Langley Elementary (and the neighborhood!) is getting a Food Forest! Persimmon, pear, apple, paw paw, pomegranate, fig and many other exciting (and delicious) fruit-bearing trees and shrubs will be planted on the West-facing side of the school and at the top of Harry Thomas park field. This exciting new community asset is brought to us through a partnership with the Urban Forestry Division of DDOT, Forested, the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, Freshfarms Foodprints, and the Langley PTO.

We are seeking volunteers to plant trees and shrubs at the school on October 31 and November 1. We are making this volunteer opportunity as safe as possible by targeting our volunteer outreach, limiting the number of volunteers on site at a time, and requesting that all volunteers wear masks and practice social distancing.

We have set up a spreadsheet to help with coordinating and making sure we have enough people to get all the trees and shrubs planted. Please sign up here if you can commit to planting trees and shrubs for a couple hours (or more!) on one or both days. Experienced gardeners and arborists will be on site to provide guidance and information about the food forest, so please don’t be shy if you’re not a professional gardener! :)

Please feel free to email juliahedlund@yahoo.com with any questions about the Food Forest or the planting day. 

WOW Wednesdays with Inner City Inner Child
Beginning Wednesday, September 30th, there will be an eight-week arts program for our Early Childhood classes. There will be 2 sessions, one from 10:00 am-10:30 am and another from 1:30 pm-2:00 pm.   Links will be available on your teachers’ Canvas page.

AARP
We will begin our pilot virtual literacy tutoring program with a group of 3rd graders starting in late October.

Girl Scouts Nation's Capital
Beginning this fall Girl Scouts Nation's Capital will be offering virtual programming for our 5th grade girls so they can gain leadership experience from home. Girls can participate in 60-90 minutes of structured programming once a week for four consecutive weeks with experienced Girl Scout staff in topics of Girl Scout traditions, STEM, life skills, and the outdoors, plus activities to complete at home after program hours.
Please reach out to Mr. Carr at Dwaine.carr@k12.dc.gov if you’re interested.

Community Cares Community Does
CCCD will offer a multi-stage leadership program for our 4th grade students. Designed to inform and inspire, the program, through its volunteer experts, will offer interactive training in three core areas: (a) community leadership; (b) political leadership; and (c) entrepreneurship and business leadership. We will have our first session on October 7th at 10 am. More information will be sent out in the coming days.

Kindred Equity partnership 
Langley Leadership is looking for 10 parents to participate in our partnership with Kindred Equity. Please email Mr. Carr at Dwaine.carr@k12.dc.gov for more information.

Hispanic Heritage Month
The Inner Core team (Art, Health/PE(HPE), Library, Music) has planned a month of engaging activities to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month. In addition to hearing stories featuring Hispanic characters and culture, students will have access to virtual Hispanic Heritage Month libraries. In music, students will learn about the history and origins of the music of Celia Cruz, Tito Puente and Selena Quintanilla. During HPE class students will participate in Zumba Kids to continue to stay physically active while celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month. Finally, students will study the art of Frida Kahlo, Picasso and will take a visual field trip to Frida Kahlo's home museum "Casa Azul". For a complete calendar of DCPS virtual events, visit here.

Flex Academies
Flex Academies is offering online enrichment in a theme-based enrichment experience within a virtual setting including lively instructors-Club Captains, emphasizing peer to peer connections and fun activities that will keep them laughing and learning. Activities include arts/crafts, zoom games, book talks, math games and much more. If interested in paid enrichment  click here.

Please click here attend Conscious Discipline event, Sept. 29 at 5pm.

The Food Forest (funded by DDOT) is still on track to come to Langley this Fall.  Landscape Architect, Lincoln Smith designed these sketches after speaking with our Garden Committee leaders, FoodPrints and school administration.  Langley has also received a grant from the Fruit Tree Planting Foundation who will work closely with Lincoln Smith, our leadership team and PTSA volunteers to make the food forest possible.  We are working towards a volunteer day on Sunday, Nov. 1st when we will plant these trees and shrubs in the ground.  Stay tuned for final details when we have everything confirmed.

Our Garden Committee is looking for members to help maintain the garden (weed, water, harvest fresh fruits and vegetables) please email our new garden committee chair, Katie Gima, catherine.gima@gmail.com to join.  

We are thrilled to welcome all new and returning Langley Tiger Families. We love our school family and want to make everyone feel welcome and prepared for the new school year.

Especially if your child is starting PreK-3 and attending school for the first time, we know firsthand that the transition to school is both exciting and hard. So, we thought we'd answer some of the questions that we had when we were joining the Langley community.

