PTO Update
October 8, 2024 - Oh, The (Long) Long Weekend)
Oct. 8, 2024 - Oh, The (Long) Long Weekend
Fall is in the air. The kids are going to Cox Farm (God bless you chaperones). Halloween costumes are being delivered to (and stolen from) front stoops. Apple Weather tells me to expect highs in the 60's (make sure you pack shorts since we all know they are never right).
And...the dreaded 5-day weekend...
What is the modern parent to do? Well - you've come to the right place because I am an expert in modern parenting. And I will let you in on one of my FAVORITE go-to moves for, well, whenever my kids are in the house.
SUB-TITLES.
Yup - my kids get LOTS of screen time (some might say too much) during these long breaks from school that seem to occur basically every other week. BUT - the modern parent can kill multiple birds with one stone! By turning on the sub-title functionality in Netflix (which even works with Bluey) my kids get to practice their reading (which all experts say is really important). And bonus - it's quiet!
And an extra pro tip for you parents with older kids - try another language! A functional understanding of Mandarin can be a real resume-booster!
So go forth, enjoy the long, long, weekend and help your kids learn to read too! (Just don't quote me on any of the above - the last thing I need is CPS coming by and interrupting my kid's learning).
As always, please reach out to either Angelle (pto@ludlowtaylor.org) or Chris (ptopresident@ludlowtaylor.org) with any questions, comments, or concerns. Copying both of us on any email will enhance our ability to respond promptly.
- Angelle Baugh & Chris Hanley (PTO Co-Presidents)
The Ludlow TL;DR
No time to read the whole email? Here are the highlights:
- No school Thursday, Friday or Monday. Not sure what to do with the kids? See above. Or below.
- Future Stars is offering Days Off Camp both Thursday (LT) & Friday (Van Ness). More below.
- Walk, Bike & Roll to School is tomorrow (10/9). 7:30 at Lincoln Park.
- The ECE Committee kickoff meeting is tomorrow (10/9). 7:30 at Irregardless (502 H Street NE).
- Tea Collection discount / giveback ends tonight (10/8). 20% off for you and 15% to Ludlow.
- Custom Ink backorders have arrived and are being distributed.
- The annual LT Halloween Parade around the block will commence at 9:15 on 10/31.
- The results from the Nando's giveback are in - you raised $1,385.53 for the PTO by being willing to wait an hour for chicken. Thank you so much!
- The draft version of the Ludlow Community Directory has been distributed. We are accepting change requests through the end of the day Friday (10/11).
Future Stars Days Off Camp
No School 10/10, 10/11 or 10/14
If you're a better parent than me (and trust me, you are) you don't want your children in front of the screen all day long. That's tough this week with school being closed Thursday & Friday. Thankfully the Future Stars have a solution!
Join them on Thursday and/or Friday for Lego adventures, creative arts, sports & even sewing! You can register here. Note that the Thursday session is currently sold out but there is still availability for Friday. You can also email Mahni Hellams at mhellams@thefuturestars.net to inquire about a waiting list for Thursday.
That still leaves Monday of course. Future Stars has no programming but I believe that DC Way and Little Gym are both running day-camps if you're interested.
Walk, Bike & Roll to School - 10/9
Tomorrow is Walk, Bike & Roll to School Day! Join the LT Crew, led by Coach Smith, at Lincoln Park for a variety of fun activities culminating with a procession to school. The event starts at 7:30 and will be highlighted (in my unbiased opinion) by a performance by the LT Dancing Stars from 7:40 - 7:42.
Wear your Ludlow shirt and affiliated swag so we can all find each other.
ECE Committee Kick-Off - 10/9
The ECE Committee, led by Hannah Zlotnick, will have its first meeting on 10/9 at 7:30 pm. Join us at Irregardless (502 H Street NE) for a friendly get-together focused on how we can support ECE teachers by helping with field trips, in-school activities and a week-long celebration for Week of the Young Child (4/5 - 4/11).
PM in the AM Recap
Our first PM in the AM event (also known as Coffee Talk - seriously there is devastating internecine warfare around what to officially call this event going forward but since I'm writing today's update I win, at least for now) was held on 10/4.
Reviews from the event were mixed, largely due to a format change from last year. Instead of holding a group Q&A, Principal Miller, AP Watson and Mr. Barnes circulated amongst parents and addressed questions one-on-one.
Pros and cons obviously exist with both approaches and we've decided to shift to a hybrid format for our next PM in the AM event (11/1 at 8:30). We will do a 10 to 15 minute group and 10 to 15 minutes of one-on-ones.
In addition - Principal Miller & her team have graciously agreed to provide written answers to questions that are submitted by folks who are unable to attend in person. We have submitted these questions and will share the answers out to the community upon receipt.
Partnership Spotlight -- You Shop, Businesses Give LT Money
Tea Collection. ENDS TONIGHT (October 8), Tea Collection (the children's clothing shop) will give you 20% off your purchase AND will give LT 15% of the price of your order. Just use discount code SDF24LUDLOW at checkout.
Huge thanks to Elian Maritz and Caitlin LaRocco for setting up this opportunity. If you have a business that wants to partner with LT, let us know!
Ordering from Oriental Trading? Use LUDLOWFUN for free shipping & 10% goes to LT (Thru 10/25)
From September 16th – October 25th, use the code LUDLOWFUN at checkout and 1) you get free shipping AND 2) 10% of sales go back to the LT community.
Heard On The Street - Congrats to Eli Berengaut!
One of the small joys of getting / having to write this newsletter is the opportunity it provides to occasionally jump on the proverbial soapbox to highlight something that, while not really impactful to the community, made me smile.
So, in that vein, a huge congratulations to Eli "Striker" Berengaut who, on Saturday, scored his first soccer goal for the Fire Dragons!
He received hearty congratulations from the rest of the LT team, comprised of Ian "Twinkletoes" Flyer, Timmy "Tim-Tam" Ward-O'Connor, Henryk "Rooster" Pruski, Declan "Swabbie" Collins, Owen "Punisher" Hart, Brooks "Shooter McGavin" Hanley, Aiden "Stonewall" Davis, Graham "Grammy Lammy" DeLesDernier and honorary ex-Academic Warrior Sammy "Skillz" Segal-Knowles.
Upcoming Event Reminders
Trivia Night at Queen Vic (10/16)
Our first grade-level trivia night of the year will be held on 10/16 from 6:15 - 7:30 at Queen Vic (1206 H Street NE). This event will be for the 4th & 5th grade classes. More details will be coming soon from Room Parents!
These events proved to be very popular last year and space is limited so be sure to sign up as directed if you plan to attend.
The sign-up sheet for Trivia Night can be found here. And remember - 4th & 5th grade - we will have future nights scheduled for the other grades.
Parent's Night Out (10/22)
Our fabulous Event Committee (led by Lea Laman & Laurie Burkitt) has organized a great event for the community (that doubles as a fundraiser for both Rising Stars and the PTO)!
On 10/22 leave your kids at school with Rising Stars while you enjoy an evening out. The possibilities are endless - a movie, drinks with a friend, dinner with your partner, catching up on laundry. The world is your oyster!
But - if you've already got all the laundry done (how - I need to know how) - you can also join other LT parents for a special prix fixe menu at Irregardless (with 15% of sales being donated back to the PTO).