Hearst Family Update
April 3, 2022
Principal's Message
Good afternoon, Owl Families!
As we wind down Term 3 this week and head into spring break, know that over the last weeks, we've been slowly starting to see an increase in positive COVID cases at Hearst. Please be sure that you are talking with your kids about the precautions your family wants your kids to take, including whether or not you want them to mask inside and outside. Our hope is that everyone goes into spring break on Friday afternoon healthy and comes back on April 19 rested and energized for the busy final term of the school year.
Switching gears, this week's moment of joy came on Friday with the April Fool's joke that one parent played on their kids by including a 'special treat' in their lunches. The kids and everyone around them were howling with laughter when they opened their special treat to discover that it was blades of grass with a few leaves and twigs for good measure. Well played!
Hope you're enjoying the weekend,
Jen
About Us
Email: attendance@hearstes.org
Website: www.hearstes.org
Location: 3950 37th Street Northwest, Washington, DC, United States
Phone: (202) 282-0106
Facebook: facebook.com/hearstes
Twitter: @hearstes
News and Announcements from Hearst
Upcoming Key Dates
- April 1 - School Year 2022-2023 Enrollment Opens
- April 11-15 - Spring Break
- April 18 - PD/Records Day for Staff (no school for students)
- May 9-18 - Hearst PARCC Window
- June 24 - Last Day of School for Students
- June 27 - Last Day of School for Staff
- July 5 - August 5 - DCPS Offers Summer Programming for Students (see Chancellor's 3/7/22 email to families for additional details)
- August 29 - First Day of SY22-23 for K-5
- September 1 & 2 - First Days of SY22-23 for PK
Children Playing with Fire
Over the past few weeks we've had several students bring a lighter and/or materials that can be used to start fires to school and then talk about or attempt to light things on fire at school or after school. This obviously represents a massive safety concern for our school and community and I ask that you talk with your child about the dangers of playing with fire. The following tips and ideas may be helpful in speaking with your child about fire safety and the dangers of playing with fire (from https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/research/areas-of-research/center-for-injury-research-and-policy/injury-topics/burns/children-playing-with-fire)
Children Playing with Fire
Children often link fire with celebration and fun – such as blowing out candles on a birthday cake, toasting marshmallows over bonfires, or watching fireworks displays. Many children are naturally curious about fire and find it exciting to watch a flame appear from a lighter or a match. However, young children are not able to understand the dangers of fire. Every year, children playing with fire cause hundreds of deaths and injuries. Therefore, it is important to teach children that fire is very dangerous, and that matches and lighters are not toys.
Children and Fireplay Facts
- Children playing with fire set more than 20,000 fires every year. That is an average of almost 400 fires each week.
- Fires started by children playing cause an average of 150 deaths and nearly 1,000 injuries every year.
- Children usually play with fire in a hidden place – such as a bedroom or closet. In these places, clothing, mattresses, and bedding can easily catch fire.
Who is at Risk?
- More than half of fires set by children are started by preschoolers and kindergartners.
- Boys are more likely to start fires than girls.
- The majority of the victims are younger than 6 years, though parents and caretakers are often among the victims as well.
- Most fires started by children occur when they are left at home alone or unsupervised.
Prevention Tips
- Talk to children about the dangers of fire. Never let a child use a match or lighter, even with an adult present.
- Teach children to tell an adult if they find matches or lighters.
- Store matches and lighters out of a child’s reach, preferably in a locked cabinet.
- Use only lighters that are child-resistant. However, keep in mind that this does not mean the lighter is “childproof.”
- Do not use a lighter that resembles a toy, and never use fire to amuse children.
- Do not leave children unsupervised.
- Develop a fire escape plan and practice it regularly.
- Install smoke alarms on every level of the house, outside all sleeping areas, and inside each bedroom.
- If a child is intentionally setting fires, get help. Contact your local fire department or school counselor for assistance.
Reminder: Heelies
Heelies (shoes with wheels that can be popped into the heels) are seemingly making a come back after a few years, as we're seeing more and more kids wearing them to school. Please know that they are not allowed at school because they are an unsafe way to move around our school. If your child comes to school with Heelies on, we will ask them to remove the wheels in their shoes. If they are unable, we will support them in removing the wheels. Thanks!
