Lafayette Elementary School
Tuesday Bulletin
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Feb. 9, 2016         Sophie Hanrahan, Editor
Mark Your Calendar
 
Feb 12
No School - PD Day for Teachers
 
Feb 15
No School - President's Day
 
Feb 22
No School - Parent/Teacher Conferences
 

From the Principal 
 
Dear Lafayette Families -

This week finds us gearing up for Valentine's Day parties and the return of Recess Clubs! Checkout the club descriptions on the website to find out all the great opportunities your student could have during recess. We need your help!!! This year, we are dependent on parent volunteers to cover the recess duty of those teachers wishing to sponsor a club.  We need 7 volunteers daily, M-Th, for 90 minutes at a time, 11:15 - 12:45.  Each session will last 4 weeks and we are hoping
for 4 sessions. Please click here to volunteer.

Thank you to everyone who was part of a very successful International Festival. As usual, the PreK teachers, students and families came together for an incredibly moving and tasty International Festival in the Big Top. What an incredible way to share the diversity of our school, families, and community.

This week you should have already seen your student's report card, as well as the "Middle of the Year" (MOY) math and reading assessment parent reports. These came in the form of iReady parent reports for Math and DIBELS/TRC reports for reading. Our students are demonstrating incredible amounts of growth in both reading and math. If you have specific questions about your student's growth, feel free to reach out to your student's teacher or bring it up during P/T conferences on 2/22. We are so proud of the hard work and creativity of our teachers and our students. 

Last week I had the opportunity to tour the new building. It is absolutely incredible! Despite the weather, we are still on track to move into the building in August of 2016. The crews continue to work non-stop to finish the building. It truly is an amazing space. I cannot articulate the awe I felt while walking through what is constructed. Check the website for new photos I took on my walk through! We are amazingly lucky to be moving into such an awesome new school. My greatest gratitude goes out to DCPS, DGS, and Skanska who continue to push through obstacles to be sure that we are on track.

A quick safety reminder - please do not stop, drop off, park, or reverse while you are in a crosswalk at any time. Our crosswalks are full of pedestrians, especially at 33rd and Quesada, Patterson, and Oliver. We have had some near misses when cars back up into crosswalks. Thank you for being mindful of this particularly critical area.

Other big events on the horizon - the Winter Dance for 3rd - 5th graders (2/19), Jump Rope for Heart (week of 2/22 in classes), no school for students (2/12 and 2/15), Parent/Teacher Conferences (2/22), and the Auction (3/12). Keep those auction donations coming in!!! This is one of the biggest fundraising events for our HSA and they are reliant on donated items for the auction. Contact Auction co-chairs Jane Ellis or Ellen Root if you can help with this fun event.

Here's to a week filled with love, very little snow, and great dinner conversations about how well your child is progressing in their grade.

Take care,
Dr. B
From the HSA
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Happy February Lafayette Community,

As many of us are thankful the groundhog saw his shadow, we would like to take this opportunity to add more thanks and recognize the following Lafayette parents and community members, who through their continuous efforts, have helped to support our school:

First, to all the Lafayette parents, neighbors, teachers, staff and Chevy Chase, DC locals - thank you for engaging and participating in the potential decision to use Lafayette trailers for Murch ES. As Lafayette was not the option chosen, we now look forward to entering our newly renovated school in the next school year. We would like to extend to the Murch ES community any wisdom and advice we can offer as they relocate to swing space.

Second, a huge thank you to Council Member Brandon Todd for strongly supporting Lafayette during the decision process and energizing our community.

Third, to Jenny Backus, who single handed, created and executed a fantastic FIRST time camp fair in the Big Tent. This was a packed event that brought many parents, kids and camps out on a cold night to start thinking about warmer weather activities! Thanks to Jenny, it was a rousing success. Check out the new camp webpage on the HSA website as well as the literature, brochure rack in the Administration trailer.

Lastly, thank you to the LSAT parents, Katie Burke, Carrie Willimann and Marek Gootman, who organized and worked with Lafayette parents to discuss and prioritize budget ideas for the next school year. Your input helps to plug in where HSA dollars could be used to support Lafayette as well as give thoughts to Dr. Broquard for school budget planning. This, truly was a first, and we cannot thank all of you enough for the frank and direct meeting and sharing of ideas.

February is a short month - even with the leap year - but get ready for the sweethearts this week! We hope everyone has a wonderful Valentines Day and long weekend. Take some time during the days off to start planning your outfit for Boogie Wonderland Auction 2016! We cannot wait to see you.

Shannon and Janine

  
Get Your Tickets To Boogie Wonderland!

Get your sequins out of cold storage and your dancing shoes polished up because it's time get your tickets to
Boogie Wonderland, the 2016 Lafayette Elementary School Auction Party, happening
Saturday March 12 from 7 to 11 PM at Wilson High School. For the low price of just $65 a ticket, you can eat, drink, bid and boogie to your heart's content, knowing your donations will be used to support Lafayette students, teachers and staff. You'll find all the details on the Lafayette Auction Boogie Wonderland website. Bookmark it today because it will be a great resource as we countdown to Lafayette's biggest party of the year. So buy your tickets, book your babysitter and head on out to Boogie Wonderland on Saturday March 12. See more

Coming to a Galaxy Near You:
The 3rd, 4th & 5th Grade Dance
 
"May the Force be with you!" Well, at least let's hope the force will be at Lafayette on Friday, February 19th. The student council is having a winter dance with a Star Wars theme on that date.

Right after school, third and fourth graders can go to the Big Top. The third and fourth grade dance goes from 3:20-4:20. At 4:30, the fifth graders can line up outside the Big Top for the second dance. Admission will also be $5. Fifth grade pick up time is 5:30 p.m.

