Welcome to Francis Scott Key Elementary

Francis Scott Key

Welcome to the 2011-2012 year at Key! Consider the web site your place to check for upcoming events, news, forms and all things related to school.



SCHOOL INFORMATION

NEIGHBORHOOD UPDATES:

Please click here to find important updates for Key School Neighbors

PLAY IT FORWARD

Play It ForwardKey School launched its PLAY IT FORWARD (PIF) initiative to raise funds specifically to redevelop our outdoor space. This is a multi-year, legacy project that benefits the entire community. The student population at Key has almost doubled since the playground was built. The overuse of our outdoor space and facilities has resulted in outdated and broken equipment, unsafe surfaces, drainage problems, and inadequate perimeter fences. Read PIF Press Release Here. We started the ball rolling officially with DCPS. We also began educating the community through various efforts school-wide events including like the Harvest Festival and Christmas Tree Sale. Please take a minute to read article from October 2011 Northwest Current. Please direct any press inquiries to Claire Sanders Swift, cswift@swiftglobalmedia.com.

Piece DriveSupport our “Piece Drive” and join the list of individuals and families who are investing in a piece of the playground and our children’s future. Please click on this link if you would like to financially support the PIF effort.

UPCOMING DATES:

May 15: Fillmore Concert 7:00 p.m. Fillmore/Hardy auditorium
May 16: LAST General PTA meeting (officer elections, budget approval, PIF update) 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (Childcare available)
May 21: Parent-Teacher Conferences – IMPORTANT: The correct date for final Parent-Teacher Conferences is Monday, May 21 (NOT May 14 as originally scheduled) - NO SCHOOL
May 28: Memorial Day Holiday – NO SCHOOL

GENERAL PTA MEETING (CHILDCARE AVAILABLE BY RESERVATION – DETAILS BELOW)

Wed. May 16, 6:30-8:00 p.m. - Dr. Mary Stefanus, Principal of Hardy Middle School, will join us again for a quick update on Hardy and tell us a little about her plans for welcoming the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) this fall. Following approval of the minutes, we will also hear comments from Mr. Landeryou and receive an update from the Playground Committee. Also on the agenda is approval of our operating budget for 2012-2013 and election of our new PTA officers (see below for details). Childcare is available during the General Meeting w/Ms. Gore in Room 206 (Mr. Wetherald's 1st grade room) for $3/child, includes 1 slice of pizza. Additional slices $1 each. To RSVP for childcare please contact Sunny at sunnykaplan@gmail.com no later than May 15. As usual, we intend to keep this meeting as paperless as possible. We will be voting to approve the minutes from our last general meeting of January 25, 2012. You may review the minutes by visiting http://www.keyschooldc.org/2009/pta/2012_Jan_PTA%20General%20Meeting.pdf The 2012-2013 proposed budget can be found here.

PTA ELECTIONS:

At the May 16th General PTA meeting we will vote on the slate of PTA Executive Committee Officers to replace outgoing Co-President Karen Kelliher, Co-Recording Secretaries Pete and Susan Kaminskas, and Treasurer Tobey Collins.

Thanks to the help of the 2012/2013 Nominating Committee the slate of candidates is as follows (candidates serve a two-year term):

Co-President: Virginia Gorsevski
Co-Treasurers: Adriana Elwood and Maria Acebal
Recording Secretary: Kathy HoganBruen

Current Officers remaining:
Co-President: Sunny Kaplan
Corresponding Secretary: Anne Ourand

Nominations will also be accepted from the floor. Later this month we will vote to elect two new LSAT candidates. Please let Sunny know (sunnykaplan@gmail.com) if you are interested in adding your name to the list of candidates. The Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) is a group of elected and appointed members that exists for every DCPS School and provides budgetary and student achievement advice to the principal.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS (FLES) KEY PROGRAM 2012-2013

Check backpacks tomorrow or Monday for pre-registration information for Spanish and French classes this coming fall. Please note the section to indicate interest in a Mandarin Chinese class. If you are a native speaker of Spanish, French or Mandarin Chinese interested in the possibility of teaching in our program, please contact Caroline Wolverton, clw2216@gmail; additional information is available at www.fles.org

ONE ON ONE BASKETBALL CAMP REGISTRATION FOR MAY 21ST

Kids get to have fun on their day off by playing, exercising and competing with their friends from Key School! Skilled and experienced basketball instructors from One on One Basketball will conduct a one day camp. Participants will be divided by age and ability to ensure a good time. If you would like to sign up please complete the attached registration form and return to the PTA co-presidents or treasurer’s drawer in the front office as soon as possible. Space is limited.