Most importantly, if you have any questions, no matter how big or small, email langleypta101@gmail.com. That address is monitored by our four PTSA officers: the president, vice president, treasurer and secretary - these individuals know our community inside and out and can get you your answers, or direct you to the person who can. Also, join us for one of the upcoming play dates (Saturday, June 1, 10 am - noon and Saturday, July 13, 10 am - noon) - you and the kids get to visit classrooms, meet Langley tigers and staff and chat with families!

About Langley

What makes Langley special?
Our vision is that every student feels loved, challenged, and prepared to positively influence society and thrive in life. We care about the whole child, and their emotional development is just as important to us as their academic growth, especially during the crucial early years when developing pro-social behavior is so critical. We aim to provide a safe, nurturing, loving home-away-from-home where the learning comes more easily, because the children's emotional needs are met first.

We are a community school! Parents, teachers, EVERYONE is very engaged. There are lots of opportunities to contribute and participate. You will not go long before every member of our community, from the principal to fellow parents know your child's name and what they're all about.

What is Conscious Discipline?

Langley utilizes Conscious Discipline, a social-emotional learning and classroom management program, as the main component of its school culture plan for all students. This means we put a lot of emphasis on creating a loving school and classroom environment, done with daily routines and rituals to connect. How does this translate into practice? Principal Drumm or a designated teacher greets each and every child every morning, as they enter the school. We have a school song and each class has its own theme and class song. Children are taught techniques to calm themselves, so they can begin to name, and eventually tame, their surprising emotions. Some of these techniques include mindful breathing, meditation and self-directed alone time. For example, each classroom also has a "safe place," a cozy space where a kid can settle down and cool off, and a kindness tree where kids compliment one another with supportive sticky notes. Follow Conscious Discipline on Instagram to learn about their approaches and use them at home to get the full benefit of the program. Langley will also offer two free coaching sessions for parents a year. Plan on it - they are invaluable!

Who is Principal Drumm and the leadership team?

Langley's outstanding leadership team is made up of Principal Vanessa Drumm-Canepa, Assistant Principal Shaunte Jennings, Dean of Students Monique Robinson and Director of Specialized Instruction Justin Lien. The Washington Post recently published a story about Principal Drumm. Read it here to learn more about what she prioritizes and why.

Who are our amazing teachers?

We love our teachers! Parents can rest easy knowing that they truly care about the children and work so hard each day to give our kids their best. Langley invests a lot in professional development so that the staff has the best tools and techniques to teach. Read about some of our amazing teachers here.

What are we excited about?

Our school is growing year by year and with that growth comes additional resources. We look forward to welcoming new leadership team members and new staff members too! We have a big facility and plenty of room to continue expanding. In addition to paid staff, we are gaining more and more engaged parents who understand that a few volunteer hours, a small donation, or even just speaking up during a PTSA meeting, helps our school thrive.

We are getting a beautiful new garden!

This year's PTSA leadership team was tasked with replacing the educational garden in front of the school. The goal was to build an attractive, safe and highly usable space that each and every member of our community could benefit from - and to do so without spending any money raised by the PTSA (which is reserved for more direct help for students and teachers).

We are halfway to our goal, thanks to the grants we have received. Children are already learning in the space. But there's more work to be done! Be sure to get involved if you would like to be a part of completing our "dream garden" rebuild.

How to stay up to date?

Langley uses every tool at its disposal to reach families, because we know communication is key to helping busy families succeed. Count on a monthly newsletter written by Principal Drumm-Canepa, which will arrive home in your child's backpack and is also published here. You will occasionally receive robocall and emails from the school, when the subject is time-sensitive or urgent. You must register to receive them with the front office.

The PTSA helps bridge potential gaps in communication through the use of this website - which is completely volunteer managed and funded. Explore it thoroughly to find useful info, including the school calendar, staff phone numbers and email addresses, and of course this blog: Tiger Tales, which features news, photos and notices of events!

You can also stay up to date by connecting with Langley on social media. Click on the buttons on our homepage to find them.

Who is on our PTSA and what do they do?

Langley's PTSA is open to parents, teachers, students and community members - all are welcome to join and to attend meetings. The meetings are lead by our four officers: the president, vice president, treasurer and secretary. Many of our members have also joined committees; they are Fundraising, Grants, Family Engagement and Garden and Wellness committee. Each committee meets separately and updates are given during the larger, nearly monthly, PTSA meeting. If you would like to join the PTSA, please email langleypta101@gmail.com.

Read here the minutes from the last meetings.

Getting ready for PreK

What to bring to school?

