DON’T
FORGET! DAYLIGHT SAVINGS ENDS SUNDAY,
NOVEMBER 3!
SET YOUR
CLOCKS BACK ONE HOUR
***********
Dear SMASHing Families,
We would like to extend a big
thank you to all families who have already made their SMASH Annual Family Investment (AFI) contributions this school
year.If you have not yet made your AFI commitment, please do so before December
20, 2013 to take advantage of an amazing matching grant.
As you know, this is a
transitional year for our school district.We are shifting toward district-wide
fundraising, which will go into effect next fall. In order to support this
important transition, each SMMUSD school has been asked to commit a portion of
their annual family donation. Because we believe all SMMUSD students deserve
access to the same resources our children have at SMASH, our PTSA has chosen to
commit 50% of the 2013/2014 AFI collection to the “Vision for Student Success”
program. And here’s the best news: all AFI contributions that SMASH shares with
the “Vision for Student Success” program by December 20th will automatically be
doubled by a generous grant from Dun & Bradstreet (up to $150,000).
The suggested AFI
contribution at SMASH is $575 per child. We know that not all families can
afford this amount, so please know that we value and appreciate any amount you
can give and that donation amounts are strictly confidential. The important
thing is that EVERY family in our community makes a contribution (no matter the
amount) and that EVERY family make their contribution BEFORE December 20, if
possible, to maximize the matching grant from Dun & Bradstreet.
IMPORTANT PAYPAL UPDATE: We
fixed the SMASH PayPal links, so AFI payments may be made online or you can
bring a check to the office.You may also choose to pay in 10-month installments
but please note that your full payment will NOT be eligible for the Dun &
Bradstreet matching grant if you choose to pay monthly.
To pay online today go to http://www.ptsasmash.blogspot.com
Your AFI contribution is 100%
tax deductible (Tax ID #95-4439445). Please complete the AFI form and return to
the office as soon as possible.
You may make a separate,
tax-deductible donation (in your own name or) to the SMMUSD Vision for Student
Success directly and100% will go toward the program and 100% will be doubled
(up to $150,000) if your donation is made by20th.see the flyer in today's
Friday Letter for more details. Direct donations may be mailed to the address
listed on the flyer or made online at:www.smmef.org/donate
Either way, please make your donation
BEFORE December 20th to maximize your contribution.
Sincerely,
Jessica Rishe, SMASH
Principal
Jamee Tenzer & David
Saltzman, SMASH PTSA Co-Presidents
Do Something Cool On MONDAY! Bring in any or all of
our Halloween candy to school
so we can send it to our troops through Operation
Gratitude! Help us give our troops a
sweet surprise! There will be collection buckets at the small yard
gate and in the office.
***********
DATES TO REMEMBER
November:
Fri, Nov 1 - 8th graders begin to sell Santa Monica ICE
skating tickets before & after school every Friday and everyday in the office. $20 each certificate (use as cash at ICE)
with $8 going back to SMASH!
Sun, Nov 3 - Daylight Savings Ends - Set your clock 1 hour
back and sleep in!
Wed, Nov 6 - 8:30am - PTSA Mtg
Mon, Nov 11 - Veteran’s Day - SCHOOL CLOSED
Wed, Nov 13 - 3:30pm - Site Council Mtg
Wed, Nov 13 - 6:00pm - Yosemite Trip Parent Mtg
Fri, Nov 15 - School Picture Make-up Day
Sun, Nov 17 - 7:00pm - Comedy Night at Magicopolis -
1418 4th Street, downtown Santa Monica
Tickets are
available at www.smashcomedynight.eventbrite.com
Mon, Nov 18 - 9:00am - SMASH School Tour
Wed, Nov 20 - SMASH restaurant fundraiser night at El Cholo’s
Restaurant –details to come
Fri, Nov 22 - 6:00 - 7:30pm - Family Dance. This year’s theme is SUPERHEROS!
Wed, Nov 27 - 1:30pm - EARLY DISMISSAL
Thurs, Fri, Nov 28 & 29 - Thanksgiving Holiday - SCHOOL
CLOSED
December:
WINTER BREAK - December 23 - January 6. School resumes on Tuesday, January 7,
2014.
Monday,
January 6 is a pupil free day for SMASH
***********
Tidbits From SMASH PTSA
THIS IS A GREAT DEAL! Donate your gently used clothing
and make money for SMASH.
