SMASH
SITE ADVISORY COUNCIL
It’s time again to select the parents to
represent you at the SMASH Council for next year. This group of parent, staff
and students meet once a month. We will be electing 2 parents to serve a
two-year term. Statements of interest are below.
My name is Sabine Werk. Our daughter Lia is a Partner and not a
day has gone by that our family does not rejoice in the fact that we are now
part of the SMASH community of learners. Observing Lia thrive so joyously, as
she is growing in leaps and bounds emotionally, socially and intellectually, is
awe-inspiring. Since we started at SMASH I have attended PTSA meetings, have
chaperoned various field trips, have gardened and was on rubber band duty for the
jog-a-thon. I also was one of the facilitators of the recently offered JGB book
club. All of this has given me a greater connection with the kids and an
increasing insight into the work that goes into making SMASH the wonderful environment
it is. I would be honored to serve on the Site Council in order to contribute
further to the SMASH community.
Thank you for considering me, Amber Baker,
to serve on the Site Council. With many years ahead at SMASH for my two daughters in Core 1 and
Core 3, it is important to me that they, as well as all students, have the
tools they need to thrive academically, socially, and physically. In our first
two years at SMASH, I have volunteered in numerous classroom activities and
field trips, co-chaired the Halloween Carnival for two years, co-hosted a SMASH
bash, sought out donations and participated in multiple fundraisers. My
involvement as well as having daughters in an upper and lower core have given
me a better understanding of SMASH’s strong school community, its supportive
environment, and the importance of maintaining both. It would be an honor to be
an advocate for our children by serving on the Site Council and contributing to
the continual improvement of their education.
VOTE
FOR 2 SITE COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES.
Ballots
due no later than Wednesday, April 17 at 3:00pm
__________ Sabine Werk
__________ Amber Baker
SMASH
Site Council Agenda
Wednesday,
April 17, 2013 3:15 PM
Adopt Agenda
Approve minutes of last meeting
Community participation: none
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:
Old Business
New Business—Count ballots and confirm 2
new parent representatives for 2013-14
Confirm meeting dates for 2013-14
Community participation (if applicable):
none
Adjourn.
**********
APPLICATIONS
FOR GRADES 1-8 are due NO LATER than April 30, 3pm
Applications
are in the SMASH office and online at www.smash.smmusd.org
**********
DATES
TO REMEMBER
April 15-26 - State testing
Wed, Apr 17 - 3:15-4:15pm - Site Council
Mtg
Wed, Apr 17 - 6-7:00pm - SMASHing Pop-up
Restaurant & Meet-n-Greet with new SAMOHI Principal, Eva Mayoral in the SMASH cafeteria
Fri, Apr 19 - Core 2 Assembly
Apr 21 - 25 - Restaurant Nights at Kay ‘N
Dave’s. All 3 locations for 5 days. Santa Monica, Pac. Pal & Culver City.
Mon, Apr 22 - 9:00-10:30am - Last SMASH
School Tour
Mon, Apr 22 - 6-7:30pm - SMASH Talent
Show. Limited to the 1st 20 acts to sign up by Thursday, April 18 at 4pm. All acts have a time limit of 3 minutes.
Wed, Apr 24 - 8:;30am - PTSA Mtg
Wed-Fri, Apr 24, 25 & 26 -
Conferences. MINIMUM DAYS, 1:30 dismissal. Conference sign-ups are in the
office unless your child’s advisory teacher has
e-mailed you with different plans.
Fri, Apr 27 - Last day to turn in “Are You
Returning” to SMASH form.
Tue, Apr 30 - 3:00pm - Last day to turn in
SMASH application for 1st-8th grade lottery
SAVE
THE DATE!
Fri, May 3 - 1:30-3:00pm - Cinco de Mayo
Festival
Wed, May 8 - 6:30-8:00PM - SMASH Parent Ed
Night: Transitioning to SAMOHI
Sat, May 18 - SuperSMASH!
