The Weekly Wave

Happy Weekend Short Avenue Families and Friends!

This was a great week at Short Avenue. There was reading and math. There was art and Spanish. There was gardening and P.E. But most of all, there was laughter and learning. The highlight for me is when our UTK students traveled the campus trying to find a Gingerbread Man who was on the loose. My office is the last stop on this hunt and I had a moment to be with each class and experience the joy of the moment with them.

This week also offered an opportunity for solemn reflection as we had Patriot Day on September 11 and we approach Constitution Day on September 17. The preamble to the Constitution begins, “We the People, in order to form a more perfect union…” It does not say our union will be perfect, it is not, but we are working to form one that is better and that can be better. Where we are today is far from perfect but a look back on where we were in 1776 or 1876 or 1976 shows that growth is possible. Our frustration comes with the glacial pace of change. September 11 is a day of remembering loss - a loss of life, a loss of security, and even a loss of innocence. I think of how fractured we are today in social media and in our politics and I wonder how much of the anger and distrust can be traced back to that day. But then I look around at our school - I see my amazing and engaging staff and I see our passionate and attentive parents and family members and, most of all, I see our children. We come from many different places in our community but we are here at Short Ave so that our children can learn in an International Baccalaureate setting that is setting them up for a future as citizens who are open-minded, caring, reflective thinkers able to take risks as they inquire, acquire knowledge, and communicate in balanced and principled ways with all people. In doing this work with fidelity, every day, I know that we are doing our part to help form a more perfect union.

Finally, a quick update on our SEEDS green-space project. In short, it is moving forward. Our new target completion date is in January. Phase I of the four phases in this project is complete. There was a bid walk for Phase II on Thursday. Bids are due on Tuesday and then it will move to actual contracts and setting timeline for work on the stage and native plant irrigation. I share our community’s frustration on the pace of progress. All I can say is that doing work or improvements on our own personal property is not the same as doing work or improvements on a school site. Emily Bloom and I continue to exert pressure to keep us moving forward and I can say, with experience, that things are progressing appropriately.

Please enjoy the rest of your weekend.

See you Monday!

Mr. Lamb

September 17th- Emergent Bilingual Parent Meeting @ 8:20am in the garden

September 19th- FOSA Virtual Community Meeting @6pm

September 27th- Dolphin Cafe & All School Assembly @ 7:30am & 8:15am

September 28th- Beautification Day @ 9am

We are thrilled that so many parents were able to attend our volunteer orientation on August 11th. One additional item that we want to emphasize is the importance of respecting student and classroom privacy when volunteering in our classrooms. Parents should not be taking pictures of any students when volunteering. Additionally, any observations of students should not be shared with other parents. If something happens in the classroom while you are volunteering, please avoid discussing this with other parents, as we want to honor the confidentiality of our students. Please reach out to a staff member if you have any questions and concerns. Thank you for all your hard work and dedication to our school community.

Do you speak a language other than English at home? We invite you to come to our first Emergent Bilingual Parent Meeting on Tuesday, September 17th, at 8:20am in our garden. The aim will be to share information, as it relates to our Emergent Bilingual students and their pathway to biliteracy, as well as forge connections between our culturally and linguistically diverse group of parents and guardians. We are grateful to all of our parents who have offered to mentor those who might need some additional support navigating our complicated educational system and look forward to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all of our families at Short Avenue. We hope to see you on September 17th.

We're thrilled to announce that Peter Brown, the bestselling author and illustrator of The Wild Robot series, will be visiting our school on September 20th! 🤖🌲📚

Peter will be presenting to our 2nd-5th graders, but everyone in the community can order signed copies of The Wild Robot series! (All three books in the series are available for purchase.)

Important:

- Signed copies must be purchased through the link below by Tuesday, September 17th.

- Peter will NOT be signing books at the event—please don’t bring books from home to be signed (sorry!).

- Only books purchased through the link will be signed, and no personalized dedications will be available.

- Books will be delivered to students after the event.

- A few clarifications about the ordering process:

* Desktop browsers work better than mobile for ordering.

1. Check the Coordinated School Pickup Box – This indicates that the books will be delivered to the school.

2. Fill in the shipping info – Even though the books are being shipped to the school, the system requires a shipping address to be filled in. You can use the school's address if you prefer not to provide your own.

3. Calculate shipping – You will select the "Coordinated School Event Pickup" option, which should show a $0.00 shipping charge.