Just visit our dedicated
SMASH LA Stitch Page (below) , request a bag and fill it up. UPS will come pick
it up when you are ready. SMASH makes 40% of the sales from your gently used
clothing.
http://www.schoola.com/stitch/santa-monica-alternative-k-8-santa-monica-ca
SMASH can EARN UP TO $5,000 from Santa Monica Place
and Westside Pavilion, but we need your help.
Every time you shop at Santa
Monica Place and Westside Pavilion now until May 15, 2014 you can
support SMASH by bringing your receipts to the Concierge at Santa Monica Place,
or Guest Services at Westside Pavilion. Each dollar spent is worth five points.
Be sure to turn in your receipts within 7 days of purchase! The schools that
earn the most points, will receive up to $5,000 in gift cards!
Are you up to the Challenge? Take the D&B Matching Gift Challenge!
Now through December 20,
Dun & Bradstreet will match, dollar for dollar up to $150,000, your donation to the Education Foundation in support of the
SMMUSD Vision for Student Success. Every
gift, no matter the size, will double
the impact at your Child’s school and every school in our district, $50 becomes
$100, $500 becomes $1,000!
Make your gift online at
www.smmef.org/donate
Or mail your donation to:
Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation; 1645 16th St; Santa Monica, CA 90404
Will you be at the PTSA meeting on Wednesday, November
6 at 8:30am?
Please join in - share your ideas - learn more about
what's going on at SMASH.
Jamee Tenzer and David Saltzman PTSA Co-Presidents
Jamee Tenzer and David Saltzman PTSA Co-Presidents
*********
ICE
At Santa Monica
SMASH 8TH GRADE STUDENTS WILL BE SELLING $20 ICE TICKETS
FRIDAYS, BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL - BEGINNING NOVEMBER 1
AT THE MAIN GATE AND IN THE SMALL YARD
Dear SMASH Families,
Every year we
eagerly await the return of the Downtown Santa Monica ICE skating rink. This year, the season
runs November 1 through January 20, and we have
an amazing opportunity to have fun and raise funds for SMASH trips
scholarships.
ICE will
create a SMASH punch card that you can purchase for $20. It can be
used like cash for Admission, Skate Rental and/or Concessions. Admission and
skate rental at ICE is $12, and the additional $8 left over can be used at the
concession/food stand or 'saved' for the next trip to ice where it can again be
used toward admission or for food and beverage.
The cards can be used all season long (except New Year’s Eve) so stock
up!
For every $20 card
sold, the SMASH Trips Scholarship fund will earn $8.
ICE cards can also be
purchased in the SMASH office (check or exact cash amount only).
Questions? Contact Lori Nafshun at gettalife1@gmail.com
Thank you for supporting
our students!
ICE: November 1- January 20
Mon-Thurs 2:00-10:00pm
Fri
2:00-Midnight
Sat
10am - Midnight
Sun
10am - 10pm
***********
Thank you for almost selling
out SMASH COMEDY NIGHT!!! There are
just 33 tickets remaining and I challenge you to buy some if you haven’t
already, and if you have, please invite friends or family to buy tickets and
come with you. It would be great to sell this out by next Friday!!! Revenues
are approaching $5000 and an early sell-out will push us over.
SMASH COMEDY NIGHT is a PTSA
"Adults Only" Fundraiser on Sunday, November 17 at 7pm at Magicopolis
on 4th St. in downtown Santa Monica. (21 and older please) www.smashcomedynight.eventbrite.com
SMASH Dad Jake Johannsen is hosting this night of laughs - he has appeared on the David Letterman Show 43 times (more than any other comedian!) and has done specials for Showtime and HBO. Jake has put together a talented group of comedians and magicians including Greg Behrendt, Laurie Kilmartin, Owen Smith and Derek Hughes.
This promises to be a great night of fun and good times. Tickets are on sale for $40 - a bargain for this show. There is limited seating at Magicopolis and only 33 tickets left.
SMASH Dad Jake Johannsen is hosting this night of laughs - he has appeared on the David Letterman Show 43 times (more than any other comedian!) and has done specials for Showtime and HBO. Jake has put together a talented group of comedians and magicians including Greg Behrendt, Laurie Kilmartin, Owen Smith and Derek Hughes.
This promises to be a great night of fun and good times. Tickets are on sale for $40 - a bargain for this show. There is limited seating at Magicopolis and only 33 tickets left.
We encourage you to invite
your friends from outside of our community. This promises to be one of the best
nights of comedy that Santa Monica has ever seen.
