Principal's Message Dec 11 - 15

Dear Peabody and Watkins community,

Our 2023 is beginning to wrap up but the great work our kiddos are doing continues! The latest edition of the Panther Press was published this week! It's our new school newspaper led by 4th graders and under the advisement of Ms. Sullivan.

We are also encouraging all students to enter the Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest for a chance to win cash prize but a guaranteed worthwhile learning experience.

Our 3rd- 5th grade students can also begin trying out for the newest club at Watkins, our Cheer Team. See details below!

And at Peabody, we held our latest Rock the Red, school-wide community meeting today to preview our Winter Concert at Watkins (see flier below.)

At both schools, our lost and found needs some attention! Please check by the C st door at Peabody and the vestibule in the gym at Watkins for any lost or missing items. If any caregivers are willing to spend a few minutes folding missing clothes it'll make it even easier for them to be found. Just let the security team know you're here to help. For all items students bring to school, labeling them with your child's name will help them be returned when lost!

Here are the key dates remaining for 2023:

Dec 8-10 - Stuart Hobson presents, "The Adams Family Musical" with special feeder school event with Principal Fraser after the Saturday show. (See flier below).

Dec 14 - Peabody and Watkins Panther Family Show, our Winter Concert! All PK-5th graders to perform!

Dec 18 - 21 - Get ready for sprit week!

Dec 22 - Jan 2 No school for Winter Break. Class resumes January 3.

Please see below for more information about:

• The Panther Family Show - Winter Concert!
• The Adams Family at Stuart Hobson this weekend!
• Cluster Equity Survey
  
• Sprit Week, Dec 18-21
• SEL Tips on Instagram
• Peabody, Watkins, and Stuart Hobson Open Houses
  
• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr Essay Contest
  
• Anti-Racist Anti-Bias Curriculum Extension update for Peabody
• Peabody traffic pattern and door issues

Tell us your thoughts about how equity and inclusion issues impact our school community.

Responses to this survey are anonymous. We are not collecting names or other personal identifying information. The Equity Team, including school leaders, will share a summary of results and use the information to develop and evaluate caregiver-led and school-based equity initiatives. As we undertake this work, it is crucial that we hear a wide variety of voices and viewpoints. For this reason, the survey will be open through December 2023.

The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. You can access using the QR code below. We appreciate your time and thank you in advance for your participation.

I hope you all saw the new "highlight" on our Instagram page, SEL Tips. Dr. Gardner, our school psychologist, has some coping skills tips for families to practice on their own to support the work we're doing with students at school. Check it on our Instagram homepage!

Hello Families,

We look forward to welcoming new families to our schools. Please promote the below flyers broadly within your networks.

Peabody is implementing an Anti-Racism and Anti-Bias curriculum extension this school year. For more information, visit our website.

This week we read: It’s OK to be Different by Sharon Purtill

Some discussion questions you could have with your child at home are: Are we all the same? What ways are we the same and different?

DC’s Urban Forestry Arborist, Alexander Grieve from Ward 6, recently visited our PreK3 classes as they ended their Tree Studies unit. During the visit, he engaged with the children on various aspects of trees, including caring for them, what grows in trees, animals inhabiting them, the growth and changes of trees, identifying different parts of trees and identifying various leaves. PreK3 thoroughly enjoyed their visit!

Peabody families - we've experienced some confusion as a result of our malfunctioning doors and door bell situation. We have escalated this issue as urgently as possible, but there hasn't been any resolution yet. I even walked through the issue with some DGS folks this week to emphasize the problem. When the doorbell doesn't work, we need to position staff at the door in order to open it, and thankfully our security officers have been helping significantly. To clarify which doors to use and when:

For arrival, 8:30 - 9am only, students and caregivers can arrive through the 5th St NE door.

At all other times, students and caregivers should use the C St NE door. This includes pick up for aftercare.

4th Street Access to Peabody

Starting on Monday, we will open the southernmost gate on the playground for drop off and arrival. Our custodians will unlock the gate at 8:30 and 2:50 and re-lock it 30 minutes later. If used, this additional access point for drivers should alleviate some traffic issues and will hopefully be a more convenient route for drivers heading southbound after their stop at Peabody.

There is signed 15 minute parking on 4th street and we have knocked on our neighbors' doors and shared this information with them. During two checks this week, the parking spaces were open and available.

We are looking for caregivers to help out in classrooms throughout the building – not just in your child’s class! Teachers need help with a variety of tasks throughout the day (e.g., book repair, lunch coverage, cutting out materials, center/small group help, etc.). Extended family members are welcome. Regular shifts are preferred and require DCPS clearance.

Please complete this form if you are interested in helping.

We have been promoting this essay contest to students this past week. 4th or 5th graders may be interested. Please provide support at home and/or connect with Ms. Pullings.

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

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.

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