SHMS Family Newsletter

Greetings SHMS community,

I hope everyone is enjoying a rejuvenating Thanksgiving break and is excited to return to school tomorrow! In the next three weeks of school we will cross the halfway point in the second term before a two week winter recess. We have many mid-term activities to engage in together - the upcoming musical, winter concert, and spirit week, most notably - while we support students in staying focused on their academics.

I look forward to seeing everyone around school at our middle of year performances, winter athletic events, and during school soon. Enjoy whats left of the break and see you all tomorrow morning!

Warm regards,

Eric Fraser

Principal

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Weekly Calendar

Monday, December 1

• A great instructional day!

• LSAT meeting, 6:30-8:00 (virtual)

• A great instructional day!

• A great instructional day!

• Winter Musical: Seussical, 6:30 PM

• EdFest (grades 9-12), 10:00-2:00, Eastern SHS
• Winter Musical: Seussical, 1:00 PM & 6:30 PM

• Winter Musical: Seussical, 2:00 PM

Upcoming Dates

• December 10, Winter Concert
• December 13, EdFest (grades PK3-8), 10:00-2:00 PM, location TBD
• December 19, Pep Assembly!
• December 22-January 2, Winter Recess
• December 25, Christmas observed, schools closed
• January 1, New Year's Day observed, schools closed
• January 2, Professional Development Day, no school for students
• January 5, First day of School in 2026!
• January 19, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day observed, schools closed
• January 23, Last instructional day of Term 2, all work due
• January 26, Records-keeping & Professional Development Day, no school for students

If you or anyone you know is interested in getting involved with volunteer or substitute work at a fantastic DCPS middle school, please consider these two ways to support our students. At this moment the most helpful positions are family and community members with DCPS clearance who can chaperone field trips and substitute teachers to assist us when teachers are absent or some students remain at the school during special events or trips that teachers chaperone.

1. See here to learn more about the clearance process to volunteer in DCPS. Once you are cleared, please inform the principal and grade-level administrator of your clearance and to clarify where you might be able to help.

2. Apply to be a substitute teacher (note that only Option 1 on that application page will make you eligible at Stuart-Hobson MS). Please contact Principal Fraser once your application is submitted so we can help usher your application through the review process and get you cleared to pick-up jobs as quickly as possible. If you would like help with the application and/or are interested in learning more before applying please complete this interest form.

Thank you for considering these opportunities to get involved and support our school community!

Monday December 1

-No Athletic Events

Tuesday December 2

-SHMS Basketball vs. McKinley Tech at McKinley

Girls 4:45pm, Boys 6:00pm

Wednesday December 3

-No Athletic Events

Thursday December 4

-SHMS Basketball vs. Johnson at Johnson

Girls 4:45pm, Boys 6:00pm

Friday December 5

-Girls Indoor Track Interest Meet- Health Room w/Coach Drakeford 3:30pm-4:15pm

Students interested in joining teams this season please complete the interest forms below to help us prepare for the upcoming season. All athletes must also submit a participation packet annually to be cleared for participation.

Indoor Track Interest Form – Fill out form

Co-Ed Swimming Interest Form – Fill out form

DCIAA Athletic Interest Survey: Parents, please complete the survey with your child. Your child does not have to be part of a sports team for you to complete the survey.

The 2025-2026 Athletics’ Participation packet has been released. All students must complete a participation packet every school year. Additionally, the medical forms must be completed within the prior 365 days. We encourage you to have your healthcare provider complete these forms before the school year and attach them to your participation packet. If your student’s UHC has been updated recently, you are encouraged to complete the participation packet as soon as possible.

English Participation Packet

Spanish Participation Packet

Universal Health Certificate (UHC).

