El Semanario
December 5-9, 2002
This Week at Edison
- December 5 - Coffee with the Principal 8:30 am - Library; Holiday Bazaar (5th-9th before school) PTA Executive Board Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm - Zoom
- December 6 - Music Informance for 4th Grade 8:40-9:20 am in music classrooms- No 5th grade music today; Duck and Cover Drill - afternoon
- December 7 - 5th Grade Dance Class
- December 8 - Music Informance for 5th grade 8:40-9:20 - Cafeteria - No 4th grade music today; SST Day in the morning
- December 9 - 5th Grade Dance Class; Música en Español informances in amphitheater during day
- December 10 - TK-K Orientation #2 Campus Tour 9:00-10:30
From the Principal's Desk
Last Tuesday afternoon, an incident involving an armed individual on Kansas Avenue caused SMPD to barricade Kansas Avenue and order Edison into a Lock Down. These measures were taken to keep students and families out of harm's way and to make sure students were in a safe indoor location until the incident was fully resolved. Fortunately, what we experienced was not violence directed against the school, did not include injuries, and did not involve any attempted breach of the school perimeter. Edison staff and our after school partners quickly secured the campus and the students and cared for students until SMPD lifted the Lock Down and allowed dismissal. Staff and students had been previously trained in drills and were able to follow directions quickly. SMPD also placed officers on campus to support our staff as needed. We are thankful for how well prepared everyone was in what to do and how collaboratively people worked as a team to protect and care for children
But, any time students have to participate in an actual lockdown and families cannot access the school, it can be frightening, stressful, and leave some big feelings to process. That's why we sent some initial resources Tuesday evening about how to support students and why teachers devoted time during morning meetings last week to help students process the incident. School Counselor Katie Cruz also offered short-term counseling appointments on Thursday and Friday to support students who were struggling.
To provide some additional resources for processing frightening situations with students and to offer an opportunity for further information about lockdowns, we've invited SMPD School Resource Officer Anthony Angel and Edison School Counselor Katie Cruz to join us at Coffee with the Principal, this Monday at 8:30 am in the Edison Library. There we can talk about lock down protocols, the incident itself, and resources for families to help children process frightening events. For easy access that morning, you can park at Virginia Avenue Park and walk to campus.
We also wanted to share another excellent and accessible resource (in Spanish and English) that may be of use over the weekend https://childmind.org/guide/helping-children-cope-after-a-traumatic-event/. Thanks to the support of our district mental health staff and various Edison parents who are mental health professionals, we're also pulling together a longer list of resources that will be posted on the Edison web page; some of these are included in a following article. For information about counseling opportunities on campus, contact Counselor Katie Cruz (kcruz@smmusd.org) or call her here at school. For Community and online resources for mental health and wellness support go to: https://www.smmusd.org/Page/6503. Our SMMUSD coordinator of Mental Health Counseling, Shuli Lotan, (slotan@smmusd.org) can also help you navigate community supports if needed.
November/December Calendar
Upcoming Events
- December 12 - 5th Grade Dance Class; Música en Español informances in amphitheater;
- December 13 - Principal's meeting
- December 14 - 5th grade dance classes meet outside; Environmental Defenders Assembly 8:40 am and 10:00 am; 8:30-10:00 am ELAC, Room 207; SILLY HAT DAY!
- December 15 - Morning SST/IEPs; SLT 3:00-4:00 pm
- December 16 - Fire Drill 10:30; 5th Grade Dance Informance 8:45 am - Cafetorium -- Followed by 5th Grade Family Breakfast - MINIMUM DAY
- December 17 - January 2 --- WINTER BREAK
Winter Informances
Winter Informances -- Música en Español, CHANGES IN DATES
The Musica en Español concerts originally planned for Monday, December 6 are being post-poned by one week due to anticipated wet weather conditions. The Música en Espanol concerts will continue as planned for Friday December 9, but the concerts originally scheduled for Monday, December 5 will be postponed until Monday December 12. Please adjust your calendars accordingly. Allow a little extra time when you come to campus to find neighborhood parking and check-in at the office to get a visitor's badge. We look forward to seeing you and celebrating the work that our youngest students have been doing in their music classes.
