Ward 5 School Supply Give Away

This Saturday from 1-5 PM the OCASE Foundation, in conjunction with CM Kenyan McDuffie and other organizations, will be hosting a Back To School Supplies Giveaway.  If you or someone you know in Ward 5 needs help getting their children properly supplied for the coming school year, please spread the word!

DC Public Schools Beautification Day

  Got this message the other day and thought it would be a good opportunity to spread the word, and get both new AND old residents to come togther and help kick off the school year right!

  "DCPS is preparing for our annual Beautification Day. This year, Beautification Day is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. We're looking for over 3,500 volunteers from every neighborhood in the city to help ensure that our schools are ready and welcoming for the first day of school.
  There's something for everyone! You can help us by:
• Volunteering at a school (Register)
• Serving as a site manager (Register)
• Downloading a flier and spreading the word.
If you have questions, please e-mail our planning team at dcps.beautificationday@dc.gov.
We look forward to seeing you on August 25th!
-The Beautification Day Planning Team"

After speaking with Stephanie at the Office of Family and Public Engagement, we were able to get specific information for ANC 5A/5B. There are still numerous volunteer spots open for the Mamie D Lee School, Brookland EC, and LaSalle- Backus EC.  Please utlize this opportunuty to help out neighborhood children, and ensure they have the best school year experience possible!

CCDC Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

  With the daily construction going late into the night (and sometimes through the morning), CCDC's Backus Campus looks ready to open it's doors in time for scheduled classes to start on Sept 13th.  Tomorrow in particular is a very important milestone for the new campus, as Ward 5 Councilman Harry Thomas, DC City Council Chair Vince Gray and other CCDC and UDC representatives host the ribbon cutting ceremony.  The event is scheduled to take place tomorrow Sept 11th at 9 AM at 5171 South Dakota Avenue, NE.  The ceremony will also serve to commemorate Bertie Backus student Asia Cottom and teacher Sara Clark who were victims of the September 11th terrorist atacks.

For information regarding layout and history of the project check here.

Construction Delays: Brokland Elementary To Stay Closed

 More delays and lack of funding has caused the renovation of Brookland Elementary to remain incomplete.  DC Chancelor of Schools Michelle Rhee, closed the community school adjacent to Turkey Thicket in 2008 for modernization.  The construction was supposed to be complete in order to accept students in the coming school year.  However, budget issues and construction delays have led to an indefinite delay in the reopening date.  The $200 Million capital revitilization project to renovate aging schools has been impacted by decreasing tax revenue and the country wide recession.  The massive school revitalization project has currently balloned to an outrageous $1 Billion...with no end in sight.   Students who had attended Brookland Elementary are currently enrolled in the cramped and aging  Bunker Hill Elementary on Michigan Ave.  For more information the Washington Post had a great article on the sad state of affairs cause by school construction czar Allen Y. Lew.