Family Bulletin
|
DPA FAMILIES, Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny. Mahatma Gandhi Attendance matters. Scholars who miss two days a month score 15-20% lower on PARCC and MAP assessments. We need your help to get scholars to school every day. Every day counts – especially as we need ALL SCHOLARS to complete both MAP Tests this week! Please see below for more information on the upcoming week!
New Updates
Action Items
Recurring Updates
|
||||||||||||
|
Calendar Notifications |
||||||||||||
|
Week of February 12th 2024 Monday – 2/12 – Full Day Tuesday – 2/13 – MAP TESTING Wednesday – 2/14 – Half Day MAP TESTING (1pm Dismissal) Thursday – 2/15 – Full Day Friday – 2/16 – NO SCHOOL- Professional Development Week of February 19th 2024 Monday – 2/19 – Presidents Day – NO SCHOOL Tuesday – 2/20 – Full Day Wednesday – 2/21 – Half Day (1pm Dismissal) Thursday – 2/22 – Full Day Friday – 2/23 – Full Day Key Dates February 13th – 11th Grade Family Meeting February 13th and 14th – Mid-Year MAP Testing February 15th – 8th Grade Family Meeting February 19th Presidents’s Day – No School Q3: January 29 – April 4 Q4: April 8 – June 12 Spring Break April 15-19 Last Day June 14th- Last Day of School & 8th Grade Promotion |
||||||||||||
|
11th Grade Family Meeting {MANDATORY} |
||||||||||||
|
Family and Scholar Required Meeting TUESDAY February 13th 5:00-6:00pm Dear DPA 11th Grade Families & Scholars, We are 489 Days or 1 year and 4 months until our first DPA High School Graduation. We have come a long way and there is still work to do. Brutal fact: We need your partnership now more than ever. In order to ensure your scholar is on the path to the 4C’s – college, career, community and computer science, we must outline where we are today and the path forward. We must have every scholar and parent present on Tuesday February 13, 2024 from 5 – 6pm for a “ State of 11th Grade” family meeting. We will outline where we are in terms of teachers and course requirements, credits required to graduate, community service, SAT, college visits, and the college application process. We will also share vital updates about the second half of the school year 2023 – 2024. Our mission is still that same- to develop the next generation of innovators. We need your partnership to ensure every scholar has a path to success. We will meet in the cafeteria located at DPA High School – 709 12th Street SE Washington, DC 20003 at 5:00pm. Light refreshments will be served. Please reach out to mainoffice@ |
||||||||||||
|
8th Grade Family Meeting {MANDATORY} |
||||||||||||
|
DPA 8th Grade Families, On Thursday, February 15th 2024 DPA will host a Mandatory 8th Grade Parent Meeting to discuss the High School transition process. During this meeting you will hear directly from our CEO, High School Principal, 9th Grade Scholars and more! We want to provide you with information pertaining to DPA High School! Next year we are excited to Graduate our founding class, the majority of whom have been with us since 6th grade! We cannot wait to see what colleges our scholars go off to to continue their education at! We hope that all of our 8th grade scholars will remain with DPA, and continue their education with us at our High School but we know that some have made a decision to enroll their scholar elsewhere. With that said we will also answer any question you may have about the transition! Event Details When: Thursday, February 15th 2024 Location: DPA Middle School Campus Cafeteria Address: 908 Wahler Place SE Washington DC Time: 5:00pm – 6:30pm Dinner Provided |
||||||||||||
|
MAP TESTING | Tuesday & Wednesday |
||||||||||||
|
MAP is an adaptive test that shows how much scholars have grown in reading and math – from fall to spring and from year to year. In addition, MAP is aligned to other standardized tests such as the PARCC and the SAT. When scholars show their growth on the MAP they set themselves up for success in the future. MAP also provides helpful comparison data to other scholars across the country. We will share these reports with you so you know how your scholar is performing and their progress towards college readiness. For Tuesday and Wednesday, please ensure your scholars’ get a good night’s sleep and eat a healthy breakfast. If you have any questions, please reach out to your teachers and/or Assistant Principal. |
||||||||||||
|
ZOOM MEETING – Post-Secondary Transition for Special Education Scholars |
||||||||||||
|
Dear families of special education scholars (scholars with 504 plans/IEPs), we are organizing a Zoom night to share resources around your scholars’ transition from HS to postsecondary. The virtual meeting will take place on Monday, February 12th at 6 pm and you can join using the login information below: Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/ Meeting ID: 484 038 5851 During the meeting we will introduce our special education team and also connect you with our RSA counselor and the DC3C team. We will discuss resources that are available for our scholars including internships, summer jobs, scholarship funding, etc. We hope you’ll be able to join us! If you have any questions or would like additional information. You can reach out to our special education coordinator, Erum Siddiqui, at erum.siddiqui@ |
||||||||||||
|
High School Recognition |
||||||||||||
|
