Some of you are asking about actions to take and ways to get involved as budget decisions are made. Please check this weekly message and the PTSA page for updated information. For the moment, please consider the following:
A constant revenue source for SMASH is the money received from the state for each day a student attends school. Average Daily Attendance (ADA) provides approximately $41 per child each day that he or she is in the classroom. Absences, both excused and unexcused are not reimbursed by the state for ADA.
From 9/9/09-3/2/10, if you multiply our K-8 1,303 absences by $41 the cost of lost money (lost ADA) for SMASH is $53,423. Here is a chart by grade level that shows the number of absences.
Grade Level # of Excused and NonExcused Absences at SMASH 9/9/09-3/2/10
Kinder, 141 Absences
1st gd, 129
2nd gd, 124
3rd gd, 163
4th gd, 151
5th gd, 152
6th gd, 168
7th gd, 156
8th gd, 119
Total K-8 Absences 1,303
Here is a little family math challenge for you.
What is the lost ADA for your grade level?
If there were 5 fewer absences per each grade level, how much more revenue would SMASH have?
While decisions about school calendar, class sizes, staffing, or programs are not in our immediate locus of control, improving attendance is in our control. While understanding that absence due to illness is necessary, let’s take action where we can and see what our attendance rates can be from now until the end of the school year.
Truly Yours,
Jessica
***************************************
SMASH FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT—MAR 12—6:30 to 9:00PM - Movie: PONYO
**************************************
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR OUR SMASHING JOG-A-THON!
Special Thanks to coordinators, Lillie Schlessinger and Darlene Flanders and to all the hard working volunteers who provided a healthy, fun community day full of great music, cheering, refreshments and accounting!
*************************************
DATES TO REMEMBER
Wed, Mar 10 - PTSA Mtg, 8:30 am
Fri, Mar 12 - MOVIE NIGHT - 6:30 to 9:00pm. Details in this letter
Wed, Mar 17 - 8:45am - Auditorium - Yosemite Assembly - PLEASE NOTE— NEW DATE CHANGE
Mar 18, Apr 15 & Apr 28 - 4:30pm—8:30pm, SMASH Phone Bank Volunteers Needed
Wed, Mar 24 - Last day to turn in Golden Raffle Tickets
Wed, Thurs, Fri, Mar. 25, 26 & 27. Sign ups in the office.
Mon, Mar 29 - Fri, Apr 9 - SPRING BREAK—SCHOOL CLOSED
*************************************
WEDNESDAY BAKE SALES - Healthy Treats & Fun Items Sales start at 2:30 pm (Muir dismissal)
CORE 1 - March 10; April 28
CORE 2 - April 21; May 19
CORE 3 - April 14; May 12
CORE 4 - March 17; May 5
*****************************************
SMASH SCHOOL TOURS
MONDAYS 9:00-10:00am 8, 15 & 22 Deadline for K applications is March 31
**********************************
Benefit & Silent Auction for
ELEMENTAL STRINGS
LYNN HARRELL & FRIENDS,
Featuring Helen Nightengale, Brian Dewbow and Victor Santiago Asuncion
Sunday, March 7 - 2:00pm
First Presbyterian Church of Santa Monica; 2120 2nd Street, Santa Monica
All proceeds benefit Elemental Strings, a youth orchestra serving elementary
school-aged students in the Santa Monica community
Tickets: $35 Adults $15 Students,
available at www.brownpapertickets.com or www.elementalstrings.com
******************************
Free Movie for All
Movie: Ponyo Date: Friday, March 12 Time 6:30-9:00pm
Need a break? For Parents who would like a night out,
Core 4 will provide childcare to school age kids for $10/child or $20/family.
Sign up in the SMASH office 310-396-2640
Snacks will be available to purchase or bring your own food.
We kindly ask that everyone refrain from using hand held electronic devices inside the auditorium
*************************************
Middle School Families are invited to the Masterworks Choral Concert
Tuesday, March 16 at 7:00 PM in Barnum Hall.
Middle school students and a parent may come as our guests, free of charge. You may receive complimentary tickets from your choir teacher or at the box office the evening of the concert. For all others, tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students (purchased at the door).
