Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, activist, and political philosopher who was one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. A Black church leader and a son of early civil rights activist and minister Martin Luther King Sr., King advanced civil rights for people of color in the United States through the use of nonviolent resistance and nonviolent civil disobedience against Jim Crow laws and other forms of discrimination in the United States.

VISIT THE FOLLOWING SITES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MLK, JR. AND HOW YOU CAN HAVE DISCUSSIONS WITH YOUR CHILDREN ABOUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS ERA:

• Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance)
  
• National Education Association: MLK Lessons plans and Activities
• National Geographic Kids
• The King Center
• Time for Kids
• Today: How to teach kids the meaning of Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Please review these important dates:

JANUARY

• Monday, January 15th: NO SCHOOL - MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY

• Tuesday, January 16th - Friday, January 26th: Star Winter Reading and Math Assessments window open for grades TK-5.

• Wednesday, January 17th: PTA Executive Board Meeting from 6:00 - 6:30 PM.
• Wednesday, January 17th: PTA General Meeting @ 6:30 PM in the Library or on Zoom

• Friday, January 19th: Talent Show Rehearsal: Group A from 3:00 - 6:00 PM

• Monday, January 22nd: School Site Council Meeting: 3:15 PM on Zoom

• Wednesday, January 24th: Earthquake Drill @ 1:15 PM

• Thursday, January 25th: TK and Kindergarten Round-up @ 9:00 AM in the Auditorium: Details coming soon.

• Thursday, January 25th: Volunteer Training on Zoom:
  

• Friday, January 25th: Winter Assessment window closes today.

• Friday, January 26th: Talent Show Rehearsal: Group B from 3:00 - 6:00 PM

• Monday, January 29th: 5th-Grade Classes only: Black History Month Assembly at JAMS: Jazz Reach. Info to parents sent by teachers soon. This is a walking field trip.

FEBRUARY

• Friday, February 2nd: End of Winter Grading Period. Report cards sent home.

• Friday, February 2nd: Talent Show Rehearsal: Group A from 3:00 - 6:00 PM

• Wednesday, February 7th: PTA Executive Board Meeting @ 6:00 PM in the Library

• Friday, February 9th: Talent Show Rehearsal: Group B from 3:00 - 6:00 PM

• Wednesday, February 14th: Coffee with Principal Fuhrer @ 8:45 AM in the Auditorium

• Monday, February 19th: NO SCHOOL - PRESIDENTS' DAY

• Friday, February 23rd: Talent Show Tech Rehearsal from 3:00 - 6:00 PM

• Thursday, February 29th: Talent Show Dress Rehearsal from 3:00 - 6:00 PM

• Friday, March 1st: Talent Show Night #1 @ 4:00 PM

• Saturday, March 2nd: Talent Show Night #2 @ 4:00 PM

• Thursday, March 13th: Grant Career Day

Please do not forget to send with your child every day:

• School materials including books, homework, projects, etc.
• Water bottle
• Snack and/or lunch (lunch available to all students free of charge for the 2023-24 school year.)
• Sunscreen (put on prior to arriving at school)
• Hat
• Layers of clothing (sweatshirt, windbreaker, etc.) Keep an eye on the weather.
• A growth mindset for a successful day!

Dear Grant Parents and Caregivers,

I hope this message finds you all well and enjoying the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. This day of commemoration gives us all an opportunity to reflect on the extraordinary impact MLK had on history and also on how it is incumbent upon all of us to continue to strive for clarity on the things that we have in common and that bring us together as a society. I often see this in action among our students and continue to believe that our best hope for a future of peace and understanding lies with them. I have put together some links to educational articles and activities about MLK in this week's Gazette. I do hope you will take a look with your children.

As mentioned last week, the mid-year offers us an opportunity to reflect on important data regarding our students' progress and identify areas of need. The Winter Assessments in Reading and Mathematics will be administered to all students beginning on Tuesday, January 16th. Winter Assessments are very important in that the results give us another data point in which to chart progress or regression. As always, our teachers and the admin team use this information to plan instruction and intervention, if necessary. Your child's teacher will be sending home report cards at the beginning of February, and are available to answer any questions you may have.

This Thursday, we will be receiving a special visit from the Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Debra Duardo, and our own Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton. We will be visiting some classrooms and sharing some of the engaging teaching and learning taking place in the Gecko Nation!

Finally, I would like to reiterate my message from last week about an uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases recently. I want to encourage you to take the necessary precautions to keep your families safe during this winter season. The LA County Department of Public Health recommends getting this year's flu shot and the updated COVID-19 vaccination. If your child should test positive for COVID, please do not hesitate to email Nurse Kristen Furano and she will provide you with proper guidance. Let's keep each other healthy!

