Principal's Message

WELCOME TO THE 2023 – 2024 SCHOOL YEAR

Dear Richard Riordan School Families,

It is with excitement that I welcome you to the 2023-2024 school year! I hope that you are all enjoying a well-deserved summer vacation and that you are resting, reading, having fun, and re-energizing to begin the school year fresh. My staff and I look forward to welcoming all our students with open arms and ready to have another successful academic year. We also look forward to the collaboration with you to ensure that our students receive the best experience during this academic school year. I invite you to review the following pertinent information that will guide you as we begin the new school year.

Back to School Orientation

Our annual Back to School Orientation will take place on Friday, August 11, 2023 at 9:00 a.m.
During this orientation, we will discuss school policies and procedures to enable your child to have a smooth transition into a successful school year. All parents that attend all the booths below, will earn three rocket dollars for their child.
- Booth 1 (Registration): Review beginning of the year required forms.
- Booth 2 (Attendance): Learn about our attendance policy, our attendance measurement, our attendance goal, and our attendance incentives.
- Booth 3 (Parent Volunteers): Sign up to the District’s Parent Portal and hear about all our opportunities to volunteer for our school.
- Booth 4 (Compliance): Learn about our councils and how you can make an impact in school decisions.
- Booth 5 (Special Ed.): Calendar your IEP and review the services your child will receive.
- Booth 6 (Mainstream Program): Learn about the Mainstream Program and the curriculum to be used.
- Booth 7 (French Dual Language): Learn about the French Program and the curriculum to be used.
- Booth 8 (LA’s Best): Confirm membership or apply to the LA’s Best after school program.
- Booth 9 (PTA): Hear about our parent organization and how you could become a member.
- Booth 10 (Technology): Fill out the Loan Form to be able to receive a device on the first week of school.
- Booth 11 (Riordan Shirts): Purchase our Riordan Friday School Spirit (RED) T-shirt that is used every Friday.
- Booth 12 (Compliance): Go over our Master Plan Program options and learn about our Home Language Survey and its connection to the English Learners Program and ELPAC testing.

Kindergarten Orientation (Only UTK, TK & Kinder Students)

Friday, August 11, 2022 @ 11:00 a.m. in the MPR.
- Make sure that you have visited all the booths by 11:00 a.m. so you can attend this meeting.

Office Hours & Enrollment Hours

General Education Program: We are enrolling students in UTK, TK, Kinder, and 1^st.
French Dual Language Program: We are enrolling students in grades TK through 5^th grades (if there is space).
School Office Hours: 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Enrollment Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Customer Service Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Campus Safety Procedures

Follow all safety procedures and protocols.
Follow all signs when using our drop off section at the front of the school.
All people visiting the school need to sign-in and sign-out in the Main Office.
If you will walk your child to the gate, or will visit our office, please use our big parking lot at the corner of Monte Vista St. and Avenue 56. Do not park in front of the school as this is our student drop off area.

Communication Plan

Richard Riordan will use five types of communication pathways to keep you informed.
Email: Ensure to have your email up to date.
ClassDojo: Make sure that you have accepted our invitation. This application will be discontinued once our new website systems have been installed.
Black Board Connect (BBC): Ensure that your contact information is up to date.
Website: Riordan’s NEW website address is https://riordanpc.lausd.org
Mail: Ensure that your address on the contact information is up to date.

iPad Device Collection

iPads were collected at the end of the year. If you did not return your device, talk to our technology person for any updates you may be missing.

Books, Devices, & Supplies Distribution

Students' devices are updated during the summer. Each student will be receiving their device during the first week of school if the Acknowledgement Form, RUP Form, and Loan Form have been completed and returned.
Textbooks will be distributed to students on the first day of school.
All application codes will be provided to students when their device.
All our iPads have Verizon internet embedded. No hotspots nor Wi-Fi is needed.
All our iPads come with a cable and charger.

Technology Support

Email our Campus Aide: Ms. Quinonez [email protected]
Our website is https://riordanpc.lausd.org where you can find our emails.

Coffee with the Principal

We will hold Coffee with the Principal meetings on the last Thursday of every month at 8:00 a.m. in our Parent Center. The same information will be presented via Zoom from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
These meetings are important for parents to attend. We have agenda items, but we also have a good chunk of time for questions and answer session to cover any topics, questions, concerns parents bring to the table.

School Hours & Schedules

Breakfast: Breakfast will be served from 7:35 a.m. to 7:55 a.m.
Warning Bell: 7:55 a.m.
Students are expected to be in their lines ready to walk to class with their teacher.
Instruction Hours: 8:00 a.m. through 2:23 p.m. (except Tuesdays)
Tuesday Banked Time Hours: 8:00 a.m. through 1:23 p.m.
Please see attached Bell schedule for other schedules.

First Day of school

Our first day of instruction will be Monday, August 14, 2023, front gate will open at 7:35 a.m.
All teacher/classroom assignments will be posted in designated areas at the Back to School Orientation. However, there will be posted rosters on the first day as well to confirm that there have been no changes, or for parents that could not make the orientation.
Students will line up in the quad area behind the cone with their room number.
PAL, UTK & Kinder parents will wait with their children by the MPR.
All teachers will pick up classes at 7:55 a.m.
Two adults per child will be allowed to walk with student to outside of the classroom. We then ask parents to quickly exit the campus so we can begin our first day procedures.
UTK, TK, & Kinder parents will proceed to our MPR where we will have a Kindergarten orientation meeting.

First Week of School

First Day of Instruction: Monday, August 14, 2023.
- MINIMUM DAY SCHEDULE will be followed on this day. Students will be dismissed at 12:33 p.m.
- There will be a Kindergarten orientation meeting for parents at 8:30 a.m. to allow you to walk your child to the classroom first.

Second Day of Instruction: Tuesday, August 15, 2023

- TUESDAY BANKED TIME SCHEDULE: will be followed on this day.
- Students will be dismissed at 1:23 p.m.
Third Day of Instruction: Wednesday, August 16, 2023

- SHORTENED DAY SCHEDULE will be followed: 8:00 a.m. – 1:48 p.m.

Fourth Day of Instruction: Thursday, August 17, 2023
- REGULAR SCHEDULE will be followed: 8:00 a.m. – 2:23 p.m.

Fifth Day of Instruction: Friday, August 18, 2023
- REGULAR SCHEDULE will be followed: 8:00 a.m. – 2:23 p.m.
- Fridays are Rocket School Spirit Days. This means that students wear their RED rocket shirts (they can be purchased at orientation).
- Students participate in our Behavior Raffle.
- Student Rocket Store opens at 2:00 p.m. for students to purchase with their Rocket Dollars.

Behavior Expectations

All students at Riordan are expected to demonstrate good citizenship, and follow our three B’s: Be Safe, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible.
Please keep an eye out for the Student/Parent Handbook that will be sent to you on the first day of school. It will also be posted on our website.

Sincerely,

Ishmael Gonzalez, Principal