Smash Friday Letter

PRESIDENTS’ DAY
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 21
SCHOOL CLOSED
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Dear SMASHing Families,
My Friday Letter entry is due before I can adequately reflect upon the “Race to Nowhere” screening and Alumni panel discussion, but stay tuned to next week where I will share some highlights. Thank you to Eli, Zoe, Emory, Olivia, Johno, Kate, Siena, and Patrick for their honesty and insights as panelists. Thank you to Elaina and Todd for filming the panelists’ wisdom. Thank you to the ~100 viewers who created a collective intention to influenc school systems and society into a less competitive pressure-filled place for children.

At Site Council, we discussed the Draft SMMUSD Strategic Plan graphic (A hard copy of the pyramid was sent home with every student). It shows the intended graduate outcomes that nicely match our SMASH vision statement and the core goal of Promoting Student Excellence via ways of learning/knowing and taking care of them as a whole healthy, creative person. This
graphic shows the noble goals and then if adopted by the Board, school site staffs and central office departments will put in the action steps to make these goals happen over the next five years. If you notice anything essential missing from this Draft, please email me your input so I may represent us at the next input session.
Jessica
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GO GET THOSE PLEDGES!
ONLY 2 MORE WEEKS UNTIL THE JOG-A-THON
FRIDAY, MARCH 4
Ask your neighbors, call family and friends, and pledge your whole
Core (penny a lap anyone?), email those faraway relatives.
Is your teacher or parent running? They can get pledges too!
We have extra pledge packets in the office.
Pledge Packets are due Thursday, March 3
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4th grade leadership team is sponsoring a TERRACYCLING CONTEST!
The core that collects the most terracycling and raises the most money for SMASH wins! No juice boxes, frozen food bags, squeezable yogurt or wrappers with any food left on them. Bring your terracycling from home! The winning core will be announced at the SMASHing Assembly on Friday, Feb 25 at 9:45am.
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WEDNESDAY BAKE SALE DATES
CORE 1: Mar 16, May 4
CORE 2: March 2, March 30, May 11
CORE 3: Feb 23, Apr 6, May 18
CORE 4: Mar 9, Apr 27, May 25
TEACHER APPRECIATION LUNCH (Set up at 1:30pm)
CORE 2: Mar 18; CORE 3: Apr 1; CORE 4: May 13
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DATES TO REMEMBER
Mon, Feb 21 - Presidents’ Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL
Mon, Feb 28 - 9:00-10:15am - SMASH Tour
Wed, Mar 2 - Dr Seuss Pajama Day & Community Group Meeting.
Student Council Presents
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DR. SEUSS DAY!
Wear your pajamas to school!
Wednesday, March 2
(make sure to dress so that you are able to participate in all activities, including PE!)
We will also be having a community group meeting
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FEBRUARY IS FITNESS TESTING MONTH
ONE MILE RUN FOR 2nd through 8th GRADE (SHUTTLE RUN 1st GRADE)
PUSH-UPS, SIT-UPS, TRUNK LIFT, SIT ‘N REACH
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR CHILD IS WEARING APPROPRIATE
SHOES AND CLOTHING TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS TESTING!

