Will Rogers Roundup

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Dear Will Rogers Parents and Guardians,

We had a wonderful time this past Saturday at Our Grown-Ups Night Out! Thank you to everyone who helped make it happen. We appreciate your support in fundraising for our PTA at the live auction!

As part of our ongoing commitment to developing "Comprehension and Collaboration," our School Leadership Team (SLT) has identified this focus area as key to supporting our students’ ability to engage in meaningful dialogues and build on each other’s ideas. On a recent Learning Walk (observation of several classrooms engaged in instruction) we saw many highlights I want to share with you!

Tools for Speaking: We observed the use of structured language frames, content-specific vocabulary, question stems, and active listening practices that support student engagement in productive conversations. These tools not only empower students to express their ideas more clearly, but they also provide a framework for them to listen actively and contribute meaningfully to discussions.

Approaches & Formats: A variety of conversation formats, including Grand Conversations, partner dialogues, and whole-group discussions, were observed. Each format provided students with opportunities to listen attentively, respect diverse opinions, and engage with the thoughts of their peers. These structures not only support academic growth but also foster important social-emotional skills, such as empathy and collaboration.

Student Feedback: Students were actively using nonverbal cues, providing peer feedback, and reflecting during Grand Conversations. This demonstrated the value they place on student voice and autonomy in the learning process. The emphasis on peer feedback creates a growth mindset environment where students not only recognize their own strengths but also identify areas for improvement in their speaking and listening skills.

Environment: The classrooms we visited were inclusive, welcoming spaces where students felt heard and valued. This positive, supportive environment is crucial for encouraging students to participate confidently and actively in conversations, knowing that their contributions matter.

Next Steps:

Looking ahead, our grade-level teams will continue to refine and implement lessons that target the skills outlined in the K-5 speaking and listening standards. We will focus on:

• Establishing and reinforcing discussion rules.
• Encouraging students to build on each other’s ideas, ask clarifying questions, and engage in thoughtful exchanges.
• Teaching accountable talk language to deepen comprehension and enhance collaborative learning.

As we move forward, we will continue to monitor the impact of these practices through additional learning walks and classroom observations. The feedback we gather will help us remain aligned in our efforts to support each student’s growth in both comprehension and collaboration.

Lastly, we look forward to another great week at Will Rogers. Hope to see you at the Fall Movie Night @6:00 p.m. (doors open) Movie begins @6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria this Friday Nov. 22nd.

In partnership,

Ms. Lila Daruty, Principal

Mon. 11/18 Prospective Parent School Tour @9:00 a.m.

Mon. 11/18 Volunteer Trainings @ 8:30 a.m., 3:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m.

Tues. 11/19 Coffee with Principal @8:30am

Tues. 11/19 Miller/Reilly/Contreras Field Trip - Santa Monica Bay Aquarium 9am-12:00pm

Thurs. 11/21 ELAC Meeting @8:30am

Thurs. 11/21 2nd grade Friendsgiving Feast 11:15-12:15

Thurs. 11/22 Regular Board Mtg @ 5:30pm (agenda)

Fri. 11/22 Fall Movie Night @6pm

Fri. 11/22 Kinder Friendsgiving 10:00am

Fri. 11/22 TK Friendsgiving 1:15pm

Mon. 11/25 Coughlin/Eackelbary Field Trip - Santa Monica Bay Aquarium 9am-12:00pm

Wed. 11/27-29 Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL

Mon. 12/2 Volunteer Training 8:30am (library), 3:00pm (library) and 6:00pm (cafeteria)

Tues. 12/3 Alexander Field trip to 826LA 8:45-1:45

Wed. 12/4 5th grade Field Trip to the to Nutcracker Performance at 12:15p.m.

Thurs. 12/5 4th grade music class canceled

Thurs. 12/5 5th grade music informance in auditorium. Concert time: 2:00-3:00pm

Sun. 12/8 Family Farming Day 10:00-1:00 in Regenerative Farm

Tues. 12/10 Hoffman-Ellis Field trip to 826LA 8:45-1:45

Thus. 12/12 School Tour 9:00-10:00am

Thurs. 12/12 5th grade music class canceled

Thurs. 12/12 4th grade music informance. Concert time: 1:40-2:30pm

Fri. 12/13 Peacemaker Monthly Mtg 9-9:45am

Thurs. 12/19 WRLC Winter Choral Concert (schedule TBD)

Fri. 12/20 PTA-Sponsored Staff Hot Chocolate Bar for WRLC staff 8-9:45 in 501

Fri. 12/20 NO LATE START; Minimum Day (TK/K 12:10; 1st-5th 1:00)

Fri. 12/20- Jan. 3rd WINTER BREAK

Mon. 1/6 First Day back after Winter Break

Mon. 1/6 Pupil Free Day for (secondary schools)

WRLC PTA Calendar 2024-2025

SMMUSD 2024-2025 Calendar

We need your creativity, passion, and helping hands to design a space that will make a real difference for our WRLC community!

