We are into our third week of school, and our amazing children have adapted to their new teachers and surroundings. As we settle into our routine for this school year, one thing that is always helpful is Back-to School night (more information below). It's always reassuring to meet your children's teachers and see their classrooms. It helps to have a sense of how their day unfolds while they are at school. Reconnecting with parents you might not have seen over the summer, and meeting new parents is just an added bonus.

September is donation month at Lafayette. If you haven't already, we hope you will contribute to our "September to Remember" campaign. If you haven't, you'll have lots of opportunities to do so this week, face-to-face, as well as online. Donations to the HSA are voluntary, but so important to Lafayette's success. We encourage each Lafayette family to donate to the HSA. Although we suggest the "Golden L" and "Family Donation" amounts, all levels of donations are accepted and gratefully appreciated.

A few dates have changed, or been added to, the Lafayette Calendar. Our first General HSA Meeting is now on October 2nd, not September 25th. Also, Principal Albright will visit Lafayette for his Deal presentation on Novebmer 6th, followed by 5th Grade Deal Buddy Day on November 7th. If you're like me, you probably have this calendar up on your fridge or on the family bulletin board. You can find an updated version of the calendar here.

Volunteers are now hard at work combing through the Family Directory and making sure every Lafayette family is entered and their information is updated. Please help these fellow parents out by adding or updating your information now before the deadline tomorrow, September 10. Even if your info has not changed since last year, you need to login and verify your information. Also, remember to have your Safeway & Giant discount cards with you when you sit down to enter or update your information. You'll be able to register and link your cards with Lafayette so that every time you shop, you'll earn money for our school.

We hope to see you on Wednesday and/or Thursday at Back-to-School Night!

-- Hope & Laura

See HSA board members

Join the HSA

Back-to-School Night(s)

This is an evening to see what's coming up this year, see your child's classroom and meet their teachers. Come prepared with questions! There are two sessions to reduce congestion in the school. Wednesday, September 10 is for Pre-K, 1st, 3rd and 5th grades. Thursday, September 11 is for Kindergarten, 2nd and 4th grades. On both evenings will start with a general information session for all parents at 6 p.m. in the cafeteria. There will also be a New Parent Meeting with Dr. Broquard at 7:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. These evenings are for adults only, and a pizza dinner will be provided. Please click here for the flyer with additional information.

From the Math Center

Math Team: Calling all 4th and 5th grade mathematicians! We are excited about another year of problem-solving and creative mathematical thinking. Our first challenge will be the AMC-8 math competition in November, but really we are just a bunch of people who like to get together and talk about math. The Lafayette Math team will have its first meeting on Friday, September 19 at 8 a.m. in the upper library and will continue meeting on Fridays at that time. In the next week, Ms. Betz or Ms. Stanton will be coming to talk to each math class and distribute permission slips. After that, forms will be available in the Math Center and completed forms can be placed in Ms. Betz's mailbox. For a sneak peak of what we do, try this question from the 2007 AMC-8 test:

If February is a month that contains Friday the 13th, what day of the week is February 1?

Math Club: Math Club will be for students in grades 3, 4 and 5. We focus on investigations, games and problem-solving. Due to some scheduling conflicts, we will not be starting Math Club right away but stay tuned for an announcement later in the fall.

- Erin Betz and Edith Stanton

From the Art Room

DOT DAY IS COMING September 15!

What is "Dot Day" you say? Only a global celebration of creativity, courage, and collaboration!!! Five years ago a teacher was inspired by Peter Reynolds' book "The Dot" and started a movement that has spread to 69 countries and over 1,300,000 children!

"The Dot" is the story of a caring teacher who dares a doubting student to trust in her own abilities by being brave enough to "make her mark". Lafayette first graders have been exploring the story of Vashti and creating dots of all kinds. On September 15, DOT DAY will take Lafayette by storm. Our Great Hall will be filled with dots, and students and teachers are encouraged to wear dots to school on dot day to show their creativity and courage!!!

Questions? Ideas to make this day even more special? Contact art teacher Laurie McLaughlin. And don't forget to check out the art room blog at lafayetteartwithlaurie.blogspot.com which you can link to through our HSA website!

From the Bear's Garden

We're looking to grow the school garden! The Bear's Garden, located at the corner of Northampton and Broad Branch Road, near the Pre-K playground, has been weeded and prepped for planting this September. During these cooler months, leafy greens, peas, beets, parsnips and other cool weather crops thrive. Second-graders will be coming out to plant seeds as part of their "Plant Life Cycles" unit and other grades will have the opportunity to participate in plantings or other outdoor learning activities.

