SHMS Family Newsletter

Greetings Stuart-Hobson community,

Thank you to everyone for showing our teachers and staff some extra love, gratitude, and appreciation last week. We had a great time celebrating throughout the week and it was an energizing way to build community as we enter the final stretch of the school year! Also, Happy Mother's Day to all of the moms and motherly figures among us, I hope that you all are recognized and appreciated by your families today.

Sign up for next Sunday's Capitol Hill Classic 10K, 3K, and/or Fun Run or sponsor one of our runners or teams. This is also a great opportunity help us reach our next benchmark goal of having 75% of students enrolled for next year by completing your enrollment online, or contact the main office for support as soon as possible.

Let's have another great week together, only five and a half to go!

Warm regards,

Eric Fraser

Principal

You can add additional preferred e-mail addresses to the distribution list here.

As a reminder, all current and past newsletters are posted on our website for your reference.

You can unsubscribe by scrolling to the bottom of any newsletter and pressing 'Unsubscribe'

Monday

• A great instructional day!
• PARCC Make-up Testing

Tuesday

• A great instructional day!
• PARCC Make-up Testing

Wednesday

• A great instructional day!
  
• PARCC Make-up Testing

Thursday

• A great instructional day!
• PARCC Make-up Testing
• Community Discussion: Structural Racism: Historical Roots & Contemporary Impacts, 6:00-7:30 PM (SHMS)
  

Friday

• A great instructional day!
• PARCC Make-up Testing

Sunday

• May 21, Capitol Hill Classic 10K, 3K, and Fun Run

Upcoming Dates

• May 25, Community Discussion: Remediating Structural Racism, 6:00-7:30 PM (SHMS)

• May 26, Final day to checkout books from SHMS library for SY 2022-23

• May 29, Memorial Day observed, schools closed

• June 1, Community Discussion: The Origins of Race and Racism, 6:00-7:30 PM (SHMS)
  

• June 5-9, College & Career Week

• June 6, Student-Athlete Awards Ceremony (rescheduled), 6:00 pm

• June 8, Community Discussion: Strategies for Remediating Racism - facilitated by the Cluster Equity Team, 6:00-7:30 PM (SHMS)
  

• June 9-11, "SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical"

• June 13, 8th Grade Dinner Cruise & Dance

• June 19, Juneteenth observed, schools closed

• June 21, 8th Grade Promotion

• June 22, Last day of school, students

• June 23, End of Term 4, Records-Keeping and PD Day, teachers & staff

• August 7-11, Panther Pride Academy (summer bridge for rising 6th graders)

Participation Forms

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.

1. MS/ES Participation Packet

Click on the link below to submit the athletic forms online.

https://dcgov.seamlessdocs.com/f/0cnnnbhmck7h

Boys' Cross-Country: DCIAA 2nd Place

Girls Soccer: Advanced to the DCIAA Semi-Finals

Volleyball: Advanced to the DCIAA Semi-Finals

Archery: Advanced to the DCIAA Semi-Finals

Girls Basketball: Advanced to the DCIAA Semi-Finals

Boys Basketball: Advanced to the DCIAA Semi-Finals

* RESCHEDULED DATE: June 6, Student-Athlete Awards Ceremony @ SHMS 6:00 pm

*Individual participation awards

*Most valuable player award

*Most improved player

*Newcomer of the year

*Academic scholar of the year

*Student-Athlete of the year

Football

Tuesday: 3:45pm - 6:00pm (Practice)

Wednesday: 3:45pm - 6:00pm (Practice)

Head Coach: Stanley Stancil

Email: sstancil1@gmail.com

Baseball

Monday: 3:30pm - 5:00pm (Practice)

Tuesday: Stuart-Hobson vs. Eliot-Hine @ Eliot Hine 4:00pm (Game)

Wednesday: 3:30pm - 5:00pm (Practice)

Head Coach: William Harrison

Email: williamh696@gmail.com

Outdoor Track & Field

Monday: 3:45pm - 5:00pm (Practice)

Wednesday: 3:45pm - 5:00pm (Practice)

Thursday: 3:45pm - 5:00pm (Practice)

Head Coach: Taurus McGhee

Email: Taurus.mcghee@dc.gov

Head Coach: Mark Smith

Email: Mark.smith3@k12.dc.gov

Assistant Coach: Tyler Smith

Email: Tyler.Smith@k12.dc.gov

Unified Basketball

Practice: TBA

Head Coach: Tomicula Williams

Email: Tomicula.Williams@k12.dc.gov

Athletic Coaches Vacancies

Head Boys Soccer Coach

Head Softball Coach

Updated calendars for DCPS are available at this link.

