Friday Letter 10-24-08

EVENT DATE DETAIL
Greenraising DUE MONDAY, 10-27 Earth friendly SMASH fundraiser - see flyer
Must be in our office on Monday!

Box Tops for Education DUE MONDAY, 10-27

SMASH/Muir Halloween Carnival Wed. Oct 29, 3:00-5:00 pm Free Family Fun! See Guidelines below

Halloween Fri. Oct 31 No costumes to be worn at school today

John Muir/SMASH Annual Halloween Carnival - Wednesday, October 29 - 3:00 to 5:00 pm

Next week is Halloween! This year we will observe Halloween on Wednesday, Oct. 29 to coincide with our carnival. We would like to remind everyone that children are allowed to wear costumes to school as long as they follow these guidelines:

• All costumes must be appropriate for school (your child must be able to do all of the school activities including PE in whatever they are wearing)

• NO masks (we need to see who everyone is)

• NO weapons of any kind

• NO candy

All students, parents and siblings are welcome to our Carnival.
Please note these important rules!

• Children must be picked up from the carnival NO LATER THAN 5:00 pm

• Kindergartners need to be picked up from class at 1:30 and have adult supervision

• School rules regarding costumes, masks, weapons and candy still apply

• No playground access. All CREST enrichment classes will be held

• CREST and CREST Childcare are NOT attending the carnival. If you plan to have your child attend, please make arrangements in advance with their CREST instructor. SMASH office cannot make any decisions regarding CREST arrangements.

Dear SMASHing Families,

Last week’s SMASH Friday Letter Challenge results are in! Thank you to the 5% of you who responded, giving us initial input about what your families value most in these weekly on-line or hard copy newsletters.

The pieces of information you most valued from last week included:

Cash for Candy (3), Halloween Carnival (3), Haunted House Needs
Baby News (2), Event Dates (3), PTSA News
Core 2 News, Core 3 Math information, Homework Updates

Let’s try to double the participation this week.
1. As a family, read and discuss this week’s Friday Letter together.
2. Record onto a post-it (or small piece of paper) your student(s) name(s) and the one most important piece of information your family discovered or already knew about and then discussed.
3. Have your student(s) come to my office Monday ready to tape your family’s post-it/paper onto a chart
4. If it is easier to email your submission, please send it to rishe@smmusd.org.

Truly Yours,
Jessica


BAKE SALE - WEDNESDAYS
HEALTHY TREATS AND FUN ITEMS
NOVEMBER DECEMBER
Core 3 - Nov. 5 Core 1 - Dec. 3
Core 2 - Nov. 12 Core 4 - Dec. 10
Core 3 - Dec. 17

SMASHing HOLIDAY SINGERS
Wednesdays, 3:00-3:30 in Core 1
Only 2 practice days left until showtime!
November 5 & December 3
Show scheduled at Main Street Farmer's Market,
Sunday, December 7

The SMASHING ARTS Program Needs Your Help!
Visual Arts needs clean white t-shirts, new or used,
in sizes small, median or large for our upcoming project.
Drama class needs colored lightweight fabrics
and small hand held instruments for our Playback Class.
Donation box is in the office. Thank You!

BOXTOPS FOR EDUCATION!!
DEADLINE is MONDAY October 27!
Bring in your General Foods
Boxtops for Education coupons.
Each one is worth 10 cents to SMASH

Dear SMASHing families,
For our 8th grade project we will be transporting school supplies to underprivileged kids in Mexico. These kids are just like us, except they need school supplies. This can create great opportunities for them. We need your help to get these supplies. Please bring in used/new school supplies to the office where there is a blue bucket labeled school supplies waiting for you. We know we can count on you!
Thanks,
Siena Landay and Poppy Denyer

Santa Monica High School Choral Department’s Supper Serenade
A choral concert, silent auction and potluck dinner. Saturday October 25
The Supper Serenade is our big fundraiser and we hope to raise money with the silent auction. You are invited to attend this fun event and we encourage you to enjoy the concert and bid on the wonderful auction items. It is a casual and fun evening and our choirs will be singing contemporary songs. Please RSVP at samohichoirinfo@aol.com.
Please save the date for the Samohi Holiday Choir Concert on December 18 at Barnum Hall.
We are happy to announce our new website www.samohichoir.org which highlights all upcoming choir events.