Tue, May 21 - 6:00pm - Strings and Winds
Music Concert - 4th-8th grades
Wed, May 22 - 5:30pm - PTSA Executive Mtg
Mon, May 27 - Memorial Day - School Closed
Tues, May 28 - 5:30-7:30pm - JAMS
cafeteria. Superintendent presents Centralized Fundraising Conversations with SMASH, Grant, Edison & Rogers parents.
Wed, May 29 - Restaurant Night TBA
May 30 - 6:00pm - Choir Concert - 4th-8th
grades
Fri, May 31 - 9:45am - Core 1 Assembly
Tue-Wed, Jun 4 & 5 - 7th grade Fulcrum
Trip
Wed, Jun 5 - 6:30pm - PTSA Mtg
Mon, June 10 - 10:00am - SMASH 8th grade
graduation
Tues, June 11 - Last Day of School Beach
Day
Thur, Aug 22 - First day of school!
**********
SMASH yearbook is
looking for new & past volunteers who enjoy page layout and graphic design
Please
join us for a meeting in the library on April 17 at 8:30 a.m.
If you
are interested but cannot make it, please e-mail:
Nina
Fresco: freddycan@freddycan.net
or
Kjersti Thorsen Romero: kjersti@rtd-la.com
**********
IS YOUR
CHILD RETURNING TO SMASH NEXT YEAR?
We are in the process of making plans for
next year’s enrollment. It is important for us to know if you are planning on returning to
SMASH so that we can provide other children the opportunity to enroll.
If you are planning to attend another
school in the district, you must complete and submit an Intradistrict Open Enrollment Application
to the district’s Student Permit Office. Applications are available in the SMASH
main office.
Please fill in this form and return to the
main office by Friday, April 26.
_____ YES, we will be returning
_____ NO, we will not be returning
If no, please let us know the reason and
where your child will be attending so that we can
transfer school records. Thanks.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
________________________________________
Child’s Name
Current Grade __________
_______________________________________
Parent or Guardian Signature
*********
Jog-a-thon ‘13
ALL pledges
are due
now!
Please drop off your pledge envelope with check or cash in the
office.
You can also pay online (via PayPal) at http://tinyurl.com/77lzpl9.
Thanks!
**********
KIDICAL
MASS BIKE RIDE
April
13 9:30am-12:30pm
Begins
and Ends at John Adams Middle School
9:30-10:00 Check in, bike safety checks,
and helmet decorating
10:00-10:15 Opening remarks
10:15-12:00 Bike ride starts at basketball
courts (2.5 miles)
12:00-12:30 Free pizza party and raffle
drawing
Please dress up for our “Green” theme for
Earth Month! Helmet decorating & bike safety checks. Pizza party &
prizes.
Helmets are required and available for $10
purchase. RSVP by April 11 to Samantha.sommer@sustainable works.com
**********
15th
Annual Native American Powwow & Intertribal Gathering - CHUMASH DAY
Saturday,
April 13 - 11am-7:30pm - Sunday, April 14 - 10am-5pm
Malibu
Bluffs Park - 24250 Pacific Coast Hwy
FREE
Admission and Open to the Public
Native
Foods, Children’s Activities; Story Telling, Native American Art and Crafts
Free
Shuttle and parking on Webb Way & Civic Center Way - 310-317-1364
malibucity.org
**********
The Santa
Monica History Museum Invites children grades K-5 to Discover
Santa Monica
Through
our free CRAFTS & STORY WORKSHOP
Saturday,
April 13 from 10:30-11:30am
Santa
Monica History Museum at 1350 7th St
RSVP to
Ruth at 310-395-2290
Upcoming
Crafts & Story Workshops: May 11, June 8, July 13, Aug 10, Sept 14, Oct 12,
Nov 9 & Dec 14
santamonicahistory.org
**********
Sustainable
Works Green Living Workshops
Did you know it takes more than 2,400
gallons of water to produce a pound of beef? You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than by not
showering for 6 months!
Join a FREE Sustainable Works Green
Living Workshop and learn how information like this will help you save money
and positively impact your family, community, and ultimately the planet!