RUNNING DATES
CORE 1
1st Grade - Wednesday, February 23; 2nd Grade - Tuesday, February 22 - NEW DATE
CORE 2
3rd & 4th Grades - Wednesday, February 23 - NEW DATE
CORE 3
Blue - date to be announced; Orange-Wednesday, February 23 - NEW DATE
CORE 4
7th Grade - Monday, February 28; 8th Grade - Wednesday, February 28
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SMASH School Tours
Mondays 9:00 - 10:15am (Please Note Date Changes)
February 28 March 7 & 28 May 23
Deadline for Kindergarten applications is March 31. Deadline for grades 1-8 is May 31.
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IS YOUR CHILD STARTING KINDERGARTEN IN SEPTEMBER?
APPLICATIONS MUST BE RETURNED BY MARCH 31 DEADLINE
Applications are in the main office.
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Read by the Mile: Reading Marathon - Read Your Way Across LA!
Registration: February 1 to February 28 For students in grades 3 to 5
Put your reading skills to the test! Sign up and track your hours on a special reading log!
Read 26 hours. Complete by Sat, March 12 and receive an invitation to a special medal ceremony and program. Questions? Call the Youth Services Department at 310-458-8621
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THE THREE PENNY OPERA
written by Bertolt Brecht, music by Kurt Weill
February 24-25 & March 2, 3 & 4 @ 7:00 pm
Santa Monica High School's Humanities Center Theater
Adults: $15. Students: $10 Purchase tickets online @ http://www.samohitheatre.org
“Three Penny Opera” changed the landscape of musical theater forever. With classic songs like “Mack the Knife” and “Pirate Jenny”, this gripping musical grapples with the bourgeois capitalism and modern morality prevalent in Victorian London. It's because of this groundbreaking musical we have “Cabaret”, “Chicago”, “Rent” & so many other musical hits.
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A WHALE OF A WEEKEND
Come celebrate the annual migration of the Pacific gray whale during "Whale of a Weekend," February 19 & 20 at Heal the Bay's Santa Monica Pier Aquarium. A host of whale-related activities will be ongoing both days from 12:30 to 5:00 p.m. Visitors can feel the heft of a whale rib, check out bristly baleen and try on a layer of (simulated) whale blubber for warmth. Kids of all ages can have their faces painted and make a whale visor to take home.
The latest artifacts on display are two large segments of whale baleen, donated to the Aquarium by the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito. Learn interesting facts about these gentle giants at the Aquarium through story time, film screenings and staff presentations on the impact of climate change on local marine life. Aquarium naturalists, along with representatives of the American Cetacean Society, will staff a wildlife observation station at the west end of the Santa
Monica Pier. Those who stop by are welcome to spy for whales through binoculars and field guides will be available to identify local birds and other local marine life visible from the western end of the Pier.
Admission is free for children 12 and under when accompanied by an adult. For those 13 and older, a $5 donation
is suggested, with a minimum $3 admission per person required. For groups of 10 or more, the fee is $2 per person, regardless of age. For information http://www.healthebay.org or call 310-393-6149
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LUNCH MENU CHANGE, Wednesday, February 23 - Chicken Fajitas instead of Pollo Loco
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ROSIE’S GIRLS SPRING CHALLENGE
April 11-15 from 8:30am-5pm with Extended Care Available from 7-8:30am and5-6pm for an Extra $35
Fee: Residents $325 non-residents $430 w/ additional $25 materials fee, which is not applicable to Financial Assistance.
The most unique camp experience for girls happens in Santa Monica! Rosie’s Girls alumnae who have participated in the summer program one or more times are paired with 5th graders to introduce them to the Rosie’s Girls experience. Older girls work side-by-side and mentor 5th grade girls as they work on fun, hands-on projects in carpentry and welding, creative expression, physical challenges, including a field trip to the ropes course at UCLA, leadership development
and more. This spring we are building Reflections: There Is More To Me Than You Can See Mirror/Shelf! Payment plans are available upon request. Rosie’s Girls will be held at the City Yards. Drop off and pick up for Rosie’s Girls is at Stewart Park at 1800 Stewart Street. Visit www.rosiesgirls.smgov.net for more information. Sign up today - space is limited! Register online at www.recenroll.smgov.net. GENEROUS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE is available on a sliding scale to qualifying low- to moderate-income families. For more information, call the City of Santa Monica Youth Office at (310) 458-8540 or visit www.crest.smgov.net.
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BIG BLUE BUS COMMUNITY MEETINGS
Moving Forward - Now is the time to hear about our plans and share your feedback at any of these upcoming dates. For meeting agenda and more information see BigBlueBus.com or call 310-451-5444
Come hear about plans and share your feedback
Wed, Mar 2 - 6-8pm - Ken Edwards Center, Rm 100 (take Route 3, 5 or 9)
Sat, Mar 5 - 2:30-4:30pm - SM Main Library, 2nd Fl. (take Route 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 or 10)
Tues, Mar 8 - 6-8pm - Virginia Ave Park, Thelma Terry Ctr (take Route 7)
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ptsa news
president’s message
Dear SMASHing Parents,
Spring Break is less than two months away and school will be closed for two weeks. When school’s out, it can be a challenge to find camps, child-care or activities to keep the kids busy. Some families schedule vacations or trips during Spring Break. For families who are staying home, now is the time to start planning Spring Break for your children.
In our family, the things that our kids want to do is often dictated by what their friends are doing. Therefore, a collaborative effort is required among several other families to schedule Spring Break activities based on cost, hours and transportation requirements. Some camps to consider: the Crest programs, Sports Experience at JAMS and programs at the YMCA and Broadway Gym. If you have not yet started to plan for Spring Break, you might want to start sooner rather than later. Programs and camps do sometimes fill-up.
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, there are still openings. 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 will have some openings for next year that need to be filled this year. We need someone to handle PTSA 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.
· In addition, next year we are planning to create a new position on the SMASH PTSA Board to handle money for the Core 3 & 4 trips. The PTSA is planning to have a separate account for money collected from the 5th, 6th, 7th & 8th grade parents to pay for their kids’ learning adventures including Astro Camp, Catalina Island and Yosemite National Park. If you are interested, please Dan McGee (dmcgee@mcgeelerer.com).
SMASHing meetings
Our next PTSA meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 3, 2011, 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.

