Hispanic Heritage Month honors the histories, cultures and contributions of Americans with ancestry in Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Each year, National Hispanic Heritage Month (https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/about/) is observed in the United States from September 15 to October 15.  

Lafayette Elementary has blocked out some great seats for the Seattle Mariners vs Houston Astros game on Wednesday, September 27th at 6:40pm. Come spend time with our Lafayette Community. Tickets will be in the 100 level for $25 per person!

ALL TICKETS MUST BE ORDERED BY END OF DAY ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH!

Parents and Guardians, please join us in-person at Lafayette for this year's Curriculum Night to meet with your child’s teacher and learn about what's ahead for this school year.

• Kindergarten Only - Wednesday, September 20th, 5:30-6:30pm

• 1st-5th Grades - Thursday, September 21st, 5:30-6:30pm

You will not only get to hear about the curriculum, but you will also get to hear about the daily schedule, classroom rules and routines, and ask any lingering questions you may have. Please come in through the front of the school on California Ave. and make your way to your child’s classroom. If you cannot attend, your teacher will send a summary and the PowerPoint so you can be filled in on the details.

*This event is for parents and guardians only because there is so much content to cover. Childcare will not be provided, so please make arrangements for your children.

In anticipation of this year's upcoming fall Lafayette Move-A-Thon, the PTA is looking for volunteers to help plan and execute this year's event.

If you're interested in helping out we have plenty of opportunities available including:

• marketing

• communications

• volunteer coordination

• day-of event help

If interested, please send your information to: wat.lafayette@gmail.com. 

Are you interested in being a ROOM PARENT for your child’s classroom this year? 

This is a great way to be involved, foster community through regular communication between teachers, parents, & the PTA, and assist in the classroom if needed. After curriculum night, we'll have a room parent orientation to make sure volunteers are set up for success. We'll go over the role, talk about the benefits of being a room parent, and introduce you to veteran room parents who can pass on any knowledge.

If you are interested, please fill out this form: https://lafayettepta.wufoo.com/forms/mycgw5o0n9ji3h/

If you have any questions or are interested in learning more, you can reach out the Room Parent Coordinator Chad Young at chad.young@gmail.com.

Dear Lafayette Parents and Guardians:

PLEASE WAIT FOR YOUR CHILD OUTSIDE OF THE MARKED LINE ON THE PLAYGROUND AT DISMISSAL!

This will help keep our exits clear and safe!

In the afternoon when picking up your child at dismissal, we kindly ask you to stand back away from the stairs and the numbers painted on the recess field so that teachers and students can easily and safely get to their meeting locations. This also helps keep the numbers painted on the blacktop visible. For the time being, we will use a chalk line and cones to mark this area. Please stay on the outside of this line (away from the building).

The Lafayette Spirit Wear shop is open now through September 24, 2023!

Lafayette spirit wear is available for purchase - but only for a limited time! Support the school and get cute gear to show off your Leopard Pride! Orders will be delivered to your student at school in mid-October. Be sure to include your student’s name and your student’s teacher in the checkout form for easier distribution.

Thank you for your support!

Celebrate the retirement of Rapinoe and watch the OL Reign take on the Washington Spirit with your fellow Lafayette Leopards!

The OL Reign is offering Lafayette Elementary discounted tickets, with $3 from each ticket coming back to the school to be used for the purchase of new playground equipment (like soccer balls!).

The game is Friday, October 6th at 6pm at Lumen Field. Tickets can be purchased here until sold out!

It's time for another exciting school year to start and an important part of Lafayette Elementary is our PTA. Lafayette's PTA supports critical academic needs, is an active voice on decisions that impact your child's health, safety, and quality of education, and builds a stronger, more inclusive school community. 

Each Family PTA Membership is $25. We have a limited number of scholarships available for PTA Membership. If you would like to request a scholarship, please contact us.

Click here to learn more and join the PTA!

Check out these helpful tips from the Lafayette front office to get you set up for a successful school year, including:

• How to report absences or tardies

• Places you may NOT park

• Nurse’s office request

• Websites to bookmark

Let’s give a warm Leopard welcome to our new Vice Principal, Thomas Baisden!

In his words "I have been working in education since 1995. I started off in Virginia working as an instructional assistant in special education classrooms and then became a special education teacher in 1999. I moved to Seattle in 2000 and taught in a special education classroom at Adams elementary school in Ballard for 21 years, before transitioning into an administrative role. I live in Ballard with my wife and have 2 kids, ages 19 and 16. I love playing music, camping and skateboarding! I look forward to meeting everyone!"

Thanks to everyone who attended our first Kindergarten & New Student playdate! It was wonderful to see so many new faces and familiar ones coming together to make this event a great success. The laughter and joy that filled the playground during the playdate was truly heartwarming. We would like to extend a special thank you to all the volunteers who helped organize and set up the activities, as well as our amazing Face Painters: Roma and Juniper! We couldn't have done it without all of your support and dedication.

Since we have yet to secure a volunteer who can coordinate our Fall Enrichment/After-School Program, we have no choice but to cancel the program for the upcoming season. We are continuing to look for a passionate and committed individual to take on the role of Enrichment Coordinator. This would allow us to revive the program for the Winter and Spring sessions.

Please spread the word if you or someone you know might be interested in this rewarding volunteer position. We truly appreciate your understanding and support as we strive to make the Enrichment/After-School Program a resounding success in the near future!

There are so many exciting events coming up that we hope you can join us at as we get ready for going back to school!

• August 20th @ 10am-12pm : Kinder + New Student Playdate

• August 26th @ 10am-12pm : All-School Playdate and Playground Cleanup

• August 31st @ 4:30-5:30pm : Back to School Teacher Meet and Greet

• September 9th @ 10am-12pm : Kinder + New Student Playdate

Come by to meet other Lafayette families and students! PTA members will also be available to answer questions. We hope you can join us!

To Our Incoming Kindergarten Families, the Kindergarten Team at Lafayette is so excited to meet you and welcome your little ones to school here in the Fall.  Our goal is to make sure you and your child are feeling comfortable about what to expect, and we look forward to getting to know you this year.  To our returning families, welcome back, we look forward to continuing our partnerships with you!