Mustang Matters
March 29th, 2024
Greetings MMS Families,
We hope you had a great week to close out the month of March. It’s hard to believe that we will be in April when we return on Monday – the year is really flying by now! We have just two short weeks left until Spring Break and then CAPE testing and end of year will be upon us quickly. Additionally, Term 3 closes this Thursday, so there is limited time for students to improve their grades before we enter the last marking period. Please review your Mustang’s grades and connect with their advisor/teacher ASAP if they need support to meet expectations.
We have A LOT to celebrate right now at MMS! In addition to 4 separate field trips this past week, we had a great first Saturday Academy Session last Saturday with more than 60 Mustang scholars coming out despite the pouring rain. Shout out to all of our families who got their students here to support acceleration and a huge shout out to the teachers and staff who coordinated all the logistics to open the building, get some great tutoring in and get breakfast for our Mustangs as well! This is our first ever Saturday academy and it was a great start – thank you all!!!
We had ANOTHER first ever this week – our first Annual STEAM night this Thursday evening! It was so great to see our performances and our opening emceed by Ms. Castro and Ms. Smith and so many great stations and activities coordinated by our teachers and staff. Thank you 7th grade team, Math Team. Arts Team, Music Team and all of our operational support team members who pulled together another great first this week!
We have a BIG DAY tomorrow at MMS! There are several events going on and we are open for enrollment all morning from 9:00am-1:00pm as well! Please join us as we kick off our first weekend enrollment session and you are welcome to join one of these other events as well:
- Enrollment Saturday – we will have team members from 9:00am-1:00pm to support families in the enrollment process as well as prizes for the first 50 families enrolled on Saturday! Please come in or go online to get enrolled ASAP. If you need support, please contact our enrollment team:
- Ms. Dos Santos - Rosely.Dos-Santos@k12.dc.gov
- Mr. Novoa-Marcano – edgar.novoa-marcano@k12.dc.gov
- Saturday Academy for Students – we had excellent turnout for our first Saturday School Session despite pouring rain! We will have Session Two from 8:30am-12:00pm and we encourage all families to send their students to get additional support in math and ELA! Please check in with your Mustang’s Math/ELA teacher with any questions.
- Beautification/Cleanup Day/Grounds Work Day – we will have parents, staff and hopefully some Mustangs coming to do some early Spring Cleaning and beautification of our grounds. If you are interested in helping out please reach out to Ms. Walker-McLean for details: Sandra.walker-Mclean@k12.dc.gov
ENROLLMENT SEASON IS HERE! Below is a list of the key dates for enrollment as well as a list of all the incentives for each enrollment benchmark. We are also offering a breakfast to the first advisory in each grade that is 100% enrolled and a follow up celebration for each advisory that is 100% enrolled after the first! Please support your Mustang’s enrollment ASAP and review the details for enrollment listed below.
March 29th - School Year 2024-2025 Enrollment Opens and My School DC Lottery Results Available
- Online enrollment will be available to all families with an active Aspen Parent Portal account
May 1st - Enrollment Deadline for My School DC Lottery Matched Students
The MacFarland MS enrollment team is excited to assist our community with enrollment/re-enrollment. Please note that the dates and times listed below are specifically for assistance with completing the enrollment/re-enrollment process.
- March 30 - Saturday Enrollment Office Hours, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- April 2nd - Extended Office Hours, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.; 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- April 4th - Extended Office Hours, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.; 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- April 6th - Saturday Enrollment Office Hours, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
- April 9th - Extended Office Hours, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.; 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- April 11th - Extended Office Hours, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.; 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- April 23 - Extended Office Hours, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.; 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- April 25th - Extended Office Hours, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.; 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- April 27th - Enrollment Saturday - 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (additional details forthcoming)
- April 30th - Extended Office Hours, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.; 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- May 2nd - Extended Office Hours, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.; 3:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
- May 4th - Saturday Enrollment Office Hours, 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
As we approach enrollment season we need all Mustangs and Mustang Families to support re-enrollment and enrollment as quickly as possible to help us schedule our electives and try to match students with their top choices for classes. Students who complete enrollment will be eligible for special Mustang celebrations. Once a student enrolls, they can participate in EACH MONTH’S celebration!
