Hearst Weekly Update

Your kids may have come home telling you about a variety of assessments that they have been taking over the past weeks in their core subject classes. Developmentally appropriate assessments are used on an on-going basis to measure students' progress towards meeting standards, determine students' mastery of content, and determine the effectiveness of teaching. Three times a year, all K-3 students are assessed using the DIBELS and TRC assessments, as well as the iReady math assessment. Students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades are assessed using the Reading Inventory (RI) assessments, as well as the iReady math assessment. These assessments monitor each child’s individual progress in reading fluency, reading comprehension, and math, respectively. This year, with the implementation of a new writing program in K-5, we'll also be assessing students' writing abilities.

Students in third, fourth, and fifth grades also participate in student satisfaction surveys, as well as interim assessments over the course of the year. These interim assessments, given several times each year, align to the reading and math standards taught in each unit and skills presented on the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career (PARCC) test. The PARCC assessment is administered in the spring in third through fifth grades in English Language Arts and Mathematics. Fifth graders will also take the Health and Science DC CAS tests.

Assessments are an important part of our instructional program and let us know if we're on the right track to meeting the academic and social emotional needs of all of our students. Because we are wary of over-testing students, we assess students over the course of several weeks, interspersing the assessments with regular instruction. We'll be sending home students' beginning of year assessment data when it is completed in the next few weeks so that you are aware of the results and can partner with us to support your child in reaching his or her goals this year.

Email: attendance@hearstes.org
Website: www.hearstes.org
Location: 3950 37th Street Northwest, Washington, DC, United States
Phone: (202) 282-0106
Facebook: facebook.com/hearstes
Twitter: @hearstes

· 5:30-6:15 PTA Meeting, Gym

· ­6:15-6:30 Principal’s Presentation, Gym

· ­6:30-7:00 Classroom Visit 1

· ­7:00-7:30 Classroom Visit 2

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Information tables will be set up in the atrium and staffed from 6:30-7:30. Inner core and special education teachers, as well as the nurse will have tables. We’ll have a station where families explore Bloomz with support and guidance from our staff.

We love our Sidwell neighbors and want to play nice with them. Be sure that when you’re dropping off your Hearstie in the morning you’re not parking in Sidwell’s drop off line on their side of the street. We can keep the traffic on 37th Street moving in both directions if the drop off zones in front of both schools are used for dropping off and not parking.

“But what about the buses in front of Hearst?” you may ask. “They block traffic on 37th Street too,” you may think. During morning arrival, bus attendants are responsible for getting students off the bus safely at school. After handing off students to another adult on the playground or inside the school building, bus attendants are required to look on and under every seat to ensure that students are no longer on the bus and that student belongings have not been left behind. In addition to actually driving the bus, drivers must conduct inspections to ensure that the vehicle’s safety features are operational before they pull away from the school. On top of all of these official duties performed for the safety and security of our students, drivers and attendants have been on the bus for close to two hours by the time they arrive at school in the morning and sometimes simply need to use the bathroom.

At afternoon dismissal, after drivers conduct the safety inspection, bus attendants are responsible for ensuring that the students safely board the bus and that students are wearing their seat belts before the bus departs. As parents you know that it can be a challenge to get one child in and out of a car on some days. Knowing that we have as many as eight kids on a bus on any given day, I hope your empathy and patience eclipse any frustration about the traffic on 37th Street. Thanks for your understanding and cooperation!