SY 2022-23 Calendar

SY 2023-24 Calendar

School meal menus can be found here: dcps.dc.gov/menus

This week is DCPS Partner Appreciation Week. We are very grateful for our partnerships with City Year, Department of Behavioral Health, and Communities in Schools Nations Capital, and After School All stars, four organizations that staff full-time employees in our building to work with students every day! Thank you to Ms. Grace, Ms. Matty, Ms. Harrington, Mr. Diego and the whole After School All Stars crew for your partnership and service to our students every day!

A big thank you to our PARCC Testing Team - AP Turner, Ms. Schimmerling, Ms. Williams, Ms. Tomlinson, and Ms. Grime - for organizing this year's test plan and making sure that staff received all necessary training, resources and accommodations were available, and students experienced focused testing environments throughout the last month. We appreciate your extra efforts and supports to make this happen!

Thank you to the Cluster PTA's Race, Class, and Equity Committee for organizing the "Equity at the Capitol Hill Cluster School" series and Thursday's kick-off event. A special shout-out to SHMS parent Ayo Magwood for offering time and expertise as a speaker and facilitator! We hope to increase family and staff participation in subsequent events over the next few weeks!

Shout out to AP Turner and Ms. Dixon for leading us in surpassing our first enrollment benchmark of having 60% of families enrolled. We seek to make it 100% of the way to our target of 443 students by mid-June. Please help us by completing your enrollment soon!

Grade Level Enrollment (rising grades)

6th: 61%

7th: 73%

8th: 68%

Overall: 69%

The Capitol Hill Classic is a fun run, 3k, and 10k that raises money for Stuart Hobson Middle School and the other Cluster schools! This event is not just for runners! There are four ways to get involved and make a difference for our students!

• Donate directly to our Stuart Hobson Middle School pledge page. Panther Pride! Donate in honor of your favorite SHMS club or sport. The club or team that raises the most money wins a pizza party! Select which team or club you want to honor when donating.
• Set up your student's pledge page and share with friends and family to raise money for Stuart Hobson! If your Panther raises $50 they get to run the race for free! Individuals can also win fun prizes like off-campus lunch! Individual's can also raise money on behalf of their favorite club or team to win more prizes! Simply select "+add to group" on your individual page to add your favorite team/club to honor when soliciting pledges.
• Donate your time! Volunteer time slots are available before, during, and after the race!
• Register for the race - walk, run, sprint your way around Capitol Hill and have a fun Sunday with old and new friends!

Show your Panther Pride these next two weeks! There are four ways to win! Individual prizes, Team/Club Prizes, Grade Level Prizes...and Stuart Hobson and our students win with every dollar raised!

Get all the information here!

Estas invitado a nuestra próxima reunión del Comité de Familias Latinas de DCPS este martes 16 de mayo de 5:00 a 6:00pm en Zoom: bit.ly/elcomitedcps. Esta reunión va a ser completamente en español.

La sesión incluirá:

• Información sobre los Programas Académicos de Verano para Estudiantes de Inglés (ELSAP). ¡Todavía hay espacios disponibles!

• También se compartirá información para los estudiantes matriculados en el programa de Aprendizaje En Verano de Primaria (este programa ya está lleno).

• ¡Contestaremos sus preguntas sobre ambos programas!

You are invited to our next DCPS Latino Families Committee meeting this Tuesday, May 16th from 5:00 to 6:00pm at Zoom: bit.ly/elcomitedcps. This meeting will be completely in Spanish.

