Thank you to the four Payne parents who volunteered to serve on this year’s LSAT. The Local School Advisory Team, a group of parents and Payne staff, will help to inform and advise Principal Byrd on topics such as school achievement and the budget. As PTSA president, Deirdre Duffy also sits on the LSAT. The following four parents volunteered for the four open seats. They will serve one-year terms.

New to the LSAT

• Rebecca Bell, a DCPS graduate herself, has been a member of the Payne family since 2016 when her son Robert started PK4. “I consider myself an ideas person and would love the opportunity to brainstorm ideas about what would make Payne an even more thriving community — filled with love, hope and learning for all of our student ‘Geniuses’ and their families,” Bell said.
• Chris Tissue is a 12-year resident of D.C. and has lived in Hill East for six of those years along with his wife, Michelle. They have two sons, Hunter, who is in PK3, and Connor, who is a year and a half. Chris has worked in management consulting for 11 years and is the chief operating officer of CUCollaborate LLC, a startup focused on helping credit unions grow through software development and consulting projects for field of membership expansion. 

Returning to the LSAT 

• Liz Aloi is a long-time resident of D.C. and grateful to be part of the Payne community, where her son is in Kindergarten and her daughter is in PK3. When not toting her kids around on their cargo bike, she prosecutes corruption and civil rights offenses.
• Steve Bowen, has served as LSAT chair for the past two years. He has served in leadership roles in the Marine Corps and U.S. Department of State. He and his wife Carolyn Bowen (the PTSA treasurer) have two Wildcats: Will, who is in third grade, and Val who is in first grade. “The challenges we face today are daunting for sure, but are surmountable given the talent and good will the Payne community possesses,” Bowen said. “I feel fortunate to have been welcomed into Payne’s community 6 years ago, and I appreciate the opportunity to give back.”

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SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

Payne will host an online Scholastic Book Fair Nov. 9-22. Books will be mailed directly to your home and a percentage of the profits will go back to Payne to purchase more books. Stay tuned for how to buy! 

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GRANT APPLICATIONS

PTSA volunteers submitted $12,500 in grant applications earlier this month through the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. We’ll find out in November whether we receive some or all of the following: 

• $5,000 for additional food assistance to support Payne families.
• $5,000 for clear face masks to assist in-person instruction, especially for the deaf and hard of hearing and PK classes.
• $2,500 in reading materials for fourth and fifth grades and for more diverse books for the library.

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RAISING ANTIRACIST KIDS

There’s still time to sign up for “Raising Antiracist Kids” virtual workshops, led by Keiana Mayfield, MSW, a PhD candidate at Penn State University. Keiana has been offering these workshops, in conjunction with East City Bookshop, for the past few months. According to Keiana, “the goal is to enhance the skills and strategies parents/caregivers use to engage with their children and families around issues of race and racism.” Because this is an academic study, participants willing to complete a short survey will get a $20 East City Bookshop gift certificate. 

To sign up, visit this link: https://www.keianamayfield.com/raising-antiracist-kids-program

Once you click the link, select “Get notified when the study opens.” This will take you to the survey to select best time availability and put in your contact information, so we can coordinate the workshop times.

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DANCE AND SOCCER 

Don’t forget: The PTSA is offering virtual soccer and dance enrichment on Tuesdays and Thursdays during lunch and after school. Attendance has been light so far, but we’ve received positive feedback from parents.

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IMPORTANT DATES

Oct. 14, 21, 28: Free community events: Opera Starts with Oh! virtual children’s programs via Opera Lafayette

Oct. 22: Free community event: National Gallery of Art virtual program on finding humor in art. 4-5 p.m.

Oct. 24-31: Literary Pumpkin Walk from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation. Registrants are eligible to win $1,000 for a Capitol Hill school of their choice. Registration and details here 

Nov. 3: No school: Election Day

Nov. 6: No school

Nov. 8: Free community event: 2-3:30 p.m. virtual workshop on making portraits from Eastern Market Art Series and Teachings

Nov. 9-22: Scholastic Online Book Fair

Nov. 11: No school: Veterans Day

Nov. 25-27: No school: Thanksgiving Break