LT Families:
 
We are getting this update out early this week to prepare for Back to School Night on Wednesday.  Following this update, we will begin rotating between classroom updates and school updates on  a weekly basis, so everyone can expect an email from your child’s teacher or from the administration on Wednesday afternoons or Thursday mornings.  Please see the updates and Back to School Night schedule below!
 
Back to School Night (Wednesday, September 12th) – Join teachers, staff and students for an official welcome to the 2018-2019 school year.  Parents will have three rotations between classroom teachers, specials teachers, and administration from 6:00 p.m. – 7:10 p.m.  For families that have students at more than one grade level, please skip the administration update and visit another classroom.  Administration will be available for a final session from 7:10 – 7:25 for those that missed earlier. Schedules is available on the website and will be sent home in backpacks and via email.
 
School Feedback: As a school administration team, we are always looking to reflect and improve, so please take a few moments to complete a brief survey to help us in continuing to refine school operations at https://goo.gl/forms/fPlnkSkvDUOfRJDg2.
 
Meal Charges: For any direct questions related to payments and/or account difficulties with school lunches, please reach out to the DCPS point of contact, Nadine James, at utelca.james@dc.gov or by phone at (202) 299-2159.

PTO Updates:

• The PTO will have a table set up at Back to School Night where families can sign up to volunteer for a PTO Committee and school events. You can also sign up to volunteer anytime by filling out the PTO volunteer form on our website: ludlowtaylor.org/volunteer.
• Long-sleeve School Shirts and Sweatshirts - The PTO will be taking pre-orders for long-sleeve school shirts and sweatshirts with new designs. Pictures of the new shirts will be hanging in the front lobby. Order forms will be available at Back to School Night and in the front office. Both the pictures and the order forms will be posted to our website (ludlowtaylor.org/shop) later this week. We will also be sending order forms home in students' backpacks at the end of this week. Shirts can be paid for with cash or check. Pre-orders will be accepted until Movie Night on September 28th so that shirts can be delivered by early-to-mid October.
• First PTO Meeting (Friday, September 28th) - Please join us for the first PTO meeting of the year at 6:00 p.m. before Movie Night. We will be introducing you to this year's Executive Board Members and Committee Chairs, discuss upcoming PTO events and projects, and can answer any questions from the community. Childcare will be provided during the meeting. We hope to see everyone there.
• Movie Night (Friday, September 28th) – Join us for a movie party featuring ZOOTOPIA! Movie night will start as the sun sets around 7:00 p.m. Admission is free, but concessions will be available for sale. 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 you are interested in volunteering please contact Katie Clark at events@ludlowtaylor.org.
• Outdoor Classroom & Courtyard Cleanup (Saturday, September 29th) – The PTO is excited to announce a new school project: creating an outdoor classroom 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. The specific time of the cleanup will be available on the school calendar by week's end. If you are interested in participating, please contact Melanie Knapp at grounds@ludlowtaylor.org.
• 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 12th – Back to School Night
• 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

​LT Community:

As a staff, we cannot wait to welcome our students and families back to school next week!  Our kindergarten – 5th grade students will be joining us Monday, with our PreK3 and PreK4 students beginning Thursday, August 23rd.  Attached to this email are two documents with further information as we begin the year: LT Food, Nutrition and Allergy Policy, along with the Parent Handbook – feel free to peruse at your own pace.  Please see the announcements below as we prepare for Day 1!

Optional Teacher Meet and Greet:  For students and families in K-5, that would like to meet their teachers prior to the first day of school, there will be an optional window to visit classrooms on Friday, August 17th, from 1:30 – 3:00.  For students in PK3 and PK4, teacher home visits will take the place of this option.

Beautification Day: On Saturday, August 18th, from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30a.m. we will be hosting a school beautification day – please join us to help clean-up the school grounds and to say hello to new and returning families to the LTES community!  Please bring gardening gloves and shears if any extras are laying around the house.

School Lunch: Effective school year 2018- 2019, LTES is no longer operating within the Community Eligibility Provision, therefore, LTES will continue to provide free breakfast and afterschool meals, however, lunch will only remain free for families that qualify.  We understand that this will be a change for many families, so we have worked with DCPS to ensure a grace period as we begin the school year.