Friday, December 9 -- ** SAME AS PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED
9:15-10:00 - Maestra Melendez
10:15-10:45 - Maestra Banks
12:10-12:40 - Maestra Díaz-Roquette
12:50-1:35 - Maestra Jimenez
2:10-2:40 - Maestra Cueva
Monday, December 12 *** NEW DATE:
8:30-9:00 - Maestra Castillo
9:05-9:35 - Maestra Cervantes
9:55-10:25 - Maestra Romo
10:35-11:00 - Maestra Newman
12:50-1:35 - Maestra Martinez
2:10-2:40 - Maestra Tejeda
4th and 5th Grade Music Informances - December 6th and 8th
Families are invited to join the 4th and 5th grade music classes for their Winter Informances:
- 4th Grade -- Tuesday December 6 - 8:40-9:20 am, in their music classrooms. Cafeteria for Violins with Ms. Bersch and Chorus with Ms. Spikes Gravelle. Room 109 Mr. Rowles (trumpet,trombone, bells); Room 207 Mrs. Okumura (flute, clarinet); and Room 208 Ms. Stewart (viola, cello)
- 5th Grade -- Thursday, December 8 -- 8:40-9:20 am in the cafeteria. 5th grade classes will be holding a family holiday potluck breakfast immediately following the informance. Watch for information from your room representatives.
Please note that there is no 3rd Grade Informance at mid-year.
5th Grade Dance Performance
On Friday, December 16 at 8:45 am, the 5th graders will perform the choreography they've been learning to West Side Story. This will be the culmination of their 20-week unit of lessons with instructors from the Santa Monica Dance Academy. Please join us in the Edison cafetorium. 5th grade classes are planning a brief breakfast after the performance; your child's teacher or room representative will send details.
Health and Safety
Resources to Support Students in the Aftermath of Frightening Situations
While we expect that counseling staff will. have more ideas to share at Monday morning's Coffee with the Principal Meeting, here are a few quick suggestions:
- Address what happened, acknowledging that it happened -- although avoid dwelling on news accounts or exhaustive details.
- Acknowledge that other people are likely feeling what they are feeling too.
- Watch for disrupted sleep, stomach aches and irritable or clingy behavior. These may be signs that students need support, conversation, and reassurance.
- Help them feel empowered by pointing out that what they did (following the instructions quickly and calmly, staying quiet, etc.) kept them and other people safe. Remind them that because of the practices (drills) they do at school, they knew what to do.
- Reassure them that the police were also there, making sure the school was safe at all times.
For some additional resources on how to support children in the aftermath of violence or frightening situations, check out the following:
https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-safety-and-crisis/school-violence-resources/talking-to-children-about-violence-tips-for-parents-and-teachers (infographic in Spanish as well)
https://mhanational.org/talking-kids-about-fear-and-violence
https://childdevelopmentinfo.com/how-to-be-a-parent/communication/talk-to-kids-violence/
https://www.countynewscenter.com/responding-to-children-about-violent-incidents/
Spanish version:
https://www.countynewscenter.com/respondiendo-a-los-ninos-sobre-incidentes-violentos/
https://www.handinhandparenting.org/2020/01/helping-children-exposed-to-shocking-events/
https://www.handinhandparenting.org/2022/05/emotional-first-aid/
https://www.sparklestories.com/blog/post/you-are-safe-and-the-world-is-good/
Morning Parking at Virginia Avenue Park
Thanks to the efforts of the Edison Safety Committee, we've been able to clarify with staff at Virginia Avenue Park that between 8:00-11:00 am, Edison parents can park in one of the lots at Virginia Avenue Park if they have business at Edison. This should make it easier in the mornings to park and walk to campus, reducing the number of cars on our narrow streets in the morning. It will also make it easier for parents to attend morning meetings or volunteer in classrooms in the morning. Thank you to our partners at Virginia Avenue Park for supporting Edison in this way!
PTA Health and Safety VP Kim Bartholemew and Edison Assistant Principal Elizabeth Ipiña have also been meeting with city officials to discuss enhanced safety precautions along Cloverfield and additional traffic and safety patrols around Edison during pick up and drop off times. Please create safer conditions for all students by observing speed limits on Kansas and Virginia Avenues, and not double parking, attempting u-turns or three-point turns, or blocking driveways.
Health Precautions
Absences are high as we battle the triple threat of Covid, Flu, and RSV. Please make sure to use the Covid test kits distributed each Friday to check your student's health before returning to school each Monday. Watch for any symptoms associated not only with Covid but also symptoms that may indicate RSV or the Flu. All are extremely contagious and community transmission rates are high right now. Keeping students home when symptomatic is the best way to slow down the spread. Masking indoors is also a really good idea right now to protect against all three viruses. While Covid spreads primarily through the air, the RSV virus can live for hour on surfaces, utensils, and hands, making handwashing and sanitizing especially important. Thank you for taking precautions to keep students and staff healthy!
Announcements
Silly Hat Day is December 14
Students have filled the box with Golden Eagle Tickets given for kind, respectful and helpful acts that support each other and our school community. We are celebrating with a day of of light-hearted fun and a Silly Hat parade. Students are invited to fashion a fanciful hat or crown and wear it to school. We'll have some materials at school that students can use to fashion their own hats, caps, or crowns!
