Dear Edison Families,
What an incredible week it has been! Stepping into the role of principal for the first time felt like a dream come true. After 28 years at Edison, I’ve never been at the helm for the school’s opening, but with the support of our amazing staff, we made it happen. Their dedication was truly inspiring—many stayed late to ensure everything was perfect. The energy from our students was palpable, teachers were enthusiastic and motivating, and our campus looked vibrant and welcoming. I hope your child experienced the same excitement we felt!
Next week, we're thrilled to invite you to our Back to School Night for PreK-2nd Grade (3rd -5th is next week). It’s your chance to join us on campus, catch the buzz of the new school year, explore classrooms, meet our wonderful teachers, and get a sneak peek at what’s ahead. We’ll kick things off with Volunteer Training at 5:00 pm in the cafeteria for those who want to get involved. Plus, don’t miss out on delicious Food Sales from 5:00-6:30pm benefiting our 5th graders. Come enjoy a snack and support their efforts! And be sure to stay for the Principal's Address at 6:00 pm in the cafeteria, where I’ll share my vision for the year and offer tips for a fantastic school experience.
I look forward to seeing you there!
Warm regards,
Elizabeth Ipiña
This week students in grades K-5 will begin STAR Testing. This is a computer based district assessment in Reading and Math that we use to screen students and determine their learning needs. This data will be used to design instruction, make groups, and offer intervention support. Parents can view the results in Aeries under TEST SCORES. Scores are based on percentile ranking comparing students to other students in the same grade across the nation. The 50%tile is average so anything above that is above average and anything below is below average. Keep in mind this is one type of assessment and does not reveal all that your child knows and can do. If you have questions about how your child performed, Parent Teacher Conferences is a good time to discuss this.
In an effort to keep parents informed about the learning in their class, but not overwhelm them with too much to read, our teachers will begin sending a monthly (instead of weekly) newsletter. This newsletter will tell you about important news or announcements, what your child will be learning in each subject, how you can support at home, and any upcoming important dates. Keep an eye out for their first September newsletter.
ARRIVAL
As a school of choice located between narrow neighborhood streets, drop off and pick up can be challenging. Here are some tips that can make it better for all of us.
- If you can walk or bike, please do. It is healthy for you and good for the environment
- If you drive:
- Consider parking at Virginia Park and walking over
- Follow the suggested traffic flow below
- If you use the drop off zone:
- Make sure your child is ready to exit on the right side of the car.
- Do not get out, we will open the door
- Do not:
- Park in the drop off zone
- Double park
- Make a U turn
- Ask your child to walk across the street without a crosswalk
- Do:
- Leave early
- Be kind and respectful to all
DATA CONFIRMATION
If you have not done so yet, please complete the data confirmation process so we know your contact information is correct and you have updated your child's emergency contacts. Please provide at least two emergency contacts in case we cannot reach the first one. You can access your Aeries parent portal account by clicking on the following link: https://santamonicamalibu.aeries.net/Student/LoginParent.aspx.
Ensure you log in using your parent account (parent email address) and not your child’s account. If you have never accessed the Aeries Parent Portal or forgot your password, click “forgot password,” enter the parent email address on file, and follow the instructions to reset your password.
ATTENTION ALL FAMILIES! Get ready for a fantastic evening where you can connect with your child’s teacher, explore their classroom, and meet other parents in the class! Back to School Night is your chance to learn about the exciting curriculum ahead and discover how you can support your child throughout the year.
We have two Back to School Nights scheduled:
PreK-2nd Grade: August 27th
3rd-5th Grade: September 3rd
Both nights will feature delicious food, opportunities to socialize, volunteer training, and ways to get involved in our school community. Here’s the schedule for the evening:
5:00-5:45 Volunteer Training
5:00-6:30 Food Sales
6:00-6:30 Principal Presentation
6:30-7:30 Classroom Visits
Please note that this event is designed for parents only. Don’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to kick off the school year! We can’t wait to see you there!
During both Back To School Night events, I will be hosting a volunteer training from 5-5:45 in the Cafeteria. We encourage all parents to volunteer. There are many ways to volunteer including:
- Helping with events
- Participating on a PTA Committee
- Cooking or making things
- Being a room representative
- Helping with supervision
- Helping in the classroom
- Attending a field trip
Many volunteer activities do not require volunteer training, but if you would like to volunteer during the school day on campus, you must be volunteer trained. We will also offer some Zoom trainings for those who cannot attend the in person trainings in the upcoming weeks. Please note: Volunteer Trainings are good for 4 years. If you have any questions about whether your training is still up to date, contact our Community Liaison, Jessica Hernandez (jhernandez@smmusd.org).
Would you like to get to know other Edison parents? Would like to ask questions of our veteran families? Would you like a free cup of coffee Wednesday morning? If you answered yes to any of those, come to our first PARENT CAFECITO this Wednesday in the Edison Library from 8:30-10 am. This event occurs each month on the last Wednesday of the month. This is a great opportunity to mix and mingle and find out more about what is going on at Edison from the parent point of view. We hope to see you there!
A return to tradition! While many things are changing around Edison, we would like to revive a longstanding Edison tradition of community stewardship and collaboration. This year, grade levels will help support our food sales for community gatherings.
Our first two sales will be at Back to School Night.
Tuesday, August 27th, Primary Back to School Night- 5th Grade
Tuesday, September 3rd, Secondary Back to School Night - 2nd Grade
Stay tuned for more information!
Book Fair is around the corner! The Fair will run from Monday, 9/9 to Friday 9/13. Please sign up to help keep the fair open:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508044AA9AF2CA0F85-50891736-edison#/
It may come as no surprise that students with regular attendance have higher achievement than those who miss school. This is especially important in a dual immersion program where students are not only learning content, but also developing language skills in two languages, while growing their socio-cultural competence.
We ask that students attend school everyday that they are not ill and that you plan vacations and doctor's appointments outside of school time. The Los Angeles County Dept of Public Health has these recommendations for parents when deciding whether or not to send their child who is showing signs of illness: English / Spanish.
If your child is going to be absent, please notify Melina Garcia either by calling the office 310-828-0335 ext 61-348 or emailing her at melinagarcia@smmusd.org. Provide your child's name, grade, teacher, and reason for the absence. For more information about attendance click here.
Note the only current masking requirement is to mask for 10 days following a positive case of Covid-19. The most up to date COVID instructions are also on our website located here: https://www.smmusd.org/Page/4059.
