GECKO GAZETTE
GRANT SCHOOL - SANTA MONICA
WEEK OF DECEMBER 14 - 18, 2020
~NEW TRANSLATION OPTION INTO 100 LANGUAGES!~
~ ¡NUEVA OPCIÓN DE TRADUCCIÓN A 100 IDIOMAS! ~
Para leer la Gaceta Gecko en otro idioma, mire a la derecha del boletín y haga clic en "TRADUCIR EL BOLETÍN". ¡Ahora puede elegir entre 100 idiomas!
~ በ 100 ቋንቋዎች ውስጥ አዲስ የትርጓሜ ምርጫ! ~
የጌኮ ጋዜጣ በሌላ ቋንቋ ለማንበብ እባክዎን በራሪ ወረቀቱ በስተቀኝ በኩል ይመልከቱ እና “የትርጉም ጽሑፍ” ን ጠቅ ያድርጉ ፡፡ አሁን ከ 100 ቋንቋዎች መምረጥ ይችላሉ!
~HOLIDAY GREETINGS AND BEST WISHES FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR!~
As we enter the winter break and say goodbye to 2020 we wish to extend our heartfelt wishes for a joyous, meaningful, relaxing, and safe holiday. This remarkable and unprecedented year has provided us an opportunity to reflect on all that makes Grant School a special place for learning and growing.
In the Spring we were forced to navigate a new threat to our health and safety and in the process reimagine and redesign teaching and learning. The summer months provided our staff the opportunity to analyze our distance learning practices and refine them to foster greater student engagement, social and emotional stability, and academic growth.
When the new school year began we all were somewhat surprised and dismayed that we would not be able to return to campus due to the ongoing pandemic but we took what we learned and applied it to a more robust and focused distance learning experience.
In the Fall, Grant School was named a 2020 Top Los Angeles County Public School for closing the achievement/opportunity gap, a significant honor that reflects one of the primary missions of the Santa Monica-Malibu School District.
Through it all you, our parents, guardians, and community partners have shown your commitment to ensuring our students and staff had all of the supplemental materials and supplies, special programs, and unwavering support and care necessary to sustain our current model of education. For this, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
As we enter 2021, we see glimmers of light at the end of the tunnel for a return to a semblance of normality. We know there is more hard work ahead but, as we have seen throughout 2020, there is no challenge we can't solve together.
For now, rest, reflect, recharge, and rejoice!
GO GECKOS!
Happy Holidays,
Christian Fuhrer
Principal
Wendy Wax
Interim Assistant Principal
~ IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER ~
Please review these important dates:
- December 14 - 18: GECKO WINTER FUN WEEK! SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS!
- Wednesday, December 16th: Book Fair order pick-up day from 9:00 - 3:00 PM - Auditorium
- Wednesday, December 16th: PTA General Meeting: 6:30 PM >>> Meeting Link Here
- Friday, December 18th: SCHEDULED MINIMUM DAY: RELEASE TIMES: TK-KINDER @ 12:15 PM; GRADES 1-5 @ 1:15 PM. STUDENTS ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ASYNCHRONOUS WORK AFTER THE RELEASE TIME.
- December 21st- January 3rd, 2021: NO SCHOOL >>> WINTER BREAK
- January 4th, 2021: Student Workday: All students attend Morning Meeting at 8:30 AM and then engage in asynchronous work the remainder of the day so teachers can plan for the second semester.
~GECKO WINTER FUN WEEK THIS WEEK!~
In the spirit of the holiday season, we have some fun activities planned for this week: Gecko Winter Fun Week!
During school the school day we are encouraging students to show their holiday spirit in a number of ways:
Monday: Holiday Sock Day
Tuesday: Winter Wear Day
Wednesday: Holiday Headgear or Hair Day
Thursday: Pajama Day
Friday: Holiday Colors
Also, outside of the school day, we are offering fun activities for families all week long:
- Play: Pearl Street Holiday Bingo (see below for BINGO card)
- Make: A Kindness rock for your neighbor
- Find: Holiday Chalk Art (See image below for chalk art)
And...Finally, on Thursday evening join us for the first annual (and hopefully the last!) Zoom Sing-along! (time and link to be sent this week). Ms. Betsy won't be leading us this year and we're really sad we won't all be together in the great Grant sing-along tradition but we couldn't let the holidays go by without festive holiday music so let's all get together virtually!
