It’s all about the neighborhood
After a multi-year, community-led effort to modernize West Elementary school at 1335 Farragut Street NW, the new building’s doors will open to students this fall as students return to the classrooms in person.
Read MoreAs District schools finish their second pandemic year, and parents cautiously anticipate a return to normalcy next fall, families at Powell Elementary School are girding for a fight. The school’s HVAC system, which has been broken for the entirety of the COVID pandemic — even as some kids returned to in-person learning — is still inoperable. Parents and the school Principal are afraid it may not be fixed by the fall, forcing unvaccinated children to resume school in boiling hot classrooms without proper air circulation.
Read MoreConstruction is almost complete at the new pool entry at Roosevelt High School.
Petworth News reached out to DCPS who confirmed that work on the entrance is scheduled to be completed by the end of May.
However, according to a spokesperson for the Department of Parks of Recreation, they currently have no plans to open to the public.
Read MoreAfter a false start on February 1st due to snow, DC Public Schools starts Term 3 with some in-person learning at most elementary schools this week. After months of trying to reopen schools, city leaders have allowed each school through their Reopen Community Corps to develop their own plans. As a result some schools in upper northwest are bringing back a large percentage of their students, such as Key Elementary bringing back 75% of their students.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, January 13th, DCPS resumed their town halls to discuss reopening for Term 3. Dr. Lewis Ferebee, DCPS Chancellor, kicked off the meeting by going through the four models that Reopen Community Corps reviewed.
Due to the brief opportunity for questions, Petworth News followed up with DCPS to additional clarity on several questions.
Read MoreEver since the renovated Roosevelt High School reopened in 2016, the local community has expressed their desire to use the school’s new indoor pool. DCPS wasn’t opposed to the idea, but to make it work would require a new entrance to the building and involving DGS and DPR.
Now, five years later, the pool at Roosevelt High School is on track to be open to the general public in Spring 2021.
Read MoreDC Public Schools Term 3 plans are to be announced on Wednesday, January 13,2020.
Initial reports indicate that each elementary school is taking a very different approach: some are going with a hybrid mode (2 days in-person, 2 days virtual) to offer as many families as possible an opportunity to have in-person learning, whereas others are targeting just specific grades for in-person learning and running a lottery for those seats.
Read MoreDC Public Schools has turned their attention to opening CARES classrooms for elementary students this month for Term 2, and is planning for reopening for Terms 3 and 4. DCPS made the announcement that Term 2 would remain virtual after significant pushback from teachers and parents about the reopening plans. The soon-to-open CARES classrooms will allow the most at-risk children to get support for their virtual learning at school with teachers and other adults in safer school environments than before.
Read MoreOn Friday, November 13th, Mayor Muriel Bowser held an opening ceremony for the new $1.5 million playground at Truesdell Elementary School at 800 Ingraham Street NW. The new playground replaced a nearly 40-year old playground that was too small and proved to be unsafe for multiple students, according to Fareha Ahmed with the Truesdell’s Family Teacher Organization.
Read MoreWhile COVID-19 has definitely thwarted schools’ ability to fundraise, local Petworth schools are still holding holiday fundraisers to benefit their students. Many local families have been hit hard by COVID-19 and are still in need of assistance. Donating to your neighborhood school if you are able is a great way to give back to your hyperlocal community. The schools thank you in advance!
Read MoreAs Petworth News reported at the beginning of October, a major concern with DC Public School’s reopening plan was whether the teachers would come back to teach in person. In recent weeks it has become increasingly apparent that they will not. The Washington Teacher’s Union has called for a “Mental Health Day” for its members in protest of the DCPS re-opening plans. This is effectively a “sick out,” where teacher’s call in sick.
Read MoreOn Wednesday night, October 14th, DCPS and DC Health held a second in a series of webinars and conference calls to prepare parents for the gradual re-opening of DCPS Elementary schools on November 9th. Dr. Ferebee, Chancellor of DCPS, kicked off the evening outlining the plan for re-opening. He emphasized again that virtual learning is not working for all students, especially children facing homelessness, English language learners and those children deemed at high-risk. At this point in the year, going to a hybrid model for the second term would be more disruptive than a five a day week approach. This gives those students with the greatest likelihood of opportunity gaps more time for learning.
Read MoreMayor Muriel Bowser unveiled an ambitious reopening plan for DC Public Elementary Schools on Monday, October 5th. Chancellor Lewis Ferebee followed up with a live town hall to walk through the details on Tuesday night. Here’s what we know, so far…
Read MoreThis school year has brought on a myriad of unexpected challenges to students, parents, teachers, staff and administrators. Additionally, parent/teacher organizations have also had to wade their way through new waters in our new virtual setting.
Here’s a guide for parent/teacher organization contact information, and some of our neighborhood school’s plans to move forward.
Read MorePetworth News, a neighborhood blog on local news, information & events about the Petworth area in Washington DC.
Petworth News is a news site about Petworth area neighborhoods in Washington DC, written by Drew Schneider and other amazing contributing writers. It features facts and objective reporting, as well as an occasional subjective point of view and opinion.
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