Attendance Matters

 Here are a few factoids about school attendance in LAUSD:

• Education is compulsory for children ages 6 and up (until graduation).
• While full-day attendance is the law, any student who is present for at least 30 minutes of an hour is marked present. (Ideally before 9am, which is when attendance submittal is due.)
• The State of CA funds schools based on their Average Daily Attendance (ADA). So every absence costs the District $. Every student at school brings the District $. Each student absence costs the District approximately $70. 
• The State of CA and the District evaluate a school's effectiveness, in part, based on the number of students deemed Chronically Absent, which means absent 10% (or more) of the # of school year (see the CA Dashboard). In 2022, we were again deemed in ATSI Program Improvement due to our high rate of Chronic Absenteeism. Hence, we have a School Site Council (SSC) and create goals and strategies to address Chronic Absenteeism.
• Parents may excuse absences for illness or other reasons within 10 days of the absence (see Ed Code 48205); however, excusing an absence doesn't make it disappear. It still counts as an absence for the purpose of state funding. However, since teachers only have access to attendance for four days, parents should provide a signed note as soon as possible upon return to school. 
• Why do we "excuse" absences, if this does not make the absences disappear? This is to distinguish absences due to illness (or another acceptable reason) from those due to truancy. Because school is compulsory, the state and the District keep track of student attendance. This distinction is relevant in law enforcement, custody, and child welfare matters.
• Attendance is important not just for funding, of course, or to stay off the radar of government overlords, but for bonding, automaticity and momentum. The more students are in school, the more they bond with teachers and peers, the more automatic and routine their skills become, and the more momentum they build, propelling them with increasing force toward successful futures. 

For more detailed information, visit the Parent-Student Handbook. 

Enjoy this shortened version of the Walgrove AttenDANCE:

Attendance Calendar

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STAR NOVA to Begin Nov 6

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Walgrove Weekly Message

Dear Walgrove Families and Staff,

I hope you have had a glorious weekend and are excitedly preparing for a ghoulish Halloween.

This is some of what is coming up this week at Walgrove:

MON

Violin in the Auditorium 2:30-3:15 in the Auditorium

After-school tutoring with H-SET (high school students) in the Library per LaV's schedule

TUE

Halloween Spooktacular parade 9-10am. Come dressed in your most creative wear (not TOO scary -- no gore, no full-face masks, no weapons -- save that scare schtik for the night's Trick or Treating!)

Staff Meeting and PD in Rm 25 at 1:45pm. 4-5 Team leads inclusion activity and iReady workshop (bring devices!)

Registration for STAR NOVA classes opens (re-opens) for classes that start next week. To register, visit this site starting on Halloween

Angel City Youth Chorale 1:45-3:00 in the Auditorium

After-school tutoring with H-SET (high school students) in the Library per LaV's schedule

WED

Dr. K offsite for Instructional Rounds 8-12:30

District STEAM certification informal preliminary visit 1pm to see the STEAM Studios, the Gardens, and some classrooms in action...to look for: STEAM; Project-Based Learning (PBL); Arts Integration; Universal Design for Learning (UDL); student choice; student voice; and our stated foci of the arts, the outdoors, and Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

Tap Dance 2:30-4:00pm in the Auditorium

After-school tutoring with H-SET (high school students) in the Library per LaV's schedule

THU

LAST DAY TO EXPERIENCE THE DAY OF THE DEAD ALTER IN THE LIBRARY 

And if parent Gardenia's beautiful altar inspires you, visit more altars on Olveira Street

Small Private Three-Family Prospective Parent Tour1pm

FRI

Assembly in the Quad - DeWig's class to lead the Pledge. Jack Griffin to perform

Coffee and Diet Coke with the Principal 8:30 in Dr. K's office

SAT

Volunteer Day in the Wildlands 9am-1pm

Let's have a great week, Walgrove!

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Author Chelsea Lin Wallace to Visit November 13

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Walgrove Weekly Message

Dear Walgrove Families and Staff, 

Thank you for coming out to our Second Annual International Food Fest where there were SO MANY CRAZY-DELICIOUS DELECTABLES! Our families brought foods from all over the world representing countries and cities, such as Iran, Syria, Canada, Mexico, Tunisia, Turkey, the Phillipines, Ireland, Brazil, Japan, New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Philadelphia and more!

Thank you, parent Joan Bartoli, for securing performances from Grupo La Roza Danza Folklorica and UCLA's Samahang Dance Troupe and Farmer Adam for a cooking demo using Walgrove eggs and produce. Thank you, also, to the MANY parents who spent hours decorating, setting up, hobnobbing, tearing down, and taking photos for the yearbook (way better than these via my phone while I was no-doubt holding a plate of kebob), and to Omar for working overtime to keep us all safe, clean and tidy!

