Winter is here! In an effort to keep all of our children warm and safe, we’re reminding parents to make sure you send your student to school dressed appropriately for the change in weather.  Children should be prepared with hats, warm jackets or/and layers. Please help by labeling your children items so they can be easily found in the lost and found pile.
Students will be playing outside unless the following happens:

• If the temperature is 32°F or lower, or if it is raining, students may enter the school starting at 8:10am.
• If the temperature is 32°F or lower, or if it is raining, indoor dismissal will start at 3:10.
• Recess: If the temperature is 32°F or lower, or if it is raining or wet, students will have indoor recess.

Inclement Weather Policy. 
Remember that Marie Reed adheres to the DCPS Inclement Weather Policy. Any decision to close or delay school due to weather is made by the Chancellor of Schools and the Mayor. Families are encouraged to monitor local news outlets as well as the DCPS website, Facebook page, and Twitter for the most up-to-date announcements.

In the event of a 2-hour delay, we will adhere to the following schedule:

• Doors will open for students at 10:05am
• Breakfast will not be served.
• Instructional day will begin at 10:45am.
• Lunch will be served to all students at the regularly scheduled times.
• Specials will occur at regularly scheduled times.
• School will be dismissed at 3:15pm.
• Afterschool Program will continue as usual unless notified otherwise.

Dear Marie Reed Community,

Marie Reed is committed to being an anti-bullying school. Every October students in all grade levels receive guidance lessons on bullying and participate in campaigns and efforts to bring awareness to this critical issue facing our students. This month serves as a reminder that bullying prevention must be addressed, and one way to accomplish this is through educating ourselves, our communities, and the youth in our lives.

On Wednesday, October 19th, we will have a school-wide campaign in which we encourage all students and staff to wear orange to show UNITY for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion and to send a visible message that no child should ever experience bullying.

Additionally, in the spirit of lifelong learning on this issue, the Marie Reed Mental Health Team (MHT) would like to share some resources. First, when adults respond quickly and consistently to bullying behavior, they send the message that it is not acceptable. Research shows this can stop bullying behavior over time.

What Is Bullying?

 It’s bullying if:

1. One person is intentionally hurting or harming another with words or behavior, and
2. the behavior is being done on purpose, and
3. the person being hurt has a hard time making it stop.
4. The behavior is repeated or has the potential to be repeated.
5. The kids who are doing it have more power. *

* “Power” can mean the person bullying is older, bigger/stronger, more popular, or there’s a group of kids who “gang up” on someone.

Note: Definitions vary greatly. This not a legal definition. Find your state’s law and definition at StopBullying.gov

Bullying can be:

Physical: This one’s easy to recognize. This is when someone pushes, shoves, hits, kicks, bites, or otherwise hurts another kid’s body. It can also include taking or damaging someone else’s things.

Verbal: It is really common because it is quick, direct, and easy to do. Examples include teasing, name calling, threats, mean jokes, rumors, gossip, and saying things about someone that aren’t true.

Emotional: This type of bullying isn’t always obvious, but it can hurt a lot. It hurts people on the inside and makes them feel bad about themselves. Examples include leaving someone out on purpose, telling lies about someone, and embarrassing somebody publicly.

Cyberbullying: Using technology is the newest way to bully. Examples include sending mean text messages, posting videos, stories, or photos that make fun of someone, and spreading rumors online.

Why Does Bullying Prevention Matter?

More than one out of every five students reports being bullied. They are scared to go to school. That means those students lose the opportunity to learn. It is every student’s right to be safe in school. Students who are bullied may also have lower self-esteem and less self-confidence. They might also struggle to concentrate in school because they’re afraid of being bullied. It’s not just the targets of bullying who are hurt by it. Students who bully sometimes have problems with the law when they’re older. Students who see bullying happen often feel afraid or angry and even though they want to help, they don’t know how.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our Point of Contact Mr. Patterson Richard.patterson3@k12.dc.gov  or the Mental Health Team at Marie Reed (Mr. Taylor, Ms. Guirguis, Ms. Manoel, Mr. Goldstein and Mrs. Marquez).

www.StopBullying.gov

PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center

Parent-Teacher Conference (PTC) Week is coming!  

PK3 and PK4 teachers will hold 1:1 conferences with families either virtually or in person.

Kindergarten-5th grade teachers will be offering two options (evening and morning) for families to attend the Academic Parent Teacher Team (APTT) Meeting.  During APTT meetings, teachers work with families to: discuss foundational grade-level skills, review students’ progress on these skills, model activities parents can use at home to support mastery, and set an interim goal for each student’s progress.  Our goal is for at least 85% of families to participate, so please join us!!

