Whale Tales

Dear Webster Families,

I hope you all had a wonderful week, and I wish an easy and meaningful fast to those observing Yom Kippur.

It was a great honor to present at the SMMUSD Board Meeting last night, where I had the privilege of sharing Webster's many glimmers of greatness! I highlighted the wonderful things happening at our school and the progress we’re making to enhance our educational environment to support student success. If you're interested, you can watch the presentation below (timestamp: 2:18 - 19:07).

Congratulations to Mr. Kisskalt, our newest Webster Wear winner this week, while Ms. London and Ms. Berman continue their incredible winning streak!

Important Reminders:

• Teaming Up for a Terrific Year: Don’t forget to sign up to volunteer!
• Nights of the Jack Fundraiser: 10% of ticket sales purchased through our special link will be donated to Webster!
• Volunteer Training: If you’re involved in Trunk or Treat or recess supervision, please ensure you attend volunteer training to be cleared for campus participation.

GO WHALES!

Warmly,
Carina Diana

Check out these wonderful moments featuring our incredible students, staff, and parents! If you have a photo that you’d like to share, please send it to Principal Diana—we’d love to include it on our social media or upcoming newsletters.

Thank you for helping us celebrate our school community!

What an amazing time we had at the Webster Campout this fall! Our community came together for a jam-packed evening full of exciting activities, fun-filled competitions, and plenty of laughter under the stars. It was a fantastic opportunity for students, staff, and families to bond and create unforgettable memories.

We are thrilled about the exciting year ahead and all the fantastic events we have planned! However, we need your help to make these occasions as special and successful as possible. We hope that each family can volunteer for 2-3 events throughout the school year. With just a small contribution from each of you, we can continue to bring meaningful joy and brightness to our community. Plus, volunteering is not only fun for our students—it’s rewarding for you, too!

Here’s a quick peek at some upcoming events:

• 🎨 Reflections: Running through October 15.
• 🏃‍♀️ Run Malibu: On October 12-13.
• 🏃🏾 Malibu Moves: On October 26-27.
• 🎃 Halloween Celebration: On October 31.
• 🎼 Winter Program: Scheduled for December 18.

You can view the full calendar and sign up for events that interest you most at Webster Events Sign-up. Whether it’s the Talent Show, Field Day, Science Night, or Teacher Appreciation Week, there’s a spot for everyone to contribute, even from home outside of school hours!

Please remember that all parents/guardians need to complete volunteer training to participate in activities where children are present. A huge THANK YOU in advance!

We are thrilled to announce that our 2024-25 Whale Fund giving campaign has been a tremendous success, thanks to the amazing generosity of our Webster families!

We’re pleased to share that, together, we’ve raised $83,000 to fund a variety of essential programs, supplies, and services that will directly benefit your children this year. We truly appreciate every donation, no matter the amount—your investment in Webster makes a real difference!

As of today, we’ve reached an 82% participation rate! 🎉

In the race to 100%, we had three classes reach full participation: Ms. Stark's, Ms. Harris', and Ms. Berman's classes—congratulations to these classrooms for hitting 100%!

While our official drive has ended, additional donations are always welcome. You can donate via Zelle by sending to websterptamalibu@gmail.com, scanning the QR code below, using our donation website, or by dropping off a check made out to Webster PTA in the front office.

Prefer smaller installments? You can set up monthly donations by selecting that option online, making it easier to give over time.

Special thanks to our Whale Fund donors so far:

• The Abeyta Family
• The Aiello and Marshall Family
• The Begin Family
• The Bell Family
• The Benadum Family
• The Bendler and Lam Family
• The Board and Nicolosi Family
• The Braun Family
• The Brinker-Diener Family
• The Buckman Family
• The Bulczynski Family
• The Bunn Family
• The Cali Family
• The Carlsen Family
• The Carpenter Family
• The Celedonia and VanOrnum Family
• The Clarkson Family
• The Clyne and Saban Family
• The Cohen Family
• The Craig-Smith Family
• The Cupp Family
• The Dempsey and Richert Family
• The Devlin and Omar Family
• The Diana Family
• The Dudelson Family
• The Dunn Family
• The Earnest Family
• The Ebeling Family
• The Eggers Family
• The El Sawy Family
• The Ensafi Family
• The Epstein Family
• The Estes Family
• The Farrell Family
• The Fernald Family
• The Flores Family
• The Gardner Family
• The Giambattista Family
• The Gorby Family
• The Greenman Family
• The Grosso and Richardson Family
• The Hanks Family
• The Hannon Family
• The Harandi Family
• The Hermansson Family
• The Herold Family
• The Hessler and Nunnari Family
• The Hochstein Family
• The Hudson Family
• The Ifft Family
• The Irwin Family
• The Jackson Family
• The Jacobs Family
• The Kamins Fink Family
• The Kessler Family
• The Kirk and Sparks Family
• The Koch Family
• The Lorick and Halekakis Family
• The Magenheim and Thomason Family
• The Makabi Family
• The Mancuso Family
• The Marmon Family
• The Mashayekhi Family
• The Miller Family
• The Miller-Jones and Goldstein Family
• The Mlodzik and Rothholz Family
• The Morrison Family
• The Mosapor Family
• The Murray Family
• The Nazemi and Tello Family
• The Nieto and Wiechnik Family
• The Orosz Family
• The Overton Family
• The Pabst Family
• The Page Family
• The Peters Family
• The Petersen Family
• The Peterson Family
• The Pritchett Skene Family
• The Rowe Family
• The Roy and Ruchalski Family
• The Ryan Family
• The Schilling Family
• The Skelton Family
• The Skinner Family
• The Smyth Family
• The Sokoloff Family
• The Stiemsma Family
• The Swain Family
• The Talbot Family
• The Teague Family
• The Tenzer Family
• The Thompson Family
• The Tuverson Family
• The Ugarte Bailly Family
• The Vasisht Family
• The Walling Family
• The Ward Family
• The Warnotte and Kaufman Family
• The White Family
• The Woollen Family

Thank you for your continued support! Your generosity helps us provide an outstanding education at Webster!

