CITYWIDE Santa Monica students return to school starting Aug. 19 and many students will find a few changes at their school sites.
Some sites have new staff, some have new construction and there are new programs at the district level applicable to all students.
Superintendent Sandra Lyon said district-wide programs are aimed at building community.
"We are instituting School Smarts at all of our Elementary Schools in partnership with PTA. This is a PTA program designed to encourage more involvement in our schools and create leaders from stakeholders who may not have participated before," she said. "The Intercultural Equity and Excellence District Advisory Committee will be holding Community Conversations with representatives from each of our schools to continue to address how we better engage all community members and ensure that all of our students have the same opportunities and access."
Lyon also said several new teachers and administrators join SMMUSD this year.
Wendy Wax Gellis is the new principal at Grant Elementary with new half time Assistant Principal is Lila Daruty.
"I come to Grant with 38 years of educational experience, 32 of which have been as an administrator," said Gellis. "Ms. Daruty is an experienced teacher, Cotsen Coach and Beginning Teacher Support Coordinator."
Gellis said the school also has several new teachers and has hired two specialists to help deliver STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) curriculum.
McKinley also has a new principal, Susan Yakich.
"As your new principal, I'm excited to be a part of the McKinley family," she said in the school's newsletter. "I'm looking forward to meeting each of you and getting to know you."
Olympic High School Principal Janie Yuguchi Gates the school finished a successful year in 2014 with students moving on to colleges and the work force. This year she said the campus would undergo some renovations.
"This fall we'll be starting onsite construction in November with Measure BB monies: renovating various parts of our campus over the next two years (adding a music studio, new library, new computer lab, new science lab, new offices, new art room, renovated classrooms, new onsite recreational facilities - tennis court, basketball court, etc.)," she said.
Important dates for SMMUSD
First Day of Instruction:
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Last Day of Instruction:
Friday, June 5, 2015
Certificated Staff Development Days:
(No Students)
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Friday, August 15, 2014
HOLIDAYS:
July 4: 4th of July Holiday
Sept. 1: Labor Day Holiday
Sept. 25: Local Holiday
Nov. 11: Veteran's Day Holiday
Nov. 27: Thanksgiving Holiday
Nov. 28: Legal Holiday (Admissions Day obsrvd)
Dec. 24-25: Christmas Holidays
Dec. 31-Jan 1: New Years Holidays
Jan 19: Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday
Feb. 16: Presidents' Day Holiday
Apr. 3: Local Holiday
Apr. 6: Legal Holiday (Lincoln's B'day observed)
May 25: Memorial Day Holiday
SCHOOL RECESSES:
Dec. 22-Jan 2: Winter Recess
Mar 30-Apr 10: Spring Recess
PUPIL-FREE DAYS:
Aug. 14: All Students
Aug. 15: All Students
Aug. 18: All Students
Oct. 29: Elementary Students Only
Jan. 5: Secondary Students Only
MINIMUM DAYS:
Elementary: Aug. 19, Aug. 27, Sept. 3, Oct. 30, 31, Nov. 3, 4, 5, May 20, June 5
Santa Monica Middle Schools: Sept. 4, Nov. 26, Dec. 19, Mar. 27, Apr. 23, June 4, June 5, + 1 discretionary
Malibu MS/HS: Sept. 4, 9, Nov. 26, Dec. 17, 18,
March 10, June 2, 3, 4 + 1 discretionary
Samohi: Sept. 9, Dec. 16, 17, 18, 19, Mar. 10, June 2, 3, 4, 5
Olympic HS: Sept. 16, Nov. 26, May 5, 28, 29, June 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Back to School Nights:
Wed. Aug. 27 - Elem K-2
Wed. Sept. 3 - Elem 3-5
Thurs. Sept. 4 - Middle School
Tues. Sept. 9 - High School
Tues. Sept. 16 - Olympic HS
Open House Nights:
Wed. May 20 - Elementary
Thurs. April 23 - SM Middle Schools
Tues. March 10 - Malibu MS/HS and Samohi
Tues. May 5 - Olympic HS
Promotions/Graduations:
Wed. June 3 - Elementary
Fri. June 5 - Middle School
Thurs. June 4 - MHS 2:00 pm, Samohi 5:30 pm
Wed. June 3 - Olympic HS 5:30 pm
Parent Conference Days (TK-5):
Oct. 29 - Nov. 5, 2014
Testing Dates:
AP Testing: May 4- May 15, 2015
State Testing: TBD
TK/Kindergarten Roundup:
Feb. 24-26, 2015
Final Exams:
Malibu MS/HS: Dec. 17-19, 2014, June 2-4, 2015
Samohi: Dec. 16-19, 2014, June 1-4, 2015
Summer School:
IISS: June 15-July 10, 2015
Credit Recovery: June 15-Jul 17, 2015
ESY: June 15-July 10, 2015
TK-5 Grading Periods:
Conference: Oct. 29, 2014
Winter Grading: Feb. 6, 2015
Spring Grading: June 5, 2015
6-12 Grading Periods
Aug. 19 - Oct. 3, 2014
Oct. 6- Nov. 7, 2014
Nov. 10 - Dec. 19, 2014
Jan. 6 - Feb. 20, 2015
Feb. 23 - April 24, 2015
April 27 - June 5, 2015
