November 2021 Newsletter

In this newsletter you’ll find:
*COVID Vaccines for Children: Q&A with Dr. McQuiston
*School Reopening Updates: Facilities & Traffic Safety
*SBOE November Update
*News You Can Use
*What’s Happening in Ward 7: Upcoming Community Events & Info
*Grants & Community Resources
*Catching Up in the Community

I look forward to continue working with the Ward 7 Community to continue supporting our students, families, and schools. I hope the resources and updates below are helpful.

Please reach out to me at eboni-rose.thompson@dc.gov if there are resources you’d like to share in future newsletters or if there are questions and concerns.

Yours in Service,

COVID Vaccines for Children:
Q&A with Dr. McQuiston

Public health officials and pediatricians are strongly recommending vaccination against COVID-19 for all eligible Children, and a lot of parents still have questions.

In November the Ward 7 Education Council hosted a helpful Q&A with licensed pediatrician, Dr. Maia McQuiston.

As the city relaxes mask requirements, vaccinations are becoming increasingly important to protect our children from the worst of COVID. I joined my SBOE colleagues opposing lifting the mask mandate before the holidays. In our community, COVID cases have hit rspecially hard, while vaccine rates remain low. See below for more detail on the changing mask restrictions and more.

Watch: Vaccine Q&A on COVID Vaccines & Children

To find a vaccination site, including one of the District’s pop-up vaccination clinics for children 5-11 years old. Please visit vaccineexchange.dc.gov and click on get vaccinated.

School ReOpening Updates:
Facilities & Traffic Safety

Keeping kids safe and healthy continues to be a focus this school year both in school and on their way to and from school. As a part of that continued effort, I testified before the Commission on Arts & Humanities to establish funding for colorful crosswalks to more clearly mark school zones for drivers and encourage those passing through to drive like their kids live here.

One school I hope to benefit is Burrville Elementary on Division Avenue. Earlier this month, I attended a walk with Principal Pilgrim, DDOT & Safe Routes to School staff, and CM Gray’s office to follow up on challeges and progress in front of the school.

View My CAH Testimony

In schools, the same big questions continue to be on everyone’s minds:

Are we keeping kids and educators safe?
Are the buildings ready?

I have been visiting schools with Councilmember Gray and the Ward 7 Education Council to make sure we can answer yes to both of those questions.

These visits, along with connections with educators and families are informing my focus around school reopening. Here’s a few highlights from Plummer and Kelly Miller.

SBOE Updates

In November the DC SBOE reviewed the annual reports from the Offices of the Ombudsman and Student Advocate. Both of our sister offices do amazing work with students and families daily, and so much insight around how the city is meeting their needs can be found in their annual reports.

Full Agenda & Reports

The State Board is pleased to announce a series of public engagement sessions to provide the public opportunities to share their thoughts on the State Board’s work. RSVP for the second session on Saturday, December 4 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library from 10:30 am – 1:00 pm. Each session will provide the public with multiple opportunities to deeply engage with issues under consideration by the State Board: (1) social studies standards, (2) school accountability (STAR Framework and Rating), and (3) education governance.

RSVP: Fall Engagement Session

To watch the November meetings or sign up to testify at future meetings visit our website.

Visit DC SBOE Here

News You Can Use

Watch to learn more on where this applies.

From DCPS

COVID guidelines from the Department of Health:

Here are the most recent guidelines from the Department of Health.

What’s Happening in Ward 7

The Ward 7 Education Council is meeting Thursday, December 2nd at 6:30pm via zoom.

Please join the W7EC this Thursday, December 4 at 6:30pm for a virtual monthly general body meeting. We are elated to celebrate Ms. Dominique Foster, pre-K4 teacher in Ward 7 at Friendship PCS who was recently announced as the 2022 DC Teacher of the Year! She will be in conversation with Alejandro Diasgranados, Aiton ES teacher and the 2021 DC Teacher of the Year.

Email ward7ed@yahoo.com to attend.