Hearst Family Update
February 28, 2021
Principal's Message
Good evening, Owl Families,
Thanks to all who were able to join the Term 4 Planning Kick Off Meeting on Wednesday morning. For those who were unable to do so, the presentation shared Wednesday is attached below for your reference.
As previously noted, our Term 4 planning process will include a series of meetings held by the Hearst Reopen Community Corps (RCC) to gather input and feedback on Term 4 reopening. As with Term 3, we'll be holding individual grade level meetings as well as a few whole school meetings. Details about these meetings are below in the Upcoming Key Dates section. Stay tuned for links to the meetings and know that following these meetings, we'll also be sending out a Term 4 survey to all families to gather additional feedback.
One note is that CES meetings are not yet scheduled. Families in our CES programs will receive communication from me via Bloomz about a separate meeting for our CES programming in Term 4, given that the planning guidelines and constraints are different for CES and general education classrooms. In the interim, all families can use this form to elevate any Term 4 questions, concerns, and suggestions that you may have.
In partnership,
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
- Tuesday, March 2 - Asymptomatic COVID testing for in person students with permission slips on file, 1:30-3:00pm
- Wednesday, March 3 – Reopen Community Corps (RCC) planning meeting, 6:00-7:00pm
- Friday, March 5 - Parent Teacher Conference Day (no school for students)
- Monday, March 8 - 2nd Grade Term 4 planning meeting, 5:00-6:00
- Tuesday, March 9 - K Term 4 planning meeting, 5:00-6:00
- Tuesday, March 9 - 3rd Grade Term 4 planning meeting, 7:00-8:00
- Wednesday, March 10 - 1st Grade Term 4 planning meeting, 5:00-6:00
- Wednesday, March 10 - 5th Grade Term 4 planning meeting, 6:00-7:00
- Wednesday, March 10 - PK Term 4 planning meeting, 7:00-8:00
- Thursday, March 11 - 4th Grade Term 4 planning meeting, 7:00-8:00
- Wednesday, March 17 - Reopen Community Corps (RCC) planning meeting, 4:30-5:30pm
- Wednesday, March 17 - PTA Meeting, time TBD
- Tuesday, March 23 - Term 4 Town Hall to share final plan with community, 7:00-8:00pm (link forthcoming)
- 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 (link forthcoming)
- Monday, March 29 - Term 4 student offers start (tentative, awaiting confirmation from DCPS)
- April 12-16 - Spring Break for Students
- Monday, April 19- Term 4 starts
Quick Updates
- DCPS has updated the School Planning blog with information around the new school planning process at the Foxhall & MacArthur sites in Ward 3. This is where they will share updates, meeting materials, etc., after the working group meetings in the coming months. 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.
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: Access to Reading Materials/Books
There are many different ways that you can access physical and digital books for your child to read at home. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Ms. Vandivier or your child's homeroom teacher if you are having difficulty getting access to a wide variety of books and/or books at an appropriate reading level for your child. We are here to help!
Option 1: Check out books from the Hearst library!
Here is a video from Ms. Vandivier that explains the contactless checkout process at Hearst: https://dck12-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/elizabeth_vandivier_k12_dc_gov/ERNtXnO_LR9HrMDzI-EVVVMBdCv4z-DABr3KTyFhVMW8mg?e=fgUQ0b
Option 2: Check out books from the DCPS library!
As a Hearst student, your child can get a library card for DC public libraries! Please head over to the DCPS libraries website for more information on how to sign up and how book checkout/pickup works: https://www.dclibrary.org/
Option 3: Purchase books from Scholastic!
Each class has a Scholastic account. Due to the pandemic, you can currently purchase books and ship them directly to your home! It is very convenient. Website https://clubs.scholastic.com/home Please reach out to your homeroom teacher directly for a class code.
Option 4: Sora
You can access Sora for free via the Clever Portal. Sora offers a wide variety of books to read and to listen to!
Option 5: Epic
Epic is an extra website that you may have access to! Some classes have a class account. Epic provides TONS of books at all different levels. https://www.getepic.com/sign-in Please reach out to your homeroom teacher or Ms. Vandivier directly for a class code.
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: Yearbook Photos Needed
News and Announcements from DCPS
No Shots, No School! Stay on Track with Routine Childhood Immunization Requirements for In-Person Learning
Notification: COVID-19 Health Guidance and Quarantine
High-Priority Update Regarding Spring 2021 Summative Assessments
School Food Collaborative Newsletter Launch
Reminder: DCPS FY22 Budget Update
Initial school budget allocations for Fiscal Year 2022 (School Year 2021-2022) have been released and can be found at our new budget website, dcpsbudget.com.
Dcpsbudget.com replaces the old DCPS Datacenter site that LSAT members from previous years will likely remember. The new site is a one-stop-shop for all things DCPS budget. In addition to housing the FY22 Budget Development Guide, information about how DCPS is funded, how schools are funded, and how the Central Office budget is developed, the site's Budget Data page has School Budget Worksheets from previous fiscal years. This is where you will find the FY22 initial allocation worksheets. Additionally, the Budget Data page has an interactive tool where you can compare an individual school's budget year-over-year, see how a school's submitted budget may have differed from their initial budget in a given year, and compare budgets from school to school.
If you have questions while reviewing the information on the new site or at any other time during the budget development process, please email dcps.schoolfunding@k12.dc.gov and a member of the School Finance Team will be available to support.
Best,
DCPS Community Action Team
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 for easy-to-follow dos and don’ts on this topic.
News and Announcements From Other Organizations
Next W3EdNet Meeting March 8 at 7pm: DME Kihn
The next meeting of the Ward 3 - Wilson Feeder Education Network (W3EdNet) is on Monday, March 8 at 7pm via Zoom (link below). We are very happy to host Deputy Mayor for Education Paul Kihn. They will be on hand to update us about reopening, school budgets, and overcrowding. Mr. Kihn will begin with some remarks and then we will have a Q&A session.
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.co
You are invited to a Zoom meeting.
When: Mar 8, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://interactivestrategies.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0tc-mspj4oHdJjQujXH-JETTBO90AOk9H7
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Future W3EdNet Dates:
Monday, April 5 -- TBD
Monday, May 10 -- Council Chair Phil Mendelson
Monday, June 7 -- DC Education Research Collaborative
Hearst Park: January Update
Dear Community Stakeholders of Hearst Park:
The DC Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) and the DC Department of General Services (DGS) are pleased to share the January 2021 construction update for the Hearst Park and Pool project. Please find the flyer attached for progress information.
For additional information, please visit the project website for information and resources: https://dgs.dc.gov/node/1135096.
Sincerely,
- Peter
Peter Nohrden, ASLA
Capital Projects, Planning and Design
DC Department of Parks and Recreation
1275 First Street, NE, 8th Floor | Washington, DC 20002
P: (202) 671-1852 | E: peter.nohrden@dc.gov
DPR.dc.gov | Twitter, Facebook and Instagram: @dcdpr