SAMOHI MASTERWORKS CHORAL CONCERT 2010: MOZART'S REQUIEM MASS
Jeffe Huls, Conductor
The Santa Monica High School Choirs in conjunction with the instrumental music program will perform Mozart's monumental Requiem Mass on March 16th at 7PM in Barnum Hall. Completed mostly by his pupil, Süssmayr, Mozart died before he could finish the work. Containing eccentric drama, pristine beauty, and rigorous orchestral score it is often revered
as Mozart's crowning achievement. As it is frequently featured in movies and commercials, everyone will recognize melodies from the Introit, Kyrie, Dies Irae and the Requiem's most famous work, Lacrymosa. Please make plans to attend this amazing concert of collaboration, great music, and a tribute to one of music history's greatest works.
********************************
The Ed Foundation's Raffle has begun!
The Santa Monica High School Choirs in conjunction with the instrumental music program will perform Mozart's monumental Requiem Mass on March 16th at 7PM in Barnum Hall. Completed mostly by his pupil, Süssmayr, Mozart died before he could finish the work. Containing eccentric drama, pristine beauty, and rigorous orchestral score it is often revered
as Mozart's crowning achievement. As it is frequently featured in movies and commercials, everyone will recognize melodies from the Introit, Kyrie, Dies Irae and the Requiem's most famous work, Lacrymosa. Please make plans to attend this amazing concert of collaboration, great music, and a tribute to one of music history's greatest works.
********************************
The Ed Foundation's Raffle has begun!
Raffle ticket booklets, and all the information you need to get started have been sent home with your children-don't forget to check those backpacks!
For each completed book of raffle tickets you buy or sell, you will be entered into
SMASH's drawing for an iPod Nano! There will be ONE iPod Nano winner at every school!
Anyone who buys raffle tickets will have a chance to win the following GRAND PRIZES:
1st Prize: Weekend Getaway!
2nd Prize: MacBook laptop!
3rd Prize: iPod Touch & $100 iTunes gift card!
The annual SMMEF Raffle fundraiser supports the Ed Foundation's Academic Enrichment
Grant (AEG) program. Every year teachers are eligible to apply for an AEG up to $1000 to
support innovation in the classroom.
Also, the Ed Foundation is again offering a $5000 Super Grant. This grant will support collaboration and will only be awarded to one school, one grade level, ONE CORE, one department or one house in the District!
Please buy Raffle tickets to support this amazing program. Tickets are $4 each ticket or $20
for a booklet of 6 tickets.
This is a fun & affordable way to make learning fun for the children at SMASH and districtwide.
Last year Genie in Core 3 was awarded a grant for Technology Tools Build a Common Classroom Language.
I will begin collecting raffle tickets and money Thursday March 4th. Please have your child
turn in the booklets and money to their teacher. I will collect tickets and money weekly up
until Thursday March 25th.
We will hold a drawing at SMASH at the end of March for the iPod Nano and the Grand Prize raflle drawing will be during the Stairway concert on Friday March 26th. Winners do not need to be present.
If you have any questions please contact Debbie Dempsey
at 310 351-6395 or debbie@dempseyproductions.com
ALL TICKETS MUST BE TURNED INTO THE SMASH OFFICE
NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24
******************************************
World Water Day: Stephanie Soechtig "Tapped"
AET Screening Room, 1660 Stewart Street, Santa Monica, 90404.
Thursday, March 11 at 7:00 PM
You're invited to the screening of an eye-opening environmental film exploring the role of the bottled water industry and its effects on health, pollution, and reliance on oil. The evening includes a conversation with the documentary's director. Sponsored by the SMC Associates, Heal the Bay, and the Plastic Pollution Coalition. Free. Call (310) 434-4003 for more details.
***************************************
Dear SMASH Community,
Thank you for donating money, food, and supplies for the people of Haiti. We collected:
1 bag of rice
2 bags of beans
1 box of milk powder
14 jars of peanut butter
1 package of meat
9 packages of spaghetti
4 bottles of cooking oil
4 boxes of bleach tablets
16 bottles of vitamins
We also collected $64.28. The cards you made were fantastic.
It feels good to help people out for a big cause. Thank you for contributing to change the world.