I look forward to seeing you all soon!

GO GECKOS!

Christian Fuhrer

Principal

Grant School

Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District

cfuhrer@smmusd.org

Dear Grant 4th & 5th Grade Families,

It’s time to begin preparing for the 2024 Math Olympiad! This year, thanks to sponsorship from the Grant PTA, 4th and 5th grade students that qualify will have the opportunity to compete in a tournament hosted by Culver City ~ E = MC2 (Excellence in Math, Culver City).

The event will take place 8:00am - 1:00pm on Saturday, April 13, 2024 at El Rincon Elementary School in Culver City. We are currently registered to have one team of 5 participate. It is expected that on March 1 we will find out whether there will be room for an additional team of 5 to represent Grant.

This link provides information for those students who are interested in participating, and the letter is also attached as a PDF.

Please contact Ms. Croft (scroft@smmusd.org) if you have any questions.

We are so excited to see our Geckos perform their magnificence on stage!

• Rehearsals starting Friday Jan 19, 2024
• The shows will be March 1st and 2nd

Everyone is encouraged to participate, no auditions are required. We can't wait to see your talent!

Questions?: Email Reem & Vince: talentshow@grantpta.org

JAMS PTSA 3-Part Parent Ed Series As a parent of a middle schooler, have you asked yourself how you can support your student(s)?

Join us for Part 2 of our 3-Part social/emotional wellness series centered around fostering positive outcomes in middle schoolers designed especially for middle school and rising (5th grade) middle school parents, guardians and caregivers.

Registration: https://bit.ly/JAMSPTSAPENPart-2

PTSA de JAMS – Una serie de 3 partes de Educación para padres – Cómo padre de un estudiante en la escuela secundaria, ¿Usted se ha preguntado cómo podría apoyar a su(s)hijo(s)?

Participe con nosotros de la 2 era o Parte de nuestra serie de 3 sobre bienestar social y emocional centrada en fomentar resultados positivos en los estudiantes de secundaria, diseñada especialmente para padres de la escuela secundaria y padres, tutores y cuidadores de escuelas secundarias en ascenso (grado 5).

Registro: https://bit.ly/JAMSPTSAPENPart-2

2022-23 Annual Sustainability Report: SMMUSD had a successful year meeting the District’s Sustainability Goals. Please see the 2022-2023 sustainability report progress prepared by Austin Toyama.

Go and see some our Geckos in this cute show coming up at the Morgan-Wixson Theatre! Tickets are going quickly!

To review the Grant School policies and the SMMUSD Annual Notice Handbook please click the following links:

It is important that all students attend school every day. Exceptions may include if your child is ill. Please plan all family vacations during school vacation days. It is important to set your child up for success by ensuring they are in school. For a detailed look at the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District's attendance policies, please click this link > https://www.smmusd.org/Attendance

We realize some absences are for health or other reasons. But, when students are absent they can fall far behind in what they learn. Whether the absence is excused or unexcused It means your child is missing important classroom learning time.

Some Attendance Tips:

• Please notify the office within 72 hours to report your child's absence and the reason they were not in school.
• Illness, bereavement, and court hearings are the only reason for an "Excused" absence.
  
• Make sure your students keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine.
  
• Turn off all electronics including TVs, phones, and tablets at bedtime.
  
• Make sure clothes and pack backpacks are ready the night before.
  
• Check with our school nurse or office staff if you are not sure about when to keep your child at home due to illness.
  
• Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.
  
• Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your student feels anxious about going to school.
  
• Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your student to school.
  

Please let us know how we can best support you and your student so that they can show up for school on time every day.

Grant School is known for being a “neighborhood school” and for its close-knit community. Our goal now is to maintain these special characteristics of our wonderful school. It is important to understand that with these procedures, we are not trying to remove our parents' and guardians’ access; we are merely trying to control who is accessing our campus and when they are visiting.

With this in mind, we will begin the drop-off and pick-up procedures outlined below beginning Monday, August 28th.

During the first two days of school, all parents were permitted to walk their children to their classrooms. Beginning Monday, August 28th, all students will be dropped off at the Pearl Street Gate (Main Gate) and the 24th Street Gate (rear of school) with the exception of our Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten students. See below.

DROP-OFF and PICK-UP PROCEDURES

Preschool and TK Drop-off: Due to State law, all Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten students must be dropped off to their teacher. Preschool parents will continue to enter the campus at the main gates after checking in with the Campus Monitor, proceed to Room 59, and sign their child in with Ms. Reed. TK parents will walk their children to the Transitional Kindergarten yard where Ms. Herman and Ms. Cedillo will greet them each day.

