Hello, Roosevelt Families!
I hope you’re enjoying your weekend! It’s hard to believe November is just around the corner. A lot is happening at Roosevelt, and I’m excited to share a few updates about what our students are learning and some fun opportunities coming up for our families.
Parent-Teacher Conferences & Schedule Reminders | Parent-teacher conferences are coming up soon! Keep an eye out for scheduling information from your child’s teacher. These meetings are a great opportunity to talk about your child’s progress, celebrate growth, and discuss how we can continue supporting their learning together.
Upcoming School Calendar
Please mark these dates on your calendar:
- Tuesday, November 3: Pupil-Free Day. No school for students.
- Wednesday–Friday, November 4–6: Minimum Days. ***Please note there will be no late start on Wednesday, November 4.
- Wednesday, November 11: Veterans Day. No school.
🕐 Minimum Day Dismissal Times
- TK–Kindergarten: 12:20 p.m.
- 1st–2nd grade: 1:00 p.m.
- 3rd–5th grade: 1:15 p.m.
Math Learning | Math learning happens everywhere, not just in the classroom! Whether you’re cooking dinner, shopping at the grocery store, or playing a game together, there are lots of everyday opportunities to help your child build math skills and confidence.
This year, SMMUSD has adopted enVision Mathematics for all students, and our teachers are continuing to learn and work with the new curriculum throughout the school year. At home, you don’t need extra worksheets to support your child’s learning. Sometimes, it’s as simple as asking a few questions and letting your child explain their thinking.
Here are a few easy ways to bring math into your everyday routines:
- Ask questions that get them thinking. Try “How did you figure that out?” “Is there another way to solve it?” or “How do you know your answer makes sense?”
- Make math part of everyday life. Have your child help measure ingredients while cooking, compare prices at the store, count items, or figure out how much time you have before leaving the house.
- Give them time to think. The answer is important, but so is understanding how they got there. Let your child work through a problem before jumping in with the answer.
- Celebrate the effort. Math can be challenging, and that’s okay! Encourage your child to try a different strategy, learn from mistakes, and keep going.
You don’t have to know every answer. Asking questions, talking through problems, and staying curious together can go a long way in helping your child become a more confident math learner!
Building Skills for the Future: The Portrait of a Graduate | Along with academic growth, we want our students to develop the skills they’ll need well beyond elementary school. Across SMMUSD, we’re working on a Portrait of a Graduate that will identify the knowledge, skills, and qualities we want every student to develop by the time they graduate.
At Roosevelt, this connects to the work we do every day to help students think critically, communicate their ideas, collaborate with others, solve problems, and take ownership of their learning. We want students to feel comfortable asking questions, sharing their thinking, learning from different perspectives, and working through challenges.
Our North Star at Roosevelt is Relationships First, Growth for Everyone, Confidence in Their Potential. Our G.R.I.T. values, Growth, Respect, Integrity, and Tenacity, help reinforce these beliefs in our classrooms and throughout our school community. We want every child to know they belong, their ideas matter, and they are capable of growing.
Now, we want to hear from you! Superintendent Shelton recently emailed all SMMUSD families to invite them to share their input on the Portrait of a Graduate. The district has identified seven competencies and is asking students, staff, families, and community members to select the five they believe are most important for every SMMUSD graduate.
Your feedback will help guide the district’s conversations and decisions at its next meeting on November 9. If you haven’t participated yet, please take a few minutes to learn more and share your thoughts.
- Click here to watch the short video about the district’s work.
- Click here to complete the survey and select your top five competencies.
We want this Portrait to reflect the hopes and priorities of our entire school community, and that includes our Roosevelt families. Thank you for taking the time to share your voice!
Parent Connect @ Roosevelt: What is an IEP? and Education Supports 101 | We’re excited to invite you to our next Parent Connect @ Roosevelt session! Parent Connect is our family learning series that brings parents and caregivers together with our school team to learn about how children grow and learn, explore helpful strategies, and ask questions.
