Hey SMASH, the Family Dance is coming!
Friday, February 8 - 6-8PM
*We’re traveling back in time to the
1980’s!
Dust off those leg warmers and tease up that hair!
The Family Dance will be great, so be there or be square.
We’ll have
DANCING,
tasty snacks, crafts, raffle, and
FUN!
All proceeds are given
to local charities
*Presented by the SMASH Student Council
WE ARE REQUESTING FOOD DONATIONS FROM EACH FAMILY
ATTENDING FOR OUR SCHOOL-WIDE COMMUNITY SNACK.
BE SURE TO CHECK THE LIST TO SEE WHICH SNACK TO BRING!
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Food donations for the Family Dance!
This year, we are going to do a school-wide community snack,
and we are asking each core to donate! In order to “go green”
we are looking for bite-size finger foods (no plates or forks)!!!
Core 1 is responsible for Fruits and Veggies:
Grapes
Baby carrots
Cuties
Celery sticks
Core 2 is responsible for Grains:
Tortilla Chips
Potato Chips
Wheat Thins
Ritz Crackers
Core 3 is responsible for Protein:
Cheese cubes/sticks/slices
Dips (Ranch, yogurt, veggie, tofu, etc.)
Bean Dip
Hummus
Salsa
Core 4 is responsible for Dessert:
Red Vines
Small cookies
Brownie Bites
Animal Crackers
Bring enough
for a crowd!
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DATES TO REMEMBER
Fri, Feb 8 - 6-8pm - SMASH FAMILY DANCE! 80’s ThemePlease check today’s community snack list for each core
Sat, Feb 9 - 8:00am-noon - Dental Health Fair - Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center
Mon, Feb 11 - 9am - SMASH School Tour
Wed, 3:30pm - Site Council Mtg
Tues, Feb 12 - 6pm - Jonathan Mooney, Author, Public Speaker - SMASH Library
Fri, Feb 14 - 6-9pm - Valentine’s Day Kids’ Craft Night—SMASH auditorium
Mon, Feb 18 - Presidents’ Day - SCHOOL CLOSED
Wed, Feb 20 - 8:30am - PTSA Mtg
Wed-Fri, Feb 20, 21, 22 - 5th grade AstroCamp
Thur-Fri, Feb 21, 22 - Core 2 Tesmesdal Canyon
Fri, Feb 22 - 1:30-3:30pm - in Auditorium - John Muir 1st Annual Black History Community Event
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SMASH JOG-A-THON!! Friday, March 15
T-Shirt design submissions due today. Sponsorship to have your name on the t-shirt due by February 8.
See form in today’s Friday Letter
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Santa Monica High School Theatre presents
Into the Woods, a Musical
Barnam Hall
February 8, 9, 15 & 16 at 7:00pm
Matinees: Feb 9 at 2pm and Feb. 17 at 4pm
Tickets at SamohiTheatre.org. Tickets $15 - Students $10
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Santa Monica’s Morgan-Wixson Theatre presents
A Midsummer Night’s Dream OR
The Night They Missed the Forest for the Trees
February 2—17
Reserved Seats: $10 adults, $7 Children 12 years and under For tickets: www.morgan-wixson.org or 310-828-7519
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DENTAL HEALTH FAIR
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9
8:00am to Noon
Ruth Ziegler and Jack Skirball Dental Clinic
Simms/Mann Health and Wellness Center - 3rd Floor
2509 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica - Free Parking
Toothbrush cleanings, fluoride treatments, oral hygiene instructions, visual exams,
plus free dental supplies, books and more for kids up to age 18.
Venice Family Clinic - www.venicefamilyclinic.org
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AAU African American Union
John Muir 1st Annual Black History Community Event
Investigating the Future-Remembering the Past
Friday, February 22. 1:30-3:30pm - SMASH/John Muir Auditorium
The community is invited to join in celebrating the lives of those who have made an impact
from past to present—and now our future!
Educational inter-active participation for all. Food, fun, dancing, arts and crafts, raffle and more!
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The SMASH Jogathon t-shirt needs you!
Deadline: Friday, February 8th
T-shirt sponsors make it possible for all students and teachers to take home a
Jogathon t-shirt. Sponsorship is tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.
Sponsor names adorn the back of the t-shirt. As a token of appreciation for
their generous support, t-shirt sponsors receive a complimentary t-shirt.
Fill out the form below and drop off in the office by the deadline above.
Make your check payable to SMASH PTSA.
Become a Corporate Sponsor
(donations of $150, $200 or $250)
or
Become a SMASHing Sponsor
(donations of $25, $50 or $100)
Questions?
