To read the Will Rogers Roundup in another language please look to the right of the newsletter and click "TRANSLATE NEWSLETTER". You can now choose from 100 languages!

~ ¡NUEVA OPCIÓN DE TRADUCCIÓN A 100 IDIOMAS! ~

Para leer la WILL ROGERS ROUNDUP en otro idioma, mire a la derecha del boletín y haga clic en "TRADUCIR EL BOLETÍN". ¡Ahora puede elegir entre 100 idiomas!

The holiday, which is also known as Chinese New Year and Spring Festival, is officially upon us, kicking off officially on Sunday, January 22.

Originating in multiple countries in east Asia, the holiday is filled with rich culture and tradition that centers around the hope for good fortune and prosperity. It is one of the biggest events of the year for many East and South East Asian people and it will be marked by celebrations throughout our city and communities all over the world.

Each year also has a corresponding animal from the Chinese zodiac, based on ancient Chinese mythology; last year was the Year of the Tiger, and 2023 is the Year of the Rabbit.

Families and friends will get together to eat lots of yummy food, enjoy fireworks, wear special clothes and hang red lanterns to mark the occasion. Before the festivities begin, people often clean their homes really well to get rid of any bad luck, and make them ready for the celebrations. Then, when New Year's Day comes, there is a tradition not to pick up a broom, in case you sweep the good luck out of the door!

For those who celebrate, may you have a Happy New Year!

Dear Will Rogers Parents and Guardians,

For those who celebrate the Lunar New year, may 2023 be filled with hope and prosperity!

This week:

1. I also hope you will join us for an upcoming parent education night - Helping Parents Raise Safe, Conscious, & Healthy Kids in the Digital Age with Digital Media Wellness Educator Julia Storm. This event will be on Tuesday, January 24th at 6:30 PM in the Grant School Auditorium and we have opened the event to ALL parents in the SMMUSD. Tell a friend!
2. Both ELAC and the School Site Council will convene on Wednesday.
3. Our TK/K Roundup for all prospective 2023-24 incoming families will be held this Thursday @9:00 a.m. in the auditorium. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn about our special school. Please attend if you have an incoming student and encourage your neighbors to join as well! Please RSVP HERE.
4. Please consider donating to the Santa Monica Education Foundation today! For those of you who have not yet made your donation to the Ed Foundation this school year, I encourage you to do so. Thank you to those Rogers families who have already made a donation! Help our students soar! www.smedfoundation.org/donate. YOUR DONATIONS ARE CRITICAL TO ENSURING WE CAN FUND CLASSROOM INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS AND PROVIDE IMPORTANT PROGRAMS AND SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES.

In partnership,

Principal Daruty

Mon. 1/23- 1/31- Santa Monica Education Foundation January Campaign Kicks Off!

Thurs. 1/24 Parent Education Night: Helping Parents Raise Safe, Conscious, & Healthy Kids in the Digital Age with Digital Media Wellness Educator Julia Storm: Time 6:30 p.m.@ the Grant Auditorium.

Wed. 1/25 ELAC Meeting @ 8: 30 a.m. in the auditorium

Wed. 1/25 School Site Council Meeting @ 3:30 p.m. zoom link

Thurs. 1/26 TK/K Roundup @ 9:00 a.m. Please RSVP HERE.

Sat. 1/28 Regenerative Farm Volunteer Day 10-2 pm

Wed. 2/1 @1:00 p.m. 4th and 5th grade student Jazz Assembly http://www.jazzreach.org

Fri. 2/3 Standards Based Report Cards go home.

Sat. 2/4 Regenerative Farm Volunteer Day 10-2 pm

Mon. 2/6 @ 7:15 p.m. Athletics Meeting RSVP: https://bit.ly/Athletics-SM0223

Fri. 2/10 Family Spring Dane 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Thurs. 2/16 Coffee and Convo with the principal @ 8:30 a.m.

Mon. 2/20 NO SCHOOL: Presidents' Day

Fri. 2/24 Pali Camp Final day for donations!

Tues. 2/28 Volunteer Training 8:30 a.m., 3:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. in the auditorium

Thurs. 3/16 Coffee and Convo with the principal @ 8:30 a.m.

Fri. 3/17 Spring Movie Night

Mon. 3/27 NO SCHOOL - CESAR CHAVEZ HOLIDAY

Thurs. 3/30 Minimum Day

Thurs. 3/30 Open House

Fri. 4/21 Earth Day Festival at the Farm 3-5 pm

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. Make a plan with your child that if they leave something at home, a parent can drop it off in the office. We will place their item on a table outside the office. During their recess or on their way to lunch, they may check the table for their forgotten item.

Please communicate this plan with your child, so they know there is place for parents to drop-off items they may have left at home!

PLEASE DO NOT HAVE FOOD DELIVERED TO YOUR CHILD AT SCHOOL THROUGH A FOOD DELIVERY SERVICE. This brings unfamiliar adults and more traffic to our already busy office.

This month is the Ed Foundation’s January Campaign!

Help us in our effort to increase participation in fundraising from all families at any amount. Currently, Rogers is at 23% participation and the goal is to get to 40%. The campaign goes from 1/23-1/31. MSD Partners and the Fairmont Hotel & Bungalows are offering a $25,000 match on all donations from January 23rd through January 31st!

This week your student(s) will bring home information about a fun way to get involved students involved in our fundraising efforts. They will have an opportunity to design an airplane we will display in our front office! The classroom with the highest participation will win a popsicle party!

