topTuesday Bulletin
Lafayette Elementary Home & School Association 
Zelda Caldwell, editor
June 12, 2012
In This Issue
From the Principal
From the HSA
Class of 2012
Art Room News
From the Library
Arts Integration Program
The Bear's Garden
Directory Volunteers Needed
HSA Survey
Community Notices
Lafayette Sponsors

From Principal
Lynn Main

 

 

 

 

And so we come to the end of another school year. Our PK students had their ceremony last Friday morning looking simply adorable in their white robes and caps. Tomorrow morning the fifth grade will have their promotion ceremony. They will be singing songs they have learned, some they have created and watching a slide show of all their activities this school year. And then they will get a certificate that tells then they are ready to move on to a new school next fall. Ready to take on the challenges of middle school and beyond.

 

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June 13 (Wednesday)

5th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 9:30 a.m.

 

June 14 (Thursday) 

Last day of school, 12:15 p.m. dismissal

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From the HSA 

Dan Aladjem & Jenny Murray, co-presidents

 

Wow, the last Tuesday Bulletin of the school year! It seems there's never a dull moment at Lafayette, and the end of this school year is no exception. For those of you who attended the HSA meeting on Thursday, you heard the big news that Mrs. Main will be moving on to important work as a high school principal. And while we wish her well on her new adventure, and know that she will do great things there, she will be dearly missed by all of us. Thank you, Mrs. Main, for all the wonderful years you've served Lafayette. You brought the arts as a focus to our school, made quilts for every auction, and led every Halloween parade on its march around the track.  All this while maintaining Lafayette as one of the top-rated schools in the city. Thank you!

 

Of course, I can't let the year end without thanking Dan as well. It's been a busy, productive, and enjoyable year. There was a lot for me to learn, and I'm very grateful for Dan's patience, wit, intelligence, and calm nature. He often helped me keep things in perspective, and even made me laugh, when I was sure things were falling apart. I hope he has a relaxing summer while Gayle Moseley and I gear up for next year...

 

Class assignments will be posted the week before school starts, and we'll send emails with any important news over the summer. Also, be sure to check the website for summer reading assignments (posted now), school supply lists (posted in August), and other updates as they arise. Enjoy the break - it goes by fast!   -

--- Jenny 

 

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Congratulations to the Class of 2012!
Art Room News 

Laurie McLaughlin, Visual Art Grades 1-5

 

Laurie McLaughlinFinal Portfolios: The final installment of your child's art should have come home in the past week or will arrive in the next day or so. Exceptions would be art chosen for a summer display or still hanging at the Katzen until after school lets out (see the announcements below). Fifth-grade parents please take your child's Arts Night piece off the walls after graduation on Wednesday.

 

Congratulations are in order for the following students whose art was selected to hang at the Chancellor's office over the summer: Margot Ruland's Overlapping Cityscape, Tess Cassol-Pawson and Katie Kennedy's Kuba cloth drawings, Carly Nusbaum, Maddie Eggen and Nico Engvall's foil repousse palaces, Alex Wise's linoleum prints, and Alexa Feldman's Chinese dragon drawing.

 

Kudos also go to second-graders Lindsey Grosser, Zoey Chineme, Esther Nachbar-Seckel, Anton Edmonds, Catherine Ruppert, Cole Norris, Evelyn Goldwasser, Jahari Miller, Gemma Maltby, John Willsey, Maggie Brach, Hunter Norris, Ellie Aladjem, Zoe Friedman and Justin Edwards whose marine landscapes were chosen to grace the Broad Branch Market ice cream and candy room over the summer.

 

Exciting News: One of our Citywide art show students, Isiah Nance, won a scholarship to the Digital Media Academy at George Washington University for his series of Gyotaku (Japanese Fish Printmaking.) Congratulations Isiah!

 

Don't forget to check the art room blog this summer for updates on fun things to do in the visual arts... e-mail me at [email protected]  if you discover something you think I should share with the community. You can link to the blog through the HSA website homepage or here at http://lafayetteartwithlaurie.blogspot.com.

 

The art room needs old tennis balls!

Please save them over the summer and bring them to the art room in August. We use them on the bottoms of the stools to keep them from scraping against the floor (a very annoying sound!).

From the Library

Judith Perlin, Librarian

 

booksA quick story. A parent dropped by Friday afternoon looking for this neat picture book/biography that we own on Alfred Nobel, the title is Alfred Nobel: The Man Behind the Peace Prize, but the book was not on the shelf and it was not checked out. The library is missing a number of books that were not checked out and are no longer in the library.

 

Lafayette library has a magnificent collection; it is astoundingly rich and growing. All students, parents, teachers and staff are invited to check out books here, but we all need to return them whether we checked them out or just borrowed them.

 

Please take a look around your home just to see if there is a Lafayette library book still hanging around, and that especially goes for me too.

 

Thanks for a great year and a terrific award.

 

Lafayette Arts Integration Program 
Jackie Snowden, Arts Integration Coordinator
 
SnowdenAs we bring this year to a close, I would like to thank my colleagues for all their efforts to help our students learn by integrating the arts into their classrooms. "Those who choose to implement arts integration generally assume a constructivist view of learning. There is deep belief in making learning purposeful and relevant by tapping interests and engaging students in hands-on/brains-on experiences." (Claudia Cornett, 2003).

