Nov/Dec 2014 - WISH Charter Elementary School

November / December 2014 Issue
WISH
INSIDER
Leadership
Peder Draxton Interview
WCA Meeting
Operations
Upcoming Calendar
Community
Partnerships
Imagination Movers
Student Life
Snore and Roar
Storybook Parade
FIYA Sports
Art & Music Update
Middle School Update
Student Council Elections
FLL Tournament
Kid’s Corner
Book Review
Activity for Kids
Understanding the Common Core: A Parents’ Guide
by Kimberlie Traceski
This year began with a number of conversations about Common Core, particularly about the challenges
parents were having in assisting their children with math homework. For parents, common core is unfamiliar
and unfathomable. But Common Core is here to stay and in order to help our children we need to
understand the ‘what’ and ‘why’ of Common Core.
On Oct. 15, our Community Education committee hosted their first event for the year to do precisely this:
help parents understand Common Core. The evening was very well attended because WISH parents really
want to make that difference in their students’ education.
Education practices are continually evolving to ensure our children are able keep up with this ever-changing
world. A 1995 study called Trends in International Math and Science Study began collecting data of
American Students at grades four, eight and twelve. At fourth grade, American students were essentially on
par with students worldwide. By eighth, US students begin to fall behind international standard. By 12th
grade, our students’ results were significantly behind those of international students. The study also showed
that the US states where the educational standards were closest to the Common Core had better student
success rates. Since then, 48 of the 50 states have adopted Common Core and are providing students with
consistent and clear educational benchmarks with an eye towards allowing them to compete in the global
market.
Our first speaker of the evening was Dr. Amy Huang Reuben, Ph.D. of LMU’s Center for Math and Science
Teaching or CMAST. Dr. Reuben explained that the goal of Common Core is to learn how numbers work, not
just memorize how to solve a particular problem. Our students are acquiring an understanding of the
relationships between operations, rather than just learning what a single operation may mean. We are now
continued on page 7
Leadership
Q&A: Music teacher Peder Draxton
DRESS CODE CLARIFICATIONS
by Jayme Younger
JY: What happened to the “t?” What’s the
origin of your name?
PD: My father’s people came from Norway. It’s the
Scandinavian spelling. It’s pronounced the same
way.
JY: I know you’ve been musically influenced
by big band from your father, gospel from your
mother, and rock from your siblings growing
up. What genres do you connect with most
today?
PD: I’m finding myself connecting with so many
different genres at the moment. I have a handful of
students who are immersed in Ethiopian music and
I’ve recently been listening to quite a bit of music
from Ethiopia. I’ve also been binging on 1950’s
bubblegum pop and early rock ’n roll. It never gets
old, right?
JY:
What drove you to become a history
major?
PD: My parents really pushed my siblings and I to
be able to write well and "know your history." They
were a huge influence in my decision to pursue a
history degree. As a child, I'd go on these long
Sunday drives with my family, and my father would
stop everywhere with a story about the history of a
mountain, or a lake, or a building. I just ate it up. I
was constantly imagining myself visiting different
places and periods of time. I still can’t get enough
of odd pieces of history.
JY: How are you feeling about WISH’s inability
to have an orchestra right now?
PD:
I think as WISH grows, the interest in
orchestra will grow right along with it.
JY: In your personal opinion, what ways can
playing a musical instrument enrich a child’s
life?
PD:
Learning to play a musical instrument
enriches the players life in so many ways. It
becomes social capital for those who struggle in
social situations. It is an emotional comforter to all
of us. Playing an instrument allows for that pure
creative moment where discovery happens, and is
always a release valve for every emotion.
JY: What is it like to be married to a school
principal?
PD: I’m the most fortunate man to be married to
Dr. Draxton. She’s been my inspiration to teach for
so long now that I suppose it only makes sense to
teach together.
Thank you, Peder, for your beautiful take on how
music enhances life.
Looking forward to your
rendition of “Dueling Banjos.”
JY: If you were to perform a song, solo, at the
WISH Adult Talent Show, what song would that
be?
PD:
That’s an incredibly difficult question…
“Dueling Banjos” would be a blast.
JY: What are some of the things you’re excited
about for this year with your music students?
PD:
I’m very excited about the upcoming
International Fair— all of the students are working
so hard on their music. I can’t wait. Also, the new
Gameplan curriculum that was purchased for the
school this year is an outstanding program. The
scaffolding approach to all of components of music
makes it quite accessible to all students.
