NOVEMBER 19, 2010

REMINDERS!

Wednesday, November 24 - 1:30 Dismissal

Thursday & Friday, November 25 & 26
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY - SCHOOL CLOSED

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Dear SMASHing Families,
‘Tis almost Thanksgiving and I’ve been thinking how grateful I am to all SMASH families and staff who have made this such a positive and successful few months. Thank you for the innumerable ways you share ideas, run and attend events, and bring extraordinary energy and feeling to all that we do together. Since September, we’ve gone through gas leak, aggressive bees, election campaigning, and standardized test score new legislation yet these external circumstances have not been deterrents. We choose to stay focused on our collective vision of engaged learners and a compassionate community.

Speaking of compassion, I’ve been reading and journaling about ways to extend forgiveness and kindness towards people when my mind says “Well I’m right and they’re wrong!” It’s something I continue to work on in myself no doubt, and it’s something I’m studying looking for ways to help students who get stuck trying to be right without readiness to forgive. Desmond Tutu says, “To forgive is the highest form of self-interest. I need to forgive you so that my anger and resentment and lust for revenge don’t corrode my being.” Keeping our hearts open when things don’t go as we would like takes patience and practice. The Dalai Lama writes about the fact that he was short-tempered in his younger life. He has described how developing compassion took him training and time. If that’s true of the Dalai Lama, I can accept that I, and the students I work with, can continually learn and get to a wider circle of compassion. Ripples make waves so I celebrate each moment I work with children who reflect on their unkind actions and experience the satisfaction that caring about people who are different from them brings.

I’ll be chaperoning the 8th grade trip next week then return to celebrate the holiday with my family.
Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

Jessica
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DATES TO REMEMBER
Mon-Wed, Nov 22-24 - 8th grade trip to Camp Hess-Kramer
Wed. Nov 24 - EARLY DISMISSAL - 1:30pm
Thurs & Fri, Nov 25 & 26 - Thanksgiving Holiday - SCHOOL CLOSED
Wed, Dec 1 - 6:00pm - PTSA Mtg
Fri, Dec 3 - 11:30-5:00 - SMASH Holiday Boutique
December 20 - December 31 - Winter Break - SCHOOL CLOSED
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FREE THANKSGIVING DINNER 11:00am - 3:00pm
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium - 1855 Main Street
This celebration includes Thanksgiving dinner, children’s entertainment,
basic medical consultations, clothing distributions, haircuts & basic eye examines.
No reservations necessary
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WEDNESDAY BAKE SALE DATES
CORE 1: Dec 1
CORE 2: Dec 8
CORE 3: Dec 15
CORE 4: Jan 5

