Lafayette ES Family Newsletter

Dear Lafayette Families,

I hope your summer is off to a wonderful start and you are enjoying a fun-filled time with family and friends. I am thrilled to have transitioned to be the principal of Lafayette Elementary and would like to begin by thanking everyone who has supported me over the past several months. From the building walk-throughs, flagpole meet and greet, operational observations, PTA meeting, LSAT meeting, ANC meeting, and over 80 one-on-one meetings with staff that were held, I have already learned so much about what makes Lafayette special. I would like to extend a special thank you to AP Mayhew, who will now go by her married name of AP Cockrell, for going above and beyond to ensure I had every bit of information that I needed to be set up for success. We are also fortunate that AP Meliotis will be joining us as an Assistant Principal this year, as well. Please find his bio below. I am looking forward to an extraordinary 2024-2025 school year!

As will be the norm throughout the school year, I will share weekly updates through a Family Newsletter. The newsletter platform I am using (smore) offers automatic translation and increased visibility components, for those who will find those features useful. I will also utilize the HSA website and Tuesday Bulletin to ensure the information is widely available. Please note that the Family Newsletter is sent to families of enrolled students, so if you hear that a family is not receiving it, please have them first check their spam folder and then check their child's enrollment status! Please email lafayette.dcps@k12.dc.gov with any questions about enrollment, the newsletter, or other school questions so our team can get you timely answers with up-to-date information.

When I was first announced as the new principal, I shared that my leadership goals this year will be to establish trusting relationships, to think strategically about opportunities for shared leadership, and to create a plan to leverage our strengths to drive student success. I have drafted an entry plan, attached below, that outlines the action steps and timeline by which I will work towards these goals. In addition to these leadership goals, it is my experience that having clearly articulated school priorities helps to ensure our work is focused and aligned. Based on the SY23-24 surveys from students, families, and staff, academic performance data, as well as the conversations I have had with you all thus far, in SY2024-25 we will prioritize:

• Equity and AntiRacism
• MTSS to Close Gaps
• Rigorous Instruction
• A Sense of Belonging

I look forward to unpacking these priorities, as well as our Comprehensive School Plan (CSP) goals, with you over the coming months. As you will see in the timeline outlined below, there are several opportunities for family engagement already in place and I look forward to meeting many of you prior to the start of the year at those events! If there is a conversation you believe would be beneficial to have individually, you may feel free to email me with the request for an individual conversation and I will begin scheduling those, as applicable.

As always, feel free to reach out to me directly with any inquiries.

In partnership,

Katie Prall, Principal

Lafayette Elementary School

We are thrilled to welcome Peter Meliotis as one of our new Assistant Principal at Lafayette ES. Peter joins our team with a wealth of experience and a passion for education that aligns perfectly with our school’s vision and values.

He holds a master's degree in School Administration from Trinity University and has dedicated over 15 years to fostering academic excellence and nurturing positive school environments. Prior to joining Lafayette ES, Peter served as the Interim Principal at Oyster Adams Bilingual School last year, where he was instrumental in implementing innovative teaching strategies, enhancing student engagement, and promoting inclusive practices. Prior to being named the Interim Principal there, he was an AP there for 10 years. Mr. Meliotis recently completed the resident principal program with DCPS and also earned an executive certificate in Leadership and Innovation from Georgetown University.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Meliotis is deeply invested in building strong relationships with students, parents, and staff. He believes in open communication, continuous improvement, and the power of community involvement in shaping a thriving educational environment.

Outside of school, Peter enjoys playing Soccer, which he often incorporates into his approach to education. Creating teams and fostering trust in members of his teams to succeed as a group and not looking at individual outcomes. We win together and learn together when we do not achieve our intended outcomes. Peter Meliotis is excited to bring his unique perspective and energy to Lafayette ES, and we are confident that he will make a significant impact on our students and community.

Please join us in welcoming Peter Meliotis to the Lafayette family. We look forward to a successful and enriching school year under his leadership.

We are appreciative that additional funds have been reallocated to support Lafayette staffing for SY2024-25. Thank you to the SY2023-24 LSAT for engaging in thoughtful discussions, which informed the decision to add a math interventionist, 2 classroom teachers, strategy and logistics leadership, and an instructional coach.

Students, families, and staff are invited to engage in ongoing in-person and online engagements throughout the year (starting now- here!) so that we can identify what our school’s core values are and articulate what our collective vision and mission will be as we move forward together.

Have a question or need support? lafayette.dcps@k12.dc.gov is our school email address that you can use for all inquiries to ensure that your questions or feedback are directed to the appropriate point of contact. Any documentation that you need to submit to the school, including health records and notes to excuse absences, should also be sent to this account. This account will also send pertinent operations information to families, including all family newsletters, so make sure to move it over if it has ended up in your spam folder.

To the extent possible, please plan to schedule vacations on the breaks already outlined on the DCPS calendar which is shared below. We value having your child here each and every school day!