Winter Newsletter 2023
Updated: Aug 7, 2025
Thank you for being part of our Family!
Upcoming Events and Celebrations
In February we are joining Black History Month celebrations with activities for our students and participants including a visit to the African American History Museum on the 23rd. As educators, we strive to provide our students with tools to understand the history of our country to build just, dignified, and peaceful communities.
We are also celebrating Valentine's Day❤️ with arts and crafts activities where everyone can show love and support for each other and for their families.
Starting 2023 Strong!
- Birthday Wishes! -
It is always great to start out the year celebrating the life of our founder Dr. Ann Barnet on January 18th. She has touched so many lives with her generous and kind heart.
Dear Ann, thank you for dedicating your life to making a difference for underserved communities. Thank you for inspiring us all.
We love you! ❤️
- Citizenship Classes -
On January 17th we started our Citizenship Classes for ESL intermediate or advanced students who have been green card holders for more than 5 years and are ready to apply for Citizenship.
We are offering in-person and Zoom classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We’re excited to support our students in this life-changing journey.
- School Choice Week! -
We celebrated National School Choice Week on Jan 25th. Students shared their stories about why they chose The Family Place and what they love the most about their classes and teachers.
One of our students said:
“I’m grateful for our teachers because they treat us with kindness and as equals, regardless of our age and backgrounds”.
2022 Holiday Season Celebrations
On December 9th, The Family Place was able to enjoy the Washington Revels holiday show at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium thanks to our partners from Tickets for Kids. On this same day, and in partnership with Dr. Campos, we hosted our Circulo De Mujeres in-person meeting to close out the year. 20 women attended and received gift cards, food bags, COVID tests, candies, and participated in raffles. Finally, on December 14th our ESL students got together to make Christmas crafts and have some fun before the last break of the year.
Halloween Celebrations and other Cultural Activities
At the end of October 2022, we celebrated Halloween 🎃 and gave away candies to the lovely children from The Family Place. We saw happy faces dressed up as puppies, bunnies, jelly bellies and more.
Also, on November 16th we visited the Mexican Cultural Institute in DC 🇲🇽 and participated in a guided tour of their beautiful building and the Altar of Día de Los Muertos, which is different every year.
SHOUT OUT TO OUR NEW PARTNERSHIP!
We are deeply grateful and excited for our new partnership with One Warm Coat. This partnership allows us to support immigrant and low-income families from the DC area with coat donations. Thanks to them for helping us provide essentials for families in need!
EOY 2022 Campaign Was a Huge Success!
Our hearts are filled with gratitude for everyone who donated to our End of Year Campaign 2022. Thanks to your generous donations, we surpassed our $50k goal, raising $50,723.
Cindy and little Cindy were featured in our EOY campaign. If you didn’t get the chance to meet them, please click below and learn more about their inspiring story and how they have been able to bond and study together thanks to our 2generation-2agency approach.
Donate While Shopping!
Walmart Spark Good Round Up!
Walmart recently launched Walmart Spark Good Round Up where customers can round up their purchases to the nearest dollar and donate the change to their favorite charity. We would love for you to choose The Family Place Incorporated as your charity to receive these donations every time you shop on Walmart.com.
2023 RESOLUTIONS
What interests me about understanding educational opportunities abroad is how a broad idea becomes part of an ordinary day. Comparing study options involves daily life and support as well as course descriptions. It makes me curious about the practical side of international education opportunities. I do not have a settled view yet, but this seems like a good place to slow down and look more closely. What would you want to know before choosing an unfamiliar learning environment?
I find using clear language to explain complex ideas easier to think about when there is a concrete question to start from. A concrete example often makes an abstract explanation easier to follow. I would keep that thought nearby when looking for ideas about clear communication skills. I can imagine different answers depending on the situation, so I would want to understand the context before drawing conclusions. How do you decide when technical terminology helps and when it gets in the way?
When it comes to understanding building energy certificates, I would rather understand one useful detail properly than rush through a long list of ideas. Knowing what a certificate describes can help a reader ask more precise questions about a building. Seen this way, building energy certificates becomes a topic to explore rather than something to sum up too quickly. I would be interested in a simple example, because it is often the ordinary details that make an idea memorable. Which parts of an energy certificate are hardest for a first-time reader to interpret?
The topic of exploring local history and learning in Bytow gives me a few things to think about, especially when the discussion moves beyond general advice. Local places can give a history lesson a setting that students can picture for themselves. This is why I would approach Bytow local history with a specific question rather than a fixed expectation. I would probably come back to this question after trying to work through one concrete example rather than deciding immediately. Which everyday landmarks would make a good starting point for a local history project?
What interests me about learning water confidence step by step is how a broad idea becomes part of an ordinary day. A calm introduction to the water can matter as much as learning a particular swimming stroke. It also gives the phrase water confidence training a clearer meaning than a label on its own. I am more curious about the process than a polished result, because the steps in between are usually where questions appear. How can beginners recognise when they are ready for the next exercise?