PTA Updates

On Thursday, October 26, Ross students and families will meet on the Ross field and playground starting at 4:30pm for the annual Ross Halloween Spooktacular, with music, games, crafts and prizes! Costumes encouraged, and bring your treat bags! We need adult and student volunteers to help with games, trick or treating and more! SIGN UP HERE

Starting at 6:00pm, kids and parents will depart in groups for Trick-or-Treating on 17th Street, supported by our Ross neighborhood businesses. Groups will depart by class/grade. Parents and guardians should plan to accompany their child at all times. Siblings welcome.

Neighborhood restaurants will offer Ross families discounts on dinner that night, including: Floriana (20%), Mikko (15%), DC Vegan (10%), Annie's (10%), and others.

As a Ross community, we recognize the importance of creating a bullying-free school environment. We are looking forward to learning more about bullying prevention and exploring ways to continue fostering a safe school community. Throughout the month, your child will have an opportunity to learn more about bullying prevention during morning meetings and closing circle time. In addition, Ms. Sharkey, our school counselor, will visit all classrooms to complete bullying awareness classroom lessons geared towards each grade level needs. During the last week of October, Ross will conclude bullying awareness month with a spirit week, while also providing an opportunity for each student to make the Ross pledge to stand up against bullying.

Spirit Week 10/23-10/27

• Monday, 10/23: We are united! Wear orange to show unity for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion and to send a visible message that no child should ever experience bullying.
• Tuesday, 10/24: We can walk in other people’s shoes. Wear your favorite shoes to symbolize walking in someone else’s shoes.
• Wednesday, 10/25: Throw Kindness Around Like Confetti! Wear as many different colors as you can!
• Thursday, 10/26: We Are a Team! Wear a team jersey or number on your shirt to show “everyone counts.”
• Friday, 10/27: We are Ross Elementary School and we do not bully. Wear school colors or Ross t-shirt to celebrate coming together as a school community to promote a bullying free environment.
  

Do you have coats and other winter wear your kids no longer need, but that are clean and in good shape? If so, please contribute your coats, snow pants, hats, gloves, scarves, heavy sweaters, sweatshirts and boots through October 25. Please leave these items downstairs by the cafeteria in the marked bin. The mornings of October 25, 26 and 27, we'll have tables set up on the playground, where you can "shop" for free for these items (and donate any others that you may have on hand). Any items that aren't claimed will be donated to a nearby charity or school. Questions? Contact melanie.mayhew@gmail.com and sbottum@gmail.com.

Ross school pictures are now online for viewing and purchasing. At this point, all families of photographed students should have received an email from Freed Photography with private gallery information. If you have not received this (check your spam too), please contact them at support@freedphoto.com or call 301-652-5452

The PTA's annual Fall for Ross fundraising and engagement drive is underway. This fall, we ask you to support the Ross PTA and help us to continue to host community-building events; support our teachers and staff; and enable Principal Searl to invest more of Ross's DCPS budget in staffing!

How is the PTA Budget Used?

• $98.5K (63%) of the annual PTA budget goes to supporting Ross school operations, including purchasing classroom and curricular supplies, cleaning supplies, and technology. This enables Principal Searl to spend all of her DCPS budget on salaries for teachers and staff to be in the classroom with our children.
• The remainder of the PTA budget goes toward community events and support, as well as fundraising expenses.

You can support your PTA in 3 important ways:

1. Make a monetary donation. We ask families to consider donating $50/month ($600 annually). We understand this isn’t possible for everyone. Please give as you’re able and help your PTA maintain its strong programs.
2. Volunteer to help with PTA activities. Volunteering your time and talents is a great way to get to know Ross, meet other Ross families, and to support your child’s education.
3. Sign up for PTA communications. (If this email was sent to you directly, then you're already signed up!)

Our campaign goal is to raise $50,000 and engage with all Ross families. Your support is appreciated!

