Family Newsletter

Dear Hyde-Addison ES Families,

We are certainly inching closer to the start of the 2023-2024 school year. By next Tuesday, families are slated to receive student classroom placements. By Wednesday, families should receive outreach from their classroom teaching team. Next Friday is the sneak peek day, where families will have the opportunity to meet the teacher, see the classroom, and drop off supplies before an engagement opportunity on the playground. Please be mindful that this is not a conference day. More extensive details on programming will be shared through written class communications and at Back to School Night on September 7, 2023.

We are slated to share additional information on our various enrichment activities in a communication, separate from the main family newsletter, next Friday. There will also be opportunities to sign up, if interested.

As previously shared, there are numerous activities offered during the school day, including field trips, DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative events, experiences through the Embassy Adoption Program, performances through Dumbarton Arts and Education, workshops with Ford's Theatre and oratory presentations through the National Park Service, just to name a few.

In addition to aftercare offerings, academic acceleration academies, mentoring, basketball, track and cross country, we are finalizing enrichment opportunities offered after school. To ensure student safety and all policies and procedures are followed, all program providers must first go through an extensive DCPS process, before they can become an official partner. We have been working with the organizations to ensure there will be ample opportunities to grant access to all interested families, as applicable.

As always, please feel free to email hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov, with any school specific inquiries.

Kindest Regards,

Dr. Calvin Hooks, Principal

Hyde-Addison Elementary School

Each year, a family handbook is provided to share guidelines and information with families. Please find the SY2023-24 family handbook below, which specifically outlines arrival and dismissal procedures, which may be helpful as the first day of school approaches!

We anticipate sharing registration links for all school-enrichment activities that are slated to be offered in the fall in a stand-alone family newsletter next Friday morning (August 25). It will also be linked on the school website, under family newsletters.

Please see the updated guidance from DCPS regarding expectations for school visitors here.

Per DCPS, 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 a sibling, for each applicable school year. No student will be allowed to leave school alone or with a sibling until the attached form has been signed and returned to the main office or emailed to hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov. Before returning this form, please:

• Walk or review with your child on the route(s) they will use to travel to and from school.

• Be sure that your child knows their address, your phone number, and where to go or who to contact if there is an emergency.

• Discuss safe walking behaviors with your child, including crossing streets safely at intersections with crossing guards, marked crosswalks, or other safe locations. (For more pedestrian safety tips please visit https://www.safekids.org/walkingsafelytips.

Please also keep in mind that the Hyde-Addison playground is NOT available for student use after school dismissal because it is reserved for the Champions afterschool program. This form is only required for students who are walking or taking public transportation home without their parent, guardian, or another adult who is authorized to pick them up.

Please return a separate signed form for each of your children, for the SY23-24 school year.

We are thrilled to announce that DCIAA has approved Hyde-Addison to have girls and boys cross country teams (fall), boys basketball (winter), and boys and girls track teams (spring).

All forms must be completed and submitted for each student in advance of trying out for a team. We encourage you to go ahead and schedule your doctor appointment to complete this over the summer if your 4th or 5th grader may be interested in playing sports.

Information about how to sign your child up will be forthcoming.

There is no cost to families for a child to be on a DCIAA team. All students who wish to compete on a DCIAA team must complete a participation packet every school year which includes a physical by a medical professional. Additionally, the medical forms must be completed within 365 days of the end of the athletic season.

1. Elementary School Participation Packet

2. Universal Health Certificate (UHC). Students with certain medical conditions may also need to complete an Asthma Action Plan or an Anaphylaxis Action Plan

Your child's classroom teacher will meet you outside on the playground (holding a sign) at the time listed below for each grade. This is a great time to drop off your school supplies, if you did not already order through the PTA.

Expect to spend about 10 minutes inside of your child's classroom with the teacher before the group travels outside to the playground together for popsicles and continued community building. While classroom teachers will have additional afternoon meetings that will keep them from being able to stay and play for an extended period of time, you are welcome to remain on the playground as long as you like. Remember, Back-to-School Night presentations will include a broader informational session with Q&A- this is just a Sneak Peek!

• PreK-12:30pm
• K- 1:00pm
• 2nd- 1:15pm
• 1st- 1:30pm
• 3rd- 1:45pm
• 4th- 2:00pm
• 5th- 2:15pm

As you know, one of our High 5 priorities is working with families as our academic partners. Below are just some of the engagement opportunities you can look forward to participating in this school year!

