Saturday, May 30, 11:30AM to 5:30PM
Time is money
Because this year we need to keep cost down and can’t hire people to run the booths.
Be generous
Give us two (or more) hours of your time.
Games and Rides
Help coordinate and/or run a Game or Ride
Water Slide, Obstacle Course, Caterpillar,
Sports Station, Wheel of Fortune, Tie Dye,
Tic Tac Toe Bean Bag Toss Ball Toss, Plinko,
Putting Green, Climbing Wall, Fish Bowl Toss, Spin Art
Food and Refreshments
Help run a Food or Refreshment Booth
SMASHing Grill Station, Pizza, Popcorn, Water, Shaved Ice, Iced Coffee
Art Booths
Help coordinate and/or run an Art Booth
Candy Necklaces, Decoupage, Buttons, Beads, Hair Wraps
Silent Auction
Help set up and walk the Silent Auction Floor
Set-up, Decoration and Clean-up
Help set up, decorate and clean up on the day of the event
With 25 booths to run for six hours,
we have 75 two-hour time slots to fill.
We really need you!
Sign up now!
Contact Helga at 310-828-8421 or helgaschier@verizon.net
THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
To the Student Council Reps and their Families, your support in donating food, decorating, selling tickets, and serving food was amazing!
SMASH Teachers and Staff: creating decorations, making food, and designing a photo booth background was a wonderful support!
To the entire SMASH Community: Attending the Dance and supporting the Student Council’s efforts to raise money for a cause has made this Fiesta the most successful Family Dance ever! We made $1200!
The money is being donated to support School on Wheels, which provides tutoring to children
in shelters. We are also donating to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research and The Wellness Community,he which supports cancer research, education.
A special thank you to Morgan for providing us with fantastic “fiesta” music and to
Dana for capturing our Family Dance memories and running the photo booth!
SUPERSMASH POSTCARDS ARE WITH TODAY’S FRIDAY LETTER.
GIVE THEM AS INVITATIONS TO YOUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS!
Due to an ACL knee injury, Coach Reggie will be on medical leave for the remainder of this school year. He called in to send his best wishes for fun at SuperSMASH, Happy Graduation, and good summer break. He looks forward to rejoining the SMASH community in the Fall. We will have a long-term sub for the remainder of the school year.
IS YOUR CHILD RETURNING TO SMASH NEXT YEAR?
We are in the process of making plans for next year’s enrollment. It is important for us to know if you are planning on returning to SMASH so that we can provide other children the opportunity to enroll.
If you are planning to attend another school in the district, you must complete and submit an Intradistrict Open Enrollment Application to the district’s Student Permit Office before May 31. Applications are available in the SMASH main office.
Please fill in this form and return to the main office by May 18.
_____ YES, we will be returning
_____ NO, we will not be returning
If no, please let us know the reason and where your child will be attending so that we can transfer school records. Thanks.
__________________________
Current Grade
__________________________________
Parent or Guardian Signature
CORE 1 NEWS
ART: This week we continued to look at symmetry and balance though a study of trees. The weaving group has begun to build a 3D tree sculpture using chicken wire, fabric, ribbon, paper, and other materials. First, they went outside to observe and sketch patterns in tree trunk bark in the small yard.
"Remember the lines and the dots we saw. I'm making that by drawing by doing crisscross" Trent"Here's the lines in that tree. I see really straight lines that go all the way to the top of the tree. Only the really skinny branches don't have lines." Josh"I saw a bunch of scrabble. They are very twisty. They're are, like twisty twisty twisty." Oisin
The other groups are studying balance and symmetry through the use of clay and printmaking/rubbings. REMINDERS /ANNOUNCEMENTS
LIBRARY BOOKS: Please check your home for library books. The children get disappointed when they are unable to check out their current favorite books on Tuesdays because the have books already out.