All students enrolled by April 30th will participate in a pizza and ice cream party!!!
All students enrolled by May 30th will be eligible to dress down for the ENTIRE MONTH OF JUNE!
All students enrolled by by June 12th will receive MacFarland swag and be able to participate in Field Day and BBQ on the last day of school as well as have their cell phones for the day to participate in ‘Making Memories’ to close out the school year!
Reminder - Saturday CAPE Academy – starting tomorrow, 3.22 students from all grades are encouraged to report to MacFarland from 8:30-12:00pm to engage in additional small group tutoring and support to ensure their growth on DC CAPE (PARCC testing) this spring. Please check in with your student’s math or ELA teacher for details and we are excited to see many of our Mustangs tomorrow to start! The dates for Saturday sessions are listed below!
- Saturday, March 30
- Saturday, April 6
- Saturday, April 27
- Saturday, May 4th
Have a great weekend Mustang families!
Cooke
8th Grade End of Year Activities
Please see attached documents for all pertinent information regarding 8th grade end of year activities. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact team members Ms. Dhakkiyyah Lee at dhakkiyyah.lee@k12.dc.gov, or Ms. Leslie Sargent @ leslie.sargent@k12.dc.gov.
We look forward to celebrating the success of your student in June!
The 8th Grade Team
MacFarland Middle School, DCPS
MacFarland Saturday Academy Opportunities
MacFarland's Math Monday!
MacFarland Grounds Clean Up Day, Saturday, March 30th, 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Dear Parents,
Details to follow, but please join your fellow parents and school neighbors to spruce up the MacFarland grounds and build some community.
What: Keep MacFarland Beautiful morning
- spruce up the school grounds
- show the staff and the kids that we value what they do inside enough to keep the place looking nice, outside as well as in
- hopefully build some community in the process
When: 8:30-10:30 a.m., Saturday, March 30
Who: Parents and neighbors
Hope to see you there.
Ken
Estimados padres:
Más detalles más adelante, pero únase a sus compañeros padres y vecinos de la escuela para arreglar los terrenos de MacFarland y construir una comunidad.
Qué: Mantenga MacFarland Hermosa mañana
- arreglar los terrenos de la escuela
- mostrar al personal y a los niños que valoramos lo que hacen en el interior lo suficiente como para mantener el lugar con un aspecto agradable, tanto por fuera como por dentro
- con suerte, construir algo de comunidad en el proceso
Cuando: 8:30-10:30 a.m., sábado 30 de marzo
Quién: Padres y vecinos
Espero verlos allí.
Ken
Asthma, Allergens, and Medications
The allergy season is here and many individuals who suffer from frequent asthma attacks are beginning to feel the impact of the various allergens and irritants in the air. For students and families, we are sharingthis link to Children’s National -- https://www.childrensnational.org/get-care/departments/impact-dc-asthma-clinic -- as a resource for helping to manage your students’ asthma related-illnesses. If your child suffers from asthma, be sure to complete and submit the Asthma Action Plan and Medication Plan and Procedure to the Nurse. The Anaphylaxis Plan must be completed for acute allergy sufferers who need to be administered an Epi-pen. Also, if your child is on any medication during school hours—including over-the-counter medications—a Medication Plan and Procedure Form must be completed and submitted to the Nurse along with your child’s Medication Treatment Administration Form, signed by your child’s primary care physician. All these documents must be provided to the Nurse by parents, along with the medication/s your child is taking during school hours. Students are not permitted to self-carry or self-medicate. All the forms mentioned in this message are attached, for your convenience.
Howard University Verizon Innovative Learning Program
The Howard University Verizon Innovative Learning Program is a free, 3-week summer program focusing on STEM education. The program runs from June 24 to July 12 at Howard University. Flyer attached below with more information. Enrollment is on a first-come-first-enrolled basis.
REMINDER - Community Ca$h Conference- Chisholm Elementary (formerly known as Tyler Elementary) is excited to host an inaugural Community Ca$h Conference on Saturday, April 27 from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The "College Gurl," Jessica Brown, will open the event! Then, participants will explore empowering personal finance sessions about budgeting, buying a home, & more! Free childcare and free lunch will be provided to registered participants. Registration is open now at this link.
