Mustang Matters

Greetings MMS Families,

I hope you and your Mustang had a great week! This week we had the launch of our afterschool activities in full, with clubs, sports and tutoring all kicking off. Thank you to all of the team members who are participating, leading clubs and to Ms. Jones and Ms. Martinez for handling all the coordination! This is an essential part of our school’s work to build sense of belonging and increase school safety. Looking forward to a great second week! Please be sure to review the list of activities with your Mustang, encourage them to join an activity and stay with us until 5:00pm! Please note that clubs/activities without enough attendees will be folded so we need our scholars to join up! If you have questions about clubs or after school activities, please reach out to our after school leads Ms. Jones and Ms. Garica – Terra.Jones@k12.dc.gov; Laura.Martinez-Garcia@k12.dc.gov

Student-Led/Advisor Facilitated Conferences – Monday 10.6, Tuesday 10.7 4:00-7:00pm – Please note the dates for Fall Teacher Conferences. All advisors are to schedule meetings for all advisees – you should anticipate outreach in the next couple weeks. In person is the expected format unless a parent requests otherwise – and our teachers will also offer walk-in hours on these dates for the duration noted. Staff members who are unable to complete both evening sessions will be available on Thursday, 10.9. We will share an updated schedule for our staff soon, but please reach out directly to teachers you would like to connect with.

Lastly please note that this coming week is Security Officer Appreciation Week! We are so lucky to have such a caring, professional and hard working team of officers supporting MMS and keeping us safe. Please join me in thanking Officer Spriggs, Officer Rispus, Officer Henry, Officer Mason, Officer Owens and Sgt. Howell for their service and love of our Mustangs!!!

Have a great weekend!

Cooke

If your student would like to participate in DC SCORES please complete the registration form found at the following link: https://dcscores.wufoo.com/forms/x1di7lgi0jlhstv/

9/16 – September PTO Meeting – NEW DATE!

• DINNER will be provided! This is our first meeting of the year and a great chance to share ideas, hear about plans for the year and get to know other families! Please let us know if you are interested in assistance with transportation to attend the meeting. We will also offer an option to join by Zoom -- links will be shared next week.
• ¡Se proporcionará CENA! Esta es nuestra primera reunión del año y una gran oportunidad para compartir ideas, escuchar sobre los planes para el año y conocer a otras familias. Háganos saber si está interesado en recibir ayuda con el transporte para asistir a la reunión. También ofreceremos una opción para unirse por Zoom: los enlaces se compartirán la próxima semana.

Parent Resource - September Resource - Now Is the Time for Courage I found this read to be inspiring and practical for both our Mustangs and my own children, and even myself. I strongly believe now IS the time for courage – enjoy and share broadly.

PTO Liaisons have been coordinated to support each grade level and grade level families. You can expect to see them at PTO meetings and connect with them if need be. For 25-26 SY the liaisons are:

- 6th Grade – Jessica Gibian – jessica.gibian@k12.dc.gov

- 7th Grade – Fadwa Hussein – fadwa.hussein@k12.dc.gov

- 8th Grade – Sarah Riggen – sarah.riggen@k12.dc.gov

Shout Outs and Celebrations: Please check out a few shout outs to MacFarland community members who are embracing our belief that we are one MacFarland!

The Yale National Initiative had seven fellows from DCPS this year who participated in intensive content based learning and unit design. And two of them are Mustangs!!! Shout out to Ms. Punwani for this prestigious honor and for bringing their learning back to MacFarland to share with our community!

I had a chance to join Team 7 for their Weekly Data Meeting and enjoyed their engagement, preparation and reflections as they analyzed the student learning gap and planned a reteach method for the missed learning target. Thank you Team 7 for allowing me to participate and talk about student learning – I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Shout out to Ms. Lee who volunteered to join our OPS meeting this week as a teacher representative to provide in put on upcoming events, logistics and etc. It is great to add to the input on the elements that effect our school community and Ms. Lee’s willingness to join and share feedback is deeply appreciated!

