SHMS Family Newsletter

Greetings SHMS Community!

The second term is underway and we have another short and busy week ahead. Last week, the start of the second term was the same day that we had election results to begin processing with our students. As is always the case with high profile and/or contentious situations locally and in the country, we seek to connect with students in need of support and take advantage of teachable moments. This election cycle has opened the door for many learning opportunities and the early response from students has pointed us to some important content for upcoming advisory lessons to help them maintain a safe community for one another while making conflict productive.

We hope you can support literacy work in our school community by attending Fall Family Literacy Night to learn more about literacy instruction at SHMS and by making some purchases at East City Bookshop to support the Cluster PTA. In addition to those events, we are extremely excited that Eastern HS has agreed to host our annual high school fair and that students and families from other middle schools will be in attendance. We hope all of our families have the opportunity to learn about the many wonderful high schools that DCPS has and find a few that match their student's interests.

Congratulations to the girls volleyball team on their 2nd place finish at this weekend's DCSAA tournament and thank you to the families of our players for everything you do to support our scholar athletes! We have a solid run of school days ahead so let's work together to keep students focused on their academic work while the holiday season and middle of year activities approach.

Remember, you can always contact the front office at 202-671-6010 or email me directly at eric.fraser@k12.dc.gov with any other questions or needs.

Warm regards,

Eric Fraser

Principal

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Weekly Calendar

Monday, 11/11

• Veterans Day, DCPS Closed, No School for students, teachers and staff
• Capitol Hill Cluster School Book Fair at East City Books begins and runs through November 17 (mention the Cluster at checkout)

Tuesday, 11/12

• A great instructional day!

• SHMS High School Fair at Eastern Senior High School, 6 - 8 p.m.
  
  

Thursday, 11/14

• Fall Family Literacy Night, 5 - 7 p.m.

Friday, 11/15

• Step-Up Day for Watkins ES 5th Graders, 10:15 - 11:45 a.m.
  
  

Upcoming Dates

• November 12, Attendance Incentive - Dress Down Day for 95% Attendance in October
• November 14, Fall Family Literary Night 6 - 7:30 p.m.
• November 15, DCPS Study Abroad Summer 2025 Program Application Deadline
• November 18, National Junior Honor Society Application deadline
• November 18, LSAT meeting (virtual), 6:30-8:00 PM
• November 20, Prospective Families Open House, 6 - 8 p.m., In-Person
• November 27 - 29, Thanksgiving Break, schools closed

We’re looking for enthusiastic students to represent Stuart-Hobson Middle School at Ed Fest 2024 on Saturday, December 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the DC Armory. Student ambassadors will also help showcase our school spirit in promotional photos and videos. Photos and filming will take place on Monday, November 18, during lunch, recess, and after school.

If your student is interested, please email Denise Diggs at denise.diggs@k12.dc.gov to sign up. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to show their Panther pride and make a positive impact on our school community!

Let's help our SHMS families have a happy Thanksgiving by participating in our annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Please donate any non-perishable food items to our school main lobby between Tuesday, November 12th and Friday, November 22nd. Food items will be prepared in Thanksgiving baskets with perishable items donated by our generous CHCS PTA community and provided to designated students and families. If you have any questions, please contact our school social worker, Ms. Smith at molly.smith@k12.dc.gov or 202-671-6010

National Junior Honor Society Application

The application to join the SHMS National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) will open on Monday, October 21, 2024. The application deadline is Monday, November 18, 2024 by 3:30pm.

Please click the following link to be directed to the application: https://tinyurl.com/SHMSNJHS2425

Why join NJHS?

National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) is an organization that recognizes middle school students who excel in scholarship, character, citizenship, leadership and service. Stuart-Hobson middle school students who are eligible must be current 7th or 8th graders AND have a minimum of a 3.5 cumulative GPA (calculated on final grades for the prior school year SY2024-2025). Applicants must complete the required application, and must demonstrate leadership skills, good character, and excellent school citizenship.

