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The public is invited to join D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Thursday, Sept. 21 for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new DC International and Latin American Montessori Bilingual Public Charter Schools on the historic Delano Hall of the Walter Reed campus in Northwest.
The special occasion marks the opening of the first public-use building on the Parks at Walter Reed, formerly the Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus.
New Learning Hub
Ward 8 State Office of Education member Markus Batchelor recently stopped by
Charles Hart Middle School for the opening of their outdoor classroom.
Batchelor, who thanked Ward 8 Council member Trayon White for supporting the project, described the school as a “beautiful new learning hub for our Ward 8 scholars.”
Student Holiday
Friday, Sept. 22 is Professional Development Day (no school for students).
DCPS Invades Emmys
D.C. Public Schools became one of the more unlikely topics trending on Twitter during Sunday’s Emmy Awards.
After comedian and D.C. native Dave Chappelle — a Duke Ellington School of the Arts alumnus — gave the schools system an impromptu shoutout during the live telecast, fellow comedian John Oliver decided to keep the fun going.
“I would like to unexpectedly thank D.C. Public Schools because I think it would be great if it started trending on Twitter for no reason tonight whatsoever,” Oliver said while accepting the award for Best Writing for a Variety Series. “So, if you are tweeting about the Emmys, please use the hashtag #DCPublicSchools.”
DCPS cheekily took its newfound fame in stride.
“What an unexpected honor! We’d like to thank our educators, our families, and of course, our amazing students #emmys #dcpublicschools,” the schools system tweeted in response.
Wilson Sets the Bar High
Chancellor Antwan Wilson has set some lofty academic goals for DCPS over the next five years as part of the newly released Strategic Plan through 2022.
Looking back on the plan initiated in 2012 by his predecessor, five years from now Wilson wants all kindergarten through second graders reading on or above grade level, he told wamu.org.
He also wants to increase the system’s graduation rate by about 15 percentage points, to 85 percent, and have more high school graduates college-ready. In addition, the chancellor aims to raise the rate of students graduating in four years to 85 percent.
DCPS Remembers Students, Teachers on 9/11
DCPS this month remembered six members of its family lost 16 years ago in the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Three students and three teachers had been chosen to participate in a trip to study ecology in California alongside National Geographic Society researchers.
However, less than 35 minutes into the trip, their flight was hijacked. At 9:37 a.m., the plane crashed into the Pentagon, killing everyone aboard, including students Asia Cottom, Bernard Brown and Rodney Dickens and teachers Hilda Taylor, James Debeuneure and Sarah Clark.