We want emphasize the importance for all families to complete the Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARM) application at www.dcps.heartlandapps.com , as our designation could possibly change into next school year.  However, for this year, all students that do not qualify, and wish to receive a lunch, will be charged $2.80 ((PK-5th Grade).

Lunch Payment: All payment for lunches is done electronically by paying with a credit or debit card at myschoolbucks.com, an online prepayment service. Funds are added and debited each time a student goes there the line. Please let the main office know if checks are a preferred payment method. We are encouraging families that will be paying to upload payment information as soon as possible, but there will be a grace period the first few weeks of school.

• The lunch menu for August can be found at https://dcps.dc.gov/publication/lunch-menu-elementary-school-lunch-sodexomagic
• Lunches do not need to be booked, just the day of, students can go through the line if they so choose. In PreK, students would tell their teachers/paras in the classroom

ECE Home Visits: Our teachers and paraprfoessionals in Grades PreK3 and PreK4 have begun reaching out to families to schedule home visits as quickly as possible over the next few weeks.  While we try to get as many done as possible before the school year, visits can extend over the next few weeks if schedules do not line up.

Health and Wellness Policy: As part of the DCPS Health and Wellness Policy, we have modified our local policies to reflect the 2010 Healthy Schools Act, in particular celebrations for the 2018-2019 school year (LT policy is attached).  As a reminder, we have also moved to a nut-free school, unless there is a specified accommodation approved by the homeroom teacher and principal to establish a “nut-zone.” A few more modifications to point out:
Birthday Parties: 

• Birthday parties will be moved to monthly celebrations, the third Friday of every month, to celebrate the birthdays of all students from a particular month.  During these celebrations, teachers will work with families to coordinate treats that comply with the LTES Food Allergy Policy, as well as  activities for the class to celebrate.  If requested by a family, cupcakes will be permitted on this particular date.
• On exact birthday dates, non-food items are permitted.
• With the addition of morning announcements, all student birthdays will be announced over the loud speaker, with summer birthdays spread throughout the last two weeks of school

Incentives: AT LTES, our goal is to promote intrinsic motivation. When incentives are utilized to reward students, staff members will utilize non-food items such as, but not limited to: added movement breaks, additional recess, stickers, coloring pages, school supplies, certificates, etc.

Special Events: For designated school-wide events including: Halloween, Winter Holiday Celebrations, and Field Day, a limited number of treats will be made available that comply with the LTES Food Allergy Policy.
Grade-Level Celebrations: For all grade level celebrations (publishing parties, student work showcases, etc.), all provided or donated snacks are required to fall under the USDA health snacks guidelines (such as popcorn, fruit cups, pita chips, baked chips, etc.), comply with the LTES Food Allergy Policy, and/or include non-food items.
 
LT Calendar of Events: In hopes of spreading out community events, we have revised our major event calendar below (dates are subject to change, but we hope to stay as close as possible).  To sync our school calendar to your phone or computer, please visit: https://www.ludlowtaylor.org/calendar.html 

First Day of School Logistics: For students, in Kindergarten – 5th Grade, the first day of school is Monday, August 20th.  For students in PreK3 and PreK4, the first day of school is Thursday, August 23rd.  On both days, we will follow the same procedures:

1. Doors will open at 8:05 a.m. (as they will everyday this year), and students/parents arriving at this time will report to the playground or cafeteria, weather depending.
2. Beginning at 8:30 a.m., all students/families will report directly to student homerooms for a brief tour and introduction to the classroom and teacher.  We are encouraging families to arrive around 8:30 a.m. and report directly to classrooms.
3. Around 9:00 a.m., Principal Smith and AP Addison, will meet briefly with all parents in the cafeteria for a brief overview of the school year ahead of us.
4. Breakfast will take place around 9:15 a.m. for students.
5. Student dismissal will take place at 3:15 p.m., with doors opening at 3:05 p.m. for pick-up.
6. After-school begins August 20th, for students that are already registered in K-5, and August 23rd for students in PreK3 and PreK4.

