BLUES’ NEWS
Richmond Street School and PTA Newsletter
		September 2004
		Volume 5, Issue 1 Richmond Street School 615 Richmond Street, El Segundo, CA 90245 (310) 606-6831 Principal, Dickie Van Breene, Principal PTA El Segundo Council, 33^rd District, CCPTS Windri Barriga, PTA President, Windri@aol.com Shari Gulian, Newsletter Editor, ssa@copper.net http://elsegundousd.com/richmond_school/default.html

SCHEDULE OF MINIMUM DAYS

Grades 1 – 5 attend from 8:30 – 1:30

(Kindergarten remains on regular schedule)

September 23 Back to School Night

October 12 Professional Development

November 9 Professional Development

December 6 –10 Parent/Teacher conferences

January 11 Professional Development

February 8 Professional Development

March 8 Professional Development

April 4 & 5 Parent/Teacher conferences

May 26 Open House

June 23 Last Day of School

SEPTEMBER CALENDAR OF EVENTS
9/22 Wednesday	School Picture Day
9/23 Thursday	BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT (see schedule of grade levels and times on next page) MINIMUM DAY – Early Dismissal Grades 1 – 5 attend 8:30 – 1:30
9/27 Monday Early Bird/Later Gator schedule begins	TEDDE Kindergarten 8:30 – 11:50 Early Birds 8:30 – 12:45 Early Birds 9:45 – 1:05 Later Gators 9:45 – 1:45 Later Gators Grades 1 & 2 8:30 – 2:10 Early Birds 9:05 – 2:45 Later Gator

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Back to School Night: Reminder: Back to School Night is for parents only.

Kindergarten 6:00 – 7:00

Grades 1 & 2 6:30 – 7:15

Grades 3 7:00 – 7:45

Grades 4, 5 7:00 – 8:00

Arrival Time: Students are not to arrive on campus before 8:15. We require this for the safety of your child. We do not provide supervision before 8:15.

Loading Zones: The loading zones are for pick-up and drop-off only. For the safety of all students please drive carefully and slowly. The El Segundo Police Department may ticket individuals who are double-parked. Crossing guards will be on site to help students and to monitor traffic.

Visitors and volunteers: As per the Education Code and for the safety of students, all visitors and volunteers must first check in at the school office.

School Site Council Nominations: We are in the process of School Site Council (SSC) elections and we are looking for nominees. The SSC is the organization that meets throughout the year to assess the educational needs of the school and to develop a school Improvement Plan. The operating budget of the SSC is provided by the state under the title School Improvement Program or SIP. Decisions concerning how to spend the fund are made by the SSC, comprised of the principal, teachers, staff and parents. Please look for the School Site Council nomination in your student’s First Day Packet.

Receive preferred mailing: 1) Log onto the school website at: http://elsegundousd.com/richmond_school/default.html 2) Click on the button “sign-up for our mailing list” below the home page graphic. 3) Type your email address, first and last name, and indicate grade levels.

2004/2005 School Supplies: If you have not yet purchased school supplies a list of supplies for your child’s grade level can be found on the school’s website. Supplies may be purchased at Office Depot. 5% of all purchases are gifted back to the school.

RALPH’S COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTION PROGRAM:

Attention parents, last year Richmond Street parents raised over $5,600.00 by simply shopping at Ralph's!  That's right, Ralph's Community Contribution Program will donate a portion of what you spend on groceries back to our school.  It easy, just fill out the flyer sent home with your child with your Ralph's club card information and send it in to school  and start shopping!  If you enrolled last year there is no need to sign up again.  If you are not sure if you are enrolled simply check your receipt!  If you have any questions please call Polly Houston at 414-9275 or Judy Gilberts at 640-6882.

MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Richmond Street Families,

I would like to welcome back our returning students and their families and extend a warm welcome to our new students and their families.

I would also like to recognize our dedicated staff. Richmond Street teachers participated in staff development for t language arts this summer to ensure that our students would hit the ground running with the new textbooks. During the school year our staff will receive training from the UCLA Writing Project and we will continue to refine our instruction in all other subject areas to meet the needs of every student. It’s not only the teachers that make Richmond a great school. Our custodians work very hard all summer, as well as during the year to keep the Richmond Street School campus shining, and in my opinion, our office staff, instructional assistants, and noon supervisors are second to none.

The California Department of Education released the STAR test scores and the 5^th Grade Physical Fitness test results over the summer. Once again, the results show that our students performed among the top schools in the state. Our API number increased by 20 points, which is another indication of the excellent academic program we offer at Richmond Street School.

We look forward to the new school year and wish each student and his/her family a positive and successful experience at Richmond Street School.

