A Message from Tedd
December 16, 2022
WEbster Nation,
Wishing you and your loved ones the happiest of holidays and a bright new year. What a wonderful finish to 2022! I am humbled by your kindness and support and look forward to working alongside this gem of a staff in the years to come. We have exciting work ahead and so much to look forward to in 2023.
If you haven't had a chance to watch the video I shared, please take a few minutes to celebrate this Webster community together as a family. Whatever you need during this break, be it adventure and travel or rest and relaxation, I hope you find and savor it. Be safe and come back to us on January 3, 2023. See you then!!
With gratitude,
Tedd
Hello, this is The Kid Shoutout...a place where I, and other kids, share about times when we see kids doing good things and embracing our mindsets.
Hey, parents!
We hope those of you who came to the Holiday Winter performance had a great time! We all had fun singing winter songs about tacos, cheese, and reindeer. But aside from that, we wanted to mention something important in this week’s newsletter: Courage. Every one of your kids showed enough courage to get up on that stage and to give it all they got! Even the shyest kids tried their best. Some of the kids, although the rest of their entire class was singing, they danced instead! What a way to collaborate!
Have a great Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa!
Written by Viola F. and Audrey C. (5th grade)
Oh man, what a room full of love that was on Wednesday morning. It just felt right to have families filling our auditorium as students sang so beautifully...what a special day. I'm really glad we could share that time together. Thank you so much for supporting our students. It matters so much to them that you take the time to be there and we loved watching them wave to you from the stage.
As I said before the show, when I asked our educators if they wanted us to hire someone to teach the kids songs and rehearse with them, they refused, insisting upon taking on this responsibility themselves. It's a lot of work to pull it off. I'm so impressed with this group and their absolute dedication to your kids.
Great job, students!!!! You were amazing. We are all so proud of you. Thanks for making all our holidays a little brighter. By the way, be on the lookout for scattered "taco showers" over the break. :)
From Mrs. London
Below is our STEAM activity, where students learned about diffusion, solubility, and symmetry as we made snowflakes in the rain. It was so much fun to see how different and unique each one was…just like the students!
Also, since last week, the students have been dreaming and scheming up ways to trick their “Secret Snowflake”. Whether it be emoji ciphering, ransom notes on balloons, or puzzle pieces put together over days, they’ve given one clue each day for the last week, and sometimes even a treat or two! On Wednesday, students got to guess who their Secret Snowflakes were, and all was revealed. Then they gifted each other with books from the Book Fair!
Sara Epstein (Ellie’s mom) came in on Monday to share all about Hanukkah with the class. She read to them about the history of the holiday, treated them to latkes and special doughnuts, and explained the significance of those foods during the holiday, and ended by teaching the students how to play dreidel. Ellie even curated a special Hanukkah playlist of music that we got to listen to during the celebration.
Good news!!! It would appear the critters have left our tower alone for the week and we are feeling good about installing a few more. I'm excited to explore this new direction in sustainability and look forward to fresh, home-grown greens in our Webster salad bar each day. We will spend some time with the kids asking them what they notice and what they wonder about our new towers. I wonder if these towers might inspire our students toward new ways of thinking and new perspectives around sustainability.
We've been talking a lot about Project Based Learning (PBL). We're going to keep talking about it and doing more of it in the coming year. Whether they are big, all-encompassing projects like Botswana, or smaller projects and challenges, this type of engaging, integrated learning helps students create meaning from the world around them. For their December project, Mrs. Stark's 3rd graders dug into American Symbols. They learned about the history of a particular symbol and what each of it's parts represent.
After this exploration, they were challenged to create their own symbol, either for Malibu or for Webster specifically. Some of the requirements/constraints were that the symbol be 3-dimensional, made of recycled materials, and that parents could only help if they were needed for safety during construction. In addition to a writing component and the labeling of each part, students presented their final projects to the rest of the class. Good stuff, gang!