Panorama Family Survey
REMINDER - Parent Panorama Survey – parent and families – please note that we are excited to get your input and feedback! You should be receiving a link to provide your input via an electronic platform. We are hoping to get 200 families to respond! Please complete the survey and reach out to Mrs. Clemmons if you have any questions or have an issue - LaTasha.Clemmons@k12.dc.gov
UPDATE - Online Enrollment Launch (3/29)
The DCPS Enrollment team is thrilled to launch an online enrollment platform for SY24-25! Please ensure that you have an active ASPEN Parent Portal Account to effectively utilize the new enrollment platform for re-enrolling your MacFarland Mustang. If you have any issues, please contact the main office staff or email edgar.novoa-marcano@k12.dc.gov.
Enrollment Saturday - Saturday, April 27th, 2024
Save the Date: 2024 Enrollment Saturday - 2024 Enrollment Saturday will take place on Saturday, April 27! MMS will be open beginning at 9:00am that day and we will share details on events and prizes. Our goal is to be 50% enrolled by that day – please take care of your enrollment as soon as the window opens!!! If you have questions or need assistance, please speak with Edgar Novoa-Marcano in the main office. More details will be shared as the time approaches.
Sixth Grade Summer Bridge
Yes, it’s that time already! We are asking that incoming 6th graders and Student Ambassadors reserve Monday, August 5 to Friday August 9th from 8:30am to 1:00pm – we will share details on exact reports dates and student/staff training in the coming weeks. Incoming 7th and 8th grade students and families will have a short orientation and information session the following week or so in August.
Key Upcoming Dates:
- Next Curbside Coffee – April 26th
- PTO Meeting – April 9th – details TBD
Shout Outs and Celebrations: Please check out a few shout outs to MacFarland community members who are embracing our belief that we are one MacFarland!
Thank you to the parents and staff who joined as this morning for Curbside Coffee – it was great to connect with some folks today as well through our first day of enrollment!
Upcoming Opportunities to Connect with Principal Cooke:
Tuesday, April 9th 6:00pm
Daily – MacFarland Front Steps – 8:15-9:00am; 3:30-4:00pm
Next Curbside Coffee – April 26th
Via email or by appt. – lucas.cooke@k12.dc.gov
2024 Summative Assessment Family Letter
Please see the attached letter for information regarding upcoming assessments.
Mary's Center
For Mental Health Support Resources in English and Spanish for Students, Parents, and Teachers. Topics include: Stress, Grief and Loss, Anxiety, Suicide and Self-Harm, Healthy Relationships, Social Media, and much more! -- Mary`s Center (maryscenter.org)
Uniform Bank
In an effort to ensure all students have access to school uniform shirts we are asking families to donate any lightly used red, black, or white polo shirts. Please bring the clean and lightly used shirts that you would like to donate to the main office. We truly appreciate the support!
Expansion of Collaborative for Attendance Resources in Education and Health (CARE-H) to all schools
This school year, DCPS is partnering with Children’s National Hospital to support our students’ health and attendance through the Collaborative for Attendance Resources in Education and Health (CARE-H); CARE-H is now available in all DCPS schools. Through this program, parents or guardians can give permission to DCPS to securely share attendance information with their child’s doctor(s), nurse(s) and medical office staff. This information will help these healthcare professionals to provide special outreach and medical attention to children that might be missing school and their families. Information about this initiative can be found here.
Google Group for MacFarland Families:
The MacFarland PTO has set up an email list for discussion and connection among current and enrolled MacFarland families. Any family member or guardian of a MacFarland student can join by either of these methods:
1. Email MacFarlandMSPTO@gmail.com and ask to be added to the group; or
2. Follow this link (may require that you have a google/gmail account): https://groups.google.com/u/3/g/macfarland-families and then click on “Ask to join group” near the top of the page.
Whatsapp Group for MacFarland Families
For families who want to connect by text message instead of email, there’s a WhatsApp group. Family members can join by:
1) clicking this link:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/Kmw0pZ6yqXCG4l7FRsuUXk
2) texting a request to join to: 202-441-9954; or
3) scanning this QR code:
Kids Ride Free SmarTrip Card
Attention families, anyone with a child that would like a Kids Ride Free SmartTrip Card can sign up for one in the main office. We will process and distribute on a rolling basis.