Visit www.smashcomedynight.eventbrite.com or go to the Eventbrite home page and look for "Smash Comedy Night” to purchase tickets. If you prefer not to buy your tickets online, you can purchase them thru Janice in the Smash office with a check or cash - $40 per ticket, checks made out to Smash PTSA, “Comedy Night” in memo. Please fill in the information requested on the envelope she has. Thanks for supporting SMASH!
Hope to see you there!
Nina Furukawa
SMASH Comedy Night Event Chair
nina@smdp.com
310-922-2060
Visit www.smashcomedynight.eventbrite.com or go to the Eventbrite home page and look for "Smash Comedy Night” to purchase tickets. If you prefer not to buy your tickets online, you can purchase them thru Janice in the Smash office with a check or cash - $40 per ticket, checks made out to Smash PTSA, “Comedy Night” in memo. Please fill in the information requested on the envelope she has. Thanks for supporting SMASH!
Hope to see you there!
Nina Furukawa
SMASH Comedy Night Event Chair
nina@smdp.com
310-922-2060
***********
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast,Jr.
Santa Monica Morgan-Wixson Theatre
November 9 - December 14
Saturdays
& Sundays at 2pm
Adults $20
Children 12 and under $15
310-828-7519
- www.morgan-wixson.org
***********
GREEN UP HALLOWEEN!
All empty candy wrappers and candy bags/packages can
be recycled or upcycled via Terracycle.
Pink Terracycle Collection bins are located in the
small yard,
in the Core 2
breezeway and in front of Genie’s room.
For questions, email mimilichterman@yahoo.com
***********
BRING A BOOK, TAKE A BOOK FRIDAYS
Our Library Coordinator,
Diane Greenseid, has been hosting Free Book Fridays, where families can take home a free book. She would
like to instigate “bring a book, take a book” Fridays where families will be
able to donate a book (or two) and take a book.
Of course, children may take a book even if they do not donate one. If
you have several books, please consider donating some of them to the blue box
on the sidewalk in front of school so that they can be shared with all students
in the district. Thanks
Diane!
***********
OPERATION GRATITUDE
Drop off all or some of your Halloween candy and we
will send it to our troops overseas via
Operation Gratitude.
Look for the candy drop off box here at school on November 1 & 4.
www.operationgratitude.com
***********
We have lots of great SMASH events coming up this year
and we need your help to pull them all off!
Below is the link to the volunteer sheet with lots of
fun ways to chip in.
There are jobs big and small. Good for one, good for
all You can see it is purely win-win
Check it out here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?fromEmail=true&formkey=dFRJQU9sNTBEQ3poNnc0YTJlTXMtWVE6MA
***********
HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL THANK YOU!
Amber B. and Tina B. would
like to thank the fantastic parent volunteers who gave their time to make the
Halloween Carnival a success. What a HUGE help these parents were: Monet B.,
John B., Marni A., Tina R., Meredith M., Ted W., Mimi L., Mitch L., Audrey S.,
Jamee T., Mariam B., Rene A., Belinda W., Sergio, Maddy T.(SMASH alumni -Samohi
student), Claire L., Anya R. and all the rest of the parents and family members
who helped out in one way or another! Thank you very much to Ifeyani in Core 4
and her brother Jabari, who generously provided their face-painting talents at
the Carnival. Students always love your fabulous designs!
We would also like to thank
the very generous sponsors who donated to our school. We hope you will thank
them with your patronage:
Bob's Market on Ocean
Park Blvd.
Costco
M Street Kitchen on Main
St.
Pitfire Pizza on
Washington Blvd.
ZJ's Boarding House on
Main St.
Pacific Park at the Pier
Albertsons on Lincoln
Trader Joe's on Pico
and Trader Joe's on Olympic,
Bristol Farms on Wilshire
Vons on Wilshire
GoGo Squeez Apple
Crushers
Many thanks to all the
students who brought in decorated pumpkins for the Paint-A-Pumpkin Raffle.
Everyone enjoyed looking at your incredibly imaginative and fun pumpkin patch!!
Great job!!
