Hearst Family Update
October 25, 2020

Principal's Message
Good evening, Owl families!
You may have seen the update on Bloomz that the in-person classroom lottery matches went out on Friday evening. If families that were initially matched decline seats, know that Ms. Hinchey and Ms. Johnson will be calling families on the wait list this coming week, with the goal of finalizing the in-person rosters by Friday, October 30. The 30th is also when DCPS anticipates sending out the CARES classroom lottery matches. If you have questions about the lottery process, Ms. Hinchey (manik.hinchey@k12.dc.gov) is your main point of contact.
Two other big pieces to the reopening puzzle are staffing in Term 2 and building readiness. Unfortunately, I have no updates on these items other than contractors will be returning to the building to complete additional repairs to the HVAC system. I'm not privy to the work that they will be doing nor when it will start, but the goal is to finish all repairs prior to 11/9, the first day of in-person learning for students in Term 2.
As we work to draft a comprehensive Term 2 plan that will work for kids, staff, and families, thank you in advance for your patience, flexibility, and support.
Hope you had a wonderful weekend,
Jen
News and Announcements from Hearst
Upcoming Key Dates
- Friday, October 30 - Term 2 In-person classroom seats finalized; CARES classroom lottery matches sent to families
- Tuesday, November 3 - Election Day (no school for students & teachers)
- Friday, November 6 - End of Term 1; Professional Development Day (no school for students)
- Monday, November 9 - Term 2 starts; in-person learning starts
- Wednesday, November 11 - Veteran's Day (no school)
- Monday, November 16 - PK-1st grade CARES classrooms open
- Wednesday, November 18 - LSAT Meeting, 4:30-5:30pm; PTA Meeting, time TBD
- November 25-27 - Thanksgiving Break (no school for students and teachers)
- Monday, November 30 - 2nd-5th grade CARES classrooms open
Quick Updates
- Reminder: Through the end of Term 1, the school building will be open from 8:30-4:30pm Mondays-Fridays for students and families to pick up learning materials. Please contact Ms. Johnson (kestaganer.johnson@k12.dc.gov) with any questions.
- Reminder: The Hearst playground will be closed from 8:00am-3:15pm Monday through Friday to all students not attending in-person or CARES classrooms in Term 2 in order to ensure cleaning, mask, and physical distancing requirements are met for our students who are learning in the building. Thanks for your understanding!
- Reminder: All parents/guardians must complete the Student Technology Responsible Use Agreement School Year 2020-21 found here: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=7kagKk6zM0qSt5md8rwKMrokwfOwIAhEmZryty8pQBJUN1NPTDkzNVAzQUo1NVhPNk5NUDQzMkVFNC4u. This new mandate from DCPS and we thank you in advance for your cooperation.
Hearst School Spirit Fridays
Reminder: Living through History Virtual Showcase
Reminder: Aspen Family Portal Access
Reminder: Vaccinations Required to Return to Learning in the Building
Help your kids #StayOnTrack and ready for school-entry with on-time vaccinations.
Hearst has a current immunization compliance rate of 80.83% as of 10-11-2020. Remember to send your child's immunization records to manik.hinchey@k12.dc.gov. Make appointments with your health care providers and provide the proper documentation before the start of in-person school (see here for a list of required immunizations). Immunizations must be up to date to take an in-person seat or CARES seats starting in Term 2.
Por favor ayuden a sus hijos a mantenerse vacunados y listos para el regreso a la escuela.
La escuela ha comenzado, recuerde enviar los registros de vacunación de su hijo/a a manik.hinchey@k12.dc.gov. Haga citas con sus proveedores de atención médica y proporcione la documentación adecuada antes del inicio de clases en persona (tentativamente a partir del 6 de noviembre de 2020). Consulte aquí para obtener una lista de las vacunas requeridas. A pesar de que estamos comenzando en forma remota, nos comunicaremos con todos los alumnos a los que les falta el certificado de vacunas.
News and Announcements from DCPS
Updates to DCPSReopenStrong.com
• Every #ReopenStrong email update to families is available under the Updates page.
• A graphic outlining key components of Term 2 learning models is on the Student Selection Process page.
• Our COVID-19 Response Protocol is available for the public.
• The Family FAQ has nearly 80 responses.
• Videos and presentations from weekly community town halls are available to stream.