Hello Singer Friends,

I’ll keep this newsletter short, as it’s December and people have things to do, places to go, and people to see. I suspect some of you will get around to reading this later next week as you “catch up on emails” (re: hide from either your in-laws, the kids, or both).

My sole message for this newsletter is to thank you all – we truly have the best PTA. After some fierce email nudging, relentless reminders, and one big final push, we raised almost $10,000 for holiday gifts for the Singer staff!!!!!! That means we gave each staff member a $75 gift card and as an extra bonus … we gave each bus driver and bus attendant a $25 gift card! (see pictures at the bottom). Big thanks to Maura Davis for collecting the funds, Rachel Gellman for helping with the cards, and Julie Roddin for organizing a PTA-sponsored lunch from Lebanese Tavern for the staff. We received many thank you notes full of gratitude for your generosity. I think we made their day.

It feels like we blinked, and winter break is here. Time is a thief, although I’ll admit that I’m not sad we’re that much closer to summer, pool time, and longer days. Whether your break is chaotic and exhausting or quiet and peaceful, remember how many winter breaks we have left with our kids before we aren’t ‘cool’ to hang out with anymore. Put down your phone, play a game, make a cookie, snuggle with a movie, or go on an adventure. It’ll be 2024 before we know it.

Happy Holidays!

Beth

Dine Outs are a delicious way to support the PTA. For January, head over to Parkway Deli on Grubb Road, Silver Spring and eat in the restaurant to have part of the proceeds donated to the PTA.

International Night is a fun evening where the Singer community gets to show off its vibrant colors – families set up tables representing different countries with artifacts, books, games, food samples, traditional clothing, language, and music, and performers from around the globe provide entertainment. Kids get a ‘passport’ as they ‘travel’ around the world, going from table to table to learn about the different cultures and checking off the countries they have visited.

We are looking for country displays! If you would like to host a table to showcase a country or culture that's significant to you, please sign up here.

The Silent Auction is our biggest and perhaps the most fun fundraiser of the year! Join us for a fun evening of socializing while bidding on everything from wineries, restaurants, camps, sporting events, and much more with tickets going on sale in the new year. KAH will be available onsite at the event for a nominal fee.

It takes a village for the auction to be a success! Please get in touch to volunteer at singerauction@gmail.com. We could use help soliciting businesses, which can easily be done by email or dropping off flyers. You could also Donate Something by providing a service, supporting through your business, or providing something homemade. Examples include offering music lessons, giving resume help, donating the use of a rental property. Use the linked form below to let us know what you'll be offering.

The Singer STEM Fair is a beloved community event celebrating science, technology, engineering, and math. Last year, we brought the STEM fair back after a pandemic hiatus and had excellent participation and engagement! Let's do it again!

This year's STEM fair is Saturday, April 13. The STEM fair planning committee will start meeting monthly in January.

Can you help out? You don't have to be a scientist! Everyone is welcome. The commitment is one to two hours a month. Please email Laura at sciencefair@singerpta.org to volunteer or to get more information.

The On-Demand Online Store is now available to shop for an expanded list of Singer swag items just in time for the new year and winter! Items ship directly to your home. Swag includes hoodies, t-shirts, pants, and summer items like shorts, hats, totes and cinch bags. Two different designs are available and most products are available in purple, grey or black. Grab yours now!

What do you do when your kid wants a playdate with another kid in their class and is only able to provide you their first name? You look it up in the School Directory of course!

Each year the PTA supports the creation of the school directory, which includes contact information for all students whose families have not opted out of sharing it. We're excited that the directory is almost done and will be available in January. Everyone will receive a digital copy of the directory by default.

Before and after school activities are a GREAT way for your children to continue learning outside of school hours through engaging activities! This winter session we've added a few new vendors including coding, basketball, chess, dance, cooking, karate, science, Spanish, soccer, art, and more.

Registration is available at Kiddo - click on the schedule below.

Student scholarships are available for the winter session through PTA sponsorship. For more information about scholarships, contact: Mrs. Kimberly Kincaid Kimberly_E_Kincaid@mcpsmd.org

Congratulations to the November winner - Ms. Mary Anne Gehrenbeck!

“Mary Anne is an amazing new Special Education Case Manager to Flora Singer this year! She is someone who goes the extra mile to make the learning fun and to engage the kids in tasks that are sometimes difficult or tedious, all with warmth, a big smile and a sense of humor! She also works hard to keep parents informed of how their child is doing in class and what kinds of things they are working on.”

We are all thankful for our incredible teachers and staff at Flora Singer who make so much magic happen for our kids. While lunches and gift cards are a small way of showing appreciation, we're so very glad that the teachers enjoyed these PTA sponsored tokens earlier in December.

Parents and community members: Thank you for your incredible generosity! Thanks to you, we were able to show appreciation for our teachers and staff (see pictures below).

PTA Volunteers: Thank you for all that you do. This is my first year volunteering with the PTA and I'm constantly blown away by the commitment and teamwork that makes all this fundraising and programming come together.

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanza! Here's to an incredible 2024!

Rabia