We announced 14 winners at
the Halloween Carnival. They are:
Ava Wasson, Core 3 - $10
Treats Frozen Yogurt
Meghan Meadows, Core 1 -
$10 Treats Frozen Yogurt
Sadie O'Connell, Core 1 -
$10 Treats Frozen Yogurt
Elena Morales, Core 1 -
$10 Treats Frozen Yogurt
Blaise Baker, Core 3 -
$25 Itunes Gift Card
Simone Ashford, Core 2 -
$25 Itunes Gift Card
Dominic Caspian, Core 2 -
$25 M Street Kitchen Gift Card
Keera Levell-Guerrero,
Core 2 - $25 M Street Kitchen Gift Card
Brando Caspian, Core 1 -
$25 Pitfire Pizza Gift Card
Nadia Strube, Core 2 -
$25 Pitfire Pizza Gift Card
Eli Rishe, Core 1 - 4 AMC
Movie Tickets
Lucca & Kai Necci,
Core 2 & 3 - 4 AMC Movie Tickets
Summer Nichols, Core 1 -
$50 ZJ Boarding House Gift Card
Sadie O'Connell, Core 1 -
4 All-day Wristbands for Pacific Park at the Pier
***********
Dun & Bradstreet
(located in Malibu) has generously offered to match all donations that are made
to the SMMUSD Vision for Student Success program by December 20, 2013 (up to
$150,000).
You can take advantage of the
matching grant two ways:
1) Make your tax-deductible
SMASH Annual Family Investment (AFI) donation (payable to SMASH PTSA) before
Dec 20th and 50% will automatically be allocated to the Vision for Student
Success program (as a collective gift from the SMASH Community) and that amount
will be doubled by the Dun & Bradstreet Grant. You can pay by check or
online at: www.ptsasmash.blogspot.com
2) Make a separate,
tax-deductible donation (in your own name or anonymously) to the SMMUSD Vision
for Student Success directly and 100% will go toward the program and 100% will
be doubled (up to $150,000) if your donation is made by December 20th. Please
see the flyer in today's Friday Letter for more details. Direct donations may
be mailed to the address listed on the flyer or made online at: www.smmef.org/donate
Either way, please make your donation BEFORE December 20th to maximize your contribution.
Sincerely,
Jessica
***********
SMASH Site Council Agenda
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
3:30 PM
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
New Business
Site Improvement Plan-Review
and vote on School Climate goal
Board of Education workshop
on the new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). Services of California (SSC)
will be presenting information and answering questions regarding this new
school funding mechanism that will affect budgeting decisions moving forward.
The board workshop will be on Tuesday, November 19 at 4:00pm in the Lincoln
Middle School cafetorium.
Community participation (if
applicable)
Adjourn
Next meetings: 12/11/13, 1/15/14, 5/7/14
***********
SCIENCE AND FUN
ON THE SANTA MONICA PIER
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9
11:30AM - 5:00PM
S-T-E-A-M MACHINES
A CONTEST OF CURIOUS CONTRAPTIONS
Introducing the first ever S.T.E.A.M. event at the
pier
a celebration of Science, Technology, Engineering and
Math - With an infusion of ART throughout.
www.SteamMachinesLA.com
- RUBE GOLDBURG CONTEST - Come marvel at the complicated contraptions at LA’s inaugural competitions!
- TWO-BIT CIRCUS - Art meets Physics and craftsmanship with these amazing hand-crafted carnival games.
- BICYCLE POWERED ICE CREAM - You can make ice cream with a bike? Mind = blown! Thanks Peddler’s Creamery.
- WHALE FALL VIDEO SCREENING - Heal The Bay hosts and lets you spend one-on-one time with sea life.
- ULTIMATE RECYCLING INVENTION - Challenge: Design a machine that transports a bottle to a recycling bin.
Materials
and coaching by Trash for Teaching.
*********
JAMES CONLON, SANTA MONICA SCHOOLS AND THE JONATHAN
CLUB JOIN
THE GLOBAL CELEBRATION OF BENJAMIN BRITTEN’S 100TH
BIRTHDAY
On
Friday 22 November, the Jonathan Club will host the Britten Birthday Bash,
a concert of music for children by the English composer whose centenary is
being celebrated all over the world.
Here in Southern California, James Conlon, Music Director of Los
Angeles Opera, spearheads the global festivities. Conlon inspired LA
Opera's Britten 100/LA: A Celebration, a countywide collaboration
featuring performances, conferences and exhibitions presented by a host of
organizations. (http://www.laopera.com/britten100la) Conlon holds a life-long fascination with Britten.
“I have a very, very high regard of where I place him.Several years ago,
I realized that by taking advantage of the centenary of Britten’s birth I could
motivate more attention to his music.”
