RW News

Happy Fall, River Woods Families!

It is hard to believe we are just a week or so away, October 25th, from completing the first quarter of the school year. We have established learning conditions. Students are working hard to set goals for improving their reading and math skills. Our fall data dropped a bit from last spring indicating summer slide had a bigger impact than expected. Please make sure your child is reading, or if younger practicing their letter names and sounds as well as sight words for at least 30 minutes nightly. Math facts should be mastered by third grade, if your child is not at this level, please work on these as well.

Teachers are excited to share your child's progress with you at fall conferences on October 31st, November 1st, or November 3rd. Talk with your child's teacher to schedule a time to connect if you have not already. We appreciate our partnership and look forward to seeing you soon at conferences!

In closing, we need your help to improve our attendance and tardy rates. Our school goal is 90% or better daily attendance. Please do your part to help your child get to school daily by 7:45 and stay all day. Research supports good attendance as a foundation for positive academic and social performance. We are here to help! Contact the school office if your family is facing barriers that are impacting your child's attendance.

Our number one priority is the safety of our children. To best ensure this safety we work closely with DMPS Security and our local Des Moines Police Department to monitor activity in our community and school grounds. When situations present as potentially suspicious or dangerous DMPS acts out of an abundance of caution to activate perimeter lockdowns at school buildings. Please know in most cases the school day continues uninterrupted. If necessary, we have practiced and are prepared to initiate full building lockdowns and evacuations. In all cases, we will do our best to keep parents informed about situations in a timely manner.

It's important to note, all doors are locked, and our T-pass visitor system is activated. All visitors, MUST enter the building through the office and be issued an identification sticker to have access to students. Visitors must present a picture ID when seeking access to the building.

Staff is busy working with students during the school day. If you wish to talk with your child's teacher, Mrs. Shipley, Mr. Bahr, or our support staff we encourage you to call the office to schedule an appointment to ensure we can give you our full attention. Thank you for your cooperation as we work together to keep our schools a safe place to learn and grow.

Who: All RW parents and community members are welcome

What: A collaborative team that works to improve communication and relationships between school, families, and the community.

When: The third Thursday of each month - our next meetings are: Thursday, October 20th & November 17th from 5:00-6:00

Where: Multi-purpose room

River Woods will be at the Trunk or Treat held by the City of Des Moines, Des Moines Police Department, and Des Moines Fire Department on Monday, October 17th from 4:30-6:00 PM. It will be at Pioneer Columbus Community Center at 2100 SE 5th street in Des Moines.

October 17 - 4:30-6:00

Community Trunk or Treat at Pioneer Columbus Community Recreation Center

2100 SE 5th Street

October 28

Classroom Harvest Parties in the afternoon

Optional - parents may send simple treats for students to share

October 31

No School for Students

October 31, November 1, or November 3

Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences - if you have not already scheduled a conference time, please contact your child's teacher or the school office to set a time.

November 3rd - 3:00-5:00

Club Choice Fundraiser Delivery Pickup in the Gym

November 7 & 8

No School - Fall Break

November 23-25

No School - Thanksgiving Break