Agencies Partner to Keep Riverdale Kids Warm

Wam winter coats were delivered last week to children in need at Riverdale Elementary and two other county schools.

Riverdale Elementary students were among the 260 kids to receive free winter coats as part of collaboration between the Sheriff’s Community Partnerships Section and the Prince George’s County Public Safety Assistance Program (PSAP.) “Too many children spend the winter months without adequate clothing to keep them warm, but hopefully with this coat drive we’ve helped some of the students who needed it the most,” Col. Darrin Palmer, the chief assistant sheriff in Prince George’s County, said in a statement. The coats were delivered to children in need last week by the Knights of Columbus, according to a statement from the Prince George’s County Sheriff's Office. “This program was a success because of the assistance we received from the …

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Pr. George's Reaches Top 20 for National Board Certified Teachers

One teacher in Riverdale Park, MD, is among 27 PGCPS teachers recently gaining national board certification.

  Prince George's County Public Schools announced that it ranks 3rd in Maryland and 20th in the nation for the number of teachers who have been certified by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Nearly 330 PGCPS teachers have earned board certification, 27 of them during the 2011-2012 school year, PGCPS said in an announcement Monday.  One teacher in a Riverdale Park school, Rosemary Maeder at Riverdale Elementary School, received certification in 2012, according to PGCPS. “National Board Certification is the highest level of professional certification a teacher can receive,” said Dr. Alvin L. Crawley, interim superintendent of schools. “It requires a great deal of time, hard work and dedication, and I commend our …

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Jenni Pompi

10:33 am on Wednesday, January 30, 2013

I didn't know that! Congratulations, Drena!   more ›

Lunch Lessons: Riverdale Elementary School Promotes Healthy Eating in Cafeteria, Classrooms and After School

The school's community is supporting the healthier changes at the school and its been rewarded for its achievements.

Fifth grader BriDe' Key at Riverdale Elementary School said she started eating healthier with the revamped school menus. “I like the meals,” said Key, 10. “Most of the stuff they serve is good.” Like many other public schools in Prince George’s County, Riverdale Elementary School is promoting healthy eating by providing students with healthier options for breakfast and lunch. The new federal school lunch regulations, which passed in 2010 a maximum calorie limit for elementary lunches at 650 calories. Under the old rules, cafeterias served a minimum of 825 calories per lunch. The Congress-approved calorie limits on school lunches went into effect in August. The initiative, to make school lunches healthier and more nutritious, requires the …

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PHOTO GALLERY: Riverdale Elementary Character Chaos Costume Parade

Riverdale Elementary students dress up as their favorite book characters for a costume parade on Wednesday.

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Riverdale Elementary Students Recognized for Cleanup Efforts

Police Chief David Morris dropped by the school Thursday to thank those who volunteered at Riverdale Park's Cleanup Day.

Submitted by Colleen Ferguson, code enforcement community services manager for Riverdale Park: On April 21, the Town of Riverdale Park sponsored a Cleanup Day in conjunction with Earth Day. Town employees, elected officials, and residents volunteered and participated in this worthwhile event. The volunteers included students from Riverdale Elementary School, who were recognized for their efforts by Riverdale Park Police Chief David Morris on Thursday, June 7 during a small ceremony at the school. Pictured are Chief Morris with student volunteers Tania Cazares Zetino, Alexis Galvan Ramos, Diego Ramirez, Delena Tekleab Measho, Cruz Gomez, Juan Gibina, Aman Measho, and Irvin Aguilar as well as school administrators.

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Help Needed to Beautify Riverdale Elementary

Volunteers will be on hand Saturday morning to pick up litter, garden, and more.

Local residents are invited to help beautify Riverdale Elementary School this Saturday, May 5 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Help is needed to pick up litter, weed, assist with edging sidewalks, and plant new plants. Participants are asked to bring shovels (large and small), rakes, wheelbarrows, and edgers. Gloves and some small shovels will be provided. For more information, contact Dannielle Glaros at dmglaros[at]gmail.com.

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'It’s A Girl’s Thang' Kicks off at Riverdale Elementary

The mentoring program uses performing arts to help participants boost their sense of self-worth.

School Officials Face Hectic First Day of School

While students face those first-day jitters, officials are working hard to make sure everything runs smoothly.

For most, the hustle and bustle of the first day of school is finished by the time the first bell rings. But for principals and secretaries the madness has only just begun. By 11 a.m., the chatter of children echoes down a corridor from the cafeteria at Riverdale Elementary School. Principal Cheryl Hughes is on lunch duty. Her expression is calm, but she speaks quickly, like someone who has had too much coffee, or has been dealing with the stresses of a school that holds over 700 students. “Things went very smooth this morning,” she says -- this, while keeping a vigilant eye on the students snacking at the tables in the next room. To facilitate a smoother morning and the impending chaos of dismissal this afternoon, Hughes has taken some …

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Roadrunners Lose Leader: Riverdale Principal Carol Cantu Leaves the Nest

After five years and many successes, Cantu says goodbye.

After working with the community and parents at Riverdale Elementary, Carol Cantu said it's hard to say goodbye. Cantu, who after receiving open heart surgery earlier this year decided to retire from Prince George's County Public Schools, teared up as she talked about her time leading the elementary school at the heart of Riverdale Park. Challenges and Success "What I thought would be the challenge wasn't the problem," Cantu said, reflecting on what she was told when she started the job. "They told me the community was the issue and that I would have to calm a storm." However, she noticed quickly that the community wasn't the issue at all. Instead, because she was able to communicate to parents in both English and Spanish, she felt like …

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Riverdale Principal, Asst. Principal To Retire

County is searching for their replacements with the help of surveys from parents and staff.

After five years, Riverdale Elementary School Principal Carol Cantu is retiring. Cantu, who recently went on leave as she recovered from heart surgery, was told by her doctor that she needs be weary of stress. "The doctor said even though I'm enjoying what I'm doing, it can be stressful when you don't get enough sleep," she said, adding she spent most days at the schools, overseeing the education of 700 students, from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., occasionally coming back in the evenings to work too. Other factors also played into her retirement, like the county schools needing folks to retire to help balance the budget, Cantu said, and other job offers coming her way. Her last day with the school will be June 30, while her last day with students …

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