Principal's Message October 23-27

Dear Peabody and Watkins community,

I hope all caregivers and teachers were able to connect around our students' achievement and well-being this week. Thank you teachers for preparing and meeting with every family that attended. And thank you to our families for balancing watching your kids while also making time to meet with our teachers. A strong partnership between families and school makes for strong outcome for our students.

Our Peabody Book Fair is NEXT WEEK! Please spend a little extra time at drop off and pick up to shop our book fair on the 1st floor.

We are also excitedly preparing for our first Spirit Week (Oct 30 - Nov 3.). Feel the spirit early by participating in our Cluster Kickball game, Oct 29 (see flier below). On Oct 31 we will have our annual Book Character Parade at both campuses and at Watkins we'll celebrate our Anti-Bullying Door Decorating Contest and Poster and Essay Campaign.

For Watkins families: to see whole-school announcements on ClassDojo, please use this link. It's come to our attention that not everyone received it the first time.

We are preparing to honor Veteran's Day in November. We're asking all families that can spare or print a picture of their service/family member, their service, and the relationship to the Peabody or Watkins student (for example: "John Smith, WWII grandfather of Judy, 2nd Grade"), we are working on something to share in the future. Please bring those pictures and descriptions into the main office or your homeroom teacher.

Link to our cluster calendar!

Quick look ahead. Click above to see details:

The Peabody Scholastic fall book fair is here! October 23-27th families can shop the fair before and after school. Look in your child's take home folder for more information about the fair.

To our families: I want to thank you for making our new dismissal and arrival procedures a success for students, families and teachers. Our staff reports loving being able to connect with caregivers each day. The one-way traffic has significantly reduced congestion and provided a safer E St for everyone.

For drivers: here are few notes to make the procedures even better:

• If you can, please drop off going one-way, just like pick up. We won't have the cones or Traffic Guard Nicole stopping folks in the mornings, but overall, it's safer for you and your kids to get out of your cars on the Watkins side.
• Do NOT make U-turns on E st. Please go to the end of the street and turn in the direction of your next stop. U-turns are dangers.
• If you need to stop in the office or talk with someone for an extended time, please park on 12th ST, do not double park for a long time on E St. Extended time double parked leads to congestion and frustration for families and neighbors.

For student walkers: student safe the is the school's responsibility until we pass care off to families. Walkers must walk home (or another caregiver-approved location) at dismissal. Walkers cannot walk to a parent's car around the corner (this scenario is a parent pick up and parents should pick up on the field). Walkers cannot stay on the school field unaccompanied by a non-staff adult. Students are welcome to return to the school field or playground after they check in with their adult, at which point the school has passed care to that adult.

The library is hosting three after-school clubs:

• Harry Potter Club (2nd, 3rd and 4th graders)
• Dog Man Club (2nd and 3rd graders), and
• Library Club (4th and 5th graders).

Membership lists have been posted at school and on ClassDojo. Ms. Langley will communicate about clubs on ClassDojo. Ms. Langley can be reached by text at 202-200-2492 and email cory.langley@k12.dc.gov.

October 13

3rd grade 9:15am

2nd grade 10am

October 18

5th grade 10am

4th grade 9:15am

October 27

1st grade 9:15am

Click here to join the meeting - we will use the same link to access ALL of the grade level meetings.

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