March 20, 2024
Dear Parents,
Thank you to those of you who were able to attend last week's Coffee with Scarola. We enjoyed discussing Rio Grande's history and relationship with Harvard's Project Zero, specifically the Cultures of Thinking in Action (CoTiA) fellowship our teachers have participated in over the past three years.
Our journey with CoTiA began in 2019 when we started by reading Making Thinking Visible and incorporating "Thinking Routines" into our curriculum. This approach aims to promote collaborative learning and make our students' thinking visible to each other. Building on this foundation, we delved into Creating Cultures of Thinking, exploring the "Eight Cultural Forces" present in every classroom. These forces, language, time, environment, opportunities, routines, modeling, interactions, and expectations, shape the classroom's cultural dynamic.
Our current focus on CoTiA represents a culmination of this work. We now concentrate on ten mindsets that inform how we approach schooling and represent our professional stance toward teaching and learning. These mindsets are central to creating an environment where thinking and learning thrive.
We are excited about the progress we have made and the impact it is having on our students. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in fostering a Culture of Thinking at Rio Grande.
Warm regards,
Ahlum Scarola
Cultures of Thinking Resources
Rio Grande Strategic Plan
Important Upcoming Dates:
March 8 - Book Fair In The Library - Last Day!
March 25-29 - Spring Break
April 10 - SPARK Night
April 12 -GrandeFriends Day - 11:30 Dismissal - No Aftercare
April 26 - No School - All Grades
April 29 - No School - All Grades
***CLICK HERE FOR IMPORTANT PARENT INFORMATION AND LINKS INCLUDING THE 23-24 ACADEMIC CALENDAR***
2024-2025 Academic Calendar Is Now Available Here! ***SPRING BREAK DATES HAVE BEEN FINALIZED!***
Drop Off & Dismissal Traffic Reminders!
Please drive 5 miles per hour throughout the entire parking areas and drop off zone.
Our traffic flows one way - do not exit through entries.
When going through the drop-off lane, please drive down as far as possible, then park and let your child(ren) out of the car. This will encourage the flow of traffic and help prevent backing up down the road.
Do not stop or park in the crosswalk
GRANDEFREINDS DAY IS APRIL 12th!
Mark your calendars because the most wonderful event of the year is just around the corner! It's time to celebrate the incredible bond between our students and their beloved GrandeFriends at Rio Grande School on April 12th, beginning at 9 a.m. in the MAC. GrandeFriends include any elder who is special to one of our students, such as a grandparent, nanny, great aunt or uncle, neighbor, or family friend.
What's in store for our GrandeFriends? It's a morning packed with non-stop fun and festivities! Starting at 9:00 AM, our GrandeFriends will be treated to a delicious catered breakfast in the MAC. But that's just the beginning!
At 9:30 a.m., our Head of School Ahlum Scarola will share words of wisdom and then facilitate a game of "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?"
At 10:00 a.m., GrandeFriends will head off to the classrooms, where our incredible Co-Curricular and Lead Classroom Educators will lead hands-on activities with the students.
At 11:15 a.m., it will be time to bid farewell with hearts full of memories and laughter.
Invitations will be sent to all the fantastic GrandeFriends whose names are known to us next week. Please also share this email and/or the invitations that you receive in the mail with any GrandeFriends whom we have yet to have the pleasure of meeting.
Please feel free to RSVP for your GrandeFriends so that we can ensure enough breakfast goodies and classroom activities for everyone. And if your GrandeFriend needs a hand, you can join us in the morning!
RSVP now and let's make April 12th a day to remember!