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.

December 10th: Virtual PTA Meeting at 6PM

December 17th: JOW Move Update Chat 6PM (virtual)

December 19th: Last Day of After-School Programming

December 23rd-January 1st: Winter Break! No school for students.

Don’t miss the PTA General Body Meeting tonight, Tuesday, Dec. 10, at 6:00 PM.

Agenda Highlights:

• Approve November Meeting Minutes
• Principal’s Updates
• Facilities & Modernization
• Swing Space Move Updates and Q&A
• Fundraising & Events
• Giving Drive
• DC Camp Fair
• Open Discussion

Register here: Zoom Registration Link

After registering, you’ll receive a confirmation email with details on how to join. We look forward to seeing you there!

Get ready to celebrate the season with 10 Days of J.O. Wilson Cheer! Each day brings a fun theme to help us count down to winter break in style:

• Mad About Plaid Monday (12/9): Wear your coziest or craziest plaid outfit!
• Twinkle Toes Sock Tuesday (12/10): Show off your most festive or funky socks.
• Sweater Weather Wednesday (12/11): Rock your favorite holiday sweater—the uglier, the better!
• Words of Cheer (12/12): Dress as your favorite winter or holiday vocabulary word.
• Deck the Halls with Cardinal Pride (12/13 & 12/20): Show school spirit in red and white!
• Winter A-head! (12/16): Wear festive hats, antlers, or headbands to spread holiday cheer.
• Bundle Up Cardinals! (12/17): Stay cozy with your favorite scarf.
• Frosty Farewell (12/18): Shine in icy blues, silvers, and whites for a winter-themed look.
• Merry and Bright! (12/19): Light up the school with bright colors and holiday fun.

Let’s make this countdown to winter break one to remember! 🎄❄️🎉

Cardinal Families,

We are reaching out to seek your partnership in addressing an important matter that directly impacts our school community. Recently, we’ve experienced several incidents stemming from students’ activity on social media platforms like TikTok. Posts and comments made outside of school hours are creating conflicts that spill over into the school day, disrupting learning and creating challenges for maintaining a safe and respectful environment.

Social media can be a wonderful way for students to connect and express themselves, but it can also lead to misunderstandings, bullying, and harm if not monitored carefully. We ask that you please assist us by reviewing your child’s presence on these platforms, talking with them about responsible online behavior, and helping them understand the impact their words and actions can have on others.

Furthermore, we want to remind families that cell phones are not to be used during any part of the school day. This policy is in place to ensure that students remain focused on their learning and are not distracted by unnecessary online activity. We ask for your support in reinforcing this rule with your student. By working together, we can help ensure that our school remains a safe and productive space for all students to thrive, both academically and socially. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we address this important issue. If you have any questions or would like resources to help guide conversations with your student, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

The wait is over — the Scholastic Book Fair has arrived at our school! This is an amazing opportunity to connect with your child and ignite their love for reading. Studies show that kids read more when they choose their own books, and fostering a love of independent reading leads to benefits like academic success and improved mental health.

Book Fair Details:

• Dates: Dec. 9–12, from 4 to 6 p.m.
• Location: Parent Center
• Family Event: Literacy Night on Dec. 12, from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Every purchase benefits our school and supports student learning!

Volunteer Opportunity:
We’re still looking for volunteers to assist with organizing books, helping students and families, and managing checkout. If you can help, please sign up here!

More Info:
Visit our Book Fair homepage for all the details: Scholastic Book Fair Homepage. While there, you can set up a Book Fair eWallet for your child. This digital payment system allows them to shop cash-free, and you can share the link with friends and family to contribute funds. You’ll also have the chance to support students in need through the Share the Fair™ initiative.

Let’s create lasting reading memories together. See you at the Book Fair! 📚✨

Join us for a fun and creative Literacy Night on Thursday, December 12th!

Steps to participate:

1. Choose a vocabulary word.
2. Plan your costume idea.
3. Gather materials to bring your word to life.
4. Create your costume.
5. Try it on to ensure it’s ready.
6. Show it off at the Word Fashion Show during Literacy Night!

We can’t wait to see your imaginative designs and celebrate literacy together! 🎉📚✨

Ready for Pre-K! is offering a free online session for families on Wednesday, December 11 at 5:30 p.m. Join representatives from the DCPS Early Childhood Education Division for an overview of the Pre-K program at DCPS and the My School DC Lottery. Learn about what happens during a typical Pre-K day, the curriculum, and what makes DCPS unique! There will be a Q&A at the end where families can ask questions about Pre-K and navigating the lottery. RSVP here or at our website. POC: Drue.Docie@k12.dc.gov

Cardinal Families,

We’re thrilled to announce the Move IT! Sports Basketball League, taking place at Capitol Hill Montessori! Starting Sunday, January 12, athletes will meet weekly for an exciting hour of basketball action over the course of 10 Sundays, culminating on March 16.

Participating in a youth basketball league offers countless benefits for young athletes. It’s a great way to develop teamwork, build self-confidence, and improve physical fitness—all while learning the fundamentals of basketball in a fun, supportive environment. The league also fosters sportsmanship and helps kids form lasting friendships with their teammates.

Once teams are formed, we’ll share the game schedule to keep you informed and ready to cheer. Whether your child is a seasoned player or just starting out, this league is the perfect opportunity to stay active, build skills, and have fun this winter.

Like our Spring League, we encourage parents to form teams! Each team will need a parent coach to manage the team and serve as the main point of contact for league communications. Once teams are formed, please reach out to moveitsports@thefuturestars.net to inform our team.

Please register your child HERE Don’t miss out—spots are limited! Sign up today and secure your athlete’s place in the league. We can’t wait to see you on the court!

The Move It Sports Team and The Future Stars

DC Public Schools (DCPS) invites families to fill out the annual Impact Aid survey to help secure additional federal funding. This year, the survey is fully electronic via the Seamless platform. Families should complete one survey per child at dcps.dc.gov/impact-aid. For questions, contact DCPSImpactAid@k12.dc.gov.

It's the Season of Giving. There are so many ways to give your time, talents, and treasures to support J.O. Wilson and our community. Please consider giving in one of the following ways:

• Donate to the Cardinal Fund to help us reach our 2024 $10,000 giving goal using this link https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=KRTUCCTSNHR3N

• New Winter Clothes and Toys - Give toys and winter apparel for our Cardinal families in need. Donations can be dropped off through Dec. 17 at the front office. The most requested sizes are 5-6, 7-8 and 10-12 for both boys and girls, and needed items are hoodies/sweatshirts, long-sleeve shirts and pants. Popular toy requests include Barbie, LOL Dolls, action figures, Spiderman, Sonic, Mario, remote control vehicles, art and science kits and educational games.

• Support our teachers’ Donor Choose projects.

• Volunteer your time and talents by joining a PTA committee, helping our teachers pack for the move, or volunteering at the Book Fair.

Check out all the ways to give here!

Shop at Harris Teeter? Link your VIC card to J.O. WIlson, and Harris Teeter will donate a portion of your purchases to J.O. Note that cards needs to be re-linked every year, so please double-check that you’ve successfully linked your card for the ‘24-25 school year.

Buy General Mills products? Download the Box Tops for Education app to scan receipts when you buy participating products (including Annie’s, Betty Croker, Cascadian Farm, Immaculate Baking, Larabar, Lysol, Nature Valley, Old El Paso, Paper Mate, Pillsbury, Progresso, Totino’s, Yoplait, and others) and J.O. will receive a portion of each purchase.