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Dear Will Rogers Parents and Guardians,

Do you follow Will Rogers @WillRogersSTEM on X ( formerly twitter)? Be sure to follow us so you can receive up-to-date pictures and information!

In these last days of the 2023-2024 school year, students are finishing up final projects and assessments, taking their final field trips of the year, and enjoying final visits to the Regenerative Farm and the STEM lab. We're also busy preparing for 5th Grade Culmination and other year-end celebrations like 2nd grade Caine's Arcade! And teachers are working on year-end report cards that will go home on the last day of school. The end of the year is a bittersweet time. Classroom communities are very tight-knit at this time of year and students have grown so much academically and social-emotionally. When I ask students if they are excited for the school year to end, they say no because they will miss Rogers! I understand their sentiments.

At the same time as we're celebrating the successes of the 2023-2024 school year, we're enrolling new students for 2024-2025 in TK, Kindergarten -- and a handful in all other grades. We look forward to opening a second TK classroom next year as a result of Assembly Bill (AB) 130, which is expanding TK over a four-year period, between the 2022-23 to 2025-26 school years, until all 4-year-olds have the opportunity to attend a high-quality, developmentally appropriate TK program. Next year we will be welcoming children born between September 2nd and June 2nd, and in the 2025-2026 school year, all children who turn 4 by September 1st will be able to enroll in TK.

PTA is an integral part of the WRLC community! I want to take a moment to thank our outgoing WRLC PTA President Sarah Wahrenbrock. Thank you Sarah for your hard work and dedication over the last two years leading our PTA. She has spent countless hours giving service to the Rogers community and we appreciate her dearly! She has been an advocate and voice for our parent community throughout her daughter's time at Rogers. We are sad that she will be moving on to JAMS, but thank her immensely for her support. Sarah, you always have a home here at Rogers!

Warm regards,

Ms. Lila Daruty

Principal, Will Rogers Learning Community

Mon. 6/3 Last day to provide input WRLC Class Placement Parent Comment Survey

Tues. 6/4 WRLC PTA Association special meeting @ 6:00 p.m. Meeting ID: 830 3239 6891 Passcode: 633349. Special meeting is to adopt association meeting minutes from 2023-24.

Wed. 6/5 Ms. Hill’s Community Picnic

Wed. 6/5 Luciano and Evangelho Trip to Virginia Park

Wed. 6/5 5th Grade Field Trip @ Pacific Park 10: 30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

Thurs. 6/6 Caine's Arcade

Thurs. 6/6 Math Club Celebration @ 5:00 p.m. (NEW TIME)

Thurs. 6/6 Peacemaker End-of-the-year Celebration @6:00 p.m.

Thurs. 6/6 School Board Mtg @ 6:15 (agenda)

Fri. 6/7 1st Gr Walking Field Trip to Marine Park

Fri. 6/7 SAMOHI seniors return to Rogers in their Cap and Gowns! @1:00 p.m.

Fri. 6/7 5th Grade Dance Theme: Glow Party 1:15-3:00p.m.

Mon. 6/10 School-wide 5th Grade Clap-out @ 9:00 a.m.

Mon. 5th grade Promotion @9:15 a.m. on 1st grade yard

Mon. 6/10 2nd Grade Field Trip to Marine Park

Mon. 6/10 3rd grade Field Trip to Clover Park

Mon. 6/10 TK/Kinder Get to Know You Day #2 @ 2:00 p.m.

Tues. 6/11 TK/K Culmination Celebration 9am in Auditorium

Tues. 6/11 5th grade Trip to Clover Park 9:45-3:00

Wed. 6/12 Talent Show Encore Presentation (times TBD)

Wed. 6/12 Last Day of School! Minimum Day

Wed. 6/12 Report cards go home

Wed. 6/12 Unoffical Beach Day

Mon. 6/10 School-wide 5th Grade Clap-Out @ 9:00 a.m.

SMMUSD 2023-2024 Calendar

This is a friendly reminder to please check the Lost and Found whenever you come to campus. We have several racks of jackets and sweaters as well as some water bottles and lunch boxes. Whenever you come to campus for meetings, drop off/pick up, please spend a few minutes finding and retrieving any of your child's belongings. Anything not picked up by the end of the year is donated to charity -- and unfortunately, we always have unclaimed items to donate!