~WINTER CHEER AND HOLIDAY GREETINGS PADLET!~
~GRANT SCHOOL INCLUDED IN 2020 TOP LOS ANGELES COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS REPORT~
GRANT CONTINUES TO CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY GAP FOR VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
Read this announcement here: GRANT SCHOOL NAMED A 2020 TOP LA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL
~GRANT AND CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY PATROL PARTNER AGAIN THIS YEAR FOR CHiPs for KIDS TOY DRIVE~
Click on the following link to view the CHP's promotional video: CHiPs for KIDS Video
~SAMOHI ORCHESTRA VIRTUAL WINTER CONCERT~
Join the Santa Monica High School Orchestras for their Virtual Winter Concert on Saturday, December 19, 2020 at 7pm. Don't miss this opportunity to see all the orchestras perform! Tickets are FREE but registration is required. Visit https://www.samohiorchestras.com/.
~ GECKO WEAR SHOP VIRTUAL SALE🦎 - SHOP FOR THE HOLIDAYS! ~
Thank you Grant families for sporting your Gecko Wear gear throughout Santa Monica! It’s been fun and a comfort to see fellow Geckos showing their school pride around town, especially now that we’re not physically at school. If you are in need of Gecko Wear...not to worry! We will be holding one virtual sale a month starting in September. In order to have contactless payment, we are only doing online sales at this time. You will have a specific week (Monday-Thursday) to place your orders. They will be processed that Friday and ready for pick up the following week. You will receive an alert when your order is ready for pick up at school. Any orders placed outside of the sale dates will not be processed till the next sale date. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out and thank you for your continued support!
CONTACT:
VIRTUAL GWS SALE DATES 2020:
December- 14-17
~GRANT LIBRARY CURBSIDE PICKUP BEGINS WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9th~
Library Book Curbside pick up starts the week of Nov. 9th. Instructions for placing holds, accessing the library catalog, and the library website are all in the PDF attached. Students will be notified when holds are ready for pickup. Contact Ms. Wolfe if you have any questions. pwolfe@smmusd.org
Pick up days will be:
Monday - 9:00 - 11:00
Wednesday - 9:00 - 11:00 and 2:00 - 4:00
Friday - 9:00 - 11:00
CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE BELOW INTERACTIVE DOCUMENT:
>>> CURBSIDE PICKUP INFO AND DIRECTIONS <<<
More Library News:
On materials pick-up day, November 4th Book Fair Flyers and bookmarks will be available for pick up in front of the school along with discard and donated books. Feel free to come by and grab a few books and a book fair flyer even if you have no materials to pick up.
~HELP WITH DISTRICT ISSUED LAPTOPS~
- Your child's laptop is not working
- You are moving out of the school district
- Troubleshooting issues
If your child is currently using a district-issued laptop to engage in distance learning and you require technical assistance, please email our technology specialist at:
If you require translation services for this assistance, please contact Bilingual Community Liaison Florencia Rams at frams@smmusd.org.
~ A MESSAGE FROM THE GRANT SCHOOL PTA ~
~ DONATE TO THE GRANT PTA AND SANTA MONICA EDUCATION FOUNDATION TODAY! ~
Your donation does so much for Grant!
Please consider donating to the two organizations that enhance education for all Grant students: the Santa Monica Education Foundation and Grant PTA. Your donations are still so important, even during distance learning. Check out the crucial staff, programs, technology, and materials funded by your donations in this chart!
Our goal is for 100% of Grant families to give to PTA and the Ed Foundation. ANY amount makes a difference to our kids. If you have already donated, thank you!
¡Su donación hace mucho por Grant!
