Author: dcpsschoolplanning

DCPS Early Childhood Education hosting 2 PreK lottery sessions in Feb.!

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Thinking about Pre-K? Curious about DCPS? Join the Early Childhood Division for an evening of information sharing and Q&A about our Pre-K programs. Get your questions answered and get to know DCPS! There will be two sessions available, one in English on February 3 and a second one in Spanish on February 17. This will also be an opportunity to learn more about the new Military Road Early Learning Center opening in Ward 4: 1375 Missouri Ave NW!

RSVP with these links:

New DCPS School: Military Road Early Learning Center (SY21-22)

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DCPS is opening a new school this August for School Year 2021-2022! Military Road Early Learning Center will be a citywide, standalone early learning center with grades PK3 and PK4. This site is located in Ward 4 at 1375 Missouri Ave NW, Washington, DC 20011. Updates will be posted here regularly. You can also visit the new Military Road Early Learning Center’s school website for more details: http://bit.ly/MilitaryRoadELC. The MSDC school profile for Military Road ELC will be coming soon!

Location: 1375 Missouri Ave NW, Washington, DC 20011

Please see below for all our announcement letters from today, translations included.

Questions? Please reach out to our team at DCPS.Planning@k12.dc.gov

Community Engagement Process for Foxhall & MacArthur Blvd School Planning

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DCPS has identified Capital Improvement Plan funding beginning in FY21 to construct a new facility – “Foxhall” – on the Old Hardy site (1500 Block of Foxhall Rd NW), as well as funding in FY21 to purchase the newly vacant GDS lower school facility – “MacArthur Blvd School” (4530 MacArthur Boulevard NW).  Both facilities are in Ward 3.  The goal of these investments is to help address overcrowding in the Wilson HS feeder pattern. DCPS has not yet determined the program scope for these buildings, including considerations such as boundaries, feeder patterns, and final grade configurations.  These topics will be the focus of the upcoming engagement process.   

Given the scope of this planning, these conversations are relevant to the entire Wilson feeder pattern.  For this reason, DCPS is launching a community engagement process to support planning for the two sites to ensure that all impacted communities are engaged in the planning and decision-making process.  The engagement plan will include a number of ways for stakeholders to provide input, including: 

  • The establishment of a Community Working Group (CWG) of school and parent representatives so that we can hear from every school community on the options and work across schools to identify the impacts and considerations for each option.  This group will begin meeting in early February and will likely meet 1-2 times once per month through the spring.  Each school will identify one staff (the school principal or a designee) and one parent representative to join the CWG.  Representatives from key community groups will also be invited to participate.   
  • Additional touchpoints with principals to provide a space for school leaders to hear directly from their peers and provide input to the School Planning Team.  
  • Opening up public opportunities for people to  submit their input online, and finally, 
  • DCPS may also hold additional school and community meetings in the spring to get more feedback on the ideas that come out of the CWG. 

DCPS expects to hold the first Community Working Group meeting in early February 2021 and will post meeting materials and notes, as well as other relevant updates, to this site after each meeting.   

Free Internet for Eligible Families (SNAF or TANF)

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DC Government will pay for a year of home internet (Comcast Internet Essentials or RCN Internet First) for approximately 25,000 households with PK3-12th grade students enrolled at DC public schools and charter public schools that receive SNAP or TANF benefits. DC Government will reach out to SNAP and TANF eligible households with PK3-12th grade students enrolled at DC public schools and charter schools.

Eligible families will have received a text message from DC Government at the below dates listed in the flyer. Families must reply yes to the program and then yes to Comcast or RCN calling you for installation. After signing up, Comcast or RCN will then contact the household to initiate the internet installation process within 2 weeks. Please be sure to respond to Comcast or RCN in order to complete your internet installation.

Past debt with provider does not affect eligibility. They will not attempt to collect this debt. Also families can opt out of service any time. If you did not receive the communications and feel you are eligible or if you previously opted out and changed your mind, please contact your school for support.

December Parent University Sessions

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DCPS Parent University is a workshop series for families facilitated by the Communications and Engagement Office. Each session is designed to help families play their important role in supporting student learning and growth. The workshops are an opportunity for families to share strategies and learn new ones from each other and DCPS Central Office teams. Upcoming December sessions include:

Click the above links to register for these sessions! You can also view recordings of previous sessions here.

