Principal's Message Sept 26-30
Dear Peabody and Watkins Community,
We were thrilled to see our Panthers leader their adults through our schools with pride and exuberance at our Back to School Nights. It was an absolute joy to see our students explaining and demonstrating some of the key parts of their day and classroom to their family members.
We are turning the corner on the beginning of school and wrapping up the first six weeks of relationship building and routine setting. The relationships will continue to grow, but our time will now be solely focused on social-emotional and academic development. Our curriculum will be in full swing, including SEL supports, and students should expected to be appropriately challenged and supported.
We're also looking ahead to the October 6th Caregiver conferences when our teachers will provide their impressions of your child after our first few weeks of school. Every caregiver can have time with their child's teacher either before, during, or after the Oct 6 date pending teachers' availability. Please read more below!
Key Dates for Families
- Monthly PRIDE celebrations: 30th, (1st&2nd) - Read More Below!
- Sept 28: FoodPrints for Elmusa's HR and Parler's PM class.
- Sept 30: FoodPrints for Styles' homeroom and O'Neil's PM class AND Wilkins', Doolin's, and McGrath's homeroom classes.
- Sept 30 - Oct 2: Cluster Cup (see more below)
- Oct 6: Parent Teacher Conference Day, no school for students.
- Oct 7: PD Day is district led, no school for students.
- Oct 10: Indigenous Peoples Day, no school for students.
- Oct 11-21: Basketball Team tryouts (4th and 5th grade only, more info below.)
- Oct 12: Walk to School Day!
- Oct 14: Peabody Rocks the Red; 5th grade Community PRIDE celebration
Caregiver-Teacher Conferences, Oct 6
FoodPrints is Back!
At Watkins two homerooms will attend FoodPrints on Wednesdays and two will attend on Fridays. At Peabody, one class per grade will attend each Friday.
Our FoodPrints teachers, Ms. Natasha (Watkins) and Ms. Aubryn (Peabody), will coordinate caregiver volunteer opportunities via sign up geniuses. Next week's sign ups are ready at Watkins. We will use the same link each week.
We will reach out early next week with the caregiver sign ups for Peabody.
Oct 12: Walk to School Day!
The CLuster Cup is Back!
SAVE THE DATES: September 30th to October 2nd
This is a free family event for all ages! All Members of the Cluster Community are invited to participate. All you need is the (free) GooseChase App and a mobile device.
Play for an hour or play for the entire weekend! It is up to you! But Play! The Competition is fierce (for some) and FUN FOR ALL!
Stay tuned! More information to come!
sy 22-23 emergency preparedness DRILL SCHEDULE
As required by DCPS, we will follow the below emergency preparedness drill schedule to ensure all students and staff are prepared in the event of an emergency.
All of the fire drills excluding the 1st one of the school year are unannounced. Dates for alternate drills (alert status, earthquake, lockdown, severe weather, shelter in place, 500 ft evacuation, and reverse evacuation) will be communicated to the school community in advance.
SY 22-23 Drill Schedule
Sept: (2) fire drills-one announced & Alert Status Drill
Oct: Fire Drill & Earthquake Drill
Nov: Fire Drill & Lockdown Drill
Dec: Fire Drill & Alert Status Drill
Jan: Fire Drill & Severe Weather Drill
Feb: Fire Drill & Shelter in Place
March: Fire Drill & 500 ft evacuation/ relocation Drill
April: Fire Drill & Reverse Evacuation Drill
May: Fire Drill & Lockdown Drill
June: Fire Drill & Shelter in Place
September Alert Status Drill
This drill will occur on September 21 at Peabody and September 22 at Watkins and will take approximately 10 minutes. During this drill, indoor classes and activities will resume as normal. However, there will be no outside activities and all visitors and staff must enter and exit the building only through the main entrance (with proper ID).
Watkins
Basketball Try-outs Coming Soon!
When: October 11, 2022 – October 21, 2022
- Girls: Oct 11, 12, 13.
- Boys: Oct 18, 19, 20.
Time: 3:30 – 4:30pm
Where: Watkins Gym
***Tryouts are held for 4th & 5th grade boys and girls. Please bring shorts, a t-shirt, and basketball shoes
***ONLY cleared /eligible athletes can try out… Email AD Drakeford for clearance status and/or the link to submit paperwork. If you have any further questions the Athletic Director and Coaches can be reached via contact information below.
AD Drakeford – Email: Latavia.drakeford-allen@k12.dc.gov
Coach Redmon: Email: jerenzo.redmon@k12.dc.gov Phone: 202-465-1504
Coach Hill – Email: Dawayne.hill@k12.dc.gov Phone: 202-276-8883
Grade Level Community PRIDE Meetings
Sept 30: 2nd grade's event is at 9:10. 1st grade's event is at 9:45.
Peabody
Peabody Literacy Committee Update
The Peabody Literacy Committee is excited to celebrate all the fun and cozy places that our students and staff love to enjoy a good book! Whether from this past summer or during these first months of fall, please share photos (with captions) that capture the magic of reading together! Could be in a comfy chair, on a bed, in a lap, with a flashlight, on the beach... ANYWHERE! We'll print and display them on our Fall Reading Bulletin Board in the 1st Floor lobby! Go to the Google form link via the url or QR code below to upload photos. Another option: email them to Ms. Bloom - susan.bloom@k12.dc.gov
Link to Google Form: https://bit.ly/3cClKkK
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage
Peabody will kick off its celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month at our whole-school Rock the Red assembly on Friday, September 16. The Equity Team and Specials Team are working together to provide a wide range of books, resources and ideas to Peabody teachers to enable them to teach, celebrate, and pay tribute to the diverse Hispanic and Latinx cultures, traditions, languages, art, literature, and heroes during this month and throughout the school year. Each grade level will have an opportunity to share their learning at our Rock the Red Assembly on Friday, October 14.
Email issues with Smore? Unsubscribed from Blackboard?
If you somehow are unsubscribed from Blackboard, please email your appropriate school inbox above and Adia.Howard-Stroud@k12.dc.gov who will fix the issue on Blackboard.