For High School Students: 2014 Youth TechCamps with MyCOE

The Global Connections and Exchange Youth TechCamps : My Community, Our Earth Program (GCE MyCOE) is looking for current high school students in the United States, Bolivia, Panama and South Africa. High school students from each of these countries will be selected to form teams and will collaborate online and in person at one of three rounds of training events to be held in Bolivia, Panama and South Africa. The overarching theme for this program will be Geotechnologies for Climate Change and Environment.  For details, go to http://www.aag.org/techcamps

GCE Launch Flyer

CHPSPO Meeting Notes October 15, 2013

Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization
Maury Elementary, 1250 Constitution Ave., NE

October 14, 2013, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

1. Education Adequacy Study by Deputy Mayor of Education – Jennifer Comey – send questions/comments to jennifer.comey@dc.gov and dme.adequacystudy@dc.gov

  • Find presentation and annexes here: http://dc.gov/DC/DME/About+DME/News+Room/Deputy+Mayor+for+Education+Releases+Preliminary+Findings+and+Recommendations+of+the+DC+Education+Adequacy+Study
  • Preliminary comments from Cathy Reilly and Matthew Frumin:
    • While there are a number of concerns with the impact of implementing the recommendations of the study, I think the major concern is that the charter schools will see substantially more funding  while DCPS would see more funding, but substantially less than the charters.
    •  A significant point of contention seems to be around the issue of funding M&O costs (estimated at $43.3 million).  Jen said last night that DCPS wouldn’t have to bear these costs, and there was some discussion about more efficient use of DCPS buildings, e.g., co-locating social services agencies, sharing space with charter schools, etc., that would make up some of the $43.3 million.  The bottom line though is that if DCPS does have to bear the M&O costs, the recommendations in the Eduation Adequacy Study would give DCPS an additional $13 million, and the charters would see around a $79 million increase.
  • Other background reading:

2. DCPTA – Bryan Banks

  • Elections are happening soon. Any PTA member eligible to vote. Two votes per school.

3. Public Oversight Roundtable on School Boundaries and Feeder Patterns

4. Update on Education Bills before City Council – no update this month, but here’s a bit of background: http://greatergreatereducation.org/post/20359/group-critiques-catania-education-proposals/

5. Report Out/Lessons Learned Walk-to-School Day – George Blackmon

$350 mini-grant received from Capitol Hill Community Foundation

$120.00     Permit for Lincoln Park

$  34.90     Portable microphone rental from Fragers

$  40.45     Coffee cups and creamer from Safeway

$  83.54     Gogurt and granola bars from Costco

$  71.11     Proposed payment to Vigilante Coffee

$350.00

Donations

200 bags from Georgetown Athletics/MedStar Georgetown University Hospital

50 bags from Councilmember Wells’ office (Harris Teeters bags)

250 water bottles from DC Water

250 apples from Long Meadow Farms

Thousands of fruit ropes from Clif Bars

Walk-to-School Day banners and activity flyers from Clif Bars

Light bike maintenance by The Daily Rider DC

Banner by the Long/Short Walk (via T. Bella Dihn-Zarr)

Next CHPSPO Meeting:  November 19, 2013

Upcoming Events:

October 18      Comments due to Deputy Mayor for Education on Education Adequacy Study

October 26      Tyler Harvest Festival, 11 am – 3 pm – food and games, a costume contest, and other fun activities as we celebrate the harvest of Tyler’s outdoor garden.  Learn about our Outdoor Classroom and how our garden grows!

October 26      Maury Harvest Festival, 10 am – 3 pm – there will be games, a cake walk, a dunk tank and lots of other fun activities

October 26      Brent Fall Festival, 10 am – This annual event unites the Brent community and the neighborhood.  The day is full of fun for families and kids with a moon bounce, face painting, carnival games, live music, and a used book sale.

October 26      Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan Haunted Harvest Festival, 6 – 9 pm – Mad scientist, haunted house, chili cookoff, arts & crafts, face painting and more!