TEACHER APPRECIATION LUNCH
CORE 2: Dec 10
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HOLIDAY SINGERS
ONE LAST REHEARSAL - Wed. Dec 1 (no more rehearsals in November)
PERFORMANCES
Dec 3 at the SMASH Holiday Boutique
Dec 5 at the Main Street Farmer’s Market-8:30am
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HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING PARTY
Santa Monica Place (3rd St & Broadway) - 6:00pm - Saturday, Nov 20
Tree lighting with live local music, dance & more For information go to www.santamonicaplace.com
Main Street Tree-lighting with holiday songs by the Samohi Choir—6:00pm - Saturday Dec. 4Ocean Park Blvd & Main Street
Following the Tree-lighting,a Candlelight Walk to the famous Shopping Cart Tree at Edgemar Courtyard and music by the Off Their Jingle Bell Rockers (approx. 6:30pm)
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Missed out on the Lifetouch Retakes?
Lifetouch will be taking photographs at their studio Tuesday; Dec 7 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm.
20406 Earl Street, Torrance 90503 No appointments - first come first served
If you wanted a retake—please to bring your complete package (minus class photo) If you did not order photos, but would like to, contact Lifetouch School Studios Customer Service: ph: 310-542-5500, fax: 310-542-4703 Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30
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National Council of Jewish Women/ Los Angeles
Presents Annual FREE Clothing Giveaway
Sunday, December 5, 2010 8:30am-12:30pm (Rain or Shine)
NCJW/LA Parking Lot 543 North Fairfax Ave(1 block South of Melrose at Clinton)
Select from thousands of pieces of clothing and books for women, men & children Proudly sponsored by NCJW/LA Women Helping Women Community Counseling & Support Services & Council Thrift Shops
No suitcases, Backpacks or Bags allowed. We will provide bags for you and your family.
Children under the age of 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
For Information Please Call 323-852-8515 or elizabeth@ncjwla.org www.ncjwla.org
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CANNED FOOD DRIVE
Beginning November 29 through December 13
Please bring donations of canned and packaged foods such as meats, stews, beans, rice, fruits & vegetables, jarred baby foods and formula, coffee, teas, hot chocolate, peanut and nut butters.
If you are donating from your own pantry, please check expiration dates. Thanks!
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WANTED: BASKETBALLS, SOCCERBALLS, HANDBALLS & KICKBALLS FOR OUR KIDS DURING RECESS. THANKS
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SMASH BASH and SMASH CAMPING SIGN-UPS IN OFFICE
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reDiscover Center’s Annual
GREEN YOUR HOLIDAY EVENTS
Join us to CREATE UNIQUE HOLIDAY ORNAMENTS & HANDMADE CARDS
Refreshments will be served! $5.00 per person
December 4 & 11 from 10:00am to 1:00pm
12958 Washington Blvd, Culver City
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Don’t shop for the holidays until you’ve been to our annual
Holiday Boutique &
Art Affaire
December 3, 11:30 – 5:30
We are looking for vendors and artisans*
who have unique handmade items to offer at the sale.
If you are interested in selling your creations (jewelry, scarves, art work),
contact Birte Reimer at reimer.birte@gmail.com.
Students are welcome to sell, too.
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We also need volunteers** to help manage our food and activity booths
(Waffles, Chili, Candle-Making, Soap-Making, Spin art, SMASH Gear).
If you can help, please contact Helga Schier at helgaschier@verizon.net.

*Vendors fill out a vendor’s agreement, and are responsible for their own set-up and clean-up.
PTSA receives 20% of vendor’s gross receipts.
**If you want to help at the Core Art Tables, please contact your Core Rep.
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ptsa news

president’s message

Dear SMASHing Parents,

As your SMASH PTSA president, this week I attended the monthly meeting of the Santa Monica Malibu District PTA Council. At these meetings, presidents from all the schools in our district attend. We discuss issues affecting all schools in the district.

At this month’s meeting, there was a presentation by the Involvement and Inclusion Committee of the PTA Council. We discussed how to get more parents involved in the PTA & PTSA units of our schools. Some schools have problems involving families who speak English as a second language, who may not feel a sense of inclusion, because of language or cultural barriers. Other schools have problems involving leadership or not having enough parent volunteers to help handle PTA/PTSA sponsored events.

At the meeting, there was also a report on each school’s PTA membership numbers. At SMASH, we have 277 members. Outstanding. Some schools in our district are not as fortunate to have as much parent involvement as we do. SMASH has a longstanding culture of volunteerism with our PTSA-sponsored events. Our parents step-up and get involved.

What I’d love to see more of is more and new faces at SMASH’s monthly PTSA meetings. We are always looking for those parents who want to get more involved and take a leadership role in our SMASH community. Please remember that the SMASH PTSA is making decisions that affect your children. Each of you has an open invitation to get more involved.

Please join us at our next meeting on December 1, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. ~ Dan McGee

ptsa annual family investment drive
·The SMASH Annual Family Investment Drive is on-going and will continue throughout the year. We are making progress towards a successful investment drive this school year. There are families who have not made a decision about their investment and want to wait until after the end of the year before deciding. If you haven’t made a commitment for your Annual Investment, we ask that you please make a commitment when you are able. Donations can be made by check, Paypal or credit card. Annual Family Investment (AFI) envelopes are available in the office. Please remember that your investment helps pay for classroom teaching assistants, reading and math specialists, the SMASH fine arts program, science equipment, technology upgrades, professional development and so much more. If you have any questions, contact Marni Ayers Brady (marniayers@gmail.com) or Helga Schier (helgaschier@verizon.net)

SMASH bash
·If you missed the sign-up to attend a SMASH Bash event, please note that many events still have openings. Please contact Marni Ayers Brady (marniayers@gmail.com) at your earliest convenience and let her know what event you would like to attend. If you didn’t have a chance to experience a SMASH Bash last year, don’t miss out this year!

