Next Principal Young Meet & Greet: August 3 at 10:30 AM, The Pretzel Bakery

Thank you to everyone who came out to our first meet and greet with Principal Young. We all enjoyed “Sundaes on Monday”! Families not only met Eliot-Hine’s new principal, but also Dean Lockhart and Director of School Strategy & Logistics, Mrs. Morgan. The group engaged in dialogue about how the new 6th graders will transition to middle school and learned so much from Maury ES and Miner ES families present. We also discussed more about the upcoming Maury ES swing and how to build on this opportunity of having the two schools together.

If you missed this meet and greet, there is another this Thursday at the Pretzel Bakery. Come out and learn more or enroll your student for SY17-18!

Eliot-Hine’s Feeder Families: Friday Summer Book Swap Series

In an effort to create a fun forum for Eliot-Hine MS feeder families to gather, this summer Friday book swap series was born! Join feeder families and members of the community for a picnic and fun every Friday. Bring a book, leave with another. All ages and levels welcome. Everyone is welcome to join, even if you do not have a book to bring. There are extras! Contact Amber.Gove@gmail.com with any questions.

Eliot-Hine Enrollment Fair: Saturday May 13, 9 AM – 12 PM

Next Saturday, on May 13th Eliot-Hine Middle School is hosting an enrollment fair! All families are welcome to come in-person to enroll their student for School Year 2017-2018. The event is from 9 AM – 12 PM. An added bonus- you can also meet Eastern High School’s Principal Brown and see current Eastern HS students in action as they complete a community service project outdoors at this time! Come learn more about the International Baccalaureate Diploma and pathway, athletic offerings, meet staff, etc. Light refreshments will be served.

Please check out the flyer for all paperwork requirements and more details. You can call Eliot-Hine’s main office with any questions: 202- 939-5380. Then tag us in your photos from the event at @DCPSPlanning.

April 1st: Pollinator Garden Installation and Enrollment Event for All!

Flyer for Eliot-Hine’s April 1st event!

Eliot-Hine Middle School has a very exciting April 1st event planned for current families, prospective families, and anyone who would like to join from the community! From a grant the Junk Art Club won earlier this year, a pollinator garden will be installed on Saturday, April 1st from 9 AM – 12 PM. There will also be a variety of art projects available for all ages, including painting hubcaps to decorate the fences. This is also an opportunity for current and prospective families to re-enroll/enroll their student on-site. Staff and current parents will also be present to share more about the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme.

Upcoming Events: 

• April 1st: Pollinator Garden Installation & Enrollment Event, 9 AM – 12 PM
• April 12th: PTO Meeting at 6 PM

 

 

Interview with parent of current Eliot-Hine 7th grader!

 Heather Schoell: Parent of current Eliot-Hine 7th grader and Eastern HS 9th grader, an Eliot-Hine alum

• How did you end up choosing Eliot-Hine for your family?  When it was time for my older daughter to choose a middle school, we made a pro and con list. After we got into Latin, we turned them down because the logistics of the longer commute was not worth a life change for all four of us. It would have meant my husband would be commuting into work an hour earlier, my daughter would miss ballet class because she would arrive home too late, etc. More importantly, we chose our neighborhood school because we believe in investing in our community. We could have chosen the charter or private school route, but we were considering a longer term plan. We are totally happy with our choice! My daughters are receiving a well rounded education at Eliot-Hine, and we get to stay in our community.
• Maury ES is one of Eliot-Hine’s feeder schools. What helps Maury students thrive at Eliot-Hine? The feeder continuity is so important. Kids get to continue their relationships. For PK3 to 5 grade, that’s 8 years of friendship and relationships! There’s no need for them to all scatter for middle school. Even though Maury is not officially an International Baccalaureate (IB) school, it feels that way with their learner profiles. Maury students are able to continue this learning and familiarize themselves with IB attributes when they come to Eliot-Hine, an IB school.
• As a current Eliot-Hine parent, what have your interactions with staff been like? Eliot-Hine teachers are incredibly invested in their students, their successes academically, and navigating those awkward middle school years. I am particularly impressed with teachers who have called on weekends to keep me updated on how my daughter is progressing.
• What did Eliot-Hine have that other MS options did not? Eliot-Hine has a campus of over 6 acres with plenty of outdoor space. Compared to charter schools, this was a big plus so my kids could have lots of physical activity. Additionally, being our neighborhood school, the proximity to my home was huge. They are able to walk to and from school without needing to spend time on a bus and get back after dark. They have time to decompress.
• How do you see the IB framework shaping your student? Inference is challenging for students. The IB framework really fosters this, whether it’s through reading and discussing text or communicative writing. I see this play out with students and their growth through the years as they practice this in classrooms and their daily lives. I see this setting them up for success in high school and college.
• What is an extracurricular you are or your students are involved with? I lead a lunch club called “Talk with your mouth full”. Born out of a book club, we seek reflection pieces and learn more difficult vocabulary. This is a time where kids can talk and express themselves weekly. Our content varies from sharing what we read over winter break, watching video series, or articles. Previously we read about a woman who survived the Holocaust as as child; Carrie Nation, a prohibitionist with a hatchet; and also Hetty Green, the “Witch of Wall Street”.
• What do people not know about Eliot-Hine? Parents are surprised that Eliot-Hine has advanced students! We also have a very accomplished radio and TV broadcast led by Mr. Birks.
• What would be one word you would use to describe Eliot-Hine? Ascending!

Thank you, Heather, for speaking to us. Our next post will feature a parent interview of a current Eliot-Hine 8th grader. 

A reminder we currently have a survey out to learn more about our current Eliot-Hine and feeder families. Please fill out the below survey. It will take no more than 5 minutes!

• Survey for feeder families
• Survey for current Eliot-Hine families

 

Eliot-Hine Middle School Modernization Project & Survey for Families

Project Overview: The existing Eliot-Hine Middle School was built in 1931. The school is scheduled for comprehensive modernization with construction to begin in winter of 2018. Planning started last year in 2016 with the development of an educational specification and community engagement meetings. Additionally, a feasibility study is expected to roll out early 2017. The Department of General Services (DGS), DC Public Schools (DCPS), and the architect is working with the School Improvement Team (SIT) comprised of school staff, current and feeder parents, and members of the community to develop concepts for the school based on program, student, teacher and community needs. The building will meet or exceed sustainability guidelines for LEED Gold and be an asset to the neighborhood.

• Location: 1830 Constitution Ave., NE
• Ward: 6
• Overall Project Budget: $87.7 million
• Architects: TBD
• Project Manager: Stephen Kitterman
• DCPS Contact:  Josh Tuch (joshua.tuch@dc.gov)

To help gather feedback to inform our planning, we have created two short surveys. We encourage fill out your respective survey by Friday, January 29, 2017 and share with your network.

• Survey for feeder families
• Survey for current Eliot-Hine families

Lastly, our next SIT meeting will be late January/early February. We are looking for more feeder parent representation so any feeder parents interested in joining our SIT can fill out this SIT interest form. All resources from these SIT meetings are available on the Eliot-Hine modernization website here.

Next blog post: Q & A with parents of current 7th and 8th graders