I am thankful for...

Recently, Mrs. Sulhoff's classroom door caught my attention. The door was decorated with a turkey made-up of sentences that each of her second graders had written about something that they are thankful for at Riverside Elementary. I stopped. I read the sentences. I smiled.

I thought how these statements would be perfect to publish on my blog this Thanksgiving season to share with a larger audience some of our students' perspectives as to why our school is great!

Mrs. Sulhoff enabled her students to type their sentences and then email them to me through their class's Google account that had been previously created while they were using a set of Chromebooks. 

I am thankful for my teacher because she is caring. Maddie

I am thankful for my teacher for teaching me. Remington

I am thankful for my teacher because she helps me when I am frustrated. Payton

I  am thankful for the library because there are many books to read. Riley

I am thankful for the teachers who keep me safe. Jordan

I am thankful for my friends because we help one another. Kinnick

I am thankful for the teachers who help me learn. Jasper

I am thankful for the garlic bread that the cooks make. Taylor

I am thankful for my friends because they are nice. Julissa

I am thankful for Mrs. Johnson for helping me learn more. Stella

I am thankful for Mrs. Sulhoff who helps me learn. Aaron

I am thankful for the cooks who make us healthy food. Grace

I am thankful for the people who keep our school safe. Kael

I am thankful for the people who keep our school safe. Andrew

I am thankful for my teacher for teaching me. Landen

I am thankful for having good friends at school. Sully
I am thankful for my teacher because she is nice. Shauna

I am thankful for the Harry Potter books I get to read at school because they are full of adventure. Helen

I am thankful for my friends because they make recess fun. Malachi

I am thankful for a class who works hard and makes me smile everyday. Mrs. Sulhoff

And I am thankful for the staff and students who work so hard to ensure that we all learn and enjoy coming to school at Riverside Elementary School. Mr. Ewald

Thinking about the Unthinkable

School security is an important and timely topic for us all. It is magnified as a result of various tragic incidents that have transpired in schools throughout the country. In our efforts to be proactive, Riverside Elementary (and virtually every other school throughout the country) is examining our plans for dealing with emergency response procedures.

Last year, we began a partnership with the Washington County Sheriff's Office. As a result of that partnership, our staff was introduced to ALICE, an acronym for Alert, Lock-down, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. ALICE increases awareness of options in the event of an emergency. The primary thinking behind ALICE is that hiding is no longer the only option. The staff at Riverside Elementary is planning to conduct three drills this school year practicing the ALICE methods. The first two drills will take place after-school, and will only include staff members; the third drill, which will be communicated in advance, will take place during the school-day, and will involve students.

This year, we have formed an Emergency Response Team (that includes our secretary, classroom teachers, representation from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, and myself) to examine policies and procedures specific to our school. Our team meets regularly to review and improve our current practices. 

As a result of our Emergency Response Team's work, several changes are being planned that we will communicate in-advance via your child's Friday folder (look for this to come home on Friday, November 22nd). Additional changes may take place in the future as the Emergency Response Team continues to meet and look at how we can make our school as safe as possible. We welcome your comments as you experience these changes which are designed to enhance the secure environment we are providing to our children.

These changes, while they may initially be an inconvenience, are intended to enable us to continue to provide a secure, child-centered environment while continuing to welcome parents and visitors to our school.