BLUES’ NEWS

Richmond Street School and PTA Newsletter

February 2008

 

Volume 8, Issue 6
Richmond Street School
615 Richmond St.
El Segundo, CA 90245
310- 606-6831

Dickie Van Breene, Principal

Jack Plotkin, Assistant Principal

elsegundousd.com/richmond_school

Shari Gulian, Newsletter Editor

Tammy Long, PTA President

PTA El Segundo Council

Thirty-Third District

California State PTA, everychild.onevoice

 

 

  MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

 

Dear Richmond Street Families,

 

Thank you very much for contributing to El Segundo Educational Foundation’s Boost Our School fund raiser.  Over 57% of our families contributed $30 or more to this important fund.  Your support allows the Foundation to support elementary music, P.E., technology and many other important programs.  We will receive a $2,500 grant from the Foundation that will go directly towards school-wide art education.  The Foundation will continue to accept donations if you missed the opportunity. We highly value the Educational Foundation’s fund raising efforts, especially during this time when Governor Schwarzenegger is talking about drastic cuts to our state educational funding. Please help us continue this effort by joining us on Monday evening, February 25 at McCormick and Schmick’s for the Foundation’s Biennial Fundraiser and enjoy delicious food and a huge silent auction that benefits all our kids. 

 

Debby Martin, PE teacher, has been doing a wonderful job not only teaching are children a variety of physical education skills, but also good nutrition.  Topics include the food groups, low-fat vs. non-fat, “5 a day fruits and veggies”, everyday foods vs. sometimes vs. rarely foods, making healthful choices and how the heart works.

 

All school sites have been experiencing vandalism this year.  Please read on for an important message from our Superintendent, Dr. Yantz. 

 

As always, we appreciate your support and thank you for all that you do for our school and our kids. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Dickie Van Breene

Principal

dvanbreene@esusd.k12.ca.us

 

Please remember to sign-in at the office and get a visitors sticker when you come on school grounds.  Taking the time to help with school safety is important to everyone at the school.

 

 

LETTER FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT                               January 2008

 

Dear Parents,

 

During the last six months, there has been an increase in vandalism on each of the school campuses.  In particular, Center Street and Richmond Street Schools have experienced significant damage including fire, playground equipment damage, destroyed hardscape, and graffiti.   The cost to the district as a result of vandalism from July 1, 2007 is nearing $100,000. 

 

Vandalism displaces valuable human and economic resources away from students and the learning environment.  In cooperation with the El Segundo Police Department, ESUSD has taken aggressive steps to mitigate vandalism including an increase in campus monitoring and prosecution of criminals.   The district is increasing the number of security cameras at the high school and middle school and installation of cameras is in process at Center Street and Richmond Street Schools.   

 

The purpose of this correspondence is to increase awareness and request that you report any suspicious activity on a school campus to the El Segundo Police Department immediately.  Your assistance and support in this matter is truly appreciated. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Geoff Yantz, Ed. D.

Superintendent

 

 

California Healthy Kids Survey

This year, our district will be administering the California Healthy Kids Survey; a comprehensive youth self-report data collection system that provides essential health risk assessment and resilience information to our schools, district, and community.

Targeted at grades 5-12, the HKS enables our schools and community to collect and analyze valuable data regarding local youth health risks, assets, and behaviors. The survey is a powerful tool that can help us meet all the new assessment requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) for Title IV Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities by accurately identifying areas of strength and weakness. It is designed to be part of a comprehensive data-driven decision making process to help guide the development of more effective health, prevention, and youth development programs.

Students in grades 5, 7, 9 and 11 (and all Arena students) will participate in the assessment during the week of February 11, 2008.  Your child will bring home a permission slip which he or she must return to indicate participation.  The permission slips can also be found at www.elsegundousd.com under the “Healthy Kids” tab, where you can also view survey content.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Jack Plotkin at 310-606-6831, or at jplotkin@esusd.k12.ca.us.  Thank you for your support in helping us collect this valuable data.

  ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

 

Kindergarten Conferences: Conferences are scheduled for February 5 – 22.  Please contact your child’s teacher if you have not scheduled your conference.

