Term 3 has started, and we are officially in the second half of senior year! As we hurtle toward prom (June 17), graduation (June 22), and other senior year-end activities, please remind your students to finish their high school career on a high note. Students should attend all classes, keep up their grades, and push through to graduation, even as senioritis kicks in.

We would also like to invite the Class of 2023 to participate in the JRHS Class Fundraising Competition to determine which class can secure the most individual donations to the PTSO by the end of February. Class of 2023 families are asked to donate $23 to count toward the competition; so far, 10 $23 donations have come in – but we need more. The funds collected through this class fundraising challenge will continue to support our students in a variety of ways for the rest of the school year. So, please donate to the PTSO and help the Class of 2023 win the class competition.

Please continue to reach out with any questions or issues that we can help to address in support of the success of our students and school community.

With warm regards,

Michele Heller and Jason Orlando
Jackson-Reed PTSO 12th Grade Representatives
2023wilsonptso@gmail.com

Full DCPS 2022-23 calendar here

• February 7 (Tues): DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) Virtual Information Session (details below)
• February 16 (Thurs): DCTAG, Mayor’s Scholars, and DC Futures Info Session (details below)
• February 20 (Mon): President’s Day (no school for students or teachers)
• February 21-24: February Break (No school for students or teachers)
• March 9 (Thurs): Parent-Teacher Conferences (No school for students)
• March 10 (Fri): Professional Development Day (No school for students)
• April 10 (Mon): End of Term 3 Records Day / Professional Development Day (No school for students)
• April 17 (Mon): DC Emancipation Day (DCPS closed)
• April 18-21: Spring Break (No school for students or teachers)
• May 29 (Mon): Memorial Day (No school for students or teachers)
• June 8 (Thurs): Last day of classes for graduating seniors
• June 12-16: Senior Clearance (check-out process for seniors – details below)
• June 17 (Sat): Senior Prom (location TBD)
• June 22 (Thurs): Graduation (location TBD)

DC Public Schools has announced a reduction in the community service requirements for the Class of 2023. All students who graduate in 2023 must complete a minimum of 12 hours of volunteer community service. This exemption to DC regulations requiring 100 hours of community service applies only to the Class of 2023. For younger grades, the city is gradually reintroducing community service hours for over the next four years, with more details to come. Students who transfer into DCPS during SY22-23 and graduate in 2023 will have the community service hour requirement waived.

Community service must be completed through a 501(c)(3) organization or a federal, state, or local government agency. Students must properly document volunteer hours by submitting a signed, complete community service form to earn community service hours that count towards the graduation requirement.

DCPS has June 8 as the last day of classes for graduating seniors and June 12-16 for the “senior clearance” check-out process. Seniors will be assigned a date and time during the week of June 12-16 to pick up their cap-and-gown and complete official sign-off that they have met their graduation requirements, paid senior dues (see below for financial assistance), returned school devices and other material, and more.

Don’t let senioritis prevent you from graduating! Attending classes is required to graduate. Students with more than 30 days of unexcused absences in a class can fail. Contact the attendance and school counselors with questions.

Professional School Counselors:

Ramona Singletary-Robertson (A-L), ramona.singletary-robertson@k12.dc.gov
Leticia Martinez (M-Z), leticia.martinez@k12.dc.gov
Attendance Counselor:

Tiara Pearson, tiara.pearson@k12.dc.gov

Class of 2023 students are required to pay dues to cover the costs of senior-year activities, including the senior picnic, t-shirt, graduation venue, and diploma cover. Dues are $133 payable by cash, check, or money order at the School Bank (room 109B). Checks should be made payable to “Jackson-Reed High School.” Other senior class expenses not included in the annual dues include graduation cap and gown (the PTSO is working on a cap-and-gown exchange – stay tuned for more information), prom ticket, and yearbook (see below).

The Jackson-Reed PTSO provides financial assistance for all of the expenses listed above for families who have a financial need. Class of 2023 counselors are contacting eligible families, and any family can also request financial aid for these senior needs by contacting counselors Ramona Singletary-Robertson (A-L) at ramona.singletary-robertson@k12.dc.gov or Leticia Martinez (M-Z) at leticia.martinez@k12.dc.gov.

If you are interested in covering the costs of senior dues for students beyond your own, please contact the PTSO Treasurer (Treasurer@Jackson-ReedPTSO.org) to designate your donation to the PTSO for “Senior Needs.”

The Jackson-Reed 12th grade team is ready and available to help every senior achieve the goal of having applied to at least one college/university; trade and apprenticeship program; military, police, and firefighter cadet program; or another post-high school opportunity.

Stop by the Jackson-Reed College and Career Center or contact Elizabeth Levenson for help with making a plan for what you’re going to do after high school, filling out applications, and applying for scholarships and financial aid.

COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER

The Jackson-Reed College and Career Center is a vital resource for students to help plan for and achieve their post-graduation goals. Led by Elizabeth Levenson, the Center offers assistance to all seniors, from those planning to enter the workforce to those applying for college, trade and apprenticeship programs, police and firefighter cadet programs, and other post-high school opportunities.

The Center’s webpage is a comprehensive source of information for navigating the college application process. If you missed the recent virtual information sessions, including about navigating the Common App, recordings of the workshops are on the College and Career Center webpage. If you are not receiving emails with notices about College and Career Center information sessions, please contact Ms. Levenson at elizabeth.levenson@k12.dc.gov.

The District of Columbia Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG) provides up to $10,000 per year of the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition for students who attend public colleges and universities in the U.S. It also allows $2,500 for private historically black colleges and universities nationwide; private colleges in the Washington, DC metropolitan area; and two-year public colleges outside Washington, DC.

The 2023-24 DCTAG Application, for students entering college for the 2023-24 school year and students already in college, opened on February 1, 2023, and will close in August of 2023 for the fall 2023 and spring 2024 semesters. More information is at the following links: DCTAG and https://osse.dc.gov/studentsfamilies

DC College Access Program (DC-CAP) College Scholarship Guidebook: Updated for SY2022-23

DC-CAP has just released an updated version of their Scholarship Guidebook, which provides a list of scholarships organized by GPA requirements. The pdf (filename “DC-CAP Scholarship Guidebook SY202223”) is available at this link.

Friday, September 23, 2022
11:50 am – 12:35 pm (STEP)
Auditorium