November 4 Family Newsletter

Seaton Families,  

Welcome to November! Thank you to all the families who joined us for the Family Listening Sessions held throughout October. Your feedback, ideas, and perspectives are essential to our school’s success, and all the insights shared by families will inform our school planning. We look forward to hosting our Spring Family Listening Sessions in February. 

As we approach the upcoming election, I want to acknowledge the significance of this moment for our community and share how we can embrace our school values to support one another, our students, and their families. 

Our Seaton values—respect, responsibility, welcoming, community, and growth—are more important than ever. Our diverse school community is enriched by unique perspectives, experiences, and beliefs, and this time may evoke a wide range of emotions for both students and families. Let’s continue to create a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment where every voice feels valued. 

Your students may have questions about what is happening around them. Here is a resource to help you have constructive conversations about politics and empower them to develop their own perspectives: Talking to Kids About Politics and Talking to Kids About Elections.  

Term 1 Report Cards.  

Families will receive Term 1 report cards sent home with students during the week of November 19. Additionally, report cards will be accessible through the Aspen Portal starting Tuesday, November 19. 

Middle School Survey.  

DCPS will open a new middle school in August 2028! The new middle school will be located at 800 Euclid St NW. It will be a comprehensive neighborhood middle school with a boundary serving grades 6-8, and it will be the feeder middle school for Cleveland ES, Garrison ES, and Seaton ES. As DCPS plans for this important addition to our community, we want to ensure your voice is heard. DCPS invites you to participate in a brief survey to inform our initial engagement. If you have any questions, please email us at dcps.planning@k12.dc.gov. Families can complete the survey here: https://publicinput.com/dcpsnewmsenglish 

School Safety Drills.   

November Fire Drill. This drill takes place school wide. All students and staff evacuate the building to their secure location and return following the end of the fire drill.   

November Alert Drill.  “Alert Message” is a notification sent to teachers and staff for emergency drill purposes. It is important to note that during this drill, no actions are required from students. 

DCPS Latino Families Committee Meeting (11/7)  

El Comité de Familias Latinas de DCPS / DCPS’ District Wide Latino Families Committee is meeting on Thursday, November 7 at 6 p.m. on Zoom. The Language Acquisition Division (LAD) and Family & Community Engagement Team are hosting a listening session with Spanish-speaking families to hear how the school year is going and provide a space where caregivers can ask questions, request support, and express concerns. Please share the interest form with Spanish-speaking families at your school. Recruitment language in Spanish is available here. 

DCPS Calendar Key Dates.  

Community Cares Event.  

Wednesday November 20 from 3:15PM to 4:30PM in the Seaton Playground. The Community Cares Committee will host the annual Bee Market and offer free Thanksgiving Turkeys, Food Items, Clothing, and Household items.

Field Trips + Chaperones 

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. 

TB Test Site. The following are two places that provide free or low-cost TB tests for those who require a test based on their responses to the screening questions during the Clearance Process.  

PTO Updates 

Thank you to everyone who came out to our Movie Night on October 25! We had great attendance. Thank you to our volunteers for working the popcorn machine and distributing glow sticks to our little Stingers, who had a blast. We were also able to raise nearly $200 from our partnership with Duccini’s, so thank you to everyone for your support! We are looking forward to our upcoming slate of additional PTO events, including our Family Potluck Dinner on Wednesday, November 20 from 5:30-7:30. 

Urban Grape, located at 9th and N St NW, is hosting us for a Wine Tasting Fundraiser on Saturday, November 16, from 6-8 PM. This was a super fun event attended by 40 Stinger caregivers last school year, and we can’t wait to bring it back this year at a Black- and woman-owned local business! Tickets are $60 and include wine tasting, snacks, a $25 donation to the PTO, and a raffle ticket for a bottle of wine. During the event, Urban Grape is donating 20% of all wine sales to the PTO. Tickets can be purchased here. This event is open to the public, so help us get the word out to your friends and neighbors! Can’t make it? Support the event by donating at the link towards tickets for teachers! 

The Seaton PTO has been selected as a recipient for Giant’s Community Bag Program! During the month of November, stop by our local Giant and buy a reusable bag, and $1 will be donated to the PTO for every purchase. Spread the word 

Upcoming PTO events are below. Please sign up here to volunteer for a shift at any of our upcoming events if you are able! We can’t do any of it without our wonderful volunteers. 

Please join our listserv to receive updates on PTO activity. You can do so here! 

In Partnership – Principal Torres