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From Principal Lynn Main
The main topic of conversation at Lafayette for the last two weeks has been Halloween. This is one big holiday at this school. What are you going to be? This starts the costume competition as everyone tries to figure out what is the best and what is the most popular this year.
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Mark Your Calendar
October 31 (Wednesday)Halloween Parade, 1:30 p.m.
November 1 (Thursday)
Parent Pick-Up Group, 2:15 p.m.
November 2 (Friday)
4th Grade Pow Wow, 9:00 a.m. Half Day, 12:15 dismissal
November 7 (Wednesday)
Picture Retake Day
LSAT Meeting, 7:45 a.m.
1st Grade Patriotic Celebration, 9:00 a.m.
November 8 (Thursday)
HSA Board Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
November 9 (Friday)
3rd Grade Recorder Concert, 2:00 p.m.
November 12 (Monday)
No School, Veteran's Day
November 15 (Thursday) HSA General Meeting, 7:30 p.m.
Parent Pick-Up Group, 2:15 p.m.
November 21 (Wednesday) HSA Open Chat, 8:45 a.m.
November 22 - 23 No School, Thanksgiving Break See full school calendar
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From the HSA
Jenny Murray & Gayle Moseley, co-presidents
It's hard to believe that as I write this, Sandy is on her way to wreak havoc on our little community. We couldn't have asked for better weather for our annual Fall Festival on Saturday! A huge thank you goes out to Brendan O'Brien and Annie Bennett (and all the other Muggles), who contributed so much of their time and creativity this year to make it a fun day for our kids! After three years, Brendan and Annie are putting their wizard wands back up on the shelf to give some other parents a chance to experience the rewards of organizing one of our fun annual events that bring the entire neighborhood together. If you think this is something you may be interested in doing, please let us know!
I'm sure your kids are so excited for Halloween tomorrow! If you are new to Lafayette, please try to stop by the school at 1:30 to watch the annual Halloween costume parade. It really is quite a sight! Mrs. Main (also in costume) leads all the students in one long procession starting at the front of the school, through Lafayette Park, then down and around the track a couple of times. The procession begins with the youngest in their cute princess, cat, firefighter and superhero costumes and then the costumes get scarier as the kids get older! And yes, the teachers dress up too!
School picture day last Tuesday was a success thanks to the many parent volunteers who gave up an entire day to help it run smoothly. The kids seemed to have a great time and the photographers couldn't have been a nicer group of professionals. This is the first year we've used FreedSpirit Photography, so please let us know what you think when you receive your children's proofs in a couple of weeks.
Many of you may have opened your Washington Post on Saturday and found an article in the KidsPost about Lafayette's very own Peace Program! Here is the link to the full article, Local kids aim to combat bullying before it starts. Led by Linda Ryden, the Peace Program is something the HSA is proud to support and we are thrilled the word is getting out that teaching our children to be kind and respectful to each other is important.
Let's hope you've got electricity and are able to read this on Tuesday!
Stay safe,
Gayle
See HSA board members |
EAT. VOTE. DONATE 
The HSA is sponsoring an election day Bake Sale with donuts, muffins and other goodies outside the doors near the Lafayette gym on the morning of the November 6 election. Please stop by for a treat on your way in (or out) of the polling booths. We will be there when the doors open at 7:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
All of the proceeds will fund the Lafayette HSA and support the school community.
We are also seeking volunteers to provide baked goods and help staff the Bake Sale. Please feel free to drop off muffins, breakfast breads, cookies -- any and all goodies are welcome and appreciated by hungry voters. (But please leave the electioneering messages at home or we won't be able to sell the goodies at the table near the voting booths.) And if you have an hour or so to help out before or after you vote, we would love your company! You can also sign up to help via a sign up sheet posted on the volunteer webpage at:
www.SignUpGenius.com/go/30E0D4CA8AC2CA46-election.
Thank you!
