Seaton Families,
Welcome back to school after winter break! We are thrilled to begin 2026 with all of our Stingers. Thank you to the students and families who joined us for our holiday performance; it was truly a joy to celebrate the season together and share those special moments with you.
The middle of the school year is a meaningful time for reflection and growth at Seaton. During this time, we will be centering our school value of Growth, which we define as: “We, students and adults, work together, set academic and behavioral goals, remain open-minded, consider individual needs, and express our thoughts and emotions.”
We look forward to celebrating our students’ hard work with families in February once assessments are complete.
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School News and Updates
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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January Drills
Fire Drill. This drill takes place school wide. All students and staff evacuate the building.
Severe Weather Drill. This month we will be conducting a severe weather drill. During a severe weather drill students pretend to seek shelter appropriate to the severe weather threat announced, such as a blizzard, electrical storm, flood or tornado. Severe weather can include hazardous conditions produced by thunderstorms, including damaging winds, tornadoes, large hail, flooding and flash flooding, and winter storms associated with freezing rain, sleet, snow and strong winds.
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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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Did you know that every classroom has a parents chat in WhatsApp?
Room parents and the PTO send out important messages through these groups, and they’re a great way to stay in touch with other parents in your child’s class. They are also used to set up playdates, share birthday party invites, organize class gifts, and more. To join your classroom groups and connect with other parents, email president.seatonpto@gmail.com for the link.
- Look for your child’s teacher under “Groups you can join”.
- Click on the teachers name
- Click the Join Group button
- Please reach out to president.seatonpto@gmail.com if you have any questions!
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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.
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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.
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BEE Well Family Resource Padlet:
The BEE Well team has created a Padlet to provide families with easy access to helpful information and supports. The Padlet includes details about the BEE Well team, mental health resources, community services, back-to-school tips for families, and additional helpful tools.
You can access here: https://padlet.com/mpatel158/seaton-bee-well-resources-for-families-bs9yq64mnibpq7ba
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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.
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DCPS January Calendar Key Dates.
January 19 – No School for Students. Marthin Luther King Day. Holiday.
January 26 – No School for Students. Records Day for Teachers.
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PTO News and Updates
Enrollment for vendor-led afterschool enrichment clubs are now open for K through 5th grade students enrolled in aftercare. Enrollment is first come, first served and will be open until full.
This winter, we’re excited to offer four vendor-led clubs:
- Chess with Silver Knights Academy (K-5th, Monday and Friday)
- Music and Movement with Kodely (K, Tuesday)
- Supercharged Science with Kodely (1st-5th, Wednesday)
- Lego Architects with Kodely (1st-5th, Thursday)
You can find more information about clubs, including fees, dates and times, and sign-up links at https://seatondc.org/afterschool-enrichment/
When considering these vendor-led clubs, please keep two scheduling things in mind:
- Is your child already enrolled in a teacher-led club, or a club that isn’t coordinated by the PTO, like guitar? Please ensure you don’t sign them up for two clubs on the same day. If you expressed interest in a teacher-led club (Art, Stinger Stitchers, Double Dutch, and Seaton Stingers Dance Club), you should have received an email from the teacher indicating if your child got a spot.
- DC Scores, Jr. Scores, and Girls on the Run will start in mid-March, which will overlap with the other clubs for a couple of weeks.
Please reach out to the PTO Afterschool Enrichment Committee with any questions: seatonptoenrichment@googlegroups.com
