The Riley Connection

January 6th- School Resumes

January 13-17 PSC K-2 Screener Parent Survey Window

January 14th- PTO Meeting - Riley Library @ 6:30

January 16- RCADS-25 Social Emotional Screener
January 20th- No School -Teacher PD Day

January 28th- Parent/Teacher Conferences
January 29th- Parent/Teacher Conferences
January 31st- No School for Students and Staff

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,

Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season. As we step into January, we are excited to continue the journey of learning and growth in this first part of 2025.

A few important reminders and updates for this month:

Mid-Year Assessments: We will be conducting mid-year assessments to measure student progress and identify areas where additional support is needed using our I-Ready and Benchmark Assessment data. These assessments provide valuable data to help guide our instructional decisions.

Parent-Teacher Conferences: Parent-teacher conferences will be held later this month. January 28th and 29th. This is a wonderful opportunity to discuss your child's progress, ask questions, and set goals for the second half of the school year. Please be on the lookout for the sign-up link.

Winter Weather: As the weather continues to get colder, please remember to send your child with appropriate winter clothing, including hats, gloves, and coats. Please make sure to write names on any gear so that it can find its way back to your child when lost. We will continue to go outside for recess unless temperatures or conditions determine that we need to be inside.

At Riley we are committed to creating a positive learning environment where our students are encouraged to EXCEL and lead with PRIDE. As we return to school this week, we will revisit Riley PRIDE and important aspects of our CKH (Capturing Kids' Hearts) process. Both our students and staff will take time to review the expectations for social and behavioral norms, both in the classroom and throughout the building, while reflecting on our practices to ensure we continue to grow and strengthen our Riley family. We are all dedicated to modeling positive behavior and instilling the values and qualities that shape great individuals and responsible citizens.

Wishing you and your families a wonderful and fulfilling 2025.

Mr. Tisdale
Principal, Riley Elementary

Our Winter Parent/Teacher Conferences will take place on January 28th and 29th, 2025, from 4:30 PM to 7:00 PM. This is one of three official times in the school year when we schedule meetings with parents. Our goal is to conference with every family at least twice per year. Once during fall conferences, and once by teacher invite during the winter or spring.

Important Details:

• If your child’s teacher is requesting a conference, they will contact you directly.

• You will need to sign up for a conference time slot for each child if requested by the teacher.

• If you did not receive an invite to schedule a time to meet but would still like a conference time, please reach out to your child’s teacher.

• If you did receive an invite to meet, please use the SignUp link provided by your child’s teacher.

Need Help? If you need assistance with scheduling or have any questions, please contact the office at 989-227-5100.

We look forward to connecting with you and discussing your child’s progress!

For more information here is a link to the I-Ready Family Center informational page.

Math Memory

• Create pairs of cards with math problems and answers. Shuffle them and place them face down. Players take turns flipping two cards at a time to try to find matching problem-answer pairs.

St. Johns Public Schools, in partnership with Clinton County RESA, plans to administer a Social Emotional Behavioral screener to students in Grades 3-12 as well as send out an optional parent survey for K-2 students the week of January 13th. Riley Elementary will administer the screener on January 16th during the school day. This screener is recommended for students in these grades. The purpose of this screener is to ensure that appropriate supports are provided to students who may be struggling with emotional-behavioral-mental health issues. The screeners that will be utilized are called the “Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale” (RCADS-25) and "Pediatric Symptom Checklist" (PSC).

These are evidence-based, valid and reliable measure of students’ perspectives on their emotional and behavioral well-being. Our district, along with CCRESA, chose this measure due to the reliable nature of the screener. We have plans in place to respond quickly to any students who rate themselves to be elevated in either emotional or behavioral areas. This universal social-emotional-behavioral health screener is intended to be given three times a year (Fall, Winter, and Spring) similar to other academic screeners. Students will be given 25 items to which they can respond “Never,” “Sometimes,” “Often,” or “Always.” A sample of these statements are: “I feel sad or empty.”

“I have trouble sleeping.” “I feel worthless.” “I feel afraid that I will make a fool of myself in front of people.” “I worry that something bad will happen to me.”

Please know we are working in the best interest of our students and families with the intention of being proactive in ensuring all our students are given the support needed to set them up for success. If you have any questions or concerns about your child taking this assessment, please contact Mr. Tisdale.

*If you opted your student(s) out of the screener the previous school year, they are opted out of the January screener as well. If you'd like to opt out email the classroom teacher or Mr. Tisdale.

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.

*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.

Email: tisdalea@sjredwing.org
Website: www.sjredwings.org/our-schools/rileyelementary/

Meet Our Staff: www.sjredwings.org/our-schools/rileyelementary/meet-our-staff
Location: 5935 W Pratt Rd DeWitt, MI 48820
Phone: (989) 227-5100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RileyElementarySchool

This is for parents, guardians, and/or caregivers to express their thoughts on the school systems, suggestions, complaints or concerns they may have. It’s an easy way to have everyone’s voices heard and improve the education system for the better. Everyone’s feedback is really important, and perhaps the suggestion box could spark new ideas which are crucial to a healthy school environment.