Please contact Polly Snyder with any questions.
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The Fall Festival Pie Contest Winners
Apple Pie 
- First place goes to Mary Louise Wagner for her "ML's Famous Apple Pie."
- Second place goes to Sarah Thorn for her apple pie.
- Third place goes to Laura Polvinale Barton for her "Grand Marnier Apple Pie."
Family Favorite Recipe
- First place goes to Dell Bosak for her "Chocolate Treacle Tart."
- Second place goes to Aidan Kohn for his "Sorcerer Stone Chocolate Pie."
- Third place goes to Colin Bennett for his "Butter Beer Pie."
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School Health
Chris Cockrell, School Nurse
Please review the Lafayette website, which covers our policies and procedures for illnesses, and how and when to return to school. I would like to reiterate a few points, so that your child can return to school as quickly as possible:- All communicable diseases must be reported to the School Nurse.
- All reports are confidential. However, at times it may be necessary to inform the school community of an outbreak, to prevent the spread of disease. This is done through e-mail, robo call, or a letter sent home, and is anonymous. The student's privacy is of utmost importance.
- Students are not allowed to return to school without presenting documented medical clearance from a health care provider, again to prevent the spread of disease.
- Reportable conditions include, but are not limited to: Strep Throat, Impetigo (Staph infection), Pink Eye, Ringworm, Pinworm, Chickenpox, Whooping cough, Flu, Lice.
Thank you so much for your cooperation in this matter. I'm looking forward to a healthy year ahead.
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Parent Pick-Up Group
Rashida Mosby & Jillian Diesner, School Counselors
 Hello parents! Our first meeting on 10/18 had a small but lively group as we met to discuss the format, timing, and topics for our group from here on out. We agreed that we will continue to meet biweekly (1st and 3rd Thursdays) for now, and will aim to have at least two evening meetings during the school year to be able to include other parents as well. We spent the rest of the time discussing the upcoming parent-teacher conferences, and what parents really want to get out of them. The summary of that discussion can be found at our Google group site, The Oasis at Lafayette. This group is open to anyone; but please email [email protected] if you are having trouble getting access (I am still learning how to do this too!) The group link is: https://groups.google.com/a/dc.gov/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/the-oasis-at-lafayette
Our second Parent Pick-Up meeting will take place this Thursday, November 1, in the Oasis from 2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. Our topic of discussion will be on bringing Mindfulness into our everyday lives, and our own Peace Teacher, Linda Ryden, will be on hand to give us a demonstration of some mindful movements and breathing exercises she practices with the students each week.
Our next Parent Pick-Up group meeting will take place on November 15, and the topic will be on instilling our kids with Kindness & Empathy. Our whole school will be discussing this topic during the month of November during our Kindness Campaign for Lafayette, so come and share your thoughts and experiences with others.
We hope you will be able to join us for a moment of calm, coffee, and conversation before picking up your kids on Thursday.
Jillian & Rashida, School Counselors
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Arts Integration
Jacqueline Snowden, Arts Integration Coordinator  Happy Halloween Eve, no tricks, just treats from the world of Arts Integration (AI). Some teachers were treated to a "Moving Through Math" workshop with Marcia Daft and others were treated to our first session of "Reading Portraits as Biography" with Melanie Layne. Both teaching artists have also been giving demonstration and coaching lessons to small groups of teachers who signed up at the end of last year. All course participants will be meeting in small study groups to collaborate on their use of the strategy in their classrooms. While both of these were at Lafayette, still other teachers have been treated to after school workshops at the Kennedy Center. Read more...   Ms. Martinez's Pre-K students: "Lines, Shapes, and Patterns: Integrating Math, Movement, and Visual Art."
