MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR DAY
MONDAY, JANUARY 20
- SCHOOL CLOSED
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**Spring SMASH BASHES Are Coming!**
The fun is back! The 5th
Annual SMASH BASH Part 2 (for Spring Events) is coming soon.
Remember – this year we
offered fall sign-ups in the FALL and now we are planning to announce (and sell
spots for) all Winter/Spring Events.
If you have an event you
would like to host, please contact SMASH Bash co-chair Marni Ayers Brady by
Tuesday, January 21. The Spring SMASH Bash catalogue will be sent home next
week and it will list all winter/spring family-hosted SMASH BASH parties and
events. Some events are for Families, some just for Kids, and some are just for
you – our SMASH Grownups who just might need a night (or day) out for some good
conversation and food. We have something for everyone! And ALL funds go
directly to our school!
SMASH BASH “spots” will be
sold on a first come, first serve basis at the
SpringSMASH BASH Sign Up Coffee on Friday, January 31
at drop-off (8:00-9:00am) and pick-up (1pm-2pm) in the
Small Yard.
Payment
MUST be received when reserving your spot so BE SURE TO BRING THOSE WALLETS! We
accept credit cards, cash or checks. For
more information contact Marni Ayers Brady: marniayers@gmail.com
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DATES TO REMEMBER
Wed, Jan 22 - Two SMASH
fundraisers - CPK restaurant night and Barnes and Noble Fundraiser (flyer in
Fri. Ltr.)
Wed, Jan 22 - 9:00-10:30am -
SMASH School Tour
Now until January 26 at 7pm -
Stairway advanced online ticketing (details in today’s Letter)
Mon, Jan 27 - 9:00-10:30am -
SMASH School Tour
Fri, Jan 31 - 9:45am -
Yosemite Assembly
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SMASH Arts &
Letters Sale
Saturday, February 22nd, 7-10pm
Streetcraft LA, 2912 Main Street
Tickets are now on sale!
http://smashartsale2014.eventbrite.com
We need art!
Packets
are available in the office.
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Tidbits From SMASH PTSA
We have lots of great SMASH events coming up this
year, but we need your help to pull them all off!
Whether you
volunteer 2 hours or 100 hours - everything is appreciated. Click here
to volunteer!
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40th Anniversary of SMASH, SUPERSMASH and SILENT
AUCTION
You may not believe it, but
we are already working on putting together SuperSMASH and the SMASH Silent
Auction - May is just around the corner!
Plus, we are going to be inviting all SMASH Alumni to
attend the event this year to celebrate our
40TH Anniversary - which
means lots of people and lots of fun.
To pull it all off, we need you to help in any way you
can. There are many small and large tasks that can be done off campus,
leadership roles, and ways you can help during the actual event. Please contact
the Chairs for these 3 events to see which jobs are available and if there is one
that is a good fit for you.
Silent Auction Chair: The
fabulous Sabine Werk visionwerk@mac.com
SuperSMASH Chair: The
marvelous Naren Desai narendesai@icloud.com
40th Anniversary Co-Chairs:
The awe-inspiring Summer Germann summergermann@aol.com
STORAGE SPACE NEEDED:
We are looking for some space
close to school to use for Silent Auction Storage. If you have space available
or know of someone who might, please contact me: jameetenzer@gmail.com. We might even be able to pay a small rental fee!
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EDUCATION FOUNDATION FUNDRAISING EVENTS
TAG Gallery Annual Group Exhibition -
January 7 - 25
Reception & Silent Auction on Saturday, January 25
from 5:00 to 8:00pm
To purchase a bidding ticket for $25, please call
310-829-9556 or email gallery@taggallery.net
Hors d’oeuvres and drinks provided
Bergamot Station Arts Center - 2525
Michigan Ave, D3, Santa Monica 90404
310-8299558; info @ taggallery.net; www.taggallery.net
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PIER PARTY!