Via email or by appt. – lucas.cooke@k12.dc.gov

Tuesday, Sept. 16th – Open Office Hours/Stop by the school – 4:00-6:00pm

Next Curbside Coffee – Friday, September 19th – out front 8-8:45

September PTO Meeting – 16th 6:00pm - MacFarlandMSPTO@gmail.com

Open House Dates: if you would like to support an Open House please reach out at least one week prior!

Monday, October 6th 2025 - 5:30pm –6:30pm (Cooke)

Monday, November 3rd, 2025 - 11:00am-12:00pm

Thursday, December 11th, 2025 - 5:30pm- 6:30pm

Thursday, January 8th, 2026 - 5:30pm -6:30pm

Monday, January 26th, 2026 - 5:30pm-6:30pm

Order your MacFarland t-shirts and hoodies now through the MacFarland PTO for your students, families, and friends! MacFarland-branded t-shirts and hoodies are allowed as uniforms. Order here by next Monday, September 15! Payment can be made in advance via Venmo, Zelle, PayPal, or by cash when the order arrives. Please submit your request here. Thanks and please email macfarlandpto@gmail.com with any questions!

¡Ordene ahora sus camisetas y sudaderas MacFarland a través de la Asociación de Padres y Maestros (PTO) de MacFarland para sus estudiantes, familias y amigos! Las camisetas y sudaderas con la marca MacFarland se permiten como uniformes. ¡Ordene aquí antes del próximo lunes 15 de septiembre! Puede pagar por adelantado por Venmo, Zelle, PayPal o en efectivo al recibir su pedido. Envíe su solicitud aquí. Gracias y, si tiene alguna pregunta, envíe un correo electrónico a macfarlandpto@gmail.com.

REMINDER - Back to School Block Party (9/13)- The DCPS Back to School Block Party will be on Saturday, September 13, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m., at Jackson-Reed High School. Families will enjoy free food, activities for all ages, resources, performances, vaccinations, and more. For more information, please click here. Please distribute these flyers to your community.

POC: Amara.Jordan@k12.dc.gov

The goal of the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Safe Routes to School

(SRTS) program is to get more students walking and biking to school and doing so safely.

Please take a few minutes to share your thoughts in this anonymous, 10-minute survey to

help us customize our programs and services around the challenges faced at your school.

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8271328/58f491c68c8e

A través de nuestro programa de Rutas Seguras a la Escuela (SRTS) del Departamento

de Transporte del Distrito (DDOT), queremos conseguir que más niños vayan a pie y en

bicicleta a la escuela y que lo hagan de forma segura.

Le pedimos que participe en esta encuesta anónima de unos 10 minutos y comparta

con nosotros su opinión y experiencia para que podamos adaptar nuestros programas

y servicios a los retos a los que se enfrentan las personas.

https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8271328/1a5e102c9600

Dear MacFarland Families,

We are excited to announce that this year, MacFarland Middle School is launching an after-school orchestra program in collaboration with the DC Youth Orchestra Program (DCYOP)!

This wonderful opportunity is open to all students, free of charge, regardless of previous musical experience. Students may choose to learn a new instrument or continue building their skills on their current instrument while being part of a vibrant and diverse ensemble representing every corner of our school.

Program Details:

• Days/Times: Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM (beginning September 15th)

• Cost: Free

• Who Can Join: All MacFarland students, no experience required.

Families interested in registering their child can sign up here by September 12th: Register for DCYOPrelude at MacFarland MS

We also invite you to attend an informational meeting for parents on Wednesday, September 3rd, at 6:00 PM in Mr. Ring's room (1233) during Back to School Night.

We look forward to seeing many of our students join this exciting new program and make music together!

For questions, please contact Mr. Ring (Program Director) at kristopher.ring@k12.dc.gov

At DC Public Schools, we want every student to feel loved, challenged, and prepared to positively influence society and thrive in life. To reach this ambitious goal, every student needs to be in school every day. However, too many of the young people in our city are not coming to school every day.

