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Hello Families! What a busy week we have ahead of us! This week is all about student safety with Covid testing on Tuesday, The Great Shake-Out on Thursday, and Flu Vaccinations on Friday.

And that's not all! We're gearing up for some highly-needed school community events towards the end of October and we're coming to an equilibrium with our school routines.

Some notes about Communication...

As we all know, communication between school and family is a key component to obtaining the best educational outcomes. As the most important adults in your students' lives, teachers and caretakers must maintain regular, open communication so that you are working together to help your students succeed. If you need to reach the teacher and do not know how to, please call our school office. You can leave a leave a message with the teacher or obtain the teacher's email address. All email addresses for CCUSD employees is firstnamelastname@ccusd.org. For example, my email is rebeccagodbey@ccusd.org.

If you email teachers, please understand that it may take up to 48 hours for a response. Because our teachers are constantly providing instruction, they may not be able to immediately read your email until after school or the next day. Your students are their priority during the day. Should you ever have an emergency situation, the best way to get a message to your teacher is to call the main office or hand your student an "old school" handwritten note.

On that note, we've learned that sometimes you may call the office and it appears like you are hung up on. This is not our intention and we are sorry if this has happened to you! We have put in a work order to find out why this is happening. I assure you that Ms. Rosy and Ms. Erika answer every phone call, unless they are on the other line or helping another caretaker.

Finally, sometimes children come home and report an issue that the teacher is unaware of. Please remind your children to seek support and help from the adults at school. On that note, we follow the following chain of communication. Parents should always reach out to the teacher before contacting the principal. The main reason for this is because your child's teacher knows your child and the dynamics of the classroom. The principal does not have the lens that your child's teacher does.

Thank you for always helping us, help you and your children.

Have a PAWSitive week!

Dr. Becky Godbey

La Ballona Principal

This week La Ballona will join schools and businesses across the state in participating in California's Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill.

District wide all sites will participate in an earthquake drill on Oct. 21st at 10:21 am where students will be instructed t0 "Drop, Cover, Hold” wherever they may be. Thereafter, everyone will evacuate the building to their designated locations on the main field. Because this will be our first drill post school closure, we are starting with a "minor earthquake drill". In this way, we don't inadvertently cause undue stress to our school community. We will organize more elaborate drills in the spring.

Guardians, if your child has an appointment or needs to be dismissed early on this day for personal reasons, please come before 10:00 am or after 11:00am. During the drill, we will not be dismissing students for appointments.

As a reminder for all guardians as to our emergency procedures:

• Primary emergency assembly area is the blacktop at the back of the school.

• In the case of an actual emergency, every student will be kept at school until an authorized adult who is named on their Emergency Form arrives with a Photo I.D.

• Due to the details involved in a release process, please be aware there can be a significant wait time. We ask you to remain calm and patient.

• Communication of any incidents will be made via School Messenger and school website. Site administration will work as quickly as possible to disseminate information.

• For messages from the school, please make sure we have current emails in Aeries and up to date phone numbers. For assistance updating your information, please follow these steps Parent Portal Directions or contact the main office.

We encourage families, particularly those of our lower grade students to review the “Drop, Cover, Hold” process at home so that your child is familiar with the process.

Dear CCUSD staff and families:

We are ready to go with the new COVID testing provider - Living Fit Nation (LFN). Testing will begin next week for all staff and students, with the first week (similar to the last rollout) acting as our pilot to make sure everything runs smoothly. We will monitor the registration status to ensure everyone is registering and contacting those who do not.

To be tested this Tuesday (10/19), you must be registered by Saturday 10/16 at 8:00pm.

Registration for this system is similar to the last one with several improvements:

• One parent email is able to register multiple students
• Once registered, you are set - no need to “order tests”
• Assistance is available directly from LFN
• Step by step instructions are attached here to assist you

You will have to provide insurance information if available, as billing is done the same way. LFN will bill insurance if available and if not will bill the Federal grant program, which is why they need further information if you select “no insurance”. You will never be charged anything for these tests.

With this new provider, we will be able to do all the testing in one day. The schedule for now will be Tuesdays:

• All elementary schools and OCD first thing in the morning until 10:00am

For more information, please go to the district website: 2020-2021 Updates & Communications - ES: COVID-19 / Distance Learning - Culver City Unified School District (ccusd.org)

Click on the video to show your child what to do.

October 18-22 - Unity Week and Dress Up Days

October 19- Picture Make Up Day

October 19- School Site Council Meeting

October 21- Great Shake Out

October 22- Flu Shots available to students (flyer below)

October 22- Bidding for Good Auction Begins

October 29- Halloween Parade & Book or Treat Community Event

October 30- Bookmark Contest ends

November 4- PTA "parent community meeting at 6:30pm. Simultáneamente en inglés y español

Click on the Calendar Below to access many October activities.ou

Don’t forget to order your students school photos for the 2021-2022 school year.

