Principal's Pen
Dear Will Rogers Parents and Guardians,
It is my honor and pleasure to welcome you to the 2024 – 2025 school year! I hope that your summer was filled with joy and opportunity to create lasting memories with your friends, family and loved ones. Thank you for choosing Will Rogers! We look forward to partnering together to help your child learn and thrive.
I would like to welcome all of our new families, whether you are joining us from another school in the district or have relocated from another city, state, or country. We are excited to share with you all that Rogers has to offer and believe you will soon feel as we do, that Will Rogers Learning Community is a special place for all children. Our educators, support staff, families, and other education partners are ready to welcome you.
Grounded in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District’s values of “Belonging, Curiosity, Empowerment” Will Rogers will continue to deepen our work in building community and finding harmony in our diversity! As has been our mission at Will Rogers, we will continue to strive for academic excellence and social and emotional well-being for our students while looking through a lens of equity and inclusion.
Our school leadership is a collaborative voice of staff and families, all of whom share a vision of continuous improvement. Rogers Learning Community’s success can be attributed to its active and engaged parents who are involved in the PTA, Education Foundation, and various committees. Please visit the Will Rogers PTA website to become a PTA member and to learn of the many opportunities available to volunteer at our school. In addition, we hope you consider donating to the Santa Monica Education Foundation. Donations to SMEF enable us to provide our students with a well-rounded and world-class education through music, visual arts, and instructional assistant support. Donations from last year enabled us to support the teaching and learning in our Regenerative Farm and our school-wide composting program! So many transformative educational opportunities are made possible for our students because of your financial support. Please consider making a donation of any amount to BOTH the Ed Foundation and PTA.
Please be sure to read the Will Rogers Roundup each Sunday night as it contains important information from the principal, the school, PTA, Santa Monica Education Foundation, City of Santa Monica, and other community partners. Links to each week’s Will Rogers Roundup are posted on our website. Please refer to the school’s website for additional information on upcoming events.
Through our Aeries Parent Portal you will be asked to complete data confirmation. This is a mandatory process, done yearly, to verify your child’s enrollment. Please complete this verification and the electronic first-day packet by Tuesday, September 3, 2024. Should you have any questions, please reach out to our school office.
I look forward to the start of the new school year and to continuing our collaboration of providing your children with an effective and engaging educational experience. As always, we will look to our families to be positive partners in their children’s educational journey. The Rogers staff has always made a priority of working together as a caring and compassionate learning community with professionalism, teamwork, action, and expertise. We will always put the best interests of our students at the center of our purpose. Join us in ensuring the success of all Rogers’ students.
In partnership,
Ms. Lila Daruty, Principal Will Rogers Learning Community
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Mon. 8/19 All Staff Convocation Event @ SAMOHI 8-3 p.m. (Rogers office closed)
Tues. 8/20 Classroom Assignments will be emailed to families by the end of the day.
Wed. 8/21 TK/K Meet and Greet @ 10: 30 a.m. on the TK/K yard
Wed. 8/21 SPED Meet and Greet 2-3 p.m. in library
Thurs. 8/22 First Day of School! Arrival at 8:25 a.m. Minimum Day: TK/K dismissal @12:10 1st-5th @1:00 p.m.
Thurs. 8/22 Boo Hoo/Yahoo Coffee Social and 1st PTA Association Meeting @8:30 a.m. in the cafetorium.
Fri. 8/23 Second day of school! No Late start. Arrival at 8:25 a.m. Minimum Day: TK/K dismissal @12:10 1st-5th @1:00 p.m.
Fri. 8/23 School-Wide Assembly on our new field! @ 8:30 a.m.
Fri. 8/23 Welcome Back Picnic on our new field @1:00-3:00 p.m. ( bring a chair or blanket)
Tues. 8/27 Minimum Day: Arrival at 8:25 a.m. Minimum Day: TK/K dismissal @12:10 1st-5th @1:00 p.m.
Tues. 8/27 Volunteer Training @5:00-5:30 p.m. in the library
Tues. 8/27 Back to School Night Grades TK- 2nd @ 5:30 p.m.
Fri. 8/30 First late start of the year. School begins @9:45 a.m.
Fri. 8/30 New Peacemaker Student/Parent Information Meeting @9:00 a.m. in the library
Mon. 9/2 NO SCHOOL- Labor Day
Tues. 9/3 Picture Day! Grades TK- 5th
Tues. 9/3 Minimum Day: Arrival at 8:25 a.m. Minimum Day: TK/K dismissal @12:10 1st-5th @1:00 p.m.
Tues. 9/3 Volunteer Training @5:00-5:30 p.m. in the library.
Tues. 9/3 Back to School Night Grades 3rd- 5th @ 5:30 p.m.
Tues. 9/3 Deadline to complete Aeries Parent Portal Confirmation
Fri. 9/6 Late start school begins @9:45 a.m.
Tues. 9/10 Coffee with the Principal @8:30 a.m. in the library
Fri. 9/13 Late start school begins @9:45 a.m.
Mon. 9/16-27 PTA Read-a-Thon Fundraiser
Thurs. 9/19 ELAC meeting @8: 30 a.m. in the library
Thurs. 9/19 SSC meeting @ 3:15 p.m. in the library
Sat. 9/28 Family Farming Day and Beautification Day 10:00 -2:00 p.m.
SMMUSD 2024-2025 Calendar
BELL SCHEDULE 2024-2025
Will Rogers Learning Community
Morning Procedures
Monday-Thursday Arrival
8:10 Breakfast in cafeteria. Yards open.
8:20 First bell rings. Students line up for class.
8:25 All students TK to 5th grade in classrooms.
Late Start Friday Arrival
9:20 Breakfast on yard. Yards open.
9:40 First bell rings. Students line up for class.
9:45 All students TK to 5th grade in classrooms.
Recess
PreK/TK/K Kindergarten Yard
9:55-10:25 Kinder
10:10-10:40 Kinder
10:25-10:55 TK
10:25-11:25 PreK
*No morning recess on Fridays, if late start (except PreK).
Grades 1-5
9:50-10:10 1st and 2nd
10:15-10:35 3rd and 4th
10:40-11:00 5th
*No morning recess on Fridays, if late start
Lunch
Grades TK/K Eat & Play: Kindergarten Yard
11:30-12:15 Kinder #1 and #2
12:00-12:45 Kinder #3 and #4
12:30-1:15 TK
Grades 1-5
11:30-12:15 1st Grade and 2nd Grade
12:00-12:45 3rd Grade and 4th Grade
12:30-1:15 5th Grade
Dismissal
1:45 TK/Kindergarten
2:55 1st to 3rd Grades
3:00 4th and 5th Grades
Aftercare
1:45 Kindergarten Dismissal - CDS School Age Program (SAP) staff meets students on K yard
2:55 Grades 1-3 Dismissal - CDS School Age Program (SAP) students walk to their classrooms
3:00 Grades 4-5 Dismissal - CREST students walk to their classrooms
Parent/Guardian Arrival and Dismissal Procedures
We welcome all families to drop off students the first two days of school to their classroom door on campus. Beginning, Monday, Aug. 26th, we ask that you say your goodbyes at the gates!
Arrival to school:
- TK/Kinder use the designated TK/K gate off of 14th street.
- 1st - 5th may use either the front gate on 14th street or the pedestrian gate on 16th street.
Dismissal from school:
- TK/Kinder use the designated TK/K gate.
- 1st -3rd should be picked-up from the front gate on 14th street.
- 4th and 5th should be picked up from gate on 16th street.
Rainy Day Dismissal Procedures:
- TK- 3rd students will wait under the TK/K patio. Parents should pick-up by the TK/K gate.
- 4th and 5th will wait by the front office and can be picked-up from the front gate on 14th street.
REMINDER: Parent parking can be found on the neighborhood streets. Be sure to read the street signs! Please do not park in the staff parking lots. We will continue to offer a valet on 14th street in front of the school.
Ms. Bailey Richey
Ms. Holly Hodges
Ms. Landri Eackelbary
Hi! My name is Miss. Eackelbary, and I am very excited to be a part of our Kindergarten team at Will Rogers! I was born and raised in Los Angeles. I went to college at the University of Arizona, where I studied Early Childhood Education. I am creative, organized and dedicated to teaching. I believe in creating an engaging classroom environment where students discover humor in their mistakes, celebrate their successes, and feel encouraged to take risks. I look forward to the new school year!
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 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://www.smmusd.org/rogers
Location: 2401 14th Street, Santa Monica, CA, 90406
Phone: 310-452-2364
Twitter: @WillRogersSTEM