The Cardinal Connection

August 17th: New Student/Family Orientation and Building Tour @ 5:30 PM

August 18th: New Student /Family Orientation and Building Tour @5:30PM

August 25th: Staff/Family/Student Meet and Greet and Ice Cream Social 1PM-2PM

August 29th: First Day of School for Students in Kindergarten-5th Grade

September 1st: First Day of School for Pre-K 3 and Pre-K4 students

September 5th: Labor Day Holiday...No school for students, teachers, and staff

September 6th: After School Programming Begins

September 22nd: Back to School Night 6 PM-8 PM

September 28th: Virtual Principal Chat @ 6 PM

Cardinal Families,

As the Principal of J.O. Wilson Elementary School, it is my pleasure to welcome new and returning families back to a great year at JOW. I hope you are enjoying the remaining days of summer and are relaxed, recharged, and ready to start a new school year. I am so delighted that you are part of our amazing learning community, where we welcome and value your positive energy and dedication to excellence in education. I look forward to working with each and every cardinal student and family member again this year.

We have been working tirelessly over the summer to ensure that we will be fully ready to welcome our cardinals back to school on August 29th. As a reminder, the first day of school for our students in grades Kindergarten - 5th grade is Monday, August 29th, and the first day of school for students in Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 is Thursday, September 1st. Our staff eagerly awaits to witness the love, laughter, energy, joy, and enthusiasm that our students bring each day.

To stay in the know of what is taking place here at J.O. Wilson, please be sure to have an updated cell phone number and email address to receive information via our Blackboard messaging system as well as our weekly bulletin, The Cardinal Connection. Also, remember to visit our website (https://www.jowilsondcps.org/) regularly for current news and upcoming events.

As I've stated countless times before, it is both an honor and privilege to serve as the principal of J.O. Wilson Elementary School. Being a part of a school community where students, teachers, and parents care for each other and strive to build meaningful relationships that support academic and social-emotional growth in a manner that allows our students to S.O.A.R. is indeed an honor. Please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, or concerns at (202) 698-4733 or via email at mitchell.brunson@k12.dc.gov. Again, I look forward to partnering with you and assisting each student to meet his or her academic goals.

Cardinals let’s make it an awesome year as we continue to S.O.A.R.

Educationally yours,

Mitchell V. Brunson

Principal

From left to right below we virtually introduce you to Mr. Sean Bellamy (Assistant Principal) Ms. Tracey Ndenecho (Assistant Principal) and Mr. Mitchell Brunson (Principal).

New Cardinal Families,

Please come out and join us to learn more about the exciting programs and offerings that we have here at J.O. Wilson ES. New Cardinal orientation is set for August 17th and 18th at 5:30 PM. We look forward to seeing you there. You can RSVP here https://forms.office.com/r/GH4G7ihzLF

Each year we place a tremendous amount of time, energy, effort, and thought into the process of student class assignments for the school year. It is a lengthy, complicated and thorough process, which is essential in creating well-balanced classes. Careful consideration is given with input from our staff as we strive to balance each class by looking at various demographics such as the boy/girl ratios, academic abilities, health concerns, behavior issues, languages spoken, and students with special needs. Our class lists are structured to provide equitable class sizes at each grade level and moving students is difficult without causing imbalances and inequities.

The placement of students each year is a task that our staff takes very seriously. Given the many variables that go into the careful consideration and make-up of each class, we are not able to take parent requests for a specific teacher and teachers can not guarantee a particular placement for a child. Class placements are a team effort and are often times not final until the first day of school. These procedures are carefully refined and implemented and we strive to ensure that we create the most supportive and optimal learning environment for all of the students at J.O. Wilson ES. As always, please feel free to email me at mitchell.brunson@k12.dc.gov with any questions or concerns regarding this matter

*** Masks are optional and no longer required. We will however offer and provide any student a mask if they would like**

At J.O. Wilson ES, we are proud to offer one of the largest after-school programs in the city. In order to be able to offer after-school programming to over 300 students, we partner with external organizations to be able to provide more programming options to more students and families. Please see below for a breakdown of what partners support which grades.