For questions, please contact either Ms. Schimmerling (jessica.schimmerling@k12.dc.gov) or Ms. Wilson (alexis.wilson@k12.dc.gov)

Every student deserves a world of possibilities! That's why DCPS developed a study abroad program. DCPS Study Broad ensures that our global citizens have access to global experiences, so that travel becomes the expectation rather than the exception for students. All DCPS 8th grade students who are studying a World Language are eligible for short-term study abroad programs on language immersion, cultural immersion, STEM, or service learning. DCPS Study Abroad trips are fully funded, including passport and visa fees, airfare, meals, supplies, and lodging. DCPS is going places! For more information and to apply, go to: https://www.dcpsglobaled.org/global-programs/dcps-study-abroad

Application Opens: October 15, 2024

Application Deadline: November 15, 2024 (11:59pm)

Families! Please share this information with your SHMS scholar:

It’s the most wonderful time of the year - time for the Scripps National Spelling Bee! The first round of our spelling bee is online. It will be a multiple-choice test that interested students take on a computer. Students will listen to a word and select the correct spelling. If you would like to participate, the first step is to register for the Scripps National Spelling Bee's online testing platform by visiting https://online-test.spellingbee.com You will need Stuart Hobson's zip code to register - 20002. The deadline to register is midnight December 2nd, 2024.

Please see the linked study lists for:

6th Grade Spelling Words

7th Grade Spelling Words

8th Grade Spelling Words

Please use these lists to help your scholar prepare for our first round spelling bees which will occur the week of 12/9/24.

Also, students can play spelling and vocabulary games with all 450 words from the 2025 School Spelling Bee Study List for free! More information is available on how to download this from the App Store and Google Play when you register.

The Final SHMS Bee will be in person this year, in early January.

Please reach out to Ms. Abou-Samra with any questions: Nancy.abou-samra1@k12.dc.gov

2024 Archery Home/Practice Tournament Schedule

Practice Time: 3:30-5pm

Coaches Contact Information: maalston0563@gmail.com

Practice for third tournament (10/15 Away) will be on: 9/30,10/7, 10/9, 10/11

Practice for this tournament will be held on: 10/14,10/18

Tuesday 10/22/2024 4:00 pm @ Stuart-Hobson

Practice for this tournament will be held on: 10/25

Tuesday 10/29/2024 4:00 pm @ Stuart-Hobson

Practice for final two tournaments (11/7, 11/12 Away) will be held on: 10/31, 11/5, 11/11

The 2024-2025 Athletics’ Participation packet has been released. 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. If your student’s UHC has been updated recently, you are encouraged to complete the participation packet as soon as possible.

English Participation Packet

Spanish 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

Please note that it is not necessary to submit a new participation packet for each season. A complete packet includes the DCIAA forms filled out in their entirety along with a Universal Health Certificate that was completed within the last year. ALL STUDENTS MUST HAVE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED AND APPROVED BEFORE PARTICIPATION.

SHMS Athletics is seeking to hire coaches for the following teams. Professional and coaching résumés can be sent directly to Coach Drakeford.

Coaching Openings:

Indoor Track (Winter), and Track and Field (Spring), Head and Assistant Coaches

Please direct any questions about athletics to our Athletic Director, Coach Drakeford, latavia.drakeford-allen@k12.dc.gov.

Below please find food service menus for breakfast and lunch for this week!

On November 7, the Stuart-Hobson Middle School Jazz Ensemble proudly performed at the U.S. Patent Office’s Veteran’s Day celebration. Led by Mr. Simmons, who received a certificate of appreciation, the ensemble delivered an outstanding performance of the “Star-Spangled Banner,” “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” and “Maiden Voyage” by Herbie Hancock. In recognition of their inspiring performance, honorary guest speaker Lieutenant General Leslie C. Smith presented the SHMS Jazz Ensemble with an Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Challenge Coin. Congratulations to our talented musicians for representing SHMS with excellence!

Do you have questions about mental health and behavioral health services at Stuart-Hobson? Would you like to talk to one of the counseling staff about support services for your student? Submit a request via https://bit.ly/referralSHMS or contact SHMS Social Worker Bernadette Wittschen at bernadette.wittschen@k12.dc.gov.

**The information below is new or an updated version of something announced previously! **

You can find previously released newsletters and information here.

Email: stuart-hobsonms@k12.dc.gov
Website: www.stuart-hobson.org
Location: 410 E Street Northeast, Washington, DC, USA
Phone: 202-671-6010
Twitter: @StuartHobsonMS

Important Links

Aspen DCPS Student and Family Login

Attendance Excuse Template

Capitol Hill Cluster Website

DCPS School Calendar SY24-25

DCPS School Mental Health Resources
Stuart-Hobson Special Education and 504 Plans

Stuart-Hobson Communications Plan - SY2024-25
Stuart-Hobson Uniform Policy

Stuart-Hobson Food Service Breakfast-Lunch-Supper Menus
Stuart-Hobson Behavior Expectation Matrices
Stuart-Hobson Student and Family Handbook