Santa Monica, a Lifelong Learning Community


Lifelong Learning Community News - NOVEMBER 2009

November. That means Thanksgiving isn't far away. In Santa Monica, we continue to have cause to be thankful. Our city, college, schools and other institutions that contribute to our diverse and enriching lifelong learning community continue to serve us even as the State's budget crisis persists and threatens our high standards.

There are a number of initiatives and proposed fixes to California's state government. Repair California has submitted two initiatives – one to permit citizens to call for a Constitutional Convention and another to then call for a Constitutional Convention. For more information on Repair California and the measures, please go to http://www.repaircalifornia.org
SMMUSD celebrates Public Schools Month.

The Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District is launching Public Schools Month this November by inviting the community to "come inside for a closer look." Public Schools Month includes the District's fourth annual report to the community, "State of Our Schools: How Are We Doing?" and open schoolhouse events at each school site. The open schoolhouse events include coffee with the principal, a short presentation about the school, and a word from the PTA president. Get to know more about your neighborhood school and all of our schools. Hear from principals, teachers, PTA leaders and students about the educational experiences provided for students every day. For more information on Public Schools Month and the complete schedule of open schoolhouse events – they begin this Monday, November 2 with SMASH and continue through Thursday, November 19 with Olympic High School – please see below or go to http://www.smmusd.org/superintendent/index.html All school sites have an open house date. District preschools at the sites are also included.

Santa Monica High School Theatre presents The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Performances run from November 5-14, beginning at 7:00pm in the Samohi Humanities Center. For more information and to purchase tickets, please go to http://samohitheatre.org
Santa Monica Public Library also has some good news to share:

Plans for the Pico neighborhood branch library are moving forward! The City has sent out requests for proposals for architects to design a new branch library to be located in Virginia Avenue Park. Next begins a process of community meetings with the design team. If you would like to receive notices about those meetings and other news about the Pico Branch Library, please email your contact information to pico.library@smgov.net

Local newspaper, The Santa Monica Outlook, from 1875-1913, is now online at http://digital.smpl.org. The library maintained copies of all of these issues and applied for and received a grant to put them online in a searchable format. This is an extraordinary resource for everyone interested in Santa Monica's history. Enjoy! You can read more about it at http://surfsantamonica.com/ssm_site/the_lookout/news/public_notices/Public_Notices_2009/October-2009/10_28_09_Local_History_Online.html
Youth Collaborative forming
Spearheaded by YWCA Executive Director Julia Miele, a youth collaborative has begun meeting to promote the well-being, education and civic participation of youth in our community. If you or your agency are interested in participating in this new collaborative, please contact Julia at jmiele@smywca.org.
Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) now has a blog
New Community for Excellent Public Schools Chair Rebecca Kennerly is taking CEPS into cyberspace with a new blog and facebook page to further improve communication and dialogue about our public schools and the challenges they confront. Check out the CEPS Blog -- What's going on in Santa Monica and Malibu Schools? What's on your mind!? Let CEPS know. Visit the blog at http://excellentpublicschools.blogspot.com/ and the facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Community-for-Excellent-Public-Schools-CEPS/279428815598?ref=ts Become a fan and stay informed.
Awards for SMC facilities keep coming

Santa Monica College has been awarded the 2009 Award of Excellence in the Specialized Facility category by the Community College Facility Coalition for the quad on the main campus and the Award of Honor in the Campus Completion category for the Performing Arts Center. If you haven't been on the main campus lately and seen the quad or visited the Performing Arts Center and the Broad Stage, you're in for a treat!
City preparing budget for 2009-2010
The City of Santa Monica draft budget for 2009-2010 is now posted online and residents are invited to provide input re priorities either by email, snail mail, or by attending a "Can we talk?" community meeting with the City Manager (see dates below). For more information about the budget, please go to http://www.smgov.net/Departments/CMO/content.aspx?id=2027
Now on to some of November's many lifelong learning events....