Sincerely,
Core 2
Helping Haiti Project
************************************
“Where Architecture Meets Music”
March 18 - 7 p.m, at Barnum Hall, on the campus of Santa Monica High School
FRANK GEHRY, one of the world’s most influential architects, will be interviewed by Los Angeles journalist BARBARA ISENBERG, author of “Conversations with Frank Gehry,” about his life, his work and his inspiration— especially from the arts and music. The evening will also feature performances by LYNN HARRELL, “dean of American cellists,” and ANTONIO LYSY, professor of cello studies at UCLA. Please join us for an extraordinary evening.
Tickets available at www.brownpapertickets.com/events/98713
Adults: $20, Students and Seniors: $10
All proceeds go to supporting the Santa Monica High School Orchestras.
For further information, please call 310-395-3204 x 407 or visit our website: www.samohiorchestras.org
*********************************
TIME FOR SCHOOL CONFERENCES!
March 24, 25 & 26. Sign ups in the main office, or call Janice or Wende at 310-396-2640
*****************************************
ptsa news
Dear SMASH community,
As many of you know, the Board of Education has authorized an emergency school funding measure (Measure A) that will be placed before voters on May 26, 2010. This measure will offset the $10 million deficit incurred due to statewide budget cuts. SMASH PTSA has unanimously passed a resolution to support this measure. SMASH PTSA has made a financial contribution in the maximum amount permissible by our bylaws. Yet our support must be twofold. A successful campaign relies on voter outreach, and voter outreach relies on volunteers. SMASH has agreed to staff a few phone banking nights in March and April, and we encourage you to participate. If there ever was a time to be active it is now! It is time to help protect our schools! Thank you!
Helga Schier and David Saltzman
Co-Presidents, SMASH PTSA
*****
Want to know how you can help SMASH during this budget crisis?
Come join one of our SMASH Phone Banking Nights
in support of the Local School Funding Measure, now designated as "Measure A."
Phone Bank Volunteers
SMASH phone bank dates:
3/18, 4/15, 4/28
4:30PM to 8:30PM
You will receive training and a sample script and everything else you need to help in this simple, yet effective voter outreach program. The Phone Banking is held in the SMMCTA Headquarters (Teachers' Association) at 1508 18th Street, Santa Monica. Please come show your support for our great school and programs. RSVP to Devin Osiri to book your space – see you there!
Devin Osiri, Campaign Coordinator, 310-654-4933 (office); 818-823-8853 (cell); osiridevin@gmail.com Feel free to contact Helga Schier at helgaschier@verizon.net with any questions.
*****
Desperately Seeking
PTSA Board members and committee chairs for 2010/2011
Consider becoming an active member of the PTSA.
Contact your nominating committee:
Faye Jarow (fjarow@intelhc.com), April Motola (apnomo@earthlink.net) or
Tracy Saltzman (rhubarb1@earthlink.net)
*****
Next PTSA MEETING
Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 8:30AM
*****
Contribute to our FAMILY DONATION DRIVE: ptsasmash.blogspot.com
***************************
CORE 1 NEWS
Congratulations to all of our participants at the SMASHING JOGATHON today! Please remember to collect your money, and return it ASAP. This fundraiser brings so many benefits to our classrooms. Thanks for your support!
IMPORTANT DATES IN MARCH:
March 12th –Birthday Bash for March Birthdays. Our ceremony will begin at 11:45, and we will eat our lunch and birthday snacks around 12:15. If your child is celebrating his/her birthday in March, food/drink sign-ups will be on the Home/School Table in the Magic Garden. Please bring a small, healthy snack for 46 students. Suggestions are posted in the Magic Garden. Family and friends are welcome.
March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day – It’s time to catch some leprechauns! In your Friday Folder, each child has been given the challenge to create a leprechaun trap at home. This is also a project that will be offered in school next week. This may be our lucky year!
In celebration, we will also be offering a healthy, community snack… of GREEN food (green grapes, celery, green pasta, etc.). If you would like to bring a snack for the children, please email or sign-up in the Magic Garden. We will also have time for a little food preparation in the morning. If you have an idea and would like to prepare it with a small group of children, let us know!
March 18th – Field Trip to Will Rogers State Park
We will be taking a school bus to Will Rogers State Park for a day filled with picnics, hiking, and adventure. Please look for the enclosed permission slip, and $5 donations are requested. We would love to take AS MANY PARENTS AS POSSIBLE, so please sign-up if you can come. We will be leaving at 9am and returning around 1:30pm. All children will need: snack, lunch, walking shoes, and sunscreen.