Date: May 21
Time: 9:00 AM-3:00 PM (8:45 a.m. arrival; 3:15 p.m. pick-up)
Where: Key Elementary Gym
Grades: 1st-5th Boys & Girls
Cost: $50 (Checks payable to Key School PTA)
* Space is limited * Please bring your own lunch *25% of proceeds benefit Key’s playground renovation*

SPRING HOOTENANNY:

Save the date for the Key School Chorus Spring Hootenanny on Thursday, May 31st, at 6:30 p.m.! You won't want to miss this program of old-time and bluegrass music. Beginning at 5:45 p.m., the Student Council will begin selling pizza so you don't even have to feed the family before the show. Please support the chorus program by attending. . . you will not be disappointed!

BULK SUPPLIES/PTA DUES PAYMENTS UPDATE:

Way to go parents! 91% of families have paid the bulk supplies fee and 83% have joined the PTA. Thank you! Let's keep it up!
HOW TO PAY???

  1. Complete the blue form in the gray Registration Folder and submit to the front desk
  2. Visit www.keyschooldc.org click on “PTA Dues form” & print
  3. Stop by front desk if you need a new, blank form

INAUGURAL NATIONAL BIKE TO SCHOOL DAY

Got your bikes out for a spring spin yet? Well the first-ever National Bike to School day is right around the corner on Wednesday, May 9. Let's pump up those tires, clear the cobwebs out of the helmets, and help get our kids rolling! Our goal is for our students to collectively ride 15 miles that day. We will have refreshments and prizes for participants. More information coming next week including details on how Key School could be the first school to win the traveling "Golden Bicycle" trophy!

ONE ON ONE BASKETBALL CAMP ON MAY 21, PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCE DAY:

We are happy to announce that One on One Basketball will conduct another one-day camp at Key School for interested 1st- 5th graders on May 21, Parent-Teacher Conference Day. Look for more information and registration form in upcoming email.

NEWS FROM HEALTHY FOOD COMMITTEE: TELL THE USDA TO KEEP AGENT ORANGE CORN OFF YOUR PLATES!

Right now the USDA is considering the approval of a dangerous new GMO (genetically modified organism) crop genetically engineered to tolerate the highly toxic chemical 2,4-D, a main component of the Vietnam War era defoliant Agent Orange. Dozens of scientific studies have found that exposure to 2,4-D is linked to major health problems including cancer, lowered sperm counts, liver disease, and disruption of hormonal, reproductive and neurological systems. As the first generation of biotech crops has failed, creating millions of acres infected with superweeds, the biotech industry is now introducing even more dangerous chemicals into our food system. Please click on the link to tell the USDA to keep Agent Orange corn out of our food chain, off our families' plates and out of our school cafeterias! http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/stop_agent_orange_corn/?referring_akid=533.382098.ofB7Wo&source=mailto

ONLINE AUCTION 2012 TO REMAIN OPEN LONGER

Good news! Because we still have some openings at several of our fun, parent sign-up parties, among other items, parents can still go online at http://kesptadc.ejoinme.org/auction2012 and join the fun! The online auction will officially close on June 4th , so check it out soon. Many thanks again for your generous support of the PTA!

TRASH-FREE LUNCH WEDNESDAYS:

Did you know that the typical American student generates 67 pounds of discarded school lunch packaging waste per school year? That's more than 18,000 pounds yearly for the average-sized elementary school! Key is committed to reducing our footprint on the earth, so every Wednesday is "trash-free lunch day" for those who bring their lunch to school. These tips will make it so easy that we hope you'll make everyday a trash-free day!

Avoid packaging by using reusable drink containers (e.g., Kleen Kanteen) and stainless steel or BPA-free plastic lunch containers such as the "lunchbot" or a "lunch cube":

http://lunchbots.com/
http://www.containerstore.com

2012 SCHOOL CALENDAR:

May 1-3 Book Fair
May 7 Executive Committee Meeting, 7:30 pm
May 8 Teacher Appreciation Day
May 11 World Family Day, 9 am-12 pm
May 21 (This is a change from the May 14 date on PTA Calendar): NO SCHOOL – Parent-Teacher Conferences and One on 0ne Basketball Camp
May 16 General PTA Meeting/LSRT Elections, 6:30-8 pm (Childcare available)
May 28 Memorial Day Holiday – NO SCHOOL
May 29-June 1 Spirit Week
June 4 Executive Committee Meeting, 7:30 pm
June 8 End-of-Year Picnic
June 12 5th Grade Graduation
June 14 Last Day of School – School Dismissed at 12:15 pm

Call for Rain? Hot? Cold? Call for Snow? Now you can check the weather - our very own weather forecast for the Palisades.