The session will include:

• Information about English Language Learner Summer Academic Programs (ELSAP) - spots are still available!

• Information will also be shared for students enrolled in the Elementary Summer Learning Program (this program is already full).

• We'll answer your questions about both programs!

Online orders are closed. If you would still like to preorder a yearbook, have your child bring $20 cash to Ms. Smith, either at phone collection in the morning or in room #314. Receipts will be provided and yearbooks will be distributed in June.

Thursdays, 6:00–7:30 PM @Stuart Hobson Middle School and on Teams

Childcare and dinner will be available for younger children. SHMS Eighth Grade Students are encouraged to attend with an adult caregiver.

Registration: https://bit.ly/40OCVCH Registration is recommended but not required.

Session 1. May 11. Equity at the Cluster Showcase

● How did equity drive the Cluster School formation?

● What is the Cluster’s equity agenda?

● How is our equity work related to structural racism?

Hear from the CHCS Equity Team and join an expert-led discussion with Ayo Magwood of Uprooting Inequity LLC.

Session 2. May 18. Historical and Structural Racism

75-minute presentation + Q&A. What are the historical roots of structural racism? Why didn’t civil rights legislation end racism?

Session 3: May 25. Remediating Structural Racism

75-minute presentation + Q&A. How do we remediate structural racism? How do we foster the cross-ideological solidarity needed to do so? (Session 2 is a prerequisite for this session.)

Session 4: June 1. The Origins of Race and Racism

75-minute presentation + Q&A. Why did we invent races and institutionalized racism? Why do societies invent races?

Session 4: June 8. CHCS Dialogue

90-minute dialogue. How do we use the recommended principles and frameworks to remediate structural inequities in CHCS and our communities?

Ayo Magwood (Uprooting Inequity LLC) specializes in ideologically-neutral and empirically-based education on historical and structural racism. She breaks down scholarly research, primary sources, data, and abstract concepts into engaging narratives and diagrams. Analyzing these root causes allows us to work together ‘across difference’ to remediate structural inequities and unequal access to opportunity. Ayo was recognized as a leading expert on social justice teaching in an April 2023 Harvard Educational Review journal article.

Ayo has a B.A. in economics and international relations from Brown University and a M.Sc. in applied economics from Cornell University. She is the author of “Why ‘Elite’ Independent Schools Can’t Retain Black and Brown Faculty” in Anti-Oppressive Education in “Elite” Schools (2021), co-author of “5 Ways to Teach About Structural Racism in Polarized Times” in Psychology Today (2022), and co-author of “Using Conceptual Tensions and Supreme Court Cases to Increase Critical Thinking in Government and Civics Classrooms” in Social Education (2013).

You can find previously released newsletters and information here.

The most current version of the Student & Family Handbook is linked on our website.

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

This is a reminder that the school's Lost and Found is located in the main lobby. We will donate anything that is not claimed at the end of May and belongings continue piling up (photo above). Per our school policy, we collaborate with the PTA to donate any unclaimed clothing around the end of each term.

If your student is missing anything, or you recognize any clothing in the recent photos below, please stop by or encourage your student to check the lost and found and retrieve their belongings.

Dear Stuart-Hobson MS Parents and Families:

The safety of our students is always a high priority for us here at Stuart-Hobson Middle School. One of the best ways to ensure a safe school environment is to practice our emergency drills and procedures. District of Columbia law requires our school conduct several drills throughout the school year, one of which is a Lockdown Drill.

A Lockdown Drill is used to secure our school building and campus during incidents that pose an immediate threat of violence in and around the school. During a lockdown, teachers and staff quickly clear hallways and lock or secure classroom doors. Additionally, no one is allowed to enter or exit the building. Parents and/or guardians will not be permitted to enter and should not come to the school during a lockdown.

While we cannot always inform parents when we conduct a drill, this message is to inform you that our school will conduct a Lockdown Drill on Friday, May 5th at 2:45 PM. This routine exercise protects our school community from potential dangers in the building or campus. Please know that every school in DCPS is required to complete two lockdown drills per year.

