December 16 Family Newsletter

Seaton Families,  

Happy Holidays! This Thursday, we are excited to host the Music Class Holiday Performances, where our talented students will showcase their hard work and creativity. We hope you can join us to celebrate!

Additionally, don’t forget about Holiday Spirit Week—let’s keep the festive energy alive with fun activities and themes throughout the week.

As we approach winter break, I want to express my gratitude for your support and partnership this year. I wish you and your loved ones a joyful, restful holiday season and a Happy New Year.

Please find the December 16 Family Newsletter below. Our next Family Newsletter will be shared on Monday, January 6, 2025.

Principal Torres 

SCHOOL NEWS 

Holiday Spirit Week.  

Join in celebrating the Holidays with a Holiday Spirit Week! Check the daily celebrations below.  

Food Distribution.  

Families are invited to come to the Food Distribution event on December 18 at 3:15pm during dismissal time in the Seaton Playground.  We will distribute food donations and books! 

Holiday Performance.  

Music Holiday Performances: From Ms. Chamberlain. Music Teacher. Families are welcome to join us for a brief performance, where students are excited to share music selections they have learned in music class. To accommodate an audience inclusive of students and families, there will be 2 performances on Thursday, December 19, 2024.  
– 9am: 3rd and 5th grades will perform. 
– 2:30pm: K,1st and 2^nd grades will perform.   

After School Holiday Performance.  

The After School Team will host a Lights on After School Program on December 19 from 4:45 to 5:45pm in the Seaton Cafeteria. See flyer attached.   

DCPS New Middle School.  

DCPS is looking for parents and caregivers, school staff, and community members to represent their communities on the New Middle School on Euclid St Community Working Group (CWG). Click here to apply to represent our school community on the CWG: https://bit.ly/newdcpscwg. Applications are due by January 15, 2025. Please email dcps.planning@k12.dc.gov with any questions.  

After School December 20.

There will be No After School Programming on Friday December 20 – the Friday before Winter Break. All students will be dismissed at 3:15PM. 

Inner Core December Newsletter.  

See attached the December Newsletter from Seaton’s inner Core Teacher Team. Please review the newsletter to learn about what students are experiencing in special classes. See attached!  

OPEN HOUSE DATES  

Seaton will be hosting Open House for New to Seaton families on the following dates! Families can register to attend here: https://forms.office.com/r/JBrTt1nA0X

SCHOOL POLICIES 

Complete the Volunteer Clearance Process. 

Please note, all parents/guardians that would like to chaperone field trips, must complete the DCPS Clearance process before chaperoning a field trip. Once you have completed the clearance process, please share your approved clearance letter with Ms. Daisy (gloria.torrento@k12.dc.gov) or Ms. Hill (alicia.hill@k12.dc.gov), in the main office. 

Attendance 

Please remember to submit excuse notes when your child is absent. You can fill out the form above or submit a written note to the main office. https://forms.office.com/r/yWUFiCqk50 

Cold Weather DCPS Guidance  
We will transition to indoor physical activities (Recess, PE, Garden) when the temperatures are below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. DCPS Weather policy recommends the following clothing at different temperatures. 
Below 60 degrees: jacket or long sleeve recommended 
Below 50 degrees: coat and long pants recommended 
Below 40 degrees: gloves and hats with previously recommended gear necessary 
Below 32 degrees: indoor recess or physical activity  

The decision to transition to indoor activities due to the weather is made by Principal Torres, with support from the Seaton custodial team and by consulting the National Weather Service website at Weather.gov. The custodial team also conducts a survey of the school grounds to assess the condition of the soccer field and both playground spaces. 

SORA Application.  

Does your student have a tablet, phone, or computer? They have access to thousands of books using the DCPS eBook reading app – SORA!  This is an easy way for your student to have access to thousands of popular books.  If you need help installing the app, you can feel free to contact Ms. Janka or Ms. Daisy.  

DCPS Calendar Key Dates.  

PTO NEWS and UPDATES  

As we approach the holidays, we first want to say thank you so much for all your support this year. With your help, we’ve had a lot of highlights! 

• We held our first ever Winter Dance, where we loved watching our 2nd-5th graders get dressed up for a special night that some have called “the best night ever.” 

• We launched afterschool clubs, offering chess club, yoga, math club, and dance club to students from K-5. And we are working on an exciting slate of clubs for the winter session – stay tuned for more! 

• We held our annual fall events, the Family Potluck and Fall Movie Night, which were attended by dozens of families. 

• We supported Ms. Janka in organizing and staffing the Book Fair. 

• We raised funding and in-kind donations from community partners, including 50 turkeys for distribution to Seaton families for Thanksgiving. 

• We organized a welcome back breakfast and holiday lunch for our amazing teachers, and we coordinated other teacher appreciation efforts along the way. 

• We advocated on behalf of Seaton on school budgeting issues, middle school priorities, and modernization. 

All of these efforts are thanks to the volunteer efforts and contributions from Seaton families. Our PTO works tirelessly on behalf of our Stingers, and we hope to keep up our momentum in the new year. 

If your new years’ resolution is to get more involved (hint hint!), please make sure to sign up for our listserv, attend our monthly meetings (our next one is January 8, from 5:30 – 6:30, in the library – free child care and pizza!), and sign up to volunteer for events. 

Thank you, and we hope you have a wonderful holiday! 

In Partnership – Principal Torres