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G St. SE. For more information: www.tylerelementary.net; FB:John Tyler Elementary. Meredith Baker u
Van Ness Elementary Van Ness Hosts NSCP Check Presentation Van Ness Elementary School welcomed members of the Near Southeast Community Partners (NSCP), Councilmember Anita Bonds, as well as representatives from DC Public Schools’ Office of Family and Public Engagement for a check presentation ceremony in February. The presentation was in recognition of Van Ness Elementary School’s successful application for funds through the CSX Mitigation Fund Grant, which is overseen by the NSCP. NSCP awarded the school $19,483. These funds will used to purchase supplies for the school’s growing art education program and iPads to supplement classroom instruction. “We are grateful for the generosity and support from CSX and NSCP. Our students are excited to start playing with these needed art supplies,” stated Van Ness Head of School Cynthia Robinson Rivers. Van Ness Elementary School is located at 1150 Fifth St., SE. Tara Cheston. u
The Capitol Hill Cluster School The 2016 Cluster Rocks! Gala & Auction will be held on March 11 from 7 to 10 p.m. at the Atlas Theater, 1333 H St. NE. One of the Cluster’s biggest events, it raises money for all three campuses; and is attended by hundreds of parents, faculty and community members. The evening is filled with great food, exciting auction items, fun music and lots of dancing.
Peabody is featuring DC Public Library’s “Books from Birth.” This program, a creation of Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, mails all kids in DC a free book each month from birth until they turn five. The initiative’s objective is to help parents make reading a daily habit; thus creating a solid foundation for a lifelong love of learning. Peabody students are building that love already. They have read 11,741 books since beginning the winter reading program, “Reading Takes You out of This World,” in early December.
Watkins Elementary School Watkins students competed in the Scripps National Spelling Bee for students in grades 4 to 8. Watkins’ top three winners will go onto a cluster bee. Then, those winners will compete in the national bee. Watkins also hosts a “just for fun” spelling bee for students in grades 1 to 3, who did a great job spelling tough words too! Fourth and fifth grade winners are: Hayden Soderman (First), Elizabeth Weinschenk (Second), Zoe Riedel (Third), Daniel Houghton (Fourth). First and third grade winners are: Beverly Lee (First), Io Huttinger (Second), Godiya Dakim and Maeve Viola (Third). On Feb. 1, DCPS held its annual “Standing Ovation” ceremony at the Kennedy Center. This event honors the District’s highly effective teachers. This year, Watkins Elementary was one of three schools invited to perform the grand musical finale. Twenty fourth and fifth grade Watkins students sang alongside students from Harris Elementary and Wilson High school in a soulful rendition of “Home” from “The Wiz” and were rewarded with a standing ovation of their own.
Stuart-Hobson Middle School Stuart Hobson will participate in the Model UN for the first time this year. Students will take the
roll of delegates from around the world and work to solve real world problems. This year’s challenge is global climate change. Model UN will take place April 8, at the Pan American Health Organization building. Stuart Hobson students are completing deep research now to prepare for this inaugural and exciting opportunity. In the quarterfinal round of the DCIAA Middle School Basketball Championships on Feb. 8, Stuart-Hobson Lady Panthers advanced to the Final Four by defeating Jefferson Academy 34-21. The Capitol Hill Cluster School’s website is www.capitolhillclusterschool.org and features weekly updates for all three campuses. Peabody is located at 425 C St. NE. Watkins is located at 420 12th St. SE. Stuart-Hobson is located at 410 E St. NE. Katharine Kaplan u
The School Within a School 19th Annual SWS Gala & Auction The 19th Annual SWS Gala & Auction will be held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 31 A St. SE, on March 5. Not only is this adults-only evening fantastic, it raises critical funds for the school. Auction items include luxury vacation rentals, home improvement services, restaurant gift cards and much more. New this year, attendees will use mobile devices to bid on silent auction items. The gala includes a live auction that never disappoints: music, heavy hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine. This year’s featured musical performers are world-class violinist Enrique Reynosa and guitarist Erik Tans, both teachers from Music on the Hill. And SWS’s music teacher James Castaneda will join them on cello. The auction’s success depends on the generosity of SWS friends, families, businesses and community members. Auction proceeds and charitable giving have supplemented the school’s music,
Peabody Early Childhood School Each Peabody artist is creating a clay bowl made out of clay balls. The student artists first make many uniformly sized clay balls. Using a cheesecloth-lined bowl as a form, student artists then build clay bowls by placing the balls in concentric circles within the form. They then smooth the clay on the inside with their fingers and water. Once the bowls have been fired, student artists glaze the bowls, readying them for display at the Clay Ball Bowl Open House on May 20. With the aim of building lifelong readers,
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Watkins students perform in the grand finale of the Standing Ovation ceremony.
Stuart Hobson Lady Panther Basketball Team has advanced to the final four.