The PTA Wellness Committee plans to sponsor two virtual seminars, offered by the Kensington-based Parent Encouragement Program (PEP) to our SCES community.  You can read more about PEP here - www.pepparentonline.org.   

We're looking for convenient times to schedule these one-hour seminars, on each of the following topics:  

1. Raising “I Can” Kids: Tired of hearing the words ‘I can’t’? Looking for ways to empower your children with a positive ‘can-do’ attitude during difficult times? Learn strategies to increase your child’s sense of feeling connected, capable, competent and courageous.  

2. "Reset Your Parenting: From Pandemic Mode to a New Normal"  It's time to talk about helping families – parents and children – hit that “reset button” to find a new normal as we emerge into a later phase of the pandemic with the promise of vaccines combined with continued need for caution.  As we emerge from a year of limitations, how do we help our children feel a new sense of confidence, hope, and motivation? What can parents do to reestablish structure with kids and foster their independence?  

If you are interested in attending one or both of these seminars, please help us by responding to this Doodle poll with your availability by Tuesday, February 15th.  Please confirm any/all dates that you are available, and we will do our best to choose dates that work for the highest number of people.  

https://doodle.com/poll/eq3zn9kb3ds5deik?utm_source=poll&utm_medium=link  

Many thanks for your interest!  

From the Center for Racial Justice in Education:  

What are ways I can engage my family in Black History Month?:  

45 Books to Teach Children About Black History  – The Culture  

African American History Month Resources for Parents – Adlit.org  

Learning More About Black History for Parents and Families – NYC Dept. of Education  

5 ways to celebrate Black History Month with your family – ChicagoNow.com  

https://centerracialjustice.org/resources/black-history-month-resource-guide-for-educators-and-families/  

SCES is excited to host an in-person World Culture Day (WCD) on Friday,March 25!

Click here for the flyer. 

WCD will be held during school hours in the Outdoor Classroom or, in the event of rain, spread out across the school foyer area.

Volunteers make WCD one of the highlights of our school year. Please join us to share photos, music, dance, art, language, or other cool things about your country and culture. 

Make your presentation interactive and exciting for an in-person, PowerPoint-free setting! We’ll cover the cost of your materials including poster board, printing, lamination, and so on.

Please contact farahnageer@yahoo.com if you have any questions.

Sign up to be a presenter here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508044dafab2ea31-sces1  

A few weeks ago, Sligo Creek Elementary School welcomed our new school counselor, Ms. Check. A note from Ms. Check follows:

Hello and bonjour fabulous SCES community! My name is Jessica Check, and I'm very excited to be the new school counselor at Sligo Creek Elementary! My own children Sylvie & Elliot both attended SCES before going to Oakview, and I love being back in this warm and welcoming community. I've been a counselor with MCPS for four years, and was a teacher and writer before moving to counseling. I am passionate about issues related to equity, restorative justice, anti-bias work and mindfulness, and seek to provide all students with a safe and loving space where they can feel free to express themselves. I love spending time with my family and rambunctious dog, watching old movies, reading books, and doing crosswords in my free time. I look forward to meeting you all in person!

If you see Ms. Check around, please give her a wave and let her know how happy we are to have her with us!  

Ms. Nesmith could use some help in the form of a Volunteer Coordinator. We're in the fortunate position of having a long list of potential volunteers for outdoor lunch, bulletin board creation, updating the sign out front, etc....but Ms. Nesmtih and the front office staff could use some help marshaling those resources. If you're interested in taking on this important new volunteer opportunity, please email communications@scespta.org.

Also, we're still looking for that PTA Vice President candidate! Is it you? If you're still thinking about it and need more info, please reach out. All board members' emails are below.