Friday Letter 10-10-08

Dear SMASHing Families,


While trying to explain the importance of SMASH family involvement to a friend from my Educators’ Book Club, I realized it would be nice to share some of these thoughts with all of you. I hope that you will recognize yourselves in these words of appreciation.


Thank you for believing in the SMASH staff and allowing us to pursue the vision of teaching and learning we hold. Discussions at Site Council, PTSA, Parent Education, or during classroom volunteering, clearly reflect your shared commitment to considering new educational strategies and creatively seeking resources to make these happen. Walking into a community event like the Heal the Bay Coastal Cleanup or a fundraiser planning day like the Rummage Sale setup, it would be hard to miss the overwhelming sense of community, friendship, and work ethic you share. The organization and leadership provided for the Catalina Trip when urgently needed was thoughtfully and effectively provided. The work of running a classroom and a school is long and all encompassing yet so worthwhile, and your nurturing touches at a staff appreciation luncheon, dropping off extra bake sale goodies, or leaving thank you messages are truly valued sources of inspiration for this work. In the last two weeks alone, I have worked with groups of you to look at possibilities and needs for our gardens, Pumpkin Sale, Halloween Carnival, earthquake supplies, admissions policy, web page, music program, and foundation/corporate grants. A heartfelt thank you for the essential role you play at SMASH.


With much gratitude,

Jessica





Social Deficits: Helping your Child Learn to “Relate”

Children with social cognitive deficits have difficulty considering and responding to the perspectives of those around them. This workshop will explore how vital the skill of “Perspective Taking” (also referred to as “Theory of Mind”) is to all social contact and interpretation.
Join Kelly Priest, M.S.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008 7:00-9:00 PM
Franklin Elementary School Library; 2400 Montana Avenue, Santa Monica

Kelly Priest, M.Psych, is currently the director of social skills groups at Leaps ‘n Bounds and the facilitator of Westside Parents of Children with ASDs (Autism Spectrum Disorders) group.

Childcare will be provided. Please RSVP to Sheila Spencer (310) 863-8377 or spenceryocum@earthlink.net by 10/7 to let them know how many children will be attending.

4th Annual Latino New Works Festival
“Tierra De Mi Gente” “Land Of My People”
New works by Daniel Alonzo
Opening Saturday, October 11 through November 30 310-453-1755 www.highwaysperformance.org
Highways Performance Space & Gallery—1651 18th Street (1/2 block north of Olympic)

The Met Theatre and Stealfire Productions present Savage World
a play by Stephen Fife (Eloise’s dad)
Previews October 15 & 16 at 8:00 pm Opening Night Friday, October 17 at 8 pm
Fridays, Saturdays at 8 pm, Sunday at 3:00 pm through November 23
Tickets $15 Previews, $20 Run, discounts for students and seniors
1089 N. Oxford Ave; Los Angeles 323-960-7788 www.plalys411.com/savageworld

The co-op of Pacific Residents Theatre presents
William Shakespeare’s MACBETH
Staring our own Gabriel & Sebastian Schier and their dad, Brad Greenquest
12 performances only - October 16 - November 2 $15 suggested donation
Thurs-Sat at 8:00pm, Sunday at 5:00pm 707 Venice Blvd, Venice
323-460-2508 for reservations

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PTSA news
President’s Note
Dear SMASHing parents!
Did you ever want to attend a PTSA meeting, but the evenings are just terrible for you? Well, have we got good news for you: Our next meeting will be Friday November 7th at 8:15AM in the Computer Lab. Bring your kid(s) to school and then join us for the meeting. It’s a great way to hear about what’s happening at SMASH.