Our goal is for every scholar to consistently demonstrate strong academic and character habits. Ultimately we want our scholars to set their own goals and internalize strong academic and behavior habits because they will lead to scholars achieving the 4C’s- College, Career, Computer Science, and Community. Based on feedback from scholars, teachers, and parents, We want to recognize scholars who consistently live our DPA values and model professional habits. Every scholar is eligible to earn merits. We will also begin to recognize scholars of the week. Not all scholars will be recognized every week. Each teacher will nominate one scholar a week. Scholars will be eligible to earn merits and Scholar of the Week recognition be achieving the following:
|
||||||||||||
|
Pictures of the Week |
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Athletics Schedule |
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Mental Health Resources |
||||||||||||
|
As part of our commitment to provide our scholars and their families with increased mental health support resources, we have created & attached a mental health bulletin full of mental health resources at DPA and in the community- be sure to check it out! Currently, we are offering groups led by our mental health team at both campuses for scholars. Current group offerings include:
To sign up your scholar for a group, reach out to Ms. Mills (Middle School) at kaitlin.mills@ Additional resources can be found on THIS PAGE where families can find a network of mental health resources that are available to them and their scholars. |
||||||||||||
|
8th Grade ONLY: NAEP Testing Notification |
||||||||||||
|
Dear Parent or Guardian: Digital Pioneers Academy PCS – Johenning will participate in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) on February 12, 2024. NAEP is the largest nationally representative and continuing assessment of what students know and can do in various subjects. NAEP is administered by the National Center for Education Statistics, within the US Department of Education. NAEP is different from our state assessments because it is a common measure of achievement across the country. The results are released as The Nation’s Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents/guardians, policymakers and the public. Your child (will/may) take a mathematic, reading, or science assessment. In addition to subject-area questions, students voluntarily complete NAEP survey questions. These questions provide valuable information about participating students’ educational experiences and opportunities to learn both in and outside of the classroom. Additionally, American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students will be included in the National Indian Education Study (NIES). NIES describes the condition of education for AI/AN students in the United States. More information about NAEP survey questions is available at nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/ The assessment takes about 120 minutes for most students, which includes transition time, directions and completion of survey questions. The information collected is used for statistical purposes only.
There is no need to study in preparation for NAEP, but please encourage your child to do their best. Contact Divinda Willis at 202.670.7862 or at divinda.augustin-willis@ We are excited that our school is participating in NAEP. We know that Digital Pioneers Academy PCS- Johenning’s students will show what our nation’s students know and can do. Sincerely, Shaniqua Wrotten National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) conducts the National Assessment of Educational Progress to evaluate federally supported education programs. All the information you provide may be used only for statistical purposes and may not be disclosed, or used, in identifiable form for any other purpose except as required by law (20 USC §9573 and 6 USC §151). By law, every NCES employee as well as every NCES agent, such as contractors and NAEP coordinators, has taken an oath and is subject to a jail term of up to five years, a fine of $250,000, or both if they willfully disclose ANY identifiable information about you. Electronic submission of your information will be monitored for viruses, malware and other threats by federal employees and contractors in accordance with the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015. |
||||||||||||
|
Summer Opportunity: Camp Canopy Enrollment Open Now! |
||||||||||||
|
We’re excited to announce that enrollment is now open for Camp Canopy—where adventure and fun meet for the summer! Camp Canopy is a two-week sleepaway summer camp that is designed exclusively for students who are rising to grades 6-8. Camp Canopy provides students with an enjoyable, exciting summer experience that motivates them to approach the future with confidence, curiosity, independence, and responsibility. At Camp Canopy, students have the opportunity to build long-lasting friendships in a safe setting that allows for exploration, learning, and joy! There is one option to attend in summer 2024: Session 1: June 25–July 7, 2024 Learn more about this transformative summer experience:
|
||||||||||||
|
ACTION REQUIRED |
||||||||||||
|
Family Engagement Survey Partnership with our families is core to our educational model. We are committed to providing our students and families with the tools and resources to become productive, life-long innovators, and we want to hear your feedback on how we’re doing. We’re going to send out a very brief 2-minute survey a few times this year to learn about how you view your child’s academic experiences. Your responses will be confidential, and we’ll use your feedback to inform how we can improve our family partnerships. SURVEY IS DUE BY 2.23.24 at 5:00pm! Complete survey by clicking on this link: https://tinyurl.com/DPAParents |
