SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR
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Dear SMASHing Families,
Remember our collective energy after watching Race to Nowhere together in the Spring? One message of that film was that students at many schools are overly burdened by the amount of nightly homework they are receiving. Last year, SMMUSD launched a Homework Survey that resulted in a revised District homework policy. Please add your SMASH voices to the District conversation and participate in the follow-up survey. It took me three minutes to complete mine as Micah’s mom.
Go to www.smmusd.org, look on the left side of the home page where it says “Parent Homework Survey” and click on “Take survey in English.”
Thanks for taking 3 minutes to give your thoughts about the type and amount of homework your kids experience at SMASH.
Jessica
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THANK YOU!
The SMASH/John Muir Halloween Carnival was big success due to all of the work that our schools’ parents put in to it. From the planning, the decorations, food, games and clean-up: everything went smoothly. Great Teamwork!
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The new SMASH Directory is in!
If you are a PTSA member, please come into the main office to pick up your copy.
A Shout-Out to Tracy Saltzman for all the work it takes to input the information
& to Nikki von Riesen for the quick and beautiful printing job!
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DATES TO REMEMBER
Sun, Nov 6 - Day Light Savings Ends (set your clock back one hour)
Mon & Wed, Nov 7 & 9 - SMASH restaurant FUNdraiser Nights
Wed, Nov 9 - 6:00-8:00pm - Middle School Music Mtg
Fri, Nov 11 - Veteran’s Day Holiday - SMASH CLOSED - No Friday Letter
Tues, Nov 15 - School Photo Retakes - If you want a redo-you must bring in the entire photo package
Wed, Nov 16 - Elementary School Pupil Free Day - SMASH CLOSED
Fri, Nov 18 - 9:15am - Catalina Assembly
Thurs & Fri, Nov 24 & 25 - Thanksgiving Holidays - SMASH CLOSED
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Don’t shop for the holidays until you’ve been to our annual
HOLIDAY BOUTIQUE & ART FAIRE
Friday, December 9, 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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Terrific news from our friends at Americans for the Arts and one of their corporate partners, KRIS Wine.
As part of its second annual “Art of Education” program, KRIS has launched a new program that will award $25,000 to 16 public schools in the United States to help support arts education programs. Who decides which schools will receive the funds? We do!
Visit KRIS Wine’s Facebook page (http://apps.facebook.com/krisartofeducation/
I hope that every SMASH member will take a moment and get started today --- cast your vote, set a reminder on your calendar to do it every day through November 30, and spread the word to your friends, family, and colleagues.
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SMASH Restaurant FUNdraiser Nights
Come out and have fun with friends and family at
Veggie Grill at 2025 Wilshire Blvd
Monday, Nov 7 and Wednesday, Nov 9 - 3-10pm
Veggie Grill will donate 50% of your total back to SMASH PTSA. (includes take out.) Come one or both nights! Make sure to bring the flyer. See you there
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SALVATION ARMY FUNDRAISER BAZAAR & TRADITIONAL THANSGIVING MEAL SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 12
BAZAAR 1:00-2:00PM
THANKSGIVING MEAL $6.00
The Salvation Army Santa Monica Corps
1533 4th Street, Santa Monica 310-451-1358
If you missed cleaning your closets at SMASH Rummage Sale
you can still unload your white elephants and brick-a-bracks at the Salvation Army.
Thurs, Nov 10 from noon to 1:30; and Fri, Nov 11 from 2:00 to 3:00pm Drop off at back at 1533 4th St. All proceeds to towards Salvation Army’s efforts to help the needy in our community.
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WESTSIDE FOOD BANK - 21st annual 5K Hunger Walk. Sunday, November 6
at 12:30pm at Ocean Park Blvd & the Beach. The walk begins at 1:30. Everyone is welcome to walk. No registration fee, and no minimum fundraising required. The goal is to help fight hunger in our community, raise awareness and have a great time!. For details or to donate go to www.westsidefoodbankca.org.
