John Lewis Elementary School
Website: www.johnlewises.org
Location: 1335 Farragut Street NW, Washington, DC, USA
Phone: 202-576-6226
UPCOMING EVENTS CALENDARS
March and April 2024 Family Events Calendar
**Please note that all school events are subject to change.**
You may also find the DCPS SY23-24 Calendar below:
IMPORTANT DISMISSAL SAFETY UPDATES
As we continuously work to ensure the utmost safety and supervision for our students, we will be requiring that all students in grades Kindergarten and 5th have a signed permission form on file in order to walk or take public transportation home alone or with a sibling. This will allow our staff to definitively know that students who are walking or taking public transportation home have the appropriate parent/guardian permission to do so.
No student will be allowed to leave school alone or with a sibling until the attached form has been signed and returned to the main office. Additionally, no student under the age of 8 will be allowed to walk or take public transportation home by themselves.
Please find a copy of the form below. You may also reach out to our main office at 202-576-6226 for a hardcopy of the form.
JLES Dismissal Form for Unaccompanied Students
This form is only required for students who are walking or taking public transportation home without their parent, guardian, or another adult who is authorized by you to pick them up. Please return a separate signed form for each of your children.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH CELEBRATION
As Black History Month comes to a close, we would love for you to join us for our culminating Black History Month Celebration on Tuesday, February 27th from 5:30-7:00pm!
Next week, we will also be celebrating Black History Month Spirit Week so please review the Spirit Week flyer and theme for each day below.
Monday, 02/26 - HBCU Day (represent Historically Black Colleges and Universities)
Tuesday, 02/27 - Black Excellence in the Arts Day (dress like the artists your class is representing for our Black History Month Celebration)
Wednesday 02/28 - African-inspired fashion/colors Day (wear African-inspired clothing or the colors red, yellow, and green)
Thursday, 03/01 - Black Love Day (wear all black or red to show love and appreciation for all the contributions made by black people)
Friday, 03/02 - Dress Like Your Future Self Day
SCHOOL PLAY UPDATES
Willy Wonka rehearsals are underway, and Cast 1 and Cast 2 have been hard at work these past few weeks! We will be having our first parent committee lead meeting on February 28, 2024 at 6:30 pm via Zoom.
If you have not signed up for a committee as of yet, please sign up the following link:
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/508084CAAA82CABF49-47635378-willy
We are also still in need of parents to serve as leads on the various committees so please sign up for those positions as well. We appreciate all your support!
BOOK FAIR
Our Scholastic Book Fair begins next week! Please find below, the book fair times for each day.
Monday, February 26th: 3:45 - 6:00pm
Tuesday, February 27th: 5:30 - 7:00pm
Thursday, February 28th: 3:45 - 6:00pm
Friday, March 1st: 3:45 - 6:00pm
You may visit our Book Fair page to set up an eWallet for your student at: https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/bf/johnlewisDC
MARCH AROUND THE WORLD
On Wednesday, March 13th our John Lewis community will host our March Around the World event to celebrate the diversity of our school community!
The event will begin with presentations from our students and community members. Food from many different countries will be served. Activities will include face painting and henna, photo booth, and displays from over 60 countries. We hope to see you there!
STUDENT ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL REMINDERS
Our doors will open at 8:40am for breakfast and student dismissal begins at 3:15pm. Students who are not registered for our afterschool programming must be picked up by 3:30pm.
Student Arrival
Students may enter our building at 8:40am. All students will enter the building through our Farragut Street entrance and will be directed to their grade-level lines upon arrival. Students are late for school after 9:00am.
Car riders will utilize our “Kiss and Ride” drop-off line on Farragut Street. John Lewis staff will be on-hand to support unloading students from cars in the “Kiss and Ride” line and to assist with traffic. There is no parking allowed in front of our building on Farragut Street. This space is reserved for student drop-off only. Please review the enclosed map.
Student Dismissal
Student dismissal begins at 3:15pm and students will be dismissed from assigned exits, based on their grade-level.
Pre-K: Farragut Street Exit
K – 1st Grades: Farragut Street exit
2nd - 5th Grades: Gallatin Street exit
If a student has a younger sibling, they should meet at the pick-up location of their younger sibling. All students must be picked up by no later than 3:30pm.
Early Pick-Up of Students
Our school hours for students are 8:40am – 3:15pm, Monday through Friday. We understand that Doctor's appointments and unforeseen circumstances may sometimes require that students be picked up early from school. Students who are being picked up for early dismissal must be picked up by 2:45pm. Students will not be dismissed between 2:45pm-3:15pm as they will be in transition.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: As you know, dismissal is one of our busiest times of day. To help our staff keep your child and their classmates safe, please remember the following procedures for dismissal:
- The dismissal zones map outlines the areas around the school that are designated for parking, student loading, and no parking. Pay special attention to the area that is marked as “student loading”—if you are in this area you are expected to stay in your vehicle and only exit to help load your child into the car. Please review this map and share it with anyone else who regularly picks up your child from school. There is no parking allowed in front of our building on Farragut Street or Gallatin Street.
- Under no circumstances, should you double park in front of the school building to allow your child to get loaded into your car. Farragut Street is narrow, and cars that are double parked, even for just a few minutes, prevent cars in our quick pick-up line from being able to exit and create space for other vehicles and can create unsafe conditions for students and families.
Thank you for doing your part to help keep all students in our JLES family safe!
STUDENT ATTENDANCE
Students are late after 9:15am. Students are expected to be at school every day, on time, and stay for the duration of the school day.
Please use this form to submit all attendance notes (absent, tardy, early dismissal, etc.). A note must be received within five (5) days after the first day of absence.
John Lewis Student Attendance Form
Please also review the DCPS Attendance Expectations.