Thanks to a generous grant from the Los Angeles County Office of Education, we have the exciting opportunity to revamp and create "Well Spaces" around our campus for both students and staff. These rooms will be safe, calming, and dedicated to trauma healing, resilience building, and fostering emotional well-being.

Our goal is to create designated spaces where students can feel safe, calm, and supported in regulating their emotions. These rooms will provide a sanctuary for students to reset, engage in restorative justice (RJ) circles, attend counseling sessions, and participate in small group lessons designed to promote self-reflection and socio-emotional growth.

We need your help!
On Wednesday, November 27th, we're seeking volunteers who have some free time, creativity, and an eye for design to help us organize and set up these spaces. If you're passionate about creating an environment that supports well-being, we'd love for you to join us!

How you can help:

• Organizing and arranging furniture
• Designing calming elements (colors, textures, decor)
• Bringing ideas to life that promote emotional safety and healing

If you're available to lend a hand, on this day or another, please contact our school psychologist, Ms. Shannon Brinkworth, at sbrinkworth@smmusd.org.

Together, we can create a space that fosters healing, connection, and resilience for everyone at WRLC. Thank you for considering being a part of this important project!

We are thrilled to welcome Maggie to the front office team. Please introduce yourself and help her feel welcomed as she joins the amazing WRLC family!

ABOUT ME:

My name is Margarita Ramos. Most people call me Maggie. I have been in the school district for a few years. I had the privilege to work with the SAI teachers’ at Mckinley Elementary , I learned to appreciate and love our special education community. I was born in L.A. I am a mother of two loving and amazing teenagers, and we have a turtle name Riuk. I enjoy a walk at beach and nature, a great book and cooking with my kids. I have a sweet tooth and I never say no to food and coffee. I look forward in getting to know everyone and be part of Will Roger’s family!

WILL ROGERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Early Elementary Building Project

Nov. 11 through Nov. 15, 2024

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is progressing with the construction at Will Rogers' Learning Community. The project includes a new pre-K and kindergarten classroom building, along with a multi-sport artificial turf field. Additionally, there will be outdoor natural learning spaces adjacent to the seven-classroom building, new basketball courts, handball walls, and other recreational amenities.

For more information on Rogers’ campus projects, please contact Simpson & Simpson Consultant Senior Construction Operations Liaison Chris Emmett at cemmett@smmusd.org.

Every year, our district asks our families to complete the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS), an anonymous, confidential survey of school climate and safety, student wellness, and youth resiliency. Your input is very important to us. Please go to this link for more information and to access the survey link. The deadline for this survey is November 26.

Please contact Ms. González, Assistant Principal, if you have any questions.

Thank you very much!

Our PS Arts teacher, Ms. Heather will be at the Santa Monica Pier this Thursday. Her booth is called "So Riveting." Flyer is below...

Join us for our WRLC PTA Movie Night Friday November 22

• Pizza sign-up | Registro de Pizza: here
• Volunteer sign-up | Registro de Voluntarios: volunteer here

In an effort to promote sustainable transportation in our District community, you are invited to join us every week for Car-Free Fridays!

Starting this Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, leave your car at home and commit to a greener commute to school.

Just like Bike It! Walk It! Bus It!, use any alternative mode of transportation besides a car to get to and from school. Except it's every Friday during the school year!

Metro GoPass TAP Card Program (K-12 Students)

· For first time enrollees or replacement cards, visit your school’s front office (or Samohi house office) for TAP cards and eligibility codes during normal school hours.

· To reactivate your existing TAP card for the 2024-25 school year, please submit the form below to receive an eligibility code and instructions: Metro GoPass 2024-25 Reactivation Form

· Free, unlimited rides on Santa Monica Big Blue Bus and local transit agencies are available through September 30, 2025.

Questions? Email Austin Toyama, SMMUSD Sustainability Manager at atoyama@smmusd.org.

Thank you,

Austin Toyama | SMMUSD | Sustainability Manager

O: (310) 399 5865 ext 79-384

M: (213) 264 0748

https://saangeltree.org/

Every child deserves to experience the joy of Christmas morning. The Salvation Army Angel Tree program helps provide Christmas gifts for hundreds of thousands of children around the country each year. Once a child or senior adult has been registered and accepted as an Angel their Christmas wish list is shared with donors in your community who purchase gifts of new clothing and toys. The gifts are distributed to the family to place under their family Christmas tree.

We want to ensure that our students arrive to school safely. I acknowledge that mornings are a busy time in our neighborhood please keep the following reminders in mind as you drop-off at WRLC.

• Do not park or leave your car unattended in front of school between 8:00-8:30 a.m. This is our valet lane.
• Be respectful to our neighbors. Do not block driveways.
• Please do not double park.
• Please support students to use the crosswalks, only.

If your child is enrolled in one of our afterschool partnerships, please be sure you have read and received the information regarding pick-up procedures.

• CREST students are to be picked-up from the gate in our 16th street parking lot. Key cards are provided to parents of enrolled students.
• CREST enrichment students are brought to the front gate after class.
• Boys and Girls (Playground Club) at the 14th Street Gate which requires a code.
• SAP at the 14th Street Gate which requires a code.

