Family Newsletter

Dear Hyde-Addison ES Families,

Welcome to the 2025–2026 school year at Hyde-Addison Elementary School! I am delighted to extend a warm welcome to all of our new families and a heartfelt welcome back to those returning.

In the weeks leading up to the start of the school year, we will host a series of family orientations and Q&A sessions to help you prepare for the year ahead. In addition, we will continue to use this weekly family newsletter as a platform to share timely updates and information. Details about this platform’s features, including automatic language translation and improved visibility tools, can be found below.

At the top of this newsletter, you will see our Hyde-Addison “High 5” priorities for the 2025–2026 school year. These focus areas were shaped by feedback from families, staff, and students, as well as survey data and student performance metrics. While some of the priority areas may appear familiar, the specific goals and strategies for this year reflect evolving needs. I look forward to sharing more about our school’s progress throughout the year.

We are also excited to continue our work in partnership with families through initiatives such as our Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force, which includes families, staff, and community stakeholders. Please find the final task force newsletter from the 2024–2025 school year, included here, along with access to previous editions. If you are interested in learning more or joining the task force, we welcome your outreach at hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

Families are also encouraged to stay involved through our active PTA, which plays a critical role in supporting our school priorities and enriching the educational experience for all students. PTA information will be shared regularly through this newsletter.

As we receive updated guidance from DCPS, we will continue to share key information through this platform. The Family Newsletter will serve as your primary source for school-level updates throughout the year.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact us at hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

Warmest regards,
Dr. Calvin Hooks, Principal
Hyde-Addison Elementary School

When you receive the Family Newsletter by email each Friday, as well as most other school-wide communications, you will have the option to view it in a web browser. Accessing the newsletter this way allows for automatic translation into over 20 languages and provides enhanced accessibility features, including high-contrast display settings and adjustable font sizes for improved visibility.

All Family Newsletters will also be archived on the Hyde-Addison website https://hydeaddisondc.org/home throughout the year for your ongoing reference.

Back-to-School events have been announced! On August 7, following each Open House session, we will partner with the Hyde-Addison PTA to host a family playdate, a wonderful opportunity for students and families to connect, build community, and get to know one another before the school year begins. Additional opportunities to connect will be shared throughout the summer.

Attendance is a top priority for both DCPS and Hyde-Addison ES, as consistent, on-time attendance is essential to student achievement, growth, and overall success. We encourage families to review the DCPS Academic Calendar below or directly on the dcps.dc.gov website, to plan vacations, appointments, and events in a way that supports uninterrupted learning throughout the school year.

During the school year, please notify the school every time your student is absent. Excuse notes must be emailed to hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov within 5 school days after the student’s return to school for the absence to be excused, in alignment with DCPS Attendance policies. (Classroom teachers cannot excuse absences.)

We would like all families to share some information with our team in advance so that we can get to know their strengths and learning needs. This information will be given to your child's classroom teacher in advance of the first day of school so that they can support their transition. Please fill out this short form!

If your child needs to take medication or requires medical treatment during school hours, please have your medical provider complete the appropriate forms, which may include the Medication and Treatment Authorization Forms, the Asthma Action Plan and the Action Plan for Anaphylaxis. Please email forms to hyde.Addison@k12.dc.gov and ask them to be submitted to the nurse. We will confirm receipt.

If your child needs a dietary accommodation, your provider should also complete the Dietary Accommodations Form. Please submit the completed form to dietary.forms@k12.dc.gov and cc hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

If you are planning to chaperone field trips, help in classrooms, or support school events during the upcoming school year, now is the perfect time to start the volunteer clearance process. All volunteers, including parents, must complete the DCPS Clearance process before volunteer services can be provided.

Clearance can take several weeks, so we encourage all interested family members to begin early to avoid delays. Once completed, please email your proof of clearance to hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

If you need help or have questions, email: ch002523@discoverchampions.com

To enroll your child in Champions aftercare for SY25-26:

1. Create a parent portal [STEP 1]

   a. Your parent portal will give you access to billing, scheduling and many more things that will assist you.

   Link: https://connect.klcschoolpartnerships.com/

   
   

2. Fill out the attached Enrollment Packets [STEP 2]

1. Ensure to have your REQUESTED SCHEDULE completed.

2. Ensure you fill out all 3 OSSE forms.

3. Ensure you fill out a separate form for each of your students.

4. Ensure there is contact information for primary and secondary payer (email and number).

5. Ensure you are putting your child/children grade on the enrollment form.

6. When finished please email a copy to CH002523@DISCOVERCHAMPIONS.COM.

Active Play is excited to kick off enrichments at Hyde Addison this fall with a variety of fun, active, and engaging classes! Our Fall Catalog will be available for families to review this Friday, so you can start planning which enrichment classes best fit your child’s interests.