2
Wish Community Association Meeting - Nov. 5, 2014
by Sarah Whitney
Here’s an at-a-glance summary of the topics that were
discussed at this month’s WCA meet:
and appeal. Thank you Sheri for working so hard to get
a playground!
• Prop 39 (WISH campus space) - WISH sent in our
first application. The process will continue through
March.
• WISH’s five-year charter renewal - Process has
started and no issues are anticipated.
• Playground equipment - LAUSD denied our first
application but we will respond and apply again.
• The Annual Giving Campaign - We have 40% more
students this year, yet giving has only increased by
10%
• The new WISH business referral network - This will
be meeting the first Thursday of every month at 7:30
a.m. and is a great way to increase your network and
help WISH.
• WISH Open Houses - Starting Dec. 3rd. Volunteers
needed!
• Race for Success - Save the date: April 25, 2015.
• Choice Lunch price increase - Lunches will now
cost $4.50 for a regular and $5.00 for a large.
Annual Giving Campaign
At a week and a half before the end of the Annual
Giving Campaign, we have raised approximately 10%
more than we did during last year’s campaign despite
having 40% more students. Hopefully, our final numbers
will be higher.
Prop 39 Update
Every year WISH goes through a process to secure
public space for our school. We are hoping to stay on
the Orville Wright campus next year and have applied
for space. We will negotiate with LAUSD to obtain the
amount and type of space that we need. Negotiations
may continue through March 2015.
WISH’s Prop 39 application is part of why the school
asks families to complete and return “Intent to Enroll”
applications. In order to get the space that we need, we
need to show the district that we do indeed have
students to fill the space we are requesting.
Charter Renewal
WISH’s charter has to be renewed every five years, and
this year we are up for our first charter renewal. We
have started the process early and have gotten good
feedback. We are not anticipating any issues. The
school is using the same consulting firm that helped us
get the grant for the middle school. They will write the
application for us and make sure that it is complete.
There will not be any changes to the charter. The WCA
leadership will keep us updated on the renewal
progress.
Playground
WISH is trying to get permission from LAUSD to install
playground equipment. A WISH parent, Sheri Yeargin,
has submitted our first round application. In the past, the
district has denied our requests for a playground without
specifying why. However, this time they outlined their
objections, which gives us the opportunity to respond
WISH Business Network
WISH is starting a business network. The network will
be open to WISH family businesses and businesses in
the school’s neighborhood. The network will benefit
WISH families and the community by giving them an
opportunity to grow their businesses and share
business leads. The school will benefit by getting a
portion of the network dues and a portion of the money
earned from a referral.
The business network will meet for breakfast meetings
the first Thursday of every month at 7:30 a.m. See the
WISH Blast for the location, which will shift from month
to month. Or contact Lana Goldenberg at
lana@lanagoldenberg.com.
Open Houses
WISH will be hosting open houses for both the middle
and elementary schools starting on the evening of
December 3rd. We will need volunteers to help guide
tours and answer prospective parents’ questions. You
don’t have to have encyclopedic knowledge about
WISH to guide tours, you just need to bring your
perspective as a parent!
WISH would also like to reach out to Spanish speaking
communities. Our school does not have many English
language learners, even though these students
represent a sizable portion of LAUSD. If you would like
to volunteer to help with this effort, including translating
documents into Spanish, please contact Christy Skura
or Raj Makwana.
Race for Success
Save the date: Sat., April 25, 2015. We hope to once
again have the most participants.
Hot Lunch
Choice Lunch is increasing the price to $4.50 for a regular
lunch
and
$5
for
a
large.
3
OPERATIONS
Upcoming Events
Design Director
December
WANTED
3
Informational Meeting for WISH Elementary
6 p.m.
WISH Campus
Can you spot bad typography from a
mile away?
Can you name more than 10 fonts in
under 30 seconds?
12
Coffee with Principal Draxton and WCA Leadership
9 a.m.
WISH Kinder yard
Are you judging the layout, font
choice and graphics in this
newsletter?
Do you have experience
19
Monthly Award Assembly
9 a.m.
Short Day - School out at 12:30 p.m.
22 - Jan 5
with layout programs?
If you answered YES to all of these
questions, the Newsletter Team
needs you!
Winter Break - No School
The Newsletter Committee is in search of
a new Design Director to create an eye-
MARK YOUR
CALENDARS AND
DON’T MISS OUT ON
SOME COMMUNITY
BUILDING EVENTS!
catching, smooth flowing newsletter. You
will be working with a great team, be on
top of all of the latest news, and be able
to show your creativity. Don’t have time?