Last Week of March – Family Conferences – Specific dates, times, and information will be sent out next week.
PIRATES & FAIRIES ADVENTURE BOOK & DVD!
Buy the book, and read the story that your children lived while acting as pirates and fairies! Buy
the DVD and watch video clips and a slide show of the process your child went through during their extraordinary experience in holistic drama! Buy them both as a set and save money! Book ($12), DVD ($12), Book & DVD Set ($20). Order forms for our book and DVD were sent out last week! The final due date is Friday, March 12th. All proceeds go to our Core 1 Spring Visual Arts Program.
Congratulations to Nalani, Naren, and Ashli for the birth of baby Jasmine last Saturday, February 27.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!
Candis, Chrysta and Jackie
Candis: cberens@smmusd.org;
For each completed book of raffle tickets you buy or sell, you will be entered into
SMASH's drawing for an iPod Nano! There will be ONE iPod Nano winner at every school!
Anyone who buys raffle tickets will have a chance to win the following GRAND PRIZES:
1st Prize: Weekend Getaway!
2nd Prize: MacBook laptop!
3rd Prize: iPod Touch & $100 iTunes gift card!
The annual SMMEF Raffle fundraiser supports the Ed Foundation's Academic Enrichment
Grant (AEG) program. Every year teachers are eligible to apply for an AEG up to $1000 to
support innovation in the classroom.
Also, the Ed Foundation is again offering a $5000 Super Grant. This grant will support collaboration and will only be awarded to one school, one grade level, ONE CORE, one department or one house in the District!
Please buy Raffle tickets to support this amazing program. Tickets are $4 each ticket or $20
for a booklet of 6 tickets.
This is a fun & affordable way to make learning fun for the children at SMASH and districtwide.
Last year Genie in Core 3 was awarded a grant for Technology Tools Build a Common Classroom Language.
I will begin collecting raffle tickets and money Thursday March 4th. Please have your child
turn in the booklets and money to their teacher. I will collect tickets and money weekly up
until Thursday March 25th.
We will hold a drawing at SMASH at the end of March for the iPod Nano and the Grand Prize raflle drawing will be during the Stairway concert on Friday March 26th. Winners do not need to be present.
If you have any questions please contact Debbie Dempsey
at 310 351-6395 or debbie@dempseyproductions.com
ALL TICKETS MUST BE TURNED INTO THE SMASH OFFICE
NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24
******************************************
World Water Day: Stephanie Soechtig "Tapped"
AET Screening Room, 1660 Stewart Street, Santa Monica, 90404.
Thursday, March 11 at 7:00 PM
You're invited to the screening of an eye-opening environmental film exploring the role of the bottled water industry and its effects on health, pollution, and reliance on oil. The evening includes a conversation with the documentary's director. Sponsored by the SMC Associates, Heal the Bay, and the Plastic Pollution Coalition. Free. Call (310) 434-4003 for more details.
***************************************
Dear SMASH Community,
Thank you for donating money, food, and supplies for the people of Haiti. We collected:
1 bag of rice
2 bags of beans
1 box of milk powder
14 jars of peanut butter
1 package of meat
9 packages of spaghetti
4 bottles of cooking oil
4 boxes of bleach tablets
16 bottles of vitamins
We also collected $64.28. The cards you made were fantastic.
It feels good to help people out for a big cause. Thank you for contributing to change the world.
Sincerely,
Core 2
Helping Haiti Project
************************************
“Where Architecture Meets Music”
March 18 - 7 p.m, at Barnum Hall, on the campus of Santa Monica High School
FRANK GEHRY, one of the world’s most influential architects, will be interviewed by Los Angeles journalist BARBARA ISENBERG, author of “Conversations with Frank Gehry,” about his life, his work and his inspiration— especially from the arts and music. The evening will also feature performances by LYNN HARRELL, “dean of American cellists,” and ANTONIO LYSY, professor of cello studies at UCLA. Please join us for an extraordinary evening.
Tickets available at www.brownpapertickets.com/events/98713
Adults: $20, Students and Seniors: $10
All proceeds go to supporting the Santa Monica High School Orchestras.
For further information, please call 310-395-3204 x 407 or visit our website: www.samohiorchestras.org
*********************************
TIME FOR SCHOOL CONFERENCES!
