BLUES’ NEWS
Richmond Street School and PTA Newsletter
April 2005			Volume 5, Issue 8
Richmond Street School 615 Richmond St., El Segundo, CA 90245 (310) 606-6831		Dickie Van Breene, Principal http://elsegundousd.com/richmond_school Shari Gulian, Newsletter Editor, ssa@copper.net		Windri Barriga, PTA President PTA El Segundo Council 33^rd District, CCPTS

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Richmond Street Families,

Thank you to all of you who participated in the Run for Education! The weather held out for us and we all had a great time. It was fun to see so many Richmond Street families and teachers participate.

We have set aside two minimum days for Parent/Teacher Conferences on Monday, April 4th and Tuesday, April 5th. Your child’s teacher will contact you for a conference if she feels one is needed. If you have not been contacted for a conference but feel the need to meet, you may contact your child’s teacher.

The K – 2 Read-a-thon ends on Friday, April 8th. Our goal is to read 10,000 books. Please help us reach that goal by reading with your child nightly.

Spring Break is April 11th – 17th. We wish you a safe and relaxing break with your family.

Sincerely,

Dickie Van Breene

Principal

dvanbreene@esusd.k12.ca.us

SCHEDULE OF MINIMUM DAYS

Grades 1 – 5 attend from 8:30 – 1:30

(Kindergarten remains on regular schedule)

April 4 & 5 Parent/Teacher conferences

May 26 Open House

June 23 Last Day of School

Character Education: Mrs. Van Breene and Mrs. Janicek will be working with each 5^th grade class on a lesson about bullying and it’s effect on targets, bystanders, and bullies.

Thank you to the Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club: Richmond Street School would like to thank the El Segundo Chamber of Commerce and the Rotary Club for awarding several of our teachers with mini-grants for exciting, educational materials.

Teen Line: ROAD (Reach Out Against Drugs), a community based organization will be sponsoring Teen Line. The life of a teenager can be unpredictable. Teen Line has a staff of trained volunteers to assist teenagers in need. Ossie Mair and an informational teen panel will explain an effective and cost free resource for teenagers on April 21^st at 7:00 p.m. in the Matsui Room at the El Segundo Public Library.

Congratulations Mrs. Baldino: It was announced at Songfest that Mrs. Baldino has been named Teacher of the Year of the El Segundo Unified School District. We would like to congratulate Mrs. Baldino for an award that is well deserved.

Health Office News: The health office is in need of t-shirts and sweat pants that your children have outgrown. We use them as spares for times when students step in a puddle or have an accident and their own clothes are too wet to wear in the classroom.

How to Raise a Street Smart Kid: El Segundo Police Department's Crime Prevention Analyst, Laurie Risk will be presenting information on this topic to adults only in the Matsui Room of the El Segundo Public Library at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, May 2^nd. RSVP to 524-2274.

Thank you Washington Mutual: Thank you to our Richmond families who enrolled in Washington Mutual's WaMoola for Schools Program. Families who sign up for the program and use their Washington Mutual Visa Check Card can earn points for our school. The points are converted to cash at the end of the year. This year we earned $233.

MESSAGE FROM THE PTA

It was March Madness through the streets of El Segundo. The PTA hosted the Run For Education on March 19^th and the streets were full of runners and walkers of all ages. Special thanks to that Number 1 seed, Francoise Crannell and her committee who did such a great job planning and organizing the event. We want to congratulate and thank all the runners and sponsors who participated in the run. In our eyes you’re all number 1. The funds we raised will be distributed and shared by all the schools.

Coming up we also have the PTA Honorary service awards. It’s always difficult to identify the MVP’s (Most Valuable Parent) especially with all the special volunteers we have at Richmond. We are a true team, with everyone making a contribution and doing what is needed for the school to win. The ceremony will be held on Thursday, April 7^th at Chevron Park.

The final PTA event will be Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2^nd – 6^th. We’ll be showing our deep appreciation for all the teachers and administration of Richmond Elementary for the wonderful school experience they have provided our children. We’ll be providing them with breakfasts and a special luncheon. Volunteers are still needed to help with this event. See Annette Greeff if you’d like to help.

It’s never too early to start planning for next year and Richmond’s PTA is looking for individuals to fill positions. Every year we need to recruit new volunteers. If you’re interested in making a difference, please don’t hesitate to either e-mail or call me. Keep in mind that many of the open positions can be done from home. It is through our volunteers that the school is able to maintain the high quality of the program that our kids enjoy.

In conclusion, the Richmond PTA would like to congratulate the teachers and administration for Richmond’s high Academic Performance Index scores. Richmond scored 896; we really are number one! Richmond’s PTA would also like to thank the El Segundo School district and School Board Members for their support.

Have a wonderful and safe spring break,

Windri Barriga

FOUNDERS DAY TEA

Please join us for a fun afternoon at the annual PTA Founder's Day Tea to honor past and present Honorary Service Award recipients.  The Founder's Day Tea will be held on Thursday, April 7^th at 3:15 pm at the Chevron Park Clubhouse.  Hope to see you there.  If you have any questions please call Joan Lindsey at 414-9493. 

APRIL PTA MEETING SPEAKER

Dr. Chris Carr, a chiropractic physician and injury prevention specialist, will be speaking at Richmond School PTA meeting on Monday, April 18^th at 7:15 PM. Dr. Carr will be addressing the concerns regarding overloaded backpacks and the postural changes and back pain resulting from the improper use of backpacks. An eight minute backpack safety video will be shown and educational material will be handed out. Please join us at our next meeting!

TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK

If you would like to volunteer to help during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2^nd – 6^th, or donate items for this special week, please contact Annette Greeff at 310-726-1100 or dgreeff@socal.rr.com. Also, be on the look out for information from your room parent as the event approaches.

APRIL CALENDAR OF EVENTS
4/4 Monday 4/5 Tuesday	Minimum Day – Early Dismissal Grades 1 – 5 attend 8:30 – 1:30 Parent – Teacher Conferences
4/7 Thursday	PTA Founder’s Day Tea 3:15 p.m.
4/11 – 4/17	SPRING BREAK No School
4/18 Monday	PTA Meeting 7:15 p.m.
4/28 Thursday	School Site Council Meeting 8:45 a.m.
4/28 Thursday Richmond Auditorium	Kindergarten Orientation 6:00 p.m. Parents of 2005/2006 Kindergartners Only No children please