Don’t worry, it’s super flexible and easy
going.
If interested, please contact Christie Kobata at
christiekobata@hotmail.com
4
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Imagination Movers: Moving More Than Just Our Imaginations
by Julia Alter
What do confetti bazookas, magical smoke-­‐ring drums and balloons bigger than your children have in common? The Imagination Movers mixed all of these with their superb musical talents, giving a wildly-­‐entertaining performance at the WISH/Goethe Fundraiser concert on Oct. 24 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. The crowd got progressively rowdier from the moment Scott, Dave, Rich and Smitty took the stage, belting songs which ranged from such beautifully-­‐brainwashing subject matter as brushing your teeth to loving your mom (awwww). The Movers, in their Crayola blue coveralls, were a high-­‐energy spectacle, jumping from the stage, climbing through the audience, even sending out a high-­‐speed flurry of toilet paper from a specially-­‐rigged power tool over beaming kids. This concert boasted a VIP meet-­‐and-­‐greet with the band as well as delicious food from the Say Fish Taco and Peaches Smokehouse food trucks. The lobby was stocked with a full bar so the mamas and the papas could shine the juice-­‐boxes and relax or dance or do whatever their little hearts told them to do! Producer and friend of the Imagination Movers, Ellen Goldfarb should take a big bow, as her incredible efforts earned WISH (and Goethe) between $4000-­‐5000 each. A big thanks to Ellen, Stefani Turner, Andrea Martin, Sheri Wittson and the many volunteers who rocked this event!
5
STUDENT LIFE
Third Grade “Roar & Snore” Field Trip
by Marie Kim
It was organized and planned when the kids were still in
second grade, and the children had been anticipating it
all summer long. They day finally came for the “Roar &
Snore” field trip and the excitement was
contagious! The children and chaperones loaded the
cars with sleeping bags, pillows, and backpacks at 9am
Thursday morning and headed off on a caravan to the
San Diego Zoo Safari Park.
After breakfast, we left for one final group tour around
the park where we got to see the adorable and tiny
baby cheetah cubs frolicking in their exhibit, the many
species of bats hanging upside down, and the beautiful
flamingos. Once we were ready to leave the park, we
had the opportunity to meet one final ambassador— an
akidna, an animal related to the platypus that looks
more like a porcupine.
By 11:30am, everyone had arrived and were greeted by
one of the park's animal ambassadors— an adorable
little armadillo. The children learned many facts about
the armadillo that included its adaptations that help in
the species’ survival, such as their hard shell for
protection, sharp claws for digging and finding food,
fuzzy hair to keep them warm, and a keen sense of
smell for locating food.
It was finally time to head for home, but not before one
final stop for a pizza lunch at a local park. The kids
talked excitedly about all the animals they had seen and
heard on their amazing field trip, ate pizza and apples
and played various games together. We loaded back
into our cars and headed home.
After the animal meet and greet, everyone headed into
the park to visit all the wonderful animals. On the tram
tour, children saw animal species that are on the verge
of extinction: of the six Northern White Rhinos left in the
world, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park has two of
them, a male named Angalifu and a female named
Nola. We learned that a group of rhinos is called a
"crash."
It was an educational, exciting, once-in-a-lifetime
experience for the children that I'm sure they will never
forget!
The children also saw many giraffes, gazelles, and
many species of birds living together in the open
plains. At 3pm, you could find most of us at the cheetah
run where we met a beautiful cheetah and her
companion dog. We learned that in just four steps, the
cheetah is at its top speed of approximately 70 miles
per hour. It was an amazing thing to witness!
After a few hours of visiting with the animals, the groups
met up at camp to organize their tents for the night. A
scrumptious dinner of hamburgers, hotdogs, baked
beans, macaroni & cheese, and salad was served
before we headed off with our flashlights for a private,
small group tour of the park. We took the Tiger Trail
where we saw tigers lounging and got to meet a
beautiful, extremely soft chinchilla. After the fun
nighttime tour, it was back to camp for s’mores and
bedtime. We got to hear both the lions roaring and
some unidentified, very loud birds squawking all night
long.
Everyone rose bright and early to visit a few animals
before breakfast. The lions were especially popular as
their feeding time was 7am and they were hanging out
right by the observation window— it was a beautiful
sight. The chaperones were excited to see the large
containers of hot coffee!
