
The Cardinal Connection
July 24, 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:
August 24th: Ice Cream Social and Teacher Meet and Greet 2PM-3:30PM
August 28th: First Day of school for students in grades Kinder-5th grade.
August 31st: First Day of school for students in Pre-K3 & Pre-K4.
September 4th: Labor Day...No School for Students and Staff
September 5th: First Day of After-Care Programming
September 21st: Back to School Night 6:15PM-8PM
September 23rd: DCPS Back to School Block Party
Welcome Letter From Principal Brunson
Greetings J.O. Wilson Elementary School Families,
I hope that you’ve had a restful and relaxing summer and you’re preparing for a productive school year focused on educational excellence. Can you believe that in five weeks we will be opening our doors to welcome our students, families, and staff back to school? I continue to be honored and excited to be a member of the J.O. Wilson Family. As your principal, each day I look forward to continue to build and strengthen the relationships that we’ve begun building with all of our wonderful students, families, teachers, and talented staff.
As in previous years, we will continue our commitment to helping all children develop their intellectual capacity, academic skills, and social competence so that they will be prepared to effectively negotiate the demands associated with living in an ever-changing 21st century. By partnering with families, we will promote a healthy transition to school both socially and emotionally. We recognize that some students may be feeling anxious with the start of a new school year, and we will continue to place a strong emphasis on social emotional learning while focusing on building strong classroom communities.
Throughout the remainder of the summer we will be providing procedural, operational, and scheduling updates communicated to you via The Cardinal Connection. To stay abreast of what is taking place here at J.O. Wilson, please be sure to provide us with an updated cell phone number and email address so that you can receive the most up to date 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.
Enjoy the remainder of your summer and get ready to S.O.A.R. into an exciting and successful year.
Warm regards,
Mitchell V. Brunson
Principal, J.O. Wilson Elementary
Meet the J.O. Wilson Administrative Team!
J.O. Wilson New Family Play Date!
Whose Class Will My Student Be In This Year?
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
The After School Programs at J.O. Wilson ES
- Polite Piggy's provides after-school programming to students in grades PK3, PK4, and Kindergarten. (Polite Piggy's registration is guaranteed until Aug. 12th. Registration will close at 11:59PM on Aug. 12th)
- The DCPS after-school program supports and provides after-school programming to students in grades 1st and 2nd.
- Kid Power supports and provides after-school programming to students in grades 3rd-5th.
* Families with children in different grades will need to register for the program(s) that supports your student's grade level for the upcoming school year.
Polite Piggy's After-School Registration for grades PK3, PK4, and Kindergarten
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.
DCPS After-School Program Registration is for grades 1st and 2nd!
- Afterschool registration opened on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.
- Afterschool registration will take place online for students who have completed their 2023-2024 school day enrollment. REGISTER FOR AFTERSCHOOL: dcps.dc.gov/asp
- The online enrollment system works on a cellular device, computer, or tablet. If you lack access to any of these devices, computers will be available at your school. Please call your school to find out when you can come in to register. DC Public Libraries also have computers available for public use.
- Registration will be on a "first come, first serve basis."
- Families must have completed SY23-24 enrollment in Aspen to be eligible for afterschool program registration.
- Families receiving a "student match not found" message during registration may need to complete their SY23-24 school enrollment or wait for the next daily update.
Registration Notifications: Families who complete registration will receive an email informing them whether they have received a seat or have been added to the WAITLIST. Being on the WAITLIST does not guarantee a seat, but the Out of School Time Coordinators will use the registration timeline to determine final seating.
Accessible and Multilingual Registration: Families will have the convenience of accessing our online registration application from their cellular devices, tablets, or computers. The application is available in multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Amharic, and Chinese.
Kid-Power After School Programming for Grades 3rd-5th
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.