New SMASH-John Muir Pedestrian Gate & Access Control
During Winter Recess: A new pedestrian gate was installed at the entrance of the school, adjacent to the double gate.
The gate has a remote access feature that allows the school site staff to control access to the campus from the main offices.
The system includes the following features:
* Two-way voice communication which allows visitors to contact administrative offices directly
* Keypad to access the school
* Small video camera enables staff to see visitors at the keypad.
The sole purpose of the gate is for access control and will be used when staff is not in the courtyard to monitor the double gate. The system has no archival capability and the cameras will strictly be used for recognition and access.
To use the system, visitors operate a simple keypad at the gate which will direct the visitor to the school office. The staff will allow visitors access to campus. The system will be operational by mid February.
For project inquiries, contact: Rashmi Menon, Deputy Director 310.450.8338 ext. 70383
See all your Measure BB projects at http://fip.smmusd.org
Stuart A. Sam, Director, Facility Improvement Projects
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SMASH PTSA Presents: Parent Ed Night Screening of the critically acclaimed
Race to Nowhere
By Director, Vicki Abeles
Wednesday February 16 at 7:00pm - SMASH Auditorium
Reserve Free Tickets at: http://rtnsmashschool.eventbrite.com
For all parents and Core 4 StudentsA call to action for families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current
assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.
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UCLA School of Dentistry’s Children’s Dental Access Program
FREE Screens, Cleanings, Sealants, X-Rays and Treatment - NO Insurance Needed
Pregnant Women, Infants, Toddlers and Children under 17 years old
Saturday, February 5 8:30am - 3:00pm
300 E. Buckthorn Street, Inglewood Call 310-419-3000 for an appointment (Walk-ins Welcome)
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NEWS FROM SMASH STUDENT COUNCIL
SPIRIT DAYS
Introducing a brand new day!
“PAST DAY”
(Dress as someone or something from the past!)
Friday, February 11
Coming soon….
Wednesday, March 2
DR SEUSS & PAJAMA DAY
(Cross Core Morning Meetings - in Community Groups)
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WEDNESDAY BAKE SALE DATES
CORE 1: Feb 16, Mar 16, May 4
CORE 2: March 2, March 30, May 11
CORE 3: Feb 2, Feb 23, Apr 6, May 18
CORE 4: Feb 9, Mar 9, Apr 27, May 25
TEACHER APPRECIATION LUNCH (Set up at 1:30pm)
CORE 1: Feb 4; CORE 2: Mar 18; CORE 3: Apr 1; CORE 4: May 13
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DATES TO REMEMBER
Tues, Feb 8 - Winter Concert - 4th gd 6:00pm, 5th gd 7:00pm, Core 4 8:00pm. Students: arrive 15 minutes before your performance time & wear nice school closes
Wed, Feb 9, 6:00 pm - PTSA Mtg
Fri, Feb 11 - Spirit Day –“ Past Day” dress as someone or something from the past
Wed, Feb 16 - 5:30pm - Site Council
Wed, Feb 16 - 7:00pm - Race to Nowhere, SMASH Auditorium - details in this letter
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Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
Recycle your bicycle – Donate your bike
As part of the County Cycling Collaborative, Jonathan Green, a.k.a. the Bike Wrangler, is collecting bikes to redistribute throughout LA County through a Bike Drive going through January 31, 2011! If you're interested in donating a bike, please contact Jonathan at jonathan@la-bike.org or 213-629-2142.
To learn more about the Bike Wrangler program, read Joe Linton's pieces on the LACBC blog and LA Streetsblog!
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IS YOUR CHILD STARTING KINDERGARTEN IN SEPTEMBER?
APPLICATIONS MUST BE RETURNED BY THE MARCH 31 DEADLINE
Applications are in the main office.
SMASH School Tours - Mondays 9:00 - 10:15am
January 31; February 7, 14, & 28; Mar 7, 21 & 28; Apr 4; May 23
Deadline for Kindergarten applications is March 31. Deadline for grades 1-8 is May 31.
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Household Hazardous Waste Collection Comes to your Door!
On February 1, the city of Santa Monica will launch the Household Hazardous Waste Door-to-Door Collection Pilot Program, a pick-up system where the “Haz-Mat” technicians come to you. The goal is to expand levels of service for residents while reducing costs. The service will be provided on a free and unlimited basis to home owners and renters.
