A Message from Tedd
January 27, 2023
WEbster Nation,
OUR VILLAGE
What a week! We had two major events on campus in the last few days. Between our Yosemite Launch Night and the Enrollment Extravaganza, we relied on the support of a lot of people to do a lot of work. I want to thank this community for rising to meet the challenge. Our "village" really showed up and helped to make these events truly special. When we come together like this, we can do anything! And when I say "village," I mean...
Jeff and Kate Skene jumping in together with Jeff designing logos (patches) for our outdoor education fundraising idea and Kate sharing her Yosemite experience with our community.
Shannon and Joel Dunn creating some serious hype for prospective families with music, bubbles, popcorn, and the giant wiggly, wavy, tube dude. (I think I messed that up, Joel?) The Dunn's also helped lead tours at the event.
Jessica Butler Bell representing our PTA at both events, organizing our new Party Book platform, laying out some snacks, and giving a heartfelt speech at the enrollment event.
Jessie Muchmore attending so many meetings and holding down the financial side of things as we begin to raise money for outdoor education.
Rachael Sokoloff for more things than I can count. She worked with the 5th graders to make paracord bracelets, organized a campus beautification project, baked cookies that spelled out WEBSTER, made lemonade from our own garden's lemons, helped to develop the puffy jacket patch concept (we will explain later), and even scraped our sidewalks!! There are probably 15 more things she's done that I'm missing.
Michaele Ward leading our enrollment efforts, organizing the tours, dealing with paperwork, contacting prospective families, and doing a wonderful job as the first face of Webster for so many families.
Isaura Terry holding it down and keeping me in line.
Ms. Neci keeping us all fed.
Ms. Kathy, Miguel, and Ola setting up, cleaning up, and just being a great part of this staff.
Miss Papale, Miss Kym, Mrs. Berman, Mrs. Murdock, and Mrs. Cooper welcoming prospective families into their classrooms and sharing their love of teaching with them.
Kasey Earnest and the BGCM supporting our students and families in so many ways.
Rem, Lillian, Logan, and Ellie being awesome student hosts and tour guides, showing families the kind of students Webster produces.
Logan Fricke keeping our tech working and making sure we can show things on the big screen.
Noah Van der Ryn (went to Webster for K-1, Sycamore for 2-5, and now a 9th grader at Crossroads) sharing his Yosemite experience with a room full of adults...not easy. You did an amazing job, little brother, proud of you.
There is no way these events would have been as successful without your support. I look forward to finding ways for each and every one of you to get involved and be a part of the WEbster magic. Have a fabulous weekend!
With gratitude,
Tedd
TK's Budding Builders
TK loved the process of busily preparing for the Webster Enrollment Extravaganza. They embarked on a STEAM challenge of building structures with at least 10 blocks, measuring them, adding details (toys, animals, trees), and creating a story! Included were lion kingdoms (thanks to the Botswana School Project!), a couple of schools with teacher Strawberry Ms. Neci, houses with sleeping siblings, and a church for animals. TK collaborated with Big Buddies on the measurement piece. And excitedly displayed an imaginative story beside each of their creations! Lastly, TK had fun working as a team to count and sort all of the items into bins for next time! The process was a great example of Living Imaginatively and working Collaboratively!
A Celebration of Creativity and Courage
This morning, we had a long-overdue gathering in honor of the students who participated in the PTA's Reflections project, which highlights art through a variety of mediums and challenges students to work on creative pieces around a specific theme. This year's theme was "Show Your Voice." All 19 of the Webster students who participated were honored at the ceremony, with special mentions for Chloe Orescan and Lux Geraghty, whose pieces received special honors. A huge thank you to Dana Orescan and her team for pulling this whole thing together. Great stuff! Looking forward to increasing participation next year.
Penguin Slides and a Webster Snow Day
Wrapping up their unit on Antarctica, the K-1 kids in Mrs. Berman and Mrs. Murdock's classes dug even deeper into physics, energy, friction, speed, resistance, measurement, and more. This interactive activity, which started with a great design thinking project (building the bobsled courses), helped the kids to think about a variety of concepts as they measured the distance that several "sleds" traveled after completing the course. Which sleds went the farthest? Why? How did design factors in the course impact the speed and distance? How did sled design play into the results? Engagement was high as the kiddos explored, measured, and documented their observations. To wrap up the unit, Joel and Shannon Dunn were back on campus to make it snow for all the kids. Engaging curriculum leads to kids loving learning!
