Hello, Payne Wildcats.

The next PTSA meeting is 6 p.m., Tuesday. Mr. Eskay will talk about the Payne Summer Academy. We’ll also have teachers available to field questions about the upcoming school year. And we’ll hear from Payne’s team of social workers and student government leaders. 

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TEACHER APPRECIATION SPIRIT WEEK

A special Spirit Week will commence on Monday in conjunction with Teacher Appreciation Week, May 3-9. Here are the themes. See the attached flier for more info.

Monday:  Dress Like a Teacher

Tuesday: Express Yourself: Wear a positive message

Wednesday: Show Your Love: Share your appreciation for the teachers in your life 

Thursday: College Day

Thursday bonus: May 6 is the start of Nurses Week; thank Payne’s team of nurses

Friday: Vaycay Day: Wear straw hats, wide brim hats and shades 

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PTSA BYLAWS, VOTING, AND YOU

The PTSA will be holding the annual meeting in early June, and this will be an important one with a potential vote on bylaws changes that would enable us to postpone officer elections until the fall, when we can (fingers crossed) meet in person again. 

To vote, you need to be on the PTSA’s membership roster 30 days before the annual meeting, so please sign up now. Paying dues is not necessary, but please go to this link and sign up. If you signed up in past school years, but not this one, please sign up again; it’s an annual requirement.

Want to know more about PTSA bylaws? Email Parliamentarian Michelle Chapman.

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EAST CITY BOOKSHOP FUNDRAISER

Payne’s Bookfair through East City Bookshop kicks off Monday and runs through Sunday. During this period, 20 percent of your purchase will benefit the school. Please remember to mention Payne’s fundraiser at checkout. 

This week you can shop:

● In person at the store during regular business hours: Wednesday through Friday, 1-6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday noon-6 p.m. 

● By phone: 202-290-1636, between 1-6 p.m. to speak with a bookseller 

● Via email: orders@eastcitybookshop.com, anytime May 3-9 

● Online using the Payne Book Fair coupon/link to our school’s book fair webpage on the

store website. (Link will be available May 3-9.)

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HONOR A TEACHER AND YOU COULD WIN $100

Loyal readers of the PTSA newsletter know we are part of a select group of schools participating in the Honored School program, which provides a platform to showcase and celebrate our outstanding teachers. If you haven’t submitted any kudos this year, now is the time … because you are almost out of time. 

Go to www.HonoredSchools.org to send a positive message to a teacher and keep in mind the following:

● Every person who recognizes a teacher through HonoredSchools.org during Teacher Appreciation Week will be entered to win a $100 Amazon gift card. There will be one winner per school.

● Every time a teacher is recognized at HonoredSchools.org, they are entered to win the Honored Schools Life-Changing Teacher Award and $5,000, and the school will win a $250 gift certificate to First Book.

● May 7 is the final day Honored Schools will accept recognition stories for consideration for the award. A winner will be announced June 7. 

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BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY

Payne is participating in Bike To School Day, 7:45 a.m.-8:15 a.m. Wednesday at Lincoln Park. Please wear a mask and school year and maintain social distance. The event is using the hashtag #GoodTroubleRide. Another highlight: You can sing along to a violinist’s rendition of “Old Town Ride.” I’m intrigued. Learn more at this link. 

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NANDO’S FUNDRAISER IN MAY

The Nando’s PERi-PERi Yards location will be hosting a Payne Fundraiser 4-8 p.m. Wednesday, May 26. During this time, 40 percent of purchases from Payne supporters will benefit the school. The restaurant is at 300 Tingey Street S.E. 

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FUNDS FOR TEACHERS

A reminder for teachers: Early this year, the PTSA approved classroom funds for each teacher. Many teachers have not taken advantage of the funds. If you are unsure, please check with a PTSA board member.  

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SUCCESSFUL PAYNE MEETUP

A special thanks to all the Payne parents who coordinated and attended Saturday’s meet-up at RFK Field. It was a strong showing for our school community, and a lot of incoming Wildcats were excited to start the new year at Payne. 

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IMPORTANT DATES

May 3-9: East City Bookshop Payne Fundraiser 

May 26: 4-8 p.m., Nado’s Fundraiser at 300 Tingey St. S.E., The Yards

May 31: Memorial Day, no school

June 24: Last day of school

Aug. 30: DCPS is fully reopened. Get hype: Payne Countdown Calendar.

Hello, Payne community.

Welcome back from break, and welcome to Term 4!

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NEXT PTSA MEETING

The PTSA’s next virtual meeting is 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 4. We’ll be discussing next school year, and we’ll get a visit from Payne’s Student Government. We’ll send out a Zoom link closer to the day. 

