The Cardinal Connection

At J.O. Wilson Elementary School, we are SOARing to success every day in every way by creating an environment in which joy, pride, positive interactions, and growth mindsets lead students to comfort in taking risks, self-advocating, and facing adversity.

February 5th: J. O. Wilson vs. Miner - 4:30 PM @ Wheatley EC

February 5th: PTA Events and Fundraising Committee Meeting at 8 p.m.

February 8th: Final Playdate at the J.O. Playground 3 to 5 p.m.

February 12th: (VIRTUAL) PTA General Body Meeting on Tues., Feb. 11 at 6:30PM

February 12th: Open House at JOW 10AM

February 14th: PD for staff...No school for students

February 17th: President's Day...No School for staff or students

February 19th: Open House at JOW 6:30PM

Join the Events and Fundraising Committee for its monthly virtual meeting this Wednesday night at 8 p.m. via Zoom. The group will wrap up last week’s successful Camp Fair and start planning for new ideas for the spring, as well as the school’s annual auction.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83110855976?pwd=pT3FKv1U3eLCJzcpXBsY9IhHb9HvBT.1

Meeting ID: 831 1085 5976

Passcode: 461363

J.O. Wilson Families,

To ensure a smooth transition with our updated bus schedule, please review the following details carefully:

Morning Bus Schedule:

There will be two morning bus routes departing from J.O. Wilson:

• 8:10 AM Departure: 5 buses (2 ECE, 1 Sibling, K-2, 3-5)
  Important: All Pre-School students are asked to ride this bus to ensure enough safety seats are available and to allow a Pre-School staff member to assist.

• 8:30 AM Departure: 5 buses (1 ECE, 1 Sibling, K-2, 3-5)

Afternoon Bus Schedule:

There will be three afternoon bus routes arriving at J.O. Wilson:

• 3:30 PM Arrival: Students not enrolled in after-school programs must ride this bus.
• 5:00 PM Arrival
• 6:00 PM Arrival

Key Updates for Parents:

• On-time pick-up is mandatory: Parents must pick up students from J.O. Wilson promptly. The bus will not wait.

  • Two late pick-ups will result in removal from the afternoon bus service.

• Aftercare pick-up option: Parents are encouraged to pick up students directly from aftercare if this is more convenient.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our transportation system efficient and safe. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Before the playground on the K Street campus is closed for construction on Feb. 23, we’ll meet up one last time for a school-wide playdate sponsored by the PTA. Come say goodbye to our playground equipment and run around with friends. When we return to our newly modernized school next year, we’ll have an entirely new playground, too!

All are invited to come out and support the J.O. Wilson Girl Scout Troop #40029 Cookie Sale this Saturday, Feb. 8, from 10 a.m. to noon at Solid State Books located at 600F H St. NE. If you can’t make it this weekend, the troop will also be selling cookies at Solid State Books on Saturday, Feb. 15, from 4 to 6 p.m.

To accommodate bus pick-up schedules, we will be starting at 6:30 p.m. In addition to PTA updates (including approving Jan. meeting minutes), Principal Fraser from Stuart-Hobson will be joining us to provide an overview of the school’s academic and extracurricular offerings and answer questions that families may have about our feeder middle school.

Register in advance for this meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/M5vhpN4pR36YPo6_UpWt0Q

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

The art room needs newspapers for our painting projects. Please bring in newspapers or send them to school with students. Donations can be brought to Ms. Amegah in Room 202. J.O. Wilson staff may contribute to this call as well. All donations are appreciated! Thank you for making art possible for Our J.O. Wilson Scholars! Please email Ms. Amegah at marie.amegah@k12.dc.gov for more information and to get connected.

Our neighbors, Phelps ACE High School, will be hosting our 4th and 5th-grade students for Career and Technical Education (CTE) Labs on Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 12:50 to 1:50 p.m. We would love to invite parents who are available and willing to chaperone during this hour. A current DCPS Volunteer Clearance letter is required. If you are available, please email the PTA at info@jowilsonpta.org.

Dear J.O. Wilson Families,

We want to remind you of the process for submitting attendance excuse notes to ensure absences are properly documented. All excuse notes should be sent to jowilsonesenroll@k12.dc.gov within 5 days of the absence. DCPS recognizes several reasons for excused absences, including student illness, medical appointments, religious holidays, and more. For extended absences of five or more consecutive days due to illness, a doctor’s note is required. Your cooperation in following these guidelines helps us maintain accurate records and support your child’s attendance success.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter!

For reference, excused absences include:

• Illness of the student (with a doctor’s note required for absences of five or more consecutive days).
• Medical or dental appointments.
• Illness of a child for parenting students (also requiring a doctor’s note for absences of five or more consecutive days).
• Death in the student’s immediate family.
• Quarantine or exclusion due to contagious diseases, as directed by the District of Columbia authorities.
• Attendance at judicial proceedings or court-ordered activities.
• Observance of a religious holiday.
• Visits to a parent or guardian in the military immediately before or after deployment.

• Emergencies or other circumstances approved by DCPS.

All attendance notes should be submitted within 5 days of the absence.

The PTA is looking for families to volunteer for weeklong shifts to keep the staff lounge in our new space stocked with snacks and drinks. Any donations are hugely appreciated: bags of chips and cookies, cases of soda, popcorn, etc. Sign up for a shift here. You can also reach out to Ms. Winter (Victoria.Winter@k12.dc.gov) with any questions about logistics accessing the lounge in Building 4 of the swing space.

Go to DPRSummerCamp.com for program offerings and details. The DPR Summer Camp lottery will be open from Friday, Feb. 14, through Monday, March 3.