Contact Lillie Schlessinger (213) 742-3394 – lillie.schlessinger@transamerica.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------Sponsorship: Corporate ___$250 ___$200 ___$150
SMASHing ___$100 ___$50 ___$25
Name (as you would like it to appear on the t-shirt):______________________________________
Child’s name (so we know who you are!):________________________________
Size preference for complimentary t-shirt: ___XXL ___XL ___L ___M ___S (All sizes are adult sizes since all students will already receive a complimentary t-shirt. If you specifically want your complimentary t-shirt to be a child’s size, please note this.)
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Valentine’s Day Kid’s
Craft Night
Drop your kids off at SMASH and
enjoy a Valentine’s Day Date Night
while your kids are having fun!
8th graders will provide babysitting and fun activities,
with adult supervision. Pizza available for purchase
at drop off and healthy snacks provided.
Proceeds go to the 8th grade graduation trip!
Thursday, Feb. 14, 6pm-9pm
in the Cafeteria
Suggested Donation for Admission:
$5 per child
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Hello SMASHING Parents!Hopefully you had a chance to attend Wednesday's Dialogue on Race - Part Two! It was a terrific event! Thank you to everyone who helped to make it such a great success.
This next event is going to be amazing! If you are interested in an engaging, informative and entertaining evening, please make sure you make time in your schedule to attend the Parent Ed evening we have coming up featuring Jonathan Mooney.
Jonathan is one of the foremost leaders in LD/ADHD, disabilities, and alternative education. He’s the author of two books, “The Short Bus” & “Learning Outside the Lines.” He’s founder and President of Project Eye-To-Eye, a mentoring and advocacy non-profit for students with learning differences. AND, he's a SMASH Parent! There is a flier with all the details in this week's Friday Letter. Please be sure to rsvp for childcare.
Last but not least, you should have received an invitation to an event at Bloomingdale's, one of the Education
Foundation's corporate partners, on Saturday, February 23rd thanking all donors to the Dollar A Day Campaign. Join Superintendent Sandra Lyon and District Principals at the event, and also shop at Bloomingdale's that day - the store will donate 10% of all tracked purchases to the Education Foundation. Every donor to the Annual Appeal Campaign, no matter the size of the gift, is invited to participate, so please consider making a donation soon!
Jamee Tenzer and David Saltzman
SMASH PTSA Co-Presidents
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Take Everyday Preventive Actions to Stop the Spread of Germs
Everyday preventive actions are steps that people can take to help slow the spread of germs that cause respiratory illness, like flu. They are not a substitute for vaccination. These include the following personal and community actions:· Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
· If you or your child gets sick with a respiratory illness, like flu, limit contact with others as much as possible to help prevent spreading illness. Stay home (or keep your child home) for at least 24 hours after fever is gone except to seek medical care or for other necessities. Fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
· If an outbreak of flu or another illness occurs, follow public health advice. This may include information about how to increase distance between people and other measures.
· Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. This will block the spread of droplets from your mouth or nose that could contain germs.
· Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub
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CORE 1 NEWS
“Everyone needs to use scientific information to make choices that arise every day. Everyone needs to beable to engage intelligently in public discourse and debate about important issues that involve science and
technology. And everyone deserves to share in the excitement and personal fulfillment that can come from
understanding and learning about the natural world.” – National Research Council 1996
From nutrition to environmentalism – from the garden to the computer – during hikes or walks at the beach
– from tiny insects to giant space craft – in what ways does your family engage in conversations about science?
Here are some reflections about the Science Center from the Green Group:
Lia – “I liked that I saw those baby chicks [hatching].”
Marianna – “I liked it because there was a thingy where you got to go on a glider. There were handles and
a TV and you got to fly it.”
Fionnula – “I liked it because there were so many interesting things – the different sizes of the things
[organs] inside us. Like the mouse’s heart was cute, but I felt bad if it had to die so we can see it.”
Katell – “I liked seeing the smoke coming out of the cup – the steam. I really liked seeing the Endeavor,
and seeing it in real life.
Tali – “I liked the ladybug thing, because a lot of ladybugs came out. I used the ruler to put them back in,
but some of them got away.”
Genevieve – “The Endeavor was really big.”
Quillen – “The toilet was funny. It had a seatbelt.”
Yellow Group Has 2 Field Trips Next Week:
FOUR MORE PARENTS NEEDED FOR TUESDAY’S TRIP TO THE SCIENCE CENTER.