||||||||||||
|
Recurring Updates |
||||||||||||
|
Welcome Packets |
||||||||||||
|
In order to provide families with all of the information you need for the upcoming school year, we have created the below Welcome Packets! These packets include information on our attendance policy, school hours, athletic, transportation, uniforms, and much much more! |
||||||||||||
|
Middle School Python Time |
||||||||||||
|
We are thrilled to share with you the latest news about our scholars’ progress and development this school year. We are pleased to inform you that starting October 10th, 2023, DPA will be offering an After-School Program for DPA scholars, called Python Time. Our After-school program is designed to provide a secure, productive, and free environment for scholars to participate in a range of enriching activities that promote academic and social-emotional growth. The program will run from 4:15 p.m. until 5:15 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Please note that scholars must have a signed permission slip and *dedicated transportation from the Middle School campus (908 Wahler Place SE) to participate. It’s also essential to remember that scholars must be picked up no later than 5:45 p.m. * Due to limited capacity, we will fill slots on a first come basis* If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to reach out to our Python Time Program Coordinator – Rodney Brownell, rodney.brownell@ * In order to ensure all scholars have safe passage home, scholars will be required to be picked up from the campus grounds in order to be eligible for afterschool programming. |
||||||||||||
|
School Hours |
||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
|
Uniforms |
||||||||||||
|
ALL DPA scholars are required to wear the DPA uniform while at school. Uniforms can be purchased at the main office of each campus. Middle School (Grades 6 – 8) Green Polos – $15 Grey Joggers – $15 Crew Neck Sweatshirts – $15 Skirts – $15 White Button Down – $15 High School (Grades 9 – 11) Grey Polos – $15 Grey Joggers – $15 V Neck Sweater – $15 Crew Neck Sweaters – $15 Skirts – $15 |
||||||||||||
|
Key Contact Information |
||||||||||||
|
General Enrollment – enroll@digitalpioneersacademy. Middle School Enrollment (6th | 7th | 8th Grade) – vonique.jones@ High School Enrollment (9th | 10th | 11th Grade) – slancaster@ Special Populations, including Special Education:
Athletics – rob.harris@ |
||||||||||||
|
504 Plans |
||||||||||||
|
Does your scholar have a 504 Plan from their previous school? If so, please email the necessary documentation at your earliest convenience to Ms. Baron, DPA’s School Social Worker & 504 Coordinator, at jbaron@digitalpioneersacademy. |
||||||||||||
|
School Breakfast & Lunch Menu |
||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||
|
CAASS One Cards |
||||||||||||
|
Digital Pioneers Academy utilizes CAASS OneCard, an ID Card identification system that requires scholars to use their student ID card to sign into school, sign out for early dismissal, and sign into each of their classes. You can get real time notifications that will alert you when your child has arrived at school AND scanned into school and class! You can follow the below instructions to create an account!
|
||||||||||||
|
Mental Health Resources |
||||||||||||
|
As part of our commitment to provide our scholars and their families with increased mental health support resources, we have created & attached a mental health bulletin full of mental health resources at DPA and in the community- be sure to check it out! Currently, we are offering groups led by our mental health team at both campuses for scholars. Current group offerings include:
To sign up your scholar for a group, reach out to Ms. Mills (Middle School) at kaitlin.mills@ Additional resources can be found on THIS PAGE where families can find a network of mental health resources that are available to them and their scholars. |
||||||||||||
|
Open Seat Counseling |
||||||||||||
|
DPA has partnered with Open Seat to provide virtual wellness coaching sessions for our scholars during and/or after school. Please see here for more information. If you are interested, please complete the attached opt-in form. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to Ms. Baron at jbaron@digitalpioneersacademy. |
||||||||||||
|
Best Kids |
||||||||||||
|
Are you seeking a transformative experience that empowers your child to dream big, excel in school, and build a brighter future? Look no further! BEST Kids Mentoring Program is here to provide the stability and support your child needs to thrive. Our program, serving youth in grades 6-12 in Wards 4, 5, 7, and 8, is all about fostering personal growth, academic success, and career readiness. Through one-on-one mentoring, college preparedness workshops, STEM education, technology training, and more, we empower youth to defy statistics and embrace their unique skills and abilities. Join our community of dedicated mentors and enthusiastic youth, and let’s embark on a journey of self-discovery, growth, and success together. Your child’s potential is limitless; at BEST Kids, we’re here to help them realize it! Discover the BEST in your child. Learn more about our program and how to get involved by visiting our website or contacting us today. You can also apply HERE! Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity for your child’s future! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to reach out to Carl C. Scott at carl@bestkids.org. |
