The Weekly Roar is long, so my message will be short. Thank you to the students, staff, and families for your continued dedication to creating the safest schooling for our children. I feel grateful to lead such a caring, loyal community. Enjoy your weekend.
In this newsletter:
- Around the School
- Counselor Corner
- Handbook Highlight
- School Meal Information
- Community & Afterschool Opportunities
- Our Calendar
Stay PAWSitive!
Dr. Becky Godbey & Ms. Brenda Selva
Our PTA website https://laballonapta.org/
Our facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laballonaelementary
Twitter https://twitter.com/LaBallona
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/laballonaelementaryschool/
Pictured: Where else but Southern California do you have classroom teachers with surfboards? Mr. Biagiotti models to his students how important it is to practice self care.
Vocal Music Updates from Ms. Gallagher
TK/K/1/2 Vocal Music:
Vocal music at La Ballona has started off wonderfully this year! If your student is in TK or Kindergarten they have vocal music every Thursday with Mrs. Gallagher. 1st and 2nd graders have music every other Thursday. We have been having so much fun singing, dancing, and moving to music together!
If you are in TK or Kindergarten, please ask your student for their "Ask Me" sheet that was handed out to them in music class. You can ask them to sing Oh My, No More Pie, Hop, Ol' Squirrel, and Frog in the Meadow. Additionally, you can ask them to dance our Celia Cruz dance, "La Vida Es Un Carnival"
If your student is in 1st grade, ask your student to sing Oh My, No More Pie, Blackbird, Blackbird, and Pass the Pumpkin. 2nd graders can sing our "Hello Song" in 6 languages and can teach you the game "Zapatito Blanco". You can also ask your student to tell you about our friend Armando the Avocado and demonstrate what their head voice is!
If you have any questions about the vocal music program, feel free to reach out directly to Mrs. Gallagher at: kimberlygallagher@ccusd.org
We hope you are having fun listening to your students' wonderful singing voices!
Halloween Event at La Ballona Oct. 31, 2022
Halloween Parade 9:00
We will be holding our annual costume parade on Monday, 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:
Amended: 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.
Directions for Parents
Families are welcome to come to watch our parade on campus.
We will section off areas for parents to stand.
All parents may enter through the Back Gate 1.
At what age should kids get a cell phone
An article from EdWeekly:
Children are getting cellphones at younger and younger ages.
That’s according to a report from Common Sense Media based on data from its 2015 and 2021 surveys on children’s cellphone and social media use. The research and advocacy organization found that the proportion of 8-, 9-, and 10-year-olds with smartphones nearly doubled in those years. But the majority of parents give their children a cellphone around the ages of 12 and 13. The percentage of 12-year-olds owning a cellphone has leaped from 41 percent in 2015 to 71 percent in 2021.
Does that mean that 12-13 is right age for children to own cellphones? Some pediatricians said they are agnostic on that point.
“As a pediatrician, I don’t recommend one specific age [since] I think much of it depends on the reason for the need for the cellphone,” said Dr. Nusheen Ameenuddin, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Mayo Clinic, and the chairperson of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media.
According to Ameenuddin, if the reason for providing children with a cellphone is safety, then it is advised to give them one with fewer features, just enough to connect in case of an emergency.
“You can also disable certain features of smartphones with certain plans, so that’s something I would encourage parents to look into and take advantage of so that a cellphone is not an all-access pass for a child who might need some boundaries in place,” she said.
The pediatrics academy recommends “parents and caregivers develop a plan that takes into account the health, education, and entertainment needs of each individual child as well as the whole family.” It provides a customizable family media plan on its official website for families to follow together, which the family can revise as needed.
According to the report, The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Teens and Tweens, released in 2021, 8- to- 12-year-olds use about five and a half hours of screen media everyday while 13- to-18-year-olds use about eight and a half hours. Social media use has increased in 8- to- 12-year-olds, from 31 percent in 2019 to 38 percent in 2021, and almost 1 in 5 tweens say they use social media every day. A Flourish chart
“Kids who have increased screen time, which is now something that smartphones can provide, [that] can affect sleep, mood, and academic performance, especially if they are using the time to compare their lives to what they see online and feeling less than adequate as a result,” Ameenuddin said.
According to Mike Robb, Common Sense Media’s senior director of research, “when we look at the effects of media and technology, it oftentimes has as much, if not even more, to do with what [kids] are doing with that time.”
“So if you are, for example, on social media, and you’re exposed to content that promotes negative body comparisons, or cyberbullying, or hate speech; that can have negative impacts on your mental health. Conversely, those kids who are using social media to connect with their friends and be artistic and creative ... are more likely to say that social media is having a positive effect on their mental health,” he said.
