Newsletter May 2009

By Emma Wa l s h - A l ke r, 5th Gra d e

As many of you know,Eaton's 2009 spring mu s i c a l ,M u l a n is hitting the stage onM ay 8th,9th and 10th. The Eaton musical has been a great tradition,and all the show sthat we put on are spectacular,but there's one thing that makes this production eve nm o re special. Four of our cast members are performing all their lines in MandarinC h i n e s e.These cast members include Emma Wa l s h - A l ker (me, M u l a n ) , Sam Ringel( M u s h u ) ,To by Shapinsky (Captain Shang),and Sauron Hiabu (Chi- Fu).Just as import a n ta re our counterparts performing the roles in English -- Rena Schwart z - S h i g i h a r a ,J a n e aJo h n s o n ,Carl Baltimore,and Indiyah Long.And we have a talented cast of 4th-6th gradersto make the show complete.

Our show is being directed by Mr.P a rodi and Ms.Wa l s o n , both of whom havespent a tremendous amount of time on this show.T h ey work ve ry hard for all of us,and we are ve ry lucky to have them. John Eaton is also lucky to have Ms.Kong whoteaches Chinese to 4th ,5th and 6th graders during the school day.In her spare time,M s .Kong translated all of the Chinese performers' lines into Chinese and has beenhelping us with them eve ry day at lunch and re c e s s .Without her help,bilingual Mulanwould not have been possible.

So what's it like to be in Mulan? We l l ,first of all you have to be committed to thes h ow.That means working hard on your lines,s o n g s ,and move m e n t s ;a lw ays show i n gup for re h e a r s a l s ;and putting your best effo rt and attention into the show.R e h e a r s a lbegins at 3:30 eve ry d ay - and we stay longer as the performance draws neare r.N owthat we ' re this close to opening night, it's all about tightening up our work and closingthe gap s .We run the show from the beginning,and whenever our dire c t o r,M r.P a ro d i ,or our music dire c t o r,M s .Wa l s o n ,sees an erro r, t h ey make a note of it.Then the notesa re given out at the end of re h e a r s a l .

L i ke any cast, we have our challenges, but in the end we will be the Eaton wea re and pull together for a great perfo r m a n c e.So please come to our shows - Fr i d ay,M ay 8th at 7:30pm,S a t u rd ay,M ay 9th at 7:30pm,and Sunday,M ay 10th at3 p m. By just buying a ticke t ,you'll be supporting our wonderful school,and the studentsand teachers who have wo r ked so hard to make this multi-cultural dream a re a l i t y.

N E W S JOHN EATON MAY 2009 B ROUGHT TO YOU BY THE HOME AND SCHOOL A S S S O C I ATION (HSA)

JOHN EATON ELEMENTARYSCHOOL 3301 Lowell StreetNW Washington DC 2008P h o n e : 2 0 2 . 2 8 2 . 0 1 0 3

CA L E N DA R UNIQUE PERFORMANCE OF MULAN TO HIT THE STAGE SOON

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MAY

THU1 4

SPORTS BANQUET6:00-8:00

FRI1 5

NO SCHOOLPARENT-TEACHERCONFERENCES

FRISATSUN8 - 9 - 1 0

SCHOOL MUSICAL:MULAN

MON2 5

NO SCHOOLMEMORIAL DAY

SAT1 6

JOHN EATON 16THANNUAL AUCTIONSt. Albans Refectory

WED2 0

COMMUNITYMEETIG 6:00-8:00Multipurpose Room

TUETHU1 9 - 2 1

SPRING COMPOSITIONTESTING

w w w. e at o n d c . o rg

THE EATON READING BOOSTERS PROGRAMBy Caroline Joss with Jeanie Mah

At the beginning of the ye a r, t h e re is quiet, or perhaps a bit ofc o m m o t i o n . T h e re is cert a i n ly conversation and activity. But by theend of the ye a r,t h e re is re a d i n g . As one volunteer noted,“My first gradef r i e n d ,ve ry shy and hesitant to read in September,n ow eagerly insistson reading eve ry other page aloud by herself.”

