Harmony DC Public Charter School

Dear Harmony DC Community,

I am writing to share some exciting news and reflect on a wonderful semester of the school year.

We are excited to announce that we are in the process of moving to a new location, effective July 1, 2026. Our future campus will be larger and equipped with improved facilities that will enhance teaching, learning, and student activities. Additionally, the new location will be conveniently located near metro and bus stations, making it more accessible for our families, students, and staff. We believe this move will greatly improve the overall experience for everyone in our school community.

This newsletter provides an overview of events and activities from the start of this school year. Since August, our students have been incredibly busy and engaged. We have hosted numerous activities, field trips, and school events that have enriched their learning beyond the classroom. Through these experiences, our students have gained new knowledge, developed important skills, and created lasting memories. It has been inspiring to witness their curiosity, growth, and enthusiasm throughout the year.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

Muhammet Turkay, Ed. D.

Chief Executive Officer

Harmony DC Public Charter School

Current Address: 62 T St NE, Washington, DC 20002

2026-27 School Year Address: 2917 8th St NE, Washington, DC 20017

Ph: (202) 529-7500

Fax: (202) 529-7501

www.harmonydc.org

We are excited to share some wonderful news with our Harmony DC community. On Thursday, December 4th, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) released the annual School Report Card, and Harmony DC PCS has made significant progress. This year, our overall performance scores improved by 50% — a remarkable achievement and a testament to the hard work of our students, staff, and families.

These results reflect the strong learning environment we continue to build together. From academic growth to student support, we are proud to see our collective efforts paying off.

Thank you for being a vital part of the Harmony DC community.

To learn more, please visit: https://schoolreportcard.dc.gov/home

We are thrilled to share exciting news: Harmony DC was recently highlighted by the DC Charter School Alliance’s CAPE blog for our incredible student growth on the D.C. CAPE test results.
You can read the full DC Charter School Alliance feature here:

https://shorturl.at/MuDWF

Harmony D.C. Public Charter School saw one of the highest improvement scores in the entire city. Students grew by 15 points in math at the 3+ level on the D.C. CAPE test and by a whopping 23.3 points in ELA at that same level.

At Harmony, students are engaged in rigorous programming with an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to equip them with cutting-edge skills for a 21st-century workforce. As part of their effort to improve learning, Harmony has implemented daily progress monitoring and small-group instruction in Math and ELA, supported by additional intervention teachers and collaborative planning time for staff.

The school also established a comprehensive professional development program through Teach Like A Champion, with continuous leadership feedback and enhanced instructional materials that have improved academic achievement.

Additionally, Harmony hired an Attendance Coordinator who works with the Student Support Team to address attendance issues through targeted activities, resulting in increased in-seat attendance and reduced chronic absenteeism.

Dear Harmony DC Community,

We are thrilled to share the latest news on our student performance: on Thursday, August 21, 2025, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) released the 2024–25 state test results.

We are proud to share exciting news about our students’ performance on the recent state assessments. Compared to last year, Harmony DC improved its scores in every category, demonstrating the hard work and progress of our scholars.

Most notably, our school achieved one of the highest improvement scores in Washington, DC for students scoring Level 3 and above in both Math and English Language Arts (ELA).

A few highlights

• The percentage of students achieving ELA Level 3 or higher rose dramatically from 18% to 38%, marking an incredible improvement of 20%.
• In mathematics, the percentage of students reaching Math Level 3 or higher improved from 36% to 52%, showing a remarkable gain of 16%.

These results highlight the dedication of our teachers, the perseverance of our students, and the strong support from our families. We are deeply proud of our scholars’ progress and even more motivated to continue raising the bar.

Thank you for your ongoing support, encouragement, and belief in our mission.

https://www.empowerk12.org/data-dashboard-source/dc-parcc-dash

https://osse.dc.gov/

Dear Harmony DC Families,

We’re proud to offer all students in grades K–5 two hours of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) classes each week during the school day. These engaging, hands-on lessons help students build critical thinking and problem-solving skills in fun and meaningful ways.

Students can also sign up for STEM after-school clubs to further explore their interests and creativity.

Thank you for supporting your child’s learning journey!

