The Lion's Roar

Good Morning McKinley Families,

Like you, I’ve been following the news closely to stay updated on evacuation orders and to process the devastating fires that have engulfed our neighborhoods and city. On our first day of school closures, I came across an article about children’s well-being during the fires, featuring the photo above of our own McKinley 4th-grade student, Sean Murphy, and his dad, Tim, playing on the beach this past Tuesday. The plume of smoke in the background seemed distant and almost surreal at the time. Little did we know just how devastating that smoke would become.

The past four days have been profoundly challenging for all of us as fires have ravaged Los Angeles, leaving no one untouched. Some of you have faced the unimaginable heartbreak of losing your homes, while others are temporarily displaced, staying with friends or in temporary housing. All of you are feeling the strain of hazardous air quality and the prolonged worry of wondering if the fires will spread closer to your own homes. With schools closed, you are navigating the disruption of routines, balancing work, and supporting children who feel the weight of uncertainty. I want you to know that my heart is with each of you during this incredibly challenging time.

***If your family has been displaced or are in need of support (housing, food, mental health, medical, childcare, transportation), please click here and let us know. We are working with the district to address our community's needs.***

Fortunately, the McKinley community is strong, resilient, and full of love. Our staff has already rallied around colleagues most affected by the fires, and our parents have been checking in with each other to ensure everyone is safe and supported.

Our incredible PTA president, Sibyl Fenwick has kept families informed and connected through Slack during this challenging time. If you haven’t joined the PTA yet, I encourage you to do so (sign up here)—being a PTA member gives you access to Slack, where you can connect with a network of supportive families and access additional resources.

In addition, I strongly encourage all families to opt in to receiving text messages through ParentSquare, the district’s new communication system. Currently, analytics show that only 3% of families are receiving texts, while 98% are receiving emails. Since most of us check our phones more frequently than email, I urge you to take a moment to download the ParentSquare app and enable text notifications. Staying connected is especially critical right now as the fires continue, and I want to ensure I can communicate with you quickly and effectively.

School Reopening:

As you read in Dr. Shelton’s message yesterday, the situation remains fluid, and we will continue to communicate with you as we closely monitor conditions to ensure the safety of our students and staff. As of now, a decision regarding the reopening of Santa Monica schools, including McKinley, will be announced by 5:30 PM on Sunday, January 12.

In the meantime, our team has been hard at work preparing for next week to ensure a smooth and safe return for everyone.

First and foremost, our facilities are being carefully monitored. Thankfully, there has been no damage to our buildings from the fires. Construction has continued as planned this week, keeping us on schedule. Our Maintenance and Operations Department has conducted inspections and confirmed that most of our classrooms are equipped with MERV 13 filters, which exceed the standards for air filtration and will provide safe air quality. For rooms without MERV 13 filters, air scrubbers will be in place to maintain safe conditions. Additionally, the campus will be thoroughly cleaned to remove any ash before we return.

We understand that the recent events have taken an emotional and physical toll on our community. In addition to ensuring the physical safety of our campus, we are also prioritizing material and social-emotional supports for students and families. Our school counselor and psychologist offered drop in sessions this week via Zoom for students and families, and moving forward will be available to provide guidance and resources for managing anxiety, coping with change, and addressing the trauma caused by the fires.

We have also been focused on providing continuity of learning during this closure. Families have received learning resources to keep students engaged, and teachers have reached out with additional materials and optional activities. As a reminder, district policy does not require virtual instruction for closures under 10 days, but our teachers are working ensure students have access to enriching resources to the best of their abilities as they navigate the impact of the fire on their own families.

Looking ahead, we are preparing for a strong return to school. Yesterday, we held an all-staff meeting with 61 of our dedicated team members in attendance. During the meeting, we discussed plans for the first week back, with a focus on social-emotional learning to support students’ well-being and service learning opportunities to engage students in meaningful ways to make sense of and recover from the fires.

As we navigate these challenges together, I want to thank you for your patience and support. The road to recovery may be long, but Angelenos are resilient, and so are McKinley Lions. Together, we will take this experience, learn from it, and find ways to grow as a community. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything—we are here for you.

With gratitude,

Dr. Daniela Wiener (Dr. DW)

Our teachers participated in a powerful professional development workshop with Arlène Casimir, focused on trauma-responsive teaching and social-emotional learning. Highlights included a sound bath, studying professional texts, and hands-on strategies for supporting students' social emotional well being. Our focus on learning more about trauma-responsive teaching has been unfortunately very useful this year.

To kick off the new year, our Assistant Principal, Ms. Zartner, led a Behavior Expectations Assembly to remind students of our community values and expectations following winter break. She reinforced the importance of respect, responsibility, and kindness in all aspects of school life, helping students get ready to thrive in the second half of the school year.