Experts say that while technology can have some positive impact on children through the use of educational apps or by providing ways to stay connected in times of limited face-to-face interaction, there isn’t enough evidence of benefits for development related to screen time or apps.
“There is far more evidence that shows that passive consumption of media, including so-called educational media, can actually have the opposite effect on development for very young children,” Ameenuddin said.
According to experts at Common Sense Media, it is unlikely that media use is going to go down, which is why it is imperative to ensure both a high-quality and a safe media experience for children.
“I think it’s really on parents, schools, and other stakeholders in kids’ lives, to help children learn how to use the technology responsibly and safely,” Robb said.
At the end of the day, pediatricians say that waiting until 13 to give children cellphones is a good rule to follow as a general guideline, but since “parents know their children and their level of maturity and ability to handle a cellphone the best ... that takes precedence over general recommendations,” according to Ameenuddin.
La Ballona's Recommendation: A cell phone is a perfect gift for your child's 5th grade graduation.
LA County Library Bookmark Contest 2022
Culver City Julian Dixon Library would like to invite La Ballona students to participate in LA County Library’s 43rd Annual Bookmark Contest, an annual program that encourages a love of books and reading while also promoting creativity, artistic expression, and community engagement. Students will have the chance to see their bookmark designs featured at their local library and throughout Los Angeles County. Participants compete in the following age categories:
• Kindergarten – Grade 2
• Grade 3 – Grade 5
• Grade 6 – Grade 8
• Grade 9 – Grade 12
Completed entry forms can be dropped off at individual library locations, sent in by mail, or submitted digitally via a link on the Library’s website. The deadline for entry is October 29, 2022.
The winning bookmarks from each library will be shared with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, who will select winners that reside in their District from each category. Winners selected by the Board of Supervisors will be recognized by the Board in the spring of 2023.
The pdf Entry form is below
Bidding for Good Silent Auction
www.biddingforgood.com/laballona
Our 2nd largest fundraiser of the year has now opened! An exciting year for La Ballona Elementary School with much to celebrate! It is from Oct 21 ~ Nov 6, 2022
New Items arriving DAILY so check often!
Get ready to bid bid bid!
ALL FUNDS GO STRAIGHT BACK TO OUR SCHOOL
We can still receive items up until Nov 5th.
Looking for specialty’s like Gift cards, personal services, restaurants, Hotels, handyman, art, etc.
Join the PTA!
School has now started and so does our PTA membership drive! Joining the PTA is a great way to get involved and show your support for La Ballona students. Membership dues are just $8 per person and all dues-paying members can vote at PTA meetings, which are held the first Thursday of each month. Member dues are used for programs, resources, and activities that benefit our students. Click below on the link to pay your membership today, thank you so much for your support
Sign up with TOTEM: https://jointotem.com/ca/culver-city/la-ballona-elem/join/register
Sign up with Squareup: https://la-ballona-elementary-pta.square.site/s/shop
Please join our DEI Committee meeting:
6:30pm - 7:30pm
(Meeting ID:898 5866 8508 Passcode:lions)
Contact:Candice or Ti to get involved
Email:ladycjbaker@gmail.com-or-nghhuo@gmail.com
The Tri-City SELPA will be hosting a 3-part parent training and support series on navigating the IEP process!
This Week at La Ballona (One-time events in italics)
Monday, October 24
- PTA Board Meeting, 9am
- PTA Enrichment Tennis, 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Tuesday, October 25
- Picture Make-Up Day
- School Board Meeting,, 6pm
- School Council Meeting, 3:30 (See info above)
- PTA Enrichment Class Chess, 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Wednesday, October 26
- Early Dismissal Every Wednesday at 1:45
- PTA Enrichment Class Tennis, Group A 1:45 pm - 2:45 pm and Group B 2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
- PTA Enrichment Class Garden Club 1:45pm - 2:45 pm
- PTA Enrichment Class 24th Street Theater 1:45-3:15
Thursday, October 27
- Library Closed
- Vocal Music Classes K-2
- Choir, 8:00
- Young Storytellers, 5th Grade
Friday, October 28
- Tea with the Counselor Antibullying Parent Session, 9:00 (English)
- Té con la Consejera, 10am "Prevención del Acoso Escolar" en Español
- Symphonic Jazz Orchestra Lessons, 5th Grade
La Ballona Elementary School
Culver City, CA 90232
Email: erikaarredondo@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