While we do our best to update the attendance in the main office for late arrivals, students who arrive more than 15 minutes tardy may at times be erroneously marked as absent if the absence is not changed to a tardy once the late student arrives.
Please notify the main office by calling us at 202-576-6226 or emailing Ms. Cruz or Ms. Tidwell if you receive an incorrect absence notification and we will update this.
STUDENT HEALTH FORMS AND IMUNIZATIONS
DC Law requires each student attending a DC public school or public charter school to present valid written immunization certification, documenting that he or she has been successfully immunized in accordance with current Department of Health immunization requirements, to his/her school prior to the first day of classes.
Unless you obtain a medical or religious exemption, DC law requires your child to receive immunizations against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, mumps, measles, rubella, polio, Haemophilus influenza type (Hib), hepatitis B, and varicella in order to attend school.
Immunization compliance is documented by submitting a completed Universal Health Certificate to the school at the time of enrollment. If your child's health certificate has expired or will be expiring soon, please submit an updated DC Health Universal Health Certificate from your medical provider.
DC Health Universal Health Certificate
Please email your updated DC Health Universal Health Certificate to evelin.bercian@k12.dc.gov and shannon.tidwell@k12.dc.gov.
If your student has a medication plan, please use the Medication and Medical Procedure Treatment Plan form to detail your student’s medication and/or medical procedure plan to be administered at their school and return it to the Health Suite Personnel. The Health Suite Personnel will contact you to arrange medication/medical supply drop-off. For multiple needs, complete multiple sheets.
BEFORE AND AFTERSCHOOL REMINDERS
Before School Programming
Drop-off for JLES morning care is in the cafeteria on Gallatin Street, beginning at 7:30 a.m. Children will meet our morning care team and join their peer groups for activities. Students must be dropped off by 8:20am or they will have to enter the building at 8:40am with the rest of the students.
After School Programming
The after-school program hours are as follows:
Grades PK-1: 3:30-5:30pm
Grades 2-5: 3:30-5:50pm
We have had a recent increase in late student pick-ups from after school programs. Students in after school programming must be picked up on time. Late student pick-ups impact the safety and supervision of all students and significantly impacts staff and their families.
Failure to pick up your students on time will result in students being removed from after school programming.
STUDENT CELL PHONE POLICY
We recommend that students do not bring cell phones or other electronics (tablets, gaming devices) to school. We realize, however, that there may be instances in which a student needs to have his/her cell phone before or after school (for communicating with family, etc.). We have created a fair cell phone policy, and we ask families to respect this and reinforce it at home.
The usage of cell phones is strictly prohibited during school hours. In all grades, students may use their cell phones before entering the school building and after leaving the school building. This year, we will be reinstating our policy of collecting student cell phones upon entry into our building and returning them to students at the end of the school day. All students must power off and turn in their cell phones to a John Lewis staff member upon arrival each day. Students who violate this policy will have their phones taken and a parent will be called. An administrator will return the phone at the end of the school day. Multiple violations of this policy will require a parent or guardian to pick up the cell phone.
Please contact our main office at 202-576-6226 if you need to reach your student or in the event of an emergency.
AFTERSCHOOL PLAYGROUND USAGE
With the great weather, many families have been going to the playground after picking their child up at dismissal. As much as we love that students enjoy playing on the playground, the school grounds (including the playground and facilities in the school building, like bathrooms) are for school use only during the hours of 8:00am to 6:00pm. JLES has before- and after-school programs that use these facilities and, as I am sure you can understand given recent events, it is an issue of safety to have students not participating in afterschool programming on campus after they have been dismissed.
JOHN LEWIS SOCIAL MEDIA AND SCHOOL WEBSITE!
Please check out our school website with lots of updates, including our staff directory, school calendar, newsletters, and much more! www.johnlewises.org
Follow us on Instagram johnlewisesdc
Follow us on Twitter at @jlesdc
Please also visit our school store at:
https://logowearhouse.shop/john_lewis_elementary/shop/home to purchase all your John Lewis swag!!!!
BREAKFAST AND LUNCH MENUS
Please find the breakfast and lunch menus below. Students are permitted to bring their own lunches if they prefer.
SodexoMagic Elementary School Menus
*Some menu items are subject to change.
SCHOOL UNIFORM POLICY
Our school uniform is as follows:
Tops: White or light blue collared polos, button-down shirt/blouse, John Lewis logo tops
Bottoms: Navy blue (pants, skirts, jumpers, shorts)
Shoes: Closed-toe shoes and sneakers.
Please visit our school store at:
https://logowearhouse.shop/john_lewis_elementary/shop/home to purchase all your John Lewis swag!!!!
Blue jeans
Open-toed shoes, heels, Crocs, flip flops
Accessories (i.e. scarves, excessive and distracting jewelry)
For assistance purchasing uniforms, reach out to the Main Office at 202-576-6226.
We ask that students in Pre-K and Kindergarten leave an extra set of clothing in their classrooms.
"Spirit Week" is held on the last week of each month and students are allowed to be out of uniform on those days.
SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS NEEDED!
We are always looking for support whenever we, inevitably, have staff absences and and we would love for parents or family members who are willing and available to serve as substitutes in our building! Please read the information below and reach out to AP Bryant at milton.bryant@k12.dc.gov if this is something you or a family member may be interested in.
DCPS will be accepting applications for candidates with 60 credit hours or more in lieu of a conferred degree and one or more of the following criteria:
- Candidates with 1 - 2 years' experience working with students in a classroom setting
- Retired teachers (DCPS and other US School Districts)
Applicants with less than 1 year of experience will be asked to submit a professional reference letter to substitute.dcps@k12.dc.gov.