SMASH phone and business directory
·Check out the awesome new SMASH Phone and Business Directory. It looks great! If you joined PTSA this year, you can pick up your directory in the office. For those who haven’t joined SMASH PTSA yet, you still can. Each $8 membership entitles you to one directory. Check-out the Business Directory listings and ads. Many of the businesses are offering discounts to our SMASH community.

SMASHing meetings
·Our next PTSA meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, December 1, 2010, at 6:00 p.m. If you have never attended a PTSA meeting, please stop by. For those who are regularly involved we look forward to seeing you at the meeting.

DATES TO REMEMBER:
Friday, December 3, 2010, Holiday Boutique at SMASH.

GREEN TIP FOR THE WEEK - We can now Terracycle ALL brands and sizes of cheese packaging (including string cheese and cream cheese) !!Woohoo!

The City of LA Recycles Styrofoam as well as all plastics 1-7. LA City accepts all clean styrofoam except styrofoam peanuts which are accepted by many ship centers for reuse.Don't live in LA?Ask your LA friend if they will recycle your Styrofoam for you.Mimi, Core 1 mom and LA resident, is always ready to take any of your recyclables! For more info, email Mimi at mimilichterman@yahoo.com
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CORE 1 NEWS
THE BOURGET BROS. FIELD TRIP WAS A HUGE SUCCESS!!
“I didn’t know that you can recycle cement.” – Marcus
“Cement can be shaped to look like stones.” – Sofia Marie
“The rocks got smooth because they were rolled in the water.” – Eliana
“I learned that cement has a lot of tiny rocks and other minerals.” – Jack Z.
“I didn’t know that rocks were so big.” – Simone
“Rocks can be pounded into sand.” – Leo
“You can’t cut cement with a knife. You have to use a diamond saw.” – Sadie M.
“Long ago people stacked giant rocks to make houses.” – Esai

THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE PARENTS WHO HELPED CHAPERONE THE TRIPS!!
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NEXT CORE 1 COMMUNITY TRIP
Wednesday, November 24: Walking Field Trip to the Beach! Join us for our Art Study with Julianna to observe Michele Oka Doner's public art sculptures. We will be doing our project rotations at the beach – building , drawing, painting, and creating our own sculptures inspired by Oka Doner’s work.

Please sign-up in the Magic Garden if you will like to accompany us.

DON’T FORGET! Next Wednesday, Nov. 24th – All children are dismissed at 1:30.
Thursday, Nov 25 and Friday, Nov 26 - Thanksgiving holiday - school closed

SAVE THE DATE – Wednesday, December 1st – The Core 1 Community will be sharing their amazing art pieces with family and friends. Come see samples of our art as we explored texture, shape, perspective, lines, and patterns. This has been LONG art study (since September!) and it’s time for us all to celebrate together!

Wish-List – We need pinecones – any and all sizes! Please put them in a basket in the Magic Garden.

Have a wonderful weekend!
There will be no Friday Letter or Friday Folder sent home next week.
Candis, Chrysta, Graciela, Jackie, and Karin
Candis: cberens@smmusd.org
Chrysta: cwyse@smmusd.org
Graciela: gbarba-castro@smmusd.org
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CORE 2 NEWS
Advisory News: Our leadership focus was on the “S” in CARES, Self-Control. By rotating our leadership focus each week, we are able to reflect on our strengths and continue to set goals in the areas where we need more practice. This week we continued to discuss and practice making good choices during learning times (so you AND the people around you can listen and pay attention), controlling our impulse to shout out during discussions (so EVERYONE has time to think and respond and share ideas), and following directions quickly and quietly during transitions (so we spend our time exploring, learning, sharing, and reflecting—not in between!). ***Family HW: Have a discussion about how self-control is something we have to do by ourselves, but how it often affects others.

