El Semanario

June 10 -- 5th Grade Promotion and reception; 2nd Grade Picnic at Virginia Avenue Park

June 11 - Fire Drill and Duck and Cover ; Kindergarten year end celebration 11;00-1:15 (on campus); 5th Grade Picnic Virginia Avenue Park

June 12 -- Last day of School and Minimum Day; 3rd grade picnic at Virginia Avenue Park; Report Cards go home

Dear Edison Families,

As we approach the end of the 2024-2025 school year, it's hard to believe how quickly time has flown by! We're down to the last THREE DAYS. The year will end with a minimum day on Wednesday, and at that time report cards and all final projects and materials will be sent home. Following that, most school staff will begin their summer vacations or other assignments, while the district custodial crews will deep clean the campus to get ready for next year.

During the summer, Edison will host a child care program operated by the district's School Age Program, serving children from across the district. Administrators will be working throughout June to close out the year and get things ready to launch again in August. While the school office will remain open for a few days after the end of this school year, after that all school operations will shut down until mid-August.

As we conclude another school year, I want to thank each of you for your continued support and involvement in our Edison community. I'm concluding my 28th year at Edison and retiring as of June 30 at which time Edison's new principal Elizabeth Ipiña will take over. She will keep you apprised of any further news about plans for the 2024-2025 school year. I know our school is in great hands! It's been such a privilege to be part of this community and I have loved working with all of you. Have a safe and enjoyable summer break, keep the kids reading all summer long, and the Edison staff will look forward to welcoming you back in August!

Warm regards,

Principal Lori

August 18 -- New Student Welcome Picnic

August 22 -- 1st Day of Classes - Minimum Day for all

August 23 -- 2nd Day of Classes -- Minimum Day for all

August 26 -- PTA Book Fair 8/26 – 9/4 (Library)

August 27 -- Minimum Day for all -- Back to School Night -- PreK-2

September 2 -- Holiday – Labor Day

September 3 -- Minimum Day – Back to School Night -- Grades 3-5

We are proud to announce that Edison has been named to the 2023 Educational Results Partnership (ERP) Honor Roll, as a Star School, recognizing the school's high achievement and student success. The ERP Honor Roll, part of the national Campaign for Business and Education Excellence (CBEE), highlights schools that are effectively preparing students with the fundamental skills needed for success in college, career and life.

Honor Roll schools are recognized for demonstrating consistently higher levels of student achievement comprehensively across all student populations, improvement in academic achievement over time, and a reduction in achievement gaps among historically disadvantaged student populations. Data made publicly available by the California Department of Education for the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) for the years 2019-2023 was used to conduct the analysis. Only 17% of schools in California received the Honor Roll Designation. And in addition to Edison, Education Results Partnership also recognized McKinley Elementary School: Star School • Franklin Elementary School: Scholar School • John Adams Middle School: Star School (Intermediate/Middle/Junior High category). Star Schools and Districts are those where 33 percent or more of the students are designated as socioeconomically disadvantaged. Scholar Schools and Districts have fewer than 33 percent of students designated as socioeconomically disadvantaged.

Said Edison Principal Lori Orum: "We are proud to be recognized for our work to close achievement gaps and maintain consistently high academic result for students. And while we celebrate our students' achievement in English and math, it's always important to note that Edison students also study in Spanish for large portions of the school day and are also working toward bilingualism, biliteracy and socio cultural competence. The fact that Edison has earned this honor roll designation over multiple years, speaks to the power of the dual immersion model, the hard work of students and families, and the talents of the Edison staff."

“We are thrilled to see our schools recognized for their dedication to student achievement,” said SMMUSD Superintendent, Dr. Antonio Shelton. “This honor reflects the hard work of our students, teachers, and staff in creating a supportive and effective learning environment.”

Congratulations to the entire Edison community on this well-deserved achievement!

Please check the Lost and Found whenever you come to campus. We still have racks full of jackets and sweaters and several shelves of water bottles and lunch boxes. Please spend a few minutes finding and retrieving any of your child's belongings. Anything not picked up by the end of the year is donated to charity -- and we ALWAYS have unclaimed items to donate!