Sunday, April 27. 10am to 2pm
TICKET LEVEL 1:
$25 or 5 for $100 - Includes wristband for unlimited rides
TICKET LEVEL 2:
$50 - Includes wristband for unlimited rides, 5 game tickets and a meal
ticket
VIP EVENT: $175
- Includes unlimited rides, 5 game tickets, brunch prepared by exclusive
restaurants and parking pass
Contact Rachel.Faulkner@smmef.org or 310-396-4557
TICKETS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE AT SMASHartsale2014.eventbrite.com
February 22 - 7:00—10:00pm
Streetcraft LA 2912 Main Street Santa Monica, CA 90405
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Santa Monica-Malibu Education Foundation
Every Student, Every School, Every Opportunity
VISION FOR STUDENT SUCCESS
2.5 WEEK$ TO GO
- $1.22 Million to raise by
January 31
DO YOU REMEMBER? Who was the teacher who made an impression on
you, the one who made a difference in your life? Was it the choir teacher who
instilled a life-long love of music? Or maybe it was the Science teacher who
challenged you and showed you school could be exciting and relevant. The Vision for Student Success ensures that
our teachers have the resources they need to be even better teachers, so that
they guide all of our students down a strong educational path.
Please donate to the Vision for
Student Success today so that all students get the education they deserve. Thank
you.
We have raised $2,776,621(as of
1/9/14).
Please donate,
support our students, and join the Honor Roll of Giving today!
We have only 2.5 more weeks to reach our
$4 million goal!
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SMASH Jog-a-thon FAQs
Question: When is the Jog-a-thon?
Answer: Friday, March 7th from
approximately 8:30 to 11:30 am. (An exact schedule will be printed in a Friday
Letter before the event.)
Question: What happens at the Jog-a-thon?
Answer: SMASH students (and many teachers,
parents, siblings and friends) run or walk laps to raise money for our school.
Each student will be given a pledge packet a few weeks before the event and
encouraged to get family, friends and neighbors to make a financial pledge for
each lap run.
Question: How long is a lap and how many minutes
will the students run?
Answer: Since SMASH’s field doesn’t have an
official track, a ‘lap’ is as long as we say it is. We mark out a course on the day of the event
and children run the course for 20 minutes (separated into different groups to
avoid a Pamplona “running of the bulls” situation).
Question: How many laps will my child run?
Answer: It depends. A fast runner might complete as many as 60
laps and a good walker might complete 20.
Question: Are parents welcome?
Answer: YES!
Parents are needed now as volunteers and are always encouraged to join
in as runners or spectators. There will
be music and refreshments for the kids and it is a great way to spend some time
exercising with your child.
Question: What do volunteers do?
Answer: Volunteers help before, during and after
the event and handle everything from setting up the course, to serving
food/water to students, to counting laps and tallying pledges.
Question: How does my child submit a design for the
t-shirt competition?
Answer: Simply have him/her draw the design
(black/white or color) on an 8 ½ by 11 piece of white paper. Include his/her name on the back
and turn it into the office by January 31st.
Question: What about t-shirt sponsorship?
Answer: T-shirt sponsors are very
important. They pay for the cost of the
t-shirts so that all students/teachers get a free Jog-a-thon shirt. Corporate sponsors donate $150, $200 or $250
and SMASHing sponsors donate $25, $50 or $100.
Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowable by law.As a token
of appreciation for their support, the t-shirt sponsor’s name will adorn the
back of the shirt.*
Question: How can I find out more? How do I volunteer?
Answer: Contact Lillie Schlessinger, lillie.schlessinger@transamerica.com or
Yvonne Lockhart,
paradisekid@verizon.net
*Please use the form below
for making t-shirt donations and return to the office with your cash or check
made payable to SMASH PTSA by no later than February 7th.
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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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65th Annual Stairway of the Stars
February 7, 11, & 13 -
7:00-8:30 p.m.
