Hearst Family Update
March 21, 2021
Principal's Message
Good evening, Owl Families,
As we continue our planning for Term 4, we are now awaiting information from DCPS about how the changes outlined by DC Health on 3/15 (see presentation here on slides 28-33) and the new 3 ft guidance released by the CDC on Friday will be implemented. This is not the first time these guidelines are being updated, but these changes will impact DCPS’ ongoing planning for in-person programming this school year and beyond.
Chancellor Ferebee has stated that DCPS wants to be responsive to evolving health guidance, and also recognizes that routines, consistency, and relationships are important as schools look to close out the school year strong. DCPS is taking time to evaluate, plan, and operationalize what these updated DC Health and CDC guidelines mean for DCPS and will hopefully be issuing further updates to schools this week.
Hope you've enjoyed the sunshine and warmth this 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
- Monday, March 22 - PK CARE, K-2 CARE, K IPL Fire Drill, 12:45pm
- Tuesday, March 23 - 3-5 CARE, 2-5 CARE+ Classes Fire Drill, 1:30pm
- Tuesday, March 23 - Term 4 Town Hall to share final plan with community, 7:00-8:00pm; Register in advance for this meeting:
https://jh.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEsdemvrzIuHNaJvXsJ8mK-9myZdUy-smf8 ;After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. - Wednesday, March 24 - Hearst Spring Picture Day
- Wednesday, March 24 - Term 4 Coffee Chat for Families to share final plan with community, 9:00-9:30am Join Zoom Meeting
https://virginia.zoom.us/j/96170868777?pwd=TEkzaUN3czZVUnJlNzRiVlYwZjBldz09; Meeting ID: 961 7086 8777; Passcode: 582935 - Monday, March 29 - Term 4 student offers start
- Tuesday, April 6 - Deal Feeder School Chat for Families, 6:30pm (link to be shared soon)
- April 12-16 - Spring Break for Students
- Friday, April 16 - Emancipation Day (no school for students and all staff; building closed)
- Monday, April 19- Term 4 starts
- Thursday, April 29 - Term 3 Report Cards Mailed and Published in Aspen
Quick Updates
- A reminder that the playgrounds, soccer field, and basketball court are closed to the public from 11:00am to 1:00pm on school days. This ensures that our in person student cohorts are not mixing with other kids and adults outside of the school during school hours. As we look to Term 4, please know these hours will expand in order to provide our in person students with additional outdoor time.
- Reminder: DCPS has updated the School Planning blog with information about the Foxhall/MacArthur planning process. This is where they will share updates, meeting materials, etc. once the process kicks off. Because the opening of these schools may impact the Hearst boundary and/or feeder schools in the future, please be sure to regularly review the site. The presentation from the most recent meeting last week is now posted online here as well. Because the opening of these schools may impact the Hearst boundary and/or feeder schools in the future, please be sure to regularly review the site to stay up to date on the latest developments.
- Reminder: Because our building is open to students, any non-staff members who would like to come to the building to pick up materials, switch out a device, etc., must have an appointment in order to come into the building. Please email Ms. Johnson (kestaganer.johnson@k12.dc.gov) or call (202-282-0106) to set up an appointment if you need to come into the building for any reason. Thanks!
Reminder: DC is publishing COVID data specific to DCPS and it can be found here: https://coronavirus.dc.gov/node/1506966. With both staff and students back in school buildings, please visit dcpsreopenstrong.com/health/response/ to learn more about DCPS' COVID-19 Response Protocol, including testing available for students and staff.
Updated Medical Documentation Required to Return to Learning in the Building in Term 4
Help your kids #StayOnTrack and ready for school-entry with on-time vaccinations.
Hearst has a current immunization compliance rate of 90% as of 3-14-2020. Remember to send your child's updated medical documentation (Universal health certificates, Medication authorization forms, 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. Immunization sites across the city are posted here.
Reminder: Spring Portrait Day
We'll be holding our Spring Portrait Day on Wednesday, March 24, from 9am to 3pm. Portraits will be outdoors and socially distanced and you can sign up for an appointment at https://tuab0xbvaa.timetap.com/#/. Please see the attached flyer for additional information.