Please reach out with any questions (Andrew.Smith2@dc.gov)!

Sincerely,

Principal Smith

We are thrilled about the new additions to the Ludlow-Taylor Staff for the 2018-2019 school year.  Please see the biographies below on our exciting new family members!

Dr. Lacy – School Psychologist:
Dr. Lacy is delighted to join our team as the new school psychologist.  She was born and raised in Kentucky and her roots run deep in her home state, growing up in a small town, where everyone knew everyone! She did her undergraduate study at DePaul University in Chicago, IL, and then moved to Washington, D.C. to begin graduate studies at Howard University, where she received a Masters and Doctor of Philosophy degree in Clinical Psychology.  She has been working with DCPS as a school psychologist since 2007, having worked for the past 7 years at Neval Thomas Elementary School. Prior to joining DCPS, Dr. Lacy worked at the Regional Institute for Children and Adolescents in Rockville, MD, the Department of Juvenile Justice, and in private practice.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her son, Ethan, walking her dog, Bailey, and being active in her church.  Dr. Lacy is looking forward to working with the staff, students, and families of the Ludlow-Taylor community.

Mr. Bain – 1st Grade Math Teacher
Prior to coming to Ludlow-Taylor, Mr. Bain taught for 6 years at Excel Academy Public Charter School here in D.C. While there, he taught third grade, served as a grade level lead, and was a host teacher for an Urban Teachers resident. Mr. Bain has a Masters of Education from Lesley University in both Special Education and Elementary Education. He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia, with a major in both psychology and religious studies.  In his free time, Mr. Bain loves to play with his dog Tilly, play softball and tennis, take flying trapeze lessons, and cook food for his friends and family.

Ms. Sanchez – Grades 3-5 Special Education Teacher
A native New Yorker, Ms. Sanchez received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from St. John’s University. Her original goal was to become a politician, but while working in a charter school in NYC in the operations department, Harley fell in love with the students and she knew she was destined to be a teacher. She decided to go back to St. John’s University and get her masters in Childhood Education and Childhood Special Education. Prior to joining the Ludlow-Taylor team she taught in the same school in Baltimore City for 5 years.  She is trained in a variety of intervention programs, and loves watching all students master their goals.  After moving to Washington, D.C last year, she co-taught 5th grade ELA in a local charter school. Ms. Sanchez is a proud parent of a 17 year-old daughter and a 1 year-old son. She enjoys running, reading, and cooking. You might even catch her running up and down H-street on Saturday mornings.  

Ms. Washington – Kindergarten Teacher
Ms. Washington is very excited to join the Ludlow-Taylor Family. This will be her 7th year in education. In previous years, she taught in Arlington County, D.C. Public Charter, and Prince George’s Country Public Schools.  She earned both her bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Maryland.  In addition to teaching, she has led data training sessions, professional development, and served on the school development team.  Ms. Washington has also had the opportunity to participate in the ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum), Ed Tech, and Data Wise conferences for the last few years.  During leisure time, Ms. Washington enjoys going to the beach, spending time with friends, reading, and traveling.   As she moves to a new school, Ms. Washington is looking forward to being a part of a school that strives for educational growth, community partnership, and  student achievement!

Mr. Cannaday – PE Teacher
Mr. Cannaday has worked with elementary and middle school students since 2010. Before joining the Ludlow-Taylor family, Mr. Cannaday worked in the DCPS Central Office as a School Climate and Social Emotional Learning Specialist supporting more than 11 elementary schools in various ways.  Mr. Cannaday also has administrative experience at Hendley Elementary School and Savoy Elementary School as a part of the Teacher Leadership Innovation Program.  Mr. Cannaday is extremely excited to return to the gymnasium and rejuvenate his teaching career. He has over seven years of teaching experience as an elementary school Health and Physical Education Teacher for Arlington Public Schools, Alexandria City Public Schools, and right here in the District of Columbia. Mr. Cannaday has experience coaching track and field, flag football, and basketball at the AAU and high school level. Before his career with DCPS, Mr. Cannaday was a Bill Gates Millennium Scholar and an Academic All American Student-Athlete at Virginia State University as a member of the Men's Basketball Team (and briefly played professionally in Lima, Peru). Mr. Cannaday's personal values reflect the importance of family and giving back to the community. His favorite things to do are play basketball and binge watch movies with his wife (Courtney) and three children  (Tamahri, Quincy, and Charlie Ann). 

