Select Language አማርኛ 繁體中文 English Français Español Tiếng Việt New! SY21-22 Updates Health & Safety Resources Contact School Year 2021-2022 Jump to Section Weekly Updates from Chancellor Ferebee #RecoverStrong Town Halls Recaps Health & Safety for In-Person Learning – updated August 18 Virtual Learning for Students Student Immunizations & COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritizing Federal Funds for School Reopening Registration for afterschool programming is now open DC Public Schools will fully reopen with in-person learning for all students, every day in the fall for the 2021-2022 School Year! The first day of school for students is August 30 and enrollment is now open at enrolldcps.dc.gov. DCPS is committed to creating supportive learning environments where all students are able to thrive academically and socially. We also commit to listen and engage with families about what they need for next school year and chart a path for COVID-19 recovery. In the fall, all DCPS teachers will be back in schools teaching in their classrooms. Our schools will continue to implement a system of layered protections to ensure we are able to safely offer in-person programming and all our district’s facility space will be fully maximized. Weekly Updates From Chancellor Ferebee Sharing My Gratitude NOVEMBER 23, 2021 Read More DCPS Welcomes The World + November Health Updates NOVEMBER 18, 2021 Read More Take The Fall Family Survey And Share Your Feedback With Us NOVEMBER 10, 2021 Read More COVID-19 Vaccination For Ages 5+ NOVEMBER 4, 2021 Read More Honoring And Supporting DCPS Families OCTOBER 27, 2021 Read More Happy National Principals Month! OCTOBER 15, 2021 Read More #RecoverStrong Town Halls Recaps Town Hall: Creating Safe School Environments On October 20, DC Public Schools held a tele-town hall to share how asymptomatic and symptomatic testing is available for students at school. Presenters: Dr.… Watch Replay Town Hall: DCPS Covid-19 At-School Testing On October 6, DC Public Schools held a tele-town hall to share how asymptomatic and symptomatic testing is available for students at school. The next… Watch Replay Town Hall: DCPS Covid-19 Case Response Protocols On September 29, DC Public Schools held a tele-town hall to share what happens when someone tests positive for COVID-19 while in our school buildings.… Watch Replay Parent University: Mentally Preparing Myself And My Child For The New School Year On August 19, DC Public Schools staff from the School Mental Health team shared information and resources to help parents and their students prepare for… Watch Replay Parent University: Supporting Our Students By Accelerating Learning In And Out Of The Classroom On August 17, DC Public Schools staff from the Office of Teaching and Learning shared information and resources to get your child on track this… Watch Replay Parent University: Getting My Child Ready For School This Year Esta información está disponible en español a continuación. Have questions about the start of in-person learning? On August 10, DC Public Schools leaders shared more… Watch Replay Previous Events In May, we held the first of our #RecoverStrong town halls and provided an update on DCPS’ road to recovery ahead of next school year. You can rewatch the discussions below or download the presentation slides, available in both English and Spanish. May 12, 2021 (English) DCPS is ready to open our doors this fall for all students and families! Download the presentation slidesPDF Lewis D. Ferebee Chancellor, DC Public Schools Patrick Davis Operations, DC Public Schools Theresa Impastato Chief Safety Officer, WMATA Dr. Heidi Schumacher DC Health 19 De Mayo De 2021 (Español) ¡Las DCPS están listas para abrir las puertas este otoño para todos los estudiantes y para las familias! Descargar las diapositivas de la presentación.PDF Lewis D. Ferebee Canciller, DC Public Schools Patrick Davis Operaciones, DC Public Schools Jackie Reyes-Yañes Directora ejecutiva, Oficina de Asuntos Latinos de la Alcaldía María Márquez, MD Directora médica administrativa, Mary’s Center Health & Safety For In-Person Learning – Updated August 18 Click here to review what to expect at school to maintain a safe environment for in-person learning. DCPS’ COVID-19 mitigation strategy for the fall is built around three key pillars: prevent, screen, and inform. Our back-to-school health and safety measures are based on preventing the spread of COVID-19 with universal masking, physical distancing, enhanced air filtration and cleaning, and a robust campaign for our community to get vaccinated alongside a vaccination requirement for staff. We are screening for COVID-19 symptoms with daily health assessments for students and staff and will have regular asymptomatic testing for students. We are also keeping our families informed if there is a COVID-19 case within their school. Virtual Learning For Students We hope and expect the overwhelming majority of DCPS students will return to full-time in-person learning in