Unfortunately, due to the fires, our topping-out event was cancelled. Fortunately, construction has continued as planned to keep us on schedule, and we’re excited to share that the last piece of steel has been installed, marking the completion of the structural steel phase! Read the construction update below to learn more about this week's construction acitvities.

Come help out with Snack Sales! It's fun! Your child can help sell too! Arrive by 1:00 PM and meet up outside the parent room, located to the left of the 1st-grade classrooms. We’ll set up a table with delicious snacks, including popcorn and drinks. The sale ends promptly at 2:00 PM, and we’ll clean up quickly after. Click here to sign up: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050A4FADAF28AAFE3-52304166-wednesday#/

Join Us for Our Upcoming ELAC Meeting

Calling all families who speak languages other than English at home! We invite you to join our next ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee) meeting, where we will:

• Discuss our support programs for English Learners and their progress
• Explore ways ELAC can contribute to our upcoming Multicultural Festival

Multilingualism is a cherished part of who we are, and we’d love to hear your ideas for sharing your cultural backgrounds with our school community. Come be a part of the conversation!

Agenda

Although Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday is observed on January 20th, we are moving our Community Service Day to Sunday, January 26th to accommodate families who may be out of town. This day will honor Dr. King’s legacy by engaging in acts of service that strengthen our community, while also providing a meaningful way for kids to contribute following the recent fires.

Hosted by our PTA, this event will focus on cleaning, fixing, and beautifying our campus. Students are encouraged to participate, and we will also include an activity to support fire relief efforts and discuss fire safety. It’s a wonderful opportunity to show your child the power of giving back and making a difference. Mark your calendars and join us for this special day of service—more details to come!

Join us for McKinley's Multicultural Celebration Day, a long-standing and cherished event that celebrates the diversity of our community.

How It Works

Students will receive a "passport" to visit tables, each representing a unique cultural experience. These cultural tables can be informational, interactive, or both, and are designed to spark curiosity and connection. Parents and extended family members are encouraged to lead a cultural table. Share your culture through activities, food, art, music, or traditions that are meaningful to you.

Examples of Past Tables:

AAFA: Creating African masks

ELAC: Playing La Lotería

Japanese Origami: Paper folding demonstrations

Cooking Demos: Sharing recipes and tastes from around the world

Dance Lessons: Irish dance, limbo, baile folklórico

Art and History Displays: Showcasing traditional clothing and artifacts

Interactive Crafts: Making world flags or learning Chinese calligraphy

Games and Stories: Playing dreidel, Bronx playground games, or sharing folk tales

Music and Language: African drumming, learning ASL phrases

How You Can Help

To bring this celebration to life, we need you! Please consider leading a table to share your family's culture and traditions. Whether it’s an activity, a craft, a performance, or simply a story, your participation helps our school community grow stronger and more connected.

Sign up by January 17 below to be part of this memorable day of McKinley PRIDE. Together, we’ll create a space where our students and families can celebrate their cultural pride and appreciate the diverse cultures of others.

If you're looking for other families to host a table with whom you share the same culture, add your name to the list below. Our Bilingual Community Liaison, Michael Muñoz will put you in touch via email so you can connect and host a table together!

The Jog-a-thon is our biggest fundraiser of the year and we need your help to make it a success! Please reach out to our PTA president, Sibyl Fenwick at mckinleyptapres@gmail.com to see how you can help. We need you!

This Week

• January 14: PBL Workshop for TK-2 begins
• January 14: Art Informances (Borenstein: 8:50; A. Buckner: 10:05; Moore: 12:50; Sinfield: 1:55), B9
• January 15: Art Informances (Medina: 8:30; Le: 9:15; Phansavath: 10:35; Islas: 12:30), B9

• January 15: PTA Executive Board Meeting, 6:00 PM, Zoom

• January 17, ELAC Meeting, 9:00 AM, Zoom

• Upcoming Dates

• January 20: NO SCHOOL - MLK Jr. Day and National Day of Service

• January 21: Theater Informances (3-5)

• January 22: Theater Informances (3-5)

• January 22: Coffee with the Principal, 8:30-9:30 AM

• January 23: TK and K Round Up, 9:00 -10:00 AM

• January 24: Special Education Resource Group Meeting, 9:00-10:00 AM, Zoom

• January 26: Campus Beautification Day, 10:00 AM-12:00 PM

• January 28: Earthquake Drill

• January 29: Jog A Thon Kick Off

• January 31: Schoolwide Assembly (TK-K, Caring), 8:30-9:00 AM, Kinder Yard

• January 31: PTA Meeting, 9:00-10:30 AM, Auditorium

• January 31: Multicultural Festival, 3:30 -5:30 PM, Big Yard