El Semanario

Monday, August 24

• First "Regular Day" of School - See dismissal times below
• STAR testing window opens

Tuesday, August 25

• Minimum Day - See dismissal times below

• Back to School Night, TK-2nd, 5-7pm

Wednesday, August 26

• Early Release - See dismissal times below

Thursday, August 27

• Regular Day - See dismissal times below
• Edison awarded the Golden Plane Award at the Board of Education Meeting, 5:30 pm

Friday, August 28

• Regular Day - See dismissal times below

• Spirit Day - Wear your Edison swag!

EDISON WEBSITE ADDRESS: https://edison.smmusd.org/

Dear Edison Families,

Welcome to an incredible new school year! Seeing our eager students return to campus, ready to learn, thrive, and excel in two languages, brings so much energy and joy to our community. This year is particularly special as we celebrate a monumental milestone: 40 years of Dual Immersion excellence at Edison! Together, we are set to make this a vibrant, historic, and unforgettable year for our children.

To kick off this milestone year and build a strong partnership for your child’s success, we warmly invite you to our upcoming Back to School Night events:

• TK – 2nd Grade: Tuesday, August 25 | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

• 3rd – 5th Grade: Tuesday, September 1 | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

  
  

Evening Schedule

Back to School Night is one of the most valuable opportunities to connect with our school community. You will get an insider’s view of the exciting curriculum ahead, learn practical ways to support your child's bilingual journey, connect with fellow parents, and build a meaningful relationship with your child’s teacher. Your presence sends a powerful message to your child that we are all united in their learning adventure.

A Note Regarding Attendance: To ensure all parents can fully focus on the valuable information presented, Back to School Night is an adults-only event. We kindly ask that you make childcare arrangements in advance so you can get the most out of your time with us. Thank you for your support and cooperation in helping us create a focused environment for everyone!

Thank you for your enthusiasm, trust, and partnership. I cannot wait to see you all very soon and celebrate 40 years of success together!

With gratitude and excitement,

Directora Ipiña

• There are very few minimum days throughout the year. The dates for minimum days this year are: Aug 20, 21, 25; Sept 1; Nov 4, 5, 6; Dec 18; May 27; June 9.
• Every week of the school year, we have Wednesday Early Release. Students are dismissed early so we can have staff meetings and professional development for teachers.

See the bell schedule below for each type of day. I will remind you in the Week at Glance in El Semanario if there is a minimum day or early release.

Temparatures are scheduled to be higher than usual next week. We will move to an inclement weather schedule if it is too hot to go outside and play. Please make sure your child dresses appropriately and brings water. We had several students overheating last week wearing hoodies!

If you have not done so already, make sure to do your data confirmation in Aeries. We need to make sure we have the correct contact information for you and there are some consents we need from you. If you need to change anything or are having trouble accessing it, contact Melina Garcia in our office or by email (melinagarcia@smmusd.org).

SMMUSD is encouraging all families to complete a 2026-27 Meal Application by Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, even if you are unsure whether your family qualifies.

Although every student receives one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day, completing a Meal Application can provide benefits that go beyond meals. Families who qualify may be eligible for additional discounts, financial assistance and educational benefits.

Meal Applications also help determine whether schools qualify for additional funding, including Title I funding. Title I supports student achievement and may help fund academic intervention, instructional support, educational resources, teacher professional development, parent engagement and other student services.

Not sure if you qualify? We still encourage you to apply.

Only one application per household is needed, and a new application must be completed each school year. Meal Applications must be submitted before the morning of Friday, Oct. 2, 2026.

Apply online at www.smmusd.org/foodservices. For questions or assistance, contact Food & Nutrition Services at 310-450-8338, ext. 70228.

The Edison School Site Council (SSC) is a group 10 community members (5 parents/5 staff) that work together to create and monitor the site plan. This includes deciding how money will be spent and which programs to continue. It is a powerful way to be involved in the school, know what's going on, and be a part of the decision making.

We are looking for one more parent member to join the group. If elected, this person will serve a 2-year term and is committing to attending a 2 hour meeting once/month (time and day to be agreed upon by the council members) via Zoom. You don't need any previous experience, we will train you.

