Student Council Newspaper!
We are proud to publish the Student Council Newspaper! Read all about Will Rogers from the student perspective! Great job students!
ED FOUNDATON
Dr. Shelton, our Superintendent, reached out to Santa Monica families this week with an urgent plea for families to provide support to the Santa Monica Ed Foundation for Ed Foundation-funded staff and programs. As Will Rogers’ principal, I rely on the support of Ed Foundation and PTA donations, and of course the district, to run this school. Now is the time for us to come together, not just as a school, but as part of a larger community. Let’s remember how we came together for the Ed Foundation’s January Campaign, how we have shown up for our PTA fundraisers, and how we all came together during the pandemic by helping our neighbors in any way we could.
Although Ed Foundation funding for Instructional Assistants has been secured for next year, schools’ discretionary stretch grants and P.S. ARTS are at risk of having less funding or not being funded at all next year. Rogers uses its discretionary stretch grant funding to fund the Regenerative Farm and support our International Baccalaureate standing.
I want to once again acknowledge that Rogers rallied and did an incredible job getting participation up to 35% so far this year, meeting our school goal, and increasing from last year’s participation. It’s a testament to the dedication of Rogers’ Ed Foundation Committee, PTA partners and all of the volunteers who put in long hours to get the word out and celebrate the Rogers community coming together. And it’s a testament to all of the families that participated by making a donation or volunteering their time. I am very grateful to all of you.
These efforts did help us get closer to keeping the programs and staff our school holds dear. However, we are a unified district, where all paths lead to Samohi, so we are looking at this through a district-wide lens. The average dollar donation amount was lower than usual so the reality is the Ed Foundation didn’t receive as much monetary support as that number of donors would have historically brought in.
Let’s celebrate that awareness about the Ed Foundation has increased at Rogers, AND let’s keep helping the Ed Foundation secure additional monetary support. Please know that every school across the district is receiving and sending out the same message to their families. We are unified in our desire to give our children the best education possible.
Do you work for an employer that will match your donation? Are you able to connect the Ed Foundation to a prospective corporate donor? Are you able to help the Ed Foundation secure auction items for their upcoming Wine Auction? Is your family able to make an additional donation? There are so many ways to support, and I hope you can find one that works for you and your family.
Thank you for your continued commitment to help all students have the enriching education they deserve!
Please do not forget to send with your child every day:
- School materials including books, homework, projects, etc.
- Water bottle
- Snack and/or lunch (lunch available to all students free of charge for the 2023-24 school year.)
- 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!
Staff Parking Lots
Our parking lots on 14th Street, 16th Street and on the corner of 16th Street and Maple St. (next to the farm) are for staff only. These lots are not for parent drop off and/or pick up near arrival and dismissal time. Please help us ensure that our staff has a place to park each day they arrive to work. Parents and guardians may use neighborhood parking, please check the signs.
WRLC CONSTRUCTION UPDATES
Will Rogers Learning Community Early Education Building Project
Phase 1 of the Campus Plan
(March 10, 2024 Update)
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is excited to share that construction has commenced at Will Rogers Learning Community. This initiative will introduce seven state-of-the-art transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms, alongside a brand-new artificial turf multi-sports field. Additionally, the project encompasses the creation of outdoor natural learning areas adjacent to the new classrooms, as well as the installation of new basketball courts, handball walls, and various other amenities.
UPDATE: Construction commenced in December 2023, resulting in restricted access to the eastern segment of the outdoor play areas. Our team is diligently working on the development of a new multi-sport turf playing field, slated to be completed by 2024, exclusively for school use. We appreciate your patience and cooperation throughout the construction period.
Current Construction:
Continual downpours have hindered work progress, but with the resurgence of sunny skies, the contractor has recommenced operations to clear the asphalt from the play area and basketball courts. This task is slated for completion by the end of the week. Following this, excavation and removal of soil from the grass field will commence to prepare space for the foundations of the new building. These initial steps are crucial in laying the groundwork for the forthcoming artificial turf field and establishing the foundations for the new early elementary building.
Continued Work:
A. Temporary Restrooms: During after school activities, a semi-permanent restroom facility will be established to cater to children and parents. The contractor has dug trenches and installed underground utilities to serve the restroom located on the north side of the school. Subject to weather conditions, the delivery of this restroom building is scheduled for March 16, 2024.
B. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Ramp and Access: Currently, the contractor is focused on installing a new entry gate and ADA-compliant access ramp, starting from the staff parking lot. This infrastructure will function as the forthcoming entrance for teachers and staff, with full accessibility projected to be operational immediately after the spring break.
C. Site Demolition: The process of removing asphalt and soil commenced on Tuesday, Feb. 26,2024 and will continue until Friday, March 8, 2024. Throughout this time frame, there may be occasional loud noise. The construction team is committed to minimizing disruption and will strive to efficiently reduce the duration of noise. Dust levels are meticulously controlled and monitored on a daily basis with the assistance of test equipment supervised by a testing agency.
D. Site Utilities: The contractor is currently constructing pathways for the electrical feed to the new elementary building.
E. City Utilities Service: The construction team is collaborating with the City of Santa Monica to relocate pedestrian crosswalks, driveways, and connections to public utilities along the 16th Street roadway. This relocation work is scheduled to commence in mid-March 2024 and continue through April 2024.