Reminder: Hearst International Day
Reminder: Enrolling for School Year 2022-2023
FAQs from Families
No questions submitted this week!
Reminder: Health Certificates and Medication Orders
Reminder: Hearst Yearbooks on Sale
Yearbooks are on sale for pre-order! The early bird special is $25 until the end of March. After that, each book is $30. The yearbooks will arrive near the end of the school year. Please do not pay for shipping; click the free shipping to the school! The Hearst yearbook contains portraits of each homeroom class and some candid photos from the year. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Boyle and Ms. Schiers at ashley.boyle@k12.dc.gov and sarah.schiers@k12.dc.gov
Every year we sell out of yearbooks; don't let it happen to you. Reserve your copy today!
https://freedphotography.simplephoto.com/prepay/44607122?code=HEARST22YBEB
CODE: HEARST22YBEB
Reminder: The Return of the Hearst Auction- Volunteers Needed!
Reminder: Asymptomatic Student Testing on Wednesdays
Starting the week of 11/8, our asymptomatic testing time will move to 9:45am on Wednesday. During a typical week, we will pull test a random sample of approximately 25% of students who have not opted out of testing. Knowing that some students in this group will not be able to produce a sample or their saliva sample will be rejected, this will allow us to ensure we are hitting the goal of testing 20% of our students each week. Know that we will attempt to test at least one student from each homeroom each week. Here are a few things to know about asymptomatic testing :
- Teachers will be provided with names of students to be tested and those students will be escorted by staff to our testing location.
- Because the test is a saliva test, students identified for testing cannot eat, drink, chew gum, or have on chapstick an hour before their testing window.
Families of kids who are tested will receive notification that their child was tested and information on how to access the online portal where they will be able to view results. Your child may indicate that they were pulled for testing but they were not given a letter with online portal log in information. If this is the case, this means that your child did not produce enough saliva to fill the test tube. Please reach out to Ms. Johnson (kestaganer.johnson@k12.dc.gov) with any questions and/or if you would like to opt your child out of asymptomatic testing. If you wish to opt-out your student from receiving any COVID-19 test at school, you must complete the available at osse.dc.gov/page/school-based-covid-19-testing and email it to the school at kestaganer.johnson@k12.dc.gov.
The website to access results is: https://shieldt3k12.pointnclick.com/ and our Agency Code is: HearstES and the website . As a parent, you should be able to enable notifications be sent to you if a testing result is available for your child.
We believe that the email you use to register on site has to be the primary contact's email used to enroll your child. You will also have to wait at least 12 hours until after the student was tested for the agency code to work.
News and Announcements from DCPS
Reminder: Calendar Update: Last Day for Students is now Friday, June 24
Reminder: FY23 CIP Updates - MacArthur & Foxhall CIP letters
We’re writing to share that final decisions have been made regarding both buildings, informed by your feedback and recommendations:
- MacArthur will be a high school serving the Hardy Middle School feeder pattern, with a set of seats reserved via the Equitable Access program for students furthest from opportunity. The Equitable Access program allows schools to reserve seats for students who meet OSSE’s “at-risk of academic failure” criteria, which includes students who receive SNAP/TANF, are experiencing homelessness, are part of the foster care system, or are overage for their grade.
- Foxhall will be an elementary school serving PK4-5th grade. This will require drawing a new boundary that re-assigns portions of the Key, Mann and Stoddert boundaries, and setting “phase-in” policies for affected schools.
The planned opening of Foxhall will be delayed by one year until at least SY25-26, given procurement and construction timelines. MacArthur is currently planned to open in SY23-24 (as announced in September 2021).
We will also circulate this information to the broader community via the DCPS Planning Blog—here.