Stevens ELC Feature: Ms. Billie Case, PK4 Teacher

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What is your role at Stevens for the SY20-21? How long have you been teaching? This will be my fourth year teaching Pre-K in DC. Prior to joining Stevens ELC to teach Pre-K 4, I taught in mixed-age Pre-K classrooms in local charter schools. I am excited to join the Stevens team and begin a new adventure.

What do you love most about the early childhood education (ECE) age group? Young children consistently inspire me with their ability to flourish when provided with the tools, strategies and opportunities they deserve. When offered respect, time and support, our youngest learners build caring, adaptive, and creative classroom communities together. I also feel that working with young children brings out the best in me. They inspire me to be curious, patient, welcoming and forgiving.  I feel lucky to be part of a profession that cultivates joy, creativity and friendship between students, families and educators.

Can you share a little about your teaching philosophy? I believe in the power of high-quality ECE experiences and the importance of reflective and responsive practice. I believe my primary responsibility as an educator is to design a responsive education experience that introduces school as a place of joy, growth, questioning and support for both students and families. I believe children thrive best when we hold high expectations for both them and ourselves, but always remember that everyone requires time and love to grow.

How can we make virtual learning successful? Be responsive and adaptive while also anticipating needs. As teachers, we need to think through the details from the perspective of our students and their families at all times. We then also need to work individually with families to tailor the experience to their family’s unique needs

What are some of your favorite children’s books? Gazpacho for Nacho by Tracey C. Kyle and Little Cloud by Eric Carle

What was your favorite childhood book? My favorite childhood book was Harold and the Purple Crayon.

Fun fact about myself: I have 9 nieces and nephews!

Stevens ELC Staff Feature: Ms. Kelly Walsh, CES Teacher

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What is your role at Stevens for the SY20-21? How long have you been teaching? This year I will be teaching in Stevens Communication and Education Support (CES) classroom! This will be my third year in DCPS. I previously taught in a CES classroom for Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students. 

What are you looking forward to the most? This will be my first year with the early childhood age group, but I am looking forward to creating a classroom environment that encourages students to lean into their curiosities as young learners and supporting them as they explore new concepts. 

 Can you share a little about your teaching philosophy? I think it is best to lead with love. In order for students to be successful in the classroom (and beyond), I think it is so important to continually communicate to each student, through my words and actions, that they are valued, and their thoughts, ideas, experiences, and emotions are heard and they matter. Building those relationships with students and creating a classroom space that is grounded in respect can influence how they develop and see themselves and others. I think students learn best when they feel they have a team on their side always rooting for them!

How can we make virtual learning successful? At challenging time like this, I think we can make virtual learning successful by remaining understanding when collaborating with the students and all of those who support them. Learning, teaching, and living in these circumstances can be overwhelming so it is critical that when working with everyone in our community we remember that everyone is adapting, learning as they go, and trying their best to support the students. I always want to communicate to students, parents, and families that I am grateful for their support and participation in virtual learning and want to be considerate of their student/family needs in order to have this be a positive and constructive experience. 

What are some of your favorite children’s books? I love reading books from the Elephant and Piggie series by Mo Willems. My students really enjoy these characters and think they are so funny. Often times, I’ll read the stories out loud with a lot of animation or do silly voices and the students will repeat some of the text back, so I love hearing them have fun with the story as well! 

 What was your favorite childhood book? I’m Gonna Like Me by Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell. 

 If you could have any super power what would it be and why? I would love to have the ability to fly. I think it would be cool to see things that I can typically see, but from a different perspective. Also, I would love to have the ability to travel far and wide so quickly, whenever I wanted!

Stevens ELC Staff Feature: Sally Tsou, Art Teacher

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We are so excited Ms. Tsou from the Fillmore Arts Center is joining the Stevens ELC staff!