March 24, 25 & 26. Sign ups in the main office, or call Janice or Wende at 310-396-2640
*****************************************
ptsa news
Dear SMASH community,
As many of you know, the Board of Education has authorized an emergency school funding measure (Measure A) that will be placed before voters on May 26, 2010. This measure will offset the $10 million deficit incurred due to statewide budget cuts. SMASH PTSA has unanimously passed a resolution to support this measure. SMASH PTSA has made a financial contribution in the maximum amount permissible by our bylaws. Yet our support must be twofold. A successful campaign relies on voter outreach, and voter outreach relies on volunteers. SMASH has agreed to staff a few phone banking nights in March and April, and we encourage you to participate. If there ever was a time to be active it is now! It is time to help protect our schools! Thank you!
Helga Schier and David Saltzman
Co-Presidents, SMASH PTSA
*****
Want to know how you can help SMASH during this budget crisis?
Come join one of our SMASH Phone Banking Nights
in support of the Local School Funding Measure, now designated as "Measure A."
Phone Bank Volunteers
SMASH phone bank dates:
3/18, 4/15, 4/28
4:30PM to 8:30PM
You will receive training and a sample script and everything else you need to help in this simple, yet effective voter outreach program. The Phone Banking is held in the SMMCTA Headquarters (Teachers' Association) at 1508 18th Street, Santa Monica. Please come show your support for our great school and programs. RSVP to Devin Osiri to book your space – see you there!
Devin Osiri, Campaign Coordinator, 310-654-4933 (office); 818-823-8853 (cell); osiridevin@gmail.com Feel free to contact Helga Schier at helgaschier@verizon.net with any questions.
*****
Desperately Seeking
PTSA Board members and committee chairs for 2010/2011
Consider becoming an active member of the PTSA.
Contact your nominating committee:
Faye Jarow (fjarow@intelhc.com), April Motola (apnomo@earthlink.net) or
Tracy Saltzman (rhubarb1@earthlink.net)
*****
Next PTSA MEETING
Wednesday, March 10, 2010, 8:30AM
*****
Contribute to our FAMILY DONATION DRIVE: ptsasmash.blogspot.com
***************************
CORE 1 NEWS
Congratulations to all of our participants at the SMASHING JOGATHON today! Please remember to collect your money, and return it ASAP. This fundraiser brings so many benefits to our classrooms. Thanks for your support!
IMPORTANT DATES IN MARCH:
March 12th –Birthday Bash for March Birthdays. Our ceremony will begin at 11:45, and we will eat our lunch and birthday snacks around 12:15. If your child is celebrating his/her birthday in March, food/drink sign-ups will be on the Home/School Table in the Magic Garden. Please bring a small, healthy snack for 46 students. Suggestions are posted in the Magic Garden. Family and friends are welcome.
March 17th – St. Patrick’s Day – It’s time to catch some leprechauns! In your Friday Folder, each child has been given the challenge to create a leprechaun trap at home. This is also a project that will be offered in school next week. This may be our lucky year!
In celebration, we will also be offering a healthy, community snack… of GREEN food (green grapes, celery, green pasta, etc.). If you would like to bring a snack for the children, please email or sign-up in the Magic Garden. We will also have time for a little food preparation in the morning. If you have an idea and would like to prepare it with a small group of children, let us know!
March 18th – Field Trip to Will Rogers State Park
We will be taking a school bus to Will Rogers State Park for a day filled with picnics, hiking, and adventure. Please look for the enclosed permission slip, and $5 donations are requested. We would love to take AS MANY PARENTS AS POSSIBLE, so please sign-up if you can come. We will be leaving at 9am and returning around 1:30pm. All children will need: snack, lunch, walking shoes, and sunscreen.
Last Week of March – Family Conferences – Specific dates, times, and information will be sent out next week.
PIRATES & FAIRIES ADVENTURE BOOK & DVD!
Buy the book, and read the story that your children lived while acting as pirates and fairies! Buy
the DVD and watch video clips and a slide show of the process your child went through during their extraordinary experience in holistic drama! Buy them both as a set and save money! Book ($12), DVD ($12), Book & DVD Set ($20). Order forms for our book and DVD were sent out last week! The final due date is Friday, March 12th. All proceeds go to our Core 1 Spring Visual Arts Program.