Students with certain medical conditions may also need to complete an Asthma Action Plan or an Anaphylaxis Action Plan

Please note that it is not necessary to submit a new participation packet for each season. A complete packet includes the DCIAA forms filled out in their entirety along with a Universal Health Certificate that was completed within the last year. ALL STUDENTS MUST HAVE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS SUBMITTED AND APPROVED BEFORE PARTICIPATION.

SHMS Athletics is seeking to hire coaches for the following teams. Professional and coaching résumés can be sent directly to Coach Drakeford.

Coaching Vacancies for SY 2025-26 Teams:

All positions are currently filled for SY 2025-26

Please direct any questions about athletics to our Athletic Director, Coach Drakeford, latavia.drakeford-allen@k12.dc.gov

Below please find food service menus for breakfast, lunch and snack for this week here.

The Stuart-Hobson community takes pride in supporting all of our students and families. The holiday season may bring joyful time but also times of uncertainty or challenge. We recognize that there are additional stresses our families may be experiencing due to the recent government shutdown and upcoming holiday season. Our team is eager to help locate food, clothing, and other resources that keep families safe, healthy, and happy.

If you know of any SHMS student or family who would benefit from extra support, especially during the holiday season, please let the Care Team know by filling out this confidential form. A member of the Care Team will reach out to you to learn more and identify resources and supports for any student or family in need.

You can also email SHMS social worker Bernadette Wittschen directly at bernadette.wittschen@k12.dc.gov

The SY25-26 Impact Aid Survey became available on Monday, November 10. Each year, DCPS asks all families to complete the Impact Aid survey to generate additional federal funds for DCPS. This year, the surveys will be fully electronic using the Seamless platform. All DCPS families should complete one survey per child, not household, in their preferred language. Families can learn more about the survey here. All eligible individual applications received by Friday, December 19 will be included in DCPS’ initial application. Any additional surveys received by Thursday, April 30 will be included in DCPS’ application amendment.

SHMS partners with GW University for students to receive free math tutoring 90 minutes per week​ through their Math Matters program. Programming is available to interested 6th and 7th graders!

​About Math Matters​

Based out of the Nashman Center at George Washington University, Math Matters collaborates with DCPS to provide high-impact math tutoring to middle school students in Washington, D.C.​ Math Matters recruits and trains GW undergraduate and graduate students to be effective mentors and tutors.

Tutoring Details​

- Tutors provide small group tutoring throughout the school year to groups of 3-4 students

- Students attend two days per week, Mondays & Wednesdays or Tuesdays & Thursdays from 3:30-4:30pm​ (snack included)

- Tutoring curriculum is skill based, and is geared towards accelerating students towards grade level proficiency​

- Tutoring starts the week of September 22 for all students.

Want to sign up?

Click the link below or use the QR code to fill out the interest form and Ms. Rosera will reach back out to you with a tutoring date!

SHMS Math Tutoring Sign Up Link

Questions?

Reach out to Ms. Rosera directly at Bethany.Rosera@k12.dc.gov or 401-837-0470.

Big Shout Out to all of the families that could come out to Stuart Hobson Instrumental Music Program’s Back to School Night!

If you couldn’t make it out, no worries at all! All the information and links are included below!

YouTube link of Back2School Night Presentation

https://youtu.be/vTyqS5jcm6Q

Please help increase our funds and support the music program activities with a donation via our Greater Giving donation link. We encourage each family to donate $50.

https://capitolhillclusterschool.ejoinme.org/MyPages/MusicFundatStuartHobson/tabid/1497975/Default.aspx

Volunteer via Sign Up Genius to help with an upcoming event!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080C45AFAE22AAFD0-58490472-volunteer

Sign up to communicate and get up-to-date notifications via What’s App:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/Eb2nfSBhnkmBbsOoZ3OTb5?mode=ems_copy_h_t

Follow us on Instagram

@ shms_inst_mus

https://www.instagram.com/shms_inst_mus?igsh=djJmeTNxNGZ6bGwy

If you have questions please reach out to Mr. Simmons at Robert.Simmons@k12.dc.gov or

Stacey Yonkers @ stuarthobsoninstrumentalmusic@gmail.com

Thank you and we look forward to a great year!

