Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, Students and Community Members,
As the weather cools and the leaves turn signaling we are getting close to the end of 2023, our students are feeling the warmth and comfort of belonging on their campuses and as part of a diverse community at each of our schools.
We started the year with a diversity, equity and inclusion lens focused on belonging, curiosity and empowerment. As I visit schools each week, I see how our dedicated educators have embraced this philosophy in their classrooms, providing the space and encouragement for each and every student to reach their full potential academically, socially and emotionally.
It’s gratifying to see our students thriving and feeling a joy of learning, curiosity to explore, while building the confidence to reach for the stars.
This is a busy time at our schools as we close in on completing the first semester of the 2023-24 school year. From classroom projects, school assemblies, and field trips to fall sports and visual and performing arts events, we have a multitude of opportunities with which our students can engage on their campuses. We’ve enjoyed strong support from our community for fall sports, including football, water polo and middle school sports in Santa Monica.
We held a two-day restorative justice training for parents in October and seek to expand this program so more parents understand its importance and usefulness. For our Spanish-speaking parents, we have a two-day training planned for Dec. 2 and 9, with more information below; you can also reach out to your bilingual community liaison.
We have enjoyed Halloween parades, fall festivals, cultural festivals, and Dia de los Muertos ofrendas (altars), with more to come in the next few days and weeks. We are all learning about each other’s cultures and stories. We each have a story, and it’s important to share so we may better understand how to best support our students and staff. Through our social justice standards integrated into our curriculum, we see students supporting and respecting each other and finding shared interests while learning about other cultures. We dream of the day where all cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, genders, and orientations may live in peace and harmony together throughout the world. We are preparing our students for the global world with these values in place.
Please continue to take care of yourself and each other.
Enjoy the October 2023 issue of the SMMUSD Wave.
Sincerely,
Dr. Antonio Shelton
Superintendent
You can read prior Superintendent Messages here.
This letter from Dr. Brown Appears in The Wave SMMUSD Newsletter. View the October edition, here.
Dear Parents, Guardians, Staff, Students and Community Members,
As the weather cools and the leaves turn signaling we are getting close to the end of 2023, our students are feeling the warmth and comfort of belonging on their campuses and as part of a diverse community at each of our schools.
We started the year with a diversity, equity and inclusion lens focused on belonging, curiosity and empowerment. As I visit schools each week, I see how our dedicated educators have embraced this philosophy in their classrooms, providing the space and encouragement for each and every student to reach their full potential academically, socially and emotionally.
It’s gratifying to see our students thriving and feeling a joy of learning, curiosity to explore, while building the confidence to reach for the stars.
This is a busy time at our schools as we close in on completing the first semester of the 2023-24 school year. From classroom projects, school assemblies, and field trips to fall sports and visual and performing arts events, we have a multitude of opportunities with which our students can engage on their campuses. We’ve enjoyed strong support from our community for fall sports, including football, water polo and middle school sports in Santa Monica.
We held a two-day restorative justice training for parents in October and seek to expand this program so more parents understand its importance and usefulness. For our Spanish-speaking parents, we have a two-day training planned for Dec. 2 and 9, with more information below; you can also reach out to your bilingual community liaison.
We have enjoyed Halloween parades, fall festivals, cultural festivals, and Dia de los Muertos ofrendas (altars), with more to come in the next few days and weeks. We are all learning about each other’s cultures and stories. We each have a story, and it’s important to share so we may better understand how to best support our students and staff. Through our social justice standards integrated into our curriculum, we see students supporting and respecting each other and finding shared interests while learning about other cultures. We dream of the day where all cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, genders, and orientations may live in peace and harmony together throughout the world. We are preparing our students for the global world with these values in place.
Please continue to take care of yourself and each other.
Enjoy the October 2023 issue of the SMMUSD Wave.
Sincerely,
Dr. Antonio Shelton
Superintendent
You can read prior Superintendent Messages here.