Also, beginning February 1, the Household Hazardous Waste Center will be available for drop-off service on Saturdays only. If the plot program is successful, the city will transition to a permanent pick-up system in June 2011
The new service is provided in a few easy steps:
*Reserve collection service: call 800-449-7587, Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm or email hotline@curbsideinc.com
*Receive collection kit in the mail (includes detailed instructions with collection day reminder)
*Prepare collection kit at your doorstep or at a predetermined location on collection day
*Leave prepared materials and we’ll do the rest
For additional information or feedback please visit http://www.sustainablesm.org/hhw%20or%20call%20310-458-2213
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SuperSMASH meeting postponed!
Due to other events galore, among them a SMASHing Core 4 assembly about the recent Yosemite trip, the SuperSMASH meeting originally scheduled for this week has been postponed to Friday, February 4.
More details to come next week.
Helga Schier, SuperSMASH chair (Sebastian and Gabriel's mom, Core 4)
310-828-8421 (office); 310-418-5787 (cell)
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Santa Monica High School Choir Presents
Santa Monica High School’s CAFÉ SAMO
Café Samo is a delightful, cabaret-style show produced annually by the Samohi Choir Program, featuring dozens of talented student performers who create and produce their own musical acts.
This year there are three shows. Friday, February 4 @ 7:30 pm; Saturday, February 5 @ 4 pm and 7:30 pm Humanities Center Theater, 2nd floor, English Building (Santa Monica High School campus)
$10 (Tickets sold at the door) Food, desserts and drinks are for sale before shows and during intermission. http://www.samohichoir.org/
About the Santa Monica High School Choral Department
The Choral Music Program of Santa Monica High School, under the direction of Jeffe Huls, is one of the most accomplished in the region, winning awards, competing in state and national vocal music competitions, and touring nationally and internationally. Approximately two hundred students participate in one of the five choirs in the program.
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SMASH & John Muir Elementary
WINTER CONCERT
Tuesday, February 8
6:00 pm
4th Grade Violin, Viola, & Cello – Library
4th Grade Trumpet, Trombone, Clarinet, & Flute – Auditorium
7:00 pm
5th Grade Musicians – Auditorium
8:00 pm
Smash Middle School Musicians – Auditorium
Ms. Bersch, Ms. Cha, Mr. Loyd,
Mr. McKeown, Ms. Spike-Gravelle
Students: Please arrive 15 minutes before your performance time
and wear nice school clothes.
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REFLECTIVE PARENTING WORKSHOPS By FAMILY SERVICE OF SANTA MONICA
This innovative 10 week workshop series provides parents with a reflective parenting model, which views all children’s behavior as meaningful communication that can be understood. This reflective capacity lies at the heart of sensitive, effective parenting, which research has demonstrated is an important way to help parents strengthen relationships with their children.
The goals of the workshop
·Increase confidence in parenting
·New ways to think about your child or adolescent’s behavior
·More manageable & effective interventions for difficult behavior
Pre-school to 11 years old: 10 weeks, beginning Feb 9 - Wed 6:30-8:00pm. Cost: $200/individual, $350/couple (sliding scale is available). To register contact: Annie Wilson, LCSW, MS or Kate Ross, LMFT at 310-451-9747
Teens ages 12-17: 10 weeks, beginning Feb 8 - Tue 7:00-8:30pm Cost: $200/individual, $350/couple (sliding scale is available). To register contact: Annie Wilson, LCSW or Teri Jensen, MFT trainee at 310-451-9747 For more information go to: http://www.reflectiveparentingprogram.org/
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Calling All Artists
The Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corp. announced Thursday its latest edition of the annual Twilight Dance Series poster contest.
The winning design will become the official poster for the 27th annual Twilight Dance Series, the pier’s free summer concerts. The poster will serve as the primary advertising piece for the annual event that attracts over 100,000 concert-goers each summer.
All entries are due on Friday, March 11 by 5 p.m. At that time, finalists will be selected and online voting will take place through April. Entries will be displayed in the pier’s Carousel Building from March 21 through April 17.
