WEbster Nation,

What a day!!! Thank you all so much for coming to our Deep Learning EXPO. What a thrill it was for our students to have you all here as an audience with which to share their curiosity and wonder around learning. Your support means so much to us all. I am honestly struggling to find the words to express my gratitude for Webster's amazing staff. The work you all put in to allow our students the space to explore, learn, and create is monumental. I know you're exhausted, but I hope your hearts are filled with pride. What an accomplishment today was. Thank you so much for your undying passion and dedication to our students and this community.

A huge thanks to Laura Angotti for her efforts on our sweet new Webster Wear. I hope you all got some new swag. There are more items here in the office if you missed a chance to grab stuff today. To our PTA, thanks so much for coffee and donuts and setting such a lovely scene for our EXPO this morning. We are super grateful!

We look forward to finishing 2023 with a beautiful final week and more opportunities to have you join us on campus to share in the wonder of the season here at Webster. Have a great weekend, everyone.

With gratitude,

- Tedd

twakeman@smmusd.org
(310) 456-6494

DECEMBER 2023

12/15 Holiday Cookie Party Book

12/18-12/22 Holiday Spirit Week (see the schedule below)

12/20 Webster Holiday Show and Class Parties - 9:00a

12/22 Last Day!!

12/25 Winter Holidays Begin

JANUARY 2024

1/8 School resumes

This incredible TK EXPO project found its inspiration as children began bringing shells into the classroom. The shells were collected on meandering walks and while traveling with their families. Miss Papale, always looking for ways to allow student interest to take center stage, started coupling the shells with a daily ocean photograph and an inquiry-based discussion of “What do you notice?” “What do you wonder?” Interest sparked and all students were able to participate. These daily discussions led to the beautiful integration of each learning discipline.

• Language Arts: Rich vocabulary building, including the ocean environment, shell and rock attributes, light, seasonality, and sensory experience.
• Emergent Storytelling and Writing: Children created their own ocean settings, characters, and details to tell imaginative and engaging stories.
• Mathematics: Number sense, rock and shell counting, math vocabulary, addition and subtraction, greater numbers.
• STEAM: Seasonality, temperature, ocean creature life cycles, changes in light throughout the day.
• Art: Building, painting, and crafting their own ocean animals and beach elements with clay.
• Social Emotional Learning: TK worked together to count aloud, explore and comment on ocean images, and build beach settings to construct stories.
• Purposeful Play: TK enjoyed plunging their hands into sand, shells, and pebbles for sensory explorations. They also created ocean vignettes throughout the classroom.
• Book: Love and Learning by the Ocean: This project culminated into a actual book featuring the collection of ocean images and the children’s documentation of noticings and wonderings!
  

A MUST SEE experience from Miss Papale, Heidi, Maryam, and our amazing TK students.

We invited the Kinders to join BuCrew Expeditions for a submarine ride on the very first day of school. That turned into a journey to make good observations of a variety of marine animals. As the journey continued, students formed collaborative groups and began in-depth studies of nine different animals including manatees, eels, sea otters, whales, sharks, and more. At some point, students realized they hadn't' yet studied the ocean's famous sea turtles. How could that be? So we began a whole group dive into these turtles only to discover that they were on the endangered list. Our Kinders felt a strong desire to TAKE ACTION! They needed to inform the public about this and raise awareness. This led to the creation of a song and informational video about conservation. Ultimately, they wanted to find a way to adopt a turtle, so they made bracelets with sea turtles on them, found QR codes that would allow the buyer to track a turtle as it moves through the ocean, and decided to use the proceeds to adopt a sea turtle and pay for its care. Using money from their last project, the BuCrew was able to fund this year's project. Taking a sustainable approach to social entrepreneurship, this amazing Crew hopes to make enough money to not only adopt the turtle, but pay for their Spring Expo project as well. Amazing stuff!!!

After you watch the following video, we hope you gain some understanding about this endangered creature. To help the protection effort of sea turtles, the Bu Crew made sea turtle bracelets to raise money for sea turtle conservation and the adoption of sea turtles through Sea Turtle Conservancy. If you are interested in helping us raise money to save sea turtles by giving a donation or purchasing a bracelet, please contact the Bu Crew: websterbucrew@smmusd.org

The journey for Mrs. Cooper's clan started, like all good projects, from a place of student inquiry. As they began learning about pollinators, the group decided to TAKE ACTION. They wanted to figure out ways in which they could protect the pollinators. After a really good brainstorming session, they decided there were two things they could do. First, they could plant a garden and make it a safe habitat for the pollinators, especially since most of them are endangered. Second, they could learn as much as they could about bees, bats, butterflies, and hummingbirds so they could share their information and invite others to join the cause. Off they went to do both of these things. From there, they applied math skills and began to graph the plot and design the garden. They used thinking maps to do research with their groups and worked on more research with their 5th grade buddies. Using the tree maps they created, students wrote paragraphs about the different kinds of pollinators. We're not done yet!! Because of their incredible love for art, Mrs. Cooper supported the kids in sharing their knowledge through this creative medium as well. They created pastel drawings of their pollinators, made beautiful paintings of them, and wrote diamante poems to accompany the artwork. We hope you enjoyed their journey in Room 16 and around campus.

