PTA Newsletter

Dear Ross Community,

As we dragged our children out the front of our building today (I wish this were code for "they bounded out with delight," but it isn't), we all noticed a welcome new development: spring flowers have started peeking through the soil. The previously recalcitrant children jumped for joy, my Roadrunner declaring: "I DON'T EVEN NEED A JACKET! I LOVE SPRING!" Hallelujah. 🪷

We've got a lot for you this week: a reminder about tomorrow's PTA meeting and next month's auction, and then quite a few new updates for you (spring after-school program registration is upon us, set your alarms) as well as many happenings around town. I hope to see you tomorrow night virtually at the PTA meeting, and at some point this week IRL basking in this week's mild weather. 😎

Until next week,

Aimee

The Ross PTA will hold the second general body (open to everyone) meeting of the year Wednesday, February 26, from 7:00-7:30 pm virtually via Zoom (link to join; Meeting ID: 875 7665 5108; Passcode: zAiii5). This will be followed by a special Peace of Mind virtual session from 7:30-8:15 pm on mindful meditation for parents and caregivers, hosted by Chapin Springer (pictured):

In today’s fast-paced world, students aren’t the only ones who sometimes feel overwhelmed and could use a little space to create calm and a sense of wellbeing – parents and caregivers need it too! Join us for a special virtual session on ‘Mindful Meditation for Parents & Caregivers’ with Peace of Mind board member and certified mindfulness meditation teacher, and former Peace of Mind parent, Chapin Springer. Chapin will share practical tools and insights to help parents cultivate calm, resilience, and deeper connections with their children, similar to those students are learning through the Peace of Mind curriculum. Don’t miss this opportunity to support your well-being and your family bonds.

Join us to hear from the principal and about the latest updates, events and activities, and stay for the Peace of Mind session if you can!

This year’s Ross Auction, which raises about a third of the money the PTA needs to support the school and community-building events, will be held at Toolbox Pilates Art Studio on Saturday, March 22 at 7:00pm. The online auction will open soon. This adults-only event is a lot of fun–please book your babysitter soon.

Ticket sales are open for the prom-night-themed event--buy them here! Tickets, which cover food and an open bar, are $60/person. This is a suggested donation (see instructions on website for more information).

The auction relies on sponsors to help us meet our fundraising goals. Would your family or business like to sponsor through a tax-deductible donation? You can be a sponsor at the following levels:

• Sequin ($250)
• Bow tie ($500)
• Past curfew ($1,000)
• Prom kings and queens ($2,500)

Learn more here: https://one.bidpal.net/ross2025/welcome. Questions? Write to rosselementaryauction@gmail.com.

iGen’s After School Program provides a safe, secure, and engaging environment for children to enjoy the company of friends while participating in developmentally and age-appropriate STEAM activities. The STEAM Club is open to all grades and is exclusively for Ross students. The spring session will run from March 31 to June 13, 2025 and runs Monday through Friday until 6:00 pm. Sessions will be held at the iGen Dupont Learning Center at 1623 Connecticut Ave NW and iGen will pick up students from school. Closures follow the DCPS calendar. A 10% discount is applied for the second/additional program (days) added and for siblings. For more information and to register, click here.

Information from the JCC on upcoming registration:

[The] Spring 2025 session will be opening on February 26th at 11:00am. This session will begin on March 31st and go until the end of the school year.

We are excited to be offering a new enrichment class on Fridays! Lego Robotics hosted by CodeAdvantage! Please see the attached policies and procedures page for pricing and enrichment schedules!

As a reminder, registration is on our portal called MyEDCJCC. If this is your first time using this portal, please read this email fully. If this is not your first time using this account, please familiarize yourself with the portal, and check to make sure an accurate credit card is on file under stored account. This will make signing up a lot easier for you and save you time. Please reach out with any questions about this, or if you notice anything on your account that needs correcting.

MY EDCJCC (our registration portal)

Registration for Spring After School will open on February 26th at 11:00am and will be a MUCH smoother process if you have already created your account.

