Dear Will Rogers Parents and Guardians,
As we approach the winter break, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the unwavering support and collaboration from our entire school community. Your involvement makes all the difference in helping us create a nurturing and vibrant learning environment for our students.
I hope this holiday season brings each of you a much-deserved opportunity to rest, recharge, and enjoy quality time with loved ones. May you be surrounded by peace, joy, and the warmth of togetherness, as we reflect on all that we’ve accomplished together this year and look forward to the exciting possibilities of the year ahead.
As we close out this week of school, I encourage all of our families to join in the holiday cheer! There are several fun activities happening this week to celebrate the season:
- Student Council’s Spirit Wear Week: Let’s show our school pride and holiday spirit with themed dress-up days (details below).
- WRLC Choral Concert: Don’t miss this beautiful performance showcasing our talented students, this Thursday! (Times below)
- Important Reminder for Friday, December 20th: There will be no late start, and it will be a minimum day (TK/K 12:10; 1st-5th 1:00).
The support of our community has truly made this year special, and I am deeply grateful for each and every one of you. I hope you take this time to unwind and savor the magic of the season, away from the busy rhythms of our everyday schedules.
Wishing you all the merriest of holidays filled with joy, laughter, and treasured moments. Safe travels to those heading out of town, and I look forward to seeing everyone in the new year!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year,
Principal Daruty
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Mon. 12/16 Student Council sponsored SPIRIT WEEK
Thurs. 12/19 WRLC Winter Choral Concert
8:30 a.m. Kindergarten
9:00 a.m. 1st and 2nd Grades
9:45 a.m. 3rd and 4th Grades
10:35 a.m. 5th grade
1:30 (new time) p.m. TK
Fri. 12/20 PTA-Sponsored Staff Hot Chocolate Bar for WRLC staff 8-9:45 in 501
Fri. 12/20 NO LATE START; Minimum Day (TK/K 12:10; 1st-5th 1:00)
Fri. 12/20- Jan. 3rd WINTER BREAK
Mon. 1/6 Pupil Free Day for (secondary schools ONLY)
Mon. 1/6 First Day back after Winter Break (elementary schools)
Wed. 1/8 PTA Association Meeting 6-7:30pm in library
Mon. 1/13 Volunteer Training 8:30am (library), 3:00pm (library)
Thurs. 1/16 ELAC Meeting 8:30am in library
Thurs. 1/16 School Site Council Mtg 3:15-5:00pm on Zoom
Fri. 1/17 Peacemaker Monthly Mtg 9-9:45am
Mon. 1/20 No School - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Tues. 1/21 Schneider Walking Field Trip - Fairview Library
Thurs. 1/23 TK/Kindergarten Round Up ( for prospective TK/K parents) 9:00am in auditorium
Thurs. 1/23 School Board Mtg at 5:30pm
Thurs. 1/30 Coffee with the Principal 8:30-9:30am in library
SMMUSD 2024-2025 Calendar
READ-A-THON Author Visit
We were thrilled to have author, Aline Taireh read her book "Are There Pancakes in Amsterdam?" last week. This was a special reward for reaching our school-wide fundraising goal. If your child is interested in purchasing her book it can be found online at Amazon (HERE) and Barnes and Noble (HERE). It was exciting for our students to learn that Aline is parent to Margot, a 4th grader at WRLC!
Ridwell
Send less to landfills with Ridwell at home, while supporting kids' environmental efforts at school! Ridwell is a subscription service that picks up hard-to-recycle items that would otherwise end up in the landfill - things like chip bags, plastic shopping bags, plastic film, styrofoam, and even old clothing. Will Rogers has partnered with Ridwell in an effort to reduce our school's plastic waste. When 10 families sign-up with this link, our school will earn an ongoing plastic pick-up. If 20 families join, we earn a field trip to the local Ridwell warehouse. The deadline to sign up is December 14th.
ART CART at lunchtime!
Tuesday is our lunchtime ART CART day. Students are invited to participate in creative art projects and handicrafts during lunchtime. This is possible through the support of our parent volunteers. If you would like to volunteer for lunchtime on Tuesdays, please sign up using the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050445AFAF28A2FB6-51251277-artcart
We would also love donations here is our wishlist for the art cart here.
The school provides the supplies, your support requires:
You are a level 1 cleared volunteer
You are willing to safely supervise students with proper use of art tools and materials
Enthusiasm for working with children
Enjoyment with crafts and art
SM Community Events
- Holiday Cheer on the Pier: Holiday music, performances, puppetry, singalongs and holiday fun and games. Santa Monica Pier, Thursdays, December 12 & 19, 4-8 p.m.