When: 3 Tuesday Meetings: April 23rd (Water),
30th (Waste) & May 7th(Shopping/Food), 7pm-8:30pm
Where: Pluralistic School #1, 1225 Broadway SM 90404
When: 6 Wednesday Meetings: May 8th, 15th, 22nd 29thand June 5th & 12th, 7pm-8:30pm
Where: Santa Monica Main Library Multipurpose Room, 601 Santa
Monica Blvd. SM 90401
Encourage your friends to join you for
this fun, educational opportunity.
•Reduce your Water & Energy usage
•Save $ on Utilities
•Cut landfill Waste
•Reduce your Family's Exposure to Toxic Chemicals
•Reduce your Transportation Impact
•Make more sustainable Shopping &
Food choices
Receive FREE resource saving tools
Water saving hose nozzles, Energy saving
light bulbs, Reusable shopping bags, safe cleaning supplies, healthy energy bars, and more…Visit www.sustainableworks.eventbrite.com to reserve your space at an upcoming
workshop.
**********
SAMOHI
BAND EVENT
SMASH
students will be admitted FREE!
Silent
Movies with live pipe organ!
April 27 - 7:00pm - Barnum
Hall at Santa Monica high school
Buster
Keaton in Sherlock, Jr plus The Cook with Roscoe Arbuckle and Luke the Dog
Parking in
the Civic Center parking structure on 4th Street
**********
SUMMER ADVENTURE
ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL
Five
affordable weeks of non-stop fun, exploring and creating.
June
17-July 19 - (5 weeks, closed July 4) - 8:30am -
12:30pm daily
WILL
ROGERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
2401 14th
Street
$525 for
full morning program - Childcare available for an additional fee.
Scholarships
available for qualifying students enrolled in SMMUSD for August 2013
Discounts
Available! -Sign up by April 15 and pay $500 for the full morning program
Online at
www.smmpta.org or www.smmef.org
In person
at the District Office 10:00am - 2:00pm
**********
SUMMER
ADVENTURE
MIDDLE
SCHOOL
Five weeks
of summer enrichment and fun
June
17-July 19 (5 weeks, closed July 4) - 8:30am - 12:30pm daily
JOHN
ADAMS MIDDLE SCHOOL
2425 16th
St.
Students
entering grades 6-9 will enjoy a wide variety of courses like Culinary Science,
Multi Media Art,
Public
Speaking, CSI Science, Flag Football, Volleyball, Digital Photography,
Keyboarding, Middle School Masters, Jazz
Ensemble, and more! For a full list of classes and registration material, just
visit www.smmpta.org or smmef.org. For more
information, please email: summeradventure.lynn@gmail.com.
An
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT applies to all applications received by April 15
**********
Benefitting
the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation 10th Anniversary
FOR THE
ARTS BENEFIT CONCERT
May 18 -
doors open 6:00pm, Show at 7:00pm
Santa
Monica High School, Barnum Hall
Proceeds support the arts in SMMUSD
schools
Jackson
Browne, Gary Wright and Venice perform in an intimate venue.
Student
musicians play and sing backup; it’s a concert unlike any you’ve seen before.
It’s
inspiring and incredible...and benefits arts education!
The
evening will also feature an exciting live auction. Please join in to support
the arts. www.smmef.org
**********
PLEASE
VOTE FOR OUR PROJECT UPCYCLE INNOVATION
Please take a look at an exciting proposal
that reDiscover has applied for -- if awarded it would mean amazing opportunities
for expanded programming, community resources and more.