6
Storybook Parade: Full of Character
by Kimberlie Traceski
After a long hot summer, October 31st broke as a perfect autumnal morning— an ideal
day for the 5th annual WISH Charter Storybook Parade. The days leading up to that
Friday were rife with the eager anticipation of students chattering amongst themselves
about what they were going to dress up as, and also trying to pry out of their teachers
what surprises might be in store from them!
Friday finally arrived, and so did our students, all decked out in seasonal and spirited
finery. With a spring in their step, they prepared to prance around the blacktop joyfully
in their fancy dress carrying their storybooks with pride.
The music selected for our storybook parade included perennial favorites such as
“Ghostbusters,” “Thriller,” “Monster Mash,” and “The Purple People Eater.” There were
a few specially selected songs chosen specifically to coincide with the costume themes
of some of our educators. Some students did the blacktop boogie to the theme songs
of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Scooby Dooby Doo!
The most popular costume this year was Elsa — there were at least a dozen of them—
and her sister Anna. But our parade is an opportunity for our children to realize their
dreams and inspirations as they sport athletic gear and astronauts uniforms, personify
personal heroes such as aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, and transform themselves
into ninjas and werewolves, superheroes and witches, with some even transferring
schools from WISH to Monster High.
Our fabulous staff certainly were a colorful addition to the day, as Ms. Summers flitted
along with the TKers as a radiant ladybug and our Kindergarten teachers Ms. Vincent,
Mrs. Okstad and Mrs. Addams drew our attention as a bright display of Crayola
Crayons. The first grade team of Mrs. Vlasic, Ms. Mullings and Ms. Aguilar along with
Mr. B pranced about as those meddling teenagers from Scooby Doo. Our second
grade teachers, Mrs. Doucette, Ms. Johnston, Ms. Lohith along with Ms. Trisha were a
powerful presence on the blacktop, costumed as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The third grade instructors, Ms. Huey, Ms. Perez and Ms. Petty, brought to life the
childhood classic Charlotte’s Web. A special shout out to co-teacher Ms. Caty, who
pulled double Rat duty as the Ninja Turtle’s sensei Master Splinter AND Templeton
from Charlotte’s Web. With the assistance of Ms. Visher’s costumer mother, our fourth
and fIfth grade teachers, Ms. Visher, Mrs. Hinsche, Mrs. Villarreal, Ms. Dzugan and Ms.
Gross united in their effort to personify the fourth grade reading assignment Island of
The Blue Dolphin. Principal Draxton appeared as the very delicious title character from
the Pinkolicious books and we’d be remiss to not mention the sweet showing of the
office staff as the Lollipop Guild of The Wizard of Oz’s Munchkinland.
In a flurry of excitement, WISH parents also took to the yard, prancing and dancing in
their costumes along-side the WISH Wise Owl, who oddly decided to not dress up this
year, but come as itself.
The timing of our storybook parade couldn’t be any better as it whets the literary
appetites of our students for the Scholastic Book Fair which follows 2 weeks later.
What a great opportunity for students to start collecting books and ideas for next year’s
parade!
7
Basketball, Golf, and Bowling Join WISH Team Sports’ Roster
by Ivey Steinberg
Who’s ready to make some hoop dreams?
WISH Owls girls’ and boys’ basketball teams, grades four to seven, will start
practicing the first week of December. Golf, grades three to seven will begin
practicing at Westchester Golf Course when we return from winter break. A bowling
tournament for grades three to seven is also coming down the lane in midFebruary.
The Owls’ inaugural fall season finished with a first place trophy for Cross Country
and several individual awards, handed out at the end-of-the season pizza party
picnic on Saturday, Nov. 8. The coaches were beaming as were the athletes and
their families, with Marie Teagardin on hand to photograph the festivities.
Winter sports schedules will be posted on the WISH website ASAP, so make some
plans to come cheer on your WISH Owls!
Fall Sports
Honors
Flag Football
MVP
James Jenkins (Offensive)
Mahkyi Tutt (Defensive)
Most Improved Player
Malcom Hawkins
Owl Spirit Award
Gaby Chahrouri
Adam Dreyfuss
Quincy Locke
Girls’ Volleyball
MVP
Haley Veazie
Chloe Jackson
Cheer
Captains
Tiara Jackson
Itzely Cerda
MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS
Scarlett Lavery
Analucia Alvarez
Sophia Tomilson
Rizal Deingruber
Spirit Stick
Rizal Deingruber
Analucia Alvarez
Leelee Marucci
Kelsey Atlas
Ellie Zamir
Isabelle Naftalin
Seren Back
Sophia Pollono
Malina MiuraAmina Kalifa
Ashley Yamaguchi
Coach’s OWL Award
Cameron Herring
Lealand Vitello-Elliot
Melia Kaszacs
Nolee Bugarin
8
Art Update:
An International Perspective
by Courtney Coleman
During November most classes are going to be utilizing
their art time to prepare for the international fair.