Reminder: Mask Mandate Update: Nurse Health Suite and Health Isolation Rooms
Reminder: Elementary Summer Acceleration Registration – Now Live
Reminder: Impact Aid Survey – Amendment Deadline (4/30)
Reminder: Food & Nutrition Services Invites Students to Participate in the 2nd Annual #MyTrayMyWay Campaign! (4/4-5/6)
Reminder: Pre-K Test to Stay Pilot Expands
Over the last few weeks, we have been utilizing a test-to-stay protocol for a limited number of positive cases in classrooms with our youngest learners who are not yet eligible for the life-saving vaccine.Beginning this week, if any positive COVID-19 case is reported in a Pre-K classroom, all students in that classroom will be participate in the test-to-stay pilot.
Through a mix of at-home and in-school testing, Pre-K students will be tested at least two times within a week should there be a positive case reported in their classroom.
The test-to-stay pilot program is designed to keep our youngest learners safely in the class with rigorous testing and limit the disruption that classroom closures have on families. However, there may be times when operational impacts may require a class to transition to virtual learning for a period.
As a reminder, all students who are fully vaccinated may continue to attend school in-person if they are identified as a close contact. We encourage all eligible students to get vaccinated as best way to avoid serious illness and to be able to continue to attend school in-person.
Reminder: DCPS Parent University
You are invited to join DCPS Parent University virtual sessions this spring RSVP and explore all the sessions at bit.ly/dcpsparentursvp.
- 4/5- Transition Planning: Preparing for Life After High School
- 4/19- Summer Learning: Going Beyond the Classroom
- 4/20- Stronger Together: Moving from Fear-based Parenting to Social Justice Parenting
- 4/26- Assessment Guide for Families: What is my Child Taking this Spring
- 5/3- Finding Ways to Recharge and Support Your Child's Learning
Reminder: Ready for Pre-K! Sessions Hosted By Dr. Traci Baxley (4/20)
News and Announcements From Other Organizations
Horizons Summer Camp
Horizons of Greater Washington runs a robust six week, full day summer program. Any student that is eligible for free/reduced price lunch is eligible to participate, and the cost is only $20 for the entire summer. Attached is a flier with more information.
Lauren Simmons
Program Director
Horizons Greater Washington
C: (202) 888-0376
Registration for DPR Summer Camp Opens on April 4, 2022
On Monday, April 4, 2022, the DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) will open registration on a rolling basis for the 2022 Summer Camp season, with an array of offerings for children aged 3-13, at 50 DPR facilities across all eight wards.
“Summer is primetime for DPR and we look forward to providing fun and engaging programming for our youngest residents!” said DPR Director Delano Hunter, “Through the leadership of Mayor Bowser, I am extremely proud of both the quality and quantity of DPR’s summer camp offerings, with numerous specialty and sports camps across 50 locations.”
In 2022, DPR will offer more camps and camp slots than any summer since the pandemic began including Aqua Day Camp, Cookery 202, Jr. Camp, Verano Spanish-language Camp, STEAM camps, sports camps, and more!
2022 Summer Camp Registration Dates
Registration begins on Monday, April 4, 2022. Each day, registration will open at 12:00 p.m. Registration opens:
- Monday, April 4: Aqua Day Camp (Ages 6-13)
- Tuesday, April 5: Little STEAM Engine Camp (Ages 4-6); Full STEAM Ahead, DC! Camp (Ages 7-10); Cookery 202, Jr. Camp (Ages 7-10); Dance Explosion Camp (Ages 5-8); Verano Camp (Ages 3-5); Sports Camp (Ages 5-12); and Therapeutic Recreation Camp (Ages 5-16)
- Wednesday, April 6: Discovery Camp (Ages 6-10)
- Thursday, April 7: Little Explorers Camp (Ages 3-5)
- Friday, April 8: REC Camp (Ages 6-12)
2022 Summer Camp Dates
- Session 1: June 29 - July 8, 2022* (*no camp on Monday, July 4)
- Session 2: July 11 - July 22, 2022
- Session 3: July 25 - August 5, 2022
- Session 4: August 8 - August 19, 2022
Camps operate in two-week sessions, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Before and Aftercare is also available for a nominal fee.
Residents are reminded to make sure they are able to access their DPR account and their information is up to date before the date to register.
For more information about DPR 2022 Summer Camp visit DPRsummercamp.com or contact the DPR Summer Camp office at (202) 671-0372 or kidscampsandcoop@dc.gov.
