Principal's Corner Greetings Riverside Families,
I hope this update finds you all doing well. Thank you to everyone who joined us for our amazing presentation of "Starlight Express." Seeing our students shine and share their talents is always a good time! I would also like to extend a world of thanks to Mr. Lasell, Ms. Roosevelt, and the parent volunteers who helped to make the show a success. From directing, arranging, logistics, costumes, and set decor, your talents are tremendous!
Please read below for information about the week ahead.
Warm regards, Ms. Richardson |
| |
|---|
|
|
| Yearbooks Last call for yearbook photos... Do you have any great photos of our students this year? Halloween Parade? Class Celebrations? Field Trips? Pep Rallies? Any other events? Please send your pictures to Ms.Meyers at bjm3953@lausd.net You can now pre-purchase your yearbook online. You can also buy and create a dedication page for your student. Dedication pages must be purchased by April 26 and online yearbook sales end April 26. We will have a limited number of yearbooks available to purchase in June |
|
|
|
School Fundraiser Starts Monday, April 13 Do you like popcorn, toffee, and other tasty treats? Consider buying from Pacific Fundraisers for our Student Body Fundraiser. All money raised will go back to our students for field trips and student programs. Please see the envelope that will be sent home with your student on Monday. Orders and monies are due April 27, 2026. Cash or check payment (make checks payable to Riverside Drive Charter).
|
| |
|---|
|
|
5th Grade Panorama & Culmination Photos Tuesday, April 14 All of our 5th graders will be taking their culmination photos and a group panorama picture. If you'd like to order either, you can use the forms sent home last week or online at www.studio1.com. Our school codes: Panorama Photo - P2596522 Culmination Photos - G2549431 |
| |
|
|
| STArt Night & Science Fair Thursday, April 16 at 5:15-6:30pm Join us for STArt Night. There will be hands on activities in science, art and technology. We have a special astronomy planetarium experience and telescopes to view the stars. Our 5th grade science fair winners will be announced, and it will be the last opportunity to purchase smencils. Students can earn a homework pass for attending! |
|
|---|
|
|
| Pep Rally Friday, April 17 at 8:01am Please join us as we honor our students who are upstanders and have our kick-off for SBAC testing. Families can enter and exit through the Huston Gate. |
|
|
|
| Coffee with the Principal ~ April 17th Join me for Coffee with the Principal on Friday. I will share information on our We are One campaign and our Every School Safe training on Grooming Prevention. We will meet in the auditorium at 8:30 am. |
|
|---|
|
|
State Testing (SBAC) for 3rd-5th Graders All 3rd-5th grade students will begin taking the Smarter Balanced Assessment beginning April 20. All students are taking assessments in language arts and math to show their learning and progress over the year. Our 5th graders are also assessed in science. Here are some tips for families during testing weeks: - Make sure that students get a good night's sleep and are well rested
- Students should eat a healthy breakfast with protein
- Ask students how their testing went: What was easy for them? What was difficult?
- Make sure your student is at school ON TIME. Students who arrive at school after 8:10 am will not be able to their classroom if testing has begun. This is to ensure that the students who are testing are not interrupted.
The testing schedule for 2026 is: - Science CAST & CAA (5th graders only) ~ April 20-23
- ELA SBAC & CAA ~ April 27- May 1
- Math SBAC & CAA ~ May 4-8
- Make-Up Testing in all areas ~ May 11-14
If you have any questions regarding testing, please reach out to your student's teacher or Ms. Meyers. |
| |
|---|
|
|
| Health Protocols Please note the following health protocols for school: Fever/Vomiting- If your child has a fever over 100 degrees or higher, or is vomiting, they must be fever-free (without any medication) or no vomiting, for 24 hours before returning to school. Lice- If you suspect your child has lice (eggs or live nits), please bring them to the nurse to have her check. District policy does not allow the school to exclude students for eggs, but any student with live nits will need to stay home until treated, then cleared by the nurse. Hand, Foot, & Mouth Disease- This highly contagious virus, common in children, can cause fevers, painful mouth blisters, hand sores, and a sore throat. Students can return to school when fever free (without medication) and mouth and/or hand sores are cleared up. For more information, click here. For all of these, and any health-related questions, you can always reach out to our school nurse. |
|
|
|
