Dear Lafayette Families -
Happy New Year and Welcome to 2016! This is a great time of year for reflection, rejuvenation, and recommitment to the habits we know to be good for us! Hopefully everyone had a restful two weeks off. I know that students and parents alike were ready to head back to class on Monday. It was terrific to see everyone.
It's official...winter has arrived. We have been extraordinarily fortunate this Fall and Winter thus far in avoiding harsh weather. While I continue to have faith in our good fortune, it is time to be sure that we are prepared for a bad day, at least here or there! Please be sure that students are coming to school in weather appropriate gear - including hats, gloves, coats, boots, etc. Students go outside at least twice per day (to/from the cafeteria and to/from Specials). We will go outside for recess as long as the temperature stays above 32 degrees. Please also be sure that all outerwear is labeled with your child's name. The lost and found can get a bit wild and wooly.
Our first HSA General Meeting of 2016 is scheduled for Thursday, 1/14 (**note rescheduled date**) at 7:00 pm. This will be a fantastic meeting. We will have our First Annual Camp Expo for a portion of the meeting. The other portion of the meeting will be small group sessions to discuss priorities for both the School and HSA budgeting process for the 2016-2017 school year. I am excited to hear everyone's ideas, thoughts, and feedback regarding budget priorities. Please join us.
Entering 2016, construction continues to move along on schedule. Skanska was amazingly productive while we were on break - the amount of steel that has been erected is remarkable. The shape of the new buildings is now quite evident. Over break, there was one minor hiccup when a tree from the park fell over onto the walkway canopies. Thankfully, there were no injuries, very minimal damage to the trailer roof, and no damage to the interior of the library. The repairs to the walkway canopies have been made AND we got some much-needed mulch for the lineup area. Kudos to DGS, Skanska, and our custodial crew for swiftly and safely resolving the issue.
As we left for break, you may remember the conversations regarding the potential option of Murch utilizing the trailers for their swing space for an additional two years. As of today, each school community has hosted a community meeting and each school community has provided feedback via survey to DCPS and DGS. All 798 of our survey responses have been forwarded to DCPS and DGS. There will be a SIT team meeting on January 11th, with a decision about Murch's swing space expected by January 12th. Thank you to everyone for your thoughtfulness and advocacy. More information to come as it becomes available to me.
While it's hard to believe that we have completed the first part of the school year, I am excited for all that is to come. Battle of the Books is kicking off next week, the IMAGES committee is gearing up, International Day is coming, Jump Rope for Heart is around the corner, and countless other field trips, events, informances, and the magic of the day to day learning. In parting, I will leave you with a quote that embodies the year before us:
"To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe." - Anatole France
Here's to an incredible 2016,
Dr. B