The Riley Connection
Riley Elementary Newsletter - December 2024
December 6th- Report Cards Come Home in Friday Folders
December 6th- Santa Parade Downtown St. Johns
December 9th - 13th- 5th Grade Big Zoo Lesson
December 10th- Holiday Music Concert
December 11th- Holiday Music Concert
December 23rd- Christmas Break Begins
January 6th- School Resumes
January 20th- No School
February 14th- No School
February 17th- No School
March 6th- Early Release (1:35)
March 7th- Early Release (1:35)
March 10th-14th- 4th Grade Big Lesson
March 12 & 13- Spring Music Concerts
March 21st- Josh Funk Author Visit
March 28th- No School (Spring Break Begins)
March 28th- April 6th Spring Break
Dear Riley Families,
Wow! I can't believe December is already here and that we are on the doorstep of Christmas and the New Year! It’s been a wonderful first trimester at Riley with so much growth and progress. Our students have shown such remarkable dedication to their learning, tackling new challenges with enthusiasm and perseverance. It fills my heart every day to see their bright, smiling faces and excitement to learn. I feel truly blessed to be part of this amazing community of families, students, and staff.
As we move into this joyful time of year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the spirit of generosity and togetherness that makes the holiday season so special. At Riley Elementary, we are so proud of how our students embrace this spirit through acts of kindness, helping others, empathy, and inclusivity. It’s truly heartwarming to see the joy they bring to our school community, and I’m reminded each day of the incredible work we’re doing together to help our students grow and thrive.
May your holidays be filled with joy, laughter, and wonderful memories. Happy holidays!
Mr. Tisdale
Principal, Riley Elementary
Capturing Kids Hearts
CKH has been a big district intuitive over the last three years in St. Johns Public Schools. The idea around the CKH process is through experiential training, expert coaching, a character-based curriculum for students, and personalized support, Capturing Kids' Hearts equips professionals in K-12 education to implement transformational processes focused on social-emotional wellbeing, relationship-driven campus culture, and student connectedness. As we continue to grow in this process we need your help and to hear from you on how you think we are doing. Could you please help us?
Here are two short surveys that should take 5 minutes or less that help us understand what our glows and grows are. Thank you in advance for your cooperation.
If you have a student in 1-2 and you could help to go through the STUDENT SURVEY with your student as well that would be great.
Check it out!
WHO?
Artists from around the community are featured, including 15 of Riley Elementary’s young artists.
WHEN?
Now through March 1st. A reception honoring the featured artists will be held on Thursday, February 29, 2024 from 6 pm to 8 pm
WHERE?
Artwork can be viewed during Agro Liquid's IQ Hub’s normal hours of operation.
I-Ready Diagnostic
For more information here is a link to the I-Ready Family Center informational page.
Recess Guidelines
Recess in the winter can be a lot of fun, especially when students are dressed appropriately! Please make sure your child has a warm coat, snow pants, boots, mittens or gloves. We do have a limited supply of hats and gloves, but we do not provide snow pants or boots.
Riley Elementary adheres to the following district-wide guidelines:
* If the temperature or wind chill (temperature/wind chill = “feels like”) is 0 degrees or below, students will be inside for recess.
* Students may only be excused from outdoor recess with a signed doctor’s note. If your child is well enough to come to school, he/she is well enough to go to recess.
*Students must have appropriate snow gear/boots to leave the blacktop area.
Camp Invention® is coming to St. Johns Public Schools at Oakview Elementary!
In partnership with the National Inventors Hall of Fame®, St. Johns Public Schools is excited to offer the nationally acclaimed Camp Invention program to children entering kindergarten through sixth grade. This inspiring, weeklong summer experience provides opportunities for open-ended, hands-on exploration of science, technology, engineering and more! Taking on a variety of exhilarating activities each day, children have fun collaborating with friends, thinking creatively, and inventing their own solutions to real-world challenges.
The week begins on June 16th with Rachael Post serving as Director (a St. Johns Public School teacher). The all-new 2025 program will spark the imagination of both new and returning campers with an adventure full of inspiration, innovation, and unforgettable discoveries! During this action-packed, confidence-boosting program, young innovators will:
• Create a Customized Claw Machine With Claw Arcade™: Campers unleash the power of creativity as they construct their own functional claw machine, exploring physics concepts in easy-to-reach ways. Finding inspiration from claws in nature, they build, test and adapt their clawsome machine, then fill it with novel prizes. Along the way, they pick up entrepreneurship skills and uncover how to hook investors on their awesome new arcade experience!
• Hop in the Driver’s Seat With In Control™: Campers hit the road for the ultimate trip! They assemble a custom control panel complete with a transmitter and receiver, reference a travel map and explore the use of artificial intelligence in everyday items, such as the GPS. While inventing their way out of bumps in the road, they build confidence, overcome obstacles, and find joy in both the journey and the destination.
•Embark on an Eco-Expedition With Penguin Launch™: Campers unlock their imagination as they head to Antarctica to explore penguin habitats in snowy landscapes. With the help of a Snow-ver – a rover equipped with a robotic research penguin – they glide across icy surfaces to enter penguin colonies undetected. To deliver planet-saving eco-messages, they design launchers to propel their own magnetic, wearable plush penguin across the South Pole and beyond!
• Uncover Spectacular Special Effects With Illusion Workshop™: Campers step into the mesmerizing world of optical illusions, where things aren’t always as they seem! They discover how special effects work in art, movies, theater and animation, and they invent moving props with inspiration from real-life inventors behind special effects technology. Tapping into their curiosity, they build their own spinning animation device and become illusion experts, ready to design entertainment experiences of the future.
Early registration discounts are available! Register using Gift35 by 12/31 to save $35 or SIBLOVE30 to save $30 for 2 siblings (or use SIBLOVE40 to save $40 for 3 or more siblings) off the $275 registration fee.
Availability is limited, so visit invent.org/mylocalcamp or call 800-968-4332 to secure your child’s spot today! Or if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Rachael Post at postr@sjredwings.org or 989-227-5166.