Lafayette Tuesday Bulletin

Tuesday Bulletin

Lafayette Elementary Home and School Association

Lafayette Elementary School Newsletter

Teresa G. Gionis, editor

November 20, 2012

In This Issue

From the HSA

School Boundary Review

From Principal Lynn Main

I had a meeting last week at a school near Dupont Circle. When I have meetings at certain schools in DC, I try to get there using the bus or Metro. Most schools have very limited parking and I'm not in the mood for any more parking tickets than I've already received because something went overtime and the meter lady was standing by my car watching the clock tick down. And Mrs. Bright is amazing.

Quick Links...

Mark Your Calendar

November 21 (Wednesday)

HSA Open Chat, 8:45 a.m.

November 22 - 23 (Thursday-Friday)

No School, Thanksgiving Break

November 30 (Friday)

Coats and Cocktails @ Inglima/Weiser Home, 8:00-11:00 p.m.

December 2 (Sunday)

Girls on the Run 5K

December 7 (Friday)

3rd Grade Recorder Concert, 2:00 p.m.

See full school calendar

From the HSA

Jenny Murray & Gayle Moseley, co-presidents

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays - lots of good food and time with the family, without all the stress and expense of buying gifts! Before heading home to eat turkey and watch football, Gayle and I will be hosting our monthly "Open Chat" session on Wednesday morning from 8:40-9:30am. We'll be out by the flagpole or, if it's chilly, in the Great Hall. This is a chance for you to let us know what's on your mind.

Last Thursday evening we had an HSA meeting that also included Deal Night. Deal Night is an annual event where the Deal Principal and several current Deal students (who are also Lafayette alums) come and tell us about life at Deal. There were many Lafayette parents and students on hand to ask great questions... How much homework do you have every night? (1-2 hours) Did you feel prepared academically for Deal? (yes) Is it hard to take the bus? (no, but it's crowded) Do you get lost trying to find your classes? (no) What kinds of afterschool activities does Deal have? (they have everything!) Thanks to Principal Albright and the Deal students for coming out and answering all our questions!

I hope everyone has a terrific Thanksgiving weekend and we'll see you back here next week!

-Jenny

See HSA board members

Join the HSA

Open Discussion:

School Boundary Review Bill

Many of you may have heard about the bill proposed by Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh, which calls for the creation of a commission to review school boundaries every ten years. Many parents have wondered how this bill might affect our boundaries at Lafayette, as well as the feeder patterns for Deal Middle School and Wilson High School. You can see a copy of the bill here. Mrs. Main is hosting an informal meeting on Monday, November 26 at 8:00 a.m. to try to answer your questions. This is the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend. You should also feel free to contact Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh's office (202-724-8062) or Ward 4 Councilwoman Muriel Bowser's office (202-724-8052) with our questions or concerns.

Family Directory Mobile App

Now you can access the Lafayette Family Directory from your desktop or smart phone. The A to Z Directory mobile app is available to all Lafayette families at no charge. Please follow this link for instructions:

How do I log-in to the app from my desktop computer?
How do I log-in to the app from my smart phone?
How do I add the app icon to my phone's homescreen?

When you first log into the A to Z site, you'll need your user name and password. If you don't remember, just click the "Can't Login?" link, enter your email, and your login info will be emailed to you.

Coats & Cocktails Update

Many thanks to all for the overwhelming response to the Coats & Cocktails Event. We have pushed the upper boundaries of our space limitations and unfortunately cannot accept any more rsvps. If you'd like to donate a coat or any other cold weather wear, there is a collection box in the Great Hall.

We will be donating coats from the Lafayette Lost & Found on December 3 so please check by then if you think your child might have something there that you do not want to be passed along.

Also, we'll continue to collect books in the library for DC Schools in need.

If you have any thoughts or ideas about ways to help a fellow DC Public School Child in need feel free to contact Laura Scalzo. The immediate and generous response by our gifted and giving community tells me there is a lot more we can do.

Feedback on School Pictures

I hope everyone has had a chance to see their children's school picture proofs. They went home in backpacks Thursday and Friday. Because this is the first year we have used Freed Spirit School Photography, and because this year's photos are somewhat different than your typical school photo mugshot, I would love to hear any thoughts you may have - good or bad.

If your child was absent on school picture day, or if you are not satisfied with the proofs you received and would like to have your child's picture re-taken, Freed will be back at school on Thursday, November 29th for a make-up/re-take day.

Freed Photography has informed me that photos can be cropped - you can put a note in your order envelope, or mark the proof with a sharpie and enclose that in the envelope.

