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From Principal Lynn Main
 There are over 80 adults who call Lafayette their weekday home. From teachers to office staff to the nurse and custodians, these are the folks who meet and greet our students as they enter the school doors each morning. But there is someone else who also greets your children every morning as they come to school. >> Read More |
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Mark Your Calendar
September 27 (Thursday)
HSA General Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
October 3 (Wednesday)
Walk to School Day
LSAT Meeting
October 8 (Monday)
No School: Columbus Day
October 11 (Thursday)
HSA Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
October 17 (Wednesday)
HSA Open Chat, 8:45 a.m.
October 19 (Friday)
No School: Professional Development Day
October 22 (Monday)
No School: Conference Day
October 23 (Tuesday)
Picture Day
See full school calendar
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From the HSA
Jenny Murray & Gayle Moseley, co-presidents
We would like to invite each of you to come out on Thursday evening for our first HSA meeting of the year. This is a chance to hear what's happening with the HSA and ask all the questions you've been wanting to ask, but didn't know who or when to ask them. Mrs. Main will also give an update about how Lafayette did in the latest round of standardized testing, and the school counselors will be on hand to get your input on any issues that you may be concerned about. Thanks to all the parents who regularly make the effort to be at these meetings. We're also hoping to see lots of new faces in the crowd - please consider this your personal invitation. Light refreshments will be served. See you Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria!
>>Agenda for Thursday's HSA meeting
Thank you to everyone who stopped by the flagpole for our first Open Chat on September 19! It was nice to see some familiar faces and meet a few new ones! One parent shared with us some interesting uses for salt! We did a little internet research and found some more interesting uses and thought you might like to know salt can be used to . . .
Remove red wine from carpet: First, while the red wine is still wet, pour some white wine on it to dilute the color. Then clean the spot with a sponge and cold water. Sprinkle the area with salt and wait about 10 minutes. Now vacuum up the whole mess.
Remove watermarks from wood: Watermarks left from glasses or bottles on a wood table really stand out. Make them disappear by mixing 1 teaspoon salt with a few drops of water to form a paste. Gently rub the paste onto the ring with a soft cloth or sponge and work it over the spot until it's gone. Restore the luster of your wood with furniture polish.
Deodorize your sneakers: Sneakers and other canvas shoes can get pretty smelly, especially if you wear them without socks in the summertime. Knock down the odor and soak up the moisture by occasionally sprinkling a little salt in your canvas shoes.
Shell hard-boiled eggs with ease: Ever wonder whether there's a secret to peeling hard-boiled eggs without breaking the shell into a million tiny pieces? There is, and now it's out of the box! Add a teaspoon of salt to your water before placing the eggs in it to boil.
For more uses, please go to: http://www.rd.com/home/over-60-ways-to-use-salt/
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Arts Integration
Jacqueline Snowden, Arts Integration Coordinator
 Greetings and welcome to another year of arts integration at Lafayette. As we've grown from a CETA Affiliate School in 2005 to a CETA Partner School in 2008, I've watched our teachers skeptically embrace the concept of integrating the arts in their daily instruction, to fully embracing it, as evidenced by their instructional practices, informances, and extra curricular activities. I have a new CETA Strategic Planning Committee, and for the first time, this year we have representation from each grade level. It really has become who we are, an arts integration school.
This year, more teachers than ever have registered to attend Reading Portraits as Biography, which we're hosting at Lafayette.
Portraits are often considered merely a reflection of what a person looks like, when in actuality, they can be read as biographies that communicate significant information about a person's life. Melanie Layne, National Board Certified Teacher and certified Reading Specialist, will show us how to help students unlock the symbolism in portraits, connect biographies with portraiture, use portraits as a point of inquiry for biographical research, and create portraits and writings to deepen and assess student understandings. Some of us have already taken this course and can attest to the fact that not only is it fun and interesting, it is also applicable across grade levels.
One of our goals is to have most, if not all, teachers become proficient in the same strategies, so as students move up in grades, they are already familiar, and teachers can jump right in. I've been into several classrooms, with more scheduled, to teach or refresh how we use the Actor's Toolbox. We all know and use Tableau as a strategy, and Reading Portraits will be another tool in our repertoire.
Teachers have registered for workshops, arts coaching and demonstration sessions with other teaching artists. Study groups have been formed to collaborate on how we're going to be using the Reading Portraits strategy. Informances have been planned and are on the calendar. It's an exciting time!
