PTA Updates

Ross is again partnering with Imagination Stage for a special discounted theater outing to the children's theater, which is a ten-minute walk from the Bethesda metro station. Please get your tickets for Cinderella: A Salsa Fairytale on February 24 at 1:00pm. The Ross community can use the code "Ross15" to save 15% on the tickets. (Note: This code does not apply to balcony tickets.)

Ross is hosting its first winter concert, directed by Ms. Hailu, on Thursday, January 11 at Garrison Elementary. Artwork will be displayed by Ms. Cirillo. Students should arrive for dress rehearsal at 5:30pm; the program begins at 6:15pm (doors open at 6:00pm). Students are asked to wear any combination of solid black and white clothing. Students can wear formal shoes or sneakers. Also, Ross is in search of a parent to volunteer to video-record the performance so it can be shared with families who cannot be there and so the music teacher can use it to review the performance with students. If you are available to do this, please contact Selam-Amy.Hailu@k12.dc.gov.

Registration is open for the 2024 Ross auction, which will be held on March 2, 2024 at 6:00pm at Toolbox Pilates Art Studio! Learn more and buy your tickets here for Ross Auction: The Mixtape. The annual auction is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. This year, we’ll celebrate the time before Tik Tok, before Youtube, before Netflix. The tunes will be 90’s. The drinks will be flowing. Fun will be had by all! We are seeking:

• Donated items (donation form is here; some examples include gift cards, gift baskets, or unopened sought-after items like LEGO sets)
• Experiences (host a dinner or party, give airline or hotel points, etc.)
• Ask businesses and people you know in the community to donate
• Sponsorships (Ice Ice Baby at $250, Smells Like Teen Spirit at $500, Waterfalls at $1,000, Wonderwall at $2,500)
• Someone with video production skills to create a video for the auction

Show the Ross community how much you love it by attending, contributing to and spreading the word about the auction. Proceeds from the auction will fund basic classroom supplies, vital extracurricular activities and important technology updates at Ross. Have questions? Contact rosselementaryauction@gmail.com.

Parents of elementary school children are invited to attend a virtual workshop coordinated by Ross school counselor Jillian Sharkey on Monday, January 22, from 7:00-8:00pm with Dr. Francois Williams, focusing on childhood anxiety. This online session will help you identify anxiety in children and provide you with effective strategies for support both at home and in collaboration with their schools.

Dr. Williams completed his studies at Xavier University of Louisiana and Morehouse School of Medicine, with further training in adult psychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine. His expertise in group psychotherapy and DBT is complemented by his current role as a child and adolescent psychiatry fellow at Georgetown University Hospital and his private practice, where he leads parenting groups.

Workshop highlights:

• Differentiating normal behaviors from signs of anxiety in children
• Parental roles in easing childhood anxiety
• Practical strategies for home and school environments
• This virtual workshop is a fantastic opportunity to gain insight and tools for supporting your child's emotional development and mental health

Zoom Link and RSVP: https://georgetown.zoom.us/j/92840430765

Following regular testing by DCPS and the DC Department of General Services, the city found that all drinking water results were below the actionable level of five ppb. Learn more in the PDF below.

• DC Public Library MLK event
• MLK Peace Walk
• Kennedy Center "Let Freedom Ring" celebration
• National Park Service volunteer opportunities
• Rock Creek Conservancy volunteer opportunities
• AmeriCorps volunteer opportunities
• Family-friendly volunteer opportunities (for anytime of the year)

Congratulations to Ross parent Libby Franklin, who was elected on January 4 to be the next 2B07 ANC commissioner. She will begin serving on the Dupont ANC after being sworn in by a councilmember; the boundaries of her area can be found here. Want to learn more about Area Neighborhood Commissions? Click here.

On January 14, catch a performance by The Great Zucchini at Hook Hall in Petworth. The show is part of the venue's weekly Family Funday series. Admission is $5/family, and coffee and drinks are available for purchase along with kid-friendly breakfast and snacks.

2023.24 DCPS Calendar

Thursday, January 11: Ross Winter Concert and Art Show (Garrison Elementary School)

Monday, January 15: NO SCHOOL

Thursday, January 18: Ross Open House #3 (9:30-10:30am)

Monday, January 22: January LSAT (5:15pm, virtual); Ross Parenting Workshop on Anxious Children (7:00-8:00pm; RSVP here)

Friday, January 26: NO SCHOOL

Friday, February 2: Ross Learning Celebrations (9:00am)

Friday, February 16: NO SCHOOL

Monday, February 19: NO SCHOOL

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

Friday, March 1: MySchoolDC Lottery Closes (PK3 - Grade 8)

Saturday, March 2: Ross Auction (6:00pm, Toolbox Pilates Art Studio; learn more here)

Thursday, March 14: Parent-Teacher Conferences, NO SCHOOL

Friday, March 15: NO SCHOOL

Friday, April 5: NO SCHOOL

Monday, April 15 - Friday, April 19: NO SCHOOL

Monday, May 27: NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, June 4: NO SCHOOL

Monday, June 17: Last Day of School Year

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

If this email was forwarded to you, subscribe to Ross PTA emails here.

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.