Bring two complete outfit changes that the kids keep in class. The kids will need a cot sheet and blanket for nap time. They have to bring it to school on Mondays and will come home with it on Friday, for laundering.

You can pack lunch and snacks for them. There is no fridge so add some cooling elements to the lunch box. Breakfast, lunch and snacks are served for free, but if your kid prefers his/her own food, pack it!

How do school meals work?

The school will serve free breakfast, lunch and snacks. Vegetarian options are available.

What’s the school uniform?

Our school uniform colors are khaki, white, brown and orange. Kids usually wear kaki bottoms/dresses and white, black or orange polos. You can now also wear blue school t-shirts every day. You can purchase them in the front office. Also the school has some that they can provide, if you can’t get it.

The School Routine

What does a typical school day look like?
A typical preschool day includes a free breakfast in the classroom, Morning Meeting, writing practice, choice of activity centers, math activities, a Special (Art, Music, PE, Spanish, Library), free lunch, recess, rest time and snack.

Morning drop off happens between 8:15 - 8:30 and pickup is 3:15 - 3:30. Classes start with a wonderful routine based on Conscious Discipline. Kids greet each other at circle time and sing their class song, then do breathing exercises to ground themselves and make a commitment, such as listening ears, gentle hands or quiet feet.

We have lots of special events. See our school calendar here.

How does pre- and after-care work?

DCPS offers after-care from 3 to 6 pm every day. Registrations started on May 1. Spots usually fill up pretty fast. It is around $90 a month for the first child and has decreasing rates for multiple kids. Find more info here.

We also have a private aftercare provider, Flex. They offer pre and after care from 7 to 8 am and from 3 to 6 pm. They also offer care on professional development days when school is closed, over February break and they have flexible and part-time drop in option. There are unlimited spots and sign-up will start over the summer.

The routine of snack, outside/gym time, inside playtime is the same for both DCPS and Flex. Read our blog about after care at Langley here.

Are there other enrichment offerings for kids?

Yes! Flex Academics will also offer interesting classes every semester like soccer, yoga, ballet, art. They usually cost around 15$ per class and run for a semester. The school and the PTSA will circulate the offerings and remind you to sign up. They are also running our summer camp this summer for the first time!

How will I get updates about the school day?

Many teachers have Instagram accounts. You can follow them as well as Principal Drumm-Canepa and Vice Principal Jennings to get photos and updates. Check in on our Tiger Tales blog for photos and stories.

The first few days...

School for Pre-K 3 and Pre-K 4 starts on Thursday, August 29th. It will be a full day with pre- and after care, if needed. The first few days and weeks really focus on getting everyone comfortable and happy in the school routine. For some families, the transition is bumpy at first as your child gets acquainted with the new faces, places and schedule. You will have had a visit from your teacher and teachers aide, prior to the first day of school. Be aware that you'll get a call from them ahead of time to schedule this and to determine a location - either your home or a public place. The visit will help your child by giving them a chance to connect with his or her teachers and it will help you communicate any special needs or concerns you may have before the big day.

How to help kids transition to the school environment?

Come to the play dates - come to several of them - the kids get to see classes, meet teachers and friends. It will make the first days easier. Some kids transition very easily. For others, it is an adjustment that comes with some tears. What helped our kids? Reading books about going to school, talking about how doing something new is both fun and hard. Rely on the preschool teachers - they are pros! All of our preschool teachers come with MANY years of experience and have seen it all. They have creative ways to solve any difficult situation.

What to do if my kid is sick?

If your kid is sick or can’t come to school, let the front office now. We will miss our Langley Tiger and want to know that they are ok. Please call or email Ms. Graham in the front office. It is important that every absence, even in preschool, is approved with a valid reason.

What about school days off & camp options?

Flex, Langley’s private after care provider, will offer camp on all professional development days and also during the February Break! Langley will be hosting a summer camp with Flex Academics for the first time this year! We are exploring with them if they can also offer spring break camp!

How can you engage and help us grow?

We are a growing school. Having an active parent community makes a huge difference. Please join the PTSA as an active member. Join a committee, get involved by doing what you know, what you love, what interests you! If you can't commit to regular volunteering, but want to pitch in on a Saturday here and there, that's great too! Get on the PTSA google group by emailing langleypta101@gmail.com, and you'll hear about every chance to get involved.

Attention Incoming Tiger Families: 

Join us Saturday, April 27 for a very special enrollment playdate! Meet up on the early childhood education playground in front of the school from 10 until noon. This is a chance to get to know new and current families, tour the classrooms, and hand in enrollment paperwork.

​Looking forward to seeing you there!