SHMS Family Newsletter

Greetings SHMS community,

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Thursday evening for our annual Back to School Night event. We hope that you were able to connect with other families, staff, and teachers and left with even more clarity about what our students will experience in the year ahead.

It is hard to believe, but the midway point of the first term is just a week and a half away. Please remember to monitor student learning with Aspen / Grade Corner and keep updated about expectations by registering for ParentSquare.

We have a solid run of five-day school weeks ahead of us so let's work together to help our students turn routines into habits and build positive momentum together in the classroom.

Have a great week!

Warm regards,

Eric Fraser

Principal

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Monday

• A great instructional day!

Tuesday

• Deadline for caregivers and staff to apply for DCPS Technology Advisory Committee

Wednesday

• A great instructional day!

Thursday

• A great instructional day!

Friday

• Hispanic Heritage Month Kick-Off activities

Upcoming Dates

• September 24, End of Term 1 Progress Report marking period
• September 25, Pep Assembly, 2:30-3:30 PM
• October 2, National Custodian Appreciation Day!
• October 6, Fire drill
• October 12, Indigenous Peoples' Day observed, schools closed
• October 13, DCPS Parent-Teacher Conferences day, Stuart-Hobson MS closed
• October 15, Great Shakeout (earthquake drill), 10:15 AM
• October 18, Renovators House Tour (PTA fundraiser), 12:00-5:00 PM
• October 21-23, NatureBridge trip for 7th graders
• October 29, Last day of Term 1
• October 30 Professional Development Day, no school for students
• November 2, Records-keeping & Wellness Day, no school for students
• November 3, Election Day, no school for students or teachers

DCPS SY 2026-27 calendar

SHMS partners with GW University for students to receive free math tutoring 2 days 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 on Mondays and Wednesdays (Snack: 3:30-3:40pm, tutoring 3:45-4:45pm)

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

- Tutoring starts the week of September 21 for all students.

Sign Up- Limited Spaces Available

Families can sign up at the GW Math Matters table at back to school night, or via the following link: tinyurl.com/shmstutoring

Got Questions?

Email Ms. Rosera, Math Department Chair, at Bethany.Rosera@k12.dc.gov

Ticket Link:

https://gofan.co/app/school/DC84856

Monday, September 14

Football Practice, 7-8:15a

Last call Football/Parents Interest Meeting, 7:30am, SHMS Field

XC Practice, 3:30-5:30p

Tuesday, September 15

Volleyball Practice, 3:45p-5p

XC Practice, 3:30-5:30p

Girls and Boys Soccer Game, SHMS Field, 4:45p/6:15p

Football Game vs. Sousa, Eastern HS 6pm

Wednesday, September 16

XC Meet, Colmar Manor Park, 12:30p

Volleyball Game @ Johnson MS, 4:30pm

Thursday, September 17

Football Practice, 7-8:15a

Girls and Boys Soccer Game, Deal, 4:45p/6:15p

Friday, September 18

Football Practice, 7-8:15a

Saturday, September 19

Volleyball Games, Johnson vs. Kramer & Stuart-Hobson vs. Kramer, 11:00-1:00 PM

To practice, tryout, or join an athletic team, you must submit the participation packet every school year. If you updated the UHC/Physical during the end of the previous school year, you still must submit new paperwork for SY 26-27.

https://www.thedciaa.com/participation-forms

Fall Athletics

Cross Country (co-ed)

Football

Soccer (boys & girls teams)

Volleyball

Follow us on Instagram: Stuarthobsonms_athletics

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.

The 2026-2027 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 Universal Health Certificate (UHC) has been updated recently, you are encouraged to complete the participation packet as soon as possible.

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 2026-27 Teams:

TBA

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.

Students may visit the office for SY 26-27 Kids Ride Free (KRF) cards, before school, during their assigned lunch period (6th and 8th grades), or after school. The SY 25-26 KRF card will work through September 30th if it has not been replaced beforehand.

School leaders, instructional staff, technology POCs, and DCPS families are encouraged to apply here by Tuesday, September 15 to join the Technology Advisory Committee (TAC). The purpose of the Committee is to gather candid feedback before the district determines a final course of action and communicates it more broadly. Together, we'll discuss, identify, and solve challenges, revolutionizing technology integration.

After-school activities are underway and we want to share some reminders with families about after-school routines and procedure that ensure a safe and engaging experience for all students.