In TK, we connected to their learning about Canada by
getting our hands messy painting a Canadian flag with
our fingers as our paintbrushes.
In Kinder, we learned about Zhostovo painting which is
the Russian style of painting, typically of wildflowers
onto metal trays.
In first grade, we are going to collaborate across the
classes to create a Spanish-style village.
In second grade, we are learning about Japanese
cherry blossom trees and creating a cherry blossom
branch using a drip painting method.
Music
In third grade, we continue our study of foreground,
middle ground, and background by creating a
landscape that shows each space. Then we will
incorporate warm and cool colors using a watercolor
resist method.
In fourth grade, we are working on a collaborative Irish
flag.
In fifth grade, we are continuing our study of
perspective and finishing our one-point perspective
tree-lined street scene.
Now, for your enjoyment, a couple of in-action photos of
TK students finger painting!
update: International Flavor
by Peder Draxton
WISH Elementary and Middle School students have been working so incredibly hard preparing for their International
Fair performances.
Elementary students have been focusing on components of performance such as proper breathing, vocal exercises,
and stage presence. They’ve also been working hard on the choreography of their grade level performances.
WISH middle school students have also been putting all of their energy into rehearsing for their International Fair
performances. They have been focusing on individual and group choreographies, syncopated rhythms on a variety of
percussion instruments, and stage presence.
This year's International Fair is sure to be a special treat!
9
Rockin’ and Honor Rollin’ at the First Middle School Assembly
by Ivey Steinberg
October 31st marked the inaugural assembly for WISH Middle School.
The students delighted a crowd that included their families and peers as each class took the stage to perform the
dance routines they’d been perfecting for weeks. And there was plenty of reason to break out in dance, especially after
the announcement of the following students to the Honor Roll!
Individual performances were also recognized at the Assembly for Character, Effort and Content, with the Student
Senate congratulating each of the honorees. The good times continued to roll later at the first WISH Middle School
dance. Let the celebration continue!
Ashley Singh
Grace Dieveney
6th grade
GOLD Honor Roll
4.0 GPA
Sydney Abad
Zoe Acker
Avery Bielski
Nolee Burgarin
Malik Castro Devarona
Gabriella Chahrouri
Nadia Charles
Skylor Delgado
Malcolm Hawkins
Cameron Herring
Alexa Hogan
Ashley Hornstein
Isabella Levi
Annika Livingston-Hall
Jordyn Maxwell
Max Mendelsohn
David Merille
Malina Miura
Carlos Ordonez
Omar Perez
Kayleigh Rampen
Owen Rappoport
Maia Recsnik
Ella Sommer
Jack Steinberg
Marcus Tomlinson
Daniel Valdez
Hunter Whitesman
Jeremy Williams
6th grade
SILVER Honor Roll
3.55 - 3.99 GPA
Itzely Cerda-Reyes
Collin Guillory
Kacey Harris
Allen Hernandez
Amina Kalifa
Julia Kotch
Gerardo Ledezma
Robert Lercari
Ryan Lucas
Michael Madison
Nurjaan Martin
Arianna Monares
Alex Monroe
Nathan Otazu
Darin Rivera
Prema Reyes
Nikolas Rosenberg
Dajon Snead
Kailey Torres
6th grade
BRONZE Honor Roll
3.0 - 3.49 GPA
10
ANDRADA RYAN STEINS AIDAN GIRMACHEW LIDIYA SUSMAN MAKENNA RHODES JAREN HORNSTEIN SERA KAY CARMEN VEAZIE HALEY DREYFUSS ADAM DRAXTON OLIVER LAVERY SCARLETT LEGASPI MACIE DA'BRIEL AIYANA BRYANT JADEN
LEDEZMA MARIANA
PIERSON OSCAR MCCLEARY NOBLE BROWN COI POE-BOYER CARIANN
YOUNG DAVID
BRODERICK
MICHELANGELO MOODY JEREMIAH TUTT MAHKYI WALTON JACOB O'LOUGHLIN NEIL 7th grade
GOLD Honor Roll
4.0 GPA
7th grade
SILVER Honor Roll
3.55 - 3.99 GPA
7th grade
BRONZE Honor Roll
3.0 - 3.49 GPA
Warmest Thoughts and
Best Wishes for a
Wonderful Holiday Season
The Newsletter Team
11
School Politics
by Aidan and Mike Steins
Regardless of your views on the change of power in Congress, the losing
of the California senate and assembly Democratic supermajority, or the
race for the Governor’s mansion, what cannot be denied is that WISH
student politics was en fuego! While only 37% of the electorate turned out
for the November election, WISH students set the bar a bit higher, with a
nearly 100% turn out for its class elections.
