Calendar Notifications

25-26 School Year CALENDAR (linked here) – Updated on 2/22/26

April 6 – NO SCHOOL – Teacher Professional Development Day, End of Quarter 3

April 13-17 – NO SCHOOL – Spring Break

May 5-21 – DCCAPE Testing

May 20 – College Decision Day

May 25 – No School Memorial Day

Re-Enrollment BEGINS TODAY, Monday, April 6th!

Reserve Your Spot at DPA!

DPA Families,

We are so excited for the 2026-2027 School Year! Re-Enrollment will begin today, Monday, April 6th. We encourage you to get started as soon as possible in order to hold your scholar’s spot at Digital Pioneers Academy for next school year.

Step 1: Complete the Re-Enrollment Questionnaire

• The Google Form Link will be emailed out to All Families on April 6th, 2026!

Step 2: Complete the DCRV & Enrollment Forms Docusign.

• This will be emailed to you directly once you complete Step 1. You can alternatively complete a hard copy if you prefer.

Step 3: Submit Proof of Residency

• A member of the Enrollment Team will reach out and request Proof of Residency if the scholar is not Residency Verified by OSSE.

  • Common Accepted Forms of Proof –

    • DC Drivers License & DC Registration

    • Paystub with DC Taxes

    • DC Drivers License & 2 months of a Utility Bill

    • Lease + Payment & 2 Months of a Utility Bill

    • Proof of DC Gov Financial Assistance (SNAP – TANF – MEDICAID – SSI)

Step 4: Submit DC Health Forms

Attention: High School 12th Grade Families – FAFSA Submission

Attention 12th Grade Families:

The DPA College & Career Team encourages all senior scholars and families to complete their FAFSA applications as soon as possible! Any scholar who has shared their FAFSA Submission Summary (the confirmation that student and guardian have both completed their sections) to college@digitalpioneersacademy.org by Sunday, April 19 at 11:59 PM will be entered into a raffle to win a FREE prom ticket.

Completing the FAFSA is one of the most important steps in securing your scholar’s financial aid package for college, including grants, scholarships, and other support. Your scholar has already completed their portion during seminar class; now it’s time for guardians to complete your section so we can help ensure they receive every dollar available to them.

If you have any questions or need assistance with the FAFSA, please reach out to college@digitalpioneersacademy.org — we’re here to help!

Attention: High School 11th Grade Families – Junior Family Zoom Invitation

Attention 11th Grade Families:

The DPA College & Career Team invites all 11th grade scholars and families to join us for an upcoming Intro to College Counseling virtual meeting on Thursday, April 30 at 6:00 PM (on Zoom). During this session, we will walk through what to expect as it relates to secondary pathway planning and college applications; we will highlight key milestones and share steps scholars can begin taking now to stay ahead of the process.

Please save the date for Thursday, April 30 at 6:00 PM.
We will share the Zoom link with families ahead of the event.

Special Announcement – Attendance (Middle School)

DPA Middle School Families,

We have ambitious goals. We want every scholar to be on the path to college and career. Do you believe in this mission? If yes, everyday counts.  In addition, the Public Charter School Board recently released a new accountability framework in order to make sure that D.C’s Charter Schools are doing everything possible to make sure that their scholars are on track for college and career. One of the new metrics is centered around Chronic Absenteeism. A scholar is deemed Chronically Absent if they miss more than 10% of the entire school year or more than 17 school days in 180 days. Scholars that are Chronically Absent are more likely to drop out of school, face being retained in their current grade level, and overall not be on track to college and career.

There are 43 days left in the school year. Your scholar cannot miss more than 2 days (roughly one per month) for the remainder of the school year in order to maintain 95% attendance for the rest of the school year. ATTENDANCE MATTERS and we need your scholar at school everyday if we are to accomplish our academic goals. We understand that there are legitimate reasons why your scholar cannot make it to school, but that should only be reserved for extreme and rare circumstances.

WHEN MY SCHOLAR MUST COME TO SCHOOL.

• My scholar woke up late

• My scholar has an early dismissal from school today

• My scholar has allergies, and they are not feeling 100%.

• My scholar is tired.

• My scholar has a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon.

• My scholar has a doctor’s appointment in the morning.

• The bus/train is running late.

WHEN MY SCHOLAR SHOULD NOT COME TO SCHOOL

• Death in the immediate family (Limited to 3 days)

• A doctor’s note STATING that the scholar CANNOT be at school.