Literacy:
RW: The students used our read aloud book, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume, to look at the elements of realistic fiction: characters that are kids, friends, and family members; first-person narration; plots that could happen in real life and take place in present day in familiar locations like school, home, towns; and stories that we can relate to and use to help us understand our own lives. We plotted one chapter on a Story Mountain Map to see how each chapter is like a realistic fiction short story. ***RW HW: Core 2 students--continue reading for at least 30 minutes at home each day. This homework is VERY important, whether you are a strong, fluent reader or you are trying to improve you reading skills.
WW: The students continued collecting for their realistic fiction story by adding to their Writers’ Toolbox; they will be using Story Mountain Maps to plot out their seed ideas for their own stories. ***WW HW: Core 2 students--make a story mountain map of your Just Right book (it can be of the whole book, what you have read so far, or of one chapter like we did in class).

Math:
Laura’s 3rd graders continued working on Unit 2, Surveys and Line Plots. See the attached letter with suggestions to for math at home. 3G Math HW is attached and due on Wednesday, November 24.
Tamara’s 4th graders started a new unit last week, Describing the Shape of the Data. They collected information and worked with a small group to organize and represent their data with pie graphs, bar graphs, and tally marks. Then they ranked each graph, including their own, for clarity and numerical/visual representation. They used that feedback to improve their graphs. They also practiced organizing information onto a line plot and using range, cluster, outlier, and average to interpret and discuss the data. 4G Math HW this week is due Wednesday, November 24.

Word Work: Jayme joined us while we continued working on spelling, reading strategies, and parts of speech/sentence diagramming in small groups.

Theme: Jayme helped the students formulate “researchable” questions and find appropriate resources. With Laura, the students used the information they learned in previous weeks to create a map of the regions of California and do word searches based on information about California. Tamara guided the students to use their observation questions to create/find experiments to help them answer their “testable” questions. They used their hypothesis to plan a control and variables to test their ideas.

Wish list: sandwich baggies, lefty scissors, 4 mouse pads, and large refill antibacterial liquid soap.

Dates to Remember:
Wednesday, November 24, 1:30 dismissal
Thursday and Friday, November 25 and 26 – Thanksgiving Holiday - school closed
Friday, December 3 – Art Sharing/Holiday Boutique--do your holiday shopping & support our Arts program

No Friday papers on November 24—Happy Thanksgiving!
Tamara, Laura, Jayme, Nadja, and Karin

Laura: lsherman@smmusd.org
Tamara: tmugalian@smmusd.org
Jayme: j.wold@smmusd.org
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CORE 3 NEWS
6th gr Math w/ Carrie: Monday is our Unit Assessment! Encourage you child to study. They were given all of the work they have completed for the unit as a study tool for the test (last week I wrote what they had overdue in their planners).They also have Homework - Additional Practice to complete by Monday as well as any overdue work for the unit.
6th gr Math w/ Erin This week we only had one day of "Data About Us." We spent the time continuing to graph our data from the "A la Carte" snack bar. So far cookies seem to be the top seller for a morning snack with our student body!
5th gr Math w/ Genie: We finally finished our huge unit on multiplication and division. We ended our first unit with a final assessment, reflection, and a check of all of homework. Please look for the end of the unit packet and sign the reflection sheet so your child can turn it in. We are moving to 3D geometry, which deals with multiplication and division ideas. Please use everyday situations to bring in all kinds of math—if you have a real problem, have your child solve it.