Because we have several students with severe nut allergies, Hearst is a nut-free school. Students should not bring in any food that contains nuts, such as peanut butter, Nutella, or cookies with nuts. Students can bring in foods that have been processed in a facility that processes tree nuts, so long as those foods are for personal consumption. In order to minimize the risk of cross-contact issues that can result with nut oils/residue left on surfaces, our staff is being extra vigilant about cleaning surfaces after eating and ensuring that students wash their hands after eating. For ideas for nut-free lunches and snacks, visit: http://school.familyeducation.com/slideshow/lunch/71131.html or http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/10/07/nut-free-school-lunch-ideas/

Celebrate the tenth season of free live opera simulcasts by joining Washington National Opera at Nationals Park for Aida on Saturday, September 23 at 7 p.m. Gates open at 5 p.m. for pre-opera activities. As a DC Partnership school, the Kennedy Center is providing us with bus transportation to and from Hearst. For more information, visit: https://www.kennedy-center.org/wno/simulcastRSVP by Thursday, September 14 at 4:00pm. RSVPs are required and can be completed via Bloomz.

Ali Ibrahim - Lower Grades ELL Teacher

Teaching and learning is my passion because education had a huge positive impact on my life. Teaching is my destiny because I started at since middle school helping my nephews and nieces with their English. I even tutored my classmates after school!

I graduated from the College of Education, Cairo University in 1996 then taught English as a Foreign Language in Egypt for few years. I earned my masters degree in Instructional Systems Technology and worked as an Instructional Technology Specialist as well as ELL teacher in Charlotte NC for few years before i moved to DC. Nadeen is my 7 years old only daughter. She is my beating heart! She is determined to be happy, loving, and caring despite her severe autism.

I love nature! I am a typical outdoorsy who loves to ride his mountain bike on nature trails. Reading has been my penchant since a very young age! My family used to collect scraps of newspapers and magazines for me to read.

My goal, as well as every Hearst staff member, is to provide Hearst students with the highest quality education. We are striving everyday to create a safe and caring environment that is full of meaningful learning experiences for the child as a whole. I am fortunate to be a part of this amazing community. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments! You can reach me by email at ali.ibrahim@dc.gov.

On Friday, DC Public Schools released its new strategic plan that will help shape the next five years for the school district. Under a Capital Commitment 2017-2022, DCPS will strive to become a district of both excellence and equity—a place where every family feels welcome and every child is given the opportunities and support they need to thrive.’’ For more information, visit: DC Public Schools Launches New Strategic Plan, A Capital Commitment 2017-2022.

Upcoming Events:

• PTA Mtg/Back to School Night: The PTA will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 13, beginning at 5:30pm and then will be followed by Back to School Night. Pizza and childcare will be available for all potty-trained students and siblings. Please check the listserv and school website for sign-up information.
• Hearst Zip-Up Hoodies: Fall is coming. Look stylish and help raise money for the PTA! Available for a limited time only, this sweatshirt is available in gray, royal blue, navy blue and black and sizes range from youth small to adult 3XL. The hoodies are only on sale through the link and will be available only through Sept. 21. Please click here for more information: https://www.customink.com/fundraising/hearst2017
  
  
• Community Dining Night: Our first community dining night will be Tuesday, September 26, at Nando’s Peri Peri at 4231 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Teachers can participate at lunch, if they like, but will have to pre-order the food to go. Parents can dine in or carry out between 4pm and 8pm, but please make sure to mention you’re with Hearst and our school will receive a portion of the proceeds!
• Community Dining Night: Our first Potomac Pizza night will be Monday, October 16. Please join us from 4-9pm at 19 Wisconsin Circle, Chevy Chase, Md. Dine in or carry out but please make sure to mention you’re with Hearst and our school will receive a percentage of our proceeds.
• E-Cycle: It’s almost time to recycle your unused, broken, unwanted or obsolete electronics. That’s right – it’s almost E-Cycle time! Please spread the word and join us on Saturday, October 21, for Hearst’s annual E-Cycle event, which also includes document shredding, a bike swap, a book sale, and so much more!
• Calling all Volunteers! Are you looking for ways to be involved at Hearst? Whether you can help out from home or in the evenings or during the school day, there are plenty of opportunities to help keep Hearst great. To sign up to volunteer contact PTA Co-Presidents Judy Goodstein (judygoody24@gmail.com) or Amanda Provost (amanda@wydlerbrothers.com) and we will try to find a task for you that meets your availability and interests!