Principal Update - 9/27/18

LT Families:
 
We have made it to week six of the school year and are thrilled with the progress we have already seen from our young people.  With beginning of the year logistics and events behind us, we are now looking forward to settling in and increasing academic rigor (and movement!) across grade levels. Please see the updates below:
 
Specials Calendar –  We have now added the “letter day” to our school calendar online so that families can keep up with which classes students are attending on a specific day.  Information is available at https://www.ludlowtaylor.org/calendar.html, and specials calendars are attached.  To determine your student’s special on a specific day, follow the steps below:

• Check date with letter day on school website calendar:
  • Example – “I can see September 27th is a d-day”
• Check letter day to corresponding homeroom teacher:
  • Example – “My student is in Ms. Flood’s homeroom, and on d-days, Ms. Flood’s homeroom attends Spanish.”

Winter Concerts  – To better accommodate our growing increased enrollment and dance troupes, we are making modifications to our winter concert series.  They will be the same week, just split up slightly differently amongst two nights.  For the second night of the series (Grades 1-5), Stuart Hobson Middle School will be opening their beautiful auditorium for our community to hold this concert:

• Prek3, Prek4 and Kindergarten  - Tuesday, December 18  (LT Multipurpose Room, 6:05 – 7:00 p.m.)
• Grades 1-5 - Thursday, December 20th (Stuart Hobson Auditorium, 6:15 – 7:15 p.m.)

Building Updates – We have been working closely with Department of General Services (DGS), Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE), DCPS Facilities and our PTO to begin expanding our common spaces, that unfortunately were not renovated when the building was modernized a few years ago.  By doing so, we are hoping to create space for a student’s day to be less impacted by inclement weather and current cafeteria schedule.  Below are the building projects currently in process (estimates of timelines provided by DC Government are mentioned below, but subject to change):

• Outdoor Classroom – The grounds committee will begin transforming our courtyard into a more workable space for teachers and students beginning this Saturday, September 29th.  Updates will include: new benches, removal of excess materials currently, student clipboards, added whiteboard and more. Please reach out to grounds@ludlowtaylor.org if interested in supporting the project. (estimated timeline – October 2018)
• Solar Panels/Blacktop Roof – Through a partnership with the DOEE, LTES will be having solar panels added to our roof to reduce energy costs of our building, while also providing electricity assistance for up to 50 families in the DC area. As part of this project, DOEE will also be adding a roof over the blacktop space between the back door from the cafeteria and the ECE playground.  By doing so, we will be able to add more solar panels, while also creating an outdoor cover/gym for physical education classes and increased shade coverage during recess. (estimated timeline – January 2019)
• Multipurpose Room Expansion – Through a partnership with DGS and DCPS, we will be modifying our current multipurpose room to have a dedicated cafeteria space (front-half near the stage) and a dedicated physical education space.  To do so, we are hoping to: add a drop down wall divider, expand the front half of the cafeteria into the current dance room, add acoustic panels around the room, mount a new A/V system. (estimated timeline – January or February 2019)

PTO Updates:

1. THIS FRIDAY: FIRST PTO MEETING & MOVIE NIGHT - Please join us for the first PTO meeting of the year at 6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria. We will be introducing this year's Executive Board Members and Committee Chairs, discussing upcoming PTO events and projects, and answering any questions from the community. Childcare will be provided during the meeting. Immediately following the meeting will be Movie Night, featuring ZOOTOPIA!, which will start as the sun sets around 7:00p.m. Admission for Movie Night is free, but concessions will be available for sale (for cash only). The field may be damp from rain earlier in the week, so families may want to bring plastic tablecloths to place under their blankets. In order to get an estimate of how many pizzas, popcorn, and yummy treats we will need, please let us know if your family will be attending by clicking yes or no via the following link: ludlowtaylor.org/news. IF MOVIE NIGHT NEEDS TO BE CANCELLED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER OR POOR FIELD CONDITIONS, AN EMAIL WILL BE SENT ON FRIDAY BY NOON AND WILL INCLUDE A RAIN DATE.  EVEN IF MOVIE NIGHT IS CANCELLED, THE PTO MEETING WILL GO ON AS SCHEDULED AND PIZZA WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE THERE.
2. Long-sleeve School Shirts and Sweatshirts - The PTO is still taking pre-orders for long-sleeve school shirts and sweatshirts. Pictures of the new items, which students are allowed to wear during the week as part of the school dress code, are hanging in the front lobby. Order forms, as well as the pictures, are posted on our website (ludlowtaylor.org/shop), and we will also have the order forms available to be filled out at the first PTO Meeting on Friday. Pre-orders will be accepted until Monday morning, October 1st and can be paid for with cash or check (made out to "Ludlow-Taylor PTO"). We expect shirts to be delivered by mid-October. For additional information, please contact Katie Bergeron at katiebergeron002@gmail.com. 
3. Outdoor Classroom & Courtyard Cleanup (Saturday, September 29th) – The PTO is excited to announce a new school project: creating an outdoor education space in the courtyard.  Details about this initiative will be discussed at our first PTO meeting and the project's kickoff will be a courtyard cleanup the following morning on September 29th from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. If you are interested in participating, please contact Brian Clark or Melanie Knapp at grounds@ludlowtaylor.org.
4. T-Shirt Sale (Monday, October 1st) - Monday is our monthly t-shirt sale in the front lobby. Sizes currently available include children: XXS, M, L and adult: S, M, L, XL, XXL. This will also be the final opportunity to submit your pre-orders for long sleeve shirts and sweatshirts. Short-sleeve t-shirts in other sizes can also be pre-ordered then.
5. Parents Night Out (Friday, October 19th) - Join us for a Parents Night Out at The Queen Vic (1206 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002).  We will be congregating around 8 p.m. on the second floor. Come to spend time with old friends and meet new LTES families.
6. Grants - The Grants Committee is holding its first teleconference of the year on Friday.  We currently have four pending grant applications. If you have any ideas for grants that we should apply for, please send them to grants@ludlowtaylor.org. 
7. Volunteer - The PTO is a success because of the commitment and generosity of our families. Sign-up to volunteer for our committees or events anytime by filling out the PTO volunteer form on our website: ludlowtaylor.org/volunteer.
8. Subscribe to News! - Stay up to date on Ludlow-Taylor events and news by signing up to receive an email notification as News stories are posted: ludlowtaylor.org/news.

Upcoming Events: Visit https://www.ludlowtaylor.org/calendar.html to see all upcoming events and learn how to sync your calendar with the school's master calendar.

• September 28th – PTO Meeting and LT Movie Night
• September 29th – Outdoor Classroom/Courtyard Cleanup
• October 8th – Columbus Day, No School for Students
• October 10th – Walk to School Day

Thank you all for your continued commitment to Ludlow-Taylor ES!
 
Sincerely,
 
Principal Smith