The award is based on community votes so
they are reaching out with hopes that SMASH staff and families can extend their support by casting their
votes and passing the info on to others as well.
http://myla2050.maker.good.is/projects/Innovate?sort=popular
to register your vote by Apr 14
**********
Los
Angeles Youth Orchestra
Conducted
by Russell Steinberg - Featuring our two Carnegie Hall Premieres:
Steinberg’s
Carnegie Overture & EveStar plus Mendelssohn’s Symphony no. 4 (“Italian”)
&
arrangements of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Wagner’s Die Meistersinger, &
Beethoven’s Sumphony No. 6
Sunday
April 4 at 4pm
UCLA
Schoenberg Hall
Monday,
April 15 at 7:30pm
Zipper
Hall at the Colburn School
Tickets
available at www.losangelesyouthorchestra.org
Presale:
$15 adults, $3 children 18 and under
At the
door: $20 adults, $5 children 18 and under
**********
SMASH PTSA PRESIDENTS’ MESSAGE
Welcome
back from your SMASHING Spring Break!
We just have a few announcements to kick
off the season:
Just in time for Spring cleaning!
Please Join the Drive to support your
school libraries by
donating your used books, CD and DVDs! An American Book Drive bin has been set
up at SMASH. American Book Drive will find new homes for your donations and
contribute a percentage of the proceeds to the Education Foundation in support
of our libraries. Click here for more information: <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001POVKRfshYudm1kGhLugh8qWfakzibYSuSLJqIS4arK0v
rlg23YNncNsJ-PklmXhR7mPxguzpR7XQQrJFNtZ4BGp6wVgcgUsdU5GNVI8-Jn0=>
Support our SMASH Middle-Schoolers who are
participating in the JAMS Theatre Company’s 2013 production of SEUSSICAL - May
9th at 7pm, May 10th at 7pm, May 11th at 2pm and 7pm in the JAMS Auditorium Tickets
available at the door. Adults are $10 and Students are $5. No fussy infants or toddlers please. Join the mischievous Cat in the Hat,
Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Lazy Mayzie, and the tiny Whos of Whoville,
as they bring 13 of the author's classic tales to life on stage.
Directed by Dana Murphy and produced by
Patti Braun, JAMS Theatre Company is an after school program made possible
through grants from the Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation and the JAMS
PTSA, and through private fundraising. It is open to all committed
students without a fee. SEUSSICAL is JAMS Theatre Co’s third production; this year 65 talented actors, singers, dancers
and crew members from JAMS and SMASH are participating.
The Cat in the Hat joins a cast of
everyone's favorite Dr. Seuss characters, telling the story of Horton, an
elephant who discovers a speck of dust containing Whos,
including Jojo, a "thinker of strange and wonderful thinks." The
colorful characters transport us from the Jungle of
Nool to the Circus McGurkus to the invisible world of the Whos. Horton the Elephant who is “faithful 100%” faces a
double challenge—not only must he protect the Whos, for “a person’s a person no matter how small”—but he must guard an
abandoned egg, left to his care by the irresponsible and flighty Mayzie La Bird. Although Horton faces ridicule,
danger, kidnapping, and a trial, the loyal and lovely Gertrude McFuzz never
loses faith in him. Ultimately, friendship,
loyalty, family, and community are challenged and emerge triumphant! You won't want to missou won’t want to miss
SEUSSICAL!!!!
READING
PARTNERS
is a local literacy non-profit that
operates in 10 schools across the LA region, including the SMASH/Muir campus. Our
program works to improve the literacy skills of elementary school students who
are reading below grade level. Our volunteers come from many different walks of
life but share in the fact that they’d like to counter illiteracy in our community
and help empower students to achieve their maximum potential in life. Our volunteers include working professionals, college and high school students,
retirees-you name it! Volunteers tutor students one-on-one using a structured
curriculum. Our volunteer tutors do much more that just read to students. Our
curriculum is aimed at increasing the student’s rate of learning by giving
students the foundational skills needed to improve their reading ability. With
every month students are in our program, they gain an average of 1.6 months of
reading skills! With a full time staff member at every reading center for
support, even volunteers with absolutely no experience feel comfortable tutoring
in our program.
In order to volunteer with Reading
Partners, we require volunteers to commit to one 45-minute tutoring session per
week for the remainder of the school year. By dedicating just a fraction of
your time, you could help change the future of a struggling reader.
If interested in tutoring, contact
Carol McDonald at (213)
924-6846 or at cmcdonald@readingpartners.org.
We look forward to getting you started!
