Principal's Pen
Dear Will Rogers Parents and Guardians,
Happy Cinco De Mayo! This week we celebrate Teacher and Staff Appreciation. This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the tireless dedication and hard work exhibited by our remarkable staff and teachers. We hope your will join us in sharing simple acts of kindness to touch the hearts of our entire school community. Whether it be a hand written note, fresh picked flower or small token of appreciation; all is appreciated. I am deeply grateful for the collaborative spirit and the sense of community at Will Rogers.
As we celebrate Staff Appreciation Week, I encourage you to continue fostering a culture of gratitude and appreciation within your families. Take the time to engage with your children and encourage them to express their gratitude and love for our incredible staff and teachers. A simple thank you or a kind gesture can go a long way in brightening someone's day and making them feel valued and appreciated.
Once again, thank you for your unwavering support and dedication to our school community. Together, we have created a nurturing environment where our staff can thrive and continue to make a positive impact on the lives of our students.
Warm regards,
Ms. Lila Daruty
Principal, Will Rogers Learning Community
CAASPP Testing for 3rd-5th Graders
Beginning, Monday, May 6th, our 3rd-5th grade students will begin taking the California State Test. Testing will continue through May 16 for 3rd and 4th graders and through May 23 for 5th graders; with make-up sessions to follow if needed.
We want our students to feel and do their best as they demonstrate their knowledge. Please partner with WRLC to ensure that:
1. Your child gets enough sleep (9-12 hours) each night.
2. Your child eats a healthy breakfast at home or arrives at school early enough (8:00-8:20 a.m.) to get breakfast from the cafeteria.
3. Your child arrives on time to school every day. Students who arrive after a testing session has begun, will not be permitted to join the session late and must wait in the office or alternate location on campus.
4. If you normally volunteer in a 3rd- 5th grade classroom in the mornings, please coordinate with your teacher to volunteer at a different time. Only SMMUSD employees serving as proctors can be in classrooms during testing.
5. Most of all, encourage your child to do their best!. We want our students to feel confident in themselves, do their best and don’t want them to feel too much pressure.
Thank you for supporting your child!
IB Learner Profile of the Month: COMMUNICATOR
International Baccalaureate (IB) Program of Inquiry Units of Study
Most grade levels are working on either their 5th or 6th unit. Here's what each grade level worked on this past week.
Kindergarten - The students learned about what plants need to grow. They started water inquiries in class and seed explorations. They also came to the STEM Lab to do a pill bug inquiry (see pictures below).
First Grade - The students started their 6th unit - Where we are in place and time. The students were introduced to Santa Monica now and long ago.
Second Grade - The students students started their 6th unit - How we organize ourselves. The students were introduced to the unit with the question, 'what happened to the strawberries?' They also learned about what are food producers and did a dissection and observation of strawberries.
Third Grade - The students learned about the Native American Tribes in California and began working on their research projects.
Fourth Grade - The students started their fifth unit - Sharing the Planet. They were introduced to the unit phenomena. They also learned about what is a system? The students came to the STEM Lab to do a building circuits inquiry (see pictures below).
Fifth Grade - The students learned about what is the Constitution? They also learned about who should vote? Lastly, they learned about how the Constitution defined the Levels and Branches of Government?
WRLC CONSTRUCTION UPDATES
Will Rogers Learning Community Early Education Building Project
Phase 1 of the Campus Plan
(May 3, 2024 Update)
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District is excited to share that construction at Will Rogers Learning Community is underway. The initiative will introduce seven state-of-the-art transitional kindergarten and kindergarten classrooms, alongside a brand-new artificial turf multi-sports field. Additionally, the project encompasses the creation of outdoor natural learning areas adjacent to the new classrooms, as well as the installation of new basketball courts, handball walls and various other amenities.
Update:
Construction commenced in late December of 2023, and currently, access to the eastern section of the outdoor play areas is restricted. The construction team is diligently working towards the completion of a new multi-sports turf play field, scheduled for delivery later this year for school activities. Additionally, the kindergarten building is set to be completed in the 2024-2025 school year.
Noise and Dust Control:
We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the noise and dust. We understand that demolition and construction activities generate both, and they take place during daytime hours on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. We acknowledge that this timeframe coincides with school hours, and construction crews are mindful of this.