Thank you for your ongoing patience and understanding during the construction process.
For more information on Rogers campus projects, please contact Simpson & Simpson Consultant Senior Construction Operations Liaison Chris Emmett at cemmett@smmusd.org.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Program of Inquiry Units of Study
Last week classes completed:Most grade levels are working on either their 3rd or 4th unit. Here's what each grade level worked on this past week.
Kindergarten - The students focused on what makes a community.
First Grade - The students started their 5th unit - How the World Works. The students were introduced to the problem for this unit. They also learned about what is in the sky?
Second Grade - The students came to the STEM Lab to build mortars for their Engineering Challenge (See pictures below).
Third Grade - The students learned about climate.
Fourth Grade - The students started their 4th unit- How We Organize Ourselves. The students began with a provocation where they thought about going on an adventure that maybe did not turn out the way they anticipated. They also began talking about the Gold Rush.
Fifth Grade - The students started their 5th unit - Sharing the Planet. The students began with a provocation about the amount of water on Earth. They also did a STEM Lab to learn more about where drops of water come from.
STEM Challenge Family Night
We are excited to host our first STEM Challenge Family Night on April 11th from 5:30-7 PM in the cafeteria. Join us for a fun-filled event with other students and families at Rogers!
We would like every student and family member to have the best STEM experience and one thing we need to ensure this happens is preparing enough supplies for the challenge. For this reason, we are kindly asking any families who are interested in attending to please RSVP using this Google Form by Friday, April 5th. Here is the proposed schedule for the evening:
1. 5:30-6:00 PM - What is the Engineering Cycle? (This is when the challenge will be introduced.)
2. 6:00-6:30 PM - Building Challenge (Brainstorm, Plan, Create)
3. 6:30-7:00 PM - Testing and Share
RSVP to attend the event HERE, we look forward to this event!
5th Grade Updates
The 5th grade is scheduled to attend Pali Camp May 1-3, 2024 (Wednesday-Friday).
Final day for donations for Pali camp are due on April 12, 2024. Please consider making a donation to WRLC, if you have not already.
If you were unable to attend the Pali Camp Information meeting last week below is the recording.
Topic: Pali Camp Zoom Meeting
Date: Jan 25, 2024 6:21 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Passcode: 5.4Gn86P
Join the 5th grade Parent Planning Committee. We need your voice and volunteerism. Sign-up here
THANK YOU TO SM ASSISTANCE LEAGUE!
Assistance League of Santa Monica (ALSM) is a non-profit whose volunteers are dedicated to transforming the lives of children and adults through community programs. These programs include providing camp scholarships, backpacks with school supplies, eye examinations and glasses, and over $100,000 in college scholarships annually.
Many students at Will Rogers Elementary School have been recipients of these programs. This year, for example, ALSM is sponsoring winter science camp for several of Will Rogers's 5th graders.
ALSM funds its programs through its Thrift Shop, which has consistently been voted the best in Santa Monica by the SM Daily Press. Please check out the shop at 1453 15th Street from 11-3 Thursday and Friday, and 10-2 Saturday. Stop by to find great bargains and help support Will Rogers's students.
We greatly appreciate Mrs. Susan Ferrell, from the Santa Monica Assistance League for her genuine care and interest in all our students in helping them fulfill their dreams experiencing the great outdoors camping, connecting with nature and being with their friends. We are grateful to announce that once again the SM Assistance League will donate funds for our 5th grade trip Pali Camp.
"Oops, I forgot!" table - PLEASE SHARE AND USE
We have had an increase in requests from parents asking us to call classrooms to relay messages or have their child pick-up an item they left at home. Each time we call, we interrupt instruction which is disruptive to the students. Help us reduce these interruptions.
Please communicate the "Oops, I forgot table" plan with your child, so they know there is place for parents to drop-off items they may have left at home!
Mornings are busy and sometimes students leave for school without their water bottle, instrument or homework. In an effort to reduce classroom interruptions and to support students with developing responsibility, please use our "Oops, I forgot" table. It is located outside the main office.
Make a plan with your child that if they leave something at home, a parent may drop it off in the office. We will place their labeled item on the "Oops, I forgot table." During their recess or on their way to lunch, they may check the table for a forgotten item.
Counseling Services at WRLC
We have several community partnerships affording us the opportunity to provide school-based therapy services to the students at Rogers. If you are interested in this service, please reach out to your classroom teacher. We are fortunate to expand our services by offering free, tele-health counseling service through Hazel. Read more about this service below.
You are invited! SMMUSD: Special Education Parent Workshop Dates
- March 12th at 4:30 p.m. at Webster Elementary “How to prepare for your child to transition to their next school”
- May 15th at 5:30 p.m. at Grant Elementary “Special Education Year in Review”
Fechas de los talleres de educación especial para los padres
- 12 de marzo a las 4:30 p.m. en Webster Elementary "Cómo prepararse para la transición de su hijo a su próxima escuela"
- 15 de mayo a las 5:30 p.m. en la primaria Grant Elementary "Resumen del Año de Educación Especial"
Contact Us
Email: ldaruty@smmusd.org
Website: https://www.smmusd.org/rogers
Location: 2401 14th Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90406
Phone: 310-452-2364
Twitter: @WillRogersSTEM