Webster's First Business Licenses
As of this week, we have TWO viable Webster businesses that will be launching in the next few weeks. Crochet and Stuff (bracelets and necklaces) may be ready to sell either next or the following Thursday and have chosen to support the BGCM. Crocheting Cute Crabs (bracelets, hats, scarves, and small bags) will launch its products on Thursday, Feb. 16, and will support the Botswana School Project. We have a few other business groups in the proposal phase. I am super excited to see how this develops and am eager to see how these groups will think through and solve the problems that will arise. Just as an FYI, I have included the following requirements/constraints and left the article link that explains the thinking behind this project.
- Students wishing to start a business must submit a completed application (writing)
- All products must be hand-made (creativity, making, tinkering)
- A description and price list of all products must be presented (communication literacy)
- All profits (minus business expenses) will be donated to the business owner's choice of charity (Webster PTA, Boys and Girls Club of Malibu, or the Botswana School Project) (philanthropy)
- Businesses may not operate during class time in any way (self-discipline)
- Business hours are limited to lunchtime each Thursday (organization, preparedness)
- All businesses must keep a ledger of transactions to be turned in to Tedd each Thursday (math, math, math!)
Thank you in advance for your support and please reach out to me directly if you have any questions/concerns)
2nd & 3rd Graders Explore LACMA
Mrs. Harris, Ms. Lockwood, and Mrs. Stark had a fabulous field trip to LACMA this week!
From Mrs. Harris: I loved how we spent time seeing only 6 pieces of art, but really getting to focus on each one. Kids shared what they noticed about the art, asked good questions, and learned some fun facts about the artists or the pieces. Thank you to Jen for being our Room 7 volunteer and photographer! Upon returning, we discussed the differences between facts and opinions. Kids shared some facts and opinions about our trip. For example, fact: We saw the Hollywood sign. Opinion: Picasso is the best artist.
From Lisa Wallace: I just wanted to let you know what a wonderful time we all had. I am SOOOO proud of Callie (Ms. Lockwood) and my group of 3rd grade boys who we had the pleasure of leading around the museum with our docent, John. The boys, Bennet, Carter, Dylan, Jack, Lucas, Lyle, Theo, and Tuff were completely engaged, polite, they participated, followed directions, and had a genuinely great time together.
Chicken...period
Award-winning, Best on the Beach-nominated, lip-smackin', delicious chicken!! Thanks for keeping us all well-fed, Ms. Neci!
ChatGPT: A Hero Arises?
As promised, this is a follow up article about a young man attempting to help society deal with the potential human impacts of ChatGPT. It's a great read and a new prespective from last week's article. For me, it brings to mind the need for an educational approach that might produce the kind of thinking necessary to take on a challenge like this. The possible problems that AI produces aren't solved independently in a math class...or a science class. These are thorny social and human problems that require the ability to understand the connective tissue between ideas. You must think about how different audiences are affected by both the problem and your possible solutions. You must also consider the significant benefits to technology like this. This leads to the weaving of several solutions that meet the needs of those varied audiences. Yes, there is math and science involved in what Mr. Tian has created, no doubt. His expertise in the area of coding has allowed him to design this solution. But what kinds of experiences has he had in his 22 years that built the character and curiosity that makes him care? All interesting threads for a discussion. Have at it. Thanks to Sara Epstein for the article suggestion.
EVENTS and REMINDERS
Wednesday, February 1
9:30a
*flyer attached
Report Cards come home
Friday, February 3
Valentine's Day Festivities
Tuesday, February 14
*Students dress up their teachers
*Teachers dress up Tedd
PAJAMA DAY 5.0
Wednesday, February 15
(cereal exploration, blanket fort design, stuffy puppet shows, and so much more!!)
* bed head is mandatory
President's Day
Monday, February 20
School Closed
National Read Across America Day
Thursday, March 2
details to come
Exhibition of Student Learning (DO NOT MISS THIS!)
Thursday, March 30
6:00-7:30pm
(There may also be a daytime visitation...we will let you know)
Update
WEBSTER ELEMENTARY WEEK OF JANUARY 30, 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 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).
BGCM Wellness Center Parent Group The Boys & Girls Club of Malibu Wellness Center, in partnership with SMMUSD, is hosting a virtual parenting group designed for parents of teens/tweens. Join us weekly starting Jan 19th @ 7pm for 6 weeks to participate in an interactive series designed to help parents navigate many of the challenges we all face during the teen transformative years. Register at https://bit.ly/BGCMParentingGroup-Jan2023
BGCM in Partnership with City of Malibu NEW enrichment classes for Winter 2023. Registration is open 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.