The results of the WISH middle and elementary school elections are now
in. The winners? WISH students!
WISH Elementary School Co-Presidents Sophia Tomlinson and Julien
Ortega are eager to make positive “changes in the school, and give
students more privileges and opportunities, and more cool subjects and
materials.”
Nobel McCleary, one of the WISH Middle School Senate presidents, is
excited to represent WISH “because there are a lot of changes going on
and he wants to be part of them.” Insightfully, Sophia pointed out that “all
of us are intelligent in our own ways, and we make a great school
together.”
Ms. Caty, the WISH teacher working with the elementary student council,
“hopes the students are able to bring their ideas to life and make the
changes they would like to see at WISH, which include volunteering,
helping the school, and making WISH better.”
Julien is looking for
students to “learn and help each other because WISH has great kids in
all.”
Congratulations to Sophia Tomlinson, Julien Ortega, Stellan Swanlund,
Emma Vitale, Melia Kaszacs, Jayden Villarreal, Sora Pierson, Jake
Villarreal, Sophie Pollono, Mason Edwards, Lucia Daniel, Isabella Levi,
David Merille, Malina Miura, Noble McCleary, Lidiya Girmachew, Cari PoeBoyer, Aiyana Da'Briel, Marcus Tomlinson, and Nolee Bugarin.
Newsletter Team
EDITOR IN CHIEF
CHRISTIE KOBATA
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
ISABEL ALVAREZ CONTENT EDITOR
OLIVER JONES
WRITERS
ANGELA JONES
ALLISON GROVER-KHOURY
IVEY STEINBERG
JAYME YOUNGER
JULIA ALTER
KIMBERLIE TRACESKI
MIKE STEINS
PAULA TOMIZAWA-MENDOZA
SARAH WHITNEY
If you would like to be part of
our team, send letters to the
editor, submit materials or
photographs to be considered,
please contact Christie Kobata
at christiekobata@hotmail.com
Even though some of our WISH students may have lost in the elections,
all the candidates showed themselves to be winners. We’re hoping for and
expect great things from all of them!
12
WISH Charter’s FIRST Lego League Qualifying Tournament
Exceeds Expectations
by Angela L. Jones
FIRST Lego League teams from all over Los Angeles
traveled to WISH Charter on Saturday, Nov. 1 and
competed in a one-day tournament to open the FFL
season. The tournament was hosted by WISH
Charter, organized by Angela L. Jones, Felicia Villarreal,
and Jenny Baker from the FLL and was fully staffed by
volunteers from WISH Charter, AGS Santa Monica
Honor Society, Quixote Studios, Hometown Buffet, and
FLL community volunteers.
“I didn’t expect this type of event, but when I walked
through the doors I was impressed,” said Nelly Ruiz. “It
was exciting!”
Although the WISHbots did not compete in this
qualifying tournament, they were great WISH
ambassadors; Isaiah Turner, Jayden Villarreal and Jake
Villarreal held the American flag while leading the
Pledge of Allegiance. Scarlett Fay Lavery, 7th grade,
opened the tournament by performing the national
anthem beautifully.
Oliver Jones served as announcer and MC while his
daughter, WISH second grader Clementine, ably
assisted him. DJ Kiraleigh Bohannon put the needle to
the record, setting the mood on the FIRST Lego League
robotic competition floor with Daft Punk and Tron:
Legacy-style music. It was the perfect musical backdrop
to amplify the cheers and excitement that filled the
WISH campus’ corridors.
Oliver Jones kicked off the event, announcing, “Three,
two, one… Lego!” Robots were completing tasks on
playing fields that their teams had practiced for weeks.
Teams gave oral presentations about robot design and
lessons on how to teach various concepts. Most
importantly, they demonstrated the core values of FLL.
These include teamwork, working to find solutions with
guidance from coaches and mentors, learning together,
honoring the spirit of friendly competition, and having
fun.