• Polite Piggy's provides after-school programming to 101 total students in grades PK3, PK4, and Kindergarten.
• The DCPS after-school program supports and provides after-school programming to 100 students in grades 1st and 2nd.
• Kid Power supports and provides after-school programming to 150 students in grades 3rd-5th.

* Families with children in different grades, you will need to register for the programs that support your student's grade level for the upcoming school year.

For the upcoming school year, we are excited to partner with Polite Piggy's as our provider for after-school programming for students in grades PK3, PK4, and Kindergarten. Please see the information and the graphic below to learn more about registration and to learn more about the robust programming that will be provided.

Learn More About Polite Piggy's Below. Be sure to Connect and Follow

Visit the Polite Piggys website: https://politepiggys.com/

Send Polite Piggys an email: https://politepiggys.com/locations-contact/

Like and Connect with Polite Piggy's on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/politepiggys

Follow Polite Piggy's on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/politepiggy/

Registration for Polite Piggy's is open and taking students on a first come first basis. Click here https://www.ezchildtrack.com/parent3/ParentLogin.aspx?c=politepiggys to register.

Before you can register for afterschool programming, you have to complete enrollment for the upcoming school year. Enrollment forms can be submitted electronically at https://enrolldcps.dc.gov/node/71. Please email, Ms. Talisa Stephenson, at jowilsonesenroll@k12.dc.gov if you need help completing the electronic enrollment packet or if you cannot access the electronic submission process.

DCPS afterschool programs allow students to participate in academic and extracurricular enrichment activities and to develop new hobbies and skills. DCPS teachers, paraprofessionals, and afterschool partner organizations provide a variety of unique programming options to students. Registration is now open for DCPS rising 1st and 2nd-grade students only on a first come first serve basis. If you are interested in registering, you can complete the OSTP registration form on your phone, computer, or tablet, and translated documents in Spanish, Amharic, and Chinese are available.

Registration for Kid-Power is now open. Please see below for a brief description of the Kid Power.

Kid Power at J. O. Wilson serves a total of 150 students in grades 3rd-5th. Students in grades 3rd-5th grade participate in the After School program with Kid Power. Kid Power inspires youth leadership by promoting academic advancement, physical and emotional wellness, and positive civic engagement in underserved communities throughout the District of Columbia. Kid Power embraces youth voice and believes that every young person can become an informed and engaged advocate for change in their own lives and in their communities.

New for the 2022-2023 School Year, all students ages 12 and older are required to have the COVID-19 vaccine to attend school. If you need a COVID-19 vaccine or booster, visit your local COVID Center.

Put Vaccines on Your Back-to-School List: To attend school, families are required to submit their student’s up-to-date immunization record by the first day of school. Vaccinations are critical for preventing disease and reducing the dangers that can come with being exposed to certain diseases. You can find a list of required immunizations for your child according to their age by viewing this helpful flyer from DC Health.

If you have not already submitted your child’s immunization records to your school, here is what you need to do now:

1. Make an appointment with your child’s doctor. DC offers resources to help you find a health provider if you do not have health insurance.

2. Have the doctor complete DC’s Universal Health Certificate, available here. Your health provider may also provide a different proof of immunization document or an exemption explanation.

3. Submit your immunization paperwork to your child’s school. You can drop it off at your school or call the school’s main office if you have questions about how to submit your form.

Where to Obtain a Vaccine: The best place for DC families to access childhood immunizations is at their primary medical provider. If a family does not have a health care provider for their child or has difficulty securing an appointment before the first day of school, they can select one from a list of pediatric locations, located in every ward. There are DCPS School Based Health Centers to consider on that list, and mobile units that will visit schools through August and September.

For more information on obtaining immunizations by the first day of school, visit dcpsreopenstrong.com/vaccines.