We are sharing the information in advance so families will not be alarmed if they hear about the drill from their child during the day or when they come home from school. We encourage you to talk to your child about the exercise and reassure them that this is being done to help keep them safe and that they should not be scared or stressed about practicing these emergency procedures. We hope there will never be a time when we must face an actual emergency. However, by practicing drills, we prepare our students and staff to remain calm and take proper action if an emergency arises.

The safety of our students is our priority, and drills like this one help our school community prepare in case of an emergency. Please call the school office with questions at 202-671-6010 or contact me via email at eric.fraser@k12.dc.gov

I appreciate your support.

The attendance team has organized an attendance challenge for first period classes for the next four weeks. Each week, the 1st period class in each grade level with the highest attendance will be eligible for awards like a pizza party, gift card raffle, and a Union Station lunch trip. Please remind students that on-time arrival to school and first period is essential for setting the tone and succeeding all day long!

Please contact Ms. Lovelock or Ms. Hargrove with any questions.

Calling all parents, SHMS alums, and family friends!

We are planning to engage students with guest speaker appearances during the week of June 5-9. We would like to expose students to stories and learning about post-secondary opportunities. If you or someone you know is attending a post-secondary institution, has recently graduated, and/or works in a field that students would be interested in learning more about please contact Ms. Lovelock to schedule a time to visit one or more of our classes. Please email her at tamara.lovelock@k12.dc.gov

We are planning for speakers to join classes any day that week and anytime between 9:00-1:00 PM. The minimum commitment would be one hour and we can share more information and guidance once guests are registered to attend.

Thank you for considering!

Fiscal Year 2024 school budgets were recently published for all DCPS schools. Our recruitment and hiring processes are underway for the positions listed below. Some of these positions will be added to our budget this year, others reflect expected staff shifts and transitions. Please share this list of opportunities with colleagues and acquaintances who would be a great fit for our school community. In addition to applying to the DCPS pool of applicants by following the links below, interested candidates can express their interest in an opportunity by emailing our hiring team and/or Principal Fraser.

Aide, Administrative

Assistant Principal, 6th Grade Academy

Coordinator, Special Education (shared with Peabody-Watkins ES)

Custodian, RW-5

Social Worker (shared with Peabody-Watkins ES)

School Psychologist

Teacher, Social Studies

Teacher, Special Education - Inclusion

Thanks everyone for spreading the word about these opportunities!

I am so excited to report that 55% of families have already enrolled for the upcoming school year! If your student is joining us next year, please complete your enrollment online or by contacting the main office for support as soon as possible. Again, we hope to have at least 75% of our students enrolled for next year by the end of this week!

Currently, grade level progress to enrollment stands as follows:

Rising 6th grade: 45%

Rising 7th grade: 61%

Rising 8th grade: 53%

Thank you for being a part of DCPS this school year, and we look forward to welcoming your family again next year. If you haven’t already, be sure to first learn about your in-boundary school and feeder school. If you received a lottery match – congratulations! To secure your seat at your matched school, you must complete enrollment by Monday, May 1.

Enrollment can be completed in the following three steps:

1. Complete the DCPS enrollment packet.

2. Provide proof of DC residency.

3. Submit your completed enrollment packet to your DCPS school.

We want to support you with enrollment, so if you need assistance, please contact your school or the DCPS Enrollment Team at enroll@k12.dc.gov.

The Cluster is partnering with expert Ayo Magwood on a series examining structural racism in the US. The first of these events will highlight the Cluster's equity journey and feature a discussion with Ayo on structural racism.

These hybrid sessions will be hosted in person at Stuart-Hobson MS and virtually on Teams. SHMS eighth graders are encouraged to attend with an adult caregiver. Childcare and dinner will be available for younger children. All sessions from 6:00-7:30 pm. You can register here.

Thurs, May 11 - Equity at the Cluster: Past, Present, and Future - Featuring Ayo Magwood of Uprooting Inequity
Thurs, May 18 - Structural Racism: Historical Roots & Contemporary Impacts
Thurs, May 25 - Remediating Structural Racism
Thurs, June 1 - The Origins of Race and Racism
Thurs, June 8 - Strategies for Remediating Racism -Facilitated by the Cluster Equity Team

Applications are now open for the DCPS Chancellor Ferebee’s Parent Advisory Board for the 2023 - 2024 school year. Applications are available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Vietnamese and Amharic (see attached flyers). For more information, visit: bit.ly/dcpschancellorparentboard.