Sincerely,

Dickie Van Breene

Principal

dvanbreene@esusd.k12.ca.us

MESSAGE FROM THE PTA

On behalf of Richmond’s PTA, I would like to say welcome back to all students, teachers and staff. The PTA has been working hard during the summer to prepare for the coming school year. Last year, Richmond received the California Distinguished School Award and the PTA is proud to be a part of this achievement. The PTA also donated $43,000 to Richmond for the following items:

1) Purchase of new computers in the science lab;

2) Literacy programs for both upper and lower grade;

3) Media projectors for 4^th and 5th grades;

4) Field trips for all grades level and;

5) CD players to complement the reading program.

These funds were the result of Richmond’s fundraisers programs. But more important, Richmond’s PTA reported a total of over 3,600 volunteer hours to the National PTA……yes, over 3,600 hours!

Many events are taking place in September and October, such as the PTA membership drive, the gift wrapping paper fundraiser and the Fall Festival. I encourage everyone to get involved by supporting all PTA programs and fundraisers. Together we can maintain the high quality of education and quality environment here at Richmond Street School.

Lastly, on behalf of the PTA, I would like to say a big THANK YOU to Ann Coles, DeDe Gerber, Kathy Dunlop, Nora Batty and Lisa Wilkin for your tireless dedication, loyalty and all your hours of hard work at Richmond Street School. Maintaining the high standards of these individuals will be the challenge facing this year’s Richmond parents. I’m looking forward to working and meeting each one of you. If you have any questions about getting involved or would like to know more about your PTA, please don’t hesitate to e-mail or call us.

Windri Barriga

PTA President

windri@aol.com

WELCOME TO OUR NEW TEACHERS:

Pamela Masten – Resource Specialist. Ms. Masten received her B.A. from Cal State Fullerton and her M.A. from Chapman. She has been a resource and special day class teacher. She worked in the entertainment industry for almost 20 years and went back to school so that she could teach film to college level students. While subbing she discovered a passion for teaching students with special needs. She feels strongly that all children be given the support they need to achieve their dreams.

Erin Glenny – Kindergarten. Mrs. Glenny graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in sociology. She received her teaching credential from Cal State Dominguez Hills. She is very excited to be teaching kindergarten and she has been working all summer to make her room a warm and inviting place for her students. She enjoys athletics, theater, and creative projects.

Jennifer Pickett – 1^st Grade. Mrs. Pickett graduated with from UCLA with a B.A. in psychology and was the Bruin mascot. She has her teaching credential from Cal State L.A. and a Master’s in education from Chapman. This year she will complete her second Master’s degree and will have a certificate in reading. She has experience in both public and private schools and has taught first grade. Mrs. Pickett has boundless energy and enthusiasm, which her students are sure to enjoy.

Marie Loye – 1^st Grade. Mrs. Loye has been an El Segundo resident for more than 20 years. She has two children who graduated from the El Segundo school system. She spent many years volunteering in their classrooms and in PTA, which inspired her to become an elementary teacher. She graduated with honors from Cal State University Dominguez Hills and has taught third grade.

Jenny Lewis – 4^th grade. Ms. Lewis received her B.A. from USC and her M.A. from Pepperdine. She has a musical theater background and loves to run. She is interested in literature and history and is looking forward to teaching both subjects.

Valerie MacKenzie – 4^th grade. Ms. MacKenzie graduated from Cal State Northridge with honors. She previously taught 5^th grade. Her hobbies are gymnastics, swimming, and rock climbing. She feels the Irish proverb, “praise youth and it will prosper,” exemplifies her teaching philosophy.

Tammy Miller – 5^th grade. Mrs. Miller received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Fresno State University and her teaching credential from Chapman. She has been a classroom teacher for 5 years. Mrs. Miller also trained teachers on the best strategies to use to teach reading comprehension. She is also an avid soccer player.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR TEACHERS’ WORKROOM

We can use help to prepare art projects for all the classrooms. Please be sure to sign at the front office before going to the workroom. If you have any questions please contact Julie Cantu at 641-5207.

RICHMOND STREET FALL FESTIVAL 2004

Well it is that time of year again; time to start scheduling our calendars with all of the fun school activities that are coming along. So as one of your first events, be sure to put the Richmond Street Fall Festival on your calendar. It will be held on October 29, 2004 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

If you were there last year, you already know that it was a huge success. There were lots of games, food and fun and a wonderful Silent Auction. This year will be no exception. We expect the Festival to be bigger and better than ever. We could use volunteers to help ensure that the event is a great success. When you get your first day of school packet make sure you fill out the volunteer form and let me know if you are interested in helping with the Fall Festival. It is a lot of fun to plan too. We are also looking for donations for the Silent Auction. So mark your calendars and plan on attending Richmond Street’s 2004 Fall Festival. If you have any questions please contact Diane Olson, Chairman of Fall Festival 2004 at 322-3522.