The winner will receive a $750 prize and a VIP package for the concert series. For details on how to submit, visit 2011 Summer Pier Concert Series Poster Contest http://www.santamonicapier.org/storage/pdf/20011contestrules.pdf
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"Read by the Mile"
READING MARATHON at the Santa Monica Public Library
Registration: February 1 to February 28
For students in grades 3 to 5
ON YOUR MARK, GET SET… READ!
Put your reading skills to the test! Sign up and track your hours on a special reading log...
Read 26 hours
Complete by Saturday, March 12
Receive an invitation to a special medal ceremony and program.
Take our marathon challenge!
Questions? Call the Santa Monica Public Library Youth Services Department: (310) 458-8621
READ YOUR WAY ACROSS L.A.!
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IRON GYM’s “Fighting Childhood Obesity” campaign
with celebrity trainer Josef Gloor of MTV’s “I Used to be Fat”
Starting Saturday, January 22, IRON will launch the first of a year-long effort to “Fighting Childhood Obesity” campaign. This is a free 2-hour workshop held the 3rd Saturday of each month. The goal is to get booth parent and child informed by providing a lecture and a physical workout. FREE
IRON GYM
1919 Broadway St, Santa Monica
Saturday, January 22 at 3:00pm and (every 3rd Saturday of each month)
For information, contact Woodie 323-635-8483
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Only 5 more weeks until the SMASHing
Jog-a-thon 2011
· Volunteer! We still need volunteers to help with refreshments,
lap counting, etc. on the day of the event.
· Pledge! Pledge packets will go home soon so look for your child’s
pledge packet and read the information that accompanies it. Help your
child fill out the form and collect pledges. 100% of donations go right back
to our classrooms.
· Save the date! Jog-a-thon ‘11 happens Friday, March 4
Come run with your athlete and/or cheer on the rest of the runners.
For questions or to volunteer:
Lillie Schlessinger (213)742-3394 lillie.schlessinger@transamerica.com
Darlene Flanders (310)314-8716 dflanders@quixo.com
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ptsa news
president’s message
Dear SMASHing Parents,
Spring into action! Even though Spring doesn’t officially start for almost two months, this is the time to get ready for the big PTSA events over the next few months of the 2010-2011 school year. As most already know, the Jog-a-thon is March 4th followed by SuperSMASH in early June. Work on these important fundraising events is well underway.
For the Jog-a-thon, Core 2 moms Lillie, Darlene and Jennifer have reviewed the proposed designs for the SMASH Jog-a-thon T-shirt, which were submitted by students from all Cores. After choosing eight finalists, the designs were submitted to the SMASH student body this week to vote for the winning design. We should know by today, which student design will grace this year’s Jog-a-thon T-shirt. We still need sponsors to step- up and donate.
All sponsors get their name on the T-shirt. Please contact events chairs Darlene Flanders (dflanders@quixo.com) and Lillie Schlessinger (lillie.Schlessinger@transamerica.com) and let them know if you or your company can donate and whether you can volunteer for the morning on Friday, March 4th, to help assure this event runs smoothly.
We need all parents to get involved with SuperSMASH and make sure that this event is once again successful. Even though SuperSMASH is still four months away, please look out for the date of the next meeting of the SuperSMASH committee and make plans to attend and find out what you can do to help. ~ Dan McGee
ptsa annual family investment drive
· The SMASH Annual Family Investment Drive continues throughout the year. Have you made a commitment? We are striving for 100% participation. If you have any questions, contact Marni Ayers Brady (marniayers@gmail.com) or Helga Schier (helgaschier@verizon.net)
SMASH bash
· If you have not been able to enjoy a SMASH bash event, please consider attending an event in the new year.
Please contact Marni Ayers Brady (marniayers@gmail.com) at your earliest convenience and find out what upcoming events are still available.
SMASH PTSA Nominating Committee
· If you have an interest in getting more involved in PTSA, our board needs a new V.P. of Membership for the 2011-2012 school year. The V.P. of Membership is responsible for maintaining the PTSA membership list. The bulk of the position’s job duties are front-loaded at the beginning of the school year, and duties are minimal after November. Anyone interested in the position should contact our outgoing V.P. of Membership, Catherine Lerer
(clerer@mcgeelerer.com), and she can give you more info.
SMASHing meetings
· Our next PTSA meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb 9 at 8:30 a.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
Wednesday, February 9 PTSA Meeting, 6:00 p.m.