Key Registration Dates:

• Registration opens: July 17

• Registration closes: August 15

• On August 15, families will be notified which classes will be moving forward based on reaching the minimum number of enrolled students.

  
  

Please note that enrollment is first come, first served. If a class reaches capacity, you’ll have the option to join a waitlist for your preferred class. For all the details — including the catalog, class descriptions, cost and registration info — please visit our website here.

We look forward to a fun and active season with the kiddos! Please email hydeenrichment@activeplayllc.com with any questions or concerns.

We wanted to officially welcome 2025-26 enrolled families to the Hyde-Addison PTA. Every parent or guardian of a Hyde student is automatically a member of the Hyde-Addison PTA, no dues required! The PTA executive board is hard at work planning another great year of community events and fundraisers to support the school. Please stay tuned for updates on volunteer opportunities and a tentative schedule of events for the coming year.

If you're new to Hyde or haven't already, we hope you'll take a minute to join Konstella, a virtual platform for Hyde-Addison families and the PTA's all-in-one app for staying connected, informed and involved--don’t miss out on events, updates, groups, and ways to support our school community!

1. Register with the Hyde-Addison PTA on Konstella here.
2. WAIT! After submitting your child’s information, the PTA admin will approve your request within 24-48 hrs.
3. Download the FREE Konstella app for user friendly integration & phone notifications.
4. Once you’re approved & logged in, join different groups. Click directory & browse various groups. Make sure to join “All Families” & your child’s individual classroom (once assignments are released in August)!
5. Turn on email & push notifications on the Konstella app by clicking the Gear icon--> Notifications --> Select Immediate for the top 3 options listed.

If you have any questions, you can always reach us at pta.hydeaddison@gmail.com.

Enjoy a summer of fun and growth with this curated checklist of activities! It features a variety of options, including: printable activities, outdoor and indoor choices, and technology resources for reading, math, and science. Challenge yourselves to see how many activities you can complete over the break.

Don’t forget to share your favorites when you return to Hyde-Addison Elementary in August!

We are thrilled to announce and congratulate the following parents and guardians who have been elected to serve on the Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) for the 2025-2026 school year:

• Charita Brent

• Kenneth Byrd

• Tom Quigley

• Netta Squires

Your dedication and commitment to our school community are greatly appreciated. We look forward to collaborating with you to uphold and advance high expectations and achievements for all students.

Please find attached a message from DC Public Schools Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee regarding changes to sibling phase-in policies for students enrolling in 9th grade in School Year 2026-2027 and later.

“The 2024 DC School Report Card is built on OSSE’s amended ESSA State Plan, which increases the school accountability system’s emphasis on student growth and marginalized student groups. OSSE has calculated a summative score for each school, as required by USED and the District’s ESSA State Plan. To determine a school’s summative score, OSSE calculates metric scores for each student group, combines student group scores into single metric scores, and then calculates the school-level summative score (up to 100 points). The student groups included are students with disabilities, students who are economically disadvantaged, English learners, and racial/ethnic groups.”

Data points include Academic Achievement, Academic Growth, Student Attendance, Early Childhood Environment, English Language “Proficiency”, and Enrollment.

Based on the Office of the State Superintendent of Education's DC School Report Card Accountability Scores (2024)…

Hyde-Addison ES was ranked #1 for all DCPS and DC Public Charter Elementary, Middle and High Schools in Washington, DC!

You can read more about how OSSE calculates summative scores at OSSE Data Discovery.

Washington DC Youth Rugby's touch rugby program - free for all children aged between 5 and 14 years old - is just beginning the summer 2025 season. Practices will be at Hardy Park in Foxhall on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, with games against teams from DC and across Virginia on Saturdays. No previous experience or knowledge of the game is required and newcomers are invited to join us to learn this wonderful sport. The program follows the FIT rules for touch rugby (i.e., no head contact, tackles, rucks, mauls etc.) and players will be grouped by age level to ensure appropriate instruction.

Registration is now open here: https://dcyouthrugby.leagueapps.com/clubteams/4594693-2025-hardy-park-dragons---summer-fit-touch-rugby

Our camps are open to all students in grades K through 8. Additionally, we would love to give back to the Washington DC community this year by offering a 50% off discount to any family who reaches out from a Washington DC K-8 Public or Private School to register for one or more of our camps.

Our annual camps are a fantastic way for rising basketball stars to learn the fundamentals and joy of the game, while also taking advantage of the opportunity to interact with, and be instructed by players and coaches from our nationally ranked men's and women's basketball teams here at Catholic University! Now any K-8 student in Washington DC can enjoy our basketball camp experience for just $147.50!

