Though it's been rainy outside today, one cafeteria was aglow with orange flowers and electric candlelight. Riverside's 2nd grade Spanish Immersion class showed off the ofrendas (alters) they made for Dia de los Muertos. Parents crowded around the tables to see the beautiful and unique ways the students honored their departed loved ones.
Este evento está dirigido a todos los estudiantes que ingresen a kínder en el ciclo escolar 2027-2028. ¡Únete a nosotros para conocer más sobre tu escuela, hablar con el director y ver cómo será por dentro! ¡Estamos ansiosos por conocerte!
Through a special art project and conversation with the artist, students naturally used their Spanish language skills to communicate and connect. What a meaningful way to bring language, culture, and art together!
Want to experience it for yourself? Join the Rochester Art Center for Free Family Day celebrating Día de los Muertos this Sunday, November 1, from 11 AM–4 PM! Meet artist Graciela DeAnda and explore art, culture, and traditions with your family. The Riverside Spanish Immersion department will also be joining the fun so stop by and say hello!
The RPS School Board on Tuesday, October 20, approved RPS 2030, the district's new strategic plan. The plan sets the direction for the district's work over the next four years and is organized around four priorities: Challenging Learning, Purposeful Pathways, Supportive Communities, and Organizational Excellence. Read the full plan: https://www.rochesterschools.org/rps-2030
They even stayed an extra day so Riverside families could enjoy this experience, too! Our local partners at Oxbow Park and Project GO also contributed to making this program possible.
We are so grateful for these partnerships and the opportunity to connect our students and families with nature, build new skills, and create lasting memories. Thank you to everyone who helped make this special experience possible for our Otters!
Local artist Tierney Parker asked our Riverside students this simple, meaningful question—and their answer came to life in chalk.
Big kids helped little kids create a beautiful mural filled with their ideas of what makes our Riverside community special. Watching students create together, share their voices, and celebrate one another was a beautiful reminder that community is something we build together.
We are so grateful to RNeighbors for making this experience possible and to Tierney for helping our students turn their ideas into art.
Did you know that every public school student in Minnesota is part of a trust fund? Minnesota owns state public lands that generate revenue from timber, mining, and land leases. That money is placed into a protected investment trust dedicated strictly to supporting public school districts across the state. Due to investment growth, the fund has expanded from $675 million in 2010 to more than $2.3 billion today, but distributions have not kept pace because of outdated constitutional restrictions. This November, Minnesota voters can vote to increase the fund.
What does this ballot question change?
Sends more money to classrooms: Current constitutional rules limit payouts primarily to interest and dividends, restricting how much money reaches schools. The amendment modernizes the formula to increase the annual distribution from 2-2.5% to 4.5% of the fund's total value, significantly increasing payments to all Minnesota public schools.
Zero tax increase: It does not raise property, income, or sales taxes. It uses money already sitting in an existing investment fund.
Bipartisan agreement: The update was unanimously recommended by a nonpartisan task force and received strong bipartisan support in both the Minnesota House and Senate.
Under Minnesota law, a constitutional amendment must receive approval from a majority of all voters. Skipping the question has the exact same mathematical impact as actively voting against it. To support the amendment, you must vote "YES." Leaving the question blank counts as a "NO" vote. You can learn more about this at www.mnpsfamendment.org.
Reminder: there is no school on Wednesday, September 23. RPS staff will participate in a Curriculum and Development (CAD) Day to plan instruction and engage in professional development. We will see students back in school on Thursday, September 24.
The school year is in full swing, and so is your chance to grab some RPS gear! Our Apparel Shop is open through Friday, September 18, 2026, and items will be available for pick up at your school at the end of October. Shop here: https://rps26riverside.itemorder.com/shop/home/
Reminder: there is no school on Friday, September 4, for all schools except Longfellow Elementary, which will have a regular school day. Additionally, there will be no school, and RPS offices and buildings will be closed on Monday, September 7, in observance of Labor Day.
Riverside families! Cara Felderman will be joining Riverside as our next Assistant Principal. Ms. Felderman is currently the instructional coach at Gage and brings 18 years of experience as a classroom teacher and instructional coach. She taught here at Riverside for six years, so this is a bit of a homecoming! Please join us in welcoming Ms. Felderman to the Otter family
These photos highlight just a few of the celebrations that take place throughout the year at Riverside, bringing language and culture to life while helping students build meaningful connections to the Spanish-speaking world.
Would you like more information? See the flyer on this post.
Sara Holger from Project Get Outdoors is a special part of what makes Riverside unique! From teaching students about metamorphosis and storytelling to tapping maple trees in our school forest and leading field trips to Whitewater State Park and Oxbow Park, she brings learning to life through unforgettable outdoor experiences. This winter, when some of our families were afraid to leave their homes and students shifted to online learning, Sara created nature backpacks filled with supplies for them to continue outdoor learning at home. We are grateful for this partnership and the curiosity, wonder, and connection to nature it inspires in our students.
Snapshots from the last week of school at Riverside! From recognizing our amazing students to enjoying games and fun outside, these moments capture the joy, growth, and community that make Riverside special. A heartfelt thank-you to our dedicated teachers and staff who make it all happen every day. #OTTERPRIDE