The Student Leadership Team initially chose a "Crazy Hat and Hair Day", something which has been a staple of "school spirit" days in many schools. However, upon further reflection and a review of our school values, we've decided to stick with just making and wearing silly hats and not include anything to do with hair styles. Edison has an essential value of respect for self and others and for valuing diversity. In a diverse community, students have different kinds of hair (length, color, and textures) and we choose to wear our hair in a wide variety of styles and fashions.
Part of our pledge to respect all members of our community includes how we look -- our height, weight, skin color, hair, or features, race, ethnicity, culture or immigration status. Designating the way that any of us choose to wear our hair as "crazy" does not meet that test. Inherent in a "crazy hair" day is the idea that some styles are normal and others are abnormal, weird, or laughable and that is not the message we want to send. If you're interested in more information on how "crazy hair" days can negatively impact students and learning communities, see: https://www.weareteachers.com/theme-days-to-avoid/; or read https://www.relandothompkinsjones.com/on-crazy-hair-day-a-letter-to-daycare/.
For some wonderful books about hair to share with your child about hair, check out the links below. Thanks to Francine Ortega for sharing these resources.
Boys and Girls Club Biddy Basketball Registration Open Now
Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica announces its Biddy Basketball season -- December 5, 2022 - March 4, 2023. The season includes two practices per week (held at the school) and one weekend game (held at the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Monica, Main Branch). The cost is $250 per student and includes a basketball camp during winter break from Tuesday, Dec. 20th – Thursday Dec 22. The league is divided into a Boys and.a Girls division with two age brackets in each:.
2nd and 3rd Grade and 4th and 5th Grade.
Registration is open from 10/27 through 12/22. You can register at www.smbgc.org/sports
For questions or information on financial assistance, email Brandon Labrie at blabrie@smbgc.org
Edison Family Gift-Away
Here's a way to stretch family budgets at the holiday season. Many of us have gently-used clothing, books, and toys that our children have outgrown. Wouldn't it be wonderful to pass those things on to another family -- and maybe pick up some things from other families that could be good additions to the gifts you give to your children and family members!
All Edison families are invited to participate in the Family Gift-Away being organized by the Community Support Network. Bring any gently used clothing, coats, toys, books, etc. that your children may have outgrown to donate and see if other families have things that might be good gifts for your family/friends. This is NOT a rummage sale -- all items are to be given away. Also, be prepared to take home any of your items that were not claimed by 4:00 pm.
Come on Sunday, December 11, 2022 -- 2:00-4:00 pm -- Edison Playground
Siblings Ready for Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten in 2023-2024?
In order to take advantage of a sibling admission preference, you must submit a complete application before the deadline -- February 10, 2023. We cannot assure sibling preference for late applicants. If you have any further questions please email jessicahernandez@smmusd.org or call her at 310-828-0335 ext. 61-306. https://tinyurl.com/5pph9vrjhttps://tinyurl.com/5pph9vrj
Next Orientation for Prospective TK-K Applicants is Saturday, December 10 from 9:00-10:30 am at Edison. You must sign up in advance to assure that we have room (see the link below). Please spread the word to interested friends and neighbors, have them sign up on line, and help us recruit the next Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten Edison students!
CREST Programs
CREST Enrichment Programs at Edison -- Registration opens December 5th, 2022 -- 6 AM online and 9 AM at Virginia Avenue Park. For a schedule of classes to be offered at Edison and information about registration and financial assistance, click the links below: English: Click here / Spanish: Presione aquí. Classes begin the week of January 3, 2023
CREST also offers a Winter Camp will be held at John Adams Middle School from December 19- 30 (during winter break). Financial assistance is available. For more information Click here.
PTA Holiday Bazaar
The Edison Holiday Bazaar is back! Our traditional Holiday Bazaar is back December 5-9. PTA will be offering small, low-cost items (.50 - $8.00) that children may wish to purchase as holiday gifts for their parents, siblings, grandparents etc.
Plan and budget with your child. Adult volunteers will separate anything purchased into stapled bags and deliver them to the classroom towards the end of the school day so that items stay safe (and don’t cause distractions). 100% of proceeds will be donated to Edison PTA!
About Us
El Semanario is the weekly family newsletter from Edison Language Academy in the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District. Edison is a school of choice and offers a 90-10 Spanish-English dual immersion program for all students. Edison's PreK-5th grade program is the first of three schools hosting SMMUSD's PreK-12 grade Language Academy. Students promoting from Edison can continue the dual immersion program at John Adams Middle School (JAMS) and Santa Monica High School (Samohi).
Edison is a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, twice named as a California Distinguished School, a multi-year recipient of the State of California's Title I Academic Achievement Award, holder of a Seal of Excellence from the California Association for Bilingual Education, and a multi-year Honor Roll designee from the Education Results Partnership. This is Edison's 35th year as a dual immersion academy.
Email: lorum@smmusd.org
Website: www.edison.smmusd.org
Location: 2402 Virginia Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90404, USA
Phone: (310) 828-0335