Ms. Thompkins – .5 Social Worker
Jessica Thompkins is so excited to be joining the team at Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School. Originally from Rochester, New York, she moved to Washington, D.C. 7 years ago to participate in City Year, an Americorps program, which afforded her the opportunity to pursue her passion for working with children in the educational setting. After completing her graduate program at Howard University, she  began working in a local school supporting students with special needs. In her free time, Ms. Thompkins enjoys reading, traveling and volunteering to help uplift her community.  She is looking forward to learning and growing with us next school year! 

Ms. Dixon - K Teacher
Ms. Dixon is super excited to officially have a teaching position at Ludlow-Taylor. This will be Ms. Dixon’s first year as the lead teacher, but has had many positions from paraprofessional to math interventionist since 2013. Last school year, Ms. Dixon was a temporary teacher at LTES as both a 1st grade and PE teacher.  In previous years, she worked in Anne Arundel County Public Schools and charter schools in D.C. and Texas. She received her undergraduate degree from Virginia State University in Health Science and Public Health and her Master’s in Early Childhood Education from The University of Texas at El Paso. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, reading, and spending time with her husband and 1-year old daughter. She is excited to embark on this new journey and help students grow to their full potential.

Temeka S. Parker - Social Worker
Ms. Parker is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 15 years of experience in the field.  She has facilitated numerous trainings related to understanding students with emotional disabilities, impact of trauma and other professional development topics that assist in providing support and service for children who have special education needs. Ms. Parker completed her undergraduate studies at Bowie State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. She also earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Maryland.  Ms. Parker has published two children’s books, “The Telling Secret” and “Locs Like Mine” which address sexual abuse and self-esteem respectively. She has been featured on FOX 5 news discussing these two topics and the impact on children and families.  Ms. Parker joined DCPS in September 2017 as a Social Worker at Neval Thomas Elementary School.  She also currently serves as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Social Work at Bowie State University (BSU).  In her spare time, Ms. Parker enjoys physical activities that include long distance running, biking and recently swimming.  She is currently preparing to complete her first triathlon in Luray Virginia very soon! Ms. Parker is thrilled to join the Ludlow Taylor school community and looks forward to serving students, families and staff!

Mr. Harvin-Conner -  4th Grade Urban Teaching Resident
Mr. Harvin-Conner is a recent D.C. resident. Born and raised in Austin, TX, he has been committed to youth development since he graduated from Southwestern University in Georgetown, TX. Before working at Ludlow-Taylor, Mr. Harvin-Conner worked as a Special Educational Paraprofessional and as the Youth Specialist for a youth development program called Urban Roots. Mr. Harvin-Conner's commitment to equity has been solidified in his work both inside and outside the classroom. During his time in Austin, Mr. Harvin-Conner worked with several social justice organizations that fought for change and equitable access for marginalized communities within the Austin area. He is currently getting his Masters of Science in Elementary Education from Johns Hopkins University and can usually be found exploring the many coffee shops in D.C. in search of the perfect cup of coffee.

Ms. McNeal - 4th Grade Urban Teaching Resident
Ms. McNeal is looking forward to joining the Ludlow-Taylor team as a resident with Urban Teachers. She is currently working on earning her Masters of Science in Elementary Education through Johns Hopkins University. Prior to her move to D.C., she lived in California where she attended The University of California at Santa Barbara. Her coursework as a psychology major and education minor allowed her to work in Santa Barbara high schools as both a mentor and a tutor. These roles further inspired Ms. McNeal to pursue a career in a helping profession. However, it was her position as an after school program supervisor for the YMCA that drew her to elementary education. As a California native, Ms. McNeal spends most of her free time on the beach with her dog, Blue. She can also be found wherever there is live music; either on stage or in the audience. 
Other Staff Additions (bios to come!):
Mr. Dunbar – Custodian
Adina Isaacs – Paraprofessional (Ms. Blackstone’s room)
Ms. Borden – Temporary CES Teacher

