PBL Weekly Blast

• Monday, 11/24, ALL PBL Periods (see below)

• Tuesday, 11/25, regular schedule

• Wednesday, 11/26 - Friday, 11/28 - NO School - Thanksgiving Break 🦃

We are grateful to the guest experts who took time out of their day to speak with our PBL students last week. Each expert shared something uniquely meaningful that broadened our students’ understanding of the world beyond the classroom. We hope it...

• sparked curiosity,
• inspired new interests,
• deepened understanding of a topic/career.

Colonial Origins of Thanksgiving

"Americans traditionally recognize the 'first' Thanksgiving as having taken place at Plymouth colony in the autumn of 1621. The Separatist Puritan settlers of Plymouth, known as Pilgrims, held a feast after their first harvest as a way of thanking God for their blessings. Invited to their observance were members of the neighboring Wampanoag tribe, among whom such a harvest celebration was also neither unfamiliar. This celebration did not create a long lasting alliance between colonists and nearby Native American nations. In the present day, some Native Americans view the thanksgiving holiday as a day of mourning. The 1621 thanksgiving celebration, however, did not become an annual event; rather, residents of Plymouth and the other colonies held days of thanksgiving and fasting over the years, at different times of year for a variety of reasons."

learn more here: https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/thanksgiving

Thank you all who were able to make it to the Academic Planning Zoom Evening Meeting on 11/19. If you missed it or want to review it again, click on the video link or slide deck.

Information about next steps and upcoming events will be sent out December-January.

For Parents and Caregivers in English and Spanish from the Social & Emotional Wellness Initiative (SEWI). See below:

English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/16TzHC5PzfRobi5_xKnzOwiDZJn2DTQcj/view

Spanish: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jaJEvYbB84fjPX-HgEwB0FKFgYrRGLV9/view

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.

Are you a great singer? Are you a great dancer? Do you like to act? Or are you the triple threat of all three? Auditions for our own Samohi Spring Musical, "Hello, Dolly" are just around the corner. Information can be found at samohitheatre.org OR samohichoir.org

If you’re planning to buy See’s for the holidays, please consider purchasing through our fundraiser link below. A portion of every sale directly supports our Spanish spring break trip:

👉 Fundraiser Link: https://www.yumraising.com/store/winter-2025-samo-spanish-trip-fundraiser-ae8d/HeaWet1653

Thank you for supporting our program and helping our travelers get one step closer to Spain!

If you are interested in joining the SAMOHI Track and Field team it’s time to get started! Our first tryout will be December 6th. Please fill out the attached survey to secure a spot in your desired events: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwHZGSSC9Kcsm2M4keev24fRw3hCEO-LCmihoIzud8VqrDRA/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=107607953414615357617

Check out our website for updates to event start times, additional tryout dates, and standards: https://sites.google.com/smmk12.org/santa-monica-high-xc-tf/about-us

The UC/CSU app deadline is right around the corner: Mon., Dec. 1, 11:59pm. To support your completion of either or both apps, the College/Career Center will be open extended hours for College App Support on:

• Weds., Nov 26, 9am-2pm

Margaret’s Place is back in E117 this school year! See below for the latest info on how students can get involved in individual or group counseling, Peer Leadership Club, or other activities at Margaret’s Place—plus, resources for parents and caregivers:

• Fall newsletter for Parents from Margaret’s place

• Fall newsletter for Students from Margaret’s place

• FOR FRESHMEN PARENTS: Video on Supporting Youth’s to High School

Email LDeSanto@smmusd.org with any questions!

LINK

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District (SMMUSD) is pleased to announce that the District has enrolled in year four of Los Angeles Metro’s GoPass program, which provides free public transit rides and Transit Assistance Program (TAP) cards to all kindergarten through 12th-grade students. The initiative promotes accessibility and encourages the use of public transportation.

Students can go to the PBL House office (B111) to get a new TAP card and eligibility code.

To reactivate your existing TAP card, please submit the following form to receive a new eligibility code: REACTIVATE YOUR TAP CARD HERE.

1. Pick up a Work Permit Application in the College/Career Center (B120) or PBL Office (B111) before school, lunch, or after school ONLY

2. Complete sections one and two of your Work Permit Application and return to Ms. Griffis in the PBL Office (B111) before school, lunch or after school ONLY

Keep in mind processing may take up to one week; please plan accordingly. Remember, if you are under 18 years old, a work permit is required in order for you to work. If you have questions, stop by the College/Career Center (B120)

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.).

• Students who become ill at school need to go to the nurse’s office to be released from school

• If a students leaves at lunch, we MUST have an email from you IN THE MORNING, asking for an early dismissal pass…if we receive an email AFTER they have already left, the absence will not be excused

• Students can pick up their early leave pass from the PBL house office after the 1st period of the day

• These passes CANNOT be delivered to their class

• When students leave early for a doctor’s appointment, they must bring a note back from the doctor so we can clear their absence…if we don’t receive a note, it is marked as a cut.

• All absences must be cleared in 3 days…please email the PBL house office if your child is out sick…after 3 days, it is an unexcused absence

• After a student has had 5 full day absences in the school year for illness, any further absence for illness must be verified by a physician

• Attendance for athletic participation is cleared through the athletics office

• This can take a few days to be corrected. Thank you for your patience.

• 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