COMMON BUT UNSATISFACTORY EXCUSES

• My scholar needs to watch their younger siblings.

• My scholar doesn’t want to go to school.

• My scholar doesn’t feel 100%.

• Bad weather

• Delayed Public Transit

WHAT HAPPENS IF MY SCHOLAR IS CHRONICALLY ABSENT AND/OR TRUANT?

DPA follows OSSE regulations around attendance and truancy. While understanding that both sickness, emergencies, bereavement, and other reasons apply to scholar absences, it is critical that scholars and families ensure absences from school are minimized. Per the DPA attendance policy, the following protocol for consecutive or consistent absence from school:

1. Scholars who reach 3 absences during one quarter, or 5 absences during the year, may be required to complete an attendance recovery plan, a plan intended to make up learning time missed while out of school.

2. If a scholar has 10 or more unexcused absences (consecutive or nonconsecutive), DPA will report the absences to Child and Family Services.

3. If a scholar has 20 or more consecutive unexcused absences, the scholar may be unenrolled from DPA.

4. Attendance data will be reported to Court Social Services and/or the OAG Juvenile Division and Child and Family Services as requested.

5. Retention (repeating a grade) will be considered regardless of academic performance.

6. These referrals can also affect your public benefits including TANF and WIC.

WHAT DO I DO IF I NEED HELP?

Reachout! We will do everything in our power to help get your scholar to school, we have a wide range of resources at school that your scholar can engage with when they are present.

If you would like to schedule an Attendance Meeting with the Team – Please Sign Up Here

WHO DO I REACH OUT TO?

Middle School

• Sarah Hanson – Director of Operations Sarah.hanson@digitalpioneersacademy.org

• Aliya McCants – Social Worker aliya.mccants@digitalpioneersacademy.org

• Derrick Williams – Dean of Culture derrick.williams@digitalpioneersacademy.org

Let us know how we can best support you and your scholar so that they can show up for school on time every day.  There are also community resources we can help connect you with that can provide additional support and assistance.

• East River Family Strengthening Collaborative, Inc (Ward 7)

• Edgewood/Brookland Family Support Collaborative  (Ward 8)

Athletics Update – Week of 4/6/26

High School Athletics

After School Clubs and Activities

High School After School Clubs

• Elegant Grace Society – Room 110
  Tuesdays & Thursdays | 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

• Barber Club – College Suite Basement
  Tuesdays & Thursdays | 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM

• Art Club – Room 109
  Tuesdays | 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

• Dapper Posh – Room 209
  Mondays | 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

• Crochet Club – Room 206
  Mondays, Tuesdays & Thursdays | 3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

• Python Playback – Room 111
  Mondays & Tuesdays | 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

• Cosmetology Club – Room 101
  Mondays & Fridays | 3:30 PM – 5:30 PM

• Best Kids – Room 106
  Wednesdays | 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

• Step Team – College Suite Basement
  Mondays & Thursdays | 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

Middle School After School Clubs

Tutoring- Mon, Tue 4-5

Bike Club- Tue- 4-5:30

Best Kids- Wed 1-2

Art Club- Thur 4-5

Robotic Thurs 4-5

P.O.W.E.R- Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri 3:45- 6

Suicide Prevention Workshop Recording

DPA families,

Thank you to those who were able to join the Suicide Prevention Workshop on March 18th, hosted by the Paving the Way wellness team. If you were unable to attend or would like to review the information again, the recording is now available.

Webinar Recording: DPA- Suicide Prevention.mp4

This session provides helpful information on recognizing warning signs, supporting our scholars, and accessing mental health resources.

If you have any questions or would like additional support, please feel free to reach out.

Family and Scholar Wellness Resources

Food Access Resources

We know times can be challenging, and some families may be facing extra difficulty putting food on the table. You are not alone, the DPA Wellness Team is here to help connect you with local food resources and support.  Click here for resources available for families in need, along with updates as they become available. Please take a moment to review them and share with anyone who may benefit.

Family Resource Guide

Please see the linked guide HERE, curated by the DPA Wellness Team. It includes information on community-based organizations, grief and loss support, substance use support, food pantries, and more. Printed copies are also available in the main office.

Monthly Mental Health Newsletter

Please check out the monthly mental health newsletter that is published by our Paving the Way Mental Health Therapists.