November 15  Public Roundtable on School Boundaries and Feeder Patterns, 9 am

DC Health Link Information Session Informed Decisions …Smart Choices – Friday, Oct 18

Friday, October 18

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Sherwood Recreation Center

6410 10th Street NE,

Washington DC 20002

In partnership with DC Public Library and DC Department of Parks and Recreation, DC Health Link is hosting a series of free in person information sessions for individuals, families and small business owners. At the sessions, consumers will learn first-hand how to search for health plans, compare choices, and enroll in the new online health insurance marketplace. They will also learn about their new rights and responsibilities under the new health law, the Affordable Care Act (ACA), DC Health Link, and the new Medicaid options. Trained and certified DC Health Link Assisters, brokers and staff will be on-site to answer questions and provide enrollment support. All sessions are open to the public, so feel free to invite others.

CHPSPO Meeting October 15, 2013 at Maury ES

Dear CHPSPO members,

Congrats to everyone for a very successful Walk-to-School Day last Wednesday. Check out some great photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/62085732@N08/sets/72157636366410736/.

Also, congrats to J.O. Wilson on a very successful auction on Sunday evening!!!

Attached is the agenda for our Tuesday, October 15 meeting (6:30 p.m. at Maury, 1250 Constitution Ave., NE, Library). Jen Comey with the Deputy Mayor for Education’s office will give a presentation on the recently completed “Education Adequacy Study” (see http://dme.dc.gov/DC/DME/About+DME/News+Room/Deputy+Mayor+for+Education+Releases+Preliminary+Findings+and+Recommendations+of+the+DC+Education+Adequacy+Study). This study assesses the adequacy of the District’s public education funding in light of:

  • The adoption of the Common Core State Standards in 2010, which established higher performance expectation for all District students;
  • The demographic profile of public education students in the District, which includes a high proportion of students living in poverty, as well as students with specific learning needs;
  • The persistent achievement gap between higher and lower income students in the city; and
  • The need to ensure equity of public education funding across the traditional public school and public charter school sectors.

I hope you’ll be able to join us on Tuesday evening.

Suzanne Wells

091513 CHPSPO Agenda.docx

CHPSPO Meeting Notes – September 17, 2013

Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization
J.O. Wilson Library, 
660 K Street, NE

September 17, 2013, 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

  1. Open Data (Where Kids at Your School Live) – Sandra Moscoso and Harlin Harris
  • Data requests:
    • o Waitlists for each school
    • o Teacher evaluation data
    • o Follow students as they transition from elementary to middle school and middle school to high school
    • o Teacher retention
    • o Student turnover; transitions; mid year
    • o Facilities amenities; modernization plans
  • Suggest socialize with other education groups: Washington Teachers Union, Cathy Reily/SHAPPE, PCNS

 2. Discussion of policy paper on education bills before the City Council

 3. Library advocacy update – Peter McPherson – GREAT NEWS! http://chpspo.org/2013/09/05/dcps-libraries-win-big-by-peter-macpherson/

4.  Walk to School Day – George Blackmon

  • Need: stretches (Lashone Wilson); coffee (Samantha Caruth); press release (Beth Bacon)
  • When: Weds, Oct 9, 7:30-8:15 AM @ Lincoln Park

 

Next CHPSPO Meeting:  October 15, 2013

Upcoming Events:

October 9        Walk to School Day

October 13      Taste of JO Wilson (http://www.tasteofh.org/)

Walk to School Day is Wednesday October 9

The neighborhood party is almost here! Walk to School Day is Wednesday, October 9.  Join all your neighborhood friends at Lincoln Park – 7:30-8:15 AM.

WalkToSchoolDay2013_Poster

Taste of H St. for JO Wilson is Sunday, October 13th, 2013

 

tasteofh

Join us for our Second Annual Taste of H Auction for J.O. Wilson Elementary School, Sunday, October 13th, 2013 from 5-9 p.m. at the Atlas Performing Arts Center. Enjoy a food tasting from some of the best restaurants on H Street, as they delight your palate with items from their diverse and delicious menus. Indulge in some wine or beer, while listening to live music and bidding on amazing items in our live & silent auctions kicked off by our master of ceremony, Tommy Wells. Come Taste, Toast & Bid for a great DC public school! To buy tickets please go to www.tasteofh.org.

