Autism Awareness Month- Tue, Apr 1, 2025 – Wed, Apr 30, 2025
At WRLC, we value neurodiversity—including autism—as an essential part of our community. Our goal is to deepen understanding and honor the diverse ways students learn, communicate, and experience the world. When neurodivergent and neurotypical students learn together, they develop empathy, flexibility, and a greater appreciation for each other’s strengths.
We’ve adopted a neurodiversity-affirming approach that shifts from a deficit-based model to one focused on removing barriers and fostering inclusive environments. By adapting teaching methods, classroom structures, and supports, we ensure every student—regardless of neurotype—has what they need to thrive.
April is Arab-American Heritage Month
Join us in celebrating the rich history, culture, and contributions of Arab Americans throughout the month of April. This is a time to honor the diverse stories, heritage, and achievements of Arab American communities across the United States. From literature and science to art, activism, and beyond, Arab Americans have helped shape our nation in countless ways.
PRINCIPAL'S PEN
Dear Will Rogers Families and Guardians,
We invite you all to join us to our traditional event Cinco de Mayo on Friday, May 2nd from 3pm to 5:30pm, you may want to buy your tickets ahead of time, please check out the flyer for QR code, link and date. We need parent volunteers to help us make this a great event, please check out the information below. We hope to see you there!
We Need YOU for Cinco de Mayo Festival on the Will Rogers Track! 🌟
Our most exciting event of the year is almost here—Cinco de Mayo on the Track—and we need all hands on deck to make it happen! Carnival games, mouthwatering food, mariachi, baile folklórico, and non-stop fun for our WRLC kiddos... but it can't happen without YOU.We’re still short on volunteers—and this event depends on grown-ups stepping in. If your kids love this celebration (and they do!), please pitch in however you can, thank you! Opt in To Volunteer!
We especially need help with:
Morning set-up crew (8:00–9:45 AM)
Afternoon clean-up (5:30–6:30 PM)
Coordinating/selling food: tamales, nachos, watermelons, etc.
Face painting artists 🎨. 🎟️ And don’t forget—get your tickets! Buying ahead makes it easier for everyone and helps raise funds for our school.
Let’s bring the spirit, sabor, and smiles—and make this year’s Cinco de Mayo unforgettable!
This week we also have our Spring Scholastic Book Fair at WRLC! Use the eWallet option to set aside money for your child to access and purchase items. Your child's teacher will let you know when their library time is scheduled this week.
We look forward to seeing you this week at WRLC!
In partnership,
Principal Daruty
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Mon. 4/28 Scholastic Spring Book Fair (schedule)
Tues. 4/29 Samohi will be hosting Ad Astra Day which entails talking to the International Space Station through a NASA downlink with Lieutenant Colonel Jonny Kim. We have coined the assembly Ad Astra Day, which is Latin for “to the stars”. The best part is there is an option to livestream from anywhere so some of our classrooms will tune in!
The first is a livestream from Samohi’s Barnum Hall that will start at 8:40 a.m. https://www.youtube.com/live/EHQYl0VsT0E
The actual in-flight downlink will be 20 minutes and is scheduled to occur from 9:10 AM to 9:30 Direct NASA link to only the 20 minutes of Q&A from International Space Station:
Astronaut Q&A with California Students: What Inspired You to Become an Astronaut?
Wed. 4/30 Talent Show Rehearsal in cafeteria 3:00-4:00
Thurs. 5/1 Volunteer Training 8:30am (library), 3:00pm (library) and 6:00pm (cafeteria)
Thurs. 5/1 SMMUSD School Board Mtg 5:30 (agenda)
Fri. 5/2 Cinco de Mayo Festival 3-5:30 p.m.
Mon. 5/5 3rd- 5th grade CAASPP testing begins 9:00-12:00 p.m. Mon-Thurs.
Mon. 5/5 Teacher Appreciation Week begins
Mon. 5/5 School Tour 9:00-10:00am
Mon. 5/5 Talent Show Rehearsal in cafeteria 3:00-4:00
Tues. 5/6 UCLA Dental Students visit 1st grade classes
Wed. 5/7 PTA General Association Meeting 6-7:30pm in library
Thurs. 5/8 Talent Show Rehearsal in cafeteria 3:00-4:00
Fri. 5/9 Talent Show Performance in cafeteria at 6:30 p.m.
Fri. 5/9 Bike It! Walk It! Bus It! Day
Sat. 5/10 Family Farming Day 10:00-1:00 in Regenerative Farm
Mon. 5/12 3rd- 5th grade CAASPP testing begins 9:00-12:00 p.m. Mon-Thurs.
Mon. 5/12 Griffin & Gonzalez Human Growth and Development Lesson @ 1:15-2
Tues. 5/13 Benitez Growth and Development Lesson @ 1:15-2
Tues. 5/13 Coffee with the Principal 8:30-9:30am in library
Thurs. 5/15 School Board Mtg 5:30p.m
Fri. 5/16 Peacemaker Monthly Mtg 9-9:45am
Mon. 5/19 3rd- 5th grade CAASPP testing begins 9:00-12:00 p.m. Mon-Thurs.