Join us for a special Parent Connect session with Wassim Issa, SMMUSD’s Special Education Coordinator for Elementary Schools, for an informative and welcoming conversation about the educational supports and services available to students.
We’ll explore the differences between IEPs and 504 plans, how evaluations work, how eligibility for services is determined, and what supports may be available to help students thrive at school. We’ll also discuss how families can raise concerns, request support, and partner with their child’s school team to identify strategies that meet their child’s individual needs.
Whether you’re just beginning to explore educational supports, have questions about the process, or simply want to understand the resources available to your child better, this session is an opportunity to learn, connect, and ask questions in a supportive environment. Bring your questions! We want families to leave feeling more informed, confident, and prepared to partner with our school team in supporting every child’s growth and success.
All current Roosevelt parents and guardians are welcome!
Event Details
- Date: Tuesday, October 27
- Time: 9:00-10:00 a.m.
- Location: Roosevelt Auditorium
Annual Halloween Parade | One of our favorite fall traditions is here! We’re excited to invite all Roosevelt families to our annual Halloween Parade on Friday, October 30, at 8:45 a.m. on the Big Yard and field! Our TK–5th grade students will show off their creative costumes, and we love having families there to cheer them on and enjoy the fun with us.
A few important reminders:
- Family entry: Please enter through the Upper 9th Street Gate between 8:40 and 8:55 a.m. Bring your visitor badge or check in at the gate.
- Costumes: Students may wear costumes to school. Please avoid scary, gory, or culturally insensitive themes.
- Masks and face paint are permitted only during the parade.
After the parade, students will return to class for a regular day of learning, with a little extra Halloween spirit! Thank you for helping us keep the morning safe and fun for everyone.
Click here for the full details about entry procedures, costumes, and classroom parties. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
Family Movie Night Is Coming! | Mark your calendars! Our 5th-grade committee is hosting Family Movie Night on Tuesday, November 10, on Roosevelt’s Big Yard. Bring the whole family for a night under the stars watching Goat! Grab your blankets and chairs, settle in, and enjoy an evening together with our Roosevelt community.
Want to make dinner easy? You can purchase a pizza bundle that includes your choice of one slice of cheese or pepperoni pizza, a drink, and a side of popcorn. Bundles can be ordered in advance through the ticket website, and snacks will also be available for purchase on-site.
The Win-Dow will also be participating in one of our Roosevelt Givebacks. Keep an eye out for the digital flyer in an upcoming Teddy Times so you can support Roosevelt with your purchase!
Here are the details:
- Date: Tuesday, November 10
- Doors open: 5:15 p.m.
- Movie starts: 6:00 p.m.
- Tickets: $15 online through Monday, November 9, at 11:00 p.m. After that, tickets will be $18 on-site.
- Pizza bundles: Available to order in advance online.
Purchase tickets and order pizza bundles here!
A big thank-you to our 5th-grade committee for organizing this event and giving our families another chance to connect outside the classroom. We hope to see you there!
Thank you, as always, for being such an important part of the Roosevelt community. Whether you’re supporting learning at home, joining us for a school event, or checking in with your child about their day, your partnership matters. We’re grateful to work alongside you as we help our students learn, grow, and build confidence in what they can do.
Have a great week, and I hope to see many of you at our upcoming events!
With gratitude,
Dr. Amy Onyendu
MORE ROOS NEWS
Daily Reminders: Let’s Be Ready for the Day! | Help your child start each school day prepared for learning and fun! Please remind your student to bring their school materials, a reusable water bottle, a healthy snack and/or lunch, and a hat for outdoor play. Applying sunscreen before arriving at school and dressing in layers for changing weather are also important. Remember, lunch is available free of charge to all students for the 2026-27 school year.
And just like TJ reminds us, bring a positive attitude and a growth mindset each day! Thank you for partnering with us to help every Roosevelt student feel ready to learn, grow, and thrive.
