PTA Updates

On Friday, November 17, the PTA will organize a potluck breakfast buffet to show our gratitude for Ross teachers and staff. Please sign up here to contribute a delicious treat or help with set up or clean up. All food items must be dropped off the morning of Friday, November 17 between 7:45am and 8:00am in the staff kitchen/lounge. For food donations, please assume you are feeding 12 people, make sure the food is nut-free, and label the dish (make sure to include if a food item is vegan or gluten free).

This holiday season, your gift-giving can support Ross! Find fun, Ross-themed gifts for friends, family, kids, and pets in our new, online holiday store! Order by Nov. 21 to avoid shipping fees, and pick up your items at Ross the week of Dec. 18th. All proceeds support the Ross PTA. Questions? Contact Sarah Berglund at rossmerchandise@gmail.com.

THANK YOU to the 56 Ross families and staff who have donated to our Fall for Ross fundraising drive so far!! We are 70% of the way to our goal of raising $50,000. With just over $15K left to raise, we need your help!

To inspire participation from more Ross families, we're holding a class competition. The class(es) with the most participation by Nov 15th will win an extra recess! (Participation is measured as the percentage of families from that class that have made a monetary donation of any amount through the Fall for Ross drive.) Below are the current standings:

Fall for Ross Participation by Class:

• Plucky Panthers (K-Eickmeyer) - 63%
• Wise Wolves (1st) - 54%
• Friendly Frogs (PK4) - 45%
• Fearless Ferrets (4th) - 43%
• Powerful Penguins (3rd) - 34%
• Mindful Meerkats (5th) - 23%
• Brave Blue Jays (K-Sawyer) - 20%
• Kind Cobras (2nd) - 14%

We're asking all Ross families to consider giving at least $50/month ($600 annually) to help the PTA continue to fund operational expenses at Ross and support our community. If $600 isn't possible for your family, please contribute what you can. Everything helps!

Donate today, and help the PTA support Ross!

The annual Holiday Tree Sale and Bake Sale are important fundraising events for Ross and wonderful community-building activities for our school, Ross families, and our neighbors. And we need the support of volunteers to make them a success! Please donate your time to support our school and engage with our community.

The Tree Sale:

• When: The weekends of November 25-26 and December 2-3 on the Ross field.
• How you can help: Volunteers are needed to sell trees onsite and/or deliver trees, in 2-3 hour shifts.
• Sign up to help here!

The Bake Sale:

• When: Saturday, December 2 on the Ross playground.
• How you can help: We are in urgent need of a parent (or parents) to take the lead on organizing the bake sale! Parents who have led the sale in previous years are available to plan and support, but aren't able to lead this year. Email PTApresident@rosselementary.org to help.
• Volunteers will be needed to bake and donate goodies and staff the sale on December 2.

Questions? Email PTApresident@rosselementary.org

We need parent volunteers to help with upcoming open houses for prospective families. Please contact sushmitajena@gmail.com to volunteer.

• Thursday, November 9 from 9:00-10:30am
• Saturday, December 2 (Super Saturday) Time TBD
• Thursday, January 18 from 9:00-10:30am

Ross’s first Learning Celebration of the year will occur Tuesday, November 21, from 9:00-9:30am. At this informal event, you will sit with your child for 15-20 minutes as they show and explain the great work they completed during the first quarter of school. The celebration is intended to foster communication between a student and his/her family, and there is no presentation from school staff. Three more Learning Celebrations will occur later in the year (February 2, April 12, and June 7).

The Ross Enrichment Committee would like to know about your family's interest in a potential new after-school STEM program, before-school yoga, and the before-school Spanish program that started this fall. Please take a few minutes to fill out this survey.

We're looking for someone with WordPress experience who would be willing to help make minor updates to the Ross website. If you're able to help, please email PTApresident@rosselementary.org.

The Ross Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) is meeting virtually on Monday, November 13 at 5:15pm. The LSAT will review enrollment projections for the 24-25 school year, which were released to schools on Monday; Principal Searl and the LSAT will review them and submit feedback or petitions for changes. Also, the LSAT will discuss proposals in the ongoing Student Assignment and Boundary Study that may affect Ross. All LSAT meetings are open to the entire community and can be accessed at this link.

Ross students feed into School Without Walls at Francis-Stevens (Francis-Stevens or SWWFS) for 6th through 8th grade. Francis-Stevens will enjoy a brand new, fully modernized building starting next year at its 24th and N St NW location. All Ross students and parents, especially those in 4th and 5th grade, are encouraged to attend an open house to hear more from the Francis-Stevens leadership about their school.

In particular, we encourage Ross families to visit on Monday, November 13 at 9:00am as a group. You can register for the November 13 open house or a later date here. (Open houses take place in their temporary space on Euclid St.) The LSAT will also be organizing opportunities later in the year for Ross parents to speak to parents of Ross alumni at Francis-Stevens.

DCPS will convene a public budget hearing on Tuesday, November 14, at 6:00pm. The purpose of the hearing is to gather input from the public about the upcoming fiscal year 2025 (school year 2024-2025) budget. Members of the public are invited to provide testimony at the hearing. Individuals or groups wishing to testify should register online here by Friday, November 10.

POC: ceo.info@k12.dc.gov

KidFriendly DC has released its annual guide to the holiday season around the DC area, categorized and listed by starting date. You can find it here, or peruse the links below.

• Light Displays
• Holiday Shows
• Special Events
• Tree Lightings
• Chanukah
• Holiday Markets

2023.24 DCPS Calendar

Thursday, November 9: Ross Open House #1 (9:00-10:30am)

Friday, November 10: Veteran's Day (NO SCHOOL)

Saturday, November 11: Mariam's Kitchen/Ross Fun Run, 7:45-10:00am

Monday, November 13: Francis-Stevens Middle School Open House (9:00am)

Monday, November 13: Ross LSAT (virtual, 5:15pm)

Monday-Tuesday, November 21-22: No EDCJCC Aftercare

Tuesday, November 21: Learning Celebrations (9:00am, your child's classrooms)

Wednesday-Friday, November 22-24: NO SCHOOL, Thanksgiving Holiday

November 24 - December 3: Holiday Tree Sale & Festival

Saturday, December 2: SUPER Saturday at Ross (Tree Sale, Bake Sale, Book Fair, Open House #2)

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

Thursday, January 18: Ross Open House #3 (9:00-10:30am)

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

Saturday, March 2: Ross Auction

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
Facebook: facebook.com/RossElementarySchool/
Twitter: @RossESDC

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.