If you are new to Lafayette and would like more information on what it means to be an arts integration school, please drop by or email me, [email protected], I'd love to share.
"The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create."
-President Barack Obama
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| Performances This Year
Elizabeth Porter, Music
 Please save the date for these upcoming performances. - Friday, November 2 from 9:00 a.m -10:30 a.m. The 4th grade Pow Wow Performance for parents.
- Wednesday, November 7 from 9:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m. The 1st grade Patriotic Program for parents
- Friday, December 7 at 2:00 p.m. The 3rd grade Recorder Concert for parents.
- Friday, December 21 at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. The Winter Concert- Bands, Guitar Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Strings
- Thursday, February 28 at 9:00 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. The 2nd grade Heroes Informance.
- Thursday, April 25 at 6:30 p.m. The 5th grade Informance. All are invited
- May 16 at 6:00 p.m. Arts Night I: Pk, K, 1st and all ensembles.
- May 22 and May 23. The 3rd grade D.C Theater Caf�.
- May 30 at 6:00 p.m. Arts Night II: 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th
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Lafayette Fall Festival
 Mark Your Calendars! The 2012 Lafayette Fall Festival is Saturday, October 27. Now is the time to get involved with preparation. It's fun!
We are in search of parents to shadow our co-chairs, Annie Bennett and Brendan O'Brien, as they prepare for this year's event. Learn the ropes and take a leadership role in future Fall Festivals. It's a great way to support Lafayette, meet other members of the community, and put on a great event for our kids and families!
The Fall Festival is also looking for volunteers to serve as Captains overseeing some of our most popular events:
- Movie Night
- Bake Sale
- Bake-Off
- Carnival Games
If you are interested in any of the above opportunities, please contact Brendan O'Brien and/or Annie Bennett.
See you at the Fall Festival!
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New Signage on 33rd Street
 You have probably noticed the new signs on 33rd Street behind the school. This is a new student drop off and loading zone. Parents are asked to remain in their cars, pull over and allow their children to walk across the field to their appropriate line-up areas. We anticipate that this drop off will be for older children who are capable and comfortable getting to their lines. If your child is younger, we ask you to use the drop off lane in front of the pre-K doors on Northampton Street from 8:30-8:45 a.m.
You will also see new signage on Northampton Street and Broad Branch Road (north of Oliver). Please be courteous and obey all new posted signs. |
Walk/Bike To School Day
 Lafayette will be participating in National Walk/Bike to School Day on Wednesday, October 3. We're hoping to have a lot of participation in this fun event! It's a great way to enjoy the outdoors, get some exercise, and be green. Plus there will be prizes for everyone who participates! More detailed information will be arriving in your child's folder, so please keep an eye out for it. We're seeking volunteers to help make this event a success. Please email Katie Burke if you can help out on the morning of the 3rd. |
Community Notices
Mad Science. This fall, Mad Science will be offering NASA: Academy of Future Space Explorers. This program has been co-designed with NASA. Students will learn many amazing aspects of space technology, rocket propulsion and the experience of living in space. Classes will be held on Mondays and Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30 p.m. The two Monday classes will run from 10/1-12/10 and the Tuesday class from 10/2 -11/20. The Tuesday class is currently full. Registration is first come first serve, so register now to secure your spot. Visit the Mad Science website to learn more and to register online at www.madscience.org/dc.
Time: Mondays and Tuesdays at 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Place: Team 2 Classrooms
Contact: Laura Lindsley (202-369-4858) or [email protected] or Mia Diaz at 310-593-4777
Cost: $104.00
For ages K - 5th
Cub Scout Pack. Attention all boys 1st - 5th grade who like having fun, exploring the outdoors and learning new things. Come join Cub Scout Pack 52 which meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month at All Saints Episcopal Church on Chevy Chase Circle. Pack 52 welcomes boys of all faiths, family compositions and ethnicities and has members from across NW Washington and Chevy Chase. For more information please email Cubmaster Will Stone or call 202-363-1852.
Red Slider Turtles. Two red slider turtles are free to a good home or classroom. They are four years old and come with aquarium, filter, light and food. Contact Annie at 202-550-1212.
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Thank You Lafayette Sponsors!
These organizations support Lafayette through a generous annual donation- please support them!
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| Make a Submission
Submissions for next week's issue should be emailed to [email protected]. Submissions are due by 3:15 p.m. on Friday. Submissions received after this time will be included in the following issue, unless instructed otherwise. Please keep submissions brief. Longer articles may be truncated at the editor's discretion, with a link to the full text.
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