PTA Updates

On Thursday, October 26, Ross students and families will meet on the Ross field and playground starting at 4:30pm for the annual Ross Halloween Spooktacular, with music, games, crafts and prizes! Costumes encouraged, and bring your treat bags! We need adult and student volunteers to help with games, trick or treating and more!

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Starting at 6:00pm, kids and parents will depart in groups for Trick-or-Treating on 17th Street, supported by our Ross neighborhood businesses. Groups will depart by class/grade. Parents and guardians should plan to accompany their child at all times. Siblings welcome.

On Wednesday, October 4, celebrate National Walk & Roll to School Day by walking to school with fellow Ross families, teachers and special guests!

Rain or shine, meet at 7:50am at the northeast corner of 15th and R streets (in front of the 15th Street Presbyterian Church) and walk together to Ross, departing at 8:00am. Participants are encouraged to wear Ross gear! Parents are welcome to stay longer for a PTA-sponsored coffee hour on the playground. Join us for a fun morning! Questions? Contact PTApresident@rosselementary.org.

The PTA general body meeting was held on October 2. The presentation from the meeting can be found here. The presentation included a principal's update, an overview and survey on school counseling, a discussion on pedestrian safety, a Fall for Ross update, a treasurer's update, an overview of PTA events, and opportunities to give back. Please fill in the brief school counseling survey, which can be found here.

If you have any questions about the presentation, you can reach the PTA President at ptapresident@rosselementary.org or the PTA Treasurer at rossfundraising@gmail.com.

• Back-to-school night: The Ross Family Engagement committee, led by Ms. Greene, is asking for feedback from staff and families about back-to-school night structures. Please share your feedback using this form.
• School counseling needs assessment: Please fill in the brief school counseling needs assessment survey, which can be found here. Please see the PTA general body presentation (above) for more information.
  
• Middle school survey (deadline: October 4):The Ward 2 Education Council and Ward 1 education leaders are interested in understanding the views of families in these communities and their thoughts on future middle school options. This can inform planning around a new DCPS middle school, expected to be built on the former site of Banneker High School at 800 Euclid St NW. English, Español and አማርኛ surveys.

Save money, support other Ross families and your local community, and help our planet - all by increasing local circularity of clothing! Reach out to BeckyBall@gmail.com and ptapresident@rosselementary.org if you are able to support this special event. We need a few volunteers to make it a success.

The PTA's annual Fall for Ross fundraising and engagement drive is underway. This campaign replaces our former membership drive. At Ross, every family, every teacher, and every staff member are valued members of the Ross PTA. This fall, we ask you to support the Ross PTA and help us to continue to host community-building events; support our teachers and staff; and enable Principal Searl to invest more of Ross's DCPS budget in staffing!

You can support your PTA in 3 important ways:

1. Make a monetary donation. We ask families to consider donating $50/month ($600 annually). We understand this isn’t possible for everyone. Please give as you’re able and help your PTA maintain its strong programs.
2. Volunteer to help with PTA activities. Volunteering your time and talents is a great way to get to know Ross, meet other Ross families, and to support your child’s education.
3. Sign up for PTA communications. (If this email was sent to you directly, then you're already signed up!)

Our campaign goal is to raise $50,000 and engage with all Ross families. Your support is appreciated!

At Ross and for field trips: Want to volunteer at Ross or chaperone field trips? Make sure to complete the DCPS volunteer clearance process.

The PTA is in search of volunteers for the following:

• Ross Spooktacular Halloween event: Do you enjoy Halloween? Got a little goblin at home? We need volunteers and ideas for decorations, games, and trick or treating! Please contact Holly Kilness Packett at hollykilness@gmail.com if you are interested in participating.

• Holiday Tree Sale & Festival - This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. For two weeks, the Ross field is transformed into a holiday tree lot, where we sell trees and wreaths to the Ross community and our neighbors! We will also host a Holiday Festival and Bake Sale on Saturday, December 2, open to the neighborhood. During the weekends of Nov 24th and Dec 2nd, we will need volunteers to sell and deliver trees, donate baked goods, and staff the bake sale. Email PTApresident@rosselementary.org to get involved!

• Ross Auction: The 16th Annual Ross Auction Committee is seeking volunteers for our 2024 event, to take place on March 2 at Toolbox Pilates Art Studio. The Ross Auction is the single largest fundraiser of the year, critical to meeting PTA fundraising goals to cover basic supplies, extracurricular activities and technology updates at Ross. It is a large undertaking, only possible with the help of this community. Beginning in late fall, we need volunteers to help with donation outreach to local businesses, event planning, and more. Please email rosselementaryauction@gmail.com if you can lend a hand!

This year, we’re excited to continue and grow our partnership with Miriam’s Kitchen, a local nonprofit working to end chronic homelessness in DC! This partnership will include a range of activities and ways for Ross families to engage, such as:

• Education around homelessness for both Ross parents and caregivers and children through speakers from Miriam’s Kitchen

• Opportunities to donate high-value items for Miriam’s Kitchen’s guests

• A student volunteer event in December, in partnership with our holiday tree sale

• A weekend family volunteer event at Miriam’s Kitchen

We’re looking for parent/caregiver volunteers to support this partnership. If you’re interested, please reach out to Liz Lowry at ptapresident@rosselementary.org.

Also, save the date for a few key events with Miriam’s Kitchen:

• Mon, Oct. 18, 12:30-1:30pm: State of Miriam’s Kitchen, to learn more about their strategic plan, programs, and ending homelessness in Washington, DC
  

• Sat, Nov. 11, 7:45-10:00am: Run 4 MK, join the Ross team for this family-friendly 5K and 10K fun run along the C&O canal. We are looking for Ross team lead!

When it comes to autumn outings with the family, most of us tend to think of a certain kind of fun — hayrides, pumpkins, slides, and all the amusement that comes with fall festivals on farms. And while they can be a blast, especially for kiddos, it’s also nice to enjoy the season in different ways, and there are plenty of them in the DC area. So, if you’re looking to spice up your autumn recreation (and not with pumpkin flavoring), here are 10 places to visit this time of year.

Do you have updates or announcements that you think would be of interest to our school community? If so, email Ross PTA Secretary Melanie Mayhew.

2023.24 DCPS Calendar

Wednesday, October 4: Walk-and-Roll-to-School Day

Monday, October 9: Indigenous People's Day (NO SCHOOL)

Friday, October 13: Parent Coffee (Parent/Teacher Conference Focus) 8:30am in Library

Thursday, October 19: Parent/Teacher Conference Day (NO SCHOOL)

Friday, October 20: Teacher Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)

October 23-27: Ross Bullying Awareness Spirit Week

Thursday, October 26: Ross Spooktacular

Friday, November 3: Professional Day for Teachers (NO SCHOOL)

Saturday, November 11: Mariam's Kitchen/Ross Fun Run, 7:45-10:00am

November 24 - December 3: Holiday Tree Sale & Festival

Saturday, February 24: Ross/Imagination Stage Theater Trip, 1:00pm

Saturday, March 2: Ross Auction

The mission of the Ross PTA is to support the education of all Ross students, to support Ross faculty and staff, to foster relationships among parents, staff and community members, and to assist faculty and staff to provide a safe and nurturing environment where all students, families and faculty can thrive and grow.

Email: ptapresident@rosselementary.org
Website: http://rosselementary.org/pta-board/
Location: 1730 R Street NW Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202.673.7200
Facebook: facebook.com/RossElementarySchool/
Twitter: @RossESDC

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