CREATING YOUR ACCOUNT (Only do this if you do not already have an account)

You will all need to create accounts in our new system to register for Fall After School. Please follow these steps to do so:

1. You will go to https://edcjcc.my.site.com and see the option to “Create Account.” You will then receive an email confirmation prompting you to create a password for your account from noreply@edcjcc.org (check your spam folder if you don’t see it immediately in your inbox). Click on the link in the email and complete sign-up! The link in the welcome email is good for 7 days.
2. Once you have created your password and logged into your account, you will likely see information already populated in your Household record. Anyone who had an account in our prior registration systems (like campminder) has been brought over into the new system already. HOWEVER, please take a few minutes to check and update the information in your account. Use the Create New Contact option to add household members. Make sure that all adults have up-to-date contact information and that all children have accurate birthdates. And please store a valid credit card on file as payment method under “Stored Accounts” prior to the registration date.

REGISTERING FOR Spring AFTERSCHOOL 2025

Here is the link to register. You can click this link now and view all the course options and prices! You can also head over to our website and find the registration link there, with the course options, prices, and calendar. https://www.edcjcc.org/programs/after-school/

On February 26th click the link and start registering. If you are redirected to sign in and it brings you to the home page, click on “Sign Up for Upcoming Programs.” You’ll see a list of Category options on the left side of the screen – select Youth & Family. Then select “School-Aged Programming” as the program to see all the winter options.

To register in an individual class, expand the options and select the class option you want. Please note the following:

• It will prompt you to select which of your household members should be registered. Please select the CHILD, not the parent in this option.
• If you want to register more than one child for the same class, select both children.
• You can register for as many classes as you want at the same time – the system uses a shopping cart model, so you will see the shopping cart in the top right corner with a timer.

Calendar

Attached is the updated Winter/Spring 2025 Calendar with important dates that the EDCJCC After School is closed due to holidays, center-wide events, and DCPS school closures.

Please contact Willa Cohen (wcohen@edcjcc.org) or Arielle Bodner (abodner@edcjcc.org) with questions.

Councilmember Nadeau (Ward 1) has put together resources on her website for employees impacted by recent federal actions. There is info on unemployment, job training, housing, health care, and more.

The Maryland Public Servants Resources website offers resources for workers impacted by recent federal actions. Many of the links provided are of general interest for those who live outside Maryland.

The AFL-CIO's Community Services Agency's Resources for Federal Workers includes more information about support services across the region.

My School DC is the common application and public school lottery for participating public and public charter schools in the District that serve PK3 – Grade 12.

My School DC is a random lottery. There is no advantage to applying first; however, applicants must apply by the application deadlines: February 3, 2025 for grades 9-12, and March 3, 2025 for PK3 – grade 8.

My School DC, in partnership with DC Public Schools (DCPS) and the majority of DC public charter schools, makes it easier for families to take advantage of DC's many school options.

The My School DC application

The My School DC application is a single online application you must use to apply if you want your child to be a NEW student at a:

• PK3 or PK4 program at any DCPS school, including your in-boundary school and any DCPS Early Action PK school
• Dual-language strand at any DCPS in-boundary elementary school (PK3 – Grade 5)
• DCPS school outside your boundary or feeder pattern for any grade (PK3 – Grade 12), including DCPS citywide schools
• DCPS selective high schools and programs (Grades 9-12)
• Participating public charter schools (PK3 – Grade 12)

Participating schools will only accept the My School DC application available at MySchoolDC.org. Each student can apply to up to 12 schools. On each student’s application, a family should list schools in order of preference. Parents should only apply to schools they want their child to attend.

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) has developed the DC Survey About Your School (DC SAYS) to learn from our students, staff, and families. For the first time this spring, we are offering these surveys to all parents and caregivers of students attending DC Public Schools (DCPS) and public charter schools.

A summary of survey feedback will be shared with leadership at your school, local education agency (LEA), and city. It will also be published on the DC School Report Card in December. Learn more about the surveys on OSSE's School Climate Survey Page. Access the survey here or at by using the QR code in the accompanying image. The survey window opened yesterday (2/24) and will remain open until March 28.

