Together We Thrive!
Glassell Park - Los Feliz Community of Schools Newsletter
March 2022
A Message from our Community of Schools Administrator
One Hundred Days and Counting!
Greetings Glassell Park/Los Feliz Community,
Welcome to Spring, a season that allows us to reinvigorate and begin to celebrate the many college acceptances across our schools. Moving forward, our goal is to recognize students’ as they embark on post-secondary options. This is truly an exciting season that brings our entire community together.
In the spirit of Women’s History Month, we would like to highlight the extraordinary work taking place at Irving Middle School. Our Community of Schools’ team had an opportunity to interview Coach Saracino who is leading all-female teams in State Robotics Championship competitions. Irving MS’ “Bear Botikz” teams are the only ones in the state being led by a female coach and consisting of all female team members. They are breaking ground and inspiring many youngsters to explore Robotics as an area of interest. Their coach instills a sense of empowerment, inspiring the students to overcome any barriers they might perceive. The following is an interview with Coach Saracino and two students, Captain Kathy Flores (Team Resilience) and Sophia Wood (Team Integrity) sharing their girl power perspective:
Sincerely,
Dr. Rodriguez
In the March 2022 Newsletter:
- Opening Message from our Community of Schools Administrator, Dr. Jose Rodriguez
- Champions Celebrate Women's History Month: Girls and Robotics at Irving
- Introducing New Principal Claudia Pelayo at Glassell Park STEAM Magnet
- School Celebrations
- Community Partner Spotlight: Bowtie Event
- Social-Emotional Learning Competencies--Social Awareness
- Tips for Bridging Home and School #7
- Notes from the Field
- Community of Schools and Local District Central Events & Announcements
CHAMPIONS Celebrate Women's History Month
GPLF March Parent Poll
https://forms.gle/pDGfD8zk9n8RV68u6
Thank you to kpatches who responded to last month's survey about Growth Mindset. The strategy they would try is reframing fixed mindset thinking, which is a great place to start!
Girls' Robotics Team at Irving STEAM Magnet
Rooted in the Community
Glassell Park STEAM Welcomes New Principal Claudia Pelayo
The Glassell Park/Los Feliz Community of Schools welcomes Principal Claudia Pelayo to Glassell Park STEAM Magnet! Principal Pelayo tells us that she is a product of Los Angeles. She went to elementary and middle school in East L.A., and she graduated from Garfield High School. From her earliest memories, Principal Pelayo always knew that she wanted to be a teacher. When she graduated from University of California, Santa Barbara, she began teaching with an emergency credential as a bilingual kindergarten teacher. Soon after, she entered the LAUSD’s District Intern program and completed her teaching credential with the district.
While teaching at 116th Street Elementary School, she started her family and earned an M.A. with a credential from California State University Northridge. From there, her career journey led her to out of the classroom positions where she supported students, teachers and families as a coordinator and then as a Parent and Community Engagement Coach. She then became an Assistant Principal at Normandie ES, Alexander Science Center, and Hoover ES.
She was also an Assistant Principal at Fletcher for a time. There she discovered that despite gentrification, the school was deeply rooted in the community. She recognized the generational qualities of the school’s staff, students, and their families. She witnessed how teachers who grew up in the neighborhood and attended Fletcher themselves, were now teaching the children of children that they had taught earlier in their career.
Now that she is principal at Glassell Park STEAM Magnet, she sees the same generational aspects exist there too. While she and the staff are working on updating the school’s mission and vision statements, she plans to continue the rituals and routines she has inherited that are the foundation of the school's community. In keeping with our Local District Central’s transformation initiatives, she and the staff are doing some “Freedom Dreaming” as well. Some big plans include developing an Environmental Science learning pathway at Glassell Park STEAM Magnet to complement the Environmental Science program at Sotomayor Arts & Sciences Magnet. Additionally, they plan to revive their garden areas to create an edible garden as well as a California native plant garden.
Principal Pelayo wants the GPLF community to know that being at GPM brings her joy. Feeling fortunate to have landed at a school with such rich traditions and systems in place, for her, it is a joy to go to work. Her school has welcomed her with open arms and the loving, caring sentiment extends throughout the school community. An incident that illustrated that point to her was when she witnessed the return of a student to his class after being out of school for an extended period of time due to illness. When the other children from his class saw him walking on campus, their first instinct was to run to him and wanted to hug him.
