Family Newsletter

Dear Hyde-Addison ES Families,

I hope you all are enjoying the summer break, as we grow closer to the start of the 2020-2021 school year. We are excited to welcome our students and families back. If your child’s teacher has not already done so, they will be reaching out next week, with introductions and future engagement opportunities.

In this newsletter, please pay special attention to our Back to School Timeline, DCPS FAQs and DCPS Policies/Guidance. There are also resources to support our children in coping during this pandemic, in addition to other pertinent information.

Although Hyde-Addison ES has a schedule for families to pick up instructional materials on August 25 and 26, please be advised that DCPS has not delivered all of the curricula materials, as of yet. When those items arrive, we will schedule supplemental pick-up dates.

Please keep you and your loved ones safe. Continue to follow the guidance of Mayor Bowser and DC Health. For resources and information about the District of Columbia Government’s coronavirus (COVID-19) response and recovery efforts, please visit coronavirus.dc.gov.

Kindest Regards,

Dr. Calvin Hooks, Principal

Hyde-Addison Elementary Schools

As we prepare for the first day of school, we want to make sure students have picked up the items they need from Hyde-Addison. Every child has materials that their family needs to pick up! Examples of these materials may include:

• Items left in the classroom from last year (labelled and organized by classroom)
• Materials the school is providing every child to support our curriculum, ie. science kits
• Supplementary school supplies provided by the PTA for families in need of assistance
• Technology devices provided by DCPS for those who indicated a need on the technology access survey (linked again under Previous Updates)

To ensure the safety of families and staff, we ask that you pick up your child's materials on the assigned date and time frame. The staggered times will allow us to more easily social distance. Weather permitting, materials pick up will take place outdoors and will only take a few minutes for each family. If you have more than one child, we would prefer you arrive during the time slot of your youngest child.

Any questions are best directed to hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

We know many families would like to practice logging in to prepare for the first day of school. Please find a one pager from DCPS with information on how to log in to the 3 most important online portals for your child: Canvas, Microsoft 365 (which includes Teams), and Clever. For further support, email hyde.addison@k12.dc.gov.

Please see "Pre-K Frequently Asked Questions" below. Be mindful that DCPS has schedule the first day of school for Pre-K students, as September 3, 2020. Hyde-Addison ES Pre-K engagement opportunities will be available for students, prior to that date.

For FAQs and information about how DCPS is prioritizing safety, maximizing learning, and promoting equity while reopening, please visit dcpsreopenstrong.com.

We know families are eager to begin preparing their children for the upcoming school year! A great way to start is by discussing and practicing the 4 virtual learning expectations that students in all grade levels will use. You can download the poster here!

• Focus on what we are learning
• Use words that build others up
• Mute myself when listening
• Make choices that keep us safe online

We were pleased to share your child's class assignment for School Year 2020-21 with you, last week.

As shared by DCPS, DCPS leaders and teachers remain unwavering in our dedication to equity and closing opportunity gaps. Due to the complexity of scheduling, DCPS school leaders and staff members will not be able to account for learning pods during the scheduling process, including in group arrangements or schedule times.

We know families are likely eager to reach out to their child's teacher with questions and information about their child, however we ask that you respect that teachers do not return to work until August 24. You can expect to receive an introductory email from your child's teacher and to schedule an individual, virtual Welcome Conference with them in upcoming weeks. We appreciate your patience!

An overview of the class schedule can be viewed below. Your child' teacher will remain the first point of contact for any instructional questions. You will also be able to ask questions and hear more about the schedule specifics and curricula during Back to School Night.

Please visit the Hyde-Addison website to find lists of school supplies that we would like your child to have available at home to support their learning. The PTA is currently fundraising to purchase 50 sets of materials that will be available for families in need to pick up and take home free of charge. Please see their message below for more information about how to help donate towards those funds.

PreK-K Materials: Link to Amazon List | Grade 1-5 Materials: Link to Amazon List

DCPS is excited to share the grading policy for PreK-12 for SY20-21. DCPS believes that grades are in the service of ongoing learning, to provide timely feedback and plan personalized instruction, while making a record of growth and development over a student’s school career. This policy is rooted in the DCPS grading philosophy and values.

This document outlines key information related to student attendance procedures during virtual

instruction days. It is important to note that virtual instruction days will be compulsory, and daily

attendance will be required. During virtual learning periods, the curriculum will be accessed via Canvas, DCPS’ online learning management system, which allows for a more user-friendly, efficient and organized approach to virtual learning.

