WEbster Nation,

And we're off... I have to say, that first day energy was off the charts. Well done, WEbster. Such a pleasure to have you back. I enjoyed seeing so many friendly faces and reconnecting with you and your kids. We're looking forward to a truly special year. Please be sure to keep an eye out for these weekly newsletters as they will be filled with photos, fun, and important information about all things Webster. I am including a new section where each class will have a few photos and a short paragraph that gives you a little window into campus life. My hope is that, over time, this section will be curated by our students. I'd like them to be able to discuss their thinking and learning with the community each week.

Big thanks to Webster's incredible staff for such a fabulous kick off to the year. This group is something special. Love to our PTA...who has already fed us breakfast, hosted new families on campus, helped to ready our facilities, and is actively raising the important funds necessary to provide our students with so many invaluable resources. If you haven't already, please join at the link below in the PTA section and think about ways you'd like to help us this year.

As for me, this marks my 34th year in education and I'm happy to be sharing it with all of you. Here we go, team!

"Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

With gratitude,

- Tedd

twakeman@smmusd.org
(310) 456-6494

TK had a busy first day meeting lots of new friends, building, playing, singing, dancing, and smiling together! We are enjoying exploring our classroom, garden, and fun outdoor space! We love the light table, fishing for letters, ramps , trains, blocks, kitchen, doll house, and animals! We are a big happy bunch! Lots of love. Welcome back to school, from TK!

The Kindergarten Bu Crew said Bon Voyage to begin their adventure of a lifetime. Living imaginatively, they presented their boarding passes and headed to the submarine at Webster Wharf. The first two days were filled with reviewing safety rules, learning procedures, singing songs, and making new friends! The question asked most was, “Is it lunch yet?” What an amazing CREW!!

We know it is going to be a fun-filled year of learning!

Mrs. Cooper's first grade class is off to a wonderful start. We enjoyed the last two days hearing about each other's summers, what we are excited for in the coming year, and getting to know each other. We are looking forward to a joyful year of learning and fun!

We jumped into our first day of school with a day full of activities. In between two projects, we took a movement break with GoNoodle and had some fun freezing and melting our bodies. This was a fun activity that also allowed kids to have a little break, and then to be ready to focus on the next part of our morning. We had a solid two hour block between recess and lunch, so we definitely needed to shake things up.

In Room 2, our first days of school are focusing on making connections with each other that help promote empathy. The students are exploring their own similarities and differences with each other, and it's been a great way for these kiddos to find new connections that make them feel included and part of the Webster family!

Room 8 spent the first two days of school learning about each other. In the first picture, they are learning about things they have in common with other classmates, celebrating both our differences and similarities.Today, they used the mindsets of THINKING CRITICALLY and COLLABORATION to make good observations and solve a challenging tile puzzle.

Students in Mr. K's class designed and built castles using only index cards. This team building exercise focuses on collaboration and the magic of making mistakes.

Dear Community,

We were busy having way too much fun this week. We spent our time getting to know each other, creating art together, building friendships, and exploring our new space. We love Mrs. Morris and promise to share some photos with you next week. Enjoy your weekend.

Love, Room 15

Happy last first day of elementary school. Love, Room 20.

This is such a fun and exciting time of year filled with jitters and fresh starts! I’ve loved meeting and connecting with my new students these first two days, and can’t wait for our year ahead together! As part of our community building (with a little STEAM thrown in), the kids had a blast playing “Common Ground” today. The challenge: find things you have in common with everyone in your group, and build a tower as tall as you can. They definitely learned some new things about one another, connected with their classmates, and stretched their CRITICAL THINKING as they tried out different strategies to build tall, yet sturdy towers. Looking forward to all the amazing things we have ahead as we jump into a new school year together!

The first week here on campus has been eventful for sure. Staff participated in a variety of activities designed to help us dig deeper into ways we can develop critical thinking, improve conceptual understanding, and foster engagement throughout the curriculum. Our PTA hosted a breakfast before the big New Family Orientation, and then BAM, school started and we were flooded with excited kids and happy parents. We are so excited to be back and look forward to another year of engaged learning.

First Day Packet is Now Digital – TK-5!

NEW PROCESS: SMMUSD and your school site have worked to digitize the “First Day Packet.” We call this the Data Confirmation process. It is easy for you and your student to complete through the Aeries Parent Portal.

This streamlines the process to submit required documents including Emergency Cards, Parent Handbooks and Policies and Authorizations.

Note: You must complete data confirmation for each student through the Aeries Parent Portal. Please be sure to read, review, and discuss all the materials with your student. These documents are critical and required for the health and safety of your student, and provide important start of the school year information and opportunities. You may decide to print some of the documents for future reference. For a tutorial on how to complete this process, please click here (English Handout) (English Video) (Aeries Parent Portal Help Documents)

If you have any questions, please contact your school office.

We look forward to a great start to the 2023-24 school year!

Thank you.

Ed Tech Services, SMMUSD

We are looking forward to welcoming our parents back to campus. We have two separate evenings planned over the next few weeks where you will get a chance to hear from your child's teacher about expectations and plans for the year. They have great things in store for these kids.

Tue, Aug. 29 Kinder - 2nd Grade

Tue, Sep. 5 3rd - 5th Grade

You will also get a chance to learn from Webster's PTA and the Boys and Girls Club of Malibu. I will give a brief introduction to the evening in the cafetorium and you'll be off to classrooms to spend some time with the teachers.

6:00pm - 6:45pm: Introduction in the cafetorium

6:45pm - 7:30pm: Meet with the teachers in their classrooms

We really hope to see you there!

