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Happy Sunday everyone 👋

📅 Key Dates 📅

Oct 19-23: Digital Citizenship Spirit Week
Oct 22: RNC Lights On Afterschool event
Oct 24: Autumn Carnival 
Oct 30: School Halloween Celebrations
Nov 2, 4 and 6: Musical Tryouts

📝 Volunteer Opportunities & Action Items 📝

• Sign up to volunteer at the Autumn Carnival and buy wristbands!
• Sign up to volunteer for Lafayette's Halloween festivities!
• Musical tryouts are coming in November (sign up here!)
• Fill out the Family Interest form if you're interested in helping out with Family STEAM Day

📣 Updates & Announcements 📣

• October's PTA Meeting Slides are available for reference!
• Digital Citizenship Spirit Week is this week! Dress accordingly...
• Annual Giving Campaign update
• Announcing this year's Movie Night movie! 🐜

🗣️ Principal's Update 🗣️

See you on the yard!
Courtney

Courtney Browne, VP Communications, 2026-2027
PTA Quick Links: PTA Calendar of Events 2026-2027 • PTA Contact List • Join the PTA • Donate Now!

🖐 Wristbands and Volunteering @ the Autumn Carnival 10/24 🖐

💰 Annual Giving Campaign Update 💰

 
We have reached $47,000 pledged, over a third of the way to our $135,000 goal!

Thank you to every family who has given so far. We're not there yet, but reaching our goal is what keeps our STEAM teacher, Assistant Principal, Librarian, and ELD Specialist at Lafayette, plus field trips, classroom supplies, and community events. 

👯 Want to double your impact? 👯 Lots of employers match donations, so check your company's giving portal (Lafayette PTA is a 501(c)(3), Tax ID# 94-6172049). 

Give at lafayettedolphins.net/agc

💰 This Year's Movie Night Movie Is... 💰

The 1989 classic starring everyone's favorite Canadian, Rick Moranis: 
A struggling inventor creates an energy-projecting machine that accidentally shrinks his and his neighbors' children to a height of a quarter of an inch. After being accidentally thrown out with the trash, the children must work together and venture their way back through a backyard wilderness filled with dangerous insects and man-made hazards.

Event Details: 
What: Lafayette's Movie Night
When: Saturday November 14th (Doors open at 5:15p, movie starts at 6:00p)
Where: Lafayette Yard
Note: Bring your own camp chairs, blankets and snacks (popcorn will be provided!)
🤾‍♂️ RNC's Lights On Dodgeball Event! 🤾‍♂️

Join the Richmond Neighborhood Center on October 22nd for the annual Parents v Students dodgeball game!


🎭 Lafayette Musical audition information 🎭

Sign-up now for this year's musical, The Wizard of Oz! Based on the classic film, there are lots of great singing, dancing, acting, and puppetry roles!

Auditions are directly after school:

• Nov 2 -- 4th & 5th grade
• Nov 4 -- 2nd & 3rd grade
• Nov 6 -- callbacks if needed

TK-K-1 don't need to audition but DO need to sign up.

Rehearsals will be Mondays and Wednesdays after school. Performances will be April 14-16. Participation is FREE for families who volunteer at least 2 hours to help the show, or you can donate $75 to the PTA or $75 worth of snacks. Click this link to find out more and sign up!

Lafayette Musical Committee
lafayettemusical@gmail.com

🧪 Want to help with Family STEAM Day? 🧪

Do you work or have a hobby in any of the following fields: Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, or Math? Are you interested in bringing your passion to Lafayette Elementary students? If so, please consider being part of our Family STEAM Day! Fill out the Family STEAM Day Community Interest Form.

This year STEAM Day is on Wednesday, January 27th from 1:15pm- 2:45pm.

Hello Dolphin Community! 

Things have been going great at school so far! Students are growing, learning, and thriving. This week I want to uplift the efforts of some of our staff. Across Lafayette, students have opportunities to explore, create, move, and discover new interests alongside the strong academic learning happening in our classrooms. Thank you to our dedicated Specials teachers, Ms. Chi (PE), Ms. G (Art), Mr. D (Music), Ms. Jer (Library), and Mr. Ly (STEAM), and our outside partners for the care and creativity they bring to these experiences. Their efforts help students build confidence, develop new skills, and enjoy an enriching, well-rounded education.

