This is graduation week. That means the 5th-graders at Watkins have a great ceremony ahead of them as they begin a new chapter at Stuart-Hobson. And those adorable Peabody kindergarteners likewise have their own ceremony as they ready themselves for a new challenge at Watkins. As a side note, the Stuart-Hobson 8th-graders who are headed to high school have their ceremony next week. Surieya, our former AP at Peabody, is speaking at that and it should be great fun.
By the way, last week marked our annual PTA elections. So many awesome parents are stepping up to lead our PTA next year that I get misty-eyed. Please note that Lisa Miller is replacing me as president and so I no longer will be writing these little notes to all of you. Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Thanks for an incredible two years as president.
Vince Morris
President, Capitol Hill Cluster School PTA and father of Stuart-Hobson 7th-grader and 5th- and 3rd-graders at Watkins Elementary
Learn about our school and take a look at what the PTA does for students
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. Principal Clemens Presented Vince and Beth Bacon gifts for their services as PTA president and vice president
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view. The budget for 2015-16 passed! Exciting things ahead!
Great Attendance and Activities at Year-End PTA Meeting
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Burritos, books and puppets from Barefoot Tales were a winning combination on Wednesday night as families packed the Watkins gym for 4th Annual Family Reading Night. After a tasty dinner from District Taco, the kids enjoyed a visit from Super Panther, arts and crafts and booksale deals, as well a jungle tales with engaging puppeteers. Parents got down to business and approved a PTA budget for the year ahead and elected a new board.
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Stop by the Watkins Farmers Market Each Wednesday
The Farmers Market across from Watkins Field has resumed and runs each Wednesday from 3:30-7:30 p.m. through the fall. This week you'll find everything from chard, kale, lettuce and spinach, as well as freshly harvested beets, carrots, rhubarb, fennel, bok choi, and scallions. The market accepts cash, credit, debit, WIC/Senior FMNP, SNAP/EBT, as well as Produce Plus.
Peabody News
Newsflash: New Adorable Spanish Video Online!
Get ready to practice all of our Spanish songs at home! The Spanish integration team will be sending home CD's with all of our monthly Spanish songs, and a few our the favorite Spanish audio books from this year! Watch out for the CD in your child's folder this upcoming week, and then be ready to sing along as they practice their Spanish!
You can always see our monthly Spanish videos here, and our new June Spanish song video here.
Watkins News
Library Transformed into Sensational Stem Fair Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.The Cluster held its first STEM Fair at Watkins on Friday. Students showcased their science fair projects, and awards were given out to the top three winners from 3rd-5th grades. Check out the Cluster Web site and Mr. Lawson's Twitter account to see more great photos from the event.
Get Ready, Set .... for Field Day is June 15
Mr. Deak has been working hard to make a fantastic field day that is a mixture of traditional field day and some carnival activities! Some stations include the dunk tank, balloon blaster, obstacle course, basketball, moon bounce, and more! Here are a few reminders:
Wear sneakers and socks
Bring your own water bottle with water
Wear sunscreen
Wear comfortable clothing
Parent volunteers are welcome to come and join the festivities: grades 3-5: 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m., and grades 1-2: 12:30-3 p.m.
Time to Register for Aftercare for Next Year The OSTP Afterschool Program Registration is open now through August 19. Please talk to your after-care workers if you have any questions. Watkins students in grades 1-4 recieved their personal ID number and a letter explaining the on-line registration process last week. You can register online here.
Congratulations to These Panther Pride Award Winners
Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.
Second Graders to Fund International Micro-loans News from 2nd grade: This month in Literacy, the 2nd-graders are are wrapping up their look into the similarities and differences of living here and in Canada / South Africa / Mexico. The End-of-Year reading level testing is well under way and weare excited to see all the great growth our scholars have made.
In social studies, we are getting ready to make microloans through an organization called Kiva.org that funds small projects that can make a big difference to people around the world. We will choose from applicants from the countries we are studying and write opinion pieces to support our choice. Be looking for a letter from your scholar asking for a $1.00 donation. The repaid loan will follow scholars to third grade where they will be able to lend again.
Show Your Love -- For the Gardens! Watkins Garden Work Day, Saturday, June 13 Please join in on Saturday, June 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help get the Watkins gardens ready for summer. Garden guru Barbara Percival needs lots of hands for mulching, improving the soil in the raised beds, building trellises, etc. This is the only work day we have had all year -- and we need lots of volunteers to make it happen. Please come even if you only have an hour to spare. No tools or experience needed. Kids are welcome -- as long as parents/adults come too! Let me know if Barbara know if plan to come (or just show up!), or if you need more information. Email her at BarbaraPercival at Yahoo dot com.
Drop off a Book, Pick Up a Book Image may be NSFW. Clik here to view.Want to encourage more reading? Watkins book nook is in need of more books! We would love some gently used books for the book nook.
Stuart-Hobson News
Parents Invited to Awards Breakfast, June 11
The 8th Grade Awards Breakfast will be held to celebrate the excellence of members of our graduating class on Thursday, June 11th 8:30 a.m. We will honor our students in the areas of Math, Science, ELA, Social Studies and present numerous special awards. We are inviting all parents to join us for this special recognition. Parents of students receiving awards have been notified by telephone. We are also encouraging our families to donate breakfast food items. Please sign up to donate.
Lincoln Center Musicians Wowed the Crowd From Mr. Edwards: On May 28 the Stuart-Hobson Auditorium buzzed with excitement as nearly 600 students from around the District of Columbia and Maryland filed in for a special performance.
The SHMS Music Department had the honor of hosting musicians from Jazz at Lincoln Center in a performance sponsored by Washington Performing Arts. The performance was a part of Lincoln Center’s “Jazz for Young People” program. These performances are a mixture of History and Music as the Artists perform music from the early days of this uniquely American musical product.
Guest artists included: Sam Reider on Accordion and Vocals, Noah Garabedian on Bass, Willie P, Clark on Drums, Justin Poindexter on Guitar and Vocals, and Dom Flemons on Vocals, Guitar, Banjo, and the Bones. The Artists were very impressed with the students in the Audience as well as our newly updated facilities.
It was a tremendous honor to host these accomplished musicians from the acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center Educational program. We can’t wait to do it again!
What You Need to Know: Cluster Communications At Your Service
Communication is a highly valued tool here at the Cluster. Here are a variety of ways to make sure you have all the information you need each week.
Join a Campus-Specific Listserv There are Yahoo group listservs for each campus. It's a helpful way to have an online dialogue about school activities and events. You may even find a gently used nap-mat! Here's where to start.
PTA Communications You can find out the latest and greatest about the Cluster on Facebook and Twitter and on the Web site, www.capitolhillclusterschool.org.