Thanksgiving Day Yoga - Fundraiser for Westside Food Bank - at Santa Monica Yoga November 24, 10-11:30am. All Levels with Kyra Haglund Suggested donation $20, cash or check made payable to Westside Food Bank. Santa Monica Yoga, 1640 Ocean Park Blvd. 310-396-4040
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The UCLA Family Commons
1221 2nd Street, Santa Monica 310-395-5650 www.uclacommons.com
Family Public Square EXPERT SERIES
Hear the latest research and practical information on topics central to the health and well-being of your family. Leading UCLA researchers and other experts share insights and engage you in dialogue about parenting, child development and habits for good health.
Talks are held from 7:00-8:30pm on the first Wednesday of each month at the UCLA Family Commons in Santa Monica. Cost is $20 per person.
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CAN WE TALK?
A community conversation with City Manager Rod Gould about neighborhood projects, the economy, and the future
...about how we are doing… How does the economy look from a local perspective. Rod will discuss our fiscal outlook and talk about the city’s strategies for difficult times.
…and what are we doing?... What did we do last year? How will we build on that? Talk with Rod about what we accomplished last year, upcoming City initiatives and outreach projects, and what is going on in your neighborhood.
Monday, Nov 7 at 7:00pm - at SMASH/John Muir Auditorium
Monday, Nov 21 - 7:00pm - Civic Center East Wing at 1855 Main St
Monday, Dec 12 - 7:00pm - Virginia Ave Pk, Thelma Terry Community Rm, 2200 Virginia Ave
Wednesday, Jan 4 - 7:00pm - Montana Branch Library, Community Rm, 2401 Montana Ave
Wednesday, Jan 19 - 7:00pm - McKinley School, 2401 Santa Monica Blvd
All locations are wheelchair accessible. For additional disability-related accommodations or for more information about these meetings, please call 310-458-8281 or visit www.smgov.net/neighborhoods
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Santa Monica-Malibu USD – Food & Nutrition Services
Phone: (310) 450 – 8338 ext. 70228 Email: fns@smmusd.org
NONFAT CHOCOLATE MILK “OPT OUT”
Parents or Guardians ONLY, to have your child(ren) “Opt Out” of nonfat chocolate milk served in school cafeterias at lunch please follow these steps:
1. Email: fns@smmusd.org. Indicate your child’s full name, school name, student identification number. OR: Call your school office OR Food and Nutrition Services (310 450 8338 ext. 70228) with the same information required above.
2. Allow 3 days for the information to be available to the cafeteria staff.
3. Tell your child that he/she will only be able to take the “white” unflavored milk. When a student presents his/her lunch card at the cash register a flag will appear on the screen indicating this student has opted out of nonfat chocolate milk. If a child takes nonfat chocolate milk by mistake, cafeteria staff will exchange it for the non flavored milk. Non flavored white milk choices are: nonfat or 1%. Nonfat chocolate milk is not served at breakfast.
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Don’t miss Samohi’s First Play of 2011-12
Opening Friday November 4 - A Night Of Madness
At the Humanities Center Theater (southeast corner of campus)
A cast of 32 insanely talented students presents A Night of Madness,
Director Kate Soller’s inaugural production about who is “crazy” and who is “normal.” Funny, thought-provoking live theatre nearby in your own community. Suggested for ages 12-adult.
Tickets $5 for students and $10 adults. Free parking
Fri, Nov 4; Sat, Nov 4; Thurs, Nov 10 & Sat, Nov 12 at 7:00pm. Sat, Nov 12 also has a 2:00pm matinee. To order tickets online visit: samohitheatre.org.
