RPDS News

Celebrating Sixty!

2008-06-10T14:15:00-05:00

An exciting year of celebration and reflection is being planned under the watchful eye of Celebrate Sixty Chair, Denise Moore, and her capable committee. Special Events chairs, Stacy Moseley, Dori Walton, and Missy Boney, have put together events to peak the interest of every member of the Riverside family. A 60’s dessert and dance party will be held at The Garden Club on November 14th and “Take a Bow,” a special children’s performance, will be held at the Florida Theatre on February 14, 2009. In addition, there will be special events for RPDS alumni and history chapels for Riverside students.

Gifts from the Heart - RPDS Servant Leaders

2008-06-10T14:05:00-05:00

Riverside Sixth Grade students and the RPDS Art Department have demonstrated their commitment to our community by reaching out to those less forturnate. The Sixth Grade painted canvas panels for the Pediatric Imaging Unit at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. Our students’ artwork depicted ocean and marine life. This is a beautiful gift of love, hope, and joy that will comfort and reduce children’s anxiety during their time in the hospital.

Sixth Grade students also donated clay masks to support Patrons of the HeARTS program at Wolfson. This program brings children from third world countries to the Hospital for desperately needed heart surgery. Their masks will be exhibited at the Main Library downtown during the month of August and then auctioned in October.

Bo Cotton Award for Excellence

2008-06-10T13:55:00-05:00

Carrie Bachara is a gifted and talented teacher who seeks to celebrate and honor the unique God-given gifts inherent in every child. With wisdom and discernment, she delivers creative, vibrant, and energetic instruction to young learners. Her students are blessed by her natural ease, patience, and warm nurture. Carrie honors the pace of each child; affirming their value and self worth.

Drawing on her sound instincts, insight, and imagination, Annette Brinson communicates an excitement and enthusiasm for learning to her students. Her classroom is a venue for thoughtful and lively discussions, individual support, and creative lessons. From constructing arrays of discarded boxes to demonstrate mathematical concepts, to playing her violin to demonstrate sound, Annette strives to provide her student personal experiences that foster strength and motivation so they can achieve success.

Both of these dedicated faculty members embody what it means to be a teacher at Riverside Presbyterian Day School. We salute them!

Graduation for the Class of 2008

2008-06-10T13:43:00-05:00

The graduating class performed the English Folk Melogy, “Though I May Speak,’ prior to commencement remarks by Mr. Littell. Following the ceremony, a reception hosted by the RPDS Fifth Grade class was held in Kissling Hall. 13 of the graduates will be moving on to The Bolles School, 16 will go to Episcopal High School, 1 to St. Johns Country Day School and eight students matriculate to public school magnet programs or schools out-of-town. Congratulations to these outstanding young people. Riverside wishes them well in all of their future endeavors.

Riverside Welcomes H. Palmer Bell as Head of School

2007-12-10T16:53:00-05:00

A graduate of Denison University with a B.S. in Biology, Palmer Bell earned a M.Ed in Science Education from Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey. His 34 year professional career in exceptional independent schools is marked by experience across the grade spectrum from preschool, through high school, in both day and day boarding schools, and in six schools representing five states: Virginia, New Jersey, California, Ohio, and most recently in Texas at St. James Episcopal School, Corpus Christi.

Palmer has been an active member of the Elementary School Heads Association, National Association of Independent Schools, National Association of Episcopal Schools, Texas Association of Non-Public Schools, and the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools. In addition to his classroom teaching career, he has coached numerous sports, spent 13 years as a boy’s camp head counselor, and has provided school leadership as a Dean of Students, Assistant Head and as a Head of School.

Throughout his career, Palmer has been praised as a leader who relates to students and adults of all ages. His gift for using stories and anecdotes to share vision, to illustrate important concepts and to teach life lessons encourages teamwork, camaraderie, and character development. His natural, highly collaborative leadership style is ideal in modern educational settings.

The RPDS family is thrilled to welcome Palmer and his wife, Anne, to the Riverside community and we look forward to their arrival this summer.