School News and Updates
Science Fair January 30
The Seaton Science Fair is coming up next Friday, January 30, and we are so excited to see what students have been working on.
A few reminders:
- The event starts promptly at 9AM! It would be great for students to arrive closer to 8:45 to get set up.
- Families are welcome to join for all or part of the event! There will be chairs set up at the back of the cafeteria for families interested in watching. The schedule is as follows:
- 8:45-9:00: Project set up
- 9:00-9:15: Introductions
- 9:15-10: Judges interview students about their projects
- 10:00-10:15: Judge deliberations & time for families to circulate and view projects
- 10:20-10:40: Award ceremony & close out
*Note: PK-3 and PK-4 students will return to their classrooms after their interview. They will return to the cafeteria for the award ceremony at 10:20AM.
- Students in PK-3, PK-4, and K are welcome to have support from a family member while they are presenting. Students in grade 1-5 should present independently.
- It is okay if your student needs to drop out prior to Friday if they are unable to complete their project. Please let Ms. T (meg.talewsky@k12.dc.gov) know as soon as possible if that is the case.
- Each participant will receive a science fair ribbon! 1 first place prize and 1 runner up prize will be given at each grade level OR grade level band based on number of participants. We tried to make things as fair as possible by choosing 1 winner and 1 runner up for each group of about 10 participants. Participation and prizes are as follows:
- PK3/4 (10 participants) – 1 winner, 1 runner-up
- K (12 participants) – 2 winners, 2 runners-up
- 1 (15 participants) – 2 winners, 2 runners up
- 2 (7 participants) – 1 winner, 1 runner up
- 3 (8 participants) – 1 winner, 1 runner up
- 4th-5th (7 projects) – 1 winner, 1 runner up
We also need parents to help out at the event! This is a great opportunity to volunteer, particularly if you’re already planning to attend to see your student participate. Volunteers will have time to be with their student during their interview. Please sign-up to help out here:
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Middle of the Year Assessments
Students will be participating in Middle of the Year assessments during the month of January. Students complete assessments in a 1-1 setting with their teachers, in a small group setting, or as a whole class.
- DIBELS Assessment: this assessment applies to students in Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2.
- I-Ready Math Assessments: this assessment applies to students in kindergarten through grade 5.
- I-Ready ELA Assessments: this assessment applies to students in kindergarten through grade 5
- ACCESS Assessments: this assessment applies to English Language Learner Students in kindergarten through grade 5.
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February Awards Celebrations – Save the Date
Save the date for Seaton Middle of the Year Awards Celebrations! Save the date for Seaton Middle of the Year Awards Celebrations! Join us as we celebrate our students’ growth, hard work, and achievements during the first half of the academic year. We can’t wait to celebrate together.
- Kindergarten – February 25 at 9:00AM
- Grade 1 – February 27 at 9:00AM
- Grade 2 – February 26 at 9:00AM
- Grade 3 – February 26 at 2:00PM
- Grade 4 – February 26 at 2:00PM
- Grade 5 – February 27 at 2:00PM
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Seaton Families Priority Survey
We value your voice! Please take a few minutes to complete the Seaton Families Priorities Survey to help guide our planning and priorities for next school year.
Your feedback supports our students and school community and feedback will be shared with the Seaton LSAT Team. Thank you for partnering with us!
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PTO Sponsored Events – Save the Dates
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Middle School Fair – Save the Date
The Bilingual Counselor, Mr. Mercado, will be hosting a Middle School Fair this week on Thursday, January 22nd, 2026 at 5pm in the Seaton Library. This event is open to all but geared towards 4th and 5th grade students. A table will be available to support MySchool DC Lottery Application for any families who need support with applying for school seats.
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Open Houses – Save the Date
We are pleased to invite you to our Open House so that you may have an opportunity to learn more about our academic programs and school community! Families can attend any of the dates listed:
- January 22,2026 9:00-10:00 am in the cafeteria
- February 10,2026 5:00 pm- 6:00 pm in the library
- February 19, 2026 9:00 am- 10:00 am in the cafeteria
- April 9, 2026 5:00 pm- 6:00 pm in the library
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February Drills
Fire Drill. This drill takes place school wide. All students and staff evacuate the building.
Shelter in Place Drill. In February our staff and students will participate in a Shelter in Place drill. Shelter in place means finding a safe location indoors and staying there until you are given an “all clear” or told to evacuate. You may be asked to shelter in place because of an active shooter; tornado; or chemical, radiological, or other hazard.