To address concerns about dust and noise, contractors are working diligently to implement control measures. Crews are pleased to report that assessments have shown that noise levels remain within safe limits, not exceeding the 90 decibel safety standards.
Environmental Safety Note:
Most school construction projects, both in the state and nationwide, incorporate an asbestos abatement phase. We adhere strictly to environmental regulations, which mandate testing prior to commencement of construction. In a recent case, asbestos was detected within the tar content, sandwiched between layers of asphalt. Similar to older homes or buildings where asbestos remains inert and occupants live without health risks, the asbestos found in this instance posed no threat as there was no potential pathway for exposure. The asbestos content originated from adhesive used to bind a layer of asphalt to another during a maintenance endeavor conducted decades ago. Proper removal procedures necessitate that workers adhere to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations, donning protective suits and masks. Importantly, students and staff are not exposed to this material as it is encapsulated within the tar of the asphalt. Site monitors diligently record air samples and dust contents, and work halts whenever wind speeds exceed 15 mph.
Current Construction:
The contractor has finished removing the asphalt from the play area and basketball courts, although there are still some concrete footings underground that are being demolished and cleared with jackhammers. Additionally, three hundred truckloads of poor-quality soil from the old grass field have been removed to create space for the foundations of the new building. These initial steps are crucial for preparing the ground for the installation of the new artificial turf field and laying the foundations for the new early elementary building.
Unfortunately, heavy rain on March 28th to April 2nd and again from April 14th to April 16th caused a delay of 9 days in this process.
Excavation and recompacting are currently underway for the area beneath the artificial field, drainage basin, and the foundation of the new building. The contractor is now focusing on recompacting and spreading soil, combining it with new imported gravel to create a stronger sub-base for both the building and the turf field. On-site, a Geotech engineer is continuously monitoring the soil for appropriate moisture levels and compaction. Once the soil meets the required standards, a technician will provide a report confirming its readiness for building foundations.
As part of the project, old underground utilities are being relocated and capped off within the work zone, while some new underground utilities are being installed.
Top of Form
Continued Work:
A. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Ramp and Access: A new pathway has been established for teachers and staff to access the school from the 16th street parking lot directly to the classrooms. The entrance gate will be positioned adjacent to the garden fence line, providing convenient access to Buildings U and Q. The contractor is currently fabricating a state-of-the-art entry gate and an ADA-compliant access ramp from the staff parking area. Completion of the ramp and paving is anticipated by the end of April 2024. This newly constructed pathway will serve as the primary entry point for teachers, staff, and students accessing the garden in the short term. Additionally, the entry gate will be equipped with a card reader and buzzer for added security and convenience.
B. Temporary Restrooms: On March 23, 2024, a semi-permanent restroom building was delivered to the school site to accommodate children and parents during after-school activities. This facility will feature four separate restrooms: boys, girls, staff and adults, and all-gender, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility for all users. It serves as a replacement for the restroom that was previously situated near the basketball courts and ball walls area. The contractor has diligently connected essential utilities such as water, power, fire alarms, sewer, and ramps to the new restroom building. The restroom is scheduled to be available for use by mid-April 2024, pending approval from inspectors regarding the fire alarms.
C. Site Demolition: The process of asphalt removal began on Feb. 26, 2024 and concluded on March 15, 2024. Currently, the team is continuing the removal of any remaining asphalt along the edges of the worksite. Additionally, soil excavation and removal commenced last week and are ongoing this week. To address concerns about dust, the contractor is implementing effective control measures, which are being monitored daily.
D. Site Dirt Import: Dirt and gravel will be imported using 100 trucks to replace the insufficient soil that was removed from the location where the future new building will be constructed, specifically the area of the large field.
E. Site Utilities: The contractor is building pathways for the electrical feed to the new Elementary Building and exterior light poles. Water meters and sewer lines are being connected from the street to the site.
F. City Utilities Service: The construction team has collaborated with the City of Santa Monica to reposition pedestrian crosswalks, driveways, and connections for site utilities along the 16th Street roadway. This endeavor was successfully completed during spring break. Sidewalks and new markings will be finalized at a later date, in alignment with the city's schedule.