GREEN TIP FOR THE WEEK
Get a Green Education: Sustainable Works offers The Green Living Workshop on a continuous basis. The six week course covers the following topics, one per week: Water, Energy, Waste, Chemicals, Transportation, and Shopping & Food. The topics are discussed on a global, national and local scale. Then with the help of the WorkBook, a comprehensive sustainability primer that all participants receive, we review ten related solutions. $25 suggested donation for SM residents. $50 suggested donation for Non-SM residents. Visit sustainableworks.org for more information.
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CORE 1 NEWS

Core 1 Loves You!
Valentine’s Day! 100 Day! Rain! Pinkalicious! It has been quite a week in Core 1! Because of this, appreciations are coming first this week.

APPRECIATIONS
Thank you to Stephanie, Rex and Janice for helping us to find a warm and dry place to eat for our field trip on Friday! You did this so quickly and lovingly. We appreciate you!

Thank you to our Pinkalicious Chaperones! We hope you had as much fun as we did!

Thank you to Jean for starting a new Thursday projects group. The children love making art with you, and we appreciate how thoughtful you are with everything you do!

Thank you for all of the cardboard boxes! Please keep them coming! Thank you to the families who have stayed to help cut. If you have 5-10 minutes to stay some time during the day to use the paper cutter, we would appreciate it! Karin would appreciate it to, for we could use her talents in other ways.

Thank you to Kristy for continuing a fun, deep and meaningful drama study! Your talents are always appreciated!

Thank YOU for talking the time to make Valentine’s with your child. The shower was truly special!

Thank YOU for visiting amazon.com and checking out our wishlist. If you have not had a chance, simply type in smashcore1@gmail.com to view it!

Thank you to all of our ongoing volunteers, and to our new ones!

