
SHMS Family Newsletter
August 13, 2023
Principal's Message
Greetings Stuart-Hobson community,
In just two weeks we will all be making final preparations for our students' first day of school! This week we welcomed over 100 of our rising sixth graders for our annual summer bridge program and achieved our goal of being 100% enrolled for the upcoming school year!
In just over a week all of our staff and teachers will convene for our annual pre-service week to confirm our annual priorities, reconnect, welcome some new faces, and finalize plans for the first days and weeks of the school year. The summer mailing is out for delivery and families should receive that in the next week and a half. In addition to becoming visible on August 18th in the Aspen Parent Portal, a copy of your student's schedule was included in the summer mailing. Please reach out to our counselors or scheduling team with any schedule-related questions.
I hope that everyone enjoys the last two weeks of summer before students return on Monday, August 28th!
Warm regards,
Eric Fraser
Principal
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Calendars
Upcoming Dates: July & August
Upcoming Dates
August 16, DCPS Back to School Information Session
August 18, Student schedules (should) post in Aspen Parent Portal
August 28, First day of school!
September 5, LSAT Meeting, time TBD
September 7, Back to School Night, 6:00-7:30 PM
September 13, Welcome Wednesday PTA Meeting, time TBD
September 23, DCPS Back to School Block Party, McKinley Tech HS, 11:00-2:00 PM
September 29-30, Annual Cluster Scavenger Hunt
Athletics Schedule
All students must complete a participation packet every school year. Additionally, the medical forms must be completed within the prior 365 days. We encourage you to have your healthcare provider complete these forms before the school year and attach them to your participation packet.
Universal Health Certificate (UHC). Students with certain medical conditions may also need to complete an Asthma Action Plan or an Anaphylaxis Action Plan
*ALL STUDENTS MUST HAVE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED AND APPROVED BEFORE PARTICPATION.
FALL SPORTS
Archery
Try-Out Date(s): 8/22/23 & 8/23/23
Time: 11:00am - 1:00pm
Head Coach: Myron Alston
Email: maalston0563@gmail.com
Cross-Country
Start-Date: TBA
Head Coach: Taurus McGhee
Email: Taurus.McGhee@dc.gov
Football
Monday: 4:00pm - 7:00pm (Practice)
Tuesday: 4:00pm - 7:00pm (Practice)
Wednesday: 4:00pm - 7:00pm (Practice)
Thursday: 4:00pm - 7:00pm (Practice)
Friday: 4:00pm -7:00pm (Practice)
Head Coach: Stanley Stancil
Email: sstancil1@gmail.com
Assistant Coach: Dwayne Hill
Email: Dwayne.Hill@k12.dc..gov
Boys Soccer
First Practice: 8/23/23
Time: 4:00pm
Location: Stuart-Hobson Field
Head Coach: Max Lempert
Email: Max.Lempert2@k12.dc.gov
Assistant Coach: Richard Strong
Email: Richard.Strong@k12.dc.gov
Girls Soccer
First Practice: TBA
Time: TBA
Location: Stuart-Hobson Field
Head Coach: Dexter Batts
Email: Dexter.Batts@dc.gov
Volleyball
Skill Development Training
Date: TBA
Try-Outs: 8/29/23 - 9/1/23
Time: 3:30pm - 5:00pm
Assistant Coach: Linda Hilliard
Email: Linda.Hilliard@k12.dc.gov
WINTER SPORTS
Adapted Bowling
Bowling (Girls)
Basketball
Cheerleading
Indoor Track & Field
Swimming
SPRING SPORTS
Baseball
Outdoor Track & Field
Unified Basketball
Athletic Coaches Vacancies
Head Coach Girls Bowling
Head Coach Swimming
DCPS Calendar
Updated calendars for DCPS are available at this link.
School meal menus can be found here: dcps.dc.gov/menus
Shout Outs and Celebrations
Shout out to Ms. Tye Smith, Ms. Rouse, Mr. Thrift, Ms. Harrington, Mr. Hill, Ms. Rosera, Mr. Simmons, Ms. Pergerson, Counselor Williams and our 12-month employees who were at school last week to welcome two-thirds of our rising sixth graders during Panther Pride Academy! Thank you to Counselor Williams and AP Hills for leading efforts to plan the week's learning and events for students!
Shout out to our student support and culture team for accepting recognition from DCPS on behalf of our entire community for growth and impact with regards to our application of restorative practices and mindsets last school year!
Shout out to Ms. Dixon & AP Turner for spearheading our enrollment work this Spring and summer and guiding us to achieving our target of 443 students before school begins in two weeks!
Have a great summer everyone!
