Lafayette Elementary School
Tuesday Bulletin
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Nov. 24, 2015          Miriam Van Dyck, Editor
Mark Your Calendar
 
Nov 26-27
Thanksgiving Holiday
No School

Nov 30-Dec 3
Scholastic Book Fair

Dec 4
No School: Professional Development Day

  

Lafayette Gives Back: Comfort Cases!
   
Our Lafayette community truly demonstrated the spirit of Thanksgiving last Sunday at the Lafayette Gives Back - Comfort Cases packing party. Over 100 families volunteered at the event where they packed over 160 bags for children in the foster care system! Those bags will go to children who have likely never before received anything new to call their own. The quantity and quality of donations contributed by all of you was astonishing.

Thank you to everyone in this incredibly generous school community who contributed items and time to make this event such a success. Our students have clearly been learning important lessons about the value of service and giving back to their community from our teachers and parents. 

Thank you to Dr. Broquard for all of her hands-on help, support and use of the space! Thanks also to Kitson Jazynka and Katie Burke for putting it all together, to Child's Play and GlobalPhone for their generous donations, to our HSA co-presidents, Shannon and Janine, and to all of the volunteers who worked at the event, and spent hours helping sort and organize all of the donations! We'll look forward to seeing everyone at the next Lafayette Gives Back event. Keep your eye on the Tuesday Bulletin and website for more information about what's coming up!

Ready, Set, Spell!

This year's quest to make it to the National Spelling Bee gets Spelling Bee underway on Nov. 23 as interested fourth and fifth graders get materials and sign up in reading classes to spell in the school's bee which is set for Friday, Jan. 22.  (Snow date: Tuesday, Jan. 26). Also, two third graders and an alternate from each class will be determined in classroom spelling bees.     

In-school spelling bee practice begins Monday, Nov. 30 from 11:45-12:15 and continues until bee day. Students in trailer H practice in Ms. A. Campbell's room and students in trailer G practice in Ms. Yedwab's room.  Spelling bee practice is optional, but students are strongly encouraged to attend two to three practices weekly.

Students have two sets of words to study- the beginning words  and the Spell It! Don't let your child underestimate the importance of knowing the beginning words; last year they comprised quite a few rounds of our school bee!

Here is the two-month schedule of the in-school spelling bee practices, so even if the paper schedules don't make it home to your refrigerators, you can still see what word lists will be covered each day.  Most students who want to do well will also study A LOT at home.

Students can study advanced words on line at myspellit.com  Another useful study link is http://www.merriam-webster.com. The National Spelling Bee is offering a new way to study at home this year. It costs $19.99 and has interactive online quizzes and audio pronunciation of words.  New Word Club also includes vocabulary study, as well.  Spelling bee committee members are not yet familiar with the product, so we're not endorsing it, just letting interested parents know about it.

So, on behalf of all the hard-working teachers of the spelling bee committee, good luck to all spellers and get busy!

Kathy Echave, Spelling Bee Coordinator
 
Thanksgiving Drive A Big Success

The student council wanted to raise money for Thanksgiving dinners for people who couldn't afford one.  So, the student council representatives asked kids to bring money in for Central Union Mission. Every kid got an envelope and a flyer. They put money in the envelope and returned it to their teachers.  The envelopes were turned in to the student council who had a raffle each day of the drive. We picked an envelope from each grade. The raffle winner won a Jolly Rancher. We raised almost $5,000 by Friday, Nov. 20th! Thank you to the whole community for your generous support.

The Student Council 
Cody Hobson, Secretary
 
Typing Agent is Back!

Greetings Lafayette Community!

In today's digital age, teaching students to touch type is imperative. As students become keyboard proficient, this invaluable skill will help them succeed in their school years and will be critical as they pursue further studies, training, or move directly into the work force. I am happy to announce that we once again have a touch-typing program for our students to learn touch typing called, Typing Agent. This program was so successful and well received last year that the entire school system has picked up licenses. For more information about the program and how to use it please click here.

