Happy Tuesday, Westside families.

Busy one. LAUSD's magnet and Choices window opens Thursday, the state quietly rewrote what TK is supposed to look like, and St. Mark Fall Fest is this Saturday. Plus a quick El Niño shopping reminder before prices move.

Let's get into it.

If you have a 4-year-old in TK (or you're deciding between TK and preschool for 2027), this one's for you.

The CA Dept of Education sent a letter to every district last week confirming the state changed the legal definition of TK. The old wording said TK had to use a "modified kindergarten curriculum." That phrase is gone. Now TK has to be play-based and strengths-based, matched to where each kid actually is developmentally, and respectful of their home language and culture.

We broke down the before and after in our IG carousel.

Quick reminder since last week's state of emergency news: rain gear prices tend to climb once storms show up in the forecast. We put together a list of what's actually worth buying now (boots, real rain jackets, sandbag info, the works) plus how to check you're not paying the storm tax.

Read the El Niño supplies list →

Choices/magnet applications open this Thursday, 10/1. The on-time window for 2027-28 runs Oct 1 - Nov 6, all online at apply.lausd.net. Magnets, dual language, SAS and other Choices programs all go through here. Apply on time if you want to be in the lottery. Late apps just go to a waitlist.

Not sure where to start? Last week we toured a K-8 magnet across from the beach most Westside parents have never heard of.

School closure talks: first info sessions start next week. At its Sept. 22 meeting, LAUSD launched "Stronger Schools Together," its process for figuring out which schools might merge, close or get reused as enrollment keeps falling. Region-level info sessions start the first full week of October, in person and on Zoom, with flyers "coming soon."

What parents should know:

We'll share Westside session dates once they're posted.

Parents used public comment at the Sept. 17 board meeting asking the district to rein in classroom screen time. Asks included a districtwide ed-tech policy, clearer info on which apps kids use, no tablets as a reward for finishing early, and resetting every student's YouTube access to "deny."

The board can't respond to off-agenda comments, so no action on that yet. It did approve its updated phone policy the same night. Olympic High now joins the elementary and middle schools on "Away for the Day" (phones off and stowed all day). Samohi and Malibu High stay "bell to bell."

Free carnival in the middle of Venice. Rides, games, a pumpkin patch and kid crafts in the afternoon, then the rides light up after dark and it turns into a full night carnival. Grown-ups get a beer and wine garden, food vendors, an artisan market, and live music plus a DJ. Open to everyone, not just St. Mark families.

St. Mark Fall Fest | 12pm-10pm | Sat | 10/3 | 912 Coeur d'Alene Ave, Venice. Free entry, bring a card + cash for rides and food.

Tuesday 9/29
Toddler Tuesdays: Travelin' Storytime | 10:30am or 11:30am | Tue | 9/29 | SMPL Main Library, ages walking to 3. Two back-to-back sessions, first come first served. Free.
Toddler Storytime | 12:30pm-1pm | Tue | 9/29 | Mar Vista Library. Songs, stories, wiggles. Free.
Family Chess Club | 3:30pm-5:30pm | Tue | 9/29 | Venice Library with Coach Bill. Total beginners welcome. Free.
Halloween Costume Drive (last 2 days) | all day | Tue-Wed | 9/29-9/30 | Drop off gently used costumes at Venice Library. They get swapped out Saturday (see below).

Wednesday 9/30
Baby/Toddler Storytime | 10:30am-11am | Wed | 9/30 | Venice Library. Stories, songs, movement. Free.
Baby Time | 11:30am-12pm | Wed | 9/30 | SMPL Main Library. Lapsit storytime for pre-walkers. Free.

Saturday 10/3
Blue Waters: Santa Monica Bay Boating Festival | 10am-1pm | Sat | 10/3 | Burton Chace Park, MDR. Ocean + boating fest from The Bay Foundation. Free.
Tales in Two Tongues: Bilingual Storytime | 10:30am-11am | Sat | 10/3 | Wende Museum, Culver. Russian-English storytime from the museum's collection.
Haunted Library: Family Halloween Fest + Costume Swap | 11am-1pm | Sat | 10/3 | Venice Library's first kids' costume swap, vintage spooky cartoons, snacks. Free costume = one less Halloween errand.
Libros Con Amigos Bilingual Storytime | 11am-12pm | Sat | 10/3 | SMPL Pico Branch, ages walking to 3. English + Spanish. Free.
Lucky Strike Family Fest | 11am-2pm | Sat | 10/3 | Lucky Strike Mar Vista. Free game of bowling per person + $10 arcade card for kids 16 and under, face painting, DJ. Lanes are first come.
College Day at Venice Arts | 1pm-4pm | Sat | 10/3 | For HS kids and young adults. Financial aid workshop, college booths, resume help. Register by Thu 10/1.
St. Mark Fall Fest | 12pm-10pm | Sat | 10/3 | See above.

Sunday 10/4
Mar Vista Farmers Market | 9am-2pm | Sun | 10/4 | Grand View + Venice Blvd. The standing Sunday move.
Abilities Carnival + Resource Fair | 12pm-3pm | Sun | 10/4 | Culver City Senior Center. Inclusive carnival for all ages and abilities with food, games, photo booth, resource vendors. Free, call (310) 253-6724 to RSVP.
Tito's Fiesta Mexicana | 3pm-8pm | Sun | 10/4 | 11222 Washington Pl, Culver. Family-friendly fiesta, all proceeds go to the Culver City Arts Foundation.

Grown-ups: Pier Play, a two-day DJ festival, takes over the Santa Monica Pier Sat + Sun. Not a kid event, but plan around the crowds and parking.