We’re excited to announce that 10% of all ticket sales for Nights of the Jack purchased through THIS LINK will be donated to Webster!

Nights of the Jack is an immersive, family-friendly Halloween experience held at King Gillette Ranch from September 27th through November 2nd. Tickets are available now! If you, your family, friends, or neighbors are planning to attend, please use and share our Webster-specific link to help raise funds for our school—at no extra cost to attendees!

Calling All Webster Young Creators! Is your student passionate about art, music, dance, writing, filmmaking, or photography? This is their moment to shine! Encourage them to explore their creative side and take part in this year’s National PTA Reflections Program.

Every year, over 300,000 students from Pre-K through Grade 12 bring their imaginations to life, creating original works inspired by a new theme. This 50+ year-old program allows students to express themselves, explore new ideas, boost their confidence, and develop a love for learning that lasts a lifetime.

The 2024–2025 theme is Accepting Imperfection—and we can’t wait to see how students bring it to life through their creativity! Students can submit their work in one or more of the following categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts.

Ready to get started? Click the photo above for submission guidelines and forms.

Mark your calendar! The submission deadline is Tuesday, October 15th.

Looking for scholarships, prizes, or a little creative inspiration? Click HERE for more info.

Consistent attendance is crucial for your student's academic success. It ensures that every student stays on track with learning, builds positive relationships, and contributes to a robust school community. Strong attendance goes beyond just being present; it involves being actively engaged and involved in the educational process.

Encouraging Regular Attendance:

• Make Attendance a Priority: Ensure your student doesn't miss out on crucial learning opportunities.
• Set a Positive Example: Motivate consistent attendance with your involvement.
• Establish a Routine: Help your student set daily routines for a smooth transition to school.
• Open Communication: Reach out to us if there are challenges affecting your student’s attendance.
• Celebrate Success: Acknowledge and celebrate your student's attendance milestones.

Absence Reporting Procedures:

If your student is absent, please report the absence by emailing Vitty McClung at vmcclung@smmusd.org with your student's name, grade, date, and reason for the absence. Absences must be cleared within 5 days. For more detailed information, please review the SMMUSD attendance policies by clicking HERE.

To enhance student safety, the bottom gate near the Boys & Girls Club will remain closed as we no longer have adult supervision available for that area. Moving forward, there will be one main point of entrance and exit to the campus for grades K-5, which will be the gate by the main office. This change will help us ensure a secure and supervised environment for all students.

As part of our commitment to safety and being good neighbors, we kindly ask that you use the designated pick-up and drop-off lane each day. Additionally, please refrain from using the Our Lady of Malibu (OLM) parking lots and only park in the Webster lot.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we prioritize the safety of our school community!

As we prepare to start a new academic school year, all families are required to verify and update information for their students. We recommend completing this process on a Desktop or Laptop computer.

Please log in to your Aeries Parent Portal, or click the following direct link:

If you did not use the direct link above, please log in to your Aeries Parent Portal and select Student Info and click on Data Confirmation to take you to the correct form.

If you have forgotten your Aeries Parent Portal credentials, please use the Forgot Password? link located at the bottom of the website.

Our Student Office Specialist, Vitty McClung, will be reaching out to families that have yet to complete this process beginning next week to provide any needed assistance.

Breakfast and lunch are FREE to all students. Breakfast is served from 8:15 - 8:30 AM only, so please make sure your child arrives on time to enjoy a healthy start to their day.

Although all students will receive free meals this school year, we request all families complete the Online Meal Application for 2024-2025. This form impacts areas beyond school meals so widespread participation is essential, even if your child plans to eat something other than school meals.

The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu provides a fun, safe space for youth with positive mentorship, life skills, and social-emotional support. Enrollment is open! Visit bgcmalibu.org to learn more.

• Wellness Center: Offering free mental health support with no waitlist. Visit bgcmalibu.org/wellness-center for more info or to request services.

• Third Space at Malibu Village: A creative hub and gallery supporting BGCM programs. Explore local, sustainable products, with proceeds benefiting the Boys & Girls Club. Visit thirdspacemalibu.org or follow @thirdspacemalibu.

For more info, contact 310-457-1400 (Admin) or 310-241-3675 (Programs) or email info@bgcmalibu.org. Stay updated by subscribing to the BGCM E-Newsletter HERE.

We’re excited to announce our new Instagram account! Follow us @websterwhales for all the latest school news, events, and fun happenings around campus. Stay in the know and connect with our vibrant school community, one post at a time!.

Carina Diana, Principal

Webster Elementary School

3602 Winter Canyon Rd

Malibu, CA 90265

Email: cdiana@smmusd.org
Website: www.smmusd.org/webster
Phone: (310) 456-6494
Instagram: www.instagram.com/websterwhales
Twitter: @webstermalibu