In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

-

 

`Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.'' ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.


January 20, 2025

NO SCHOOL



Dear Community Family,

Thank you to our entire school Community for your patience, flexibility, and support. A lot has happened during these first few weeks of 2025! Is it too early to say it can only get better from here? 

Last week, Principal Timmerman and the staff of Westwood Charter School opened their doors and hearts to our students and staff. They were so gracious and welcoming! CMCS teachers quickly pivoted to online learning and most students joined them online from home. About 90 of our students attended in-person at Westwood to Zoom in with their teachers and Got Game's Coach Dareh, Tiffany from Computerwise Kids, and a member of the district's Instructional Technology Initiative team provided additional activities for our students attending in-person. CMCS office and support staff welcomed and supervised students, arranged and organized schedules, and even got some work done in between! It was fun, but there's no place like home . . .

By now, you've receive news that we will be returning home to the Community campus on Tuesday. A lot of work and preparation have gone into making the campus ready for a safe return. Albert, our plant manager, and at least three different custodial teams sent by LAUSD have sanitized and cleaned all interior and exterior areas on campus. Earlier today, Kathi (first grade teacher) and I met with Region West Leadership for the final walk and inspection of every room and building on campus. At least two other teams, including the Office of Environmental Health and Safety, have also inspected the campus. Every classroom / office has a new purifier and all air filters have been replaced. Several boxes of N95 masks for students and adults were delivered to campus. We are ready for a Tuesday return!

Tomorrow, we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his work for peace, equality, justice, and service. We honor his legacy through simple acts, such as working on a project that serves the community, reflecting on the importance of kindness, love, and justice in our world today, or learning more about MLK's life. Make a day of it by tuning in to TV and streaming services, such as ABC, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, PBS, Prime Video, and AMC+ which will be streaming documentaries about MLK, his life, and his impact on the world. 

I plan on a quiet and peaceful day tomorrow and look forward to our return on Tuesday. I hope you enjoy the remainder of this weekend!

Best,

Toni


Welcome, Jeremy!! 


As you may know, Rick, our former B&G worker, received a promotion over Thanksgiving break. He is now a Plant Manager at Venice HS. This week, we welcome Jeremy Higuera to the Community Family. Jeremy says he loves learning and experiencing new things and he's so excited to be a part of this family. 

Welcome, Jeremy!


SHOPPING SPREE FOR FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THE PALISADES/EATON FIRES


The LAUSD Education Foundation would like us to share this opportunity for families that have been impacted by the fires to a free shopping spree with clothing for all ages. This is being organized by the company The A List and will begin on Tuesday, January 21, and will go through to Friday, January 31.

 

The boutique space will be at 9290 Civic Center Dr. in Beverly Hills. 


For families who have been impacted by the fire and would like to participate in this opportunity, please sign up by going to this google form. You will receive a confirmation email with a date and time based on your responses.



  IS THE WATER AT COMMUNITY MAGNET             SAFE TO DRINK?               


A few parents have expressed concerns about the safety of the drinking water at Community Magnet since the recent fires. I checked this out on the DWP website and learned that our campus did not fall within the designated Do Not Drink Water Areas issued by the DWP. (You may check for yourself here.) Students and staff may take extra precautions by bringing their own bottled water and using the water bottle filling stations on campus, located at the cafeteria and the Nurse's office. 



KNOW YOUR RIGHTS!


As we close out one of the most challenging weeks in our District’s history, and prepare for a new presidential administration, we want to reaffirm the District’s unwavering commitment to the well-being and education of all students, particularly regarding their rights to access and receive education regardless of their immigration status. 

 

We believe it is crucial to provide our students and families with clear and accessible information about their legal rights. The District will be distributing Red Cards with vital information about their rights on Tuesday, January 21. 

 

We know this may be a difficult time for many, and we are committed to supporting the safety of our entire Los Angeles Unified community on or off campus. 

 

Please remember, there are no classes for students this Monday, January 20 (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day). We look forward to welcoming all of our students back to class on Tuesday, January 21 so they can continue building on their momentum inside safe, supportive classrooms where everyone is welcome, and where diversity is celebrated and embraced.

 





VALET RULES

    For the SAFETY of your child and ALL children and parents at CMCS, if you are driving your child to school you MUST follow these valet rules. 
    • Arrive at CMCS between 7:30 and 8:00
    • Enter through the gate on the EAST side of the school.
    • Drive along the left curb.  The right curb is a bus lane whether or not the buses have arrived.
    • Wait patiently in a single file line along the left curb of the driveway.
    • When a valet volunteer or LAUSD staff directs you, turn right at the parking lot and pull up to the Valet Curb.  There can be a maximum of 3 cars at the Valet Curb.  
    • Under no circumstances can you park with your child and walk them through the parking lot. If, especially during these first weeks of school, you want to walk your child to the front gate, you MUST drop your child at the Valet Curb and then park your car.  Your child can wait for you near the valet volunteers on the bench by the Valet Curb.
    • When you arrive at the Valet Curb, your child should be ready to exit the car from the passenger side of the vehicle.  IF a passenger side exit from your vehicle is unavailable, your child must wait until a valet volunteer opens the driver side door and escorts them in front of your car onto the curb.
    • Under no circumstances should the driver exit the vehicle.
    • Do not pull around cars in the valet line including at the Valet Curb.  The line is single file from the east gate entrance  through to the west gate exit.  Please wait your turn to drop off your child and to exit campus.
    • FINALLY, be patient and kind.  The valet volunteers and LAUSD staff are there for the safety of your children.  Please treat them, the children, and the other drivers with respect.