We are happy to report that PTSA has a new board member. Big thanks to April Motola (Audrey’s mom in Core 1) for volunteering to be Fundraising VP this year. Now that we have a fundraising committee, we’d love for you to join us. It’s a great way to contribute to your child’s school at a time when, due to the dismal outlook of our economy, fundraising will be of utmost importance throughout the year. On that note, please also check out this week’s plea for Family Donations. Thanks!
Best, David Saltzman and Helga Schier
SMASHing Fundraisers
· The Rummage Sale/Car Wash is tomorrow, Saturday, October 11. Be there to shop!!!
· Spooky season is about to start, but hold off on buying those pumpkins until our 4th annual Pumpkin (and Bake) Sale next week on Friday, October 17. Contact Lori Nafshun at 310-452-5700 or gettalife@earthlink.net
· Greenraising is recycled wrapping paper, and so much more… choose from a catalogue full of environmentally friendly goods such as bottles or lunch boxes. Order online during our drive from October 8 through October 27, and SMASH will receive 40%. Go to www.greenraising.com and choose ‘Santa Monica Alternative Schoolhouse’ as the affiliate for your order. Encourage family and friends to do the same! If you’d like to do it the old-fashioned way, order forms are available in the office. Check out the flyer in this Friday Letter.
· Ever had cereal for breakfast? Of course you have... Which means you most likely have a few BOX TOPS at home. Bring them in by October 27! Collection cans are in the office. Thanks!
· Ever go shopping? Of course you do. Please check out escrip and the many community partners programs from Target, Ralphs, Albertsons and other stores. Don’t miss these easy opportunities to support SMASH while you shop what you’d shop anyway! Just check out the SMASH website at www.smash.smmusd.org and click on “Support SMASH” for more information.


SMASHing Festivities
· The annual SMASH/Muir Halloween Carnival is on Wednesday, October 29, from 3PM to 5PM. As always, it’s spooky, it’s fun and it’s free. If you’d like to volunteer, contact Helga at 310-828-8421 or helgaschier@verizon.net. As always, we’ll collect donations so we can feed the entire Muir SMASH community. Look for envelopes in your child’s classroom after the Pumpkin Sale.
SMASHing Meetings
· Our next PTSA meeting is on Friday, November 7 at 8:15AM. Let us know if you have issues, questions, concerns, ideas... we’ll put them on the agenda. Come check it out!


JOIN THE SMASH PTSA
Parent Teacher Student Association

If you’ve already signed up for your PTSA membership you’re off the hook. If you haven’t, read on, here’s an eloquent plea directly from PTSA:

State's Top Education Leaders Urge Everyone to Join the PTA

SACRAMENTO, CA- California's top education leaders, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell and Secretary of Education David Long, today called on parents, teachers, and administrators to join the PTA.

Proclaiming September and October "PTA Membership Months," Secretary Long said, "PTA support for children is critical for the future of California. I urge anyone in California who cares about children and our public schools to join the PTA. Superintendent O'Connell and I are both proud PTA members. Students truly benefit from the active involvement of caring adults and we want every school in California to have a strong PTA. Join us-join PTA!"

"Parent involvement through the PTA is critical for the success of our children," Superintendent O'Connell said. "PTA volunteers work in schools and communities to improve the education, health and welfare of all children and youth."

The California State PTA, with nearly one million volunteer members, has been instrumental in efforts to support small class size, bring arts and physical education back into our schools, and ban junk food at school.

PTA provides members with free resources and training to build leadership and parenting skills. It also provides programs on a wide range of topics, including student achievement, childhood nutrition, and prevention of violence and bullying, to increase parent awareness of issues affecting their children.

For more than a century, the PTA has been supporting and advocating for public schools, children and families under the motto "Every child, one voice." The PTA is non-profit, non-partisan, non-sectarian and non-commercial.

The mission of the California State PTA is to positively impact the lives of all children and families by representing our members and empowering and supporting them with skills in advocacy, leadership and communications.

This is THE easiest way you can help out, no schlepping, no baking, no setting up, no cleaning up, no stringing beads on yarn. Just writing a check for $8 per member is all we ask. (Payable to SMASH PTSA.) And in return, you get a copy of the all-important all-school SMASH Directory. Please join by filling out the PTSA envelope then return it to the office today (well, Monday). Envelopes will also be in the office if you need them, just inside the door at the very bottom of the document stand. Questions? Email Susan Alinsangan (Core2, Owen Doyle’s Mom) at hellosusan@mac.com.

Sincerely,
Susan Alinsangan Helga Schier & David Saltzman Jessica Rishe
PTSA Membership PTSA Co-Presidents Principal



It’s here!
It’s happening!
Let’s do it!
Greenraising




Choose from a catalogue of environmentally friendly goods
…wrapping paper, lunch boxes, water bottles, cleaning supplies…
Order online during our drive from
October 8 to October 27, 2008
Go to www.greenraising.com
Choose ‘Santa Monica Alternative Schoolhouse’ as your affiliate.
We’ll receive 40% of the proceeds.
Tell family and friends to do the same!
If you’d rather do it the old-fashioned way,
order forms and catalogues are available in the office.



Got Pumpkins?

SMASH’s 4th Annual Pumpkin and Bake Sale

Friday, October 17, 2008

Immediately After Dismissal

Got Volunteer Time?