Friday, March 4 SMASH Jog-a-thon
GREEN TIP FOR THE WEEK
BYOR: Bring your own reusable plates, utensils, and/or napkins when you know you'll be dining somewhere that uses disposables. Some great examples are picnics, parties, large events, and casual restaurants. Every effort counts!
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CORE 1 NEWS
WHAT’S A WOOLLYPOCKET?!
Thank you to the Lombard Family, KCRW and the Wollypockets company for our new upcoming small yard garden! Mazi received the Wollypockets as a gift with her donation to KCRW, with a plan of donating them to a school of her choice--SMASH! She was getting one pocket, but the company donated an entire school garden to us! There are 50 pockets in (currently going up in the small yard), seeds, “compost tea,” soil and a gardening curriculum from Growing
Great. For more info go to: http://www.woollypocket.com/ and http://www.woollyschoolgarden.org/
As part of our Naturalist Study, we are learning about plant lifecycles and how plants grow. This week, the Sparking Dolphins unpacked the Woolly pockets, explored and organized the seed packets, and discussed where would be the best place for the pockets. We knew the plants would need sun (Where does the sun hit our walls?), water (Can we reach to pockets to water them? If we put them above the handball wall, could we water them from upstairs?), and protection (How are we already using our playground and walls?) Some children were willing to give up handball,
since this south facing wall seemed “ideal” but others were not. The fence by the soccer field seemed fine to Rio. It got lots of sun, the Woollypockets could be low for watering, and “We don’t really play soccer anymore,” but Hayden thought the game might pick up again. We decided that we would try the pockets on the south and east facing walls near our classroom. The seeds needing partial sun could be planted under the tree, and the others on the sunnier wall.
We could also enjoy the garden from our classrooms and remember to water it! The Woollypockets can be moved and adjusted, so we’ll see how this goes! We also have a vision for smaller Woollypockets to be attached by the fence near the play structure. We could grow vines, partially hide our view of the parking lot, and clean the air while we play.
Gardening will take place during projects time between 9:00-10:15am. We can always use extra “hands”! Mondays (The Sparkling Dolphins), Tuesdays (The Flying Piggies) and Thursdays (The Mighty Wind). No knowledge of gardening or composting needed, but if you have it we’d love to learn from you, too!
VOLUNTEERS FOR BIGS PE
If you’ve been wanting to volunteer, and have been looking for the right “FIT” this could be IT! We are looking for parent volunteers during Bigs PE on M, Tu, Wed, or Th from 11:00-11:30am. There are two other PE classes going on at the same time, and some of the children would love to see an extra Core 1 face out on the Big Yard. Please let Chrysta know if this interests you.
A NOTE ABOUT HOMEWORK
Homework is a way for your children to practice routines, share what they are doing in class, and have fun! It goes home with your child on Fridays because that is when our Friday Folder goes home. As a school in SMMUSD we are required to assign homework, but we do not “grade” it in Core 1. Please note that homework does not need to be completed over the weekend. If this is a time that you and your family enjoy doing homework together, wonderful! But, really, feel free to turn it when completed. Homework is not a “have to” but it is a nice way for us to communicate what is going on in class, and a springboard for you and your child to talk about what it going on at school. We recommend the activities while recognizing that they are not always a perfect fit for all children. As a parent, use your discretion when over-seeing homework. Some parents opt to play board games to develop language and/or counting skills in lieu of homework some evenings. Some families have a homework clipboard where they collect
unfinished homework and complete it at another time, during that week or even the next! Please make your time reading together at home a natural part of your day, without talking about a number of reading minutes or having any incentive attached. We want our learners to see reading as something we all do because it informs us and enriches our lives. The last thing we want our young readers to do is see reading as a chore. If homework is an area of concern for
your child, talk to your workshop teacher.
