President’s Message #
Dear Abingdon Friends and Families,
On the last day of Thinking Outside the Box afterschool enrichment class, you may have seen the class’s afterschool enrichment teacher launch the students’ water bottle rockets in front of the school as many kids watched in awe at a distance. (A few bottle rockets may have landed on the school roof.) It was also a delight to see the excitement on students’ faces as their parents popped by their final winter enrichment class to watch their ballerinas, actors/actresses, and baton twirlers demonstrate their talent. We are glad to offer this educational programming — along with providing full scholarships — and thank the many Abingdon educators who carve out additional time to teach classes and to the many educators who generously share their classrooms with us.
In other news, mark your calendar for Abingdon’s International Night — the biggest event of the year where we celebrate the beautiful cultural diversity of our school community. There are 5 major languages spoken by families at our school (English, Mongolian, Arabic, Spanish, and Amharic). As many know, we have over 20 languages spoken by Abingdon families. International Night is a terrific opportunity for students, families, and educators to showcase their cultural heritage, travel the world, and build community memories. I hope you will volunteer your time and participate in this event.
Together, you have helped make a monumental difference with the Abingdon PTA by strengthening our home-school connection. Our organization is volunteer-driven by our volunteers who help make a difference. I encourage you to reach out to our nominating committee to submit an application for an officer role for the 2023-2024 school year. In order for the Abingdon PTA to operate, we will need a president, treasurer, and secretary for the upcoming school year.
Stay engaged and connected as we continue advocating for our Cardinals: Facebook, Twitter, www.abingdonpta.org, and WhatsApp groups. Please reach out to me at [email protected] with any questions or comments. Thank you for helping our Cardinals soar.
Ramadan Mubarak to our families.
Gratefully,
Sharon Burd
📅 Save the Dates #
- March 27 (6:00-7:00 PM): Abingdon Tech Night (for parents of students in grades 3-5)
- April 3-7: Spring Break
- April 4: Read-a-thon Donations Close
- April 10: No School (Grade Preparation)
- April 11: Spring Enrichment Starts
- April 11 (7:00-8:00 PM): PTA General Membership Meeting
- April 23 (9:00-11:00 AM): Abingdon Earth Day Celebration
- April 28 (5:30-7:30 PM): International Night
🆕 New #
🌎 Earth Day Celebration #
This spring our school garden will approach its 32nd anniversary. We will be hosting an Abingdon Earth Day Celebration to honor this historic milestone and a ribbon cutting ceremony to unveil our new school garden shed built by Yorktown High School student and Troop 106 Scout Thomas Totten. We will also be cleaning up the garden and picking up litter from school grounds.
🏃♀️ Girls on the Run #
The Abingdon Girls on the Run Team is off to a great start as we kicked off our re-entry season at Abingdon! Our students and coaches are enjoying setting star goals, getting to know one another, learning how to be strong and independent, and practicing our running. We have been confirmed for our 5K!
- WHEN: Sunday, May 21st at 8:30am
- WHERE: BASIS Independent School, 8000 Jones Branch Drive, McLean VA, 22012
Each GOTR student will need a ‘buddy runner,’ which is an adult to run the course with them. Please consider joining as a buddy runner. Many family members or friends will join their specific GOTR students, but some girls will not have an adult that they can run with. We encourage our Abingdon community to register to run and support. If you are interested, please reach out to Ashley Farrugia ([email protected]) or Erin Mahaffey ([email protected]).
Abingdon Girls on the Run participants do NOT need to register.
Non-running volunteers are also needed on 5K day. GOTR NOVA will need people to help with packet pickup, race-day water stations, cheering, corralling, and several other race-related activities. If you are able to help, registration will be available in May; we will share the link as it comes available.
Anyone can register, so share widely and let us know if you have any questions. Thank you!
Further information from Girls on the Run:
Why do we have Buddy Runners?
At Girls on the Run of Northern Virginia, we want all of our Girls on the Run and Heart & Sole participants to have a positive 5K experience at the end of their 10-week programs. By the time they get to the 5K, the girls have hopefully developed the skills they need to be confident, happy, and healthy as they navigate future life challenges.
For many of them, the Girls on the Run 5K event is their first 5K. We expect large crowds with more than 2,000 runners at each event day. Buddy Runners provide support and encouragement as the girls participate in the 5K events.
What is the role of a Buddy Runner?
Buddy Runners are able to focus on one specific participant and their personal goals, ensuring they have a positive experience of healthy goal setting and achievement - a lesson we hope will stay with them long after they cross this finish line.