Published Author Dennis Komick comes to Core 1! Dennis writes children’s books, and will be visiting Core 1 on Friday, February 26. He will be here from 9am-10am during Projects Choices. There is an order form in your child’s Friday Folder, if you would like to order one or both of his books ahead of time. A portion of the proceeds from the Brodie & the Yeti products will be donated to help out different animal rescue groups and animal adoption agencies. More information at http://brodieandtheyeti.com/

We are Participating in WALL WORKS! Wall Works is described in one word: synergy. The Santa Monica Museum of Art offers the opportunity for area classrooms to participate in the making of a largescale public artwork designed by a renowned artist. In a fantastic partnership, teachers, and students are invited to collaborate with the museum and the artist to make a singular project to be on view at the museum’s Wall Works Gallery at Bergamot Station from March 9 to May 29, 2011. The public opening reception and unveiling of the final project will take place on Wednesday, March 9 at 6pm. (Exhibition on view until May 29, 2011) Working with sculptor Olga Koumoundouros, the Wall Works exhibition installation will feature a
symbolic representation of the ox-cart filled with drawings by students who compare the story of this family’s values and economic system with today’s wants, needs, joys, and excesses.

The next Birthday Bash for February birthdays will be February 25 at 11:45. Please sign-up to bring a healthy snack in Candis’ room. Family and friends are welcome.

NO SCHOOL Monday, February 21 - Presidents’ Day
Have a great weekend!
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: What a week: Valentines Day, 2 rainy days, 100th Day of School, Terracycling Contest! Next week: Monday off, publishing & sharing our Autobiography/Biography Unit, and an Assembly!

***Family HW: After seeing The Race to Nowhere, we have a novel HW suggestion—play outside, go for a bike ride, play a game, cook a meal, build something, snuggle and watch a movie, enjoy your extra day. You get to choose what you want your family to be by how you spend your time together!

Theme: Laura Science: We have been reading about minerals and answering -- What are some ways in which the same mineral can be different colors? How would you describe the two main ways that minerals fracture?
Tamara Social Studies: We read Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco, a poignant book about two young Union soldiers in the Civil War. In Because of Winn-Dixie we heard a story of another young boy--from the Confederate side--whose life was changed forever by the Civil War. These stories helped us use different perspectives to explore how war is hard for the soldiers, the civilians, and the cities where the wars take place on both sides; there isn’t necessarily a “good” side and a “bad” side, just different sides. Next week, we’ll study Migration: African-Americans to northern industrial cities, westward expansion, The Gold Rush, and Native American relocation in the years following the Civil War.

Literacy: RW: The students are learning about history from reading their biographies about artists, writers, and noteworthy individuals from various places and times. Next week, we’ll choose a variety of ways to share what we’ve learned from this short non-fiction unit. ***RW HW: Core 2 students—read 30 – 45 minutes each night. We read our biographies during JR reading at school, you may read any book for RW HW. WW: The students are drafting, publishing, and illustrating their autobiography cards. ***WW HW: Core 2 students—write a creative story about anything you want! (You asked for it, you got it!)

Math: Laura’s 3rd graders began a new unit, Perimeter, Angles, and Area. ***3G HW due F 2/25.
Tamara’s 4th graders explored addition and subtraction strategies. Remember, we use small/easy numbers when we are learning something new and/or when the strategy, not the answer, is the point of the work. It’s all about the numbers, the operations, and really examining what happens when you use different strategies to solve problems.***4G HW due F 2/25.

We shared our 100 Day Collections with tour Core 1 Buddies by doing a gallery walk and answering questions together. See attached—ask your child to explain some of their answers.

Homework Club! Laura and Tamara are available to work with kids during Monday lunchtime Homework Club (Tuesday this week). HW designed to provide extra practice, to stimulate reflection, stamina, and passion, and to give you a window into learning at SMASH. For the most part, it should be independent work. Our HW mantra is, “Start with what you know, do what you can, bring it in and ask for help.” We do not grade HW; we do not give direct feedback on HW; we do not have punitive consequences for not doing HW. If HW causes any stress within your family, please take advantage of HW club. HW club is voluntary, but we may recommend it for students who struggle to be successful with HW at home, students who need extra help, and occasionally we will ask different students to come for a variety of reasons. It is here for you and your kids to provide even more flexibility with our C2 HW.