Amharic: https://bit.ly/amhdcpsparentadvisoryboard23

Chinese: https://bit.ly/chidcpsparentadvisoryboard23

English: https://bit.ly/dcpsparentadvisoryboard23

French: https://bit.ly/fredcpsparentadvisoryboard23

Spanish: https://bit.ly/spadcpsparentadvisoryboard23

Vietnamese: https://bit.ly/vietdcpsparentadvisoryboard23

Dear DCPS Community,

I am writing to share updates to the DC Public Schools (DCPS) calendar for the upcoming 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, including an adjustment to the first day of school.

At DCPS, we work to develop a calendar that reflects the needs and preferences of families and staff, honors agreements with our labor partners, and adheres to the requirements of local regulations. To learn about our community’s calendar preferences, we engaged over 1,300 community members representing every DCPS school to provide feedback on the calendars that were released last spring.

Thank you to those who participated!

The recently passed Elections Modernization Amendment Act of 2021 necessitates a shift in the upcoming school year calendars as it requires DCPS to close on DC’s primary election day in June. As we explored options for this adjustment, we prioritized the feedback from the initial development of a calendar that included ending school prior to the Juneteenth holiday and minimizing the number of partial weeks.

Please note the following adjustments:

School Year 2023-2024

• School will start on Monday, August 28, 2023, instead of Tuesday, August 29.

• Tuesday, January 2, 2024, will be a professional development day for staff. There are no changes to the announced student schedule for winter break; classes will resume on Wednesday, January 3, 2024.

• Schools will be closed for teachers and students on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, for DC’s primary election day.

School Year 2024-2025

• School will start on Monday, August 26, 2024, instead of Tuesday, August 27.

• Friday, January 17, 2025, will be a professional development day. School will be closed for students.

• There is no DC primary election day in June 2025.

We also anticipate adjustments to the School Year 2025-2026 calendar, and we are working with city leadership to finalize those updates. It is our hope that sharing this information supports your planning for the years ahead with DCPS. You can review updated school calendars at dcps.dc.gov/page/dcps-calendars.

Sincerely,

Lewis D. Ferebee, Ed.D.

Chancellor

After a COVID hiatus, the Stuart-Hobson Yearbook is back! See below to order yours today. Select your student's first period teacher when completing the order form. Reach out to Molly Smith molly.smith@k12.dc.gov with any questions.

Every summer, DC Public Schools (DCPS) offers summer learning opportunities for elementary, middle, and high school students. Students who take part in summer programming can form new friendships, strengthen academic skills, and prepare for the year ahead. There is no cost to attend a DCPS summer program!

From acceleration academies for elementary students, career exploration for middle schoolers, or credit courses for high school students—there is something for every DCPS student this summer.

Most programs will take place on weekdays between July 3 to August 4 for full or half-days and include breakfast and lunch.

There is also a focused English Learner Summer Academic Program for students learning English, an Extended School Year opportunity for students named by Individualized Education Plan (IEP) teams, and credit accelerators and credit recovery for high school students. Students eligible for these summer programs will hear directly from their school.

Additionally, rising 6th and 9th graders will have the opportunity to attend a “summer bridge” week at their new middle or high school this August. Please take time to check out the DCPS Family Guide for Summer Learning and explore the options available to you.

Registration for students currently in PK4 to 8th Grade is now open.

Click the registration button at dcpsstrong.com/summer, and you can complete the sign-up form on a phone, tablet, or computer.

Camp Forget-Me-Not/Camp Erin DC is a free bereavement camp for youth who are grieving the death of a significant person in their lives. Campers enjoy a full day of traditional camp activities and grief-focused workshops to help them explore a variety of ways to express themselves while developing skills in a safe, supportive environment. All the activities are specially designed to help campers express themselves and develop bonds with others. The Wendt Center believes that grief impacts the entire family system, therefore a portion of each session is dedicated to intentionally integrating caregivers and family members.