Tues, Feb 8 - Winter Concert - where our instrumental music program students perform beginning at 6:00pm
Fri, Feb 11 - Spirit Day. “Past Day” Dress as someone or something from the past
Have a WONDERFUL Weekend
Candis, Chrysta, Graciela, Jackie & Karin
Candis: cberens@smmusd.org
Chrysta: cwyse@smmusd.org
Graciela: gbarba-castro@smmusd.org
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CORE 2 NEWS
Advisory News: The students found out about their new advisory groups (see attached). As we told them, it’s much more about them—a chance to be with different, old, new, and not yet discovered friends is the main goal; a chance to work with a different advisor is secondary. Remixing at mid-year also gives us a chance to revisit and refresh our Responsive Classroom social curriculum—reestablish CARES, set new guidelines, give students a fresh start with a
“new” group, and ramp up classroom, personal, and homework responsibilities (and you thought we just threw all the names in a hat!). ***Family HW: With the new groups, comes a brand new schedule to launch new Theme, Reading, Writing, and Word Work units. Ask your child when/what they will be doing in the new groups, when/what they will be doing in old groups, and when/what Laura, Tamara, and Jayme will be teaching to BOTH groups.
Valentine’s Day: If your child would like to give out Valentine cards, please make sure they have one for each child in their advisory (optional – one for each child in Core 2). All your child needs to do is to sign their name on the cards—PLEASE do not write the recipients’ names on them. No candy, chocolate, or sweet treats, please. We will be making mailboxes for our cards. *** We are open to a parent or two bringing in a Valentine-themed community snack - think pink! If you would like to contribute or bake or join us, let Tamara or Laura know.
Literacy:
RW: We love, Love, LOVE the read aloud, Because of Winn-Dixie! ***RW HW: Core 2 students—by now you should read 30 – 45 minutes each night. This homework is very, Very, VERY important.
WW: The students wrote a persuasive letter by brainstorming their likes and dislikes, picking an idea, and writing a thesis sentence about their idea using, “I think…because…” supported with three good reasons to convince someone else of their position (Brace yourselves, some of those letters are to you!) ***WW HW: Core 2 students—this work helps you build good habits, practice penmanship/spelling/ mechanics, and—especially—think about work you’ve done in class. This week, make a list of the pros and cons of changing advisory groups in general.
Math:
Laura’s 3rd graders spent the week learning the strategies and playing the activity How Far From 100? Ask your child what was their most successful strategy. We also began discussing temperature graphs. ***3G HW due F 2/4.
Tamara’s 4th graders continued the unit, Multiple Towers and Division Stories. This week they continued to work with large arrays/multiplication combinations, then using smaller arrays/multiplication combinations to solve them by playing games and making arrays with their bodies. FYI—the equations they are making to match the combinations
are algebra. I think they finally get it—Yay!!!—Do You? ***4G HW due F 2/4.
3G and 4G: the 100th Day of School is just around the corner. This year Core 2 will be sharing collections. Each child’s collection should include 100 items arranged so it can be counted quickly (no groups of 1’s or 100), plus the math sentence that goes with it. (i.e. a button collection of 100 divided into groups of 4. 25 groups of 4 equal 100 or 25 x 4 = 100). ***Please allow your child to search and estimate items that might be around 100 and choose
their own way to display/present their collection.
SMASHing Arts: This week each advisory group created an installation in their room. Check it out!
Family Fun Fridays 11:30 – 12:30: We’ve gotten wonderful response about our shared-learning Fridays! Basically, you’ll need to prepare to work with the whole group (48 kids) for 1 hour, including 10 minutes for clean up or 2 small groups (24 kids) for 30 minutes, including 5 minutes of clean up, each. ***We’re ready to make the schedule—all Fridays from 2/11 through 4/1 are available. Email Laura to sign up for a day.
Dates to Remember:
Friday, Feb 4 – Field Trip: UCLA, Lula Washington – permission slips attached
Tuesday, Feb 8 - Winter Concert - 4th Grade at 6:00pm, 5th gd at 7:00pm and Middle School at 8:00.
Friday, Feb 11 - Spirit Day - Past Day - Dress as someone or something from the past
Monday February 14 --Valentine’s Day Card Exchange, see info above and advisory lists attached
Wednesday, February 16—100th Day of School, see info above
Tamara, Laura, Jayme, Nadja, and Karin
Laura: lshermman@smmusd.org
Tamara: tmugalian@smmusd.org
Jayme: j.wold@smmusd.org
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CORE 3 NEWS
Please RSVP to the Planned Parenthood Parent Ed. evening on Wednesday, February 23.
Thanks Allison, Bianca, Heather, Liz, and Morgan for chaperoning! It was a wonderful trip that gave us new perspective on ornamentation patterns and mosaics as we continue our work with our Artist Juliana. This week we started paper mosaics. Come take a look at our patterned tiles that are displayed in Munchkinland.
