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Edison Language Academy – Together Through Two Languages (310) 828-0335 www.edison.smmusd.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS Open House – This week on May 24 our 3rd -4th -5th grade classrooms will be open for family visits. Dinner will be served from 5:30-6:30 pm and classrooms will be open 6:30-7:30 pm. Please note that Ms. Cervantes’ (1st Grade) Open House will be also held on May 24. Spring Book Fair continues until Thursday night of this week. The book fair team, led by Eleanor Pernisco is composed entirely of parent volunteers. The Book Fairs are held to provide families with an affordable and broad selection of good children’s literature in Spanish and English and to raise funds for our Edison Library. Please sign up for a shift or two (see the bulletin board in the breezeway). Thanks for Supporting the Edison Edible Garden – This year we were able to implement the beginning of an edible garden program. Many thanks to SMMUSD Garden Educators Lucia Burke and Debbie Harding who work with students and have helped them LOVE learning in the garden! Thank you to the Edison PTA for funding to build the beds, purchase the dirt, and buy some supplies and tools. Thanks to Steve Sines who volunteered his time and labor to construct the beds. Thanks to the parent garden committee (headed first by David Kane and then by Sarah Portnoy) which was instrumental in securing donations, filling the beds with soil and helping us think through the gardening program. Next year, the garden and the curriculum integration will continue to grow, along with more opportunities for parent volunteers, more incorporation of our youngest students, a bit more time in the garden for all, and more classroom curriculum connections.
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK: THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SUPPORTS ACHIEVEMENT Last week Edison was awarded State Honor Roll status by the Education Results Partnership, which stated: “After an extensive analysis of student data for every public school in California, Edison Elementary was a clear leader in getting students to grade level and beyond.” Like the California Distinguished School and the National Blue Ribbon awards, these are recognitions for a school that is both excellent and closes achievement gaps. The awards are nice and give us an idea of how our school stacks up in the nation and state. But, what these awards do not show, is that we also develop students’ proficiency in English and Spanish, teach math and most academic subjects in Spanish, and dedicate time to teach and celebrate multiculturalism. The awards, concerts, plays, special projects, portfolios of students’ work, festivals, dances and other celebrations are visible manifestations of what goes on at Edison. But making all that possible is the infrastructure that supports the student learning. For example, we are constantly working together to build the skills and capacity of our faculty and evaluating and piloting new instructional resources and assessments. We work together regularly in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) to evaluate and improve instruction – this year with a focus on writing conventions, grammar and spelling. Our Literacy and Math coaches support teachers who are trying new things and working to deepen their practice. Four different reading intervention teachers provide targeted assistance before, during and after school. The Edison Special Education Team assesses for learning differences and designs and delivers specialized instruction for students with IEPs. The SST and 504 teams meet with parents to problem solve and design accommodations. ELAC provides important feedback on the needs of English learners. Site Council helps review research, outcomes and strategies and develops our site plan and budgets. And our partners in PTA not only provide funding for programs, but assist with family outreach, community building and the multicultural nature of our work. There are also two initiatives we’ve been growing to incorporate into our core curriculum to strengthen the overall program – one in the area of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and one in the area of Green STEM (Science, Technology, Math and Engineering with an Environmental Education focus.) This year we concentrated on professional development and piloting materials (which can be a challenge since nearly everything is in English!). Next year, we’re ready for a more visible implementation. Stay tuned and lend a hand to help us grow in these important areas!
Thursday, May 24 Minimum Day for All
Thursday, May 24 Open House –3-4-5 Dinner 5:30-6:30; Class Visits 6:30-7:30 pm
Mon – Thurs Book Fair