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Dear Will Rogers Learning Community Parents and Guardians,

We thank you for your continued partnership with Will Rogers! Monday is picture Day. We look forward to capturing the smiles of our students.

Last week our students completed the Star Assessments in reading and mathematics. Formative assessments provide our teachers baseline scores to inform instruction. Over the next few weeks we will analyze these scores to provide differentiated instruction, intervention and extension for all students. Teachers will host Fall Conferences in Nov. to provide parents and guardians an individualized conference to review your child's progress and set learning goals.

Attend a volunteer training this Monday. Trainings are valid for four years. If you plan to attend a field trip, help out in your child's classroom or perhaps support with art cart on Tuesday, you will need to be volunteer trained. If you are unsure if you are level 1 cleared, please contact our front office.

We offer a variety of experiences for you to participate within our community. Our hope is that by offering many opportunities you will engage in a way that works for you and your family!

REMINDER: There is NO SCHOOL on Monday Sept. 25th.

Together for Will Rogers,

Ms. Lila Daruty, Principal WRLC

This Week:

• Picture Day is Monday!
• Volunteer Trainings 8:00 am, 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm
• PTA sponsored Fall Movie Night on Friday!
• PS Arts and Spanish Classes begin!

In this newsletter:

• PTA Reflections Contest

• Learn how you can support the SM Ed foundation and Rogers PTA Fund

• Enroll in the SM Boys and Girls Club after school sports programs.

• Register for CREST enrichment Classes registration is open.

Mon. 9/18 Spanish class begins this week with Dr. Amy Teplin for students in grades 2nd-5th!

Mon. 9/18 PS Arts Visual Arts classes begin with Heather McAdams for students in grades TK-5th.

Mon. 9/18 Picture Day. Get those smiles ready!

Mon. 9/18 Volunteer Trainings @8:30, 3 pm, 6 pm

Wed. 9/20 PTA Executive Board Meeting @ 6:00 p.m.

Wed. 9/21SMMUSD Special board meeting agenda posted online.

Fri. 9/22 Every Friday is Spirit Wear Day! Show your love for Rogers and wear your WRLC t-shirt!

Fri. 9/22 Movie Night @ 6:30 p.m. gates open Movie starts at 7:00 p.m.

Mon. 9/25 Local Holiday - No School

Thurs. 9/28 ELAC meeting @8:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Thurs.9/28 School Site Council meeting @3:15 - 5 p.m.

Fri. 9/29 Every Friday is Spirit Wear Day! Show your love for Rogers and wear your WRLC t-shirt!

Sun. 10/1 Family Farming Day 10-2pm

Fri. 10/6 Bike It, Walk It, Bus it Day!

Sat. 10/7 SMMUSD Restorative Justice Training for Parents.Reserve your spot

Wed. 10/11 PTA Reflections Submissions are due online. See flyer for more info.

Sat. 10/14 SMMUSD Restorative Justice Training for Parents.Reserve your spot

Fri. 10/27 Regenerative Farm Fall Festival 3-5p.m.

Tues.10/31 Annual Costume Parade @ 8:45 a.m. on the big yard. Parents are welcome to attend!

SMMUSD 2023-2024 Calendar

Paper flyers and envelopes were sent home last week!

How We Learn: We learn Spanish language content through music, games, art and student partnership talk time.

When We Learn: Spanish class takes place 1x per week for 30 minutes in Room 508. Students attend Spanish class with their teacher and class. Classes begin the week of September 18-19.

Program Goal:The goal of the WRLC Spanish language curriculum is to guide students towards becoming internationally-minded through the study of Spanish language and culture. Students exit the four-year Spanish language experience with an introductory knowledge of Spanish vocabulary, basic conversational Spanish, and an appreciation of Spanish-speaking cultures in the USA and around the world.

Differentiation for Students:

WRLC students new to Spanish exit the four-year experience with:

• An introductory knowledge of Spanish vocabulary

• Basic conversational Spanish

• An appreciation of Spanish-speaking cultures (USA and worldwide)

WRLC students with advanced Spanish exit the four-year experience with:

• Stronger reading skills in Spanish

• Stronger writing skills in Spanish

• An appreciation of Spanish-speaking cultures (USA and worldwide)

Family Communication:

Dr. Teplin sends home periodic updates in the WRLC newsletter (usually after each unit of study). Questions? Please contact ateplin@smmusd. Note that Amy Teplin works at Will Rogers only on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Please label your child's water bottle, lunchbox, and clothing! The racks are already getting full. All teachers have a designated wagon/lunch cart/bucket they take outside at lunchtime. After eating lunch your children should place their items in their classroom's designated cart, BEFORE they go play! Help us remind children to follow this procedure. It will help keep the yard clean and their items returned home each day!

Will Rogers Learning Community's annual registration process is now completed in the Aeries Parent Portal. We have many important documents and plenty of information for your family within the online registration site, accessed via your Aeries Parent Portal.

Note: You must FIRST complete data confirmation for each student.

Beginning August 24, 2023:

1. Log in to your aeries parent portal.
2. Be sure to read, review, and discuss all the materials with your student.
3. Very Important: We need to gather information from you for emergency contacts. Please add at least two non-parents. While there are many boxes to fill, at minimum include name, relationship, and phone number.
4. We also need to gather information from you for health documents.

Note: You may decide to print some of the documents for future reference. For a tutorial on how to complete this process, please click here English

Again, Will Rogers Learning Community and SMMUSD have worked to digitize the compliance and document portions of the “First Day Packet.” The Data Confirmation process is easy for you and your student through Aeries Parent Portal in place of our previous process. This includes items like Emergency Cards, Parent Handbooks and Policies and Authorizations. We have many important documents and plenty of information for your family within the online registration site, accessed via your Aeries Parent Portal. Note: You must complete data confirmation for each student. Please be sure to read, review, and discuss all the materials with your student.

