Greetings MMS Families,

Mustangs and Mustang Families – thank you for a strong and peaceful week this week! The weather has been warm and the students have enjoyed the time outside for recess, dining and after school dismissal. I hope you and your family have enjoyed the warmth as well.

This week we have two very important tasks for all families:

1. PLEASE – complete the Spring Panorama Survey! Our goal is to have 40% of our families respond but right now we are only at 10% - well below other middle schools. Please help us and give us your feedback ASAP – please also prompt your friends who are Mustang families to complete as well! Here again are the directions Spring 2025 Panorama Surveys Open February 24 (3/28) – click this link and follow directions to complete: dcsays.dc.gov - The Spring 2025 Panorama surveys for students, families, teachers, staff, and school leaders will run from Monday, February 24 to Friday, March 28.

2. It’s time to enroll and re enroll!! Enrollment starts fully this coming Friday and we have events and rewards for our students and families who enroll early! Please read the attached flyer and reach out to our enrollment team if you need support! We hope to have 60% of our families enrolled by May 1st!!!

Complete the intent to enroll form at the link below to let us know if your student will be returning next year!

https://forms.office.com/r/yYSFJha2n9

EVENT REMINDER - Our next major community event will be our Spring Arts Showcase coming up in less than a month on COMING SOON!!!! April 9th 5:00pm for families and community members! This evening will be a broad spectrum event including visual arts, musical arts, Arabic dance performances, and student and staff musical pieces. This event is open to all of our community – parents do not have to have a Mustang performing to join and our entire community is welcome! Please spread the word!

Have a great weekend,

Cooke

Greetings MacFarland Families,

Enrollment season starts on Friday, March 28th for the 2025-2026 School Year and we are excited at the prospect of continuing to provide your Mustang with the opportunity to learn and grow with us! We have some awesome incentives in store for current 6th and 7th grade students that complete the re-enrollment process.

6th Grade Incentives:

• Students enrolled by April 4 will receive extra recess every other Friday.

• Students enrolled by April 18 will participate in 6th grade field day.

• Students enrolled by May 30 will be eligible to attend the Dave and Busters Field Trip

• Students enrolled by June 5 will be eligible to attend the End of Year field day.

7th Grade Incentives:

• Students enrolled by April 4 can attend our dance for free.

• Students enrolled by April 18 will participate in a pizza Party

• Students enrolled by May 9 will be entered in raffle to win a free Hershey Park ticket. Up to 5 tickets will be raffled.

• Students enrolled by May 30 will be eligible to attend our end of year fun day.

To successfully complete the re-enrollment process you will need to complete the three steps listed below:

1. Complete the DCPS enrollment packet.

2. Provide proof of DC residency.

3. Submit the completed enrollment packet and proof of DC residency to the school.

If you need help completing the enrollment process, you can sign up for an appointment through the link below:

• Select a Date & Time - Calendly

We will also be available for walk in assistance during the regular school hours on a first come first serve basis and on the following Saturdays from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM:

• March 29th

• April 26th - Enrollment Saturday - more information to come!

Saludos Familias de MacFarland,

¡La temporada de inscripción inicia el viernes 28 de marzo para el año escolar 2025-2026 y estamos emocionados de la oportunidad de continuar a proveerle la oportunidad a tu estudiante de aprender y crecer con nosotros! Tenemos unos incentivos chéveres para los estudiantes del grado 6 y 7 que completan el proceso de reinscripción.

Incentivos para el grado 6:

• Estudiantes ya inscritos para el 4 de abril recibirán extra-recreo cada otro viernes.

• Estudiantes ya inscritos para el 18 de abril participarán en el día de campo del 6to grado.

• Estudiantes ya inscritos para el 30 de mayo serán elegibles ir al paseo a Dave and Busters.

• Estudiantes ya inscritos para el 15 de junio serán elegibles asistir el día de campo del final del año.

Incentivos para el grado 7:

• Estudiantes ya inscritos para el 4 de abril pueden asistir gratis al baile.

• Estudiantes ya inscritos para el 18 de abril participarán en una fiesta de pizza.

• Estudiantes ya inscritos para el 9 de mayo ganan una entrada a la rifa para un boleto gratis a Hershey Park. Hasta 5 boletos serán rifado.

• Estudiantes ya inscritos para el 30 de mayo serán elegibles a asistir el día de diversión del fin del año.

Para completar el proceso de reinscripción necesitarán seguir los tres pasos listados abajo:

• Llenar completamente el paquete de inscripción de DCPS.

• Proveer prueba de residencia en DC.

• Entregar el paquete de inscripción de DCPS ya completado y la prueba de residencia en DC a la escuela.

Si necesitas ayuda para completar el proceso de inscripción, puedes hacer una cita a través del enlace abajo:

Selecionar una fecha y tiempo - Calendly

Estaremos disponible para ayudarles también durante las horas normales de escuela de forma de primero en llegar primero en ser atendido y los siguientes sábados desde las 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM:

• 29 de marzo

• 26 de abril - sábado de inscripción - más información pronto!

Si tienes preguntas o preocupaciones pueden llamar a la oficina al (202) 671-6033 o mandar un correo electrónico a macfarlandmsenroll@k12.dc.gov.

Saludos cordiales,

Equipo de inscripción de MacFarland

Please see important updates above!

REMINDER - NEXT PTO Meeting – 4.8 – 6:00pm - PTO Meeting

REMINDER - Summer Bridge for New Mustangs 8.5-8.8 (Tu-Fri) – Yes – it’s a long way off, but we are always asked about Summer Bridge early in the year, and we are sharing our dates now so you can plan for your newest Mustang or share with feeder school partners and friends.

