Dear Families,
We’re excited to open our doors and welcome students and families for the 2024-2025 school year! Our school mission and vision is to Inspire Excellence every day by inspiring all learners to be respectful, engaged citizens through partnership in learner-centered education. Our Riverside School Goal is Positive Purpose - To engage in positive purpose at Riverside for our students, families, and JCC.
Our staff have been working hard to get our building grounds and classrooms ready for students! You may notice a few changes to Riverside, such as new PBIS hallway signs and banners, and new painted playground games on the blacktop. With the help of generous donations, a Buddy Bench for our playground was purchased in honor of Madden Hein. If a student is sitting alone on the Buddy Bench, a staff member or student can sit with them so they have a friend or buddy.
For our schedule this year, K-3 breakfast will be served at Riverside from 7:40-8:10 a.m., and classes will begin at 8:15 a.m. Preschool breakfast will be served at 8:15 a.m. in the classrooms. School will be dismissed at 3:05 p.m. and on Wednesdays, we will have a 2:00 p.m. Early Dismissal.
Breakfast and lunch will be free to all students. If a student brings their lunch, they will need to pay for milk if they would like one.
The first day of school for PK-3 grade students will be on Thursday, September 5. Students should arrive at school no later than 8:10 a.m. If you would like them to eat breakfast, please have them at the school by 8:00 a.m.
Kindergarten parents/guardians are welcome to walk with their kindergarteners to their classrooms on the first day of school, as they get acquainted with their classrooms and teachers. We understand the first day, can be emotional sometimes for both parents and students, and will do our best to ensure that our new kindergartners feel welcome and safe. After the first day, if parents are dropping their students off at school and would like to bring them inside, we ask that you help us build their independence by having a brief goodbye and reassuring hug in our "Hug & Go" area by the main office. We will have staff available to walk them to their classrooms and areas.
If you have any questions at any time, please contact us at 507-847-5963.
Go Huskies!
Dr. Kim Meyer
Riverside Elementary Principal
507-847-6649
Sept. 6
- PBIS Grade Level Rotation Stations and Bus Safety
Sept. 9-13
- Fall K-3 FastBridge Reading Assessments
Sept. 11
- Fire Drill
- Early 2:00 p.m. Dismissal
Sept. 13
- Cub Scouts visit
Sept. 16-20
- Fall FastBridge Math Assessments
- Homecoming Week
Sept. 16 &19
- Scouts Parent/Student Information/Fun Night at Riverside 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18
- Early 2:00 p.m. Dismissal
Sept. 20
- Homecoming Parade on North Hwy 2:00 p.m./Homecoming Football Game 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 23-27
- Make-up FastBridge assessments
Sept. 25
- Early 2:00 p.m. Dismissal
Sept. 26
- First Grade Field Trip - Center Creek Orchard
Sept. 27
- K-3 Terrific Kids Program 2:20-2:50 p.m.
PK-THIRD GRADE EARLY ENTRANCE CONFERENCES
Tuesday, September 3, 11:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, September 4, 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Students will have the opportunity to have their fall pictures taken before or after a scheduled conference with teachers. If you haven't already scheduled a time for your student to meet their teacher, please call the school office at 507-847-5963. Lifetouch packets may be picked up in the main office. If you prefer to order online, please see the Lifetouch School Code information in this newsletter or on our school webpage. Photographers will be located in the small gym and we will have helpers to collect picture packets.
Thank you to “Supplies for Kids” which has generously donated many school supplies for students. You do not need to purchase supplies, but if you prefer to buy certain items for your students, the grade-specific school supplies flier has been included in back-to-school packets. You can bring any supplies during your parent-teacher conference.
During conferences, all new students and incoming kindergarten students should plan to stop by the cafeteria to get their fingerprints scanned by food service.
School begins at 8:15 a.m. Careful records are kept on all cases of absence or tardiness. Attendance is a key indicator of a student’s academic success, and it is important to communicate with the school office if your child needs to be absent or tardy. It is our goal to work with students, families, and communities to support regular school attendance and improve academic achievement.
As a safety check, we ask that you call the school office before 8:10 a.m. if your child will be absent or tardy. A student is considered tardy if he/she is not in the classroom by the 8:15 a.m. bell. Students will need to check into the office if they arrive after 8:15 a.m. If it ever becomes necessary for a student to leave school early, stop in the office and sign them out. We want to be sure they are in good hands.
