OCTOBER 16, 2009

See You TOMORROW At The RUMMAGE SALE!
Come to Help and Stay to Shop
Set up 7:00am to 9:00 am
Sell 9:00am to 1:00pm
Clean up 1:00pm to 4:00 pm

We still need help during each of these times.
To volunteer, contact Jamee Tenzer at tenser@lifeworks4ucoaching.com

Look in the Friday Letter attachments for a bright pink flyer to put up in your neighborhood

FALL FAMILY CONFERENCES!
SIGN-UP NOW. (Come in the office, or call or e-mail Janice (jwold@smmusd.org)
Remember - your child comes to the conference with you.
Minimum Days - 1:30 Dismissal: Wednesday and Thursday, October 21 and 22

NOTICE: No Playground Access, Friday, Oct 30 (Halloween Carnival). CREST classes WILL be in session.


Dear SMASHing Families,
What SMASH practices would you say define what is SMASH-like? (multi-age groupings, cross-core learning, collaborative school leadership, team teaching, student voice in their curriculum, authentic assessment?)
How can SMASH families play a part in reducing the District’s financial hardship? (PTSA statewide lobbying, helping to pass an emergency parcel tax?)
Come pose your questions, share ideas, and interact with SMMUSD Superintendent Tim Cuneo Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30 PM in the Library. Childcare will be provided.
While we have strong classroom instruction and community participation at SMASH, this is clearly a difficult financial time for SMASH families and our District. The economic crisis is real. Some key aspects of the District’s budget are:
1. During 08-09, SMMUSD funds from the state were reduced by
15% or $9 million.

2. Funding from the state is not expected to improve for 2-3 years.

3. Even though SMMUSD reduced spending by $4.6 million in the 09-10 budget, we are still operating with a $12 million deficit. (The District reduced administrative positions, teaching positions, support staff, and increased class sizes.)

4. Even if there are no changes, operating costs (salary, utilities, supplies, health benefits) increase each year.

5. SMMUSD is fortunate to have a large reserve currently, but if we do not enhance revenues or decrease spending, that reserve will be totally depleted during the 10-11 school year.

October 21, it is vital to have a big turnout to show our Superintendent that we are active partners in our childrens’ education, are committed to SMASH, and that we would like be involved in any fiscal and programmatic considerations that are occurring at the District level.
Truly yours,
Jessica

Please be advised: There is NO skateboarding, scootering, and riding of other equipment outside the front gates between the two parking lots before and after school. Many students have been reminded of the danger of riding while car and foot traffic is heave at drop off and pick up, yet they continue to endanger themselves and others.

Students who ignore multiple reminders will have their skateboards or other equipment held in the front office until their grown either comes to collect it or calls in to speak with the Principal.
Please help us reinforce this safety message. Thank you.

WESTSIDE FAMILY HEALTH CENTER
FREE IMMUNIZATIONS FOR KIDS UP TO AGE 18
NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY.
Mondays ,Tuesdays & Fridays 9:30am - 2:00 pm
Wednesdays 2:00pm - 6:00pm
Thursdays 9:30 am - 12:00pm
1st Saturday of each month 12:00pm - 2:00pm
You don’t need insurance to access services.
If your child has Medi-Cal, you can make WFHC your medical home. Contact Iris at x 224.
Westside Family Health Center 1711 Ocean Park Blvd Santa Monica 310-450-2191

CORE 1 NEWS
The imagination is alive and well in Core 1, as our new project groups include a Fairy group and a Pirate group. Both groups plan to create a movie – perhaps with fairies and pirates in the same movie! From set design to costume design, the children are envisioning characters, settings, and possible story plots:
Lilly: “I’m going to be the Queen, and Marcus is going to be the King.”
Candis: “I thought Marcus was going to be a shark.”
Lilly: “He can be a shark that turns into a king.”
Elisa: “I’m going to be a cat.”
Sydney: “And I’m going to be the fairy that takes care of the animals.”
Thea: “I want to be a treasure fairy.”
Hayden: “Here is the pirate ship, and these are the fairies all around.”

*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. Towards the end of the conference, we would like to have a moment to speak with parents without the child present. If you are able to come 5-10 minutes early for your conference, we would greatly appreciate your help watching 1-2 children on the small yard while we finish up the previous conference.

ALL CHILDREN WILL BE DISMISSED AT 1:30 ON WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, AND FRIDAY.

*Community Walk – We have rescheduled our walk to Joslyn Park for Wednesday, October 21 for a picnic snack, followed by a little fun and exercise. We will be leaving at 10:00 and returning by 11:30. If you can come with us to help, please sign-up at the Home/School Table in the Magic Garden.