Refreshments will be served and are included in the price. There will be pizza, cupcakes, pudding, chips and drinks.

So if you are a Lafayette Bear in grades 3-5 plan to come and have fun. You can come as yourself or dress like a Star Wars character. We're also having a "dark side"and a "light side" so you could dress like that. But leave your weapons and light sabers at home!! And remember NO PARENTS ALLOWED. (Only at pick up time!)

by: Cody Hobson Jr., Fifth Grader and Lafayette Student Council Secretary


Recess Clubs Are Back

Back by popular demand, we are once again starting Recess Clubs.  This time, however, we are dependent on parent volunteers to cover the recess duty of those teachers wishing to sponsor a club.  We need 7 volunteers daily, M-Th, for 90 minutes at a time, 11:15 - 12:45.  Each session will last 4 weeks and we are hoping for 4 sessions. Please click on this link and consider volunteering.
  
Please check the Lafayette ES website, for club descriptions.
Volunteer Chefs Needed!
salad    
One of the most popular items at the Auction each year is "Guess Who's Coming With Dinner," which gets the winning bidder a home-cooked meal prepared and delivered by a fellow Lafayette family once a week for the upcoming school year. This program relies on an awesome crew of volunteer chefs, but we are in need of more helping hands to get us through the school year!

Volunteers simply prepare and deliver one meal, typically a main course, side and/or salad, bread and dessert. They don't have to be elaborate, just delicious staples you'd make for your own family. If you're able to support this great program by cooking and delivering a meal between now and June, please email [email protected], or go directly to www.takethemameal.com and enter "Maner" for the last name and "lafayette" for the password. There you'll find specific instructions for preparation and delivery, and you can sign up for a week that works for you. Thank you!

Jump Rope for Heart News
Jump Rope for Heart
All students should have received their Jump Rope for Heart packet by now. In the packet there is a letter with all important dates, the collection envelope with permission slip and "puppy" coupon and a direction sheet for registering on line to collect donations. If you did not receive these items have your child contact their PE teacher and we will give them new forms. Please click HERE to get started. Jump Rope for Heart will be held during PE classes the week of February 22nd. All children will take part in heart pumping activities. Pre-k will have their event from 11:30-12:30 on February 24th and Kindergarten will jump on the 25th at the same time. All events will take place in the Big Top.

For families choosing to raise funds for the American Heart Association we will begin collecting envelopes the week of February 16th through February 26th. Please collect using the on-line method if possible. Just go to www.heart.org/jump Otherwise, please do not send cash. Convert all cash into checks made out to the American Heart Association. All correspondence should be brought to your child's PE teacher on their PE day. Additionally, puppies earned can be picked up during PE class. Any child bringing in coupon (located on back of collection envelope) will receive their 1st puppy.

Important Dates:
January  19 - Begin turning in permission slips
January  25 - Start bringing in coupons to collect "puppies"
February 16 - Start bringing in collection envelopes
February 22 - We are jumping all week
February 26 - Last day to turn in donations

As always, we are so grateful for the support we have received over the past 18 years for this community service project. Thank you for your continued support. If there are questions please contact Ms. McClure.
 
Marjorie McClure
Physical Education Teacher

A Few Spots Left for the Lafayette Auction Wine Party!
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The Lafayette auction nears and we want to invite you to reserve a spot at one of the auction's early and ever-popular fundraisers -- the annual Lafayette Wine Party. The party will be held this year on Saturday, February 20, at 8:00 pm, at the home of Lisa Mitchell and Don Capobres.

For those of you who have not attended in the past, the Wine Party is a special night for Lafayette moms and dads to enjoy some comradery and wine tasting, all with the goal of helping our school. The Wine Party happens the month before the
actual auction, and its goal is to accumulate a quantity of quality wines that are then offered for bidding during the auction.

The first 50 people to make reservations join the festivities with a simple price of admission. Each couple, as well as each single person or single person with a guest, brings a "luxury" wine of their choosing worth $75 or more and with a rating of 92+ points to donate to the school's auction. These luxury wine donations will then go to the highest bidders at the school auction on March 12th. Each guest is also asked to contribute $10 to help cover the cost of the tasting wines that will be served at the party.

If you wish to attend the Wine Party, please email Eileen Dombo 
as soon as possible. This event sells out quickly every year!

And if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us at the emails below. Looking forward to seeing you!

 

Register Now for Girls On The Run!
 

Registration is now open for the Spring 2016 Girls on the Run Season! Over a period of 10 weeks, girls in the 3rd through 5th grade participate in an after-school program like no other. The program is designed to allow every girl to recognize her inner strength--It's not just about the running! To learn more about the program, check out the Girls On The Run website.
 
Online registration can be found HERE and spots fill quickly so register soon! Coach Hallock, Coach deJonckheere and Coach Cacibauda will be leading the team again this year. Practices will be held afterschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays starting the week of February 29th. Please contact Site Liaison Sarah Boone if you have questions.
 
 
Community

Seeking Part-Time Treasurer for Neighborhood Nonprofit 
The Friends of Lafayette Park, a community-based organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Lafayette Park, is seeking a part-time Treasurer to be responsible for bookkeeping and banking matters, as well as tax and regulatory-related filings. If you have accounting experience and are looking for an opportunity to support Lafayette Park, please send an e-mail expressing your interest and accounting qualifications to Dennis Smyth.

 
Support Nurse Cockrell - As a member of Athletes vs Epilepsy, I plan to compete in the Columbia Maryland Triathlon this May in honor of all those like my daughter Becky, who battle epilepsy. My primary goal is to raise awareness about the impact of this chronic condition, but donatons would be great! Click HERE to learn more about Becky and Athletes vs. Epilepsy.

Thank you!
Nurse Cockrell



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!  
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