Needed: cleaning spray or cleaning wipes! work gloves, sponges, buckets, and tarps to borrow for our mosaic project! Read the flyer from our artist for a complete list of needed items for WEDNESDAY!
6th Grade Math w/ Carrie: The students received their corrected quiz from last week and are responsible for correcting the problems they missed by next Monday. Ask your child how he/she did on the quiz. Most of them did very well! We started the next section of the unit and are looking at the connections between fractions and decimals.
6th Grade Math w/ Erin: This week we wrapped up our Data About Us unit. On Thursday we worked with different sets of Data and talked about how we could show the data in a variety of ways that we've learned about: bar graphs, pie graphs, fractions, percents. Students noticed that the same information can be displayed using different methods.
5th gr Math w/ Genie: We learned the US Algorithm! We broke it apart to see where the 'borrowing' actually happens and the mathematicians realized it wasn't borrowing but actually taking because it is used and not given back. And Lucie showed us the way her grandma taught her the Czech Algorithm which takes from the top number and adds it to the bottom number. Ask your child to show you! It's another way! We also took a subtraction quick this week.
674 600 + 70 + 4
-328 -(300 + 20 + 8)
Science: We began our Power unit by looking at weather. We started to learn about how weather is created on Earth and will look more closely at extreme weather next week. Students will soon have an opportunity to choose a natural phenomenon to study in depth in our investigation of the Power of Nature.
Social Studies and Geography: This week we continued with our Native American unit. On Wed. students watched a short excerpt from a documentary to learn about three of the earliest North American indigenous peoples that we have records of. Students took notes about the Anasazi people of the Southwest, the Maya in Southern Mexico and Central America, and the mound building cultures along the Mississippi River who built the great city of Cahokia.
Cahokia, located near present day St. Louis, MO, once had over 20,000 inhabitants! It was the largest city in what is now the United States until Philadelphia in the 1800's. On Thurs. we continued to think about ancient peoples and how we learn about them in the present. How do archeologists and historians interpret what they find? How do they recreate what life was like thousands of years ago with the few objects and ruins that they find? To understand what
these researchers must do, students took part in an activity in which they looked over 7 different unfamiliar objects. Looking at each object and noticing any details, they had to discuss in small groups what they thought the object could be or said about life in the United States today. Thurs in Geography, the students used their self-designed capital study aids to learn more of the United States capitals. On Friday we held our first student requested quiz on the
locations of the states and their capitals. Students who did not want to take the quiz continued to learn in their chosen fashion.
Reading & Writing Workshop w/ Genie: We are still practicing our nonfiction skills—making sense of what we are reading; summarizing; identifying the main idea/writer's point; reasons that support it; narrative, non-narrative or a blend; and words we don't know and figuring them out or looking them up. And we still need lots of practice! We
only have reading workshop 3 times a week so please help your child find nonfiction in their lives to read and practice their skills. Our Core 3 brochures are finally published and the writers have commented on each. They are learning computer skills as well as making the design work for their audience. They will be celebrated next month along with another brochure each writer will create based on a museum concept of their own.
Homework:
6g Math - 6th Grade Math with Carrie: Due 1/31- 1. Corrections to the quiz. 2. Fraction cards
5g Math - Packet #15 is DUE 1/28
Science - Study for the Team Quiz show on Tuesday 1/18
Reading - Read every day for 30min—Log in pages/write at least 1 question or thought
Reading - Read some nonfiction every day
Writing - plan out museum brochure in your writing notebook and collect at least 2 entries for the week
Winter Concert: Tuesday, Feb 8, 4 grade at 6:00pm, 5th grade at 7:00pm, Middle School 8:00pm
Spirit Day: Friday, February 11 “Past Day” Dress as someone or something from the past
Genie: ghwang@smmusd.org
Carrie: cferguson@smmusd.org
Erin: dodgers44@hotmail.com
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CORE 4 NEWS
Core Four Trips: We are headed to a reading-writing tutoring center next week as we wrap up the first half of our writing and reading curriculum. Please, look and ask for a permission slip this weekend and return it to Darwin or Kurt by Monday. Kurt’s non-fiction folks will be going Thursday and Darwin’s group will venturing out Friday.
