Happy Thanksgiving!
THANKSGIVING BREAK
NOVEMBER 24-28
PARENT CONFERENCE WEEK
Wednesday and Thursday November 19-20
Minimum Days- 12:50 dismissals
NO TUTORING OR INTERVENTION NO LATE BUSES
Happy Sunday, Community Families,
The holiday season is upon us! This coming week will be a busy one as teachers continue with the second week of parent conferences, the Book Fair kicks off in the library, and we conduct school-wide safety drills—all leading up to TeaTime with Toni at the end of the week. With rain in the forecast for most of the week, we’ll certainly be ready for our well-deserved Thanksgiving break!
As we wrap up the fall parent conferences, report cards will also be sent home. If you haven’t yet scheduled your conference, please do so as soon as possible. These meetings are valuable opportunities to learn about your child’s academic and social-emotional progress, and teachers will share strategies to support learning at home.
While you’re on campus for your conference, take a moment to visit the library for the Book Fair! It’s the perfect chance to pick up some great reads—books make wonderful holiday gifts for kids and adults alike.
Later in the week, our focus shifts to safety and community connection. On Friday, we’ll hold our monthly fire and earthquake drills, an important reminder to review your family’s emergency plan at home. That same day, we’re excited to welcome SaRah Feinstein from Student Health and Human Services for a parent workshop titled An Introduction to Positive Behavior Interventions & Support. Many of you know SaRah as an engaging and knowledgeable presenter on social-emotional learning and restorative practices. We hope you’ll join us in person or online for this valuable session.
Amid all these activities, the weather will certainly make its presence known. With rain expected most of the week, please ensure your student is dressed appropriately for wet conditions.
Finally, a huge congratulations to our talented students for their incredible performances in The Wizard of Oz! I had the pleasure of seeing both casts, and each show was an absolute delight. Their hard work and talent truly lit up the stage—ruby red slippers and all. Be sure to check out some of the photos in the next blog post. It may take me a minute (or several!) to sort through all the pictures I snapped!
That’s all for now. Since the next blog will be posted on Sunday, November 23, at the end of our weeklong break, I wish you and your family a warm and joyful Thanksgiving!
With gratitude,
Toni
P.S. This is a reminder of an important safety notice that was emailed to all parents last week:
For the safety of all students and the security of our campus, all parents attending morning assemblies are required to enter through the main office at 8:00 a.m. The upper yard gate will remain locked, and parents are asked to wait until 8:00 a.m. to enter the campus through the main office. Parents must pick up a yellow visitor sticker from the main office before heading to the upper yard. Any parent without a visible yellow sticker will be asked to return to the main office to obtain one. Thank you for your understanding and continued support as we ensure the safety and security of our students and staff.
ROOM 14 STEAM PROJECTS
Each year, the students in Room 14 unleash their imagination and talent to create STEAM projects that are so clever, I’m convinced we may have a few future inventors—or at least a couple of kids destined to replace my appliances.
This year, two students, Dario S. and Maya K., stopped by my office to show off their brilliant creations. Dario brought in his “Win Big Slot Machine.” Sadly, Lady Luck must’ve been on lunch break because I did not hit the jackpot. Not even close.
Maya, however, rolled in with the “Candy Time Vending Machine,” which speaks directly to my heart—and my sweet tooth. Anyone who knows me knows I LOVE candy. Imagine my delight when her machine dispensed one of my all-time favorites, Hi-Chews! Now that felt like a jackpot win.
A huge thank-you to both Dario and Maya for brightening my day and for your outstanding projects. Congratulations on jobs very well done!
With autumn in full swing, we are starting to see an increase in various illnesses at school. This year, we’ve had several students develop gastrointestinal symptoms with vomiting, or emetic episodes. This can start off gradually or develop suddenly and may or may not be accompanied by fever, diarrhea, nausea, loss of appetite, abdominal cramping and fatigue. If your student is experiencing vomiting at home or school, please keep them at home until they have not had an emetic episode for 24 hours. When children experience multiple emetic episodes, they become dehydrated. It is important to replenish the body with liquids and electrolytes. Food and drinks that are easily tolerated can include: ginger tea, ginger ale, broths, electrolyte drinks (Pedialyte/Gatorade), saltine crackers, and toast with butter. Encourage your children to wash their hands with soap and water before and after eating, and not to share food with other students.