Ordering is easy online

1. Go to www.cfpstudio.com

2. Click on online Galleries or scroll to the underclass section towards the bottom of the page

3. Your online code is your students ID #.

All orders placed before October 31st will be delivered the week of Nov 15th.

Orders after Oct 31st are considered late and a $5 late fee will be applied to all orders. Call CFP Studio directly with any questions or concerns.

Reminder all retakes must be done @ CFP Studio before Friday Oct 15th in order to be changed for the yearbook and class composite.

In October, we observe National Disability Awareness Month by paying tribute to the accomplishments of people with disabilities. Through-out this month we will be featuring various people who have given credit to their disability for teaching them skills which are instrumental to their success. Stay tuned to the school social media sites for these and more.

Hi there!

My name is Lara Mehl, and I have the privilege of being the new librarian here at La Ballona! You may have met me at the Outdoor Library last school year when I was filling in on an interim basis. I am so thankful that I get to be here permanently and see all the students actually IN the library this year, browsing books, discovering new things, and most importantly, learning to love reading.

I am a SoCal native; I grew up in Ventura County (Moorpark/Simi Valley) and studied English and education at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. I moved to West LA with my husband over 15 years ago to start a church in the Santa Monica area. We have four children, biological and adopted…a 4th and 5th grader at El Rincon, as well as a middle schooler and high schooler.

All my life, I wanted to be a mother and a teacher, but I think being an elementary school librarian is the job that I never knew I always wanted. I love being around the children and books, and my absolute favorite thing is reading out loud to them! Being a bookworm myself, I am passionate about helping every child become a reader, and I believe that starts with helping and equipping them to find books that unlock their sense of wonder. Every kid should have the experience of not wanting to put a book down, the exhiliration of turning page after page. I've spent years helping my own kids on this journey, having both avid readers and reluctant readers in my home. Sometimes all it takes is finding that special book, series or topic that opens the door for them...and I've learned first-hand that this takes patience!

In addition to reading, I enjoy cooking, hiking, going to the beach, weekly family movie nights, visiting used book stores and collecting old books (never enough books!), going on road trips with my family and spending time with my neighbors and church family throughout the week. Oh, and sleeping in (if I could make this a hobby, I would!).

I genuinely look forward to this opportunity I've been given to develop relationships with the students here at La Ballona, partnering with them and their amazing teachers to create a joyful and positive library experience, hopefully for years to come. Every one of your kids is a unique and precious gift...don't forget that!

PBIS is a school-wide framework used at La Ballona to identify needs, develop strategies and evaluate current practices with the aim of building a positive school culture. During the first months of school much emphasis is placed on explicitly teaching the positive behaviors and expectations we have for all areas of the school, including the classroom. A team of teachers, staff, and parents meet monthly to train in best practices and develop a plan for expanding the strategies to all areas of the school including school-wide language, developing common practices, and providing professional development and communication for teachers. The principle of the framework is Teach, Model, Practice, and Reward. There are four core principles at La Ballona that we are building our framework around:(PAWS/PATA) Positive Attitude, Act Responsibly, Work Together, and Safety First. In Spanish these are Actitud Positiva, Actuar Responsablemente, Trabajar Juntos, Actuar con Seguridad. You can work with your child to develop a plan for these four values at home as well!

For all our PTA members at La Ballona, here are even more discounts for you to enjoy with your $8 membership, yayyyyy!!

*** The Council PTA has partnered with local businesses to provide perks with your PTA card. If you signed up through Totem, you can download a digital card and take advantage of the perks right now! If you signed up with cash or Square and you wish to have a digital card, email me and I'll add you to Totem (so you won't be charged the $1 service charge that Totem has). Then you'll need to register an account with Totem. Email me back and I can send more instructions. You can also show your paper membership card to get these perks! Email me to coordinate a pick up or see me at the Membership table on October 29th at the school to pick up your paper membership card. (from Laura....info@laballonapta.org)

Sign up with TOTEM: https://jointotem.com/ca/culver-city/la-ballona-elem/join/register

Sign up with Squareup: https://la-ballona-elementary-pta.square.site/s/shop

Culver City Julian Dixon Library would like to invite your students to participate in LA County Library’s 42nd Annual Bookmark Contest, an annual program that encourages a love of books and reading while also promoting creativity, artistic expression, and community engagement. Students will have the chance to see their bookmark designs featured at their local library and throughout Los Angeles County. Participants compete in the following age categories:

• Kindergarten – Grade 2
• Grade 3 – Grade 5
• Grade 6 – Grade 8
• Grade 9 – Grade 12

Completed entry forms can be dropped off at individual library locations, sent in by mail, or submitted digitally via a link on the Library’s website. The deadline for entry is October 30, 2021.

