In this issue:
1. PTA Meeting: TOMORROW Tuesday, March 5, 7-8 pm
2. Last Week of Read-a-thon this week!
3. Seeking Volunteers to Plan a Possible Asian Pacific Heritage Celebration
4. Kindergarten Enrollment 2024-25 Opens March 18th
5. Birthday Celebrations at School = 1 Small Treat
6. Help Improve Our School and Provide Feedback
7. Book Fair Committee Volunteers Needed
8. Cheer on D.C. United and Support TPES PTA: April 27, 7:30pm
9. Volunteers for First Grade Media Class Needed
10. Cleaning Supply Donations Needed for PreK
11. Seeking Volunteers to Join Teacher Appreciation Committee
12. Upcoming TPES Events
1. PTA Meeting Minutes Available
Meeting minutes are available from our March PTA meeting. Among the many topics we discussed there was a wonderful presentation by Ms. Anderson about healthy habits for children using devices and online screen time. The presentation she gave are
linked here and also in the minutes.
2. Last Week of Read-a-thon this week!
The 2024 Read-a-thon is entering its final week. Students have read
164,639 minutes as of the latest count!
WOW! Reading logs for the final week 4 are due on Friday. Find more information on the Readathon (including extra reading logs)
here.
3. Seeking Volunteers to Plan a Possible Asian Pacific Heritage Celebration
We’d love to plan an Asian Pacific Heritage Celebration in May if we have the volunteer support. If you’re interested, please email Kaitlin Caruso at
president@tpespta.net.
4. Kindergarten Enrollment 2024-25 Opens March 18th
Kindergarten online registration opens March 18, 2024. Paper registration is open now. For information regarding kindergarten enrollment for the 2024-25 school year, including important documents needed to register, please visit the MCPS website (https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/enroll/kindergarten/).
If you have any questions or would like more information on how to enroll at Takoma Park Elementary School, please call 240-740-0980 or email Ms. Hottel-Cox at anne_m_hottel-cox@mcpsmd.org.
5. Birthday Celebrations at School = 1 Small Treat
Be sure to pre-arrange any birthday celebration with your classroom teacher. The school has seen an increase in the number of families bringing pizza, cakes, cupcakes, balloons and candy for birthday celebrations. Please remember, TPES only allows one small treat (like a cupcake) to honor birthdays. Families will not be permitted to take pizza, candy, balloons, goody bags and other things to the classroom. Unfortunately, classroom teachers do not have the time to cut cake, pass out pizza and other treats. We thank you in advance for understanding.
6. Help Improve Our School and Provide Feedback
MCPS is seeking feedback from families to make our schools a more welcoming place for all students and families.
Please fill out this survey. It will take about 10 minutes. You can fill out one for each school your children attend.
7. Book Fair Committee Volunteers Needed
Our PTA is planning our first-ever Bookworm Central on-site book fair (a local Northern Virginia-based book fair company) for the week of April 15 (Preview Day on April 12), and there is much to do to ensure it is a successful and fun event for all. Our coordinators need help on the Book Fair Committee to assist with the following in the lead-up to the on-site Fair:
- Recruiting volunteers for Book Fair shifts
- Organizing food truck / evening social event the week of the on-site Fair
- Setting up and breaking down the Book Fair
- Hanging up pre-fair marketing signs
- Helping with collecting and disbursing the financial gains from the Fair
The Book Fair is always a fun event for the kids and a great opportunity to raise funds for the school. Please consider joining us! Please email Claire at
clairecdean@gmail.com or our Book Fair account at
bookfair@tpespta.net if you have any ability to help (however small!).
8. Cheer on D.C. United and Support TPES PTA: April 27, 7:30pm
Come cheer on D.C. United on MCPS Night as they take on the Seattle Sounders FC on
Saturday, April 27 at 7:30pm. Takoma Park Elementary School will have its own section. A portion of the ticket sales go to support the TPES PTA so we can continue to offer support to the school. Tickets for the TPES section can be purchased here:
https://fevo-enterprise.com/Takomapark5 Go D.C. United and TPES Dolphins!
9. Volunteers for First Grade Media Class Needed
First graders are making science journals in the library media class. Students will use them in quarter 4 science lessons. We would appreciate help supporting students with handing out supplies, collating the pages and simple sewing. Please check this schedule at and email Ms. Anderson (Susan_g_anderson@mcpsmd.org) if you can help.
10. Cleaning Supply Donations Needed for PreK
Our Prekindergarten classes are in need of cleaning supplies. In particular, classrooms need Clorox wipes, Lysol wipes and Spic and Span spray. Donations can be dropped off in the office. Please let the office staff know that your donation is for PreK. Many thanks in advance.
11. Seeking Volunteers to Join Teacher Appreciation Committee
Our PTA is in need of a co-chair and/or volunteers to help plan and implement Teacher Appreciation Week which will be the first full week of May (May 6 -10). Detailed notes from last year’s committee are available so you don’t need to start from scratch! Thanks to parent, Betsy Garcete, for chairing this committee this year, but she can’t plan Teacher Appreciation Week on her own! Please reach out to Betsy with interest and questions!
esthergarcete@gmail.com
12. Upcoming TPES Events
February 19-March 15: TPES Read-a-thon
March 18: Kindergarten Enrollment for 2024-25 Opens
March 25 – April 1: Spring Break
