The Lion's Roar

August 17, 2024

Dear McKinley Families,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year at McKinley Elementary, home of the Lions! I hope you’ve had a wonderful summer and eagerly anticipate partnering with you to support your child’s journey toward academic success and social-emotional well-being.

It is a true privilege to serve as the Principal of McKinley Elementary, a vibrant community of over 350 preschool through 5th-grade students that values diversity and inclusion, nurtures the whole child, and makes student learning the top priority. Our PRIDE philosophy guides all aspects of life at McKinley, and McKinley students, staff, and parents work together as a community in service of this core belief. We are: Peaceful, Respectful, Intelligent, Diverse, and Enthusiastic. This year, we will continue to center the district’s priorities of creating a sense of Belonging, Curiosity, and Empowerment for students by infusing these values in all that we do by focusing on culturally relevant pedagogy, project-based learning (PBL) and higher order thinking skills.

Our teachers and staff are eager to meet their new students and begin this year’s journey with them. The dedicated staff at McKinley has been working hard to finalize classes and schedules, engaging in professional development specific to our school and District goals, and honing our instructional strategies, class routines, and expectations, all with the goal of fostering academic success and a true sense of connectedness and belonging for our students. Our primary goal is to ensure student proficiency in core academic subjects, so we will continue to refine our Tier I instruction by analyzing data, conducting observations, and reviewing classwork to guide instruction and shape effective intervention. To this end, we will be working with staff from the UCLA Math Project on further honing our math instruction. We also will be deepening our Project-Based Learning practice with the goal of engaging ALL of our students in grades TK-5. I’m thrilled to share that this year we are partnering with the Rediscover Center, a local arts-first STEAM education organization focused on the sustainable reuse of materials to make art and engineering projects to support our PBL practice. Students will have the opportunity to participate in Maker Space education in addition to visual arts, theater, music and science classes.

Along with our focus on PBL, we will continue placing a focus on the integration of the Social Justice Standards, Restorative Justice practices, and social and emotional support strategies into our students’ daily school experience. This year our staff will strengthen our social emotional learning practices by working alongside Arlène Elizabeth Casimir, an expert on culturally responsive educational practices. We will also welcome a full time counselor to our school. As a team, we will work together to create a solid foundation for our students so that they have the opportunity to become self-directed learners, collaborative teammates, critical thinkers, and responsible citizens. You, families are part of our team and we ask that you play an active role in your child's journey this year!

I find that the symbol of the dandelion is a helpful way to envision how all of these wonderful initiatives will impact our students, our community, our world. As McKinley Lions, the play on words is fun, but its significance is more profound. Dandelions are known for their fluffy white seeds that carry wishes far and wide as they disperse in the wind. Similarly, the work we do at McKinley represents our community’s best wishes for the world we live in—small actions that have the power to spread and make a lasting impact.

One of the most intriguing aspects of dandelions is their fractal patterns—complex geometric shapes that repeat at different scales, creating a harmonious design. This year, we see our school practices as miniature versions of the world we want to live in. Each of our actions, whether in the classroom or in the broader community, reflects the bigger picture of the world we aspire to create—a world where belonging, curiosity, and empowerment are central.

As we focus on culturally relevant pedagogy, project-based learning (PBL), and higher-order thinking skills, we hope to cultivate a microcosm of the world we wish to see. Our belief is that by building this intentional environment at McKinley, our students will carry these values beyond our classroom walls and into the world, where they can make meaningful changes.

As always, my door is open. Please feel free to contact me via email at the address below or call to make an appointment to speak with me to discuss any ideas you feel will make this the best year yet! GO LIONS!

In partnership,

Dr. Daniela Wiener (Dr. DW)

Principal, McKinley Elementary

dwiener@smmusd.org

310-828-5011

You can view your child’s class in Aeries starting August 19th at 12 PM, provided you’ve completed the data confirmation process on the Parent Portal. Your child's teacher will send you a letter by 4 PM on Tuesday, August 20th welcoming you to their classroom community.

Please note that the office is closed on Monday August 19th from 8am-12:30pm for a districtwide training. The office will get back to you when the office reopens Monday 12:30-4:00pm.