Science w/ Carrie: This week we learned about Phases of Matter through discoveryeducation.com and about different forms of matter in the science text. Next week we will be doing experiments as well as learning about compounds.Theme: houses are really starting to come together. Most students have completed the outside walls and have made a detailed and colored floor plan to go inside. Several students have made interior walls and roofs. Very impressive! The final houses are due Monday, December 13 (less than one month away!).Next week we will be calculating the square footage and figuring out an approximate cost to build the house. Final houses are required to have the following: 3 floor plans (1 that's at the base/foundation of the house, 1 that is colored and detailed for people to see the layout of the house, 1 to use to calculate the square footage), exterior walls (interior walls are optional), a roof that is not flat, a cost analysis (we will be discussing this next week), an elevation drawing of the house (this is the view from the front), a written description of the house and sketch of the façade based on a house style of their choice (to be done with Genie). Optional items include but are not limited to: detailed backyards, interior walls, doors and windows, furniture (handmade), a second floor.
Social Studies & Geography w/ Erin: This week in Social Studies we continued with our study of communities by asking the question, "What does it mean to belong?" We read a short reading called "The 'In' Group" and talked about what it means to be a bystander, perpetrator, and victim. We also went over the terms belonging and conformity. After the reading, students thought about what they would do faced with a similar situation. We also discussed examples of this type of situation that have occurred throughout history. Students continued work on their population maps of the United States. Students are learning both how to create a map key and about the most populated and least populated states in our country. Ask your student which states have the highest populations? Which states have the lowest? Can they point them out to you on a map?

Reading & Writing Workshop w/ Genie: Your children are amazing writers! Their published personal essays and final quick-writes demonstrate a lot of knowledge about writing, narrative and essay. We had a fun time reading each other's and hearing some that videotaped theirs for us to watch on the Smartboard. We are moving to the much anticipated Myths, Fairytales, and Fables writing unit. We have huge fantasy readers and therefore huge fantasy writers. But this year's twist is to study elements that are specific to the genres of storytelling that are our culture's first fantasy stories which we have been reading and discussing in Reading Workshop. We are also incorporating a painting art project to inspire us and to help us nurture our idea. Some have been inspired by Illuminated Manuscripts while others are inspired by our own ideas. Come to Munchkinland (Genie's room) to view our artwork!

Homework:6g Math: Additional Practice page, any overdue work, study for the Unit Assessment on Monday
5g Math - Packet #10 is DUE 12/3—note there are 2weeks to turn in. It's a big packet—pace yourself!
Theme: Work on your house
Art: Work on your set design
Reading - Read every day for 30min—Log in pages/write at least 1 question or thought.
Writing – collecting ideas in writing notebook (at least 5 entries in one week)—next writing unit, Myths, Fairytales, and Fables

REMINDER: Wed, Nov 24 - 1:30 DISMISSAL
Thurs & Fri, Nov 25 & 26 - SCHOOL CLOSED

Genie: ghwang@smmusd.org
Erin: dodgers44@hotmail.com
Carrie: cferguson@smmusd.org
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CORE 4 NEWS
Core Four News: Over the next three weeks we shall continue working through our quality learning/skills review even as we eagerly anticipate the Ocean Literacy projects that will commence after the holidays. Much of our current effort/time is focusing on helping individual kids cultivate a “habit of convention” even as we collectively pursue a culture of continuous improvement.
For example, we are revisiting earlier work, reflecting on pathways to improvement, and identifying markers of quality. For some students this means they will be rewriting for simple legibility due to penmanship issues. For others this involves rewriting for meaning, word choice, or clarification. In all cases students should be nudged away from doing “just enough” and into the of benefits from persistent personal effort.
Narrative Evaluation Process Update: Like our students we strive to continuously improve our work; to that end, we have reviewed our narratives and are revising the narratives language so that our evaluative efforts are referencing the acquisition of the effective habits we have long cultivated in students. Please consider the following draft of a narrative cover letter and comment if so motivated. Our intention is to educate our parent partners to this evaluation process over the next three weeks and incorporate feedback into the final narrative. I will provide references we’re using in a future Friday Letter, but if you are interested a quick Google of--Costa and Kallick, Habits of Mind-- will reveal a plethora of reading for your edification. Enjoy!

Draft Version Of Narrative Cover Letter for Comment Evaluation in Core Four
While fostering and encouraging student’s existing natural curiosity, students at SMASH cultivate learning in three general categories:
·Responsive Classroom social curriculum: Cooperation, Assertion, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self Control (CARES).
·Ability and Development of a Strong Personal Voice
·Content Knowledge and Skill Sets
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In specific terms the learning experience at SMASH’s Middle School is focused upon the acquisition of effective life long habits (Also known as Habits of Mind). For the sake of brevity, we shall refer to them as simply habits or HOMs. Classes, learning activities and reports to parents are all organized using these evaluation points as goals. In any given reporting period, advisors will be focusing upon three to five of these points as needed by individual students.