Library books checked out by students are now due. If your child has an outstanding library book, please start with a search of their backpack and room at home. Students and teachers will also be searching in the classroom.

If you cannot find the book, please contact Library Coordinator Shannon Sea @ssea@smmusd.org

about either paying for or replacing the book.

Pre-ordered yearbooks will be distributed to students on Monday, June 3rd. There will also be an opportunity to buy them afterschool on Monday!

Please wash and return any replacement clothes your child may have been provided by the health office! We appreciate your support so that we can keep our health office stocked with replacement clothes for students. We could use donated (new) socks, and underwear.

Will Rogers Learning Community Early Education Building Project

Phase 1 of the Campus Plan

(May 31, 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 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 playing 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.

Current Construction:

· Site: New underground site utilities continue to be installed. These include new sewer lines and drainage lines with deep drywells for onsite water infusion. Also, electrical buried conduits are being installed for the new building and site lighting.

· Early Elementary Building Reinforcement rebar is being installed in the foundation trenches in preparation for the placement of concrete foundation footings next week.

· Turf Field: Underground waterlines, irrigation lines, and subsurface drainage basin are being installed prior to the final grading and compaction of the turf field. Concrete perimeter curb formwork is being installed in preparation for concrete placement next week.

· Staff Access Gate: The gate from the teacher parking lot is now installed. There are a few adjustments to be made to the gate in this area. The electronic access system (Salto) and video phone are being installed this week and into next week.

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.

Our annual family talent show was a night of incredible students, shining their talent for a packed audience! It was so much fun and a reminder of the fun, creativity, and unique skills of each one of our Rogers' performers. Will Rogers students are ROCK stars.

BIG THANK YOU to Erin Inatsugu who volunteered her time and skill to organizing such a beautiful show! We thank her and the additional PTA volunteers for providing our students an opportunity to showcase talent that extends beyond the classroom!

We need your help! As you may know, our 5th Grade Culmination takes place Monday, June 10th at 9:15 a.m. on the first-grade field. We're seeking volunteers to help with setup and cleanup to help ensure this is a memorable experience for our 5th grade families.

This is an ideal chance to get a glimpse of what awaits when it's your child's turn period. Even a small amount of your time will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!If yes, sign up https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A094FACAB2AA6FD0-49866840-volunteers

The end of the school year is upon us, signaling the start of a 10-week summer break for our students. For many parents, balancing work and ensuring their children are engaged in safe, supervised, and enriching activities becomes a significant challenge during this period. Without structured learning, children can experience the "summer slide," where they lose academic skills over the break.

Research indicates that children's reading and math skills often decline during the summer, necessitating a review in the fall and potentially creating lasting educational gaps. Studies show that students in grades 3-5 can lose an average of 20-27% of their school year gains in math over the summer. Younger children, particularly those in K-2, are especially vulnerable to learning loss due to their developmental stage, where skills like decoding, letter knowledge, and word reading require regular practice to maintain.

The "summer slide" is a well-documented phenomenon, with cumulative effects that can compound year after year. However, parents can take steps to mitigate this learning loss. Here are some strategies and resources to keep children’s minds active during the summer:

Summer Reading Programs: Local libraries often offer summer reading programs. For instance, on June 3rd, a librarian from the Santa Monica Public Library will visit Rogers students to promote the Santa Monica Reads All Summer program. Children can sign up for 10 and 20-hour reading challenges, earn rewards like tote bags and bookstore coupons, and track their reading progress online. Midway through and upon completing their challenges, participants can win various prizes. Families are encouraged to visit the library and sign their kids up for this enjoyable and educational activity.

Elemental Music

For students entering grades 3–5, don't miss your chance to join the 2024/25 season of Elemental Music! More than 3,500 students have made music with us and now it's your turn. Our afterschool music programs give young people the chance to meet new friends, work as a team, and have FUN through music! Whether your child is a total beginner or an advanced musician, our programs for guitar, band, choir, strings, full orchestra, and chamber music offer something for everyone!

Tuition reduction is available for qualified families. For more info or to sign up, visit www.elementalmusic.org or espanol.elementalmusic.org!

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.

• 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!

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