Conlon’s
quest coincides with Aldeburgh
Music’s international singing project, Friday Afternoons. The venture highlights Benjamin Britten’s
legacy of work for young people and encourages more singing in schools. On the composer’s 100th birthday,
children throughout England will sing his set of songs, Friday Afternoons. Coordinating Britten 100/LA’s Friday
Afternoons closer to home is Kimberlea Daggy. The national classical radio host and
musicologist lives in Santa Monica, and her children are leaders in the Santa
Monica Malibu Unified School District’s highly renowned music program.
At
2pm on November 22nd, Maestro Conlon will conduct students from
Santa Monica elementary, middle and high schools in music that Britten wrote
for children. Ms. Daggy will host the
concert that opens with the combined elementary school chorus singing Friday
Afternoons. The John Adams Middle
School Choir (under the direction of Ms. Cecile Blanchard) and Lincoln
Middle School Choir (under the direction of Ms. Vanessa Counte)
will be performing as the"Combined Advanced Girls' Choirs" and will
perform the choruses from Ceremony of Carols, and the Santa Monica High
School Chamber Orchestra will conclude the concert with Britten’s Simple
Symphony. In between each of the
ensembles’ performances, Ryan Roberts, a senior at Santa Monica High School,
will play three of Britten’s Metamorphosis after Ovid for solo oboe.
Britten
100/LA is grateful to the Jonathan Club for hosting this international event at
their Beach club. Benjamin Britten loved
the ocean. He was born on the coast on
November 22, 1913, and he lived most of his life within steps of the North Sea.
"My life as a child was colored by the fierce storms that sometimes drove
ships on to our coast and ate away whole stretches of the neighboring
cliffs." Britten would feel right at home in this concert, complete with
coastal bluffs, cool ocean breezes, and children singing his music.
Britten 100/LA is proud to be part of the global celebration Britten
100.
Friday, November 22, at 2:00 pm
THE BRITTEN BIRTHDAY BASH: James Conlon conducts students from the SMMUSD
THE BRITTEN BIRTHDAY BASH: James Conlon conducts students from the SMMUSD
The Jonathan Beach Club in Santa Monica
Host: Kimberlea
Daggy
Program:
Friday Afternoons,
Elementary School Chorus
Ceremony of Carols, Middle School Trebles
Simple Symphony, Santa Monica High School Chamber Orchestra
Ceremony of Carols, Middle School Trebles
Simple Symphony, Santa Monica High School Chamber Orchestra
Tickets: Admission is free, reservations required. For
information, contact kimberleadaggy@gmail.com
The Jonathan Beach Club is located at 850 Palisades Beach Road, Santa Monica, CA 90403
The Jonathan Beach Club is located at 850 Palisades Beach Road, Santa Monica, CA 90403
***********
CORE
1 NEWS
DIA DE
LOS MUERTOS
Day of
the Dead is a Mexican
holiday celebrated throughout Mexico and around the world in other cultures.
The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and
remember friends and family members who have died. It is particularly
celebrated in Mexico, where the day is a bank holiday. The celebration takes
place on October 31, November 1 and November 2, in connection with the
Christian triduum of Hallomas: All Hallow’s Eve, All Saints Day and All Souls
Day Traditions connected with the holiday include building private altars
called orfrendas honoring the deceased using sugar skulls, marigolds,
and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed and visiting graves with
these as gifts. They also leave possessions of the deceased.
Scholars
trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances
dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess
Mictecacihuatl (pronounced 'Meek-teka-see-wahdl). The holiday has spread
throughout the world: In Brazil Dia de Finados is a public holiday that
many Brazilians celebrate by visiting cemeteries and churches. In Spain there
are festivals and parades, and, at the end of the day, people gather at
cemeteries and pray for their dead loved ones. Similar observances occur
elsewhere in Europe, and similarly themed traditions in many Asian and African
cultures.
THE
SWITCH WITCH
Do you know
about the Switch Witch? You may want to invite her over this Halloween. Like
Santa or the Tooth Fairy, the Switch Witch visits children while they sleep and
leaves a prize. But in this case the prize makes parents happy too, because she
swaps it for that overflowing sack of Halloween candy.
