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Dear Will Rogers Parents and Guardians,

How can it be? It’s our last three days together for the 2023-24 school year! What a wonderful year it has been. Thank you to our families for being such supportive partners in your child's education. WRLC is a close-knit community of dedicated teachers, staff, and parents, and I will certainly miss the buzz around campus after Wednesday. Nothing makes me happier than seeing our students flood the gates each morning, eager to meet their teachers and friends each day for school. It's extra special to see parents and guardians chatting and greeting one another too; long after the bell rings, you are building bonds and checking in on one another the way a community that cares does.

Last week was action-packed! Our students enjoyed a presentation from the Santa Monica Public Library about its Summer Reading Program. Our 2nd graders hosted an exciting Caine’s Arcade, showcasing their creativity and ingenuity in building arcade games for our TK-1st graders to enjoy! Our 5th graders had a blast at Pacific Park, riding thrill rides and building memories with their friends as they get ready to culminate on Monday! They also had an exciting GLOW party on Friday, dancing, laughing, and enjoying the end of their elementary years at Rogers. A heartfelt thank you to the 5th-grade parent committee who helped make it all possible! Shout-out to Benell Grant, who took the lead in planning and organizing the committee of thoughtful and dedicated volunteers! Our staff enjoyed our end-of-the-year celebration at Mrs. Miller’s home. We also held our last staff meeting of the year, where we had a chance to reflect upon our year and share our enduring learnings with one another. We also took time to celebrate some big life changes for our staff, such as a new baby and a retirement. To top it all off, we held our SAMOHI clap out, an annual tradition where former Rogers students, now graduating from high school, return in their caps and gowns to be celebrated by our current students with enthusiastic applause.

SPECIAL NOTE: To our 5th grade culminating students and families- We miss you already! Elementary school is such a beautiful time in your educational journey. We are so lucky it was at WRLC! There is something extra special about this group. You are all a dynamic group of leaders. I know that your "can do" attitudes will serve our community and peers for years to come. You are change makers with hearts on fire! Please know that Rogers will be your forever home. Please come visit us and best wishes as you head off to middle school. We have prepared you well.

Report cards go home on the last day of school. I hope you have a restful, exciting summer break enjoying time with your loved ones and children. May it be filled with experiences that make lasting memories.

This will be the last Roundup of the school year. Look for summer communication beginning again in August.

Important Dates for the Upcoming School Year:

• 8/18/24: First Roundup for the new school year
• 8/20/24: Class lists will be emailed to families
• 8/21/24: TK/K Meet and Greet!

With heartfelt gratitude and excitement for the 2024-25,

Ms. Lila Daruty Principal, Will Rogers Learning Community

Mon. 6/10 School-wide 5th Grade Clap-out @ 9:00 a.m.

Mon. 6/10 Let's celebrate our 5th graders! Enjoy Free Toppings for WRLC students@ Handel's Ice-cream from 2-4 p.m.

Mon. 5th grade Promotion @9:15 a.m. on 1st grade yard

Mon. 6/10 2nd Grade Field Trip to Marine Park

Mon. 6/10 3rd grade Field Trip to Clover Park

Mon. 6/10 TK/Kinder Get to Know You Day #2 @ 2:00 p.m.

Tues. 6/11 TK/K Culmination Celebration 9am in Auditorium

Tues. 6/11 5th grade Trip to Clover Park 9:45-3:00

Wed. 6/12 Talent Show Encore Presentation 8:45 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.

Wed. 6/12 Last Day of School! Minimum Day TK/K @ 12:10 p.m. and 1st-5th @ 1:00 p.m.

Wed. 6/12 Report cards go home

Wed. 6/12 Unoffical Beach Day

SMMUSD 2023-2024 Calendar

This is a friendly reminder to please check the Lost and Found whenever you come to campus. We have several racks of jackets and sweaters as well as some water bottles and lunch boxes. Whenever you come to campus for meetings, drop off/pick up, please spend a few minutes finding and retrieving any of your child's belongings. Anything not picked up by the end of the year is donated to charity -- and unfortunately, we always have unclaimed items to donate!

Library books checked out by students are now due. If your child has an outstanding library book, please start with a search of their backpack and room at home. Students and teachers will also be searching in the classroom.

If you cannot find the book, please contact Library Coordinator Shannon Sea @ssea@smmusd.org

about either paying for or replacing the book.

Please wash and return any replacement clothes your child may have been provided by the health office! We appreciate your support so that we can keep our health office stocked with replacement clothes for students. We could use donated (new) socks, and underwear.

We are excited to have two, TK classrooms for the 2024-25 school year. With that we are excited to welcome a dynamic duo to Rogers. We wish Ms. Turner all the best in her new role as the collaborative TK teacher at Malibu Elementary in the fall. We thank her for over 20 years of service at Rogers!

We need your help! As you may know, our 5th Grade Culmination takes place Monday, June 10th at 9:15 a.m. on the first-grade field. We're seeking volunteers to help with setup and cleanup to help ensure this is a memorable experience for our 5th grade families.

This is an ideal chance to get a glimpse of what awaits when it's your child's turn period. Even a small amount of your time will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!If yes, sign up https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A094FACAB2AA6FD0-49866840-volunteers

The end of the school year is upon us, signaling the start of a 10-week summer break for our students. For many parents, balancing work and ensuring their children are engaged in safe, supervised, and enriching activities becomes a significant challenge during this period. Without structured learning, children can experience the "summer slide," where they lose academic skills over the break.

Research indicates that children's reading and math skills often decline during the summer, necessitating a review in the fall and potentially creating lasting educational gaps. Studies show that students in grades 3-5 can lose an average of 20-27% of their school year gains in math over the summer. Younger children, particularly those in K-2, are especially vulnerable to learning loss due to their developmental stage, where skills like decoding, letter knowledge, and word reading require regular practice to maintain.

The "summer slide" is a well-documented phenomenon, with cumulative effects that can compound year after year. However, parents can take steps to mitigate this learning loss. Here are some strategies and resources to keep children’s minds active during the summer:

Summer Reading Programs: Local libraries often offer summer reading programs. For instance, on June 3rd, a librarian from the Santa Monica Public Library will visit Rogers students to promote the Santa Monica Reads All Summer program. Children can sign up for 10 and 20-hour reading challenges, earn rewards like tote bags and bookstore coupons, and track their reading progress online. Midway through and upon completing their challenges, participants can win various prizes. Families are encouraged to visit the library and sign their kids up for this enjoyable and educational activity.

Elemental Music

For students entering grades 3–5, don't miss your chance to join the 2024/25 season of Elemental Music! More than 3,500 students have made music with us and now it's your turn. Our afterschool music programs give young people the chance to meet new friends, work as a team, and have FUN through music! Whether your child is a total beginner or an advanced musician, our programs for guitar, band, choir, strings, full orchestra, and chamber music offer something for everyone!

Tuition reduction is available for qualified families. For more info or to sign up, visit www.elementalmusic.org or espanol.elementalmusic.org!

Email: ldaruty@smmusd.org
Website: https://www.smmusd.org/rogers
Location: 2401 14th Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90406
Phone: 310-452-2364
Twitter: @WillRogersSTEM