PTO Update

As we head back for week two of school, we'd like to give a HUGE thank you to all of the parent volunteers who helped make the first week of school a success. The Grounds Committee (led by Melanie Knapp and Will Teass) had a great turnout to prep the garden and playground; Peter Gwynn-Sackson, Evelyn Link, and Katie Hanley painted classrooms; Erica Koster (owner of Bright Bear Yoga) led a yoga class for the teachers; the Teacher Appreciation Committee provided "Survival Kits" and food for the teachers throughout Professional Development week; and members of the Spirit Committee (Katie Chamblee Ryan, Liza Reed, Heather Martin, Hannah Zlotnick, Jessica Bowron, and Krista Vogt) woke up way too early to bring the Back to School photo ops to life for K-5 and ECE, decorated the front window, and put up the wall of teacher and staff photos in the lobby. (Links are all to the @ltesconnects Instagram page. Award winning content, for sure.)

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)

• Thursday 9/5 is the first PTO meeting. There's free childcare, pizza, a uniform swap, The Future Stars Club Night, and more.
• The Future Stars (clubs) registration ends Friday 9/7.
• Cross Country tryouts are this week for interested 4th & 5th graders.
• Events Committee kickoff meeting is Wednesday 9/11.
• Movie Night is Friday 9/20.
• Planning to chaperone a field trip this year? Do the DCPS Volunteer clearance now.

Our first schoolwide PTO meeting is Thursday, 9/5 at 6pm in the Multipurpose Room--with a uniform swap beginning beforehand at 5:30 pm. Like last year, the PTO will provide pizza and childcare from Rising Stars during our meetings. RSVP here so that we order enough pizza and Rising Stars has enough staff on hand for childcare.

FAQs

• What's the agenda? We'll have an overview of the PTO and priorities for the year ahead; The Future Stars and Rising Stars will be on hand to answer your questions; and the administration has been invited to give an update on the addition construction project.
• How do I join the PTO? How much are the dues? You don't have to join the PTO. You are the PTO. There are no dues.
• I can't attend. Will there be minutes? A Zoom link? We'll miss you, but fear not -- minutes will be circulated to the PTO listserv. There will not be a Zoom link; the cafeteria acoustics just aren't great for it.

You asked for a uniform swap and we're making it happen. Here's the deal:

• Gather your gently used school uniforms,
• Drop them off before or after school at the 7th Street entrance Tuesday 9/3 and Wednesday 9/4,
• Then "shop the swap" at the 9/5 PTO meeting. You can enter the Multipurpose Room to browse uniforms beginning at 5:30 pm. However, the PTO provided childcare does not begin until 5:45 pm. All items will be free and available on a first come, first served basis. After the event, any remaining items will be donated.

This swap can only happen with the support and help of viewers like you. Volunteers are needed to collect and sort donated items Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Please consider signing up.

Registration closes Friday, 9/7 at 10 pm for this session of The Future Stars (aka after school clubs). Follow this link to register. The TFS guidebook with the Session 1 schedule is here and descriptions of the various clubs are here. The TFS team will be at the PTO meeting on 9/5 to answer any questions.

The clubs listed below need more participants if they are going to run. Please consider signing up and saving these clubs.

• Monday - Art, Gymnastics, Future Chefs, Choir
  
• Tuesday - Fishing Scouts, Steam, Soccer
  
• Wednesday - How to be a Business Tycoon Entrepreneurial Club, Story Quest Adventures (Now run by Ms. Roman and Harry Potter Themed), Girl Power, Cyber Pulse
  
• Thursday - Fantasy Writers, Fishing Scouts, Steam, Gymnastics, Yoga, Wild Writers
  
• Friday - Art, Cyber Pulse, Abstruse
  

Now that we have class assignments, let's have some class playdates. Sign up here to host a class playdate for your class. The PTO will provide each class with a $100 budget to host a playdate at the time and location of your choosing. Use the funds to get bubbles and face paint, order pizza, or whatever you'd like. Please coordinate scheduling with your class teacher to make sure everyone in the class is invited. Note: You don't have to be a room parent to host this play date. And, conversely, hosting this playdate doesn't obligate you to be room parent.

Planning to chaperone a field trip or regularly volunteer for FoodPrints? Then you need a DCPS clearance (which is good for 2 years) and you should do it now. There is a step-by-step guide to the DCPS Clearance process here on the LT website. The process is relatively quick and easy and there are multiple places to get fingerprinted, most with next-day appointments available. Provide Principal Miller's information as your DCPS Point of Contact on the form (Penelope Miller / (202) 698-3244 / penelope.miller@k12.dc.gov) and email your confirmation of approved clearance to Principal Miller, copying your homeroom teacher.

Have a 4th or 5th grader interested in cross country? Tryouts are this week after school. If you need information about cross country, please reach out to Mr. Cooper (joshua.cooper@k12.dc.gov).

Want to learn more about or help organize LT's free community events? Have ideas on how to make them even better? Just want to meet some LT parents? Then join the Events Committee, co-chaired by Laurie Burkitt (2nd grade parent) and Lea Laman (1st grade parent), for a kickoff meeting at the home of Lea and Dave Laman (612 8th Street NE).

Additional details for this annual community event will be shared soon.

Don’t miss an amazing opportunity to celebrate the new school year (and raise funds for LT) at our inaugural Family Drag Brunch @ neighborhood favorite, Fresca. On Sunday, September 8 from 10AM-12PM, there will be good food and fun for the whole family! Tickets are limited and are available here!

(This is a Family Experience from last year’s auction that was rescheduled for the Fall!)

Save the date! Back to School Night is an opportunity for parents to come into the school to get an overview of the academic year, chat with teachers, and see our classrooms. As in prior years, Back to School Night is intended to be for parents and caregivers, not students. (Though, in the past, Principal Miller has given guidance that if you need to bring your kids in order to attend, it is fine to do so.) Principal Miller will provide additional information about this event.

New and returning families are encouraged to join the first LSAT meeting of the year which will be held in person (with following meetings likely to occur via Zoom). The PTO will provide free pizza and childcare from the Rising Stars.