Will Rogers Roundup

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Hispanic/Latino Heritage Month, celebrated from September 15 through October 15, recognizes the histories, cultures, achievements, and lasting contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans. The 2026 theme, “Unidos, somos más. Together, we are more,” celebrates the strength of community and connection while honoring the diversity of identities, cultures, languages, traditions, and experiences within Hispanic and Latino communities. The month provides opportunities to explore the histories, perspectives, experiences, and contributions of Hispanic and Latino communities throughout the United States, including California and our own communities, to highlight their diversity, complexity, and influence across civil rights and social justice, government, education, labor, the arts, literature, science, and popular culture.

It is going to be a hot week! Please be sure to remind your children to stay hydrated throughout the day and to bring their refillable water bottles to school each day.

We will closely monitor the weather and make daily decisions about whether to hold lunchtime and PE indoors in our air-conditioned auditorium to help keep everyone cool and comfortable.

Thank you for helping us keep our students safe, healthy, and hydrated!

Mon. 10/5 Volunteer Training 8:30am & 3:00pm in library, 6:00pm in cafeteria

Tues. 10/6 TK Jules Stein eye screening 8:30-11:30

Tues. 10/6 Special Education Parent Workshop 6:00pm on Zoom Flyer Volante

Wed. 10/7 SMFD Fire Truck Visits for SMEF Pledge Week 8:00-8:30am on 14th street

Wed. 10/7 PTA General Meeting in library at 8:30am

Wed. 10/7 All Peacemaker Meeting 1:15-2:15 in auditorium

Wed. 10/7 State of Our Schools Address by Dr. Shelton 5:00 p.m. ( see flyer below)

Fri. 10/9 Bike it! Walk it! Day 7:45-8:30am Block party on 16th street with JAMS!

Fri 10/9 Reflections PTA art event @5:30 p.m. in auditorium

Thurs. 10/15 CA Great Shakeout Drill @ 10:15am

Fri. 10/16 Fall Movie Night Star Party

• Gates open 6:00pm

• Event 6:30pm

Mon. 10/19 Prospective Families School Tour 9:00-10:15am

Thurs. 10/22 ELAC Meeting in library at 8:30am

Fri. 10/23 School-wide Assembly/IB Awards (Reflective) 8:30am on track/field

Fri. 10/23 Farm Fall Festival in Regenerative Farm 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Mon. 10/26 Ofrenda for Student Viewing in auditorium (10/26-10/30)

Thurs. 10/29 Dia de los Muertos Family Night 5:30-7:00 in auditorium

Fri. 10/30 Halloween Costume Parade 8:40-9:30 on track/field

SMMUSD Calendar 2026-2027

WRLC PTA Calendar

How Does It Work?

It is as easy as 1, 2, 3:

1. Pick your passion: Choose from Dance, Film, Writing, Music, Photography, or Visual Arts (like painting, drawing, or sculpting). Here you can find the guidelines for each category.
2. Create your masterpiece: Make something brand new that shows exactly what the theme means to you.
3. Submit it by October 16th:
   • Online: Submit all forms for visual and digital categories by October 16th. Student submission form
   • In Person: Bring your physical, printed materials (like paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photographs) straight to the school.

Why Should YOU Enter?

• Your Voice Matters: This is your chance to show the world who you are, what you care about, and what makes your culture special.
• No Limits: You don't have to be a professional artist—judges care most about how creatively you share your unique ideas!
• Big-Time Recognition: Imagine your art being celebrated not just by your classmates, but by people across the entire state and country! Winners can earn serious bragging rights, certificates, and national prizes.

Join Us for Reflections Art Night!

Need some inspiration or want to create your masterpiece with friends? Come to our Reflections Art Night on Friday, October 9th in the school cafetorium! Bring the whole family to hang out and create a unique art piece together. We will have awesome expert volunteers on hand to help your ideas come to life!

RSVP Here! Parents and teachers, let’s encourage our kids to dream big and start creating. Grab your paint brushes, cameras, notebooks, and dance shoes—we can't wait to see you on October 9th!

Classroom copies were provided to TK-2nd grade classrooms and all 3rd - 5th grade students!

Enjoy!

Bring your gently used costumes to school. We will hang them on a rack outside of the 14th street gates from now until Halloween!