Jenny Kellard, NBCT
Program Manager
Reading Partners Los Angeles
jenny.kellard@readingpartners.org | (408) 839-8116
**********
Next
School Year’s 4th and 5th Grade Students
Does your child play a musical instrument?
Do they like to play, but need some
motivation to open their cases at home? We have great programs to help inspire your
child to take out their instrument and play, play, play! Our students can't
wait to start rehearsals each week, and don't want to leave when we finish.
Come experience the transformative power of music. Watch as your child
discovers their own voice as a musician. Make friends that will last for years.
Please join us!
Want to join us?
Auditions for the 2013-2014 season will
take place on Saturday, May 18 at the Will Rogers Cafetorium
Elemental Strings
Rehearsals: Fridays after school at JAMS
Who? 4th and 5th grade string students with at least eight
months of instruction
What time? 9am-11am
Where do I sign up? www.elementalstrings.com/auditions <http://www.elementalstrings.com/auditions>
NEW PROGRAM! Elemental Band
Rehearsals: Tuesdays after school at JAMS
Who? 4th and 5th grade band students with at least eight months
of instruction
What time? 1pm-3pm
Where do I sign up? www.elementalband.com <http://www.elementalband.com/>
**********
SANTA
MONICA CELEBRATES EARTH DAY
SANTA MONICA PIER
SATURDAY, APRIL 20
10 a.m. — 12 p.m.: Nothin' But Sand
Beach Cleanup at the Santa Monica Pier
11 a.m. — 2 p.m.: Beach Cleanup
supplies/check-in in front of the Aquarium
1 p.m.: Story time and crafts
2 p.m.: Presentation: Pollution
Solutions
3:30 p.m.: Whale of a Tale Story Time
SUNDAY, APRIL 21
11 a.m. — 2 p.m.: Beach Cleanup
supplies/check-in in front of the Aquarium
1 p.m.: Story time and crafts
2 p.m.: Presentation: Pollution
Solutions
Free admission to the Santa Monica Pier
Aquarium will be given for those who participate in Saturday’s beach cleanup or
who pick up supplies to clean the beach.
LINCOLN BOULEVARD
SATURDAY, APRIL 20
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The Lincoln Boulevard Task Force will be
holding an Earth Day clean up event to make the busy street “safe, clean, beautiful,
and green,” according to a task force press release. Volunteers will be asked
to bring their own brooms, work gloves, clippers and trowels to pick up litter
and other debris and pull weeds along the sidewalks and grass strips of Lincoln
Boulevard from the I-10 Freeway south to the Venice Boulevard border at Ozone
Street. The city will provide plastic bags for litter/debris and weeds and will
arrange for pickup of the refuse. There will be live entertainment, music, and
a variety of art events along Lincoln Boulevard ranging from chalk sidewalk art
to painting of murals, with a party
afterwards at TRiP, 2101 Lincoln Blvd.
**********
CORE 1
NEWS
FIELD TRIPS
Partners will be going to the Santa Monica Farmer’s
Market on Wednesday, April 17. Please complete and return your
child’s permission slip. The Mentors will be going on May 1. If you are
available to chaperone from 9am to 1pm, please sign up on googledoc at https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?
key=0AvVnCh4_XSOCdGhwS3FyRDhETG1rX1RWd2U5S2t2NlE&usp=sharing.
Thank you to our wonderful parent
volunteers for accompanying the Bigs on their Farmers Market field trip.
The children enjoyed learning about all the fruits and vegetables that are in
season, interacting with the Santa Monica Farmers Market community, trying new
foods, and using the dollar provided by the Farmers Market to negotiate prices for
fruits, veggies, flowers and more!
Spring Conferences-
Please sign up to have a conference with
your child’s classroom teacher and complete the conference questionnaire to help us prepare.
Parent Dialog- We had a great turnout for our Parent Dialog on Reading with your
Child. Thank you to the parents who attended and exchanged ideas.