4. Complete the payment – Enter your credit card information and billing address to finalize the purchase.

Pay it forward! You can also purchase books to be donated to students who might not be able to buy one, to classrooms, or the library. Just make a note when purchasing.

Thanks for your continued support in creating a book-loving community!

Order your signed copy here:

https://www.childrensbookworld.com/peter-brown-school-visit-wild-robot-book-series

We are 55% to our financial goal with only 2 weeks to go. If you haven’t donated yet, please do. Your support helps provide aides, maintain our edible garden, fund field trip buses, enhance Spanish music programs, and so much more for our students. Together, we can create a brighter future for our school community. #GiveBack #SupportEducation 🌟📚🚌

Your donation may be eligible for COMPANY MATCHING. Ask your employer today!

Click here for MONTHLY Giving

Click here for a ONE TIME donation

Earthquake Kits - only 15 left!

Need a hand getting this off your to-do list? FoSA has you covered. Click here to order an earthquake kit with everything your child would need. Price is $15 and all orders will bel hand-delivered to your child’s classroom. Please note the 2 step process below.

1. Click here to purchase kits.

2. For each kit purchased, please fill in information in Google form.

Each kit includes 1 of each: Peanut Butter Cup with Crackers, Soft & Chewy Granola Bars, Apple Sauce Pouch, Star-Kist Tuna Pouch, Ritz Crackers, Water, Fruit Bars, Purell Wipes, Plastic Spoon, Fork, and Knife in a Ziploc bag. We'll even take care of filling out the paper slip for you too!

Kits will be delivered to school for you.

Help refresh our school! We are looking for volunteers to come refresh the edible garden, touch up paint, and do other small hands-on projects for the school. If your children are capable of helping they are welcome to attend. Please bring gardening gloves, power washers, small tools, and anything else that may be helpful. To help us get an understanding of how to divide up the work please RSVP by signing up for the event in the Events section in ClassDojo.

FoSA’s new enrichment program under the umbrella of the Dolphin Discovery Club has closed enrollment for the spring semester.

If you have a question or need to communicate about a particular class, please contact the vendor directly. All vendor email addresses can be found on the home page of the Jumbula platform under the FAQs - Friends of Short Avenue (jumbula.com).

If you have ideas about enrichment classes for the spring, feel free to send to juliepaluch@friendsofshortavenue.org. We will do our best to plan classes based on our community's interest.

Come to our September community meeting, we’ll discuss current fundraising efforts, upcoming events, and much more! Join through Google Meet on Thursday, September 19 from 6-7 PM.

FOSA holds monthly community meetings the third Thursday of each month to inform our wonderful Short Ave community about important updates, events, and all things happening at Short Ave. Meetings alternate each month between in person, and virtual.

Get ready to show your school spirit! Back-to-school spirit wear is now available for purchase. Don't forget, Spirit Wear Fridays are back! Get yours and join in on the fun.

You can also purchase online too! Click here to see Spirit wear collections

Volunteering Information is now in the Previously Published section at the bottom of the Wave.

Please note you must be a FULLY APPROVED volunteer to go on a field trip, work in the classroom, library or garden. ALL volunteers , (including returning) must watch the MANDATORY VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION ZOOM, if you did NOT attend the live Zoom that was on September 11th. Here is the link, after this week it will love at the bottom of the Wave in the Previously Published Volunteer section.

Mandatory Volunteer Orientation Zoom Recording Link

Having trouble getting a TB test?

There will be a chance to get a FREE TB Screening at Daniel Webster Middle School on Thursday, September 26th from 5:00 to 6:30pm. This is a SCREENING, NOT a TB test. Depending on your answers, you may still have to get a TB test somewhere else, in order to become an approved volunteer. But if you pass the screening, this will be sufficient to get you approved. Please see the Flyers Below with the info.

October 3rd, Camp:

There is NO school on Thursday, October 12th, (Unassigned Day/ Rosh Hashana). Here are a few camps hosting a one day session:

Bananas Art Studio has a one day camp on 10/3 (The did the free craft tables at Movie Night!)

reDiscover has a one day camp on 10/3

EC Kids in Culver City is hosting a camp on 10/3

Euro Soccer is hosting a camp on 10/3

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

The Movie Night Flyer, The Free TB test Screening Flyer, The TK's in Room 10's first visit to the library, the Volunteer Orientation Flyer, a 9/11 remembrance post, a Happy Birthday to Raul from the 3rd graders in Room 25!, The TK Scavenger Hunt Post and Reel!

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!

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.

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.

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

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