PTA Newsletter
March 24, 2026
Dear Ross Community,
Do your Roadrunners smile in their class photos? Because mine have yet--YET--to not look like they are taking mugshots at County. If it has flown under your calendar radar, please note that tomorrow is in fact, Class Photo Day. Please dress your Roadrunner accordingly for their glamour or mugshot, depending on your luck.
Speaking of calendars, only one month to go until our Ross Auction goes live! Please mark your calendars and RSVP for the celebratory happy hour on Saturday, April 25. SY26-27 enrollment opens Friday; get your paperwork ready and enroll early, please! All details below. Read on for fun events and updates, and have a super week.
-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
Students Interview Deborah Hanrahan
Debbie Hanrahan enrolled her twin boys at Ross in the 1990s. She recounted how she and other neighbors–some without children at the school– raised enrollment, established a library, and created a new playground. She emphasized the importance of community support, mentioning fundraising events like the Mother's Day book sale and Christmas tree sales. She also noted the school's transformation from a small, underfunded institution to a thriving, well-respected elementary school.
Debbie: My favorite memory is when we were raising money through the Mother's Day book sale. We would put a table up in front of the Safeway, and people would give us $25 and dedicate a book to somebody. And people would say, ‘Where is Ross?’ Because in those days, people didn't even know we had a school unless they could see kids on the playground. So we spent a lot of time educating the neighborhood…I'll never forget it. People who had no children, no connection to the school whatsoever thought your school was so important that they wanted you to have a good library.
Student: What challenges did the school face at that time?
Debbie: Oh, keeping the enrollment up. Because you see, all parents look at test scores. They want to send [their children] to the best school. Ross had very low scores. Now, remember, we had 19 countries represented at Ross. Many of our kids did not speak English, but yet they were tested. And of course, they got zeros on their tests. So initially it was hard to convince people to give their children to a school that looked like it wasn't teaching very much. But we overcame that, and I think it was because the school was small. At that time, people were worried about safety, and they were afraid that a lot of bigger elementary schools were not safe, and so in spite of our test scores, they would come across town and come to Ross where they knew their sons and daughters should be safe. And the rest is history.
The Acton Children's Business Fair of Washington, DC sparks children's entrepreneurial spirit. The largest entrepreneurship event for children in North America, this morning-long marketplace gives children the opportunity to showcase their very own businesses.
Children ages 6 to 14 are invited to create a product or service and sell to customers at the fair. Past businesses have included handmade greeting cards, a pet-sitting service for exotic birds, a photobomb booth, and a lemonade stand that donated a percentage of profits to protect honeybees. The possibilities are limited only to what children can create!
Originally started in Austin, Texas, the Acton Children's Business Fair has grown to over 1,500 fairs around the world serving more than 50,000 young entrepreneurs in over 500 cities and 20 countries.
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.