Reminder: Supporting Students' Social Emotional and Mental Health
Greetings Hearst Community,
I hope that you are all doing well! The mental health team is excited to announce a series of virtual social, emotional support groups that we will be offering to students beginning on March 16, 2021. Each session will be conducted by myself, Ms. Brown, the school social worker and by our school psychologist, Ms. Dewerd. Groups will occur weekly via MS Teams and will be designed to target student's skills and needs by pairing grade levels. During these groups, we will be teaching students about self regulation, particularly mindfulness and the benefits of incorporating these practices into their daily routine. We will also utilize these sessions to teach useful executive functioning skills. Each session will occur during non- instruction periods, so that everyone who wants to, can attend. Sessions will also be recorded, to increase accessibility. By giving your child permission to participate, you are also consenting to the recording. If you or your child do not wish to be recorded, please feel free to disable your camera function. The good thing is, students will not have to participate interactively to benefit from each session!
The schedule for the groups by grade level is included below as well as the links to join.
Kindergarten-1st grade (pre-k is free to join!) Tuesdays 11:45am-12:30pm Click here to join the meeting
2nd-3rd grade- Tuesdays 3:45pm-4:30pm Click here to join the meeting
4th-5th grade Thursdays 3:45pm- 4:30pm Click here to join the meeting
Again, groups will start next Tuesday, March 16th. Please only join the session that corresponds to your child's grade level. Students will not need to bring any materials but are free to have pencil and paper to take notes if they like.
There is a lot happening in our world right now that is beyond our control and many of us are facing unexpected challenges! We are looking forward to connecting with the students in our community and assisting with building social, emotional skills that that can support overall wellbeing!
Mental Health Team of Hearst ES
Reminder: Order Your Hearst Yearbook for the 20-21 School Year
Yearbooks are on sale for pre-order! The early bird special is $22 until the end of March. In April and on each book is $25. Please see the attached flyer for directions to order your yearbook! The yearbooks will arrive near the end of the school year. This year, there is an option to ship the book directly to your home. Otherwise, it will ship to the school and we will find a way to do a safe and secure pickup.
The Hearst yearbook contains portraits of each homeroom class and some candid photos from the year. Thanks to the creativity of our families we've been able to collect a ton of photos for the book! Don't forget to attend school portrait day on Wednesday March 24th with Freed, to have your child's photo taken for the yearbook.
Every year we sell out of yearbooks; don't let it happen to you. Reserve your copy today!
Reminder: Information for Families with Students Returning In Person in Term 3
We are excited to welcome back our students who are participating in in-person learning in Term 3.Please take time to review the In-Person Learning family guide for resources to help you prepare for your child's first day back to the classroom. It includes important forms that parents or guardians need to sign:
- Family-School Agreement
- Daily Health Screening Tracker
- COVID-19 Testing Consent Forms (symptomatic and asymptomatic)
We will send home these documents with students on their first day of school and ask that you return them as soon as possible. If you'd like to print, sign, and send them in with your students, we welcome that as well.
As you know, school will look a little different this year. There may be instances where class is cancelled for the day due to staff availability, quarantines, or building operations. In those instances, we will notify you via Bloomz as soon as possible.
Reminder: Yearbook Photos Needed
News and Announcements from DCPS
Panorama Survey Extended (3/26)
Asymptomatic Testing for Students will be Led by School Nurses (3/15)
Free & Reduced-Price Meal Application Reminder
Join DCPS for Family Cornerstones Live!: Family Activity Virtual Events
Join DCPS Family Engagement for their newest Family Engagement Program:
DCPS Family Cornerstones Live!
We are happy to announce that we will be hosting Family Cornerstone Parent University workshops! Fun and learning for the whole family.
Family Cornerstones Live are hosted on Thursdays at 5:30pm
Family Cornerstones - Yoga Stories
March 25th
Join the Imagination Stage virtual event as they focus on Strengthening Your Bond as a Family RSVP HERE
Family Cornerstones - Banking On Our Future
April 8th
Join Operation Hope virtual event as they focus on Supporting Habits for a Financially Stable Lifestyle RSVP HERE
Family Cornerstones - Environmental Stewardship Starts on Your Block
April 22nd
Join Urban Adventure Squad's virtual event as they focus on Encouraging Community Involvement RSVP HERE
Family Cornerstones - Represent Yourself and Community through Public Art
April 29th
Join Urban Adventure Squad's virtual event as they focus on Celebrating Being Washingtonian RSVP HERE
What are Family Cornerstones?
Discover activities to try as a family on our Family Cornerstones page!
