Your weekly “wait, that’s happening?” digest
Hi Westside
Halloween's done, clocks fell back, and just like that it's the holidays. This week: the Thanksgiving break dates for every district (one of them is not like the others), what actually happens if you tack on a few vacation days, and a really good read on the identity shift of new motherhood.
Loving Venice Rising? Pass it on.
Forward this to a fellow Westside parent.
Share the newsletter →
School news: the critical stuff
SMMUSD elementary: minimum days Wed–Fri (11/4–11/6). It's parent conference week. Check your conference time and plan pickup.
Veterans Day is Wed 11/11. NO SCHOOL in LAUSD, SMMUSD or Culver. Mid-week day off, line up care now.
Thanksgiving break: every district
Not everyone gets the full week. If you're booking flights, check this first.
District | No school | Back |
|---|---|---|
LAUSD | Mon 11/23 – Fri 11/27 (full week) | Mon 11/30 |
Culver City (CCUSD) | Mon 11/23 – Fri 11/27 (full week) | Mon 11/30 |
Santa Monica-Malibu (SMMUSD) | Wed 11/25 – Fri 11/27 only | Mon 11/30 |
SMMUSD families: Mon 11/23 and Tues 11/24 are regular school days. LAUSD's Mon–Wed are "unassigned days," which still means no school. Charters and privates set their own calendars, so double check yours.
Can you pull your kid out early for Thanksgiving?
Short answer: you can, but in all 3 districts a vacation day is an unexcused absence, even with a note. And districts are pushing attendance harder than ever. LAUSD wants 95% daily attendance this year and has been doing home visits, plus wraparound stuff like on-campus medical care, counseling and even laundry to get kids in seats.
The quick version:
3 unexcused days = a truancy letter. In LAUSD it's automated. Scary word, mostly a yellow flag.
Miss 10% of the year (about 18 days) and your kid counts as chronically absent. That's for any reason, sick days included.
The workaround is short-term independent study. Your kid does the work, the day counts. Ask 2 weeks ahead.
SMMUSD is the strictest. Several schools say flat out that STIS can't be used to stretch a holiday.
Culver can be the most flexible, depending on your school. LAUSD falls in the middle.
So: grandma's house or the perfect-attendance popsicle? We lay out what each district actually does and let you make the call.
Already got a letter? Our truancy notice guide breaks it down line by line.
What to do with all that candy
The bucket is still on the counter. A few options:
Call in the Switch Witch. Kids pick their faves, leave the rest out, and overnight the Switch Witch swaps it for a small toy or book. Older kids who are attached to their haul might not go for it, and that's ok too. Some pediatricians say letting them keep it and learn to pace themselves is its own lesson.
Donate it. Heads up: Operation Gratitude doesn't take candy anymore, even if old flyers say it does. Soldiers' Angels still does. Find a drop-off on the Treats for Troops candy map. Lots of dentists do buybacks the first couple weeks of Nov too, so call yours.
Keep a parent stash. Back of the high cabinet, behind the tax files. The full-size Kit Kats are a parent tax. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ We don't make the rules.
Swiss Winter Village
The holidays are here
It's officially the season. Swiss Winter Village opens on the Santa Monica Pier 11/18 with an ice rink and chalets, and the Marina del Rey Holiday Boat Parade is Sat 12/12. Holiday guide coming soon.
This week's picks (Mon 11/2 – Sun 11/8)
Want more? Our family events calendar has everything by day.
Don't miss
Fall Into Autumn Community Festival | 9:30–11am | Sat | 11/7 | Free drop-in morning for ages 3 and under at Westside Neighborhood School. Petting zoo, face painting, crafts, live music.
First Friday on Abbot Kinney | 5–9:30pm | Fri | 11/6 | About 2 dozen food trucks and late shop hours. Free to walk. Go early with littles.
Free Flu + COVID Vaccine Clinic | 10am–1pm | Fri | 11/6 | Walk-in, ages 6 months+, at Culver City Julian Dixon Library. Insurance not required. Minors need a consent form.
Littles
Library Playdate | 11am–12pm | Mon | 11/2 | Monthly play meetup for ages 0–3 and their grownups at SM Main Library. Free, first come first served.
Baby & Me Yoga | 10:30–11:30am | Fri | 11/6 | Free, relaxed class in Venice. Feeding and diaper changes welcome. Best for 6 weeks to pre-crawling.
Smarty Pants Storytime | 12:15pm | Wed | 11/4 | School-readiness songs and books for ages 2–5. Culver City Julian Dixon Library. Free.
Music with Kira Mini Concert | 10:30–11:30am | Sat | 11/7 | Flute, guitar and sing-alongs at Children's Book World. Free.
Kids + families
Lotería Night | 5–6:30pm | Thu | 11/5 | Play the classic Mexican board game at SMPL's Pico Branch. All ages, snacks and prizes. Free.
Brick-Building Playtime | 3pm | Thu | 11/5 | LEGO-style bricks and blocks at the Brentwood library. Free, every Thursday.
Chanukah Boutique | 3–4pm | Wed | 11/4 | Local vendors and a DJ at Beth Shir Shalom in SM. Get a jump on gifts. Free.
Mixed-Up Challahs Book Launch | 12:30–1:30pm | Sun | 11/8 | Author Rinat Hadad Siegel reads her picture book about a Sephardic baking tradition. Free.
Kids' Comedy Class Final Showcase | 3pm | Sun | 11/8 | Kid comedians show off 8 weeks of training at The Crow in SM. About $18.
Westside Family Health Center Shop for a Cause | 11:30am–2:30pm | Sun | 11/8 | Lunch, mimosas and an auction at Whiskey Red's in MdR. Proceeds go to the clinic. Parents' afternoon out.
Got a tip, an event or a story we should know about? Just hit reply. We read everything.
• Want to reach local parents? Advertise →
• A writer or community voice? Contribute →
• Hosting something fun? Submit your event →
• Forwarded this email? Subscribe here →