Please see the attached flyer for additional information.

Camp Arena Stage is a multi-arts day camp located in Georgetown where community and art make magic. Campers, ages 8-15, choose their own schedules from a long list of activities in theater, music, visual arts, dance, filmmaking, and writing. Campers learn from professional artists and educators to explore, discover and create art.

Ages: 8-15 as of July 1, 2025

Dates:

3-Week Session: July 7 - July 25

Hours: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Location: Georgetown Visitation

1524 35th Street NW

Washington, DC 20007

*Campers bring their lunch each day.

Details: arenastage.org/camp

Questions: Please email camp@arenastage.org

Full and partial scholarships available. Apply by March 21, 2023.

On behalf of the PTA Executive Board we would like to thank the Hyde community for an incredible school year! Thanks to the generosity of the extended Hyde family (including our sponsors!) and the efforts of countless volunteers the PTA was able to raise approximately $110,000 to support the school’s operating budget. The PTA coordinated 21(!) events, 5 fundraisers, 4 General Body Meetings, 2 staff appreciation events and countless classroom parties organized by room parents. We were excited to add ELEVEN new initiatives this school year to help strengthen our community and support our school. We would like to extend a special thank you to the current PTA Board for their hard work, creativity, flexibility and dedication to the PTA mission. We hope you all have a rejuvenating summer break and we look forward to seeing you next school year!

- Co-Presidents Farrell Barnes Quigley & Crystal Rosario

Do you like apparel and have an eye for graphic design? The PTA is looking for a Swag Manager (or Managers!) to help fulfill online orders, manage inventory, design new swag, and build school spirit/culture! This is a great volunteer role to do on your own or share with a friend. Email pta.hydeaddison@gmail.com for more info.

This year the PTA was proud to organize the School Supply Drive, Goodbye Pool Hello School playdate, Great Envelope Race, Movie Night, Parent’s Night Out, Double Good popcorn sale, Comfort Food a thon, Family Bingo, March Madness, Final Friday Happy Hour, Havana Nights Gala, Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week, Gardening Project, Washington Spirit Outing, SummerFest, and numerous parent-hosted parties. The PTA also contributed just over $100,000 toward the school's operating budget thanks to the support of our amazing Hyde community and sponsors.

We want to hear from you about your experiences with these events and initiatives this year and what you would like to see from the PTA in the 2025-2026 school year. We hope you'll take a few minutes to share your thoughts via our Parent Engagement Survey at https://forms.gle/inpFRKFfASHB5S4F8.

As always if you have suggestions for events or activities, if you'd like to get more involved, please don't hesitate to reach out via Konstella or email us at pta.hydeaddison@gmail.com.

Thanks to our amazing volunteers (and all this rain!), the school garden is thriving. Consistent watering is essential to help keep it that way during D.C.’s hot summer. To assist with this we’ve set up a simple watering system—and we could use your help!

💧 You’ll see upside-down glass bottles in terracotta stakes near the base of larger plants. These slowly release water near the roots when the soil is dry.

🌞If you’re on the playground or nearby, please help by refilling any bottles that look low or are empty. You can use the playground water fountain.

⚠️ Please do not move or push on the stakes with bottles in place. Both the glass and terracotta are fragile and can break easily.

✅ Overwatering isn’t a concern—so feel free to give plants a little extra if you’re unsure.

Thank you for being part of this community effort to keep our garden happy and healthy over the summer!

All volunteers, including parents, must complete the DCPS Clearance process before volunteer services can be provided. Please send a proof of your completed clearance status to hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

School ends at 3:25pm and students are late being picked up after 3:30pm. Please be reminded that early dismissal ends at 2:50pm and we must clear the field for aftercare students to use.

All students in grades Kindergarten through 5 must have a signed permission form on file in order to walk or take public transportation home alone or with an underaged sibling, for each applicable school year. No student will be allowed to leave school alone or with an underaged sibling until the attached form has been signed and returned to the main office or emailed to hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

DCPS is pleased to announce the release of the SY 25-26 Feeder, Middle School, and High School Booklets. These comprehensive booklets provide essential information including school overviews, programming details, geographic and programmatic feeder patterns, and much more.

July 24: New-to-Hyde Family Q&A (Virtual)

August 7: Open Houses and Play Dates (In-Person)
August 19: Class Assignments are Released
August 20: Teacher Introductions (By Email)
August 22: Sneak Peek
August 25: First Day of School for K-5
August 28: First Day of School for PreK3 and PreK4
September 4: Back to School Night @ 5:30pm