 

We ended the year with the DC Theater Caf�'s presentation with rave reviews. Mrs. Fratto and Mrs. Kennedy's fourth-graders presented what they learned about Greek mythology in a shadow puppet demonstration. In both instances, the students not only mastered the content but also mastered the art form in a very impressive way. Arts Nights 1 and 2 were well attended and demonstrative of the many talents our students possess. Our first Arts Integration Open House, while not well attended, did prove that each of our teachers is able and willing to integrate the arts in their instructional program and for that I thank them again.

 

I attended an Arts Integration conference at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in May. It was called, "Walking the Talk: Pathways to Quality Arts Integration" and it focused on alignment, rigor, teamwork and sustainability. Some of the things we hope to work on in the coming school year are aligning the content standards with appropriate arts standards and increasing the rigor in which we integrate the arts in our daily instruction. We know it will take teamwork and we hope that the confluence of all of the above will help to sustain our mission of "...using arts integration to facilitate the development of the social/emotional, academic, kinesthetic, and artistic growth of the WHOLE CHILD.... to ensure that our students learn to create, connect, and inquire throughout their lives." (LES Mission Statement).

 

I wish us all a peaceful, restful, enjoyable summer!

 

From the Bear's Garden 

 

gardenThe Lafayette School Garden, a.k.a. The Bear's Garden, is growing, growing, growing.  To keep things healthy, we need your help with watering the garden throughout the summer. Please click on the link below where you will find a Google calendar where you can sign up for watering shifts. We have made watering the garden so easy and it just takes 45 minutes of your time after 5 p.m. Sign up for one day, one week, every Tuesday, or whatever works for you. Every little bit helps!

 

All you need to do is turn on the main water hose to the soaker hose system we have already assembled and turn the water on full for 45 minutes. While the water is soaking the individual beds, you may go have an ice cream at the BBM, drop off some overdue library books, pick up your Rx at CVS, or weed and harvest what you like. We have a little bit of everything growing, as well as a nice selection of herbs. The more we use the herbs, the more they will grow.  After 45 minutes, turn off the main hose. That's it!

 

Thank you so much! Lafayette would not be the awesome school that it is without the strong support we receive from our parents. If you have any questions regarding The Bear's Garden, please contact Hope Scheller at [email protected].

 

>>Watering schedule sign-up

Advertise in the 2012-13 Family Directory

 

Each year the HSA publishes a Family Directory that is given to every family in the school and is checked many times each week when arranging play dates, contacting room parents, scheduling volunteer activities, and the like. We invite parents and local businesses to support Lafayette by advertising in the Directory. With over 500 families at the school, your ad will be seen by many eyes!

 

We will work again this year with Mike Schoen and his team from A to Z Directories to produce a professional, quality Directory.  There are full page ($350), half page ($225) and business card ($125) advertising opportunities available. As in past years, there will be a lottery for premium spots: the back cover, the inside front and back covers, and the divider pages.  

 

Parents/businesses interested in a premium location or a regular ad should email Mike or call 301-806-4376. The deadline for the lottery for premium spots is Friday, July 6, 2012; for regular ads, the deadline is September 5, 2012. 

 

Thank you for supporting our school!

Don't Forget to Take the HSA Survey

We want to know what you think! Please take a few minutes to complete HSA's online survey. Your opinions will help us as we plan for next year. Thank you!

Community

Community Notices 

 

July babysitter available. Our current babysitter is looking to work while we are away in July. Kirsten is available July 9-27 and possibly a week in August. She is a recent AU grad and very reliable/responsible, great at arts and crafts, taking kids to various activities or just hanging out for the afternoon. Kirsten's schedule is flexible  and she available to work a full day, 5 days a week but would like a minimum of 15 hours per week. Metro accessible please.  Please email her at 

[email protected]. I am also happy to provide a reference.  Please contact Kim Hutchinson at cell:  202-746-5461.  

 

Summer babysitter available. Kaedy Fischer, Ana's sister, and a graduate of Lafayette, Deal and Wilson, is home from college for the summer and available for childcare. Kaedy can be reached at 202-360-7633 or via email at [email protected] 
 

Budding basketball stars looking to boost your game this summer? Try an intensive personal training session with a hometown talent sharing his tricks of the trade. Contact Charlie Waugh, a current Junior at Va Tech and former Walt Whitman 1st team all-county star and Wash Post All-Met. $20 per 1 hour session, at your specified location, afternoons preferred.  Email [email protected] to schedule your session.

 

Nanny available. Our wonderful nanny is looking for new family.

Leidy Kurz has been my child's nanny for the past year and she is looking for a new family starting June 25. Leidy has been taking care of my son in Chevy Chase, DC for the past year. Leidy is extremely caring, warm, and calm natured. Additionally, she is a legal US Resident, she speaks fluent English and Spanish. She does light cooking but not housekeeping. Feel free to contact Leidy directly at 443-540-3225 or [email protected]. If you have any questions please contact me, Francia Torres 202-320-3084, [email protected]. I highly recommend her. 

 

 Parent Empowerment Program (PEP). PEP offers its popular Super Sitters 3-week class plus a lab where students sit for young children with the instructor's supervision. The class starts Tuesday, June 19. Parents, you can tune up your skills and get fresh approaches to sibling rivalrywhiningscreen-time issues, and more. See the early summer listings and explore the full schedule of workshops and classes at PEP's website.

  

 

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Thank You Lafayette Sponsors!

 

These organizations support Lafayette through a generous annual donation- please support them!

 

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