kidsfamily school notes an elegant fan dance with colorful silk costumes. And the whole school cheered and danced to the beat when the Wong People from Chinatown entered the multi-purpose room with an exuberant performance of the lion dance. Everyone enjoyed watching Mr. Young and the teachers when they fed lettuce to the lion in exchange for good luck. The assembly was a wonderful opportunity for Ms. Wang and all of the students to share what they’ve been learning about Chinese language and culture with each other and with the broader Brent community.
Capitol Hill Cluster School Peabody
At Peabody Early Childhood Center, kindergarteners have been busy writing letters to knowledgeable Watkins Elementary first-graders, gathering information about life in the next Cluster School building they will attend.
Watkins
Watkins first-graders are using Skype to create a virtual tour of their elementary school to share with Peabody kindergarteners. The tour will include Watkins’ student-tended garden and student-staffed kitchen. Both the garden and the kitchen were visited recently by renowned chef and author Alice Waters, proprietor of Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, Calif. A pioneer in the growing movement to cook with fresh, local, sustainable ingredients, Waters created what she called an “edible schoolyard” at a California elementary school in 1996; the Watkins garden is named after hers.
Stuart-Hobson
Stuart-Hobson eighth-grader Kyra Smith and her science teacher Anthonette Peña represented the Cluster School and the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) at the second annual White House Science Fair, attended by President Obama and leaders in science and engineering. Earlier this year, Stuart-Hobson was selected to participate in SSEP’s 152 H HillRag | March 2012
Capitol Hill Day School News CHDS and Capitol Hill – A Thriving Partnership
Science Gal Kyra Smith, a Stuart-Hobson eighth grader, and her teacher, Anthonette Peña, greet Bill Nye the Science Guy at the White House Science Fair, which showcased winning science-fair projects from across the country.
project to send a student-designed experiment into orbit on the International Space Station in late March. Small groups of Stuart-Hobson students competed to have their project sent into space. The winning proposal, by Kyra Smith, Daiana James, and Jakayla Smallwood, explores whether hay bacillus breaks down human waste (represented by brown egg) in microgravity as well as in Earth’s gravity. At the White House, Kyra had the opportunity to meet Bill Nye the Science Guy, who said about the president’s annual Science Fair: “I hope to encourage the young people in attendance and their many fellow student competitors back home to change the world.”
Out-of-Boundary Slots Increase
Recently almost 400 members of the Capitol Hill Day School family celebrated in the newly renovated Dent Building. Current and alum families from across the years applauded the beautiful and crucial results of the eight month top-tobottom renovation. Since 1968, thousands of CHDS families and teachers have formed life-long bonds with each other and with Capitol Hill. For many, their relationship with Capitol Hill was cemented when they discovered Capitol Hill Day School and enrolled their children. The experience of CHDS Board member and alum parent Connie Tipton is representative: I moved to Capitol Hill 40 years ago, and after I had two kids, thought about whether I could stay on the Hill and give them a first class education. I learned about CHDS, then housed in two church basements. Even then, the heart and soul of this school was about the people, the spirit and the approach to learning. That heart and soul now move into the newly renovated Dent School Building, another important milestone for our community and for Capitol Hill Day School. CHDS alumni and faculty form a network that spans almost every state in this country, and around the globe. Many alumni return to CHDS as teachers, camp counselors, interns, and, more recently, as parents of CHDS students. CHDS parents and
alumni are an integral part of the fabric of life on the Hill – homeowners, business and arts entrepreneurs and patrons, professionals in law, healthcare, education, government, and more. The history of the School and the support of the CHDS community are gratifying confirmation that our passionate faculty, integrated curriculum, unique field education program, and attention to social and emotional development transcend physical space and location. -Jane Angarola, Capitol Hill Day School, 210 South Carolina Avenue, SE, 202.386.9919; www.chds.org.
Maury Elementary Notes Black History Comes Alive
Maury staff put on a wonderful “Journey through Time of AfricanAmerican History” event for Black History Month. There were 6 stations, showcasing different people or cultures in black history. Entrepreneur Madam CJ Walker was brought to life with a rendition of an interactive hair salon and the products she had invented. There was the “Show Way Quilt”, with a story about the different signs and symbols that were used to lead slaves to freedom. The “Shoofly” represented log cabins used for shelter, the “Flying Geese” told the slaves which direction to travel, and the “Monkey Wrench” directed the slaves to gather tools for their journey. The next stop in time was about Wally Amos, the founder of Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies. There was drumming, poetry, dancing, and art. It was an exciting event for every child. ~ Chantese Alston
With the School Within School moving out of Peabody Elementary in fall 2012, both Peabody Early Childhood Center (three-year-old pre-k through kindergarten) and Watkins Elementary (grades 1 through 5) expect to have more slots for outof-boundary students than in years past. Families were encouraged to apply before the lottery ended on February 27, and look forward to meeting new families in the fall! Submitted by Molly Dewsnap Meinhardt. Peabody Early Childhood Campus – 425 C Street NE; Watkins Elementary Campus – 420 12th Street SE; Stuart-Hobson Middle School Campus – 410 E Street NE; www.capitolhillclusterschool.org Past and present school heads Cemmy Peterson and Jason Gray greet CHDS families at renovation celebration. Photo: Heidi Ruesswick
Save the Date – Maury at the Market!
March 24, 7-10 p.m. at Eastern Market’s North Hall, 7th & North Carolina Ave. SE. Maury Elementary’s biggest fundraiser of the year – a night out for adults – fun and for a great cause! Items for bid include a weekend cabin getaway, estate planning, laser teeth whitening, and original art. This event pays