* ADULTS ONLY PLEASE

Please join!!!! Click the link for membership information:

https://jointotem.com/ca/malibu/webster/join/register

Dear Webster Parents:

We are thrilled to announce this wildly fun opportunity to come together to support our school through the popular PARTY BOOK fundraiser!

What is PARTY BOOK? Party Book is a fundraising opportunity where parents plan and underwrite parties that the rest of us pay to attend. All proceeds go directly to Webster!

What kind of parties would you like to host? What unique hobbies or skills do you have? Kids, families, adults only??!

Stuck on a party idea? Need a co-host? Have a question? We are here to help you every step of the way. Please reach out! Franks.lauren@gmail.com
Tickets to the first 30 parties submitted will be for sale at Back to School night!

Thanks to our amazing families who have already signed up. You can look forward to Santa photos on the beach, the first annual Webster Color Fun Run, a parent-student dance, and a pizza and pong party! (adults only) Tickets for Party Book events will sell fast.

Got your party figured out? Email franks.lauren@gmail.com with your party title, date, and time.
Party book submissions are due AUGUST 26.

Here’s a list of awesome party opportunities to get your creative juices flowing: Gingerbread house decorating, pickle ball party, ice cream social, crafty carnival, Easter egg hunt extraordinaire, tacos and tequila (21+), silly science, holiday cookie decorating, wine tasting (21+), capture the flag.

Just email franks.lauren@gmail.com to host one of these great community building events!!

Can’t wait to see what you come up with,

Webster PTA Team

*A huge thank you to Lauren Franks Ifft for taking this on and organizing our WEbster Party Book!!

The PTA graciously coordinates volunteers to help us welcome kids to school each day with a smile. In addition, this valuable service keeps the car line moving, gives our students a safe and easy pathway onto campus, and lessens the morning chaos.

I hope you saw them (and a bunch of other awesome parents and community members) out there on the first day of school. This group raises the bar and puts the COOL back in sChOOL? (dad jokes all day). They have taken it upon themselves to bring signs, music, a bubble machine, and even costumes from time to time. They do it for the simple joy of welcoming our Whales to school. While you don't necessarily need to go to these extremes, we'd love to have you join us in the mornings in whatever capacity feels good to you. What might you dream up as a valet volunteer? Sky's the limit.

Great question! We would LOVE to have you join us as a valet volunteer. If you are interested, please sign up at the link below:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0A4AAFAC2DAAFC1-valet

1. Drop-off etiquette: Mainly for the new families but a reminder for everyone else as well

- Be ready/prepare ahead of time/have bags and lunches ready to go

- Parents do not get out of the cars in drop-off lane

- If more time is needed with your child, consider parking in the lower lot and walking up.

- Do not hold up the line and please do not drive up past the school or park in the fire lane.

- All kids must exit from the right side of the car.

2. Kinder students: After the first few days of school, if your child is still struggling to separate, please park in the lower lot and walk them up to the gate. If they are pumped and ready for school, you are welcome to have them ready for a quick drop-off at the valet line.

3. At the bottom parking lot

- Do not drive through the bus lane.

- Entrance to lower parking lot only from Vista Pacifica.

- If we get enough volunteers, we'd love to post some folks down below to assist.

I'm reposting this article from one of last year's newsletters because I think it's a great place to start off the year. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, although the article itself was written back in 2016, has become a part of the current lexicon when discussing shifts in the workplace. These shifts have huge implications for education and are worth our attention as we design curriculum intended to build a foundation for future learning.

A word from Webster's new Speech and Language Pathologist, Elspeth Jellison:

I’m excited to be part of the team at Webster! I’ve been with SMMUSD since 2017 and also have experience working in private clinics and in-home early intervention. I love working with children and seeing their joy and confidence when they can communicate clearly. I enjoy building relationships with families and teachers and working as a team. In my free time, I love hiking, going to the beach, reading, and playing board games with my family.

AUGUST 2023

8/29 Back to School Night (K-2) – 6:00-7:30pm (minimum day)

* ADULTS ONLY PLEASE

8/30 Volunteer Training – 9:00a

8/31 Malibu Schools Ice Cream Social (see flyer below) - 4:00-6:00pm

SEPTEMBER 2023

9/1 Fridays on Campus begin (see flyer below)

9/4 Labor Day Holiday (no school)

9/5 Back to School Night (3-5) - 6:00-7:30pm (minimum day)

* ADULTS ONLY PLEASE

9/6 Volunteer Training – 9:00a

9/11 Picture Day (schedule coming soon)

9/12 Picture Day (schedule coming soon)

9/14 School Site Council Meeting – 3:00-4:00p

9/25 Yom Kippur Holiday (no school)

9/29 Rhythm Child Drumming Assembly

• TK-2 8:40-9:10am

• 3-5 9:40-10:15am

Tedd's Welcome Letter 2023

Tedd's Welcome Back Video 2023

AERIES Parent Portal Tutorial

Student Services Registration Documents 23/24

Family Engagement & School Parent Compact

Webster Bell Schedule

PTA Membership

Class Change Request Form

Webster Information - Week of Aug 28, 2023

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 Membership Enrollment is LIVE Available for incoming grades TK-5th. Enroll 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). Enroll Here | Inscribirse Aquí
  
  

• Malibu Chili Cook Off Sept 1-4. Buy tickets NOW! Visit malibuchilicookoff.org to purchase tickets for this year's event. Looking to volunteer? Email mcco.volunteer@gmail.com
  
  

• 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 Here

Developing strong character and valuable mindsets is essential. This remains a major focus at Webster. As we build community here on campus, at home, and across Malibu, we will continue to model the kind of behavior that promotes unity, kindness, and thoughtful problem solving. In addition, we will value these traits in others and recognize outstanding efforts.