As we prepare to launch into school year 2023-24, we would like to invite new and returning families to join us for the engagement opportunities outlined below. Together, we will share important information, ask questions, and build connections as a school community.

We have some great opportunities to connect with other families and volunteer before school officially starts!

Sunday, August 20 - Join us this Sunday (August 20) on the Hyde-Addison playground for an end of summer playdate! This is a great opportunity to reunite with old friends and meet new ones! PK3 and 4: 10 a.m. | K and 1st: 11:00 am | 2nd and 3rd: 12:00 pm | 4th and 5th: 1:00 p.m. (Please note, this is an informal meet up organized by the PTA and not an official school-sponsored event.)

Wednesday, August 23 - A big thank you to everyone who purchased school supplies through the PTA over the last few weeks - we sold nearly 200 kits and surpassed our goal by30! Now comes the fun part - assembling and delivering those school supplies to classrooms. Whether you can stay for the whole day or for just a bit, we'd love help beginning at 9:00 a.m through approximately 3:00 pm. Children are welcome.

If you’re already on Konstella, please use this link to volunteer on August 23. https://www.konstella.com/app/school/5f3ec103b63aaba471bba1f9/signups/64d392db47fc61f452500e5a

If you’re not yet on Konstella, please use this link: https://www.konstella.com/cd/rWXHxH

Speaking of Konstella, if you're new to Hyde or haven't already, download Konstella, a virtual platform for Hyde-Addison families. It’s a great way to connect with other families, including those in your child(ren)’s class(es) once school starts, ask for recommendations, volunteer for one time activities or on an ongoing basis, and keep up to date on events and activities happening at school! We've created social groups by grade-level and Ward to allow for broader connections. More info on Konstella is in the flyers below.

Finally, we're looking for a Swag Manager (or Managers)! If you love apparel and have an eye for graphic design, we could use your help to manage current inventory, fulfill online orders once a week, and help design new swag. Please email pta.hydeaddison@gmail.com for more details.

As always, if you have any questions or suggestions for things you'd like to see this school year, please don't hesitate to email us at pta.hydeaddison@gmail.com or share your thoughts in the All Families chat on Konstella! You can also find us on Instagram at @hydeaddisonpta.

At DCPS schools, students may automatically qualify for free meals through 'direct certification' which means the student or family meets one of the following criteria:

• Students in households receive benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or

• Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court, or

• Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, migrant status.

If your student does NOT meet the above qualifications and attends Hyde-Addison ES, then a Free And Reduced-price Meal (FARM) Application is required to qualify for free meals based on family income. If you need support filling out this application or have additional questions, please call 202-299-2159 or email food.dcps@k12.dc.gov.

More information about Free and Reduced Meals can be found here.

Any student with dietary restrictions should review the following from DCPS and fill out the applicable forms: Dietary Accommodations | dcps. Remember: We are a nut-free school!

If you would like a Kids Ride Free Card for your student, please fill out this short form. They will be sent home in students' backpacks on Mondays once the school year begins. If you need yours prior to the start of the school year, call the main office after filling out the form to schedule a pickup time this summer.

Attendance is a priority of DCPS and Hyde-Addison, as we know regular school attendance is integral to student success. Please find the DCPS calendar, linked here and shown below, so that your family can plan events and vacations accordingly.

August 22, 2023: Class placements will be communicated on or before this date

August 23, 2023: Teacher introductions will be emailed on or before this date

August 25, 2023: Sneak Peek in classrooms

August 28, 2023: First day of school for K-5 students

August 31, 2023: First day of school for PK students

First Tuesday of the Month: LSAT Meeting (Beginning in October)

Fourth Tuesday of the Month: PTA General Body Meeting on Zoom

Last Friday of the Month: Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force Meeting on Microsoft Teams (beginning in August)

For copies of previous Hyde-Addison ES newsletters, please visit the Hyde-Addison ES website at https://hydeaddisondc.org/updates2233

Email: hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov
Website: https://www.hydeaddisondc.org
Location: 3219 O St NW, Washington, DC 20007
Phone: 202-282-0170
Facebook: facebook.com/hydeaddison/
Twitter: @DrCalvinRHooks