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HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL THANKS
We would like to send out a special thank you for all the help we received putting together the SMASH / John Muir Halloween Carnival to: All of the wonderful volunteers from SMASH & John Muir
Nikki von Riesen & the 8th graders for the Haunted House
Roxanne for being a super mom
Helga Schier for her notes and words of wisdom
Tracey for always having keys
Janice Wold for answering all the random question we had daily
Whole Foods
Bob's Market
Trader Joe's
Albertson's
The scarecrows peeking up around the campus look amazing. All of the scarecrow participants did such an amazing job on their scarecrows. Thank you for helping us decorate. Who knew recyclables could look so fabulous. We'd like to thank all of the family friendly business around town that loved the idea of making scarecrows out of recycled items and donated to the Scarecrow Raffle.
· $25.00 gift card from Outside the Box Creative Academy on Pico & 4th Street.
· $30.00 gift card from Omelet Parlor on Main Street. A great outdoor patio for Sunday brunch with the whole family.
· From Bike Attack; an XLC cycle light set. High Intensity LED Light, Quick-release mounting and 80 hours of burn time.
· $20 gift card from Swingers on Lincoln and Broadway. There is such a thing as Breakfast served all day. From Onion Rings served with Homemade Ranch to Vegan Cobb salad to Mickey Mouse Pancakes there is something for everyone. Open 7 AM to 3 AM
· From ZJ Boarding house; a ZJ Boarding house goodie bag with this fabulous Green ZJ’s t-shirt, ZJ's gray beanie, Sticky Bumps wax and loads of stickers for your board.
· $5 gift card from Bubba Boba (gelato and boba shop) on Ocean Park and 29th. We sampled both the pistachio and cookies and cream gelato. Yummy!
· $5 gift card from Bubba Boba
· $5 gift card from Bubba Boba
· $10 gift card from Miyako Japanese restaurant and sushi bar. This place is kid loving and budget friendly. Hum, sushi or teriyaki chicken?
· $10 gift card from Miyako
· $50 gift card from Pit Fire Pizza on Washington Blvd. Wood burning pizza and salads made with organic greens. This place is kid crazy on Friday nights
· $50 gift card from Pit Fire Pizza on Washington Blvd
· From Puzzle Zoo on Main Street, A face painting kit from Snazaroo. And just in time for Halloween.
· From AMF Bay Shore Lanes Bowling on Pico and 4th 10 free bowling passes. So you and your friends or you and your family can have a bowling night.
· $10 gift card from Menchies. Frozen yogurt with toppings. Need we say more? Lets go!
· $10 gift card from Menchies.
· 2 Free meals at Islands on Washington Blvd in Marina del Rey A $26 value. A Burger and fries it is.
THANK YOU!!!!
Devorie Franzwa & Amber Baker
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ptsa news
president’s message
Dear SMASHing Parents,
That was an outstanding Halloween Carnival last Friday, October 28, 2011. This is the only event that SMASH conducts jointly with John Muir. The kids had a great time, there was plenty of fun and food for all. Thank you new SMASH moms, Amber and Devorie, who took over this event on behalf of SMASH and demonstrated that Smashing volunteer spirit. Your leadership is greatly appreciated.
Congratulations for an outstanding Rummage Sale on October 22nd. Thank you Jamee Tenzer and Kelly Lance for all your hard work. Also, thank you to all who pitched-in to help make this event a success.
Dan McGee
SMASH green tip
· Just Say NO to Free Stuff: Free stuff is great. How can we say no to freebies? It's hard to reject those tempting pens, rulers, bags, and frisbees, but do you REALLY need them? Will they really get used? Think twice before you take them. If they're just going to sit around the house or get tossed in the junk drawer, JUST SAY NO THANKS. You don't need to figure out how you're going to reuse, recycle, or dispose of things if you don't have them in the first place.
· So it probably feels great to have redistributed some of your unused/older stuff at the SMASH Rummage sale. Before you go out and buy any new stuff…..think about some of the most important stuff keeping us healthy and alive - WATER. It is estimated that in just two short years 36 U.S. states will be facing water shortages. California is one of those states and yet there are no truly effective water conservation laws in place. Think about ways to cut down on water consumption. Showers use less water, so are greener than taking baths. Turn off your irrigation systems and water only as your garden needs it. We are earmarked as an area that will have “substantial conflict potential” due to water shortages. Let’s try to stop that from happening.
