Apr 2, 2025
- Alex Berger, PTO President (president@melrosepto.org)
- Melrose Games, Friday May 2
- 2nd largest fundraiser for the school so it’s important support of programs at Melrose like Garden Ranger, PE, Star Science, Theater Productions, Filmmaking, Adventure Excursions, 5th Grade Field Trip to Catalina, Technology, Headphones, Yearbooks (free for everyone!), and MORE!
- Goal to raise $110k+ from Melrose families’ friends, relatives, co-workers, etc. via MyBooster.com
- New QR codes for volunteering and to get to MyBooster.com are on newest fliers around the school
- Volunteers (parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc) needed to escort classes to games, to bring snacks, to lead individual games, etc.
- Questions about Melrose Games? Ask Julia Wiss (rusyuliya@yahoo.com)
- Community Coffee Hour, Friday April 4th at 8am in the Parent Center (or outside if weather permits)
- Bagel Broker bagels, coffee and other surprise treats!
- Next PTO Meeting / Chat with the Principal is Wednesday, May 14th at 5pm
- Melrose Games, Friday May 2
- Ms. Bertuccelli
- Update on Melrose Garden
- More native, drought tolerant plants will be added to the Native Garden
- Need parents to volunteer (here) to “Adopt a Garden” to water on a weekly or bi-weekly basis (which works well if you already volunteer at valet)
- Melrose Outreach Events that need volunteers (sign up here)
- LD West Steamfest at Los Angeles High School on April 26
- West Hollywood Kids Fair (647 N San Vicente Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069) on May 3rd (11am-2pm)
- CAP Arts Events (State funded program)
- Paddington in Peru (K, 1, 2) at The Grove Theater on Wed. April 23rd
- Students will watch the movie through the lens of what is animation? What is storytelling? What makes a character’s face interesting? What is scenery/background design?
- Activities will continue after school until 4pm with making animal masks to create their own character or one from the movie
- 3rd Grade to Disney Hall from 9:15am-1:30pm on Sat. May 24th
- Performances of French Impressionist composers such as Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel along with contemporary artists and hands-on activities
- Paddington in Peru (K, 1, 2) at The Grove Theater on Wed. April 23rd
- Update on Melrose Garden
- Mr. Needleman
- March Attendance Update
- Chronically absent people decreased by 5%
- Be on time! First bell 8am, grace period until second bell at 8:03am then the third bell at 8:06am after which point students will be considered late and need to enter through the front of the school
- iPads
- About a quarter of the total devices handed out were lost and a quarter have been broken
- Next year iPads will be kept at school and students will need to “opt in” to take iPads home
- Lose the device, pay the price
- LAUSD Phone-free policy
- Phones and smart watches are not allowed at school because it’s making students anxious
- Melrose has a pretty liberal “phone home” policy at the main office
- Main reason students phone home is because they want to know where they are supposed to go after school
- Melrose has a pretty liberal “phone home” policy at the main office
- Phones and smart watches are not allowed at school because it’s making students anxious
- Speech Club Presentation April 3 at 2:45pm
- All are welcomed to attend in the auditorium
- Local School Leadership Meeting on Monday April 7 at 3pm
- Local school council that decides
- Open House on April 10th from 5:30-6:30pm
- Check out your student’s classroom and enjoy Pink’s hot dogs (for purchase)
- Spring Break is April 14-18
- Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day is April 24
- SBA Testing (formerly known as SBAC state testing) takes place May 6-16 for 3rd through 5th grades
- Tests don’t take place every one of those days
- Sample questions: https://sampleitems.smarterbalanced.org/
- Community Day on campus is June 6th
- Cardboard challenge projects shared, kickball game, film festival, potluck
- Last day of school and culmination (8:30/9am) is June 10th
- Kindergarten playground update
- Matting under play structure was replaced
- Environmental safety group needs to come by to “OK” the work that has been completed before the fence around the play structure can be removed
- Summer
- Will Melrose have summer school? No.
- Will Melrose have summer camp by Star? Not sure yet if Melrose will be a location but probably.
- Locations will be online next week
- LAUSD Summer of Learning
- Impacts of current presidential administration on LAUSD and Melrose
- No changes at this point because we’re somewhat shielded by being in LA and California
- March Attendance Update