*to James (Ricky’s dad) and John (Sofia Marie’s dad) for fixing up and organizing our new woodworking patio. We will be getting out the saws and hammers very soon! Thanks to Grace who continues to look for donations for tools. If you have a connection for stocking our wood (different sizes and shapes), let us know.

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






CORE 2 NEWS
Dear Core 2 Community, October 16, 2009
Our Fall Family Conferences begin on Wednesday, October 21. The conference is one piece of our assessment process and a vital one for communication between teacher and families. They are only 20 minutes long !! It is important that all families sign up and attend. Remember - your student is to attend the conference.
Our community building was focused around self control – making the best choice even if it is hard for you. We brainstormed how it would look in Core 2. The students shared strategies they use for self control – slow breathing, saying no inside your head, and reminding myself of my own guidelines. One way to support Core 2 would be to discuss CARES at home to figure out what it looks like there. We have official core guidelines posted.
In Reading Workshop, each child may check out one book from the Core 2 Library. We will be visiting the Media Center Thursday, October 22 where they may check out 2 books. All books stay at school unless checked out by their advisor. Thank you to all the families that have been supporting reading at home and helping your child filling out the homework sheet. We have attached this week’s worth of reading homework.
In Writing Workshop, we launched a new unit – small moment personal narratives. This week’s focus was on using your timeline to write.
Math: The 2nd graders are continuing to solve word problems in a math community. Students are demonstrating their counting strategies while the rest of the group makes observations and explains the strategy. We know that there are 24 math teachers in the room.
The 3rd graders continued working on Things That Come In Groups by using their skip counting charts to answer questions and to figure out the solution to story problems. IF YOU HAVE NOT RETURNED THE CUT OUT ARRAYS (given out at our forum) PLEASE FINISH CUTTING AND RETURN on MONDAY.
Thank you to Morgan for inviting Mel into Core 2 and teaching us the basics of Chess. Mel teaches chess classes at the Ocean Park Library on Wednesdays and the Fairview library on Thursdays from 3:30 -6:00pm. All classes are free. Another thanks to Morgan and family for supplying us with 2 chess sets.
Our next Stars of the Week are on Wednesday, October 21. They will be: Luke and Joe.
We continue to use Magic Circle to act out problem solving scenarios. They are authentic examples of issues that come up during our day. The class suggests ways to solve these problems.
Friday, October 30 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. Reminder, no masks, weapons, or very scary costumes at school or the Carnival (remember there are itty-bitties at SMASH and Muir).
Core 2 needs volunteer(s) to refinish our wooden, outside bench because it is unsafe. If no one can do it before the end of October, we will have to get rid of the bench.
Core 2 Wish list: thank you for the donations so that we can shop.
Dates to remember:
Wed, Oct 21 - Luke and Joe’s Star of the Week, 9:00
Wed, Oct21 - 1:30 dismissal! Fall Family Conferences 20 minutes each, sign up in the main office.
Thurs, Oct 22 - 1:30 dismissal! Fall Family Conferences 20 minutes each, sign up in the main office.
Fri, Oct 23 - 1:30 dismissal! Fall Family Conferences 20 minutes each, sign up in the main office.
Fri, Oct 30 - Halloween Carnival; 1:30 - 3:30. No Playground Access. CREST classes are in session.

Laura: lsherman@smmusd.org
Graciela: gbarba-castro@smmusd.org


CORE 3 NEWS

Writing Workshop is under way, and we celebrated the “publication” of our first pieces today!

We just finished our first writing unit: Leading a Writerly Life. In this unit, we encouraged the students to live as writers do—observing the world, thinking of ideas, connecting thoughts, synthesizing the meaning of events around them, and putting it all down onto paper. Your child carefully decorated his/her Writers Notebook to make it their own (so the ideas inside can be their own, too). They have been learning what kinds of ideas (observations, feelings/thoughts, memories, stories, inspirations, recorded dreams, etc.) can go into a notebook and what form (lists, sketch with words or labels, a few sentences, paragraphs, poems, etc.) those ideas may take. And they learned/practiced the writing process—collecting ideas, choosing an idea, nurturing/planning that idea, drafting it on paper, revising, editing, and publishing. They will go through this cycle many times in Core 3 and throughout their lives, so we want to really stress the importance of each step and how it makes for better writing. We will fill your child’s “writers toolbox” with lots of strategies for each of these steps to help them become thoughtful and effective writers:

Collecting. Writers need to write every day and try out different ideas. This is the important thinking they do all the time, and we honor each and every idea by recording it in our notebooks (as any writer will tell you, there are no bad ideas!). If we don’t write them down, we’ll forget them. This is why writers frantically look for something to write on and end up writing on a napkin.
Choosing. Since writers collect so many ideas, it’s important to carefully choose the one to publish.
Nurturing. Before writers even draft, they plan and nurture their idea. Giving the chosen idea some time to breathe, trying out different tools for fleshing out the idea. Putting effort into the character, setting, and plot development will make the draft that much better. It’s the “revising” before we even get it on paper—and usually means less revision later!
Drafting. After spending a lot of time planning different ways the way the piece could unfold, drafting is the first opportunity to commit the plan to paper. If we nurtured it thoroughly, it will be a good first draft.
Revising. This is a special part of the creative process that is unique to writing (and, in a related way, art). There is little in our lives that we are able to revise to make better. Writing is one place where we can keep changing, improving to make it better. It is the part of the process that is hardest for young writers. Why would they want to add, change, or take out something they’ve worked so hard on? So it is a part of the process we stress because you can always make your writing better (and, like art, then you have to know when to stop).
Editing. Then it is time to acknowledge that other eyes will be reading the piece. Time to make sure that most common spelling words are correct, the punctuation helps our readers read and understand, and the grammar is consistent. Many grown ups call revising editing. As writing teachers, we make a clear distinction between revising and editing to help students understand the difference between the two. Revison is like nurturing—it’s still about ideas. Editing is proofreading for mechanical errors and writing conventions.
Publishing is all about completing a piece of writing by a specific publishing date, having practiced and learned what we need to get out of our of a specific piece or genre, and presenting our work to others. It is the best work a writer is capable of doing at that moment within the specific time frame. It is not perfect.

Dates to Remember:
Rummage Sale/Car Wash—Saturday, 10/17
Core 3 Fall Family Conferences—Tuesday, 10/20 – Wednesday, 10/28
SMASH/MUIR Halloween Carnival—Friday, 10/30; 1:30 - 3:30 —wear your costumes that day!!!
Playground Access Closed. CREST classes are in session.

Stop by the Rummage Sale and get a car wash (or just pay kids NOT to touch your car) this weekend!
Tamara, Genie, and Malaika
tmugalian@smmusd.org
ghwang@smmusd.org


SMASH Site Council Minutes
Wednesday, September 23, 2009

In Attendance: Laura Sherman, Jessica Rishe, Candis Berens, Liz Grossman, Nina Furakawa, Kelly Kulsrud, Michael Tenzer
Absent: Jackie Boyd, Chrysta Wyse
Agenda Adopted: Moved by Liz Grossman , Seconded by Nina Furakawa Approved
Approve Minutes of last meeting with one amendment to read SuperSMASH earned “approximately $30,000” Moved by Michael Tenzer: Seconded by Candis Berens Approved

Community Participation: None
Reports and Announcements (regular agenda items)
Principal’s Report: Professional Development Updates: Writing Workshop collaboration with Muir staff and Colombia Teachers’ College facilitators, Pictorial Math, Japanese Project Based Learning educators

Student Reports Core 3 and 4 -None Yet
Community Organization Reports
PTSA-Next meeting is Wed Oct 21 at 6:30 in Library with Superintendent Tim Cuneo visiting. Recruit others to attend to show our interest in collaborating with him to work through the fiscal crisis.

New Business:
Review of by-laws
Selection of Chair: Jessica Rishe nominated Laura Sherman. Seconded by Candis Berens. Approved.
Selection of Secretary: Jessica Rishe nominated Candis Berens and Kelly Kulsrud to share the position. Seconded by Liz Grossman. Approved.
Selection of PTSA Liaison: Laura Sherman nominated Liz Grossman and Nina Furakawa to share the position. Seconded by Jessica Rishe. Approved.
Core 4 and Core 3 student member selection process: Kelly Kulsrud and Tamara Mugalian will confirm 3 student members by next Site Council meeting.
Site Improvement Plan: Proposal to extend the 08-09 math problem solving goal and to allocate $870 for Pictorial Math training Fall and Spring for Cores 3 and 4 teachers. Create the thinking behind the rules first and introduce different strategies that they can use to solve a problem. Various representations and ways to work numbers that make sense so that when you learn the rule it makes sense and then if you forget the rule, you have all of this other information to figure out a problem. Compliments CGI. Council discussed CGI, Cognitively Guided Instruction, math instruction. TERC Curriculum based on CGI, used by UES, MUSE, NYC schools. Candis Berens motioned and Nina Furakawa seconded that we approve $870 for Pictorial Math costs. Approved.
Confirmed meeting dates for the 09-10 year as listed in school calendar. Liz Grossman moved and Jessica Rishe seconded. Dates approved.