PLEASE EMAIL CANDIS OR SIGN-UP AT THE GOOGLE DOC LINK.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8 – Santa Monica Museum of Flying ($5 donation requested)
For both field trips – Please bring snack and lunch and plenty of water to drink, comfortable shoes, and
sunscreen.
Children in the Green Group – who missed their field trips due to illness – need to fill out the new permission slip in their Friday Folder. They are invited to join the Yellow Group on the trip(s) that they missed.
CORE 1 WILL BE HAVING A “VALENTINE’S SHOWER” ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14.
DETAILS WILL BE IN NEXT WEEK’S FRIDAY LETTER!!
*****FAMILY DANCE- Friday, February 8!*****
80’s Theme!
Please bring bite-sized fruit and veggies to share
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!
Candis, Chrysta, Graciela, Nadja & Laura
Candis: cberens@smmsud.orgChrysta: cwyse@smmusd.org
Graciela: gbarba-castro@smmusd.org
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CORE 2 NEWS
Hi Core 2 Families and Friends,Jayme’s Advisory, The Puffs, are working hard on our Small Moment Writing Pieces. We’ve been focusing
on using sentences that show action, dialogue, thoughts, and feelings. Our stories contain details to allow our
readers to walk through that special moment with us. Below you can get a sneak peek into some of our stories.
*I rolled to the next building. –Shai C.
*At first, I thought my Mom was joking, but she wasn’t. –Oisin
*I felt happy. –Quinn
*“Pick a number,” she said. –Nola
*One day, me and Tai were sitting on the couch. –Kim
*I couldn’t contain my excitement! -Sam
*“Awww, he’s so cute,” I said. -Keira
*“I hope that no other people are at the swings,” I thought. –Ram Rattan
*“I put on my bathing suit and got in the pool. -Liliana
*I felt excited because it was the first time that I picked kumquats with them. –Olin
*In my head, I was screaming, “Please say yes!” over and over again. –Sofia Marie
*Then we went home and played. -Elisa
*Morgan’s friend said, “She’s really going to be excited!” -Hannah
*I stepped on the skateboard. –Cole
*I was going to South Carolina and I was excited. –Shai G.
*“I could hardly wait,” I thought. –Lilly
*“It’s going to be alright,” said my Mom. –Emie
*I said in my head, “That’s a lot of tapping.” -Esai
*So we waited. –Jack
*I was so excited that it was my dog’s birthday. -Jadyn
*“He was ok,” I thought, “but I definitely like the other kittens better.” –Sadie
ARE YOU INTERESTED IN TRAVELLING TO THE MOON?
The Puffs are creating brochures for our Intergalactic Travel Agency that will entice you to visit outer space.
Some of the things to do on the Moon: visiting the footprint left by the first American astronauts to step foot
on the moon, the various craters on the Far Side of the Moon, and the “seas” on the Near Side of the Moon.
We have thought critically about what time would be the best for travel. Do we want to visit during a New
Moon, when the Moon might be at its coldest? Would visiting during a Full Moon, when the temperatures
might be the hottest, be a better choice? Is a lunar visit during a three-quarter moon “just right”?
Ask your scientist about their group’s brochure and why you should choose THEIR trip.
I think you’ll be impressed with the amenities that are available at their “lunar lodging”!
_________________________________________________________________________________THANK YOU to our parent volunteers that have attended or will attend Core 2’s field trips! We already
have a waiting list for the Walt Disney Concert Hall trip (Tuesday, February 5), so if you signed up and will
NOT be able to attend, please LET US KNOW as soon as possible so that we can invite another parent.
_________________________________________________________________________________
*****FAMILY DANCE- Friday, February 8!*****
80’s Theme!
Please bring chips/crackers and dips to share!
Have a great weekend!
Jayme, Tamara, & Nadja
Jayme: jwoldflorian@smmusd.orgTamara: tmugalian@smmusd.org
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CORE 3 NEWS
Field Trip on Monday to Venice Family Clinic! Bring travel size toiletries to pack! Bring water/snack/ walking shoes! Parent Chaperones needed! Leaving at 9:00, back by 12:20.
Advisories will be remixed and announced on Monday! Please know we kept a lot of different factors in mind for the remixing and students are still in the same grade groups for math every day and still have art, reading/writing, science and social studies throughout the week. This action creates a little drama and excitement for the students and makes the same work a little new and different. Thanks for bracing for their positive and negative comments about the switch.
6th Grade Math with Mimi: This week, we took a quick quiz covering mostly estimation of fractions sums and finding fraction sums and differences. We began learning about multiplying fractions. Parents, try some of the logic problems on the HW. They are a good workout for your brain! New HW due Thursday, 2/7.