The annual First Day Packet is now online in the Aeries Parent Portal. The portal, also called the "Data Confirmation System", will be available starting August 19th.

The Data Confirmation process is easy for you and your student through Aeries Parent Portal. This includes items like Emergency Cards, Parent Handbooks and Policies and Authorizations. We have many important documents and plenty of information for your family within the online registration site, accessed via your Aeries Parent Portal. We also need to gather information from you for emergency contacts and health documents. You may decide to print some of the documents for future reference. Note: You must complete data confirmation for each student.

The online Parent Portal also allows parents to view their child's attendance, as well as assessment results such as the state test CAASPP scores and ELPAC scores for English Learners.

Click here for directions for how to login and view attendance

Click here for directions for how to login and view test scores

Click here for a visual guide for how to login to the Parent Portal

Students will have a real life project to connect to as the construction of the new 24,000 square foot McKinley Elementary School Classroom and Administration Building is now in full swing with anticipated opening in August 2026. The construction site is properly secured with safety procedures deployed as the campus is prepared for school to resume on August 22, 2024. '

It's been so exciting to be on campus this summer to watch the transformation of the site and meet the crew including project managers, archeologists, environmental engineers and construction workers! If you get the chance, say hi to these folks. They are happy to talk to you about their jobs, which are really fascinating!

This summer, the construction crew completed the following:

• assembly of the perimeter sound wall
• demolition of the exterior restroom building, handball walls, and asphalt paving
• relocation of storage sheds
  
• installation of temporary fencing
  
• removal and replacement of contaminated soil

Last week, the construction crew accomplished the following:

• repainted staff parking lot striping
• began setting up new temporary basketball hoops
• added a new coded gate for before and after school entry

Over the weekend and beginning of next week, the construction crew will:

• complete the staff parking lot
• complete the temporary basketball hoops
• add a buzzer system at the entrance of the gate that leads to the Main Office for staff and families.
• In addition our Maintenance and Operations will power-wash the playgrounds so that they are clean for the first day of school!

This year students will use 3 gates to enter our school:

1. Arizona Gate: This gate is open from 8:00-8:30 and will be utilized between 8:00-8:15 by all students entering for breakfast and between 8:15-8:30 by 1st-5th grade student utilizing the car-drop off system on Arizona Avenue.

2. Arizona Garden Gate: This gate is open from 8:15-8:30 and will be utilized by 1st-5th grade student who walk, bike or scoot to school.

3. Chelsea Gate: This gate is open from 8:15-8:30 and will be utilized by TK/K students who walk, bike or scoot to school as well as by those who arrive in car. We will have a car-drop off system on Chelsea Avenue, like the one on Arizona Avenue. Students who walk will need to walk down the east side of the street as the west side of the street is closed. They will be directed to use the cross walk to come back to the west side of the street and enter the gate.

Walkers/Bikers/Scooters

Please consider walking, biking and scooting to school this year! McKinley is a neighborhood school and walking to school will not only help ease some of the potential traffic congestion caused by construction, but will also help you connect to your friends and neighbors as you meet up along the way to McKinley. We recommend that walking/biking/scooting families meet up at any of the 4 following intersections to travel to school together by 8:15 AM.

• 26th/SM Blvd
• 17th/Arizona
• 23rd/Broadway
• Arizona/Yale

Bike it, Walk it all year at McKinley!

Drivers

We encourage our families utilizing the car drop off system with students in TK/K and 1-5 to first drop off on Arizona and then turn right onto Chelsea to do their second drop off. Once at Chelsea, please turn right to leave the school boundaries. Trying to turn left on SM Blvd from Chelsea will cause bottlenecking to occur and students will arrive late to school! Families with students only in grades 1-5 are encouraged to continue east on Arizona and turn onto 26th to avoid contributing to bottlenecking.