1. All students report to the cafeteria between 3:30-3:45 where their after-school activity sponsor (coach, club facilitator, tutor, or ASAS staff) will meet them. Students will have the opportunity to eat a snack, provided for free by the cafeteria, and will be escorted to the location of their activity.
2. No re-entry. Students should not exit the building and re-enter for after-school activities. Re-entry will be allowed on a case-by-case basis and repeated attempts to exit and re-enter will result in family contact and the possible exclusion from after-school activities.
3. Students who are not participating in an after-school activity should not be on school grounds, or in the building after the 3:30 dismissal. Students waiting for transportation after-school are encouraged to wait on the front steps.
4. The E Street entrance is open for pick-up/dismissal, and guest entry until 4:30 PM. At 4:30 the main office end E Street entry close and all guests should enter through the 4th Street student entry area, where security is located until 6:00 PM. Students should be dismissed through this exit beginning at 4:30 every day.
5. Activity sponsors are responsible for ensuring and supervising the safe dismissal of all activity participants and can assist with family communication as needed. Under no circumstances can school staff or volunteers arrange or provide transportation for students (e.g. taxi, Uber, purchase of Metro fare, ride in personal vehicle, etc.).
6. Cell phones and personal devices will be returned to all students at 3:30. Activity sponsors may recollect phones to store while students are participating in an activity. Please check with your student's activity sponsor for their policies and procedures.

If you have any questions about the routines and procedures above please reach out to an activity sponsor or school administrator and thank you for helping us to ensure that all students have a safe and joyful experience after-school.

Some families have reported temporary challenges with the Grade Corner app (popular for monitoring student performance by syncing with Aspen). Families have also recommended re-installing the app or installing updates to resolve this issue.

Please reach out to the front office or a guidance counselor for assistance with resetting an Aspen password.

Student Uniform Policy & Dress Code

The SHMS uniform policy is designed to maintain school pride and traditions while contributing to a safe and predictable school experience for students and families. School uniforms or other apparel that identifies our school are required while on school property, field trips (before or after school day hours), while attending After-School All-Stars and school-approved activities after 3:30 PM, unless athletic, dance or other specific apparel is required by the coach/leader.

Uniforms include:

· Long or short-sleeved solid-color polo, button-up collared shirt, or T-shirt. An SHMS logo is optional. Any non-SHMS logo/branding on uniform shirts or sweatshirts should be minimal and the size of a $1 bill (1 dollar) or smaller. Grade levels are assigned shirt colors as follows:

• 6th Grade: Red
• 7th Grade: Gray (jersey or other light/medium shades preferred, avoid darker shades to stand out from 8th grade)
• 8th Grade: Black

· Plain red, black, or white crewneck sweaters/sweatshirts (front zip, button up, or pullover) and vests. No hoods.

· Long sleeved, plain color, crew/V-neck shirts may be worn underneath uniform shirts.

· Chino ("khaki") pants, skirts, or shorts (no cut-offs), worn at waist level and without tears or rips. Jumpers are also acceptable. All should be solid khaki/tan or black in color. No jeans/denim or leggings on their own.

· Comfortable closed-toed shoes or sneakers covering the entire foot. Shoes and sneakers should lace-up or fit snugly. No sandals, slippers/slides, or Crocs.

· Any clothing that identifies our school community by name or logo (e.g. Stuart-Hobson MS or the Capitol Hill Cluster School) may be worn in place of uniform components. SHMS/Cluster hoodies are allowed but students should not wear hoods during the school day. Jerseys/tank tops should be accompanied by an undershirt that meets dress code expectations outlined below.

*Because of the uniform policy expectations outlined above, it is assumed that any shirts/tops students wear will cover their shoulders and torsos and any pants/bottoms will cover their thighs to just above the knee.

Dress Code

While students may wear some of the following to and from school, they are expected to avoid wearing all of the following during the school day, on trips, and in after-school activities:

• Hooded coats, shirts, and sweatshirts,
• Outerwear like jackets, fleeces, parkas, windbreakers, etc.,
• Hats and other head/face coverings (e.g. winter/baseball hats, ski masks, bonnets, goggles, scarves, surgical masks, etc.),
• Metal studs on headbands and other accessories,
• Crop tops, halter tops, jerseys, tank tops,

• Khaki/black leggings/tights worn in place of khaki/black pants (note that leggings/tights may be worn under skirts/shorts that meet other dress code and uniform requirements), and,
• Purses or fanny packs

Religious, medical, or other personal exemptions/exceptions to any of the above expectations should be made by parents/families and documented with the school culture and/or administrative teams prior to taking effect.

Uniform Non-Compliance

Students should comply with the uniform policy daily and will be recognized for compliance with Live School points, eligibility for trips and other activities, and other rewards. Uniform policy violations will be documented in Live School. Some uniform deficiencies can be remedied by the support team, but the loss of instructional time should be avoided when supporting students in complying with the policy. Incidents and patterns of infractions will be handled like other Tier 1 and 2 infractions.

As we get ready to kick off a new school year, please take a moment to read about the Renovators House Tour, one of the three fundraisers throughout the year that raise important funds for CHCS students and teachers: https://www.renovatorstour.org/

The 2026 Renovators House Tour will take place on October 18, 2026. Volunteers are needed to staff houses, help sell tickets, write copy for the program book, and help with weekend of logistics (and more!).