This is some of what is coming up this week at Walgrove:

MON

Williams facilities inspection (unless rescheduled due to the one-day notice -- we will keep you all posted). In the meantime, remember the daily mantra: clean, organized, no heavy ojbects up high, no daisy-chained electrical situations in classrooms, no appliances in classrooms, no visible leaks, and no additional manifestations of unsafe conditions (indeed, you can only control that which you can control)

Violin in the Auditorium 2:30-3:15pm

TUE

Rigorous and joy-filled instruction as usual 8:05-1:32 (NOTE THE 1:32 DISMISSAL)

All-day meeting for the 2023-2024 Instructional Leadership Team:
Lima, Merrick, Perez and Legg in Rm 28 8:45am-1:15pm

Staff meeting and PD in Rm 24 1:45-3:00: Shoutout, Announcements, ILT Shareout 1:45-2:00; SPED Meeting 2:00-2:30 (with Teachers and Assistants) and 2:30-3:00 (with Teachers)

Angel City Youth Chorale in the Auditorium 1:45-3:00

WED

Rigorous and joy-filled instruction as usual 8:05-2:32

ANY STUDENTS GRADES 2-5 INTERESTED IN JOINING THE STUDENT COUNCIL, BRING YOUR LUNCHES TO ROOM 5 AT 12:00 NOON

Tap dancing with Danielle Barto in the Auditorium 2:30-4:00

THU

Rigorous and joy-filled instruction as usual 8:05-2:32

FRI

Assembly in the Quad 8:05-8:20am. Ms. Perez and Mr. Stansbury's classes to lead the Pledge.
Reese Fiske to perform, followed by UCLA Tinig Choral, a Pilipinx vocal ensemble at UCLA, in honor of Filipino History Month

Rigorous and joy-filled instruction as usual until 2:32

SAT

The usual sports and other competitive and non-competitive frolic and fun

SUN

Dr. K is running in the first ever 10K race along the Highway 110 to support more green space in the SGV. Sign up here to join her! https://runsignup.com/Race/Info/CA/SouthPasadena/RUNTHE110

Let's have a great week, Walgrove!

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Walgrove Weekly Message

Dear Walgrove Families and Staff, 

Thank you to those who came to weed and otherwise support our Outdoor Education program this weekend! 

Thank you, Adam, for showing everyone different ways to enjoy the solar eclipse.

Here are a few happy reminders. I am working on putting them into the form of a song called "The No Song." Bcause while we are encouraged to put "rules" in the form of positives, such "Do this (instead of that), sometimes it is also helpful and memorable to just list the "no's." Hopefully, you agree enough to help me put these "no's" into a fun song!

In the meantime, following is the basic gist in a list. If you can write a song about this list cheaper, better and faster than I can, please do so! Then you can perform your song at a Friday morning assembly!

No toys. Please leave your toys at home because at school toys tend to cause distraction and conflict and sometimes envy among those who don’t have the same (or any) toys. This is especially true of Pokemon cards. The only exception MIGHT be "Show and Tell" (for those teachers that offer "Show and Tell"). But then, those teachers should encourage "Show and Tell" items other than toys, and if those teachers do allow toys, they must keep the toys in their own possession on that day.

But please no Pokemon for "Show and Tell." Just no Pokemon at school.

If the STAR program allows you to “buy” toys with your STAR dollars after school, please bring those toys home after that and keep them there.

No gum. No gum anywhere but inside the classroom with teacher permission in case you need gum for deep and ponderous cognition. But then you must spit the gum out before exiting the classroom. Gum is dangerous during play and causes property damage across campus and poses a health hazard to bunnies and birds (and chickens!)

No running, playing ball, scooting, or biking in the quad. Run and play ball in the upper yard where there are acres and acres to frolic.

What can you do in the Quad? Amble, meander, walk, speedwalk, saunter like a runway model, hop in place, jump up and down in place, and dance. But please don’t run like the wind in the Quad and Cafeteria areas, which are high-traffic areas replete with all kinds of obstacles and other people.

No wielding sticks. Leave the sticks where they lie. And the lizards and the rocks. Enjoy the gardens and Wildlands with your eyes, not your mason jars and pockets. Also, please empathize with the lizards. They are sentient beings with desires just like us and even more prodigious ninja talents. They should be respected.

No laughing. Just kidding. Please laugh and giggle a lot!