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CORE 1 NEWS
Projects November is here and we are beginning our Project Study work.
Candis is focusing on Ramps & Pathways; Chrysta is focusing on Life Science; and Graciela is focusing on Light. Your child will participate in each project group, once a week. Keep your eyes and ears out for ways you can support this very important work throughout the year. We will be using science journals as one way for children to represent what they know, what they want to know, and what they are learning during projects. A big thanks to Elizabeth (Ricky) for donating the notebooks to our core.
Woodworking Jackie has started her woodworking groups!
Each week during Projects time, Jackie will take one student per circle group. This woodworker will be with Jackie for the whole week, and see a project from start to finish: They will plan/design, create, reflect on, and share their project. Every child who wants to participate in woodworking will have at least one opportunity for a week-long woodworking project this year. Thank you to our parents to have volunteered to help with this work. The children are working with real woodworking tools, and we could not do it without your support. Thank you to José (Andrea & Gabriella) for the donation of protective goggles for the children to use during this time.
Special Groups We are starting up special groups, run by parents, that will take place during projects time. These include Gardening with Molly (Quillen) and Mazi (Mateo & Nico); Cooking with Monet & Tina (Lauren & Matthew); Art with Jean (Emie); and Face Painting with Devorie (Kaila). We are keeping track of the children who are participating in these special groups to ensure that all children have opportunities to be involved in some of the groups in some way. Please let us know if there is a special group that you would like to start.
November Birthday Bash: Friday, November 18
If your child has a birthday in the month of November, please sign up to bring a birthday snack. The signups are on a clipboard outside of Candis’ room. We request that the snacks be peanut-free. The snacks will be shared by 75 children, and they will be offered with your child’s lunch. Our birthday bash will be on Friday, November 18. We will gather in Candis’ Room (The Magic Garden) at 11:45. Family and Friends are welcome.
Wish List
Rakes
Brooms
Dustpans
Scratch paper (to re-use one side)
Reminders: Daylight Savings time ends Sunday, Nov 6
School Closed Friday, Nov 11 - No Friday Letter
HAVE A WONDERFUL WEEKEND & REMEMBER TO “FALL BACK”!
Candis, Chrysta, Graciela, Jackie, and Nadja
Candis: cberens@smmusd.org
Chrysta: cwyse@smmusd.org
Graciela: gbarba-castro@smmsud.org
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CORE 2 NEWS
Advisory News: We’ve really turned a corner in Advisory. Thanks, no doubt, to conferences and the trip to Camp Josepho, the kids have really bonded as a group and are using cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control together. We feel lucky to be working with such a special group of kids.
Theme: In Theme so far, we have been learning about each other by sharing about ourselves. After sharing our collections, the students were eager to share more. The students learned about Dias de los Muertos and have been bringing n objects to honor both things they feel lucky to have in their lives and things they have lost. They have been working closely with their table teams to create personal “alters” as well as communal “alters” at each of their tables. Their excitement, cooperation, and devotion to this project has really inspired us. We know it will inspire you. We hope you will be able to come celebrate with us on Thursday, November 10, at 2:00 to view –and add to—our alters and enjoy some horchata and pan dolce. See the email from Jayme, Tamara, and Laura to see how parents can help!
Literacy: In Readers Workshop, we continue character/setting study, envisioning, predicting, and inferring during read alouds and in our Just Right books. We will delve a bit deeper into literary analysis by examining the things authors do: details, foreshadowing, and symbolism. Nothing (character names and characteristics, setting choices, plot twists and turns) is random in a book—the author plans every bit very carefully. We will examine why authors make the choices they do and how that helps us as readers. In Writing Workshop, we’ve published 3 short writing pieces since September. We just started our first big writing unit, A Small Moment Story, writing about a personal experience. And our next nonfiction/non-narrative writing unit will be a personal essay: using an idea or opinion as an angle to write about ourselves. The students have been collecting ideas about themselves, people, places, things, and animals that are important to them, and memorable experiences they’ve had. They learned that writers write about times they felt strong emotions and zoom in on little scenes from their experiences.
