Dear Lafayette Families - Congratulations on an incredible First Week of School! We had a fantastic week filled with smiles, learning, and the sounds of 699 students filling the halls. It was an amazing sight to see all the parents and families supporting their students as we opened on the first day. By the end of the week, students knew the routines and everyone was settled in.

As I visited classrooms I saw incredible learning - students learning how to rotate through centers, community building activities, graphing exercises, and the 5^th graders writing their first position paper on whether or not zoos were a positive contribution to communities.

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From the HSA

Hope Scheller and Laura Lindsley, co-presidents

Congratulations, you survived the first week of school! We hope there weren't too many tears while saying farewell to your children. It is amazing how fast they acclimate and adjust to their new classrooms and routines. It goes to show how strong our teachers and staff are at Lafayette. For that, we are very lucky. Thanks.

September is our big donation drive month and we need your help to provide the programs and services that make Lafayette such an amazing school. If you haven't already, please consider making a donation to the HSA. We appreciate your consideration and a big a thank you to those of you who already donated.

Donating your time is just as important to the success of our organization. My children have attended Lafayette for the last three years. I still remember being impressed and somewhat awestruck on our first day at Lafayette by the role of the HSA, and how much it accomplished. I wondered how I could contribute - what did I know about being a room parent or organizing an event like the fall festival? As I started to volunteer my time a little here and there, I got to know so many wonderful and helpful parents who are now some of my closest friends. And now I am asking you to make a similar commitment to the hard work that goes into making Lafayette a great school. Big and small efforts add up to good things for our children.

We hope you enjoyed your Labor Day weekend and have a great rest of the week.

-- Hope & Laura

See HSA board members

Join the HSA

Lafayette Enrichment Update

Registration for the Lafayette Enrichment Program is now in its second week, and spaces are filling up quickly! Due to high demand, we have added two additional Lego Robotics classes, and there are still a couple of spaces available in both classes on Thursdays.

Have an aspiring dancer? We still have plenty of space left in our Hip Hop/Jazz class, as well as our Hoop Dance class (who doesn't want to learn to dance with a hula hoop?!?) HoopEd still has plenty to offer on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and Chess has plenty of space for all of Lafayette's chess players.

The Fall Session begins the week of September 15th and runs through the week of November 17th and classes run from 3:30-4:30 PM, unless otherwise noted.

Questions? Email Hope Scheller.

September to Remember Donation Drive

September is HSA Donation Month, and that means it is time to support our school and students. Please make your tax deductible donation today! Here's how you can do it:

1) Donate online.

2) Print out your form or use the one we sent home and drop it in the HSA donation drawer today. (It's the one with stars on it) - Please use this method if you are making an installment payment.

3) Look for HSAs reps at Back to School night. A big THANK YOU to everyone who has made a donation so far! We're off to a great start with participation from more 70 families but we need lots more support from parents like you to reach our goal.

CHECK IT OUT...

We've created a new donation level called the Golden L that includes passes for you and your family to the Fall Festival & Spring Fair plus 2 tickets for the adults to our Annual Auction Dinner and Party.

And...

You can pay your Class Activity Fee when you donate. This fund is still managed by Teachers and Room Parents, but we thought parents might appreciate "one stop shopping." So save some time and help support the teachers, staff and programs that make our school so special. Please make your tax deductible donation today and make this a September to remember for Lafayette.

Questions? Check out our website or email me at [email protected]. Thanks for your support.

Jenny Backus, HSA Donation Director

Quick Drop-Off

The quick drop-off on Northampton Street is in full swing. This service is available each morning from 8:30-8:45 a.m. To relieve congestion on Northampton, and hopefully make the whole process quicker and smoother, please follow the following guidelines.

Please travel west (from 33rd St toward Broad Branch) on Northampton in order to pull up in the drop-off zone
The drop off zone is a "Kiss & Ride", so please have your child sit on the passenger side of the car so that they can exit easily to the sidewalk
Please pull your car all the way to the cone at the front of the line so that as many cars as possible can drop off at one time
If you need to park and exit your car to assist your children, please park your car in the area on Northampton past the drop-off zone
Beginning at 8:30 a.m., the outer blue doors to the Early Childhood wing will open and Pre K and K children are invited to sit with classmates on the stairs inside the building with a parent volunteer until 8:40 a.m., when the inside doors will open and teachers will be ready to receive the children.
Children in grades 1-5 need to walk to their line-up areas and should not cut through the Early Childhood wing.