Are you Home-Rule Curious? Want to find out what is happening this week in an ever-changing situation? Are you concerned about how to protect DC's autonomy?

Join us for our weekly DC Home Rule meeting where we'll be discussing the latest movements on the subject, figuring out what happens if the Control Board is reinstated in DC, and strategizing about how we can take pro-active and re-active actions.

Sunday, Feb. 23rd at 2PM
The Avenue
Basement Level
5540 Connecticut Ave

Can't make it? Sign up for updates at www.dccitizens.com

Visit us on the first Sunday and second Wednesday of each month for free museum admission. Take this opportunity to explore our collection and current exhibitions. For more information and to get a ticket for [the] 11 am performance, check out the Pop-up Performance: Molly Grace event webpage.

There will be art-making in the Open Studio from 10-4, Collection Highlights Tours from 11-2, and open access to the Library and Research Center and Exhibitions throughout the day (10-5).

In celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, Mayor Muriel Bowser is inviting residents to register for the 7th Annual FITDC HerStory 5K, which will take place on Saturday, March 8, at Freedom Plaza in Downtown DC. The event will begin at 8:00 a.m., with the Kids Dash at 9:15 a.m., and the 2025 HerStory 5K at 10:00 a.m. Registration is now open at HerStory5k.com.

Get ready for a lively celebration in downtown DC, starting with a pre-race program with speakers, including Mayor Bowser, a beautiful route down Pennsylvania Avenue, displays showcasing inspiring stories and quotes from trailblazing women, interactive exhibits highlighting women’s history, and a post-race festival with music, giveaways, and vendors from local women-owned businesses.

Find NMWA educators at the National Building Museum for an activity inspired by the exhibition Building Stories. Building Stories brings kids and adults on an immersive exploration of the worlds of architecture, engineering, construction, and design found in the pages of children’s books. The exhibition is geared toward an intergenerational audience, with special attention paid to children in grades K through 3 and their parents and caregivers.

Registration is free and recommended. Find more information and tickets here.

Join us for a dynamic, all-inclusive, positive day of training and education, where you'll improve your skills under the guidance of talented Georgetown Soccer players. With our rotational program, participants are grouped by age and skill level where they will learn from each of our athletes, focusing on a specific skillset. We’ll conclude with a fun session of scrimmages and an educational portion on life as a student athlete and pursuing collegiate athletics. All skills levels welcome! Boys & Girls, Ages 8-17. Participants are separated by age and skill level to form the appropriate training groups. Limited spots available. Tickets available here.

Join our before-school programming partner, Isabella and Ferdinand, as they celebrate Latin America's rich culture at their "País Invitado" fundraising event at the St. Mary Armenian Church. Enjoy music, food, cultural presentations, and an artisan market while helping raise funds for the País Invitado project. More info and GoFundMe campaign can be found here; buy tickets here.

The País Invitado Project by Isabella & Ferdinand Academia de Español brings Latin American artisans and cultural ambassadors to Washington, DC, to share their traditions, language, and art with our students. Since traveling with children to every country isn't easy, we bring the culture to them!

DCPS School Year 2024-2025 Calendar

Wednesday, February 26: PTA General Body Meeting (virtual) including Peace of Mind Parent Education, 7:00-8:15 pm; Click here for Zoom link; Meeting ID: 875 7665 5108; Passcode: zAiii5

Friday, February 28: Floor wide Morning Meetings and February Birthday celebrations

Monday, March 3: Deadline for MySchoolDC lottery for PK-8th grade

Thursday, March 13: Parent/Teacher Conferences, NO SCHOOL

Friday, March 14: WTU Wellness Day, NO SCHOOL

Saturday, March 22: Ross Auction, Toolbox Pilates Art Studio, 7-10 pm

Monday, April 7: PD/Records Day for Staff, NO SCHOOL

Monday, April 14-Friday, April 18: Spring Break, NO SCHOOL

About the Ross PTA

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

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Do you have updates or announcements that you think would be of interest to our school community? If so, please email me here.