PBL Weekly Blast

Thank you to all the parents/ families, and students who joined us for the SAMO Experience+Open House last Thursday. It was a wonderful opportunity to revisit some of the interdisciplinary projects from the fall and preview the exciting grade-level projects students will be diving into later this year. We also loved connecting with incoming freshmen and their families to share more about what it means to be part of our PBL Pathway.

A huge highlight of the evening was our PBL Student Leaders, who truly stole the show. They spoke with confidence and enthusiasm about their learning, projects, and experiences, serving as powerful ambassadors for our community. While all of our teachers and staff went the extra mile to prepare for the event including supporting students with collective reflections, we owe the layout and flow of the exhibition to John Serge.

Be sure to watch the 1 minute video created for the evening to capture the energy and vibe of the PBL Pathway. Special shout-out to Levi B. for filming, and Ryan M. for supporting the video creation.

In addition to our evening event, last week was full of hands-on learning and creative energy across grade levels. Our 9th grade students kicked off their Physics Playground Project with a Leaving to Learn experience at Tongva Park. Meanwhile, both 9th and 10th graders spent time in the i-studio thoughtfully engaged in their interdisciplinary English and Social Science project focused on memorials. Students are designing and building meaningful memorials that reflect both academic learning and personal voice. Be on the lookout for your invitation to the exhibition of these memorials later this month!

Hey Vikings! ASB is hosting Spirit Week beginning this Monday, and we can’t do it without you! Please check out our Spirit Days, leading up to our indoor Winter Rally this Friday. Here’s our Spirit wear lineup…

Monday through Thursday is our regular schedule. Friday is the Winter Pep Rally so read the schedule closely on this day.

Want to join the mailing list for the AAPSSSG to learn about monthly General Meetings and other events? Please fill out this form!

Your generous contributions and donations are always appreciated. Check out our donation wishlist below.

The Directing Change Film Contest is for young people ages 12 to 25 that want to combine creative expression with making a difference in their communities by creating stories about mental health, suicide prevention, substance use, and other topics that matter.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MARCH 1

GET STARTED

We are excited to announce that the 3rd Annual Gen Z Wellness Summit will be held on Sunday, March 8th at UCLA. For our special friends who attended and supported last year's summit, we are offering early registration for you and your students!

Get ready for a full day of inspiration, connection, and hands-on experiences! Featuring voices from our very own Teen Advisory Council. Explore workshops and activities that celebrate wellness, curiosity, and being your best self.

REGISTER HERE.

The Los Angeles Pediatric Society (LAPS), a non-profit, would like to invite current 11th and 12 grade students interested in the medical field to apply for the Eve and Gene Black summer medical intern program. LAPS works with various hospitals for a limited number of students to experience the in-person program in the hospitals. We also have two 2-week online sessions in July from 10:00am-12:00pm Monday-Thursday where the students will get to meet and listen to a wide variety of medical professionals explain their careers and how they got to where they are now. There isn't a charge to apply for either of the programs.

Deadline to apply is Friday February 13, 2026 at midnight

Learn More HERE.

Camp Indigo - a summer day camp for transgender and non-binary kids - is opening a location in Long Beach, and we would love your help spreading the word far and wide.

Important Notes:

• We’re a camp for trans youth ages 5-17 (with separate programming for the teen cohort)

• We offer unlimited scholarships. There are no applications needed, just use the discount codes on the website

• Camp runs 9am - 3pm

• We anticipate hosting about 75 trans and non-binary youth at our Long Beach site

• We’re hiring! Applications open in January for PAID summer jobs

• Camp Indigo is trans-led, has been in operation for over a decade, and also runs programs in Oakland, Austin, Minneapolis, Boulder, and Columbus!

The application period for Camp Cinder 2026 is open from 12/01/2025 to 01/31/2026. Camp Cinder 2026, CAL FIRE’s free firefighting camp for young women, will take place from June 22nd to June 25th in Redding and June 29th to July 2nd in San Luis Obispo, California.

The mission of Camp Cinder is to provide young women a safe, dynamic, interactive and challenging environment to gain strength, knowledge, and confidence in their ability to excel in the profession of firefighting and beyond. Upon completing the camp, young women will leave with a sense of empowerment and the confidence that they can succeed in any career they choose.

For more info, click HERE.

Need help with your classes? Come to the library at lunch or after school! Monday through Friday Samohi Peer Tutoring offers tutoring to anyone from tutors who are current Samohi students. Tutoring is offered in all subjects and in all levels of courses. Follow the instagram @samohipeertutoring for more specific information(tutors, the subjects they tutor, what days they tutor).

Teachers are available to support students after school in the library!

Mondays- Spanish

Tuesdays- Research

Wednesday- English

Thursday- Chemistry

They are in the library Monday through Thursday 3:30-5 pm.

https://app.smore.com/n/a6pjmy-college-career-center-newsletter

THE COLLEGE and CAREER CENTER provides resources to all Samohi students as they plan for their post-Samohi plans. In addition to SchooLinks, college, career, military and gap year publications are available for student research. Secondary school reports, letters of recommendations, and testing materials are handled by the College/Career Counselors. The College Fair, Samohi Scholarship Program, SAT & ACT, FAFSA/CADAA, CSS Profiles and college, career and military representative visits are all part of the service.

Students are welcome to come in before school, during lunch and after school to research specific colleges and financial aid opportunities - but you need an appointment to meet with one of the College/Career Counselors. Please note that college/career planning meetings are reserved for Seniors only during the fall, and Seniors and Juniors during the spring. Seniors/Juniors, to schedule a meeting with your College/Career Counselor, please click on their "calendly" link to access his/her availability.

Scholarship Opportunities

• Horatio Alger Association Scholarship Program - due Mar. 1, 2026, 12pm EST

• Foundation for Fraternal Excellence Men's College Scholarship - due Apr. 1, 2026, 11:59pm EST

Margaret’s Place in E117.

Email LDeSanto@smmusd.org with any questions!

To report a student’s absence, please send an email to:

AttendancePBL@smmusd.org

or call Crystal Griffis at 310.395.3204 ext. 71-177

Please include your student’s first and last names, student ID numbers, and the reason they are absent (illness, family matter, medical or dental appointment, etc.).

• Questions about attendance procedures, please go to our website: https://www.smmusd.org/domain/3026

Super Saturday is an opportunity for students to sign up and attend school Saturday mornings to help clear their absences. Students are expected to bring homework and Chromebook to complete their necessary assignments and/or study for classes. SIGN UP LINK