Additionally, I’m excited to share that our Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) and Culture & Climate Team (C&C) were launched in late September! These staff teams put shared leadership into practice, working together to strengthen classroom instruction and students’ social-emotional well-being. This year, ILT is focused on improving writing instruction across all grades, while C&C is working to align our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) across campus so students experience consistent expectations, encouragement, and support. Look for updates on their progress in future newsletters and at PTA, ELAC, and SSC meetings.

We’re also looking forward to our upcoming Autumn Carnival and the SFUSD Enrollment Fair on October 24! Both offer wonderful opportunities to strengthen connections with current Lafayette families and welcome future Dolphins. We look forward to celebrating our community and sharing what makes Lafayette special! 🐬

Enjoy the final bits of your weekend. We look forward to welcoming you back on Monday. 

📚 Instructional Update

Students across campus are participating in academic and social-emotional assessments as we prepare for the end of the grading period on October 30. These assessments help us understand students’ strengths, monitor growth, and identify areas where additional support may be needed.

• TK: Students are working one-on-one with their teachers to complete the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP).

• Kindergarten: Students have completed the Kindergarten Readiness Inventory (KRI), a one-on-one assessment, as well as the Star Early Literacy assessment.

• Grades 1–2: Students are completing the Reading Difficulties Screener.

• Grades 1–5: Students are completing Star assessments in reading and math.

• Grades 2–5: Students will complete a fall social-emotional learning survey to establish a baseline for the year.

Teachers will use these results, alongside classroom work and observations, to plan instruction and target support to students’ needs moving forward. You’ll be able to learn more about your student’s results during upcoming Parent-Teacher Conferences (11/16-11/20). 

🚗 Student Safety Comes First: Morning Drop-Off

Thank you to the families who have been helping us keep morning arrival safe and orderly. We want to reiterate that these expectations are about student safety first and foremost. With hundreds of students arriving within a short window, following the established drop-off procedures helps create a predictable and safe environment for everyone.

Please remember that all families dropping students off by car should use Stop, Drop, & Go on Anza Street. Students should never need to cross moving traffic, and families should not double park, make U-turns near the 36th Avenue entrance, or use the white bus zone for drop-off.

We also want families to know that SFMTA and SFPD may be present to support safe traffic flow and address unsafe or prohibited traffic practices as needed. Our hope is that, by working together and following these expectations consistently, we can keep everyone safe without the need for enforcement.

🧒TK Drop Off Update from Stop Drop and Go: Now that we are in our third month of school, TK students will begin walking independently from the Stop, Drop, and Go drop-off area to their class line. Credentialed yard teachers and other school staff are in the yard each morning to offer guidance and support.

Please help your child prepare for this transition:

1. Practice the plan. Let your child know that parent volunteers will no longer escort them from the car to their line. Remind them to walk directly to their TK line and ask a yard teacher or school staff member if they need help.

2. Exit on the right. Please have your child exit through the right-side rear door, closest to the curb - make sure your car seat is also moved to the rear passenger right side. This is the safest and most efficient way to unload.

If you prefer to walk your child to their line, please arrive early enough to find a legal parking space and accompany them into the yard. Please do not double-park or block neighbors’ driveways. Thank you for helping our youngest learners build independence and keeping drop-off safe for everyone!

🙋 We also need volunteers to help keep Stop, Drop, & Go running! A few extra minutes and a helping hand can make a big difference. Sign up to volunteer for Stop, Drop, & Go.

🐬 School Tours Update! 

Our next school tour is this week on Thursday, October 22, and we’d love your help welcoming prospective families! Our first tour was a success thanks to our three wonderful volunteer guides, whose enthusiasm and personal stories helped families get to know Lafayette.

We’re continuing to recruit volunteers for upcoming tours and the SFUSD Enrollment Fair. No special experience is needed—we’ll provide the tour route and key information. Your perspective as a Lafayette family is what makes these visits meaningful!