CORES 1 & 2 BBQ – This annual event (one of our favorites!) is almost here. Save the date! We will be having our (almost) end of the year bbq on Friday, May 22nd at 11:00 (we're firing up the grills at 10:30) in the Small Yard. Cores 1 and 2 are joining together for this festive culminating celebration. This is a special time for Cores 1 & 2, and so older siblings are unfortunately not invited. Food/drink/supply requests have been attached to the front of this week’s Friday Letter. Please let us know ASAP if there is a problem with what we’ve asked you to bring. We hope you can join us for this fun event! (WE NEED GRILLS! We have very few volunteers for grills, so PLEASE LET US KNOW if you have one we can borrow. Thanks!)
FOURSOME DVD's: We should have the DVD's in next week and will begin distributing them to parents ASAP. Thanks to Chrysta's brother Ryan, for copying these for us at cost...and thank you to the Core 1 students for designing the cover.
WISH LIST: A heavy duty pencil sharpener (or two). Primary (thick) yellow pencils. (The pencil fairy as up and left with many of our Core 1 pencils!)
Have a wonderful weekend!
Candis, Chrysta and Jackie
Candis: candies.berens@smmusd.org
Our Core 1/ Core 2 BBQ is on Friday, May 22. Two weeks ago we attached a pink 1/2 sheet that gives information and what supplies (food, cups, grills, etc.) your family will supply. Please let Laura or Jayme know if you can bring a grill. So far, we have only one grill! In order for Core 1 and Core 2 to strengthen their community, Core 3 or Core 4 siblings are not invited. If you need a reminder on what to bring, the list is posted outside of Core 2.
On Tuesday, we went on an adventure with Kurt. We walked to the beach and played volleyball together. Core 2 used their cooperation skills and used positive encouragement with our first-time volleyball players. On the return walk, students practiced observing like a scientist. They went on a Main Street scavenger hunt. We looked for a library, “Pebbles”, Latitude 34, the word Earth spelled incorrectly, and Zen Bunni. Almost all of the items were spotted by our careful observers!
Writers Workshop – Our Realistic Fiction stories were published today. We plan to share our writing with Core 3. Each student was asked what they felt most proud of in this piece of writing and what they wanted to continue working on. Ask your child what their responses were.
Arts with Kristy: This week, the children continued to share original plays with shadow puppets. We are down to our last couple class meetings. There is still a lot of work to be done before we are ready to share all of our fables.
In Science: Remember our body tracings? Well, after our bone and circulatory system discussions, we added left leg bones and a heart to our body shapes. We colored the arteries and veins different colors because arteries carry oxygen and veins are carrying the carbon dioxide back into the lungs to be exhaled. If you have any age-appropriate resources, please send them in!!
Upcoming dates and events:
Friday, May 22 – Annual Core 1/Core2 BBQ.
Wednesday, June 3 – Core 2 Arts Sharing with Kristy
Thursday, June 4 – Cinderella at the Santa Monica Playhouse – more info later
Thursday, June 11 – Open House
Thursday, June 18 – 8th grade graduation
Friday, June 19 – Beach Day, last day of school
Have a fantastic weekend,
Laura, Jayme, and Nadja
Laura’s e-mail: sherman@smmusd.org
CORE 3 NEWS
Core 3 just started Individual Research Projects in Science/Social Studies (Genie calls it Content Area and Tamara calls it Theme). As in all areas of our curriculum, we are emphasizing the process of research--how we learn about different topics, ask questions, and grow our ideas. We began the process by looking through the 4th and 5th grade science and social studies textbooks to begin thinking about what we’ve already learned, what piques our curiosity, and what we want to learn more about. Next, we explored the world around us on a campus walk to show how researchers/scientists use what they observe to get ideas and make connections between what they know and what they notice to develop questions. We wanted the students to understand that researchers have many interests and get ideas from lots of different places. Your child chose a topic and then created a theory/idea from a question they had about that topic. The students learned that their idea should be a statement that someone could argue.