New Information and Important Updates
New Families Orientation Recording
Thank you to the new families who were able to join us in-person or virtually for our New Families Orientation sessions recently. If you are a new family, or just want a refresher about everything we do at Stuart-Hobson MS and key policies and procedures, please review this recording of the virtual session (please note that the orientation begins shortly after the 13 minute mark in the recording). Also, families can always find the most current resources and information about our school in this folder.
While families who attended were able to pick up their student's schedule and the summer mailing, those who were not able to join us should receive their student's schedule with the summer mailing sometime in soon.
Recommended School Supply List
The following general school supply list will support your student in a successful start to the school year.
General School Supplies
- Headphones (microphone optional)
- Black or Blue Pens
- Pencils and Pencil Sharpener
- 2-4 Composition Books
- 2-4 Spiral Bound Notebooks
- Crayons, Color Markers, and Color Pencils
- Black Sharpie Marker
- Scissors
- Glue Sticks
- 3 ring binder(s) are recommended to help students organize for multiple classes
When planning to organize your student and their supplies, please remember that students will have 4 core classes (Math, Science, Social Studies, and ELA) and 2 electives (e.g. physical education, band, Spanish, etc.).
*Please contact school leadership or a member of the student support team for support with procuring school supplies*
Additional supplies may be required based on individual courses. These supply lists will be provided by teachers directly to their students/class.
Aspen Parent Portal
Student schedules have been posted in Aspen and should be visible to anyone with an existing Aspen account after August 18th. Students or families without an account should soon receive an invitation to set one up by email (check your Junk folder). We will provide students with copies of their schedule during the first week of school as well.
Aspen Family Portal
Aspen Family Portal accounts should reflect the new school year on/after August 18th. Returning families should be able to access their account using their username and password from last school year. New families will receive an email from Aspen Family Portal when their family portal account is available to use.
The Portal allows you to keep up with progress in school - including grades, assignments, attendance, and more. The goal of DCPS' new digital portal is to create an open line of communication between home and school.
To Access the Portal:
1. Visit https://aspen.dcps.dc.gov
2. Make sure pop-up blocking is disabled for your browser
3. Your user name will be provided via email
4. Your temporary password will be provided via email
NOTE: Both user name and password are case sensitive
5. Click Log On to access the system. You will be prompted to fill out some information to change your password so that in the future you can click "I forgot my password" to receive a new password.
How to Navigate the Portal:
This flyer gives you the Parent Portal basics:
- What you need to know about the Parent Portal
- Lo que necesita saber sobre el Portal de Padres
We strongly recommend that families using iOS devices also download the "Grade Corner" app, which allows you to login to Aspen and monitor your student's grades and attendance in a streamlined app. The app was actually developed by an SHMS parent a few years ago.
Additionally, we will discuss student schedules during the family information sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday and hope you can join us for one of those virtual meetings!
DCPS Back to School Information Session - August 16
You are invited to join our DCPS Back to School Information Session on Wednesday, August 16th at 6:00pm. To RSVP and get more information, please visit rmd.me/KmYm5FhYkpz. Spanish interpretation will be available.
Le invitamos a participar en las sesiones informativas sobre el regreso a la escuela de las Escuelas Públicas de DC (DCPS) el miércoles, 16 de agostoa las 6:00pm. Regístrate y obtén más información en rmd.me/jTqL6gRB6iu. Servicios de interpretación al español disponible. rmd.me/WCIltcMtmye
Immunizations & Mobile Vaccination Clinics
OSSE and DC Health are pleased to announce recurring mobile vaccination clinics at three locations provided by KIDS’ Mobile Medical Clinic (KMMC)/Ronald McDonald Care Mobile (RMHC) (images & attachments). Students can receive their vaccinations at any of the three clinic locations, regardless of the student’s school. Students will be seen regardless of insurance status. Care comes with no direct cost to patients—families will never be billed for care.
For students to receive immunizations at a mobile clinic, parents/guardians should:
- Be present with the student.
- Complete registration and consent prior to arrival: forms.office.com/r/0VNUFSu4J5.
- Fill out and bring the Screening Checklist Form (image and attachment below).
- Make every effort to bring vaccine records or check with their school on what vaccinations the student needs.
Please direct mobile clinic questions to Kiersten Lally, Nurse Clinician for KMMC/RMHC at (202) 444-8888 or communitypediatrics20@medstar.net.
Other Vaccination Opportunities with Families
The best place for families to access required immunizations is through their medical provider. Expanded vaccination access opportunities include:
- School-Based Health Centers: Families with students ages 3 and older will be able to visit any school-based health center, regardless of where the student is enrolled, for a vaccination-only appointment.
- Pediatric Immunization Clinics: Daily vaccination opportunities conducted with community partners at sites throughout the District (See Pediatric Vaccination Opportunities Calendar, Attachment 3). Additional information on immunization requirements is available here.
All pediatric immunization clinics are free, though insured families should bring their insurance cards to their immunization appointments.