Thank you!

Lafayette Family Directory

The Family Directory is checked many times each week when arranging play dates, planning birthday parties, contacting room parents, scheduling volunteer activities, and the like. We need you to enter or verify your directory information in our database as soon as possible (and no later than September 10) so that we can publish this valuable resource early in the school year. All information is secure and is not shared with outside parties for any purpose.

Returning Families:

Even if none of your information has changed, you need to access the database and verify that all information is correct. Go to www.schooldirectoryupdate.com and follow the instructions on the home screen. If you can't remember your username or password, go to the website and choose "Can't Login."

New Families:

Go to www.schooldirectoryupdate.com and choose "Join as a New Family." Fill in and submit the requested information.

Please note that you must access the database from a desktop or laptop computer in order to verify your information--not from a smartphone or tablet.

If you have any problems, please contact Laura Comay at [email protected] or or Kim Ford at [email protected].

One World Service Club

Welcome to the new school year Lafayette community! We would like to thank you first for all your generous donations of clothing, art, school and recreational supplies for Syrian refugee children this past spring. We were able to contribute twenty packing boxes of your donations, along with those of other area schools, to a local aid organization in Lebanon (Sawa 4 Syria, sdaid.org) for distribution to Syrian refugee children!

The UN has recently announced that Syrian refugees are the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world; over 3 million Syrians have had to flee the civil war in Syria, and over 1 million have fled to Lebanon. Our efforts are a drop in the bucket of what they need but our partner organization Sawa 4 Syria has assured us that every little bit helps. We hope to continue supporting Syrian refugee children in Lebanon, and are working on partnering with a school in Lebanon for them, so stay tuned!

Meanwhile, we are planning other educational service opportunities for Lafayette kids. Our next project will be to help harvest food in partnership with Bread for the City. This will take place on Sunday September 14th at UDC Muirkirk Research Farm, 12001 Old Baltimore Pike, Beltsville, MD 20705, from 10-1pm. Lafayette kids must be accompanied by parents to help tend the orchard and harvest fruit for Bread for the City's two pantry locations. All skill levels are needed. This is a great opportunity to enjoy the lovely weather, learn about fruit orchards and help our neighbors in need! To RSVP and for any questions, please contact Katie Burke at [email protected].

Looking forward to seeing you on the 14th, and to your participation in further service projects this coming year!

Katie Burke ([email protected])
Debbie Bocian ([email protected])
Sumaiya Hamdani ([email protected])

New Parent Social

Save The Date! There will be a New Parent Social at Jake's Restaurant (the "Boiler Room" bar in basement) on Tuesday, September 16 from 7 to 9 p.m. Please come to socialize, meet new people, and learn from returning Lafayette Parents to get your questions answered and enhance your experience at the school. New and returning parents welcome. 10% of Food and Beverage sales will be donated to the HSA. Any questions can be directed to Eve Bennet, Early Childhood Liaison, at [email protected].

Lafayette Tennis

Lafayette Lunchtime Tennis Cancelled! I am sorry that we will not be able to offer Lunchtime Tennis this season. Lafayette has had to reduce the recess time from 40 to 30 minutes and that will not be enough time for tennis. We are considering a 40 minute morning program from 8:00 - 8:40 similar to the language and math classes offered in the mornings before school. If you think your child would be interested in doing tennis in the mornings, please send me an email. You can always contact me with questions at [email protected] or 202-441-0925. Thank you for your support of the Lunchtime Tennis program.

Lafayette Afterschool Tennis will start today, September 2, and will run for 9 weeks until November 3. There are still lots of spaces open for your tennis player. There will be 3:30 and 4:30 sessions on Monday through Friday for the kids ranging from 5 to 14 years old in beginning, advanced beginner and intermediate classes. There will be teen classes at 5:30 on Monday through Thursday. There are several spots open on Wednesday and Thursday at 3:30. Check www.lafayettetennis.org for space availability and to get the registration form. Call me with questions or to sign up at 202-441-0925 or email me at [email protected]. These classes run for 9 weeks and cost $180. Paul Rosenbaum

Lafayette Adult Tennis - Started August 25th! There are still lots of spaces open. Drop the kids off and come up to the tennis courts for a one hour lesson at 9:15 or 10:30 on Monday through Friday. Or if you work all day, come to an evening 6:30 PM adult clinic. Clinics will be for beginner, advanced beginner and intermediate players. Check www.lafayettetennis.org for space availability. Fee is $240 for 12 sessions. Call me to find out where you fit into one of these clinics at 202 441-0925.