The beauty
of the Switch Witch story is that it's not part of the traditional Halloween
mythology, so you can adapt it to
your family's needs: If you're concerned about your child's sugar intake - or
your own - this makes it super easy to
remove temptation in one fell swoop. If you'd like to instill the spirit
of charity, you can embellish the tale with a redistribution theme. SMASH,
along with all SMMUSD schools, is collecting candy for the troop overseas via
Operation Gratitude. Look for the candy
drop off box at school on November 1st and 4th. (www.operationgratitude.com) If your child struggles with self-control or
responsibility, you can suggest that the Witch gives better prizes to kids who
eat just a treat or two at a time. It is
what ever works for you and your family. As children in Core I bridge the
developmental stages of fantasy and industry, this can be a FUN way to move
through this candy-filled American tradition more quickly.
Ready to try
it yourself? Here are some tips to get the ball rolling - er, the broomstick
flying:
-- Decide what you want the Switch
Witch to achieve, and modify the story to fit.
-- Prizes don't have to be big,
expensive items, especially for the youngest trick-or-treaters. Consider
stickers, crayons, shiny pennies, tchotchkes from the dollar store—as long as
s/he'll find it roughly equivalent to the amount of candy traded, you can get away with spending very
little.
The key to
pulling off a Switch Witch is to not do it like Marge Simpson: Don't greet your
kids at the door dressed like a witch, gleefully snatching all their candy and
replacing it with "plain brown toothbrushes, unflavored dental floss, and
fun-size mouthwashes." This isn't about taking all the fun out of
Halloween. On the contrary, it's about helping kids to understand that fun
doesn't have to mean food.
USED WOOLLY POCKETS
GIVE-AWAY: Folded in the Small Yard are blue and
black Woolly Pockets to give away for your gardening needs. They contain
mold, so we need to remove them, but a good washing should make them great for
your yard. These 5-pocket beauties retail new for $150 each.
Remember to set your clocks
back 1 hour!
Graciela: gbarba-castro@smmusd.org Chrysta: cpowell@smmusd.org
Chriatian: ccarter@smmusd.org and Nadja
**********
CORE
2 NEWS
In WW, Tamara and Jayme have been
exploring how to balance choice/freedom with genre units/the writing process in
order to make writing more engaging for all students. In particular, we
are looking at the needs of boy writers.
We were lucky enough to work with Ralph Fletcher over the summer,
and we’re using his book, BOY WRITERS: Reclaiming Their Voices, to guide
our practice. Ralph Fletcher has
co-authored many books and videos for writing teachers. In this interview, he discusses his
latest book.
Tell us about your latest book, and what
prompted you to write it?
The deep roots of BOY WRITERS: Reclaiming Their Voices come from
reading Tom Newkirk's fascinating book, Misreading Masculinity: Boys, Literacy,
and Popular Culture. This book prompted me to re-examine boy writers, and
writing classrooms from a boy's perspective. What I saw was alarming. Boys
score far behind girls in writing achievement tests. What's worse is the sense
I get that many boys are turning off to writing - at least writing in
school. I had two purposes in writing my
book: 1) to explore the various issues connected to boy writers and why they
are not flourishing in schools and to suggest specific steps teachers can take
to better nurture them. Each chapter ends with a section titled "What Can
I Do In My Classroom."
Violent writing- how do you deal with it? This is the most controversial
issue in this book. It's no secret that that after the shootings at Columbine
and other places, many schools have become much more careful and suspicious of
violent writings. I think this is unfortunate. I think writing about violence
is a necessary stage that many boys go through. Written language could allow
boys to explore and grapple with these dangerous issues in a safe way. Alas, in schools today this can't happen.
Commonsense should apply here, but in general I think we should be more
accepting of violence in writing. As much as possible I want to normalize it.
Many adult novels (Cold Mountain, for instance) contain graphic
violence. War has been the subject of many enduring works of literature.
What about humor? Do boys prefer to write
about humorous topics?
Yes! Boys love humor, which is why a series like Captain Underpants
is universally adored by little boys all over the country. Since boys like to
"read funny" it's natural that they would want to "write
funny.”But when they try to do so they often get the cold shoulder from
teachers who feel the boys are just trying to act up, disrupt the class, get
attention, and be rude. One of the main problems is that simply don't
understand boy humor. Instead of outlawing it, we should sincerely try to
understand it. I believe we should give
boys more leeway in what they write about, and how they write about it. If we sanitize our classrooms and remove all
the sarcasm, wise-guy jokes, bodily humor, punching and hitting, we have
succeeded in creating environment that is ultra-safe and stupendously boring to
boys.
