D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Born This Way Foundation recently joined Martha’s Table at Hendley Elementary School’s Joyful Food Markets program to assist with loading and distributing bags of groceries for students and families.
Throughout the year, the Joyful Food Markets program hosts pop-up grocery stores at elementary schools and other locations to bring healthy, non-perishable groceries and fresh produce to families in Wards 7 and 8.
Settlement Agreement
The District of Columbia has reached a settlement with a group of individuals previously employed by the DCPS as principals and assistant principals to resolve litigation over the non-renewal of their appointments in 2008 and 2009.
Home Visits
DCPS teachers have conducted nearly 10,000 home visits since the start of this school year, the schools system said.
Faculty and staff are continuing to work hard to engage with families and ensure every child succeeds, DCPS said.
DCPS Bids Adieu to Jason Kamras
The DCPS family bade farewell to longtime educator Jason Kamras after he recently accepted the post of superintendent for Richmond Public Schools in Virginia.
Kamras, a former recipient of the National Teacher of the Year award and an education adviser to Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, served in DCPS for more than 20 years.
“We know that he will serve the students of @RPS well,” DCPS said in a Twitter statement. “Congratulations, Jason!”
Excellence Funding
Brookland Middle School in Northeast has received $46,250 through D.C. Public Schools’ new Excellence through Equity funding.
The funding is being used to innovate the school’s social emotional learning, literary and mathematics programs.
Each classroom will receive books to promote independent reading, and the school will invest in more “Do the Math” materials to help teachers with small group math instruction.
In addition, Brookland will use “The Writing Revolution” online subscription to help students improve their writing skills.
Healthy Eating Habits
Josiah (right), an eighth-grader at Eliot Hine Middle School in Northeast, enjoys his health class. He credits the @DCPSCornerstone cooking unit for teaching healthy eating habits.
Student Fair Access to School Act
DCPS Chancellor Antwan Wilson and Public Charter School Board Executive Director Scott Pearson shared the following sentiments on Nov. 21 regarding the Student Fair Access to School Act of 2017:
“We’re all united in the common mission of equipping our students with the knowledge, skills, and tools they need to contribute to our community and lead productive, vibrant lives. We want all children to be in school every day, but when suspensions are necessary, school leaders are the best experts in making discipline decisions.
“We have worked hard to address suspensions in a thoughtful way. Over the past five years, suspensions have fallen nearly 5 percentage points in both DCPS and public charter schools.
“This is the result of leadership at the school level, attention from education leaders, and the desire to make good on our promises to educate and equip students for the future. Early numbers this year show the trend continuing.”