Our 2-5th grade scholars had the opportunity to participate in DC Bike Week!, a free bike and pedestrian safety program provided by the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA). WABA has been leading bike education and advocacy in the DC region for over 50 years.
Throughout the week, students worked with licensed instructors using WABA-provided bikes, helmets, and a fun, proven curriculum. The program supports riders of all levels—from beginners to experienced cyclists—by teaching safety skills, building confidence, and encouraging active living. We are grateful for this partnership and proud of our scholars’ enthusiasm and growth!

We are excited to share an update on student attendance at Harmony DC PCS. In recent years, following the COVID pandemic, our attendance has experienced steady and significant improvement.

Most notably, chronic absenteeism has decreased significantly—from 82.5% to 49.6%. This reflects the strong partnership between our families, staff, and students in prioritizing regular school attendance.

In addition, our in-seat attendance rate has increased from 78.76% to 86.33%, demonstrating that more students are consistently present and engaged in learning each day.

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration.

Dear Harmony Families,

On Friday, November 21st, our entire school participated in our "Fall in Love with Reading" Cozy Day.

During this event, all students and staff read together at the same time to strengthen our schoolwide culture of literacy. Older students read to younger students, and adults participated as well, ensuring that every scholar was involved in a shared reading experience.

Thank you for your continued partnership in making reading a joyful experience for all of our scholars.

Dear Harmony Families,

Starting on December 2nd, our school will launch a 12-Day Literacy and Kindness Countdown. Each day, every classroom will open a special advent gift box and complete a literacy-based or kindness challenge.

After finishing the first challenge, each class will receive a Reading Tree. They will earn a new piece of the tree each time they complete a daily challenge, with the goal of building a complete tree by the end of the 12 days.

You can see daily photos of students showcasing their completed work on ClassDojo. We encourage you to support your child’s class by liking or commenting on their posts. Your engagement motivates students and creates excitement throughout the school.

The class that completes the most challenges and demonstrates the strongest display of work and tree progress will receive a prize.

Thank you for partnering with us as we celebrate literacy and kindness!

We were excited to welcome our Harmony families for a wonderful day of connection, celebration, and gratitude. On November 20th, families joined us for food, fun, holiday raffles, and resources to support our families and scholars. We appreciated everyone checking participating in the event.

Thank you to all who attended and helped make ParentsGiving a memorable event!

We are excited to share that our students have had many opportunities to participate in enriching field trips this year. These experiences have allowed students to connect classroom learning to the real world, explore new places, and build curiosity, teamwork, and confidence.

We are also happy to let you know that more field trips are coming soon. Providing meaningful, hands-on learning experiences beyond the classroom is an important part of our educational program.

Our goal is to ensure that students have at least four field trips each school year. We believe these experiences play a key role in supporting academic growth, social development, and student engagement.

We look forward to sharing upcoming field trip opportunities with you and appreciate your help in making these experiences successful for our students.

Our Scholastic Book Fair took place November 10th–21st.

The fair was a wonderful opportunity to inspire a love of reading in our scholars. Thank you for your support!

The Science Fair will be held on December 17, with more than 40 projects competing. The top three projects will be awarded medals for their outstanding work, showcasing our students’ creativity and scientific thinking.

Our students and staff showed amazing creativity, energy, and school pride during spirit week.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this week so special. It was a wonderful reminder of the teamwork, joy, and community that make Harmony DC such a great place to learn and grow! 💙✨

In October, Harmony DC hosted Bullying Awareness Programs to help students understand the impact of bullying and promote kindness, respect, and inclusion. Through interactive lessons and activities, students learned how to recognize, prevent, and respond to bullying both in school and online.

We thank our students, staff, and families for participating and supporting these efforts to make Harmony DC a safe and welcoming community for everyone.

Harmony DC provides a variety of after-school clubs and activities, and the best part is—they are all completely free! These programs give students the chance to explore new interests, develop skills, and have fun in a safe and supportive environment.

**Harmony DC Currently Offers the Following Clubs:**

- Board Game Club - Book Club - Boss to Men (Mentorship) Club - Chess Club - Drone Club - Soccer Club - Tutoring Club - Performing Arts Club - Girls Club - Math Kangaroo

Harmony DC prepares students for higher learning in a safe, caring, and collaborative atmosphere through a quality learner-centered educational program with a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Email: info@harmonydc.org
Website: www.harmonydc.org
Current Location: 62 T St NE, Washington, DC, USA
2026-27 School Year Location: 2917 8th St NE, Washington, DC 20017

Phone: 202-529-7500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HarmonyDC/