Good afternoon Owls,
Thanks for another great week at Hearst. We had a smooth transition back from spring break and the kids came back to school with a renewed energy and focus. This is a busy week ahead with several classes going on field trips, a track meet, the science fair, Cornerstone presentations, and the Spring Chorus Concert. Please read on for additional information.
Hope you’re having a great weekend,
Jen
Quick Updates
- Hearst’s track team will be participation in the DCIAA Relay Meet tomorrow, May 1, at Spingarn HS. Please contact Mr. Coleman for additional details.
- Please join us at the Hearst Science Fair on Wednesday, May 3, from 2:00-3:00 in the gym and for the Spring Chorus Concert on Friday, May 5, at 6:30 in the gym.
- Portrait Day at Hearst will be Tuesday, May 9, 2017.
- The Deal Middle School team will be at Hearst on Wednesday, May 10 from 3:30-6:30 to enroll current Hearst 5th graders.
- Recently we’ve had many students that need to be reminded to take off their baseball hats in class. Except for religious purposes and on special occasions such as during spirit week, no head coverings should be worn inside the building.
- The school building closes to students and families at 6:00pm each evening, unless there is a special event (concert, musical, etc.) or programming (PTA meeting, Girls Scouts meeting, etc.) occurring. This is for the safety and security of our facility and the custodians, and allows the custodians to clean the building in preparation for the next day of school.
- Please disregard information sent last week about the DCPS Parent Portal in Aspen as this announcement pertains only to middle and high schools.
News and Announcements from Hearst
Educator Appreciation Week Activities
The PTA is sponsoring a variety of events this week in recognition of educator appreciation week. Please see the listserv and room parent emails for additional information.
Monday - Appreciation Treats
Tuesday- Flower Day OR Gift Card Day & Free Massages in the Staff Lounge
Wednesday - Breakfast Appreciation
Thursday- Appreciation Lunch
Friday - Family Card Appreciation Day
PARCC Testing
Our 3rd-5th grade students will soon be taking the PARCC test, the statewide assessment that we use in DC to measure students’ mastery of their grade level Common Core State Standards. Because we want students to do well on the test and show what they’ve learned, we have begun to familiarize them with the online format of the assessment. This is really the extent of ‘test prep’ that we do at Hearst because we know that students’ understanding of their grade level content won’t improve by stressing them out about their performance on the test, having a testing pep rally, or having them complete test prep worksheets. This year, the 4th grade students will be testing from May 8-12, 5th grade students will be testing from May 8-15, and 3rd grade students will be testing from May 15-22. All testing, with the exception of make-up tests, will be given in the morning so it is imperative that students arrive on time each day. If a student arrives at school even a minute after the test session begins, s/he will be unable to participate in that morning’s session and will have to make up the session in the afternoon. Please know that there will be no interruption to the specials schedule during the PARCC testing window. For additional information or questions about PARCC testing, please reach out to Hearst's testing coordinator, Janna Walker ([email protected]).
Reenrollment
We came close to meeting our reenrollment goal of having 100% of current families reenroll their students by last Friday, with 78% of our students reenrolled. Thank you for getting your enrollment forms in to the main office and if you haven’t done so already, Ms. Hinchey and Ms. Johnson will accept completed enrollment packets during our normal office hours, from 8:00am – 4:30pm, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. This week, they will also accept completed enrollment packets from 7:00am-6:00pm on Thursdays and from 7:00am-4:30pm on Fridays. For specific questions about enrollment, please reach out to Ms. Hinchey ([email protected]) or Ms. Johnson ([email protected]).
Every Day in May Challenge
Hearst is participating in the Every Day In May Challenge. There are 21 school days in the month of May and our challenge is for all students to attend all 21 school days in May. The class with the highest in-seat attendance rate for the month will receive a prize at the end of the month. Help your child’s class win the special treat by sending her or him to school every day in May!
Pennies for Patients
Hearst is partnering with Pennies for Patients and asking students and their families to collect pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters during the Pennies for Patients campaign which began Monday, April 24, and will continue through May 12. Since 1994, millions of dollars have been raised in pennies and other spare change by more than 10 million elementary, middle and high school students throughout the country. The funds, collected during a three-week period, benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Everyone who participates is a winner! One of the easiest ways to donate, and ask family and friends to donate as well, is to visit the on-line giving page:
http://events.lls.org/pages/nca/HearstElementarySchoolWashington-2017. Thanks for your support of this important cause!
News and Announcements from DCPS
DC One Card and Fare Enforcement by WMATA
Starting on Monday, May 1, 2017, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will lock emergency gates at the Fort Totten and Gallery Pl-Chinatown stations. This initiative is being carried out by WMATA to address fare evasion and will be accompanied by increased enforcement by the Metro Transit Police Department (MTPD). Assuming this pilot is successful, the locking program will be introduced throughout the Metrorail system. Students must tap their DC One Card on the Metrorail faregate and Metrobus farebox when using the Metro system. If they do not have a working DC One Card with the Kids Ride Free pass, they will need to use a SmarTrip card with the appropriate fare. While Metro Transit Police will evaluate situations individually, students must have fare media (DC One Card or SmarTrip) to ride the bus or rail systems. ID administrators should ensure requests related to the DC One Card are quickly addressed as students may be denied entry to the Metro system without a working DC One Card. If the student’s card does not work, the student should contact the Customer Service Center at (202) 637-1328 anytime Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. regarding card issues. Please see flyer here.