Congratulations to Nalani, Naren, and Ashli for the birth of baby Jasmine last Saturday, February 27.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!
Candis, Chrysta and Jackie
Candis: cberens@smmusd.org;
Chrysta: cwyse@smmusd.org
**************************************************************
CORE 2 NEWS
Dear Fabulous Core 2 Families and Friends,
Last week we were honored to have a martial arts demonstration done by Sensei Ryan. He spoke about 5 animals and their characteristics. With each demonstration of the animal’s movements he explained the strategies each animal would use in a time of challenge or conflict. He stressed the importance of being adaptable and resilient. He shared an anecdote that illustrated that avoiding confrontation is the best form of self-defense. Please ask your children to share the story of the amazing Kung-Fu master and the reporter who followed him. It is a great story about self-control. We realized that Karate, Kung-Fu and C.A.R.E.S. fall under the category of social arts.
In Reading Workshop this week, students have mined their information books for interesting facts to share with their book clubs and with the class. They practiced their presentation skills by addressing the whole class. In Writing Workshop continued gathering ideas for their information books and have started grouping their ideas into related categories.
In Math, 2nd graders continued to tackle financial problems. This week, we focused on explaining how we grouped money quantities to use efficient counting strategies. They also stretched their thinking about big numbers. One challenge this week was How many 100s are in 1,000/10,000/100,000/1,000,000? The 3rd graders learned the activity Close to 100 which involves adding and subtracting of 2 digit numbers.
Students learned about ecology at the Earth Day assembly. They are working their posters for the Earth Day poster contest. The winning poster will be featured on the outside of a Big Blue Bus.
Thank you for your participation in the Jog-a-thon. Lillie and Darlene organized a fun, fundraising event. Make sure to bring in your pledges.
Core 2 students are constantly improving their social skills. This week, we reinforced the idea of the Oreo cookie. We are asking children to be mindful of starting and ending interactions with a greeting or another form of acknowledgement. We are asking them to notice 3-part interactions in various settings.
Lice continue to thrive in Core 2. New incidences have been reported this week. Please check
your children daily and let us know if you find anything suspicious. In the meantime, we are enjoying the creative hair-dos. Even if the up-do’s may not be preventing the spreading of lice, they are a good reminder for children to refrain from playing with each other’s hair.
Next week’s Stars of the Week are Nathan and Max.
Dates to remember:
Monday, Mar 22 – Friday, Mar 26 – Spring Family Conferences – sign up sheets will be in main office
Monday, March 29 – Spring Break Begins until April 9
gbarba-castro@smmusd.org
******************************************
CORE 3 NEWS
Studies show that children learn better when they construct their own understanding. This is one of the foundations of the SMASH philosophy. We can tell students that 1 cookie plus 2 cookies equals 3 cookies, but if they build it for themselves, they not only understand the concept of addition, but also have a concrete mental image that they can build off of. Manipulatives help students take ownership of their newly constructed thinking. Manipulatives do not need to be a concrete item like a cookie, but it helps to be something (a symbol even) that can stand for an item or amount and be manipulated at first. Later, a representation of that tool or symbol can be drawn on paper and used to solve problems. This mental imaging is an important part of conceptual understanding. In Core 3 math, we are moving away from using pictures of things (people, houses, cars, etc. to symbols to represent amounts—tally marks are an example of symbolic representation) to solve complex problems.
Manipulatives are also important in supporting different learning styles. It also enables the use of a common language to discuss ideas, processes, and answers. In Core 3 we’re using Base Ten Blocks. Mastering our base-ten system is the foundation to numeracy. For most elementary mathematicians, the difficulty with our number system occurs when we go beyond the ten in any given place (when you get to a number and it jumps to the next place value, like from 9 to 10 or 99 to 100 or 999 to 1,000) that makes adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division challenging. The Base Ten Blocks includes units or ones (little cubes): One unit equals one and two units equals two and so forth until you get to ten. Ten units equals one rod or ten (10 units stuck together) so you can trade ten units/ones for one rod/ten. The rod represents the tens place and when you have ten rods, you have 100 units (1 x 100) or 10 rods (10 x 10) or 1 flat or hundred (100 x 1) and you move into the hundreds place. Ten flats/hundreds (100 x 10) equals 1,000 which is a cube or thousand (10 x 10 x 10). We use these Base Ten Blocks to do addition and subtraction with exchanging (borrowing or carrying) to create a concrete demonstration and mental image of regrouping. They are also used for multiplication and division. Later, we use the common language and pictures to do work on paper—as a way to represent and build upon our conceptual understanding.