Report on the Bills Before the DC City Council Education Committee

> Chairman Catania and the Members of the Education Committee: >
> There will be an important debate about education policy in our City in the coming months. >
> We welcome that discussion and hope that together we can meet our shared goal of building a system that we can all be proud of and that can fully serve all of our children and communities, >
> In that spirit, the signatories of this report from across the City (cc’ed here) have put together the attached statement of principles as well as recommendations and a detailed analysis of the seven bills put forward in the spring by Chairman Catania as a first step in what we hope will be a collaborative and constructive process to achieve our shared goals. >
> Sincerely,
> Cathy Reilly and Matthew Frumin
SignaturePage.docx

EducationBillsSummaryPrinciples.pdf

EducationBillsDetailedAnalysis.pdf

CHPSPO Meeting September 17, 6:30pm at JO Wilson

The Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization (CHPSPO) will meet on September 17 at J.O. Wilson (660 K Street, NE) at 6:30 p.m. We’ll have an open data presentation on where students who attend our schools live, continue planning for Walk-to-School Day, discuss a position paper on the education bills before the City Council (I will send the paper before the meeting), and get an update on school library advocacy. Hope to see you on Tuesday.

Suzanne Wells

2013-9-16 Education Bills 091713

CHPSPO Agenda

CHPSPO School Year 2013 2014 Representatives

CHPSPO Meeting Notes – August 13, 2013

Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization
Capitol Hill Community Foundation

419 East Capitol St., SE (next door to Riverby Books)

August 13, 2013
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

 

1. Washington Teachers’ Union Outreach – David Street

Discussion by group:

  • Union striving towards community participation
  • How to ‘maximize’ the ‘ward’ or community meetings?
  • Cultural changes around ‘last days of school’
  • Is IMPACT a sensible use of resources?
  • How can we (community) best support efforts (akin to IB)
  • How can we align w/ WTU  and community on issues like Catania bills (ex: chartering capability for DCPS)
  • Relationship between Teach for America, DCPS and impact to career teachers?
  • Principal contracts – 1 year apt
  • Aug 27 community organization alliance strategy meeting: Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ 5301 North Capitol Street, NE – 6:30-8:30PM

2. Campaign for Artful Resistance – Bess Altwerger invited (http://saveourschoolsmarch.org/get-involved/the-campaign-for-artful-resistance/)

Discussion by group:

  • Do schools, individuals, teachers, families want to create art?
  • Ideas around ‘it’s not on the test’?
  • Art to be displayed at busboys and poets? Other public spaces?

3. Discussion of Council member Catania’s Community Conversations; Next Steps on Education Bills

  • Parents and Communities for Neighborhood Schools
    • Soon to distribute comments around Catania bills
  • Need to keep close watch on when hearings are scheduled
    • Catania may not necessarily introduce all bills for vote

4. Planning Walk-to-School Day – George Blackmon

  • Communications to schools this week. Are schools participating? Recruit volunteers.

5. CHPSPO Elections

Nominations:

  • Suzanne Wells – Chair
  • Sandra Moscoso – Secretary
  • Treasurer?
  • Vice Chair?

6. Libraries Update

  • Librarians for schools 300+ was restored; excess from renovations earmarked to stock school libraries supported by council. However, librarians have not been actively recruited, nor have books been purchased for renovated schools.  NOTE – See update on this via Peter MacPherson’s recent post.
  • Plan: protest at ribbon-cutting for Dunbar

Next CHPSPO Meeting:  September 17, 2013

Upcoming Events:

August 24              School Beautification Day

August 27              WTU Community Organization Engagement Strategy planning meeting:  Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ 5301 North Capitol Street, NE – 6:30-8:30PM

October 9              Walk to School Day