Morning ARRIVAL:

**Students enrolled in morning care through CDS, enter on 14th street beginning at 7:00 a.m. using the gate code provided at enrollment. This is different from last year as our morning care room has moved locations.

• Supervision on the yard begins at 8:10 a.m.
• Morning Drive-up Valet is available 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.
• Walk-Up Drop off- Parents and guardians may drop-off and say their goodbyes at the gate(s). There will be staff stationed at ALL gates to assist.

1. TK/Kinder use the designated gate on 14th street.
2. 1st - 5th may use 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 either staff parking lot or in a neighbor's driveway!

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 in 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 of this plan.

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

All Rogers students are invited to submit their original completed works of art to the PTA’s National Reflections contest. Available categories include Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, and Visual Arts. Last year 2 SMMUSD students progressed all the way to the state-level competition! This year's student chosen theme is "I Am Hopeful Because..." Contact reflections@willrogerspta.com for questions.

Reserve your spot for an empowering 2-day training for all parents, guardians and staff, aimed at fostering a safe and inclusive learning environment for our students. Gain valuable insights into building and strengthening relationships, conflict resolution, empathy building, and effective communication techniques. This is a two-day event for adults-only.

An effective school requires a joint effort of parents, students, teachers, administrators, and school staff. Therefore, we would like to invite you to participate by becoming a member of the Will Rogers Learning Community School Site Council (SSC). We have 2 openings this school year for parents to serve a 2-year term from 8/2023-8/2025.

Please VOTE here for the two vacant positions: BALLOT

Please upload all health information for the new school year online in the Aeries portal. This includes Over the Counter Medications.

Please let our health office know of any medications your child takes on a daily basis EVEN if it is taken at home. We need this for our files for emergency purposes.

We have plenty of COVID tests at school, available for free.

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.

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!

BREAKFAST: 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 8:00 AM so that there is ample time to eat breakfast in the cafeteria and walk to their classrooms by 8:25 AM. Please be sure your child arrives to school with enough time if you plan to have them eat breakfast at school.

LUNCH: Students may elect to bring a lunch from home or eat at school. Teachers will take a lunch count each morning to help the cafeteria plan for the day. You can find the lunch menu (subject to change daily) here.

We are a peanut free campus. Please be sure that you do not pack food items that contain peanuts.

We still have a few weeks left to reach our $20,000 PTA fund goal, and we need YOUR help! If we reach our target, it's DANCE PARTY time at recess for ALL students! Any donation helps, and we hope every family will give an amount that is meaningful to them in order to help us meet our goal and fund so many important things happening at Will Rogers for all students.
Become a PTA member to lend your voice and make a difference in your child's school journey! Plus, the classroom with the most PTA members wins an ICE CREAM PARTY!
Supporting both is vital! Donate now and become a member to get involved!

Please remember to join or renew your annual PTA membership! Membership gives you a voice in planning for the success of every student at Rogers.

The Ed Foundation welcomes you to the new school year at Will Rogers! Your students at Will Rogers will be benefiting from Ed Foundation-funded staff and programs such as classroom aides, P.S. ARTS classes, teacher professional learning opportunities, additional library books and materials, music lessons for qualifying students and more this year, all thanks in part to donations made to the Ed Foundation. The Ed Foundation is the non-profit foundation to the district that exists solely to support Santa Monica’s public schools and students with Academics, Arts and Athletic programs. We’re aiming for 100% of Will Rogers families to give what you can to both the Ed Foundation and the PTA.

Will you make a gift today? You can donate online HERE.

CREST offers 1-hour classes immediately following dismissal at Will Rogers. The TK and K classes still have room to extend children’s day by 1 extra hour of activity and play including Lego Robotics, Chess Club, Cardboard Art and Engineering, and Yoga! The last day to register is Tuesday 9/19. Classes begin the week of 9/26. Register online for WRLC:

If you are looking for a way to volunteer or want more information please fill out our volunteer form. If you have any questions please email our Volunteer VP Jessica Lew at

volunteers@willrogerspta.com. https://forms.gle/CRHSPjfZymg2c846A

We are looking to hire 3-4 Instructional Assistants for the 23-24 school year (Job Duties).

• The position is for 3 hours / five days (5) week position, paid $16.00 - $20.45 Hourly. Ideally the hours are 8:30 - 11:30 a.m.

The Personnel Commission will be scheduling interviews soon. Click here to apply. If anyone may be interested, please apply! Parents and community members make great classroom assistants. Instructional Aides are critical to helping teachers differentiate instruction, prepare supplies, and supervise children at play.

Don't miss out on your chance to save 10% on the Will Rogers Community Yearbook! Order yours before October 31st to save! You'll get two free custom pages to customize by April 15th. Any questions, please reach out to wrlcyearbook@gmail.com

https://web.treering.com/create-account/1013782539131906?PassCode=1013782539131906

Principal, Ms. Lila Daruty M.Ed

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

Bring your chairs and blankets and get ready for popcorn and pizza along with a movie! Gates open at 6:30pm and the movie starts at 7pm. All children must be accompanied by an adult. The playground and play structures are closed on Movie Night. Relax under the stars on the big grassy lawn and enjoy an outdoor evening with your friends and family at Rogers.

Thanks to everyone who voted for this year's fall movie. The clear winner is The Super Mario Bros. I can already hear a sing-along to Bowser's "Peaches" fill the night air. Now, for this all to happen, we really need more volunteers! Please consider signing up for a shift to help make this a really fun night. And for those that want to preorder pizza and candy, please sign up here by this Wednesday. As a reminder for this event, all children must be with an adult and for safety reasons, please help children understand and reinforce that the playground is closed on Movie Night!