Laura Nelms and Hope Scheller have been working to get the garden back in shape and are looking for other volunteers to assist. If you're interested in lending a hand, please contact Laura Nelms at [email protected]. There will also be a chance to sign up at Back-to-School night to join the Greening and Wellness Committee, which will work on the garden, recycling, and health initiatives at the school. We're also looking for donations for the garden--clipboards, yogurt containers with lids, a hose cart, and a wheelbarrow are current needs.

To kick off the fall garden season, we'll be hosting a Garden Work Day on Saturday, September 13 from 8-11 a.m. Join us for the entire time, or come for whatever amount of time works for you and family. Additional work days are planned for October and November.

Lafayette Staff Update

Andrea Perll (Early Learning Art/Music/PE) has been out for the past 10 days due to vision/eye issues. She is currently on the mend and expects to return on Monday, 9/8. A huge thanks to Laurie Lindsley who has been substituting for her. She has done a spectacular job teaching the PreK and Kindergarten students Art, Music, and PE!

Mr. Jewett (5th Grade) has returned home from the hospital as of Wednesday, 9/3. He shared that he expects to return from leave on Monday, 9/15. We will have a transition period with Mrs. Sherman co-teaching for the first week of his return. We are especially grateful for Mrs. Sherman, Mrs. O'Malley, Ms. Mosby, and the 5th grade team for their collaboration and support of all the students. It has been a tremendous two weeks of learning.

We would like to welcome Karen Harris as a new custodian to Lafayette. If you see her around, please extend the warm Lafayette welcome. We are pleased to have her with us.

Mr. Thurston (retired math teacher) and Jordan Murray (KDG Aide) will be partnering to coach cross country this season. Mr. Jackson will also continue to lend support and expertise. Please be sure to return the athletic forms to the main office ASAP so that a roster can be made. Practice is scheduled to start the week of 9/8. The coaches are also in the process of updating the athletics website. They expect it to be back online soon.

Lafayette Enrichment Update

Registration is still open, and most classes are full! Looking for the perfect dance class? We still plenty of space for aspiring dancers in our Hip Hop/Jazz class (think Bob Fosse meets MC Hammer), or our Hoop Dance class (who doesn't want to learn to dance with a hula hoop?!?)

We still have a few spaces left in the Spanish classes offered in the morning. If you are interested in enrolling in these classes, please note that the registration deadline for Spanish is tomorrow, September 10th . Already registered? Don't forget to fill out the Foreign Language Questionnaire and email it to [email protected].

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

Questions? Email Hope Scheller.

Parlez-vous Fran�ais

Would you like for your children to learn to speak French? As part of the Lafayette Enrichment Program, a group of parents are determining interest for a French class, similar to the one offered for Spanish. If you are interested, please contact Laura Sanogo at [email protected]. If interest exists, we will look to establish a class. Cost and frequency are dependent upon the number of interested students.

September to Remember Donation Drive

Donate to the HSA today!

We're headed into our 2nd week of our September to Remember HSA Donation Drive and we are already 25% of the way to our goal! Thank you to all the amazing parents and teachers who have already made their donations. Your tax-deductible donations make it possible for our school to have incredible programs like the Peace Program, recess sports, arts and music enrichment and so much more. Making a donation is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1) Donate online. This is the easiest option for Golden L and HSA family donations

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) Donate at Back to School Night. Bring your check book or credit card on Wednesday and Thursday this week. Friendly HSA volunteers will be on hand with tablets and computers to collect your donation right on site.

We need all your help to make our Donation Drive a success. Make your donation today or if you have already given, encourage your friends and neighbors to support our school. Every little bit helps.

Next week we are going to kick off our class donation competition so get a head start and make your donation now. The winning class in each grade with the most parents making a donation gets a pizza party and the winning class in the school gets a super special prize. Stay tuned for more details!

Lafayette Family Directory Deadline is Tomorrow!

The deadline to verify or add your information in the Lafayette Family Directory is Wednesday, September 10. We need all families to register by then in order to get this valuable resource out to you. Even if none of your information has changed, you still need to access the database and verify that your 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." If you're new to Lafayette, 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].

Calling All Babysitters

We are compiling listings of neighborhood babysitters for the Lafayette Family Directory. The deadline to submit your listing is September 15. As in previous years, this is intended for neighborhood students--usually Lafayette alums or siblings--who will be available for weekend, evening, and other casual babysitting. The listings are free, but please only submit a listing if you expect to be reasonably available, and limit the entry to a few sentences at most. Include your name, age, phone number and/or email address, as well as any restrictions (such as what days you are available or what age group you want to babysit). Please email submissions or questions to Holly Idelson 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])

On Time or Late?