A Great Big Thank You.........
To all the amazing bakers and volunteers that helped make our Halloween Bake Sale so successful!!!! I really enjoyed being a part of this fundraiser! We have some incredible little bakers among us and for those who entered the contest, you all did a fabulous job. It was extremely difficult to pick the winners, they were all so good! In the end we had to make a decision, so here's what we came up with:
Most Original: "Bloody Fingers" made by Mikaela Wessel and Molly & Sadie McGee
Funniest: Eyeball/Umbrella Mini Muffins made by Claudia & Lydia Night
Scariest: Graveyard Cake made by Ian Friedman
Thank you to everyone who participated. For the contest winners, you may pick up your prizes in the office on Friday or Monday. Lizzy Joseph

SMASH School Tours for 2009-2010 School Year
January 14, from 9-10 am
February 4 & 18, 9-10 am
March 25, 9-10 am Last Tour Before Kindergarten Lottery
(K application deadline 03-31-09)
May 13, 9-10 am
May 13, 7:00 pm for middle school students.
Students entering 6th, 7th & 8th grade may attend with parent.
May 27, 9-10 am - Last Tour Before 1st-8th Grade Lottery
(1st-8th application deadline 05-31-09)
Applications will be available in January online, at tours and in the main office.

PTSA news
President’s Note
Dear SMASHing parents!
What a great pumpkin and bake sale! The display looked fantastic, so fantastic, in fact, that a reporter from the Santa Monica Daily Press came and took pictures! Thanks so much to everyone who helped make this day such a success. There are a few pumpkins left. Don’t miss out on the bargain. Just see Janice in the office.
It’s time to celebrate the spooky season. Don’t miss our annual SMASH/Muir Halloween Carnival on Wednesday, October 29. It’s free fun, sponsored by the SMASH and John Muir PTSAs, so come join us!
Best, David Saltzman and Helga Schier

SMASHing Fundraisers
· Only three more days left for Greenraising! Order online during our drive through Monday, 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.
· BOX TOPS are due Monday, 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 SMASH/Muir Halloween Carnival is near: Wednesday, October 29, 3PM to 5PM. 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 $$$ donations so we can feed the entire Muir/SMASH community. This year we’re also asking $$$ donations for small toys as prizes. For sanitary reasons, we can no longer hand out used toys. So if you can, please give a little extra! Look for envelopes in your child’s classroom! Thanks!
· Save the date for our second annual BOWLING NIGHT on Monday, November 10, 2008.
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!


It’s almost over!
Let’s do it!
Only 3 days left!
Greenraising
Order online (www.greenraising.com) during our drive by
Monday, October 27, 2008

Our special link for shopping is:
http://www.greenraising.com/?AFID=656

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.

Order online, and your order will be shipped directly to your home (shipping charges will apply!)
Order via order form, your order will be shipped to SMASH (NO shipping charges!).

JOIN THE SMASH PTSA
Parent Teacher Student Association

We are all the luckiest of the lucky. I remember the day we found out Owen won the SMASH lottery. Our stunned amazement at the sheer luck of randomly getting into the school we loved.

One of the reasons why you might love SMASH too, is that it’s a small school. When everyone knows everyone, it gives you a sense of community. But here’s how small works against us. If only 10% of parents help out at big schools, that’s an army. If only 10% of parents help out at SMASH, those 10% of hands needs to work really, really hard. Here’s how small works for us. Unlike society at large, the smallest effort of each person makes a big difference. That’s just one of the ways we’re all lucky.