Here is some of what is coming up this week at Walgrove:

MON

Violin in the Auditorium w/Danielle Villalobos 2:30-3:15pm 

TUE

Staff Meeting and PD 1:45-3:15 in Rm 24

    Preparation for the Great Shakeout 1:45-2:30 

    Cohort Meetings 2:30-3:15

Angel City Youth Chorale with Debralee and Jahna in the Auditorium 1:45-3:00

Coffee and Diet Coke with the Principal 7pm in Dr. K's Zoom room. Topic: Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) at Walgrove and Beyond

WED

Dr. K Offsite at Principal Meeting 8:00-4:00

Tap Dancing w/Danielle Barto in the Auditorium 2:30-4:00pm

THU

GREAT Shakeout 10/19 at 10:19

LSLC meeting 2:45-3:30 in Dr. K's Zoom room

Purview: 

• Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) (approach to "rules" and "discipline")
• Toshiba Account (copy machine account)
• Instructional Materials Account (IMA) (approx $5K) and the ways teachers procure supplies
• Professional Development Calendar (those dates/topics not already mandated by LAUSD)
• Events Calendar (formally approves and suggests revisions to the calendar as proposed by the Special Events Cohort)

Members (50% UTLA): 

Kittelson, McCarthy, Biolatto, Gonzalez, [Need a 4-5 Teacher or Service Provider], Parent Sharon Beam

However, all are welcome!

SSC meeting 3:30-4:00 in Dr. K's Zoom room (Open to the Community)

Purview: 

• The School Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) -- strategies to improve attendance and test scores, especially, but not exclusively among students with disabilities
• The Integrated Safe School Plan -- ongoing recommended revisions, e.g., updating staff names, refining Request and Reunion Gate procedures, and more

Members (50% Parents): 

Kittelson, McCarthy, [Need a Teacher], Parents Sharon Beam, Gita Stulberg, and Agata Schultz

Alternates: Parents Lisa Margeson and Danielle Barto and community member Steve Broutt

However, all are welcome!

FRI

Assembly (and Coffee Cart and Farm Stand) in the Quad 8:05-8:20

• Ms. Webster and Mr. Choe's classes to lead the Pledge
• Performer(s) TBD 
• Halloween Costume Swap

Prospective Parent Tour 8-10am in the Quad, then the Auditorium for the Tour Video, followed by the tour in myriad and sundry rooms

SAT

International Food Fest 1:00-4:00pm in the Quad. Sign up to bring something here! (OR come hungry!)

Let's have a great week, Walgrove!

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Household Income Forms Due October, 20, 2023

Please complete the Household Income Form online here https://hif.lausd.net/ 

We need 100% of students to be represented. 

You do not need to disclose your income unless you are applying for free or reduced lunch.

If you already completed the hard copy, you MUST complete ONE FOR EACH CHILD. 

If you complete the online form, it's fast, and you only need to complete one for the entire family. If you are unsure what you did or did not already complete, complete the online form TODAY. 

We need 100% of students to be represented via these forms. Every four years, we need this to determine important federal, state, and district funding.

Thank you!

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Volunteer Do's and Don'ts

Walgrove currently boasts over 80 registered volunteers. (If you are not yet registered to volunteer, you may register here). 

To spend time on campus during the school day (other than for a meeting, scheduled and approved class observation, short special event or longer single event with advance permission) you must become a registered volunteer. 

To volunteer outdoors on the weekends, there is no need to become a registered volunteer.

If you are a registered volunteer, please know and follow these basic Dos and Don'ts:

DO be willing to help wherever help is needed.

DO sign up ahead of time for a task. 

DO sign in when you arrive (or beforehand).

DO treat all children equally (for example, don't focus on your own child, and do not reprimand other people's children or adults for perceived slights against your child/ren. Instead, if there is an issue that involves your own child, please involve the teacher, and if no resolution, the principal). 

DO seek permission to be on campus (do not invite yourself to your own child's class. You must have an appointment and permission from the principal who will coordinate with the teacher ahead of time). While we LOVE it when parents are on campus, we don't want to interfere with the teacher-student dynamic or encroach upon the educational experience of others. We need to be mindful and global in our approach. 

Here is the Volunteer Commitment Form. 

For more information and a Q and A about volunteering at Walgrove, join our Volunteer Zoom Tuesday, October 10 at 7pm in Dr. K's Zoom room.

Thank you, IMMENSELY, for your support. We wouldn't be Walgrove without your INCREDIBLY generous efforts!

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Walgrove Weekly Message

Dear Walgrove Families and Staff, 

Thank you, EVERYONE, for all you have done these first weeks of school to make sure that all students have taken all assessments to determine their levels to best meet their needs; enrichments like the garden, STEAM Studio, and PE have provided deep and meaningful enrichment (theater to start soon!); office staff have tended to our collective enrollment needs, business needs, nursing needs, and more; classroom support staff have provided all kinds of loving care; and fundraisers have met our opening GoFundWe goal of approximately $150K to pay for the garden, STEAM Studio, PE and more. 

This teamwork has truly been dreamwork!

Thank you, teachers, for knocking it out of the park DAY IN AND DAY OUT! 

Thank you, parent volunteers, for working recess and lunch EVERY DAY to ensure that students are safe, nourished, and happy!

I can't wait to see what this week brings!

