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Dear La Ballona Families!
Next week we begin with two holidays that our school community celebrate, Halloween and Día de los Muertos! We will be holding our annual costume parade on Thursday, October 31st, at 9 a.m. Students will walk a large loop around our playground. Students are invited to wear a costume, but if they choose not to, they will still be able to participate in the parade. Any student not wishing to wear a costume and not wishing to participate in the parade will be in the Cafeteria. Parents are allowed on campus. If you are planning on parking close to the school, please leave early for school. Parking will be a Halloween Nightmare on Thursday morning! We encourage our families to walk to school on Thursday morning.
Día de los Muertos begins on November 1 thru November 2nd. What is Día De Los Muertos? Day of the Dead is a celebration in Mexico and some other Latin American countries. It’s a special day to honor and remember family members (and pets) who have passed away. It is an entirely different holiday than Halloween and is celebrated on November 1st and 2nd. Building an ofrenda, a homemade altar, is a cherished ritual. Many families place all the things their loved ones enjoyed, in preparation for their return. You may see items like marigold flowers, candles, photos, pan dulce, sugar skulls, skeletons, and other items placed as an offering to loved ones to honor their memories. Some of our classrooms have begun to decorate for Día de los Muertos and we'll be adding pictures of various alters in the Weekly Roar, the next two weeks.
Mark your calendars as our Fall Festival will be on Saturday, November 2nd from 10am to 3pm and this year's theme is, Día De Los Muertos. Come join us and enjoy food, games, music and so much more!
Stay PAWSitive!
Dr. Becky Godbey, Principal
Ms. Brenda Selva, Assistant Principal
Our school website https://laballona.ccusd.org/
Our PTA website https://laballonapta.org/
Our facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laballonaelementary
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/laballonaelementaryschool/
Pathway to Biliteracy Award Program
Culver City Unified School District is proud to honor and celebrate students' multilingualism and multiliterate identities through the Pathway to Biliteracy Award Program. The Pathway to Biliteracy Award Program allows 5th and 8th grade students to demonstrate proficiency in English and in another language. Students must be able to read, write, speak, and understand the second language to be able to participate in the program. Click here for the informational video about CCUSD's Pathway to Biliteracy Award Program. Click here for slides used in the video.
To be added to the 5th grade Google Classroom, please click here:
Culver City Unified School District Pathway to Biliteracy Awards
Beginning in the 2011-12 school year, The State of California introduced the “Pathway to Biliteracy” and the “Seal of Biliteracy” awards. These awards are given as recognition for students who have demonstrated achievement in two or more languages.
Pathway to Biliteracy Awards (for 5th and 8th grade students):
Pathway to Biliteracy awards honor students who, by the end of 5th and/or 8th grade, have demonstrated a commitment to becoming biliterate and who have reached a certain degree of proficiency in both English and another language.
Pathway to Biliteracy Intent to Participate Form Submission Deadline: January 5,2025
All reading assignments and cultural criteria must be completed and submitted:
April 14, 2025
Writing Prompt Administered:
5th grade: By mid/end of April
Students will receive the Pathway to Biliteracy Ribbon at the 5th Grade Promotion or at the 8th Grade Awards Ceremony.
Application Deadline: January 5, 2025
Deadline to Submit Materials: Wednesday, April 14, 2025.
Please submit all documents to the Pathway to Biliteracy Google Classroom.
If you have any questions/clarifications please email pathwaytobiliteracy@ccusd.org.
October's Book of the Month
Abuelita and Me/ Abuelita y yo by Leonarda Carranza Story
Read Aloud (English and Spanish)
Spending time at home with Abuelita means pancakes, puddle-jumping, and nail-painting. But venturing out into the city is not always as fun. On the bus and at the grocery store, people are impatient and suspicious—sometimes they even yell. Sad, angry, and scared, the story’s young narrator decides not to leave home again...until a moment of empowerment helps her see the strength she and Abuelita share when they face the world together. Warm, expressive illustrations by Rafael Mayani highlight the tenderness in Abuelita and the narrator’s relationship.
Selected Resources:Guiding Questions:
Ask students if they have different names for their grandparents. (You can also use this as an opportunity to discuss the different languages spoken by students and their families at home)
What emotions does the illustrator portray throughout the story?
Reread the story, but this time, ask students to point out the moments where Abuelita and the narrator are experiencing racism and microaggressions. (Not only are the people who are supposed to be helping impatient and cruel but all of the bystanders quietly look away leaving the little girl and her Abuelita on their own, sad and frightened).
Ask students what they can do if they are being treated unfairly or if they witness someone else being treated that way (e.g., asking parents/relatives or a trusted adult for help). Emphasize that regardless of our race or the language we speak, we should all be treated with kindness and respect.
