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Dear Parents and Guardians,

Another great week at Rogers! It was wonderful to see so many families learning alongside their students at our PS arts informances, today's Family Farming Day and volunteers at our growing lunchtime art cart! We are excited to host the TK/K Roundup this week for prospective parents. It is a wonderful opportunity to share all the things that make Rogers a great place to learn.

Santa Monica Education Foundation

The Ed Foundation’s last big fundraising push of the school year, the January Campaign, kicks off Monday. I encourage you to make a donation to the Ed Foundation - of any amount. Currently 25% of Will Rogers families have donated to the Ed Foundation this year. Our school goal is to have 40% participation by January 31st! I am confident we can do this and to celebrate making our goal, we will have a special dance party during recess in February.

Your support funds many of the amazing programs and staff here at Will Rogers. This includes 15 weeks of PS Arts, instructional aides in grades k-5, weekly lessons with Farmer Mark in our Regenerative Farm and our composting program. Unless enough money is raised, these programs are at risk of going away. Donations raised in the prior school year determine programs for the following year. SMEF funded programs are made equally available across the primary schools to ensure all students have equal access. Including, the Ed Foundation stretch grant. Rogers uses the stretch grant funds to offer a living science curriculum via our Farm, with Farmer Mark as a staff member.

Your support of Ed Foundation right now is more important than ever: All donations raised by Jan 31 will determine which programs are offered in 24-25 year. Even the smallest donations of $1 make an impact to raise our percentages which demonstrates to corporate donors how our community values these programs.

Please help Rogers soar to the finish line! smedfoundation.org/donate

In partnership,

Principal Daruty

Sun. 1/21 Regenerative Farm Family Farming Day and Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop- hosted by Master Gardener Orchard Team 10am-1pm

Thurs. 1/25 TK/K Roundup at 9:00 a.m. For incoming TK/K families.

Thurs. 1/25 @ 6:30 p.m. 5th grade Pali Camp Parent Information Meeting via zoom. It will be recorded and made available for those unable to attend.

Tues. 1/30 Assembly @ JAMS from 9:00-9:55am Yes Indeed! a celebration of the American blues tradition All 5th grade classes from Edison, Grant, Will Rogers and SMASH.

Wed. 1/31 PS Art Family Art Night from 6-7 p.m.

Wed. 2/7 Crossing Guard Appreciation Day

Fri. 2/2 Standards Based Reports Cards go home to parents/guardians

Sat. 2/10 Will Rogers’ Grown Ups Night Out returns at 6pm at Solidarity Restaurant

Wed. 2/14 Valentine's Day please see communication from your classroom teacher about sending cards to school. Please NO CANDY.

Mon. 2/19 NO SCHOOL in observance of President's Day

Mon. 2/12 Volunteer Trainings 8:30, 3:00, 6:00p.m.

SMMUSD 2023-2024 Calendar

Each day at recess we are rolling out a game cart for students! We are looking easy to set-up board (For example, (not monopoly) Jenga, Guess Who? Uno, chess and checkers. If you would like to contribute to our game cart please bring games to the front office!

In preparation for our 5th Grade Pali Camp Trip, please mark your calendar to attend a parent information meeting. A representative from Pali Institute will join the 5th grade teaching team, to answer any science camp questions.

When: Thursday, January 25th

Time: 6:30 pm

Where: on Zoom

https://smmk12.zoom.us/j/82494008966?pwd=QTFNcVdSUmVwVGhqQkxNeTJiUVFpZz09

Meeting ID: 824 9400 8966

IT WILL BE RECORDED AND SHARED AFTERWARDS FOR THOSE UNABLE TO ATTEND.

The 5th grade is scheduled to attend Pali camp May 1-3, 2024 (Wednesday-Friday). Be on the look out for a letter of intent and packet of information about the trip. It will be sent home this week by your classroom teachers!

Most grade levels are working on either their 3rd or 4th unit. Here's what each grade level worked on this past week.

Kindergarten - Will start new IB Unit this coming week.

