Riverside School - Richmond

08/24/2026

A warm welcome to Riverside’s new Art Teacher, Bri Winter! With more than 10 years of experience teaching art, Mrs. Winter brings a wealth of creativity and expertise to our classrooms. She graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with an undergraduate degree in Craft and Material Studies and a master’s degree in Art Education.

Mrs. Winter is passionate about exploring different artists and the intriguing concepts behind their work. She especially enjoys creating three-dimensional art and has been working with clay for over 20 years. Her love of hands-on, creative experiences inspires her to help students explore their own artistic voices and discover the joy of making.

Mrs. Winter has two sons and currently lives in the Bon Air area. She enjoys spending time with her family traveling and exploring nature.

08/19/2026

We’re excited to welcome Shelby Solodar back to Riverside as an LF Instructor this year!

Shelby graduated from American University and Johns Hopkins University, where she studied Elementary Education, Spanish, and Differentiated Instruction & Inclusion. She has been teaching in a variety of roles from preschool to college for most of the last 20 years, with the bulk of her career spent as a second and third grade public school teacher.

Shelby fell in love with Riverside during her Orton-Gillingham training in 2018. She is excited to return to the LF department after substituting for the last few years while she helped her husband with a business project. Shelby has two children, one former and one current Riverside student, who have encouraged her love of working with students with dyslexia.

08/18/2026

A warm welcome to our next LF Instructor starting this year, Vivian Mitchell!

Vivian holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from VCU and an Masters and PhD in English from UCLA. Vivian has taught courses in literature at UCLA, VCU, and the University of Arkansas. She has also worked as a technical writer, a freelance editor, and a toddler wrangler. Vivian took the Orton-Gillingham Associate-level course in the winter of 2024, and she loved every minute. She completed her OG practicum in the spring of 2026.

A proud Riverside parent, Vivian’s daughter will be entering her third year at Riverside in the fall. When not chipping phonemes, Vivian enjoys baking, reading long novels, and traveling with her family. She has two golden retrievers, Scout and Sunny, who are the best dogs in the world.

08/17/2026

The Language Fundamentals Department is welcoming three amazing LF Instructors to the team this year, all of whom have been part of the Riverside community for years. First up, a warm welcome to Maggie Smith!

Maggie is a Richmond native and graduate of James Madison University. She taught elementary school in Henrico County for seven years before taking time away from the classroom to raise her family. She and her husband have three sons, ages 12, 10, and 8, who keep them busy with sports and outdoor adventures. In recent years, Maggie has worked as a preschool aide, a classroom teacher at a small private school, and a substitute teacher.

In 2022 (and again this summer as a refresher!) Maggie completed the Orton-Gillingham course to better understand the challenges her son was facing in school. That experience sparked a passion for structured literacy and the Orton-Gillingham approach. Maggie is excited to join the Riverside team and looks forward to working alongside its dedicated educators while helping students build confidence and achieve success.

08/16/2026

We are excited to introduce a familiar face starting as our new Office Coordinator. Welcome Amy Johnson!

Amy graduated from Northeastern University with a master’s degree in higher education administration. She has a background in financial aid and admissions at the university level. Her son, Luke, is a proud Riverside graduate, making our school especially meaningful to her family. Amy enjoys supporting students and their families, helping them feel cared for and welcomed.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, being outside, and traveling with her family. Welcome Amy!

08/14/2026

A warm welcome to Riverside’s new Director of Admissions, Testing, and Transition Varna Swartz Redlich!

Varna is an alumna of James Madison and Northern Colorado Universities. She holds degrees in Special Education, Early Elementary Education and Psychology. She has previously served as a public school special educator in Virginia, North Carolina, Colorado and in London, England. Most recently, she worked on the Upper School Admissions & Enrollment team at Blessed Sacrament Huguenot School in Powhatan County. Varna also completed Riverside’s Orton-Gillingham Associate Level Course. Additionally, as a soccer coach, Varna empowers young female athletes to approach the pitch with confidence, skill, and joy.

She is thrilled to join the Riverside community to continue her advocacy work with families of students with learning differences. Varna can most often be found outside near a creek, mountain, or in the ocean with her family of 5.

08/12/2026

Please join us in welcoming Meg Johnson as our new Director of Finance. We’re thrilled to have Meg bring her experience and expertise to Riverside.

Meg received her undergraduate degree from Villanova University and her MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She started her career in the corporate world at Prudential Insurance Company before transitioning into various roles over the years. She began working in independent schools in New Jersey and continued in that field after relocating to Richmond with her husband.

Meg is excited to join Riverside in this part-time position and looks forward to taking long walks, visiting her favorite Richmond spot—the VMFA—and spending time with family and friends.

08/11/2026

The first day of school is just around the corner, and we’re excited to welcome some wonderful new faculty and staff to Riverside this year! First up, we’re excited to introduce our newest classroom teacher, Aimee Davis.

Aimee holds Bachelor and Master degrees in Special Education with a concentration in deaf and hearing impaired from the University of Tennessee. She spent the first decade of her career teaching in residential schools for the deaf and in public schools in both North Carolina and Tennessee. After taking some years off to run a sewing business and homeschool her own children, she returned to the classroom teaching in various classical schools.

Upon relocating to Virginia, she was introduced to the work of Riverside and is excited to return to her special education roots and be part of a community that nurtures the growth of each student. Aimee writes regularly for the Story Warren blog, enjoys reading, sewing and spending time with family and friends.

08/08/2026

The Orton-Gillingham Academy has updated their definition of dyslexia.

"Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that interferes with the development of reading and writing. Individuals with dyslexia struggle with one or more of the following skills: sounding out unfamiliar words, reading words instantly, and/or spelling. The primary causes of dyslexia are genetic, neurobiological differences."

To read their more detailed definition and to learn more about the Academy, you can visit their website here-

Dyslexia is difficulty in the use and processing of arbitrary linguistic/symbolic codes based on neuroscientific and linguistic research.

07/23/2026

👀 Sneak peek! Summer may be quieter on campus, but there's plenty of progress happening behind the scenes. We're making exciting improvements that will be ready for the new school year, including new learning spaces for LF in North Building, improvements to the Gym, upgraded and expanded classrooms in Ticer, and restoration of the Gazebo at Main Building.

Special thanks to our partners working on these projects with us and to those who also donated materials! Material and Trex from Construction Services and Supply Inc and flooring from DMA Floors, plus thanks to Century Constructions, Lane Brothers Painting, BWS Landscaping, Costen Floors.