We weren't sure that this student-created production was going to make it to the stage. It's a challenge, in the best of times, to get a group of kids together, create a script, rehearse, and make it all happen. Take those challenges, add the holiday season chaos and a rainy day...and you're lucky to get the show off the ground. However, with its undeterred leaders, Maisy and Jack (Ms. Lockwood), at the helm, this troupe of thespians managed to get the whole school to come out for the show.
For your determination, grit, and adaptability, we salute you! Well done.
TK has been busy transforming their classroom into a winter wonderland! They have been measuring and molding snowmen, giggling and creating snow angels on the rug, crafting forests on their light table, writing stories and designing snow globes, painting winter evergreens, crafting sparkling ornaments for their gratitude tree, and discussing the uniqueness of each snow flake... just like us!
After the Holiday Concert, TK hosted a Gingerbread House-Making Party. Parents had a blast with their kids as they added candies and lots of coconut snow to their magical little dwellings. Students loved showing off their reindeer headbands (made from lavender and rosemary grown in their own garden) and wearing their holiday sweaters. It was a very special day for all. One student, Maddie, even exclaimed, "It was the best day of my life!" Yay!
Finally, to spread a little joy and happiness on campus, TK hosted a community-building Holiday Jewelry-Making Party! We love our school helpers!
As we look to 2023, I'd like to start sharing some resources with our community to help you understand the shifts we will be making here at Webster in terms of preparing our students for a constantly evolving world. It's critical that you understand the importance of our students developing growth mindsets and the essential skills needed for success both in school, but also in life beyond. Communication, critical thinking, curiosity, collaboration, adaptability, problem solving, and emotional intelligence are just a few of the things we will focus on moving forward.
This video from Ken Robinson's famous TED Talk is a great place to start. When you have a moment over the break, give it a go. It's engaging and very thoughtful and lays out the reasoning behind the need to re-imagine the approach to thinking and learning in schools. I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts at a Coffee and Conversation next month.
EVENTS and REMINDERS
It's time for Malibu Little League
Sign-ups are happening NOW
https://www.malibulittleleague.org/
We're BACK!!!
Tuesday, January 3
Update
WEBSTER ELEMENTARY WEEK OF DECEMBER 19
The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu aims to provide a fun, safe, and creative environment for all Malibu youth to thrive, find support through positive mentorship, develop important life skills, and receive social and emotional support. We are currently offering:
BGCM After School Programs Academic Year 2022-2023, ENROLL NOW at BGCMALIBU.ORG Programs include: STEM based projects, arts & crafts, cooking/gardening, social emotional wellness, and more! (Enrollment must be completed and verified via our online electronic system before your child attends BGCM Clubhouses, please allow at least 2 business days for this process).
Johnny Strange Legacy Inspire Skate Program (Jan 11-March 30). 12 week session for grades TK-5th, all skill levels are welcome. $100 fee/per family (new families only) + $600, classes take place each week on Wednesday from 3:30-5:30pm. Fees cannot be prorated based upon usage. Contact skate@bgcmalibu.org for registration link. Extremely limited spots available. Kindly allow 2 business days for enrollment verification.
BGCM in Partnership with City of Malibu NEW enrichment classes for Winter 2023. Registration opened Nov 14 at malibucity.org/register. Classes include Mega Machines, Soccer, and Secret Science Agents. Dates are Jan 10-March 23, 2023. Students do not have to be BGCM members to register.
Wellness Center & Social Support Offerings The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu Wellness Center operates remotely and also in-person to provide no-cost social support & mental health counseling to all in the community. Visit https://bgcmalibu.org/wellness-center/ to learn more or to request services for you/your child! PSA: Parents! If you've missed any parent workshops, they are available on our website at https://bgcmalibu.org/wellness-center-resources/
*To contact the Club please call 310-457-1400 (Admin) or 310-241-3675 (Programs) Email info@bgcmalibu.org For updates on Club news & events, subscribe to BGCM E-Newsletter, Click Here!
Developing character and growth mindsets is invaluable and will be a major focus of ours here at Webster over the years. As we build community here on campus, at home, and across Malibu, we will continue to model the kind of behavior that promotes unity and kindness. In addition, we will notice and value it in each other.