For every absence, please call the SCHOOL OFFICE at 507-847-5963, even if you have contacted the teacher. For detailed information regarding our attendance policy please refer to the Student-Family Handbook on our Riverside webpage. https://www.jccschools.com/riversideelementary
Parent Portal Information
Online Payments for Meal Accounts
Online payments are now available via the Parent Portal Website. Simply log-in to your Parent Portal to deposit a payment into your child's meal account. There is a $4.00 convenience fee per transaction. You can deposit to multiple accounts per transaction. Any questions, please contact the district office at 507 847 3608.
*Parents/Guardians are always welcome to join students for lunch. We are unable to access a child's account for your meal, so please plan to pay cash for your meal/s when you sign in at the office.
Adult Lunches: $5.00
Please contact Palmer Bus Service for any questions on routes or transportation at 507-849-7117.
BUSING:
- Shuttle Bus to PLV/MS: Leaves Riverside at 7:40 a.m. (playground blacktop)
- Shuttle Bus from PLV/MS: Arrives at Riverside 8:00 a.m.
- Route Buses: Arrive at Riverside at 8:00 a.m.
- K-3 Breakfast: Served from 7:40-8:10 a.m.
- Preschool Breakfast: Served at 8:15 a.m. in classrooms
- School Begins: 8:15 a.m.
- School Ends: 3:05 p.m.
- Afternoon Shuttle Bus to PLV/MS: Leaves Riverside at 3:15 p.m.
- Afternoon Route Buses: Arrive/Leave Riverside at 3:45 p.m.
MORNING DROP-OFF LOCATIONS:
Door 2 - Main Office
Door 3 - Lower Parking Lot
Discovery Place - Preschool students
PRESCHOOL PARENT DROP OFF: 8:00-8:15 a.m.
Preschool students should be dropped off at the Discovery Place Preschool. We have staff waiting to guide students to their designated locations and classrooms.
After 8:15 a.m., preschool students must check in at the Discovery Place Office.
Breakfast for preschool students is served in the classroom at 8:15 a.m.
Families needing to drop off before 8:00 a.m. may utilize Kids Club at Discovery Place and will be charged a fee. Please make arrangements with Kids Club if your student needs before-school care.
PRESCHOOL PICK-UP: 3:05-3:15 p.m.
Students will be picked up from the Discovery Place Door (unless arranged to meet older siblings at different locations).
K-3 PARENT DROP-OFF: 7:40-8:10 a.m.
All K-3 students should be dropped off by the lower parking lot by Door 3.
Door 3 will be locked until 7:40 a.m., and students cannot be left unattended outside.
We have staff available to meet students and guide them inside beginning at 7:40 a.m..
After 8:15 a.m., K-3 students must check in at the main office by Door 2.
Families needing to drop off before 7:40 a.m. may utilize Kids Club at Discovery Place and will be charged a fee. Please make arrangements with Kids Club if your student needs before-school care.
1-3 days = $25.00
4-5 days per week = $50.00
HUG AND GO AREA:
K-3 parents bringing students into the building will need to enter the Main Office area at Door 2 where we have a Hug and Go area.
To help students become more independent, we ask that parents reassure students and keep their goodbyes brief when they drop students off in the Hug and Go area.
We have staff to help guide students to their designated areas.
To maintain a school learning environment with minimal distractions, parents/visitors are not able to walk students to and from lockers or classrooms unless they have a scheduled visit.
AFTERNOON PICK-UP LOCATIONS: (Parents let teachers/students know if you need to meet students at a different location)
Door 2 - Main Office for Kindergarten students
Door 3 - Lower Parking Lot for grades 1-3 students
Discovery Place - Preschool students
KINDERGARTEN PICK-UP: 3:05-3:15 p.m.
Students will be picked up by Door 2 (upper parking lot). For safety, if parents are parked across the street, they must walk over and cross the street with their student/s. We will not let students cross the street by themselves.
FIRST-THIRD PICK-UP: 3:05-3:15 p.m.
Students will be picked up by Door 3 by the lower parking lot. Older siblings will be dismissed to pick up their younger siblings in their classrooms and take them to designated areas.
PARKING
To avoid traffic congestion, there is available parking at Salem Lutheran Church parking lot, on Park Street, or the upper or lower parking lots. There is no parking or driving on the playground or in bus zones.
