Categories
PTA Updates

RCF PTA Newsletter May 12, 2026

At a Glance

  • May 13 – C.A.F.E. #5
  • May 25 – No School (Memorial Day Holiday)
  • May 29 – Spring Fair
  • Jun 5 – Black Family Picnic
  • Jun 8 – Book Swap
  • Jun 18 – Last day of school
  • Staff & Teacher Appreciation Week Gratitude
  • Fifth Grade Bundle Donations
  • Sponsor Spotlight: Rock Creek Forest Counseling
  • PTA Meeting #4 Notes

Quick Note

The home stretch is here! Let’s finish strong with events that lift up students and staff.

2026 Spring Fair

The RCF Spring Fair is Friday, May 29th from 5:30 – 8:00 pm ET.

Join us for giant play inflatables, live entertainment, games, prizes, food, and fun!

Ticket prices are $15 for kids in advance, $20 for kids at the door. Potomac Pizza is now available for presale and day-of! Kona Ice and 5th grade fundraising sweets are also available. Learn more and purchase pre-sale items at: rcfpta.org/rcf-2026-spring-fair/.

Learn More Here

Questions? Email RCFSpringFair@gmail.com.

Staff Appreciation Week

Sending a HUGE thank you to RCF families for making Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week (May 4-8) a success! Staff were pampered with treats, beverages, an RCF “coffee shop”, a plethora of snacks, a raffle, and delicious home-cooked meals!

Special thanks to our sponsors:

  • San Pancho
  • Just Tea
  • Tina Chang of Northgate Realty
  • Maison Nina
  • Ema Rossi Pizzeria

…and our planning committee:

  • Sandra Maldonado
  • Steph Bozzo
  • Courtney Connor
  • Arjoo Mekala
  • Ellen Mitchell
  • Emily Strunk
  • Sara Rockefeller

The line-up of activities and donations would not have been possible without a community effort – and you really delivered! time to help underwrite activities like Teacher Breakfast, Coffee Cart, and more!

Fifth Grade Bundle Donations

It’s hard to believe that our fifth graders are in the home stretch of their last year at RCF! The next few months will be filled with preparation for the great events that are planned for our children.  

Our goal is to raise enough money to provide every fifth grader with the entire package. We are offering a Fifth Grade Bundle, including the following:

❏    A yearbook

❏    A class T-shirt (to be worn as a grade at numerous events)

❏    A panoramic class photo

❏    The Fifth Grade End of the Year Celebration

❏    The Promotion Reception

Purchasing this bundle is voluntary and any amount is appreciated! A donation of fifty dollars ($50) will cover ALL of these activities. 

To learn more and/or purchase a bundle, visit: rcfpta.org/fifth-grade-promotion/.

Sponsor Spotlight: Rock Creek Forest Counseling

Golden Tiger Sponsor (Premier Level) $1500+ | www.rcfcounseling.com/

Does your child have ‘BIG feelings’? Are your child’s tantrums or worries controlling your family’s schedule? Are you ready to take a different approach? When kids have big feelings, it can be hard for parents to know how to help. Come get some neuroscience-backed tips from Rachel Narrow, a licensed clinical social worker and play therapist, on how you can help regulate yourself and your kiddos through waves of emotion! (www.rcfcounseling.com).

Rock Creek Forest Counseling offers therapy for children, teens, adults, and families, and a variety of therapeutic interventions to support both children and caregivers. Being a human can be hard, but no one should have to struggle alone. Please reach out if you’ve been looking for help for you or your child, and for more information about therapy services, including play therapy, animal assisted therapy, and parent coaching. In-person sessions offered out of my home on Colston Drive, just down the block from RCF Elementary.

Tip: Adults tend to try to connect with their kids through asking questions, but even highly verbal kids often don’t respond well to this after a long school day. Many perceive it as a chore or demand. You know this if you’ve ever asked your child, “How was your day? What did you do?” and have gotten a perfunctory “Fine. Nothing.” That’s because questions are not connected! Next time, instead of asking your child about their day, try making a statement that shows that you were thinking about them, but doesn’t require a response: “It’s so good to see you! I saw someone wearing a rainbow shirt today, and it made me think of you and smile, because I know how much you love rainbows.” Maybe your kid will share or ask something in response, and maybe they won’t. Either way, they will feel more connected and regulated, because you, their trusted adult, shared how important they are to you, without asking anything of them in return.

Introducing the 26-27 PTA Executive Committee

We are delighted to announce the slate of candidates who were voted in as the new Executive Committee members starting in the 2026-2027 school year!

Thank you to RCF community members who joined us for our final PTA meeting of the school year on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Meeting notes and slides are now posted on the PTA website.

Book Swap June 8th

RCF’s annual book swap is Monday, June 8. Our goal is for each student to take home at least two books for summer reading. To achieve this goal, we need your donations of gently used PreK through grade 5 books (English or Spanish).

There is a donation bin set up inside the front doors of the school. Please send books with your students or drop them off during school hours. We are most in need of upper grade (3rd-5th) books, and graphic novels are always the most popular. A list of popular titles and series is attached, but we will gladly take any elementary-aged books.

Don’t have books to donate? Consider buying one or two the next time you’re at a thrift store or used bookstore (Friends of the Library is amazing!) or request donations on your neighborhood listserv. Let’s make sure all our RCF Tigers have summer reading materials!

How To Get Involved

There are many ways to engage with the PTA to support your child’s community!

Thank You

As always, thanks for being part of RCF. Whether you join events, volunteer, or simply stay informed—you make a difference.