CREST ( 4th and 5th Grade) 310-458-8540

SM BOYS & GIRLS CLUB Playground Club (1st -5th) 310-496-8800 Register here

YMCA 310-393-2721

Tuesday is our lunchtime ART CART day. Students are invited to participate in creative art projects and handicrafts during lunchtime. This is possible through the support of our parent volunteers. If you would like to volunteer for lunchtime on Tuesdays, please sign up using the link below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050445AFAF28A2FB6-51251277-artcart

We would also love donations here is our wishlist for the art cart here. We'd also love some brown paper bags if parents can bring them in for us.

The school provides the supplies, your support requires:

You are a level 1 cleared volunteer

You are willing to safely supervise students with proper use of art tools and materials

Enthusiasm for working with children

Enjoyment with crafts and art

Mornings are busy and sometimes students leave for school without their water bottle, instrument or homework. In an an effort to reduce classroom interruptions and to support students with developing responsibility, please use our "Oops, I forgot" table. Make a plan with your child that if they leave something at home, a parent can drop it off in the office. We will place their item on a table outside the office. During their recess or on their way to lunch, they may check the table for their forgotten item.

Please communicate this plan with your child, so they know there is place for parents to drop-off items they may have left at home!

• School materials including books, homework, projects, etc.
• Re-fillable water bottle ( We have several refilling stations on campus)
• A morning snack
• Lunch is available to all students free of charge for the 2024-25 school year. You may also pack a lunch form home.
• Sunscreen (put on prior to arriving at school)
• Hat
• Layers of clothing (sweatshirt, windbreaker, etc.) Keep an eye on the weather.
• A growth mindset for a successful day!

At WRLC, we make every effort to avoid interrupting instructional time and therefore do not allow cellphones and other electronics to be used during the instructional day. Students are not permitted to wear smartwatches or Gizmos in the classrooms. If your child wears a smartwatch, or has a smartphone, please remind them they are to be kept in their backpack turned off or on school-mode during the school day. We encourage parents to support us by leaving these items at home.

Students are never permitted to use cell phones on campus. In the event of an emergency administration carry radios, teachers have cellphones and there is a school phone in every learning space. Under the advisement of our SMPD school resource officers, individual student cellphone use can actually hinder the delivery of important messaging necessary in a true emergency.

Other personal electronics from home such as Nintendo Switches, iPads, Kindles etc. are not permitted on campus. If a student uses their cell phone during school hours, it will be confiscated and held until the end of the school day and must be picked up by a parent. In no event or circumstance, will the district or its staff be held responsible or liable for the loss, theft, or damage to any such device.

Please help us ensure that our students have an electronics free learning zone at school.

We are currently looking for a Legislative Chair to join our PTA team! This important role involves staying informed on key legislative issues that impact our students and school, and helping to keep our community updated.

If you’re interested in supporting our school by tracking important education-related developments and sharing relevant information, we’d love to have you on board!

We're also in need of a Student Store Chair to help manage and run our student store on Fridays and during special events. The store is an important part of our school community, offering families and our community a chance to purchase school spirit wear and other fun items. We're planning to bring the store out this Friday, but we need help throughout the entire year to make this successful. If you're interested in helping out, please reach out to us!

Please email president@willrogerspta.com

Join the Will Rogers PTA for $10 to support activities and events that enrich your student's education and strengthen our school community.

https://jointotem.com/ca/santa-monica/will-rogers-elementary-pta

Families wishing to enroll their students should contact our school’s Bilingual Community Liaison, Flory Vila, fvila@smmusd.org, 310 452-2364 x67338, and fill out a Program opt-in form.

Las familias que deseen

inscribir a sus estudiantes en el Programa de Bolsas de Fin de Semana deben comunicarse con Flory Vila, fvila@smmusd.org 310 452-2364 x67338, y completar un formulario para inscribirse en el programa.

As an International Baccalaureate Programme School, we believe there is a broad range of capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success. We make a commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them. We do this through the development of students according to the IB learner profile. The profile aims to develop learners who are:

Inquirers

Knowledgeable

Thinkers

Communicators

Principled

Open-minded

Caring

Risk-takers

Balanced

Reflective

The IB Mission Statement

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Breakfast and lunch are free for all students! Make a plan with your child each week about the days they will be eating food prepared at school or bringing lunch from home.

https://www.smmusd.org/domain/476

We encourage you to pack a snack for your children for morning recess.

Please send your child to school with a re-fillable water bottle! We have water stations located throughout campus.

We encourage all families to submit the Free and Reduced Meals application. Although California provides free meals for all students, this application is crucial for determining eligibility for additional programs and resources, including Title 1 school designations for the 2025-26 school year. The state uses this form to assess which families qualify for benefits beyond free meals, so widespread participation is essential. To support this effort, please share the application link with your families and distribute the flier through your school's communication channels.

Application Link: https://bit.ly/MealApplications-SMMUSD

Email: ldaruty@smmusd.org
Website: https://www.smmusd.org/rogers
Location: 2401 14th Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90406
Phone: 310-452-2364
Twitter: @WillRogersSTEM