Principal's Message Jan 8-12

Dear Peabody and Watkins community,

We are starting 2024 strong! We welcomed our staff and students back this week with smiles, hugs, and a review of our norms, routines, and expectations. Peabody staff cheerfully welcomed students back to school with a vibrant Happy New Year celebration! The day kicked off with lively music and the playful rustle of pom poms, setting the tone for an exciting day ahead. Parents and students added to the festive environment by dancing their way into the building, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. Following the cheerful welcome, we gathered for our first "Rock the Red" event of 2024, bringing the entire school community together. Our "Specials" team performed a welcome back song for the Peabody staff and students. It was also an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to the Peabody Pledge, fostering a sense of unity and shared values as we begin the year.

January is a big month for us at the Cluster! At Watkins we are preparing for the 20th anniversary of Watkins' 5th graders reciting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's I Have a Dream on the steps on the Lincoln Memorial. Our whole-school event is scheduled for January 12 at 1pm and more details, including the permission slip, are below.

Also coming up are our middle of the year assessments, the end of term 2, January 25, the start of the Boys Basketball season and our cheer team.

We also want to maintain our connection with our families! Please consider joining your child's class as a WatchDog! Details are in every newsletter, near the bottom!

Please see below for more information about:

• Watkins MLK Field Trip Jan 12
• Peabody, Watkins, and Stuart Hobson Open Houses
  
• Peabody Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist Curriculum Extension next text

Link to our cluster calendar!

Quick look ahead. Click above to see details:

Hello Families,

We look forward to welcoming new families to our schools. Please promote the below flyers broadly within your networks.

Peabody is implementing an Anti-Racism and Anti-Bias curriculum extension this school year. For more information, visit our website https://www.capitolhillclusterschool.org/equity-inclusion.

The upcoming read aloud is, "My Food, Your Food" by Lisa Bullard.

Some discussion questions you could have with your child at home are: Do you know a special food in our family/culture? Share a traditional dish or create your own with your child!

Picture day make-ups will take place at Peabody on Wednesday, January 10. Students who were absent or newly enrolled after the original picture date on Nov. 16 have automatically been scheduled to take pictures on make-up day and were sent home with a picture packet and the attached flier.

On make- up day, the photographer will also be doing retakes. If you would like to have your child’s picture retaken, please return their original photo package, including original envelope and all picture products to the main office. You will not need to turn in a new order form.

Our 5th graders will perform their annual recitation of Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial at 1pm on Friday, January 12th - the eve of our national holiday that commemorates the life and legacy of Dr. King.

On this day, 5th grade students and their teachers will take a school bus to the Lincoln Memorial. Grades 1-4 will take public transportation via Metro bus or train to support this momentous occasion. Our school community is invited to attend.

• IMPORTANT CHAPERONE INFORMATION: We need caregiver chaperones to make this trip a success, to support with commuting our 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade students on the bus/ train. If you are cleared through DCPS to chaperone, are interested in, and available to attend this trip, please indicate that on the permission form.

• Action item: Please take a couple minutes to review and submit this permission slip by Wednesday, January 3 via the QR Code (above) or by clicking on this link http://tinyurl.com/MLK-Jan24

Back by popular demand, we are restarting the Watkins WatchDOGS (Dads [& Others] of Great Students) Volunteer program!!

What is WATCH D.O.G.S.?
WATCH D.O.G.S. (Dads [& Others] Of Great Students) is a family and community engagement educational initiative.

What is the goal of a WATCH D.O.G.S. program?
To provide positive caregiver role models for the students, demonstrating by their presence that education is important.


Who are WatchDOGS and how does WATCH D.O.G.S. work?
WatchDOGS are fathers, mothers, grandparents, and uncles/aunts who volunteer for at least one day each year at an official WATCH D.O.G.S. school. WATCH D.O.G.S., a K-12 program, invites caregivers to volunteer at least one day at their child’s/student’s school for part or all of the day during the school year. Identification will be checked upon entrance.

Is this program only for Dads?

Absolutely not!! We welcome all caregivers to volunteer.

What do WatchDOGS do (while they are at school)?
During the day, WatchDOGS may read and work on flash cards with students, play at recess, eat lunch with students, patrol the school entrances and hallways, assist with traffic flow and any other assigned activities where they actively engage with not only their own students, but other students as well. Many school principals have reported that the mere presence of a WatchDOGS volunteer dramatically reduces reports of bullying. On the day of their participation, WatchDOGS participants are given a brief review of their involvement and they wear an official WATCH D.O.G.S. name tag identifying them as a WatchDOG.

What days can I volunteer and how do I sign up?

WatchDOGS participant days will be every Wednesday. Please sign up at least a week in advance so we can notify school administration and teachers of your visit using this link to the WatchDOGS sign-up list: https://signup.com/go/xxkWcuc

Make sure you are checking class dojo for sports updates from Athletic Director, Coach Drakeford. Please send sports questions her way on dojo or latavia.drakefod-allen@k12.dc.gov.

Peabody and Watkins teachers have some big plans and big wishes for your kids and their classrooms this year. Please consider fulling some of those wishes from their wish lists.

Hello parents and guardians! We're back again for another year of FoodPrints at Peabody and Watkins Elementary and we are looking for parents to volunteer in our classroom and garden!

We'll have a maximum number of four (4) slots available for parent volunteers for each class. We'll be adding more dates in the coming weeks so be sure to check back frequently if you don't see your child's class as yet. Please reach out if you have any questions to ms. Natasha natasha@ffm.org at Watkins and Ms. Aubryn aubryn@ffm.org at Peabody.

The sign up genius also has the schedule for classes.

Thanks again for your support of FoodPrints!

Peabody caregiver sign up

Watkins caregiver sign up

Email addresses are often entered into our systems with mistakes. If someone you know (partner, friend, neighbor) isn't getting school communication please have them email their names, their child's name, email addresses and phone numbers and any other information to either PeabodyESEnroll@k12.dc.gov or WatkinsESEnroll@k12.dc.gov. Our team will correct the errors asap.

If you somehow are unsubscribed from Blackboard, please email your appropriate school inbox above and Adia.Howard-Stroud@k12.dc.gov who will fix the issue on Blackboard.

Field Trips have resumed and we welcome parents to join as chaperones. Parents who would to volunteer/ chaperone on an ongoing basis, must complete the DCPS Clearance process beforehand. Upon receipt, clearance letters should be emailed to tanisha.montgomery@k12.dc.gov.

Exceptions

Exceptions may be granted to the DCPS Clearance process in the following situations:

1. You are volunteering for a one-time, on-campus event, like Career Day or Field Day. Please email the Clearance Team at dcps.clearance@k12.dc.gov to confirm whether you qualify for a clearance exception.
2. You are a potential volunteer with an active secret or top-secret federal security clearance. Individuals in this group should complete the Federal Security Clearance Verification letter in lieu of being fingerprinted with DCPS. The original signed verification form and a copy of a state issued photo ID to dcps.clearance@k12.dc.gov