SMASHing Arts: This week each advisory group continued to practice drawing techniques and tools.
***Friday, 2/25 C2 will share work from their Autobiography/Biography Unit at a Literacy Celebration from 8:45-9:30. Then at 9:45 the 3rd graders will lead an all-SMASH Assembly about trying to become a greener school and the 4th graders will announce the winning Core of the Terracycling contest. Join us!

Dates to Remember:
Monday, February 21 – President’s day – no school
Thursday, February 24 – one mile run in P.E.
Friday, February 25 - Core 2 Autobiography/Biography sharing 8:45 and Assembly, 9:45 am. Join us!!!
Wednesday, March 2 – Dr. Seuss Birthday, PJ Day
Friday, March 4 – JOG-A-Thon
NO SCHOOL Monday, February 21 - Presidents’ Day

Happy 3-day weekend!
Laura: lsherman@smmusd.org
Tamara: tmugalian@smmusd.org
Jayme: j.wold@smmusd.org
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CORE 3 NEWS

Needed: cleaning spray or cleaning wipes and tissues!

PLANNED PARENTHOOD MEETING - NEXT WEDNESDAY 2/23
We look forward to seeing you next Wednesday from 6:00 - 7:00 for our Planned Parenthood Parent Education Evening. Thank you to all those who RSVP'd so we could confirm the event with Planned Parenthood. All are welcome!

ASTROCAMP - Wednesday-Friday, February 23-25. Make sure you have read the supply list and had a bag check! If not, contact Darwin at dmendinueto@smmusd.org

6th Grade Math w/ Carrie: We are wrapping up our unit on Fractions, Decimals, and Percents. The students are getting more nimble at going back and forth between all three. Next Tuesday will be our last class before the unit test on Monday, February 28. Remind your child to study! 6th Grade Math w/ Erin This week students learned about symmetry and the differences between reflection symmetry (when the two halves of a shape are mirror images of one another) and rotation symmetry (when a shape looks the same at different points when it is rotated less than a full turn). Students then used their shapes set to decide if each shape had reflection or rotation symmetry.
5th gr Math w/ Genie: Have you looked over and signed your child's Unit Reflection and Subtraction Assessment? Please do so if you haven't had a chance. We have been busy thinking about fractions and their percent equivalents. We are understanding that if I know ½ = 50% and ¼ = 25% because ¼ is half of ½, then half of ¼ is 1/8 so therefore the percent equivalent would be half of 25% which is 12.5%. They also know that knowing/memorizing these fraction and percent equivalents will help them visualize and solve many problems easily. Ask your child what the percent equivalent is for ½, ¼, 1/3, 1/10, ¾, and 2/3. Darwin also came in at math to share his math wisdom and to get to know the 5th graders before their big AstroCamp trip next week.

Science: We are well into our research on the Power of Nature. The children are busy reading, watching discoveryeducation.com videos, and taking notes on the new things they are learning. At this stage of the research project we are "casting a wide net" and trying to find out as much as possible about our topics. In the next few weeks we will be narrowing our topics down and focusing in on what we are most interested in. If you can, take a trip to the library to check out more books.

Social Studies and Geography: This week in Social Studies we focused on writing up our thoughts about Native American mascots. Each student is writing a mini-essay with examples from the documentary and from our discussions to support their feelings. In Geography this week we continued to make our blow up maps of various states using the grid technique. Many thanks to Dean (Kanoa's dad) and David (Sophie's dad) for coming in to help us on Thursday and
to Carol (Robbie's mom) and Allison (Nathan's mom), who volunteered to help on Wednesday when I had to take an illness day. Please continue to let us know of your interest in helping out in the classroom.