TIPS FOR PARENT CONFERENCE WEEK November 10-21
Before attending the parent conference, it's helpful for parents to review their child's recent assignments and teacher notes to understand their progress. Preparing a list of questions about academic performance, social behavior, or classroom participation can make the meeting more productive. Talking with the child beforehand about what they enjoy in school and what challenges they face also provides valuable insight.
During the conference, parents should arrive on time, listen carefully to the teacher's perspective, and remain open-minded, even if the feedback is difficult to hear. Sharing information about the child's interests, habits, or any changes at home can help the teacher better understand your student's needs. It's important to focus on collaboration, working together to identify strategies that support the child's growth, and to ask for specific examples of their work or behavior.
After the conference, parents should discuss the outcomes with their child in a positive way, follow through on any action plans or goals set during the meeting, and maintain open communication with the teacher throughout the school year.
- Morning Assembly: Fridays
- Tuesday Enrichment: Tuesdays
- Tiny Spotlight Musical Theater: Tuesday & Thursday casts
- Student Nest Tutoring Services: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays
- After-School Intervention: Wednesdays & Thursdays
- Math Kangaroo: Mondays
Save the Dates . . .
- December 3
- 3rd Grade field trip to the Aquarium of the Pacific
- December 4
- Above & Beyond Club
- December 5
- Brandon's class to JPL field trip
- Teatime with Toni - Kathi facilitates GATE Parent Meeting
- December 10
- 5th Grade field trip to Columbia Memorial Space Center
- December 11
- Last day of Fall Intervention
- December 15-19
- Holiday Bazaar
- December 16
- Community Council Meeting
- 2nd Grade field trip to Tree People
- December 18
- Winter Program, 8:30 and 1:00
- Safety Drills
- December 19
- Last Day of Fall Semester
- Minimum Day, 12:50 dismissal
- December 22-January 9
- WINTER BREAK
- January 12
- Second Semester begins
IMPORTANT REMINDER ABOUT CHANGES TO YOUR DAILY TRANSPORTATION PLAN
As you know, we have several after-school activities at Community. There's Kids 4 College camp, musical theater, math kangaroo, Tuesday enrichment, intervention, and tutoring. Later in the year, we'll also have late field trips. Getting students to their buses after dismissal has become a challenge. Late notifications of last minute changes in transportation plans exacerbate the problem. In order to help us get your students off smoothly at the end of the day, we ask that you please call the main office before 12:00 pm to notify us of any changes to your transportation plans. Since Kathryn does not always get to her email in time, I encourage you not to email her with these changes. In order to get the message into the bus book and out to classes before dismissal, it is very important that you notify the office in a timely manner. Every day, buses sit and wait as we try to get last minute messages to students. Too many times, we've had to stop the bus and get a child off or have the bus return to school to pick up a child because of late communication. The students have a long enough ride and the late notifications add more time to the commute.
Please always call before 12pm.
- 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.
REGISTER FOR KIDS 4 COLLEGE FREE AFTER SCHOOL CHILD CARE
SCHOOL IS COMPULSORY!
Students need to come to school every day. When possible, please schedule your child’s medical appointments outside of school hours. (See the bell schedule for our school hours.) If you must schedule an appointment during school hours, please check in at the main office to pick up/drop off your child.
The following types of absences are excused: illness, doctor’s appointments, funerals, family emergencies, court dates, religious observances, etc. Examples of unexcused absences include: vacations, “we slept in,” “we took a family day,” “we went to Disneyland for her birthday,” "we visited relatives out of state/country," etc. Even if you send in a note to explain the absence, those examples would be designated as unexcused. For more information, please refer to LAUSD’s Attendance Guide.
You may know that LAUSD has an Independent Study program. This program is intended to provide make-up classwork for students who must miss school for legitimate long-term absences (for example, needing to go out of town for a death in the family, quarantine/lengthy stay at home for serious illness, or needing to make a visa appointment in a home country). Independent Study is NOT for “we are taking 2 weeks off and going abroad,” or “we are starting our Winter Break 10 days early.” For Independent Study in excess of 15 days, you must enroll in the online City of Angels program.
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