Here’s another lucky thing. There’s one way you can help and it takes only that smallest of efforts. Join the SMASH PTSA. Your $8 will join the pool of somebody else’s $8 and so on and so on (it’s Core 2 math in the working). Now this doesn’t get you off the hook for volunteering some other way, some other day, on some other very worthwhile project, but think of it as delaying guilt. I spend entire days on delaying guilt. And I believe it works quite well.

So until you get time to volunteer for the Jog-A-Thon, or Box Tops, or Book Sale, or grant writing, or Super SMASH, t-shirt sales, yearbook, Art Fair, Parent Ed, lunch supervision, classroom assistance, GreenRaising, Haunted House, graduation or one of the perennial committees, you can write a check for $8 per member in no time flat. (Payable to SMASH PTSA.)

And in return, you get a copy of the all-important all-school SMASH directory and the inner glow of doing something just plain good. Please join by filling out one of the PTSA envelopes that are in the front office, tuck in a nice check and give it to Janice. Then congratulate yourself for joining the 10%. Lucky you.

Sincerely,

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


Our annual…

SMASH/JOHN MUIR HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL

Wednesday, October 29th 2008, 3-5pm

…needs your help

DONATE FOOD AND DRINKS! We want to feed the community! Core 1 … hot dogs and buns, Core 2 … side dishes, Core 3 … desserts, Core 4 … individual drinks.
No time to shop/cook/bake? Contribute $5 (envelopes in all Cores and the office). Drop off donations on Wednesday, 10/29 by 9AM.

DONATE EXTRA $$$ TOWARD SMALL PRIZES! We can no longer hand out used toys. Please donate extra $$$ for small prizes, so that we can still hand out prizes to our witches and goblins. Our resident witch (she’s waiting in front of the office) will also gladly take donations small NEW toys. Thank you!

VOLUNTEER! Decorate (8:30AM and thereafter), set up (1:30PM), help in the kitchen (2PM), serve food (3PM), and/or clean up (4:45PM). Contact Helga Schier at 310-828-8421, helgaschier@verizon.net, or drop off your contact information with our witch in front of the SMASH office.

In the name of all our little and not so little witches and goblins: THANKS!

Don’t Just Own the Shirt
Own the Game
SMASHing BOWLING Tournament
(for adults)

Monday, November 10, 2008
AMF Bowl Center 234 Pico Boulevard

Bowling Tournament – 2 games, and shoes

7:00 p.m.
$20/adult

Sign up in the Office, Reservations required for Bowling


CORE 1 NEWS
Halloween is next week!!
Children are welcome (but not required) to wear their costume to school on Wednesday, October 29 – the day of our Halloween Carnival. We will NOT be dressing up for October 31.

Here are some helpful hints and fun events happening on Wednesday, October 29:
1. Costumes – The children may wear their costumes to school as long as they do NOT wear masks or bring weapons of any kind. Costume pieces that can be easily lost or destroyed are discouraged, too, since it will be a long day. Their costumes must allow them to participate in regular classroom activities. Costumes are by no means mandatory, and the children are also welcome to wear their regular school clothes.
2. Core 1 will be going on a Halloween Community Walk 9:00 – 10:00 on October 29. We will parade down Main Street and return to school in time for snack. Chaperones are needed and sign-ups are by the Home/School Table.
3. The SMASH/MUIR Halloween Carnival will begin at 3:00 following the 2:50 dismissal. Partners still need to be picked up at 1:30 and supervised until the carnival, if you wish to attend.
4. Please do not send in candy to distribute to the children before, during, or after Halloween. There will be PLENTY of treats everywhere, and we hope to encourage healthy eating at school. Thank you!

We will be carving jack-o-lanterns on Friday, October 31 9:00 – 10:00. Any extra volunteers would be helpful at this time.