The following drop-off protocols from last year remain in tact this year:

• Parents dropping off their students in a child care program will use the coded Parking Lot Gate. You will receive this code from your childcare provider.
• Gates open at 8:15 AM and close at 8:30 AM. Tardy students enter through the office to get a tardy slip. Those parents will need to park in the staff parking lot, get buzzed in and enter the office to help their child receive their late slip.
• Once on campus, students walk to their class lineup area and wait for their teacher
• There is no free play on playgrounds before school

This year students will use 3 gates to exit our school:

1. Arizona Gate: 1st grade (2:45 PM/1:35 PM (W)) and 3rd & 4th grades (3:00 PM/1:45 PM (W))

2. Arizona Garden Gate: 2nd grade (2:45 PM/1:35 PM (W)) & 5th grade(3:00 PM/1:45 PM (W))

3. Chelsea Gate: TK & K (1:35 PM)

TK/K

• TK will dismiss from in front of the Preschool Building. Each teacher will stand beside a sandwich board with their class name on it so families can easily find their child. Teachers will be accompanied by their Instructional Assistant to ensure maximum supervision.
• Kindergarten will dismiss from the Arizona Garden Gate (Borenstein/Rosales) and the Garden Gate (Moore).

1st-5th

• At the end-of-school bell teachers walk their students to their gate.
• Gate monitors/teachers check that the student sees their parent through the fence before allowing them to leave.
• Students may walk/bike home on their own w/parent permission. Permission must be on the child’s Emergency Card.
• There is no drive-through pick-up lane during construction. Parents may park on the streets (10 minute limit) or in the staff lot for pick-up (10 minute limit at dismissal time only) and then meet their child at their assigned gate.
• A staggered dismissal is used to ease traffic flow and to maximize student safety. Parents with children in multiple grades should pickup at their specified time; there is not supervision for siblings between dismissal times.
• Gates close 10 minutes after dismissal.
• Parents may enroll their child in after-school programs with CREST, Boys and Girls Club, or SAP if after school supervision is needed.
• Parents picking up their students from an after-school program will use the coded Parking Lot Gate. You will receive this code from your childcare provider.

Please note that the first two days of school, August 22nd &23rd are minimum days. Please pick up your child(ren) on time!

This year we will be welcoming several new staff members to our McKinley pride!

Hired New Staff - Bios Below!

TK- Alexys López Buckner comes to us from Citizens of the World where she taught Kindergarten and TK. Ms. Buckner will cover Ms. Schwartz's classroom while she is out on maternity leave.

1st- While not new to McKinley, we are happy to share that Ms. Kim Johnston will be covering Ms. Medina's class during her maternity leave. Ms. Johnston is a veteran of our school district and brings not only a wealth of experience teaching in lower grade classrooms but a true dedication to doing what is best for kids!

Speech and Language Pathologist - Lauren Bruns comes to us from Loma Linda University Health and will serve as our 100% SLP.

Speech and Language Pathologist - Sarah Mourad comes to us from LA Speech Therapy Solutions where she most recently served as a graduate student clinician. She will serve as our 60% SLP.

Instructional Coach (50%) - Rachel Mauck comes to us from Grant Elementary where she most recently taught 3rd grade . Previously she served our district as a Literacy Coach; more recently she has embraced Project-Based Learning, teaching real-world skills through process-oriented learning.

TBD New Staff

Assistant Principal (50%)- We will be holding interviews again for this position on September 12th. In the meantime, we would like to welcome Mary Anna Novak as our Interim Assistant Principal

PE Coach (50%)- We are currently processing this position and will share their information shortly.

School Counselor- We are currently processing this position and will share their information shortly.

Staffing Changes

Over the summer, Esther Vences transferred to Edison Language Academy to pursue her career goal of teaching in a bilingual setting. Although we are sad to see her go, we are happy that this opened up a position at our site and we were able to welcome back Corina Carlstroem who will rejoin the 5th grade team. Amanda Sherman will join the 3rd grade team in lieu of Ms. Vences.

Other New Staff

Latricianne Kimbrough, Paraeducator

Alfredo Merchan, Paraeducator

During online registration, you can contribute to both the Santa Monica Education Foundation and our PTA. Your support helps provide transformative educational opportunities for our students. We encourage you to consider donating to both the Ed Foundation and PTA. Thank you for your generosity!

