NT Staff Updates

Neval Thomas Elementary School
Where Every Tiger Shines! 💙💚💛

Family Newsletter | November 2026

💙 Greetings, Tiger Families!

Happy November, Tiger Families!

As we welcome a new month, we are excited to continue building a strong school community where our students feel supported, encouraged, and empowered to succeed!

November brings opportunities for learning, family engagement, gratitude, and celebration. We appreciate your continued partnership in ensuring that our Tigers arrive at school ready to learn each day.

Please review this month's important announcements, upcoming events, and family reminders.

Together, we make every day a great day to be a Tiger! 🐯

• Monday, November 2: Records/Wellness Day — No School for Students
• Tuesday, November 3: Election Day — No School for Students
• Wednesday, November 4: Welcome Back, Tigers! Students Return
• Friday, November 6: Weekly Tiger Family Meeting (Students and Staff Only), followed by breakfast in the gym, 8:45–9:05 a.m.

• November 11: Veterans Day — School Closed

• November 13: Enrollment Open House, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

• November 17: All-Grades Field Trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

• November 17: Term 1 Report Cards Available in Aspen Parent Portal

• November 20: Deadline for Schools to Mail Term 1 Report Cards

• November 23: Joyful Food Market — During Dismissal

• November 25–27: Thanksgiving Break — No School for Students

Please plan accordingly and ensure that students attend school on all scheduled instructional days.

It's time to celebrate our amazing students and staff with November birthdays!

We wish all our November birthday Tigers a month filled with happiness, laughter, love, and special memories.

Happy Birthday from your Neval Thomas Family! 🎉🎈🎂

📅 Tuesday, November 17, 2026
⏰ 9:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
🎒 All Grade Levels

We are excited for our Tigers to enjoy a fun-filled educational experience at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History!

Families, please be on the lookout for permission slips for our upcoming schoolwide field trip. To help ensure a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable experience for all students, please review the following important reminders:

• 📝 Permission Slips: Please complete and return your child's permission slip promptly.

• 👨‍👩‍👧 Parent Chaperones: Due to limited space, we will be unable to accommodate parent chaperones for this trip.

• 🥪 Lunch: Bagged lunches will be provided for all students.

• 👟 Attire: Please ensure your child wears comfortable clothing and supportive walking shoes, as students will be walking and exploring throughout the museum.

We look forward to an exciting day of exploration, discovery, and hands-on learning with our Tigers!

Thank you for your continued support and partnership! 💙💚💛🐯

Our Tigers have been working hard throughout the first term, and we are excited to share their academic progress with our families! 🐯📚

• Tuesday, November 17, 2026: Term 1 report cards will be available for families to view through the Aspen Parent Portal.

• Friday, November 20, 2026: Report cards, including applicable Individualized Education Program (IEP) Progress Reports, will be mailed to families.

If you have questions about your child's grades, academic performance, or progress, or would like to schedule a conference with your child's teacher(s), please contact the school. We are happy to assist with coordinating an opportunity for you to connect.

Your involvement makes a difference, and we value our continued partnership in supporting every Tiger's academic success!

🌟 Remember: Every achievement matters, every effort counts, and growth is always worth celebrating! 💙💚💛🐯

Our Tigers continue to strengthen their math, reading, writing, and critical-thinking skills through engaging classroom instruction, hands-on learning experiences, and targeted academic support.

Throughout November, students will participate in meaningful learning activities, classroom assessments, and progress monitoring to help teachers identify individual strengths and areas for continued growth.

📖 Literacy: Building Strong Readers & Writers

• 📚 Read Together: Encourage your child to read for at least 15–20 minutes each day.

• 💬 Talk About Reading: Ask questions about the characters, main idea, and important details.

• ✏️ Practice Writing: Encourage your child to write sentences, stories, or journal entries.

• 🔤 Build Vocabulary: Introduce new words through everyday conversations and activities.

🔢 Mathematics: Making Every Number Count!

• ➕ Practice Math Facts: Review addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division based on your child's grade level.

• 🛒 Make Math Real: Include your child in everyday activities involving money, time, measuring, and counting.

