Roots Public Charter School Digital Newsletter

The Roots Habari is an easy way to keep up to date with school events, important information and resources. This newsletter is published by the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) in partnership with the school's Administration.

In this issue:

• A Message from the Principal
• Upcoming Events/Dates
• Roots Position on Halloween
• Masquerade Ball
• Announcements from PAC 
• Birthdays
• Black History is World History
• Main Office Reminders
• Uniform Policy Reminders
• Photos from the Pumpkin Patch
• Photos from Meet and Greet
• "Thank You"
• Stay Connected

Autumn has arrived and the harvest season is here. Happy Fall Everyone!

We are off to a great start school year. Starting this month, the students will be taught DC Hand Dancing, Jump Rope (2nd - 5th), African Dancing/Drumming. These classes will be offered from October -- June.

The PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) parent reports are availabe for pick up in the front office. Speaking of PARCC, for the second year in a row, Roots PCS will be honored by EmpowerK12 and receive the Bold Performance award for demonstrating PARCC proficiency rates above pre-pandemic expectations and the city average.

We ae also excited to share that Roots has been identified as a 2023 Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing National Blue Ribbon School. We thank our families and stakeholders for your partnership and belief in the success of Roots PCS. Asante sana!

~~Mama Rasheki

We submit, Halloween is an outdated holiday. Many years have passed since Halloween was alive, fun, and shared by children and adults. In recent years most adults ignore “trick or treaters” and some even use this time to poison and hurt them. Many cities totally ban night-time Halloween activities. As a matter of fact, the commercial industry is the only entity that consistently advocates and benefits from Halloween.

At Roots, we know that Halloween never had any significance regarding the plight of Black people. It only perpetuated racism by depicting black as negative, bad luck, ugly, and evil.

Since the pumpkin is the only positive symbol of Halloween, we allow the students to make “Jack - O -Lanterns” and roast pumpkin seeds. We also teach the students Pumpkin concepts such as:

       1.           A pumpkin is a vegetable (the fruit of the pumpkin plant).

       2.           A pumpkin grows on a vine.

       3.           A pumpkin is orange, hard, round, smooth and a gourd.

This month we need donations to help fill goodie bags for the annual Afro-Masquerade Ball – the African Centered Family Fun-filled event. We are asking parents to please donate the following items no later than Monday, October 30th:

• Baba Camara - Water bottles (8 oz. small size)
• Mama Tatjana - Juice boxes
• Mama JoAnne class - Candy
• Mama Betty class - Smores Ingredients including extra long wooden sticks
• Mama Michelle class - Glow-in-the-dark toys
• Mama Ayo - Small goodie bag
• Mama Khadija class - small bags of chips
• Mama Alethea class - individually wrapped treats

The Parent Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of engaged and active Roots parents/guardians. Our aim is to promote Roots PCS culture, increase parent engagement, and support academic excellence.

Our goal is to enrich the experience of Roots PCS students through parent volunteerism, engagement in positive social events/activities, fundraising, planning, utilizing our resources, as well as identity workshops and programs, and areas of interests within our community. 

You are your child's biggest advocate. Join PAC today :

1. Join a Committee/Team, SIGN UP HERE . Fill out the form and submit to PAC .
2. Commit to perform one task per month (ie, attend PAC meeting)
3. Pay $65 annual membership fee (per family) Sunday, Oct. 15th : DEADLINE FOR PAC DUE PAYMENT OF $65 per Family via cashApp $pacroots (QR Code Below)**Be sure to add watotos/scholars name in notes.

PAC meets the last Thursday of each month. The next PAC Meeting is a special one held OFF CAMPUS & IN-PERSON on Thursday, October 26, 2023, from 5p - 7p at Lamond Riggs Recreation Center Playground. 

All Parents and Grandparents who are committed to a Join a team on PAC are encouraged to attend wearing their favorite activewear, yoga mat, blanket, or lawn chair ready to stretch and walk/jog.

This is where we meet to discuss upcoming events, questions, concerns and ideas. Don't miss out!

WE ARE IN NEED OF A SEASONED PARENT OR TWO THAT CAN VOLUNTEER TO PROVIDE CHILDCARE FOR THE CHILDREN IN ATTENDANCE DURING THE PAC MEETINGS.

According to the Roots Handbook All Parents are required to volunteer on PAC committee. So we will be building the Chair members of the PAC Teams. We appreciate you in advance for offering your time, skills and talents. We look forward to working with you this school year.

-Your PAC Leadership Team

• PAC currently in the process of building a New Team of Passionate, Talented, and Resourceful Parents and Grandparents to join as Officers and Chair Positions.

Being a part of PAC Leadership has its benefits, such as:

• Personal seat at the table 
• Front row seat to watch your ideas come to life
• Yearly PAC dues are reimbursed after year of service at the end of the year
• Be a part of a legacy
• First to take advantage of new initiatives
• Establish an extended family and lasting friendships
• Access to exclusive opportunities

PAC Leadership Positions:

*The President

*The Future:

• Vice President, Treasurers, and Secretary

*The Next Generation:

• Innovative Initiatives: A team of forward thinking Parents and Grandparents who have exposure to other School's and Educators

*The Social Circle:

• A team of Parents and Grandparents who create and post content to all social media accounts, and keep the presence active and visible while keeping the community engaged.

*The Money Team:

• A team of Parents and Grandparents who seek and secure Grants and Organize Fundraisers to financially support setting our scholars up for success.

*The Masterminds:

• A team of Parents and Grandparents who ensure Educational excellence is rewarded and who expose our scholars to up-to-date software, technology, and information.

*The "Trending" Team:

• A team of Parents and Grandparents that plan Events with themes that create and display "Trendy" Decorations.

