Wednesday, October 30 - RHS/RMS FCCLA hosting a "Trunk or Treat" at RHS
• Monday, November 4 - No School for Students; Professional Development Day
• Tuesday, November 5 - No School for Students; Election Day
• Wednesday, November 13 - PTA General Meeting; 5:30 pm
• Thursday, November 14 - Literacy Night; 5:00 to 7:00 pm
• Monday, November 18 - 1st Grade Program; 6:00 pm
• Wednesday, November 27 - Thanksgiving Break begins

Shout Outs!

A big shout out to Ms. Moser our librarian for hosting our Storybook Pumpkin Contest. Here are the three winners...

Student: Jasper R. (Ms. Fauber, PreK) - Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

Teacher: Mrs. Reese - Creepy Carrots by Aaron Reynolds

Classroom: Ms. Shalawylo & Ms. Fitzgerald's Kindergarten - The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

This week, we are excited to kick off Red Ribbon Week, a nationwide campaign dedicated to promoting healthy, drug-free lifestyles for our students. From October 28th - Nov 1st, we’ll be engaging in fun, themed activities each day to remind students about the importance of making healthy choices and staying drug-free.

As parents and guardians, you play an important role in supporting this message at home. Here are a few ways you can help reinforce the values of Red Ribbon Week with your children:

• Talk with your child about the importance of staying drug-free and making healthy decisions.
• Participate in the daily themes by encouraging your child to dress up or follow the school-wide activities (e.g., Wear Red on Monday, Crazy Sock Day on Wednesday, etc.).
• Set a positive example by modeling healthy choices at home, such as staying active, eating well, and managing stress in a healthy way.
• Have open conversations about peer pressure, the dangers of drugs, and the benefits of living a healthy, drug-free life.

Here is a brief overview of the themes for each day of Red Ribbon Week:

• Monday: Wear Red for Red Ribbon Week
• Tuesday: Work it Out! Stay Healthy, Stay Drug Free!- Wear workout clothes
• Wednesday: Sock-It-To-Drugs Crazy Sock Day
• Thursday: Be a Hero Day – Dress Like a Superhero
• Friday: Team Up Against Drugs – Wear Your Favorite Team Gear

We are looking forward to a fun and meaningful week and hope to partner with you in encouraging our students to stay healthy and drug-free. Thank you for your continued support of our school and your commitment to your child’s well-being.

If you have any questions or would like more information, please feel free to reach out to me or Cheyenne Lewis our school Counselor

The FCCLA of RHS and RMS are putting on a Fall Fest event this Wednesday at the high school. Consider joining them for trunk-or-treat, games, face painting and food truck.

This year, we are celebrating Red Ribbon Week and we want to encourage all of our students and staff to dress up for the Red Ribbon Week theme. On Halloween, the theme is "Superheroes". Several grade levels have already made separate recommendations and I want to encourage families to consider those options as well if being a superhero isn't an option.

3rd grade - Dress to match a vocabulary word from class

Kindergarten and PreK - Dress as a favorite storybook character

Please remember that when students are wearing a costume or dressing up for Spirit Days, costumes should be school appropriate. We have a wide range of ages within our building and costumes that seem tame to a 4th or 5th grader may be scary or alarming to Kindergarten or Preschool students. As you prepare your child, please keep the following in mind so that we can enjoy dressing up without unnecessary disruptions…

• Weapons, including fake weapons, are not permitted in school.
• Masks and face coverings are not permitted.
• Hats are permitted as long as they do not cover a child’s face.
• Sunglasses or other eye coverings that are part of a costume may not be worn inside.

Thanks for your understanding and assistance as we work to make the day fun for all students.

Each year our 5th grade classes are asked to take on a project as part of their Explorations class. The goal of the project is learn about citizenship and our role in the community. Last year, one of our 5th grade classes installed a food box that is located near the school's little library. This year, one of our 5th grade classes has chosen to collect canned food items to stock the food box. Please consider contributing to our 5th grade's efforts.

Also, if you find yourself in need, the foodbox is open to provide canned food items. Feel free to stop by outside of school hours.

Each morning our Gladiators are asked to live up to our Red Pride Pledge by being safe, respectful, responsible, caring learners. Students who live up to our Riverheads Expectations for Success have a chance to be nominated by their teacher or another staff member for the honor of being a Good News Gladiator. Students who earn this honor are given a shout out over the announcements and are allowed to choose a book from our book vending machine.

Please join me in celebrating these Gladiators for showing their Red Pride!

We have been busy recognizing students this month, so be on the lookout for more Good News Gladiators each week.

For those Gladiator Families that have a child receiving Special Education services, please consider completing the Virginia Department of Education's (VDOE) Parent Involvement Survey. You can find more information and links to the survey online.