Parent can access to score reports for CAASPP, ELPAC and Star are available to parents in the Aeries Parent Portal. Hard copy score reports are not mailed home. This video helps explain to students & parents/guardians on how to access their portals. You can also share this guide with parents on how to locate their Test Scores and State Test Scores Reports: Parent Portal (English) and Parent Portal (Spanish)

Our Partnership with SMC Dance Academy for fourth graders is underway!

Students who are REFLECTIVE know what are their strengths and areas for growth. They try to think about these things, and they make changes where they can. They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and consider their personal strengths and weaknesses in a constructive manner.

How can parents help to develop students who are reflective at home?

Have your child stop and think throughout the day about their behaviors. Assist him/her with focusing on the following prompts:

• Is what I'm doing appropriate? If so, explain why it is. If not, explain how it is not.

• How can I change my behavior? Have your child think of positive ways to make changes.

• Is the situation I am in a positive situation? If not, how can I make it a positive situation?

• Am I doing my best? Am I working my hardest?

Parents can model the above thinking process by talking aloud to themselves, ask and answer yourself these questions about things you are doing throughout your day. This way your child sees you working through the Reflection process, and can use your examples as their models to learn from.

* Model how to make mistakes, how to fail. And then, how to pick yourself up and dust yourself off. It's okay to make mistakes, making mistakes is part of learning. Being Reflective teaches us how to grow and learn from both mistakes and from positive experiences.

Stay connected and informed by reading our weekly PTA Wednesday newsletter, filled with information about upcoming school-wide events and fundraisers, important opportunities, advocacy alerts, PTA meeting announcements, and more. To sign up for email updates, contact communications@willrogerspta.com.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Sept. 29, 2026)- The Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) is partnering with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to support Fire Prevention Week. This year’s theme, “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower,” highlights the everyday habits that help keep homes and communities safe every time you plug in.

Many of the devices we rely on daily phones, tablets, laptops, power tools, toys, and even e-bikes and scooters use lithium-ion rechargeable batteries. These batteries store a large amount of energy in a compact space, but if they are damaged or charged improperly, they can overheat, malfunction, and in rare cases, cause fires or explosions.

“Daily charging choices can help prevent home fires,” said Fire Marshal Joe Cavin. “By following a few simple safety steps each time you charge a device, you can make a real difference.”

SMFD recommends residents follow these safety tips:

• Use the charger and cord made for your device or one approved by the manufacturer. Using the wrong charger can damage the battery and increase fire risk.
• Charge on a hard, flat, nonflammable surface. Avoid beds, couches, and under pillows. Soft surfaces can trap heat and restrict airflow, which may cause batteries to overheat.
• Stop using devices that show warning signs. If a device feels very hot, bulges or swells, smokes, or has a strange odor, discontinue use and seek assistance.
• Unplug once charging is complete. Don’t leave devices plugged in longer than needed—continued charging can increase heat and stress the battery.
• Charge larger battery-powered products outside and away from exits (including e-bikes, scooters, and power tools). These batteries store more energy, and if something goes wrong, the fire can spread quickly.
• When flying, keep devices where you can monitor them. Don’t charge over-seat or in overhead compartments. Do not charge e-cigarettes or vapes on an airplane.

To help residents learn more, SMFD will host a community event during Fire Prevention Week:

• Saturday, October 10, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. — Fire Station 1 Open House (1337 7th St.)
  Families can tour the station, meet firefighters, view fire engines up close, and learn

Grab your blankets and join us for our first Movie Night of the school year to watch Coco under the stars! It's a fun night for families to get together, watch a film, and stick around after for some epic stargazing with a powerful telescope!

This free event is open to all grades and families, with free popcorn and snacks available for purchase.

We hope to see you out under the stars!

Experience the amazing Samohi Orchestras at this year’s fall concert, Magic of Disney, on Saturday, October 10. Under the Direction of Jason Aiello and Emily Taylor, the Sinfonia, Intermezzo, Philharmonic, and Symphony Orchestras will perform pieces from Disney's popular movies.

