Greetings Washington Families,

We’ve got a lot of exciting things happening at school! First up, a quick reminder about carpool—please take a look at this week’s notes to help us keep arrival and dismissal smooth and safe for everyone. This Thursday, we invite all students to dress as their favorite book character. All students are invited to join me and dress as one of the 101 Dalmations to celebrate Washington's 101st year! I will be dressed as Cruella DeVille!

Reminders about student costumes:

• No props such as wands, shields or toy weapons of any kind.
• No face masks or scary costumes.
• Costumes should still allow for easy bathroom use throughout the day.
• Costumes and footwear should still be appropriate for recess, specials, electives.

Our PTA is gearing up for International Night and would love to see even more families get involved to show off the incredible diversity here at Washington. Right now, we have eight countries represented: Cuba, Nepal, Palestine, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Vietnam, and India. If you have any items—photos, toys, clothing, maps, or anything else from your family’s country—you’d like to share, please consider joining in. It’s a wonderful way to celebrate our global community!

Lastly, thanks to your amazing support, we’re over halfway to our Shining Star Fundraiser goal of $24,000! Every dollar raised goes straight back to supporting Washington’s students, staff, and programs, so please feel free to share our PTA’s fundraiser with family and friends. Let’s keep the momentum going and reach for the stars!

Let's make it a great week at 1000 Fayetteville Street!

Magically,

Catie Burnette

Principal

Bio: I have been teaching at Washington since 2001. I started as a resource teacher and have worked with K-5 grades. One of my claims to fame is that I have had classrooms on every floor of the school building! I love teaching kids and learning all kinds of new things in the process of being an educator. My own education began at Carrboro Elementary School. I graduated from Chapel Hill High School and then left North Carolina to go to Grinnell College in a little farm town in Iowa. I studied abroad in Zimbabwe and loved exploring southern Africa. After I graduated, I got my first teaching job at the Wright School in Durham. When I decided to get my master's degree in teaching, I headed out to the University of Oregon for two years. While I was out west, I developed a love for hiking and exploring the beautiful forests in our country. One of my lifelong dreams came true when I got the chance to take my daughter Naomi to Sequoia National Park in California. We slept under the towering 300 year old giant trees. I am grateful for the opportunity to teach Washington's Wizards!

Alumni: Grinnell College, University of Oregon

Favorite Quote: “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." -Mother Teresa

Favorite Children's Book: Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Gifts & Talents: Chicken Keeper & World Traveler

• Need extra time to buckle? Pull up near the white sign.
• If you are passing cars after the carpool loop, please drive slowly!
• When loading/unloading, please make sure you are within the yellow line to allow traffic to flow.
• Please stay in your car during carpool. Students in carpool must be picked up in the carpool loop or through the front office. We will help students who are loading/unloading.

This week, we’re excited to kick off a new recognition initiative established by our Equity Team, celebrating students who are community builders in their classrooms and throughout the school! Each month, 2-3 students from each classroom will be recognized for the positive ways they support their classmates, teachers, and our entire school community. Our October Community Builders will be celebrated this Monday—We are so proud of how our students support each other and give back to our school community!

Calling all WES families to display and present items on tables for International Night next month!

PTA currently has 8 countries represented: Cuba, Nepal, Palestine, Philippines, Poland, Spain, Vietnam and India. They would love to have more countries because Washington is so diverse! If you have any pictures, toys, dolls, games, clothing, maps, facts, posters, etc. to showcase your country, they would love to see it! If your family would like to pick a country to learn and write about, and display, that’s great too. During the event, students will have a “passport” for to go to different countries and learn about them.

We’re thrilled to announce that we’ve reached an amazing milestone in our Shining Star Fundraiser—thanks to your incredible support through the Fall Carnival and Five Dollar Friday, we’ve raised $13,782! 🎉 This means we’ve blown past our $10,000 incentive, so get ready to see Ms. Burnette and Mr. Barilich eat something YUCKY on the school news! Plus, we’re less than $2K away from our next goal, where Ms. Burnette and Ms. Ratley will get pied in the face by two lucky student donors!

Let’s keep the momentum going as we *REACH FOR THE STARS* and work towards our goal of $24,000 to support our school programs and students. Thank you for shining so bright, WashinGTon! 🌟

The Book Fair is here! Our online book fair is officially open and runs through Friday, November 22. You can shop online anytime, but this special online event is happening NOW! The in-person book fair will be held in the Media Center from November 18-22, with a special evening shopping session during International Night on November 21 from 6:00-7:30pm. Don’t miss this great opportunity to support our school and discover new books for the whole family!

Washington families are invited to join the fun and support a great cause at Enloe Charity Ball's Trunk or Treat event on Sunday, October 29th, from 4:00-6:00 PM at Enloe High School. This event is free to attend, but a suggested donation of $5 per family is encouraged to help raise funds for Enloe Charity Ball and their beneficiary, Neighbor 2 Neighbor. Parking will be off Bertie Drive, with the Trunk or Treat activities taking place in the stadium parking lot. As a feeder school for Enloe, it would be great to see our Washington Wizards come out to enjoy the festivities while supporting a great cause!

K: Shivanyaa Shri

1st: Srimayuk

2nd: Carolina

3rd: Tisha

4th: Graham

5th: Larkyn

• Thursday, October 31: End of 1st Quarter
• Thursday, October 31: Students are invited to dress in book character costumes.

  • Reminders about student costumes:

    • No props such as wands, shields or toy weapons of any kind.

    • No face masks or scary costumes.

    • Costumes should still allow for easy bathroom use throughout the day.

    • Costumes and footwear should still be appropriate for recess, specials, electives.

• Friday, November 1: Teacher Workday, No School for Students

• Tuesday, November 5: Teacher Workday, No School for Students (GO VOTE!)
• Monday, November 11: Holiday, School Closed
• Thursday, November 21: International Night, 6:00-7:30pm

• 2024-25 Student/Parent Handbook (English)
• 2024-25 Student/Parent Handbook (Spanish)