This is the power of the we e k ly Reading Boosters Pro g r a m ,which pairs twe l ve first graders with volunteer tutors from theC l eveland Park neighborhood. C o o rdinated by Jeanie Mah, E a t o np a rent and current HSA board member,the Reading Boosters Pro g r a mhas support and guidance from Mr.L ew i s ,Eaton's reading specialist,M s .C a s s i d y,special education,and Anne Snodgrass,DCPS substitute teacherand vo l u n t e e r, as well as others at the school.

The Reading Booster Program was started in the 2007-08 school ye a r,built on the legacy of an existing mu l t i - s u b j e c t ,multi-grade volunteer tutoring pro g r a m . Laura Bro a c h ,Eaton's former reading specialist,decided to limit the scope of thep rogram to reading and put the focus mainly on first-grade students as this is an especially fo r m a t i ve time for reading deve l o p m e n t .She thought that if first-graders who struggled with reading could re c e i ve the extra attention and practice they needed,then they would be less like ly to experience reading difficulties in subsequent grades,when they are harder to add re s s .

The first-grade teachers, along with Mr. L ew i s , recommend students who can work well one-on-one with an adult,and will benefit from the extra guidance and practice that the Reading Boosters Program prov i d e s .Some children are re s i s t a n tto reading on their ow n , some lack confidence, and others are just not re a d y. M r. L ewis gave an initial orientation andtraining and provides tutors with the basic structure and materials.After that, each pair works at its own pace.

Volunteers we re recruited through a variety of means, including the Cleveland Park Listserv and the NationalCathedral Literacy pro g r a m . Some volunteers we re simply looking to help out a local school and called the Eaton office

Thanks to Eaton parentJOHN PRENTICE, wehave a new school sign at the corner of 34th and Lowell Streets.

Our students successfully completed the DC-CAS (District of ColumbiaC o m p re h e n s i ve Assessment System) test during the last week of A p r i l . M o s t

students seemed pleased with their perfo r m a n c e. While this is not the only one way to demonstrate what studentsk n ow, it is the major fo c u s . T h e re fo re, I would like to thank all of the parents for making sure their children we re we l l -rested and ready for test-taking. I would also like to thank the teachers and staff for their hard work in creating an env i ro n m e n tthat was conducive to testing.

We l l , this school year is coming to an end. H oweve r, I would like to stress to all students and families that we arenot done ye t . T h e re's a great deal of teaching and learning that will take place over the next several weeks until the lastd ay of school. P a re n t s ,thank you in advance for reminding your children to remain focused and ready to learn eve ry d ay.

This is a special year for our fifth and sixth graders. Both classes will be promoted this ye a r. On June 11 we wills ay farewell to our sixth graders. We will wish our fifth graders farewell on June 12. Both ceremonies will take place at9 : 3 0 A M . This year's sixth graders have the distinct honor of being the ve ry last class of sixth graders at John Eaton. T h efifth grade class has the distinct honor of being the ve ry first fifth graders to move on to middle school at this leve l .

I will miss the students from both of these classes.T h ey are a group of ve ry bright,e n e r g e t i c,i n q u i s i t i ve and talenteds t u d e n t s . I feel that we at John Eaton, along with their pare n t s , h ave pre p a red them to move on to middle school. Tothe parents of the Class(es) of 2009, I say thank you for your continued commitment and support of your children andour school. Yo u ' re a super gro u p.

H ap py May!! Principal Gart re l l

JOIN EATO N L i s t S e rv : h t t p : / / g ro u p s . ya h o o. c o m / g ro u p / E at o n H S A

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By Deborah BerryThe way Micah Darden tells it there we re only a few times when he didn't

hit the dance floor at the Footloose party early this month.Whether it was to "Get Silly,'' one of his favorite songs, or another jam,

the third grader said he made his way to the floor to "wiggle” and do a backflip or two.