The Ross garden is in need of repairs and maintenance. Please let us know if you can help or if you have connections to landscapers or garden supply stores who might be willing to donate time or supplies. We are looking for someone who can do or donate:

• Wood repairs (bridge)

• Paint/painting

• Live plants/gardening skills

• Sawing (down the dead tree, and stumps)

To help: Contact Holly Kilness Packett (hollykilness@gmail.com)

Please mark your calendars to attend one of Ross Elementary School's open houses. We also need parent volunteers for the open houses. 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

At Ross and for field trips: Want to volunteer at Ross or chaperone field trips? Make sure to complete the DCPS volunteer clearance process.

The PTA is ISO volunteers for the following:

• Partnership with Miriam's Kitchen: This year, we’re excited to continue and grow our partnership with Miriam’s Kitchen, a local nonprofit working to end chronic homelessness in DC. This partnership will include a range of activities and ways for Ross families to engage, such as education around homelessness, opportunities to donate high-value items, a student volunteer event and a weekend family volunteer event. We’re looking for parent/caregiver volunteers to support this partnership. If you’re interested, please reach out to Liz Lowry at ptapresident@rosselementary.org.
  
• Holiday Tree Sale & Festival - This is one of our biggest fundraisers of the year. For two weeks, the Ross field is transformed into a holiday tree lot, where we sell trees and wreaths to the Ross community and our neighbors! We will also host a Holiday Festival and Bake Sale on Saturday, December 2, open to the neighborhood. During the weekends of Nov 24th and Dec 2nd, we will need volunteers to sell and deliver trees, donate baked goods, and staff the bake sale. Email PTApresident@rosselementary.org to get involved!
  

• Ross Auction: The 16th Annual Ross Auction Committee is seeking volunteers for our 2024 event, to take place on March 2 at Toolbox Pilates Art Studio. The Ross Auction is the single largest fundraiser of the year, critical to meeting PTA fundraising goals to cover basic supplies, extracurricular activities and technology updates at Ross. It is a large undertaking, only possible with the help of this community. Beginning in late fall, we need volunteers to help with donation outreach to local businesses, event planning, and more. We also are looking for parents with graphic design or video editing skills. Please email rosselementaryauction@gmail.com if you can lend a hand!

The Ross Game Library is now open on the top floor right next to the library. This is a library of games that teachers and families may borrow. Games are arranged by age, and there is a self sign-out/-in binder for teachers and parents (children should come with their parents/guardians) to fill out when borrowing a game. You can find more information here, including how to donate games. We are especially in need of games for older kids. If you have questions, suggestions, or games you would like to donate games, please contact Sarah Roma (sarahandsokol@gmail.com).

The Volta Park Fall Festival will be held on Saturday, October 21, from 11:00am-2:00pm at Volta Park in Georgetown. There will be food, games, face painting, a bounce house and more.

The 12th Annual Little Goblins Parade will be hosted this year at Garrison Elementary School (1200 S Street NW) because of the renovations at Stead Park. Families will meet at Garrison at 1:00pm on Saturday, October 28, and parade around the perimeter of the school and then take to the track around the field for a variety of festivities, treats and entertainment.

Tickets are on sale for Imagination Stage's A Year with Frog and Toad. In this musical, two best friends with opposite personalities wake up from hibernation and enjoy hilarious adventures through the seasons. Light-hearted, with a sprinkle of nostalgia, this show is inspired by the acclaimed children’s books. Use discount code zoo20 to get 20% off tickets.

The Smithsonian’s National Zoo holiday tradition is back! ZooLights will take visitors into a winter wonderland lit by more than half a million environmentally-friendly LED lights and illuminations. Visitors can stroll through immersive lantern displays showing rainforest, grassland, desert, ocean and polar habitats and the animals that call them home. Tickets go on sale on October 26.

2023.24 DCPS Calendar

Thursday, October 19: Parent/Teacher Conference Day (NO SCHOOL)

Friday, October 20: Teacher Professional Development Day (NO SCHOOL)

October 23-27: Ross Bullying Awareness Spirit Week

Thursday, October 26: Ross Spooktacular

Friday, November 3: Professional Day for Teachers (NO SCHOOL)

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

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

November 24 - December 3: Holiday Tree Sale & Festival

Saturday, December 2: Ross Open House #2/Super Saturday (time TBD)

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.