Her goal is to build relationships with parents and offer workshops presented by teachers. She plans to host a variety of events to engage and partner with families like, Family ELA, Math and Science Nights. She wants to enhance school wide communication and is looking forward to continuing the strong instructional programs as she establishes her roots at Glassell Park STEAM Magnet.
School Celebrations
Community Partner Spotlight
Bowtie Los Angeles River Restoration Project
On Saturday, March 5, the culmination of a collaboration between our GPLF Community of Schools, the Department of California State Parks, and several community based organizations such as Clockshop and the Nature Conservancy to gather community input on the project took place at Sotomayor Arts & Sciences Magnet. After collecting feedback from over 2000 members of the community, the organizations presented the plans to those who were gathered at Sotomayor. State Senator María Elena Durazo and representatives from the offices of State Assembly Member Wendy Carrillo and Supervisor Hilda Solis also attended. Sotomayor and our Glassell Park - Los Feliz Community of Schools were recognized by Supervisor Hilda Solis' office for our support of the process.
For more information about the history of the Bowtie Project you can visit http://parks.ca.gov/?page_id=30530
And to find out more about the process moving forward, please visit https://clockshop.org/project/bowtie-about/
Social-Emotional Learning Competencies
Social-Emotional Learning: Social Awareness
In the March issue of the GPLF newsletter, we continue our series on social-emotional learning. This month, we will focus on social awareness. As you read this article, you will be able to describe what social awareness is and explore ways to cultivate social awareness in yourself and others.
According to the California Department of Education, social awareness is “the ability to understand the perspectives of and empathize with others, including those from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and contexts.”
A person with social awareness might be able to:
Seek out others perspectives,
Demonstrate empathy and compassion,
Show concern for thoughts and emotions of others,
Understand diverse cultural and social norms
Understand the influences of biased or racist systems and structures on actions, behaviors and mindsets
Create and maintain a just and caring community
Students who develop social awareness are more cooperative in class and develop strong interpersonal skills to engage more effectively with peers and teachers in learning tasks. Additionally, students who understand diverse norms in a variety of settings are better able to participate in diverse learning environments.
Now that you have an understanding of what social awareness is and how it might benefit students, here are some activities you can do by yourself or with another person to foster social awareness.
Understanding Identity
One way to build social awareness is to understand your identities (e.g., race, gender, socioeconomic status) and reflect how those identities shape how you think, feel and act. Some identities are visible (like race or assumed gender), while other identities are not easy to see (such as ability, or socioeconomic status).
As we all acknowledge and understand our identities, we are able to
be proud of our identities and who we are,
better empathize with those of similar and different identities,
view diversity as an asset and learn from those with similar or different identities, and
identify inequities in the community and work to address them.
To begin identifying your identities, you can draw a circle and divide it into 6-10 sections. Label each section with a type of identity. Some examples of identities to consider are: age, ethnicity, race, first language, gender, birth country, physical ability, learning ability, religion or spiritual affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, immigrant status, military service, education, age, world view. You may have other identities you identity with. After you label the sections, write in your identity(ies) for each section. Afterwards, reflect on the identity from each section at a time and think about the following question:
How might this identity influence my experiences, thoughts, actions and beliefs, who I am, how I see myself, and how I see others?
Tips for Bridging Home and School #7
Dear Families,
The unexpected icy weather of the past several days, against the backdrop of horrific war in Ukraine on a scale unknown since 1939, has given me cause to re-evaluate my perspectives at home and in my work. I am so incredibly grateful for all that I have, and am reminded of how precious - and perhaps precarious - all these may be. Nor do we need to send our thoughts necessarily afar to be reminded of how many families are not as fortunate. As an educator, and as a caregiver, I am contemplative of how I might contribute to a learning environment that is not only helpful, but healing.
At the same time, the need for supplemental education toward mastery is greater than ever. As of the 9th, there are 1,201 English Learners in GPLF COS. LAUSD has set a reclassification (mastery) goal of 18.5% - and ELPAC summative testing has just begun. We want every child to have all the support they need to succeed.
Across our schools, teachers are putting long hours into integrating English Language Development strategies - strategies designed to help English Learners through the content that they are already learning - into all of their subjects. Whether it's Math, History, or Science, integrated English Language Development strategies help accelerate language mastery without taking away precious instructional time from the primary subject content.
