A Message from Tedd
February 3, 2023
WEbster Nation,
So many great things on the horizon!! We've got Jog-A-Thons, Field Days, Talent Shows, Outdoor Education Trips, and so much more!!!! We've even got the inaugural Webster Bowl this Sunday. (see below). I'm so grateful to this staff and community for taking on all the extra things that make a school year so rich for these kids. In addition to the wonderful things happening in classrooms each day, it's nice be surrounded by great people and great activities.
With gratitude,
Tedd
Mrs. Harris's 2nd Graders and the Harry Potter STEM Challenge
This week, as her students are working through the long-form project towards exhibition, Mrs. Harris broke the kids up into random groups of 3 and challenged them to build a Gringott's Bank track. Based on the Harry Potter books, this would be a marble maze with twists and turns and hills. They used tape, toilet paper and paper towel tubes, and lots of imagination and persistence. It was exciting to hear about all of the things that went wrong with their tracks and how they worked to fix each problem. This activity naturally led to students thinking about kinetic and potential energy, speed, acceleration, and resistance. For their Class Meeting, they debriefed the STEM challenge and kids shared feedback about the science or about the collaboration. They spontaneously invited other classes to come see their marble tracks and ended up with an audience of preschoolers to 5th graders!
THIS SUNDAY...February 5th
Get hyped for the Super Bowl with Webster's first Party Book event: Flag Football! We know it's a bit last minute, but ideas happen when they happen. If you don't already have plans for Sunday, we'd love to make this an annual community event and a ton of fun for kids and parents alike. If you do already have plans, cancel them and join us instead!
NOON: Kids' game (with adult QBs): 3rd-5th graders co-ed showdown on the Webster gridiron. Tedd will captain the Eagles, while Webster dad, Gabe Sokoloff, will lead the Chiefs.
*Please show up by 11:30a so we can warm up, pick teams, etc...
1:30pm: Adult flag football game (also co-ed), for all parents, guardians, friends, grandparents, and caregivers who dare.
*All players, (child and adult) please bring one white and one dark shirt to help us define teams!!
$20 - for any student or adult interested in playing
$5 - for spectators who just want to bring a blanket or folding chair and cheer on the community. Light snacks will be included and you can bring a picnic lunch for you and the family!
Buy your tickets here: https://webstermalibu.onlinepartybook.com.
Questions? Contact commissioner Gabe Sokoloff at gabe@gabesokoloff.com or (561) 385-5344.
See you at the Webster Bowl THIS SUNDAY!
*Proceeds benefit the 5th Grade Yosemite Trip!
That's Alot of Days
While many classes participated in activities to celebrate the 100th day of school this week, the weekly newsletter team caught up with Mrs. Berman and Mrs. Murdock as they went all in...100%. (see what we did there?) The kids filled a ten frame with 100 snacks to fine-tune their counting and conceptual understanding of large numbers. They predicted how many licks it would take to finish a lollipop and then licked 100 licks to see how far they could get. They created a monster with 100 different body parts. They solved 100 math problems. Finally, after predicting what might happen, they participated in 100-second mini challenges like arm circles, touching your toes, and sticking out your tongue 100 times. Engaging stuff!!
Mrs. Cooper's Class and Their 5th grade Buddies Get in on the Fun
The relationship between the K-1 kids in Room 16 and their 5th grade buddies continues to grow strong. This week, 5th graders came in to help our littles design ramps and learn more about force and motion. After some great design thinking sessions, groups were ready to build and test. They experimented to see how far their penguins could slide down their newly built slopes.
Webster's First Business Launch This Thursday
As of this week, we are up to THREE viable Webster businesses. We have already been dealing with some of the challenges of business ownership, employee management, and inventory creation. These kids are dealing with real-world problems as they attempt to bring their products to market. I look forward to keeping you all in the loop about the outcomes of this endeavor and can't wait to see how things unfold. Thanks for your support on this. I truly believe there is valuable student learning at play here.
Room Sponsors
A huge shout out to our room sponsors for their generosity and support of Webster:
The Begin Family
The Clarkson Family
The Dunn Family
The Ifft Family
The Roy Family
Webster PTA is looking for room sponsors for our grade level classrooms, library, cafeteria, Teacher's Lounge, garden, and computer lab. You can become a room sponsor for a donation of $400. Your donation supports our teachers' classroom budgets and allows them to purchase supplies for our students above and beyond what the district provides. Room sponsors will be recognized with a sign outside the classroom and a shout in the PTA's newsletter.
Please indicate which classroom you wish to sponsor in your purchase! Thank you for helping us create magical spaces for our students! And thank you to all of the families who have sponsored so far. (see above) To sponsor a room, click here:
A Look Back...
We're going to give ChatGPT a little break this week. I thought I'd throw a little video out there from about a decade ago. My partner, AJ Webster, and I had been given the opportunity to take over the 6th grade at New Roads in Santa Monica. Working with an Ed Tech company, we designed a brand new curriculum for thinking and learning, tearing down the silos of a more traditional middle school approach. Subjects became integrated and we adopted a more playful and engaging perspective around the idea of school. What might a school of the future truly look like? Is something like this possible here in Malibu?
Webster Parent Phil Buckman Performs
One of our Webster parents, Phil Buckman, and his band "Petty Cash" will perform tomorrow evening at DreamLand in Malibu. Phil's band plays a mix of Tom Petty and Johnny Cash covers and has convinced the venue to support Webster with a donation. Through the bands performance this weekend, DreamLand has agreed to donate 4 tickets to any future show at the venue. These tickets will be auctioned off at a later date. We hope you'll come out tomorrow night to support Phil and Petty Cash. Thanks for supporting Webster!!
EVENTS and REMINDERS
Malibu Middle School presents "Newsies Jr."
Thursday, February 9 - Saturday, February 11
7:00pm
Sunday, February 12
1:00pm
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
Astrocamp Launch Meeting
Wednesday, February 22
6:00pm in the Webster Cafetorium
National Read Across America Day
Thursday, March 2
details to come
Math Field Day
Friday, March 10
8:45am
Webster Jog-A-Thon
Friday, March 17
8:30am
Webster Talent Show
Auditions: March 6 @ 3:00pm
Rehearsals:
March 10 @ 3:00pm
March 16 @ 3:00pm
March 22 @ 3:00pm (Dress Rehearsal)
The Big Show: Friday, March 24
6:00pm
*More detailed information is on the way!!! We promise :)
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 Information - Week of February 6, 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.