Community Participation: none
Next meeting: October 14, 2009 5:00pm
Adjourn: Jessica Rishe motioned and Kelly Kulsrud seconded. Adjourned.

JOIN THE SMASH PTSA
Parent Teacher Student Association

Wow! What an involved parent group we have at SMASH!
Thank you to the vast majority of families who’ve already joined our PTSA.
If you haven’t signed up, it’s not too late.

Why join the SMASH PTSA?

The strength of the PTSA is in numbers. By joining SMASH PTSA, you give strength to the largest nonprofit advocacy group in the nation that’s dedicated to the education and welfare of our children. When you join, you make a difference.

At SMASH, the PTSA provides financial support for teachers’ aides, classroom supplies, field trips, music and art. By increasing membership, we can continue and maybe even expand the activities and programs that the PTSA funds.

You'll receive the all-important SMASH Phone Book, containing contact information for all students and parents. The Phone Book will be available soon.


How do you join the PTSA?

Pick up a PTSA envelope from the office. Fill it out.

Insert a check for $8 per member, payable to SMASH PTSA. Drop the envelope off at the office.

Remember, anyone can join – parents, kids, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors. You get a Phone Book for each membership purchased. Four memberships = four Phone Books. That's one for home, the office, and both cars.

Any questions, email Catherine Lerer (mother of Molly McGee/Core 2, and Sadie McGee/Core 1) at clerer@mcgeelerer.com.

Sincerely,

Catherine Lerer Helga Schier & David Saltzman Jessica Rishe
PTSA Membership PTSA Co-Presidents Principal

ptsa news
Don’t forget the family donation drive: ptsasmash.blogspot.com

The ever popular Rummage Sale and Car Wash, tomorrow, Saturday, 10/17, 9-1. Check out the flyers all around campus, or contact Tracy Story at tracymstory@hotmail.com

Our annual SMASH/Muir Halloween Carnival is on Friday, October 30, 1:30PM to 3:30PM. 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 Rummage Sale.
New and exciting fundraiser
The SMASH Parent Business & Talent Resource Directory
is a listing of SMASH parent businesses, services and talents.
All SMASH parents’ businesses, services, talents, and
even a parent’s employer’s business, can be included in the directory.
SMASH families will receive a free copy of the Directory.
Suggested donation per listing: $25.
Pay an additional amount to place
a full-page ad ($100), half-page ad ($75) or business-card ad ($50).
Funds raised support SMASH PTSA.
Contact Catherine Lerer at 310-717-8057 or clerer@mcgeelerer.com
or Jeff Jarow at 310-395-2663 or jeff@parcommerical.com

SMASH Bash is here! A unique fundraiser consisting of events hosted by parents throughout the year, SMASH Bash is designed to be eclectic and meet different and differing tastes. Sign-up coffee to come in late October. Contact Marni Brady marni99@yahoo.com for more information.

SUPERINTENDENT CUNEO TO JOIN SMASH PTSA...
for our next meeting: Wednesday October 21, 6:30 PM
DON’T MISS IT!
Superintendent Tim Cuneo will be joining us for an informative meeting.
Come show your support for SMASH and learn more about your school district.

Greenraising, our annual wrapping paper sale is here. Shop recycled wrapping paper, water bottles, lunch boxes and so much more. Contact Debbie Dempsey at lantzdempsey@msn.com

There’s still time to support the SMASH PTSA’s newest fundraiser

SMASH Parent Business & Talent Resource Directory

Are you a potential walking buddy? Parent with great healthy lunchbox ideas? Contractor?
Graphic designer? Knitter? Photographer? Bargain-hunter extraordinaire?
Own your own business or work for someone else?
Are you a stay-at-home entrepreneur with a special skill?
Tired of people asking what you do for a living?

♦ TELL THE SMASH COMMUNITY ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS OR TALENT ♦
While at the same time supporting the SMASH PTSA!

The SMASH Parent Business & Talent Resource Directory is a listing of SMASH parent businesses, services and talents, and parents’ employers’ businesses. The purpose of the directory is to encourage and enable networking among SMASH parents and provide an easy way to learn of and patronize these resources. Any SMASH parent’s business, service, or talent, or a parent’s employer’s business, can be included in the directory – established enterprises, new businesses and home-based services are welcome! All SMASH families will receive a free copy of the Directory.

