Smash Friday Letter

Have a Wonderful Winter Break!
Dear SMASHing Families,
“Like life, racial understanding is not something that we find, but something that we must create.” --Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Save the Date: Wednesday, January 11, 6:00-8:00 pm SMASH and John Muir are sponsoring an opportunity for adults and 5th-8th grade students in the SMASH/Muir community to come together to participate in a Dialogue on Race in our SMASH/Muir Library. This is a site based follow up to the District’s Dialogue on Race event that occurred October 29 at Samoh Superintendent Sandy Lyon is planning to join us as well as School Board member, Oscar del la Torre, so this is an important chance to build connections with them. We welcome your voice and contribution to the dialogue as we further our campus’ respectful community.

Also, for those who have not done so already, please add your SMASH voices to the District homework conversation and participate in the Homework 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.

Wishing you a happy holiday season and peaceful new year.
See you January 4th when we return to school.

Jessica
************
WINTERLIT - HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS IN SANTA MONICA
Tuesday, December 20-27 - Chanukah Menorah Lighting at sundown
Nov 1—Dec 31 - Gift Your Schools. Shop & dine at Santa Monica Place and earn SMASH 5% donation. Just present your receipts at the Concierge on level 1. For details 310-260-8333.
SANTA MONICA PLACE
Thursdays 5-7pm & Saturdays 1-3 & 5-7pm - Live carolers
Now through Christmas Eve - Visit Santa in The Market and Snow Falls at 7pm in Center Plaza
SANTA MONICA PIER - 2011 HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
Saturday, December 17 11:00am - 5:00pm
11:00-3:00 - Santa Claus visits the Merry-Go-Round. FREE rides during his visit
1:00-3:00 - Cirque du Soleil Oh Snap Experience, interactive truck & free photo opportunity for the entire family
2:30-5:00 - Holiday Caroling - Carolers stroll along the pier.
December 1-18 - Canned Food Drive supporting Upward Bound House. Drop off in the Merry-Go-Round building
For a list of all events visit WinterLit.com - SantaMonicaPlace.com - ICEatSantaMonica.com
************
DATES TO REMEMBER
WED, Dec. 21 - TUES, Jan. 3 - WINTER BREAK - SCHOOL CLOSED
Wed, Jan 4 - 5:00-6:00pm - Site Council Mtg
Sun, Jan 8 - Fri, Jan 13 - Yosemite Trip for 7th grader students
Mon, Jan 9 - 9:00-10:30am - SMASH School Tour
Wed, Jan 11 - 6-8pm - Dialogue on Race
************

Welcome Nurse Magdalena Iyela to SMASH & John Muir!
Magdalena will be here Monday - Friday, 9:45 - 1:15
************
LOOKING FOR A CHRISTMAS TREE?
Bennett Zemke’s Boy Scout troop #2 has trees up to 11 feet tall, as well as wreaths and garlands. Located on Montana Ave between 15th & 16th Streets. The lot is open 9am-9pm, with local delivery available Bring the flyer for a 10% discount, go to http://www.troop2bsa.org /2011TreeLotFlyer.pdf to print the flyer.
************
The D.C. Dance Center Presents “THE LAND OF SWEETS….AND SOME TREATS”
Saturday, Dec 17 - 6:30pm
12422 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles 90025
Emma Green & Mac Varner will be dancing in this fun children’s holiday performance.
Proceeds from this performance go to local charities.
Children’s Workshops at 1:00pm (ages 3-5) and 3:30pm (ages 6 and up)
Children can celebrate the holidays with arts, crafts, snacks,
and be able to learn and perform excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker “Land of Sweets”
For information and tickets go to www.dancecenterla.com
************
UCLA FAMILY COMMONS presents Helping Girls Have a Healthy Relationship With Food & Exercise Family Public Square: Expert Series with Dr. Michael Strober
Wednesday, January 4; 7:00-8:30pm $20/person
Even girls with healthy eating and exercise habits experience social pressure around anorexia and bulimia — whether it's hearing other girls talk about it, seeing fellow athletes go to extremes, or being urged to try dangerous behaviors themselves. Learn how to talk to your daughter about eating disorders, recognize the warning signs for risk of anorexia or bulimia, and help your daughter build the coping skills to feel good about herself and her body.
Dr. Michael Strober, a clinical psychologist, is the Franklin Mint Professor of Eating Disorders in the UCLA Psychiatry Department. He is Director of the UCLA Eating Disorders Program and the Adolescent Mood Disorders Program, and he has conducted extensive research on topics such as the developmental risk factors for eating disorders and the prevention and treatment of mood disorders among young people.
REGISTER: 310-395-5650 or e-mail at unfo@uclacommons.com