The winning bookmarks from each library will be shared with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, who will select winners that reside in their District from each category. Winners selected by the Board of Supervisors will be recognized at a Board Meeting in 2022.

Here’s the Bookmark Contest Entry Form

Parent volunteers are needed for our Halloween "Book or Treat" event on October 29th ($1 book sale, PTA bake sale and Halloween photo opportunity) We would like to make this little Halloween event fun for our La Ballona Students. A very small group of parents are working on a few activities on the soccer field that will be after the costume parade on Friday, October 29th from 3:15-5:00pm, but we cannot move forward with the activities until we secure more volunteer help. Please contact Jamie at msjamiedoody@gmail.com if you're interested and available to help with planning or volunteering on the day of the event. Most importantly, we need volunteers to bake treats for us to sell as a PTA fundraiser that day at a bake sale table. Thank you!

Hi Parents, With a goal of raising $150K (approx $300/child) for this year's programs and supplies, we're in need of community support. Every donation pushes us closer to our goal; allowing us to create a platform for our students to access educational opportunities, tools and experiences the school might not otherwise be able to afford.

Ways to donate and help out:

• Go to bit.ly/laballona and donate what you can!
• By check, make payable to "La Ballona PTA" and return in an envelope to your classroom teacher.
• Share this flyer with your friends, family, and local businesses!

The promoters from LA County Department of Mental Health are excited to begin their mental health workshops for our Spanish speaking families in CCUSD. These workshops are held in spanish. Look below for the schedule.

Our next PTA "parent community meeting" is Thursday, November 4th at 6:30pm by zoom and we have a very special guest who will be joining us for it, our very own Superintendent Quoc Tran!! The code and password will be sent out to everyone by Dr.Godbey a few days before and posted on social media as well.

School has now started and so does our PTA membership drive! Joining the PTA is a great way to get involved and show your support for La Ballona students. Membership dues are just $8 per person and all dues-paying members can vote at PTA meetings, which are held the first Thursday of each month. Member dues are used for programs, resources, and activities that benefit our students. Click below on the link to pay your membership today, thank you so much for your support

Sign up with TOTEM: https://jointotem.com/ca/culver-city/la-ballona-elem/join/register

Sign up with Squareup: https://la-ballona-elementary-pta.square.site/s/shop

The PTA Room Parents need your help. They want your contact information so they can keep you updated on your child's classroom (especially teachers birthday gift, teacher Appreciation Week info etc). The school is not permitted to give out your information, so if you'd like correspondence from your Room Parent, click here.

ATTENTION LA BALLONA FAMILIES! We are currently collecting new items for our online auction (one of our biggest fundraisers of the year). Do you have unused gift cards from restaurants or retail stores you'd like to donate? Are you a photographer, yoga Instructor/Baker or anything else in the service industry who can donate time/session/food? Do you have brand new items you don't need like toys, kitchenware/clothing with tags or jewelry? An old wedding gift still in its packaging? If you don't need them, then please donate them to La Ballona's "Bidding For Good online auction" which starts October 22rd, 2021. All proceeds benefit our school in the form of technology, assemblies and more.. Please contact Nancy at nancybalter@yahoo.com or Michele at michelej75@gmail.com to coordinate drop off. Thank you so much for supporting our school

La Ballona's "Student Store" has brand new facemasks for sale, 1 for $4, or 3 for $10. Stop by the Student Store today (during their new hours listed below) to purchase some and support the PTA. They also still have some "tie-dye" shirts available for purchase and are taking new orders for the sizes that they are currently sold out on, so don't delay in putting in your order for the family. Please email laballonastudentstore@gmail.com to place your order or drop by at the front of the school across from the entrance to the main office to see them in person.

Hours are Monday 8:50-9:30am, Wednesday 1:50pm-2:30pm and Friday 8:50-9:30am, thank you!

Our month-long restaurant fundraiser for this fall goes until October 31st! It is at "Quicksand" sandwich shop, right across the street from La Ballona. They are open from 9am-2pm and the La Ballona PTA will receive 10% of your purchase, at no extra cost to you.... Thank you very much for your support.

10915 Washington Boulevard

Culver City, CA 90232

Email: erikaarredondo@ccusd.org
Website: www.laballona.ccusd.org
Location: La Ballona Elementary School, Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, USA
Phone: 3108424334
Facebook: facebook.com/laballonaelementary
Twitter: @LaBallona