March 13, 2020
Dear Brent Families,
Difficult times are never welcome but the sense of community that emerges can be inspiring. For many of us, this week has been sad, worrying, and stressful. Because of the people who make up this amazing community, the week has also revealed countless examples of comradery, support, and love. I am so, so grateful to be a Brent Bear.
Osvna “Sunny” Fish-Boston’s Memorial and GoFundMe Campaign
The grief we feel over losing Sunny will take us time to process. We’ve talked about our feelings, our memories, and the ways we can honor her life through memorials and by supporting her family. Sunny’s DC Memorial Service will be at the National Gaming Association today, March 13th at 6pm. Sunny’s family will also travel to Oklahoma next week to lay her to rest. Visit this GoFundMe campaign if you are able to contribute to the related expenses. When we return to school we will continue to remember Sunny through a school memorial and by listening in to our students' voices and needs.
Today, Friday, March 13th
Check your child’s backpack as soon as they get home. Students in all grades will come home with learning packets and associated materials such as books and manipulatives. Once you have retrieved those items and gotten them to a safe place, STOP and wait for the instructions that will be disseminated on Monday.
If your child is not in school today, please come to the main office before 6:30 p.m. today or on Monday between 8am and noon to pick up the materials.
We are sending home many non-consumable items. Please take care of them so that they can be returned to classrooms.
Monday, March 16th
There is no school for students. Innovation Learning programming is also canceled. Brent faculty will gather to make mandatory work accessible on electronic platforms, offer learning extensions based on materials that DCPS will provide (we have a different curriculum at Brent so DCPS materials are not a perfect match), create accountability mechanisms to track student assignments, and set times and parameters for virtual student/parent engagement. Teachers will send class emails on Monday that describe all work expectations and timelines.
Spring Break
Our new Spring Break is from March 17th to March 23rd. Like other breaks, there are no student work expectations and teachers may not be accessible over email. Our previously planned Spring Break from April 13th to 17th will be a regular school week.
Distance Learning From March 24th to March 31st
As mentioned above, students will receive mandatory assignments, daily schedules, and check-in mechanisms for this period. We will also offer optional enrichment activities.
Distance Learning April 1st and Beyond
In the case that we do not return to school on April 1st as planned, we will provide additional assignments and will organize logistics for materials collection.
Family Support
Please check your child’s backpack for a letter from DCPS. It includes meal sites that will be open in each ward on weekdays from March 16th to March 31st from 10am-2pm.
We are also partnering families who might receive or contribute to food, utility or clothing needs. Fill out this form. We will monitor the form and partner families.
Effective Monday, March 16, 2020, Comcast is offering 2 months free to new Internet Essentials customers in response to recent and anticipated emergency measures associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Click here for more details.
Today we sent home borrowed laptops with students whose require technology access. If you did not have a chance to fill out the survey and also have a need, please contact us and we will do our best to meet it.
Pending Questions
We are working with DCPS to get and provide answers to the following questions:
Contact Us
In the period that DCPS is closed, please email Brent at brentelementary@k12.dc.gov or call 202-590-7458. We will use these central (and mobile) points of contact to connect you to the most appropriate people or departments. Brent will close to public access at noon on Monday the 16th but we arrange in-person connections as requested.
For citywide information on the coronavirus, visit https://coronavirus.dc.gov/. Sign up for DC alerts at https://hsema.dc.gov/page/alertdc.
We will miss you over the next two weeks. Stay safe, stay healthy, and we will see you soon.
Sincerely,
Norah Lycknell
norah.lycknell@k12.dc.gov
Dear Brent Families,
Difficult times are never welcome but the sense of community that emerges can be inspiring. For many of us, this week has been sad, worrying, and stressful. Because of the people who make up this amazing community, the week has also revealed countless examples of comradery, support, and love. I am so, so grateful to be a Brent Bear.
Osvna “Sunny” Fish-Boston’s Memorial and GoFundMe Campaign
The grief we feel over losing Sunny will take us time to process. We’ve talked about our feelings, our memories, and the ways we can honor her life through memorials and by supporting her family. Sunny’s DC Memorial Service will be at the National Gaming Association today, March 13th at 6pm. Sunny’s family will also travel to Oklahoma next week to lay her to rest. Visit this GoFundMe campaign if you are able to contribute to the related expenses. When we return to school we will continue to remember Sunny through a school memorial and by listening in to our students' voices and needs.
Today, Friday, March 13th
Check your child’s backpack as soon as they get home. Students in all grades will come home with learning packets and associated materials such as books and manipulatives. Once you have retrieved those items and gotten them to a safe place, STOP and wait for the instructions that will be disseminated on Monday.
If your child is not in school today, please come to the main office before 6:30 p.m. today or on Monday between 8am and noon to pick up the materials.
We are sending home many non-consumable items. Please take care of them so that they can be returned to classrooms.
Monday, March 16th
There is no school for students. Innovation Learning programming is also canceled. Brent faculty will gather to make mandatory work accessible on electronic platforms, offer learning extensions based on materials that DCPS will provide (we have a different curriculum at Brent so DCPS materials are not a perfect match), create accountability mechanisms to track student assignments, and set times and parameters for virtual student/parent engagement. Teachers will send class emails on Monday that describe all work expectations and timelines.
Spring Break
Our new Spring Break is from March 17th to March 23rd. Like other breaks, there are no student work expectations and teachers may not be accessible over email. Our previously planned Spring Break from April 13th to 17th will be a regular school week.
Distance Learning From March 24th to March 31st
As mentioned above, students will receive mandatory assignments, daily schedules, and check-in mechanisms for this period. We will also offer optional enrichment activities.
Distance Learning April 1st and Beyond
In the case that we do not return to school on April 1st as planned, we will provide additional assignments and will organize logistics for materials collection.
Family Support
Please check your child’s backpack for a letter from DCPS. It includes meal sites that will be open in each ward on weekdays from March 16th to March 31st from 10am-2pm.
We are also partnering families who might receive or contribute to food, utility or clothing needs. Fill out this form. We will monitor the form and partner families.
Effective Monday, March 16, 2020, Comcast is offering 2 months free to new Internet Essentials customers in response to recent and anticipated emergency measures associated with the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Click here for more details.
Today we sent home borrowed laptops with students whose require technology access. If you did not have a chance to fill out the survey and also have a need, please contact us and we will do our best to meet it.
Pending Questions
We are working with DCPS to get and provide answers to the following questions:
- Will already-planned absences over the original Spring Break be excused?
- How will special education services and 504 accommodations be delivered?
- Will spring standardized testing (PARCC) still occur?
- Will the MySchoolDC lottery and enrollment timelines be followed?
- Will the school year be extended if we miss school beyond April 1st?
Contact Us
In the period that DCPS is closed, please email Brent at brentelementary@k12.dc.gov or call 202-590-7458. We will use these central (and mobile) points of contact to connect you to the most appropriate people or departments. Brent will close to public access at noon on Monday the 16th but we arrange in-person connections as requested.
For citywide information on the coronavirus, visit https://coronavirus.dc.gov/. Sign up for DC alerts at https://hsema.dc.gov/page/alertdc.
We will miss you over the next two weeks. Stay safe, stay healthy, and we will see you soon.
Sincerely,
Norah Lycknell
norah.lycknell@k12.dc.gov
