Principal's Bulletin

Dear Families,

Due to the upcoming long weekend, this is an "early edition" of the bulletin.

Congratulations to the winners of the school Spelling Bee: Claire, Marcus, Sanvi, and Anora. Students in Grades 2-5 competed and the winning students from Grades 3-5 will move on to the city-wide competition.

IMPORTANT: Action Requested

DCPS and DC Health advise to opt out of Asymptomatic Testing if your child has had COVID in the past 90 days. DC Health also advises that fully vaccinated individuals not participate. Please complete and return the opt-out form if you do not want your child tested. It is attached below and we have hard copies at the gates. IF your child has had COVID in the past ninety days and you choose not to opt out, you may get a positive result that is not linked to active infection.

**ANY POSITIVE RESULT ON THIS TESTING REQUIRES A MANDATORY TEN DAY ISOLATION. DC HEALTH WOULD HAVE TO OPEN A CASE TO REVIEW IF YOU HAVE A DISPUTE BASED ON ASYMPT TESTING WITHIN 90 DAYS OF COVID. YOUR CHILD WOULD REMAIN IN ISOLATION DURING THE REVIEW PROCESS.

Warm Regards,

Holly Searl, Principal

holly.searl@k12.dc.gov

Beginning Friday, January 14, all PK and K families will receive a rapid antigen test kit via backpack to be used on Sundays in order to return to school on Mondays. These kits are solely for PK and K families. This is required for all PK students and optional for Kindergarten.

Due to the holiday, PK and K families should test on Monday, January 17 to return on Tuesday, January 18.

1. Write the date on your child's test result (1/17/22)

2. Take a picture

3. Upload the dated photo to dcpsreopenstrong.com/testing by 4:00pm on Monday, Jan. 17

4. Contact Principal Searl and teacher with a positive result and inform any close contacts from previous 48 hours.

5. If your child is symptomatic, even with a negative result, please keep them home. Students who are sick need to stay home.

5. Please DO NOT contact us with news of negative results. We will celebrate with you in spirit but cannot manage the additional information.

You must test your own child before coming to school Tuesday. There is no option for DCPS staff or contractors to do the testing for you. Please do not bring a photo to the gate on Tuesday morning. It must be uploaded to the site by 4:00pm on Monday.

IMPORTANT for PK4: DCPS has not yet changed their policy regarding responses to a positive case in class. Therefore, please be prepared for a whole class quarantine if there is a positive case regardless of your child's vaccine status or prior COVID infection. Due to the long weekend, this will not apply for next week but will apply for week of January 24. I have been advocating for a policy change given our rapidly changing context with vaccines and confirmed cases. I will keep you informed of any shifts in policy.

Based on the success of the January test-to-return program, it has been expanded to include test-to-return after the February break and after Spring Break for all students and staff. Details will follow closer to those breaks.

Our Sunrise Scholars and After School Academy will resume on Tuesday, January 18. Offerings are based on teacher availability and student data. Invitations to groups have been sent out by Ms. Adams. If you have questions, please reach out to Ms. Adams, School Psychologist and POC or your child's teacher. ashlee.adams@k12.dc.gov

Ziko is starting new sessions of Chess that will run for ten weeks from 8:00-8:45 am. This session will end in late March and the last session of the school year will begin in April.

Wednesdays: K-1

Thursdays: Grades 2 & 3

Contact Ziko directly to register: zikochess@gmail.com

As noted in Chancellor Ferebee's most recent community letter, DC Public Schools will have traditional snow days with no virtual instruction in the event we need to close school buildings due to inclement weather. Should snow or severe winter weather be expected, you will be notified via email and text message from DCPS if schools may open late, dismiss early, or be closed. DCPS’ operating status will also be posted online at dcps.dc.gov, on @DCPublicSchools social media accounts, and with local news outlets. The decision to delay or close school is a careful decision made by the Mayor informed by several factors, including temperature and wind chill, levels of snow and ice, road conditions, the availability of public transit, and how these conditions are forecast to develop over the course of the day.

Monday, January 17: Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, no school: Ross PTA will participate in Day of Service Neighborhood Clean Up. Meet at Ross Playground at 11:00am. Bring a trash bag. Gloves will be provided.

Monday, January 24: LSAT 7:00pm

Wednesday, January 26: Professional Day for Teachers, no school for students; End of Term 2

Email: holly.searl@k12.dc.gov
Website: http://rosselementary.org/
Location: 1730 R Street Northwest, Washington, DC, USA
Phone: (206)-673-7200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RossElementarySchool/
Twitter: @rossesdc