"It's actually pretty fun because you get to dance and stuff and show yo u rskills,'' said Dard e n , who said he's been coming to the annual dance for fo u rye a r s .

Organizers estimate about 300 pare n t s ,s t u d e n t s ,s t a f fers and even alumnijoined Darden at this year's Footloose dance.The event is one that seve r a lstudents - old and new - said they look fo r w a rd to eve ry ye a r. It is also oneof several fundraisers for the HSA fund.

"It was never intended as a fundraiser, but as a part y, a get together, acelebration,'' said Stuart We i s e r,who along with his wife,Sari Henry,s p e a r h e a d e dthe eve n t . " We try to keep the prices low to get eve rybody to come.''

Weiser said they expect to raise about $1,000 from the eve n t .The dance was the ninth for Pam Cart e r. She's been coming ever since

her oldest son, C h r i s t i a n , 1 5 , attended Eaton. "The kids truly enjoy it and Ie n j oy watching them have a good time,'' said Cart e r. "It's a great fundraiserfor John Eaton.T h e re is alw ays a good crow d . ' '

The event also drew former Eaton students like Dana Delos Santos whosaid she was a regular at the dance.

"When we we re little it was re a l ly fun,'' said Delos Santos,1 2 ,n ow a studentat Deal Junior High School.

"It still is,'' added Camile Ly n c h , also a former student, who is in seve n t hgrade at Washington Latin School.

For Delos Santos, the event was less about dancing and more aboutcatching up and hanging out with old friends. " We just want to come ands o c i a l i z e,'' Delos Santos said.

P a rent Lin Wallis said there could have been more music for the yo u n g e rp a rt y go e r s . Some of the mu s i c, she said, was for a more a mature crow d .

" T h ey could have been playing Disney's greatest hits,'' said Wa l l i s , t h emother of a Pre-K student. " We already have a problem with keeping ourc h i l d ren childre n . ' '

Despite those concerns,Willis said, "It's still a cool part y.''

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESKNEWS

FOOTLOOSE

M s . Walsh's first gradersstudied Earth Day - what itmeans and why it is import a n tto take care of our eart h .Fo l l owing are three cinquainsthe first graders wrote fo rE a rth Day.

E a rt hD i rt y, r a i nyWindyness changing insideK n ow i n g , t h i n k i n g , fe e l i n g ,l e a r n i n gG ro u n d- Pearl Benjamin

S u nWa t e r- l i ke lav aChanging fo reve rBeautiful planet,not destroy i n gB u r n i n g- Benny We i n b e r ge r

R o u n dBig wo r l dB i g , h u m o n gous wo r l dB i g , h u m o n go u s , round wo r l dS p h e re- Ethan Kra m e r

POETRY

As you may recall from our last issue, s everal Eaton students have art work on displayat a special exhibit at Reagan National A i r p o rt through May 31. The A i r p o rt A u t h o r i t yand DCPS will honor this year's student artists and celebrate the 10th anniversaryof the exhibition at a special reception for students, teachers and families on Monday,May 11 at 6 p.m.The reception will be held in the historic Terminal A lobby at ReaganNational A i r p o rt . M o re information is at our Eaton we b s i t e :http://eatondc.org/documents/EXH_Invitation.jpg

JOHN EATO N N E W S 3

The countdown to the last day of school is officially underway.It seems that just ye s t e rd ay, I stood befo re you on Back-to-SchoolNight and enthusiastically outlined the HSA's goals for the upcomingschool ye a r. Since that time, I have had the good fo rtune of wo r k i n gwith you to bring some of those goals to fruition. I applaud yo u ru n w avering support and tireless commitment to our childre n ,the pulseof the Eaton commu n i t y.

