Saturday, April 4, 2020
Dear Riverside families and community,
With the current directives by Governor Ricketts, schools statewide are advised to operate without students in their buildings through May 31, 2020. With the new directed health measures, we now know that we will not be able to physically come back together this school year; Riverside Public Schools facilities will remain closed with our remote learning format to continue. We had held out hope we would be reunited with our students this school year, but we have also been preparing for this scenario.
RPS will continue with its continuity of learning plan (packets and/or online) through May 20, 2020. Assignments will continue to be provided by teachers to help with the retention of skills. Our emphasis is on staying academically engaged, providing learning opportunities, and reviewing key concepts. We want to continue to focus on learning as opposed to grading. We just want everyone to simply do the best they can. We understand that schedules, supports, and learning styles vary greatly. Stay engaged with us and we will do our best to meet the needs of our students.
Closing our school’s doors for the rest of the year also impacts extra-curricular and high profile events. All NSAA sports and activities are canceled for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year. We are uncertain as to what other historical events that the school hosts during this time will look like, such as graduation, kindergarten orientation, alumni, etc. but we will be making these decisions in the near future. We will be planning a virtual meeting with senior students and families next week to answer questions and communicate plans for our seniors.
We will continue to iron out details as we work through continued guidance from the Governor, Education Commissioner, along with Federal Guidelines. Please plan for additional developments as our community, country, and the world continue to respond to this pandemic. We will have follow up communication as plans develop. We do not want to overwhelm you with communication, but our goal is to share as much as possible with you to keep everyone on the same page.
To support the needs of our students and families, our plan is to continue to provide breakfast and/or lunches free of charge to ANY kids ages 1-18 in our surrounding areas. They are offered every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and you have to sign up each day to receive the meal. Find our order form on our school webpage or call 308.358.0533 between 8:30-9:30 AM to sign up. This is an evolving plan and we will do our best to adjust to the needs of our communities and those of the public health department. If you have food concerns for your family, please contact me and we will work together to find help for your family.
We are also here for mental health/emotional support. If you need help for yourself or your child regarding behavior, mental health support, or how you can access help, please email your building principal, myself or our guidance counselor. Email addresses can be found in the staff section of our school website.
Thank you for your support, engagement, and patience. As we all navigate this uncertain journey, please give grace, support others, and take time to take care of yourself and your family. We are all in this together. Just keep doing your best. We appreciate all that you’re doing. Better days are ahead and we look forward to being together again. Stay strong Charger Nation!
Keep space and grace,
Stephanie Kaczor
Ms. Stephanie Kaczor