The Weekly Roar
September 10, 2022
Our Busy Front Office
If you've stepped into our Main Office at arrival or dismissal time, you will agree that it's a very busy place! The phone rings often and there are always students, teachers, parents, and staff members in need of support. On any given day you'll witness parents checking students in and out, substitutes reporting for duty, teachers and staff obtaining supplies or asking questions, students seeking health office support, and volunteers/visitors checking in. Our dedicated team is here to serve you and we ask in advance for your civility, respect and patience. Here are some tips and helpful guidelines to make your office visits go smoothly.
- Always have your ID available when picking up your student.
- Make sure your Parent Portal is updated. We cannot release students to folks not listed in your emergency contacts. Emergency contacts must be 18 or older and listed in the Parent Portal.
- If you are checking your child out early, come with patience. When you are picking your children up, often they are at lunch, library, recess, music, art, etc. It may not be a fast process. Arrive with enough time so that you can wait five minutes for your student to pack up and come to the office.
- Notify the teacher using an old fashioned note or an app when you are coming early to pick up your child. This quickens the process.
- Email rosyreyes@ccusd.org for attendance concerns, tardies or absences. Email is best.
- Remember the expression, "you get more flies with honey than with vinegar". It means that your respect and kindness are so important to building the welcoming environment that we want to have.
- Assume good will. Often, our office team is expected to know every detail about each grade level, PTA events, STAR updates, OCD news, the newest pandemic protocols and on and on. Please know that they trying their best to serve you and the staff.
- Use our website, view the outside marquee, and read the Weekly Roar. We post EVERYTHING on these.
- Please do not bring items to the office that your children have forgotten from home. Our office team cannot leave their posts to deliver items, such as lunch, water bottles, or homework to your students; and although they try to contact the classrooms, there's so many distractions that these items do not always get to your student. La Ballona encourages you to allow your children to feel the natural consequence of forgetting an item, so that they will learn to remember it in the future. This builds their resiliency and it helps them become more responsible. (Isn't that what we want?). Plus, we'll never allow your child to go hungry or thirsty. Food and water is always available.
On that note, I'd like to publicly thank Ms. Erika Arredondo, Ms. Rosy Reyes, and our new Health Aide, Ms. Morales for all they've done to ensure that our first three weeks were successful. The challenges at elementary schools are vast, but our dedicated, hardworking team try their best everyday to make La Ballona the best it can be. Thank you!
In this newsletter:
- Around the School
- Counselor Corner
- New Staff Spotlight
- School Meal Information
- Community & Afterschool Opportunities
- Our Calendar
Stay PAWSitive!
Dr. Becky Godbey
Principal
Our PTA website https://laballonapta.org/
Our facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laballonaelementary
Twitter https://twitter.com/LaBallona
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/laballonaelementaryschool/
1. Around the School
September is Attendance Awareness Month!
Did you know?:
Missing 10 % (or about 18 days) of school can make it harder for students to learn to read.
By 6th grade, being chronically absent is the leading indicator that a student will drop out of high school.
Half of students who miss 2-4 days in September go on to miss nearly a month of school.
Attending school helps children make friends, feel good about themselves, and achieve their goals.
Should your child need to be absent, please contact our Attendance Clerk, Rosy Reyes at rosyreyes@ccusd.org.
Our Weekly Wednesday Principal Video Assembly
SCHOOL SITE COUNCIL UPDATES
- Congratulations to the following parents who have volunteered to be on our School Site Council. Because there are 3 openings, and we have 2 volunteers, we do not need elections. Congratulations: Chris Tausanovitch and Don Wong!
- We still need one more volunteer to be a member of the School Site Council for the 2022-23 year.
- School Site Council meets once a month and looks at the school budget and decisions made to support our scholars.
- If you are interested in joining SSC, please email Dr. Godbey at rebeccagodbey@ccusd.org
Interested in Volunteering?