Building G.R.I.T. at Roosevelt and at Home!
At Roosevelt, GRIT stands for Growth, Respect, Integrity, and Tenacity. These values guide how we learn, treat one another, make decisions, and work through challenges. GRIT reminds our students that mistakes are opportunities to grow, respect starts with how we treat others, integrity means doing the right thing even when no one is watching, and tenacity means keeping going when things get tough.
Families can help build GRIT at home, too! Celebrate your child’s effort, encourage them to try again when something feels difficult, talk about making honest and responsible choices, and model kindness and respect in everyday interactions. Most importantly, remind your child that they are capable of learning, growing, and overcoming challenges. When we reinforce GRIT together, we help our students build confidence, resilience, and the skills they need to thrive!
Invest in Roosevelt! Every Contribution Counts.
When we come together, we make a difference for every Roosevelt student!
Our Roosevelt community is stronger because of the families who support the programs, resources, and opportunities that help our students thrive. The Roosevelt PTA and the Santa Monica Education Foundation play an important role in enriching our students’ educational experience by helping fund essential staff, programs, technology, classroom materials, and so much more.
Our goal is to have 100% family participation in supporting both organizations. Every contribution, no matter the amount, helps make a difference. If you’ve already donated, thank you for investing in our students and being part of what makes Roosevelt such a special place to learn and grow!
There are two ways to support Roosevelt:
- Join the Roosevelt PTA and get involved in our school community.
- Donate to the Roosevelt PTA to support school-based programs and enrichment.
- Donate to the Santa Monica Education Foundation to support educational opportunities across our district.
Together, we can continue creating an environment where every Roosevelt student feels supported, has opportunities to grow, and is confident in their potential. Thank you for being part of our Roosevelt community!
Roosevelt’s famed Drop-off Valet is back—as long as enough parents sign up to help!
Drop-Off Valet – Sign up by 10/30!
How it works: Volunteers will be stationed at the Lincoln and Upper 9th Street Gate entrances to help students and guardians move through a designated car line. When cars pull into the protected car lane, parent volunteers will assist students so they can quickly and safely exit their cars and keep traffic moving. The goal is to make drop-offs safer and less stressful.
Each class is responsible for volunteering during a specific week. Sign up to volunteer here! If there are not enough volunteers, the PTA cannot move forward with the valet. Please email Kira Mollis with any questions: kira.shklyar@gmail.com
Attendance Notifications
If you have received an attendance letter, here is some information:
“I just received a letter from the school about absences. Why did I get this letter?”
- Three (3) UNEXCUSED absences are considered excessive and trigger a letter to be sent out from our automated system.
- EIGHT (8) excused (illness, etc.) absences are considered excessive.
- SIX (6) unexcused absences warrant a 2nd letter.
- NINE (9) unexcused absences warrant a 3rd letter.
- Three (3) long tardies are considered an absence (arriving at school 30 minutes late or more). In addition, three (3) occurrences of students leaving early (students leaving school 30 minutes early or more) are also considered an absence.
We also recognize that there are some excused reasons why your child may be late to school. Please send a note or call the school in advance if you know your child will be out of school ahead of time.
Forgotten Items
Our Main Office does NOT accept forgotten items left at home! This includes homework, backpacks, water bottles, lunches, outerwear, instruments, etc. If your child forgets their lunch, we will provide him/her with a free lunch from the cafeteria. It is important for your child to experience the natural consequences of having forgotten an item they were expected to bring to school. This is a great way to learn and nurtures a sense of responsibility and independence.
Let’s continue to support and encourage our students as they engage in these exciting opportunities for learning and exploration.
LOST & FOUND SHED
We have quite a collection of items in the Lost & Found Shed located behind the Coach’s Office near the Upper 9th St. gate. Please be sure to check the Lost & Found anytime during dismissal. We have lots of water bottles and lunch bags!