As we learned together at this tournament, FLL is more
than just building robots. It is about helping kids learn
that together as a team they can achieve great things,
and that through communication and collaboration, they
can overcome significant challenges. Most of all, FLL
shows them they can have fun while participating in
something that challenges them to think and grow
exponentially.
“When I went with my family to see my first FLL and
Botball tournament during one weekend this past April, I
was hooked," said Angela L. Jones. “I presented it to
SMaRT and Principal Draxton. These teamoriented robotics competitions were just perfect for
WISH and met the common core curriculum at the same
time! By May 2014, we started with Botball with Swathi
Ramanujapu as the coach and by the summer Felicia
Villarreal was hooked on Botball and geared up to make
sure we got all the clearances needed to host FLL on
campus.”
The FLL community was impressed by the effort. “This
was an extraordinary tournament,” said head judge
Tony Ayad. “WISH went above and beyond what I have
seen any school do in the six years I’ve been involved in
FLL”
A huge thanks to Sheri Yeargin, Swathi Ramanujapu,
Nelly Ruiz, Courtney Paulson, Rachel Greenberg,
Raj Makwana, Christy and Chris Skura, Cindy Magana,
Felecia Turner, Oliver Jones, Eddie Ordubegian,
Amanda Fawcett-Swanlund, Anthony Gonzalez,
Christopher Hansen, Jill Weiner, Renett Young, Danielle
Busse, Stefani Turner, Linda Collins, Stephane Byars,
Debra Xanthos, Henry Dadsetan, Lana Goldenberg,
Eve Keller, Larissa Gotguelf, Dave and Vonda McNeil,
the countless volunteers that moved tables and chairs,
and Felicia and Paul Villarreal that sponsored,
organized, and manned the concessions along with
volunteers.
An official thank you to The Office of Councilmember
Mike Bonin (11th District) and The Office of Supervisor
Mark Ridley-Thomas (2nd District) for their support.
continues on page 13
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Common Core
continued from page 1
teaching our students to be fluent in algorithms, and delve
more deeply into mathematical concepts. In conjunction with
procedural fluency that was the basis of most of our own
childhood mathematical experiences, we are asking them to
understand the conceptual connections of a subject. Our
teachers are supported in their practice with a two year
CMAST program at LMU, and we have three teachers on
staff in coaching roles to ensure all WISH teachers have
access to resources and guidance in their teaching practice.
With a better understanding of the concept of Common Core
and the reasons why we have made the shift, WISH
educators Emily Vlasic (first grade) and Stacy Curry (sixth
and seventh grade) stepped in to demonstrate how Common
Core is taught in our classroom. Our teachers employ the
CMAST learning cycle which introduces each new concept
with a hook, some element to engage the students in the
lesson to come. The hook is followed by an Investigation
Before Exploration or IBE, during which the students begin
the delve into the topic. The next step is an “interactive mini
lesson,” where students are engaged in the lesson, and are
also tasked with self-assessments of their learning. They
move on from there to “active practice” activities which may
be done in small groups or individually to reinforce the
concepts. Mathematical language and terms are incorporated
and repeated throughout each element of the lesson so
students are continually familiarizing themselves with the
vocabulary.
Students are presented at the outset with the expectations of
the lesson and know the target outcome. This ensures that
they become accountable for their own learning each
day. Each lesson concludes with students providing an ‘exit
ticket’, which in the case of our elementary students means
providing a sample of their work and conclusions to the
teacher. These are the assignments you may see on display
in the classroom.
The above CMAST process is applied as well to our middle
school students. They begin with their hook into the lesson
before going into an interactive mini lesson. At this level,
Active Practice may include applications of the concepts to
multi-step, real world problems. The students may work in
study teams, utilizing team study strategies to come up with
different methods for determining an answer to the posed
problem. Lessons conclude with a closing discussion during
which students discuss the viable solutions they’ve come up
with and provide justification for their findings. The personal
accountability for middle school will be the student’s learning
log, a journal in which students have presented their
arguments and justifications, which provide our teachers with
a checkpoint for a scholar’s understanding of the concepts
being taught.
Common Core Standards may seem challenging to us
parents, but we can now understand that the Common Core
Standards are providing a union of fluency-based exercises
and project-based learning which will ultimately provide our
students the competitive edge they will need.
While math may be that trouble spot for many of us, these
new standards in education also are found in our English
Language Arts instruction, and will soon be adopted in the
sciences and technology. This understanding of Common
Core expectations and educational benchmarks will ensure
that we can support our children throughout their educational
journey. For more information and useful homework help,
take a look at the references in the sidebar.
