The SMMUSD Wave- Oct. 2023
Fall Celebrations and Events Build a Sense of Belonging
Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, Students and Community Members,
As the weather cools and the leaves turn signaling we are getting close to the end of 2023, our students are feeling the warmth and comfort of belonging on their campuses and as part of a diverse community at each of our schools.
We started the year with a diversity, equity and inclusion lens focused on belonging, curiosity and empowerment. As I visit schools each week, I see how our dedicated educators have embraced this philosophy in their classrooms, providing the space and encouragement for each and every student to reach their full potential academically, socially and emotionally.
It’s gratifying to see our students thriving and feeling a joy of learning, curiosity to explore, while building the confidence to reach for the stars.
This is a busy time at our schools as we close in on completing the first semester of the 2023-24 school year. From classroom projects, school assemblies, and field trips to fall sports and visual and performing arts events, we have a multitude of opportunities with which our students can engage on their campuses. We’ve enjoyed strong support from our community for fall sports, including football, water polo and middle school sports in Santa Monica.
We held a two-day restorative justice training for parents in October and seek to expand this program so more parents understand its importance and usefulness. For our Spanish-speaking parents, we have a two-day training planned for Dec. 2 and 9, with more information below; you can also reach out to your bilingual community liaison.
We have enjoyed Halloween parades, fall festivals, cultural festivals, and Dia de los Muertos ofrendas (altars), with more to come in the next few days and weeks. We are all learning about each other’s cultures and stories. We each have a story, and it’s important to share so we may better understand how to best support our students and staff. Through our social justice standards integrated into our curriculum, we see students supporting and respecting each other and finding shared interests while learning about other cultures. We dream of the day where all cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, genders, and orientations may live in peace and harmony together throughout the world. We are preparing our students for the global world with these values in place.
Please continue to take care of yourself and each other.
Enjoy the October 2023 issue of the SMMUSD Wave.
Sincerely,
Dr. Antonio Shelton
Superintendent
You can read prior Superintendent Messages here.
Victoria Hurst Named New Special Education Director
The Santa Monica-Malibu School District Board of Education approved the appointment of Victoria Hurst as the new special education director at its Sept. 21, 2023 regular board meeting.
Hurst is a familiar face in SMMUSD having served the District for 20 years, with a total of 25 years education experience.
Read more here.
Dr. Ashley Benjamin Named New Director of Curriculum and Instruction
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education approved the appointment of Dr. Ashley Benjamin as the new director of curriculum and instruction at its October 19, 2023 regular board meeting.
Dr. Benjamin has been the principal of McKinley Elementary in SMMUSD since 2017. During her tenure she led the school to impressive academic gains as well as accomplishments such as the 2022 California Department of Education Pivotal Practice Award for excellence during distance learning and becoming the District’s first AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Elementary School. She was previously the assistant principal at Franklin Elementary.
Read more here.
SMMUSD Students Recognized by National Merit Scholarship Program
Congratulations to the three Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists and the 18 Commended Students. Out of 1.5 million entrants, about 50,000 with the highest Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT) and National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test scores qualify for recognition in the National Merit Scholarship Program as Semifinalists and Commended Students.
The semifinalists from Santa Monica High School (Samohi) are Milo Bernini and Justin Xu. The semifinalist from Malibu High School (MHS) is Athena Rem. Commended students from Samohi are Mason Arditi, Ryan Cao, Isaac Feinberg, Ajax Haendel, Casper Holden, Jesse Howard, Shannon Lee, Blase Londono, Matilde Martinez-Navarrete, Koosha Paridhpour, Ryan Schatzow, and Maya Williams. The commended students from MHS are Katherine Baker and Filip Kurial. All of these students are seniors.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/NtnlMeritSemifinalists2023
SMMUSD Celebrates 40 Students Awarded with Academic Honors from College Board National Recognition Programs
SMMUSD would like to congratulate the 40 students from Malibu High School and Santa Monica High School who earned academic honors from the College Board National Recognition Programs. These programs celebrate students' hard work in high school and showcase their strong academic performance. The academic honors for rural area, Black, Indigenous, and/or Latino students are an opportunity for students to share their strong academic achievements with colleges and scholarship programs that are seeking to recruit diverse talent.