As a parent, at home, you too can help your child in their journey towards language mastery. Encourage your child to manipulate language in all of the activities you already do, whether it is cooking at home, doing the laundry, or taking a walk in the neighborhood. Nor is this support only limited to English Learners - children of all ages and level of mastery can benefit from opportunities to hone the ways in which they utilize language to create meaning.
Here are some strategies that might be helpful for you to do at home. We invite you to look over them, and see if they might be useful to you.
- Notice and Wonder - Great for both Math & English
- Which One Doesn't Belong? - Also great for both Math & English
S.T.E.A.M.
Pi Day 3/14
Educators and families, are you looking for a way to celebrate Pi Day? Here are some lessons and activities to help you celebrate this important math idea!
Opportunities for Students
The National Youth Science Camp (NYSCamp) is a residential science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) program designed to honor and challenge some of the nation’s rising leaders and provide them with opportunities to engage with STEM professionals and participate in exciting outdoor activities. Typically, two delegates are selected to attend camp from each state and the District of Columbia. In partnership with the U.S. State Department, we also host international delegates. Past countries represented include Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago. Housing, meals, transportation, and supplies are provided to participants at no cost.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2022 National Youth Science Camp (NYSCamp) will again be an entirely virtual experience. Applications are open, and we encourage high school seniors from across the nation to apply to attend the camp from Monday, June 27, 2022, to Wednesday, July 20, 2022. Learn about the 2022 National Youth Science Camp.
The deadline to submit applications is 6:00 PM EST on March 31, 2022
Book Corner
What are you reading?
Notes from the Field
Transgender Day of Visibility
Hello Educators,
Transgender Day of Visibility is observed on March 31st to highlight transgender resilience and success. We want to invite you to incorporate this day into your everyday teaching and learning to further support the trans community.
To help you get started, here are some resources to explore:
Learn to support your students with HRC’s Supporting and Caring for our Gender-Expansive youth
Highlight notable individuals in science with the 500 Queer Scientists Project
Visit Exploratorium videos on the difference between Sex and Gender and our entire 2021 Virtual Program for Transgender Day of Visibility
Dive deeper into terminology and Transgender Day of Visibility resources with this list from GLSEN for educators and students
Social Emotional Workshops for Families
Staying Connected
After Hours Assistance
Community of Schools and Local District Central Events & Announcements
Upcoming GPLF Town Hall
Thursday, April 7, 5pm
Meeting ID: 874 0258 8808
SEL Workshop Series, Nurturing Socially & Emotionally Capable Children
Monday 9-10am or Tuesday 5:30-6:30pm
Workshop 1- Mar. 14 & 15; Workshop 2- Mar. 21 & 22; Workshop 3- Mar. 29
https://bit.ly/3vqU7SJ English
https://bit.ly/3sv6dIX Español
Parent College Workshops, Options After Graduation: Community College & Trade Schools
Tuesday, March 22, 9:30am-10:30am and 4pm-5pm
Meeting ID 886 7638 1374
Parent Workshop Series, Developing Early Reading Skills at Home
Wednesday, March 23, 9am-10am
Meeting ID 889 9773 8063
Parent Participation at IEP Meetings Workshop
Wednesday, February 23, 10am-11am and 6pm-7pm
Meeting ID 853 3948 8574
Student Voice & Empowerment Meeting
Thurs., March 10 & 24, 4:30
Meeting ID 846 3753 5677
All students are invited to attend
Black Student Achievement Program (BSAP) - Parent Advisory Committee Meeting
Thursday, March 24 at 6pm. New members welcome!
Zoom ID: 886 5715 6461
Cesar E. Chavez Birthday Observed - No School
Monday, March 28, 2022
Vaccine Clinics
visit our CoS website for schedules glasselparklosfelizcos.lausd.net
LDC Tech Talks
Every Wednesday, 3:30-4:30pm
Webinar ID: 956 7367 6024
2021-2022 LAUSD Calendar
Contact Us
Email: gplf@lausd.net
Website: glassellparklosfelizcos.lausd.net
Location: 4564 Lexington Avenue, Los Angeles CA 90047
Phone: 323-210-1950
Facebook: facebook.com/GPLFCoS
Twitter: @GPLFCoS