PTA Newsletter

Dear Ross Community,

I don't know about you, but nothing keeps me on my toes more than a winter tornado threat.🌀What the actual insanity?! We've had 83 degrees followed swiftly by snow, snowcrete and tornadoes--what's next? I feel like all we've got left is a tropical animal takeover, maybe anacondas? Nothing can surprise me at this point, but my preference remains: no surprises, please.

After marking yourself safe from yesterday's scare, please consider attending some fun sporting events coming up that support Ross--all the details below! Read on for details about Girl Scouts, our PTA Board recruitment, enrollment reminders, and fun events around town.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!! 🍀🍀

-Aimee

Cheer on D.C. United as they take on the St. Louis City SC on Saturday, May 16th at 7:30 PM! Watch the Black-and-Red tear it up on the pitch!

This is the moment the stadium comes alive, the crowd surges, and the entire community shows up together and we’re pulling out all the stops to make this a can’t‑miss event for your friends and families. Between the entertainment, the energy in the building, and the match on the pitch, this is the game you absolutely do not want to miss.

Every Ticket purchased $3 goes towards Ross Elementary School PTA! Get yours here today!

For groups of 10 or more, please email Quentin Johnson at qjohnson@dcunited.com

Get ready to cheer on the Washington Spirit as they take on the Seattle Reign! We are excited to announce a special Ross Elementary School night at the stadium on Saturday, May 30th. It’s a fantastic way to enjoy a professional soccer match with friends and family while supporting our school. The best part? $3.00 from every ticket purchased goes directly to the Ross PTA! The donation is already included in the price, so all you have to do is grab your seats and show up in your Spirit (or Ross!) gear.

• When: Saturday, May 30, 6:30 PM

• Where: Audi Field

• Tickets: Starting at $25

• Buy Tickets Here: Ross ES Fundraising Link

We’re excited to share that enrollment for the 2026–2027 school year officially opens on Friday, March 27, 2026!

Families may complete enrollment online beginning 3/27/26 by visiting: 🔗 https://enrolldcps.dc.gov/

To ensure a smooth process, please have all required documents ready to upload, including proof of DC residency and any other necessary forms. Having everything prepared in advance will help avoid delays.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact Ms. Segovia at graciela.segovia@k12.dc.gov.

We look forward to welcoming your family for another great school year!

Class picture day has been rescheduled from yesterday to next Wednesday, March 25, 2026. Please mark your calendars accordingly!

The book drive committee is looking for volunteers to help with this year's book drive/fundraiser! There will be a Zoom meeting 3/27@9:15 am for those interested! Use this link

Parents and kiddos are needed to work some tables May 2nd and 3rd. Please let parent Rachel Markey know if you'd like to join and/or join the meeting that Friday!

Several Creative Cubs girls have recently joined a wonderful local Girl Scout troop in Shaw, and they would love to welcome more girls to join the adventure! The troop includes girls from kindergarten through high school, but activities are typically organized in small groups with girls close in age (Daisies, Brownies, Juniors, etc.). Girls in grades K–5 are warmly welcome, and PK4 families are encouraged to reach out if they’d like to join next year.

This long‑running Shaw troop has been around for decades and has supported girls all the way through earning the Girl Scout Gold Award, the organization’s highest honor. Meetings take place at Shiloh Baptist Church, which even has an indoor gymnasium where girls can run and play.

Adventures so far:

The Ross Daisies have already had some wonderful experiences together, including:

• An overnight “Fairy Forest” camping trip in nearby Maryland

• Horseback riding

• Art projects, games, and creative activities with the troop

Upcoming experiences:

There’s even more to look forward to this spring:

• Rock Creek Park Nature Center program — March 22 at 3:00 pm

• UDC Spring Open House STEM program — April 25 at 9:30 am
  K–5 Girl Scouts will be student guests of honor at this rotational hands‑on STEM program with UDC educators.

• Future art and creative workshops with the troop

• Additional camping trips and outdoor adventures already being planned

Troop meetings

Girls interested in checking out the troop are welcome to visit a meeting:

1500 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001
First and third Saturday of each month
10:00 am – 12:00 pm

Ross girls are especially invited to come to the Saturday, April 4 meeting at 10:00 am. Families who would like to walk over together can meet at the Ross playground at 9:30 am.

Interested in learning more?

Please contact Troop Leader Donna Powell at dejp60@verizon.net with your girl’s name and grade (siblings welcome) and CC Ross parent Becky Ballard at BeckyBall@gmail.com. If you’re planning on trying out the troop on April 4th please also RSVP in advance so we can be sure to have enough materials.

