Wildcat PTSA News: Nando’s Fundraiser | Valentine’s Dance | ASL Club

Posted on by smittyjd23

Two important reminders for next week:

  • There’s no school for students next Monday, Jan. 27 and Tuesday, Jan 28.
  • Wednesday evening is Payne night at Nando’s Peri-Peri at 411 H St. N.E. Stop by 4-9 p.m., and tell them you support Payne. Forty percent of your meal will benefit the PTSA.

MORE PARENT MEETUPS

Payne parents are continuing to host informal gatherings to discuss the upcoming school year. If your child is moving up to first grade next year, a meetup is in the works for Feb. 4. If your child is moving up to second grade, the tentative date is Feb. 12. We’ll share more details as they become available.

VALENTINE’S DAY DANCE

Payne is hosting a Valentine’s Day Dance on Thursday, Feb. 13 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Admission is free. A mandatory permission slip went home with students this week. Coach Freda is looking for volunteers and is available to field questions. Reach her at 202-413-4824. PTSA approved spending $350 for decorations, refreshments and other supplies.

ASL CLUB IS BACK

Another reason to raid your kids’ backpacks: A permission slip went home for an awesome extracurricular. ASL Club is getting underway again. Open to kids in Kindergarten through fifth grade, the club meets 4:45 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. every Tuesday. The next meeting is Feb. 4. If you’d like to join, please fill out the form and return to Ms. Miller or Ms. Gayle by Feb. 3. Meetings take place in Room 233.

OTHER IMPORTANT DATES

Tonight: 6:30 p.m., Payne Dads Happy Hour, Trusty’s

Jan. 27-28: No school

Jan. 29: 4-9 p.m., Nando’s fundraiser, 411 H St. N.E. Tell them you support Payne, and 40 percent of your order will benefit the school.

Jan. 30: 6-8 p.m., J.O. Wilson Summer Camp Fair

Feb. 3: Art students switch to drama and vice versa

Feb. 11: 6 p.m. PTSA meeting. Teachers will be available during the meeting to discuss your child’s next school year.

Feb. 13: 4:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m., Valentine’s Day Dance, Auditorium

Feb. 17-21: No school

Wildcat PTSA News: Science Updates | Art and Drama | Coffee Talk

Posted on by smittyjd23

Thanks to everyone who attended the PTSA meeting this week. Participation continues to grow at the meetings. Thanks also to Principal Byrd for her insights.

You don’t want to miss the next meeting, 6 p.m., Feb. 11, when you’ll have an opportunity to visit with teachers to discuss your child’s next year at Payne.

SCIENCE SNIPPETS

Mr. Creef covered a wide-range of topics at Tuesday’s PTSA meeting. Here are a few highlights:

1. He’s interested in bringing back chickens and is exploring the idea (and related costs) of incubating eggs and hatching them at school.

2. With the help of the PTSA and a grant award, Mr. Creef purchased a number of specimen jars with assorted creatures and organs. They have proven very popular with the kids. He brought some animal brains, a shark and other preserved creatures to the PTSA meeting.

3. Project planning for the Science Fair, required for grades 3-5, now is underway. Mr. Creef has set up after-school hours when parents can assist students with their projects. Are you available 3:30-5:45 p.m. Jan. 21-24 or Feb. 6-13? Email Mr. Creef: emmett.creefjr@k12.dc.gov.

Teachers in the younger grades are exploring classroom project ideas. If you’d like to assist, check with your room parent or child’s teacher.

For anyone looking for ideas for science fair projects, Mr. Creef suggested checking out ScienceBuddies.Org.

4. DCPS introduced a new science curriculum called STEMscopes. Mr. Creef gave the curriculum high marks, noting that resources are all online and cover grades Kindergarten through high school. Parents can ask Mr. Creef for their own parent sign-on to explore the curriculum in greater detail.

5. Fourth graders helped to grow endangered orchids as part of a Smithsonian conservation program. The class attempted to grow both Maryland and Florida varieties of orchids. While the Maryland plants did not survive, many of the Florida varieties have successfully grown, and the young plants will be shipped to the Sunshine State to flourish.

ART AND DRAMA SWITCHEROO

On Feb. 3, prepare for a specials shift at Payne. Students who attend the art special each week will switch to drama for the remainder of the year, and vice versa.

COFFEE WITH THE PRINCIPAL

Principal Byrd hosts informal chats with parents 9 a.m. on the first Friday of each month. Have some coffee and candid conversation with our school’s top administrator. The next coffee klatch is Feb. 7. Principal Byrd said she also is planning some evening opportunities this school year.

SUMMER CAMP FAIR

J.O. Wilson will host its annual D.C. Camp Fair 6-8 p.m. Jan. 30. Learn about more than 40 summer camp options. The school is at 660 K St. N.E.

