Dozens of state and local officials, teachers, parents, and students gathered on August 28 to celebrate the new expansion of Riverside Magnet School at Goodwin College. This officially brings the entire Riverside community together, uniting all Pre-K through Grade 5 students in one building.

The 19,000-square-foot addition to the existing Reggio Emilia-inspired magnet school provides specialized instructional space for the entirety of Riverside’s students. Along with brand new classrooms, the space incorporates an instrumental music room, an expanded library media center, and a kitchen for food service to accommodate the growing student body. The new spaces allow Riverside’s educational team to provide additional enrichments to the curriculum, including adding orchestra to the music program and promoting literacy and technology skills in the expanded library.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy attended the ribbon cutting and lauded Riverside as a community and the opportunities provided to students by Connecticut’s schools. He pointed out that there are great opportunities for children, “regardless of their zip code,” and that Connecticut should be proud of its graduation rate, which is five points above the national average.

“I don’t think there’s a better example of what we’ve accomplished together than this school, this relationship,” Malloy said. “In a building like this, we’re guaranteeing students that good start.”

East Hartford Mayor Marcia LeClerc praised the educational opportunities that Riverside Magnet School offers the community. “Congratulations to the parents, the children,” she told the crowd. “I think everyone’s a winner today.”

Riverside Magnet School originally opened as a Pre-K through Kindergarten early childhood Sheff magnet school in the fall of 2013. As the school grew, parents encouraged expanding the curriculum to offer a traditional magnet school elementary education through grade 5.

The project cost $9.4 million and was funded through a grant from the State of CT Department of Education and the Office of School Construction. Goodwin College magnet schools — including Riverside Magnet School and Connecticut River Academy high school — are operated in conjunction with LEARN, a regional education service center.

“Riverside Magnet School is a really good example of what you can do when partners benefit and support each other,” Goodwin College President Mark Scheinberg said, thanking the parents, faculty, and guests for bringing the Riverside community together.

For information on the Goodwin College magnet schools, visit www.goodwin.edu/magnet-schools.