 

Lakers’ Read to Achieve Program: This program for 3rd – 5th graders ends on February 20.  All reading logs must be returned to your classroom teacher.

 

Food Service News: The cafeteria no longer sells snacks.  Students may buy breakfast before school or at morning recess for $1.25.  In addition, students may buy yogurt for $1 or milk/juice for $.50 at any time.

 

Student Council News:  Student Council is collecting used batteries to keep these toxic items out of our landfills.  The batteries will be taken to a Hazardous Waste Collection Center.

 

 

 

BOX TOP WINNERS!

 

 

September 2007

October 2007

November 2007

December 2007

Grade

Teacher

Box Tops

Teacher

Box Tops

Teacher

Box Tops

Teacher

Box Tops

Kinder/Tedde

Glenny

274

O'Brien

156

Bryant

135

Jacobson

222

First Grade

Loye

232

Loye

140

Maisonet

83

Loye

107

Second Grade

Nodar

320

Miller

278

Nodar

288

Sobosky

107

Third Grade

Igi

195

Feinbloom

101

Igi

178

Feinbloom

96

Fourth Grade

MacKenzie

355

MacKenzie

191

Stakkestad

156

MacKenzie

229

Fifth Grade

Sleeth

335

Berkes

126

Stone

66

Sleeth

16

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to all our winners!!   With all your help and effort we are well on our way to reaching our goal for the 2007-2008 school year, so please keep clipping those Box Tops and keep up the great work!  Box tops are collected on the first Friday of each month.  The next collection date will be Friday, February 1st.

 

Thank you for all your support.

 

Judy Nieto and Julie Cantu-Your PTA Box Top Coordinators

 

 

  MESSAGE FROM PTA

 

Happy February! PTA is very busy this month and unfortunately, with the holidays this month (yeah!) we don't have a PTA meeting (but that doesn't mean we can slack off!)  We are looking for a few amazing volunteers to honor.  It is time again to nominate our Honorary Service recipients for this year.  We give out awards for Honorary Service, Continued Service for PTA members and Very Special People awards for non-members and community groups or individuals.  PTA needs your input for these awards.  Look for the forms coming home with your children and they are also available in the office.  If it was up to me I would give out an award for each and every one of our volunteers.  I think you all are amazing but alas, we can honor only a few.  These awards are given out at our Founder's Day ceremony in April.  We are also looking for a few people to join the Honorary Service Committee to help choose our honorees from all of the completed forms.  If you are interested please contact me at kipntam@sbcglobal.net. 

 

Also this month we are looking to set our board members for next year.  There are many open positions and it is a great way to get involved and know what is going on.  Please consider getting involved.  I think an active PTA helps make the difference from a good school to a great school. 

 

Tammy Long

PTA President

 

 

 

  RALPHS CONTRIBUTION FUNDRAISER

 

Ralphs has a Community Contribution Program that Richmond Street has participated in for several years. It is easy to do and last year we received almost $6,000 from Ralphs. If more of us sign up, we could make even more.   Even if you’ve signed up before you should re-register your Ralphs card every year

 

Here are the easy on-line registration directions.

 

1.    Go to their website at ralphs.com

2.    Click on "Community Contribution"

3..   Click on "Participant"

4.    Enter the information requested. You will need your Ralphs Club card and Richmond Street's NPO (non-profit organization) number, it is 83279

 

Thank you!

 

 

 

Innisbrook all year long

 

Don’t forget to visit www.innisbrook.com.  Our school continues to earn 50% profit all year long!  You can shop for gift items gift-wrap and accessories, gourmet chocolates, school supplies, books, educational summer activity books and more!

 

Our school number is 118959.  Just go to www.innisbrook.com, shop, enter our school’s customer number at checkout, and all items will be delivered to your home.  Free shipping on orders of $75 or more. 

 

 

February 2008 Calendar

 



Sun

Mon

Tue

Wed

Thu

Fri

Sat

 

 

 

 

 

1

2

3

4

 

 

 

 

Minimum Day

K - 5

 

5

Election Day

Presidential Primary

Voting precinct in RSS auditorium

 

Kinder conferences

6

 

Kinder conferences

7