PTA Newsletter

Dear Ross Community,

This was my third Ross auction year and my behavior was predictable: if it's "for the kids," I will treat that auction like Supermarket Sweep (I wasn't alive when this came out, but those reruns in childhood summers were fantastic--I digress). So if you see me breeze by you soon with my professionally arranged flowers after a yoga class, remember: it was for the kids!

On to celebrating: you absolute winners drummed up nearly $50,000 for these children, and not enough can be said for how amazing you all are. Volunteering, bidding, donating, attending--you showed up, and our kids will benefit greatly from it. Details below on how to pick up any goodies you may have outbid me on. 😆

Thank you all for your dedication, advocacy, and ⭐rock-star🌟contributions to the Ross Community. See you next week!

Aimee

The annual Ross auction concluded on Saturday, raising $49,274 for our school, coming this close to our $50,000 goal. Our school and wider community came together during an economically challenging time to invest in our school, and we cannot thank you enough for your support.

Thank You!

Thank you to many–including those who bid a whopping 673 times on items and experiences, and to the 100 people who attended the auction. In particular, we want to thank Ilvina Mann and a group of dedicated volunteers for working for months on the auction; Toolbox Pilates Art Studio owners and Ross parents Alex and Iva Gotzev, who donated the space for the auction; business owners and Ross families who generously donated items and experiences and spread the word about the auction; Ross teachers and staff, who designed Ross experiences to auction; our sponsors, who each contributed from $250-$5,000 to the auction; Jared Graham from Keegan Theater for leading the live auction; and many others, who helped in ways big and small. We couldn’t have done it without the combined magic of many!

Win an Item or Experience?

Did you win something in the auction? If you weren’t at the auction, you can collect your winnings on the Ross playground this week from 8:30-9:00am on Tuesday and Friday, or from 4:00-5:00pm on Thursday. Look for Sarah Berglund at the picnic benches for morning pickups, and Libby Franklin at the benches for the Thursday pickup. If those pickup times don’t work for you, contact rosselementaryauction@gmail.com to coordinate.

If you won tickets to a ticketed event (flower arranging or champagne class), or won a classroom experience, organizers will be in touch with you.

Still Want to Chip In? See Something on the Website that Didn’t Sell?

We are still aiming to reach our $50,000 goal and are just a few hundred dollars short. Want to give a tax-deductible donation to help us reach our goal? You can do that here.

There is a small assortment of items and experiences that didn’t receive bids at the auction. Soon, we will reopen these items to buy (no bidding), first come, first served. Watch your email for this announcement!

For more information on the recent continuing resolution (CR) and the ensuing DC Local Funds Act 2025, which awaits a House of Representatives vote, read "Five Misunderstandings About the Congressional Bill to Protect the District’s Budget," published by the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. Free DC has provided a list of House members nationwide with a call script to contact House members so that each representative hears from a DC resident (full advocacy instructions here).

Join the Church Street Block Party on Sat, Apr 5, from 12 to 5 pm for food, drinks, music, and fun! There will be performances, kids' activities, tours of St. Thomas Church, a taco food truck provided by Keegan Theatre, a PetZone sponsored by Doggy Style, and more!

The second annual Blossoming at the Library starts on April 12 from 1:00PM-4:00PM. The following activities for adults and children are planned with the cooperation of the library's partners:

• Georgetown Main Street-Opening and welcoming visitors for the Georgetown Flower Tour

• Georgetown Library Friends-Used book sale, seeds donation

• Georgetown Garden Club- Plants share, planting demonstration, information about landscaping around the library

• Georgetown Village- gardening information

• Tudor Place- gardening related activity

• Children's department-Kids activities

• Georgetown Library-Adult activities

• Maracas Pops-ice pops

• Local social groups-plants and seeds exchange

The event will take place outside in front and back of the library area. If rainy, the event will move indoors. Location: Georgetown Neighborhood Library, 3260 R Street NW, Washington DC. Contact for more information: 202 834 3557.

The Story of Our Schools is hosting their 9th Annual Rooftop Bash on Friday, May 30th from 6:00 to 9:00pm. This year, the party will be held on the rooftop terrace of Franklin Tower in downtown DC. The celebration will include a silent auction, live music, open bar, food, games, and a short speaking program. This is The Story of Our Schools' largest fundraiser of the year! Here are a few ways to support:

• Check your calendar and save the date.

• Invite friends, buy early bird tickets, and join the party! Use code JOY2025 for an extra discount until Wednesday, March 26.

• Become a sponsor and showcase your commitment to DC school communities.

• Donate an item, service, or experience to the silent auction.

• Make a 100% tax deductible donation.

DCPS School Year 2024-2025 Calendar

Friday, April 4: Term 3 Learning Celebrations

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

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

April 22-May 12: CAPE testing window (All students in grades 3-5)

Wednesday, May 21: DC Music Festival (grades 3-4)

Monday, May 26: Memorial Day Holiday, NO SCHOOL

Thursday, May 29: Field Day (K-5), Marie Reed Field

Wednesday, June 4: 4th grade extended day trip to Hard Bargain Farm

Thursday/Friday, June 5-6: 5th grade overnight trip to Hard Bargain Farm

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.