First Grade - Will start new IB Unit this coming week.

Second Grade - Will start new IB Unit this coming week.

Third Grade - The students learned about inherited traits and did a clay creatures STEM Lab activity to better understand their focus (see pictures below).

Fourth Grade - Will start new IB Unit this coming week.

Fifth Grade - The students learned about the consequences of colonization and they also did an activity called The Color Lines.

Our PTA nominating committee is currently seeking applicants to consider for next year's leadership. We need to fill all positions to maintain programs we love, including movie nights, dances and fundraisers that support every classroom. There are lots of ways to help, from Career Day, STEM Expo and Book Fair (VP Enrichment), to building community with Incoming Kindergarten Events, Movie Nights, and Family Dances (VP Events), and more. Our PTA has several talented and tenured Committee Chairs supporting open VP positions. Please consider nominating yourself and others to help shape the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. Nominations will prompt outreach providing more specific information to help you determine what may work. Please complete

Will Rogers’ Grown Ups Night Out returns Saturday Feb 10th at 6pm at Solidarity Restaurant! Come kick up your heels with your best valentine or galentine. Enjoy dinner, drinks, s'mores and live auction items with your fellow Rogers parents and teachers to help support our school. Tickets available soon!

We are grateful for community partnerships. Generous donations from the nonprofit organization, Santa Monica Assistance League, has afforded opportunities for Will Rogers students to experience camping opportunities during the school year and summer. We greatly appreciate Mrs. Susan Ferrell, from the Santa Monica Assistance League for her genuine care and interest in all our students in helping them fulfill their dreams experiencing the great outdoors camping, connecting with nature and being with their friends.

We are grateful to announce that once again the SM Assistance League will donate funds for our 5th grade trip Pali Camp.

Visit their website: https://www.assistanceleague.org/santa-monica/vc-home/about-us/

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.

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.

In November 2022, California voters approved Proposition 28: The Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act, to provide additional funding to “supplement arts education programs” in schools. Proposition 28 will provide annual funding for arts education programs. The California Department of Education (CDE) anticipates providing these funds to SMMUSD for use beginning the 2024-25 school year. Allocated funds will be available for use for up to three years. The Prop 28 funds will come EVERY year as it was passed by California voters to support ongoing funding for arts education.

WRLC Advocacy groups such as School Site Council, ELAC and PTA have provided input to the school on the best use of these funds to enhance our existing arts programming. More weeks of visual arts instruction and TK-2 music or dance are some of the highly requested ways we will enhance arts education at Will Rogers!

If you would like to help us with art cart during Tuesday lunchtime, please volunteer using the link below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040848ADA72EA0FF2-44895972-wrlc

• February 8th at 9 a.m. at Roosevelt “Preschool and Kindergarten Programs and Readiness”
• March 12th at 4:30 p.m. at Webster Elementary “How to prepare for your child to transition to their next school”
• May 15th at 5:30 p.m. at Grant Elementary “Special Education Year in Review”

Fechas de los talleres de educación especial para los padres

• 8 de febrero a las 9 a.m. en Roosevelt "Programas y preparación para la preprimaria y jardín de niños"
• 12 de marzo a las 4:30 p.m. en Webster Elementary "Cómo prepararse para la transición de su hijo a su próxima escuela"
• 15 de mayo a las 5:30 p.m. en la primaria Grant Elementary "Resumen del Año de Educación Especial"

We could use your support at recess lunchtime! If you would like to volunteer your time to support our students during recess or lunch, please complete this Google Form. We can really use your help and it can be a lot of fun! You can facilitate an organized game and just be there to support students as they play with each other. If you have already been cleared as a volunteer, you’ll meet with our assistant principal, Ms. González, to review yard expectations before starting. If you have not been cleared, you’ll need to complete the process to be a volunteer. Yard expectations will now be included as part of the volunteer training. Our volunteer training dates are listed on our school calendar.

Thank you and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Gabriela González, M. Ed, NBCT

Assistant Principal

ggonzalez@smmusd.org

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

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

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