The UCLA Family Commons presents
Navigating Divorce: for Children ages 7-11With Dr. Rebecca Eberlin, PhD.
Mondays 4:00-5:15pm; January 9 - February 27 $350 per person
Classes include: identifying, labeling and controlling feelings; solving problems; divorce specific coping skills; age appropriate understanding of divorce-related concepts and creating positive perceptions of one’s self and family. 1221 2nd Street; Santa Monica 90401 310-395-5650 www.uclacommons.com
************
SMASH Site Council Agenda
Wednesday, January 4, 2012; 5:00 PM Core 2
Adopt Agenda
Approve minutes of last meeting
Community participation
Reports and Announcements (regular agenda items)
Principal’s Report
Student Reports
Community Organization Reports (to include but not limited to the following):
PTSA
Student Council
Other
Old Business
Vote on final site plan including literacy, math, and school climate goals
New Business
Discuss SMMUSD centralized fundraising working group
Community participation (if applicable)
Adjourn
************
SMASH Site Council Minutes
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 5:00 PM Core 2
In Attendance: Laura Sherman, Jessica Rishe, Candis Berens, Jackie Boyd, Mimi Lichterman, Aurora Delaney, Toby Romero, Nathan Goldenberg, Malaika Boyer
Absent: Graciela Barba-Castro, Chrysta Wyse, Elizabeth Kramer Nina Fresco, Shaquil Johnson, Izzy Strick
Moved by Mimi. Seconded by Jackie. Agenda Adopted.
Moved by Jackie. Seconded by Candis. Minutes approved from last meeting.
Community participation: None
Reports and Announcements (regular agenda items)
Principal’s Report: Middle School Music Meeting at SMASH resulted in search for Jazz Club instructor for Winds and Winds-Strings collaboration around a contemporary piece “My Girl” which is being made into short film. Fundraising for this music program is underway (ICE 12/8). SMMUSD Board of Education passed centralized fundraising policy with Education Foundation as partner. People interested in serving on Superintendent’s advisory group to give input to details of this policy should let Jessica know. PTSA will be letting people know about “Our Children Our Future” initiative on November 2012 ballot. CA lost $18Billion in education spending and this initiative would raise $10 Billion through a sliding scale income tax. Creates $1300 per student to spend on programs and personnel (Art, Music, PE, Librarians, Counselors)

Student Reports: Core 3 is finishing science projects and learning about the Civil Rights Movement. Can do a speech; blow up map, posterboard or a song to demonstrate facts about Rosa Parks boycott and other moments. Will be drafting science fiction stories soon. Core 3 final visual art projects will be displayed next week Dec 13th at the Sharing. Core 3 designed umbrellas for the Holiday Boutique. DARE graduation is 11:00 December 16th. Core 3 is going to the Griffith Observatory next week. Nathan proposes having designated amount of time have to sit at the benches and eat and then go and play after. Look in February for a way for Site Council to lead surveys or focus groups to see student feedback about play before eat pilot. Need more instrument storage in Surf Shack. Might need designated areas for types of instruments. Get Core 2 and Core 3 student leaders together to come up with a plan.

Community Organization Reports (to include but not limited to the following):
PTSA
Student Council: Upper School planned the last Community Group Morning Meeting. December 16th will be Crazy Hair Day.
Old Business: None
New Business:
Early Literacy and Conceptual Mathematics goals reviewed
Early Literacy Goal: Support students struggling to learn to read in grades 1st-2nd
Focus on early literacy intervention by complementing the classroom Reading Workshop with Reading Recovery instruction. Funding Source: $5,828 Tier III and $2,851.30 Equity
Description: 6 hours per week of Reading Recovery support for identified 1st and 2nd graders
Math Goal:
In order to promote rigor, relevance, and effectiveness, identify where student thinking was being stretched by questions posed and participation levels, students had clarity about why they were learning the lessons, and where students interact with the curriculum in a variety of ways.
Actions
2nd and 7th/8th grade teachers rotate filming model math lessons. They edit them into 5 minute shorts for use with protocols at staff banked time meetings after school Fridays. Teachers work with Graciela Barba-Castro, Instructional Leadership Team Math Teacher Leader to design lessons and examine student work from lessons, including focus student work. Every grade level will engage in the Learning Walk process. This process will allow teachers time to see K-8: ”We know it’s rigorous/ relevant/effective when teachers/students…”
Host JAMS Pathway Principals’ Math Learning Walk
Funding Source: $0 from site, all sub time and training provided through RGK SMMUSD Educational Services Grant
Community participation: None
Moved by Candis. Seconded by Jackie. Meeting Adjourned.
Next meeting is Wed, January 4.
************
ptsa news

