Will Rogers Roundup
May 18, 2026
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Mon. -Thurs. 5/18 3rd- 5th grade CAASPP Testing 8:30-10:15 a.m. (Mon- Thurs.) Campus quiet hours
Mon. 5/18 Monday Meet-up with the Principal @ 8: 30 a.m. in front of school
Mon. - Fri. 5/18 Spirit Week! (See below)
Tues. 5/19 Fujiwara Field Trip to Bob's
Wed. 5/20 Prospective Parent School Tour @ 9:00 a.m.
Wed. 5/20 PTA Executive Board Meeting @ 6:00 p.m. via zoom
Wed. 5/20 Talent Show Rehearsals @ 3:00 p.m. in the auditorium
Wed. 5/20 Handel's Ice-Cream Fundraiser! Celebrate the completion of 3rd- 5th grade ELA/Math CAASPP testing!
Thurs. 5/21 4th Grade Mini-Exhibition @ 10:30 a.m.
Thurs. 5/21 ELAC Meeting @ 8:30 a.m. in the library
Thurs. 5/21 Title 1 Meeting @ 8: 30 a.m.in the library
Thurs. 5/21 Prevett Field Trip to Bob's
Thurs. 5/21 Holy Cow WRLC Restaurant Fundraiser Night!
Fri. 5/22 Peacemakers Meeting @ 9:00 a.m. Group #1
Fri. 5/22 JOG-A-THON Celebration Assembly ( Principal Daruty eats a bug!)
Fri. 5/22 Luciano & Hoffman-Ellis FIELD TRIP- Morgan Wixon Playhouse
Fri. 5/22 Principal of the Day - Rollins P.
Mon. 5/25 NO SCHOOL Memorial Day
Tues. 5/26 4th and 5th grade Spring VAPA Concert @ 6:00 p.m.
Wed. 5/27 Hoop Bus Assembly for 4th and 5th graders @ 1:00 p.m.
Thurs. 5/28 Talent Show Rehearsal @ 3:00 p.m.
Fri. 5/29 Peacemaker Meeting @ 9:00 a.m. Group #2
Fri. 5/29 5th Grade Exhibition @ 10:45 a.m.
Fri. 5/29 WRLC Family Talent Show @ 6: 00 p.m.
JUNE
Tues. 6/2 Fire Drill @ 9:30 a.m. ( please do not plan to check-out students at this time)
Tues. 6/2 Getting to Know You Day ( for incoming TK/K students) @ 2:00 p.m.
Wed. 6/3 5th Grade Pool Party @ 12- 3:00 p.m. @ SMC
Thurs. 6/4 1st Grade Field Trip @Marine Park
Thurs. 6/4 Peacemaker Celebration for students and families @ 6:00 p.m.
Fri. 6/5 2nd Grade Caine's Arcade
- 1st Grade 12:30-1:00
- TK/Kinder 1:10-1:40
- Parents 2:00-2:30
Fri. 6/5 TK End of the Year Celebration @ 1:00 p.m.
Fri. 6/5 5th Grade Promotion Practice @ 2:00 p.m.
Mon. 6/8 5th Grade Promotion Practice @ 9:00 a.m.
Mon. 6/8 Kinder End of the Year Concert @ 8:45 a.m.
Mon. 6/8 SAMOHI Graduates Clap-Out @ 1:15 p.m.
Tues. 6/9 5th Grade Promotion Ceremony @9:00 a.m.
Wed. 6/10 SAMOHI Graduation
Thurs. 6/11 LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
- 5th grade Kickball Tournament VS. Staff @9:00 a.m.
- Minimum Day
- Unofficial Beach Day
Thurs. 6/11 JAMS Promotion Ceremony @ 2:00 p.m.
JOG-A-THON Celebrations: PIZZA and ICE CREAM PARTIES!
Student Council Field Trip
Around Campus
Step up to the plate and kick off the holiday weekend with a sweet treat at Handel’s Ice Cream on Wednesday, May 20 from 3–7 PM! Cool down after school with 20% of sales directly supporting our school. Please make sure to show the flyer coming home with students next week so your purchase counts toward our giveback.
Then, batting cleanup on Thursday, May 21, is an all-day Holy Cow BBQ FUNdraiser! Voted LA's best BBQ since 2014, Holy Cow BBQ will donate 15% of all dine-in and take-out food and non-alcoholic beverage sales back to Rogers (catering excluded). Grab lunch, dinner, or both and make it a delicious way to support our school community.
Upcoming CAASPP State Testing for grades 3rd- 5th
Dear 3rd-5th grade Will Rogers Families,
Students in grades 3–5 will begin taking the state test, the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP).
This assessment is only one method we use to measure our students’ academic growth. Throughout the year, our teachers gather data in multiple ways on student progress and adjust their instruction accordingly. Please read this letter for more information about the CAASPP. If you have any questions, please contact our assistant principal, Ms. González.
This is not a test you can study for, but you can help your child by doing the following:
Ensuring a good night’s sleep before testing days.
Providing a healthy breakfast to keep their energy up.
Encouraging them to do their best—remind them that this is a chance to show what they've learned, not something to be stressed about!
Arriving to school on time each day - testing will begin by 8:45 a.m. on Monday-Thursday
Resources for Families:
Practice Tests: You can see what the test looks like at caaspp.org.
Starting Smarter: Visit ca.startingsmarter.org to understand your child’s score reports.
Thank you for your continued partnership in your child’s education!
Seeking 4th Grade Parent Volunteers
Dear 4th Grade Families,
We are seeking your support!
As a tradition, we ask 4th grade parents to help with the 5th grade culmination ceremony and festivities. This serves two purposes: it allows our parent volunteers to see how the ceremony is planned for when their own child promotes next year, and it gives our 5th grade families the opportunity to arrive and enjoy the ceremony as guests rather than helping run the event.