6th Grade Math with Erin: Students continued to work on their "dream home" geometry project. We plan to finish the project in the next two weeks and move on to some other geometry concepts that aren't
covered in this project and then on to data.
5th grade Math Workshop with Genie: We have been looking at story problems and thinking of different strategies to solve adding and subtracting faction problems with uncommon denominators. We are moving to multiplying fractions. Remember the formula you were taught to multiply fractions? Why do you think when you multiply ½ x ¼ that the answer becomes 1/8? Usually when we multiply, numbers get bigger but with fractions the answer is less. We will be studying what happens when fractions are multiplied.
Science with Mimi: We conducted an experiment similar to last week's but with cereal. Ask your student what kind of science tools we used, what we used as an indicator of sugar content, and which cereals were higher or lower in sugar content. This week, we practiced more note taking while Mimi read an article aloud.
Social Studies with Erin: The students did an amazing job on their final social studies presentations. I could tell that your children both cared about the issues and cared about presenting their information to the class in a clear and exciting fashion. Thank you to all the parents who were able to make it. I hope you enjoyed seeing what they have been working on for the past few months. And of course complete understanding to all the working parents who were not able to come. I hope your children shared with you how it went for them. Next week we will take the time to reflect on what went well and on ways to improve on future projects.
Reading & Writing Workshop with Genie: Please continue to collect any kind of brochures you come across to share with Core 3 as we gear up for our next writing unit. We will be studying school websites and brochures especially since we will try to find the best ways to explain what SMASH is in general and in detail. What information would you want in a SMASH brochure? Thank you to all the families who could come help us celebrate our fantastic Fantasy Short Stories! The illustrations will be hung up on the wall and the stories will be in our working portfolios if you want to stop by and read some or view the images that we created to go with our fantasy stories.
Art with Kristy: We had a productive arts session with kids busy finishing scripts and practicing puppetry. We reflected on what hard work it is to get your hands and arms make the puppet move the way you want while keeping your head out of the frame. Ask your child which script they worked on!
Homework:
5G math: packet #20. Due 2/8/13
6G math: homework due 2/7/13
RW: Please remind your child to do some nonfiction reading!
*****FAMILY DANCE- Friday, February 8!*****
80’s Theme!
Please bring dips and cheese sticks, slices or cubes to share!
ehaendel@smmusd.org
mimilichterman@yahoo.com
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CORE 4 NEWS
ArtIn art with Julianna, we are working on graphic design. In the first week we drew negative and positive space
with numbers and letters. We used stencils to plan our design and then we drew it on a bigger piece of paper.
After that, we created a graphic design with stencils along with a message with our art work. This week we
drew an optical illusion with stripes, patterns and objects that we chose. We will continue learning about
different graphic designing techniques. At the end art we will have one big main project.
P.E.
This week on January 29, Core 4 had the running test. To pass the test, students had to run 5 and a half laps
around the whole field under 11 minutes. The girls and the boys change coaches every six weeks. For the next six weeks, the girls will have P.E. with Kurt and the boys will have P.E. with Coach Tony. With Kurt, we have a daily exercise that engages the our whole body. With Coach Tony, we play physical educational games.
Written by Mina and Iris
*****FAMILY DANCE- Friday, February 8!*****
80’s Theme!
Please bring bite-sized desserts to share (red vines, brownie bites, small cookies)
Kurt Holland - kholland@gmail.com
FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS
The YMCA
FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FOR HEALTHY LIVING FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Model United Nations - Make 800 New Friends
BE PART OF IT
Santa Monica Family YMCA
Michelle Soria - Associate Program Director
310-393-2721 x 138
Wednesdays from 5:30—6:30pm
Santa Monica Family YMCA
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John Muir
African American Union
Black History Month 2013
“Investigating the Future,
Remembering the Past.”
John Muir’s African American Union hosts the
Black History Month Celebration on Friday,
February 22 from 1:30 – 3:30PM.
If your child is interested in participating in this celebration and learning more about this part of American History, please return the section below to the John Muir office or your child’s teacher. Upon receipt, members from the John Muir AAU will contact you with details on the historical figure and dates for rehearsals. Rehearsals are scheduled to happen after school, the cafetorium the weeks of February 11th and February 18th.
-----------------------------------------------------------cut or tear here----------------------------------
Name of Student:_______________________________________________
Name of Parent or guardian:_____________________________________________
Best way to contact me (please circle): email phone note sent home with student
Email or phone number (if applicable): _____________________________
Signature of parent or guardian ___________________________________ Date_______________
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