| Dr. Rocky's Health Corner Go Outside to Play! Many of us have core memories of playing outside, riding bikes, climbing trees, and getting dirty. That is not true for most of our children. Studies show that only about 8% of our children get the recommended time of daily physical activity. Here are 5 Unexpected Ways Outdoor Play Can Benefit Children: 1. Boosts academic performance - Outdoor play cultivates curiosity and wonder while engaging them in the arts and science. Studies have shown that unstructured outdoor play increases concentration and improves academic performance. 2. Improves sleep - Children who have more outdoor playtime were less likely to wake at night, fall asleep faster and get a better night sleep. 3. Increases happiness - Unstructured play with some freedom outside decreases stress levels in children and raises self-esteem. 4. Reduces ADHD symptoms - Children function better after settings in "greener" areas, also causing less severe attention deficit symptoms according to different studies. 5. Decreases bullying - At a pilot school program where outdoor play is encouraged staff has found that children develop a connection for people and nature. In turn they understand they are part of a community and bullying decreases. For more information, click here
Past Topics from Dr. Rocky - Teaching Children to Respect Differences here - How to Help Children Learn to Fail here - Teaching Children Conflict Resolution Skills here - Teaching Children to Be Upstanders here - 2026 Flu Season here - All About Pinworms here - My Child Won't Listen to Me here - How to Talk to Children About Their Day here - New Year, New Beginnings here - Creating a Culture of Kindness here and here - Anxiety in Children and Teens here - 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 |
|
|
|
Lost & Found Please check the Lost and Found rack at the Huston gate for any missing items. Jackets, sweatshirts, water bottles, and lunch boxes that are left on the playground will be taken to the rack each day. Items will be discarded at the end of each month. Please write your child's name on their jackets, sweatshirts, lunchboxes, and water bottles. This will allow us to help them find their belongings. Please encourage your child to keep track of his or her belongings. I thank you in advance for your partnership.
|
| |
|---|
|
|
| Afterschool Clubs We are so excited to have so many of our students in our Clubs. As of now, they are all full. There are waiting lists for most, if a space should open up. Here are the times for this week: Glee/Choir Club- Over for the year. Theatre Club - Monday and Tuesday in the auditorium 3:00-5:00pm Climate Literacy Club - 2:45-4:00 on Monday in room 38 Science Club- 2:45-4:15 on Friday in room 38 Basketball Club- 2:45-4:15 on Friday at the basketball courts (last one this year). Grand Vision Percussion Club (Bucket Drumming)- 3:00-4:00 on Friday in the auditorium As a reminder, all students who attend an after school club MUST be enrolled in Team Prime Time. They will report to TPT before their club begins, but do not need to stay when club is over. This is a district mandate. All students will be dismissed from the Huston Gate. If you need to pick up your student early, please come to office for us to call the club and then you will meet your student at the Huston Gate. |
|
|
|
| RDCS is a closed campus. A reminder for parents and guardians... Riverside Drive Charter is a closed campus. Parents and Guardians are welcome to enter campus at dismissal to pick up students, but everyone not enrolled in Team Prime Time must exit campus by 2:45 pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and 1:45 pm on Tuesday. We have revised our pick-up system for after school clubs and TPT. Parents will sign out and wait for their students by the Huston Gate. Please remember that the playground, including the apparatus, is not open for free play when picking up your student. Thank you in advance for following our school policies and ensuring student safety. |
|
|---|
|
|
| School Communications 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 the LAUSD App. If you need your child's student ID number and parent PIN, please contact the main office at 818-990-4525. 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. |
|
|
|
| Enrichment at Riverside Drive Our PTA-funded enrichment and District-funded arts programs are underway. Read below to see what your students are currently learning and what is on the horizon. Theatricum Botanicum- all TK, Kinder, 1st Grade & ESN classes Visual Arts ~ Rooms 21, 11, 17, 16 and 1 Enrich LA Garden ~ Rooms 2, 4, 17, 41 and 16 Got Game PE ~ all classes (last week for the year) LAUSD Theater with a focus on language and social skills development ~ Rooms 20, 22 & 41 LAUSD Dance ~ Rooms 13, 21, 43,&17 LAUSD Music ~ Rooms 9, 2, 5, 39, 40, 4, 3 & 1 |
|
|---|
|
|
Attendance Matters 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!