Save the Dates . . .

Recurring Activities
  • Math Kangaroo:  Mondays
  • Student Nest Tutoring Services: Mon., Wed., Thurs.
  • Tuesday Enrichment : Tuesdays
  • Tiny Spotlight Musical Theater: Tuesdays & Thursdays 
  • After-School Intervention: Wednesdays & Thursdays
  • Morning Assembly: Fridays

TO BE RESCHEDULED:
  • Parent Workshop: Parenting in a Digital World
  • Parent Workshop: SaRah Feinstein- Intro to Positive Behavior Intervention and Support - Restorative Practices
JANUARY
  • January 28
    • Tuesday Enrichment begins 
  • January 31
    • Principal for the Day

FEBRUARY
  • February 3
    • 5th Grade Physical Fitness test window opens
  • February 4
    • Council Meeting
  • February 5-6
    • First week of after-school Intervention; Reading focus
  • February 6
    • Safety Drills
  • February 7
    • Deadline for Middle-of-Year Assessments   
      • DIBELS Reading: Gr. K-2
      • iReady Reading, Gr. 3-5
      • iReady Math, Gr. K-5
  • February 14
    • Happy Valentine's Day!
    • TeaTime with Toni
  • February 17
    • NO SCHOOL - Presidents Day
  • February 21
    • Black History Month Assemblies
  • February 25
    • Black History Month Presentations by Kindergarten and 5th Grade classes
  • February 28
    • Book Fair Preview Day


Click here to view the 24-25 School Calendar









Click here to read the 2024-2025 Parent/Student Handbook


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Enrichment Block Begins This Week!

-
Image
  ENRICHMENT BLOCKS BEGIN THIS WEEK! Dear Community Families, WHEW!! What a week! It was an exciting one and we're so happy to have students back on campus. We now have a week under our belts- students know where their classrooms are, who their teachers are, and their bus assignments. Teachers have taught classroom systems and procedures, and we've taught our expectations for behavior during behavior assemblies.  On Thursday, we practiced our first fire and earthquake drills of the year. We learned how to evacuate quickly and quietly to the upper yard and how to drop, cover, and hold in the classroom. We held our first Morning Assembly on Friday. Each week, teachers select one student to be recognized as the Student-of-the-Week at the Morning Assembly. These students receive certificates to acknowledge their achievement and are invited to select a prize from the Treasure Box. Staff members issue Kindness Counts coupons are given to students who show kindness and good citizensh...
Read more

It's the First Day of School!

-
Image
  Dear Community Families, The first day of school is here! There will be a lot happening at school this week to kick off the new year.  All parents are welcome to join us for a Meet & Greet after walking your student to their classroom on the first day of school. CFF will provide light refreshments as you meet and mingle with other parents and CMCS staff. Meet us on the Room 1 yard at 8:10am. Our Beginning-of-Year Assessment windows open this week so your child will be taking diagnostic tests in reading (DIBELS for Gr. K-2 / iReady for Gr. 3-5) and math (iReady for all grade levels). Teachers will use these results to determine classroom small group instruction, after-school intervention groups, advanced math groups, and tutoring groups. As of last school year, LAUSD requires students to complete 30-45 minutes of iReady Personalized Learning per week. Your child's teacher may ask that some of these required minutes be completed at home. Join me Friday, August 16 at TeaTi...
Read more

Welcome to the 2024-25 School Year

-
Image
  Dear Community Families, Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year at Community Magnet Charter School! This summer flew by quickly, but I hope you enjoyed time with your families and friends. I am very happy to have spent a week visiting Toronto with my family. It just so happened that we were there for Canada Day (similar to our Fourth of July) and the Toronto Jazz Festival! In addition to spectacular fireworks, top-notch dining, and wonderful jazz music, we witnessed the awesomeness of the beautiful Niagara Falls. It was a fun-packed week and I left with a special place in my heart for Toronto! Speaking of fun-packed, Community was buzzing with fun for most of the summer. We hosted the Kids 4 College Summer Camp, Camp Invention, BSAP Summer Bridging Program and Kinder Camp! This week will be even busier, but without the kids and not so fun. Albert and Rick will complete the final campus cleaning. Office staff will finalize classroom assignments (to be completed by August 8th) and en...
Read more