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School Nurse Update
We currently have a rotating school nurse supporting Seaton. Our rotating nurse is Nurse Wellington and you can reach her at lawanda.wellington@dc.gov. She will be at Seaton 2-3 times a week.
Please continue to share any health or dental forms with Ms. Daisy at gloria.torrento@k12.dc.gov or the Seaton Enroll email at SeatonESEnroll@k12.dc.gov.
The School Nurse will be conducting hearing and vision tests throughout the month of December for all students.
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PTO News and Updates
Seaton Families,
The PTO’s got a lot going on this month, including our upcoming Science Fair and other winter events, sign-ups for afterschool clubs and day off camps, and more. Please also join us for our next PTO Meeting on Wednesday, February 4, from 5:30-6:50 PM in the library.
The TLDR of this is: PLEASE sign up to volunteer for upcoming events; sign up for DC Way day-off camps here and spring break camp here; sign up for afterschool clubs here!
Upcoming Events:
- Friday, January 30 from 9-11 AM: The Science Fair will be held from 9-11 AM in the Seaton cafeteria. Parents are welcome to watch (and volunteer!) as our Stingers present their science projects to an incredible panel of guest judges.
- Wednesday, February 11 from 5-6:30 PM: The PTO is supporting a new Family Literacy Night, where families can play fun games and attend workshops to support their student’s literacy and reading growth. From 5:00-5:30, there will be snacks and crafts in the cafeteria. Then, starting at 5:30, there will be teacher-led sessions throughout the building (sessions include a Phonemic Awareness Lesson Demo, Supporting Reading Comprehension at Home, Building Grip Strength for Emergent Writers, Literacy-based Sensory Experiences for Neurodivergent Students… and more!). We will also have many books that families can shop and take home, and the library will be open. We hope you and your student can join us for this fun new event!
- Friday, February 27 from 6-8 PM: Winter Movie Night will be held in the Seaton cafeteria. We’ll have popcorn and hot chocolate for our last indoor movie night in our multi-purpose room!
- Wednesday, March 18 from 5:30-6:30 PM: Back by popular demand, Family Math Night returns for a second year. Last year, 130 students of all ages joined teachers for math games as families learned new ways to engage with math content in a fun way. More details to come as the date approaches.
We cannot make any of these events happen without volunteer support, so please sign up for a shift if you are able! Sign up here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/0/d/14bVyoGr5MPlngKkDAwG_jLNXlTr84owt/htmlview?pli=1&urp=gmail_link#gid=708459398
Afterschool Clubs: Sign up is still open for our vendor-led clubs, with some space left in both sessions of chess club, lego club, and music and movement. Information on the entire winter club session is available here: https://seatondc.org/afterschool-enrichment/
Day-Off and Spring Break Camps: The PTO is excited to share that DC Way will offer day-off Soccer and Art Camps on upcoming DCPS off: 1/26 (this upcoming Monday!), 2/13, 3/12-13, 4/6. You can register for day-off camps here: https://dcway.com/camps/seaton-art-soccer-day-camp/.
You can also register for Spring Break camp (4/13-17) here: https://dcway.com/camps/spring-break-camp/ . After clicking “Register,” a new page will open showing all available camps—look for and select the Seaton option. Note: The camp will be held at Gallaudet University on April 16 due to DCPS closure.
🎉 Special Offer: Seaton families get 20% off with code SEATON20 at checkout. The discount works for any day-off or spring break camps and at any DC Way location.
Swing Space/Modernization: Construction has started on our swing space! We are working to get updates to share on progress there. With respect to modernization, the School Improvement Team will meet again in February to receive the schematic design presentation, and we will again seek community feedback on the design. Stay tuned for more information, and we will continue to update our website as we learn more: https://seatondc.org/swing-space-modernization/.
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School Policies
Attendance Committee Updates
The Aspen Parent Portal to submit absence/tardy excuse notes is now live on the Seaton Website (Click attendance form on the Seaton website).
Please note that this is the same form used for late arrivals and that no documents can be uploaded onto the portal at this time. Physical notes can still be dropped off at the front office. Please reach out to Mr. Mercado if you have any questions at (abel.mercado@k12.dc.gov)
New Tardy Procedure:
Ms. Daisy and/or Ms. Hill will be in the lobby from 8:45-9:45 inputting tardies in real time. Please make sure you check in with them if you are late. If for some reason they are not in the lobby, please fill out the tardy book that will be on the table.
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.
DCPS January and February Calendar Key Dates.
January 26 – No School for Students. Records Day for Teachers.
February 13 – No School for Students. DCPS Professional Development Day.
February 16 – No School for Students and Teacher. President’s Day.