This month we will be springing into school on time with classes who have excellent attendance earning a class celebration with Ms. Richardson and Ms. Meyers. Our bingo game was so popular, we will also be playing another one on April 13 to earn prizes. Please note student MUST be on time to school, in the gate by 8:01, to get a bingo card. |
| |
|
|
After School Programs 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 - New Classes began April 13th Please see the flyer below 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. You can access the flyer here. STAR Summer Camp - June 15 - July 30 Please see the attached flyer about STAR Summer Camp. It will be held on the campus of Carpenter Elementary. If you have any questions, please contact STAR or Ms. Caroline at carolineh@starinc.org
|
| |
|
|
| School Breakfast and Lunch Menus A recess snack (second chance breakfast) and lunch are available at no cost to all students at Riverside Drive Charter. You can take a look at the menus here. Menus are also available on the Yum Yummi app. |
|
|---|
|
|
LAUSD and Riverside Drive Cellular Telephone Policy REMINDER LAUSD and Riverside Drive have a NO Cellphone and Smart Watch Policy Phones and smartwatches MUST be turned off and stored in backpacks. Our Governance approved policy is as follows: 1st Offense - Student is directed to put the device away 2nd Offense - The staff member will confiscate the device. It will be returned at the end of the day. Notice sent home. 3rd Offense - The staff member will confiscate the device and send it to the Main Office. A parent/guardian will need to pick up the device from the office and sign the policy notice. ** Further violation of the District Policy will require a conference with the Principal. **
I thank you in advance for your cooperation. |
| |
|---|
|
|
Classroom Birthday Celebrations I want to remind our school community about our Governance Council's approved birthday celebration policy. ** Parents must receive prior approval from the classroom teacher for all celebrations. ** - Parents must make arrangements with the classroom teacher at least 48 hours in advance. - Treats, if allowed by the teacher, must be store-bought AND must meet the dietary restrictions of ALL students in the class. - No goodie bags, toys, or balloons. - Celebrations are limited to the last 10 minutes of the school day - In lieu of a treat, families can donate a book or other prearranged item to the class. - Parents are not allowed to use their volunteer badges to come to a birthday celebration. |
| A Few Things to Remember...
Food Drop-off- LAUSD and RDCS do not allow 3rd party deliveries (restaurants, DoorDash etc) or restaurant food drop off for students. If your student forgets their lunch at home, they are welcome to get a free snack/lunch from the cafeteria or families may drop off a homemade lunch in the office. As a reminder, we will not interrupt classes to let students know that something has been dropped off for them, and instead contact them during recess or lunch.
Social Media ~ We encourage our school community to follow the District's message, if you see something, say something. Please encourage your children to report any concerns to an adult on campus. Your partnership is much appreciated.
Parent Volunteers ~ A few reminders when volunteering on campus... Please maintain confidentiality and refrain from sharing personal academic and behavioral information about other people's children. If you have questions or concerns, please speak to the teacher. We appreciate your support in maintaining a safe and respectful classroom environment.
Student Injuries ~ Students with injuries that require crutches, splints, slings, or other equipment, MUST return to school with a doctor's note. District policy requires the note to indicate the student is cleared to return to campus and any restrictions.
Covid ~ Please notify the main office if your child tests positive for Covid. We are responsible for notifying any close contacts so that they know to look out for symptoms. You informing the office is a way to help ensure that everyone can make decisions to keep themselves and others healthy. |
|
|---|
|
|
Arrival and Dismissal Gate Information Students may enter any school gate for arrival and dismissal. Arrival: Gates open at 7:30 am and are closed promptly at 8:01 am. Students arriving after the gates close will need to enter through the Main Office and will be marked tardy. Dismissal: Gates open at 2:29 pm (M, W, Th, F) and 1:29 pm on Tuesday. Gates are locked at 2:45 pm. UTK, Kinder, and 1st grade students not picked up on time will be taken to the Main Office. 2nd - 5th students not picked up on time will be sent to Team Prime Time. Students repeatedly not picked up on time will need to enroll in Team Prime Time. TK, Kindergarten, and 1st grade parents, please pick up your students at their classroom.
Safety First During Drop Off and Pick Up! Please model safe behavior when dropping off and picking up students. Be respectful of our surrounding community and follow traffic laws. Do not park in crosswalks, make illegal U-turns, block the driveways of our neighbors, or allow students to cross in the middle of the street. School police will be making patrols, and drivers may be ticketed. Thank you for your partnership and cooperation in advance. |
Just A Reminder! Friday, April 24- No School for Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day April 20 - May 22 - SBAC Testing for all 3rd-5th Graders Thursday, May 14- Open House 5:30-6:30pm Friday, May 22 & Saturday, May 23 - School House Rock Performances Monday, May 25- No School for Memorial Day Saturday, May 30 - Spring Fair & Talent Show Monday, June 8 - 5th Grade Culmination Wednesday, June 10- Last Day of School- 12:49 dismissal
|
| |
|---|
|
|
Upcoming Events | | No upcoming events. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