Where are the Core 1 teachers?
During the next 2 weeks, Chrysta and Candis have some amazing opportunities outside of the classroom. Our substitutes, Leah and Joy, will do their best to maintain our routines and enhance our learning. We have the following scheduled:

October 27 – 28: Candis will be in Philadelphia supporting her beloved baseball team, the Phillies. (sorry Dodgers fans!)
October 28: Chrysta will participate in a district sponsored professional development on Cognitively Guided Instruction, the theory and practice which supports our math curriculum at SMASH.
November 3 – 5: Candis will be in Malibu with the 8th graders, chaperoning their 8th grade trip.

Any extra support from parents during this time would be greatly appreciated (especially on Oct. 28, when both of us will be out). This will also be a great time for the children to show leadership in their classroom. We will be sure to bring our experiences back to the classroom to share with all.

Thank you…
* to all of the families who attended Family Conferences. We hope the conference provided you with insights and addressed any concerns. Our next conferences will be in February.
* to Sofia Marie’s John and Nola’s Marni for helping us on our Community Walk. It was a safe and fun trip to the park! We look forward to our next community walk (next week!).
* to Trent’s Majken, Jack’s Megan, and Maya’s Nina for chaperoning our trip to the ReDiscover Center.
* to the families participating in the children’s weekly homework. This is such a powerful way to help with your child’s learning and show them how much we care. Keep it up!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!! Candis, Chrysta and Jackie
Candis: candisberens@smmusd.org Chrysta: wyse@smmusd.org


CORE 2 NEWS
Dear Core 2 Community, October 24, 2008

SMASH: Being an alternative school in the 21st century means striving to create a learning environment where all children learn, develop, and create. Most importantly, we are striving to help children become active citizens in a democracy that is still being shaped. We want them to be part of that shaping in ethical, moral, creative, and thoughtful ways. As an alternative school, our curriculum builds and grows from the interests of students and teachers’ interests and real life issues and problems. Our structure offers flexibility and heterogeneous grouping arrangements for children, including cross-core learning time. Our environment embraces freedom with responsibility and deals with the tension and balance between the need of the individual and the needs of the community. Remember that we are a school of choice. We are respectful of the arts, humanistic, changing and flexible, multi-aged, and diverse. We encourage cooperation, cultivate creativity, integrated and individualized curriculum, develop skills in context, promote deep thinking, accept individuals, develop leaders, and construct knowledge. –Information from the SMASH Handout

In Science, we did a pre-assessment this week in preparation for our human body unit. We are lucky to have a real/replica of a human skeleton in the Grassy Woods that we are using as a resource. We will be learning/researching about the human body throughout the year.

In preparation of the Fitness Portfolio we will create, we learned to take our carotid artery pulse and compared our resting pulse with our pulse after P.E.

In Reader’s Workshop, keep up with your reading homework. Remember that homework can be done with a Just Right book, or a book that your child needs some help with, or a book that you read to your child. We are using Just Right books in school to teach your child how to delve deeper into their understanding and comprehension. We use Just Right books as a teaching tool. In Writer’s Workshop, the students are learning that “writers use complete sentences”. All the students are continuing with their first story to finish their brainstorming, 3 pictures with an adjective chart on the back, and a rough draft with a beginning, middle, and end.

The Core 2 Library is essential to the success of our Reader’s Workshop. It is maintained by Core 2 Teachers and Students. We ask that visiting families that read our books treat them with care and return them to the correct bin. Thank you!

In Arts with Ingrid, we worked with our “body in action” with tracing and using colored pencils. Our hands are so sore!

In Spanish with Diane, the children have been learning about the skeletal system and colors.

In Math, the 2nd graders are learning effective strategies to count various objects, including all the fingers in the classroom. Look for Homework in the Friday Packet. It is Due on Tuesday, October 28. The 3rd graders were working on strategies for answering silly story problems and making towers of Multi-links in an activity with a partner. There is NO Math homework for 3rd Grade.