Suggested donation for each basic listing: $25. You can pay an additional amount to place an additional full page ad ($100), half-page ad ($75) or business card ad ($50). Funds raised support the SMASH PTSA, which provides financial support for teacher’s aides, classroom supplies, field trips, music, art, and more.

Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

If you have any questions, please contact Catherine Lerer at 310-717-8057 or clerer@mcgeelerer.com or Jeff Jarow at 310-395-2663 or jeff@parcommerical.com

Return completed form and check, payable to SMASH PTSA, to SMASH office by 10/23/09. If placing additional ad, email it to nikki@peprinting.com by 10/23/09.

Specs for ads:
Full page: 4.5 wide by 7.5 tall
Half page is: 4.5 wide by 3.25 tall
Send a pdf, 300 dpi or greater
Black and white

Or email the copy and logo to Nikki, and Core 2 dad Ross Furukawa has graciously offered to build the ad for you.

SMASH Parent Business & Talent Resource Directory
Registration Form

SMASH Parent Name(s):________________________________________________________

Name of Business:_____________________________________________________________

SMASH Parent-Owned Business? (Yes or No) _______________________________________

Category: (painting, architecture):________________________________________________

Business Address:_____________________________________________________________

Website:_____________________________________Phone:__________________________

Email:_______________________________________________________________________

Description of business/services/talent: (not to exceed 50 words):

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Besides the basic listing ($25 suggested donation), I want to place an additional ad in the
directory:____full page ($100) ____half-page ($75) _____business card ($50).
Total enclosed__________.

SAMPLE BASIC LISTING:

Law

Personal Injury
Daniel McGee
Catherine Lerer
McGee, Lerer & Associates
11300 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 615
Los Angeles, CA 90064
800-999-9948

dmcgee@mcgeelerer.com
clerer@mcgeelerer.com


http://www.mcgeelerer.com/

Daniel McGee and Catherine Lerer are a husband and wife team. We are trial attorneys with over 30 years of combined experience in the legal profession handling serious injury cases. We are selective in the number of cases we accept, enabling us to provide the personalized service that a larger firm can't.

þ SMASH parent-owned business

DATES TO REMEMBER
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17 - 9:00am-4:00pm -RUMMAGE SALE, BAKE SALE, CAR WASH
See Today’s Friday Letter for VOLUNTEER TIMES & FLYER to POST!
Wed. Oct 21 - 6:30pm - PTSA Mtg. Superintendent, Tim Cuneo to speak - childcare available
Wed, Thurs, Fri, Oct. 21, 22 &23 - MINIMUM DAYS (1:30) Family Conferences. Sign up in office (come in, call or e-mail Janice at jwold@smmusd.org)
Fri, Oct 30 - HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL 1:30-3:30.
NO Playground Access. CREST classes ARE in session.

SAVE THE DATE: Tues, Nov 10 - SMASH night at California Pizza Kitchen, 210 Wilshire Bl. (between 2nd & 3rd Streets) 20% of funds to go to SMASH

WEDNESDAY BAKE SALES - Healthy Treats & Fun Items
Sales start at 2:30 pm (Muir dismissal)

CORE 3
October 28

CORE 2
November 4

CORE 1
December 2

CORE 4
December 9

THINGS TO DO
Pacific Resident Theatre presents Thornton Wilder’s OUR TOWN October 15—November 1
707 Venice Bl, Venice(4 blocks W. of Lincoln) reservations: 323-460-2508 www.pacificresidenttheatre.com
SMASH’s Core 4 Gabriel and Sebastian Schier and their dad, Brad Greenquest are in this production.

SMASHing Holiday Singers Tuesdays, 3:00-3:30 (in core 1) October 27—December 1 w/Dian Andrews

West Basin’s 11th Annual Water Harvest Festival; FREE Saturday, October 24 10:00am-2:00pm
At Edward C. Little Water Recycling Facility; 1935 S. Hughes Way (at Sepulveda), El Segundo
FREE food, games, raffle stage shows tours, costume contest and more. Free parking at 1960 E. Grand (at Sepulveda) www.westbasin.org
Santa Monica Symphony; Allen Robert Gross, Music Director & Conductor FREE ADMISSION Sunday, November 1, 2009 7:30 pm; Santa Monica Civic Auditorium; Main St. just north of PicoTchaikovsky: Symphony No.2 “Little Russian”; Beethoven: Piano Concerto No.2; Revueltas: 'Caminos'
Sculthorpe: 'Kakadu'; www.SMSymphony.org Bring the thrill of live symphony to your school-aged children!