The SMMUSD Wave- July 2024

Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, Students and Community Members,

I hope that you are enjoying a restful and rejuvenating summer. As we transition to the new academic year, I am filled with excitement for the opportunities and growth that await Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District families and staff.

With the new school year on the horizon, our district is bustling with preparations to ensure a smooth and successful start for our students and staff. Our commitment to excellence remains unwavering as we strive to provide an environment where every student can thrive academically, creatively, and socially. As a reminder, classes will begin on Thursday, August 22, 2024, and we are eagerly anticipating the return of our students and the start of another fantastic school year. I encourage you to stay engaged and informed by visiting our district website and checking your school calendars for important dates and events. Your involvement and support are crucial to the success of our students, and I look forward to seeing you at our back-to-school nights, concerts, and various school activities.

SMMUSD is currently hiring for various positions across the district. We are looking for dedicated and passionate individuals to join our team and contribute to our mission of fostering a supportive and enriching educational experience. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming part of our community, please visit our job opportunities page for more information.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your ongoing dedication to the success of our students. Together, we can create a nurturing educational environment that enables every student to reach their full potential. Thank you for being an integral part of the SMMUSD community.

Sincerely,

Dr. Antonio Shelton
Superintendent

You can read prior Superintendent Messages here.

The SMMUSD Board of Education approved the appointment of Patrick Miller as the new Director of Assessment, Research and Evaluation at its June 6, 2024, regular board meeting. Miller has a long-standing history with SMMUSD, having served in various leadership capacities.

Read more about Miller here: https://bit.ly/MillerDirectorAnn2024.

The SMMUSD Board of Education approved the appointment of Jillian Bucciero as the new Assistant Director of Special Education at its June 20, 2024 special board meeting. Bucciero brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her new role, having held various leadership positions in the field of special education.

Read more about Bucciero here: https://bit.ly/JillianBuccieroAnn2024.

The SMMUSD Board of Education approved the appointment of Cindy Smith as the new coordinator of mathematics and science at its June 20, 2024, special board meeting.

Read more about Smith here: https://bit.ly/CindySmithAnn062024.

The SMMUSD Board of Education approved the appointment of Dr. Adam Almeida as the new Malibu High School principal at its July 24, 2024 board meeting. Almeida will assume his new role on Aug. 1, 2024. Dr. Almeida is a familiar face in SMMUSD having served as the assistant principal of Malibu High School from 2019 to 2022.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/AlmeidaMHSprincipal.

The SMMUSD Board of Education approved the appointment of Kara Belsky as the new assistant principal of Grant Elementary School at its July 24, 2024, regular board meeting. Belsky will assume her new role on August 1, 2024.

Read more about Belsky here: https://bit.ly/KaraBelskyAnn2024.

Malibu High School (MHS) hosted its annual Turning Points in History event, on Friday, May 24, 2024. High school students brought history to life through their insightful research and presentations. This year’s theme invited students to consider questions of time and place, cause and effect, impact and significance.

Read more about Malibu’s history day here.

Food Insecurity Welcome to Franklin Elementary School’s Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Food Market! Franklin Elementary School’s TK students hosted a food market on May 28, 2024. The event featured an array of tasty finger foods and refreshments, all prepared by the young students themselves.

Learn more about the TK market here: https://bit.ly/FranklinTKMarketPR2024.

Watch TK market here.

Attention SMMUSD parents! School meals in California are free, but did you know that by applying for the Reduced & Free Meal Program, your school receives funds for educational benefits like parent workshops, enhanced education supports and more? Yes, they do! Help your school reach the funding threshold!

Fill out the application here:https://bit.ly/MealApplications-SMMUSD.

We are excited to announce that the Samohi PBL Pathway is moving to a new home on the Samohi campus for the 2024-25 school year. This transition will bring many benefits to our students and the program. Additionally, there is still space available for the upcoming school year. For more information and to apply, please visit www.smmusd.org/PBL.

SMMUSD summer school 2024 was a blast! From amazing project-based learning STEM themes such as Cardboard Carnival to a fantastic celebration of student work, it was a season to remember. Huge thanks to our students and staff for making it special!

Watch a highlight video here.

Congratulations to our Samohi summer school graduates! You have achieved a significant milestone in your educational journey, and we couldn't be prouder of your dedication and hard work. This accomplishment is a testament to your perseverance and commitment to success. We are proud of each and every one of you!

Congratulations to our Young Collegians cohorts at Santa Monica College. These SMMUSD students are making tremendous progress over the summer by gaining college credit prior to graduating from Santa Monica High School or Malibu High School. Keep up the great work.

Santa Monica and Malibu voters generously approved facility bonds in 2018 to improve, repair and modernize outdated classrooms, labs and facilities. Thanks to community members, many critical projects have been completed and local students are thriving in new or improved facilities. More projects have broken ground and more upgrades are planned to ensure all students have equal access to programs and state-of-the-art facilities.

In May 2024, the District mailed a survey asking for your priorities for our Santa Monica and Malibu schools. With hundreds of responses collected, here are some of the priorities you shared in consideration for new bonds on the November 2024 ballot, approved by the school board at its July 24, 2024 meeting: https://bit.ly/MailersSMMUSD2024.

We are proud to announce that 10 students have successfully gained citizenship recently with the support of the Adult Education Center program. Learn more about free programs including citizenship, academic English, English as a second language, high school diploma, math fundamentals, text prep and career technical education: www.smmusd.org/AdultEd

Patriotism was on full display by our group of parents, students and staff at the annual Santa Monica 4th of July parade! Thank you to all our educational partners who joined us: Santa Monica Education Foundation, Santa Monica Council of PTAs, Santa Monica-Malibu Classroom Teachers Association and the School Employees International Union. We love walking behind the amazing Samohi marching band every year! They get all the spectators and participants cheering!

The new Malibu High School is coming along beautifully! Check out the timelapse video showcasing the building's progress. The construction team is hard at work, bringing this exciting new facility to life.

Watch a time-lapse video here.

Grant has undergone several modernizations over the past several years. From renovating classrooms with state-of-the-art technology to upgrading and modernizing the heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, changes in every corner of the school can be seen and experienced. SMMUSD is in the process of transforming Grant into a progressive, cutting-edge campus for future-ready learning.

There’s more work to be done. The Board of Education will be placing a bond measure on the November 2024 ballot to fund the next series of needed improvements at Grant. The following projects will be constructed if the bond measure passes in November 2024.

Learn more here.

JAMS has undergone several modernizations over the past years including updates to the heating ventilation and air conditioning systems, the addition of a new classroom building and a new state-of-the-art performing arts center and the replacement of the turf field. But there is still more work to be done.

Learn more here.

Construction is finally underway! The site work and the start of the field were delayed due to hazardous materials abatement and a series of rainstorms. The new field and outdoor physical education areas will be completed by the end of July 2024. Underground utilities and the foundations for the new early education classroom building are being constructed summer 2024. The building should be coming out of the ground in early fall 2024. Improvements to crosswalks and driveways between Will Rogers’ and John Adams Middle School on 16th Street will be completed in July 2024.

Learn more here.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) is pleased to announce that the District has enrolled in year four of Los Angeles Metro’s GoPass program, which provides free public transit rides and Transit Assistance Program (TAP) cards to all kindergarten through 12th-grade students. The initiative promotes accessibility and encourages the use of public transportation.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/MetroGoPass2024-25.

• August 22, 2024- First day of school (Thursday)

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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