PBL Weekly Blast

On Tuesday we will have a slightly altered schedule to allow for the incredible experience to participate in a live downlink from the International Space Station.

grades 9/10 Schedule

Period A 7:20 – 8:22 AM

Advisory 8:30 - 11:20 AM

(Assembly for ALL 9:00 – 9:34 AM )

Advisory 11:25 – 12:14 PM

LUNCH 12:14 – 12:49 PM

Advisory 12:58 – 1:43 PM

Period 5 1:52 – 2:37 PM

Period 6 2:46 – 3:31 PM

grades 11/12 Schedule

Period A 7:20 – 8:22 AM

Period 1 8:30 – 10:19 AM

(Assembly for ALL 9:00 – 9:34 AM )

Period 2 10:30 – 11:20 AM

Advisory. 11:25 – 12:14 PM

LUNCH 12:14 – 12:49 PM

Advisory 12:58 - 3:31PM

Academic Support = STAR testing for Math

• Students - Make sure you have your Chromebooks on Wednesday.

Wednesday, April 30, is Denim Day!

In solidarity with survivors of sexual assault, wear any and all denim on Wednesday.

Community Meeting = mid-point POL share in Cross Grade Level Groups.

• Students make sure that you use the template provided in Inkwire to prepare for the POL share before Thursday! This is an opportunity to share your learning and receive invaluable feedback to deepen your projects.

Class of 2025 Commitment Day Celebration is May 1st, Thursday 3pm-5pm in the Discovery Atrium!

SENIORS - In CASE you need a REMINDER:

Commitment Day is all about celebrating your next steps after high school — whatever they may be! Whether you're planning to attend a two-year college like SMC, enroll in a trade school, take a gap year, start a full-time job, or head to a four-year university, Commitment Day is about proudly owning your post-secondary plan. Every path is worth celebrating!

Some of our 9th grade PBL students had an exciting Leaving to Learn adventure last week with a visit to the local fire station! They had the opportunity to meet first responders, learn about the skills and responsibilities it takes to serve the community, and even got to try on the firefighter gear. It was an inspiring and hands-on experience that gave students a deeper appreciation for the courage, teamwork, and quick thinking that first responders demonstrate every day.

At last Thursday’s PBL Community Meeting, students came together in their advisory teams to take on a series of spirited design challenges! From building with spaghetti, to silent line-ups, PBL trivia, and team puzzle-solving, each grade had a chance to shine. Our 11th graders dominated the trivia competition, 10th graders proved themselves as expert puzzlers, and our 9th graders impressed everyone with their outstanding design thinking skills and silent teamwork. Congratulations to our freshmen for taking home the Advisory Trophy!

Thanks to the Santa Monica Education Foundation, 16 of our PBL students had the opportunity to participate in a Teen Summit at Snapchat headquarters on Friday. While much of what they learned has to be kept under wraps, they returned with smiles on their faces and impressive swag items. Our district Coordinator of Innovation, Dr. Devon Smith, did tell us that our students won prizes i throughout the day and were active participants. I would expect nothing less!

Got a business idea but need funding to make it happen? The Next Big Thing is your chance to pitch like Shark Tank, impress real investors, and compete for up to $2,000. Open to all Samohi students. Pitch in front of actual entrepreneurs (Experience leading multi-million dollar companies) Don't wait - spots are limited! Think you’ve got what it takes?

Sign up at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1sWAZpupyJn5JPSxpMB-C8xrqhCbtj2RQ_8rLrRqoPQA/edit

For more info: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qlK-0CM8QOaVpywRp0kKnpQyIAAfBwsfd20Hy2jSug0/edit?tab=t.0

Did you know that the largest teen and young adult book festival in the US takes place right here at Samohi? On Saturday, May 3rd rock star authors, illustrators and literature creators will descend up on campus for a day of book and swag giveaways for thousands of guests. Want to get in on the literary action – we need volunteers, like you, to make this happen. Sign up here to learn more about volunteering for Yallwest https://www.yallwest.com/get-involved/#volunteers

MedReach at UCLA is pleased to invite high school students across Los Angeles County and beyond to our in person "Ready for Healthcare" seminar. The in person seminar will be held Sunday, May 18th from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM on UCLA Campus (specific room location TBD). At this seminar, students will learn about various healthcare careers, participate in mock case studies to better understand the role of healthcare providers, and engage in fun activities to challenge their knowledge of medical terminology! Students will also have the opportunity to ask a panel of pre-health college students their questions regarding college applications, career choices, academics, and more!

If interested in attending our in person seminar, please have them RSVP via this link

College Essay Writing Class

If you are interested in taking a course through an outside program (NOT SAMO or Community College) please read the following information. All students MUST APPLY AND BE APPROVED BEFORE registering in a class.

Information on policies and schools that are accepted by Samohi can be found at: https://www.smmusd.org/Page/4233 Application to turn into Advisor and can be found on the website: CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT APPLICATION 2025. Deadline to apply for approval is May 25, 2025

😎 SMC Summer schedule is AVAILABLE! It can be found here: https://www.smc.edu/academics/classes/

All students must apply to be a SMC student before you can submit the SMC’s High School Concurrent Enrollment Form. Please follow the directions LINKED below on how to enroll at SMC as a student.

Students MUST turn in this SAMO Concurrent application to Nicole if wanting to take an SMC class: CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT APPLICATION 2025. This is in addition to the SMC application.

Please read thoroughly:

• All applications will be submitted virtually

• Your first step is to apply to SMC - apply online today

• Once that is complete, application materials must be submitted through the High School Concurrent Enrollment Application Form

• Once you complete the student portion of the form and attach the required documents, it will be forwarded to your parent to approve, and then to Nicole Nicodemus (your HS Counselor) smmusd email and mcruce@smmusd.org (HS principal) for approval.