You can mark the date on your calendar and sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D48AEAE2CA3F58-63815147-renovators#/

We are also hoping to build our volunteer bench with caregivers who want to help get sponsors for the event, manage ticket and ad sales, and manage volunteers for the event. Please feel free to reach out to Heather, Liz or I directly about any of those roles and we'd love to share some more details!

While we've got it all covered for this year, we'd love to build a bench of people who want to learn more about the behind the scenes planning to help make sure the event is a success into the future.

Happy last week of summer (unless you're a teacher in which case happy back to school week!)

Your 2026 RHT Co-Chairs,

Laura (lauraodato at gmail)
Heather (heather.cunningham at gmail)
Liz (epegnato at gmail)

We are excited to continue our partnership with After-School All-Stars (ASAS), our after-school enrichment provider, this coming school year. Registration for the school year after-school programming with ASAS is open! As always, the limited spots are open to students who are enrolled in Stuart-Hobson for the upcoming school year and are filled on a first come, first served basis. The after-care enrollment process is completely managed by ASAS. 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. ASAS also manages any waitlists and requests for technical support. We are also excited that ASAS will continue to be 100% free for students who attend.

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 in early August to confirm which students were awarded a seat and who has been waitlisted.

Please reach out to Mr. Evroy Marrett with any questions or requests about ASAS, the interest form, or for more information at evroy.marrett@afterschoolallstars.org.

Monitoring Attendance in Aspen: You can track your child’s daily and weekly attendance by following these steps:

1. Log in to aspen.dcps.dc.gov.
2. Select your student’s name.
3. Click on the Attendance side tab.

In this view, you can see daily, weekly, and overall attendance. By clicking on individual classes, you can view specific dates for absences or tardies. If the daily or weekly attendance view says "no records," this indicates your child was present and on time for the entire period.

Attendance Codes Reference:

• T: Tardy
• A: Unexcused Absence
• A-E: Excused Absence (some common types of excused absences are coded below)
• IL: Illness
• SA: School Activity (Athletics, Drama, Band)
• SV: School Visit

How to Submit Absence Documentation: If your child is absent, please use one of the following two methods to submit documentation:

• Send an email to Stuart-hobsonMS@k12.dc.gov with the absence note attached. Please be sure to CC me on this correspondence.

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!

Stuart-Hobson MS partners with the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) to provide school-based mental health services to students. Please see attached letter for more information about the services offered or contact DBH Clinician Kimberly Harrington, LICSW at kimberly.harrington@dc.gov.

During the school year, you can also request mental health and counseling support via our referral link (note: referrals are not checked during the summer break): https://bit.ly/referralSHMS. We look forward to partnering with your family to support your student’s wellbeing and success while at SMHS!

Mental health resources that are always available:

DBH Access Helpline: 1-888-793-4357

Child and Adolescent Mobile Psychiatric Service (ChAMPS): 202-481-1440

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: call, text, or chat 988

Crisis Text Line: text HOME to 741741

LiveLongDC: Residents in DC can access NARCAN (Naloxone) through delivery by texting LiveLongDC to 888-811. There are also areas throughout the District where residents can pick up NARCAN for free. A prescription is not needed to pick up and carry NARCAN.

NetSmartz: Internet Safety for Parents, Caregivers & Communities (Virtual) on Thursday Sept 10th

Developed by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC): Netsmartz: Internet Safety for Parents, Caregivers & Communities Virtual training - 1.5 hours This training assists adults—such as parents, caregivers, and teachers—in safeguarding children's online safety. It offers best practices for managing online safety issues and provides resources to help adults handle the risks children encounter online.

📅 Date: Thursday, September 10, 2026

🕧 Time: 12:00 pm - 1:30 pm

📍 Location: Zoom

• Pre-register for the Virtual NetSmartz Internet Safety Training here!

Stewards of Children® Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Training (In-Person with free dinner) on Thursday Sept 24th

This evidence-informed training teaches adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. Through interviews with child sexual abuse survivors, experts, and treatment providers, Stewards of Children® teaches adults practical actions they can take to reduce instances of child sexual abuse in their organizations, families, and communities.

📅 Date: Thursday, September 24th, 2026

🕧 Time: 5:30 pm - 8:00 pm

📍 Location: The Bundy Building - 429 O Street NW, Washington, DC 20001

· Free dinner will be available starting at 5:15 PM and the training will begin promptly at 5:30 pm.

· Pre-registration is required. Registration closes at noon on Monday, 9/21.

· Pre-register for the In-Person Stewards of Children Training here!

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).

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 Mental Health Resources

Stuart-Hobson Special Education and 504 Plans

Stuart-Hobson Uniform Policy

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