One of my favorite things about Project Based Learning is when teachers take risks, the same kinds of risks we want our students to learn to take. Mrs. Harris took on a bold project idea this fall and turned it into something truly special for her students. Recognizing her class loved to laugh, she embarked on a journey through the many facets of comedy. Starting with literature as a foundation, they read "The Book With No Pictures" and asked the question, "What do you think is funny?" As you might imagine, this launched students into a world of wonder that led them to explore comedy staples like Who’s on First, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Lucille Ball, and so much more. They learned about the humor based on misunderstandings and idioms, benefited from an amazing author assembly by Chris Harris, and explored a variety of comedy situations that show the value of silliness. They did an author study of Robert Munsch, had Webster's own, Eddy Ifft, come in to discuss the job of a stand up comedian, and learned about the serious business of being a clown. They eventually developed their own joke products, built them out, and created infomercials to promote them. Venturing into the unknown created a world of wonder for her students and helped Mrs. Harris become a great role model for the kind of thinking and learning we're after here at Webster.

Mrs. Lockwood kicked off her project discussion with a solid driving question, "How can we improve how animals live in captivity?" The focus went quickly to zoos. Are they good...places of education and conservation? Are they bad...places of imprisonment and mistreatment? What great discussions for our students to have. They discussed their ideas and concerns and began to research zoos all over the country. What did they like about what they found and what was troubling? These concerns led them to write opinion letters to their local congressperson in hopes they might share these feelings around the treatment and condition of animals in captivity. From there, students began their research on a specific animal. They dug in and learned about their habitat needs, countries of origin, dietary needs, predator/prey situations, and so much more. Their ultimate task?...Re-imagine and design a sustainable zoo where enclosures were supportive of the needs of the animals themselves. I hope you got a chance to get into Room 2 to see the amazing design work of our students. Hats off to Mrs. Lockwood for embracing the true chaos of a class in mass production. Learning is big and loud and messy at its best. Thanks for allowing that to lead the day.

Mrs. Stark's team started their project by participating in Ancestor Adventures. This engaging pursuit allowed them to explore geography, social studies, mathematics, and language arts. Using skills in these areas, students set out to plan, prepare, and pay for a trip. To where? To the continent from which their ancestors originated. This led them to phase two of their project where students learned valuable lessons about being an entrepreneur. Ultimately, they were charged with designing an international business. The foundation of these businesses needed to be based off of goods or services they learned about from their ancestral research. They created full business plans including names, logos, slogans, advertising, and prices for goods and services. From there, they designed and constructed a physical prototype of their buildings and surrounding property. Integrating math into the project, Mrs. Stark helped students apply their understanding of area, perimeter, and measurement during the construction process. Another aspect of student business plans included discussions about how their businesses would be both environmentally sustainable and supportive of their communities. What an awesome learning adventure for these students. Clearly, there is a future for these third graders in the business world.

What started as a simple deep dive into the concept of taco trucks blossomed into a full exploration of business plans and marketing strategies. As Mr. K's gang began to build menus and design their trucks, they quickly realized that there was so much more to running a business than food and mobility. As they explored the mathematical underpinnings of supply and demand, they expanded their thinking toward the marketing side of the business and quickly got HOOKED! With little to no prompting, Mr. K began to see his students get excited about building websites and creating commercials. Their exploration of entrepreneurship led to thinking and learning beyond the scope of expectation. This is precisely what Project Based Learning is all about...allowing student interest, creativity, and wonder to blossom!!

Mrs. Morris's students learned about their personal heritage as part of a broader unit focused on culture and adaptation. With their families, students were asked to do a little research into their background. From where did your ancestors descend? Students wondered about the first person in their family to make the journey to America. What would they want to remember about their homeland, culture, and traditions? Students engaged in interesting conversation with their families, addressing challenging questions as they learned from their elders. These activities helped students to understand that some of the foods they eat, traditions they partake in, and holidays they observe have been passed down through the decades by members of their families. It helped them to understand what it must have been like to bring your culture to a new land. Eventually, students created parade floats filled with pieces that represent those things their families want to honor about their culture.

