Riverway celebrated our winter Saturday school on Saturday. The entire school went to the Frozen River Film Festival in the morning, then primary enjoyed some rock climbing in the afternoon while secondary viewed another set at the film festival.
We at Riverway excitedly announce our February "Teacher of the Month" to Sharon Foss!
Sharon has been the science teacher for grades 7-12 for 16 years, along with being the S3 advisor.
"I enjoy teaching students a variety of topics in science and working with them from 7-12 grade. I look forward to each fall, for our overnight stay at Whitewater State Park, and building a relationship with students outside my classroom. I also feel blessed to take our biannual trip with S3 students to our authorizer, Osprey Wilds in Sandstone MN, for a week of outdoor Environmental Education. I believe my favorite part about working at Riverway is being a part of our graduation ceremony each year, helping students reflect on their time in our community and watching them walk across our stage to start on their new adventure outside our 4 walls."
"I'm thankful for being a part of this community and having amazing coworkers and students to make coming to work enjoyable! I look forward to being part of this community for years to come."
A couple of Sharon's wonderful nominations include-
"Sharon is one of the toughest people I know, all while being kind and considerate. I think it's amazing that she has worked at Riverway for 16 years." -Emma
"Sharon is always there for me when I'm in need, even when I'm mad at her or she's mad at me. She doesn't hold a grudge." -Caden
Thank you Sharon for being the amazing and kind human you are. We all appreciate you more than you know and look forward to your future at Riverway.
Secondary 2 and the kindergartners spent time crafting together today ❤️
Due to extreme weather, all school classes and activities are canceled tomorrow, Jan 21st, 2025.
We happily announce Riverway's January "Teacher of the Month" to Mary Kate!
Mary Kate came to Riverway shortly after she graduated from Winona State University. She has been the middle and high school math teacher since 2017, along with the S1 advisor. She has also served on the Riverway board for 6 years.
Mary Kate says "I am so thankful to work at Riverway Learning Community. I enjoy teaching the students math, life skills, the environment, technology, and more. It is fun to have the students from when they are in 7th grade to 12th grade and see them grow throughout the years. I appreciate the goofy moments that we share and our overnight trip to Whitewater State Park. I would not be the teacher I am today without the great staff that have supported me. We have gone through a move and a remodel together and supported each other through the stressful process. I am looking forward to seeing where we will go from here."
Just a few of the wonderful nominations Mary Kate received includes-
"Whenever I'm in her class she's there to help. I really love her as my teacher and I couldn't ask for a better one." -Val
"She is so clever. She makes math easier to understand. I'm so glad she's my math teacher."-Eva
"I love Mary Kate because she is very positive and works hard. I really admire her math mind and how she carries herself." -Emma
Thank you to Benos Deli for donating a gift certificate to Mary Kate for her dedication to education and thank you Mary Kate for being a positive role model for our students to aspire to.
Based on the available information and weather advisory from the National Forecast for Winona, school and all activities at Riverway Learning Community #4064 will be closed all day on Thursday, December 19th, 2024.
For the safety of students, staff, and the community, thank you for your understanding in light of the evening announcement. See you back in school on Friday, December 20th for a half-day early release at 12:15.
https://www.facebook.com/share/15PsA3bGJr/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Our awesome little school made it into the Daily News 🩵
Thank you "Red Caboose Christmas Trees" for creating and hanging our beautiful wreath and swags.
We proudly present our December "Riverway Teacher of the Month" to Ms. Brianna!
Ms. Brianna came to Riverway as a college student observing and completing her classroom hours. She had family connections within the school and learned quickly that she preferred what a small school like Riverway had to offer. She started in the E2 classroom in 2013 and has continued in the role while adding Art Learning Leader to her title. She now teaches K-12, taking one class each day. 🩵
Ms. Brianna says "I love working at Riverway for so many reasons and feel a great sense of community among the students, staff and families. I enjoy our small environment and the way we can be flexible in ways larger districts cannot. I appreciate the care and dedication of my coworkers and the attention given to the whole child- far beyond academics. Being able to watch a student grow from kindergarten to graduation is a privilege I don't take for granted. I love our new location and have found the garden is my happy place."
