SHMS Family Newsletter
July 2, 2023
Greetings Stuart-Hobson community,
I hope this finds everyone having a safe and rejuvenating summer break and holiday weekend! Those of us working through the summer are busy preparing for the first days of school for everyone in August. While the newsletter will not be weekly during the summer months, we will send one out with updates about ways that everyone can get involved and prepare themselves for the upcoming school year.
We invite families of rising 6th graders to register for our annual Panther Pride Academy (Summer Bridge program) which is scheduled to take place the week of August 7-11. Please note that additional registration information will go out for families interested in afternoon and Friday programming with After-School All-Stars (ASAS) that week.
Additionally, registration for the school year after-school programming with ASAS will open via our newsletter on Sunday, July 16th which will be sent out at 12:00 PM (noon). As always, the limited spots are filled on a first come first served basis and enrollment is completely managed by ASAS and separate from the summer bridge programming.
Lastly, we are seeking community feedback about our school's uniform and dress code policies as we finalize plans for next school year. If you, or your student, would like to share some feedback to inform our decision-making process, please take a few moments to complete this survey before Saturday, July 15th.
Upcoming Dates: July & August
July 3, First day of DCPS Summer School (SHMS students report to Eliot-Hine MS)
July 4, Capitol Hill Community 4th of July Parade, Barracks Row (8th Street SE), 10:00 AM
July 10-12, Capitol Hill Cluster Band Camp, 9:00-12:00
July 16, After School All-Stars registration opens for SY 2023-24
July 17-20 & 24-27, Math 6 Readiness Camp, 9:00-11:00
August 7-11, Panther Pride Academy (summer bridge for rising 6th graders), 9:00-4:00
August 8, New Family Orientation (in-person), 9:30 AM
August 8, New Family Orientation (virtual), 6:00 PM
August 28, First day of school!
All students must complete a participation packet every school year. Additionally, the medical forms must be completed within the prior 365 days. We encourage you to have your healthcare provider complete these forms before the school year and attach them to your participation packet.
Click on the link below to submit the athletic forms online.
Athletic Coaches Vacancies
Head Coach Boys Soccer
Head Coach Softball
Head Coach Swimming
Shout Outs and Celebrations
Congratulations to the students, families, and staff who supported the SHMS 8th grade class of 2023!
Thank you to Dr. Dezen, Mr. Diego, Mr. Espy, Mr. Nicholsen, and Ms. Valdez for your service to the Stuart-Hobson MS community and best wishes to everyone on the next legs of your respective journeys!
Have a great summer everyone!
New Information and Important Updates
Capitol Hill Community Parade - March with The Cluster on July 4th!
Peabody, Watkins, and Stuart-Hobson Families,
The annual Fourth of July Parade will be held on Barracks Row/8th Street SE on Monday, July 4th at approximately 10:00 am.
ALL Cluster Families are welcome to march in the Parade!
We will be gathering at the Navy Yard Shoe repair shop around 9:30am, on Monday Morning.
Please wear red or any Cluster Shirt to show your Panther Pride!
Friends will be made, candy will be thrown, a good time will be had by all! It's a really fun way to start the day! Please join us!
Spread the Word: Jobs at SHMS!
Our recruitment and hiring processes are underway for the positions listed below. Please share this list of opportunities with colleagues and acquaintances who would be a great fit for our school community. In addition to applying to the DCPS pool of applicants by following the links below, interested candidates can express their interest in an opportunity by emailing our hiring team and/or Principal Fraser.
Thanks everyone for spreading the word about these opportunities!
Previous Announcements & Resources
**The information below is new or an updated version of something announced previously! **
Math 6 Readiness for Rising 6th Graders
Math 6 Readiness is an in-person course for rising 6th graders attending Stuart Hobson next school year. Students will revisit essential skills in preparation for Math 6 in the fall and get an early introduction to math class expectations at Stuart Hobson.
The course runs from Monday, July 17 - Thursday, July 20 and Monday, July 24 - Thursday, July 27, from 9:00 - 11:00 AM. Students meet at Stuart Hobson and are expected to attend each day.
Please register here. Registration closes on Friday, June 23 at 5:00 PM.
Final details will be emailed to families in early July.
Please email Ms. Latagan at email@example.com with any questions.
DCPS Strategic Plan Community Update
We are excited to share a community update on the 2023-2028 DCPS Strategic Plan. Your input has been instrumental in shaping the direction of our strategic plan and ensuring that it aligns with the needs of our community, and we want to make sure we hear from your school on how this plan will be implemented. Please take and share this survey with your contacts in our school community. To review the “What We Heard” report summarizing our community engagement last fall, visit dcpsstrong.com/strategic-plan.
Enrollment for School Year 2023-2024 is now open!
I am so excited to report that 90% of families have already enrolled for the upcoming school year! If your student is joining us next year, please complete your enrollment online or by contacting the main office for support as soon as possible.
Thank you for being a part of DCPS this school year, and we look forward to welcoming your family again next year. If you haven’t already, be sure to first learn about your in-boundary school and feeder school.
Enrollment can be completed in the following three steps:
Submit your completed enrollment packet to your DCPS school.
DCPS Calendar Updates for SY 2023-24 & 2024-25
Dear DCPS Community,
I am writing to share updates to the DC Public Schools (DCPS) calendar for the upcoming 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, including an adjustment to the first day of school.
At DCPS, we work to develop a calendar that reflects the needs and preferences of families and staff, honors agreements with our labor partners, and adheres to the requirements of local regulations. To learn about our community’s calendar preferences, we engaged over 1,300 community members representing every DCPS school to provide feedback on the calendars that were released last spring.
Thank you to those who participated!
The recently passed Elections Modernization Amendment Act of 2021 necessitates a shift in the upcoming school year calendars as it requires DCPS to close on DC’s primary election day in June. As we explored options for this adjustment, we prioritized the feedback from the initial development of a calendar that included ending school prior to the Juneteenth holiday and minimizing the number of partial weeks.
Please note the following adjustments:
School Year 2023-2024
School will start on Monday, August 28, 2023, instead of Tuesday, August 29.
Tuesday, January 2, 2024, will be a professional development day for staff. There are no changes to the announced student schedule for winter break; classes will resume on Wednesday, January 3, 2024.
Schools will be closed for teachers and students on Tuesday, June 4, 2024, for DC’s primary election day.
School Year 2024-2025
School will start on Monday, August 26, 2024, instead of Tuesday, August 27.
Friday, January 17, 2025, will be a professional development day. School will be closed for students.
There is no DC primary election day in June 2025.
We also anticipate adjustments to the School Year 2025-2026 calendar, and we are working with city leadership to finalize those updates. It is our hope that sharing this information supports your planning for the years ahead with DCPS. You can review updated school calendars at dcps.dc.gov/page/dcps-calendars.
Lewis D. Ferebee, Ed.D.
Attention Medicaid Beneficiaries!
Did you know all District residents who access healthcare services via DC Medicaid, Alliance, or the Immigrant Children’s Program must start renewing their health coverage again? Don’t miss out on important information- take time today to update your address, phone number, and email at districtdirect.dc.gov so the Department of Health Care Finance knows where to send your Medicaid renewal letter. If you need help, please call the Public Benefits Call Center at (202) 727-5355.