We hope you will consider signing up to help support our promoting 5th graders and their families. Everything we do at WRLC happens because of the support and generosity of our parent and guardian volunteers.
Thank you for considering this!
SIGN-UP BELOW
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0545A5AE23A7F5C25-64072209-5thgrade
IB Learner Profile for April is: THINKER
Ways to Foster a Thinker at Home:
Instead of lecturing, ask questions that require reasoning, such as "How did you solve that?" or "What do you think will happen if...?".
Create a "Wonder Wall" or notebook where children can jot down questions they have throughout the day.
Encourage your child to try new things, even if they might fail, and then discuss what they learned from the experience.
Model "thinking" by showing how you solve problems, research questions, and learn from mistakes.
Encourage your child to find connections between what they are learning in school and everyday life.
Provide resources (books, websites, materials) that enable children to explore their interests and answer their own questions.
Allow for downtime, which stimulates imaginative thinking.
When your child completes a task, ask about the strategy they used, rather than focusing only on the correct answer.
Ask your child to reflect on their learning by asking, "What was challenging today?" or "How could you do that differently next time?".
Let your child make choices about their learning, such as deciding what to read or how to structure their study time.
The Santa Monica Education Foundation
The Santa Monica Education Foundation provides the staff and programs at Rogers for Arts, Music, Dance and more. Every year, we ask families to consider a donation that is comfortable for their family, with the knowledge that if every family gives a little, our students benefit a lot. Currently 124 families--32% of Rogers' households--have participated this school year. We're hoping we can raise that number.
From May 11-22, there is a final push to increase participating families this school year who can give a $5 donation. Donations will be matched thanks to our Corporate Hero sponsor, Metropolis. The Elementary school with the highest number of families this year, will be honored with the Golden Plane Award. This is the final sprint before the June 30th deadline. If you haven't had the opportunity to contribute yet, and can consider a donation of $5 now, please DONATE HERE.
One community. One team. One final push for students.
Every donation counts. Every family matters. Let’s go for gold together.
Looking for volunteers through the end of May!
Looking for 5th grade parent volunteers to sell! Sign-up below
5th grade Families headed to JAMS next year
- Tues. 3/24 Incoming 6th graders to JAMS Info night RE: Math Pathways @ 5:30 p.m. hosted by Dr. Chacon via zoom Spanish Interpretation will be available. See presentations:
English:
- If you missed the Parent Information night held on March 17th you can view the presentation here.
- Please let us know if you would be interested in JAMS PTSA positions for the 2026-27 school year?
- Interested in joining the JAMS science board for the 2026-27 school year? Join here:
SMEF Summer Adventure
Monday, June 22 - Friday, July 24 (no July 3)
8:30am - 12:30pm
Roosevelt Elementary School
Registration opens on Monday, March 2 at 7:30am at www.summer-adventure.org.
Please note that Summer Adventure is open to IISS- and ELOP-eligible families; they were notified this week about their summer options.
Please reach out if you have any questions. I have copied SA Principal Barry Yates and Administrative Assistant, Dinora Duarte, on this email.
school passcode:1013782539131906
Family Engagement
Below please find a list of links to local, seasonal happenings, including special events featuring technology, arts/culture, civics, and literacy, application support for social services and government benefits, and free ESL and citizenship classes via SMMUSD Adult Education
🎨 ART CART is Back! 🎨
We’re excited to announce the return of ART CART at lunchtime! Starting this year, students can enjoy creative art projects and hands-on crafts every:
- Monday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. for grades 1st-5th
- Fridays from 11:30 -12:45 p.m. for grades TK/K
ART CART offers students a chance to express their creativity, relax, and connect with others—all thanks to the support of our incredible WRLC Wellness Team of counselors. We need your help!
Many hands make light work, and we’re looking for parent volunteers to help supervise and support our young artists. If you’re interested in volunteering on Mondays or Fridays, please email Mariela at mmartinez@sewi.org.
Volunteer Requirements:
-
Level 1 volunteer clearance
-
Willingness to supervise students using art tools and materials safely
-
Enthusiasm for working with children
-
A love of crafts, creativity, and fun!
Let’s make lunchtimes a colorful, creative experience for all our students!
LUNCH MENU
Breakfast and lunch are free for all students! Make a plan with your child each week about the days they will be eating food prepared at school or bringing lunch from home.
https://www.smmusd.org/domain/476
We encourage you to pack a snack for your children for morning recess.
Please send your child to school with a re-fillable water bottle! We have water stations located throughout campus.
WRLC REGENERATIVE FARM
JOIN the Parents/Guardians Regenerative Farm Committee that we are forming for the 2025-26 school year. The Committee's tasks are to:
- Support the stewardship of the Regenerative Farm.
- Help organize the Regenerative Farm Events ready in the school calendar (monthly Family Farming Days, Earth Week Farming Day), in addition to organizing harvests and other school community engagement activities.
For any questions, contact:
Paola Vezzulli, Program Director - Regenerative Initiatives [Cayton Children's Museum] email: pvezzulli@caytonmuseum.org
WRLC is an International Baccalaureate Primary Years School (PYP)
As an International Baccalaureate Programme School, we believe there is a broad range of capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success. We make a commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them. We do this through the development of students according to the IB learner profile. The profile aims to develop learners who are:
Inquirers
Knowledgeable
Thinkers
Communicators
Principled
Open-minded
Caring
Risk-takers
Balanced
Reflective
The IB Mission Statement
The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
Contact Us
Email: ldaruty@smmusd.org
Website: https://rogers.smmusd.org
Location: 2401 14th Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90406
Phone: 310-452-2364