W E E K
O F
O C T O B E R
9 , 2 0 1 7
El Semanario
Edison Language Academy – Together Through Two Languages (310) 828-0335 www.edison.smmusd.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS Pre-School, TK or Kinder 2018-19? Do you have a younger sibling ready to enter Pre-School, Transitional Kindergarten or Kindergarten in 201819? Pick up an application from Yoly and submit it by Friday, October 27, 2017 to claim a sibling priority. Bike It, Walk It, Bus It Day! Great job Edison and thanks to so many families who tried alternate forms of transportation to get to school on October 4. Since we are a school of choice rather than a neighborhood school, lots of our families live at a distance. Stay tuned for future discussions about how to help families interested in exploring carpooling with other Edison families. Trick or Treat for UNICEF – Edison is again offering students the opportunity to “Trick or Treat for UNICEF. UNICEF helps children around the world caught in disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes and children who live in areas of conflict. Schools are often destroyed in these disasters and UNICEF focuses on helping children get back to learning. You will receive a letter explaining the program in your child’s Wednesday packet and if you are interested in participating, let your child’s teacher know. This is an important way that children can assist other children in recovery. Thanks to Maestra Fullerton for coordinating this! CORRECTION ON CATALINA DATES: Correct th 5 Grade dates are January 31-February 2, 2018. Marigolds and/or Cempasuchil seedlings or potted plants are still needed for the altars and the garden. If you can help, please send this week. PTA Fundraisers this Week: Frozen Yogurt Fundraisers for the Edison Community th th Support Network – Tuesdays, October 10 , 17 , and th 24 . Yogurt may only be ordered and purchased ($2.00 per cup) on Monday or Tuesday mornings from 8:00 am – 8:15 am or 8:30 am. The yogurt may be picked up at 4:10 pm in the lunch area; no afternoon sales. 50% of the sales go the Edison Community Support Network Asian Box Fundraiser – On Friday, October 12 from 2:00-10:00 pm purchase from Asian Box on the corner of Pico and Cloverfield, bring in an Edison flyer and 20% of what you spend will go to Edison PTA.
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK: HERITAGE AND HISTORY MONTHS I admit to having an ambivalent relationship with the various “heritage” or “history” months that dot our calendars. On one hand, I’m encouraged by any attempt to learn about all our cultures and histories and to explore the challenges different communities have had in accessing the “American Dream.” And I love going to the receptions, museum exhibits, concerts, etc. that pop up around town during different “heritage” months. On the other hand, while shining the spotlight on different group each month is one way of raising consciousness, it isn’t enough. Learning about, respecting, and acknowledging our varied communities shouldn’t be restricted to one month a year or limited to food, heroes and holidays. (See Dr. Enid Lee’s “Beyond Heroes and Holidays: A Practical Guide to K-12 AntiRacist Education,” for more on this). However, thoughtful people can take these observances as opportunities to help us learn more about one another and build from there. In schools, this is particularly important because we know that children do better in school when their cultures are treated with respect, their histories are represented in the curriculum, and there are other people of their heritage and culture involved in the school community. Right now we’re in the middle of Hispanic Heritage Month (from mid-September to mid-October). October is LGBT History Month. November will nudge us to learn about and acknowledge the history and present realities of Native Americans. In February, it’s Black History Month. In March we acknowledge Women’s History and in May we are encouraged to recognize those of Asian Pacific American Heritage. Our Edison PTA is helping raise our awareness and information about the variety of diverse cultures represented at Edison –immigrant and U.S. born. They are inviting families to share cultural artifacts and/or stories for a series of exhibits outside the Community Room. Contact PTA VP for Community Integration Rebecca Cannara if you’d like to take part. Multicultural education is central to dual language programs and our teachers work at affirming our diverse cultures and using an inclusive lens in teaching. This is on-going work and reflected in how and what we teach and in our work towards Social Justice Standards. There is always more to learn and reflect on in this area. Space is limited here, but I’d love to share more of this with you – what we’re reading, learning, and doing and also hear your ideas -- at our next Coffee with the Principal meeting on st Wednesday, November 1 at 8:30 am. . October 18 – 8:30 am PTA Association Meeting - Cafeteria
October 19 – 10:19 am Great California Shake Out! – Earthquake Drill
November 3 Make Up Picture Day