All DCPS Families can and are supporting their child's education in many unique ways. Family Cornerstones provide a roadmap for families from Pre-K to Graduation that highlights a few key shared learning experiences. These key experiences are essential to the partnership between DCPS schools and families.
Reminder: Impact Aid Survey – Amendment Deadline (5/30)
Updated Medical Documentation 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 90% as of 3-14-2020. Remember to send your child's updated medical documentation (Universal health certificates, Medication authorization forms, 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. Immunization sites across the city are posted here.
Reminder: Travel Guidance for In-Person Students and Staff
We recognize that some staff working in person and families attending in-person programming may be traveling over the spring break. Per the Mayor’s Order 2020-110, individuals who have traveled to any place other than Maryland or Virginia are required to either (1) self-monitor and limit daily activities—including not attending school—for 14 days after returning to the District (or coming to work for a District agency), or (2) self-monitor and limit daily activities—including not attending school—for three to five days and then receive a negative COVID-19 PCR COVID-19 test.
All DCPS staff members who are working in person, whether they are a District resident or not, can show their school ID to be prioritized at any District public testing sites.
See DC Health’s Guidance for Travel for more information and the flyer below.
News and Announcements From Other Organizations
Next W3EdNet Meeting Mon April 5 at 7pm -- Community Working Group on Foxhall and MacArthur
The next meeting of the Ward 3 - Wilson Feeder Education Network (W3EdNet) is on Monday, April 5 at 7pm via Zoom (link below). We will provide an update of the Community Working Group discussions on the proposed DCPS schools at Foxhall (adjacent to the Old Hardy School building) and on MacArthur Boulevard (the former Georgetown Day Lower School).
This group is advisory, and DCPS will make the final decision after additional community engagement in the feeder pattern and around the city. Slide decks for these meetings (through March 18) may be found at: https://dcpsplanning.wordpress.com/category/wilson-feeder-pattern/ (the latest deck is attached for your convenience).
The discussions for the Foxhall site have centered on opening a new elementary school, which would potentially change boundaries and feeder patterns for Stoddert, Key, and Mann. The discussions at the MacArthur site have focused on three options: a new middle school, which would likely change the feeder rights for some schools in the southern part of the Deal MS boundary; a new high school, which would likely have Hardy MS feed into it; or a ninth grade academy for Wilson HS.
One public service announcement that we promised to make time for last meeting, but didn't manage to, was from James Tandaric (james.tandaric@gmail.com), the chair of the Schools & Universities Committee with ANC3F. He is looking for volunteers from the community to participate. Please contact him for further information.
At our May meeting, we will host Council Chair Phil Mendelson.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Melody, Karin, and Brian
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The Ward 3 - Wilson High School Feeder Pattern 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 Wilson feeder pattern, host community events of common interest, and advocate for better schools across the city.
Website: https://www.w3ednet.com/
Twitter: @W3EdNet
Email: w3ednet@gmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/W3EdNet
When: Apr 5, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://interactivestrategies.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcucOygqD4jHNFSujcFeQLtjNIAgKP1OZ_4
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Future W3EdNet Dates:
Monday, May 10 -- Council Chair Phil Mendelson
Monday, June 7 -- DC Education Research Collaborative
GLOBAL HARMONY THROUGH PERSONAL EXCELLENCE is proudly sponsoring The 33rd "Celebration of Youth" essay contest
We have announced the 33rd "Celebration of Youth" essay contest. This opportunity is open to all DCPS and DCPCS students in grades 4 to 9. More than 60 prizes will be distributed across the city. Essays are due May 7th. Coaches are available upon request to help a student with his/her essay.
The theme is student friendly. Specifically, the theme is: "During the pandemic, what has been most challenging for you, and how did you respond? In your essay, share with us what you have learned about yourself and others over the last year. The theme encourages a student to share his/her story over the last year.
The full announcement is attached. The announcement is also on our web site at www.globalharmonyexcellence. Or you may call Dorothea Brady at 202 244 1682 with questions.
We would be delighted and honored to have the participation of your students.
Thank you for all you do. May you be healthy and well. May our city recover with greater wisdom and caring for everyone.
With respect and appreciation,
Anita Read
www.globalharmonyexcellence.org
https://www.facebook.com/GlobalHarmonyThroughPersonalExcellenceInc/
Instagram: Globalharmonydc