We get it, some mornings are diamonds, and some are just rough. We wanted to remind you that there are two morning bells. The first bell rings at 8:40 a.m.-at this time children should be lined up and ready to enter the building and start their day. The second bell rings at 8:45 a.m.-children are in their classroom getting ready to start the day. If your child arrives at the school after the 2nd bell, they should enter through the front main doors, and visit the office to sign in.

We Need Your Help!

We Need Your Help! We know drop-off and pick-up are crazy times, but we all have to work together to help life run smoothly & safely. Lend a few minutes of your time to make a huge difference for many. Volunteer for a shift at the Quick Drop-off on Northampton, M-F, 8:30 - 8:45 am (just 15 minutes!) We've assigned each grade a month, so please take a moment and visit the sign up page today.

Save the Dates for 5th Grade Families

"Deal Night at Lafayette" will be Thursday, November 6 from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. The HSA will provide dinner ($1 per slice, salad & dessert) and babysitting. Principal Albright and team will come and speak with parents and families of current 5th graders. "Buddy Day" at Deal will be the morning of Friday, November 7 - Parents will drop off their 5th grade student to spend the morning at Deal with their teachers and classmates. The students will ride the bus back to Lafayette at lunch time. More information to come.

Lafayette Park Construction Meeting

A pre-construction meeting regarding the PlayDC Project for Lafayette Park will take place on Monday, September 15. Construction will be starting soon. Details are available on the attached flyer.

>>Meeting Flyer

Order your Grizzly Gear

At back to school nights, this week, Grizzly Gear will make its debut. We have enhanced the school spirit logo and want you to wear it proudly!

Our Fall selection will have samples of the new child T-shirt and both adult and child baseball hats as well as adult hoodies. Order forms will be available. Come, browse and create your orders! We also will have on hand water bottles, car magnets and erasers but very limited quantities.

Any questions, please contact Janine Finck- Boyle at [email protected] or Shannon Behm at [email protected]

Look for the order form in the Great Hall by the HSA mailboxes.

Show your Grizzly pride!

Community
Community Notices

Care Giver Available. Nanny of two kindergarten students will be a care giver for mother's in need for school days off.Limited space so book early. Contact Marcia at [email protected]

Seeking short term rental. Family of 3, including 1 Lafayette 5th grader, looking for smallish short-term rental in Lafayette neighborhood, Oct-Dec, while our house undergoes a little bit of a makeover. Contact Paul Handley, [email protected] or 202 285-2337

Experienced and Versatile Tutor/Coach Available. Does your child need a boost with course content and study skills ... or engaging enrichment? Recently, I've tutored math, English, social studies, science, and standardized test preparation to younger students from the third grade up--at Lafayette, Murch, Deal, Latin, and private schools. I'm a lifelong resident with training in writing studies, an advanced degree in linguistics from Georgetown University, and extensive teaching and consulting experience. Highly ranked Washington International School refers me to their students. I'd be pleased to provide references and to work closely with Lafayette families to provide exceptional after-school instruction at your homes or mine. Contact Maggie Ronkin at 202.316.2263 or [email protected].

Walk the Field and visit the Dugouts at Walk Off Parkinson's on Sept. 14th. Lafayette dad Jared Cohen invites all Lafayette families to a great family friendly event at Nationals Park on Sunday Sept. 14th. The event, Walk Off Parkinson's, supports the Parkinson's Foundation of the Nationals Capital Area. The event includes a walk on the field and visits to the dugouts at Nationals Park. The event is free and participants are invited to make donations. The playground at the stadium will also be open. Join us for this great opportunity to see the ballpark from the player's point of view. There is also free parking at the stadium for the event which begins at 8:30 a.m. To learn more, please visit www.walkoffpd.org or call (703) 734-1017.

Classes for parents and caregivers. PEP, a local nonprofit organization, provides classes for parents and caregivers with children of all ages throughout the Washington, DC, metropolitan area. The fall class schedule is now available at http://pepparent.org/. Check out these classes and more!

David Catania, At-Large Councilman and Chairman of the Education Committee, and Mayoral Candidate, will be at Broad Branch Market on Saturday, September 13, 9 -10:30 am. Please come out for coffee and meet David; talk to him about his vision for the city's education system, school boundaries or any other questions you might have and meet other Public School Parents who are supporting David for Mayor. RSVPs appreciated at: http://www.davidcatania.com/parents_coffee2

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].

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.