Visit the Lafayette tennis website for registration forms and space availability, or e-mail or call Paul Rosenbaum.

Back to School Boot Camp

You've seen the flyers, you've heard the buzz... DC Health Coaches Boot Camp is back in full swing! Come out and have a blast getting in shape with friends and neighbors. The sessions combine strength training and aerobic exercise to give you a total-body morning workout boost. Each session is drop-in and the first one is always on us. Come out on any of the days/times and experience it yourself.

Monday/Wednesday/Friday 6AM - Lafayette Blacktop

Monday/Wednesday/Friday 9AM - Lafayette Blacktop

www.dchealthcoaches.com

Community
Community Notices

DC Youth Orchestra Program is proud to present: DCYOPalooza! Learn how your child can have a quality music education at this FREE EVENT featuring performances, open rehearsals, master classes, an instrument petting zoo and more. This day of free musical activities for the entire family takes place on Saturday, September 6, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at Eastern Senior High School, 1700 E. Capitol St, NE Washington, DC 20003. Activities taking place will include:
*    Pop Up Concerts - Short performances by DCYOP's faculty and friends (at 10:30 am, 12:30 pm, and 2:30 pm)
*    Master Classes - Students have the chance to perform for distinguished musicians from the NSO and Kennedy Center Opera House (at 11:00 am and 2:00 pm)
*    Instrument Petting Zoo - Try 14 different instruments and decide which one is the best for you at our musical instrument petting zoo (all day)
*    Open Rehearsals - Open to all advanced and intermediate musicians. Sit in and rehearse with our Youth Orchestra (for advanced students at 11:00 am) and Young Artists Orchestra (for intermediate students at 1:00 pm)
*    Sample Classes - Take part in a sample class demonstration taught by DCYOP faculty. For beginner students, no experience needed! (all day). Find more information at www.dcyop.org.

ATTENTION PRE-K and KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS:
It's time for BASEBALL!!! Capital City Little League is looking for more players! If you would like to play please register online at the Cap City website. Registration is still open. We look forward to a great season!

Children's National Medical Center 5K. Hello Lafayette Friends & Runners, there is a great 5K coming up on Saturday, September 13 at Freedom Plaza which benefits Children's National Medical Center. It is a kid-centric event with a fun course that runs around the Capitol and is open to all ages and abilities.

Registration is only $25 and supports CNMC. You can form your own team or join the "Grateful Family" team which is comprised of members from our neighborhood. Also, donations to the team are welcome in any amount. CNMC serves any child that comes to the hospital regardless of their ability to pay, so the hospital runs at a loss every year and relies upon philanthropy to cover that gap. For more information, visit raceforeverychild.org.

Cub Scout Pack 52 is accepting new members this month. Any boy in grades 1-5 at Lafayette can join Cub Scout Pack 52, which is made up of a number of dens (based on grade level).
Pack 52 is made up of families in NW Washington, Chevy Chase and Bethesda who want to be active in their community, enjoy the outdoors, and learn to serve the community. Scouting is fun with a purpose - to raise boys who respect themselves and others and build strong character. We're looking for boys who want to

-Have fun learning new skills

-Make new friends

-Have adventures

-Make things for themselves

-Develop confidence and creativity

- and Explore the outdoors

To find out more about Cub Scouts, interested parents and boys can come to JOIN SCOUT NIGHT at All Saints Episcopal Church on Tuesday, September 9 at 7 PM. If you have any questions, please email Steve Bosak at [email protected].

Pregnant and looking for a daytime prenatal yoga class? Drop off your Lafayette student and head to lil omm in Tenleytown! Taught by Lafayette mom, prenatal/postnatal yoga instructor and birth doula, Michelle Cohen, Prenatal Yoga-on-the-Go is a six week series starting on Thursday Sept. 4, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. This vinyasa-flow style class combines breath work and meditation to help you bond with baby, feel better in your body and prepare you physically, mentally and emotionally for birth. If needed, childcare is offered during the class time. Learn more at www.lilomm.com.

Babysitter available. Seamus Joyce-Johnson (17), Lafayette alumnus and current senior at GDS, available for babysitting evenings and weekends. Has experience babysitting older kids and taking care of his 6-year-old sister and young cousins. If interested, please call 202-966-4941 or email [email protected].

Thank You Lafayette Sponsors!

We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our very generous Annual Sponsors for 2014-2015, your continued support is amazing!

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.