What are some writing genres that appeal
to boys? According to
my research,
many boys yearn to write what they read - fantasy. Yet
for various reasons many teachers are hesitant to allow them to do so. That's
too bad. Teachers often say to me: "But the writing they do isn't very
good!" I reply: "So what? Let them take a crack at it. At least
they're engaged." I think we could find lots of other genres that would
appeal to boys including: humor - especially spoofs and parodies, sports
commentary, scary stories or horror, graphic novels or comics.
We have classes where kids read for fun,
pleasure and enjoyment, but we do not seem to have the same approach in terms
of writing. How come? I
think you're onto something with the issue of pleasure. I think you could
almost evaluate a school district's literacy program by how much reading and
writing kids do at home. If they feel a sense of pleasure in reading and
writing they will read at home. (Isn't that why adults read and write?) In boys' writing I'd say: Follow the
pleasure; follow the fun. If those elements are completely absent, boys will be
turned off.
Your subtitle (Reclaiming Their Voices)
implies that boys once had their writing voices, but lost them along the way.
Do you think that's true?
Boy writers have so much to say, and such a unique way of expressing
themselves. We need to give them more choice, more room, specific praise and
encouragement, so they can reclaim their strides as writers. This can happen. I
have found again and again that it only takes one teacher, or one powerful
writing experience, to turn these boys around.
Excerpted from An Interview with Ralph Fletcher: On
Boys Writing, Michael F. Shaughnessy, EducationNews.org
Important Dates:
Tuesday, November 12 ~ Advisory Switch
(Minecraft Mob to Tamara, #YOLOswag to Jayme)
Monday, November 18 ~ Trip to Natural
History Museum – Let us know if you'd like to Chaperone!
**********
CORE
3 NEWS
Thanks to
chaperones, Jamee, Sandy, Marni, Kathleen, Marsha, Liz, and Megan for coming to
the UCLA weather station with us
today! We will have our next 3 trips on November
26 to Gene Autry: Jews in the Los Angeles Mosaic, December 2 to
Huntington Gardens in Pasadena, December 6 to Broad Theater to see
National Geographic filmmaker. Those slips will be given out in a few weeks.
Please register and sign up to walk
with Team SMASH (Genie will be there!)
or donate to the Collective
Voices Foundation who is providing SMASH
with a grant!
We want to keep our connections alive
and show our support to organizations that provide so much to our
education.
Please visit: http://walkforeducation.collectivevoices.org/teamsmash
6th gr
Math with Erin: This
week we started our first fraction unit,
"Bits and Pieces I." Students worked through some introductory problems using a
fundraising thermometer image. They pondered questions such as, "What
fraction of the money have the students raised?" "What could they say
about how much more they have to raise?" Later in the week students cut
and created fraction strips in halves, thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths,
eighths, and tenths. We discussed the meaning of numerator and denominator and
talked about how when asked to, "explain" to picture yourself
talking to a younger child to put it in
the plainest language possible. On Thursday and Friday we returned to the
fundraising thermometer to learn more
about and discuss the part of whole nature of fractions.
5th
gr Math with Genie:
We continued our unit at adding and subtracting with large numbers. We looked
at an expanded way to look at the
subtraction algorithm. This helps in understanding where the idea of
'borrowing' comes from. We are actually taking one from the next place value.
In this problem, taking a thousand from 8,000 so we can subtract 700 from
1,300. Adding up is still a favorite strategy.
8,000+300+90+6
-5,000+700+50+3
Social
Studies/Science with Erin:
Students continued
working on their group
country projects. We also prepared for our Friday visit to the UCLA weather
station by thinking more deeply about the weather and climate of our chosen
country. Students brainstormed questions that they could ask at the weather
station. Ex: Why do hurricanes affect the Caribbean and countries like Trinidad
and Tobago more than other areas of the world? On Friday we visited the weather
center and learned more about weather and how if affects different areas of the
world. Thank you to our parent chaperones! Next week we will begin
brainstorming about our social studies presentations.
Reading
and Writing Workshop with Genie: We have chosen our Personal Essay topic and have begun
planning out our essays using an outline we call Boxes and Bullets. We have
revised our sentences which will help make sure we have a strong draft which
will make revising a breeze. We also started preparing for our 4th
and final debate. Final Debate Performances will take place on Tues
November 19 from 1:10-3:00 for Green and
Friday, November 22 from 8:40-10:30 for Pink.
We will be
starting a new Read Aloud next week, The Giver by Lois Lowry where we
will focus on note-taking, science fiction genre elements to prepare us for our
science fiction writing unit for later in the year, and pushing our
thinking to understand why humans like
to use metaphors, analogies, or stories to explain things. Many times we learn
through these literary ways, which is
why fables and tales have always been a way to teach kids to be scared of the
forest or slow and steady wins the race.
