School Notes by Susan Braun Johnson

SCHOOL NOTES

by Susan Braun Johnson

Van Ness Elementary Otters Celebrate the Blossoms

Students got into the cherry blossom spirit to decorate the front of Van Ness Elementary School for the National Cherry Blossom Festival’s annual “Petal Porches” parade. Van Ness Elementary, 1150 5th St SE, www.vannesselementary.org.

Northeast Stars

NES students have recently learned how to water a plant, fill a watering can, and water the plants in the classroom. This activity helps to develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and develops a respect for all living things. They have also practiced spelling and sounding out three letter words using phonetic reading blocks. They turned each block to match the order of the letters in the word presented. Three parts of speech, verbs, nouns, and adjectives were introduced. Northeast Stars Montessori Preschool, 1325 Maryland Ave NE www.nestars.net.

Capitol Hill Day School

Earlier this month, six-graders participated in an internal Model UN conference as part of their most recent Humanities unit. Their essential question for the unit was: How does power, or the lack of power, affect individuals and communities? The topic of the conference was Women’s Political Participation and Leadership and Girls’ Access to Education. Students worked with partners to represent specific nations. They conducted research, wrote position papers, and presented speeches to their peers. By the end of the conference, the group had passed three resolutions committing to: increasing educational access in rural areas and for marginalized populations, developing STEM education hubs for girls and implementing political leadership training programs. Capitol Hill Day School, 210 South Carolina Ave SE; www.chds.org.

Maury Elementary

At Maury Elementary, first-graders made rover models out of paper towel rolls, coffee filters, and string or pipe cleaners. They tested them in Think Tank both with and without a parachute and discovered that the parachutes slow the rovers and help them land safely. Look for coded messages on the coffee filters. The project was inspired by the NASA Perseverance Rover, whose own parachute design reportedly includes the message “Dare Mighty Things.” Maury ES, 1250 Constitution Ave. NE; mauryelementary.com.

Friends Community School

Fifth graders at Friends Community School enjoyed a weeklong interdisciplinary residency experience with Kelly King, a DC dance artist. Kelly worked with them to create an interpretive performance built around phases of the rock cycle. Students learned about how movement and music can teach, convey meaning, and bring a community together. Friends Community school, 5901 Westchester Park Dr, College Park, MD; www.friendscommunityschool.org.

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THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA HOUSING AUTHORITY

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING AND COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE PROPOSED 2023 MOVING TO WORK (MTW) PLAN

The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) is providing notice of a Public Hearing and Comment Period to solicit comments on the agency’s proposed 2023 Moving to Work (MTW) Plan. MTW is a HUD program that allows select public housing authorities to design and implement innovative programs and policies with the intent to: 1) reduce costs and improve efficiencies; 2) encourage residents to obtain employment and become economically self-sufficient; and 3) increase housing choices for low-income families. To request a copy of the MTW plan, you can: • Call (202) 854-8660 • Email to MTW@dchousing.org • Download from the DCHA website at www.dchousing.org/mtw2 Public Hearing The Public Hearing will take place online on Tuesday, May 10, 2022 at 4 p.m. To participate in the live event, please join at https://bit.ly/3vcWKpN. If you need assistance completing the online registration, please dial (202) 854-8660. The event will also be live streamed at https://www.facebook.com/dchousing. Comments Written comments will be accepted through Monday, May 23, 2022. Email your comments to MTW@dchousing.org. Alternatively, you can mail comments to: Hanna Koerner DC Housing Authority 1133 North Capitol Street NE, Suite 200 Washington, DC 20002 Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation The District of Columbia Housing Authority (DCHA) strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to fully engage. It is DCHA’s policy that all agencysponsored public meetings and events are accessible to people with disabilities. DCHA is committed to providing equal access to this event for all participants and residents with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation or assistance participating in a meeting or event due to a disability as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact our ADA/504 Program Office’s Language Department at (202) 775-6417 or via email at ADA504@ dchousing.org with your complete request. Your request should be made at least three business days before the scheduled meeting or event so that ADA/504 Program Coordinator can make the necessary arrangements. Every reasonable effort will be made to meet your request. If you need a foreign language translator or a sign language interpreter, please contact our Office of Customer Engagement via email at LA@dchousing.org. Please allow us at least five business days to make the necessary arrangements with an interpreter.

Waterfront Academy

Waterfront Academy students welcomed National Cherry Blossom Festival Goodwill Ambassadors to celebrate the cherry blossoms. They participated in an art project together and learned about the history of the cherry blossoms. Also Waterfront Academy is proud to announce they were awarded the 2022 Emerging Commuter Program of the Year Award by goDCgo. Waterfront Academy, 222 M St. SW; Waterfrontacademy.org.

Cedar Tree Academy Public Charter School

Ms. Bryant is an extraordinary, passionate, and caring educator. She brings Cedar Tree Academy’s school motto to life by nurturing her PreK-4 students’ desires to learn today so they can lead tomorrow. Cedar Tree Academy Public Charter School, 701 Howard Road SE; cedartree-dc.org.

Eastern Senior HS

Eastern’s Blue & White Marching Machine and the Lady Gems entertained thousands at the White House Easter Egg Roll, with an estimated 30,000 in attendance! The BWMM is directed by James Perry, second from the right, with the aim to propel students into scholarships through music. Eastern Senior HS; 1700 East Capitol St NE, easternhighschooldcps.org.

Perry Street Prep PCS

Perry Street Prep PCS ensures all caretakers and parents - regardless of their Ward or zip code - have access to high quality PK-8 educational options for their child. Perry St. Prep has expanded our existing programs and community partnerships to effectively meet the evolving academic and nonacademic needs of students and families. Please visit pspdc.org, or stop by “the Pride of Northeast” at 1800 Perry Street NE.