• 🧠 Encourage Problem-Solving: Ask your child to explain how they arrived at an answer.

• 🎲 Make Learning Fun: Play number games, solve puzzles, and practice math through fun family activities.

Families, your involvement plays an important role in your child's academic success. Even 15–20 minutes of focused practice each day can help build confidence, strengthen essential skills, and develop positive learning habits.

If you have questions about your child's academic progress, need additional learning resources, or would like to schedule a time to connect with your child's teacher(s), please contact the school. We are happy to support you!

Together, we are building confident readers, creative thinkers, and mighty mathematicians—one Tiger at a time! 💙💚💛🐯

November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month, a time to recognize the importance of ensuring that every child has access to a safe, supportive, and stable learning environment.

At Neval Thomas, we are committed to supporting all students and families, including those experiencing housing challenges or temporary living arrangements.

Families experiencing housing instability may be eligible for additional support through the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Program.

If your family needs assistance or would like more information about available resources, please contact our Social Worker, Ms. Williams. We are here to help connect you with appropriate support.

Every Tiger deserves a safe space to feel safe, supported, and valued. 💙

We look forward to another Joyful Food Market event!

This initiative helps provide families with access to food resources and supports the well-being of our school community.

Please stay tuned for additional details regarding the location as the date approaches.

At Neval Thomas Elementary School, the safety and well-being of our Tigers, staff, and families remain our highest priority.

As part of our ongoing commitment to emergency preparedness, students and staff participate in routine safety drills throughout the school year.

An Alert Status Drill prepares our school community to respond to a potential safety concern or emergency occurring outside the school building.

During an Alert Status Drill:

• 🔐 Building Security: All exterior doors are secured, and access to the building is restricted.

• 🚫 Visitor Access: No visitors, including parents and guardians, may enter or exit the building while Alert Status procedures are in effect.

• 🏫 Student Safety: Students and staff remain safely inside the building. Outdoor activities are suspended.

• 📚 Instruction Continues: Classroom instruction and normal indoor school activities may continue.

• 📢 School Communication: Staff follow established emergency procedures and instructions from school leadership.

• ✅ All Clear: Normal building access and outdoor activities resume once school leadership confirms that Alert Status has ended.

During normal school operations, all parents, guardians, and visitors must report to the designated school entrance, present valid identification, and follow the school's security check-in procedures before receiving permission to enter.

Please note: Presenting identification does not guarantee building access during an emergency or safety alert.

We appreciate your patience, understanding, and cooperation as we work together to maintain a safe and secure learning environment for every Tiger!

Safety is everyone's responsibility! 💙💚💛🐯

Keeping our Tigers safe requires a partnership between school and home!

Daily School Schedule:

• School Doors Open: 8:20 a.m.

• Breakfast: 8:20–9:30 a.m.

• Instruction Begins: 9:00 a.m.

• School Dismissal: 3:15 p.m.

• Early Dismissal Requests End: 2:45 p.m.

Families who have not yet completed their child's Student Dismissal Authorization Form are asked to submit it as soon as possible.

These forms help ensure that students are released only to authorized individuals and that dismissal procedures remain safe and organized.

Please contact your child's teacher or the Main Office if you need to update your current form on file.

Student safety is everyone's responsibility!

As Thanksgiving approaches, we want to express our sincere appreciation to our incredible families, dedicated educators, hardworking staff, and outstanding students.

Thank you for trusting us, supporting our school, and helping make Neval Thomas Elementary School a special place to learn and grow.

Let's continue showing kindness, gratitude, respect, and Tiger Pride throughout November.

Together We Learn. Together We Grow. Together We ROAR! 💙💚💛🐯

Neval Thomas Elementary School
650 Anacostia Avenue NE
Washington, DC 20019

📞 Main Office: (202) 724-4593

🌐 Website: www.wearenevalthomas.org

📱 Instagram: @nevalthomastigers

School Leadership:

Principal - Jaimee Trahan
Assistant Principal Dr. Jaime Wyche

Manager, Strategy & Logistics - Krystal Willingham

Thank you for your continued support, collaboration, and partnership!

One School. One Family. Tiger Strong! 🐯💙💚💛