NEWSLETTER - FEBRUARY 2025

UPCOMING TULITA PTA EVENTS

KEY DATES AT A GLANCE:

FEBRUARY

28th - Family Dance

MARCH

7th - PTA Association Meeting (Exec Board Elections)

12th - 3rd Grade Battle of the Books (after school)

12th & 13th - Walkthrough the American Revolution (5th grade students)

19th - 4th/5th Grade Battle of the Books (after school)

27th - Saving Wildlife Assembly (all students)

29th - Western Carnival Night

APRIL



2nd - Makers Market

Below is the slate of nominees for the 2025-26 PTA Executive Board, as presented by the Tulita PTA Nominating Committee. It is also posted in the Tulita front office.

Note that all PTA Board positions are considered OPEN until the PTA 2025-26 slate vote at the General Association Meeting on Friday, March 7, 2025 at 8:45am. Elections for the 2025-26 Executive Board will take place at this meeting. All eligible PTA Association members (with an active membership for 2024-25) can be nominated for the listed positions. They can also run against anyone already slated in a Board position. 

BATTLE OF THE BOOKS

Our BoB students have been enjoying MOCK battles during their lunchtime bookclub sessions to practice for the real battles in March.

Remaining Mock Battle lunchtime sessions: Wednesday, Feb 19 AND Wednesday, March 5

3rd grade battle: Wednesday, March 12 (after school)

4th/5th grade battle: Wednesday, March 19 (after school)

Please be on the lookout in the next week for a BATTLE REGISTRATION FORM (via email) which MUST BE COMPLETED FOR YOUR CHILD TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BATTLE. This form is different from the one you may have completed at the start of the program and requires you to indicate which books from the list your child has read.

As a reminder, to participate in a Battle 3rd graders need to have read a minimum of any 8 books from their list, and for 4th/5th graders it's a minimum of any 15 books from their list.

A list of the booklists can be found here: 3rd Grade Book List; 4th/5th Grade Book List.

Please reach out to Cari Lesser and Courtney Blacklidge, our BoB Chairs, at tulita.books@gmail.com with any questions.

Save the date for our school’s favorite family event of the year - WESTERN CARNIVAL NIGHT - on Saturday, March 29, 2025 from 3:00-7:00 pm.

Enjoy live music, giant inflatables, new and improved carnival games, cake walk, silent auction and so much more! 

As one of our biggest fundraisers of the year, Western Carnival Night sponsorships are critical in helping us meet our fundraising goals.

We are looking for new sponsors this year and welcome all individuals, families, local businesses and large companies to come on board! Fill out the Google form below if you’re interested:

https://forms.gle/98SQZVDcVjZ5E7Jc6

We also need VOLUNTEERS to help us plan the event. Whether you can spend an hour, 6 weeks, or anything in-between of your time, we can find a job for you. No matter what grade you child is in, and even whether you've been to a Western Night event before, we would LOVE to have you on board! Please reach out to tulitapta.fund@gmail.com - thank you!

Questions? Contact Western Carnival Night Co-Chair Jessica Rollins at tulitapta.fund@gmail.com for more information.

We're bringing a Maker's Market to Tulita!

On Wednesday, 4/2/2025 our Tulita students will have the opportunity to sell their homemade items to friends and family after school.

Watch out for a Signupgenius link coming out in early February to secure your child's space at the fair. We will have limited booths and limited sellers per category (e.g. food, jewelry, crafts, services etc) - spots will be available on a first come first served basis.

Details are being worked out, but for now your child can start thinking about WHAT they may want to make and HOW they can make it. We hope it's a fun and insightful way for them to learn about enterprise and the world of business!

Please reach out to tulitapta.program@gmail.com with any early-days questions.

WE HAD FUN AT...

IMAGINATION MACHINE ASSEMBLY, TK-2ND GRADE

We were thrilled to bring a NEW assembly to Tulita this year: the Imagination Machine! Our students in TK-2nd grade worked hard to write short stories in advance (thank you to our ever-accommodating teachers for facilitating this), and the talented actors from the Imagination Machine brought them to life on stage!