Next W3EdNet Meeting: Mon., Apr. 4 at 7pm via Zoom -- Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn
The next meeting of the Ward 3 Education Network (W3EdNet) is on Monday, April 4 at 7pm via Zoom (link below). We are very happy to host the Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn, who will update us on the Mayor's agenda for education in the city and take our questions.
Register in advance for this meeting here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Upcoming meetings:
- Tuesday, May 10 at 7pm, Ward 3 Council Candidate Forum (Zoom link)
- Tuesday, June 7 at 7pm, Topic/Guest TBD (Zoom link)
We look forward to seeing you there.
Melody, Karin, and Brian
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The Ward 3 Education Network (W3EdNet) is a group made up of PTO Board and LSAT members as well as other interested community members. We aim to work together to support schools in the local High School feeder pattern, host community events of common interest, and advocate for better schools across the city.
Website: https://www.w3ednet.com/
Twitter: @W3EdNet
Reminder: Communicating With Families About The Changed EL Exit Criteria
As OSSE announced in on Jan. 28, 2022, the English Learner (EL) exit criteria will change from a proficiency level of 5.0 on ACCESS to a proficiency level of 4.5 for students in grades 1-12, beginning with the 2021-22 ACCESS assessment (to affect EL statuses beginning in the 2022-23 school year). The exit criteria for students in kindergarten remains the same at 5.0, as the kindergarten assessment did not significantly change. This policy change will not be retroactive.
The full announcement can be found on our English Learner Exit Criteria page. For more information on EL identification, placement, and exit, please consult Delivering Education Services to English Learners: Policies and Procedures for Administrators, Instructional Leaders, and Teachers in the District of Columbia.
To support your communication initiatives around this change, OSSE has developed information you can share with families. Please see the attachments which are provided in the most commonly used languages in the District.
Reminder: April 30th Friendship Place Walk to End Homelessness
Friendship Place is proud to be re-launching our in-person Friendship Place Walk to End Homelessness this April 30th, on the National Mall!
DC Public School faculty and families have been such generous supporters of Friendship Place over the years – this is a great community engagement opportunity for your families.
To sign-up, all you need to do is go to friendshipwalks.org.
There you can create a team, join an existing team, or just register as yourself.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Thank you again for all you do! We look forward to seeing you on April 30th!
Chris Rutledge
(he/him/his)
Chief Development Officer
3655 Calvert Street, NW
Washington, DC 20007
Cell: 202.957.7834
Reminder: The Chemical Society of Washington: Poem Contest and Celebrating Earth Week
I’m writing on behalf of the Outreach committee of The Chemical Society of Washington (your local section of the American Chemical Society). We have two upcoming, chemistry-themed education opportunities we would like to share with your community at Hearst Elementary School.
The first is “Celebrating Chemistry” a pamphlet published by the American Chemical Society (ACS) around the theme of Earth Week. The pamphlet is aimed at kids ages 9 to 12 and is full of and wonderful information about chemistry, combined with simple and safe activities for students. The theme this year is “The Buzz about Bugs: insect Chemistry”. Here is a link to the pamphlet: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/outreach/celebratng-chemistry-editions.html
The second opportunity is the “Poem Contest”. This activity gives students of all ages an opportunity to be creative around the theme of Insect Chemistry. Students are invited to create poems and illustrations around the theme. Local submissions are judged based on grade categories (k-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12 grades). Local winners advance to the national level where ACS awards cash prizes. It is a highly engaging activity which merges science and arts. Further details about the Poem Contest cab be found here: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/outreach/ccew/plan-an-event/illustrated-poem-contest.html
The Poem Contest submission deadline is April 24, 2022. Poems should be submitted by sending them to CSW@acs.org
Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to connect further with The Chemical Society of Washington.
All the best,
Stephanie L. Moffitt, Ph. D.
ACS Councilor, CSW Outreach Committee
Materials Research Engineer
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
100 Bureau Drive, Mail Stop 8615
Engineering Laboratory, Building 226, A323
Gaithersburg, MD 20899