If you or someone you know is interested in this position, please click this link and submit the name by Friday, August 28th. We will hold elections the week after that and the new member will join our first meeting on September 8th, 4:30-6:30 pm.

In the next few weeks, we will be assessing students to find out where they are and design instruction to meet their needs. Some assessments are state mandated, some are district mandated and some are local assessments. Know that assessments are conducted in age appropriate ways over a period of time that does not overwhelm students.

ELPAC (State mandated): All students who are new to public school in California and have another language other than English on their Home Language Survey must take this assessment to determine if they are fluent in English. If they are fluent, they won't take it again, if they aren't, they will be designated English Learners and they will receive extra support in the classroom in English. Rsults will be sent home in the mail and will be discussed during Fall Conferences.

STAR (District mandated): All students K-5 will take these assessments three times a year. They are testing in reading and math. These screeners help us get a general idea of where students are in these subjects and allow us to track progress over the year. Results can be found in Aeries. At Edison, they take these assessments in different languages depending on the grade level:

• K/1: Spanish only
• 2nd-5th: Both languages

READING DIFFICULTIES SCREENER (State mandated): All students in grades K-1 will take this state mandated assessment that identifies students who may have reading difficulties so we can provide appropriate instruction. Results will be sent in the mail to parents.

LOCAL ASSESSMENTS: Depending on the grade level, there are a variety of assessments teachers administer to get to know their students to better design instruction. These

Every year, our Edison families come together to support the Santa Monica Education Foundation (SMEF). This incredible district-wide effort ensures equal funding across all schools, directly empowering us to offer rich, specialized programs for our students.

Thanks to your SMEF donations, Edison provides:

• Bilingual Instructional Aides for essential classroom support

• TK–5th Spanish Theater Arts to build confidence and expression

• Hands-on Garden Classes (TK–3rd) and Garden Club (4th–5th)

• Journalism Club and Mathletes for 5th graders

• Digital Dual-Language Reading Access (K–5th)

• Recess & Yard Equipment to keep our kids active and playing

  
  

Every donation makes a difference, no matter the size! Plus, the school with the highest family participation earns the coveted Golden Golden Plane Award.

Thanks to your incredible generosity and belief in our dual-language mission, Edison won the Golden Plane Award last year! This trophy belongs to our entire community—it is a true testament to how deeply we care about inspiring and supporting our students. Thank you, Edison families!

We are thrilled to officially receive our award this Thursday at the Board of Education meeting. Let's keep that amazing momentum going this year!

Did you receive an invitation to join Konstella?
Please click the link and set up your account to add your student(s) to their classroom(s).

Were you a Konstella member last year?
Log in to your account and update your information by selecting your child(ren)'s new classroom(s).

If you would like more information on how to use Konstella, you can view this article on our website.

AUGUST

• 8/24-9/11: STAR Assessment Window

• 8/25: Back to School Night, TK-2 (5-6 pm Principal Presentation, 6-7 pm Classroom Visits)

SEPTEMBER

• 9/1: Back to School Night, 3-5 (5- 6 pm Principal Presentation, 6- 7 pm Classroom Visits)

• 9/2: Rules Assembly

• 9/2: PTA Board Meeting, 6-7 pm, Zoom

• 9/4: Picture Day

• 9/7: Labor Day - No School

• 9/8: Site Council Meeting, 4:00-6:00 pm, Zoom

• 9/8: District Music Back to School Night (3rd-5th), 6:00-8:00 pm, Zoom

• 9/9: ELAC Meeting, 8:30-10:00, Library

• 9/15: Volunteer Training, 6:00-7:00 pm, Zoom (this is a date change)

• 9/16: PTA General Meeting, 8:30-10:00 am, Library

• 9/18: Family Literacy Night and Pop-Up Book Fair, 5:00-7:00 pm

• 9/21: Local Holiday - No School

• 9/22: Volunteer Training, 6:00-7:00 pm Zoom

• 9/23: Coffee with the Principal