There is so much to look forward to — friendship, adventure, creativity, leadership, and outdoor exploration. We hope to see more Ross girls join the troop!

Did you know the Ross PTA contributes about $100,000 every year to our school? This funding supports classroom supplies and technology, teacher training, field trips, and even everyday essentials like tissues and hand sanitizer—allowing our principal to invest more in teachers and staff. The PTA doesn't just fundraise, though: It also helps make Ross feel like a community, organizing picnics, bingo nights, and teacher and staff appreciation events that bring families together.

Now the urgent part: At the end of this school year, several members of the PTA Executive Board will be stepping down, after years on the board and in various leadership roles. We also urgently need volunteers to take ownership of key projects, including Ross merchandise. Without people stepping into these roles, we won’t have the structure needed to raise funds, support the school, or continue many of the events and perks that make Ross special.

If you can step up—or even want to learn what’s involved—please reach out as soon as possible to PTApresident@rosselementary.org. The future of many PTA-supported programs depends on parents saying yes now.

Join other dads from the neighborhood Tuesday, March 31, at 7:00 pm for this month's Dads of Dupont Happy Hour! Join other fathers for support and camaraderie (and a FREE round of beer!) at ECHO BOX (1633 Q St NW). All dads from the neighborhood (from Ross to daycares to the playground) are invited to attend. For updates or questions, please join the DoD WhatsApp group or email PK4 dad Justin Thornton.

If you are a District resident with federal or private student loans, you have rights under DC’s Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights. Join the Spring student loan webinar series to learn about your rights and hear updates on upcoming changes to the federal student loan program to help navigate your student loan repayment.

The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) will be hosting a webinar series this Spring on a variety of student loan topics. Each session will include practical guidance and time for Q&A. Tune in to one or all the webinars and please share the events with other borrowers.

Spring Student Loan Webinar Events:

• Struggling with Student Loan Repayment or Default? Explore Your Options.
  Thursday, March 19 at 12pm-12:45pm | Register
  
• Are You a Parent Plus Borrower? Learn About Changes to Student Loan Forgiveness.
  Wednesday, March 25 at 12pm-12:45pm | Register
  
• Government or nonprofit employee? Learn about updates to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program and Income Driven Repayment (IDR) plans.
  Wednesday, April 1 at 12pm-12:45pm | Register
  
• Know Your Rights Under DC's Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights and the Fair Credit Reporting Act.
  Wednesday, April 8 at 12pm-12:45pm | Register

If you don’t have time to attend the webinar, check out a summary of your rights below.

Know Your Rights Under the District’s Student Loan Borrower Bill of Rights

As a borrower, you are entitled to:

• Complete, accurate, and prompt information from student loan lenders and servicers.
• Accessible and fair customer service.
• Transparent pricing and terms.
• Timely and accurate payment processing.
• Correct credit reporting.
• Receive an acknowledgement to any written communication to a student loan servicer within 10 business days.
• Receive a response, including appropriate corrective action, from a student loan servicer within 30 business days (or 45 days if the servicer provides an explanation as to why they need more time).

If your student loan servicer is violating any of your rights, report it to OAG and DISB by:

• Submitting a complaint to OAG online at oag.dc.gov/complaint or by calling 202-442-9828.
• Contacting the DC student loan ombudsman at DCLoanHelp@dc.gov or 202-727-8000.

DCPS School Year 2025-26 Calendar

Key Dates for Ross Families

Wednesday, March 18: NAEP Assessment for 4th Graders

Friday, March 27: Floorwide Morning Meeting and March birthdays

Friday, March 27: Lottery results available from MySchoolDC

April 3: Coffee and Content, Grades K–2 ELA, 8:15 am in the upstairs PD Room

Monday, April 6: NO SCHOOL, Records/PD day for teachers

Wednesday, April 8-Thursday, April 9: Grade 5 Science CAPE Test

Friday, April 10: Learning Celebration Term 3, 9:00am

Monday, April 13-Friday, April 17: SPRING BREAK, NO SCHOOL

Saturday, April 25: Ross PTA Auction Happy Hour, Boogy and Peel, 5-7 pm

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday April 28-30: Grades 3-5 CAPE Testing

Friday, May 1: Enrollment deadline for lottery matches

Friday, May 1 to Sunday, May 3: Mother's/Father's Day Book Drive

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday May 5-7: Grades 3-5 CAPE Testing

Thursday, May 14: Bike/Roll to School Day

Monday, June 15: 5th Grade Promotion

Tuesday, June 16: No School, Primary Election Day

Thursday, June 18: Last Day of School

About the Ross PTA

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
Location: 1730 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20009
Phone: 202.673.7200

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, please email me here.