The Weekly Wave

LAUSD shared Saturday that some schools will be open on Monday and some will be closed. There is an on-going assessment of factors. Please look out for communication from the District and Mr. Lamb on Sunday for final determination. We are hopeful that we will be back together.

Happy Weekend Short Avenue Families and Friends!

This is not how I expected 2025 to begin. I know that the devastation this week is massive and that, for the most part, our direct impact is slight. Our tangential connections, however, to family and to friends, is very real and is tragic and is heart wrenching. Our thoughts go out to the countless people who have lost their homes, and to the families who have lost loved ones in these tragic fires. We will not know for some time how this will impact our community and our school but I am working with my team to prepare to support through action projects with our students and families; with assessing what materials that we have to spare if there is a need or call; and even with the potentiality of new students joining our classes. We just do not know what is next….

I very much want to give a shout out of gratitude to my entire staff. Wednesday morning I sent a text to the teachers to pivot from normal activities to a shelter in place mode. Once on site we worked to make sure this effort would be fully supported. We did not miss a step and our students were safe and engaged in learning throughout the day. Additionally, I thank Raul and Josue and Dora for being on site Friday making sure our entire site is ready for our return on Monday (hopefully). This team ROCKS and I am blessed to have each member supporting me and our students and families!

My appreciation extends to our families as well. Losing school for two days is not easy and is deeply impactful. I want you to know that I know how difficult these last two days were for many of us. We will get back to our normal routine and we will make sure to have our students socially, emotionally, and academically supported. Click here for a resource on how to support children after experiencing loss from a wildfire.

Finally, the time to begin planning and creating the budget for the 2025-2026 school year is upon us. As in previous years, we have less funding and higher costs. Our goal and our intent is to maintain the existing elements of our excellent program in partnership with the Friends of Short Avenue (FoSA). To assist in this effort we are asking our community to complete a very brief survey sharing what you think is important and beneficial to our school and your child’s learning. The survey is open now and closes on Friday, January 17th. I am looking for 100% Short Ave participation on this and you will receive daily text messages with a link (https://bit.ly/25-26SYSurvey) to the survey Monday through Friday.

As always, please be safe. And please enjoy the rest of your weekend.

See you Monday!

Mr. Lamb

January 12- DDC Enrichment Registration Opens at 9:00 AM
January 16- FOSA Community Meeting, 6 to 7 PM via Google Meet

January 20- MLK Day, School Closed

January 27- Morning Brew, 8:20am- How to Support Your Child in Math Presentation

January 27-31-Kindness Week

January 30- School Tour

🌊 Dolphin Discovery Club Winter 2025 Season

Join the fun with the Dolphin Discovery Club (DDC), an exciting after school enrichment program at Short Avenue! 🎉

📅 Winter 2025 Season - 8 weeks!

• Duration: January 27 - March 21, 2025

• Registration Opens: This Sunday, January 12, 2025, at 9:00 AM

• Registration Closes: Midnight, January 23rd

📝 How to Register

• Register directly with vendors for Got Game, Prime Time, and Chess Wizards

• Register for Zine Club and Spanish classes via the FoSA store
  💻 Registration info provided in the FAQ document (link below)

🎨 Classes Offered
From basketball and LEGO building to Spanish, poetry, Zine Club, and more—there's something for every student grades TK - 5!

💌 Questions? Check out our FAQ here at https://friendsofshortavenue.org/pages/dolphin-discovery-club

If you have additional questions not in the FAQ, please email us at DDC@friendsofshortavenue.org.

Details about the Spring 8-week DDC session to come in March.

Let’s make 2025 unforgettable with learning, creativity, and discovery! ✨

🥙🍜 LA Times curated a list of L.A. County restaurants offering food and relief to fire evacuees and first responders that can be found here: https://www.latimes.com/food/list/los-angeles-restaurants-providing-food-shelter-evacuees-first-responders-fire

🛏️🏨 Hotel Association of Los Angeles has compiled a list of hotels in the Los Angeles-area that have room availability and are offering special rates for fire victims. The list, which is accessible from a Google spreadsheet, is continuously being updated and contains contact information and details on any fire-related special rate.: https://www.hotelassociationla.com/news/hala-fires-statement-jan2025

👟 🧦 Brooklyn Projects, a skateboard and clothing shop in Melrose is providing free clothing, shoes and socks for victims who left their homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs. The shop is located at 7427 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, 90046 Link here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DEk0qjqyu5I/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

