June 2006 - The Parklander Magazine

By Mona SteinbergThough 2005-2006 will forever be remembered as the school yearof Hurricane Wilma, it was also a tremendous year of achievementsand programs at Riverglades. None of the reschedulingand rebuilding after Wilma’s impact could have been accomplishedwithout the flexibility and perseverance our teachers, staffand students exhibited.In keeping with Principal ShellyIsenberg’s theme of blazingnew trails, the RivergladesPTA expanded above and beyondthe tried-and-true by addingsome innovative programs tothe calendar.Supermarket Math Nightat Publix was initiated as wasa school-wide Career Day. The3rd annual Meet the RivergladesMasters cultural arts event, Artin America, was enhanced toincorporate a musical showcase ofRiverglades students. After-schoolclubs featured several newofferings (Chess, Recipe forLearning, and Geo-facts).Riverglades Elementary UpdateMath Superstars, Family MathNights and Meet the Masters wereongoing successes thanks to parentvolunteers and enthusiastic student participation.The PTA’s author visit program featured threedynamic authors: John Archambault, MichaelPatrick O’Neill and Dow Kump.Our annual school fundraiser was launched witha visit by none other than Sally Foster to cheerstudents on. We reached an all-time fundraisinghigh of over $68,000. The spring RivergladesRound-up Carnival roped in $19,000, much ofwhich purchased technology for the classrooms.The generosity of the Riverglades communityextended to benefit others outside our school,including the Jump Rope for Heart campaign,which raised over $40,000 for the American HeartAssociation. There was also a dollar drive to helpthose affected by Hurricane Katrina,a Thanksgiving food drive, donations for theschool district’s food closet, toiletriesand cards for Women in Distress, and backpacksfor inner-city school children.Outgoing PTA President Misty Pinson recapsthe 2005-2006 school year. “Every week I wasamazed by Riverglades’ incredible parent volunteernetwork,” she says. “From fundraising events, outreachactivities and helping in the classroom, to coordinatingspecial programs for our students and families, I amproud of our PTA’s accomplishments, none of whichwould have been possible without our enthusiasticparents and their volunteer efforts. Hats off to each andevery one of you. Have a wonderful summer!”Congratulations to Riverglades fourth gradersTaariq Lewis and Erica Walsh who placed 3rd in theFlorida Bowl Spelling Bee Competition..Principal Shelly Isenberg takes a turnon the mechanical bull (donated byRides and Slides) at Riverglades’ peprally to celebrate raising $40,000 in theAmerican Heart Association’s JumpRope for Heart program.Riverglades looks forward to welcoming new students for the2006-2007 school year and will accept student registrations Monday-Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon in the front office.Call ahead (754-322-8200) to make sure you have all the rightpaperwork (such as proof of age and residency) to complete yourregistration. Students entering kindergarten must be fiveyears old on or before September 1st. First graders mustbe six years old on or before September 1st.We thank all 70 of our PTA Partners in Educationfor helping to enhance our children’s educationin 2005-2006.The hallways of RivergladesElementary are ready forMeet the Riverglades Masters.Art teacher Chris Duhart with his wifeOlympia, and his painting of herentitled, "Olympia 1"Riverglades Principal Shelly Isenberg,PTA Event Chairperson AnaBelle Dweck,event sponsor Alan Wolnek of ASP—After SchoolPrograms, Inc., and art teacher Chris Duhart.Kindergartner Paige Mucciposes by her artwork.90the PARKLANDER