Thank you for your participation in raising funds that support the amazing learning opportunities we offer at Will Rogers.www.smedfoundation.org/donate.

Dear WRLC Families,

Prior to disbanding in June 2022, the John Muir ES PTA voted to distribute its funds to various the PTAs around the district where Muir students would be attending, with the intention that the funds would help the receiving schools "with the increased costs of additional teachers and additional programming costs," while also paying tribute to those Muir ES families who came before them and worked so hard to build the Muir ES PTA reserves. The Muir ES PTA expressed their "hope that some of the money could go towards welcoming the Muir community (students and teachers) to Will Rogers and helping them with their new identity, perhaps t-shirts." The WRLC PTA has formed a subcommittee to determine how those funds from Muir ES PTA should be used at Will Rogers.

As part of this process, the subcommittee would like to hear from you, the entire Will Rogers Learning Community, some ideas for these funds that meet the goals and one-time nature of the donation. If you have an idea to suggest, please fill out the survey by January 13!

From time to time, our students need to change clothes at school. Milk spills, toileting accidents and a slip on the muddy grass! We are building our clothing supply and need items that are in great condition. We are specifically seeking GENTLY USED OR NEW items. Please please bring them to the health office.

T-shirts

Sweatpants

Jeans / pants

New socks

New underwear (boys size 5 and up... girls size 5 and up)

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP!

• Backpack with necessary classroom materials (teacher will communicate)
• Re-useable water bottle. We have filling stations on campus.
• Morning recess snack
• Lunch (lunch available to all students free of charge for the 2022-23 school year.)
• Sunscreen (put on prior to arriving at school)
• Hat
• Layers of clothing (sweatshirt, windbreaker, etc.) Keep an eye on the weather.

*Please do not bring toys, Pokemon cards or PE equipment to school. We will provide your children all the learning tools needed to have a great day!

Every Friday (or every other Friday) free antigen tests will be sent home in your child's backpack. Some weeks we send home kits that include 2 or more kits inside. Please test your children weekly, at home.

We will no longer require COVID testing at school. Instead, we will provide free, at-home test kits. Negative test results do not need to be shown to school staff for admittance to school. If your child tests positive please stay home and contact our school nurse.

With this decision comes the expectation that parents and staff will be cooperative in weekly antigen testing at home. It is in our collective best interests to maintain in-person instruction without disruptions of class or school closures due to outbreaks. We want everyone to recognize that we are part of a school community that relies on each other to do the right thing, which is to support the health and safety of all students, staff and visitors to our campuses and offices, by taking these weekly tests.

***Tests are always available in the Rogers Health Office.

ARRIVAL:
***Students enrolled in morning care through CDS, enter on 16th street beginning at 7:00 a.m. using the gate code provided at enrollment.

We will pilot a morning valet on 14th street between 8:10-8:30 a.m. M-TH and 9:30-9:45 a.m. on Fridays. Will Rogers staff will support children to exit cars and enter school through the front school gates. You can help by ensuring that your children are ready to exit with their backpacks on, ready to go! Parents, please do not park in the valet zone and leave your car unattended, the area will be marked with cones. We kindly ask that you take direction from our staff who will help keep the line moving and our students safe.

Parents and guardians may drop-off and say their goodbyes at the gate(s).

• TK/Kinder use the designated gate on 14th street. There will be staff stationed at the gates to assist.
• 1st - 5th may use either the front gate on 14th street or the pedestrian gate on 16th street.

REMINDER: Parent parking can be found on the neighborhood streets. Be sure to read the street signs! Please do not park in the staff parking lots.

DISMISSAL: All students will be walked to their dismissal gate by their classroom teacher. Students who have not been picked-up shortly after dismissal, will be asked to wait near the office.

DESIGNATED DISMISSAL GATES:

• TK/Kinder: Pick-up students on the TK/K yard (on 14th street)
• 1st and 2nd: Pick-up students on the TK/K yard (on 14th street)
• 3rd: Front of the school (on 14th street)
• 4th and 5th: Pick-up students at the 16th street pedestrian gate

**If you have multiple children, please pick-up at the designated gate of your youngest student. Be sure you inform your child's teacher.

If it is raining: 1st- 3rd pick-up location will be the front of school, under the covered awning.

As we get closer to the holiday season, remember that you can enroll to automatically donate a percentage of your Amazon purchases to our PTA whenever you shop. It's easy!

To connect to our school and help us earn a small percentage back from your purchases from Amazon, visit smile.amazon.com.

If it's your first visit, you'll be prompted to choose a charity. Look for "Will Rogers Learning Community PTA". If you've chosen a different charity previously and would like to change it, visit smile.amazon.com/change.

The Ed Foundation’s January campaign has begun at our school! For those of you who have donated this year, thank you. For those families who have not yet made a donation, please consider it. Every dollar counts. Please visit www.smedfoundation.org/donate.

Our goal is for 100% of Rogers families to give to PTA and the Ed Foundation. ANY amount makes a difference to our kids. If you have already donated, thank you!

Students who participate in the Rogers Breakfast Club will still arrive at school under the same procedures as all students. Parents will drop their children off at the main gates by 7:55 AM so that there is ample time to eat and walk to their classrooms by 8:25 AM.

Will Rogers PTA Website

Instagram

Website: https://www.smmusd.org/rogers
Location: 2401 14th Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90406
Phone: 310-452-2364
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/willrogersLC/?ref=share&fs=e&s=cl
Twitter: @WillRogersSTEM

Stay informed and connected with our PTA. Use this LINK to sign-up for PTA emails.