  • What is your role at Stevens for the SY20-21? How long have you been teaching? I have taught more than 15 years: high school, middle school, and elementary between DCPS, Montgomery Public School, and Fairfax public school.
  • What do you love most about the ECE age group? Love ECE group students because they are open to create any kind of art love to learn, In depth of their express, Honest and courage, sensitive  full of free spirit, curious about every thing with passion as an true artist.
  • Can you share a little about your teaching philosophy? Empower all students to be self-directed lifelong learners who are able to achieve both social emotional intelligence and academic success. Students will be able to develop innate kindness, innovative problem solving skills, bold willingness to contribute to their community and lead passionate, purposeful lives, BE AND KIND AND HAPPY PERSON!
  • What are some resources to help make virtual learning for art successful? I love teaching in person and I have hard time handling technology because the school I used to teach at, Fillmore Art Center, doesn’t use many technology. I am struggling with all the technology I need to learn in such a short time.  I wish to teach in person as soon as possible. The photos in the above slideshow share more about my students’ artwork and their work in DCPS art shows and contests. Also here are some examples of one of my lesson plans: All About Bamboo and Trashion Fashion. The below photos features my own art work from national and international art shows.
Phoenix, Mixed Media
  • Can you share a little about your classes or former students? My students win the National Cherry Blossom art contest almost every year!
  • What are some of your favorite types of children’s books?Art, poetry, culture, science, history, fiction, cartons/animation children books
  • What was your favorite childhood book?The Little Prince
  • Fun fact? I always wanted to go up to visit the other planets in the universe so I want to be a UFO for my super power.

Stevens ELC Staff Feature: Hailee Clifton, PE Teacher

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What is your role at Stevens for the SY20-21? How long have you been teaching? My role at Stevens for the SY20-21 is the Physical Education Teacher. I have been teaching health and physical education teacher for 2 years.

What do you love most about the ECE age group? I love being a part of my students’ start of their educational journey and seeing them happy and healthy. I love being a positive role model for my young learners!

Can you share a little about your teaching philosophy? As a health and physical education teacher, my philosophy is to teach my students the motor skills, knowledge and behaviors to be physically active.  I value providing my students with the ability and confidence to be physically active and healthy for a lifetime.

What are some resources to help make virtual learning for PE successful? Amazing resources on YouTube that will help make virtual learning successful include “Have Fun Teaching” YouTube channel, “Cosmic Kids Yoga” YouTube channel, “GoNoodle | Get Moving” YouTube channel, and “Little Sports” YouTube channel.

What are some of your favorite PE resources that families could use?  Some PE resources I love include the YouTube channels listed above as well as the “Healthy Helpings: A MyPlate Game” to help make learning about balanced meals fun!

What was your favorite childhood PE-related memory? My favorite childhood PE memory was playing with the giant colorful parachute. I loved playing Cat and Mouse underneath the parachute!

If you could have any super power what would it be and why? If I could have any super power it would be super speed, so I can be active and healthy!

Stevens ELC Staff Feature: Mrs. Keila Smith, PK3

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  • What is your role at Stevens for the SY20-21? How long have you been teaching? My role at Stevens is a lead PreK 3 classroom teacher. This is my first year as a lead teacher and I am beyond thrilled! I have been with DCPS for the last two years as a paraprofessional. Previously, I was a substitute teacher at a DC Public Charter school. I have been in education for a total of 7 years and it has truly been an amazing experience!
  • What do you love most about the ECE age group? What I love most is their curiosity. I love that they are always so eager to ask questions and to seek understanding. For them, they leave no stone unturned! I also love how adventurous and bold they are. They cannot wait to see what’s next and how they can be a part of it, and they have no problem letting you know.
  • Can you share a little about your teaching philosophy? I believe that teaching and learning goes hand in hand. Teachers can learn so much from their students, which is why it’s so important that student’s voices are heard. Students should be given every opportunity to thrive in a warm, safe, fun, and engaging environment. I strive to inspire and to be inspired by my students and all they bring to the table. My goal is to show students that they are unique individuals whose learning is a top priority. I want them to know that they are important and a very valuable part of our classroom.
  • How can we make virtual learning successful? We can make virtual learning successful though teamwork. Teachers, parents, family, community members, and so many more! When we are all working together to support and encourage student learning and achievement, students will be pointed toward success. It takes a team, and we are all in this together!
  • Some of my favorite children’s book series include Pete the Cat, If I Give a Mouse a Cookie, and The Pigeon Book Series. My favorite childhood book was The Principal’s New Clothes by Stephanie Calmenson.
  • A fun fact about me is that I LOVE to sing, but I am always shy when asked to sing on the spot.