BARNUM HALL, Santa Monica High School, 601 Pico Blvd.,
Santa Monica
STAIRWAY
ADVANCE ONLINE TICKETING IS NOW OPEN! (Ends SUNDAY, JAN. 26th, AT 7PM)
Stairway will be held at Barnum Hall on the Santa
Monica High School Campus over three (3) nights:
Friday, February 7th (Choir
only),
Tuesday, February 11th (Band
only), and
Thursday, February 13th (Orchestra
only).
Stairway
sells out every year! Tickets are
made available on a first-come, first-served basis to Stairway families only
during Advance Online ticket sales period (see details below). Tickets not sold
during the Advance Online period will be made available during an online
"Flash Sale" open to the public. Any remaining tickets may be
purchased during the online "Flash Sale" (Jan. 27-31) or at the box
office on the night of each concert, on a first-come, first-served basis.
TO
MAKE YOUR ADVANCE ONLINE TICKET PURCHASE:
1.
First, go to the
appropriate webpage for the Stairway event night(s) that your student is
performing:
For
Fri., Feb. 7, Choir Night: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/532409
For
Tues., Feb. 11, Band Night: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/532404
For
Thurs., Feb. 13, Orchestra Night: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/532378
2.
When prompted for your “Discount
Code,” enter the SMMUSD Student ID# of your student musician who is
performing that night. The SMMUSD Student ID# can be found on the
mailing label for this Stairway packet, and will only work on the concert night
that your student is performing. If you have not received your Stairway
mailing, it should arrive soon. Student ID numbers may also be found on most
school grading period reports, right below the student’s name.
3.
Families with more than one student musician performing, or with a student
performing in more than one Stairway concert, may purchase up to three (3) tickets for each student
musician, for each night they are performing in Stairway, utilizing the
correct SMMUSD Student ID# for each student musician.
4.
Place your ticket order using credit/debit card. ♫ General Stairway Tickets are $15.00.
♫ You may also make a STAIRWAY DONATION online with your ticket order.
Simply choose the “GENERAL $15 + DONATION” option, and select the donation
level of your choice.
5.
PLEASE REMEMBER, EACH STUDENT
MUSICIAN IS LIMITED TO A MAXIMUM OF THREE (3) TICKETS FOR THE NIGHT OF THEIR
STAIRWAY PERFORMANCE(S)ONLY, during advance online ticket sales. Each
advance online ticket purchase will be reviewed before mailing, and ticket
purchases in violation of the Stairway ticketing policy will be refunded at the
lowest valued ticket price first.
6.
Finally, answer the
required questions to verify and complete your transaction. Here, you may
indicate if you are interested in
being a VOLUNTEER USHER or STUDENT MONITOR for STAIRWAY, including your name,
email and cell number in the appropriate boxes.
7.
Tickets will be mailed directly to your home from Brown Paper Tickets.
GENERAL
TICKET SALES ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC: Beginning at 12:01am on Monday, January
27th, tickets not sold during the Advance Online period will be available
during an online "Flash Sale," open to the public. From Monday, January 27th to Friday, January 31st,
patrons may purchase as many tickets as they want for ANY Stairway event. There
is no reserved seating at Stairway concerts, and tickets purchased during the
Flash Sale have the same value as tickets purchased during the Advance Online
period.
8.
NEW THIS YEAR: Music fans may use the
new ONLINE STAIRWAY FORM to 1) purchase the new black Stairway t-shirts (logo
image attached); 2) order Stairway performance DVDs; 3) purchase a dedication
to be published in Stairway concert programs; 4) donate to SMMUSD Music; and/or
5) register for the Disneyland workshop (Elementary Honor groups only). Donations,
dedications and DVD orders must be received by January 31st in order
to be included in Stairway concert programs.
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CORE
1 NEWS
New Circle Groups
We have settled into our new
Circle Groups. Graciela’s group is
called The Power Puppies, Chrysta’s group is called The Robotic Dolphin’s, and
Christian’s group is called The Golden Eagles.