Science Fiction is a modern fable. If your child is reading a science
fiction book, ask them to begin to think about how that genre is a genre.
Visual
Art with Julianna:
Morgan said "I got so much done today!" which was chimed by many
Claymationists this week. The art and
technology are meeting as we film, troubleshoot, revise, edit, and film
more. If you have time at home, please
ask your child to show you with your computer how to create a short scene.
Homework:
5G math: packet #10. Due 11/8/13
RW: read every day for 30-40 minutes
(around 100 pages a week)
Nonfiction
reading sheet—complete front and back by Wednesday (11/6)
WW: collect 3 entries (full pages) in
writing notebook each week. Will be checked on Wednesdays. Entries can be
writing about anything—fiction, reflections, book reviews, memoirs, articles,
debates, essays, etc.
Genie:
ghwang@smmusd.org Erin: ehaendel@smmusd.org
**********
CORE
4 NEWS
As a SMASHing tradition, 8th graders
(in small groups) were in charge of the Haunted House for the Halloween Carnival. A representative from each
group wrote a reflection about their group’s experience.
The Dollhouse group had a lot of fun making our room
in the haunted house. First we planned out our room and what each person would
do. We then sorted all the Haunted House
materials, which was a lot of fun! We got to see all the materials that we were
going to use in the haunted house, and start imagining what our room will look
like. Hours were spent decorating our rooms to make it look the way we wanted it.
The end was the most fun! On Friday morning we got in costumes and made them
look scary. We also did each other’s make-up and hair. Then we worked as a team, creating schedules
and planning out when we would have breaks, and when we would usher. Then we
got to be scary! From dancing, to screaming and yelling we worked 4 hours
throughout the day having a blast! It was very cool to see how it finally all
worked. Written by Kate
In the haunted house, the Asylum group had a very
good experience, but I wish we could say the same for our throats (it was
painful, but it was worth it). First we brainstormed some ideas such as how our
room was going to look and what we would need. Then we sorted out the supplies
we were going to use and helped other groups sort their things as well. And
then after that, the fun part began. Over a period of many days we worked very
hard to hang up the lights, walls and put everything in place, until finally
the day arrived and we got to scare people. We got in our costumes and did some
last-minute renovations to our rooms and then rushed to our places as the first
group came through. At first it was a bit tricky, but after the first few
run-throughs we got the hang of it. We worked for 4 hours throughout the day
taking turns being an usher and different roles in our rooms, doing many dance
parties to weird music and working together to get work done. It was awesome! I
have always wondered about what happened behind the scenes of the haunted
houses at SMASH, and now I have experienced it and it was really fun. Written
by Olivia
It was very interesting to finally see behind the scenes
of the haunted house and what it was like to make it. Our group was a bit slow
to get started but we all powered through. It was good to go from “going
through” the haunted house to making it. It was hard work and took teamwork,
but it all come together in the end and we were able to enjoy scaring everyone
who dared to enter. “It was team building experience.” says Cannibalism group
member Toby. Building the house was a
long and hard process but I think everyone will be ready for it when they reach
eighth grade. It was hard to stay focused and on task with so much
responsibility but we all did it! Of course we had to clean up at the end, but
it was easy because we knew we had to. “It was really fun. I did not wanna clean up.” says Cannibalism
group member Timmy. Written by Duncan
In the haunted house our group worked together by
setting up our room. This made a great team building exercise and also showed
great leadership. We started thinking of ideas about slaughter house’s room,
what we needed and what we could wear.
When we started to set up, we hung up cloth to make our room seem smaller than
it was, so it felt claustrophobic. What went well was our communication. We
worked really hard and stayed on task.
Written by Ian
A HUGE thank you to Mai, Dean, Christina, Claudia,
Charmine, and Allison for helping our haunted house run smoothly. It was a big help having them help us during
set-up and clean-up!
Important Dates
Fridays, November 8, 15, & 22 - All Core
Swimming at the Santa Monica Swim Center
Monday, November 11 - No School
(Veteran’s Day)
Wednesday, November 13 - Yosemite Parent
Meeting at 6 p.m.
Thursday & Friday, November 28
& 29 - No School (Thanksgiving Holiday)
Darwin Mendinueto - dmendinueto@smmusd.org Pam Dresher - pdresher@smmusd.org
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