Contact:
Lori Nafshun (Pumpkin Sale) gettalife@earthlink.net

HALLOWEEN BAKE SALE
(and Baking Contest)
Friday, October 17 - 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
CONTEST at 1:45!
Set up 8:00 am to 10:00 am
Open to the public 10:00 am to Noon
Main sale Noon to 5:00 pm
5:00 pm Clean UP
Lizzy Joseph (Bake Contest & Sale) lizzylola@gmail.com




Got $1,000,000?
Got $1,000?
Got $500?
Got $100?
Got $50?
Got $20?
Got $5?
NO amount of money is too little or too much.
Please contribute as much as you can to our Family Donation drive.
Every single penny helps!
We are aiming for
100% participation
to make the Family Donation Drive our biggest and most successful fundraiser of the year.
Thank you!!!
You can make your donation by cash, check or credit card with Janice in the office.
You can also make your donation by paypal.
We will e-mail the account information in the weeks to come.
We are grateful and thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
SMASH PTSA
Your gift is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Receipts, for tax purposes, are available in the office.



News from Core 1!

There is amazing multi-age learning happening in Core 1! Every Thursday, the 8th graders visit us during Math and Literacy. They read us stories, teach us card games, and help the Bigs with their Just-Right books. Soon we will begin Wednesday Reading Buddies with Core 3.

Reminders & Dates to Remember:

*Wednesday, October 15 & Thursday, October 16 - minimum days—1:30 dismissal

*Family Conferences: Thank you for signing up for a conference time with Janice in the Main Office. Your child’s conference will show you a snapshot of what is happening in Core 1 and give you time to share a glimpse of home life. Please take careful note of your time, since we hope to stay on schedule as best as possible.

*Community Walk – We will be walking to Joselyn Park on Tuesday, October 21 for a picnic snack, followed by a little fun and exercise. We will be leaving at 9:45 and returning by 11:15. If you can come with us to help, please sign-up in the Peaceful Room.

*Field Trip to the ReDiscover Center (in Culver City) – Friday, October 24 9:00-1:00
Our first field trip of the year is coming soon!! Enclosed is a permission slip that all students need signed and returned ASAP. A suggested donation (to pay for the trip) is $7. All students will need snack and lunch (in separate bags) on that day. Chaperones are needed. Please sign-up at the Home/School table if you are available.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!
Candis, Chrysta and Jackie

Candis: candisberens@smmusd.org Chrysta: wyse@smmusd.org


CORE 2 NEWS

Fall Family Conferences are beginning next week. Please note: Laura’s Advisory conferences are Wed, Oct. 15, Thurs, Oct. 16, and Fri Oct 17. School gets out at 1:30 all three days. Jayme’s Advisory conferences are the following week – Mon, Oct 20, Tues Oct 21, Wed, Oct 22, Thurs, Oct 23 and Fri, Oct 24. I am sure you are wondering why Laura’s Conferences are next week and Jayme’s are the following week. Well, Jayme will be going with Core 4 to Catalina Oct 13-15 and has a district meeting all day Thursday the 16th. Please sign up in the office for this goal setting conference.

In Reader’s Workshop, keep up with your reading homework. The children are doing a fabulous job knowing if a book is a yellow, green, or red bookmark. We are using D.R.A. (Developmental Reading Assessment) to help your child know what books are Just Right. If on Monday morning you (children not parents) tell your advisor what book you decided to read for Homework over the weekend, you will get another chance to receive a SMASHing surprise!

In Writer’s Workshop, the students are learning that “writers use complete sentences”. They can answer the Who and the What in each sentence.

In Arts with Ingrid, we are continuing learning skills about figure drawing and perspective. Ingrid’s program involves a lot of details so we could use volunteers 10:30 – 11:30, 11:30 – 12:20 on Wednesday. Please see Laura to sign up for this wonderful opportunity to work in Core 2.

In Math the 2nd graders have re-visited the Magic Pot story and learned how to play Close to 10. The 3rd graders are looking and recording patterns in skip counting 2 - 12. There is Math homework for everyone! It is due on Tuesday, October 14.