We value your patience and understanding as we progress through the construction phase.
For more information on Rogers campus projects, please contact Simpson & Simpson Consultant Senior Construction Operations Liaison Chris Emmett at cemmett@smmusd.org.
Will Rogers Family Talent Show is May 31 at 6:00pm!
Students who wish to participate in this year's show may send a video of their act (2 minutes or less) no later than Friday, May 10th.
FIRST, please SIGN UP let us know that your child will be participating! Please use this form to provide details about your student's Family Talent Show act, and we will send a follow up email with the upload link and instructions.
All kinds of talents are welcome! Singing, dancing, comedy, juggling, magic...we've seen so many amazing talents grace the stage at WRLC over the years.
Tips for helping your kids develop their Talent Show ideas:
- We really do love family acts. Moms, dads, siblings, cousins, come on down! This element of our show is a special tradition, and a unique opportunity to share the stage with your kiddo. Don't be shy!
- Small group acts are audience favorites! Working on an act with a friend or two (or more!) is a great way to ensure a crowd-pleaser. Solos are ok, but we especially love to see students collaborating and sharing the stage.
- When an act involves music (especially singing), upbeat songs are encouraged. Everyone loves a good ballad, but not everyone loves 20 ballads in one show. Just something to keep in mind when steering your little one toward a song choice.
- We usually have a lot of participants, so please be sure to manage expectations. Most acts will be asked to cut their time to 2 minutes or less.
- Everyone is asked to have a second choice ready if they're singing a song. Sometimes it happens that multiple acts will want to do the same song and we do our best not to have repeats, so our singers may be asked to perform their second choice.
- Students are limited to participating in one or two acts.
We look forward to supporting our talented Will Rogers students in this wonderful annual showcase!
Please email wrlctalentshow@gmail.com with questions.
FIFTH GRADE UPDATES and INFORMATION
Join the 5th grade Parent Planning Committee. We need your voice and volunteerism. Sign-up here
JAMS is having its Open House on May 9, 2024 at 6 p.m. This event is open to Fifth Grade Parents
Also, JAMS Summer Science Camp is now open for enrollment at https://jamssciencemagnet.org/summer-science-camp
JAMS 2024 Summer Science Camp is held in person at JAMS.
Incoming students may attend 6th Grade Camp (2 days): Monday and Tuesday, August 12-13, 2024. All registered JAMS students are eligible, but must sign up to attend!
6TH GRADE CAMP (2 DAYS): MONDAY AND TUESDAY, AUGUST 12-13, 2024.
7TH AND 8TH GRADE CAMP (3 DAYS): WEDNESDAY-FRIDAY, AUGUST 14-16, 2024.
https://jamssciencemagnet.org/summer-science-camp
Camps are open to ALL incoming JAMS 6-8th graders as long as space is available. Please contact your current science teacher for more information. Incoming 6th grade parents can email tlevin@smmusd.org with questions.
We're also looking for parent volunteers to help with lunch.
"Oops, I forgot!" table - PLEASE SHARE AND USE
We have had an increase in requests from parents asking us to call classrooms to relay messages or have their child pick-up an item they left at home. Each time we call, we interrupt instruction which is disruptive to the students. Help us reduce these interruptions.
Please communicate the "Oops, I forgot table" plan with your child, so they know there is place for parents to drop-off items they may have left at home!
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 do not forget to send with your child every day:
- School materials including books, homework, projects, etc.
- Water bottle
- Snack and/or lunch (lunch available to all students free of charge for the 2023-24 school year.)
- Sunscreen (put on prior to arriving at school)
- Hat
- Layers of clothing (sweatshirt, windbreaker, etc.) Keep an eye on the weather.
- A growth mindset for a successful day!
Counseling Services at WRLC
We have several community partnerships affording us the opportunity to provide school-based therapy services to the students at Rogers. If you are interested in this service, please reach out to your classroom teacher. We are fortunate to expand our services by offering free, tele-health counseling service through Hazel. Read more about this service below.
Contact Us
Email: ldaruty@smmusd.org
Website: https://www.smmusd.org/rogers
Location: 2401 14th Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90406
Phone: 310-452-2364
Twitter: @WillRogersSTEM