1)  Updated Schedule for ALL DCPS Schools Emailed by Chancellor Ferebee This Morning

“March 13, 2020

Dear DC Public Schools Students and Families:

On March 11, 2020, in order to provide additional coordination for the District’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19), Mayor Muriel Bowser declared both a state of emergency and a public health emergency. During this unprecedented public health emergency, DC Public Schools (DCPS) remains committed to ensuring the well-being of our students and school communities. Therefore, starting Monday, March 16 through Tuesday, March 31, DCPS will modify operations to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) in our region

In our ongoing efforts to address community health risks and ensure the continuity of learning for our students, DCPS will follow an updated schedule between March 16 and March 31:

• Monday, March 16 — Teachers and staff will report to school to plan for distance learning. No school for students.
• Tuesday, March 17 to Monday, March 23 — DCPS will take its Spring Break for students and teachers. There will no longer be a Spring Break period in April.
• Tuesday, March 24 to Tuesday, March 31— Students will participate in distance learning.
• Wednesday, April 1 — Schools will resume operations.

During this period, there will also be no school-sponsored activities such as athletics, extracurriculars, field trips, events, or afterschool programs.”

Please click here to read Chancellor Ferebee’s entire March 13th letter. 

2)  Important Information for Families to Use While Stoddert Is Closed to Students Between March 16th and April 1st

E-LEARNING

• Please stay tuned for an update on distance learning for the weeks that we are out of school. On Monday our wonderful teachers and staff will be working on some plans and you should hear from them either that day or the next. In the meantime, they will be sending some work home in folders today. If your child is absent today, please coordinate with your teacher on how to receive this work.
• Please click here for a list of education companies offering FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS due to school closings.

INTERNET ACCESS

• Comcast is taking immediate steps to help connect more low-income families to the Internet at home. Effective Monday, March 16, 2020, anyone who signs up for Internet Essentials will receive two free months of Internet service.  Find out more here and learn HOW TO APPLY for FREE INTERNET SERVICE here.  You can also paste the following web address into your browser //www.internetessentials.com/covid19.

FOOD ACCESS

• DCPS Meal Program: Due to the DCPS schedule change, meals will be available to students on weekdays from Monday, March 16 to Tuesday, March 31 from 10am – 2pm at the following sites:

• DC FOOD PROJECT has been working with local organizations to provide the most up to date information for families and is compiling a comprehensive list of places to go if you need additional help during the school closure.  The list also includes resources on HOW TO HELP for those who are able.  You can find this here: //dcfoodproject.org/emergency-food-access

STODDERT HAPPENINGS

• Politics and Prose is still hosting its fundraiser for Stoddert this Sunday, March 15th, from 10am-8pm, but additionally, it has made a new online purchase option available for the day of the event only! During store business hours on 3/15, make your purchase online and write “Stoddert Elementary Book Fair” in the comments section of your online order. For those visiting in person, don’t forget to say Stoddert at check out! For more details click here
• Coronavirus Impact on Stoddert Calendar 3/13 Status Update:

3) *Further Information on TBD Event Status

A) STODDERT AUCTION: Our awesome Co-Chairs are working extremely hard to RESCHEDULE the Auction for later this spring.  For parents who have prepared auction baskets, please hold onto them until further notice.  We will communicate further about this, including potential date changes for the ONLINE AUCTION as well.  Stay tuned.

B) STODDERT HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS EVENT: Should this event be cancelled or postponed, those who purchased tickets online should be contacted by contacted by the event organizer.

C) STODDERT STEM FAIR: We will hopefully be rescheduling this event.

4) NEW **Stoddert Coronavirus Communications Clarified**

A) Stoddert Specific Updates: Going forward Stoddert Communications will use //www.stoddert.org/ and the email blasts you’ve been receiving to attempt keep you up to date on all Stoddert-specific coronavirus updates from DCPS and Principal Bryant.  If you subscribe to the Chalkboard, our weekly Sunday email blast, you will also receive all email blasts from Stoddert Communications. 

B) Districtwide Updates: For DCPS coronavirus updates impacting ALL District public schools, Stoddert families MUST remember that the most up to date coronavirus information will be ALWAYS be found at the following DCPS sources: 

• DCPS website, //dcps.dc.gov/,
• DCPS twitter feed, //twitter.com/dcpublicschools 
• DCPS Facebook page //www.facebook.com/dcpublicschools/
• *NEW* DCHSEMA’s (Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency) AlertDC sends DCPS and other important DC alerts straight to subscribers. Sign up here //hsema.dc.gov/page/alertdc

During this unusual time please make sure to check the DCPS website several times a day and/or please make sure to follow DCPS on Twitter and Facebook.  Stoddert PTO