Wednesday, October 29 is our SMASH/Muir Halloween Carnival after school. Yes, you may wear a costume to school. Make sure it is one that you can participate in your regular school day, including P.E. Reminder, no masks, weapons, or very scary costumes at school or the Carnival (remember there are itty-bitties at SMASH and Muir).

Thank you to all the parents and Core 4 students who helped us with our tie-dyeing activity today. It was cool man! Groovy!

Dates to Remember:
Mon, Oct. 27 - Last day for Greenraising orders and last day for Boxtops for Education
Wed, Oct. 29 - Halloween Carnival 3-5pm. Costumes can be worn (see important rules)
NO Playground Access, All Enrichment classes at regular schedule
Fri, Oct. 31 - Halloween. No costumes at school
Have a wonderful weekend!
Laura’s e-mail: sherman@smmusd.org Jayme’s e-mail: jayme.wold@smmusd.org


CORE 2 NEWS

Dear Core 3 Community,

As you all well know, there is a lot more going on in Core 3 than just Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic:

~We started our Science/Social Studies Unit this week--our theme is Human Needs/Human Rights. The students studied Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Physical needs—food, water, air; Safety; Love/Affection/Belonging; Self-esteem/Respect of others; and Self-Actualization—doing what you love) and talked/wrote about what they know already and what we could learn more about. They also explored how CARES and our Core 3 Guidelines help us all meet our needs and related that to how societies create laws and establish governments to help people meet their needs, along with how un-met needs influence our decisions during elections. We read Duck for President as an intro to the upcoming elections.

~Our First SMASHing Arts session is Drama with Kristy. We have been exploring the dramatic arts in a different way this year. Instead of spending the whole unit preparing for a play and then performing it, we have worked with Kristy to study a variety of performance techniques (performance art, improv). We learned about the artist Augusto Boal from Brazil who created the “Theater of the Oppressed” as a way to incite political change. This type of theater is called Image Theater and involves the use of a tableau—a ‘frozen’ human sculpture or scene—done in a public place. Small groups of students chose a human need to create a tableau around. The spectactors—audience members who jump into the action to present their own ideas for solutions—are integral members of the presentation of problems and solutions. The students had a homework arts question, “What needs do you see around SMASH and your community?” They’re learning to blend theater with activism around things they really care about.

~In Spanish with Diana we have been building upon vocabulary and phrases from last year. The students Know how to say “My name is…” “How are you?” “And you?” “How do you say?” “He/She has…” and vocabulary and phrases around body parts, clothes, numbers, and colors. The class is conducted entirely in Spanish! We also learned how to meet our needs en Espanol—ask your child how to ask to get a drink or go to the bathroom.

~District Music continues on Tuesday afternoons (Beginning--1:20/Advanced--2:10) and Thursday mornings (Beginning--8:30/Advanced--9:20) . Please find a system to help your child remember their instruments. They should be practicing their instrument as part of their daily homework and practice 20 minutes a day.

Dates to Remember:
Mon, Oct. 27 - Last day for Greenraising orders and last day for Boxtops for Education
Wed, Oct. 29 - Halloween Carnival 3-5pm. Costumes can be worn (see important rules)
NO Playground Access, All Enrichment classes at regular schedule
Fri, Oct. 31 - Halloween. No costumes at school

Tamara, Genie, and Malaika

mugalian@smmusd.org genie.hwang@smmusd.org

CORE 4 NEWS
Parents/Guardians -This week marks the return of our weekly progress reports! We have completed our first six weeks of school and are confident that our students have a good understanding of Core 4 academic requirements and expectations related to CARES. Each Friday your child will bring home a weekly progress report that comments on their work habits and CARES in each subject area. Please read through this and discuss it with your child. These are due SIGNED by the following Monday. We hope that by sending these home weekly we can increase our communication with you and help to support each of our students' growth.

