El Marino Language School Recognized as California Distinguished School
CCUSD board members and administrators celebrated the naming of El Marino Language School as a 2023 California Distinguished School at the California School Recognition Program Ceremony on February 16 at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim.
The 2023 California Distinguished School Program recognizes California elementary schools that have proven exceptional in implementing the academic content and performance standards adopted by the California State Board of Education for all students. California used a multiple measures accountability system to identify eligible schools based on their performance on the state indicators as specified on the California School Dashboard (Dashboard) – www.caschooldashboard.org.
Eligible schools in the elementary school cycle were selected based upon specific criteria within the following two categories: 1) Closing the Achievement Gap and 2) Exceptional Student Performance.
Congratulations to the entire El Marino team!
HOLLY SONG, SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST
Dear Families…
My name is Holly Song. I sincerely consider myself very fortunate to be part of El Marino School as your School Psychologist. The families I’ve met so far have been incredibly warm, supportive and hospitable. What an amazing community!
A little about my background…
I have a BA in Psychology and teaching credential from UCLA. I received my MS from CSUN in
Counseling with School Psy. emphasis. Prior to becoming a school psychologist, I was a
teacher (preschool and elementary). This is my 20th year as a school psychologist!
Fun fact: I am a CCUSD alumni, I attended Farragut Elementary School before leaving for San
Fernando to become a valley girl!
About Me: I am married with two children. My son is in his final year of dental school at USC
and my daughter is completing her last year of undergrad at Claremont McKenna. After
supporting our children for all these years, my husband and I are looking forward to being empty nesters with two employed children! :) Our fur baby, a 5 lb. maltipoo, who acts more like a cat than a dog, completes our family.
Fun Facts:
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Flowers: Peonies, Tulips, and succulents
Favorite Foods: Pizza, Salads, Korean BBQ, Sushi, Chips & Salsa
Favorite Dessert: While I love all desserts, since being introduced to Coppenhagen pastries by EM PTA, I am obsessed!
Favorite Drinks: Coffee and Green Tea
Hobbies: Walking my dog, baking, reading, weight training, and organizing
Talents: I can play the piano, years of piano lessons have made me a speedy typist more than a gifted pianist.
I belong to a book club and we meet monthly.
I belong to a Bible study that meets weekly.
I love traveling. The furthest I have traveled is the Maldives. My most recent travel destination
was Kauai. Morocco, Croatia and Japan are on my next travel bucket list.
Contact Information
Please feel free to reach out to me via email (hollysong@ccusd.org). You may also contact me
at (310) 842-4241 X6249.
I believe parenting is the most rewarding and the most challenging, I am honored to be part of your support system in this most important endeavor.
Happy Winter! In music class during the month of February we have been honoring Black History month by learning about influential black musicians as well as learning songs highlighting Black History. Be sure to look for "Ask Me" sheets for the songs below in the coming weeks, and ask your student to sing or dance the songs linked below!
If your student is in TK or Kindergarten, both Ms. Koplinka-Loehr and Mrs. Gallagher's classes have been learning about Trombone Shorty and his song, "Hurricane Season." We have also been reading a book about Trombone Shorty, which is linked here, read aloud by Angela Basset. In Ms. Koplinka-Loehr's classes in January we learned about Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute," and we performed the "Queen of the Night Aria," which has become many students' favorite dance!
In Ms. Koplinka-Loehr's classes January, TK and Kindergarten students also learned the song "Oh Ricka Bamboo." In February, we learned "Kye Kye Kule," a song from Ghana. Finally, we have been having fun pretending to be horses with our song "High Stepping Horses." Look for a song map of "High Stepping Horses" coming home in the coming weeks!
If your student is in 1st grade, in February both Ms. Koplinka-Loehr and Mrs. Gallagher's classes have been learning about Stevie Wonder and dancing to his song "Uptight."Ms. Koplinka-Loehr's classes have also been discussing songs that would have been sung during Civil Rights marches and protests, and we learned the song "I'm on my way...to the Freedom Land." To learn more about the history of "I'm On My Way...", click here. Mrs. Gallagher's students have been learning the song "A Ram Sam Sam," which is a round from Morocco.
In 2nd grade, both Mrs. Gallagher and Ms. Koplinka-Loehr's students have been learning about Stevie Wonder and dancing to his song "Uptight." Mrs. Gallagher's students have been practicing singing their "Hello/Frere Jacques" song as a round.
If you have any questions about the vocal music program, feel free to reach out directly to the vocal music teachers at:
Danielle Koplinka-Loehr: daniellekoplinkaloehr@ccusd.org
Kimberly Gallagher: kimberlygallagher@ccusd.org
We hope you are having fun listening to your students' wonderful singing voices!
If you are already a cleared volunteer, please make sure that your TB is current. If you don't know, please check with the front office staff first.
If you think you are not current with your TB, please make sure to provide your TB survey to the school nurse. The office staff will provide you with the contact information for the nurse and the next steps.
Questions about your current volunteer clearance? Contact mariavasquez@elmarinopta.org.
"TASTE OF CULVER CITY" VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
CCEF is seeking committee members for their BIGGEST fundraiser to date – A Taste of Culver City!
Be a part of this culinary event hosted on the Amazon Studios lot on Sunday, May 7th, where the entire community will come together to celebrate Culver City’s diverse food scene while raising vital resources for CCEF-funded programs.
Roles are available to support event planning, marketing, sponsorship coordination, silent auction, entertainment, and volunteer coordination.
Can’t help with the event preparation? Sign up to volunteer on the day of the event, or engage your workplace/community organizations to volunteer as a group.
Join the party and email our team at ccef@ccusd.org for more information on how you can get involved.
El Marino Language School
Website: elmarino.ccusd.org
Location: 11450 Port Rd, Culver City, CA 90230, USA
Phone: 310-842-4241