Orders are to be turned in to your homeroom teachers by Monday, November 26th. Ordering instructions can be found on the proof sheet (envelope is the lower portion of the proof sheet). If you have any questions, please contact Gayle Moseley or Freed Photography directly at 301-652-5452.

Peace Club Candy Drive Big Success

Thanks to all of the generous kids who managed to part with their Halloween candy we were able to deliver two gigantic loads to the Bethesda Cares shelter! These small acts of kindness and generosity add up and contribute to making our world a better place. Thanks to all of you who made our second annual candy drive for the homeless such a big success!

-Ms. Ryden

Please Check the Lost & Found

We've got coats, coats and more coats in the lost and found,

plus sweatshirts, water bottles and lunch

boxes. All of this will be cleared out and DONATED to a charitable organization during THANKSGIVING break. So please come and claim your stuff!

Community Notices

HoopEd Thanksgiving is Right Around the Corner and HoopEd is Thankful for November 23rd, 2012! After all the thanks, lots of turkey, and maybe some travel the kids need to Get Movin' and HoopEd is ready to do what we do best PLAY! Parents if you have work or want to hit those Black Friday Sales or just want to be thankful for a bit more quiet time then let HoopEd entertain the kids from 9:00am to 3:00pm w/aftercare until 5:30. Children ages 5 - 13 are welcome to spend the day with us, whether your child is a basketball lover or just loves to be active at any playground game; our energetic coaches are prepared for your camper!
Please visit www.hoopeducation.com for more locations, details, price and to register.

Tutoring Does your son or daughter need a little support this year with their school work? Or would they benefit from approaching the

subject matter from a different direction to help reinforce what he or

she is learning at school? Previously a learning specialist in both DC and NYC, currently a 3rd grade classroom teacher, with a masters is in curriculum and teaching, I have 11 years of experience presenting materials to support what the teacher is doing in the classroom but from a fresh viewpoint. I'm located near Downtown Silver Spring. Please contact Rachel Stein, at [email protected] and we can work out a plan that best suits your child's needs.

Wilson Crew Holiday Wreath Sale

Support Wilson Crew and get ready for the holidays buy purchasing wreaths. Wilson Crew is selling fresh, fragrant 24-inch Frazier fir wreaths decorated with red velvet bows hand-tied in the USA. You can purchase wreaths for $25 each from your favorite rower or by logging on to www.wilsoncrew.org. Be sure to enter the name of your favorite rower when you purchase online so that he or she gets credit for the sale. Wreaths will be delivered the first week in December. Wilson Crew is the only rowing program in DCPS and is open to all DCPS high school students and relies on the generosity of supporters like you to keep this sport alive for public school students in our city. Pull for Wilson Crew!

Boys Camp Information Session and Dessert - 11/30/12

Can you imagine your son canoeing and hiking through the Maine wilderness, learning to chop wood and make a fire, cook over a campfire, or sail a boat and build a canoe? If the answer is yes, you need to know about a boy's camp called Flying Moose Lodge. On Friday November 30, 7:00-9:00 p.m., Chris and Beverly Darnell are hosting an information session and dessert at 3213 Morrison Street NW, Washington DC. The Camp Directors, Chris and Shelly Price, will be here to talk about the camp and show a brief video. Current and former campers will be on hand to share their experiences. Please join us for desert and learn more about this amazing place. Please visit www.flyingmooselodge.com to learn more about the camp. Questions? Please call 202-237-0458.

Holiday Stress Workshop

Do the holidays make you feel burned out? Do you get bogged down with the clutter? Join Paige Trevor, Certified Parent Educator and Professional Organizer, and Martha Rebour, Certified Nutrition Consultant and Holistic Health Coach to learn tools and tips to navigate the holiday season with health and humor.

WHERE: Lil' Omm 4708 Wisconsin Avenue

WHEN: Wednesday, November 28th from 7:45-9PM

From this workshop you will learn to:

* Identify your holiday stress areas and learn strategies to defuse them.

* Enter the holiday season with more confidence and joy.

* Take home healthy strategies to weave into your holidays and every day.

Features:

* Healthy Holiday Recipes and samples of holiday treats

* Clutter free gift ideas and inspiration

* 25 Tips to Help Your Children Eat Healthier

* Family tips and techniques to enjoy holiday events

COST is $25

*As a special bonus the first 10 people who sign up can choose a complimentary organizing consultation with Paige, or a complimentary health consultation with Martha.

Thank You Lafayette Sponsors!

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

Learn more about becoming a Lafayette sponsor.

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.