Principal's Message 10 - 14

Three cheers for Coaches Latney and Drakeford for planning a fantastically fun field day! Including, coordinating with our ever-so-supportive PTA and dozens of volunteers that helped make the day fun for students and adults. Thank you all!

Three cheers for our Peabody Specials Team who hosted our Peabody families for their year end specials showcase. Families were able to see first hand what students learned in music, art, library and PE classes this year. Our students did an amazing job displaying their learning in front of big audiences!

Peabody's Field Day is rescheduled for Thursday, June 13 and signing up to volunteer is still welcome.

Sign-up here for Peabody - June 13

Next week we look forward to promoting our 5th grade class to middle school on Tuesday and our kindergartners on Wednesday. Please see your teacher's newsletters for more details.

Looking ahead, we have so many fun-filled events coming up. Read on below and see your teacher's newsletter for more details.

June 10: 5th grade promotion practice at SHMS

June 10 - 11: Watkins Book Fair. Info below.

June 11: 5th grade promotion; Kinder promotion practice

June 12: Kinder promotion

June 12: PreK 4 field trip

June 13: 4th Grade field trip

June 14: 3rd Grade Publishing Party

June 14: Kinder Field trip.

June 17: Last day of school!

Please see below for more information about:

• Aftercare for school year 24-25 is open NOW!
  
• End of Year Event Flier
  
• Summer Reading Extravaganza
• James and the Giant Peach at SHMS -Kinder performs!
  
• Peabody Specials Showcase
• Recurring Reminders
  
• Peabody Anti-Racist, Anti-Bias Curriculum Extension read aloud and reflection
  
• FoodPrints
• Watchdogs - come visit for the day!

Flex and Joe's Den are ready to accept applications for next year! Please head to our website for all of the information. Joe's Den (Peabody only) will fill up, so you may need to act fast. Flex has unlimited enrollment, but please act soon so they can plan appropriately over the summer.

• Get ready! June 10-14, students will attend the Summer Reading Extravaganza during library class. The book fair will also be open to families Monday-Friday after school, 3:30-5 p.m. (students must be accompanied by caregiver after school). Students will learn about DCPL’s summer reading program, shop the Scholastic Book Fair, select at least two free books, and make bookmarks.

  To do:

  • Fund your student’s eWallet now! Go to https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/watkinselementaryschool5 and scroll down to see eWallet Setup on the left. Cash and credit cards will also be accepted.
  • Volunteer to support the event: Watkins parents: Volunteer at Summer Reading Extravaganza (signupgenius.com)
  • Donate used books of interest to 1st-5th graders in good to excellent condition (no damaged covers, torn pages, marked up pages, broken spines, stains, or water damage). Minor signs of use are OK. Drop off book donations in the library.
  • Donate money to support library improvements. Cash donations will be accepted at the event, or donate online here: https://capitolhillclusterschool.ejoinme.org/MyPages/SUMMERREADINGEXTRAVAGANZA/tabid/1438557

  Contact: Ms. Langley, cory.langley@k12.dc.gov, 202-200-2492

Caregivers should know that all current student iReady accounts for reading and math will be accessible via personal devices until about August 2nd when the rollover begins for the next school year. Students can continue on their progressions throughout the summer.

Peabody is implementing an Anti-Racism and Anti-Bias curriculum extension this school year. For more information, visit our website https://www.capitolhillclusterschool.org/equity-inclusion

Next week we will read: “All the Way To the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything” by Annette Bay Pimentel

Has anyone in our family ever been part of a protest or campaigned to make a change in the world, big or small? How did it make them feel?

Make sure you are checking class dojo for sports updates from Athletic Director, Coach Drakeford. Please send sports questions her way on dojo or latavia.drakefod-allen@k12.dc.gov.

Back by popular demand, we are restarting the Watkins WatchDOGS (Dads [& Others] of Great Students) Volunteer program!!

What is WATCH D.O.G.S.?
WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads [& Others] Of Great Students) is a family and community engagement educational initiative.

What is the goal of a WATCH D.O.G.S. program?
To provide positive caregiver role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important.

Who are WatchDOGS and how does WATCH D.O.G.S. work?
WatchDOGS are fathers, mothers, grandparents, and uncles/aunts who volunteer for at least one day each year at an official WATCH D.O.G.S. school. WATCH D.O.G.S., a K-12 program, invites caregivers to volunteer at least one day at their child’s/student’s school for part or all of the day during the school year. Identification will be checked upon entrance.

Is this program only for Dads?

Absolutely not!! We welcome all caregivers to volunteer.

What do WatchDOGS do (while they are at school)?
During the day, WatchDOGS may read and work on flash cards with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, patrol the school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow and any other assigned activities where they actively engage with not only their own students, but other students as well. Many school principals have reported that the mere presence of a WatchDOGS volunteer dramatically reduces reports of bullying. On the day of their participation, WatchDOGS participants are given a brief review of their involvement and they wear an official WATCH D.O.G.S. name tag identifying them as a WatchDOG.

What days can I volunteer and how do I sign up?

WatchDOGS participant days will be every Wednesday. Please sign up at least a week in advance so we can notify school administration and teachers of your visit using this link to the WatchDOGS sign-up list: https://signup.com/go/xxkWcuc

Peabody and Watkins teachers have some big plans and big wishes for your kids and their classrooms this year. Please consider fulling some of those wishes from their wish lists.

Hello parents and guardians! We're back again for another year of FoodPrints at Peabody and Watkins Elementary and we are looking for parents to volunteer in our classroom and garden!

We'll have a maximum number of four (4) slots available for parent volunteers for each class. We'll be adding more dates in the coming weeks so be sure to check back frequently if you don't see your child's class as yet. Please reach out if you have any questions to ms. Natasha natasha@ffm.org at Watkins and Ms. Aubryn aubryn@ffm.org at Peabody.

The sign up genius also has the schedule for classes.

Thanks again for your support of FoodPrints!

Peabody caregiver sign up

Watkins caregiver sign up

Email addresses are often entered into our systems with mistakes. If someone you know (partner, friend, neighbor) isn't getting school communication please have them email their names, their child's name, email addresses and phone numbers and any other information to either PeabodyESEnroll@k12.dc.gov or WatkinsESEnroll@k12.dc.gov. Our team will correct the errors asap.

If you somehow are unsubscribed from Blackboard, please email your appropriate school inbox above and Adia.Howard-Stroud@k12.dc.gov who will fix the issue on Blackboard.

Field Trips have resumed and we welcome parents to join as chaperones. Parents who would to volunteer/ chaperone on an ongoing basis, must complete the DCPS Clearance process beforehand. Upon receipt, clearance letters should be emailed to tanisha.montgomery@k12.dc.gov.

Exceptions

Exceptions may be granted to the DCPS Clearance process in the following situations:

1. You are volunteering for a one-time, on-campus event, like Career Day or Field Day. Please email the Clearance Team at dcps.clearance@k12.dc.gov to confirm whether you qualify for a clearance exception.
2. You are a potential volunteer with an active secret or top-secret federal security clearance. Individuals in this group should complete the Federal Security Clearance Verification letter in lieu of being fingerprinted with DCPS. The original signed verification form and a copy of a state issued photo ID to dcps.clearance@k12.dc.gov