Spread the Word: Jobs at SHMS!
Our recruitment and hiring processes are underway for the positions listed below. Please share this list of opportunities with colleagues and acquaintances who would be a great fit for our school community. In addition to applying to the DCPS pool of applicants by following the links below, interested candidates can express their interest in an opportunity by emailing our hiring team and/or Principal Fraser.
Teacher, English Language Arts
Teacher, Special Education - Inclusion
Thanks everyone for spreading the word about these opportunities!
Analyzing maps in geography!
Stuart-Hobson Panthers
6th Graders Speaking for Social Justice!
Previous Announcements & Resources
All Newsletters
You can find previously released newsletters and information here.
The most current version of the Student & Family Handbook is linked on our website.
**The information below is new or an updated version of something announced previously! **
DCPS Summer Youth Meal Program
Just because school ends doesn’t mean school meals do - free breakfast and lunch will be available to all children and youth aged 18 and younger across the city all summer long. While DCPS can no longer offer meals to-go, students are welcome to stop into a participating DCPS meal site where they can be served a meal to consume on-site. DCPS summer meal locations, hours, and menus can be found here. Please note that meal locations and hours are subject to change. For additional sites near you, please visit here, call 1-866-348-6479 or text “Comida or Food" to 304-30.
Reminder: After-School All-Stars Registration Open for SY 2023-24
Registration for after-school programming with our partner After-School All-Stars is open for the upcoming school year. We expect programming to run daily from 3:30-6:00. Spots are filled on a first-come, first served basis and ASAS is reserving 40 seats for 6th graders and 20 each for 7th and 8th grade. ASAS also manages any waitlists and requests for technical support.
Please reach out to Mr. Evroy Marrett with any questions or requests at evroy.marrett@afterschoolallstars.org
SY 2023-24 Uniform Policy & Dress Code Survey Results and Updates
Thank you to the more than 200 stakeholders who responded to our uniform policy and dress code survey at the end of the school year! The majority of respondents in the two surveys (staff and students/families) demonstrated a preference for maintaining the tradition of our school uniform and/or dress code expectations while finding ways. Further, there was feedback showing that we should find ways to incentivize compliance and expand opportunities to showcase individuality and school pride. While the policy outlined below does not outline any major shifts in overall expectations it does include a couple of changes aimed at increasing opportunities to express individuality, show school pride, and dress for shifting weather and school climate conditions.
Specifically, please note the following shifts/clarifications:
- Any clothing that identifies SHMS or the Capitol Hill Cluster School will be allowed in place of or as a supplement to the uniform. Think SHMS team outfits, t-shirts, sweatsuits, etc.
- SHMS/Cluster hoodies, so long as the hoods are not used as a head/face covering during the school day, ARE allowed.
- Long-sleeved t-shirts, preferably a solid color, are allowed under red polo shirts.
- Uniform compliance will be celebrated and used for LiveSchool points, field trip eligibility, and other rewards.
Additionally, while there is no expectation that families use either avenue, please find the opportunity to procure dress code compliant outfits here and one vendor with information about uniforms in the flyer below.
SY 2023-24 Uniform Policy and Dress Code
The SHMS uniform policy is designed to maintain school pride and traditions while contributing to a safe and predictable school experience for students and families.
School uniforms or other apparel that identifies our school are required while on school property, field trips (before or after school day hours), while attending After-School All-Stars and school-approved activities after 3:30 PM, unless athletic, dance or other specific apparel is required by the coach/leader.
Uniforms include:
o Long or short-sleeved solid red polo shirt/t-shirt. SHMS logo optional. Any non-SHMS logo on uniform shirts or sweatshirts must be the size of a $1 bill (1 dollar) or smaller.
o Plain red, black, or white crewneck sweaters/sweatshirts (front zip, button up, or pullover) and vests. No hoods.
o Long sleeved, plain color, crew/V-neck shirts may be worn underneath uniform shirts.
o Khaki pants, skirts, shorts, worn at waist level. Khaki jumpers are also acceptable.
o Comfortable closed-toed shoes or sneakers covering the entire foot. Shoes and sneakers should lace-up or fit snugly. No sandals, slippers, or Crocs.
o Any clothing that identifies our school community by name or logo (e.g. Stuart-Hobson MS or the Capitol Hill Cluster School) may be worn in place of uniform components. This includes hoodies.
Dress Code
While students may wear some of the following to and from school, they are expected to avoid wearing all of the following during the school day, on trips, and in after-school activities:
• Hooded coats, shirts, and sweatshirts,
• Outerwear like jackets, fleeces, parkas, windbreakers, etc.,
• Hats and other head coverings (e.g. winter/baseball hats, ski masks, bonnets, goggles, scarves, etc.)