REMINDER - 4.28-5.9 – CAPE Testing – All students – our biggest test of the year – students will test each morning and have a modified schedule.

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.

Attendance Excuse Notes:

If your student is absent for a legally approved reason please complete the Attendance Excuse Form at the link below.

https://forms.office.com/r/CzHTTvJCM9

Alternatively, if you are unable to submit the form you can email Ms. Claribel Salgado (claribel.salgado@k12.dc.gov) or direct your student to turn in their excuse note or official documentation to the main office.

Parent Resource – REPEATED - As a new administration moves into our federal government, we know that some of our vulnerable communities and families may have concerns or seek information related to possible immigration actions. We have attached multiple resources for our families to review and are actively collaborating with our partner schools and central office to offer more workshops and resource support. If you have any questions or a specific need, please reach out to Mr. Novoa-Marcano – edgar.novoa-marcano@k12.dc.gov

3.28.25 – Enrollment Opens

4.28-5.9 – CAPE Testing – All students

6.6.25 – 4th Period – EOY Talent Showcase

8.5.25-8.8.25 – Tu-Friday - Summer Bridge for New Mustangs 8.5-8.8 (Tu-Fri)

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!

Shout out to Ms. Nelson and Mr. Stevens who have been working hard with Team 7 and went above and beyond (literally) conducting a home visit for a 7th grade student to support his attendance and build a plan to improve his school engagement. This level of family engagement and extension of our school walls aligns directly with our vision for community engagement as a school.

I have a similar shout out for Mr. Pretlow who worked hard to coordinate with our Wellness Team and ensure supports and interventions were in place for one of our sixth-grade families this past week. The personal engagement, connection and attention to ensuring supports were in place are a key element of how we partner with our parents and families in any way needed to support our young people.

After a long field trip day, I was glad to see Mr. Knotts and Mr. Samper were engaging kids with ELA content and persisting in cultivating engagement and learning after many students had spent much of their day on a trip. Every minute every day matters – and it was clear that was the expectation!

We have an exciting update on the Everyday DC exhibition, opening next month at the Charles Sumner Museum School and Archives. In partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, I am excited to let you know that the following MacFarland students have been selected to participate in this year’s exhibition! Thank you Ms. Lewand for your work and partnership in this experience for our students – we encourage all staff and families to visit the exhibit!

Printed for exhibition (plus Digital Slideshow): Adrian, Amira, Ashley, Azariya, Brandon, Dedrick, Estella, Kaniyah E., Kelsey, Khialea H., Laura, Moises, Naomi, Simone

Digital Slideshow Only: Abigail, Alexandra M., Alicia, Allison, Andrea P, Andrea C, Angie, Briantny, Britney, Guadalupe, Iszahah, Iszarah, Jimmy, Joel, Kerenna, Kevin, Layla, Melissa, Sebastian, Zeden and Cameron

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

Next Curbside Coffee – Thursday 4.10 – TENTATIVE – as Cooke is at Cluster Meeting that Friday

February PTO Meeting – 4.8 – 6:00pm - PTO Meeting

The Men of Honor Summer Program has given MacFarland young men interested in attending their summer program an opportunity for early registration. Please register as soon as possible if you want your child to attend this program as spots fill quickly.

https://www.galatheatre.org/paso-nuevo

Paso Nuevo is GALA's free, year-round program offered to high school students between the ages of 14 and 19 during Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. This is a bilingual, inclusive theatre education program incorporating acting training, playwriting, and mentorship. Students can earn community service hours, receive performance stipends, go on field trips, and train for future employment and leadership opportunities.

Paso Nuevo offers singing, acting, stage makeup, music and guitar, podcast production, web series production, and much more! To learn more about the program and its history, click here.

Participating students have had the opportunity to perform at The Kennedy Center, Shakespeare Theatre Company, The DREAM Project, and The White House.

City Kids Wilderness Project is a DC-based youth development nonprofit that offers 6+ consecutive years of entirely FREE out-of-school time programs focused on utilizing outdoor spaces and experiences to build social, emotional, leadership, and college and career readiness skills to small cohorts of DC-based middle and high school youth in both the DMV area and Jackson Hole, WY. We take our youth to do everything from whitewater rafting to rock climbing to hiking in the Grand Teton mountains!

City Kids is currently recruiting our next cohort of 6th grade youth for the SY24-25 program year.

Please see below to learn more about the City Kids program, including what we look for in 6th grade applicants:

• The City Kids Journey: 90 second overview video of the City Kids Program
• City Kids Annual Report
• City Kids Recruitment Flyer

Below is the calendar of faculty meetings for the school year. There will be no afterschool activities on these days.

24-25 Faculty Meeting/PD Days Dates:

• February 5th
• March 5th
• April 2nd
• May 7th
• June 4th

Afterschool programming began on Monday 9-9-2024. Tutoring and clubs commence at 3:30 and end at 4:45. Students will have supper then go with their perspective teachers. All students will be dismissed at 4:45 to go home.

Students will need to fill out the emergency contact form prior to attending after-school activities. Students will also be able to list their club choices on the emergency contact form.

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

Please use this form to refer a student to the MMS Wellness Team. / Utilice este formulario para referir a un estudiante al equipo de bienes.

https://forms.office.com/r/S6pRi9yLRt

WELLNESS TEAM MEMBERS: Ms. Raphael, Social Worker Ms. Virginia, Mary’s Center Therapist Ms. Kent, Psychologist Ms. Sargent, 8th grade counselor Ms. Castro, 7th grade counselor Mrs. Thompson, 6th grade counselor LAYC: Ms. Rachel & Mr. Raul

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.