Did you know all District residents who access healthcare services via DC Medicaid, Alliance, or the Immigrant Children’s Program must start renewing their health coverage again? Don’t miss out on important information- take time today to update your address, phone number, and email at districtdirect.dc.gov so the Department of Health Care Finance knows where to send your Medicaid renewal letter. If you need help, please call the Public Benefits Call Center at (202) 727-5355.

Join us to craft (or just doodle!), chat, and have community with each other! Crafts provided!

When: Wednesdays 3:30-4:30pm

Where: Office #117

Why: To have fun, relax, and craft!

Who: YOU! ALL students are welcome!

Questions? See Ms. Harrington (kimberly.harrington@dc.gov, office #221)

Please use this link to register for the SHMS chapter of We The Girls!

Contact Ms. Rouse or Ms. Bonner with questions or requests for more information.

Stuart Hobson Debate Team Tournament Schedule 2022-2023

Tournaments start at 8:30 am and end (roughly) by 5:30 pm
Breakfast and lunch are provided
Participants are responsible for transportation to and from host sites. Should a last-minute change in location occur, every effort will be made to spread the information.

Questions? Contact Mr. Plaisted, kip.plaisted@k12.dc.gov

We encourage everyone to use the referral QR codes above to connect students with our school mental health team at any time throughout the year. Also, attached to the newsletter is a document outlining DCPS' approach to school mental health programs and support. If you have any questions please reach out to a school counselor, social worker, psychologist, or administrator.

We are excited for the return to frequent academic and incentive field trips and excursions with students! As communicated to students during our most recent Town Halls, field trips are a privilege and opportunity to deepen learning and community connections. As such, we expect students to meet certain criteria to maintain eligibility for trips. Please note that students may not participate in a trip if they do not meet all of the following criteria:

• Passing ALL classes
• In-seat Attendance (ISA) is 90%+
• Fewer than 5 tardies (late arrival) to class per month
• Zero Tier 3-5 behavior infractions
• Fewer than 3 behavior referrals in term (or previous month)
• Mandatory testing (e.g. iReady, RI, etc.) complete

Administrators and teacher teams will review student eligibility prior to any scheduled trips. Please reach out to a grade-level administrator or field trip organizer with any questions about your student's participation or eligibility.

School uniforms are required while on school property, field trips (before or after school day hours), while attending After School All Stars and school-approved activities after 3:30 PM, unless athletic, dance or other specific apparel is required by the coach/leader.

Uniforms include:

o Long or short-sleeved solid red polo shirt/t-shirt. SHMS logo optional. Any non-SHMS logo on uniform shirts or sweatshirts must be the size of a $1 bill (1 dollar) or smaller

o Plain black cotton sweatshirts (front zip or pullover) and knit vests. No hoods.

o Khaki pants, skirts/shorts, worn at waist level.

o Comfortable closed-toed shoes or sneakers covering the entire foot. No sandals, slippers, or Crocs.

o Tops like crewneck t-shirts, sweaters, and sweatshirts (no hoods) that show school pride (e.g. SHMS or CHCS logos).

While students may wear some of the following to and from school, they are expected to avoid wearing all of the following during the school day, on trips, and in after-school activities:

• Hoods over student's heads while inside school,

• Outerwear like jackets, fleeces, parkas, windbreakers, etc.,

• Metal studs on headbands and other accessories

• Khaki-colored leggings/ tights (worn in place of Khaki pants).

• Small purses or fanny packs

An SHMS logo is NOT required for any uniform attire. School uniforms may be purchased via Lands End, Target, Old Navy and other retailers. More information regarding our school uniform policy will be shared via our school handbook.

Uniform Non-Compliance Policy

Students should comply with the uniform policy daily. Uniform policy violations can be documented in Live School. Some uniform deficiencies can be remedied by the support team but the loss of instructional time should be avoided when supporting students in complying with the policy. If for some reason a student is out of compliance in your classroom you may reach out to a grade-level administrator or dean for support or remedy. Patterns of infractions should be handled like other Tier 1 and 2 infractions outlined above in the “Disciplinary Policy” section.