Math: Laura’s 3rd graders are wrapping up their second unit, Surveys and Line Plots, which helped the students explore collecting and representing data, using graphs and charts to represent information. Look for your child’s math packet, assessment, and Laura’s reflection in the Friday Papers soon. Next up for 3G Math is Collections and Travel Stories, another addition and subtraction unit. Tamara’s 4th Graders just finished their second math unit, Describing the Shape of the Data, which helped the students collect, represent, compare, and describe data. They also dabbled in probability. Please look for the math packets, the unit assessments, and your child’s self reflections from their first 2 units in the Friday Papers coming soon. Next up for the 4G Mathematicians is Multiple Towers and Division Stories, a second multiplication and division unit, with an emphasis on division.
Wednesday Drama with Kristy: Theater Arts with Kristy is going strong. Laura’s Advisory Group is making masks and doing Readers’ Theater based upon a couple of their favorite stories. Tamara’s Advisory is busy practicing puppetry and rehearsing movement using a couple of our favorite picture books as inspiration.
Save the Date—We’ll be sharing our hard work with you on Literacy Night 12/14, 6:00pm
Media Center: Both groups visit the Media Center twice a month on Thursdays (alternating weeks). Students may bring their library books home. Please help them be responsible for their books—and returning them to school on Thursdays.
Thank You to Audrey’s April for arranging a special field trip for the fourth graders to see Peter & the Wolf at the Broad Stage. Thank you to our parent chaperones for helping us take the Big Blue Bus, eat our snacks, and enjoy the show. We all look forward to more trips this year—there’s a whole world of music, art, dace, drama, and life for us to explore!
Reminders: Daylight Savings time ends Sunday, Nov 6
School Closed Friday, Nov 11 - No Friday Letter
Make some memories this weekend—they last a lifetime and never break!
Laura: lsherman@smmusd.org
Tamara: tmugalian@smmusd.org
Jayme: j.wold@smmusd.org
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CORE 3 NEWS
JPL Trip on Monday! The bus leaves at 8:30 so BE ON TIME! Pack a snack and lunch (no glass).
6th Grade Math with Carrie: We took our assessment on Monday for Prime Time. On Tuesday, we worked on correcting our assessments and doing self-evaluations. We will wrap up Prime Time next week and start on Bits and Pieces (fractions, decimals, percents). No homework this week!
6th Grade Math with Erin "Data About Us": This week we continued practicing finding the mean (average) or a set of data. Try this example with your student. You have six households and the mean number of people in all the households together is 4. Draw and make a bar graph of 2 different data sets that could meet this criteria.
5th grade Math Workshop with Genie: Please make sure your have signed your child's Unit 1's Reflection Sheet and have it returned in the green folder to school. We have been busy looking at volume in different units, centimeters, inches, feet, yards and meters. As we are furthering our understanding of volume, we have begun to look at how to know the volume of cylinders and pyramids. Ask your child how they can figure out the volume of a pyramid and how they know for sure.
Science with Carrie: We got ready for our trip to JPL by learning more about Galaxies, Black Holes, and the various missions from NASA. The children created JPL notebooks to use when we go on our trip. We are all very excited to meet with scientists who are on the cutting edge of space exploration!
Social Studies and Geography with Erin: We delved further into the Civil Rights movement this week. Students took notes on and discussed The Little Rock Nine, Sit-Ins, Freedom Rides, and various happenings in Birmingham, including the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. Please ask your children to share what they have learned and their thoughts on how these incidents relate to life today. In Geography, we are working hard to complete the giant world map that we have been working on since the first weeks of school. It should be up by Monday. Come check it out!