I reflect on this past school year with a sense of excitement ye tsweet sadness, as time has flown by. In just nine months, we havewe a t h e red many challenges,including doing more with less in re s p o n s eto the faltering economy. Thank you for sharing your re s o u rc e s , a swell as your time. Thank you for the novel and innov a t i ve ideas thatyou implemented with an eye tow a rds maximizing our limited cap i t a l .And most import a n t ly,thank you for maintaining the sense of commu n i t yand kinship that has come to define Eaton. I will cherish my time asc o - p resident and will remember my board service quite fo n d ly.

During the next few we e k s ,we will install a new HSA Board anda new set of parents will assume the re i n s . This Board , as those inyears past,will inherit a community of pare n t s ,t e a c h e r s ,a d m i n i s t r a t o r s ,and students united for a common good - to sustain Eaton's long-standing commitment to art ,mu s i c, and science. I encourage you top a rtner with this Board , as you so kindly did with me, as even largermilestones are on the horizon for Eaton. The commitment,l e a d e r s h i p,and diversity of ideas that the new Board brings is nothing short ofp h e n o m e n a l . As a parent and staunch Eaton support e r, I am inspire dby and welcome the change. While my tenu re as HSA co-pre s i d e n thas come to an end, my commitment and service to Eaton re m a i n s .I look fo r w a rd to working in the trenches to further cultivate thes t a n d a rd of excellence for which Eaton is know n .

As the school year winds down and we phase in the new Board ,I anxiously anticipate three long-standing Eaton traditions: the springmu s i c a l ,the auction,and teacher ap p reciation day. This year's musical isa bilingual rendition of Mulan.To the pare n t s ,t e a c h e r s ,and students whoh ave poured their hearts into this ambitious and awe-inspiring pro d u c t i o n ,zhu ni hao yun fa cai. I wish you much success on opening night.

F i n a l ly, this year marks yet another momentous occasion fo rE a t o n . For the first time in history,Eaton will have spring pro m o t i o ne xe rcises for its fifth and sixth grade classes. What a special time fo rthese students and their families. Principal Gart rell and the amazingEaton teachers and staff have wo r ked tire l e s s ly to ensure that ourfifth and sixth graders are sufficiently pre p a red for their middle schoolt r a n s i t i o n . M o re ove r,the parents in both classes have labored to planspecial promotion exe rc i s e s . Congratulations to all, and re m e m b e rthat the red doors at 34th and Lowell are alw ays open to yo u !

Erica Taylor McKinley2008-09 HSA Co-Pre s i d e n t

HSAREFLECTIONS ONTHE SCHOOL YEAR- LOOKING BACK &LOOKING AHEAD

Thanks for Helping UsJEAP would like to thank eve ryone for supporting its fundraisers and coming

to Chicken Out and the Motown concert last month. These fun events re a l ly helpour program and we ap p reciate eve ryone's part i c i p a t i o n .

Does Your Child Have A l l e rg i e s ?Our weather this spring has been a little crazy. We ' re having lots of rain and

also allergies season is here. If your child needs to stay indoors because of allergyor other issues,please let us know. We can provide books for reading or other indoora c t i v i t i e s ,such as coloring.. Send us a note and we'll remind your child to stay indoors.

Watch for Fun Wa rm We ather A c t ivities… But Please… No Flip Flops!

As the weather gets warmer, we will start sand and water play at JEAP. Wa t c hfor posters letting you know when to send your child with ap p ropriate clothing oraccessories for these fun activities. H oweve r, despite the warmer we a t h e r, p l e a s edo not send your child in flip-flops. These are not safe for the running and jumpingthe children enjoy on our play g ro u n d .

Openings on JEAP BoardT h e re are still openings on the JEAP Board . A ny parent interested should contact

M s . Rogers for more info r m a t i o n .

P re - R egister for 2009-10 AND June 15 Half DayF i n a l ly, PLEASE PRE-REGISTER for the coming year at JEAP. We need to start

hiring staff for next year now and pre - registration helps us set our budget and planour staffing. We would also like to know which families will need to use JEAP on thelast day of school, which is June 15th, a Monday and 1/2 day. Please email us [email protected] to let us know.