As a volunteer tour guide, you’ll:

• Lead families along a planned route through classrooms and campus highlights.

• Share your family’s Lafayette experience.

• Answer general questions and help prospective families feel welcome.

Enrollment Fair volunteers will join Lafayette staff to connect with prospective families, share their experiences, and answer questions about our school.

Sign up below:

• Morning Tours

• Afternoon Tours

• SFUSD Enrollment Fair

Thank you for helping future Dolphins discover what makes our community special!

Bright Spots

💦 Splash Awards!

Let’s give a big splash of appreciation to this week’s TK–2nd Grade Splash Award winners! These students are putting our Lafayette values into action by showing kindness, including others, lending a helping hand, and making thoughtful choices.

We’re proud of our youngest Dolphins for the care they show their classmates and the joy they bring to our school community. Keep making waves! 🐬

Specials!

Our Specials continue to be a bright spot across campus! From our SFUSD PE and Arts partners to outside providers like Nagata Dance, students enjoy engaging opportunities to move, create, and explore. These enriching experiences complement classroom academics and support students’ creativity, well-being, and overall growth.

Repeated Reminders

📱 Cell Phones & Smartwatches: OFF & AWAY

A quick reminder that cell phones, smartwatches, and other personal devices should be OFF and AWAY during the school day, including before/after school activities and events. If a device must come to school, please help your student follow these expectations, including keeping smartwatches turned off, put away, or in School Mode. If you need to reach your student during the school day, please contact the office at 415-750-8483. Thank you for helping us keep students focused on learning, friendships, play, and being present in our school community!

📱 A Reminder About Class Group Chats

A quick reminder that class group chats, including WhatsApp groups, are intended to help families connect and coordinate classwide events and activities.

Please help keep these spaces welcoming, inclusive, and focused on community-building. Political or social advocacy and school-related concerns are better addressed through appropriate private channels rather than classwide chats.

For school concerns, please reach out directly to school administration; for PTA matters, please contact the PTA. Thank you for helping keep our class chats positive, useful, and welcoming for everyone!

🚌 Field Trip Chaperones

Please review the updated chaperone requirements and instructions below, including guidance for navigating the ASCIP platform and completing the required Mandated Reporter training. Thanks for your patience in navigating this new requirement. For support, contact ehelp@ascip.org.

📝 Multipurpose Family Income Form (MFIF)

We are working toward 100% completion and need every family’s help (We’re only at 53.5% 😢)! Please complete your MFIF if you haven’t already. More information and instructions are included below.

What is the MFIF, and why is it important?

The Multipurpose Family Income Form (MFIF) is a quick annual form that helps Lafayette and community partners access important funding and benefits for students.

Completing the MFIF helps:

• Determine school funding for academic programs and services.

• Prioritize eligible students for afterschool programs.

• Connect eligible families with benefits like $120 SunBucks (Summer EBT), internet access, and more. See the Family Benefits Guide for details.

Every form counts! Please help us reach 100% completion!

Before & After School

• In the morning, use Stop, Drop, and Go on Anza Street for a safe and efficient morning drop-off. Please do not park or drop-off in the white bus zone, double park, or allow students to exit on the opposite side of the street. This is for the safety of your students!

• Sign Up for Stop, Drop, & Go!

• Bikes and scooters should be walked on the school yard. This is for the safety of our students. 

• Enrichment Pick-Up Reminder:

• Please meet your student on time at the northeast gate on 36th Avenue, near the bike racks.

• The play structure is reserved for YMCA and RNC programs after school. For the safety and security of students in aftercare, families not enrolled in these programs should use alternate play areas after dismissal. Cabrillo Playground, just down the street, is a great option. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation!

Attendance Reminder

• Reporting Full-Day Absences: Whenever possible, please report absences through your ParentVUE account. Instructions: English | Español | 中文

• Partial-Day Absences or Changes: Please contact our clerk, Yuki, directly at 415-750-8483 or sch664@sfusd.edu.

Thank you for continuing to make Lafayette such a welcoming, connected, and joyful community. Looking forward to seeing everyone this week! 💙🐬