FAQ

You have questions. We have answers (...or at least we'll try to find the answers)!

Please submit your questions, concerns, or feedback to our Virtual Suggestion Box.

Check back the 1st and 15th of every month for updates.

*Please note that all answers below come from PTO parents based on our experiences. These are not answers from Riffenburgh/PSD staff.

COMMUNICATION

Can we please be told in advance, like 2-4 weeks when things are happening so we can request time off? ie: what time of day our child(ren) will be participating in FunRun or track and field day? We’d love to be there to support but many people can’t attend last minute.

This is great feedback! As a PTO, we will work on improving our communication and sharing information as soon as we have it available. We will also pass this information along to the admins at school.

How often is too often to email my daughters teacher? I’m feeling really disconnected. I want to know what is happening the classroom but I want to be respectful of how much time her teacher has to email me back. Are there any better ways to stay connected with what is going on in the classroom?

This is a great question. There are two official times to schedule conferences with your student's teacher (once in October and again in February). But if you have concerns or questions, you can always reach out to your student's teacher to schedule a time to meet.

Often teachers only have small pockets of free time during their school day, so don't be alarmed if your student's teacher doesn't respond to an email right away. It's also worth noting that communication can vary from grade level to grade level, as well as from teacher to teacher.

Is there still the IBNN (IB News Network) presented by 5th graders?

YES! The IBNN will once again return for the 2023-2024 school year. It is spearheaded by a 5th Grade Exhibition Group and will keep students and their families up to date on news and events around the school. Look for episodes to be posted on Riffenburgh's website or via SeeSaw.

SAFETY

Why isn’t the school zone from Stuart & Lemay all the way down Stuart? People aren’t driving safely. Our kids should be safe.

We will try to find more information about school zones.

A parent on our PTO Board contacted the City of Fort Collins Traffic Operations Department in October about concerns with motorists speeding and running the stop signs on Stuart/Brookwood and Stuart/Welch. We encourage you to contact Traffic Operations with your concerns.

My child seemed to have an off day yesterday. And then I got the email about the lock down drill. What do teachers tell students? Do they know why we’re doing lock down drills? What do I tell my student to reassure them when I’m still scared for them?

We will get clarification on what is communicated to students.

Mrs. Mierzwa has stated before that "The safety of our students and our staff is a top priority in PSD." Additionally, she has communicated "If your student experienced stress as a result of [a lockdown] drill, I encourage you to reach out to me, so we can work together to support them."

Instead of the mad dash at pick up every day, could parents pick up their children between 2:48 and 3:00? Then maybe parents wouldn’t be coming on campus before 2:40.

The short answer is that it is probably a safety issue.

There is not the staff to supervise students once the dismissal bell rings at 2:48. They work hard to ensure that once students are dismissed, they safely and quickly get on their bus, to their car, or to the adult picking them up from school.

Before 2:40, students are still in class and moving about the campus. Because of this, it's important that there are not people on the school grounds.

MISCELLANEOUS

I think it’s going to snow soon. Can I send snow clothes with my kids? Will they get to play outside at lunch? We moved here from CA and don’t know what to expect.

Welcome to Colorado! Our weather here can be crazy, so it's certainly important to be prepared. Outdoor recess happens unless it's raining or if the temperature is 18 degrees or less. So if snow is predicted, it's always important to send your student with appropriate clothing (hat, gloves, boots, and snowpants).

If PSD is giving kids free lunches why does my kid have to pay for milk?

Great question. We will work to get clarification on this!

Can we order Riffenburgh clothing? Is that only once a year?

Riffenburgh Spirit Wear can be ordered ANY TIME. Check it out here. Also, the PTO receives a portion of sales.

Can you tell me where to get a "Kind" button? My child sees all the older children with them on their backpacks and wants to have one too.

The theme for the 2022-2023 school year was "Kind" and buttons were handed out to each student to remind them of the theme. For the 2023-2024 school year, the theme is "Balance". We checked in with the front office; unfortunately, there are no buttons left from last year.

FEEDBACK

Not a suggestion, just a genuine word of thanks. I participated heavily in the PTO for several years and it was A LOT of work. Family dynamic, illness, and work have prevented me from being very active since Covid, but what the PTO has become is so very wonderful. Riffenburgh is very lucky to have you all!

Thank you so much for this feedback! We love being a part of this fun, amazing team. We welcome anyone and everyone to be a part of our board! (Interested in joining us? Please email RiffenburghPTO@gmail.com. )