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PAYNE POINTS OF CONTACT

Have a question but you’re unsure which Payne staff member to contact? The LSAT (Local School Advisory Team) and Principal Byrd have compiled a helpful list of points of contact, and it’s attached to this email. 

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COUNTDOWN TO 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR

If you just can’t wait until Aug. 30, 2021, when Payne and DCPS are 100 percent back in person, enjoy this Payne Countdown Calendar. It’s not too early to get excited. 

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FREE LACROSSE PROGRAM

Winners Lacrosse is hosting a free program for kids ages 6-14. “Your child will become a pro at ball handling, scooping, shooting, and so much more!” the website says. Winners Lacrosse has added a new program, starting April 24 in Tacoma. Click here to sign up and learn more.

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DON’T FORGET TO JOIN

Remember to please make your PTSA membership official and sign up: https://paynedc.org/payne-elementary-school/ptsa/ 

The $15 annual dues can be paid via PayPal. If you are unable to pay dues, the PTSA will still accept membership. Please remember you must be a member for 30 days to vote at the annual meeting (early June timeframe). 

PayPal:  https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2334146 

Unsure if you paid already this year? You can email Michelle Chapman to find out.

You also can write a check payable to Payne PTSA. It can be mailed or dropped off at the school, 1445 C St. S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003.

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IMPORTANT DATES

May 3-9: East City Bookshop Payne Fundraiser. Buy books online, and 20 percent of sales will benefit Payne. We’ll distribute a special link to make sure Payne gets book-buying credit. 

May 31: Memorial Day, no school

Aug. 30: DCPS is fully reopened

Hello, Payne community. 

Principal Byrd is hosting a “Coffee with the Principal” meeting at 5 p.m. Friday. A Teams link will be posted on Canvas. The topic is “The future of Payne,” so don’t miss this important opportunity. 

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JOIN THE PTSA TO VOTE

A gentle reminder to please make your Payne PTSA membership official and sign up: https://paynedc.org/payne-elementary-school/ptsa/ 

The $15 annual dues can be paid via PayPal. If you are unable to pay dues, the PTSA will still accept membership.

PayPal:  https://www.paypal.com/us/fundraiser/charity/2334146 

You also can write a check payable to Payne PTSA. It can be mailed or dropped off at the school, 1445 C St. S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003.

Annual meeting update: The PTSA will be hosting its annual meeting before this school year ends, and it will once again be virtual. While we typically vote on new officers at this meeting, the PTSA Board is considering a potential amendment to our bylaws to delay the officers vote until the fall when school operations could be back to normal and participation is expected to be higher. 

Note: Only members will be eligible to vote in May, and only members can run for a seat on the board. 

Once again, a sincere THANK YOU to the Payne community for attending our virtual meetings this past year and continuing to support the PTSA and Payne. Please consider running for a board position for the upcoming school year. 

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PROBLEM-BASED MATH

The PTSA applied for a $1,600 grant through the Capitol Hill Community Foundation to fund new professional development for Payne math teachers. The funds will cover problem-based math seminars taught by the Two Rivers Learning Institute. Problem-based tasks are exploratory math lessons built around a single compelling problem. Students are given time to collaborate and are encouraged to think creatively and independently. They come up with solutions to share with the group that are then challenged and debriefed with the teacher serving as a guide instead of an all-knowing answer key. Ultimately, the goal is to teach students a deep conceptual understanding of math while building their math reasoning skillset.

Mr. Steven Eskay, Payne’s manager of specialized education, recommended the workshops, noting the technique helps improve student scores on PARCC. If Payne receives the full grant, $1,600 will cover four sessions. 

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STILL TIME FOR SURVEY

Has your family completed the Panorama Surveys? Originally due in March, the survey still is open to encourage more participation. Survey data can influence principals and school teams to improve school climate and social emotional learning. Click here for the Panorama survey.

And if you missed Payne’s Summer Academy survey: Take this one, too

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CHERRY BLOSSOM VOLUNTEERS

Payne staffers are dressing the school building in pink to celebrate cherry blossoms. Would you like to help decorate? Email Kindergarten teacher Ms. Fox, Marion.Fox@k12.dc.gov, or art teacher Ms. Harvey, Malkia.Harvey@k12.dc.gov. 

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IMPORTANT DATES

April 2: Open enrollment begins and lottery results are released. 

April 5: 5 p.m., Third Grade Parent Meeting 

April 12-16: Spring break, no school

May 3-9: East City Bookshop Payne Fundraiser. Buy books online, and 20 percent of sales will benefit Payne. We’ll distribute a special link to make sure Payne gets book-buying credit. 

May 31: Memorial Day, no school