Additional Book: Drawn Together by Minh Lê
Halloween Parade 9:00
We will be holding our annual costume parade on Thursday, October 31st, at 9 a.m. Students will walk a large loop around our playground. Students are invited to wear a costume, but if they choose not to, they will still be able to participate in the parade. Any student not wishing to wear a costume and not wishing to participate in the parade will have the opportunity to listen to a story in the library for a special story time. Parents are allowed on campus (Parent directions below).
Costume guidelines:
No Costume masks may be worn to and during school. If your child can see out of it, they can wear it during the parade only.
No face make-up
Students must show respect for other students by not choosing costumes that are insensitive and/or offensive to the diverse background represented by La Ballona students and families.
Students must show respect to other students by not touching, defacing or insulting other students' costumes.
No weapons of any kind. (No fake guns, swords, knives, etc.)
No fake blood or other substances allowed.
Students will be allowed to wear wigs, hats and accessories during the parade, but must be removed if causing a distraction during class time.
After the parade, it will be a regular instructional day. Your child may stay in their costume IF the costume is easy to sit and learn in. If the costume impedes school learning, please bring a change of clothes for the school day.
Hello,
We still have flu shots available for any staff, student, or community member and family who is interested. They are available in the middle/high school health office anytime between 7:30am and 3:45pm (Wednesdays 7:30am-2:15pm). Flu consent forms are available upon arrival. Feel free to bring your family! We will have enough until winter break in December.
Supporting Children During and After the Election
The outcome of the presidential election will spark emotions, reactions, and opinions. Many children will be worried and scared. To help children feel safe and understood you can try some of these tips:
Listen to their concerns. Some children may be dealing with difficult emotions. Without making assumptions, make sure you understand what is concerning them and let them know you are available to talk through these feelings.
Engage in age-appropriate conversations about the election. Answer their questions honestly and encourage them to think critically about the issues.
Let them know they are safe. Let kids know that bullying and bigotry of any kind aimed at any child are not tolerated at school and in our community.
Remind them democracy means we won’t all agree. Help kids understand that just like a family, a sports team or a classroom, we won’t always agree with one another, but we can choose to be good sports and respect each other’s diverse opinions (unless those opinions are rooted in hatred and bigotry), knowing that we are stronger together.
Remind them that their voice and opinion matter, but that they should be respectful of others who may have different views.
Foster inclusion, as we make sure all children feel that they are part of a welcoming and supportive school community.
Encourage kindness. Remind children that we are all responsible for our own actions. Brainstorm ways that we can be kind to one another and encourage kids to put these ideas into action every day.
Challenge them to be socially responsible. Help children discover social issues that ignite their passion. Consider ways that they can volunteer or raise awareness to help address issues in their community.
Encourage them to follow reputable news sources and fact-check information they encounter online or through social media.
Ensure safety for our children, paying particular care to those who are experiencing post-election trauma or are in a position to be targeted based on the results.
Model healthy emotional regulation strategies like grounding, deep breathing, and mindfulness.
You can find more tips and resources here
What is the California Healthy Kids Survey (CHKS)? Parent involvement is a Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) State priority. This short survey provides a means to confidentially obtain:
- parent perceptions about the school's learning environment;
- school climate;
- student supports; and
- parent outreach and involvement efforts (e.g., how welcoming, communicative).
It also provides data on the scope and nature of parent involvement at the school (relationships, activities) and in the child's education in general.
CSPS identifies which needs and concerns of parents schools should address in promoting greater involvement. Asking parents to provide their perceptions of the school is an empowering parent-involvement activity.
We appreciate our families for taking time to complete this survey each year. Deadline to complete is October 31st. Here's the survey link.
This Week at La Ballona
Monday, October 28
- 1st Grade Field Trip to the Fire Department
- Ruby Bridges Walk to School Art & Essay Contest Submissions Due
- PTA Board Meeting, 6:30pm
Tuesday, October 29
- School Site Council Meeting, 1:30pm
- Green Committee Meeting (Online), 8pm
Wednesday, October 30
- Choir, 8am in Room 4
- Music/Instrumental Class
- Early Dismissal at 1:45pm
- Fall Music Carnival, 6pm & Concert, 7pm
Thursday, October 31
- Halloween Parade, 9am
- STAR NOVA Session 1 ends
Friday, November 1
- Pupil Free Day ~Staff In-service Day-No School
Saturday, November 2
- Fall Festival, 10am
- Bidding for Good (Online) Auction begins
Sunday, November 3
- Daylight Savings Time Ends
La Ballona Elementary School
Culver City, CA 90232
Email: rosyreyes@ccusd.org
Website: www.laballona.ccusd.org
Location: La Ballona Elementary School, Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, USA
Phone: 3108424334
Facebook: facebook.com/laballonaelementary
Twitter: @LaBallona