These were some of the highlights
- some of our fondest, childhood reading memories occurred at home
- reading at home is a habit and not “homework”
- we should take advantage of the rare
opportunities we have to model independent reading for our children (let
our children see us read)
- I-read-to-you, you-read-to me, and we-read-together
- Bedtime reading is a difficult time for children to practice
reading to us or reading independently at this age
- Before reading aloud to children get to know the book by studying
its cover and its illustration
- While reading aloud pause and share your thinking aloud with
children to model metacognition,
- Use an experience to spark a reading interest, or use your child’s interest in a book as a gateway to a learning Experience
Lice Alert-
We have found lice on children in Core 1
and we need your help. Please take time to check your children’s hair for lice
periodically. Reoccurrence is common with lice, so if your child has had lice
in the past couple of weeks, it is imperative that you continue to check,
manually remove all nits, and re-treat until no evidence of lice is found. Two websites
that have information for parents about lice are www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/ and www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/.
STAR Testing for the Mentors
A group of Mentors will be taking the
California Standards Test beginning Monday, April15 through Thursday, May 2. We will not test on Friday, April 19. If
you are in the testing group, please get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast,
and come to school on time and ready to try your best. If you are in the
project group, please get a good night’s sleep, eat a healthy breakfast, and
come to school on time so you do not interrupt the testing.
April Birthday Bash–
We will be celebrating April and May
birthdays on Friday, April 19 at 11:45 AM in Candis’ room. If your child’s birthday will be celebrated, we’d love for you to join us! Birthday
children are invited to bring their favorite fresh fruit or vegetable
to share with the Core 1 community when they come to school in the morning.
They will prepare the food during Projects Time from 9:00-10:15. The birthday children
will prepare the fruit or vegetable by washing it, cutting it, and
presenting it during Projects Time from 9:00-10:00. Birthday families are
invited to help at that time. At 11:45 the whole core will gather in Candis’
room for a story, a poem, and a song. At about 12:00 the children will snack on
the fruits and vegetables that were prepared by the birthday children and they
will eat their lunch at that time. We always need help to set-up the buffet
tables on the small yard, to serve the food, and to help the children clean up.
Our reusable dishes will need to be taken home by a birthday family to be
washed in a dishwasher.
Please let Graciela know if you can help
or if you have any questions at gbarba-castro@smmusd.org.
HAVE A
GREAT WEEKEND!!
Candis,
Chrysta, Graciela, Nadja & Laura
Candis: cberens@smmsud.org
Chrysta: cwyse@smmusd.org
Graciela: gbarba-castro@smmusd.org
**********
CORE 2
NEWS
Spring Break is behind us, California
State Testing (CST) starts next week, Spring Family Conferences are right around the corner, and the end of the
school year is in sight! Tamara,
Jayme, and the kids have been reflecting on what we’re most proud of and
accomplished this year. For this round of conferences, students will choose
what they want to share, plan how they want to share it, and prepare to answer
your questions about what they learned, why it is important to them, what they
might do differently next time, how they plan to use the learning in the
future, etc. This will give the students an opportunity to show you how they
explore science ideas, how they develop questions about topics, gather
resources, and take notes for independent research projects, what they enjoy
doing during quiet time or choice periods, how they use CARES, and what they
are proud of accomplishing this year.
Jayme, Tamara, and the Core 2 students
have chosen to share aspects of Core 2 that are not on the written narrative
report cards. At SMASH,
we strive to give the students choice and voice in their education, whether
it’s choosing their own Just Right books to read, authoring free-writing
pieces with friends, choosing a topic to research, planning an assembly,
or voting for the Advisory group name. We also hope to develop curiosity,
intrinsic motivation, and the habits of life-long learners. We do a lot
of this important work outside of Reading, Writing, and Math Workshops.
Spring Family Conferences will be with
your child’s current advisor. *Please note: Wednesday, 4/24 and Thursday, 4/25
are 1:30 dismissal days* Please
sign up in the front office. As you know, your child is an integral part
of our student-led conferences, so be sure to set aside this time to give your
Core 2 student your undivided attention (turn off cell phones, come
rested and snacked-up, and make arrangements for siblings, if possible.)