Planned Parenthood is Coming! - Beginning next week Planned Parenthood will be visiting Core 4 for a series of six, hour long, age appropriate sessions. On Thursday your child received additional information about this program. Please read through this and email or call with any questions. That paperwork also serves as an opt-out agreement should you wish for your child to NOT be involved in these sessions. Extra copies are available in the office.

Humanities: What an exciting week in Humanities as we get closer and closer to this historic election! On Monday students used our classroom copies of the Los Angeles Times to read articles on the candidates and propositions. After writing brief summaries on what they read, students discussed the various issues that came up in the articles. On Tuesday students learned about the ever-confusing Electoral College. Students read, wrote, and participated in a simulated activity to show that the popular vote does not necessarily always win! Did you know that this has happened four times in our country's history? On Wednesday the 8th grade rotation engaged in a group activity to think about rising gasoline prices. The 6th/7th grade rotations played a quiz game to review what we've learned about the election and our government. Please continue to talk with your children about this exciting election. They are so knowledgeable - it's truly inspiring!

Postponed Due Date: Final draft of The Giver essay has been postponed until next Tuesday, October 28.

Acting as Careful Collectors : Math 6/7: Throughout this week, the mathematicians continued to engage in discussions and activities to deepen their understanding of the analysis tools (mean, median, mode, and range). They discovered that when looking at a set of data and using such analysis tools, they need to act carefully to determine whether these measures provide them with a clear idea of the information. Each of the analysis tools has strengths that make it a better choice to represent a set of data in various situations. Students are working to understand how to make more informed decisions about which tool to rely on for different groups of data. In many of the explorations, the mathematicians must present their theories and ideas to the class, and then have evidence to defend their answers. The students are taking the learning into their own hands making it a powerful and meaningful experience! I encourage you to ask them about it.

Algebra: The mathematicians have worked through the entire first chapter of Algebra and are ready to take on their first test next Tuesday. The reviewing and clarification of concepts have taken place this week, and this will also continue on Monday. Many resources exist to support the mathematicians as they study and work through this course. There is a website (www.go.hrw.com), their textbook, notes, old homework, and me to help them succeed in understanding this material. Encourage them to use all resources.

Dates to Remember:
Mon, Oct. 27 - Last day for Greenraising orders and last day for Boxtops for Education
Wed, Oct. 29 - Halloween Carnival 3-5pm. Costumes can be worn (see important rules)
NO Playground Access, All Enrichment classes at regular schedule
8th Grade trip and project meeting 6:00 pm - Kurt’s room
Fri, Oct. 31 - Halloween. No costumes at school


Kelly, Erin, Kurt, Andrea and Karin


Kelly: kelly.kulsrud@smmusd.org Erin: erin.haendel@smmusd.org
Kurt: holland@smmusd.org

Parents/Guardian of Core 4 Students

We are excited to have the opportunity for Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles to visit us in Core 4 again this year. They will be presenting six age-appropriate, hour-long sessions over the next five weeks. The titles of these sessions are: Sexuality; Abstinence and Assertiveness; Refuse to Abuse; Puberty, Anatomy and Reproduction; STI’s and HIV; and Protection and Birth Control.

Please let us know if you do NOT want your child to participate in these sessions. Students who are not involved will use their instructional time wisely while working on an alternative assignment in another classroom. If you do not return this paper by Tuesday, October 28, we will assume that your child WILL be joining these one-a-week sessions.

If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail Erin at erin.haendel@smmusd.org. For specific questions about the curriculum we can put you in touch with the appropriate people at Planned Parenthood as well.

Thank you,

Core 4 Teachers



____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____



PLEASE RETURN BY OCTOBER 28 TO YOUR ADVISORY TEACHER


I do NOT want my child ______________________________________________
to participate in the Planned Parenthood program at SMASH.


Parent/Guardian Signature: ____________________________________________ Date __________