the fall. However, we know there are students who have a documented medical condition who need to continue virtual learning. To support these students, DCPS will offer virtual instruction for a limited number of students who meet medical eligibility requirements. Virtual instruction based on medical need will be available across all grades from PK-12. You can begin the registration process online, review the medical eligibility form, and read a FAQ for families. Download the COVID-19 Medical Consent and Certification for Distance Learning prepared by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) or pick up a copy from your school. Español | Amharic (አማርኛ) | French (Français) | Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Korean (한국어) | Chinese (中文) Student Immunizations & COVID-19 Vaccine While the COVID-19 vaccine is currently not required to attend school next year, students are required to have their childhood immunizations up to date to participate in summer programming and to attend school in the fall. We encourage all families to schedule well-child visits with your medical provider or one of DC’s pediatric immunization locations and submit that documentation now as a part of your student’s enrollment packet. District of Columbia policies and regulations require students to submit updated immunization documentation within 20 days of the start of the school year, or they will not be able to attend in person until those records are received. Click here to learn more about childhood immunization requirements for the upcoming school year, as well as availability of the COVID-19 vaccine for students 12 and older. Prioritizing Federal Funds For School Reopening DCPS is receiving $191 million in our latest round of federal recovery funds to support the safe reopening of schools and learning acceleration strategies for students. To help prioritize how to best use these funds at schools, we asked for your feedback and heard from 3,738 people across all eight wards. Our community’s insight is critical to our recovery planning and will help DCPS reimagine what is possible for all students. You can review responses to the May 2021 American Recovery Fund Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) survey at this link. Overall, survey respondents indicated their top three priorities for this funding are: Academic interventions for learning recovery (i.e., tutoring) Social emotional learning and mental health supports (i.e., mentoring and counseling) COVID-19 health and safety support (i.e., cleaning supplies and PPE) Additional feedback encouraged these funds to go towards ensuring DCPS keep its commitment to offer in-person learning for every student, every day; the hiring of more school staff to meet students’ needs; and providing enriching before- and afterschool programming to help working parents. We also asked families to share what is most important to them as schools prepare for the return to in-person learning for all students. Frequent updates from their school on how to get ready for the fall, as well as information on health safety measures that will be in place, are on top of mind for all respondents. DCPS commits to applying what we heard in this survey, we already allocated $20.8 million to schools to ensure they can start SY21-22 with the staff and resources they need to support student success. Schools are using recovery funds to plan for joyful learning experiences through in-person Summer Acceleration Academies, and they are determining programming to support more individualized instruction and tutoring during the school year. These funds will also make sure our buildings are ready for a safe physical learning environment every day and that students have the emotional space to build connections with their teachers and classmates as they adjust to being back in the classroom. Registration For Afterschool Programming Is Now Open We are excited that 56 schools will offer afterschool programming at no cost for enrolled students attending in-person learning next school year. For more information, visit https://dcps.dc.gov/afterschool, call the Out of School Time Programs office at (202) 442-5002 or email afterschool.dcps@k12.dc.gov with questions. DCPS afterschool programs allow students to participate in academic and extracurricular enrichment activities and to develop new hobbies and skills. DCPS teachers, paraprofessionals, and community-based organizations provide a variety of unique programming options to students. Participation in high-quality afterschool programming has been proven to improve school attendance, academic achievement, graduation rates, and attitudes toward learning. Students attending two and a half hours of afterschool programs each day gain the equivalent of nearly two months of learning time. Page updated: August 18, 2021 Address: District of Columbia Public Schools 1200 First Street Washington, DC 20002 Phone: (202) 442-5885 En español አማርኛ Contact For staff SY20-21 Archive Follow us: