We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

For 2nd-5th Grade Students

We are excited to share some wonderful news! This year, students at Riverside Drive have the opportunity to audition for a fully produced school musical: School House Rock Live! Rehearsals will begin in January, and the two evening performances will take place toward the end of the school year.

The production will be directed by Ms. Burkhart, a former Riverside second-grade teacher , and Mr. Burrell, one of our current kindergarten teachers. Both directors bring extensive backgrounds in acting and directing in professional and educational settings.

We will be holding an in-person informational meeting for parents in the auditorium. During this meeting, we will cover details about rehearsals, auditions, time commitments, and what to expect throughout the process.

Informational Meeting: Wed, December 3 from 5:00-6:00

Auditions: After school on Mon, December 8 from 3:00-5:00

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Mr. Burrell @mgb4972@lausd.net

We look forward to an exciting and creative musical experience for our students!

Wednesday, December 3 at 3:00pm on Zoom

We will be having our budget discussion at this very important SSC/Governance Meeting.  Please join if you'd like to know more about how the budget is decided.

Zoom Meeting ID: 849 7467 8206

Password: rdcsgov

Postponed Due to Rainy Weather

Now Friday, December 5

8:01am on the Main Yard

Friday, December 5, 2025 at 1:30pm in the Auditorium

Parents are invited to attend the Student Orientation for the 5th Grade Point Fermin trip, but it is not mandatory.  Students will learn about the program, what to bring, and be able to ask questions.  

Parents, we need you to voice your opinions on our upcoming 2026-2027 school priorities in our budget. 

Please take the school's Comprehensive Needs Survey and rate your priorities for our school.  Budget 2026-2027 will be decided by SSC and Governance at the beginning of December.  

Please click here to take the survey before November 30, 2025.

There will be a School Goals & Budget Consultation Informational Meeting on Wednesday, December 10th at 9:00am on Zoom.  

     Meeting ID: 219 745 0091

     Password:  ROCKY

Please do not opt out of our communications system.  This is an extremely important way for us to communicate with you about emergencies, upcoming events, and information that is important for you to know. 

If you are not signed up for the LAUSD Parent Portal, please do.  Families can access attendance records, Schoology, grades, test scores, and more.  Beginning this year families will need to digitally sign field trip slips and this can only be done on the Parent Portal or LAUSD App.  If you need your child's student ID number and parent pin, please contact the main office at 818-990-4525. We will also be offering a parent workshop for those who might need additional support on Friday, November 7 at 8:30am.  More details will be sent home soon.

If you have opted out of text messages, you can go here.  

Once there, scroll towards the bottom to the blue headings.  Open the one "Opting-In Phone and Email Messages" and then follow the directions for "Opting-In to Text Messages".  

If you have opted out of emails, please email the school so we can forward your information to the correct department.

You can also access a job aide here for written directions.

As federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) emergency funding is set to end on November 1, food benefits will be reduced for thousands of families across Los Angeles, leaving many facing difficult circumstances.

Please note that this change does not impact school meals. Our schools will continue to provide three nutritious meals each day—breakfast, lunch, and supper—to all students at no cost.

To support our community during this transition, we are launching a schoolwide Food Drive to help replenish supplies at local food banks and community pantries. Together, we can make a meaningful difference for families in our neighborhoods.

Each school is encouraged to collect non-perishable food items such as:

• Canned fruits, vegetables, and soups

• Rice, beans, and pasta

• Peanut butter, cereal, and shelf-stable milk

There will be a collection box in the main office where students and families can drop off food items.  They will be donated to local food banks.

If your family is experiencing food insecurity and need additional help, please let us know.  Here is a list of some of the resources available in our area this weekend.

Anxiety in Children and Teens

Fear and anxiety in children and teens is normal.  Families can help children understand their fears and levels in anxiety. New fears and anxieties  are usually short lived and show that children are learning to solve problems on their own. 

How can I help my child when they show anxiety?

Studies have shown that up to 1 in 5 children might develop anxiety disorders.  These differ from fears as bigger emotional outbursts, physical symptoms, sleep issues and avoidance may all be symptoms of an anxiety disorder.  

Families can help improve their children's mental health will daily routines, exercise, a healthy diet, ensuring enough sleep, a supportive environment, meditation, and breathing exercises.  Families should contact their pediatricians if your child's anxiety doesn't go away or they stop doing things you know they enjoy. 

For more information from The Cleveland Clinic click here 

Past Topics from Dr. Rocky

    - The importance of reading here

    - Setting Screen Time Goals here

    - How much sleep is enough sleep? here

    - Tips for preventing the flu from CHLA here 

    - The No-Panic Guide to Head Lice click here

Regular attendance is essential for your child's success! LAUSD expects all students to maintain a 96% or better attendance rate (missing fewer than 7 days in one school year).

Benefits of regular attendance:

• Higher academic achievement
• Use more academic language
• Develop healthy habits for the future
• Demonstrate reliability and confidence
• Make and keep connections with others

Please plan your vacations during school vacation's winter break, spring break, and summer vacation .If your child is absent for three days without a valid excuse, they are truant, and you will receive a truancy letter from the district.

 
Tardiness
School begins at 8:01 am. If your child is not in class by 8:01 a.m., they will be considered tardy. If your child is tardy for 30 minutes or more for three days without a valid excuse, your child will be considered truant.

Tardy students will need to be brought by parent/guardian to office to sign in.  

Attendance Incentive

Each month students can earn incentives if they:

    Come to school on time!

    Come every day!

    Stay the entire day!

We are excited to announce the 12 Days of Attendance and the return of our game, It's Sweet to Be at School. There will be certificates for free kid's meals and a movie party.  We have been given squishmallows that will be raffled off for students who are present and on time each day.

Please see the flyer for additional information.

Team Prime Time

Site Director: Coach Maka 

Assistant Site Director: Coach Madison 

This year, LAUSD is implementing a One Comprehensive Program model at every school site with a Beyond the Bell program. 

This change means that students who have traditionally participated in the Youth Services (YS) program will now need to be enrolled in our site's grant-funded program —Team Prime Time.

All students must be picked up promptly at dismissal if they are not enrolled in Team Prime Time. If you need afterschool care for your child, please be sure to fill out and submit your Team Prime Time application ASAP. 

STAR Nova Classes

Please see the following flyer about upcoming STAR classes.  You may also reach out to the STAR Director for Riverside Drive, Miss Caroline at carolineh@starinc.org with any questions.