We use many other kinds of manipulatives and modalities of learning math. Another example is in 5G geometry unit, to learn about right angles students cut four corners of a paper and put them together to make 360 ° creating a discussion on circles. Or using string to create different types of triangle and discussing whether they are scalene or isosceles. In the 4G fraction unit, kids are folding strips of paper to make 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, etc. to see which section is bigger and using linking cubes to represent parts of a whole. Manipulatives aren't used to create a dependence on them to solve problems, rather they are there to help students construct understanding, build conceptual understanding, and use as a gateway to harder problems. Ask your child what helps them solve problems.
Time management is a form of math—estimation and “spatial” sense, and a skill we practice every day when we go on field trips, plan lessons, get ready for school in the mornings, and plan our transitions between activities. The music teachers want to maximize the time they have with students who come to them from SMASH and John Muir classrooms for music on Thursday mornings. Music starts at 8:30 sharp, so students need time to come in, unpack, put their stuff away. We try to open the doors before 8:30each day so students have time to get settled before the start of the day. Please help your child be responsible for being on time on music Thursdays and every day—some students arrive as late as 10-15 minutes.
******************************************
CORE 3 NEWS
Studies show that children learn better when they construct their own understanding. This is one of the foundations of the SMASH philosophy. We can tell students that 1 cookie plus 2 cookies equals 3 cookies, but if they build it for themselves, they not only understand the concept of addition, but also have a concrete mental image that they can build off of. Manipulatives help students take ownership of their newly constructed thinking. Manipulatives do not need to be a concrete item like a cookie, but it helps to be something (a symbol even) that can stand for an item or amount and be manipulated at first. Later, a representation of that tool or symbol can be drawn on paper and used to solve problems. This mental imaging is an important part of conceptual understanding. In Core 3 math, we are moving away from using pictures of things (people, houses, cars, etc. to symbols to represent amounts—tally marks are an example of symbolic representation) to solve complex problems.
Manipulatives are also important in supporting different learning styles. It also enables the use of a common language to discuss ideas, processes, and answers. In Core 3 we’re using Base Ten Blocks. Mastering our base-ten system is the foundation to numeracy. For most elementary mathematicians, the difficulty with our number system occurs when we go beyond the ten in any given place (when you get to a number and it jumps to the next place value, like from 9 to 10 or 99 to 100 or 999 to 1,000) that makes adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division challenging. The Base Ten Blocks includes units or ones (little cubes): One unit equals one and two units equals two and so forth until you get to ten. Ten units equals one rod or ten (10 units stuck together) so you can trade ten units/ones for one rod/ten. The rod represents the tens place and when you have ten rods, you have 100 units (1 x 100) or 10 rods (10 x 10) or 1 flat or hundred (100 x 1) and you move into the hundreds place. Ten flats/hundreds (100 x 10) equals 1,000 which is a cube or thousand (10 x 10 x 10). We use these Base Ten Blocks to do addition and subtraction with exchanging (borrowing or carrying) to create a concrete demonstration and mental image of regrouping. They are also used for multiplication and division. Later, we use the common language and pictures to do work on paper—as a way to represent and build upon our conceptual understanding.
We use many other kinds of manipulatives and modalities of learning math. Another example is in 5G geometry unit, to learn about right angles students cut four corners of a paper and put them together to make 360 ° creating a discussion on circles. Or using string to create different types of triangle and discussing whether they are scalene or isosceles. In the 4G fraction unit, kids are folding strips of paper to make 1/2, 1/3, 1/4, 1/6, etc. to see which section is bigger and using linking cubes to represent parts of a whole. Manipulatives aren't used to create a dependence on them to solve problems, rather they are there to help students construct understanding, build conceptual understanding, and use as a gateway to harder problems. Ask your child what helps them solve problems.
Time management is a form of math—estimation and “spatial” sense, and a skill we practice every day when we go on field trips, plan lessons, get ready for school in the mornings, and plan our transitions between activities. The music teachers want to maximize the time they have with students who come to them from SMASH and John Muir classrooms for music on Thursday mornings. Music starts at 8:30 sharp, so students need time to come in, unpack, put their stuff away. We try to open the doors before 8:30each day so students have time to get settled before the start of the day. Please help your child be responsible for being on time on music Thursdays and every day—some students arrive as late as 10-15 minutes.