-The Stuart-Hobson Instrumental Music Program

For five years running, SHMS has been the largest and BEST middle school debate team in the Washington Urban Debate League. We have been National Champions and runners-up in all of the last four years!

Students can learn more about participation through daily announcements and flyers around the building, by visiting Mr. Plaisted in room 219 and families can email him at kip.plaisted@k12.dc.gov

Parents, if you wish to help judge a tournament, please see the link: https://urbandebatewashingtondc.org/get-involved/

The Sign-Up Request form for after-school programming with After-School All-Stars (ASAS) during the upcoming school year is open!

This year, ASAS is reserving approximately 50 spots for 6th graders and roughly 15 spots each for 7th and 8th grade in after-school programming. Again next year, we expect programming to run daily from 3:30-6:00. We are also excited that ASAS will continue to be 100% free for students who attend. The limited spots will be filled on a first come first served basis and enrollment is completely managed by ASAS. While some exceptions can be made for participation in other school-based activities (e.g. sports, tutoring, clubs) students are expected to sustain high levels of attendance and engagement in the program in order to hold their spot throughout the year.

Please note that after completing the registration form you will likely receive an automated message that your enrollment was "received". This does NOT mean that you have secured a spot but that your application is on file with After School All Stars. ASAS will follow-up with families on/after August 8th to confirm who has a seat and who has been waitlisted. ASAS also manages any waitlists and requests for technical support with the request application.

Lastly, we hope to have a representative from ASAS at our Panther Pride Academy family orientation and Back to School Night events to answer questions and connect with families. Please visit the ASAS website or reach out to Mr. Evroy Marrett with any questions or requests for more information at evroy.marrett@afterschoolallstars.org.

Do you have questions about mental health and behavioral health services at Stuart-Hobson? Would you like to talk to one of the counseling staff about support services for your student? Submit a request via https://bit.ly/referralSHMS or contact SHMS Social Worker Bernadette Wittschen at bernadette.wittschen@k12.dc.gov.

To ensure staff, students, and families receive the right technological support, DCPS IT and OCTO provide dedicated and differentiated support to each group.

For students and families:

• OCTO Student & Family Call Center – Assists parents and students with technical and password issues. Contact number is: (202) 442-5885 (Option 1).

September is appropriately identified as Attendance Awareness Month! As students return to school and school routines it is important to keep daily attendance front and center for everyone. This year, DCPS is changing some procedures related to attendance. Specifically, there is a new process for sharing excuse notes and messages with the school.

Moving forward, Aspen GO should be the platform used to share excuse notes when your student misses school for all/part of the school day. Additional information can be found here, in the flyers below, and will be shared during Back to School Night.

Thank you all for helping us keep our students in school and remember that attendance matters and every day counts!

The Cluster is a strong community of families, and the PTA strengthens that community by working together to support our students and campuses. Joining the PTA is a great opportunity to learn more about our school, enrich the student experience, and meet new people. PTA dues help fund critical programs, as well as supplies for music, art, library, and athletics.

Email: stuart-hobsonms@k12.dc.gov
Website: www.stuart-hobson.org
Location: 410 E Street Northeast, Washington, DC, USA
Phone: 202-671-6010
Twitter: @StuartHobsonMS

Important Links

Aspen DCPS Student and Family Login

Attendance Excuse Template

Capitol Hill Cluster Website

DCPS School Calendar SY24-25

DCPS School Mental Health Resources
Stuart-Hobson Special Education and 504 Plans

Stuart-Hobson Communications Plan - SY2024-25
Stuart-Hobson Uniform Policy

Stuart-Hobson Food Service Breakfast-Lunch-Supper Menus
Stuart-Hobson Behavior Expectation Matrices
Stuart-Hobson Student and Family Handbook