👕 👖 Coop, real estate agent Jenna Cooper’s boutique, is offering free clothing for individuals and families affected by the fires from now until Jan. 12, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The boutique has pants, jackets, shirts, sweaters and shoes. It’s located at 7278 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, 90036 Link here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DEoFHRoSFmi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

👗🩲 Aerie, loungewear and active wear brand, in collaboration with social media influencer Lindsay Weiss, is offering fire victims free clothing, including tops, bottoms, pajamas, bras and underwear. Fire victims can fill out an online Google form and Aerie will immediately ship out a package. Link here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DEpd89Qu2wU/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

👶🏽 Babyletto, a Los Angeles-based nursery furniture brand, is providing free cribs to any families that have lost their homes or been impacted by the fires. For more information contact the company at info@babyletto.com See link here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DEnP9GrSNF2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

🍼 Bobbie, an organic baby formula company, is providing any parent affected by the fires — Bobbie customer or not — with free baby formula. Fire victims can apply for the free formula at Bobbie’s online application. https://www.instagram.com/p/DEnprxsz3KN/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA%3D%3D

🏸 Los Angeles-area YMCA locations, are offering free child care for children of first responders, essential workers and families who have been displaced, evacuated or who have otherwise experienced loss. Children must be 4 years and 9 months old to attend the program and in grades TK through eighth grade. Space is limited. For more information, contact afterschool@ymcaLA.org to learn more and sign up. Some locations are closed or being closely monitored due to the fires. Check the full list online. https://ymcala.org/community-response#close

🌟 ❤️ INDOOR PLAY/CAMP OPTIONS FOR CHILDREN

Many local businesses are opening their doors offering discounted admittance or opening outside normal operating hours for children in need of a place for indoor play. Below is a list of businesses. Please inquire with them for hours and specifics.

• RediscoverCenter LA

• SkyZone Torrance

• SenderOne LAX

• Annenberg PetSpace

• SkyZone Torrance

• Under the Sea

• Brasil Brasil Cultural Center

• The Painted Peach

📢 Attention Short Avenue Community!

Join us for the next FoSA community meeting on Thursday, January 16, from 6 to 7 PM via Google Meet! We’ll be discussing the funds raised to date, our expenses, and upcoming events and fundraisers.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to stay informed and get involved!

👉 Join the meeting here: meet.google.com/rui-gxvw-hsq

We look forward to seeing you there! 🌟

Do you have questions about what FoSA? Are there topics you want to learn more about, ideas you have or events/fundraisers or discussions you’d like to have in our community meetings?

Submit your comments, questions, ideas here! We will use these to guide discussions in our meetings staring in January 2025!

Our hearts go out to ALL families impacted by the fires!!

Volunteer Information:

Please be aware that the 1 day Volunteer form is NOT for parents and caregivers who wish to volunteer, even just one time in the classroom. That form is for outside speakers, (not parents) who are coming to campus just once. If you would like to volunteer in the classroom, or go on a field trip, you must fill out the LAUSD Volunteer Application, and send me a negative TB test. Please see the Volunteer Information section at the bottom of every Weekly Wave for more info and links.

Monday, January 20th MLK Day Camps:

Euro Soccer Camp see flyer below

Let's Play LA Camp

reDiscover Camp

SOCIAL MEDIA: Last week of school, I posted on our Instagram and Facebook:

Photos of the SEEDS Green Space, the windy day on Tuesday (before we knew about the fires) and information about school being open on Wednesday, but closed on Thursday and Friday.

Please set you Instagram notifications to be notified when I post, so you don't miss anything, and of course like and comment on our posts, it is the best way to see what is happening on campus and get important reminders!

Hello families with younger siblings who you would like to come to Short Ave for TK and other grades (BOTH neighborhood and permit families ). Please let us know who you are by filling out this google doc:

https://forms.gle/2Gjc8ireNMEPfbjA7

Current Short Avenue families on permit are NOT guaranteed a spot for their younger sibling, but will be given priority, when accepting students off of the waitlist. We have to see what our neighborhood enrollment looks like before we can offer spots. We might not be able to give an answer until late May. We encourage you to have a backup plan for your younger sibling. If you already filled this out, no need to do so again.

Families,

We want to remind you of our birthday party policy. In an effort to be equitable and keep our students healthy, we do NOT allow caregivers to send in cupcakes and treats for birthdays. While classes may organize celebrations for various occasions throughout the year, birthday parties should be held outside of school. Parents are welcome to arrange with the teacher to read a story in their child's class, or lead a fun birthday activity. Additionally, parents are welcome to donate something special to the class in honor of their child. We understand that birthdays are special , and every student and staff member will be recognized with a birthday song at our monthly assemblies.