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Speech and Language Services
Beth Schneider, Speech Language Pathologist
 Speech and Language therapy is provided as a related service in the school setting to help students access and participate in communication with their peers and teachers in an educational environment. Lafayette has implemented the 3- tiered Response to Intervention (RTI) model to better support students and use school and staff resources most efficiently. All direct related services, including speech-language therapy, are provided as a part of Tier 3 Special Education services meaning students must be found eligible for an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) by having a diagnosed disability or disorder. At all other tiers of intervention, the school's speech-language pathologist is a resource for making observations, recommending classroom strategies, or providing resources to teachers or students needing communication support. Read more...
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Community Notices
Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Community Walk. Please Register for the 2012 Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Community Walk on Wednesday, October 31! The Lafayette Community will be participating in the annual Help the Homeless Community Walk on Wednesday, October 31 during the Halloween Parade. All parents will be receiving Fannie Mae Walker Registration Forms from teachers. Parents are also strongly encouraged to go on-line to register student walkers, sponsor teachers, and make a tax-deductible contribution. The quick and easy on-line registration is available at: http://www.hthwalks.org/goto/lafayette. On-line registration is $20 for kids and $30 for adults. Everyone who registers by Thursday, October 18 will receive a Help the Homeless t-shirt. 100% of all online registrations and donations will go directly to Sinai Assisted Housing Foundation which operates Sinai House. Sinai House is a homeless housing facility operated by the members of Temple Sinai located in the Shaw/Bloomingdale neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Sinai House families are provided with housing, financial literacy counseling, parenting programs, therapy, and other supports helping them to achieve stability and independence.
With the support of people like you, in 2011 the Help the Homeless nonprofit organizations touched over 180,000 clients offering over 6,300 housing units to the Washington, DC area. We appreciate your support for the homeless in our community!
Stretch Mats for the Cross Country Team. We are looking for used yoga mats or tarps that we will cut to the appropriate size to make stretch mats for the cross country team. Contact Heidi Worley ([email protected] ) for pick up or drop off at her home.
Rubik's Cube competition at Deal Middle School. Lafayette grad and Wilson freshman Henry Cohen is sponsoring a Rubik's Cube competition at Deal Middle School on Saturday November 3. Those interested in learning about the Rubik's cube, beginners who would like to try out competition in a fun and welcoming environment, or experts are encouraged to come. Henry is the DC Rubik's cube champion and is rated in the top 30 nationally. Come out for a fun day!
For more information contact Henry Cohen at [email protected] or (202) 686-7391.
It's Beginner Ballers Time. HoopEd and A Long Summer are teaming up this Winter to present...
Beginner Ballers Instructional League!
Boys and Girls grades K-4 spend their Saturday mornings improving their skills, playing games with teammates, rockin' awesome jerseys and having a BLAST!
PROGRAM DETAILS:
Session I: Saturdays, Nov. 3 - Dec. 22
Session II: Saturdays, Jan.12 - Mar.2
Location: Our Lady of Lourdes
For All Baller Details Visit:
www.hoopeducation.com
Wilson High School Performs Guys and Dolls. Tickets for Wilson High School's performance of the Tony Award winning, Guys and Dolls are now on sale! Featuring a well known score with songs such the rollicking "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat" and show stopper, "Luck be a Lady", this musical is sure to delight all ages. Because the Wilson fall musicals have become a school and community favorite, we encourage you to reserve early.
Performance dates and times are: Friday, November 9 and 10 at 7:30 p.m.; Special Matinee Performance Saturday, November 17 at 2:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 17 at 7:30 p.m.
Ticket prices are: Adults 15.00, Students/Children 5.00. Use email address [email protected] and be sure to specify the performance date, type, and number of tickets you are ordering. Remember, Wilson's musicals are extremely popular so please reserve your tickets early!
Keys Found at the Fall Festival. Brown leather keychain with a silver medallion and two keys that appear to be house keys. Please contact Brendan O'Brien ([email protected]) if you think they're yours.
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Thank You Lafayette Sponsors!
These organizations support Lafayette through a generous annual donation- please support them!
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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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