Tamara, Genie, and Malaika
tmugalian@smmusd.org
ghwang@smmusd.org
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CORE 4 NEWS
Middle School Families are invited to the Masterworks Choral Concert on Tuesday, March 16 at 7:00 PM in Barnum Hall. Middle school students and a parent may come as our guests, free of charge. You may receive complimentary tickets from your choir teacher or at the box office the evening of the concert. For all others, tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students (purchased at the door). SAMOHI MASTERWORKS CHORAL CONCERT 2010: MOZART'S REQUIEM MASS Jeffe Huls, Conductor
The Santa Monica High School Choirs in conjunction with the instrumental music program will perform Mozart's monumental Requiem Mass on March 16th at 7PM in Barnum Hall. Completed mostly by his pupil, Süssmayr, Mozart died before he could finish the work. Containing eccentric drama, pristine beauty, and rigorous orchestral score it is often revered
as Mozart's crowning achievement. As it is frequently featured in movies and commercials, everyone will recognize melodies from the Introit, Kyrie, Dies Irae and the Requiem's most famous work, Lacrymosa. Please make plans to attend this amazing concert of collaboration, great music, and a tribute to one of music history's greatest works.
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News and Information from Science Class: We are happily, messily, and gleefully approaching the end of the Student Interest Based Investigation. Most of the kids have done amazing work involving thoughtful inquiries into significant science matters and bringing impressive demonstrations of physical concepts to their classmates. Science class is a high-demand, high support class with fun systems in place to keep things engaging once the student has demonstrated solid work habits. In essence, this class is classic SMASH “freedom with responsibility.”
Please, remember that this project is classroom based with only typing chores and the gathering of materials being home responsibilities. If they do not bring the required materials to class their time will be spent reading science books instead of performing hands on science activities, experiments, and demonstrations. I love books, use them in class as enrichment, but the heart of inquiry teaching lies in choice based activities where children are literally building knowledge. Getting materials to school is a critical piece of parent support; please, make this a consistent priority or let me know if you need assistance finding certain materials.
In summary, to help your child with the long, demanding projects that are characteristic of inquiry science and to determine whether or not your child has used this science inquiry time optimally, you need to do four things:
1. Please ask your child to explain key learnings from the project, how they use their class time, and ask to see the
photo-documentation of what they have been doing.
2. The first and most important at the moment is to review, assist with, and sign their daily pages weekly. If they are
not completing them or you do not understand the Cornell note system, please immediately drop around and I’ll show
you this effective research based method of documenting information and communicating with parents. Daily pages
are my primary method of getting information to you!
3. Persistently ask to review their planners together, and talk about required materials for their projects. Your inquiries
validate their efforts to plan and support activity-based teaching which leads to student higher achievement.
4. Visit the classroom and school! There is no better way to support your child then to be a visible presence on an occasional basis. Middle school age children are in the middle of the second most significant brain growth -period of their lives. Come see them in action
I will be doing a few things to help you help them. Just after spring break and before another project cycle I will be having two parent support nights. These parent education nights will take you through the process of inquiry science and give you an actionable picture of how to make sure your child generates good habits, and educational options for themselves. I will be scheduling these with Jessica and announcing them via email blasts. In addition, I would like to
begin conferences right early next week.
Our conferences this year are 15 minutes long with 5 minute transitions between family groups. Sign up sheets will be in the front office. Please be sure to bring your child along as they are central to the process here at SMASH and will in most cases lead the conference. If you feel the need for an adult’s only conversation please let me know and I will make arrangements to have tea or otherwise check in. Scheduling will be in order of “most need” meaning that we shall generally be seeing 7th grade parents first, sixth grade parents next, and we are asking our most experienced parent partners to join us as a group as we have already discussed at the 8th grade parent support meetings. This approach reflects our joint decision last year to work as an adult team to weave a fine meshed safety net under out SMASHing seniors. Naturally we are always available individually should you feel a pressing need. Kurt
Kurt: kholland@smmusd.org; Kelly: kkulsrud@smmusd.org; Bailey: baileyfield@mac.com