The kids were enthralled, the smiles were HUGE, the laughter was contagious, and we hope it inspired the kids to see how writing can be such fun!

SKYDOME PLANETARIUM ASSEMBLY, 3RD-5TH GRADE

Our 3rd-5th graders were excited to be back in the Planetarium Sky Dome this year for an immersive look at the night sky.

We were able to secure a bigger dome this year and the kids were treated to a view of the sun, the moon, the stars and some constellations. They even traveled forward in time to see a "Blood Moon" in 2045!

This assembly perfectly aligned with the 3rd and 5th grade in-class learning curriculum, and PTA was so happy to support that with some extra space-themed fun!

SCIENCE FAIR & INVENTION CONVENTION

We had around 60 projects submitted for Science Fair and Invention Convention this year (close to double the number from 2024). Our Tidalwaves have some serious scientific curiousness and talent!

We were wowed by projects examining subjects such as the science behind helicopters and planes, how crystal flowers grow, what best conducts electricity, how to make the best homemade lava, how does light refract, and what makes an optical illusion work.

For Invention Convention we saw problem solving devices such as firefighting boats, a dog leash that dogs won't bite, a jump rope for grandparents (no dangerous rope required!), and a hoodie with an built-in hydration device.

EVERY SINGLE ENTRY was impressive and our team of judges had a hard job picking the winners - see the list below. Good luck to our Invention Convention entrants as they will all be progressing to the next round of judging at the Southern California Regional level.

A HUGE THANK YOU to the wonderful Ms. Jackie Miller, our Tulita Librarian but also the volunteer in charge of Science Fair and Invention Convention this year. Once again she worked so hard to run both events so successfully. Thank you Jackie!

FAMILY STEM NIGHT

We proved that Science (and STEM as a whole!) is FUN at our annual FAMILY STEM NIGHT.

The kids had a great time making lava lamps, racing balloon cars, learning hands-on CPR in our Mini Medics room, creating binary code bracelets, learning about X-rays, playing with "impossible" one-sided shapes, and looking at the night sky in our huge telescope!

Thank you to Tulita parent and SoCal ROC Director of Secondary Education/Principal, Brianne Nakayama), who led the kids in a fun electrical activity and showcased the many courses on offer to our community at SoCal ROC. We also had the FAA in attendance talking about careers and opportunities in aviation and aerospace (it's never too early to start planning!).

Thank you our wonderful Tulita Robotics team and their coaches (Bridget Sheehay and Alex Lesser) for showing the kids how much fun 4th & 5th grade lego robotics can be. Thank you also to the Parras Robotics team, and coach Ms. Willams, for bringing their impressive robots along to show the kids how robotics gets even better in middle school!

A very heartfelt THANK YOU to Kyla Burlin, Annika Steinhauser, and Kari Quan for their hard work to organize the whole event. It took a huge amount of effort and it paid off!

Thank you also to the parents who volunteered to help run each activity. They brought expertise, enthusiasm, and a warm welcome to every kid who stoped by their station, and we couldn't have run the night without them!

4th GRADE FIELD TRIP TO UCLA

PTA is proud to pay for transportation every year to give our 4th grade students a taste of college life on a UCLA campus tour. Feedback from our teachers was that the kids loved it!

4th GRADE WALKTHROUGH CALIFORNIA

It's been a busy month for our 4th graders! Last week they got to "Walkthrough California" and learn about the history of the Golden State.

The California-inspired costumes were amazing, the kids delivered their lines confidently for the re-enactments, and the storytelling came alive! We are so happy to have brought this high-demand event back to Tulita again this year.

Next month it's our 5th Graders' turn as they get to "Walkthrough the American Revolution" - photos to follow!

UPCOMING COMMUNITY

PTA/RBUSD EVENTS

The 33rd District PTA Annual Association meeting will be taking place on February 27, 2025. Tulita is permitted 13 delegates to attend. If you are interested in being one of those 13, please CLICK HERE for more information.