• Students may take a variety of classes as long as you meet any SMC requirements and get approval from Samo. Please speak to Nicole if you have any questions. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL CORE SUBJECTS ARE TAKEN AT SANTA MONICA HIGH SCHOOL. You must enter the correct course number when you fill out the High School Concurrent Enrollment form

More information was sent to you by your advisor please read over all the directions

This is a great opportunity for your child to strengthen their math skills over the summer! The sessions are designed to support your child in building a strong foundation in math, while also preparing them for more advanced topics in later grades. Additionally, attending this workshop will look great on their academic record, as they will have participated in a Young Mathematicians course hosted by UCLA!

Registration will open in January.

Please feel free to reach out to Christine Riad at riad@gseis.ucla.edu with any questions.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeu_eZ_o4gmQY0U0FfikGTGMCsaK1zjjBuZt7eBkVGbeRRiwA/viewform

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

ISPE affords students the opportunity to extend physical education learning activities beyond the school campus and regular school hours. ISPE allows the student advanced study in activities not normally available in the District’s physical education program. ISPE is available for eligible students in grades 9th-12th. Students who participate in ISPE are engaged in advanced levels of competition through demanding, regular, out-of school, elite physical activity. The program is designed for the student who is engaged in a preparation program for State, National, or Olympic-level athletic competition and is a highly ranked athlete in their program. ISPE is not for recreational programs; a major factor in determining acceptance or rejection of the ISPE request will be the difference between a recreational and a competitive program, if the student is a highly ranked competitor in their program, and if the sport/program is already offered at the school or not. The nature of the ISPE program must provide a training and weekly practice schedule minimum of 7.5 hours per 5 school days Monday-Friday.

Please carefully review the application for eligibility criteria and ISPE policies.

2025-26 School Year Application Window:

March 21, 2025 through May 2, 2025

25-26 9th -12th ISPE Application - English

25-26 9th -12th ISPE Application - Spanish

In AD 103- Across the hall from the nurse’s office,

Open on Tuesday from 1 to 3:45 pm and on Thursdays from 8:30 to 11:45 am!

• Immunizations

• Physicals

• Medical Care

• And so much more

Margaret’s Place is open for the school year in E117 and offers services to students every weekday! At Margaret’s Place, our mission is to help end the cycle of violence in our relationships, schools, and communities. We offer free counseling for students, open lunch drop-in, therapeutic recreation activities, and more! See our newsletter for students and our newsletter for parents/caregivers to learn more about services and how to get involved, email ldesanto@smmusd.org with any questions.

Counseling groups for 2nd semester will be starting soon and are taking referrals!

We are offering a variety of support options based on the needs of our students. This is a great opportunity for students to find support and build connections in confidential group therapy sessions.

Groups for this semester will include:

• Finding flow (watercolor art therapy group),
• AFFIRM (support group for Queer students),
• Write your own story (art therapy journaling group),
• a Grief and loss support group.

Wellness Services Center Website

Mental Health Referral Form

SMMUSD continues to provide free TAP cards to all of our students. For our PBL students this is important that each student have an active TAP card as this is our main mode of travel for many of our Leaving 2 Learn experiences (ie: field trips).

If your child did not receive a TAP card or activation code, please have them come to the PBL House Office (B111).

To reactivate your existing TAP card, please submit the following form to receive a new eligibility code: https://bit.ly/GoPass2024-2025.

SMMUSD's Weekend Bags Program offers nutritious, easy-to-prepare weekend food for Samohi students when school cafeteria breakfasts and lunches are not available. Each Weekend Bag holds two breakfasts, two lunches, and two snacks. The menus have been evaluated by a dietitian and provide a balance of healthy, nutritious non-perishable foods which change each week. Students can drop by and pick up their Weekend Bags on Fridays afterschool from the Vikings’ Hub in E113.

Students should let Carla Nuñez, Community Schools Specialist in E113, (or their House Office assistant or their House Advisor) know if they would like to receive Weekend Bags. Families wishing to have their students receive Weekend Bags on Fridays should contact Carla Nuñez at carlanunez@smmusd.org or 310 395-3204 ext. 71-143.

• Auditions are underway for the award winning Samohi Choir Program. Come to the choir room to get more information, or email Mr. Huls. We have a place for every type of voice and experience level. Singing in choir is like having a voice lesson every day. We need your voice!! We even have choirs that don't require an audition!! Visit samohichoir.org for more info.
• Hi Vikings! On the 30th of April, Ritmo Latino and ASB are going to be collaborating to honor the importance of Cinco de Mayo and its impact on the Mexico we know today. It will be held in the humanities center and if you are interested in being a part of the play sign up on the sheet in your email.
• Wednesday, April 30, is Denim Day! In solidarity with survivors of sexual assault, wear any and all denim on Wednesday. Find the Margaret's Place Peer Leadership table in the grass area by Exploration at lunch where we'll have a raffle to win sweet treats and other prizes for those wearing denim. Plus, stop by to decorate a denim patch for our mural to show your support and learn more about resources for survivors! See Ms. Lara in E117 with any questions.
• Don't miss the Samohi Orchestras Spring Pops Concert on Friday, May 2 at 6:30pm. We'll be playing pieces from some of your favorite film scores, accompanied by video projected above the stage. Tacos and bake sale start at 5:30pm in front of Barnum. Get $10 student tickets now at samohiorchestras.org!

Support a young author and purchase Malaika's book on Amazon today!

Categorized as a coming-of-age psychological thriller.