The Cardinal Connection
March 13, 2023
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.
Important Dates:
March 14th: Pie Day Celebration at JOW
March 14th: General Body PTA Meeting 6 PM (see below for information to join)
March 14th: Middle School Panel discussion
March 16th: Open House@ 6 PM
March 18th: 2023 DC Teacher Solutions Summit (11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Open Gov Hub (1100 13th St. NW, 8th floor))
March 27th: Spring 2023 Cap. Hill Community Foundation Grant deadline
March 28th: Principal Chat @6PM (virtual)
March 29th: Math Night 5 PM-7 PM
March 29th: Parent PARCC Meeting (meeting occurs during Math Night)
IMPACT AID SURVEYS !
Cardinal Families,
It's IMPACT AID survey time and we need your support. As you know, Impact Aid Surveys help to bring financial resources to DCPS schools. The window to complete your survey runs until April 30, 2023. Please use the links below to complete your survey in your preferred language.
Here are the survey links:
1. English: https://forms.dc.gov/f/DCPSImpactAid_English
2. Spanish: https://forms.dc.gov/f/DCPSImpactAid_Spanish
3. French: https://forms.dc.gov/f/DCPSImpactAid_French
4. Amharic: https://forms.dc.gov/f/DCPSImpactAid_Amharic
5. Vietnamese: https://forms.dc.gov/f/DCPSImpactAid_Vietnamese
6. Chinese: https://forms.dc.gov/f/DCPSImpactAid_Chinese
Show Your JOW Love!
We want everyone to know how much we love J.O. Wilson! Join the “I Love J.O.” campaign by recording a short video featuring you or your Cardinal telling us why you love J.O. Wilson, and send it to Mr. Bellamy at Sean.Bellamy@k12.dc.gov. Don’t want to make a video? Send pictures of your Cardinal engaged in school or school-sponsored activities to jowilsonpta@gmail.com.
Videos and photos will be used on the school’s website and social media platforms.
PARCC Parent Letters
PTA News and Updates!
PTA General Body Meeting
Tuesday, March 14, at 6 p.m. – PTA General Body Meeting
Join us via Zoom. We'll share information about upcoming events and activities, and we are excited to get your input and ideas! Membership in the PTA is free and open to all parents, guardians, and staff.
Register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApc-mtrTMjH9Bl-CJUSpDj9zk-4fBQ1zSl
Upcoming PTA Committee Meetings
● Communications – Wednesday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m.
All are welcome to participate in committees. If you would like to attend one of the committee meetings or receive updates from any of these groups, please email jowilsonpta@gmail.com to be added to that email list.
Camp Fair Thank You!
Several hundred people from across the D.C. community attended the Camp Fair at J.O. this past Saturday, making the event a big fundraising success and giving us a chance to show off our Cardinal community. The PTA greatly appreciates all the families who attended, the local businesses that sponsored the event, and the many volunteers who helped make it happen.
More J.O. Swag!
We’re excited to be rolling out more opportunities for families to show their Cardinal pride. Get J.O. yard signs for $15 and stickers/decals for $5 at upcoming swag sales and J.O. events, including Math Night on March 29th, and Game Night on April 6th. All sales benefit the J.O. Wilson PTA.
The Mosaic Theater
Teachers' Wish List
Show our teachers some love by purchasing items from the 2022 J.O. Wilson Classroom Teacher Wishlist. Please support our teachers with the items they need to engage our students in fun and enriching activities.
Open House Schedule – Please help spread the word!
J.O. Wilson will be hosting in-person open houses for prospective families in the coming months. The next open house is scheduled for Thursday, March 16, at 6 p.m.
Attendees will get to:
● Meet Principal Brunson as well as other administrators and teachers
● Learn about the incredible programming offered
● Tour the school
● Get answers to their questions
Middle School Principals Panel Discussion — Tuesday, March 14, at 7 p.m.
Please help us spread the word about the Middle School Principals' Panel Discussion. In addition to our wonderful principals, the panel discussion will be moderated by Denise Forte, the President and CEO of The Education Trust. We encourage parents whose children will be starting middle school next year as well as parents whose children will attend middle school in the coming years to attend.
You can register for the Middle School Principals Panel Discussion at
https://bit.ly/W6PSPO23MSPrincipals.
Our city has made tremendous investments in our by-right middle schools. We have had stability in the leadership, and all four middle schools have undergone total renovations within the past seven years.
Remember you don’t have to apply to the MySchoolDC lottery to attend your in-boundary middle school or programmatic feeder school because your child has a right to attend their in-boundary school and is guaranteed a seat.
2023 DC Teacher Solutions Summit — Saturday, March 18
EmpowerEd is excited to invite you to the 2023 DC Teacher Solutions Summit on Saturday, March 18! Please register here if you can attend. The event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Open Gov Hub (1100 13th St. NW, 8th floor). Teacher and parent voices are essential in helping create a healthy, equitable, thriving DC school system — so we'd love for you to come and learn from, collaborate with, and be inspired by amazing DC educators. Hear about a wide range of issues affecting DC and our students and families — from social and emotional wellness and flexible scheduling to police-free schools, community school models, ELL support, the new social studies standards, trauma interventions for Black girls and non-gender-conforming youth, and so much more!
Capitol Hill Community Foundation Spring 2023 Grants
The Capitol Hill Community Foundation's Spring 2023 Seasonal Grant deadline is Monday, March 27, at 6 p.m. The Foundation has been very generous to our schools over many years. These grants are for up to $2,500. Please consider ways your school community could benefit from receiving a grant. These grants are awarded in May.
Bike & Roll to School Day — Wednesday, May 3, at Lincoln Park
Register today for Bike & Roll to School Day! The 12th annual National Bike & Roll to School Day is Wednesday, May 3, 2023, and registration is now open!
Bike & Roll to School Day invites participants to celebrate the joy of active commuting while building a sense of community and school spirit. Whether addressing the need to make routes to school safer for active trips or encouraging children and teens to be more active, these events can be powerful tools to inspire lasting change. And, they are also fun!
The Miner Cheerleading Squad will be joining us on May 3. If you have a step team, cheerleading squads or other student groups who are interested in performing on May 3, please email Suzanne Wells, W6PSPO, at m.godec@att.net.
Capitol Hill Community Foundation Spring 2023 Grants
The Capitol Hill Community Foundation's Spring 2023 Seasonal Grant deadline is Monday, March 27, at 6 p.m. The Foundation has been very generous to our schools over many years. These grants are for up to $2,500. Please consider ways your school community could benefit from receiving a grant. These grants are awarded in May.
There’s no better time to become a Girl Scout!
Families of girls in grades K-3 are invited to join our Girl Scout Troop start-up! Learn about the GS Promise and Law, do crafts, sing songs, and learn all about being a Girl Scout Parents are invited to attend as well! For more information and to sign up, contact Annette Rollins, membership specialist, at 202-274-3321 or arollins@gscnc.org The membership fee is $25. Use this link to sign-up, pay the fee or request financial assistance. In the search box, type J.O. Wilson and click +sign to create a family account.