Teachers, staff, and administrators will be monitoring adherence to the following policies as students return from the Winter Recess:

1. Crewneck / V-Neck sweaters and sweatshirts: Students may wear crewneck / V-neck sweaters or sweatshirts that are solid RED, BLACK, or WHITE. Sweaters and sweatshirts in those colors with a logo smaller than a dollar bill are also acceptable.

2. School gear: Students may wear sweaters, sweatshirts, t-shirts (long / short sleeved), and polos that display the school logo. The dollar-bill size logo is waived for clothing showing school / Cluster pride.

3. Not Allowed: There is no change to the policy on other colors, outerwear, or hoodies. Outerwear, hoodies, and shirts that are not red/black/white are NOT ALLOWED to be worn during the school day.

4. Lockers: Students are expected to visit their lockers four times a day - before school, before lunch, after lunch, and at the dismissal bell. Outerwear (may be retrieved for outdoor recess before lunch and returned after lunch) and backpacks should remain in lockers throughout the day.

Failure to adhere to the above policies will result in redirections, student conferences, parent conferences, and the temporary confiscation of belongings that are out of compliance with the policy.

Aspen Family Portal

Returning families should be able to access their account using their username and password from last school year. New families will receive an email from Aspen Family Portal when their family portal account is available to use.

The Portal allows you to keep up with progress in school - including grades, assignments, attendance, and more. The goal of DCPS' new digital portal is to create an open line of communication between home and school.

To Access the Portal:
1. Visit https://aspen.dcps.dc.gov
2. Make sure pop-up blocking is disabled for your browser
3. Your user name will be provided via email
4. Your temporary password will be provided via email
NOTE: Both user name and password are case sensitive
5. Click Log On to access the system. You will be prompted to fill out some information to change your password so that in the future you can click "I forgot my password" to receive a new password.

How to Navigate the Portal:
This flyer gives you the Parent Portal basics:

• What you need to know about the Parent Portal
• Lo que necesita saber sobre el Portal de Padres

We strongly recommend that families using iOS devices also download the "Grade Corner" app, which allows you to login to Aspen and monitor your student's grades and attendance in a streamlined app. The app was actually developed by an SHMS parent a few years ago.

Additionally, we will discuss student schedules during the family information sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday and hope you can join us for one of those virtual meetings!

DCPS is an inclusive school community and makes every effort to support all students. Below and attached are resources for LGBTQ+ youth, their families, and allies. We are grateful that Mr. Thrift is our liaison for this work at SHMS. Our Panther Pride club has resumed their meetings and you should expect more information in upcoming newsletters.

Please feel free to reach out to Mr. Thrift (contact information below) to support a student in building a relationship with this support network.

Email: john.thrift2@k12.dc.gov

Mobile: 202.703.4131

Office Hours: Mondays – 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Schedule a Conference with Mr. Thrift @ https://calendly.com/john-thrift2/30min

While some students regularly receive scheduled counseling and support from the many members of our mental health team, we want to remind everyone that all students are eligible to check-in with a social worker or counselor on an as needed basis too. If at any point in the school year you think that your student would benefit from the opportunity to meet or speak with a member of our team, please reach out to them directly or connect with a grade level administrator. We often help students navigate hardships like loss, grief, and change individually and in groups. Please reach out to a member of the team at any time if you would like to learn more!

Molly Smith, Social Worker, molly.smith@k12.dc.gov

Jessica Thompkins, Social Worker, jessica.thompkins@k12.dc.gov

Kimberly Harrington, DBH Social Worker, kimberly.harrington@dc.gov

Montrice Williams, CIS Social Worker, mwilliams@cisnationscapital.org

Jessica Schimmerling, Guidance Counselor, jessica.schimmerling@k12.dc.gov

Tomicula Willams, Guidance Counselor, tomicula.williams@k12.dc.gov

Kristin Dezen, kristin.dezen@k12.dc.gov

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