president’s message
Dear SMASHing Parents,
I hope everyone had and a great time at last Friday’s Holiday Boutique. It was one of the best Holiday Boutiques ever and very fun for both kids and adults. Congratulations and thank you to Birte, Tamara, Helga and everyone who helped make this event a great success.
Last week’s mention in the Friday letter of the recent vote by the School Board on November 29 to implement centralized fundraising, was intended to let everyone know that there will be changes in the future with regard to our fundraising efforts. This week our superintendent, Sandra Lyon, sent an email to confirm the vote of the Board and the forthcoming changes, but she also wants everyone to know Nothing will change at schools in the 2012-13 school year. The Board policy states that the earliest the policy could be implemented would be July 2013, and the latest date by which it must be implemented is July 2014. This gives us time to determine how this policy will be implemented as well as to raise the funds we need to pay for the desired staff positions and professional development. Now is the time for SMASH parents to get involved in formulation of the new policy by applying to join the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee and/or attending meetings of the SMMUSD Education Foundation. Please call the district office to get an application for the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee and attend a meeting of the Education Foundation. SMASH needs your voice in implementing this new policy.
This is also the time of year when we need parents to step-up and take a role on the SMASH PTSA Executive Board. Most of the positions on the Board, including President and Treasurer, need to be filled so that a new Board can take over at the end of this school year and be ready for the 2012-2013 school year. Please note that many of the Board positions do not require a significant commitment of time, but they do offer the chance to be a voice and participate in the process of fulfilling the PTSA’s mission on behalf of SMASH.
Thanks,
Dan McGee


ptsa annual family investment drive
·The SMASH Annual Family Investment Drive continues throughout the year and we need every family to participate, even if you cannot afford the recommended amount. For those families who have not made a decision and have waited until the end of the year before deciding, now is the time to make a decision about your end of the year tax deductible contribution. If you haven’t made a commitment for your Annual Family Investment, we ask that you please make a commitment before the end of the year. 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 green tip
Green For The Dogs Part II: Concrete floors are not comfortable for anyone. Old blankets and towels you don't want anymore would make perfect soft spots for shelter animals. Check your local animal shelter if they will take these donations.
***********
CORE 1 NEWS

CORE 1 PARK DAY
On Tuesday, December 20, we are planning a WALKING FIELD TRIP to HOTCHKISS PARK (the hill park on 4th and Hollister). We will be offering a variety of games and activities. Parents are invited to join us – and encouraged to bring your own activity as well, such as a parachute or jump ropes. Children will need to wear comfortable running shoes and plenty of sunscreen. All children will need to bring a packed lunch. Core 1 will be leaving school at 10:45 and returning by 1:00. Parents are encouraged to come if you can. The more, the merrier!!

ART SHARE
What does the world look like through the lens of a child? Did you see the photography presented in Chrysta’s room?
What are the collections that represent your child’s heart – in this moment, at this stage of his/her life? Did you assemble the collection from your child’s cubbie? What materials, colors, and shapes does your child use to represent him/ herself? Did you see the drawn portraits and assemblage in all of the classrooms?

We want to, again, congratulate your artists and thank you for coming out to our Core 1 Art Share on Tuesday night. It was an overwhelming success, and the children had so much fun! We appreciate your support of our program, especially during this busy time of year.

Kristy, our next artist-in-residence in Core 1, will begin a drama study as soon as we come back from Winter Break. The children will be studying and performing FAIRY TALES, and presenting them through a life-size SHADOW THEATER, which we will construct in Graciela’s room. This will be a fun connection to our year-long LIGHT STUDY with Graciela. Stay tuned for more!!

