Friday, April 17, 2026

A Message from Principal Peterson This week at Riverside, we celebrated both Purple Up! Day and Heritage Week. These are two important opportunities to honor the strength, diversity, and stories that make our school community so special. On Wednesday, we proudly recognized Purple Up! Day as part of the Month of the Military Child. With approximately 12% of our students connected to the military, we are reminded daily of the resilience, adaptability, and courage these students bring to our school. We encouraged everyone to wear purple as a visible sign of support and appreciation. A special thank you to Sonya Smith and Rachel Lombardo, school counselors,  for organizing this year’s Purple Up! Day and helping us recognize our military-connected students in such a meaningful way.

At the same time, Heritage Week has given us a chance to celebrate the rich cultural backgrounds, traditions, and experiences that our students and families bring to Riverside. These moments of learning and sharing help deepen our sense of belonging and strengthen our community. Together, these celebrations highlight what makes Riverside exceptional!

Riverside PTA Announcements

Event flyer for 'Ready, Tech, Go!' Digital Literacy Program for families, hosted by Riverside Elementary PTA on April 23.

Stay Connected!
ptariversidees@gmail.com | Facebook: RiversideFCPSVA | Instagram: riversiderocketspta

Bilingual Earth Week 2026 daily schedule flyer for April 20 through 24, hosted by Get2Green.

Riverside Rockets Testing Corner: Ready for Liftoff! Reminders for you and your student.

At Riverside, our Rockets have been building knowledge and skills all year long. This spring, students will have the opportunity to show their growth and learning during our upcoming assessments. Below are the key dates to help your child feel prepared and ready for success.

Helping Our Rockets Soar: Family Tips for Testing Days

Your support at home makes a meaningful difference. A few small steps can help students feel confident and ready to do their best:

• Get plenty of rest: A full night’s sleep supports focus and stamina.
• Eat a healthy breakfast: Fueling up helps with energy and concentration.
• Keep routines consistent: Predictable mornings help reduce anxiety.
• Promote a positive outlook: Encourage effort and remind your child that growth takes time.
• Be on time: Arriving promptly helps students start the day calmly.
• Offer encouragement: Reassure your child that these assessments are just one way we understand their progress.

We are proud of our Riverside Rockets and the dedication they’ve shown throughout the year! Thank you for partnering with us to support every student as they continue to learn, grow, and shine!

Ensuring Student Safety: Register for Volunteer FCPS

At Riverside ES, our volunteers are a vital part of our school community. We deeply value the time and care they give to our students.

Recent updates to our volunteer process focus on one primary goal: keeping students safe.

These updates — such as checks against the sex offender registry and, in some cases, criminal background checks — are safety measures that will help us maintain a secure and supportive learning environment for every student in our care.

We encourage all our parents and community members interested in supporting our students by volunteering at school to visit [Volunteer FCPS], click “Learn More,” and then “Sign Up.” After you create a profile, you will view an orientation video and complete a volunteer application.

Volunteer FCPS ensures a safe, consistent, and welcoming environment at all of our schools. All volunteers must be registered in Volunteer FCPS. This includes individuals who volunteer to chaperone on field trips, work at book fairs, and help out regularly in classrooms, libraries, or cafeterias. Volunteers who work unsupervised with students will also be required to undergo a background check.

We understand these changes may seem disruptive, especially for long-time volunteers. Our intent is to ensure that our students feel safe and supported with each and every person they encounter at school.

As a reminder, all volunteers — and visitors to a school — are required to sign in by scanning their ID at our visitor kiosk. Visit the Volunteer FCPS Frequently Asked Questions page to learn more.

No Toys allowed at school