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,

Parents may sign up their child for the City of Santa Monica CREST Club (4th/5th afterschool childcare), or TK-5 afterschool enrichment classes at https://www.santamonica.gov/programs/crest

Parents may sign up their child for Boys and Girls Club sports at https://www.smbgc.org/sports/

Parents may sign up their 1st-5th grader for afterschool Boys and Girls Club Playground Club at https://www.smbgc.org/playground-club/

TK-3 before and afterschool childcare is provided by SMMUSD School Age Programs. Currently space is available for subsidized families. https://www.smmusd.org/Page/4110

The childcare and afterschool programs are separate from McKinley. Please contact the programs directly for more information and to determine program start dates.

This is an optional casual event to welcome our new youngest students and their families to McKinley, and to help the students feel comfortable on the campus the day before school starts.

During the hour students may play on the TK/K Playground, meet new families and friends, meet admin and PTA leaders, and buy Spiritwear. During the hour TK/K families may also casually drop by their child’s classroom to see the room and say hi to the teacher. This option is not available for 1st-5th grade students as the even occurs after school hours. 1st -5th grade new families will meet in our beautiful garden! Upon departure students will receive a popsicle.

Parent/guardian must be present to supervise their child; drop-offs not permitted.

Please park in the neighborhood and enter in the Arizona Gate as the staff parking lot will be in use!

The McKinley School Site Council is currently seeking 4 parent volunteers to serve a two-year term. These are elected positions.

The purpose of the McKinley School Site Council (SSC) is to develop the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) to ensure that all of the resources available to the school, the basic program, and the supplemental resources, are coordinated and focused on providing a high-quality educational program and learning environment in which students of all ranges and ability and background can succeed. This committee will meet six times duirng the course of the 2024 - 2025 school year. The meetings are on the third Tuesday of each month and are as follows:

September 17

October 15

December 10

February 11

March 18

April 29

If you are interested in becoming a member of the McKinley School Site Council please click on the form below and email it to Principal DW by Friday, August 30th at 3:00 PM. Elections will be held during the school day in the office, and at the Back to School Picnic on Sept 6th.

The first day will be full of excitement and emotion. To help things go smoothly:

• Select your child’s outfit the night before and ensure it’s comfortable for movement and play, including closed-toe shoes.

• Students should pack their backpacks the night before. They don’t need to bring school supplies; we provide everything, but a water bottle and jacket are helpful. Students who won’t be eating from the cafeteria should bring their own snacks and lunch.

• Discuss the morning routine and pick-up plan so your child knows what to do.

• Allow plenty of time to arrive. Families will be learning the new arrival procedures due to construction so you will want to have time to familiarize yourself with entry points.

• Reassure your child that feeling nervous is normal. Their teacher and classmates will take great care of them, and they have a fun day ahead.

This Week

• August 19- Class Placements available on Aeries at 12 PM
• August 21- TK Meet and Greet Playdate, K Yard Playground, 12:30-1:30pm
• August 21- K Meet and Greet Playdate, K Yard Playground, 2:00-3:00pm
• August 21-1st-5th New Families Meet and Greet Playdate, Garden, 3:00-4:00pm
• August 22- First Day of School; Minimum Day Early Dismissal (12:30 TK/K, 1:35 1st/2nd, 1:45pm 3rd-5th) Come early and have a cup of coffee with other McKinley parents in front of the Arizona Gate courtesy of our local Starbucks!
• August 23- Minimum Day Early Dismissal (12:30 TK/K, 1:35 1st/2nd, 1:45pm 3rd-5th)

Upcoming Dates

• August 27- Minimum Day Early Dismissal (12:30 TK/K, 1:35 1st/2nd, 1:45pm 3rd-5th)
• August 27 - TK-2 Back to School Night
• 5:00-5:30pm New Volunteer Training,
• 5:30-6:00pm Principal Presentation in the Auditorium
• 6:00-7:00pm Teacher Presentations in Classrooms
• August 30- Outdoor assembly, PTA Meeting
• September 2- No School
• September 3- Minimum Day Early Dismissal (12:30 TK/K, 1:35 1st/2nd, 1:45pm 3rd-5th)
• September 3- 3rd-5th Back to School Night
• 5:00-5:30pm New Volunteer Training
• 5:30-6:00pm Principal Presentation in the Auditorium
• 6:00-7:00pm Teacher Presentations in Classrooms
• September 6- Back-to-School Picnic, Big Yard, 4-6pm, SSC Elections