The students began their research by reading a nonfiction book from the media center. They are learning that growing ideas can begin in many places and can grow in different directions, depending on their idea. Our next steps are to show how research can lead to further questions, seeking out experts to learn from in an interview, and/or setting up experiments to test our ideas. We want them to experience the process of research and then share their newfound knowledge in an information book, which they already know how to write because they just went through that process in Writing Workshop!
Thank you for helping us make our dream of going to the mission at San Juan Capistrano come true—your generous donations and able-bodies made it all possible! We hope that experiencing our field trip to the Mission at San Juan Capistrano and reading Zia will give the students additional opportunities to think about and want to research the ideas from all aspects of our curriculum—now they have the tools to do so!
Check out the Core 3 page on our website to see photos of our student’s award-winning Earth Day Posters or stop by the classroom to see your child’s entry.
Tamara, Genie, and Malaika
mugalian@smmusd.org
CORE 4 NEWS
FROM KELLY:
Math
6/7: What’s the Problem Here?
Over this past week, the mathematicians used their beginning understanding of rational numbers as they discovered ways to solve addition and subtraction problems involving these numbers. Rather than directly teaching the multiple ways to solve them, we looked at ways mathematicians solve problems by creating their own tools and strategies. They do this by using what they know, using what is given, and thinking “what do we need to find?” to determine their own strategy. As they engaged in this type of work, the mathematicians discovered various ways to solve these types of problems. Not only did they discover ways from their independent work, but they also became aware of their peers’ strategies: a powerful finding. Because addition and subtraction of negative numbers can be dominated by the memorization of rules, we continuously ask the mathematicians to show their process in determining their answer and urge them to possess the skill of explaining their reasoning. Please encourage this conversation and explanation as you support them in their homework.
Algebra:
We are finishing Chapter 5 this week. The mathematicians have discovered various ways to graph linear equations and have developed multiple types of equations to support these graphs. As the students are developing these concepts, we are constantly transferring this knowledge to real life situations. This allows them to begin to see the purpose in doing this Algebraic work. I encourage you to have this same conversation of relating algebraic concepts to real life situations as your kids engage in this what seems like abstract work.
FROM BAILEY
Humanities:
Thanks to the parents who accompanied the Green and Blue groups to the Skirball Center to view the Zap Pow Bam exhibit on the golden age of comics. We have many budding comic book illustrators and writers! I hope it inspires students in our exploration and envisioning of "our best selves"
Students should be more than half finished with Red Scarf Girl. Reading to page 190 and completing questions on through chapter 11. Also students are comparing this memoir to one of their own selection. I hope all books will be read by May 26. All work on the book and an in-class essay is on May 27. If you know your student will be out or unable to complete the assignment please contact me for at- home options.
Personal Timeline project will culminate this unit on June 3rd. Students will get detailed assignment requirements next week. I intend it to be an exploration into influences upon our life (past and present) shaping our current hopes, dreams for today and the future. We will draw upon inspiration from other people, significant events and growing knowledge.
We are all working hard and helping the students maintain focus and energy in this last month of school. Please provide support for them to get the work completed as many spring time distractions are in the air. I appreciate all your support.
Kelly, Kurt, Erin & Bailey
Kelly: kelly.kulsrud@smmusd.org Kurt: holland@smmusd.org
Erin: erin.haendel!smmusd.org Bailey: baileyfield@mac.com
DEADLINE FOR LUNCH TICKETS
Wednesday, May 20 will be the last day we can accept prepayments for the “Meal Deal” (the discount lunch ticket). As of Monday, May 18, there are 23 lunch days remaining in the school year (not counting any all-day field trips, or class parties at lunchtime). A “Meal Deal” is for 20 lunches. There are no refunds given on lunches purchased. Meal credits and cash balances can only be transferred between siblings. Please check with Connie in the cafeteria at 310-396-2640x211 for a current balance. If you have a balance due, please be kind and pay as soon as possible. Friday, June 12 is the final day to accept checks, cash only after that date.
