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Happy Sunday everyone 👋

Hope everyone had a great time at the Autumn Carnival yesterday!  Thank you so much to the organizers and all of the volunteers that made the event possible. My daughter got all she's ever wanted in life: a painted face and some cotton candy.

There are a lot of fun things in the weeks ahead. Wishing all who celebrate a fun and safe Halloween! 


🐈‍⬛ Key Dates 🐈‍⬛

Oct 30: School Halloween Celebrations
Nov 4: PTA Meeting - Come learn more about our STEAM program!
Nov 2, 4 and 6: Musical Tryouts
Nov 11: Veteran's Day (NO SCHOOL)
Nov 14: Lafayette Movie Night: Honey I Shrunk the Kids 
Nov 16 - 20: Parent Teacher Conferences

🔮 Volunteer Opportunities & Action Items 🔮

• Sign up to volunteer for Friday's Halloween festivities
• Call for volunteers to help with Spirit Wear order sorting and distribution
• Lunch and noon recess monitors needed
• Musical tryouts are coming in November (sign up here)
• Help Lafayette celebrate its 100 year anniversary
• Fill out the Family Interest form if you're interested in helping out with Family STEAM Day

🎃 Principal Update 🎃

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. 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!
 
🍬 Help with Halloween games on Friday! 🍬

It's almost time for our special Halloween celebration & we need your help to continue this fun tradition! Please sign up for a shift (or two), if you can volunteer to support with the celebrations on Friday, October 30th. Light refreshments for volunteers will be provided.

Each classroom will visit the Halloween festival in the school yard throughout the day to take a class photo, participate in activities, and play games for small prizes. Students will be provided goodie bags with a fruit snack and popcorn.

At 10:00am, all classes will gather in the school yard for the school-wide Halloween parade and then walk around the neighborhood block. Families are welcome to attend and wear a costume, but please don't wear anything scary or offensive.
🦇 Help organize and distribute Spirit Wear orders! 🦇

If you ordered Spirit Wear, it's coming soon! The Spirit Wear team needs help with Spirit Wear fulfillment and distribution. Fulfillment comes with free dinner! 🌯 🌮

Fulfillment will take place November 5th from 6-8:30pm (dinner order will be included). Distribution will be November 5th and 6th from 7:40-8:00am. 

For more details or to sign up, visit Konstella here. 



👻 Recess Monitors Needed 👻

One of our parent volunteers, Hanna Cho, has generously donated her time to recruit and manage volunteers to help out with lunchtime and noon recess! If you are interested, please add your name to the spreadsheet she's been putting together. NOTE: Every volunteer will need to abide by SFUSD's volunteer requirements (Megan's Law, Mandated reporter etc). 

💯 Help Support Lafayette's 100 year celebration! 💯

Later this school year, Lafayette will be celebrating its 100th year in this location. We need your help doing two things: planning the bash and helping us get some alums together!

If you or anyone you know attended Lafayette, please share this alum registration form far and wide: https://forms.gle/xmnR8FXcqX6cZf9t5

💀🍿 Movie Night is November 14th 🍿💀

The 1989 classic starring everyone's third favorite ghostbuster, 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!)

🎭 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! 

Over the past several weeks, our community has shown up in so many wonderful ways! From Stop, Drop, & Go, parking fundraisers, and lunchtime supervision to the planning and success of our amazing Autumn Carnival, your time and care make a difference every day. Thank you to the staff and volunteers helping to introduce prospective families to the Lafayette Spirit through our first school tours and this weekend’s Enrollment Fair; those who joined our SSC and ELAC meetings; and those spearheading upcoming greening and facilities improvements. These are just some of the many ways you support our students and school. We feel truly fortunate and deeply grateful to have so many involved community members. This spirit and shared commitment is what sets Lafayette apart. Thanks for all the different ways you show up for our community. 

Please take a few minutes to explore the updates and new information below! As usual, we’ve also included a few important reminders worth another look so your family stays informed.

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

Wanted: Library & STEAM Volunteers!

Ms. Jer and Mr. Ly are looking for a couple parent volunteers to help with Library and STEAM projects on Thursdays in the morning. Please contact them if you are interested or have any questions. Thank you!

Library - Ms. Jer - jerl@sfusd.edu 

STEAM - Mr. Ly - vincentt.ly29@gmail.com

Thank you! 

👬 Navigating Student-Student Conflict

When a concern involving students arises, we encourage families to connect with staff directly so we can understand what happened, share important context, support students, and protect student and family privacy.

Who should you connect with? 

• School day concerns: Your child’s classroom teacher
• RNC concerns: Ms. Angie (angie@richmondsf.org)
• YMCA concerns: Ms. Alicia (ABrennan@ymcasf.org)

If concerns escalate or additional support is needed, please don’t hesitate to include Mr. E (ellingsonj@sfusd.edu) or Ms. Yin (yin-pollackn@sfusd.edu)

Thank you for helping keep Lafayette a caring, respectful community!

🐬 School Tours Update! 

Our next school tour is on Nov. 3, and we’d love your help welcoming prospective families! Our first couple tours were 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. 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 3rd–5th 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 upper-grade Dolphins for setting a positive example and helping make Lafayette a caring, welcoming community. Keep making waves! 🐬

 
⚽ SF Youth Soccer!

We’re also excited to welcome back SF Youth Soccer, our returning partner leading guided soccer games during recess on Tuesdays for the next several weeks! Coach Amir is excited to be back at Lafayette, and the kids were thrilled to jump back in this past Tuesday. We look forward to more opportunities for students to play together, build teamwork, and have fun!

📖 TK Early Literacy

Our TK students across both classrooms have been hard at work building early reading and writing skills! From constructing letters with blocks to shaping them with play dough and writing them with chalk, our youngest Dolphins are exploring letters in creative, hands-on ways. These playful experiences help students strengthen letter recognition, develop fine motor skills, and build confidence as emerging readers and writers.

🎃 In the Halloween Spirit!

Lafayette is getting into the autumn and Halloween spirit! From seasonal stories with reading buddies and cozy class read-alouds to creative craft projects and exciting field trips, students are finding plenty of ways to learn, connect, and celebrate together. We’re looking forward to even more fun at our upcoming Halloween celebration on October 30! Volunteer or join us for some fun! 🎃🍂 

Halloween Celebration Schedule - Oct. 30, 2026

📚 Instructional Update

As we shared last week, students across campus are wrapping up academic and social-emotional assessments as we approach the end of the grading period on October 30. We’re eager to review the results, celebrate students’ growth, and identify opportunities to support their continued learning!

Teachers will review these results alongside classroom work and observations to better understand students’ strengths and needs, plan instruction, and target support. We look forward to sharing what we’ve learned about your student’s progress during Parent-Teacher Conferences, November 16–20.

Repeated Reminders

🚗 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.

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.

📱 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!

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