If your child has borrowed an Edison Chromebook to help them access Google Classroom and other educational apps, if they will not be returning to Edison in 2024-2025, it's time to turn in the equipment! So, 5th graders and anyone else who may be moving, if you have a computer, please put the device and power cords into a bag labeled with your child's name and teacher's name and bring it to the Edison office before Wednesday.

A reminder that in order to clear your child's record and transcripts, any borrowed school materials -- textbooks, library books, or computers -- must be returned.

We've had a fantastic time recently celebrating some significant achievements and traditions here at Edison, and we're excited to share the highlights with you.

Last Friday was a special day as we honored our high school seniors. After collecting their graduation gear from the high school, many of them visited Edison dressed in their caps and gowns. We crafted banners to cheer them on, and then all our Edison students gathered in the hallways to applaud as the seniors walked through campus. It was a memorable moment with lots of cheering and excitement. One of our 5th graders even remarked, "That'll be us in 2031!" How inspiring!

On Saturday, we held our Immersion Graduation Celebration for the Seniors – our 27th one! This ceremony is for any senior who attended Edison, whether they remained in our district or not. Most followed the Immersion Pathway from Edison to JAMS and then on to graduate from Santa Monica High School. But every year, some return to Edison from far away, like one student this year who traveled all the way from San Miguel de Allende in Mexico! That's dedication.

At the celebration, our seniors reflected on their bilingual journey and the joy of being in community with each other for the last 13 years. They shared special memories, exchanged "favorites" awards, and received Immersion medallions and stoles. It was a joyous occasion with families, immersion teachers and administrators, and some school board members joining in. Following the speeches and awards, we enjoyed a delicious lunch of tostadas and cake, courtesy of other immersion families (thank you Consuelo Pérez and Aida Díaz!). And what did these graduates do next? They changed into casual clothes and hit the playground for a spirited game of "Capture the Critter" – reminiscent of their elementary school days!

It was a wonderful day celebrating with these impressive young adults and their families. We're immensely proud of them and look forward to seeing their future achievements. Check out the picture below to see our 2024 Immersion Graduates shining bright! Keep soaring, Edison Eagles!

As we continue our tradition of honoring our graduating seniors, we are thrilled to announce the recipients of this year's immersion college scholarships. These scholarships, established by our dedicated PTA, aim to support Edison graduates who are pursuing higher education. We are proud to recognize three outstanding individuals who have demonstrated academic excellence, a commitment to bilingualism, and a passion for learning.

This year, Maya Williams, Delmoris Chavarria, and Gabriel Ceguerra have been awarded scholarships for their exemplary achievements. These students have shown exceptional dedication to their studies and have excelled in the immersion program. Their essays eloquently reflected on the significance of bilingualism, the impact of the immersion program on their future plans, and their appreciation for cultural diversity. To read the essays from this year's scholarship recipients, please click the link below.

Looking ahead, we are excited to announce the launch of our immersion college scholarship campaign. Our goal is to increase the number of scholarships we can award each year to our high school immersion graduates, providing more opportunities for our talented students to pursue their dreams of higher education. We invite our extended community to join us in supporting this important initiative. If you'd like to contribute to the immersion college scholarship fund, send a check in any amount payable to Edison PTA and note in the memo that it is for the College Scholarship Fund. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of our students and empower them to achieve their academic aspirations.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to the success of our students.

El Semanario is the weekly family newsletter from Edison Language Academy in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District. Edison is a school of choice and offers a 90-10 Spanish-English dual immersion program for all students. Edison's PreK-5th grade program is the first of three schools hosting SMMUSD's PreK-12 grade Language Academy. Students promoting from Edison can continue the dual immersion program at John Adams Middle School (JAMS) and Santa Monica High School (Samohi).

Edison is a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, twice named as a California Distinguished School, a multi-year recipient of the State of California's Title I Academic Achievement Award, holder of a Seal of Excellence from the California Association for Bilingual Education, designated as a PTA School of Excellence, and a multi-year Honor Roll designee from the Education Results Partnership. This is Edison's 38th year as a dual immersion academy.

Email Principal Orum: lorum@smmusd.org
Website: www.edison.smmusd.org
Location: 2402 Virginia Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA
Phone: (310) 828-0335