MON

Columbus Day and Indigenous People's Day

FOW Prez, Principal, and SAA meeting 8:30am via Dr. K's Zoom

Violin with Danielle Villalobos in the Auditorium 2:30-3:15. If you haven't yet joined, sign up here

Tutoring with H-SET tutors to start this week (per high school student LaV's schedule, which is TBD. She will contact you!) If interested in having a high-school student tutor your kiddo for free one day a week after school in the Library, sign up here: https://forms.gle/ZqW4iN4j47euck6HA

TUE

Williams textbook Audit. Teachers, make your student books and student devices visually available to Ms. Shaina and the auditors

PD in Grade Levels 1:45-2:45 via Zoom. LOG IN AT LEAST ONE PERSON PER GRADE LEVEL BY 1:45. (NO STAFF MEETING). SpEd Assistants, Instructional Aides, and Ed Assistants take care of MyPLNs

Angel City Chorale in the Auditorium 1:45-3:00. If you haven't yet joined, sign up here

Coffee and Diet Coke with the Principal via Dr. K's Zoom 7pm. Topic: District mandated presentation on student mental health

WED

Tap class in the Auditorium 2:30-4:00. If you haven't yet joined, sign up here

THU

Dr. K's meeting with the STEAM Certification Team re: the portfolio 10:30am-12:00noon

SSPT for EL and GATE monitoring 1:45pm

FRI

Assembly in the Quad 8:05

    Ms. Luz Luis's class to lead the Pledge. 

    A group of 4-5 gals to perform an Elkins original

FroYo 2:30 out front (Kiddos enter via the STAR Gate)

Violin with Danielle Villalobos in the Library 2:30

SAT

Volunteer Day 9-1. Weed, breathe, be free! (Enter on Morningside)

Let's have a great week, Walgrove!

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Walgrove Weekly Message

Dear Walgrove Families and Staff, 

Thank you to all who came to volunteer Saturday for our Volunteer Day with UCLA! You all made SO MUCH happy progress in the Wildlands, the Kinder Yard and more. THANK YOU! Thank you, Adam, Agata, Darcy and other awesome parents and Ms. B. for hosting and guiding!

Thank you to those parents who attended my Coffee and Diet Coke with the Principal Tuesday evening at 7pm, during which time we covered the District-mandated topic of how to keep children safe from adult grooming behaviors. 

At the next evening Coffee and Diet Coke with the Principal (Tuesday, October 9), we will cover the District-mandated topic of helping students understand and cope with big feelings that may lead to depression and/or personal crises. 

Reminders:

1) Please, please, please complete the Household Income Form online here https://hif.lausd.net/

If you already completed the hard copy, you MUST complete ONE FOR EACH CHILD. 

If you complete the online form, it's faster and you only need to complete one for the whole family. If you are unsure what you did, complete the online form TODAY. 

We need 100% of students to be represented via these forms. Every four years, we need this to determine important funding.

2) If you are taking students home that are NOT your children, please be prepared to show at the gate or in the office a text or email from the legal parent expressing permission to do so. This is very important for safety. Also, for convenience, please use the same gate each day, preferably Appleton for grades 4-5, Walgrove for grades 2-3, and Morningside for grades TK-1 (plus Mr. Matt and Mr. Steve). 

Also, no u-turns or 3-point turns in front of the school on any of the streets. Let's Be Safe!

3) Please bring your kiddos to school on time (school starts at 8:05) and have them stay for the duration. It is VERY hard to make progress if kiddos routinely arrive late or leave early. 

   IMPORTANT ATTENDANCE INFO

Thank you for your understanding!

Here is some of what is coming up this week at Walgrove:

MON

Violin with Danielle Villalobos in the Auditorium 2:30-3:15. IF YOU HAVEN'T YET, SIGN UP HERE

TUE

Staff Meeting and PD in Rm 24 1:45. Plan, Do, Study, Act data cycle -- DIBELS and iREADY. Also, assessment overview w/calendar. 

Angel City Chorale in the Auditorium 1:45-3:00. If you haven't yet, sign up here. 

WED

Dr. K offsite at Twain for Instructional Rounds 8-12:30

Sub teacher to free up Shaina so she can prep for the Williams audit

Tap in the Auditorium 2:30-4:00. If you haven't yet, sign up here. 

THU

Picture Day! Sub teacher to free up Shaina so Shaina can assist with Picture Day

Agnes and Dr. K to observe math 9:45-10:05. Classes TBD

FRI

Assembly 8:05 in the Quad. Ms. Pliska's class to lead the Pledge. Mari to perform

Coffee and Diet Coke with the Principal in the Principal Office 8:30-9:00

HARD DEADLINE FOR DIBELS and iREADY (Last Friday was the Region West deadline)

NO VIOLIN TODAY!

Let's have a great week, Walgrove!!

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