LATE AFTER SCHOOL PICK-UP
Students not picked up by 3:30 p.m. will be walked to Kids Club and charged a flat rate weekly fee. Parents will need to pick them up from the Kids Club area.
1-3 days = $25.00
4-5 days per week = $50.00
KIDS CLUB
For more information regarding Kids Club please visit the website at https://www.jccschools.com/kidsclubdaycare or contact Kids Club Director, Holly Schmit to arrange for before and/or after-school care.
Kids Club Phone: 507-847-5868
Email: holly.schmit@jccschools.net
END-OF-DAY CHANGES:
Changes to end-of-day transportation plans must be communicated by email to the office and teacher or by direct call to the office at least 30 minutes before dismissal to avoid students following their normal end-of-day procedures.
NON-HOUSEHOLD TRANSPORTATION:
Students will not be allowed to go home with a non-household relationship without prior communication. Transportation of students by non-parent/guardians must be requested in advance of dismissal by the parent/guardian.
PICK-UP/DROP OFF DURING SCHOOL HOURS:
*If you are picking up or dropping off your child during school hours, you will need to sign them out in the main office (door 2). To ensure safety, students will not be allowed to leave the building until a parent/guardian signs them out from the office.
VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS
To ensure safety, all visitors and volunteers must sign-in at the main office and get a visitor’s badge.
WALKERS/BIKE RIDERS: 7:40-8:10 a.m.
Students may enter the school at Door 2 (main office)
Encourage your child to:
1. Cross streets at crossings - never in the middle of the block.
2. Observe ALL traffic rules.
3. Return to school or home directly without stopping to play.
4. Never accept rides or talk to strangers.
5. Obey ALL school patrols.
The school patrol will help children cross North Highway at Park Street. The patrol will be there from 7:35–8:10 AM and 3:00–3:20 PM each full school day. It is absolutely essential that our students obey the school patrols. Parents please do not let your child/children run across the street. Inform them that they are to wait for the school patrol person to let them cross. Encourage your child/children to obey the school patrols.
BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL SUPERVISION:
Due to our 2-tiered bus system, many students have extended times at school before or after the school day is officially in session. This supervision is a privilege and a service the school district provides. Students who fail to meet expectations for behavior may lose the privilege to be at school before or after the bell (*8:10 AM or 3:05 PM). In these cases, parents will be required to drop off, pick up, or utilize Kids Club.
September 9-13:
K-1 earlyReading/CBMR
2-3 aReading/CBMR
September 16-20:
K-1 earlyMath
2-3 aMath
September 23-27:
Final week for make-up assessments
earlyReading and earlyMath assessments are given to students to screen and assess student skills in foundational reading and math concepts. The outcomes guide instructional strategies at the classroom level and pinpoint areas of concern for individual students. This evaluation is administered one-on-one to students and requires 5 to 10 minutes per session.
aReading and aMath are designed for screening to identify students at risk for academic delays and to inform differentiated instruction for students at all achievement levels. These are computer-adaptive measures of reading and mathematical skills that are individualized for each student. These assessments are delivered in a group format in about 30 minutes each.
CBM-R Reading is administered individually as a teacher listens to and assesses a student's oral reading fluency, considering factors such as accuracy, types of errors, and qualitative measures. This evaluation provides insights into student responsiveness to ongoing instruction, signals when instructional adjustments are warranted, and helps gauge the effectiveness of implemented changes. Each administration requires 1 minute of reading per student.
As part of our multi-tiered system of support for students, JCC provides Title I assistance in reading for students who need extra support. It is important to note that the Title I Reading program is aimed at providing support to regular education students to help them be as successful as possible in the classroom.
Title I is a federally-funded, general education support program. The goal of Title I is to provide extra help and instruction for struggling readers and/or mathematicians. Title I involves specialized instruction provided through the cooperation of the classroom teacher and Title I staff that supplements (not replaces) classroom instruction.
Supplemental instruction with Title I teachers occurs individually and/or in small groups of 3-5 students, four to five times weekly, for approximately 25-30 minutes each session, depending on the grade level and relative level of need. Reading support includes guided lessons designed to enhance core letter and word skills, reading fluency, and comprehension.
Email: kim.meyer@jccschools.net
Website: https://www.jccschools.com/riversideelementary
Location: 820 Park Street, Jackson, MN 56143