Save School Libraries Pop Up Library at H St Fest a Success!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the H Street Festival this weekend where we had over 2000 books and collected 601 handwritten signatures!

The Pop-up library at  Toki Underground restaurant was fantastic: people perused books, read some and always left with a free, new book. Toki’s owner Eric and ANC Commissioner David Garber (whose own mother is a librarian) were super supportive! See photos here.

Didn’t make it? No worries, you can support this effort by signing the petition and by reaching out to DC leaders and asking them to save school libraries. Read this fact sheet for more information –> Library Facts Handout 9-19.

CHPSPO September 18 Meeting – 6:30PM @ Logan

The Tuesday, September 18th meeting of the Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization will be at 6:30 pm at Capitol Hill Montessori at 215 G Street, NE. Attached is the agenda for the meeting.

At our September 18 meeting, we hope to hear from the candidates for the at-large school board position, discuss what is needed to make the 2012 Walk-to-School Day a success, and more. Hope to see you at the meeting.

Suzanne Wells

091812 agenda CHPSPO.doc

Save School Libraries Display and Book Exchange/Giveaway at H Street Festival

Hi Friends and Neighbors,

We are helping ANC Commissioner David Garber organize a Save School Librarians Display and Book Exchange/Giveaway during the H Street Festival on September 15 (12pm-6pm) at Toki Underground restaurant (1234 H Street, NE, above The Pug).

http://hstreet.org/events/festival/

http://tokiunderground.com/#/

The owners of Toki Underground have generously donated the space inside their restaurant for a Book Exchange/Giveaway and have paid for the space in front of their door for us to use to Save School Libraries!

Can you volunteer for 1 hour on Sept 15?  We need volunteers to get petition signatures and pass out information outside or help with the book exchange inside.

If you can volunteer, please email Bella Dinh-Zarr (dinhzarr@gmail.com) with the info below:

Your Name:
Email:
Cell Phone:
Time Slot When You Will Volunteer:
(Choices: 11a-12pm set up, 12-1pm, 1-2pm, 2-3pm, 3-4pm, 4-5pm, 5-6pm, 6-7pm clean up)

I’ll be back in touch with more info on the H St Festival Book Exchange Flyer and how you can donate books in a few days.  If you cannot volunteer, would you pass the email on to someone who might be able to?  Thank you very much!   With your help, we can get librarians back in our schools!  Cheers, Bella

Got an old CD Boombox? Walker-Jones Education Campus Needs Them!

Hey CHPSPO Community!

Walker-Jones Education Campus needs CD Boomboxes. Do you have an old one in the basement that you need to get rid of? Donate it to them!

School Librarian extraordinaire, Susan Wagner can pick up if you’re on Capitol Hill. Please contact her at susan.wagner@dc.gov.

Thank you!!!

CHPSPO Meeting Notes – August 21, 2012

Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization
215 G Street, NE, August 21, 6:30 – 8 pm
Special thanks to George Blackmon for capturing this month’s meeting notes!
——————————-
Peter MacPherson updated on efforts on the library front.  A meeting was held with Kaya Henderson and a task force is to be put together and come up with findings by the close of 2012.
 
Bonnie Cain shared some insight regarding the Options School expansion on 15th Street.  There was general concern in terms of safety of the students/neighborhood.  Informed that students will be bused.
 
Sherry Trafford discussed items from the bylaws.  Optimally, a voting representative from each school should be designated by September 1st.  Additionally, we are striving to elect officers by the October meeting.
 
A reminder regarding Beautification Day was given.
 
Another item I brought up but wanted to remind many of you on was International Walk To School Day.  The date is Wednesday, October 3rd at Lincoln Park.  An initial email was sent out in July.  Now the families are back from vacation and school is in session, it would be a great time to let your school populations know.  Please pass the word through your listservs, websites, back-to-school nights, etc.  I’ve been tasked again to help coordinate volunteers and assist with planning.
 
As you know from the summer, five weeks can fly by real quick.  Feel free to contact me if there are any questions at gblackmon@hewfcu.com.  
 
Thanks for your time and welcome back to a great school year.

CHPSPO August 21 Meeting at Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan

The August 21st Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization meeting will be at Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan (215 G Street, NE) in the nap room.  The meeting will begin at 6:30 pm.  Below is the agenda.


Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization
Capitol Hill Montessori @ Logan (nap room)
215 G Street, NE
August 21, 2012
6:30 – 8 pm


Mission Statement:  To promote cooperation among the parent organizations of the public schools on Capitol Hill in order to improve the education received by all children attending our schools.


