Dunthorpe Garden Tour Honors Riverdale School District’s 125th Anniversary

Portland, May 4th, 2013. Hundreds of gardening enthusiasts flocked to five spectacular Dunthorpe estates to celebrate spring by admiring the local flora and fauna. Volunteers like Michelle Fletcher and Betsy Edwards answered questions about plant life. After a ten-year hiatus, Dunthorpe Garden Tour organizers brought back the much loved benefit and welcomed visitors to four private gardens and the Lewis & Clark Cooley Estate, (home of Lewis & Clark President Barry Glasnner and his wife Betsy Amster) where they were served tea and cookies. The event raised over $34,000 for the Riverdale School Foundation.

 

Neighborhood resident Torie Laurent (Eat.Tray.Chic) provided delicious refreshment at the Tea House, Riverdale High School students volunteered as waiters and musicians, and over 100 parents and neighbors of all ages volunteered as committee heads and garden or transportation guides. The tour is fondly known for building and rekindling friendships while volunteers work together to support their community.

Co-chairs Holly Coit and Brenda Bonnell especially thanked neighbors Mark Ahn and Shaun Anderson-Ahn, Bill Coit, Doug and Selby Key, Jill Josselyn, and Lewis & Clark President Barry Glassner and Betsy Amster.

Sponsor included: WFG National Title Insurance Company and garden sponsors (Kathy Hall/Hasson Co. Realtors; Pac West Wealth Partners-Ameriprise/Chris Hall; Lewis & Clark College; and Dwayne Beam, Private Mortgage Broker/Wells Fargo Private Mortgage Banking.)

From the Riverdale School District: 

Welcome to Riverdale School District. For more than a century, Riverdale has focused on providing a rigorous and rich academic experience. We are a unique, distinctive and successful educational organization that demonstrates how a focused vision can have a profound effect on the learning outcomes for students. Among the many strengths of the District, first and foremost are our students. This is clearly evident in the range and depth of school activities they are involved in on a daily basis. Dedicated faculty enhances the strength of our students and involved parents who shine a light on the vibrant educational community we call Riverdale.

Our students are actively engaged in the learning process from their first day in Preschool all the way to their senior exhibition. They learn how to think for themselves, and when they graduate, they go on to a wide variety of selective colleges. More importantly, students leave Riverdale equipped with the skills and confidence to become leaders in today’s global community. Our alumni consistently tell us that the skills they developed at Riverdale set them up for success in college and beyond.

Riverdale students are also active outside the academic classroom. We want our students to lead balanced lives and encourage them to participate in the arts, athletics, and to create a passion for personal interests, a habit of critical thinking, and a deep understanding of civic virtue. The breadth of our programs and the size of our school create many ways for Riverdale students to get involved, and these opportunities lead families to choose Riverdale.

As you explore our website, we hope you will discover what makes Riverdale such a special place. Riverdale offers a close-knit community. At Riverdale, students develop meaningful relationships with one another and with their teachers, and our parents are actively involved throughout the school. We all come together within a safe, supportive environment.

Our schools welcome students from the Riverdale neighborhood and from the surrounding communities who join us as tuition or transfer students. Riverdale offers the best aspects of independent schooling in a public school setting. We warmly welcome you and encourage you to visit our schools and discover the exceptional learning community we offer our students.

“Teaching students to be thoughtful in their education, about each other, and for their community.”