HOLIDAY SHOPPING
Please look for your order forms in this Friday's folder, if there are any extra goodies you would like to buy: Note cards (flower and driftwood varieties, ) and a flashdrive of the 1,235 student created photographs will be available for purchase ($20). The children took most of the photos of each other, and there are countless truly amazing photos, suitable for framing!

JACKETS and SWEATERS and SHIRTS, Oh My!!
Winter Break is a LOOOONNGG time to be without your jackets and sweaters. Please stop by your child’s cubby and the hooks outside of Chrysta’s classroom to collect your child’s left clothing before Break.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!
Candis, Chrysta, Graciela, Jackie, and Nadja
Candis: cberens@smmusd.org
Chrysta: cwyse@smmusd.org
Graciela: gbarba-castro@smmusd.org
************
CORE 2 NEWS
Announcements
Thanks for coming to our Arts Sharing!
Dates to Remember:
Friday, December 16 – Last Friday Letter until 2012
Wednesday December 21 – Tuesday, January 3, 2012 – Winter Break
Wednesday, January 4, 2012 – Welcome back! New mixed up Advisories! Art with Juliana!
Monday, Jan 16 – Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday – No school
Wednesday, Jan 18 – Multicultural Potluck, 6pm

Laura: lsherman@smmusd.org
Tamara: tmugalian@smmusd.org
Jayme: j.wold@smmusd.org
************
CORE 3 NEWS
Thanks for the Tissues!

Thanks to our chaperones, Marc (Toby's dad), John (Kate's dad), Dan (Molly's), and Yvonne (Aurora's mom) for helping to make our trip to Griffith Park safe and fun! A special thanks to Yvonne for using her connections and making the visit possible! Please look on our website for a few photos of our trip.

Arts Share! Thanks to Juliana and to all our Core 3 artists for putting on a great visual arts show! Their drawings are amazing and are still on view in Core 3 if you haven't had a chance to see the installation. Also, make sure you open up your Core 3 email blast to see the pdf file reflecting on our drawing art unit.

Thanks for purchasing the Holiday Boutique Umbrellas! Many students expressed how fun it was to design and draw on umbrellas. "This is the best project ever!" Alex said. There are still some students who have reserved their umbrella and others are up for sale. If you would like to purchase an umbrella in support of our SMASH PTSA, please come choose one!

6th Grade Math with Carrie: We reinforced our understanding of equivalent fractions, comparing fractions, and adding fractions by playing games like "Fraction War", "Fraction Concentration", and "Fraction Bingo". Homework 6B is due on Tuesday.

Science with Carrie: Our Space Presentations started this week for a few students who are going out of town. The rest of the presentations will be on Monday and Tuesday. Please see the list below to know when your child's presentation will be. We are going to try to keep close to these times (the kids know that it is supposed to be about 5 minutes and that at the 7 minute mark, the need to be done).
Orange Group (Monday):
10:35 Clara
10:42 Ifeyani
10:48 Luke/Sam
10:55 Alan
11:05 Toby/Shaquil
11:15 Liam/Duncan/Theo
11:25 Lydia
11:35 Nathan G
11:45 Molly
11:55 Sophie
12:05 Willow/CJ
12:15 Bailey/Zoe

Blue Group (Monday):
1:15 Isabel/Riley
1:24 Lucie
1:33 Olivia/Nathan M.
1:42 Robbie
1:51 Kaiden
2:00 Iris/Kate
2:09 Lillian/Mosi
2:18 Mina
2:27 Sydni
2:36 Alex
2:45 Cole, Zoey Rose, Solal

Tuesday (could be from either Blue or Orange group)
8:35 Mika/Simeon
8:43 Caleb
8:51 Aurora
9:00 Timmy
9:09 Izzy

Reading and Writing Workshop with Genie: We started drafting our Science Fiction Short Stories! The drafts should be finished before break so we can take our minds and eyes off our work to return in the new year with fresh minds and eyes which is a great way to start RE-vising!

Social Studies with Erin: Please finish Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary over the winter vacation. We will continue to discuss the issues and events in the book when we return in January. We will also have a chance to share our Civil Rights final projects at that time.

Winter Break Homework:
READ, READ, READ! Read lots of good books or at least one!
Play some games with your family!
Watch a good movie!
Practice your multiplication or division facts!

Be ready for learning in the new year and for new advisories! Carrie and Erin's schedule will be switching. Carrie will be teaching on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Erin will be teaching on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Erin will be taking her maternity leave in the middle of February and Amanda will be our long term sub.