💡 Updates #
🙋 Nominations for PTA Leadership 2023-2024 #
The PTA is looking for leaders for the 2023-2024 school year. In particular, the PTA needs a president, treasurer, and secretary in order to operate. We do not currently have candidates for any of those three positions. Please go to our website for more information about each leadership role, and complete our form to indicate your interest. Contact Lauren Shaub, Chair of 2023-2024 Nominating Committee, at leshaub[at]gmail.com with any questions. The future of the Abingdon PTA depends on you!
📚 Read-A-Thon Update #
The Abingdon Cardinals surpassed their goal and read for a combined total of 272,774 minutes during this year’s Read-A-Thon! Congratulations to all the readers! The following classes won the grade-level competitions:
- PreK: Ms. Marra
- Kindergarten: Ms. Carranza
- 1st Grade: Ms. Amatos
- 2nd Grade: Ms. Edmonds
- 3rd Grade: Ms. Coan
- 4th Grade: Ms. Sangare
- 5th Grade: Ms. Reicherter
Thanks to your generosity, the Read-A-Thon has raised over $21,000! The PTA will take home over $17,000 of that total amount, supporting the students and teachers at Abingdon through our programs and events. Did you forget to sponsor your student? Don’t worry! Donation links are open until April 4th, so please share your student’s accomplishments with friends and family, and ask them to congratulate your student and support our school!
☹️ Fairlington 5K Has Been Cancelled #
The Fairlington 5K has been cancelled due to a change in county policies. For more information and to make a donation, click here.
🏢 Countywide Information #
- Rising fifth graders interested in becoming a school safety patrol can attend a five-day camp offered by the Arlington County Police Department to gain an understanding of the various responsibilities of being an effective safety patrol member. Learn more and sign up here.
- The Advisory Council on Teaching & Learning (ACTL) is hosting a virtual presentation on social and emotional learning on Tuesday, March 28, 7 - 8 PM. Register here.
- The Arlington Community Foundation raises funds to provide equitable access to after-school programming to families in need at Arlington’s Title I schools, including Abingdon. You can donate to the fund here.
👉 Reminders #
🗺️ International & Cultural Heritage & History Night #
Abingdon’s Annual International & Cultural Heritage and History Night is RETURNING, April 28th from 5:30-7:30PM! Last year, we celebrated together in the cafeteria with loads of food and fun!
This year, we have bigger plans for performances, break out sessions, food, and mingling. Please use the following link to RSVP and let us know if you will be attending. We encourage families to consider sharing a dish from your culture, dress in traditional cultural attire, and invite you to share a cultural performance or tradition with the community.
This event is a success only with your participation. Beyond joining in the fun, we also need volunteers to set up, work the event, and clean up at the end of the night. Please consider offering your time!
💸 Passive Fundraising #
🧥 Mabel’s Labels Fundraiser. Help your warm coats and sweatshirts come home each day! Get labels through our Mabel’s Labels Fundraiser and support your Abingdon PTA!
🛒 Grocery Rebates. Link your Harris Teeter VIC card to Abingdon Elementary (5748). Friends, families, and neighbors are also invited to link their VIC card to Abingdon as well. Scan the QR or sign up here: www.abingdonpta.org/fundraising.
🥞 Box Tops. Do you eat Cheerios or Go-GURT? Help us fundraise with BoxTops for Education. More info here: https://www.abingdonpta.org/fundraising/#box-tops-for-education.
🛍️ Abingdon PTA Gift Store #
If you are interested in purchasing any of the following items, reach out to [email protected]. All proceeds support the Abingdon PTA Budget.
- Abingdon Car Magnet $5
- Abingdon Baseball Cap $15
- 2022-2023 Abingdon Yearbook $20
- Abingdon Holographic Sticker $5
- Abingdon Vinyl Sticker $5
🙏 Thank You #
- A heartfelt thank you to a local business — Kay Houghton and Associates — and many community members (thank you kindly, Guy Land!) for supporting our school book fair voucher fund.
- Thank you to 4Imprint for the generous $500 grant for the Abingdon Community Garden.
- Thank you to Harbor Freight for the generous $200 grant for the Abingdon Community Garden.
- Thank you to the 130 shoppers who have signed up for Harris Teeter retail rebates — you have raised $1,100 so far this year!
- Thank you again to our Read-a-thon donors!
🔜 Coming Soon #
- On April 11, our PTA meeting will feature a presentation from Abingdon’s Living Histories Teacher Ms. Aagaard, who will talk about our school’s partnership with the Kennedy Center through the Changing Education Through the Arts (CETA) program.
- SAVE THE DATE! Abingdon’s spring picture day will be held on Tuesday, May 9, 2023.