Reading, Writing, and Math are the
building blocks of elementary education, which is why our written reports focus on those three areas. You will be receiving the second written
narrative evaluation of your child’s strengths, challenges, and progress as readers,
writers, and mathematicians at the end of the year.
California State Testing (CST) is offered
to all students at all public schools. Every California parent has the right to decide whether or not they want their
child to take the test. As we have told the students, this test is designed to
show what students have been taught, using the current California State
Standards (Testing based on new Common Core Standards will be implemented
2014-15). Opt out letters are due to the front office by 4pm today, April
12.
Core 2 Foundations: 10 years ago nearly all areas of the
curriculum were teacher-created, with a heavy emphasis on thematic units, group projects, and
working at your own pace. The teachers had to work hard to find places to
squeeze in reading strategies, grammar, spelling, & punctuation
instruction, and math basics. Over time, SMASH underwent changes: We invited Responsive Classroom onto
our campus and transformed our learning community with CARES; We adopted the fantastic TERC
Investigations math program and improved math skills across the school; We went
to workshops for teaching reading and writing
that mixed student choices with literacy basics; further ensuring the 3 R’s were
being adequately taught, practiced, and monitored. We started sending home homework packets. We are a stronger, more consistent school for it. We continue
to be committed to thematic units, discovery-based projects, students working
at their own pace, and the level of student choice and voice that has been a
hallmark of SMASH education from the beginning. In Core 2, we are striving to
maintain a balance between the essential basics, hands-on discovery, authentic
investigation, piquing student interests, group work, and a social curriculum
that embodies CARES. We want the students to not simply be prepared for the
rest of their education, we want them to be prepared for the rest of their
lives as successful human beings.
Core 2 will be hosting an Assembly to
share their amazing overnight trip at Temescal Canyon with you at an All-School Assembly on Friday, April 19
from 9:45 – 10:15. We hope you’ll be able to join us for the student planned, student-led
assembly and a fabulous slideshow (Thanks to all the parents who submitted
photos, and a special shout-out to Kathleen Murphy for
putting together the slideshow).
Enjoy
the Weekend!
Tamara,
Jayme & Nadja
Jayme: jwoldflorian@smmusd.org
Tamara: tmugalian@smmusd.org
**********
CORE
3 NEWS
Two Upcoming Field Trips! Slips are copied
front to back for your convenience—please sign both sides!
~Monday, April 22, Circa: 31 Acts in
60 Minutes (a modern circus performance from Australia) at Pepperdine University through the Center for the Arts
Guild. Bus Grant and the free art program equals completely free trip! LEAVING AT 8:15! Do not miss the bus!
~Monday, April 29, Getty Villa,
Mythology and Art. Museum is free to class trips but the bus costs each
student $7.00. Sign Field Trip Permission Slips
and get them in early! Please do not wait until the day of the trip to sign it. We need chaperones! Please email Genie if you are available!
~Spring Family Conferences! Sign up in the
office! April 24, 25, and 26 and around those dates!
~Jogathon pledge packets need to be turned
in!
~Next Year's Overnight Field Trip Forms
are due April 26 with payment!
6G Math with Mimi: We began our new math unit by using
estimation and our knowledge of fractions to add and subtract decimals to the thousandths
place. One of the strategies that makes this easier is rounding up or down to
the nearest benchmark number. For example,
$3.42 can be rounded up to $3.50. We can also find equivalent fractions to help us work more easily with decimals.
For example, 0.25 + 0.625 is equivalent to 1/4 + 5/8.
6th Grade Math with Erin: We are continuing to work through our unit
on data. Next week we will begin pondering how we could do a project on data and
graphing that could benefit the entire school.
5th Grade
Math with Genie: We are
continuing to round decimals with the formal rounding procedure of 'if the
place value to the right is 5 or greater, round
the number up.' We are moving to adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing decimals. Math homework was given out this
week and is due NEXT FRI 4/19!