The Board of Education recognized the students at the October 19 school board meeting for their accomplishments.
The full list of students can be viewed here.
Read the full story here: https://bit.ly/CBRecognitions2023.
Samohi Theatre Pit Orchestra Wins Jerry Herman Award
Congratulations to the Santa Monica High School (Samohi) Musical Theatre Pit Orchestra on winning the prestigious 2023 Jerry Herman Award for Best Orchestra in a high school musical. Outshining their competition from 33 Los Angeles high schools, the Samohi Theater Department's production of "The Drowsy Chaperone" garnered two notable nominations including Best Orchestra as well as Hayley Mullane’s, a Samohi senior at the time, nomination for Best Supporting Actress. This is the orchestra’s first win, though they have been nominated twice before.
Read more here: https://bit.ly/JerryHermanAwards-Samohi2023.
Santa Monica City Council Presents Samohi with Hispanic/Latino/x Heritage Month Proclamation
Santa Monica City Council members presented the Samohi club Legado Latino with a “Proclamation to observe Hispanic/Latino/x Heritage Month” after the students shared the importance of embracing traditions, having a voice in the community, and validating cultural practices.
Samohi Girls Flag Football Making History
Big cheers for the trailblazing Samohi Girls' Flag Football Team! They're making history as the FIRST girl's flag football team at Samohi and stole the spotlight on Fox LA’s Good Day LA. https://www.foxla.com/video/1287281. The Lady Vikings ended their season as Ocean League Champions with a record of 8-0 and a final record of 16-3.
Next AAPI Meeting to be Held on Nov. 1
AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) Alliance is a new non-profit organization composed of parents, school faculty and community supporters who are committed to empowering AAPI students. The next monthly Open Meeting is on November 1. The AAPI Board Members look forward to meeting you and exchanging ideas!
An RSVP via their website is required.
Marguerite "Maggie" Lena, Samohi ’17,
Meet Marguerite “Maggie” Lena! Her incredible journey from the hallways of Santa Monica High School (Samohi) to the international soccer stage is nothing short of remarkable. At just 24 years old, this alumna has already made a significant impact, both on and off the soccer field.
Read more here: https://bit.ly/MaggieLena-Spotlight.
Civic Auditorium Update: Interest by SMMUSD to Purchase Civic Auditorium Continues; Pausing for the City of Santa Monica to Consider All Proposals
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) continues to be interested in purchasing and rehabilitating the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium (Civic), currently owned by the City of Santa Monica (City.) The District has a sound plan to revitalize the Civic as a multi-use performance / event facility that respects its historic and community significance.
Since the District shared its plan for rehabilitating the Civic in September, other organizations and individuals have been vocal in their desire and claims to have the ability and resources to find another interested party who can restore and rehabilitate the Civic.
Read more here.
Building Futures: McKinley Elementary School
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) has completed many major milestones towards modernizing McKinley Elementary School’s campus and is launching into the next phase.
From renovating classrooms with state-of-the-art technology to upgrading and modernizing the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, changes in every corner of the school can be seen and experienced. SMMUSD is in the process of transforming McKinley into a progressive, cutting-edge campus for 21st-century learning.
Read more here.
Building Futures: Will Rogers Learning Community
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) has completed some major milestones towards modernizing Will Rogers Learning Community and is launching into the next phase.
From renovating classrooms with state-of-the-art technology to upgrading and modernizing the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, changes in every corner of the school can be seen and experienced. SMMUSD is in the process of transforming Rogers into a progressive, cutting-edge campus for 21st-century learning.
Read more here.
Malibu High School: Almost, Maine
Samohi: The Foreigner
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The SMMUSD Wave is published monthly by the SMMUSD communications team: Gail Pinsker, Community & Public Relations Officer; Diana Bouchaaya and Esmi Careaga, Communication Specialists. Do you have news or interest stories about our students, programs or staff? Please share through Let's Talk.
The SMMUSD Wave:
2023 Winner of the Award of Excellence by the California School Public Relations Association