Sunday, November 1, 7:30pm
Santa Monica Symphony

Pre-Concert Talk with Raymond Knapp, 6:30pm
Allen Robert Gross, Music Director and Conductor
Santa Monica Civic Auditorium
1855 Main Street
Free
Santa Monica Symphony - From Around the Globe features Rina Dokshitsky, pianist. The concert includes Revueltas: Caminos
Beethoven:Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat Major
Sculthorpe: Kakadu
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2 "Little Russian")
For more information, please call 310/395-6330 or go to www.smsymphony.org
Monday, November 2, 9:00am
SMASH (Santa Monica Alternative School House) Open House (K-8)

2525 Fifth Street
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Wednesday, November 4, 8:30am
John Muir Elementary School Open House

2526 Sixth Street
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Wednesday, November 4, 9:00am
Will Rogers Learning Community Elementary School Open House

2401 14th Street
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Wednesday, November 4, 6:30pm
SMC Lecture Series: Explorations In Sustainable Architecture

Santa Monica College, Bundy Campus, Room 123
3171 S. Bundy Drive
Free
Architect David Randall Hertz explores green materials and buildings ranging from contemporary natural houses and commercial projects, to his most recent project, a series of structures built out of large segments of a recycled Boeing 747. Seating is on a first-arrival basis. Call 310-434-4743 for more information or go to www.smc.edu/ceus.
Thursday, November 5, 8:30am
Edison Elementary School Open House

2425 Kansas Avenue
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Thursday, November 5, 8:45am
McKinley Elementary School Open House

2401 Santa Monica Boulevard
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Thursday, November 5, 8:45am
Roosevelt Elementary School Open House

801 Montana Avenue
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Thursday, November 5, 9:00am
Franklin Elementary School Open House

2400 Montana Avenue
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Thursday, November 5, 11:15am
SMC Lecture Series: Percival Everett "When it's Torture"

Santa Monica College, Main Campus
HSS Building, Room 165
1900 Pico Boulevard
Free
Distinguished Professor of English at the University of Southern California (USC) is an award-winning novelist and a prolific author of fiction whose works include Glyph and The Water Cure. Co-sponsored by the SMC Associates.
Thursday, November 5, 12:00noon – 1:30pm
Educational Seminar for Older Adults: Laughter Still Is the Best Medicine

Santa Monica Family YMCA, DeWind room
1332 6th Street
Free
Come join speaker Eugenia Brusilovsky, MD, MA and learn the benefits of laughter for your physical and mental health, or simply laugh out loud and lose some calories. For more information contact Lidia Magarian, Senior Physical Director at the YMCA (310) 393-2721ext. 129 or email lidiam@ymcasm.org. Free underground parking is available. Picture ID is required.
Thursday, November 5, 2pm-3:30pm
Updates in the Search for New Treatments for Alzheimer's Disease

Sunrise of Santa Monica
1312 15th St., Santa Monica, CA 90404
Free
Sunrise of Santa Monica, an assisted living facility, will host a Reminiscence Neighborhood Open House and a special lecture by Joshua Grill, PhD, from the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research at UCLA. For more information, please contact Brandy Bishop at 310-899-1976.
Friday, November 6, 9:15am
Malibu High School (Middle and High) Open House

30215 Morning View Drive, Malibu
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Friday, November 6, 10:00am
Lincoln Middle School Open House

1501 California Avenue
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Friday, November 6, 7:00pm
SMC Planetarium: Night Sky Show

Talk: Telescope Buyer Survival Guide, 8:00pm
Santa Monica College Main Campus
John Drescher Planetarium, 2nd Floor, Drescher Hall
1900 Pico Boulevard
Tickets are $5 with discounts for senior citizens and children.

Want to buy that star-struck someone a telescope as a holiday gift, but mystified by all the optical jargon? We've got you covered! We'll not only demystify things, but also provide some concrete examples and recommendations for first-time telescope shoppers. Plus, we've scheduled this program earlier this year so you can get to the good suplliers before their best starter instruments sell out! The SMC Planetarium is open for the public every Friday night with a family friendly show beginning at 7:00pm. For more information and the full schedule of planetarium events, call (310) 434-3000 or visit www.smc.edu/planetarium
Friday, November 6, 7:30pm
Saturday, November 7, 7:30pm
SMC: Synapse Contemporary Dance Ensemble

SMC Performing Arts Center, The Broad Stage
Santa Monica Blvd and 11th Street
Tickets are $15/ $12.

