PROCLAMATION from Fred Camillo, First Selectman
WHEREAS, Riverside School opened on September 18, 1933, adorned by its distinctive cupola, as a K-8 school with 318 pupils in attendance and ample room for future growth; and
WHEREAS, In 1950, the addition of Riverside School opened, and as a result the school building then consisted of a total of 23 classrooms, two kindergartens, two special subject areas, the library, a teachers' room, multi-purpose rooms, and a gymnasium. Soon after, in 1955, Eastern Junior High School opened, and Riverside School became a K-6 elementary school; and
WHEREAS, Riverside School has always played an important part in the history of the Town as well as the world, providing instruction to international children who had fled the dangers of World War II in their own countries and serving as a place for people to register for ration cards during the War; and
WHEREAS, One of Riverside School's most famous alumni, Skating Star Dorothy Hamill, attended the school in the 1960s, went on to win a gold medal in the 1976 Olympic Winter Games, and returned soon after to Greenwich and Riverside School to be honored; and
WHEREAS, Riverside School has had a total of six principals over its 90 years, including the longest serving principal, Mr. Robert J. Simpkins, who served from 1937 to 1976, over 39 years; and
WHEREAS, Riverside School has been identified as a School of Distinction by the State of Connecticut Department of Education and has been ranked the #4 top public elementary schools in Connecticut by U.S. News & World Report.
NOW, THEREFORE, l, Fred Camillo, FIRST SELECTMAN OF THE TOWN OF GREENWICH, do
hereby proclaim October 20, 2023 as
Riverside School Day
in the Town of Greenwich and urge all residents to join me in celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Riverside School.