The children stayed together in their families, keeping the same
Partner, Big, and Mentor. We are
enjoying getting to know each other more, and we are strengthening our
friendships. We conduct Morning Meeting,
Projects, and Magic Circle in these groups.
Before going to Morning Meeting, please remind your child to check-in
with his or her Workshop Teacher (Graciela-Partners, Chrysta-Bigs, and
Christian-Mentors). If your child arrives after 8:45 please take him or her to
the office to get a late slip. Your
child should hand the late slip to his or her Workshop Teacher before going to
Morning Meeting. We no longer have
Workshop Wednesday meetings because our Visual Arts studies are conducted in
multi-age groups.
Visual Arts
Our 10-week, visual art study
began this Wednesday. Our theme is
Transformation and Transportation. The children will study and create visual arts
in multi-age, Circle Groups. Our Artists in Residence are Julianna Ostrovsky
and Lily Ramirez. Marni Gittleman is our
Arts Coordinator. We are fortunate to
have 6 teachers working with our 75 students.
If you are interested in volunteering on Wednesdays from 9:00-10:15,
please check in with your child’s Circle Teacher. We could use volunteers to help us prepare
materials, listen to children describe their work, and document using video and
photography.
January and February Birthday Bash
If your child has a birthday
in January or February, we’d love for you to join us for a celebration on Friday,
January 31 at 9:45. Your child is
invited to bring a fresh fruit or vegetable to share with the Core 1 community.
The birthday children will prepare the fruit or vegetable by washing it,
cutting it, and presenting it during Projects Time from 9:00-9:45. Families are
invited to help at that time. We will ask you to set-up the buffet tables on
the small yard. At 9:45 we will all gather in Graciela’s room for a story, a
poem, and a song. At about 10:00 the
children will snack on the fruits and vegetables that were prepared by the
birthday children. We will ask you to
serve the food and to help clean up. The
festivities will end by 10:30. 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. Her e-mail
address is gbarba-castro@smmusd.org. We
hope you can join us.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.!
Graciela
(gbarba-castro@smmusd.org Chrysta
(cpowell@smmusd.org) Christian (ccarter@smmus.org) and Nadja
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CORE
2 NEWS
Got Names? We
do!
Mimi’s Advisory is the Ninja Rainbow Kittens.
Tamara’s group has voted for the Psycho Bunnies.
And Jayme’s bouncing baby boy is now Waylon
James Florian.
Library: If
your student has a late or lost school library book, there will be a thin slip
of paper with the book title and cost in their Friday Folder. Look for these books at home and anywhere
else they may be hiding out and bring them to school ASAP. Please help your student remember to return
their books to school every Monday. It
might be helpful to designate a special place to store school library books at
home so that it is easy to keep track of them.
Orange Advisory update
from Mimi: Orange Theme is beginning
with Nutrition and Food. We learned a bit about the Choose My Plate
nutritional guidelines this week. We
focused on eating a rainbow of colors and talked about whole grains, protein,
and dairy. On Friday, we used our
knowledge of the different food groups to create a “Snack of Champions”. Students will bring home their “Snack of
Champions” sheet today. They are
encouraged to try their recipes out at home this weekend and share with the
Advisory how it went/tasted when we regroup on Tuesday.
In our Fantasy unit, students developed their basic story ideas, main
characters, and setting maps. Next week,
we will focus on telling their stories across their fingers and keeping their
stories to a total of five events. This
will help minimize story lengths and allow more time for revising, editing, and
rewriting.
New Year’s
Resolutions: Making New Year’s Resolutions is one way that Core 2
students are setting goals. Occasionally
revisiting our resolutions will help us remember those goals and obtain
feedback from peers on strategies for keeping resolutions. Here are some New Year’s Resolutions from the
Orange Advisory (aka The Ninja Rainbow Kittens):
I will try not to talk
sassy to my parents anymore.
I will try to stay focused
during work time.