Reading and Writing Workshop with Genie: We have begun a new Read Aloud a science fiction book called The White Mountains. With this new read aloud we will deepen our study of book talk and use notes taken during Read Aloud to help us make our conversations connected and richer by carefully talking and listening to each other. Ask your child what we noticed when we watched a videotape of our class discussion of Slob. In Writing, we've continued to revise and edit our personal essays. Please take a look at your child's Rubric and see if they have followed it to help them make their writing piece clearer.
Homework:
6G math: No Homework this week!
5G math: packet #9. Due Thursday 11/10/11
RW: Read every day! Have you started your second book club? Third book club?
WW: Personal Essay revised and edited using the Rubric! No notebook entries due this week.
Reminders: Daylight Savings time ends Sunday, Nov 6
School Closed Friday, Nov 11 - No Friday Letter
Scholastic Book Club Orders are Due by Nov 11! Go to: scholastic.com, go to parent tab, quick links book clubs, class code HBQCR
Calling all interested SMASH middle school music parents and musicians!
Join Jessica Wednesday, November 9th 6-7pm in the Library to discuss:
*Reflections on how Winds, Strings, and Choir are rolling out this year
*How to set up funds/inventory for those who need to rent instruments in the future
*How to raise monies this year towards Robbie’s String and Mike’s Wind contracts
*How to create a future schedule where all musicians could do both choir and an instrument
*Equity across Wind and String course structure/offerings
Genie: ghwang@smmusd.org
Carrie: cferguson@smmusd.org
Erin: ehaendel@smmusd.org
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CORE 4 NEWS
Chemistry/Physical Science at Heal the Bay’s Aquarium: Our field science formal academics got off to a watery start amongst the finny denizens of our local waters. 7th graders used oceanographic measuring equipment, and collected/tested water samples for nitrates, phosphates or dissolved oxygen. This hands on investigation is our first experiential touchstone for an academic investigation of the periodic table, chemical reactions, and the particle theory of matter (atoms, molecules, and bonding). On Thursday 7th grade scientists got to burn their schoolwork during a mini-experiment. Most enjoyed this opportunity to rid themselves of a
piece of low quality work even as we discussed activation energy and reactions.
8th Grade Notes: These fine young scientists spent much of the week working on an introduction to the Six Unifying Principles of Biology. We looked deeply at how ecology works along the coral reefs of Belize, reviewed key concepts from prior years, and identified the principles that will guide our life science investigations.
This distinctive group of students is doing reasonably academically even as they are sorting through many intense social distractions. It is an ideal time to find a tutor for your 8th grader and to organize their schedule so that a balanced multi-subject approach to academics may assume a greater portion of their time. Let me know if you want help finding a tutor as we many effective alumni who both volunteer and tutor for nominal sums. Every learner from the struggling to the stellar should organize weekly tutoring now to help avoid a deep 8th grade slump mid year.
Parent Involvement Opportunities: Thank you parents who joined us for the trips to the aquarium! Your choice to help out kept our students safe, added to the fun, and encouraged active learning on the kid’s part. Thanks again and drop around anytime. If you missed this chance, we have more exciting learning trips on the schedule so shoot me an email.
Dates to Remember:
Thurs, Nov 10 at 6:00pm - 8th grade Parent Support meeting at Schlessinger’s home.
Sun, Nov 6 - Daylight Savings time ends
Fri, Nov 11 - School Closed - No Friday Letter
Calling all interested SMASH middle school music parents and musicians!
Join Jessica Wednesday, November 9th 6-7pm in the Library to discuss:
*Reflections on how Winds, Strings, and Choir are rolling out this year
*How to set up funds/inventory for those who need to rent instruments in the future
*How to raise monies this year towards Robbie’s String and Mike’s Wind contracts
*How to create a future schedule where all musicians could do both choir and an instrument
*Equity across Wind and String course structure/offerings
Kurt: kholland@smmusd.org
Darwin: dmendinueto@smmusd.org
Bailey: baileyfield@mac.com
