New to DC public school -- shouldn't we have a class schedule, supply list, information on lunches,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so at SH they're expecting every kid to have downloaded the Moss Hollow permission slip and bring it back on the first day of school?

Yeah, I thought that was odd, too. If I didn't see the link someone posted here I would not know about the field trip.

Not to get into a boundary-type discussion, but there are kids who don't have regular access to the person who is authorized to sign off on permission slips. Imagine a kid in foster care where the caseworker or judge may need to be consulted, a kid watched by a family friend while his parents are out of town, or someone whose parent is incarcerated or hospitalized and is staying with another relative. Giving kids plenty of opportunity to get paperwork filled out is helpful--expecting all students to have access to a computer and printer, and to check the website, is not likely.

I wonder if the school's goal is to get only the kids from the most on-the-ball families to the retreat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so at SH they're expecting every kid to have downloaded the Moss Hollow permission slip and bring it back on the first day of school?

Yeah, I thought that was odd, too. If I didn't see the link someone posted here I would not know about the field trip.

Not to get into a boundary-type discussion, but there are kids who don't have regular access to the person who is authorized to sign off on permission slips. Imagine a kid in foster care where the caseworker or judge may need to be consulted, a kid watched by a family friend while his parents are out of town, or someone whose parent is incarcerated or hospitalized and is staying with another relative. Giving kids plenty of opportunity to get paperwork filled out is helpful--expecting all students to have access to a computer and printer, and to check the website, is not likely.

I wonder if the school's goal is to get only the kids from the most on-the-ball families to the retreat.

Kids on the social worker's case load have support for this sort of thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so at SH they're expecting every kid to have downloaded the Moss Hollow permission slip and bring it back on the first day of school?

Yeah, I thought that was odd, too. If I didn't see the link someone posted here I would not know about the field trip.

Not to get into a boundary-type discussion, but there are kids who don't have regular access to the person who is authorized to sign off on permission slips. Imagine a kid in foster care where the caseworker or judge may need to be consulted, a kid watched by a family friend while his parents are out of town, or someone whose parent is incarcerated or hospitalized and is staying with another relative. Giving kids plenty of opportunity to get paperwork filled out is helpful--expecting all students to have access to a computer and printer, and to check the website, is not likely.

I wonder if the school's goal is to get only the kids from the most on-the-ball families to the retreat.

How many students at SH have to face the challenges you listed?

[Anonymous]

SH parent here. Most of us received mailings a week ago. I know a parent that did not and she went to the school and asked for a print out of her childs schedule., I emailed the assistant principal about changing my kids schedule so I went to the school Thursday and had them print me out a new schedule.

School starts at 8:45, try to get there by 8:30. I'm actually not sure if they want kinds to go through the front door or the new door on the side of the building in the renovated part. I guess we will figure it out on the first day. School gets out at 3:15 unless your kid has 8th period. My kid does, but I'm not sure what time school lets out for those kids. I plan to call on Monday and find out. Or it may be in my packet info and I just missed it, I'l re-rad that info before Monday.

Lunch is $3.10 (I think, if I'm remembering correctly). You can eihter buy school lunch or you can send. There is no money exchanted in the school cafeteria. Here is the website to add funds to your kids lunch account.
https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/login/getmain?requestAction=home

The permission slip for the camp was in the packet, which most parents received.

You can sign up to receive important reminds from the Assistant principal, here is a link the brochure.
http://www.capitolhillclusterschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Remind-.pdf

You should also sign up for the yahoo group.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/CAPITOLHILLCLUSTERMIDDLESCHOOL/info

The first week of school (or maybe it's the first 2 weeks) kids only go to their advisory class, they do not switch classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:so at SH they're expecting every kid to have downloaded the Moss Hollow permission slip and bring it back on the first day of school?

Yeah, I thought that was odd, too. If I didn't see the link someone posted here I would not know about the field trip.

Not to get into a boundary-type discussion, but there are kids who don't have regular access to the person who is authorized to sign off on permission slips. Imagine a kid in foster care where the caseworker or judge may need to be consulted, a kid watched by a family friend while his parents are out of town, or someone whose parent is incarcerated or hospitalized and is staying with another relative. Giving kids plenty of opportunity to get paperwork filled out is helpful--expecting all students to have access to a computer and printer, and to check the website, is not likely.

I wonder if the school's goal is to get only the kids from the most on-the-ball families to the retreat.

How many students at SH have to face the challenges you listed?

In 2015, 30% were at-risk, meaning they were homeless, in foster care, or receiving food stamps (this is a lower income threshold than FARMs) or TANF. http://www.dcfpi.org/funding-didnt-follow-at-risk-students-this-year-lets-ensure-all-high-need-schools-see-their-share-next-year So there are a bunch of kids facing pretty significant challenges. And not all of them are going to be on the school social worker's radar, since 1/3 of the kids are new to the school this year.

[Anonymous]

This is DC, what did you expect!? Nothing works!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:SH parent here. Most of us received mailings a week ago. I know a parent that did not and she went to the school and asked for a print out of her childs schedule., I emailed the assistant principal about changing my kids schedule so I went to the school Thursday and had them print me out a new schedule.