I will pay more attention
while crossing the street.
I will clean up my room
every day.
I will try to be a
pescatarian.
Grey Group: Please check
the next Friday Letter for a full Literacy/Theme and Science update from Tamara.
In the meantime, we are gathering supplies for a fun, hands-on
Physics Unit. Can you help? Thanks! We’d
like to start next week! We need:
~balloons (the regular old
kind you blow up by mouth – any shape/size) ~silk and wool fabric
scraps (small or large pieces ideal – intact clothing could be returned...)
~plastic wrap
~puffed rice cereal
~small plastic combs (no rubber)
~magnets (bar/rod and disk/donut)
~string (the white kind)
Happy Day, MLK!
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CORE
3 NEWS
Thanks
for your Field Trip support! They are
always enriching experiences! We will keep you posted on the rescheduling of
the Natural History Museum.
District
Middle School Visual Art Show! Like our puppets which were discussed
and admired at last year's district art show, Core 3 will be representing
SMASH's middle school with our Claymation videos. Please join us at the Roberts Art Gallery
at Samohi on Friday, Jan. 31 from 6:00-8:00pm.
Astrocamp: the 5th grade trip to
Astrocamp will be Feb 19-21. Pam is the
lead teacher which is a great opportunity for her and the kids to get to know
each other before they are in Core 4 in a few years. We will get you more information soon.
6th gr
Math with Erin: This
week we continued our exploration of ratios. Students contemplated story
problems with multi-step strategies. For example, students had to figure out if
you could buy a case of 35 pet collars for $49.95 at Pet Parade, how much would
one collar cost, how much would five collars cost? Or would a student get a
better price at Animal Kingdom, where you could buy 40 pet collars for $57.30?
After comparing prices at two other pet stores as well, students had to think
about where they could get the most pet collars for certain prices, such as
$278. This unit has been a step up in challenge from our fall units. Feel free
to discuss and share your ratio problem solving strategies with your child.
5th
gr Math with Genie:
We have continued with our game Roll Around the Clock so we can practice adding
fractions and now subtracting fractions.
We haven't formally discussed a common denominator as the way to add as
we have all learned from our elementary school experience. We are using what we know about the amount of
the fraction, percent equivalent and then the clock and its 12 parts as a
possible common denominator.
Interdisciplinary
Project: Medical Issues: Knowledge of
Diseases, Conditions, and Syndromes and their Inclusion within Society
This week we
discussed ways to research—writing lists, how to use search engines, writing
notes with lots of white space, thinking of how to categorize our notes, how
questions lead our research, and noting good websites. Also, students worked in
small groups to do 20 minute research on a given medical issues answering four
questions: What is (issue)? What are the symptoms of (issue)? Is there any cure
or preventative measure for (issue)? How does one get (issue)? Genetic?
Contagious? Random? Students then shared out their findings with the whole
group. We hope that all students will have a small piece of knowledge about
many different issues before they choose their main topic of study next
week. We also watched the "Human
Body" documentary was fascinating!
Please ask your child what they remember about it and how taking notes
while watching a documentary was helpful.
Reading
and Writing Workshop with Genie: We have started our weekly Nonfiction Reading sheet
again! This week's was challenging with
decimals and batting averages. Having a
varied reading life helps us read all sorts of nonfiction writing that include
information about all disciplines, subjects and interests. Please encourage your child to read
nonfiction at home along with their just right book. They should average 30-40 minutes a day or
100 pages a week.
Dramatic
Arts with Kristy: We continued to plan out the chapters in
small groups to first summarize, story board, and then begin to learn the
proper format for a script and ways to adapt a book into a script.
Homework:
5G math:
packet #15—same packet. Due 1/24/14
Nonfiction
Reading sheet due Wednesday, 1/22/14
Reading 30
minutes every day!
WW: collect
2 entries (full pages) in writing notebook each week.
Enjoy the 3-Day Weekend!
Genie, Erin and Laura
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