Wed. 5/21 Volunteer Tea & Honorary PTA Service Awards 3:15-4:00 K Yard
Thurs. 5/22 Site Council Mtg 3:15 on Zoom
Mon. 5/26 No School - Memorial Day
Tues. 5/27 3rd- 5th grade CAASPP testing begins 9:00-12:00 p.m. Mon-Thurs.
Tues. 5/27 4th and 5th grade Spring Music Concert
4th gr at 6:00pm
5th gr at 7:00pm
Wed. 5/28 End of Year 3rd grade music performance in classrooms
Thurs. 5/29 School Yard Rap Assembly for 4th and 5th grade @ 8:30 a.m.
SMMUSD 2024-2025 Calendar
Planning for the 2025-26 School Year at WRLC!
Believe it or not, we are already beginning to plan for the 2025–2026 school year. To make the most informed decisions about the number of classrooms per grade and teacher assignments, we rely heavily on accurate projected enrollment numbers. Your input is essential to this process. Please take a moment to inform us of your plans for the fall by completing the enrollment form. We ask that you submit one form per student to indicate your family’s plans for the 2025–2026 school year. Your timely and accurate response helps ensure we are fully prepared to meet the needs of all our students. Thank you for your partnership! RETURNING TO WRLC FORM.
TRANSLATION: Click on the link for the form. Right Click anywhere on the form and several options will appear. Click on “Translate” or “Translate to ( to select a different language)
4th and 5th Grade DANCE instruction with SMC!
This is the seventh year that the Santa Monica College Dance Department will be providing World Dance for the SMMUSD Elementary Schools.
The Santa Monica College Dance Department is providing twelve lessons of dance through our SMC Dance Academy for our 4th and 5th graders. The SMC Dance Academy is an instructional program taught during the school day. This program is a part of an Arts in Education curriculum that will conclude with a Culminating Event (see dates below). This specialized college pathway program is designed to encourage students to think independently, to be able to work with others, to value creative thought and diversity, and to be responsible global citizens.
Our students have been working hard on their dances. Each grade has a different focus:
4th grade is learning both a Mexican Dance and a Hawaiian Dance
5th grade is learning musical theater/jazz dance with the theme of Westside Story and also elements of Salsa, Waltz, and a Hip Hop dance
Please save the date to attend the Culminating Events to be held on the soccer field at Will Rogers Learning Community on:
4th grade – Monday, May 20th at 2:15PM Link to 4th grade letter
5th grade - Link to 5th grade letter ( NEW DATE TBD)
3rd- 5th Grade CAASPP/CAST Assessments
Students in grades 3-5 will take the CAASPP/CAST tests beginning May 5 through May 30. Please make sure that students get enough sleep, eat a healthy breakfast and arrive to school on time, so that they can have the best chance to do well on these assessments. We don’t want this to be a stressful time for anyone, so please encourage students to simply do their best. For more information, visit this link. If you have any questions, please contact Gabriela González, assistant principal, at ggonzalez@smmusd.org
In APRIL our learner profile is THINKER!
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.
This month our Learner Profile is Thinker. A thinker can imagine many solutions to a question or challenge. Thinkers make good decisions and can predict the outcomes of their actions. They think creatively and critically.
How can parents help to develop students who are Thinkers at home?
Encourage your child to try to think of solutions to problems independently. Pose different real-life problems and questions to your child:
- “I’m not sure how to arrange the glasses so they can all fit in the cupboard.”
- “I wonder how much the groceries in the cart will cost… how can we make an estimate?”
- “We need enough cookies for the 20 people in your class. What kind of change should we make to our recipe?”
Ask your children questions when they are working on a problem:
" Do you have any ideas about how we might begin?"
" How can we do this differently?"
" I had never thought of that. Tell me more about it."
" What other ways can we show that?"
" Why do you think that?"
" How did you figure that out?"
The Will Rogers Family Talent Show is May 9 at 6:00pm!
The Will Rogers Family Talent Show is May 9 at 6:00pm! Because of the rehearsal schedule and Spring Break, tryouts will begin at the end of this month! Students who wish to participate in this year's show will be asked to send a video of their act (2 minutes or less) between March 24 and April 4. FIRST, please SIGN UP let us know that your child will be participating! Please use this form to provide details about your student's Family Talent Show act, and we will send a follow up email with the upload link and instructions.
We look forward to supporting our talented Will Rogers students in this wonderful annual showcase! Please email wrlctalentshow@gmail.com with questions.
FAMILY ENGAGEMENT: Santa Monica Events/Activities/Opportunities
ART CART at lunchtime!
Tuesday is our lunchtime ART CART day. Students are invited to participate in creative art projects and handicrafts during lunchtime. This is possible through the support of our parent volunteers. If you would like to volunteer for lunchtime on Tuesdays, please sign up using the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050445AFAF28A2FB6-51251277-artcart
We would also love donations here is our wishlist for the art cart here.
The school provides the supplies, your support requires:
You are a level 1 cleared volunteer
You are willing to safely supervise students with proper use of art tools and materials
Enthusiasm for working with children
Enjoyment with crafts and art
Please do not forget to send with your child every day:
- School materials including books, homework, projects, etc.
- Re-fillable water bottle ( We have several refilling stations on campus)
- A morning snack
- Lunch is available to all students free of charge. You may also pack a lunch form home.
- 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!
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.
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