Santa Monica College's contemporary dance ensemble for more than 30 years performs new repertory by guest and faculty artists and student choreographers. Styles include modern dance, jazz, hip hop, dance on film and more. Linda Gold, Artistic Director. For details please call 310-434-3000 or go to www.smc.edu/eventsinto for more information.
Saturday, November 7, 6pm-8pm
SMC Art Department Faculty Exhibit Opening Reception

SMC Performing Arts Center
Pete & Susan Barrett Art Gallery
1310 11th Street
Free
Opening reception for an exhibition of Santa Monica College Art Department Faculty work. The show will run to December 9th.
Sunday, November 8th, 4pm - 7pm
Making Politics Personal: Author Frank Gruber

450 Euclid
Free
"Making Politics Personal" - a discussion on education and community politics is presented by LEAD (Leadership, Effectiveness, Accountability, Direction for Santa Monica-Malibu Public Schools). Please join LEAD members and invited guests for a timely discussion on education and leadership. Author and Santa Monica community leader, Frank Gruber, will speak about how advocacy can inform public policy and other reasons for "Making Politics Personal," the subtitle of his new book, Urban Worrier. Book signing after his talk. For more information and to register for this event, please go to http://event.pingg.com/lead
Monday, November 9, 9:00am
Grant Elementary School Open House

2368 Pearl Street
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Monday, November 9, 9:00am
Point Dume Marine Science Elementary School Open House

6955 Fernhill Drive, Malibu
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Monday, November 9, 7:00pm
Can we talk?

SMASH/John Muir School Auditorium
2526 6th Street
Free
Attend this neighborhood meeting, co-sponsored by Ocean Park Association, to get an update on neighborhood projects and discuss Santa Monica's needs and priorities as the 2010-11 budget planning cycle begins. This is one of a continuing series of annual discussions started by City Manager Lamont Ewell about community priorities.
Tuesday, November 10, 8:30 am
Cabrillo Elementary School Open House

30237 Morning View Drive, Malibu
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Tuesday, November 10, 8:30am
John Adams Middle School Open House

2425 16th Street
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Thursday, November 12, 9:00am
Webster Elementary School Open House

3602 Winter Canyon Road, Malibu
Free
Come and see your local school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Thursday, November 12, 7pm
Can we talk?

Grant Elementary School Auditorium
2368 Pearl Street
Free
Attend this neighborhood meeting, co-sponsored by Friends of Sunset Park, to get an update on neighborhood projects and discuss Santa Monica's needs and priorities as the 2010-11 budget planning cycle begins. This is one of a continuing series of annual discussions started by City Manager Lamont Ewell about community priorities.
Monday, November 16, 7pm
When Cirque Comes to Town: An exclusive look inside Cirque Du Soleil

Santa Monica High School, Barnum Hall
601 Pico Boulevard
Tickets are $20 Adults, $10 Students, $50 VIP Seats*

For tickets, please visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/87243
Join the Santa Monica Malibu Education Foundation for a special evening as the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil pulls back the curtain to enlighten us about the amazing feats of this international entertainment company. You're invited behind the scenes to hear first-hand stories from performers, technicians, artisans and others.
*VIP Seats includes preferred parking, reserved seating section, meet & greet with Cirque guests.
Monday, November 16, 7pm
Can we talk?

Ken Edwards Center
1527 4th Street
Free
Attend this neighborhood meeting, co-sponsored by Wilshire-Montana Neighborhood Coalition, to get an update on neighborhood projects and discuss Santa Monica's needs and priorities as the 2010-11 budget planning cycle begins. This is one of a continuing series of annual discussions started by City Manager Lamont Ewell about community priorities.
Starting Monday, November 16 – 25
YMCA Canned Fitness Week