Just a few of the wonderful nominations submitted for her include...
"Whenever I see her in the hallways she waves to me and it's the best part of my day. I miss her as a teacher and she's the best I could ask for." - Emma
"Because she is easy to talk to and always makes me laugh or smile."- Kilena
"She really loves her job! She is always ready to help and comes up with great ideas to help make Riverway better for staff and students." -Jen
Thank you Ms. Brianna for being the wonderful rockstar you are. All of us at Riverway love and appreciate you.
The Bizarre bazaar is now open! Come do some holiday shopping! 🩵
Just a few kindness art projects made last week during "World Kindness Day".
Join us on Friday for our annual Bizarre Bazaar from 9am-11am. Students have been working hard creating their up cycled crafts. 🩵
Happy "World Kindness Day"! To celebrate kindness, Riverway students and staff are practicing being the "I" in kind. 💜
We proudly present our November "Riverway Teacher of the Month" to Ms. Dana!
Ms. Dana is going into her 19th year as a staff member at Riverway. She started at Riverway as an AmeriCorps member in 2005. She then became the Children’s House Learning Leader and held that role for 15 years. With lots of consideration, she decided to make a change in her career to our E1 classroom Learning Leader and her students couldn’t be happier. 🩵
Ms Dana says “I love working at Riverway because we care about the “whole” child: mind, body, & spirit. At Riverway we strive to meet the needs of all different kinds of children. We are always reaching to create a more hopeful and enlightened future. At Riverway we care about creating life long educational experiences that our students will remember for a lifetime and hopefully, make a difference in our world.”
Just a few of the wonderful nominations submitted for her include...
“She is kind and cares about everyone. Plus she has worked here for about 19 years. She is also a great teacher.” -Scout
“She is a great teacher. She has been kind and sweet to me.” -Ruby Jo
“She’s always so positive and happy. Always smiling and laughing.”- Ariah
Thank you to Bluff Country Coop for donating a gift certificate for Ms. Dana and thank you Ms. Dana for making such a positive and lasting impact on our students.
Making connections and art projects with S2 and CH. 🩵
Yesterday, we celebrated the fact that we, as a school, saved the environment from 10,000 plastic bottles! When our drinking fountain hit 10,000, we stopped everything and had a dance party and gave away reusable water bottles.
We enjoyed hosting a "Safety Day" at Riverway yesterday for our Primary program. We had some guest visitors from Winona Fire Department, Winona Area Ambulance and Winona County Sheriff's Department who spent time with our students explaining the importance of their jobs how the students and their families can keep themselves safe.
These amazing humans couldn't say no when one of our 4th graders invited them to play color tag with the E2 classroom during P.E.
Thank you to the Winona Area First Responders for spending the afternoon with our school and making such a positive impact on our community. 🩵
Congratulations to Oliver Kirchoff in Secondary 1 for winning the flyer competition for Riverway's fall Bizarre Bazaar.
Make sure you save the date for this highly anticipated event Friday, November 22.
One of the wonderful opportunities Riverway students get to enjoy is our co-op with Cotter sports. Yesterday, Cotter appreciated the girls seniors on the soccer team which honored one of our very own, Emma Hatter. 🩵 Congratulations on a wonderful season, Emma. Keep being the positive human you are. We can't wait to see the amazing things you'll accomplish.
And that's a wrap, folks!
Our first Saturday school of the '24-'25 school year is complete. To say this one was extra special would be an understatement. We were lucky enough to have one of the amazing humans who started Riverway, share the story of its beginning with the current students, families and staff.
Special thank you to Laurie Krause for creating such a special place, 25 years ago. 🩵