The Office of the State Superintendent’s (OSSE) finds that one in four kids in DC are chronically absent from school – which means missing 10 percent or more of the school year. At some DCPS high schools, three out of four students are chronically absent.

DCPS believes that every day counts.

Students, families, and the community must be empowered to track our progress in helping every young person get to school. By being transparent about our challenges, our city can work together to reduce the barriers that too many students and families face.

Definitions

• Truancy: Measures the percent of students aged 5-17 who are considered truant. To be “truant” means that a student has 10 or more unexcused absences from school – with or without – parental knowledge, consent, or otherwise securing prior approval from the start of the school year.
• In-school Attendance: Measures the average percent of students who are attending school.
• Chronic Absence Rate: Measures the percent of students who miss 10 percent or more days in a school year from the start of the school year.
• Attendance Entry Rate: Measures the percent of classes for which a school has entered attendance.
• 60/40 rule: Students are considered legally absent for the day if they miss more than 40% of their classes.

Regular school attendance is critical for academic success. Our goal is to ensure that every student attends school regularly and on time. Daily presence in school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success, starting in kindergarten and continuing through high school. Even as children grow older and more independent, families can continue to play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day and understand why attendance is so important for success in school and in life.

We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health problems or other circumstances. But, we also know that when students miss too much school—excused or unexcused—they can fall behind academically. Your child is less likely to succeed if he or she is chronically absent—which means missing 18 or more days in a school year. Research shows that:

Children that are chronically absent in kindergarten and 1st grade are much less likely to read at grade level by the end of 3rd grade. By 6th grade, chronic absence is a warning sign for students at risk of dropping out of school. By 9th grade, good attendance can predict graduation rates even better than 8th grade test scores.

Questions/Concerns:

If you have any questions or concerns please contact Ms. Claribel Salgado via email at claribel.salgado@k12.dc.gov or by phone at (202) 671-6033.

• https://dcps.nutrislice.com/menu/macfarland-middle-school

The allergy season is here and many individuals who suffer from frequent asthma attacks are beginning to feel the impact of the various allergens and irritants in the air. For students and families, we are sharingthis link to Children’s National -- https://www.childrensnational.org/get-care/departments/impact-dc-asthma-clinic -- as a resource for helping to manage your students’ asthma related-illnesses. If your child suffers from asthma, be sure to complete and submit the Asthma Action Plan and Medication Plan and Procedure to the Nurse. The Anaphylaxis Plan must be completed for acute allergy sufferers who need to be administered an Epi-pen. Also, if your child is on any medication during school hours—including over-the-counter medications—a Medication Plan and Procedure Form must be completed and submitted to the Nurse along with your child’s Medication Treatment Administration Form, signed by your child’s primary care physician. All these documents must be provided to the Nurse by parents, along with the medication/s your child is taking during school hours. Students are not permitted to self-carry or self-medicate. All the forms mentioned in this message are attached, for your convenience.

For Mental Health Support Resources in English and Spanish for Students, Parents, and Teachers. Topics include: Stress, Grief and Loss, Anxiety, Suicide and Self-Harm, Healthy Relationships, Social Media, and much more! -- Mary`s Center (maryscenter.org)

This school year, DCPS is partnering with Children’s National Hospital to support our students’ health and attendance through the Collaborative for Attendance Resources in Education and Health (CARE-H); CARE-H is now available in all DCPS schools. Through this program, parents or guardians can give permission to DCPS to securely share attendance information with their child’s doctor(s), nurse(s) and medical office staff. This information will help these healthcare professionals to provide special outreach and medical attention to children that might be missing school and their families. Information about this initiative can be found here.

POC: Andrea.Allen@k12.dc.gov

The MacFarland PTO has set up an email list for discussion and connection among current and enrolled MacFarland families. Any family member or guardian of a MacFarland student can join by either of these methods:

Attention families, anyone with a child that would like a Kids Ride Free SmartTrip Card can sign up for one in the main office. We will process and distribute on a rolling basis.