Bring the whole family to hear these iconic melodies as movie clips are projected above stage! Concessions open at 3:00pm, with tacos and baked goods for sale. Dress as your favorite movie character and join in the costume parade prior to the show at 3:45pm. The concert begins at 4:00pm and will end early enough for even our littlest audience members to stay for the whole show. This event sells out, so buy your tickets now at www.samohi orchestras.org, $10 students/$20 adults.

Students are never permitted to use cell phones on campus. In the event of an emergency, the administration carry radios, teachers have cellphones and there is a school phone in every learning space. Under the advisement of our SMPD school resource officers, individual student cellphone use can actually hinder the delivery of important messaging necessary in a true emergency.

Other personal electronics from home, such as Nintendo Switches, iPads, Kindles etc. are not permitted on campus. If a student uses their cell phone during school hours, it will be confiscated and held until the end of the school day and must be picked up by a parent. In no event or circumstance, will the district or its staff be held responsible or liable for the loss, theft, or damage to any such device.

Please help us ensure that our students have an electronics free learning zone at school.

• School materials including books, homework, projects, etc.
• Re-fillable water bottle ( We have several refilling stations on campus)
• A morning snack
• Lunch is available to all students free of charge. You may also pack a lunch from home.
• Sunscreen (put on prior to arriving at school)
• Hat
• Layers of clothing (sweatshirt, windbreaker, etc.) Keep an eye on the weather.
• A growth mindset for a successful day!

Breakfast and lunch are free for all students! Make a plan with your child each week about the days they will be eating food prepared at school or bringing lunch from home.

MENU HERE

We encourage you to pack a snack for your children for morning recess.

Please send your child to school with a re-fillable water bottle! We have water stations located throughout campus.

The Weekend Bag Program (WeB) provides SMMUSD students with nutritious, easy-to- prepare bags of food containing 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 snacks for the weekends. The Weekend Bag Program is available to serve to all SMMUSD students. Student names are not identified to Weekend Bag Program volunteers to ensure participant privacy. Weekend Bags are packed by volunteers with enough shelf-stable food (including UHT milk) for breakfast, lunch and snacks for two days. Participating students pick up the opaque nondescript bags, usually from the school office after school on Fridays, and stick them in their backpacks. The menus have been evaluated by a dietitian to meet federal school nutrition standards and provide a balance of healthy, nutritious non-perishable foods. Families wishing to enroll their students should contact our school’s Bilingual Community Liaison, Nallely Gutierrez, n.gutierrez@smmusd.org or 310 828-0335 X61311 and fill out a Program opt-in form.

El Programa de Bolsas de Fin de Semana (WeB, por sus siglas en inglés) proporcionará a los estudiantes de SMMUSD bolsas de alimentos nutritivos y fáciles de preparar para los fines de semana. Los estudiantes participantes de WeB se identifican a través de un formulario de registro de interés o de Enlaces Comunitarios Bilingües (BCL, por sus siglas en inglés). Los nombres de los estudiantes no se compartirán con los voluntarios de WeB para garantizar la privacidad de los participantes. Los voluntarios llenan bolsas de plástico reutilizables con alimentos no perecederos (incluida la leche UHT) que contienen dos días de desayunos, almuerzos y refrigerios, y luego las llevan a la oficina de la escuela o al espacio de distribución designado. Los estudiantes participantes recogen las bolsas de alimentos y las colocan en sus mochilas. Un dietista ha evaluado los menús para garantizar que cumplan con los estándares federales de nutrición escolar y brinden un equilibrio adecuado de alimentos no perecederos, nutritivos y saludables. Las familias que deseen inscribir a sus estudiantes en el Programa de Bolsas de Fin de Semana deben comunicarse con Nallely Gutierrez, n.gutierrez@smmusd.org o al 310-828-0335, extensión 61311, y completar un formulario para inscribirse en el programa.

As an International Baccalaureate Programme School, we believe there is a broad range of capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success. We make a commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them. We do this through the development of students according to the IB learner profile. The profile aims to develop learners who are:

Inquirers

Knowledgeable

Thinkers

Communicators

Principled

Open-minded

Caring

Risk-takers

Balanced

Reflective

The IB Mission Statement

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Email: ldaruty@smmusd.org
Website: https://rogers.smmusd.org/

Location: 2401 14th street Santa Monica, CA 90405
Phone: 310-452-2364