A community-wide vote will begin on Tuesday, May 30th. The vote will allow Lafayette parents/guardians to approve the HSA budget for the 2023-2024 school year, to select the HSA elected board representatives and the LSAT parent representatives. Polls close on Monday, June 5th at 7pm. Results will be posted in the Tuesday Bulletin on June 6th.
The HSA presents the following budget for the 2023-2024 school year, located in summary form here and in detailed form here. The budgeting process considered information gathered from the Lafayette community through a survey conducted in Winter 2023 and the draft budget was presented to the public at the last HSA general meeting in April where community members were welcomed to ask questions and make comments. The budget will be posted for your review through the election’s end on June 5th.
We offer our gratitude to the generous volunteers who have stepped up to give their time and talents.
Please read the below statements about each of our HSA and LSAT candidates:
HSA ELECTION CANDIDATES:
Co-President: Olympia Meola (1 position available)
I am Olympia Meola, mom to two Lafayette students, Margot in PK 4 and Noah in Kindergarten. I am running for Home School Association (HSA) co-president because, as we near the end of our family’s first year at Lafayette Elementary, I am grateful for the supportive community we have joined.
This year I served as HSA Community Programs co-chair and have enjoyed getting to know so many of our school families through school events. I also strongly support HSA efforts to ensure its offerings are more inclusive and prioritize belonging, and I’d like to make sure this intentional work continues.
Vice President 1: Brendan Mazur (1 position available)
I am writing to express interest in running for the First Vice President position with the Lafayette HSA. I have a kindergartener, Olivia, at the school and I am looking forward to getting more involved next year by helping out the HSA. I look forward to the opportunity to build upon prior work and improve the association’s financial monitoring and reporting. Professionally, I work in bank supervision and regulation and have extensive experience in financial matters. I’d be excited to bring my time and qualifications to the HSA Board in service to the school community and our families.
Vice President 2: Karmia Griffin Lewis (1 position available)
My name is Karmia Griffin Lewis and I am a native Washingtonian and graduate of DC public schools. I am running for Second Vice President of the HSA. My daughter, Evy, is in Kindergarten and loves Lafayette Elementary. My other daughter Ella is looking forward to attending Lafayette in the future, and currently only wants to play at Lafayette-Pointer park. This year, I have enjoyed volunteering with the HSA, and I want to further my commitment to the Lafayette community by serving on the HSA board.
My professional background is in hospitality management, corporate events, and sales. I am also a licensed Realtor, so yes, I can dissect a contract! As Second Vice President, I plan to leverage my professional experience to support the programming and events the HSA puts on for our students, faculty, and community.
Co-Treasurer: Mark Schofield (1 position available)
I would be delighted to continue serving as co-Treasurer of the Lafayette Home & School Association (HSA), a position I’ve held for two years. In that time, I’ve seen the school and the HSA transition back to in-person events including movie night, Fall Festival, and the Spring Auction, and I’ve participated fully in aspects of those events as well as the book fair and numerous regular board meetings as we chart the future course of the HSA.
I’ve been delighted to see how engaged Lafayette families can be, whether coming out in droves to shovel the playground so as not to delay school opening, or the numerous volunteers who make all of our events possible. With our daughters, Marie and Audrey, who are current Lafayette Elementary 3rd graders, we couldn’t be happier with the community we’ve found here. Successful schools bring out the best in a community and our active HSA is a key component of how the community can advance the mission of the school. With our children approaching 4th grade, I look forward to continuing in these efforts to support our school.
Secretary: Nella Mazur (1 position available)
Greetings! I am Nella Mazur, first time Lafayette parent with my daughter, Olivia, in Kindergarten during the 2022-2023 school year. I am writing to express interest in running for the Secretary position with the Lafayette HSA. I am currently a room parent and am eager to be more involved with the Lafayette community and extend my service to the Board. Professionally, I’m a trained chemist working in scientific publications at the American Chemical Society. As Secretary, I look forward to offering my time and abilities to maintain written records for all non-financial business of the Board while continuing the important work the Board does for the community at large.
LSAT ELECTION CANDIDATES (4 positions available)
Cindy Wade
Hi, I am Cindy Wade. Mom to Jaden (4th grade) and Davin (3 ½ year old) and wife to Hanani Wade. I am thrilled to submit my name as a candidate for the Lafayette LSAT. Over the last six years, I have volunteered with various HSA activities, Food Prints, and classroom socials. More recently, I have had the honor to serve as one of your LSAT Parent Representatives during the 2022-2023 school year. During this time, I advocated for the needs of ALL students at Lafayette and worked closely with the Principal and the other members of the LSAT to ensure the priorities of our community come to fruition. I had in-depth discussions with the LSAT and Principal about student academic progress, techniques used by our educators to support our students’ learning needs, social and emotional support services, and budget resources and funding strategies to meet our school’s priorities.
As a Digital Service Executive in the federal government, I lead digital modernization efforts that promote interoperability and access to data for the American public. I am a proud North Carolinian and a graduate of both North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and George Mason University. I volunteer on various boards supporting issues that impact residents of all ages and backgrounds. My family and I attend All Saints Episcopal Church in Chevy Chase, Maryland. In my free time, I enjoy running, biking, cooking, gardening, board games, and time with family and friends.
I am thankful for the drive and commitment of our educators. I believe it is important that as a community we support our educators and that we identify and implement ways to ensure that ALL children can be their best academic self.
Kevin Walsh
Hello! I’m Kevin Walsh, father to a first grader (Isla Walsh) and soon to be kindergartener (Aoife Walsh) at Lafayette. After serving as a parent representative on the LSAT this year I am seeking your vote to serve on the LSAT again. I would like to continue bringing a community-based approach to the guidance provided to Lafayette Elementary’s administration.
During my time at Lafayette I have volunteered with the Lafayette Auction for two consecutive years, served as a room parent for my first graders classroom, served as a parent representative on the LSAT and helped with events that brought together kids, families and educators in the classroom.
Since 2006 I have worked in banking focusing on operational risk, compliance and governance. I believe my experience, skills and sense of community will help guide Lafayette as a LSAT member.
Laura Akowuah
I am a parent to three children—including a kindergartner and first grader at Lafayette. This Is our second year as a Lafayette family. I am deeply committed to the school and community and would like to further my commitment through service on the LSAT. We moved to the neighborhood over five years ago specifically because we wanted our children to attend the school.
I am eager to learn more about Lafayette’s operations and priorities and ensure that our children have the resources needed to achieve, excel, and enjoy their time at Lafayette. I am a public health-focused attorney for the federal government. On a daily basis, in order to protect the public, I use my oral and written advocacy skills to advise others on a nuanced and complicated area of the law—in time-sensitive and sometimes contentious situations. I rely on clear communication, diplomacy, and professionalism to understand, raise, and resolve issues. I received my law degree from the University of Virginia. I have a Master of Public Health degree from George Washington University and my undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University. I also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho.
Jess Adasi
My family has been a part of the Lafayette community for 6 years, and I have served in a variety of volunteer roles across that time. Our kids are currently in 2nd and 4th grade, and have been at Lafayette since PK4. In addition to being a room parent for each of those past 6 years, I also previously served for two years on the LSAT, including as a member of the team that managed the reopening of in-person school during the 2020-2021 school year. I greatly enjoyed working with other parents and teachers to think through the issues facing Lafayette and offer guidance and recommendations on how best to support the diverse needs of our community, and I look forward to the opportunity to do so once again. In addition to my past LSAT experience, I also bring to the role knowledge around logistics, budgets, and culture, as the Director of Operations for a small business. Thank you for your consideration!