The Weekly Wave

Happy Weekend Short Avenue Families and Friends!

I am very proud of our community and of my staff. For me, this has been a very hectic week. The only day I was able to be on site for a full day was Tuesday and I was gone all of Wednesday. There is so much that happens on a school site on a given day that it is very hard to be away and not to have your fingers on the pulse of what is happening. To make this work and to keep all safe and productive there has to be trust in the systems and trust in the people. I am honored to say that even though I felt scattered and stretched and pulled, this was a successful week because of our amazing team and community!

I know and acknowledge that we are not perfect. My staff and our school are great but that doesn’t mean all that happens throughout the year is perfect. As adults we know that we need to be resilient. For our children this is a skill to learn. I deeply understand this. As you all know, my own children are in college. They have a variety of professors, teaching assistants, labs, and a 10 week quarter system. There is much that might not be perfect. Through their elementary, middle school, and high school journey they were able to build that resilience and now they are successfully navigating what life is throwing at them. It is not easy. We do not like watching our children struggle but the struggle is beneficial.

Finally, our push to 100% Short Ave with the Parent Portal continues - we are over 90% now. This is so important because much that the district is rolling out for parents to respond to is accessed through the Parent Portal.

• “Choices” is open - for our 5th grade families this is one option to selecting a middle school program for your child. How do you apply? Through the Parent Portal.

• Winter Academy Registration is now open - Do you want your child to attend school the first three days of Winter Break at a nearby elementary school? You can. You just need to register. How do you register? Through the Parent Portal.

• LAUSD Survey for Instructional Calendars - Do you want a say in there being a full week off from school at Thanksgiving; or three weeks for Winter Break; or when the school year begins and ends? The district is asking for opinions from stakeholders for the next three years of calendars. How do you give your opinion? Through the Parent Portal. Due date is October 25!

If you need help registering (40 families to go) or with completing any of the above items please come and see us and know that we are here to help.

Please enjoy the rest of your weekend.

See you Monday!

Mr. Lamb

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SEEDS Update:

We are still waiting for the contractor to begin the concrete work for our stage area and the irrigation for the native plant zone.

Soil was delivered on Wednesday for the large grass area, and we are awaiting updates on the next step timeline for grass and trees. We have been told that trees will be planted last so that the grass has time to grow and get locked in. This will allow the trees to thrive after planting!

October 25th- School-wide Assembly, 8:15am

October 26th- Fall Festival at Short Ave. 4:00-7:00pm

October 27th- Del Rey Day, Bill Rosendahl Park, 11:00am-4:00pm

October 28th- Morning Brew & Updates, 8:200am, Parent Center Rm. 12

November 1st- Dia De Los Muertos celebration, Rm. 12

Please join us for Del Rey Day on Sunday, October 27th at Bill Rosendahl Park, from 11:00-4:00. This is a wonderful community, sponsored by the Del Rey Neighborhood Council, filled with free food, activities, a dog contest and the annual Del Rey Day Spelling Bee. We will need volunteers at our Short Avenue booth so please click here to sign up to volunteer.

We are looking forward to celebrating Dia De Los Muertos on Friday, November 1, 2024. Once again, we will be setting up our ofrenda for the school community in Room 12 (Parent Center). We are asking that students bring framed pictures of loved ones who have passed, as well as any other items of significance that your family would like to contribute. Decorations and flowers (marigolds) are also appreciated. Please make sure to turn in all clearly labeled items to your child's teacher by Monday, October 28th. If you are donating fresh flowers, please do not send them in before October 28th, as we want them to be fresh for the ofrenda. An email will be going out this week with further details.

Rams Reading Challenge Update:

We are a little more than halfway into the 45 day Rams Reading Challenge, that was launched on September 24th!

Please encourage your children to read, and for those kids in 1st through 3rd grades, make sure they are writing down their minutes! The Rams Reading Challenge will end on November 7th!

We are competing against 11 schools, and the one with the most minutes read and logged will win....drum roll please...4 FREE TICKETS TO DISNEYLAND FOR EACH STUDENT IN GRADES 1st - 3rd!!! SO, if you have a child in 1st, 2nd or 3rd grade, let them read as much as they want and be sure to log those minutes!! Let's with this!!!

Before the Assembly on Friday on 10/25 come stop by the Dolphin Cafe where our 4 & 5th grade baristas will serve up coffee, and hot chocolate!. Glazed donuts and limited quantities of Donutful and Abe’s will be available too!

Get ready for the most exciting event of the year! Our Annual Fall Festival will be on Saturday, October 26 from 4-7 PM at the school!

Join us for a day filled with fun and festivities! Here’s what we have in store for you:

Petting Zoo

Food Trucks

Live DJ

Costume Contest

Haunted House

Balloon Artistry

Face Painting

Photo Booth

Crafts

Carnival Games …and so much more!

Tickets are on sale now, purchase using this link! Don’t miss your chance to be part of the biggest and most fun event of the year! Bring your friends and get ready for an unforgettable

night!

Also, consider signing up to help set up and/or tear down the event. It takes many hands to pull off this event, your help is much appreciated. Sign up for a spot using this link

Our library does so much for our students—hosting incredible events, providing a cozy space to gather, and inspiring a love for reading. But all of this can’t happen without the help of our amazing community. Here are two ways you can support:

1. Help Us Clear the Library’s Wishlist: Every little contribution goes a long way in providing resources to keep our library thriving! (AMAZON LINK)

2.Join the NEW Library Committee: Organize Fundraisers

Recruit & Manage Volunteers

Advocate for Resources

Grant Writing

Promote Library Usage

(SIGN UP HERE)

Your involvement, big or small, makes all the difference! Let’s work together to keep our library vibrant and enriching for all students.

Join us at our next community meeting, Thursday, November 14th, 6-7pm. This will be a virtual meeting. A link will be sent out closer to the meeting date.

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! We have a new Short Ave Fall merch drop coming next week...Just in time for Fall Festiva - stay tunedl!! Don't forget to rock your Spirit wear with pride on Spirit Wear Fridays!

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

Discover Marina del Rey Middle School
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!

LAUSD Family Academy for October:

Please see the flyers below.

November Holiday Camps, for 11/11 (Veteran's Day) and Thanksgiving Week:

reDiscover Center has both 11/11 and Thanksgiving Camp

Euro Soccer has both 11/11 and Thanksgiving Camp

Let's Play LA has Thanksgiving Camp

Prime Time has Thanksgiving Camp

Got Game is having Both 11/11 Camp and Thanksgiving Camp:

• Got Game Registration can be found HERE!
• Got Game 11/11 info is HERE!
• Got Game Thanksgiving Camp info is HERE!

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

The Shake Shack Restaurant Night Flyer, A Happy Indigenous People's Day Post, Corners of the Classrooms, A FoSA Meeting Reminder, a photo from Shake Shack, pics from The Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill, the 5th grade/Astro Camp, snack sale flyer, and photos from the 3rd graders Charlie and the Chocolate Factory's celebration!

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. 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!

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