Head of School’s Message

As I reflect on the events of the year, I remain deeply grateful for the tremendous efforts, sacrifices, and contributions of the entire RPDS community. From day one, our faculty and staff courageously opened their hearts and classrooms to receive RPDS students eager to learn, grow, and interact alongside classmates and friends. Partnering with us, our parents supported students and faculty, and contributed to the advancement of our mission in an abundance of meaningful and generous ways. Equally impressive, was our students’ joyful approach to the year. They enthusiastically bounded into the classrooms each day, excited to discover new content and ideas, poised to become the best versions of themselves.

With a deep commitment to our values, and with our mission as our guide, we emerged from this historic year energized and optimistic, ready to charge onward with new insight and perspective. We celebrated the many accomplishments and successes brought forth by our school community, even under the most challenging of circumstances. This year’s Riverside Review captures just a few of the many great stories which emerged from the resiliency, creativity, and courage displayed by each member of the Riverside community. In the pages ahead you will see how teachers, students, and parents embraced a reimagined school year in the Riverside Way, how 6th grade students carried forward the work of Project Leads, and how innovation and initiative, which are embedded in our school’s culture and ethos, sparked a movement which gave birth to RPDS’s first mascot. We hope you find inspiration in these stories as they are a reminder of the love and learning synonymous with the outstanding Riverside experience we collectively share.

We wish the class of 2021 all the best as they continue to develop their passions and fulfill their dreams. Throughout the year they remained poised, courageous, and open to possibilities. They led the school community with empathy and passion and will begin the next chapter of their educational journey with the foundational traits and skills reflective of RPDS graduates: leadership, curiosity, integrity, moral decision making, resourcefulness, confidence, and humility. This outstanding class leaves behind a special legacy.

The wonderful accomplishments of this year are a result of the collaboration of the Board of Trustees, the faculty and administration, and the generous and dedicated families and alumni. The collective contributions of this school community are a tribute to the strength of the RPDS community and the value of this cherished foundational RPDS experience. It is gratifying to know that so many share in this commitment to our students and that the school community remains steadfast in our work to fulfill the mission of “educating the mind, nurturing the spirit, and fostering the development of the whole child.”

Thank you, RPDS friends and family, for generously supporting the mission of our school and for partnering with us to provide an exceptional elementary school experience for our children. I look forward to the year ahead as we continue to prepare our children to live, serve, and love others as conscientious citizens.