September 7, 2024
I hope you’re all staying cool and safe during this stretch of high temperatures. At school, we’ve been ensuring students remain comfortable and able to learn by using our state-of-the-art HVAC systems and implementing our heat day schedule (similar to our rainy day schedule). The heat wave meant we had to make some adjustments, including rescheduling our fire drill for next Friday and postponing our Back to School Picnic to Friday, September 13th. We look forward to seeing everyone there once the weather cools down!
I'm glad our 3rd-5th Grade Back to School Night happened earlier in the week when temperatures were cooler. Thank you to everyone who attended. It was wonderful to see you in the classrooms, and the teachers truly appreciated the opportunity to connect with you. Thank you to those of you who participated in our Volunteer Training with Mr. Muñoz as well! We look forward to seeing you on campus in classrooms, field trips and events!
This week our students continue to participate in Star Testing in Reading and Math. Students take this diagnostic three times per year. Parents can view results in Aeries under Test Scores. Remember these are national percentile rankings. The 50%tile is average. Scores above 50 that are above average, scores below 50 are below average. These scores and more about your child's achievement will be discussed during Parent Teacher Conferences at the beginning of November.
This week, we also kicked off our professional development on project-based learning. The staff from the Rediscover Center, led by Executive Director Jonathan Bijur, facilitated maker space activities that centered on building connections—a core focus for us at the beginning of the year. Upper-grade students will start working with Rediscover Center staff in our STEM lab next week.
We also held our behavior expectations assemblies for 1st and 5th graders, where students learned about our PBIS plan and how we can all contribute to making McKinley a safe and welcoming environment for everyone. Ask your children about our PRIDE philosophy, pillars of characters and ways to be respectful, responsible and safe at school.
Finally, we were lucky enough to have another community partner support our school. For the second year in a row, McKinley received a generous grant from Subaru Santa Monica! Joey Boktor, the general manager and a proud McKinley alumnus, personally delivered boxes of supplies to the receiving classrooms. We are so grateful for this continued partnership.
Next week, we’re excited to host our first ELAC meeting on Friday, 9/13, in the Library at 9 AM, and we invite all families of multilingual learners to attend. Additionally, on Sunday, 9/15 we’ll be holding our first Beautification Day in the garden. With the upcoming National Day of Service on 9/11, it’s a perfect way to contribute to our school community and honor the heroes of that day.
That’s all for now. Wishing you all a wonderful and restful weekend!
GO LIONS!
In partnership,
Dr. Daniela Wiener (Dr. DW)
Principal, McKinley Elementary
Help Shape Our District: Become McKinley's LCAP Representative
The district is looking for representatives from each site to provide input on distict goals and how money should be spent to meet those goals. If you would like to make an impact on a district level and make sure McKinley's voice is represented, contact Principal DW (dwiener@smmusd.org) and let her know you would like to be McKinley's LCAP representative. Meetings will be held from 4-6pm in Zoom on the following dates: 9/12, 11/14, 1/29, 3/5, 5/14, 6/11 Tentative
Although breakfast and lunch will be free again this year, families must complete the application to determine if McKinley qualifies for Federal Funding under Title I. Last year, we missed out on $200,000 in funding due to a lack of applications. Completing this application also helps families qualify for additional services or scholarships. You can fill it out in your epacket or click below. If you need assistance, please contact our Community Liaison, Michael Muñoz, mmunoz@smmusd.org,
This Week
September 10: 3rd Grade Music Begins
September 11: PTA Executive Board Meeting, 6-7:30 PM(Zoom)
September 13: ELAC Meeting, 9 AM (Library)
September 15: Campus Beautification Day, 11 AM-1 PM (Garden)
Upcoming Dates
September 17: School Site Council 3:15-4:30 PM (Zoom)
September 19: School Smarts Workshop Series #1, 9 AM (Location TBD)
September 20: Sped Resource Group: 9-10 AM (Library)
September 25: Online Safety and Digital Wellness Parent Workshop 6-7 PM (Auditorium)
September 26: School Smarts Workshop Series #2, 9 AM (Location TBD)
September 27: Schoolwide Outdoor Assembly, 2nd- Respect, 8:30-9:00 AM (Kinder Yard)
September 27: PTA Meeting 9-10:30 AM (Auditorium)