Wish List: aluminum foil

Upcoming dates and events:
Mon, Oct 13, 14 &15 -- Jayme in Catalina with Core 4 and Thurs. Oct 16 - at district meeting all day
Oct 15, 16, and 17 – Laura’s Advisory Fall Family Conferences, 1:30 dismissal for all of SMASH
Fri, Oct 24 – 8:30 -10:30 tie dye with Ari’s Mike. We need parent help - sign up with Laura or Jayme
Fri, Oct 24 -- October Birthday Bash, more info in next week’s Friday letter
October 20, 21, 22, 23, and 24 -- Jayme’s Advisory October Family Conferences, regular dismissal time
Have a wonderful weekend!

Laura’s e-mail: sherman@smmusd.org Jayme’s e-mail: jayme.wold@smmusd.org


CORE 3 NEWS
SMASH—it’s a family affair…

A GREAT BIG SHOUT OUT to our “garden fairies” who made our outdoor work area so lush and green. What a nice place to read, write, and commune with nature. Thanks!

Speaking of green, the kids did a great job promoting the “Greenraising” fundraiser at the Assembly. There are so many cool ways to support SMASH and our environment. ORDER NOW www.greenraising.com and choose “Santa Monica School House” as your affiliate and SMASH will get 40% back from your purchase price (W 10/8 – M 10/27). In November, Student Council will be sponsoring an All-School Zero-Trash-Lunch Day, so we can all use our nifty new water bottles, sandwich wrap-n-mats, and lunch bags! Go Green!

It is already that time of year! Fall Family Conferences are next week! Please sign up in the office. If you don’t see a time that works for you, talk to your child’s advisory teacher to find a time that does. SMASH Core 3 conferences are student-led. The students share their Hopes and Dreams and examples of their work. We also encourage parents to think about any of their Hopes and Dreams for their child. This meeting allows us to share the SMASH/Core 3 Goals and work together with students and their families on personal goals for each student in the areas of citizenship, reading, writing, and math. We’ll also explain how students will be conferring with us throughout the year for individual goal setting, progress checks, assessment, and our different ways of celebrating achievement.

It is a busy month filled with lots of fun SMASH events and fundraisers:
· “Greenraising” fundraiser—Wednesday, October 8 – Monday, October 27
· Rummage Sale/Car Wash—Saturday, October 11
· Fall Family Conferences—Wednesday, October 15 – Friday, October 17—1:30 Dismissal
· SMASHing Pumpkin and Bake Sale—Friday, October 17
· SMASH/Muir Halloween Carnival—Wednesday, October 29

We’d like to really thank every family who works so hard to support our school!

Tamara, Genie, and Malaika
mugalian@smmusd.org genie.hwang@smmusd.org


CORE 4 NEWS

Paving Our Own Paths : Math
6/7: Throughout this week, the mathematicians discovered that they have tools such as the mean, median, mode, and range to help analyze collected data. For example, by knowing the mode, it helps one understand the most common ideas or responses within the specific surveyed topic. To grasp the purpose and meaning of these tools, the students engaged in an activity where they created their own conjectures about what these terms represented. After they taught and shared these theories to the class, we discussed how each of these tools helped us make sense of the collected data. The students took the learning into their own hands making it a powerful and meaningful experience! I encourage you to ask them about it.

Algebra: As mathematicians, we looked at the rationale behind exponents and square roots. By using visual objects such as squares and cubes, this concept was deepened. Because next week has only one class period of Algebra (due to the trip to Catalina and conferences), we will focus on one skill, the order of operations.

Throughout the week, we also engaged in a conversation on the purpose of homework. In this talk, we discussed why it is important to show your work even though it may be frustrating and what may seem burdensome at the time. As a reminder, they have daily homework coming from their book or from a handout. No specific dates for their first test have been set. However, an early prediction sets the test at the end of October.

Take the Plunge! Catalina Trip Information: Final details from Kelly
Maybe your child’s brave soul will plunge into the Pacific Ocean’s kelp forest when little sunlight remains or maybe they will plunge into the arduous Catalina mountains or… maybe they will accidentally take a plunge into the water while ocean kayaking! In whatever case it may be, if any, the eagerly anticipated Core 4 Catalina trip is two days away! We have been extremely fortunate to not only have a LARGE group of students heading out on this fun adventure, but we have a number of adults who will join us as well! Also, a friendly face from Core 2, Jayme, will accompany me as we both take the plunge right alongside the kids on this trip! I’d like to express our many thanks to all parents who have been involved.

Please look at the detailed handout that is attached (or embedded) to this Friday letter. It includes important final information regarding materials to bring and reminders of departure/pick-up times. We are looking forward to seeing you all on Monday morning with packed materials in hand and big grins on your faces! - Kelly