Reading & Writing Workshop w/ Genie: With our 2nd nonfiction weekly article, more students were prepared to engage in our discussion. We know that if we have prior knowledge of the subject, we can be better readers. We continued looking at the power of perspective in Seedfolks and the power of close reading by marking up text, paying attention to words, talking, and rereading. Core 3 has extra copies if you are interested in reading this short but powerful
book. In writing, we're editing (some are editing, revising, and drafting all at the same time) our museum brochures.
These museum brochures will get a 'letter grade' just to give them an experience of what that is like. They will get one grade for their writing based on lessons and the rubric they are following and one on their effort and use of class time. These grades will not be put in a 'grade book' or in their narrative report card. They will give your child a different understanding of their work than just the written feedback they usually receive. It will be given privately and should be
kept private.
Homework:
6g Math - Assignment #24. Assignment 27 is optional.
5g Math - Packet #19 is DUE FRI 3/4
Science - Find more resources on your topic and take notes about what you learn.
Reading - Read every day for 30min—Log in pages/write at least 1 question or thought
Reading – Nonfiction Article "Jai Alai"—read and marked up by Thurs 2/24 (optional for AstroCamp kids)
Writing –collect at least 2 entries for the week—work on Museum Brochure (follow rubic) & Personal Narrative
NO SCHOOL Monday, February 21 - Presidents’ Day

Genie: ghwang@smmusd.org
Carrie: cferguson@smmusd.org
Erin: dodgers44@hotmail.com

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CORE 4 NEWS
Core Four News: Our student scientists are finishing watershed models that will be used to demonstrate principles of geochemical cycling in a NOAA sanctuary. Most have begun working on a presentation board that will focus upon the scientific details of a marine sustainability issue in their selected sanctuary. Both the model and the board are due next Wed Feb 23rd. I will be holding extended after school help sessions both this Friday, Feb 18 and on Wed Feb 23rd (for
those who need finalizing help).

Our QuikScience (one 6th grade and one seventh grade) teams are enjoying the final days of this competition with field trips to Malibu Lagoon and contact with PHD level researchers from USC and/or high achieving SAMOHI students. If your child is involved look for announcements about our April daytrip to USC’s Wrigley lab on Catalina via research ship and an event at QuickSilver’s Huntington Beach headquarters.
Our new reading/writing workshop groups are forging ahead in the respective classes. Darwin’s group is delving into creative writing and over in the non-fiction group we have started research on a “Distant Neighbor” such as Mexico, Cuba or one of Central American countries. In nonfiction literacy (NFL), we also have a special guest arriving from Hawaii to introduce our Family Interview Project (FIP). You may find your kids asking probing questions about your past, so be ready!

8th Grade News: Money has been spent, commitments made, and schedules developed; we are going to San Francisco on SMASH’s first ever graduation trip. This celebration of our young people should prove to be a great time with trips to UC Berkeley, Golden Gate Park, and the Exploratorium. It is now time to confirm the chaperons and teachers who will be joining us to insure the safety of our young adults. It looks like Kurt, Tamara, and Juliana will be going on the
teacher side. Darwin is not able to join us, despite a fervent desire to do so, because our trip dates are very close to his wife’s expected delivery date. If you wish to join us on this exciting adventure please confirm by email to myself and Jessica (kholland@smmusd.org and jrishe@smmusd.org) asap. We would like to finalize adult numbers by Feb 25th.

Outdoor Adventure Trips: The planning cycle for our Astro-Camp, Catalina, Yosemite, and Hess Kramer team building trips has started. These trips support SMASH’ social curriculum and serve as engaging touchstones for our academic learning. As always, we would like to see every child experience these educational goldmines, so please make early and thoughtful arrangements for them to join us. Payment for the trips will be due April 1st to allow us to meet deposit requirements and make low cost travel arrangements. I will be sending out a trip planning sheet specifying the costs and payment options. Planning ahead insures that every child will have a chance to experience these adventures. Email me if you have any questions.
NO SCHOOL Monday, February 21 - Presidents’ Day
Kurt: kholland@smmusd.org
Darwin: dmendineuto@smmusd.org
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