In-House Leadership Transitions:
Mr. Phillips – Special Education and Logistics Lead
Ms. Broom – Math Lead/Resource
Ms. Penn – Reading Resource

Staff Not Returning:
Ms. Frazier – Social Worker
Ms. Polk-Coverdell – School Psychologist
Ms. Hicks – 1st Grade
Ms. Bell – Kindergarten
Mr. Abdullah – Reading Resource

Please see the notes below to ensure a great start to the 2018-2019 school year!

• Classroom Rosters:  To view classroom rosters, please visit: https://goo.gl/TsgAfe
• For students in Grades 1-5, classrooms are now departmentalized, so students in these grades will visit every teacher in their grade level, each day.
• Classroom Request Policy – Ludlow-Taylor does not accept teacher and/or student cohort requests from families.  When creating classes, we first consider a balance of gender, race and special education services, to have the highest level of diversity as possible.  With 421 students already registered, it would be impossible to fulfill everyone’s request while also maintaining transparency and the ideal level of diversity that we know supports future student success.
• Classroom Supplies: Classroom supplies lists are located on a tab on the classroom roster document linked above.  Supplies are not required by the first day of school, but we do ask to have them by mid-September.  For families that would like to drop-off supplies early, please see the optional school visit information below.
• Beautification Day: On Saturday, August 18th, from 9:00 a.m. – 10:30a.m. we will be hosting a school beautification day – please join us to help clean-up the school grounds and to say hello to new and returning families to the LTES community!
• Optional Teacher Meet and Greet (Optional):  For students and families in K-5, that would like to meet their teachers prior to the first day of school, there will be an optional window to visit classrooms on Friday, August 17th, from 1:30 – 3:00.  Supplies can also be dropped off during this time for families that would like to drop-off supplies early.  For students in PK3 and PK4, teacher home visits will take the place of this option.

​First Day of School: For students, in Kindergarten – 5th Grade, the first day of school is Monday, August 20th.  For students in PreK3 and PreK4, the first day of school is Thursday, August 23rd.  On both days, we will follow the same procedures:

1.  Doors will open at 8:05 a.m. (as they will everyday this year), and students/parents arriving at this time will report to the playground or cafeteria, weather depending.
2.  Beginning at 8:30 a.m., all students/families will report directly to student homerooms for a brief tour and introduction to the classroom and teacher.  We are encouraging families to show up around 8:30 a.m. and report directly to classrooms.
3.  Around 9:00 a.m., Principal Smith and AP Addison, will meet briefly with all parents in the cafeteria for a brief overview of the schoolyear ahead of us.
4.  Breakfast will take place around 9:15 a.m. for students
5.  Student dismissal will take place at 3:15 p.m., with doors opening at 3:05 p.m. for pick-up.
6.  After-school begins August 20th, for those that are already registered.

Good afternoon,
​
I hope everyone is having a lovely summer break!  Effective school year 2018- 2019, LTES is no longer operating within the Community Eligibility Provision, therefore, LTES will continue to provide free breakfast and afterschool meals, however, we will now be collecting household applications to determine eligibility for free lunch. 

DCPS Food & Nutrition Services has begun and will continue to reach out to ensure that we are able to capture as many students that are eligible for free lunch as possible. If that number reaches 40% of students, all lunches will remain free, if not, lunch prices will be $2.80 (PK-5th Grade), for families that do not qualify for free and reduced lunches. 

We also want emphasize the importance for all families to complete the Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARM) application at www.dcps.heartlandapps.com or using the paper application (attached). Continued communication to ensure completion will include: robo-emails, robo-calls, and robo-texts on a biweekly basis.  Once families fill out an application and we have received it, they will be removed from the contact list.

Please reach out to Nicole Clements (Nutrition and Compliance Assistant, Food & Nutrition Services) at Nicole.Clements@dc.gov with any specific questions to this shift.

Sincerely,

Principal Smith