F E B R U A R Y
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El Semanario
Edison Language Academy – Together Through Two Languages (310) 828-0335 www.edison.smmusd.org
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK: KINDNESS AND JUSTICE CHALLENGE
ANNOUNCEMENTS .
Theater Informances Continue this week on Thursday, February 6 with Ms Banks class at 1:00 pm in Room 107. Next week informances include Ms. Cueva’s class on Monday 2/10, Ms Diaz’s class on Tuesday, 2/11, Ms. Tejeda’s class on Wednesday 2/12, and Ms. Cervantes’ class on Friday, 2/14. All these informances take place at 1:00 pm in Room 107. Please sign in at the office and join us for your child’s informance. Library News –Edison’s retired Library Coordinator Carol Garcia Ramirez is working with us on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays while we continue the search for a permanent Library Coordinator. We also want to share that the County of Los Angeles has designated our Edison Library as a polling place for the March election. During the days when the library will be a polling place for one of the local precincts, the library will be closed to students, staff and families. Members of the public will enter only through the Virginia Avenue door and other library exits to the school will be blocked, with a security officer at those doors to make sure we maintain complete separation between the school and the public. We’ll share more details as we have them, but want you to be aware. We’re also thinking about how to use this situation as a first-hand civics lesson for Edison students! ¡Su voto es su voz! / Your vote is your voice! Valentines Dance is this February 7 from 5:30-8:00 pm. Put on your dancing shoes and join us for one of our favorite family evenings. We still need volunteers for set up, clean up, helping with Lotería and food sales, etc. Contribute a couple volunteer hours by signing up on the bulletin board near the Virginia Avenue entrance.
Wednesday, February 5, 6:00 pm. PTA Executive Board
Each year, Edison students participate in the Kindness and Justice Challenge. We started using this project, originally developed by the youth organization DoSomething.org, 18 years ago in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Our understanding of the project has grown and evolved over the years from an effort to promote individual acts of kindness and justice for several weeks into a deeper and longer project. This year, our project is running from Dr. King’s birthday in January through Noche de César Chávez on March 20. It still includes efforts by students to plan and carry out daily acts of kindness and justice, but also now incorporates study to increase what our students know about people who helped to stop unfairness and worked to make life better for many people, supports our school’s antibullyiing/up-standard efforts, and includes social justice action projects. What do students do during the challenge? Students learn about various leaders in the civil rights movement, the problems they sought to address, and the impact of their work. They share what they are learning with others. Students practice taking individual actions that are kind and just (paying attention to the way that others are treated and learning to stand up for themselves and others). They keep track of these individual actions on small slips of paper, later stapled together in paper chains – showing the multiplier effect of many small actions working in the same direction. And they work together (with their class, grade level, or buddies) to carry out a social justice action project. This year’s projects focus on the homeless, the elderly, the chronically hospitalized, the people of Puerto Rico, and the environment. Our work in this area is guided by the district-adopted Social Justice Standards, which include 20 standards in the areas of Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action. The standards that guide this work (written in the language of 3-5th graders) include: J15: I know about the actions of people and groups who have worked throughout history to bring more justice and fairness to the world. A20: I will work with my friends and family to make our school and community fair for everyone, and we will work hard and cooperate in order to achieve our goals. What can families do? Suggest leaders for us to study. Talk with children about what kinds of individual actions promote both kindness and justice. Make a Kindness and Justice paper chain of acts that family members do at home? Ask students about their class action projects.
Friday, February 7 Valentines Dance
Wednesday, February 12 Site Council Meeting 4:00-6:00 pm
Friday, February 14 Last TK-K Orientation for prospective students