Nathan Wieand, Technology Coordinator
 
The Lafayette Book Fair is Coming

Our book fair is coming up. The dates are Monday, November 30th through Thursday December 3rd. 

Click here for the schedule of class visits. On your student's day, a suggested amount of $10-20 in a baggie or envelope with the student's first and last name is recommended. There is sales tax at the book fair. Many books will be about $5. Parents are welcome to join their child's visit to the fair.  

Judith Perlin, Librarian
Lafayette Directory App

Did you know that you can access the Lafayette Directory via an Directory app for you smartphone or tablet?  Go to the AppStore for Apple Products or the Google PlayStore for Android Products and search on "AtoZDirectories School".  Follow the prompts to download the simple and easy to use app.  You will need your login and password for the school directory.  

Can't remember?  Visit https://schooldirectoryupdate.com/backoffice/login.php and select forgot password.  

Community



Matthews Moving & Hauling. Are you moving? Need to clean out the garage before the holiday guests arrive next month? Matthews Moving and Hauling can help. Contact Bobby Matthews by phone or email (202) 400-8415 or [email protected]

Jensen girls available to babysit.  Third grade teacher, Ms. Jensen's, daughters are in town through mid January and are available to babysit. Allie (recent Williams College graduate) and Izzy (Duke junior) can babysit during the day, pick up after school, or allow you to enjoy a night out. Please contact them directly if interested: Izzy Jensen: 202-460-0735, [email protected];
Allie Jensen: 202-492-7292, [email protected]

Pumpkin Rescue, Sunday, Nov. 29, 11 - 3 pm, CCCC. Thousands of uncarved pumpkins are thrown away after Halloween. But uncarved pumpkins are not just decorations-they are very nutritious food. Don't waste them, rescue them! OnSunday, November 29, 2015, 11 am-3 pm, bring your *uncarved* pumpkins to Chevy Chase Community Center, 5601 Connecticut Ave NW (in the back).  We have arranged for DC Central Kitchen and the Mid Atlantic Gleaning Network to pick them up. If you have any questions please contact Gary Chait at [email protected]If you can't donate, please consider cooking your pumpkin rather than throwing it away. Here are some ideas: http://theabundantwife.com/how-to-cook-a-jack-o-lantern-pumpkin/ 

HoopEd Thanksgiving Customer Appreciation Camps: Only $50!

Wednesday: November 25, 2015
-All Sports & Games Camp @St. Elizabeth's (Rockville, MD)
with Coach TJ

-Hoops Basketball Camp @Blessed Sacrament (Chevy Chase, DC)
with Coach Brian

-Trailblazers Camp @Grace Episcopal Day School (Kensington, MD)
with Coach Leila : "Thankful for Fun!" In between getting active with All Sports and Games and fantastic Legos creations, campers will make Thanksgiving pinecone turkeys to decorate the table and leaf print art as well as decorating turkey cupcakes to bring home for their Thanksgiving feast.
Camp Times: 9:00am-3:00pm
*Free Early Drop Off Starts at 8:30am
*AfterCare Available Until 5:30pm for an additional $15
REGISTER HERE

Friday: November 27, 2015: Black Friday Event, Camp Starts @8am!
-Hoops Basketball Camp @Blessed Sacrament (Chevy Chase, DC)
with Coach Brian

-Trailblazers Camp @Grace Episcopal Day School (Kensington, MD)
with Coach Leila: "Flash Black Friday" In addition to making cookie cutter bird feeders, All Sports & Games activities plus making fruit and yogurt parfaits with homemade granola, Coach Leila will be Hip Hop grooving with the campers! There will be a short performance at 2:50 for friends and family.
Camp Times: 8:00am-3:00pm
*FREE Early Drop-Off Starts at 8:00am
*AfterCare Available Until 5:30pm for an additional $15

Thank You Lafayette Sponsors!
 
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our very generous Annual Sponsors for 2015-2016, your continued support is amazing! 
  

  
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.