For our oldest students, the Fall EXPO project was an engaging adventure from beginning to end. Ms. Johnson and Mrs. London, expanding on the success of last year's project, dug in and created another fantastic experience for their kiddos. Kicking things off with a scavenger hunt competition based on information about the 50 states, student groups unknowingly competed for the chance to have first dibs on a plot of land in the next activity. Here's the scenario:

Famous explorers, London and Johnson, discovered a brand new land mass filled with unseen wonders. They chose to divide this mass into smaller plots of land (states), giving each plot a number. Based on their observations of a map of these plots, student groups would be given the opportunity to make a proposal for why they should be given that particular piece of land. The map showed things like mountains, lakes, rivers, deserts, coral reefs, kelp bed forests, volcanoes, and more. This allowed student groups valuable information needed to make a pitch for the plot they wanted. Once groups obtained their piece of land, they were thrown an interesting curve ball in the form of a card that told them about things not displayed on the original map...silver deposits, diamond mines, hurricanes, sand storms, and a variety of factors that would ultimately have an affect on the development of their states. Let the games begin!!!

From here, students collaborated around a variety of engaging and relevant experiences. They learned about different forms of government and played out vignettes to help them decide which one made sense for their state. They had full-on bartering sessions during which they were able to trade resources with other state groups. They researched the kinds of native people that may have inhabited their lands, creating a state history along the way. They thought about resource management, economy, and the happiness factor for people living in their new state. All of this concluded with students building models of their states and resources. Alongside these models, each group has laid out its state government, energy sources, natural resources, and more.

On behalf of our amazing Reflections coordinator, Dana Orescan, we are thrilled to announce that two of our Webster submissions were recognized at the District level and one of those submissions will be moving forward to the 33rd district for further consideration. Congratulations to Juniper Benjamin McKee for winning the Award of Excellence in Music Composition. In addition, we'd like to congratulate Alex Pitz-Giannetti for winning the Award of Merit in Literature.

We look forward to another year of amazing entries in the PTA's Reflections program and are excited to display all the entries on campus next week so students and parents can see these creative submissions. Thanks again to Dana Orescan for her efforts to make this program come alive for our students again this year.

Between the hot chocolate bar and the mini-fireplace, the Webster staff was treated to a real winter feast. Holiday music in the background and friends all around, the December Potluck was a wonderful team-building opportunity. Not only was the food incredible, the ambiance and good vibes flowing through the staff on Wednesday was fuel enough for the rest of a busy week. Big thanks to Ms. Terry, Ms. Yoliee, Ms. Le, Ms. Monte, Mrs. Conrad, and Ms. Johnson for a fantastic culinary experience.

They went from green to rainbow colors and then this week...they are see through!!! Oh man, I am blown away by the dedication of this "Frogger." While we still don't know their identity, what we do know is that they are committed to making us notice and wonder and delight in the joy of this endeavor. Each week we've been treated to a campus filled with little critters. I love how excited the students have become as they all seek to collect tiny frogs. Not sure how this will unfold, but we hope to have the perpetrator identified before the break. I currently have a few hunches, but I'm keeping my lips sealed for now.

We are thrilled to share that after six GREAT weeks of Run Groms at Webster… The program is back for more running, more games, more fun! All Webster students and parents are welcome to join us Friday mornings from 7:45am-8:15am for some “Fun Run Friday” miles before school. This program is supported by Run Malibu and the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu and is FREE and open to EVERYONE!

Email maliburungroms@gmail.com to learn more. See you there! 🏃‍♀️

- Cassidy Benadum

Embrace the new year with a fresh start by cleaning out the old and decluttering your wardrobe. Join us at the Party Book Sip, Swap, and Shop event right after the holidays – a perfect opportunity to refresh your style, connect with others, and revel in a sustainable approach to fashion. Get your ticket TODAY!

Also coming in 2024 is the much anticipated WEBSTER PROM!! Think of this as a father/daughter or mother/son dance and just a great time with the whole family. More details on the way, but in the meantime, scoop up your tickets here:

Webster Prom - Party Book

"Hunter had a blast with his friends at Zuma Beach playing in the surf, body boarding, and even learning to stand up and catch waves! What a great experience!" - Richard VanOrnum

"We had such a great time at the Slice Slice Baby Party. It was such a great way to connect with other parents and give back to the school at the same time." - Samantha Carpenter

"When I signed up for Trampoline with Tedd, I didn't realize I was the Tedd. Regardless, I had a blast jumping, jousting, dodging, and playing with a bunch of our Whales. These Party Book events are truly amazing." - Principal Tedd

January 20, 2024 - Sip, Swap, and Shop Party Book

May 3, 2023 - Webster Prom - Party Book

- Lauren (Party Book coordinator and all-around awesome human)

Imagine this...you and your child have just celebrated the joys of our Learning EXPO and you're looking for something awesome to do that weekend. Look no further than an amazing production of "The Nutcracker" at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks. Coming to town on Dec. 16-17, the show features Webster Whales, Phoebe Jackson and Veronika Jacobs, as well as alumni, Scarlet Jackson and Alissa Jacobs. It's a holiday treat for the whole family. Hope to see you there.

