6:00-7:30 PTA Meeting, Cafeteria

 

9:15-10:45 Open House

10:00-11:30 We Are Family 2nd Grade Service Event, Atrium

 

8:00-12:00 Casey Trees Community Planting (see below for more information)

11:00-3:30 DC EdFest, DC Armory

 

5:00-6:00 SIT Meeting, Conference Room

 

6:30-7:30 Chorus Concert, Sidwell Friends Meeting Room

 

 

1:15-2:00 Student Council Meeting

4:00-9:00 PTA Night Out at Potomac Pizza (information will be sent home this week via your child’s bookbag/folder)

 

10:00-11:00 PK-2 Winter Singalong, Washington Home

10:30-1:30 Holiday Luncheon, Atrium (please reach out to Jacqui Settles at [email protected] for information on how you can help with this lovely, community building event)

 

Shannon Montgomery, K-2 CES Partner Teacher, started with us in mid-November and Yvette Gilmore has transitioned from the K-2 CES classroom to supporting both of our first grade classrooms.  Toniann Maniscalco, Math Specialist, started at Hearst on Friday and Kendra Schenck, PS/PK CES Partner Teacher, starts on Monday. Please give them a warm Hearst welcome!

 

This week we will begin to move into our new building!  In order to give us time to pack up the back trailer, unpack in the new building, develop new routines and procedures for how we move 317 students through the new spaces, and ensure proper maintenance of the new spaces, the plan is to move in over the course of the next two weeks and begin instruction in our new spaces in January.  If you can help us shelve library books or move bulky/awkward PE equipment next week, please sign up at: www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F0A49A4AB29A0F49-moving. Thanks    

 

 

Inclusive Schools Week starts Monday!  Inclusive Schools Week (ISW) is an annual event that encourages school communities to provide a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, including students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference and other factors. ISW also provides an important opportunity for educators, students and parents to discuss what else needs to be done in order to ensure that their schools continue to improve their ability to successfully educate all children. (See more at: inclusiveschools.org/inclusive-schools-week).   As a kick-off to Inclusive Schools Week (Dec 7-12), there will be a moderated discussion at McKinley HS from 4:30-6:00 PM on Monday December 7^th with DCPS Parents, Teachers, School Leaders, and Alum regarding their barriers and successes in  building a culture of inclusion. This panel, titled “Overcoming Challenges to Build a Culture of Inclusion,” is open to parents, educators, and community members. Additional information is attached.

 

Last week I shared a link about how to help your child develop a growth mindset. This week's article is closely related and focuses on developing resilience. Here's the link: http://www.pbs.org/parents/expert-tips-advice/2015/11/teaching-children-its-ok-to-fail/ 

 

 

Community Tree Planting

On Saturday, December 12, Casey Trees will be planting trees and bushes in the area surrounding the new gym. Fifteen slots have been reserved for Hearst students and families.  If you’d like to join the planting party sign up on the Eventbrite page by December 7, so Casey Trees has  an accurate count of volunteers:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/volunteer-hearst-elementary-school-community-tree-planting-registration-18227439763?access=HearstSchoolCommunity

Here is all of the information volunteers should know about the tree planting:

Time:

The planting will begin at 9 am with opening remarks and instructions. Please arrive between 8:30 am and 9 am to check in, get your gear, and grab a bite to eat.

Cancellations:

If you can no longer attend, please  go back to Eventbrite, and cancel your order. If you cannot find how to do this, please  reach out to Erica Young (contact information below) and she will update the numbers.

Requirements: 

• All volunteers must sign a completed Volunteer Waiver Form before participating. Please bring a completed waiver to the event to expedite the registration process. Waivers will be available onsite in the event they forget.
   
• Youth under 18 years of age must have their parent or legal guardian sign a Parental Consent Form and be supervised by an adult at all times. 
   
• Dress comfortably and appropriate for the weather. Closed-toe shoes and long pants are required.

Food:

A light breakfast and a celebratory lunch will be provided.

Contact:

If you have any questions, please feel free to email or call Erica Young from Casey Trees at 

[email protected] or 202.349.1907. 

 

Hearst Holiday Toy and Book Drive

Hearst will be participating once again in a toy and book drive to benefit children served by the Central Union Mission. Our goal is for each student to donate one toy, one book, or one of each by Monday, December 14th. You may want to consider buying a few extra at our Scholastic Book Fair which will open on Monday, November 30th and run through the close of this drive. This way you are benefiting two organizations at once--central union mission and our school library :) There will be a box at the book fair to drop of your book donations that are purchased there. We collected over 170 items last year and we would like to match or exceed that number this year. So keep our drive in mind as you are out and about with family and friends this weekend, searching out those Black Friday deals. Please see attached for more information or reach out to Beth Prince, kindergarten teacher, at [email protected].  

Girl Scouts at Hearst

Metro is Eliminating Paper Fare Cards on (12/31)

WMATA (Metro) will stop selling paper fare cards on December 31; this includes paper student passes (30-day, 10-trip rail, and 2-trip rail). As a result, Metro will stop accepting all paper fare cards on March 4. The trade in deadline for paper fare cards is June 30. Students who currently buy or receive paper fare cards and student paper passes must obtain a SmarTrip card or a SmarTrip-enabled DC One Card​.  All students should have a DC One Card if they use the metro or ride the bus to and from school. The good news is, most students are eligible for Kids Ride Free on Bus and Kids Ride Free on Rail, reducing the need to buy student transit passes. For more information on the School Transit Subsidy Program, including Kids Ride Free visit www.kidsridefree.dc.gov or contact customer service at (202) 673-1740. To obtain a DC One Card for your child, please contact our registrar at [email protected].