• Metal studs on headbands and other accessories
• Khaki-colored leggings/ tights (worn in place of Khaki pants).
• Small purses or fanny packs
Religious, medical, or other personal exemptions/exceptions to any of the above expectations should be made by parents/families and documented with the school culture and/or administrative teams prior to taking effect.
School uniforms may be purchased via Lands End, Target, Old Navy and other retailers. More information regarding our school uniform policy will be shared via our school handbook.
Uniform Non-Compliance
Students should comply with the uniform policy daily and will be recognized for compliance with LiveSchool points, eligibility for trips and other activities, and other rewards. Uniform policy violations can be documented in Live School. Some uniform deficiencies can be remedied by the support team but the loss of instructional time should be avoided when supporting students in complying with the policy. Incidents and patterns of infractions will be handled like other Tier 1 and 2 infractions.
Attention Medicaid Beneficiaries!
Did you know all District residents who access healthcare services via DC Medicaid, Alliance, or the Immigrant Children’s Program must start renewing their health coverage again? Don’t miss out on important information- take time today to update your address, phone number, and email at districtdirect.dc.gov so the Department of Health Care Finance knows where to send your Medicaid renewal letter. If you need help, please call the Public Benefits Call Center at 202-727-5355.
DCPS Strategic Plan Community Update
We are excited to share a community update on the 2023-2028 DCPS Strategic Plan. Your input has been instrumental in shaping the direction of our strategic plan and ensuring that it aligns with the needs of our community, and we want to make sure we hear from your school on how this plan will be implemented. Please take and share this survey with your contacts in our school community. To review the “What We Heard” report summarizing our community engagement last fall, visit dcpsstrong.com/strategic-plan.
Enrollment for School Year 2023-2024 is now open!
I am so excited to report that 93% of families have already enrolled for the upcoming school year! If your student is joining us next year, please complete your enrollment online or by contacting the main office for support as soon as possible.
Thank you for being a part of DCPS this school year, and we look forward to welcoming your family again next year. If you haven’t already, be sure to first learn about your in-boundary school and feeder school.
Enrollment can be completed in the following three steps:
Submit your completed enrollment packet to your DCPS school.
We want to support you with enrollment, so if you need assistance, please contact your school or the DCPS Enrollment Team at enroll@k12.dc.gov.
DCPS Calendar Updates for SY 2023-24 & 2024-25
Dear DCPS Community,
I am writing to share updates to the DC Public Schools (DCPS) calendar for the upcoming 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, including an adjustment to the first day of school.
At DCPS, we work to develop a calendar that reflects the needs and preferences of families and staff, honors agreements with our labor partners, and adheres to the requirements of local regulations. To learn about our community’s calendar preferences, we engaged over 1,300 community members representing every DCPS school to provide feedback on the calendars that were released last spring.
Thank you to those who participated!
The recently passed Elections Modernization Amendment Act of 2021 necessitates a shift in the upcoming school year calendars as it requires DCPS to close on DC’s primary election day in June. As we explored options for this adjustment, we prioritized the feedback from the initial development of a calendar that included ending school prior to the Juneteenth holiday and minimizing the number of partial weeks.
Please note the following adjustments:
School Year 2023-2024
School will start on Monday, August 28, 2023, instead of Tuesday, August 29.
Tuesday, January 2, 2024, will be a professional development day for staff. There are no changes to the announced student schedule for winter break; classes will resume on Wednesday, January 3, 2024.
Schools will be closed for teachers and students on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, for DC’s primary election day.
School Year 2024-2025
School will start on Monday, August 26, 2024, instead of Tuesday, August 27.
Friday, January 17, 2025, will be a professional development day. School will be closed for students.
There is no DC primary election day in June 2025.
We also anticipate adjustments to the School Year 2025-2026 calendar, and we are working with city leadership to finalize those updates. It is our hope that sharing this information supports your planning for the years ahead with DCPS. You can review updated school calendars at dcps.dc.gov/page/dcps-calendars.
Sincerely,
Lewis D. Ferebee, Ed.D.
Chancellor
Attention Medicaid Beneficiaries!
Did you know all District residents who access healthcare services via DC Medicaid, Alliance, or the Immigrant Children’s Program must start renewing their health coverage again? Don’t miss out on important information- take time today to update your address, phone number, and email at districtdirect.dc.gov so the Department of Health Care Finance knows where to send your Medicaid renewal letter. If you need help, please call the Public Benefits Call Center at (202) 727-5355.
Student Clubs & Extra-Curriculars
Policies & Daily Operations
School Mental Health Supports
Supports for Students & Families
Stuart-Hobson Middle School
Email: eric.fraser@k12.dc.gov
Website: www.stuart-hobson.org
Location: 410 E Street Northeast, Washington, DC, USA
Phone: 202-671-6010
Twitter: @StuartHobsonMS