Schools are required to verify every student’s immunization compliance as part of enrollment and attendance. All students must be up to date on their immunizations or risk being removed from in-person attendance beginning in the 2020-21 school year. The following documents offer more information and resources for families:

· FAQs for Families (June 2020)

· One-Pager for Families

· Immunization Requirements

We are excited to welcome you to the Hyde-Addison community! Your involvement with the Hyde-Addison Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) – which includes all families of students enrolled at Hyde and requires no membership dues – helps make our school stronger and successful. For the 2020-21 school year, we will be continuing our tradition of fun and community-oriented activities for everyone, adjusted for a virtual environment to ensure everyone’s safety. To learn more about what the PTA is up to please visit: https://www.hydeaddisondc.org/pta.

Give.

The Hyde-Addison PTA, funded entirely by the generous support of our donors, spends over $500 per child each year. 100% of contributions directly support school programs and activities, such as classroom supplies, instructional materials, field trip scholarships, and professional development. To that end, we have a fundraising target of $100,000 for this year, to cover operating expenses and “extras” to support the school, staff, and students. We are grateful for all contributions, of any amount at any time, and as one-time or recurring gifts. And don’t forget to ask your employer about their gift matching programs! The Hyde-Addison PTA is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 52‐1844971), and donations are tax‐deductible as provided by law.

Stay Connected.

To share information with the community about activities, events, and other topics of interest, please sign up for the Hyde-Addison Families listserv and directory. If you just want to reach out to another parent at Hyde-Addison or to touch base with another family in your child’s grade before the first day of school, feel free to contact any of us listed below:

PK3: Dania Yousef <daniayousef@gmail.com>

K: Charita Brent <charita.m.brent@gmail.com>

2nd: Dominique Turner <ohhnique@aol.com>

4th: Reva Schwartz <reva.schwartz@gmail.com>

PK4: Geetha Shanmugam <gshan0164@gmail.com>

1st: Sara Macauley <saramacauley@yahoo.com>

3rd: Kea Taylor <kea.taylor@yahoo.com>

5th: Gi-Hyun An <gihyunan@gmail.com>

Back-to-School Supply Drive.

Our first fundraisers for the school year is to provide funds for Back-to-School kits so that all Hyde-Addison families, no matter their situation, will be equipped with the needed supplies for every child to participate fully in virtual learning. Will you join this effort to ensure a robust, rigorous, and joyful learning experience for every student every day? Each kit costs $70, but donations of any amount are welcome and appreciated. The Hyde-Addison Team will manage the logistics of purchasing and distributing the materials. All you have to do is click here to donate today!

Thank you in advance for your participation and support. We look forward to meeting you!

Sincerely,
Hyde-Addison PTA Executive Board
pta.hydeaddison@gmail.com

• Has Anyone Seen Normal?: A Coronavirus Tale: This free picture e-book tells the story about a young girl struggling to navigate the uncertainty in her life caused by COVID-19 and choosing joy amid the chaos.
• My Hero is You: This free e-book helps kids understand that people all around the world are in this together and discusses basic ways to help contain spread of the virus.

Teaching Channel
Let's face it: this is not going to be a typical Back to School season. With the tumultuous events of COVID-19, economic issues and antiracism efforts nationwide, students are coming back to us with questions and concerns that are weighing heavily on their minds and hearts. They're also facing the same "quarantine fatigue" that we are, carrying loneliness, grief, overuse of technology, and whatever other struggles they may have dealt with in their homes since we saw them last. READ MORE

DCPS released the academic calendar for SY20-21! Pre-Service will start on August 24, and the first day for students is August 31. For additional details, you can review the updated calendar attached below.

• 8/25: PK3-2nd Grade Materials Pick-Up (staggered times)
  
• 8/26: 3-5 Grade Materials Pick-Up (staggered times)
• 8/28: Hybrid Learning Task Force and Equity and Anti-Racism Task Force Meetings
• 8/31: First Day of School for K-5th Grade Students (Virtual Learning)
• 9/03: First Day of School for PreK Students (Virtual Learning)
• 9/07: No School (Holiday)
• 9/09: Back to School Night (3:00pm)

For copies of previous Hyde-Addison ES announcements and updates, please visit the Hyde-Addison ES website at https://www.hydeaddisondc.org/updates.

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