Invitation: “Promoting Mental Health in Immigrant Children” event (5/16)
The DC chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics is hosting a special event connecting child health providers, mental health providers, and school representatives to better understand, identify, and manage mental health concerns in immigrant children. They are actively seeking participation from DCPS administrators, teachers, clinicians, and other interested staff! The event will take place on May 16th from 6 – 8:30pm at Busboys and Poets in Brookland; heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served. The event is free, but registration is required. Register here. Contact Dr. Heidi Schumacher, Deputy Chief of Student Wellness, with questions.
Library of Congress Event
The Young Readers Center at the Library of Congress invites you and your students to attend a panel discussion around the book Loving vs Virginia: A Documentary Novel of the Landmark Civil Rights Case.
When: Wednesday, May 3rd, from 10:30 am -11:30 am
Where: In person: Library of Congress, Jefferson Building, Coolidge Auditorium
Virtually: See link below for the live stream & archive of the event
What: A discussion with author Patricia Hruby Powell, Illustrator Shadra Strickland, Associate Director of the Association of American Law Schools Elizabeth Hayes Patterson, and moderated by Deborah D. Taylor. Event will include examples of primary sources from research for the book and there will be a book signing afterwards. This event celebrates the 50th anniversary of this landmark case affirming interracial marriage and is a wonderful event for students to experience primary sources and living history.
If you plan to bring students, please RSVP with Monica Valentine: [email protected].
Wear Your College Gear (5/5)
Support our DCPS Seniors as they declare their plans for next year by wearing gear from your alma mater. All schools are encouraged to celebrate National College Signing Day by encouraging your staff and students to wear college gear! Please tweet photos with the hashtag #DCPSGoesToCollege.
We the Girls: Young Women’s Leadership Conference & Pep Rally (6/3)
As part of the Reign: Empowering Young Women as Leaders initiative, DCPS is hosting the first annual We the Girls: Young Women’s Leadership Conference & Pep Rally at Howard University on June 3rd. The conference will serve girls and young women in grades 5-12 and DCPS teachers with workshops and panels focusing on identity, health and wellness, leadership and equity. Please help spread the word to our young women and their families by distributing the flyer. Register now, space is limited. We are also looking for volunteers! Please sign up to volunteer here.
Rescheduled: DCPS Spring Student Photography Exhibition (5/6) 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
The Office of Family and Public Engagement is thrilled to partner with the Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum to showcase student artwork for a Spring Photography Exhibition with an opening on Saturday, May, 6th. The exhibition will run for one month and will feature photographs by DCPS students (6th-12th grade) exploring the question, “What does it mean to be the other?” through the lens of race/ethnicity, gender, class, age, and/or religion. The exhibition opening on Saturday, May 6th from 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm will allow time for refreshments, appreciation of the photographs and museum, and a facilitated discussion focused on the issues displayed in the photographs. The event is free and open to the public but space is limited. You can register for the event here. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].
PTA Corner
Hello Owl Families! Welcome to the warm weather; we hope you have a great week!
Upcoming Events:
- Community Dining Night: Join your fellow Hearsties for dinner at Nando's Peri-Peri tomorrow (Monday, May 1) from 5pm to 8pm. It's fun, tasty and a portion of the proceeds will go back to Hearst! Nando's Tenleytown is located at 4231 Wisconsin Ave. NW.
- PTA Meeting: The PTA will hold its next regular meeting on Wednesday, May 10 at 6pm in the library. We will vote on our budget for next school year. Pizza and childcare will be available for all potty-trained kids. Please check the website and listserv for sign-up information.
- Open House Tours: Looking for an opportunity to share your Hearst experience? Look no further than the next Open House on Friday, May 12. If you have time to help out by greeting visitors, giving a tour or just setting up, please email Kay Parry at [email protected].
- D.C. United Game: Come watch D.C. United in their last season at RFK stadium with your fellow Hearst families! The game is Saturday, May 20, at 4pm and tickets are $20, with $5 coming back to the PTA. We will have a tailgate tent before the game so come early and bring some drinks and snacks. Please fill out the attached form and return it to Jolyon Bowman, Judy Goodstein or the PTA mailbox by May 3rd.
- Community Dining Night: It’s Pete’s Apizza time! Please join us on Monday, June 5, for a fundraiser at Pete’s New Haven Style Apizza (4940 Wisconsin Ave NW). Between 11 am and 9:30 pm, join us for some tasty pizza (dine-in or take-out) and mention you are with Hearst at the counter. 25% of the proceeds will go directly back to the PTA.
- Washington Nationals Game: Join your Hearst friends on Saturday, June 10 at 12:05pm to see the Washington Nationals play the Texas Rangers. Tickets are $19 and $5 comes back to Hearst. To purchase your tickets, please click here:https://groupmatics.events/s/email/Hearstelementary7
News and Announcements from Other Organizations
DC Launches New Food Waste Drop-off Program
On Saturday, April 22, Mayor Bowser celebrated Earth Day by kicking off the DC Government’s first citywide Food Waste Drop-Off program. Through this new free service, residents will be able to drop off food waste at designated farmers markets, one in each ward, on Saturdays. The food waste will then go to a local composting facility where it will be turned into compost, a nutrient rich soil fertilizer.
The launch of the Food Waste Drop-Off program came just three days after the release of DC's 2017 Sustainable DC Progress Report. Sustainable DC is the District's plan to become the healthiest, greenest, and most livable city in the United States in just one generation.
Find a list of all food waste drop-off sites HERE.
File attachments:
DCUnitedForm(1).pdf