THANK YOUs

THANK YOU MS. RUFFOLO!

Last week was National School Counselors Week, and we were thrilled to be able to celebrate our own wonderful counselor, Ms. Ruffolo.

It's no exaggeration to say we are incredibly lucky to have her on campus 4 days a week to support all our students. She truly is a ray of sunshine who helps our students develop as confident and happy learners and people! Thank you Ms. Ruffolo for being the star that you are!

If you're not sure what a school counselor's role actually covers, check out THIS PRESENTATION that Ms. Ruffolo gave at our last Coffee with the Principal event.

CHLA BLOOD DRIVE

Thank you to everyone who donated their time and their blood (!!) at our Blood Drive event with CHLA. This is such an especially worthy cause, and we are grateful to all of you.

Thank you also to Cari Lesser for all her work organizing the event with CHLA. See below the letter of gratitude she received, and details of the huge difference our donors made.

IMPORTANT INFO

YEARBOOK - 5TH GRADE PARENTS SAVE-THE-DATE!

5th grade parents: be on the lookout for an email from your teacher with information on the toddler/baby pictures and a quote that are needed for your child for their final Tulita yearbook.

We will also be sharing details of the Yearbook Cover Contest and how to buy a Yearbook Advert for your 5th grader.

The deadline for all of these things will be 3/28/2025 and full details will be sent out very shortly.

BUY YOUR CHILD'S 2024-25 TULITA YEARBOOK TODAY!

Yearbooks for the 2024-2025 school year are on sale! Regular price is $35.00 plus tax. See the attached flier for instructions on how to purchase your yearbook at Treering.com - CLICK HERE to access the TreeRing website. The school code is: 1015930312054053.

Don't forget: With your yearbook purchase, you get two FREE pages at the front of the book that are yours to customize! These pages are easy to create and will only print in your child's yearbook, so they are a great way to commemorate your child's unique memories this school year!

If you have any questions about yearbooks or how to customize your yearbook, please reach out to our PTA Yearbook Chair, Amanda Lebo, at tulita.yearbook@gmail.com. You can also email her your photos for inclusion in the yearbook.

BUY YOUR TULITA SPIRITWEAR!

Every Friday is "Wear Tulita Blue" day, and this year we have some new spiritwear designs on offer, designed and made by one of our own Tulita parents.

Click the link to browse the collection and to place an order. Items are being made to order and will be delivered to classrooms ASAP.

We also have some of last-year's inventory being sold on a last-chance basis.

Kid's, women's, men's, and unisex items are available, plus hats, pencil cases, headbands, and kid's shorts.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION (DEI)

Tulita PTA, in partnership with the Redondo Beach Council PTA, celebrates diverse perspectives and events. Each month the PTA will share a calendar highlighting cultural events, recognizing important historical dates, and promoting inclusivity within the school community. We hope you find it an interesting read!

Every month we will also be sharing a DEI book recommendation list for children from K-12. Some of the titles may be related to a special holiday or date from that month's calendar, while others may be new releases or just contextually relevant. Happy Reading!

BCHD NEWS

COMMUNITY NEWS

Join us for a powerful and free discussion on Building Mental Resilience Against Hate. 

Our panelists will share their personal journeys of overcoming hateful ideologies: one grew up under an authoritarian regime, while the other was exposed to white supremacy. They will share their personal journeys of unlearning hate and the lessons they apply to their work today. 

We'll also cover why some individuals are more vulnerable to radical ideologies, psychological factors behind belief shifts, and red flags for parents, leaders, and educators. 

Two of the panelists work at Parents For Peace, a nonprofit that offers a free hotline for families who believe their loved ones are being radicalized. Parents for Peace was co-founded by parents whose son was radicalized and committed a deadly act of terrorism on US soil. 

• In-Person Only for Security
•  Wednesday, February 19th at 7 PM
•  5721 Crestridge Rd, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA 90275

Tulita PTA

Tulita Elementary School

1520 S Prospect Avenue

Redondo Beach, CA 90277

Email tulitaptapresident@gmail.com with any questions!