2. Counselor's Corner
Tea with the Counselor Presentation from Last Week
3. Staff Spotlight
Teresa Pinzon - La Ballona School Psychologist
I am a Culver alumni from K-12 and am happy to be working in the community I was raised in. CCUSD is truly a wonderful and one of a kind learning environment. I received my graduate training in School Psychology at Loyola Marymount University. After working for the Los Angeles Unified School District for 11 years as a bilingual school psychologist, I came back HOME to CCUSD in 2018. As a School Psychologist I help to identify and provide support for students with Special Education needs. This school year I will also be supporting El Marino. My favorite thing about La Ballona is the wonderful staff and families. My interests include hiking and playing soccer. Fun fact: I coach my daughters AYSO soccer team. My daughter is in 2nd grade Spanish Immersion at La Ballona.
Please feel free to reach out via email (teresapinzon@ccusd.org)
I look forward to working with you and your children this school year!
4. School Meal Information
FOOD SERVICES
FOOD SERVICES
Parents are asking why they should submit an application when all meals are free. Please remind them it's important because:
1. By submitting an application it can help your school with much needed funding for the classrooms
2. If their student(s) qualify for Free or Reduced Price Meals, the household may be eligible to receive discounts on their utilities and internet services.
3. Students may receive discount pricing for tests, such as ACT and SAT exams.
4. Increased percentage district-wide helps with additional funds.
Thank you all in advance for communicating this to your families Food Services will be sending out letters to families who applied last year, but have yet to apply this year next week. We need to encourage as many families/guardians as we can to submit applications. This is a requirement. Meal Application Flyer & Link
A special note from Dr. Godbey- La Ballona receives federal funding each year due to the number of families at our school living at or near the poverty line. We use our funding to provide your children with programs and support such as kindergarten aides in every classroom, free aftercare, free theater, Chromebooks and/or ipads for every single student, classroom supplies, and so on. Our students deserve this and we need your help. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE complete this application. Please.
What's for Breakfast and/or Lunch?
5. Community & Afterschool Opportunities
DEI MEETING-9/29/22 at 6:30pm
La Ballona Elementary's DEI Committee is dedicated to supporting our families and community to ensure that all students experience equitable, inclusive, and diverse educational experiences. Our goal is to be reflective, create experiences, share resources, and shape policy that supports the development of students who are Black, Indigenous, People of color (BIPOC) and other underrepresented populations as they strive to navigate the surrounding school community and beyond. See our 2021 cultural calendar. https://laballonapta.org/resource
Come join us for our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Committee
September 29, 2022 at 630-730pm.
NEXT MEETING:
Thursday, September 29th on Zoom
6:30pm - 7:30pm
(Meeting ID: 898 5866 8508 Passcode: lions)
Please fill out this google form to share your contact info and expectations of what our committee can address this year.
https://forms.gle/w7SGSPZD4PKS936s5
Please contact DEI Committee Co-Chairs
Candice or Ti to get involved!
Email: ladycjbaker@gmail.com -or- nghhuo@gmail.com
El Comité de Diversidad, Equidad e Inclusión
El Comité DEI de La Ballona Elementary está dedicado a apoyar a nuestras familias y comunidad para garantizar que todos los estudiantes experimenten experiencias educativas equitativas, inclusivas y diversas. Nuestro objetivo es ser reflexivos, crear experiencias, compartir recursos y dar forma a políticas que respalden el desarrollo de estudiantes negros, indígenas, personas de color (BIPOC) y otras poblaciones subrepresentadas mientras se esfuerzan por navegar en la comunidad escolar circundante y más allá.
PRÓXIMA REUNIÓN:
jueves 29 de septiembre en Zoom
18:30 - 19:30
(Meeting ID: 898 5866 8508 Passcode: lions)
Please fill out this google form to share your contact info and expectations of what our committee can address this year.
https://forms.gle/w7SGSPZD4PKS936s5
¡Comuníquese con los copresidentes del comité DEI
Candice o Ti para involucrarse!
