And don’t forget to practice your cycling skills on Saturday, May 3, at the ABCs of Family Biking! 11AM-2PM @ 215 G St., NE (Logan parking lot). You could be a movie star!
bike to school day
CHPSPO Meeting Notes – April 23, 2014
Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization
Payne Elementary School, 1445 C St., SE
April 23, 2014 – 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
- Bike to School Day (Jennifer Heffernan, DDOT)
- ABCs of Family Biking on May 3, 11AM-2PM @ Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan (215 G St. NE) http://kidicalmassdc.blogspot.com/p/abcs-of-family-biking.html
- Bike to School Day is Wednesday, May7. Lincoln Park event is on (7:30-8:30AM)!
o Register your school (even if you’re not making the Lincoln Park event): http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/user/login?destination=node/add/event (Create the account, then register for goodies from DDoT)
o US Department of Transportation’s Acting Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Victor Mendez will participate
o National Center for Safe Routes to School will join us
o How to get more low income families to participate?
o WABA Bicycle Ambassadors to direct bike trains?
o Golden Bicycle Competition – school w/ greatest percentage of cycling (and skating, scooting, tricycling) population in DC wins!
- Discussion of Homeless Children Attending Capitol Hill Schools and What Our Community Can Do to Help (Lauren Conley, Homeless Children’s Playtime Project )
o Playtime Project philosophy: Play is a human right. Playtime Project delivers structured play (snacks, art, movement) at shelters
o Every DC school (by law) has a homeless liaison. DCPS contact list: http://osse.dc.gov/publication/dcps-homeless-liaison-contact-list
o Law requires funds for field trips, uniforms, transportation, etc: application of the law depends on the school’s ability: schools automatically enroll homeless children.
o How we can help
- Uniform drives
- Halloween costume drive (by playtime)
- Holiday gifts
- Backpacks filled w/ school supplies
- Socks, underwear
- Gently used books, outside toys
- Baby things
- Talk to your kids about empathy, teasing, etc
- Mentorship program? Girls Inc? Girls on the Run, Big Brothers:
- Capitol Area food bank (lesson + bag of groceries)
- Weekend food; Backpack w/ food for the weekend. http://feedingamerica.org/
- Advocacy
- Ways to support Relisha Rudd
o Set aside PTA funds for a general fund in her name
o Washer/Dryers and pantries at every school
o Letter-writing campaign
o November Homeless Awareness Month
o Next Steps: Cornelia Sigworth to assemble homeless families sub-committee to pursue support activities.
- School Boundaries/Feeder Pattern Discussion (Denise Forte & Marty Welles)
o Discussion:
- Next Open House/Working Group meetings are April 24 and 26: http://chpspo.org/2014/04/02/dme-boundary-review-open-house-dates-and-locations-starting-april-5/
- Reinforcement that the 3 policy examples are not binding. There are still opportunities to provide input and shape the policy.
o Next Steps:
- CHPSPO to look to Working Group Data (to be posted on DME site) at the school level and to http://ourdcschools.org results at Ward level to put together a position on boundary review
o You can provide feedback on the proposals on http://ourdcschools.org/ (created by Code for DC) through mid-May. All feedback will be made open, while protecting privacy data.
- Public Charter School applications and public hearing (Suzanne Wells)
o Suzanne Wells and Laura testified
o Two new middle schools could be approved
o Written testimony accepted until April 25
Next CHPSPO Meeting: May 20, 2014
Upcoming Events
April 22 – May 5 CHM@L online auction (www.biddingforgood.com/CHML)
April 26 Payne Spring Festival and Bazaar (9am-3pm @ Payne)
April 26 DCYOP @ Eliot-Hine. 12:30pm performance on the blacktop. Stay tuned for the Fall 2014 DCYOP Petting Zoo at Eliot-Hine!
April 26 Ludlow-Taylor Spring Jubilee (2pm-5pm @ Ludlow Taylor)
April 29 Eliot-Hine Career Fair – Register here to present 15 min snapshots
May 5 Eliot-Hine Open Houses – morning and evening
May 7 Bike to School Day (Lincoln Park) – Register your school and join the Fun!
May 10 Laps Around Lincoln (Tyler Fundraiser) 9-11 AM @ Lincoln Park
May 14 Eliot-Hine PTO meeting for incoming families. How to get involved w/ PTO before you enroll.
May 18 Capitol Hill Classic 10K/3K/Fun Run
CHPSPO Meeting is Wednesday, April 23 @ Payne ES
Dear Capitol Hill Public Schools Parent Organization members,
Hope everyone had a great Spring break. CHPSPO will meet on Wednesday, April 23, from 6:30 – 8 p.m. at Payne Elementary (1445 C Street, SE). We will be discussing Bike to School Day (May 7), the proposals for school boundaries/feeder patterns, SY14/15 budgets, and ways our community can support homeless children attending our area schools. Attached is the agenda. Hope to see you on Wednesday.
Suzanne Wells
042314 CHPSPO Agenda
Bike to School Day is May 7 – have you registered your school?
Health and Wellness teams, Safe Routes to School committees, and cycling enthusiasts, have you registered your school for Bike to School Day?
The big day is Wednesday, May 7. Register your school here (for goodies from DC’s Department of Transportation) and plan your event or help plan a joint school event at Lincoln Park!
How can you help? Easy!
- Reach out to your favorite bike-friendly group or business to solicit healthy breakfast snacks for kids, coffee for adults, reusable bags to distribute goodies at the Lincoln Park pit stop (Vigilante Coffee, Pound, Port City Java, Whole Foods, Georgetown Sports, Medstar Georgetown, DC Water, The Daily Rider, Bicycle Space, and Clif Kids have all supported us in the past)
- Write a small grant request (from Capitol Hill Community Foundation, who always generously support us) to fund snack purchase and National Parks and Rec permit
- Bring folding tables to Lincoln Park to set up give aways, snacks
- Reach out to your favorite bike-friendly group, personality, local celebrity to say a few encouraging words at the event, and to help launch bike trains to school (Gabriella Boston, Capitol Hill Martial Arts & Fitness Academy, Eazy 8/Kathy Pugh, CM Tommy Wells, the Long-Short Walk, National Center for Safe Routes to School, and DC’s Dept of Transportation have supported us in the past)
- Score useful swag for the kiddos (reflectors, bells, water bottles) to hand out
- Arrange for local safety groups like MPD, DCFD to participate
- Coordinate and lead bike trains to your schools
- MOST IMPORTANTLY – get the word out to your school communities, local media and community groups to make sure they participate, and join in the fun!
Contact us at chpspo at gmail dot com to volunteer.
Brush up on your bike safety skills and sure you and your family attend Kidical Mass DC’s ABCs of Family Biking on May 3, 11-2 @ Capitol Hill Montessori at Logan (215 G Street, NE).
Bike to School Day is May 8, 7:30-8:30AM @ Lincoln Park! Get Ready!
Register your school here (see who has registered so far).
Learn more about UN Global Road Safety Week and the Long Short Walk organized by National Organizations for Youth Safety.
Post the flier at your school!!
Bike to School Day is May 8 – Save the Date!
Register your school here (see who has registered so far).
Learn more about UN Global Road Safety Week and the Long Short Walk organized by National Organizations for Youth Safety.
Stay tuned for further details.
May 8 – Mark your calendar!
Great news, CHPSPO community, the World Walk for Road Safety will take place in DC near Union Station on May 8, the very same day as Bike to School Day!
Be sure to mark your calendar and if you’re feeling creative, enter the UN Global Road Safety Week slogan contest!
