SHMS Family Newsletter

Greetings SHMS community!

Congratulations to our 6th graders for earning the most points in Term 3 and winning the right to dress down during the upcoming week! The last day to turn in any late, missing, or revised work for Term 3 is tomorrow and students come back to school on Tuesday to kick off Term 4 and the home stretch of the school year.

Our 7th and 8th graders were very focused and worked hard on last week's CAPE exams in ELA. In the upcoming week before Spring Break we will continue CAPE testing. 8th graders will take their Science exam and we will begin make-ups for 7th and 8th graders who missed any sections of last week's exams. CAPE continues immediately after the break and we thank you for continuing to make sure that students are well rested, full of healthy foods, and on-time for school everyday. Most importantly, please encourage and reassure them so they are feeling optimistic about their readiness for the exams. They have all worked hard and been well-supported by our educators this year so I know that is true for everyone!

We are have ambitious goals to quickly meet our enrollment goals for next school year very soon. Families have been enrolling and re-enrolling over the last week and we are excited to report the following progress for each grade level (numbers reflect the number of enrollment applications submitted):

Rising 6th: 19 students

Rising 7th: 27 students

Rising 8th: 13 students

Enrollment and re-enrollment will earn students access to different activities and events in preparation for the upcoming school year. If you have not done so already, please re-enroll your student for school year 2025-26 now. We have a short week and Spring break ahead of us before the final sprint to the end of the school year.

Let's have a great week together and I look forward to seeing students again on Tuesday morning!

Eric Fraser

Principal

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Weekly Calendar

Monday, 4/7

• End of Term 3 Records-Keeping and PD Day, no school for students
• Re-enroll at SHMS for school year 2025-26!

Tuesday, 4/8

• First instructional day of Term 4!

Wednesday, 4/9

• CAPE Testing: Science (8th Grade only)

• CAPE Testing: Science (8th Grade only)

Friday, 4/11

• Re-enroll at SHMS for school year 2025-26!

Upcoming Dates

• April 14-15 & 17-18, Spring Recess, no school for students or teachers

• April 16, Emancipation Day observed, schools closed

• April 22-24, CAPE Testing: ELA 6 & Math 8

• April 29-May 1, CAPE Testing: Math 6 & Math 7

• May 6 & May 8, CAPE Testing: Algebra I

• May 6, LSAT Meeting, 6:30-8:00 (virtual)

• May 26, Memorial Day observed, schools closed

Week one of CAPE testing went very well—our students showed up, arrived on time, and were prepared to do their best! Thank you to the entire Stuart-Hobson community for supporting these important assessments and setting our scholars up for success.

Week two of CAPE testing kicks off this Wednesday with our 8th graders showcasing their science knowledge. Let’s keep the momentum going and make this week just as strong as the last!

We are thrilled to welcome your child back to Stuart-Hobson Middle School for another amazing school year! As a returning family, your child’s seat is guaranteed—but we need you to take just five minutes to complete re-enrollment as soon as possible.

This year, we’re adding terrific incentives to encourage families to re-enroll early and help us become the first school to reach 100% enrollment! Students who complete enrollment now will be eligible for exciting rewards, including an ice cream social, a Union Station field trip, and raffle prizes!

To finalize re-enrollment, please click on the button below and complete enrollment!

The Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Board application for School Year 2025-26 launches on Monday, April 7. The Parent Advisory Board provides a monthly space for families to engage directly with Chancellor Ferebee and DCPS leadership, offer feedback, and learn about key initiatives. Families can apply here by Monday, May 5, at 11:59 p.m. Applications are available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Amharic. POC: Tierra.Patterson@k12.dc.gov.

A big shoutout to the Department of General Services for refinishing our gym floor this past weekend—check out the photo above to see the fresh new look!

Stuart-Hobson Middle School celebrates March Madness with a Reading Plus competition to find the class with the highest average Reading Plus lessons at 80% or higher each week. We completed our play-in round the week of March 16th with Mr. Plaisted's 1st, 2nd and 3rd period classes along with Ms. Boccardi's 7th period moving into the next round. Families are asked to encourage their students to complete their Reading Plus homework each week. It is a schoolwide expectation that students complete 4 Reading Plus lessons each week at 80% or higher. The winning class will earn a Pizza Party and extra credit! Contact your scholar's English Language Arts teachers for more details.

Congratulations to the Stuart-Hobson students who won awards at National History Day Districts on March 15th! They will be representing the Panther Community at Nationals in June at University of Maryland. Placing 1st or 2nd in their categories were:

Dasia M. (Exhibits)

Kylie B-P. (Exhibits)

Malaika T. (Individual Documentary)

Connor J. (Websites)

Fiona L. (Websites)

Darren C. and Alex W. (Group Documentary)

Emma V. and Bea O. (Group Performance)

Best of luck to all our nominees.

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:

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, lunch and snack for this week!

Virtual Stewards of Children® Training

VIRTUAL | FREE

Stewards of Children® is an evidence-informed training that teaches adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Through interviews with child sexual abuse survivors, experts, and treatment providers, Stewards of Children® teaches adults practical actions they can take to reduce instances of child sexual abuse in their organizations, families, and communities.

April 14 | 10:00 am – 12:30 pm

Register:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/gtP3Dx1fRMG80zZAWr9WAg#/registration

April 22 | 5:30 pm – 8:00 pm

Register:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/DilLMN6xQPycF74Dtsc_EQ#/registration

DON'T MISS THIS FREE WEBINAR!

From A.I to Gen Z and Beyond:

Protecting Kids in the Digital Age

April 30th from 1PM – 2:15 PM

In today’s hyper-connected world, keeping children safe online is one of the most pressing challenges of our time. For Gen Alpha and Gen Z, the internet is where they learn, play, and connect—but it’s also where threats can lurk in every swipe, scroll, and click. As a caregiver, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. The dangers are real—but so are the solutions.

This Child Abuse Prevention Month, join CyberFareedah—Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and sought-after internet safety expert—and Safe Shores – The DC Children’s Advocacy Center for a powerful, eye-opening webinar that will shift the way you think about online safety.

Register Here:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/7417431044424/WN_BSsIAjjsSfaI3HtJB6d6Xg#/registration

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 Cluster is a strong community of families, and the PTA strengthens that community by working together to support our students and campuses. Joining the PTA is a great opportunity to learn more about our school, enrich the student experience, and meet new people. PTA dues help fund critical programs, as well as supplies for music, art, library, and athletics.

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