A couple of reminders, you’ve seen this before but…
Helping middle school students form a Habit of Continuous Improvement
Research and our experience here at SMASH suggest three strategies parents and teachers may employ to help students become highly effective learners despite the many distractions of middle school.
· Encourage them to ask questions frequently! Active questioners retain over 50% of the available material from a learning activity. We are elevating this to an evaluation point for narratives given the critical role of questions in learning. (Habit of creative and persistent questioning)
· Provide a model of deliberative, thoughtful, work habits. They are watching our every move and will value what we do! (Habit of persistence)
· There is only one guarantee of effective work habits for people who are undergoing the brain
wrenching of young adolescence and who push back on the people who love them; create structure and routine for them. This may be done by using tutors, checking their work yourself three times weekly or by making school visits part of your routine. Learning has a repetitive element. Be sure they review material frequently.
Weekly Learning Reports
Every Friday we send home a communication, authored by the students themselves, describing what we are learning, why we are learning it, and what comes next. Please make a habit of asking for this and returning on Monday to your paperwork loving teachers.
Cell Phones, iPods and Electronic Goodies
The Rule is, No electronics may be used without explicit teacher/staff direction. It is understood that parents may want their child to have a cell phone with them - but it is to remain turned off (or silenced) and put away during the school day. We need parent help on this one, please.
PE- Field Science-Advisory Readiness
Put athletic type shoes on your child in the morning every single day. This is a safety issue! Uggs, sandals, and unsupportive shoes may be desired - but unsafe for our very physically active middle school.
Winter Concert: Tuesday, Feb 8 - Middle School 8:00pm
Spirit Day: Friday, Feb 11 - “Past Day” Dress as someone or something from the past
Kurt: kholland@smmusd.org
Darwin: dmendinueto@smmusd.org
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FEBRUARY MENU
Also on the internet at: www.smmusd.org/foodservices
T U E S 1 - SALAD BAR w/CHEESY GARLIC FLATBREAD
W E D 2 - SALAD BAR w/CORN DOG, FROZEN VANILLA YOGURT CUP
T H U R S 3 - SALAD BAR w/TACO BAR, CHURRO
F R I 4 - CHEESE PIZZA, CELERY STICKS & RANCH DRESSING, FOOTBALL COOKIE, FRESH FRUIT
M O N 7 - GRILLED BURGER ON WHOLE GRAIN BUN w/SEASONED POTATO WEDGES, FRUIT STRIP
T U E S 8 - SALAD BAR w/TERIYAKI CHICKEN &FLUFFY RICE, FORTUNE COOKIE
W E D 9 - BELGIAN WAFFLE w/SAUSAGE LINKS, BAKED TATER TOTS, ORANGE JUICE
T H U R S 10 - SALAD BAR w/BAKED CHICKEN ROUNDUPS, WHEAT ROLL
F R I 11 - THIN CRUST CHEESE PIZZA, 3-WAY SALAD, FROZEN WILD CHERRY FRUIT CUP
M O N 14 - BAKED CHICKEN NUGGETS w/BAKED COSMIC POTATOES, COOKIE, FRESH FRUIT
T U E S 15 - SALAD BAR w/GRILLED CHEESESANDWICH, CATCH A WAVE CHIPS
W E D 16 - SALAD BAR w/BAKED BREADED CHICKEN PATTY ON WHOLE GRAIN BUN
T H U R S 17 - SALAD BAR w/TACO BAR, CHURRO
F R I 18 - CLASSIC WEDGE CHEESE PIZZA, BABY CARROTS, SOUR APPLE FRUIT CUP
MON 21 - PRESIDENT’S DAY HOLIDAY
T U E S 22 - HOT DOG ON WHOLE GRAIN BUN w/TATER TOTS, FROZEN WATERMELON FRUIT CUP
W E D 23 - SALAD BAR w/LOCO ROASTED CHICKEN and FLOUR TORTILLA
T H U R S 24 - SALAD BAR w/SMOKEY GRILLED RIB-B-QUE SANDWICH ON WHOLE GRAIN BUN
F R I 25 - GALAXY CHEESE PIZZA, FRESH GARDEN SALAD, ANIMAL CRACKERS, FRESH FRUIT
M O N 28 - BAKED CHICKEN TENDERS w/BAKED POTATO SMILES, FRESH FRUIT
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