Have a wonderful winter break!
Genie: gwang@smmusd.org
Carrie: cferguson@smmusd.org
Erin: ehaendel@smmusd.org

Dear Core 3 and Core 4 Families,
Our Middle School 2011-2012 Music Program Pilot continues to thrive and evolve thanks to thoughtful student and organized parent input. It was wonderful to hear our 3 inspired middle school groups (strings, winds, choir) perform at the Holiday Boutique.

Next two known performances will be Tuesday, January 24th 8-9pm Winter Music Concert and Tuesday, March 13th 6:00-7:30pm Talent Show. Perhaps other performance opportunities will also arise.

Choir will continue to meet with Jessi Tuesday/Thursday 9:15-10:15
Strings will continue to meet with Robbie Tuesday/Thursday 8:00-9:15, and
Winds will have the following pilot starting in January:

1) District Middle School Winds Program with Kevin Tuesday/Thursday 9:15-10:10 with Mike Hyziak teaming with Kevin on Thursdays.

2) Jazz Club for Winds Students (optional but highly encouraged) Fridays 1:45-2:45 at SMASH with Instructor Mike Hyziak. This will begin Fri, January 6 in the Music Room next to our Cafetorium.
Mike is a professional Jazz music arranger and looks forward to determining which music pieces students want to work on where he can create parts targeted to their instrumentation and playing level. His vision for the Friday group time includes: having fun playing Improv along with structured learning about phrasing, articulations, or the context behind
the music.

Who May Join? This is available to those in our Middle School District Winds Program as well as to those 6th-8th graders who are unable to participate in our District Middle School Music Program because they play an instrument not currently supported within our music program such as rhythm instruments, electric bass, piano, electric guitar, French horn, or tuba. Interested students not involved in our District Middle School Music Program will need to meet with Mike privately to confirm intermediate skill level in order to join the group.

While we begin this club at a manageable size, without 5th graders, vocalists or traditional string instruments, Mike is very interested in expanding in future years if the club gets solidified.

If interested in joining, email jrishe@smmusd.org so we may compile a list for Mike to get in touch with you.

Thank you to those who have already made donations to this SMASH Middle School Music Program. Others who wish to make your donation to this music program may write a check to “SMASH PTSA” and put “Middle School Music” on the memo line.

Looking forward to 2012 where we get to hear the strings/winds “My Girl” collaboration, more vocal harmonies, and a little SMASH Jazz!
Jessica

PLEASE NOTE: NO MIDDLE SCHOOL STRINGS CLASS WITH ROBBIE ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 5. Class will resume on January 10.
**************

CORE 4 NEWS
Holiday Happenings In Core Four: On the schedule are two activities and parents are encouraged to join us.
Ice Skating in downtown Santa Monica on 12/19 is always a blast and we would like to do this again after missing a year. Our plan is to walk over starting around 09:30am, skate, fall, and play for an hour and one half before walking back to school for lunch. Please have your kids bring $15.00 for entrance fees and a snack. As always, if this presents a problem, contact us and we shall work it out with you.

The second big event is our Caribbean Junk-a-Roo on the 20th. This multi-cultural event celebrates our kid’s efforts in humanities. The event kicks off with brief presentations starting at 11:30, breaks for lunch at the normal time and resumes just after with a Caribbean style secret Santa activity. Around 14:00 we will begin snacking on what we hope will be a sumptuous collection of Caribbean style snacks. Please bring anything to this potluck: plantains, dirty rice, jerk chicken, etc…

Our intention this year is to model a materialism free manner of celebration that focuses upon people, relationships, and careful choices. We seek to avoid the endless cycle of consumerism that has frivolously eroded the world’s resources; instead, we will celebrate the enduring bonds, special qualities of creativity, and thoughtfulness that exist amongst our community. We feel this is consistent with CARES, our social curriculum and our intention to model what we value in life.

If thinking of holiday gift giving, the Global Adolescent Project (www.globaladolescent.org) is something we support and thought you might be interested in learning about.

Kurt: kholland@smmusd.org
Darwin: dmendinueto@smmusd.org
Bailey: bailey.field@mac.com
*****************






































































































































































































































































PAPPA JOHN’S PIZZA
FRIDAY, JANUARY 13 AND 27, 2012
Opt out of Nonfat Chocolate Milk at
fns@smmusd.org. Simply give us your child’s
Name, ID # and school