August 24, 2024
Dear McKinley Families,
I hope all of your kids had a great first two days at school! I know I did! It was so wonderful to see our students - a little bit taller, a lot more confident and feeling right at home. I had the pleasure of helping with drop-off at the TK/K gate on the first day, and I’m happy to report that our newest Lion Cubs made it through the gate on time, with very little hesitation! Despite the changes brought on by construction, our campus felt calm, collected, and content as we kicked off the new year.
Thank you to all who helped make this transition as smooth as possible. To those who walked, biked, or scooted to school, thank you for reducing traffic congestion and contributing to a healthier planet! And to those who drove and followed our new drop-off protocols, thank you for your kindness and patience. You turned what could have been a challenging process into something that felt second-nature by the second day of school. Your efforts are part of wider efforts by the City of Santa Monica to keep our students safe and sound as they arrive to school!
A special thank you to Rebecca Russell, our VP of Hospitality, who coordinated with Starbucks to provide coffee and treats to McKinley families on the first day of school. That was such a lovely way to start the year! She also organized our staff breakfast on 8/21 which put an extra pep in our staff's step as we prepared for the first day of school. Also, thank you to PTA Financial Secretary, Carra Jost who wears many hats, including bulletin board artist! Thank you for creating such welcoming bulletins for our students and families that touch on our themes for the year! If any parents or caregivers are wondering if they too can become a bulletin board artist, the answer is yes! We have many bulletin boards that could use some TLC! Please reach out to me to let me know if you're interested in helping!
If you haven't already, please join our PTA! You'll find a sign up link below. There are so many benefits to being an active participant in your child's education, the most important of which is that students whose families participate in their school do better academically and social-emotionally! In addition, I encourage you to attend a Volunteer Training on 8/27 or 9/3 before Back to School Night which allows you to volunteer in your child's classroom and chaperone field trips. Volunteers need only attend a training and complete the volunteer process every four years. As a working parent, I know it’s tough to balance it all, so please know we appreciate any support you can give and feel lucky to have you as part of our community in whatever way you can contribute. GO LIONS!
In partnership,
Dr. Daniela Wiener (Dr. DW)
Principal, McKinley Elementary
The annual First Day Packet is now online in the Aeries Parent Portal. The portal is also called the "Data Confirmation System." 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. Note: You must complete data confirmation for each student.
Click here for a visual guide for how to login to the parent portal
Click here for directions for how to login and view attendance
Click here for directions for how to login and view test scores
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,
It is important that all students attend school on time every day! Whether the absence is excused or unexcused It means your child is missing important classroom learning time. Absenteeism in the first month of school can predict poor attendance throughout the school year. Half the students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school, which translates into poorer outcomes.
How to Report an Absence
If your child is absent, please email mckinley-absence@smmusd.org or call the absence line (not the teacher) at 310-828-5011 ext. 65121 and leave a message stating:
- Student Name
- Teacher Name
- Date of Absence
- Reason for Absence (be specific and detailed)
- Parent Name
Independent Study
If a student is going to be absent for 3+ consecutive days, they might qualify for IS. Read more here: Independent Study Fact Sheet
Attendance Tips
- Notify the office within 72 hours to report your child's absence and the reason they were not in school.
- Illness, bereavement, and court hearings are the only reason for an "Excused" absence.
- Make sure your students keep a regular bedtime and establish a morning routine.
- Turn off all electronics including TVs, phones, and tablets at bedtime.
- Make sure clothes and pack backpacks are ready the night before.
- Check with our school nurse or office staff if you are not sure about when to keep your child at home due to illness.
- Avoid scheduling vacations or doctor’s appointments when school is in session.
- Talk to teachers and counselors for advice if your student feels anxious about going to school.
- Develop backup plans for getting to school if something comes up. Call on a family member, neighbor, or another parent to take your student to school.
Please let us know how we can best support you and your student so that they can show up for school on time every day.
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.
Student Drop-Off Procedures
This year students has 3 gates to enter our school:
1. Arizona Gate: This gate is open from 8:00-8:30 and is 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 is 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 is utilized by TK/K students who walk, bike or scoot to school as well as by those who arrive in car. We have a car-drop off system on Chelsea Avenue, like the one on Arizona Avenue.
Walkers/Bikers/Scooters
Please consider walking, biking and scooting to school this year! McKinley is a neighborhood school and walking to school not only helps ease some of the potential traffic congestion caused by construction, but also helps 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. Bike it, Walk it all year at McKinley!
- 26th/SM Blvd
- 17th/Arizona
- 23rd/Broadway
- Arizona/Yale
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 use the coded Parking Lot Gate. You 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 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
Pick Up Procedures
This year students 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 dismisses from in front of the Preschool Building. Each teacher stands beside a sandwich board with their class name on it so families can easily find their child. Teachers are accompanied by their Instructional Assistant to ensure maximum supervision.
- Kindergarten dismisses 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 use the coded Parking Lot Gate. You can receive this code from your childcare provider.
This Week
- 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
Upcoming Dates
- September 2: No School (Labor Day)
- September 3: 4th/5th Grade Music Begins (1x per week until 9/17)
- 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 5: Fire Drill, 11 AM
September 5: Behavior Expectations Assemblies
September 6: Room Parent Meeting, 9 AM (Zoom)
September 6: TK-2 Music Begins
September 6: Back-to-School Picnic, 4-6 PM/SSC Parent Elections
September 10: 3rd Grade Music Begins
September 11: PTA Executive Board Meeting, 6-7:30 (Zoom)
September 12: School Smarts Workshop Series #1, 9 AM (Library) - TENTATIVE
September 13: ELAC Meeting, 9 AM (Library)