Correo electrónico: ladycjbaker@gmail.com or nghhuo@gmail.com
State College Savings Accounts for Low-Income Students.
Hispanic Heritage Celebration - Friday, 9/16
Hola Lions! We're looking forward to the first family event of the school year next week - our Hispanic Heritage Celebration! Please join us on the soccer field, Friday Sept 16th from 3:30-5p for fun crafts, tasty treats, and the $1 book sale.
Our events couldn't take place without our parent volunteers. We do still need a couple helpers for this one - book sales, setup/check-in, and of course clean-up. Please reach out to Jamie Krute, msjamiedoody@gmail.com / 310-795-2399 or Judy Castillo 626-429-2740 / judypetuty@aol.com if you want to jump in!
¡Hola leones! Estamos muy emocionados por nuestro primer evento familiar del año escolar la próxima semana: ¡Nuestra primera celebración de la herencia hispana! Únase a nosotros en la cancha de fútbol el viernes 16 de septiembre de las 3:30 de la tarde hasta las 5:00 de la tarde para disfrutar de manualidades divertidas, golosinas sabrosas y nuestra venta de libros de $1.00
Nuestros eventos no podrían llevarse a cabo sin nuestros padres voluntarios. Todavía necesitamos un par de ayudantes para: venta de libros, instalación/registro y por supuesto, limpieza. Comuníquese con Jamie Krute, msjamiedoody@gmail.com 310-795-2399 o con Judy texto 626-429-2740 judypetuty@aol.com si desea participar.
Join the PTA!
School has now started and so does our PTA membership drive! Joining the PTA is a great way to get involved and show your support for La Ballona students. Membership dues are just $8 per person and all dues-paying members can vote at PTA meetings, which are held the first Thursday of each month. Member dues are used for programs, resources, and activities that benefit our students. Click below on the link to pay your membership today, thank you so much for your support
Sign up with TOTEM: https://jointotem.com/ca/culver-city/la-ballona-elem/join/register
Sign up with Squareup: https://la-ballona-elementary-pta.square.site/s/shop
6. Our Calendar
This Week at La Ballona
Monday, September 12
PTA Enrichment Tennis, 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Tuesday, September 13
PTA Enrichment Class Chess, 3:15 pm - 4:15 pm
Wednesday, September 14
Weekly Covid Testing
Early Dismissal Every Wednesday at 1:45
PTA Enrichment Class Tennis, Group A 1:45 pm - 2:45 pm and Group B 2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
PTA Enrichment Class Garden Club 1:45pm - 2:45 pm
Thursday, September 15
Vocal Music Classes
Choir, 8:00
Young Storytellers, 5th Grade
Hispanic Heritage Month Begins
Friday, September 16
La Ballona Hispanic Heritage Celebration, 3:30-5:00 on the Soccer Field. Hosted by PTA
Upcoming Dates (New Dates in Bold)
Thursday, September 15- Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month begins
Thursday, September 15- Young Storytellers, 5th Grade
Friday, September 16 La Ballona Hispanic Heritage Celebration, 3:30-5:00 on the Soccer Field. Hosted by PTA (see above)
Monday, September 19- Pali Camp Parent Meeting for 5th grade parents (zoom)
Friday, September 23- Coffee with the Principal, 9am
Friday, September 23- Volunteer Orientation Meeting, 10am Cafeteria
Tuesday, September 27- SSC Meeting, 3:30
September 29-30 Early Dismissal, 1:45 for Targeted Conferences
September 29- DEI Committee (See above)
September 30- Bullying Prevention Assembly Lasor Show Assembly
October 4- Picture Day
Bell Schedule for your refrigerator
Calendar for the First Half of the Year- print and post
La Ballona Elementary School
Culver City, CA 90232
Email: erikaarredondo@ccusd.org
Website: www.laballona.ccusd.org
Location: La Ballona Elementary School, Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA, USA
Phone: 3108424334
Facebook: facebook.com/laballonaelementary
Twitter: @LaBallona