DON'T FORGET THE AUCTION ONM AY 16 AT ST.ALBAN'S REFECTO RY !

Check-in begins at 5:30 p. m . and checkout at 10 p. m .

T h e re will be mini-live auctions throughout the evening leadingup to the main event at 9:00 p. m .The silent auction will run fro m5:30 p. m . until 9:00 pm.T i c kets are $40 in advance and $50 at thed o o r.T i c ket prices include fo o d , b e e r, wine and live mu s i c.

For a sneak prev i ew, check out some of the art work donatedto the auction on T h u r s d ay,M ay 14 from 6:00-8:00pm in Eaton's mainl o b by and multipurpose ro o m . All are we l c o m e. An appraiser willevaluate each piece.You will also have the option of completing ap roxy card with your bid if you cannot attend on auction night.

Don't fo r get to bring a friend on May 16 for an additional $10!

RECEPTION FOR STUDENTS,T E AC H E R SAND FAMILIES AT REAGAN NATIONALAIRPORT ART EXHIBIT

JOHN EATO N H S A2008-2009 B OA R D

CO-PRESIDENTSKarin [email protected]

Erica Taylor [email protected]

CO-TREASURERSStratton [email protected]

Joseph [email protected]

SECRETRARYJeanie [email protected]

VP FOR FUNDRAISINGErin [email protected]

CO-VPS FOR PERSONNELKim [email protected]

Marianne [email protected]

VP FORCOMMUNICATIONSSteven [email protected]

VP FOR PUBLIC AFFAIRSApril Payne-McMillian(202) [email protected]

CO-ROOM-PARENT/ VOLUNTEERCOORDINATORSCourtney Tolbert-Smith(202) [email protected]

Tracy [email protected]

VP FOR SCHOOL ANDCOMMUNITY EVENTSArnettia [email protected]

SEND YOUR PHOTO S , I D E A S ,AND WRITTEN NEWS STORIES TO THE EDITO R : E a t o n N L @ g m a i l . c o m

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Grazia Montalto,Art Director Debbie Berry, Reporter Katherine Raphaelson, Editor

NEWS STAFF

to ask about opport u n i t i e s .The tutors are asked to make an eight-month, once a we e k

c o m m i t m e n t .Per DCPS policy,each is re q u i red to show proof of a negativeTB test and be fingerprinted for a background check. Each person signs upfor diffe rent re a s o n s . M a ny have backgrounds in education,others just wantto help.As one tutor said,“I like teaching and working with kids, John Eatonis my neighborhood elementary school and if the kids we re willing tocommit their free time to get the additional support ,I thought I could help.”

Another said,“I was looking for an additional volunteer activity,I wantedto support the DC public schools,and enjoyed reading to my daughter whenshe was yo u n g .” Some volunteers are parents of Eaton alumni and wanted toc o n t i nue their invo l vement with the school.

T h e re is a unique rap p o rt and a special relationship that develops betwe e neach pair as time goes by. One tutor gave her student a book on his birt h d ay- the same book she had been given when she turned seven - with a love lyi n s c r i p t i o n ,“ f rom your Reading Friend.” Ms.Mah recalls one vo l u n t e e r,a re t i re dclassics pro fe s s o r, who wasn't sure if she was being effe c t i ve because herstudent pre fe rred to stand up and move around rather then sit and re a d . B u tt h ey eve n t u a l ly fell into a routine where at the end of the session,the studentwould stand by the table,listening rap t ly as his tutor read aloud from Stuart Little.Later in the ye a r, the tutor missed a couple of sessions due to minor surgery.After her first week back,she said,“He (the student) said he missed me. I almostcried with hap p i n e s s .” A b ove all,each tutor has great respect and considerationfor his/her student,and the children seem mostly eager to go to tutoring.