TAKE THIS SURVEY

If you haven’t completed the DCPS Panorama survey, please click here. It only takes a few minutes, and DCPS uses the data to inform decision making for professional development, family resources and more. It’s an opportunity to share feedback about your child’s teachers, the administration, DCPS and more.

A REAL WILDCAT

Some wild(cat) local news this week. A bobcat was caught on a motion camera in Georgetown — a rare sighting in the District. It’s unclear what business the bobcat had in the District, but it probably wasn’t studying for the PARCC test.

OTHER IMPORTANT DATES

Jan. 17-20: No school

Jan. 22: 8-9 p.m., Parents with rising third graders meet. Contact Liz Aloi for details.

Jan. 23: 8-9 p.m., Parents with rising Kindergartners meet. Contact Liz Aloi for details.

Jan. 23: 6 p.m., Eastern High School Open House

Jan. 24: 9 a.m., Volunteer orientation for Reading Rocks. Click here to sign up.

Jan. 27-28: No school

Jan. 29: 4-9 p.m., Nando’s fundraiser, 411 H St. N.E. Tell them you support Payne, and 40 percent of your order will go to the school.

Jan. 30: 6-8 p.m. J.O. Wilson Summer Camp Fair

Feb. 11: 6 p.m. PTSA meeting

Feb. 17-21: No school

Wildcat PTSA News: PTSA Meeting Next Week | Exhibit Installation | Nando’s for Payne

Posted on by smittyjd23

Science Teacher Mr. Creef will be presenting at the next PTSA meeting. Learn about the Science Fair, his curriculum and some of the fun projects your kids are working on.

The meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday in the auditorium.

The agenda also includes items on the school budget and how parents are getting involved. Childcare and pizza will be provided.

EARLY LOOK AT KINDERGARTEN AND THIRD GRADE

Parents with children entering Kindergarten or third grade next year are invited to meet with parents with kids currently in those grades. The informal meetings are a retention initiative led by members of Payne’s Local School Advisory Team.

Parents with rising third graders will meet 8-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22.

Parents with rising Kindergartners will meet 8-9 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23.

If you would like to attend, contact Liz Aloi at lizaloi@gmail.com for details. Additional grade level meetings are in the works.

STORY OF OUR SCHOOLS INSTALLATION

Payne’s story will soon be told in a museum-quality exhibit in the main entrance of the school. The Story of Our Schools exhibit is scheduled to be installed Jan. 28, said Jen Harris, Executive Director of the Story of Our Schools project. You may see Payne maintenance staff in the coming days painting the walls, prepping for the installation.

Last year, a team of students and staff researched the history of Payne, and their work contributed to the exhibit, which will be located near the auditorium entrance. There are early talks of an unveiling party for the exhibit in February for students, staff, parents and donors.

EAT NANDO’S, SUPPORT PAYNE

Now that our feathered friends are gone, we can head to Nando’s Peri-Peri guilt-free and feast on roast chicken — and we’ll be benefiting Payne, too. (OK, they do have a nice hummus wrap, as well.)

From 4-9 p.m. Jan. 29, Payne is hosting a fundraiser at Nando’s, 411 H St. NE. A whopping 40 percent of money spent on food will be donated to the Payne PTSA.

And a special thanks to everyone who turned out for Skate Night. Nearly $600 was raised to benefit Payne.

GIRL SCOUT COOKIES

Thin Mints. Samoas. Tagalongs. Your favorites, plus new and improved lemon cookies called Lemon-Ups. Don’t miss out on Girl Scout cookies this season. Your first opportunity to buy is via the red forms that went home in your student’s bookbags this week, which are due today, Friday. Please submit to the main office or to First Grade Teacher Ms. Thompson. If you missed this opportunity, you’ll have chances to buy from Troop 1455 through mid-March. Cookies are $5 a box, with the exception of S’mores and Toffee-tastics which are $6 per box. The girls will have booths this spring.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY

Payne is looking for volunteers to read to an early childhood education student for one hour each week to foster early literacy and reading skills. A volunteer orientation will be 9 a.m. Friday, Jan. 24 in the auditorium. Parents of all grade levels are encouraged to participate. Click here to sign up.

OTHER IMPORTANT DATES

Jan. 13: 9 a.m. Payne Open House

Jan. 14: 6 p.m., PTSA meeting, Auditorium

Jan. 15: Spelling Bee, 1:30 p.m.

Jan. 17: Noon-7 p.m., individual parent-teacher conferences

Jan. 17-20: No school

Jan. 23: 6 p.m., Eastern High School Open House

Jan. 27-28: No school

Jan. 29: 4-9 p.m., Nando’s fundraiser, 411 H St. NE.

Feb. 11: 6 p.m. PTSA meeting

Feb. 17-21: No school