1332 6th Street
Community members are invited to bring in ten cans of food per visit from November 16 thru the 25th and then can participate in any one of the YMCA group exercise classes including yoga and fitness center for FREE. The Santa Monica Family YMCA will donate the canned food in time for Thanksgiving to Sojourn, a local SM facility for disadvantaged families. Baby food, formula and diapers are greatly appreciated.
Please call the Y at (310)393-2721 in advance for rules that will affect your usage. Non-members picture ID is required.
Tuesdays, begins November 17, 7:00-8:30pm
New Library Discussion Group - Ethics: Let's Talk About Them

Fairview Branch Library
2101 Ocean Park Boulevard
Free
Join this new discussion group about ethics. Bring your questions, concerns, conundrums and explore the application of ethics in everyday life. Discussions will be led by moderator teaher/artist Ursula Fox. The series continues on December 1 and 15.
Tuesday, November 17, 6:30-9:00 p.m.
SMMUSD State of Our Schools: How Are We Doing?

Malibu High School Library
30215 Morning View Drive
Malibu
Free
This is the fourth annual State of Our Schools event, an opportunity for the community to get an update on how our schools are performing and the challenges and successes they experience. This year's report will include presentations from School Board members, the Superintendent, current and alumni students. teachers, and Immediate Past President of the California State PTA, Pam Brady. Information will include how our schools rate, an analysis of student achievement, financial issues, responses to the loss of State funding, and student initiatives. Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) and The Santa Monica Malibu Council of PTAs are proud to co-sponsor this event with the School District. This educational forum is free and all members of the public are welcome.
Wednesday, November 18, 10:30am
Santa Monica High School Open House

601 Pico Boulevard
Free
Come and see your local high school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Wednesday, November 18, 6.30-9.00 p.m.
SMMUSD State of Our Schools: How Are We Doing?

Muir Elementary School Auditorium
2526 Sixth Street
Santa Monica
Free
This is the fourth annual State of Our Schools event, an opportunity for the community to get an update on how our schools are performing and the challenges and successes they experience. This year's report will include presentations from School Board members, the Superintendent, current and alumni students. teachers, and Immediate Past President of the California State PTA, Pam Brady. Information will include how our schools rate, an analysis of student achievement, financial issues, responses to the loss of State funding, and student initiatives. Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) and The Santa Monica Malibu Council of PTAs are proud to co-sponsor this event with the School District. This educational forum is free and all members of the public are welcome.
Thursday, November 19, 9:00am
Olympic High School Open House

601 Pico Boulevard
Free
Come and see your local continuation high school. Parents, neighbors, friends, all community members are invited to come visit, have a cup of coffee with the principal, meet the PTA president and learn more about your neighborhood school. All are welcome!
Friday, November 20, 9:30am – 11:30am OR 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Living Well with Chronic Health Conditions

Santa Monica Family YMCA, DeWind room
1332 6th Street
Free
Participate in mini learning sessions to explore tips for healthy living including getting a good night's sleep, coping with chronic pain, living life to the fullest, making the most of your doctor's visit, maintaining physical activity/fitness, eating well, keeping your brain active, and general care of your body focusing on foot, skin and joint care. Sponsored by UCLA Healthcare 50+ and LA Valley Nursing School.

RSVP: Please call UCLA Healthcare 50+ at (800) 516-5323
Santa Monica College (www.smc.edu/events,) the Santa Monica Public Library, (www.smpl.org,) The Broad Stage, (www.thebroadstage.com), and the Annenberg Community Beach House (www.beachouse.smgov.net) are all in full swing now with many, many engaging events scheduled. Please check out their websites for more information or go to Lifelong Learning Community Calendars & Events at http://smllc.org/calendar.html

Lifelong Learning Community Links provides additional useful websites including local theatrical companies – listed under "Local Museums and Special Venues." To stay abreast of these wonderful local organizations, bookmark links at http://smllc.org/links.html

To receive weekly emails from the City of Santa Monica highlighting upcoming arts events, please subscribe to the Santa Monica Arts Palette at http://www.patronmail.com/pmailweb/PatronSetup?oid=902

That's all for now.

Have a happy Thanksgiving.

Cheers, and Onward,

Louise Jaffe


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For more information about the Lifelong Learning Community, contact

Louise Jaffe
lcjaffe@aol.com
310-450-2487



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