All K-5 morning in  person option:  Thursday 10/6 from 9:00-10:30am

All K-5 afternoon options as follows: 

• Kinder ELP & DLP – Wednesday 10/5 from 4:30- 6:00 pm
• 1st Grade DLP – Wednesday 10/5 from 5:30- 7:00 pm 
• 1st Grade ELP – Wednesday 10/12 from 5:30- 7:00 pm 
• 2nd Grade ELP & DLP – Tuesday 10/4 from 5:30- 7:00 pm 
• 3rd Grade ELP  – Monday 10/3 from 5:30- 7:00 pm 
• 3rd Grade DLP – Monday 10/3 from 4:30pm- 6:00 pm 
• 4th Grade DLP – Wednesday 10/5 from 4:30-6:00 pm 
• 5th Grade DLP – Tuesday 10/4 from 3:30-5:00 pm
• 4th/5th Grade ELP – Tuesday 10/4 from 4:30-6:00pm 

*(DLP- Dual Language Program/ ELP English Language Program) 

Per the Healthy Schools Act of 2010 (L18-0209 , DC Official Code § 38-826.02 ), each public school and public charter school within the District of Columbia is required complete and submit a School Health Profile (SHP) form to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).

Please click here to see the Marie Reed School Health Profile form for SY 21-22.  You can also find this information available in the main office.

Our goal is that 100% of our returning families to be re-enroll by May 1.  In order to support our families, we are offering the following schedule with extended hours:

Schedule:

• Apr 4-8 | PK and Kindergarten 
• Apr 18-22 | 1 & 2 Grade
• Saturday Apr 23 | All grades -Enrollment Blitz from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
• Apr 25-29 | 3 & 4 Grade

Enrollment hours:

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 9am-4:30pm
• Tuesday and Thursday: 9am-6pm (extended hours!)

Printed packets will be available in main office starting April 1st.
Electronic Packets will be shared in Panther Post please stay tuned.

Questions?     Contact Ms. Montoya (Virginia.Montoya@k12.dc.gov) or call 202-673-7308

Click below to hear from our families why they love and will re-enroll for next school year!

Please note: The updated COVID policies go into effect on Wednesday, March 16.
See below or click here to view an overview of changes.

The isolation period for students and staff will follow CDC and DC Health guidance and may vary based on the severity of the COVID infection and whether a positive individual participates in additional testing. The chart below explains when an individual can exit isolation.

If there are any confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported to DCPS by a student, family, or staff member — DCPS follows DC Health’s COVID reporting criteria — for contact tracing purposes.

Please use this list of frequently asked questions to help you better understand what happens when there is a positive reported case of COVID-19 at school.

Notices of reported positive cases will be shared with a school community if a person has been in the building during their infectious period. Note that DCPS will always maintain confidentiality of positive persons.

At Marie Reed:

1. ALL  families and staff will receive a message via Blackboard Connect and via the Panther Post list-serve when there is a confirmed positive case within our school community.  To maintain privacy, the name and position (e.g. student, staff, visitor) of the confirmed case will not be shared.
2. Families will receive a second notification if the positive case was in their child’s homeroom.
3. Families whose children are determined to be close contacts will receive a specific notification with directions for quarantine.  Students will access academic material via Canvas during their quarantine period.

Please remember that we rely on YOU – our families – to be honest about symptoms and not send students in when sick.  Refer to the chart above as you assess your child each day and complete the daily screening checklist.  If students have one of the red flag symptoms (new/worsening cough, fever, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell) children cannot return to school until 24 hours after fever has resolved with a negative test OR must quarantine at home for 10 days from the onset of symptoms.  We will continue to keep the community informed as policies are updated.

Quarantine attendance policy

• Students should stay home if they have COVID-19 symptoms, are a close contact of a positive case, or as recommended based on the travel guidance.
• For students who are required to quarantine but not at the direction of DCPS (e.g., because a family member tested positive for COVID-19 and they were contacted by a contact tracer), the parent/guardian must provide written documentation of the quarantine. The written note must include the date of COVID-19 exposure; the length of time the student has been directed to quarantine by a medical professional or contact tracer; and the name, organization, and contact information of the medical professional or contract tracer.
• Please note, students required to quarantine at the direction of DCPS (e.g., because a teacher tested positive for COVID-19) do not need to provide documentation.

Travel Guidance 

Please help us to keep our community safe by following the  DC Health guidance for individuals who are returning from travel:

• Unvaccinated individuals who travel outside of the DC-Maryland-Virginia area are recommended to self-quarantine upon return. Three to five days after returning, individuals should get a COVID-19 test. If the test is negative, the self-quarantine can end after the seventh day. If no test is performed, unvaccinated individuals should self-quarantine for 10 days.
• We will continue to evaluate COVID-19 case levels and vaccination rates and determine whether DCPS will modify operations around the Thanksgiving and Winter holidays. We will provide an update in October on these considerations.
• If you traveled outside the DMV please notify via email to Ms. Moreno, Attendance Counselor at  Eloisa.moreno@k12.dc.gov to be marked as “quarantine”.