Kindred Spirits, A World Humanitarian Concert
Kindred Spirits is a non-profit humanitarian organization that produces annual concert events to raise awareness and
financial contributions for selected beneficiary organizations.
For information go to kindredspiritslive.org or call 424-785-1563
FREE THINGS TO DO!
Saturday, May 16 - 2:00-8:00pm - Santa Monica Pier. Sideshow at the Pier. An eclectic event that celebrates the roots of the Pier with show stopping performances from the largest gathering of variety acts, circus artists, vaudevillians and buskers seen on the Santa Monica Pier in 100 years! For additional information go to www.santamonicapier.org
Santa Monica High School Theatre
“12 Angry Jurors”
2:00 pm, May 23 & 30
Tickets are Adults $10, Students $5 (Unreserved seating)
Order online at www.samohitheatre.org, or at the door.
PTSA news brief
SMASHing Fundraisers
Don’t forget…SMASH movie night TONIGHT. Drop off your kids at SMASH for a movie and take a night off from parenting. Core 4 students will watch your kids.
Only two more weeks ‘til SuperSMASH, Saturday, May 30, 2009! Time to get ready! SPREAD THE WORD!
Make your Family Donation online. Go to http://ptsasmash.blogspot.com/ and give what you can! To pay by credit card, check or cash, or to establish a payment plan, see Janice in the office. SMASH depends on you! Thanks!
SMASHing Meetings
Our next PTSA meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 4 at 6:30PM.
SuperSMASH ‘09
Saturday, May 30, 11:30AM to 5:30PM
This just in…
The posters and postcards are here!
Give postcards to your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers!
Pass them out at baseball, softball, soccer, basketball, ballet and music class!
Grab a poster from the office and ask your favorite
grocery store, boutique, restaurant, coffee shop
to hang it in their window.
Help us make this the best SuperSMASH ever.
SPREAD THE WORD!
MULTI-CULTURAL BASKETS FOR SUPERSMASH AUCTION
Last year we created these amazing Multi-Cultural Baskets that were a collaboration of the entire community. We’d like to do that again this year. We would like to have families bring in items that they feel are a representation of their culture. A gift certificate for an Indian restaurant, a spice, a fabric, a book of tales from your country, a CD, recipes, candy, a video with subtitles, a travel book...many ideas, many places!
But, you say, I have no culture...Well, we are all from somewhere! Maybe you identify more with a region of the United States. How about seeds or a gift certificate for a diner if you are from the Midewest, or sunscreen, movie coupons, beach towel or granola if you are from California, or taffy from Oregon, or a seafood cookbook or book about the theatre.
We have an incredibly diverse community and we are all very creative. Let’s use our imagination and create something really special.
I am Parsa’s mother, Jila-Tayefehnowrooz, I will put one box in each core group. Please put your item in the appropriate box with your name and the culture it represents.
Thank You! Gracias! Merci! Arigatou! Toda! Dhanyavad! Havala! Efkharisto! Nanri! Grazie!
AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM
OFFICER NAVARRO OF THE SANTA MONICA POLICE DEPARTMENT Subject: Helmets Reminder for Students
I recently met with Kelly Pye and the S.M.U.S.D. Health and Safety Committee and they informed me there was a need to conduct greater enforcement in regards to students wearing helmets when riding bicycles, rollerblades, skateboards, etc. No police officer likes the idea of citing a kid; however, we know too well the injuries that arise from not wearing a helmet.
Before beginning any broad enforcement, we would like to remind parents and students of the legal requirements and importance of wearing helmets. We ask that administrators include this important message in their weekly mailings, emails, and newsletters sent to families. Additionally, we would like to have teachers and staff members communicate this message to students directly.