Preschool and TK Pick-up: All Preschool parents will meet Ms. Reed at the main gates for dismissal. Students whose parents have not picked up their child at dismissal will check into the main office and then proceed to Room 59 to check their child out from Ms. Reed.

Ms. Herman's TK parents will enter the Kindergarten playground from the Pearl Street entrance at dismissal time and students will be returned to their parents by Ms. Herman. Ms. Cedillo's TK class will be released at the Pearl Street Gate (Main Gate) at dismissal time.

Kindergarten Drop-off: Kindergarten students will be dropped off by their parent or guardian at the gate next to Room 2 beginning at 8:00 AM Mon - Fri. Students will walk to the Kindergarten playground where they will be met by a teacher or Campus Monitor. Students enrolled in SAP will be walked to their classrooms by SAP personnel.

Kindergarten Pick-up: Kindergarten students will be picked up at the Pearl Street Kinder Gate at dismissal at 1:45 PM. Teachers will be there to greet parents and guardians. No Kinder student will be released to anyone other than a parent, guardian, caregiver, or emergency contact. Students enrolled in SAP will be picked up from SAP personnel in their classrooms.

Grades 1 – 5 Drop-off: All students in grades 1 – 5 will be dropped off by their parent or guardian at the Pearl Street Main Gate in front of the school or at the 24th Street Gate each morning. Students will enter the school and walk to the playground where they will be supervised by a Grant School Teacher, Campus Monitor, or Administrator. Drop-off will begin at 8:00 AM every day.

The start-of-school warning bell will sound at 8:25 AM. The final bell will sound at 8:30 AM. Students in grade 1 will walk to their lineup on the big map on the playground where their teacher will meet them and walk them to the classroom.

Students in Grade 2 will walk to their lineup behind their classroom where their teacher will meet them.

Students in grades 3 – 5 will line up in front of their classroom where their teacher will meet them.

Grades 1 – 3 Pick-up: Students in Grades 1 – 3 will be dismissed at the following times: Grade 1 at 2:40; Grade 2 at 2:45; and Grade 3 at 2:50. Teachers will walk students to the main gate at the front of the school where parents will meet their children at this time. Students in Grades 1 – 3 who are enrolled in an afterschool program, such as CREST or PTA enrichment classes, or Playground Club, will walk or be walked to the lunch tables where their program teacher will meet them. Parents are not to enter the campus until after 3:00 PM and only if they have a Main Gate key card.

Grades 4 – 5 Pick-up: Students in Grades 4 and 5 will be dismissed each day at 3:00 PM. Students will exit the campus either from the Pearl Street Main Gate or the 24th Street Gate at the rear of the school. Students who are enrolled in an afterschool program, such as CREST or PTA enrichment classes, or Playground Club, will walk to the lunch tables where their program teacher will meet them. Parents are not to enter the campus until after 3:00 PM and only if they have a Main Gate key card.

After-Care Program Pickup Procedures: Parents of students in after-school care programs will receive or have already received a key card that will give them access to the Pearl Street Main Gate only. Please see the office if you have questions about this procedure or if you are having difficulty with your key card.

Early Dismissal Procedures: Wednesday drop-off and pick-up procedures are the same as those during regular school days but will follow the Wednesday bell schedule. Please see the bell schedule ABOVE.

SAP Drop-off: All students enrolled in SAP before-school care will be dropped off in Room 4. Drop-off begins at 7:00 AM. Please use your Pearl Street Main Gate key card for entrance.

Breakfast Club: Students who participate in the Grant Breakfast Club will still arrive at school under the same procedures as all students. Parents will drop their children off at the main gates by 8:00 AM so that there is ample time to eat and walk to their classrooms by 8:30 AM. Preschool, TK, and Kinder students will continue to be accompanied by a parent or guardian to Breakfast Club if the parent so chooses.

Raptor Security System

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District will use the Raptor visitor management system to strengthen our campus safety programs for students and staff. All schools currently have this system installed.

An important aspect of keeping students and staff safe is for site staff to know who is on our campuses at all times. The Raptor system achieves this interest as it allows office staff to screen visitors, contractors, and volunteers, in our schools and provides us with a safer environment for students, staff, and approved volunteers.

Upon entering campus, visitors will be asked to present identification such as a driver’s license, which can either be scanned or manually entered into the system. If a parent or guardian does not have a US government-issued identification, for any reason, the visitor may submit an alternative form of identification for school staff to enter into the Raptor system.

