Langley Elementary School students came to school decked out as their favorite book characters on Wednesday, Oct. 31 and participated in a parade to show off their entertaining costumes. 

Join local urban farming expert Ted McGinn for an exclusive one-day gardening class on Saturday, Nov. 10 from 3:30-5:30 PM.

Mr. Ted, a longtime Langley Elementary volunteer and the founder of our own productive teaching garden, will instruct students on milk crate gardening as an easy and space-efficient method for growing food. Students will go home with their own planter, ready to use - plus all the knowledge needed to start growing crops, right here in the city!

Tickets are $20 and all proceeds support the Langley PTSA. Spaces are limited, so secure your spot now! Purchase tickets here. 

Springboard (before & after school care at Langley) is planning to offer programming (provided enrollment minimums of 12 kids are met) at Langley on all parent teacher conferences and professional development days, as well as the holiday breaks and potentially the summer.  PreK3 - 5th grade.

THAT INCLUDES THIS WEEK: Thursday, Oct. 25 & Friday, October 26
November 6
January 22 & 23
February 19, 20, 21, & 22
March 8 
April 4 & 5
May 28

Care will be available from 7am to 6pm.

Programming cost is $46.75/day (you only pay for days when you use Springboard's services). 

Families who are enrolling for the first time will be charged a $54.99 one time registration fee.

If you are interested in Spring Break care (April 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19) and *possibly* Summer Camp, please email Ms Ashley Olt, Springboard Area Director at aolt@springboardkids.com and they will try to arrange camps. **We need a minimum of 12 kids to offer camp. 

Questions? Email Ms Ashley - aolt@springboardkids.com

Want to sign up?  Click here: http://www.springboardkids.com/locations/langley-elementary/

Hello Langley PTSA, 

Mark your calendars for our first PTSA meeting of this school year - Thursday, Nov. 8 at 6:30 PM. Childcare will be provided. 

Various committees and individuals have been meeting and making things happen already! This is an excellent opportunity to share what we've all been up to, and to generate ideas and support for moving forward. 

We'll introduce new officers, talk about fundraising and grants, school community building events and communications. We'll also hear from Principal Drumm and leave time for additional topics to be discussed. 

Please feel free to contact me if there is anything else you'd like included on the agenda.

Thanks so much - I look forward to seeing everyone there!

Dawn
Vice President

If you've spent any time around Langley Elementary, you've certainly heard about Conscious Discipline - through veteran parents singing it's praises, mushy reminders on the hallway walls ("In this place you are loved" etc.), maybe even through the tidbits your child shares at home. 

I spent a recent morning volunteering at Langley and got a firsthand look at how Conscious Discipline is implemented in the classrooms. Familiarize yourself with the rituals and structures below - your child will get the maximum benefit of the program if you can find ways to weave it through their home life. 

Building a strong school family is all about establishing connections. One of the ways this is done at Langley is through touch. Principal Drumm personally greets each child in their preferred manner - some kids want a big bear hug and others are happier with a fist bump. 

This ritual is repeated again within the classrooms - though it may take on a different shape depending on age group. In the preschool classrooms, a young greeter is designated and she'll go around to each of her classmates and make sure they've been welcomed warmly. 

The first-graders at Langley have got it good with an invigorating dinosaur-themed classroom makeover that includes some rrrrRrrradical furniture. The first-graders, AKA the Responsible Raptors, are test-driving non-traditional seating options this year - bouncy ones, wobbly ones and super soft and squishy ones too. 

The cozy nooks and cushy surfaces invite new readers to settle in with a good book. The chairs that move are great for kids with restless bodies and wandering minds since they increase secondary focus, relieving the student's need to fidget. 

These specially designed seats set the tone at each station of the classroom. They promote closer attention to detail and retention of lessons - oh yeah, and they're fun. 

In a piece called, "Good things are happening at Langley Elementary. You can help." Washington Post columnist John Kelly praised the school's social emotional program, Conscious Discipline, which Principal Drumm and team rolled out during the last couple of years. After describing some of Langley's healthy school family rituals the author wrote: "It can sound like so much high-concept touchy-feeliness, but the approach seems to be working. Since 2015, suspensions at Langley have fallen by 50 percent." 

Kelly invites readers to become a part of Langley's transformation by linking their Giant and Harris Teeter grocery cards to the school, which is an excellent way to contribute financially to Langley's PTSA. 

Read the full article here. 

Read about what Langley parents have had to say about Conscious Discipline here and here.