21212 CVC (a) A person under 18 years of age shall not operate a bicycle, a nonmotorized scooter, or a skateboard, nor shall they wear in-line or roller skates, nor ride upon a bicycle, a nonmotorized scooter, or a skateboard as a passenger, upon a street, bikeway, as defined in Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways Code, or any other public bicycle path or trail unless that person is wearing a properly fitted and fastened bicycle helmet that meets the standards of either the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), or standards subsequently established by those entities. This requirement also applies to a person who rides upon a bicycle while in a restraining seat that is attached to the bicycle or in a trailer towed by the bicycle. ($108 Citation)
SuperSMASH ‘09
Saturday, May 30, 11:30AM to 5:30PM
Bought your
staff raffle
ticket yet?
They are for sale on
Wednesdays
at the bake sale
Fridays
at pick-up in the small yard
Sushi Making with Tamara, Genie and Malaika
Win an afternoon of cooking with the Core 3
When: Friday, June 12, 1:30-3:30
Where: Core 3, SMASH
Who: 10 lucky students
Bowling with Kurt and Bailey
Win a trip to the bowling alley with a
couple of cool Core 4 teachers!
When: TBD
Where: Bay Shore Lanes in Santa Monica
Who: 12 luck students
Visit the Santa Monica Aquarium with Jessica & Chrysta
Win an afternoon petting sea creatures with the fantastic Chrysta & Jessica. Then head to the beach park for a little sand play & a lemonade!
When: Tuesday, June 16, 2:30-4:30
Where: Santa Monica Aquarium at the Pier
Who: 4 Lucky Students
Win a trip down the ocean breezed bike path with the fabulous Candis and Kelly!
When: TBD
Where: Bike path at the Beach
with your own bike and helmet
Who: 6 lucky students
Teacher for a Day!
Win an opportunity to be Kurt for a day!
When: First week of June
Where: Core 4
Who: One lucky student
Window Shopping and Pinkberry, Oh my! (with Kelly)
Win a window shopping trip and a Pinkberry stop
with SMASH’s Fashionista, Kelly!
When: Tuesday, June 16, 1:45-3:45
Where: Main Street
Who: 5 lucky students
Wende for a Day!
Win an opportunity to be Wende for a day!
When: Friday, June 5
Where: SMASH
Who: One lucky student
Principal for a Day!
Win an opportunity to be
Jessica for a day!
When: Friday, June 5
Where: SMASH
Who: One lucky student
Janice for a Day!
Win an opportunity to be Janice for a day!
When: Friday, June 5 Where: SMASH
Who: One lucky student
Color Me Mine with Jayme & Tamara & Janice
Win a day to paint a piece of pottery at Color Me Mine
with the amazing Jayme, Tamara, and Janice!
When: Thursday, June 4 at 3:30
Where: Color Me Mine on 4th Street
Who: 6 lucky students
Jewelry Making with the Lovely Laura & Jackie
Be creative!
Make your own jewelry with the crafty Jackie & Laura and have a yummy snack!
When: Tuesday, June 9, 3:15-4:15
Where: Core 1, SMASH
Who: 8 Lucky Students
IT'S TIME TO “GEAR UP” FOR THE
SMASH CAMPING TRIP
AT DECKER CANYON CAMP
JUNE 5 & 6
LET’S ALL GET TOGETHER IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS!
WHERE:
Decker Canyon Camp is located about 2 miles up from Pacific Coast Hwy on Decker Cyn Rd About 23 miles north of Santa Monica
IT IS A BIG BEAUTIFUL SITE (WE’LL BE THE ONLY GROUP THERE!
WHAT TO BRING
*Bring your own Tent, Bedding, Food, Supplies, Etc. *Food should be stored in plastic bins to keep safe from critters. *Bring charcoal if you plan on using the grills & camping stoves if you want. *Firewood is a maybe...We’ll have to wait for a current report to see if we can have a campfire. *Bring marshmallows & fixins for s’mores *Instruments, games, sports gear, hiking gear *Sunscreen, bug repellent, first aid kit, flashlights, etc. *Bring beach gear if you want to go to the beach.