Music Class for Little Ones - A professional musician from Elemental Music leads babies, toddlers, and their caregivers in a free, fun class which supports motor skills, language and cognitive development through singing, movement, music and structured play. Ages 4 mo.-3 yrs. and caregivers. Dec. 12, 11:30-Noon. Montana Branch Library
Lyric Choir: Songs of the Season The Lyric Chorus of SMC Emeritus College creates a holiday mood with seasonal favorites and festive Broadway tunes. Saturday, December 14, 11 am - Noon, SM Main Library.
“Tuesday Tales: A Traveling Storytime:” A fun and engaging weekly series of stories, songs and rhymes for ages 2-5. At 4 Santa Monica Library Branches. 10:30-11 a.m.
Tech & Tasks: Volunteer tutors offer free help reading documents, writing letters and resumes, completing forms, navigating government websites, using mobile devices, email and more. Santa Monica Main Library, Thursdays, 2-4 p.m.
Oakwood Roots Venice Farmers’ and Wellness Market: Seasonal Produce, Local Foods, Wellness Classes, Holistic Healing. Westminster Avenue, December 12, 11 a.m.- 6 p.m.
Literary Lounge: Bond over books, snacks and music. Wednesdays, 6:15-7:30 p.m.
Chess Sundays: Players of all ages/levels invited.Third St. Promenade, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Walk-In Legal Clinic : Meet 1-on-1 with Legal Aid Foundation lawyers for help with housing and other issues. Ongoing Wednesdays, 4:30-7 p.m.
Free US Citizenship Classes: Study the 100 Civics questions, review citizenship applications, practice dictations and prepare for the interview. Ongoing.
Free ESL Conversation Classes: Group classes and 1-on-1 tutoring.
Social Service Assistance: Family Nutrition & Health Care Access: Meet with community health workers to sign up for benefits. Virginia Park, SM, Tuesdays 9:30 a.m.- 7 p.m
The Salvation Army Angel Tree Application for Christmas Assistance
Every child deserves to experience the joy of Christmas morning. The Salvation Army Angel Tree program helps provide Christmas gifts for hundreds of thousands of children around the country each year. Once a child or senior adult has been registered and accepted as an Angel their Christmas wish list is shared with donors in your community who purchase gifts of new clothing and toys. The gifts are distributed to the family to place under their family Christmas tree.
Please do not forget to send with your child every day:
- School materials including books, homework, projects, etc.
- Re-fillable water bottle ( We have several refilling stations on campus)
- A morning snack
- Lunch is available to all students free of charge for the 2024-25 school year. You may also pack a lunch form home.
- 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!
Oops, I Forgot!
Mornings are busy and sometimes students leave for school without their water bottle, instrument or homework. In an an effort to reduce classroom interruptions and to support students with developing responsibility, please use our "Oops, I forgot" table. Make a plan with your child that if they leave something at home, a parent can drop it off in the office. We will place their item on a table outside the office. During their recess or on their way to lunch, they may check the table for their forgotten item.
Please communicate this plan with your child, so they know there is place for parents to drop-off items they may have left at home!
LUNCH MENU
Breakfast and lunch are free for all students! Make a plan with your child each week about the days they will be eating food prepared at school or bringing lunch from home.
https://www.smmusd.org/domain/476
We encourage you to pack a snack for your children for morning recess.
Please send your child to school with a re-fillable water bottle! We have water stations located throughout campus.
WRLC Cell Phone and Electronics Policy
At WRLC, we make every effort to avoid interrupting instructional time and therefore do not allow cellphones and other electronics to be used during the instructional day. Students are not permitted to wear smartwatches or Gizmos in the classrooms. If your child wears a smartwatch, or has a smartphone, please remind them they are to be kept in their backpack turned off or on school-mode during the school day. We encourage parents to support us by leaving these items at home.
Students are never permitted to use cell phones on campus. In the event of an emergency administration carry radios, teachers have cellphones and there is a school phone in every learning space. Under the advisement of our SMPD school resource officers, individual student cellphone use can actually hinder the delivery of important messaging necessary in a true emergency.
Other personal electronics from home such as Nintendo Switches, iPads, Kindles etc. are not permitted on campus. If a student uses their cell phone during school hours, it will be confiscated and held until the end of the school day and must be picked up by a parent. In no event or circumstance, will the district or its staff be held responsible or liable for the loss, theft, or damage to any such device.
Please help us ensure that our students have an electronics free learning zone at school.
WRLC is an International Baccalaureate Primary Years School (PYP)
As an International Baccalaureate Programme School, we believe there is a broad range of capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success. We make a commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them. We do this through the development of students according to the IB learner profile. The profile aims to develop learners who are:
Inquirers
Knowledgeable
Thinkers
Communicators
Principled
Open-minded
Caring
Risk-takers
Balanced
Reflective
The IB Mission Statement
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
Contact Us
Email: ldaruty@smmusd.org
Website: https://www.smmusd.org/rogers
Location: 2401 14th Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90406
Phone: 310-452-2364
Twitter: @WillRogersSTEM