Considere hacer una donación a las dos organizaciones que mejoran la educación de todos los estudiantes de Grant: la Fundación Educativa de Santa Mónica y la PTA de Grant. Sus donaciones siguen siendo muy importantes, incluso durante el aprendizaje a distancia. ¡Consulte el personal, los programas, la tecnología y los materiales fundamentales financiados con sus donaciones en esta gráfica!
Nuestra meta es que el 100% de las familias de Grant den a la PTA y a la Fundación Ed. CUALQUIER cantidad hace la diferencia para nuestros hijos. Si ya ha donado, ¡gracias!
~$65,000 Match to Support SED Students~
Content: $65,000 Match
Grant students need your financial support. Your donation to the Santa Monica Education Foundation is the only way to fund additional staff and programs at Grant that enrich our students’ education.
And now, your donation will have twice the impact, thanks to an extraordinary $65,000 match.
When you donate to the Ed Foundation to support arts, STEM, wellness and other essential programs, their match donors will make a dollar-for-dollar matching gift to fund tutoring for socio-economically disadvantaged youth in Santa Monica schools, up to $65,000. This match will run through December 18 and ensures socio-economically disadvantaged students receive the academic help they need during distance learning.
The $65,000 match is made possible by: $50,000 from an anonymous donor, $10,000 from the Nancy and Nimish Patel Family Foundation, and $5,000 from the Appelbaum-Kahn Foundation.
Please donate today at smedfoundation.org!
Los estudiantes de Grant necesitan su apoyo financiero. Su donación a la Fundación Educativa de Santa Mónica es la única forma de financiar programas y personal adicional en Grant que enriquecen la educación de nuestros estudiantes.
Y ahora, su donación tendrá el doble de impacto, gracias a una extraordinaria donación para igualar de $65,000.
Cuando dona a la Fundación Ed para apoyar las artes, STEM, bienestar y otros programas esenciales, sus socios de donación para igualar harán una donación equivalente dólar por dólar para financiar la tutoría para jóvenes en desventaja socioeconómica en las escuelas de Santa Mónica, hasta $65,000. Esta igualación se extenderá hasta el 18 de diciembre y garantizará que los estudiantes con desventajas socioeconómicas reciban la ayuda académica que necesitan durante el aprendizaje a distancia.
La contribución para igualar de $65,000 es posible gracias a: $50,000 de un donante anónimo, $10,000 de la Fundación de la Familia Nancy y Nimish Patel y $5,000 de la Fundación Appelbaum-Kahn.
¡Haga una donación hoy en smedfoundation.org!
~COMMUNITY RESOURCES for FAMILIES~
*Some events and resources not sponsored by or affiliated with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.
~ CITY OF SANTA MONICA - CREST ~
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE APPLICATION IS HAPPENING NOW!
This fall, the City of Santa Monica's after-school programs will continue to reopen with limited capacity to ensure community safety. City staff are working to make the necessary changes to the schedule due to modified hours of operation, staff reductions, social distancing, and infection control guidance. The City of Santa Monica offers financial assistance to qualifying moderate to low-income Santa Monica Residents and non-residents attending an SMMUSD school. Financial assistance is available and can be applied to City youth program fees such as: CREST Club, CREST Enrichment, Santa Monica Swim Center classes, community classes, and seasonal day camps. A completed application for financial assistance is required annually. We are currently accepting applications for fiscal year 2020-2021. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
You may email completed applications (which must include the necessary income, address and identification information) to our office at crest@smgov.net or by drop-off through the mail slot at the CREST Youth Office at Reed Park 1133 7th St.
Did you know that CREST Club is running in-person camp from 12:00PM to 5:15PM at Reed Park for youth ages 8-14?
The health and safety of all participants, staff and parents is of the utmost importance. We would like to share that CREST Club will run and look differently. CREST will still be devoted to having fun-filled and engaging activities that you expect from our CREST Program.
We are taking guidance from the CDC and LA County Public Health Guidelines for programs providing Day Care for School-Age children, additional Safety Protocols and Procedures are being implemented to keep everyone safe while in programming.
Visit smgov.net/crest for more information