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Edison Language Academy – Together Through Two Languages (310) 828-0335 www.edison.smmusd.org
ANNOUNCEMENTS Schedule Highlights – The beginning of the year has lots of minimum days, special events and a couple holidays! It makes it hard to get into a rhythm. But it does settle down into a predictable pattern or regular dismissal days M,T, TH and F and an early dismissal day on Wednesdays. Look out for the following schedule variations and events in the upcoming days: September 2 – Labor Day Holiday – School Closed September 3 – Minimum Day for Grades -5 only and Back to School Night for Precshool, Grades 3-4-5. September 5 – Parent Meeting for 3rd and 4th Grade 8:30 am in the Library AND Parent meeting for 5th Grade at 6:00 pm in the Library. September 6 – Picture Day! Watch for the flyer in the Wednesday packet. (Make up on 10/11) Sign up for the School Smarts Academy – Grab a space in this 7-week parent leadership academy., presented bilingually on Monday mornings 8:3010:00 am School Smarts helps parents learn how to be effectively involved in their child’s schooling – as partners and advocates. The Academy includes breakfast and begins September 16 in Room 206. Return an enrollment form to the office or contact Yoly Gutierrez - ex. 61-305 ygutierrez@smmusd.org Hurry, spaces are limited! Families with Children in TK and K – Two important announcements: 1) Please review, complete, and return the questionnaires from SMMUSD and from Family Services of Santa Monica asap. 2) Join the Kindergarten and TK teachers for a family Días de Independencia Family Tostada Potluck Party on Friday, September 13 from 5:006:30 pm Bring something to contribute to Tostadas! Volunteer Trainings – Mark your calendar for 2019-2020 Volunteer Training on Wednesday September 18 at 8:30 am OR 5:00 pm. In the Library. Any person working with children must be a trained and screened volunteer.
FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK: START THE
YEAR RIGHT WITH GOOD ATTENDANCE Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year! Whether it’s your child’s first year at Edison or their sixth year, regular and on-time attendance has an effect on how successful they’ll be this year. Study after study confirms the importance of regular school attendance and its relationship with school success. Children who attend regularly in the early grades are more likely to develop the social-emotional and academic skills that help them persevere in school. Missing instruction in these early years undercuts the foundational skills students need for literacy – in both languages. Absences in elementary school correlate with reading difficulties and poor attendance patterns in later years. One California study found that only 17% of children who were chronically absent in K and 1 st grade were reading proficiently by 3rd grade, compared to 64% of those students with good attendance. Research also shows that parents often don’t realize that absences are adding up. So SMMUSD sends home letters when tardies or absences enter the “danger zone” so you can take corrective action. In dual immersion programs, acquiring a second language absolutely requires time on task. Especially for children whose only exposure to their second language is at school, when they are absent they are not adding to their vocabulary or practicing their emergent skills. An additional caution for those families with children attending Edison on an inter-district permit -- regular attendance, good behavior, and academic progress are conditions for the annual renewal of these permits. So don’t risk your child’s attendance in SMMUSD because of tardies and absences. So, unless your child is ill or there is an unavoidable emergency, they should be at school – every day and ALL day. Schedule routine medical appointments after school or at the very beginning or very end of the day -and always bring a doctor’s note. Do not schedule vacations or travel during the school year – and if an absence of more than five days is essential, use our Independent Study Program. When your child must miss school, please call Senior Office Specialist Kathy Fargnoli to report the absence (310) 8280335, ext. 61-348, or email her kfargnoli@smmusd.org. We monitor attendance carefully and will contact you by letter or phone if we see that absences or tardies are creeping into the danger zone. Let’s work together to maximize students’ time in class so we can maximize learning in two languages!
Wed. Sept. 4 – PTA Executive Board Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm Community Room
Wed. Sept 11 ELAC Meeting -- 8:30 am Library
Wed. Sept 11 Site Council Meeting 4:00-6:00 pm Room 100