Hearst Weekly Update

If you've received an email from anyone on staff this week, you may have noticed the following below their email signature: "The new school year is here and every day is a new opportunity for our students to learn and grow. We all have a role to play in ensuring students get to school, ready to learn, and understand that #EveryDayCounts. Go to attendance.dc.gov to learn more." We take attendance very seriously at Hearst because we know that if our kids are not in class, they are not growing and learning socially emotionally or academically. Although our attendance rate has historically been high, late arrivals have been a sticking point for many families. Every student was on time for the first day of school but by the end of the week, we had almost ten kids who arrived after 8:45am. With the shifting of the Beach Drive closures tonight (https://www.nps.gov/rocr/learn/management/beach-drive-rehabilitation.htm) and Sidwell Friends starting their school year on September 5, it's vitally important that families are planning and establishing routines that get students to school on time. If you're interested in connecting with other families to form carpools, walking groups, or biking groups, please visit School Pool at https://tdm.commuterconnections.org/schoolpool/ to sign up. Thanks for a great first week of school and we look forward to seeing everyone before 8:45am every day this week and for the rest of the school year because #EveryDayCounts.

Thank you to everyone who has been dropping off kids for arrival at 8:30am. We know this change in drop off time was announced late and appreciate your flexibility. Last week as we transitioned into the building, several kids were separated from their classes momentarily because they either lined up with a different class or because they had to walk around and through adults who were also leaving the soccer field at the same time. This week we'll be putting out cones to clearly mark where each class should line up on the soccer field in the morning. We're also asking that when the whistle blows at 8:40am, all families say goodbye to kids on the soccer field and then move to the back or side of the field until all classes have left the soccer field. This will clear the paths that students and staff use to move into the building and ensure that all students are safe.

If you were at dismissal on the front plaza on Friday, you may have noticed cones indicating dismissal zones for each grade level. We will continue to put out these cones to help families know where to meet their kids at 3:15pm on the busy plaza. One group of classes, our CES classes, did not have cones on the plaza and this is because most of the students in these classes ride buses home. Please do not park in the area in front of the main entrance steps (the steps with the mosaics) so that our buses can safely welcome students onto the buses for their rides home. Thanks for your cooperation!

Email: attendance@hearstes.org
Website: www.hearstes.org
Location: 3950 37th Street Northwest, Washington, DC, United States
Phone: (202) 282-0106
Facebook: facebook.com/hearstes
Twitter: @hearstes

With the beginning of the school year come many questions from families about how we address student health needs. This year we are excited to have Nurse Fisher on site on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays and Ms. Fatima here on Fridays. On Wednesdays, student health needs will be addressed by one of our six medically trained staff. DCPS and DOH policies are in place to protect all students and staff and without appropriate paperwork from a doctor, medications (prescription and over the counter pills or liquids such as Benadryl or Dayquil, inhalers, prescription lotions/creams, sunscreen, etc.) cannot be sent to school with kids. If you have questions about your child's medical or treatment needs, please contact the nurse’s office at (202) 282-0258 or visit https://dcps.dc.gov/page/health-and-wellness.

All families, regardless of whether you are applying for Free and Reduced Meals, must complete the Free and Reduced Meals application. The form can be found online here:

https://www.nlappscloud.com/Welcome.aspx?api=1e78994e497a66c81b53b1640c7b13f6​

The Kids Ride Free program allows students to ride free on Metrobus, the DC Circulator, and Metrorail to school and school-related activities within the District. To use the benefit, students must have a current DC One Card with the Kids Ride Free Pass loaded onto the card. More than 18,000 students have already loaded the pass for the SY17-18, which will become active at the start of school. To join the program, students must be enrolled in a DCPS or public charter school, have a current DC One Card, and pay off any negative fare balance on their DC One Card. Information on program eligibility and how to load the Kids Ride Free pass at a Metro Station, on Metrobus or DC Circulator is available here. The District Department of Transportation’s School Transit Office can also be reached at (202) 673-1740.

Upcoming Events:

· Pre-K Boo Hoo Breakfast: Pre-K families, please join us on the playground Monday from 8:40am to 9:40am, for our annual Pre-K welcome-to-Hearst Boo Hoo Breakfast! Ease into the school year with bagels, pastries, coffee and OJ. A handful of members from the PTA Executive Board will be on hand to answer questions, as will Principal Jen Thomas. We also will have a variety of Hearst gear on sale, including some new items this year, so you can show your spirit! In the event of rain, the breakfast will be in the gym.

· Fall Enrichment Programming: Registration for our fall enrichment programming is now open for PTA-sponsored classes. Please check the school website (http://www.hearstes.org/) for more information. You can register for classes by clicking here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeESVxvghMIIEbB6Ecuq9SH6f6LmOQHHhvB0j-JIaKG0UDfdw/viewform?usp=sf_link. Please email Mindy Farrell, enrichment committee chairman, at enrichment@hearstes.org if you have any questions.

• PTA Mtg/Back to School Night: The PTA will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 13, beginning at 5:30pm and then will be followed by Back to School Night. Pizza and childcare will be available for all potty-trained students and siblings. Please check the listserv and school website for sign-up information.
• Community Dining Night: Our first community dining night will be Tuesday, September 26, at Nando’s Peri Peri at 4231 Wisconsin Ave. NW. Teachers can participate at lunch, if they like, but will have to pre-order the food to go. Parents can dine in or carry out between 4pm and 8pm, but please make sure to mention you’re with Hearst and our school will receive a portion of the proceeds!
• Calling all Volunteers! Are you looking for ways to be involved at Hearst? Whether you can help out from home or in the evenings or during the school day, there are plenty of opportunities to help keep Hearst great. To sign up to volunteer contact PTA Co-Presidents Judy Goodstein (judygoody24@gmail.com) or Amanda Provost (amanda@wydlerbrothers.com) and we will try to find a task for you that meets your availability and interests!

The Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) is seeking your help to promote its 2017 Parent and Family Engagement Summit on Saturday, September 16, 2017, from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p. m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The Summit will include dynamic opportunities to exchange information about available resources, best practices and strategies for parents and family members to support learning at home and school. Participants will also have the opportunity to form or strengthen relationships and forge meaningful partnerships with education stakeholders in order to achieve greater students’ outcomes. We will be inviting parents and family to join us as we work to ensure that all families have access to high quality education for their children. Registration is now open and parent and family members can RSVP here- www.bit.ly/OSSEParentSummit. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. For more information, see the flyer below.