P.S. THERE ARE REAL TOILETS & SHOWERS WITH FREE HOT WATER!
PRICE
Overnight Campers: $10 per person, per night
Daytime Campers: $8 per person, per day
Checks made payable to SMASH PTSA, due by Thursday, June 4
TIME
Check-In - 11:00am, Friday June 5
Check-Out - 2:00 pm, Sunday, June 7
FOR INSURANCE REASONS - NO DROP-OFFS ALLOWED
ALL CHILDREN MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY THEIR PARENT OF GUARDIAN
BE PREPARED FOR FUN, FUN, FUN !!!
Contact Janice Merrihew (Jake’s mom) with questions at:
(310) 392-4239 or e-mail: jmerrihew@gmail.com
This is a PTSA sponsored event
California State PTA – Special Election Alert
Critical measures that will impact funding for schools and children’s
services will be put to California voters in a Special Election.
California State PTA takes the following positions:
PROPOSITION 1A – California State PTA SUPPORTS
Restores education funding, temporarily increases state revenues, and establishes a "rainy day" stabilization fund. California State PTA has been urging lawmakers to support education funding and increase revenues as part of a balanced approach to weathering the state's current budget crisis.
PROPOSITION 1B – California State PTA SUPPORTS
Education funding repayment plan to help restore $9.3 billion in budget cuts to schools. Adequate funding must be provided for public education so that every student can receive a quality education. Budget cuts to education threaten an entire generation of children – and that seriously threatens California's economic future.
PROPOSITION 1C – California State PTA SUPPORTS
State Lottery. Proposition 1C generates additional revenues to help mitigate the state’s current budget deficit. In addition, it would permanently disconnect school funding from reliance on unpredictable lottery winnings, and instead dedicate an amount from the state’s General Fund for schools that would be comparable to previous lottery allocations.
PROPOSITION 1D – California State PTA OPPOSES
Children's Services Funding. Proposition 1D redirects funding for five years from key children’s services (established through passage of Proposition 10 in 1998), and makes other programmatic changes to California Children and Families Commission (“First 5”) programs.
PROPOSITION 1E – California State PTA SUPPORTS
Mental health services funding. Proposition 1E redirects funding for two years from mental health services (established through passage of Proposition 63 in 2004) to help mitigate the state's current budget deficit. California State PTA strongly supported Proposition 63, and we continue to advocate for adequate mental health services for children, youth and families; however, we support 1E because it is strictly limited to two years.
For more information on California State PTA’s positions,
please visit www.capta.org California State
REMEMBER TO VOTE!!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
SITE COUNCIL
CANDIDATE STATEMENTS
Liz Grossman-
I am on Site Council and am interested in serving another term. Next year, I will have children in three different Cores, which I think gives me a comprehensive perspective and puts me in a unique position to represent a variety of interests within the SMASH community.
Michael Tenzer -
I would like to serve on the Board of Advisors. I am committed to the success of SMASH and feel I can help the Board deal with the various challenges it will face in the coming year. Two of my 3 kids think I will do a great job; the third is holding out for a raise in his allowance.
Nina Furukawa -
My daughter Maya is in her second year at SMASH and I have another daughter scheduled to start in Fall, 2011. I am looking for an opportunity to become more involved with the school and to learn more about how funding and operations work. I believe being a member of Site Council would offer me those things and allow me to be of service to the SMASH Community. Thank you for your vote.
SMASH SITE COUNCIL PARENT REPRESENTATIVE BALLOT
(One Vote Per Student)
Please vote for up to 3 Candidates
Return this ballot to the SMASH office by 1:30 on Friday May 22, 2009
_________ Liz Grossman
_________ Michael Tenzer
_________ Nina Furukawa