The Raptor system checks the visitor's name and date of birth for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. The registered sex offender database is the only official database checked by the Raptor system. No other data from the identification is gathered or recorded and the information is not shared with any outside agency. The Raptor system will check to ensure that registered sexual offenders are not allowed on our campuses. Once entry is approved, Raptor will issue a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. A visitor’s badge will not be necessary for those who visit our schools simply to drop off an item at the front gate.

Show your Grant school spirit with Gecko Wear! Spirit Day is every Friday.

Purchase your spirit wear here and you will be notified when items are available for pickup in the front office.

GO GECKOS!

Your donation does so much for Grant!

Please consider donating to the two organizations that enhance education for all Grant students: the Santa Monica Education Foundation and Grant PTA. Your donations are so important. Check out the crucial staff, programs, technology, and materials funded by your donations in this chart!

Our goal is for 100% of Grant families to give to PTA and the Ed Foundation. ANY amount makes a difference to our kids. If you have already donated, thank you!

¡Su donación hace mucho por Grant!

Considere hacer una donación a las dos organizaciones que mejoran la educación de todos los estudiantes de Grant: la Fundación Educativa de Santa Mónica y la PTA de Grant. Sus donaciones siguen siendo muy importantes. ¡Consulte el personal, los programas, la tecnología y los materiales fundamentales financiados con sus donaciones en esta gráfica!

Nuestra meta es que el 100% de las familias de Grant den a la PTA y a la Fundación Ed. CUALQUIER cantidad hace la diferencia para nuestros hijos. Si ya ha donado, ¡gracias!

*Some events and resources not sponsored by or affiliated with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

The Weekend Bag Program (WeB) will provide SMMUSD students with nutritious, easy-to- prepare bags of food containing 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 snacks for the weekends. The Fall 2023 startup date is Friday, September 29th. The Weekend Bag Program will serve students whose families have special situations which may result in food insecurity in the home. Student names are not identified to Weekend Bag Program volunteers to ensure participant privacy. Bags are packed by volunteers with enough shelf-stable food (including UHT milk) for breakfast, lunch and snacks for two days, and then brought to the schools. Participating students pick up the food bags, usually from the school office, and stick them in their backpacks after school on Fridays. The menus have been evaluated by a dietitian to meet federal school nutrition standards and provide a balance of healthy, nutritious non-perishable foods. Grant families wishing to enroll their students should contact our school’s Bilingual Community Liaison, Florencia Rams at frams@smmusd.org, 310 450-7651 x 63110, and fill out a Program opt-in form.

El Programa Bolsa de Fin de Semana (WeB) proporcionará a los estudiantes de SMMUSD que sufren inseguridad alimentaria los fines de semana, bolsas de comida nutritiva y fácil de prepar para los fines de semana, a partir del 29 del Septiembre, 2023. El Programa WeB está dirigido a estudiantes cuyas familias tienen dificultades para poner comida en la mesa. Los alumnos participantes se identifican por medio de un formulario de interés para apuntarse o por las Intermediarias Bilingües de la Comunidad (BCLs). Los nombres de los estudiantes no compartirán con los voluntarios del Programa WeB para asegurar la privacidad de los participantes. Las bolsas plásticas reutilizables son empacadas por voluntarios con alimentos de larga duración (incluyendo la leche UHT) suficientes para dos días de desayuno, almuerzo y merienda, y después las llevan a la oficina de la escuela o al espacio designado para su distribución. Los alumnos participantes recogen las bolsas de comida y las meten en sus mochilas. Los menús han sido evaluados por un dietista para asegurar que cumplen con los estándares federales de nutrición escolar y proporcionan un balance adecuado de alimentos no perecederos, nutritivos y saludables. Las familias que desean inscribir a sus estudiantes deben contactar a Florencia Rams frams@smmusd.org, 310 4507651 x 63110 y llenar un formulario para apuntarse en el programa.

~ ¡NUEVA OPCIÓN DE TRADUCCIÓN A 100 IDIOMAS! ~

Para leer la Gaceta Gecko en otro idioma, mire a la derecha del boletín y haga clic en "TRADUCIR EL BOLETÍN". ¡Ahora puede elegir entre 100 idiomas!

~ በ 100 ቋንቋዎች ውስጥ አዲስ የትርጓሜ ምርጫ! ~

የጌኮ ጋዜጣ በሌላ ቋንቋ ለማንበብ እባክዎን በራሪ ወረቀቱ በስተቀኝ በኩል ይመልከቱ እና “የትርጉም ጽሑፍ” ን ጠቅ ያድርጉ ፡፡ አሁን ከ 100 ቋንቋዎች መምረጥ ይችላሉ!