SIDEBAR
USEFUL LINKS:
http://www.coolmath.com/
https://www.khanacademy.org/
http://www.webmath.com/
Trends in International Math and Science Study
https://nces.ed.gov/TIMSS/
http://soe.lmu.edu/centers/cmast/.
http://www.corestandards.org/
FLL continued from page 12
A special thank you to WISH supporters Verna and
Rhonda Jones, for the introduction to the communities
of FLL and Botball; and enlisting these selfless
sponsors and assistance with recruitment of our notable
judges for the inaugural WISH FLL tournament:
The WISH community and SMaRT, can’t fully express
the gratitude for our sponsors that provided VIP care for
our volunteers and judges: Hometown Buffet
(Westchester), Quixote Studios VIP Lounge, Jamba
Juice (Inglewood), KIND Healthy Snacks,
Starbucks (Sepulveda/Melrose) Yogurtland (Sepulveda),
Playa Vista Medical Center (sponsored the DJ), Pop
Water, Farm Fresh Produce (The Farmer’s Market on
3rd).
To our stellar panel of judges and referees we
appreciate and thank them for their preparation and prerequisite training for their participation in the
tournament: Leila Hamidi, Director, Program
Development, Department of Architecture & Urban
Design, UCLA; Fred Afriade, Regional Director,
Hometown Buffet; Valerie G. Robinson from the Space
and Missile Center Global Positioning Systems; Kevin
Kahn, Steve & Kate’s Camp; Dr. Anthony B. Maddox,
Professor of Clinical Education and Engineering, USC’s
Rossier School of Education; Professor Jose Rivera,
Professor of Product Design, California State University
Long Beach; Jake Newsum, Robotic Lab Coordinator,
Southern California Institute of Architecture; Frances
Anderton, host of KCRW’s DNA: Design & Architecture;
Matthew Siniawski, Associate Professor of Mechanical
Engineering, LMU; Cole Jetton, Mechanical Engineering
student, LMU; Andres Ortiz, Graduate Student of Biology
and Biological Engineering, Caltech; Adam Gomez, Ph.D.
candidate of Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology,
UCLA; and to our awards presenter Bruce Reed, President
of the Eli & Edyth Broad Foundation.
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KID’S CORNER
Book Reviews: Giving Thanks
by Allison Grover Khoury
Thank You , Sarah
Laurie Halse Anderson has written an informative, irreverent, funny and inspiring
biography of Sarah Hale. Sarah Hale, writer and activist, worked tirelessly for many
important causes during her life: the abolition of slavery, schools for girls, playgrounds
(there weren’t any at schools or in towns in the 1800s!), and getting parents to stop
spanking children and women to stop wearing corsets. Then she took on the
recognition of Thanksgiving as a national holiday, a process that took 38 years and
thousands of letters, magazine and newspaper articles, specially cooked foods, and
boundless energy. The ideal companion art was created by illustrator Matt Faulkner,
who clearly has a great sense of humor. Needless to say this story has a happy
ending– we all know how it turns out! Anderson is right to call Hale a super hero.
Cranberry Thanksgiving
Thanks to my friend and WISH Mom Holly Brock, I was introduced to a Thanksgiving
picture book about Maggie and Grandmother and the town where they live in New England.
Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin, is one of a series books started in
the 1970s that have charmed and tickled generations of readers. Frankly, after reading this
book, I can see why. Although dated in some ways, its delightful illustrations and feel-good
story are sure to win over even the most sophisticated young readers.
Holiday Craft
Easy Clay Ornaments
What you need:
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup baking soda
3/4 cup water
(if you want to make colored dough, add the food coloring to the water before you mix it in.)
Small Cookie Cutters
Wooden Skewer
Bakers Twine
Making Clay
In a medium sized pot combine the cornstarch, baking soda, and water. Stir
over medium heat. After a couple of minutes, the mixture will begin to
thicken. When it looks like smooth, mashed potatoes, remove the pot from
the heat. Spoon the ball of dough into a bowl and cover it with a damp cloth
until it’s cool. When it’s cool, knead it on a smooth surface until smooth. Add
more cornstarch if it feels sticky.
Preheat oven to 175 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll out clay to 1/4 inch thick on a
surface lightly dusted with cornstarch. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Transfer shapes to the prepared
baking sheet. You can use a wooden skewer to make a hole at the top of the ornament so you can add twine to
hang it. Place them in the oven for about an hour, *turning them over halfway through cooking.*
After you have baked them you can paint them with Acrylic paint. That’s it!
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