The Cardinal Connection

At J.O. Wilson Elementary School, we are SOARing to success every day in every way by creating an environment in which joy, pride, positive interactions, and growth mindsets lead students to comfort in taking risks, self-advocating, and facing adversity.

January 15th: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (DCPS Closed)

January 16th: LSAT Meeting at 4PM

January 16th: PTA General Body Meeting @ 6PM (in person)

January 16th: Stuart Hobson Middle School Open House 6PM-7:30PM

January 20th: DC Camp Fair at J.O. Wilson from 10AM-1PM

January 26th: No School for Students...PD/Records Day for Staff

January 29th: Virtual Principal Chat @ 6PM

Changes to K Street were implemented in recent weeks to slow down traffic to keep the broader community safe from speeding vehicles. Please note there are now bike lanes on both sides of the street and parking of any duration is prohibited on the entire south side of the block. Please park legally for morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up. This means keeping crosswalks, bike lanes, and the Metro bus stop clear. Do not double park or cross the street mid-block.

Please be aware that parking enforcement may be out to ticket drivers who do not follow traffic and parking laws. Families who must drive should consider taking time to park a block or two away and walk to the school to avoid the stress. Families who are interested in biking to school should reach out – bicycling Cardinal families and ANC Commissioner Kwan (6C01@anc.dc.gov) are willing to meet and do test rides together.

J.O. is getting a complete renovation and modernization, starting during the 2024-25 school year, and now is our time to have input in the process. Please take this brief survey organized by the PTA to help inform what we want our community to advocate for in the design of our new school.

Sincere thanks to all who participated in the PTA’s Cardinal Giving Drive by donating toys and winter clothing to help members of our school community. Additionally, we raised over $9,750 for our Cardinal Fund. With matching donations, we expect to meet our fundraising goal of $10,000!

This month, the PTA is partnering with DCPS Out of School Time Programs and school partner LaShone Wilson from Hot Yoga Capitol Hill to bring parents strategies to help unwind after those long days at work and the evening shift with kids. We hope this event will allow parents to take a moment for themselves and learn ways to stay relaxed and balanced. Please RSVP here if you plan to attend. (An RSVP is not required, but will help us plan for childcare and dinner.) Childcare will be provided, for current J.O. students only.

• Dinner - 5:30

• PTA meeting - 5:45

• Bike lane updates from ANC Commissioner Kwan

• Giving Drive

• Camp Fair

• Modernization

• Cardinal Grant

• Parent Engagement & Wellness - 6:15-7:00

For everyone thinking about their options for the summer, please plan to attend the annual DC Camp Fair, hosted by the J.O. Wilson PTA in partnership with HillRag. It’s your chance to visit camp exhibitors representing a wide variety of summer activities, ranging from traditional camps to academic, arts, music, sports, early childhood, and special interest camps. We get camps from in and around Capitol Hill and the DC-metro area, as well as some representatives from sleep away camps farther afield.

WHAT: DC Camp Fair

WHEN: Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

WHERE: J.O. Wilson Elementary School

This event is free and open to all; please help spread the word to neighbors and other interested families.

For information on participating camps, please visit DCCampFair.com. Also, new for this year, we want to formally recognize camps who have generously offered free camp sessions to offer deserving members of our school community. These Cardinal Contributors include: DC Way Soccer Camp, Camp Rim Rock, Theatre Lab, Northeast Stars Montessori, Shakespeare Theatre Company, Arena Stage, Pedalheads, Polite Piggys, Breathing Space Yoga, Joy of Motion Dance Center, Bravo Zulu Chess, The Future Stars Enrichment Program, and Adventures on the Hill. (This information will be updated as we continue to process camp registrations.)

** We still need volunteers leading up to and on the day of the event. ** Volunteer tasks include donating baked goods, setting up, helping camps get checked-in and set-up, welcoming attendees and families, running concessions, etc. If you can help, please sign-up here, or email us DCCampFair@jowilsonpta.org if you have questions!

On Tuesday, January 16, 2024, Stuart-Hobson MS will host the second of three IN-PERSON Open House events from 6:00-7:30pm. This event will be informative with a Q&A session, a school tour, and conversations with current community members. Attached is a flyer for your use in informing families about this event. Please remind your families of this upcoming event and let me know if you have any questions. Our final in-person Open House of the season will be February 13th.

Also SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, March 13th 10am-12pm - Spring Step-Up Day. We will follow up with everyone closer to that date to send more information.