Principal Communications

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Newsletter - September 12th

We had a great second week at school! We heard great comments from parents in all mix and mingles and from students in informal conversations and observations. My apologies for not being able to attend the 2nd and 3rd grade mix and mingles, but I had to be at Adams working to get classrooms functioning ACs.

This week, we have a second round of family engagement activities with mix and mingles in grades 7 and 8, the virtual Back to School Night for both campuses and LSAT.

Please read the following announcements and reminders for this short week. We hope everyone has a great third week.

Hispanic Heritage Month – Let's Wear our Pride on Friday 9/15.

This Friday, we’ll start the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. As an American, Latino, Hispanic, immigrant and a lifelong language learner, I could not be prouder of my culture and heritage. I’m honored to be in a community that shares the same pride as me.

At Oyster Adams, we believe that our heritage, place of origin, and first language are our superpowers. During this month, we will continue affirming and celebrating our Hispanic identity in all classes, lessons, stories, and interactions with our families and students.

We want to invite all tigers to wear their Hispanic and Latino pride on Friday, September 15.

Let's celebrate our Accomplishments - Last Year PARCC Results

We're excited to share last year’s PARCC results. This assessment is DC’s standardized end of year assessment for students in grades 3-8 in Math and English. In the first two graphs, you see last year’s data and the third one is a summary of the year before. As you can see, we have increased in both content areas, and we are still committed to closing the linguistical, racial, and ability opportunity gaps. We have not received individual student scores yet, as soon as we do, we’ll mail them home and will let you know. SY 21-22 PARCC Results

Escuela de padres (Parents School)

We’re excited to bring back "Escuela de padres" this year. This is an informal space for the school to share some recommendations with parents about multiple areas in the best interest of our tigers. Last year, we worked on Dual Language and Conscious Discipline. This year, we’re asking families what they want to learn more about and inviting members of the community who are experts on those topics to help us plan and present during these virtual meetings. We will have three sessions for this year. Please let us know your thoughts and if you’re interested in participating by completing this form by Friday 9/15.

Early Literacy Screening and Family Letters

This year, DCPS added RAN (Rapid Automatized Naming) to DIBELS screening for students in 1st grade to identify early learners at risk for reading difficulties as required by the Addressing Dyslexia and Other Reading Difficulties Act of 2020. Students who are newcomers or ACCESS Level 1 are now required to take DIBELS/RAN. Families whose students fall in these categories will receive a specific communication. For any additional questions, please email [email protected].

COVID-19 Information for School Year 23-24

As the public health emergency is lifted, COVID-19 is now treated the same as any other communicable disease. We are sharing the following reminders for your reference:

COVID Testing: DCPS will not conduct COVID tests at school. COVID tests are not required to return to school this year.
COVID Contact Tracing: No contact tracing will occur.
Testing Positive for COVID: Students who test positive should follow up with their health provider for guidance and the family should alert the school of their absence (in accordance with normal absence reporting requirements).
Masks: Mask wearing is optional, and schools should support individual decisions to mask for health reasons.
For individuals who test positive for COVID: A mask should be worn through the 10th day from a positive test or onset of COVID symptoms.
Notifications: No notifications (classroom, staff, or school-wide) will be sent for COVID positive cases.

Announcements and Reminders

Oyster Back to School Night (virtual), 9/12, 5:00 - 6:15 p.m. This is the link for the principal’s welcome message from 5:00-5:15 p.m. The links to meet teachers have been shared in grade level communications.
Adams Back to School Night (virtual), 9/14, 5:00 - 6:15 p.m. This is the link for the principal’s welcome message from 5:00-5:15 p.m. The links to meet teachers have been shared in grade level communications.
Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 15-17): Wishing all families who celebrate it a good and sweet year.
Room parents: We are calling all MS families who want to be room parents to complete the following form.
Adams updates: Please take a few minutes to read some of the latest updates about buses, bus requests for athletic practices, crossing guard status.
Website and social media: Do not forget to check our new website and social media for the latest updates and pictures of the week.

This is all for today--thank you so much for trusting us with the education of your students. Looking forward to a great week! Please reach directly to the school administration if you have any questions or comments.