PTA Updates

We’re 81% of the way to our goal of raising $13,400 for students’ school supplies! THANK YOU to families who have donated so far! If you haven’t yet made your contribution, we ask families who can to donate $100 per student to fund the purchase of school supplies for the new school year. Contribute here!

Want to volunteer with the PTA and/or at Ross? Here's how:

With the PTA:

Upcoming Events: The PTA is busy planning fun events to bring our community together this fall and WE NEED YOUR HELP! Save the date for these upcoming events, and let us know if you’re able to volunteer some time to support them. Fill in this form to get started!

• Back-to-School Picnic - Thursday, September 28

• Walk and Roll to School Day - Wednesday, October 4 (morning)

• Spooktacular Halloween Celebration - Thursday, October 26

• Teacher Appreciation Activities - November and May

At Ross and for field trips:

Want to volunteer at Ross? Make sure to complete the DCPS volunteer clearance process:

https://dcps.dc.gov/page/dcps-fingerprinting-background-check-and-id-badge-processes-and-requirements

This Friday at morning drop-off, plan to stay for a cup of coffee with fellow Ross parents and pick up some new Ross gear for the whole family! Don’t forget your credit card!

Teachers and the PTA are seeking a room parent for grade 4 to help serve as a liaison between the classroom and PTA and to support parent relationships and bonding in the classrooms. Room parents help the teachers identify chaperones for field trips and also communicate about monthly birthday celebrations and class events such as the Valentine's Party. Much of the role can be done via email. Please reach out to holly.searl@k12.dc.gov if you would like to volunteer. Here are the room parents for the 2023-2024 school year:

PK: Pam Bauman (Oren)

K Sawyer: Mahana Weidler (Celine)

K Eickmeyer: Aimee Stoltz (Ellis)

Grade 1: Lauren Wiles (Alice M.)

Grade 2: Karrin Minott (Addie)

Grade 3: Sarah Roma (Luka)

Grade 4: Open

Grade 5: Auri Lopez (Matias)

The PTA is in conversations with the JCC to see if they can provide childcare on the Ross Back-to-School night for families who need it. JCC staff would supervise students on the Ross playground and/or Ross cafeteria during Back-to-School night on Thursday, September 14, from 6:00-7:30pm. Pizza would be provided. We would suggest a $10 donation per student for families who are able to contribute. To understand community interest in this option, please complete this two-question survey: https://forms.gle/PLuS524oRXP9t5bTA.

DC's Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) is leading a study of modifying school boundaries and policies for student assignment (like lottery preferences). This will affect Ross because the study will create a boundary for the future Euclid Street middle school, which Ross is likely to feed into starting in fall 2028, and other feeder or lottery changes may affect Ross as well.

Parents are encouraged to find out more about the study and weigh in. The Ward 2 Education Council will discuss this at its September meeting, Wednesday 9/20 at 7:00pm. Click here to register for the meeting. DME is hosting two town halls (both cover the same content) for residents to learn more and give feedback about the study:

• Tuesday, September 26, 12:00-1:30pm: Click here to register for this virtual town hall.
• Wednesday, September 27, 6-7:30pm. Click here to register for this virtual town hall.

Hank's Oyster Bar is launching a new weekday (Monday-Thursday, 4:00-6:00pm) promotion, Family Meal, where kids eat free with the purchase of the restaurant's two-course family meal. Hank's has been a generous Ross partner, so if you're hungry for oysters, please consider stopping by our neighborhood restaurant. Learn more here.

Kick off the High Holiday season at the EDCJCC’s Annual Day of Awesome on Sunday, September 10 from 10:00am-12:00pm! This year’s program will feature Rosh Hashanah-themed fun for children ages 0-4 in the parking lot, and learning and activities about Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with Hadar Institute educators for ages 4-8 inside. Register at https://www.edcjcc.org/calendar/day-of-awesome/. Questions? Email Shoshana Parker at sparker@edcjcc.org.

With a long weekend ahead, one way to spend some of that time is at the National Gallery of Art 's monthly First Saturday. The day-long affair offers multiple free programs for kids of all ages. On Saturday, September 2, the fun begins with a story time session for little kids in Spanish and English. Hear a reading of the children’s book Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle in English and Spanish and stay for a little play time, too.

Starting at 11:00am, all ages can create sculptures using Model Magic clay, try out the new Sketching Lab, and visit the museum's pop-up library, where you can browse special selections from the Library collection and enjoy quiet activities for kids. These free activities are offered throughout the East Building and don’t require registration. View more details and the full schedule of the day’s activities here.

Tara Hoot is teaming up with Shakers, a new bar at 9th and U Streets NW, for a family-friendly story time with free snacks and drinks for kids from 12:00-2:00pm on Saturday, September 9 (before the bar officially opens).

DC Social Hikes begin on September 10. The hikes are geared at neurodiverse kids and address skills like problem solving, regulating emotions, conversation skills and identifying social cues. Learn more here: https://www.dcsocialhikes.com/.

Imagination Stage announced its latest kids' theater season, including The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show (sold out in 2019) and A Year with Frog and Toad (sold out in 2015). If you buy tickets by September 14, you can use the code Magic25 to get 25% off.

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.

2023.24 DCPS Calendar

Monday, September 4: Labor Day Holiday, No School

Thursday, September 14: Back-to-School Night (all grades) 6:00-7:30pm

Thursday, September 28: Back-to-School Picnic

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

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