We are hearing that there has been an increase in students with head lice. Please let the nurse and your teacher know if you have found nits or live lice in your child's head. We encourage you to do regular head checks and keep long hair pulled back to avoid spread. Click here to read important information from LAUSD regarding head lice.

Student attendance is a focus for us this school year. It is important that your child is present and on time for school EVERY DAY. An accumulation of absences can negatively impact students both socially and academically. The school is working closely with the District to monitor student attendance and reach out to parents when students are consistently absent from school. While it is understandable that students might become sick throughout the school year, the goal is for seven or less absences between now and June. Family vacations should take place during school holidays and scheduled during school vacations. Additionally, doctors' appointments should be scheduled after school or during vacations, whenever possible. If your child is out because of an appointment, we ask that you bring a note from your doctor to the main office, or your child's teacher. Please let us know if your family needs any support in getting your child to school.

Parents,

Please make sure that you have registered for an account on the Parent Portal. The Parent Portal is is an online system that connects parents and guardians to their child's information. The website to register is: http://parentportal.lausd.net. Once you are registered, you will be able to add your student(s) to your account with their student ID and your parent pin code. Letters were sent home last week with your parent pin codes. It is important that you link your student(s) to your account so you can view their information.. Please call the office if you need any help in obtaining your child's student ID # or any other assistance registering on the portal.

Click here for instructions to register for the Parent Portal.

Click here for instructions on how to add your student to your Parent Portal account.

VOLUNTEERING!

Are you interested in volunteering in your child's classroom, the library, or the garden, or going on a field trip? We LOVE volunteers and hope that you will be one!!

You must be an approved volunteer with a negative TB test to Volunteer for field trips, classroom projects, the garden etc.

1. All Volunteers must have a negative TB test. Please get your Negative TB test first, BEFORE filling out the Volunteer Application. New volunteers must have a recent negative test within 60 days of application. You must email your negative result to avril.lipsky@lausd.net so that they can be inputted into your application. TB tests for returning volunteers are good for 4 years.

2. Please fill out the Volunteer Application through this LAUSD VOLUNTEER LINK! This is for BOTH new and returning Volunteers. Do NOT check Tier 3 assignments unless you are willing to get a Fingerprint. Email avril.lipsky@lausd.net for more info on fingerprints. Here is a link the the most recent Volunteer Guide if you want a step by step visual of how to fill out the volunteer application.

3. Volunteers need to sign a Liability Waiver and the Commitment Form electronically in the application..You do NOT need to email them to me.

4. Please see the LAUSD Volunteer Page for answers to questions.

https://www.lausd.org/volunteer

5. ALL Volunteers (both new and returning) must watch the The Mandatory Volunteer Orientation Zoom Recording, if you did NOT attend the live Zoom on September 11th.

6. Here is the Materials Folder Link that we spoke about in the Zoom Orientation, that includes the Orientation, Zoom, the Guide to Volunteering, The Volunteer Commitment Form, and the Quick Guide.

If you are a RETURNING VOLUNTEER from last year, you still need to fill out the LAUSD Volunteer Application online at LAUSD VOLUNTEER LINK! You Negative TB test should Auto Populate, if it is less than 4 years since you did the test. It takes 4 to 5 weeks to get you approved AFTER I get the TB test, so please do not wait

Please be aware that ClassDojo will translate into over 130 languages!

Here’s a brief overview of how parents can set language preferences in ClassDojo:

1. Content Language: This allows users to select the language for story and message translations.
2. Communication Language: This option lets users choose their preferred language for emails and push notifications.

You can reach out to Rachel Burris @ rjs6223@lausd.net or Avril Lipsky @ avril.lipsky@lausd.net if you need any assistance with translation. We are here to support you!

Looking for a hidden gem for your child’s middle school years? Marina del Rey is a fantastic option for Short Ave Elementary families, offering unique opportunities like a Performing Arts Magnet which includes theater, dance and music, an honors track for high achievers, and exciting programs like Marine Science and a beautiful garden! Let’s support our local school and explore all it has to offer. Interested in learning more or joining our parent group? Email dave@jdpropertiesla.com to join our list of Short Ave families discovering MdRMS!

Email: wlamb@lausd.net
Website: https://shortavees.lausd.org/
Location: 12814 Maxella Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Phone: 310 397-4234