6:30 pm     Welcome & Introductions
6:35 pm     Update on meeting with Chancellor Henderson on School Libraries – Peter MacPherson
6:45 pm     Options Public Charter School Expansion – Miner Elementary representative
6:55 pm     DC Education Fund – Cathy Townsend Pine (invited)
7:15 pm     CHPSPO By-laws Business – Sherry Trafford
7:45 pm     Walk-to-School Day – George Blackmon
7:55 pm     Wrap up and Next Steps


Next CHPSPO Meeting:  September 18, 2012


Upcoming Events:
August 25     School Beautification Day
October 3     Walk-to-School Day


Visit CHPSPO on the web at http://chpspo.org

1000+ Signatures‏ to Save School Libraries

Great News! The Restore Librarians to DC Schools petition on change.org has received over 1000 signatures! Add yours to support DCPS Libraries.

Live in DC? Weigh in on Children’s Budget and More!

Residents and stakeholders should jump on these three opportunities for input into District government programs and practices.

The DC government has two surveys open. The first is about improving the utility of the annual Children’s Budget report.****   The second is about your experience calling 211 on a cell phone (available in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Amharic, and Vietnamese).

There’s also a survey inquiring about what residents and stakeholders want to know about the city’s budget process.

The surveys close by mid-September so be sure to participate soon!

CHPSPO Meeting Notes – July 17, 2012

Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization

Maury Elementary, 1250 Constitution Ave., NE, Library

July 17, 2012 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.

 

1. DCPS Library Funding Follow up, Suzanne Wells

  • June 15, July 4, and July 11 Bake Sales were successful in generating awareness (media, Washington DC Teacher’s Union, DC Council, general public)
  • CHPSPO and ‘in ward parents’ have had a presence at all ‘State of the Schools meetings (all Wards) and have raised the libraries issue in all meetings.
  • CHPSPO requested meeting to present check to Kaya Henderson of $ raised by bake sales – were instructed by DCPS to submit online
  • CHPSPO requested meeting with DCPS (Kaya Henderson) to discuss libraries, and were told because of her busy schedule she could not meet with us. Follow up requests stressing the need for a thoughtful discussion with DCPS on the library issue has gotten no response

Discussion:

  • Money is there (example: prove what’s possible grants), but “cuts” are really about choices

Next Steps:

  • Reach out to Deputy Mayor Wright, since DCPS is not responsive

 

2. What does vertical and horizontal integration mean to us? (Brainstorm)

  • Much of this was captured in Ward 6 Middle School Plan (math, languages, IB to feed from feeder ES to MS, then from MS to Eastern)
  • In our current feeder pattern, principals don’ t currently have to talk to each other; principals operate their schools as separate “islands”
  • 2-3 languages should be offered at middle schools (and the elementary schools that feed into them should offer at least one of those languages). Currently, misaligned; JO Wilson offers award winning French, but Stuart Hobson (it’s feeder MS) offers Spanish…
  • Math: Algebra for 7th graders; plan to get ES kids up to speed so they are prepared for Algebra. What happened to summer bridge programs for rising 6th graders?
  • Robotics programs across all feeder schools; similar sports/other programs that can be offered across all schools, and coordinated so schools can share resource
  • International Baccalaureate
  • Lucy Kulkins writing workshops
  • Responsive classroom

Next steps:

  • Draft a white paper (Suzanne Wells to kick off) on what we think should be expectation for Eastern feeder pattern and what needs to happen to make these expectations possible; gather community input (via voting/survey); outlines responsibilities (parents, principals, students, DCPS)
  • Follow up w/ DCPS re: Ward 6 MS plan implementation point person (raised again at State of Schools and still no follow up)
  • Follow up on communications among principals that cut through current ‘clusters’ model – need teachers, principals to communicate with each other and align. Currently, many feeder schools do not coincide with clusters, so principals (and staff) have no incentives to talk to each other.

 

Upcoming Events:

  • August 21, Next CHPSPO Meeting:
  • August 25, School Beautification Day
  • October 3, Walk-to-School Day – NEED COORDINATORS!!! Contact George Blackmon (gblackmon@hewfcu.com) if you can coordinate on behalf of your school

 

Visit CHPSPO on the web at http://chpspo.org

CHPSPO meeting July 17 2012 – 6:30 PM @ Maury ES

The Capitol Hill Public School Parent Organization will hold its July 17 meeting at Maury Elementary (1250 Constitution Ave., NE) starting at 6:30 p.m.

We will be discussing our continued follow up on the library funding issue, and will start a discussion on what vertical (K-12 collaboration within a feeder pattern) and horizontal (alignment and collaboration of teachers across schools within a particular grade) articulation means to CHPSPO members.

Attached is a draft list of the principals, PTA presidents and CHPSPO representatives for school year 2012/2013. Please let me know if there are changes for your school. Also, if you no longer want to receive e-mails about CHPSPO, please let me know, and I will remove your name from the e-mail distribution list.

Thanks!

Suzanne Wells

071712 agenda CHPSPO.doc

CHPSPO School Year 2012 2013 Representatives.docx