M s .Mah says that the reason the volunteers stick with the program istheir hope that they are making a diffe rence in the student's life,and it is ev i d e n tt h ey are. In many cases, it is the interest and encouragement of anothernu rturing adult that ultimately builds confidence and helps “boost” thestudent to the next leve l .This is the first year the results will be quantitative lym e a s u red by Mr. L ew i s . Until now, the success of the program has beendemonstrated by the devotion of the tutors, the pro g ress of the studentsas measured in the classro o m ,and the gratitude of the pare n t s .

The Reading Boosters' program is looking for parent volunteers to assistwith coordination next ye a r. If you can stay after school until 4:15 p. m .o n eor two times per week and would like to help,please contact Jeanie Mah atj c my u @ verizon.net or Te l : (202) 363-6885.

W H AT IS YOUR FAVORITE EATON AC T I V I T Y ?S T U D E N T / PA R E N T / T E ACHER- ON -THE-STREET:

AND THE VOTES ARE IN...

M u r p hy Hage rt y,fo u rth grade:

" D r awing and play i n gsoccer during re c e s s- mostly because I'mgood at them andt h ey ' re fun.''

Maria Chave z ,sixth grade:

" Footloose becausepeople whograduated get tocome back. I get todance and see oldfriends and newf r i e n d s . ' '

E m ry Hankins,second grade:

"PE because it's fun.You get to jumprope and do otherfun things.''

John Rucke r,a pare n t : coaching theb oys basketball team.

"I like the competition.I like to see the kidsd eve l o p. ' '

B e rta Ave n d a n o,P re-K teacher aide:

" Working with JEAPkids because there ' sno school wo r k , j u s tf u n .We do a lot ofp l aying games andp ro j e c t s . ' '

It's been a busy year at Eaton - from the Block Party to the Footloose dance and the upcoming production of Mulan. Second graderS avannah Jackson a s ked some pare n t s , students and staffers what their favorite activity is at Eaton and why. S avannah's favorite activity isworking on the computer.

E ATON KINDERGARTENERS CULMINATED THEIR STUDY OF BIRDS WITH A SONG AND DANCE PERFORMANCE.K I N D E R G A RT E N B I R D P RO G R A M

Last week elections we re held for positions o nboth the HSA (Home School A s s o c i a t i o n ) B o a rdand the LSRT (Local School Restructuring Team) fo rthe 2009-10 school ye a r.HSA Board members for 2009-10 are :

C O - P R E S I D E N T S Jacquie Jones and Lisa Schamess

T R E A S U R E R Stratton Pe n b e rt hy

S E C R E TA RY C a t hy Frankel C O - V. P. FOR FUNDRAISING Michelle Koerner and Joy Carroll Wa l l i s

V.P. FOR SCHOOL & COMMUNITY EVENTS Liz Craig V. P. FOR COMMUNICATIONS S t even Weinberger ROOM PARENT CO-COORDINATORS Tamara Gould and Christina Ianzito V. P. FOR PERSONNEL [no candidate at this time]

The HSA Board is comprised of Eaton pare n t s ,teachers and staff members who want to servethe school. Each term is for one ye a r.You can re a dyour new HSA board members' bios ath t t p : / / w w w. e a t o n d c. o r g d o c u m e n t s /h s a _ c a n d i d a t e s 2 0 0 9 . p d f

The LSRT is an elected group of pare n t s ,t e a c h e r sand school administrators that work on theacademic plan and DCPS budget for Eaton. T h ep a rents who vo l u n t e e red to serve on the LSRTwe re all elected: Marisa Parrella John Pre n t i c e D avid Shapinsky Lisa Wo o d sM o re information on the LSRT is ath t t p : / / w w w. e a t o n d c. o r g / l s rt . h t m l

Thanks to all who voted and thanks to all who havea g reed to serve in these important positions!

Photo by Brian Reiter Photo by Debbie Berry