1.an “inclination to question” in all situations. (The habit of asking for clarification, questioning authority respectfully, and proof.)

2.Habit of Convention: Meeting accepted standards in any academic area in order toand to understand others.

3., writing and performing calculations with clarity, precision, and accurate representation of observed facts.

4.“Persistence is the twin sister of excellence. One is a matter of quality; the other a matter of time.” (Habit of persistence)

5. follow through, and completion. (Habit of self-starting and self monitoring)

6.of past knowledge to new situations via attempts to synthesize information. (Habit of making connections)

7.risk taking (Habits of curiosity and living on the edge of one’s competency)


8.interdependently (Habit of taking care of one another and working with critical friends)

9.about Thinking (The habit of reflection and self evaluation.)

10.people seek learning opportunities and learn constantly. (The habit of continuous learning and improvement.)

11.Goal directed, purposeful activity that leads to quality outcomes as a norm. (The habit of self-control.)

REMINDERS:
8th Grader - Camp Hess-Kramer, Nov 22, 23 & 24. Bus leaves SMASH at 8:30am Mon, 11/22
Wed, Nov 24 - 1:30 DISMISSAL
Thurs & Fri, Nov 25 & 26 - SCHOOL CLOSED

Kurt: kholland@smmusd.org
Darwin: dmendinueto@smmusd.org
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Lice Notice
To the Parent(s) of students in Cores 3 & 4,

The presence of head lice (pediculosis) in our community is being observed in the schools. Since your child may be exposed to this infestation, it is important you are aware of the symptoms, treatment procedures, and your role in the prevention of the spread of this contagious disease. Head lice can affect anyone. Prompt treatment and reporting are essential to control this epidemic.

SYMPTOMS: Persistent itching is the most common symptom. If your child is constantly scratching his/her head, check for lice. A severe infestation can cause inflammation and open sores on the scalp, and swollen lymph glands in the neck.

EVIDENCE: Adult lice, wingless crawling insects, are rarely seen. Look for the eggs (nits), which are glued to the hair shafts. Nits are tiny, gray-white, teardrop shaped objects, usually found in clusters above the ears, at the nape of the neck, or the crown of the head. Compared to dandruff, which flicks off easily, or hair casts caused by hair spray, which easily slide up and down the hair shaft, nits adhere tightly to the hair shaft. The have to be removed forcibly.

TREATMENT: Check with your physician or purchase a high quality lice-killing shampoo at your local retailer. No prescription is needed. Shampoo your child’s hair as directed on the product label. KEEP SHAMPOO OUT OF THE CHILD’S EYES! Rinse well. Vinegar rinse (2 tbsp. white vinegar/1 quart of hot water) or “detangling” conditioner may help. Dry with a towel. REMOVE ALL NITS using fingernails or a “lice” comb (in the lice killer section).

HOME HYGIENE: Examine all family members. If infested, treat promptly. Notify your child’s playmates, who might be infested. NOTIFY SCHOOL NURSE. Machine wash, in HOT water, all washable towels, combs, hairbrushes, sheets, pillowcases, and washable clothing. For non-washable articles: take them to the dry cleaner or seal them in a plastic bag for 14 days or put them in the hot dryer for 30 minutes. Wash all surfaces in the living and sleeping areas, as well as the bathroom(s), especially chair backs. Vacuum all carpets and furniture thoroughly. Live lice cannot live off a human for more than 24-48 hours.

SCHOOL READMITTANCE: A CHILD WHO IS FOUND TO HAVE HEAD LICE WILL BE EXCLUDED FROM SCHOOL IMMEDIATELY. INSPECTION BY THE SCHOOL.NURSE OR SCHOOL FRONT OFFICE STAFF FOR THE ABSENCE OF NITS IS REQUIRED TO READMIT THE CHILD TO SCHOOL. SMMUSD REQUIRES STUDENTS MUST BE NIT FREE BEFORE BEING READMITTEDTO SCHOOL.

Sincerely,
Sandra Cano, MN, RN
School Nurse