While Langley students throughout the school were churning concepts and making discoveries Friday morning, second-graders  in the science lab were churning butter and making waffles.

Foodprints teacher, Sarah Gaudreau, walked down the hall to fetch the children from their homeroom. When the kids realized it was their day to participate in the special gardening and cooking program, a  cheer rose up from the group. Because, yes, second breakfast! Nothing wrong with that. But also, hands-on learning, making messes, working together and accomplishing a big goal - delicious food for everyone. 

The kids were divided into several groups and each given a different task: some ground wheatberries into a fine flour, others shook jars of heavy cream to make butter. A group of children  used kid-safe knives to cut up apples for a sweet compote, as another composed a few sentences describing what they know about butter; what does it look like, where does it come from, what is it used for? "It looks like a rectangle!" one shouted out, "We get it at Wal-Mart," said another. "Write it down," replied educational aide Ronnie Johnson. 

The flurry of excitement throughout the room was also packed with learning opportunities. Math was done as ingredients were measured out. Chemistry was observed as those ingredients were combined and heated. Kids debated the efficiency of a low-tech antique mixer verses an electric one.

Hi Tiger Families, 

Principal Drumm-Canepa & I want to address with you the STAR (School Transparency and Reporting System) scores that came out Friday - ranking Langley a 1 STAR out of 5.

This number is not a surprise to us.  

Why? What’s important to remember about the STAR / Report Card scoring system:

75% of that score is based on PARCC scores.

PARCC scores only reflect 3-5th graders test results in Math & English Language Arts from *LAST YEAR*

We are only 2 years into Principal Drumm-Canepa's 5 year plan to improve our school.

For the past 5 years our scores were declining. Last year they plateaued. This year we expect increases due to the new academic programming and improved school culture (a.k.a Conscious Discipline).

Last year we exceeded ALL our K-2 student achievement goals.  Which means we have a strong cohort of students moving up into those testing grades that will change our PARCC scores & STAR rating in years to come.

The good news:

Because of our 1 STAR rating we will receive 1 MILLION DOLLARS through OSSE’s Comprehensive Support Schools Initiative.

This funding will come immediately and be implemented over the next 2 1/2 years.

No, this money cannot build our garden or renovate our bathrooms.  But it WILL help us in these categories:

People/Instruction/Structures.

Principal Drumm-Canepa & her academic leadership team (made up of teacher leaders) will be working with DCPS to determine how this will specifically be implemented but we know it will include intense intervention with students who need a boost & strengthening academic programs where needed.

All this to say we are growing and now we have more funds to do it quickly!

Questions?  Want more details?

Come to our ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) discussion that Principal Drumm-Canepa & her leadership team are hosting on Thursday, Dec. 13th from 6p-7p at Langley. 

Come and bring your questions! 

All the best,
Christina Robbins
Langley Elementary PTSA President

Langley Kindergarteners were treated to a special field trip on Friday.

For the third year in a row, the PTSA secured a grant from the Kennedy Center for a free performance for our Kindergarteners. They went to see 'How to catch a star.' Based on the book by Oliver Jeffers, it is the story of a boy chasing his dream to catch a star - a story of persistence, curiosity and friendship. 

The kids truly enjoyed the experience; they were engaged, entertained and stayed focused throughout the duration of the show! The ride on the school bus, also generously provided by the Kennedy Center, brought the excitement to another level. For many of the children, it was their first time at the Kennedy Center, and they said they cannot wait to come back again. Thank you, Kennedy Center, for this great opportunity to introduce our kids to the world of art and musical performance!

Sandra Vijn
Grants Committee

Tiger Families, registration for our winter after school enrichment opportunities opens on Thursday, Nov. 29, at 7 PM. 

Read below for more detailed descriptions of the fantastic offerings for this session. And don't forget - the PTSA offers a scholarship for one student each session (contact Ms. Wortham to be considered).

Langley school family, we need your help!

First: just close your eyes.

Picture yourself walking toward the school's front doors, passing our garden on the way. Imagine a welcoming gate, open and beaconing. Beyond the gate lay  pavers that wind through the space - to green bean teepees that provide shade and whimsy for imaginative play, to accessible garden beds where all our students can learn, to a corner where students can sit and paint portraits of our new chickens. This, and so much more, are within reach through our partnership with FoodPrints.

But, we can't do it alone. We need help raising money -  if that's an interest of yours please contact PTSA President Christina Robbins (svop18@gmail.com). And we need to secure grants  (contact Sandra Vijn at sandra.vijn@gmail.com). And on Dec. 1 from 10-4, we need some hard workers willing to assist in cleaning the space out.

If you're able to pitch in that day please confirm with Sarah Gaudreau at sarahg@freshfarm.org.

​Together we can bring this dream to life.

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. 

Langley parents, registration is now open for autumn's excellent selection of after school enrichment through Flex Academies! If you're dreaming of improving your child's sportsmanship, providing opportunities for artistic expression or introducing your child to the many benefits of meditative stretching, you're in luck: soccer, art and yoga are this sessions offerings. Classes begin the week of Sept. 24 and are open to all our students, not only those enrolled in aftercare. Please contact Ms. Wortham if you'd like your child to be considered for a scholarship. 

Check out the flyer below for pricing and more info, or click here to register. 

A group of Langley students were in for a treat on Monday afternoon: Ted McGinn, the school's longtime volunteer and garden educator gathered students in the garden for a yummy lesson. Mr. McGinn prepared okonomiyaki, a Japanese savory pancake containing many nutritious ingredients - some harvested right from the garden in front of the school. The Japanese word okonomi means "how you like it," Mr. McGinn explained, and yaki means "grill." While the grilled snack wasn't to everyone's liking, some children couldn't get enough. ​

Over several years Mr. McGinn has developed Langley's garden into a beautiful and abounding outdoor classroom. Preschool students help place plants in the raised beds and planters and older students help care for them. A Three Sisters planting (corn, beans and squash) occupies one bed each year, as part of a Native American hands-on living history project, which also includes bead and pottery making with clay collected from the garden's clay pit and fired in the fire pit.

Stop by and say hello to Mr. McGinn next time you see him working in the garden - you are sure to learn something new! And don't forget to have him introduce you to the rescue turtle that is our garden's year-round resident. 

​By Dawn Madura