Hope those who celebrate Yom Kippur have an easy fast and a Happy New Year!

Gmar tov!

PACK THE PTA MEETING!

Please join us for our first PTA Meeting on Tuesday, September 26^th @ 7:00 pm. We will be joined by Arlington School Board member Mary Kadera. Mary is Taylor’s Board Liaison for the 2023-24 School Year and is coming to talk about the Board’s recently proposed middle school boundary changes as well as the county’s plan on school building renovations. Even though the vote has been pushed back we still need to advocate for changes to the proposals for the Spring!

It is very important that as many parents as possible attend this meeting!!

HAPPENING AT TAYLOR

Taylor School Store



Taylor School Store Opens Wednesday September 27th! Items will be sold inside the school at the school store door from 8:40-9am. Your student should go to their normal arrival spot in the morning and get a school store pass from an adult in order to go to the store. We take coins and dollars and can make change! 

Shopping days are as follows: Mondays = Kindergarten and 3rd grade can shop, Wednesdays = 1st grade and 5th grade can shop, Fridays = 2nd grade and 4th grade can shop. Pre-K and MIPA students can shop any day! 

STEAM at Home

THE TAYLOR ACORN PROJECT

The Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) needs your help to continue producing quality seedlings for Virginia landowners. Collect and donate acorns to VDOF this fall! Taylor's favorite Scientist in the Classroom Dr. A (Aizenman) has brought this project to our attention and even created a very informative PowerPoint to share with families.



DO: View the PowerPoint to learn global warming and the VDOF Acorn Project.

DO: Check out the VDOF information site with further details. Learn about types of acorns needed.

DO: Start identifying and collecting acorns but don't forget to follow VDOF instructions - don't mix nuts, place in a paper bag labeled with type and location, store in a cool, dry place.

DO: Drop your labeled acorns in the bin to the left of the Taylor front door. We will get your acorns to VDOF.

DO: Have fun!

PICTURE DAY – WE NEED YOUR HELP

Please volunteer to help out on picture day to ensure its success!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F044FACA922ABFF2-2022

Calling all Student Artists - Explore the Arts, and Express Yourself!

Taylor is proud to be participating in the National PTA Reflections program this year and supports our school’s long-standing commitment to arts education. The Reflections program provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts which boost student confidence and success in the arts and in life. Each year, over 300,000 students in Pre-K through Grade 12 create original works of art in response to a student-selected theme. This 50+ year-old program helps them explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life.

This year’s theme is I am Hopeful Because

How to Participate:

• Review the Participation Guidelines (you do not need to submit the guideline form back; just your student entry form)
• Get to creating!
• Submit your entry before 11/29/2023. Approximately 2 weeks prior to the deadline, a small bin will be located in the lobby for students to drop off their original work, and student entry form. 

All documents can be found here.

Join us on Friday, October 6 for

Taylor's Outdoor Movie Night!

Doors open at 6:00PM

Movie runs from 6:30 - 8:00PM

We will be showing a Halloween-themed movie on the paved area behind the Kindergarten classrooms. Please bring chairs and blankets to make seating comfortable.

Movie Night is sponsored by the PTA and

complimentary to all Taylor Families.

Pizza slices, snack packs and drinks will be available for purchase via cash.

The 50/50 raffle will be back by popular demand!

Note that this is not a drop off event.

Children are required to be accompanied by an adult.

Volunteer Opportunity - Taylor Library!  

Our wonderful library team is looking for volunteers to help get books on shelves and available for our readers.  They are open to volunteers on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the mid-morning and early afternoon. Please reach out to Virginia Dong (library@taylorpta.org) if you would like more information.

KidsGiving is back! 

Taylor KidsGiving is supporting Clothesline for Arlington Kids in October! We are hosting a clothing drive to collect fall and winter clothing for low-income school age children in Arlington. Donation bins will be available in the Taylor lobby beginning Tuesday, October 10th through Tuesday, October 17th.

All donations should be appropriate for fall and winter, in new or clean, EXCELLENT condition in sizes 4T to adult (teen styles only). Please ensure all clothes are sorted by size and gender and labeled in bags. Click here to see Clothesline's flyer with specific clothing donation details. This is the perfect time to donate those new or excellent condition warm clothes, pajamas, snow boots, coats and winter gear as we start to change out our kids' wardrobe for cooler temperatures! Clothesline will also gladly accept new in package socks and underwear, which you can drop off in the donation bins as well. 

Sign up for Taylor Listserv

Sign up here to connect with other parents on topics surrounding APS, Taylor curriculum, extracurriculur activities and much more!

NOTES FROM THE OFFICE

WANTED: INTERIOR DESIGNERS!

With the renovation being completed at Taylor, we are now looking to decorate the new office spaces. If you have an eye for interior design and are willing to volunteer your services, please reach out to Meredith Melnick: meredith.melnick2@apsva.us.  

NEW for 2023-2024 - Change in Single-Day Dismissal Protocol

New this year, Taylor will be using a Google Form for you to report single-day dismissal changes. 

Please bookmark this link for quick access. The link to this form can also be found on the Taylor website and in the principal’s weekly email message.

For early pick-ups, plan to pick up your child prior to 3:00 pm.

Contacting Taylor – Parent FAQ

Q. My child will be absent from school, how should I let the Taylor office know?

A. You can report absences through ParentVue, send an email to taylor.attendance@apsva.us or call the attendance hotline at 703-228-8965. Please also let us know if they will be late arriving at school in the morning for an appointment.

Q. How do I report a single-day change in dismissal for my child?

A. Parents should now use the dismissal change Google doc to submit daily changes to their child’s dismissal instructions. The deadline for submitting dismissal changes is 3:00 pm each day.The link can also be found at www.Taylor.apsva.us.

Q. What if I need to make a long-term change to my child’s regular dismissal instructions?

A. For changes to dismissal that affect their regular dismissal instructions, send an email to taylor.attendance@apsva.us and the front office will notify the teacher.  

Q. Who should I contact if my child will be picked up early from school?

A. Send an email to your child’s teacher to let them know you’ll be getting your student out of class early and let them know whether you anticipate your child returning back to class that day. 

Stay engaged with the Taylor PTA! Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and remember to join the Taylor Facebook group.

COMMUNITY NEWS

APS Middle School Boundary Changes

BACKGROUND

In the latest (June) APS Pre-Capital Improvement Report, the district announced recommendations to adjust middle school boundaries in order to balance enrollment in tandem with relocating the dual-language immersion program. These boundary changes would go into effect starting with 6th graders in the fall of 2026 school year. Currently, all Taylor students go to the same neighborhood middle school, Dorothy Hamm.  However, under the recommended boundary changes, roughly two-thirds of the student population would be rezoned to Williamsburg. Of those rezoned students, over 90% live within the current walk zone for Dorothy Hamm, but they would be bused to Williamsburg. The Taylor PTA Board is opposing this recommendation, and many affected parents and community members have expressed concerns about the assumptions behind the proposed changes and their potential impacts. 

Please check the Taylor PTA website for more information!