Science with Mimi: Did you now that the USDA no longer uses
the traditional food pyramid as a dietary guideline? Ask your student about the My Plate
dietary guideline and how it is similar or different to the old US food
pyramids.
Social Studies with Erin: Students have been working hard putting
the finishing touches on their food projects. If you are able, please come to our International
Food Festival next Thursday, April 18 from 1:30 - 2:30 in the Cafetorium. Students will have their informational
books to share as well as some food samples. We are keeping 1:30 - 1:45 just
for parents, so come early to get a taste
before the other Cores come in :)
Reading and Writing Workshop with Genie: Hopefully your child read a lot over
spring break as a form of entertainment and finished Omnivore's Dilemma!
I am not a big nonfiction book reader and was challenged by finishing this book
but am glad I did. It gave me new information and insight into something that
affects everyone and gave me insight as I thought about food and where it comes
from on my travels to Korea as well. Encourage your child to finish it even
though we are done with our discussions and essays on it. You could read it
yourself and connect with your child around food and food culture. If you took
the approach that reading is homework and is a school related subject and let your
child take a break from reading, it's time to get back into the daily reading
habit. We are publishing our SMASH brochures and laying out the final edits!
Homework:
5G math: Packet #29 Due 4/19/13
**********
CORE
4 NEWS
Attention 8th
Grade Families! Please join us for our
very first…
SMASHing Pop-up
Restaurant!
Come Meet Eva Mayoral,
the new Santa Monica High School Principal,
learn the final details
about our 8th grade graduation celebration plan,
& be cooked for,
served by, and taken care of by us, your amazing kids!
Date& Time: Wednesday, April
17, 6:00 – 7:30 pm.
Mingle & Mocktails Meet-n-Greet with new SAMOHI principal 6:00 –
6:30. Dinner 6:30 – 7:30.
Cost: $20 per person/plate (suggested donation)
Bring the whole family! Your family
may dine together or…
Sign up for childcare: $10 per
child, $5 each additional (suggested donation)
BYOSD—kids should bring a sack dinner!
Menu: everything made and served by our SMASHing 8th
Graders
Mocktails: cucumber cooler or ginger zinger
Soup - gazpacho
Entrée – fish or tofu over a warm potato & grain salad on a bed of greens
Dessert – something yummy!
Water – bubbly or still
*Please let us know when you rsvp if you
have any dietary restrictions*
Make reservations for
dinner AND childcare by contacting
The SMASH office: jwold@smmusd.org or (310) 396 - 2640
$ $ $ Don’t forget to tip your friendly servers and
mixologists!
All donations will go to the 8th
Grade Graduation Celebration Trip Fund
For the last few weeks the 7th graders have been doing a plastic pollution
project for Darwin. This past week at break and lunch, Tuesday through
Thursday, the 7th graders took a survey about single-use plastic products such
as plastic bottles, saran wrap, styrofoam, and etc. We are applying the
mathematical concepts of data collection and analysis to this project. We were
also supposed to minimize our use of single-use plastic like converting from
single-use plastic water bottles to reusable water bottles or from single-use
plastic utensils to the bamboo utensils
that our fabulous teacher Darwin bought us before spring break. The 7th graders
also explored a bolus of an albatross chick (throw-up all of the food it had
been fed so far).
To gain a better understanding of plastic, it’s properties, what different
kinds of plastics there are, we read:
"A Brief History of Plastic". Which explains what plastic
original purpose was meant to be, and what it has become. The 7th
graders also learned about transects and quadrats, two units of measure about
different concentrations of plastic, at
first they test transects and quadrats simply at school but then they
deployed them at the beach.
7th grade families, please sign
up for a parent conference. We are starting next week.
Upcoming Events:
● April
15 - 26 7th Grade Parent Conference
● April
15 - 26 STAR Testing
● April
17 Pop Up Restaurant 5:30 pm
● April
18 8th Grade Silly Class Photo
● April
22 - 24 7th Grade Aquarium Trip
Darwin Mendinueto - dmendinueto@smmusd.org
Kurt
Holland - kholland@smmusd.org