School starts at 8:45, try to get there by 8:30. I'm actually not sure if they want kinds to go through the front door or the new door on the side of the building in the renovated part. I guess we will figure it out on the first day. School gets out at 3:15 unless your kid has 8th period. My kid does, but I'm not sure what time school lets out for those kids. I plan to call on Monday and find out. Or it may be in my packet info and I just missed it, I'l re-rad that info before Monday.

Lunch is $3.10 (I think, if I'm remembering correctly). You can eihter buy school lunch or you can send. There is no money exchanted in the school cafeteria. Here is the website to add funds to your kids lunch account.
https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/login/getmain?requestAction=home

The permission slip for the camp was in the packet, which most parents received.

You can sign up to receive important reminds from the Assistant principal, here is a link the brochure.
http://www.capitolhillclusterschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Remind-.pdf

You should also sign up for the yahoo group.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/CAPITOLHILLCLUSTERMIDDLESCHOOL/info

The first week of school (or maybe it's the first 2 weeks) kids only go to their advisory class, they do not switch classes.

Thank you. That helps. As a new SH parent, I received the "Student Schedule" by mail yesterday. It says there are no courses scheduled for her for the next year. "We apologize for the inconvenience." It says to call the school and ask to speak to counselor. It seems odd to get this now, since we enrolled in May and school starts Monday. We didn't get a packet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SH parent here. Most of us received mailings a week ago. I know a parent that did not and she went to the school and asked for a print out of her childs schedule., I emailed the assistant principal about changing my kids schedule so I went to the school Thursday and had them print me out a new schedule.

School starts at 8:45, try to get there by 8:30. I'm actually not sure if they want kinds to go through the front door or the new door on the side of the building in the renovated part. I guess we will figure it out on the first day. School gets out at 3:15 unless your kid has 8th period. My kid does, but I'm not sure what time school lets out for those kids. I plan to call on Monday and find out. Or it may be in my packet info and I just missed it, I'l re-rad that info before Monday.

Lunch is $3.10 (I think, if I'm remembering correctly). You can eihter buy school lunch or you can send. There is no money exchanted in the school cafeteria. Here is the website to add funds to your kids lunch account.
https://www.myschoolbucks.com/ver2/login/getmain?requestAction=home

The permission slip for the camp was in the packet, which most parents received.

You can sign up to receive important reminds from the Assistant principal, here is a link the brochure.
http://www.capitolhillclusterschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Remind-.pdf

You should also sign up for the yahoo group.
https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/CAPITOLHILLCLUSTERMIDDLESCHOOL/info

The first week of school (or maybe it's the first 2 weeks) kids only go to their advisory class, they do not switch classes.

Thank you. That helps. As a new SH parent, I received the "Student Schedule" by mail yesterday. It says there are no courses scheduled for her for the next year. "We apologize for the inconvenience." It says to call the school and ask to speak to counselor. It seems odd to get this now, since we enrolled in May and school starts Monday. We didn't get a packet.

That is so odd. Sounds like you will need to go into the office tomorrow morning with your kid to straighten this out. The office was actually open today until 1 o'clock. I'm sure staff will be in the building tomorrow, but not sure if they will have anyone working the office desk to help parents. You could try calling. I would email Mrs. Tuner, the assistant principal if necessary. She's very responsive.

[Anonymous]

Thanks again. I'll follow through. Glad it is odd. Things can fall through the cracks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is DC, what did you expect!? Nothing works!

That's just simply not true. My experience has been the contrary and I have kids in DCPS in elementary, middle, and high school, none of which in the upper Northwest by the way. Maybe I'm a statistical outlier but I really take issue with unfounded declarations. 10 years ago, yes, but not know, not to say there isn't room to improve, there always is.

Specifically on Stuart-Hobson. I'm surprised your child didn't attend Panther Pride, which would have been a sure way to get a head start, schedules, lists, access codes, locker numbers and all. Stuart-Hobson also has a website, where you can sign up for the relevant listserve and you can find all kids of info readily available there: http://www.capitolhillclusterschool.org/our-schools/stuart-hobson-middle-school. And they have decent front desk staff you can call throughout the summer if you feel you're not getting things. From following that listserve I know that mailings went out but I also know that some parents report they haven't gotten it yet.

[Anonymous]

We're new to the school, enrolled in May. Interacted with staff. They said not to worry. Nobody said anything about Panther Pride. We would have availed ourselves of any resources we knew about.

[Anonymous]

Anyone know when aftercare starts at SH?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone know when aftercare starts at SH?

middle school aftercare?

[Anonymous]

Welcome to DCPS

[Anonymous]

wow--this thread is so disheartening as someone who considered SH as an OOB possibility in the next couple years. I didn't think I'd rank it above Latin, Basis, or Hardy, or that it would be a definite alternative to moving or a private school, but ugh. How can some people know about a summer program and not others? how can enrolled kids not have schedules? why do some people get things in the mail and others don't?