*The Comfort & Cozy Team:

• A team of Parents and Grandparents that ensure Scholars, Parents, Teachers, and Guests feel welcomed, comfortable, and are considered by their Roots Family through a high level of hospitality and congratulatory announcements, gifts, and refreshments...all things that makes one feel comfortable and cozy.

*The Security Team:

• A team of Parents and Grandparents who create and validate initiatives are in place and upheld to keep the school and families of Roots Safe, Secure, and Maintained.

Sunday, Oct. 15th : DEADLINE FOR PAC DUES PAYMENT OF $65 per Family via cashApp $pacroots **Be sure to add watotos/scholars name on notes** QR Code Below

Click Here, Scan QR code to pay PAC dues or enter $PACROOTS in your CashApp app to submit payment. 

Dr. Mae C. Jemison, was 

 born October 17, 1956, in Decatur, Alabama and grew up in Chicago, and is another present-day hero. At the age of 16, on a National Merit Scholarship, she entered Stanford University, graduating with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering and a B.A. degree in African American Studies. In 1981, she earned a MD from Cornell Medical College. Dr. Jemison became a NASA astronaut in 1987. She became the first woman of color to go into space, aboard the Space Shuttle “Endeavor” in 1992. She is presently Professor-at-Large at Cornell University and Principal of the 100 Year Starship Organization.

~ SCIENCE provides an understanding of a universal experience. ARTS provide a universal understanding of a personal experience.

Dr. Mae Jemison

Rev. Jesse Jackson 

We will honor as our present-day leader, Jessie Jackson, born October 8, 1941. Rev. Jackson was instrumental in fighting against racial injustice throughout the 1960's. Active in every phase of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, he established

People United to Serve Humanity

(PUSH)

and directed "Operation Breadbasket". In the 1988 presidential election, a source of pride for Black people everywhere, he was the most conscientious Democratic candidate for the President until the election of the First Black President some 20 years later. 

~ If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it. 

Rev. Jesse Jackson

Fannie Lou Hamer 

This month we celebrate the birthday of such a historical role model. She was born October 6, 1917, in Mississippi Delta and died in 1977. She was a courageous Black woman who struggled to change the injustices of life in the south. She was instrumental in organizing voting rights and cooperative farms in Mississippi.

~ Sick and tired of being sick and tired!

Fannie Lou Hamer

Main Office Reminders

Roots Official Uniforms Policy

All Roots Public Charter School students are expected to arrive at achool daily, wearing the school OFFICIAL uniform --- NO EXCEPTIONS! Parents will be called to pick up their child/ren who are not in uniform.

Roots PCS Official Uniform =

• "Roots Logo" Red or Yellow Polo Shirt (plain Red Polo NOT permitted)
• Black Twill Pants.......(no jean, except on Fridays, Joggers are acceptable)
• Black Closed-Toe Shoes......(other colors acceptable on Black Pride Fridays)

***Uniform Policy Enforcement Extended to JAN 1st 2024.****

*****Reminder All Students must have the proper uniform policy top which is the Red "Roots Logo" Polo Shirt by January 1st 2024.

To order uniforms ....Click Here

Meet our Uniform Vendor

Baba Luis from MGE Prints. He is a Black Entrepreneur that got his opportunity with Roots PCS from being a vendor at our very first Muva's Day Market Fundraiser

PAC would like to thank everyone that came out to the Meet and Greet. It was wonderful to see all your beautiful faces, old ones and new. 

It was a joyous occasion for all indeed, and

a great way to start the school year.

Thank you to all the Parents who gave their time and more. To all the parents who donated Gently used uniforms. To all ore parents who chaperoned for the Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

*Mama Maryam - Planning & Execution

*Mama Rashan - Planning & Execution

*Mama K'La - Meet & Greet Volunteer Execution

*Mama Sanyika - Planning & Execution

*Baba Mark - Planning & Execution

*Mama Betty - Opening School for Meet & Greet

*Pre-Primary Staff (Mama Joanne, Mama Ayo)- Coming Out to Meet & Greet

*Mama Bernida - Being Available, Supportive and Coming Out

*The Samson Family- Donating Hand Sanitizer

Preprimary would like to send a special Thank you to parents for supplies and chaperone for the Pumpkin Patch Field Trip in the month of September & October

Baba Musa Mateen

Baba Samson

Mama Mayada

Mama Kasey

Mama Maryam

Mama Ronee

Mama Melesech

*Mama K'la

*Mama Robynn

*Mama Nun

*IF YOUR NAME WAS FORGOTTEN WE APOLOGIZE...CHARGE IT TO OUR BRAINS NOT OUR HEARTS... BUT MAKE SURE TO NOTIFY PAC VIA EMAIL SO WE CAN ADD TO NEXT MONTH'S ISSUE.

THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU!!!

GroupMe

Join the PAC parents and guardians group chat on GroupMe and get Roots PAC updates right on your mobile phone. If your mobile number is on file with the main office, you have been automatically invited to the group.

To join the 'PAC - Roots Parent Advisory Council' on GroupMe, scan the QR code or visit: https://groupme.com/join_group/45284689/X9RnTO

• What is GroupMe? It’s a group chat app, for PAC to share information, a place to ask other Parents questions and get answers. Don’t know if the kids need to wear their uniforms on the field trip? Post the question, get the answer.
• Is this going to flood my phone with unwanted messages? No, the frequency of the notifications is under your control. Download the GroupMe app, go to Settings, and under Notifications & Sounds, you have the choice of pausing or changing the sound of notifications.
• Group chat etiquette is important—remember that what you post will be seen and received widely. Before you hit send, check whether your message is appropriate, going to the individual or to the whole group.
• How do I unsubscribe from group messages? Text #mute to stop receiving messages from this group or from the app select “leave group”.