The Christmas Tree Lot benefiting the MHS Athletic Booster Club will open on Saturday, November 25th at the corner of Stuart Ranch Road & Webb Way (the Chili Cook Off site.)

Hours:

Monday - Thursday from 3 to 7pm

Friday from 3 to 8pm

Saturday/Sunday from 1 to 8pm

Get your tree (delivery available), wreaths, Shark Wear, & ornaments here. To celebrate the tree lot opening, ABC will also be hosting a Community Night on Friday, December 1st, from 5:30-8:30 pm, with many activities planned, food trucks, entertainment, holiday shopping & more! Please come out and support the school. ABC raises 2/3 of the money to support MHS Athletics.

As we welcome you all to our first exhibition this year, here's a little perspective on why they are worth the effort.

The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone until at least 8th grade. By banding together, this will decrease the pressure felt by kids and parents alike over the kids having a smartphone. Please note that this pledge is for smartphones only! If you would like your child to have a basic phone that just calls and texts, you still can sign the pledge! The basic phone avoids many of the distractions and dangers of the smartphone.

Top 5 Reasons To Delay Getting a Smartphone

1 Smartphones are changing childhood.

2 They are distracting and addicting.

3 Smartphones expose your child to...

4 They increase risk for anxiety and depression.

5 Cyberbullying is an important concern.

To learn more, please visit www.waituntil8th.org or check out Wait Until 8th’s Instagram account.

The AERIES Parent Portal

Tedd's Welcome Letter 2023

Tedd's Welcome Back Video 2023

AERIES Parent Portal Tutorial

Student Services Registration Documents 23/24

Family Engagement & School Parent Compact

Webster Bell Schedule

PTA Membership

PTA Volunteer Opportunities

Class Change Request Form

Hour of Code

Webster Information - Week of Dec 11, 2023

The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu aims to provide a fun, safe, and creative environment for all Malibu youth to thrive, find support through positive mentorship, develop important life skills, and receive social and emotional support. We are currently offering:

• BGCM Membership Enrollment is LIVE Available for incoming grades TK-5th. Enroll at BGCMALIBU.ORG Programs include: STEM based projects, arts & crafts, cooking/gardening, social emotional wellness, and more! (Enrollment must be completed and verified via our online electronic system before your child attends BGCM Clubhouses, please allow at least 2 business days for this process). Enroll Here | Inscribirse
  
  

• BGCM Winter Registration is Now Available. BGCM will be open from January 2 to January 5, 2024, at Webster Clubhouse from 8:30 am to 5 pm. To secure a spot for your child, please use this link to complete the registration process. Register Here The deadline for registration is December 18. Please email Tyler with any questions at tylerhawkins@bgcmalibu.org
  
  

• ALL BGCM Clubhouse Sites will be CLOSED Dec 25-Jan 1 in observance of the upcoming holidays. We are wishing you and your families a wonderful winter break.
  
  

• Third Space is OPEN at Malibu Village! Third Space is a storefront, gallery and an innovation space for youth to be mentored and inspired. A project of the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu, made possible by many generous community contributors. A percentage of all store purchases benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu:

• Safe spaces after-school

• Mental health services for youth, families and aging population

• Drug and alcohol prevention programming

• Innovative and inspiring opportunities for youth

• Regenerative systems and educational initiatives
  
  Here, in our vibrant community, we value care, connection, and creativity. We offer youth, families, and visitors of all ages the chance to explore products from local, sustainable and social entrepreneurs. To learn more, visit thirdspacemalibu.org Follow us on IG/FB: @thirdspacemalibu
  
  

• Wellness Center & Social Support Offerings The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu Wellness Center operates remotely and also in-person to provide no-cost social support & mental health counseling to all in the community. Visit https://bgcmalibu.org/wellness-center/ to learn more or to request services for you/your child! There is currently NO WAITLIST for services. PSA: Parents! If you've missed any parent workshops, they are available on our website at https://bgcmalibu.org/wellness-center-resources/

*To contact the Club please call 310-457-1400 (Admin) or 310-241-3675 (Programs) Email info@bgcmalibu.org For updates on Club news & events, subscribe to BGCM E-Newsletter Here

Developing strong character and valuable mindsets is essential. This remains a major focus at Webster. As we build community here on campus, at home, and across Malibu, we will continue to model the kind of behavior that promotes unity, kindness, and thoughtful problem solving. In addition, we will value these traits in others and recognize outstanding efforts.

Every Friday we sport our Webster Wear to show school spirit and celebrate the coming weekend. Classes with the highest percentage of Webster Wear win the whale for the week. Be sure to show your spirit and pick up some Webster Wear in the main office when you stop in to say hello.