New principals will lead Miner Elementary School, Eliot-Hine Middle School and Amidon-Bowen Elementary School next year.
Andrea Mial, TaMikka Sykes and Isamar Vargas will lead Miner, Eliot-Hine and Amidon-Bowen, respectively, according to announcements from those schools.
The new principals will start at the beginning of the next school year, according to D.C. Public School (DCPS) officials.
View the announcements below:
City officials will meet with parents next week to discuss testing for lead in Miner Elementary School’s (601 15th St. NE) water.
D.C. Public Schools and Dept. of General Services employees will visit the school’s cafeteria next Wednesday at 6 p.m. to participate in an open forum on lead testing, the school announced last week.
Tests earlier this year revealed that three D.C. schools, including Miner, had unacceptable levels of lead in some of the schools’ water, according to The Washington Post.
“To be clear, all of the drinking water sources that are currently being used at Miner Elementary School are below the EPA threshold,” DCPS COO Nathaniel Beers wrote in a letter to parents.
Parents are encouraged to attend the forum to share concerns and ask questions.
Photo via DCPS
Miner Elementary School (601 15th St. NE) is on the hunt for a new principal.
Dr. Anne Evans, who has served as the school’s principal since 2013, will not return to the school in the fall due to unspecified health issues. The school shared the news yesterday in a letter addressed to parents from DCPS Chief of Schools John Davis.
“D.C. Public Schools is supportive of Dr. Evans’s decision to focus on her health and we were her well in the months to come,” Davis writes in the letter. “We will soon be asking for community and parent participation in the paneling process for a new principal.”
Davis continues:
“Please join me in thanking Principal Evans for her hard work and dedication to Miner Elementary School for the last three years. I would especially like to thank the staff at Miner who are continuing to ensure smooth day to day operations as we wrap-up the end of the school year. For the remainder of the year, and to avoid any further transition, Assistant Principal Tiffany Torrence will continue to be the main point of contact at Miner, with the support of Assistant Principal Justin Ralston who joined the school last month.”
A new principal is slated to start as early as July. Click here to view the full letter on Twitter.
Photo via DCPS
Locals will be able to buy slightly used items from IKEA and other suppliers to support Miner Elementary School this weekend.
The school at 601 15th St. NE will host a community yard sale and fundraiser on its playground and in its cafeteria Saturday starting at 9 a.m.
Items for sale include flowering pots from Cultivate the City, a “nearly new” toddler bed and a crib from IKEA, strollers and assorted pieces of furniture.
The school will also set up an area where locals can dispose of hazardous materials like old paint, chemicals or electronics.
Photo via Miner Elementary School
Melting Snow, Heavy Afternoon Rain May Cause Flooding — Heavy rain expected this afternoon could combine with melting snow to create flooding today. [NBC Washington]
Buzzard Point Vision Framework Plan Calls for More Parks, Transit, Access to River — The District Office of Planning’s vision for Buzzard Point development aims to make the Anacostia River the focus of the neighborhood with open spaces and parks along the water. The plan also calls for bike routes, a Circulator line and pedestrian-focused areas. [SWTLQTC]
Former Miner Elementary Teacher Acquitted of Sex Abuse Charges After Student Testifies on His Behalf — Former Miner Elementary School teacher Leroy Ware was found not guilty of charges of sex abuse thanks in part to a testimony from a former student. [NBC Washington]
Miner Elementary Student Art Currently On Display at Hill Center — Miner Elementary students were encouraged to find their own artistic interests in works now on display at the Young Artists Gallery at Hill Center. [Hill Rag]
Snow Expected to Start in Capitol Hill Area Between Noon and 2 p.m. — Storm models earlier this morning suggested that the coming blizzard could begin in the Capitol Hill area as early as noon-2 p.m. [Washington Post]
Capitol Hill Elementary School Teacher Found Not Guilty of Sexual Assault — Former Miner Elementary School special education teacher Leroy Damien Ware was acquitted on charges that he sexually assaulted a 9-year-old student at the Capitol Hill school in 2014. [Washington Post]
NoMa Among Fastest Growing Neighborhood in the District — The NoMa Business Improvement District released a report showing that the neighborhood is one of the fastest growing in the District and is on track to become the most densely populated. [Greater Greater Washington]
Taxi Fares to Increase by $15 for Duration of Storm — D.C. taxicabs will charge a “snow emergency fare” of $15 this weekend starting at 9:30 a.m. today. [WJLA]
Starting at a new school can be hard for kids and parents. As parents start gearing up for school enrollment season in the Spring, several Capitol Hill area schools are holding open houses. These open houses will give parents a chance to check out their kids’ prospective new schools and meet some of the teachers and other parents.
Here is a rundown of all the school open houses happening later this week and in the next couple months:
Watkins Elementary School
420 12th St. SE
Open: Nov. 18, 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Stuart-Hobson Middle School
410 E St. NE
Open: Nov. 19, 9:30 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Van Ness Elementary School
1150 5th St. SE
Open: Nov. 19, 9-10 a.m.
Miner Elementary School
601 15th St. NE
Open: Nov. 19, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Dec. 8, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Jan. 14, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Feb. 18, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
Jefferson Academy Middle School
801 7th St. SW
Open: Nov. 20, 9:30-11 a.m.
Brent Elementary School
301 North Carolina Ave. SE
Open: Nov. 23, 9-10:30 a.m.
Maury Elementary School
1250 Constitution Ave. NE
Open: Nov. 30, 9-10:30 a.m.
Capitol Hill Day School (PreK-8th grade)
210 South Carolina Ave. SE
Open: Dec. 8, 9-11 a.m.
Tours also available on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Schedule a morning tour by emailing [email protected]
Ludlow Taylor Elementary School
659 G St. NE
Open: Dec. 10, 9:30 a.m.
Jan. 14, 9:30 a.m.
Feb 11, 9:30 a.m.
School Within School
920 F St. NE
Open: Jan. 14, 6-7:30 p.m.
Feb. 20, 9-10:30 a.m.
Eastern High School
1700 East Capitol St. NE
There are currently no open houses scheduled, but families can make appointments to tour the school at [email protected]
A Northeast elementary school is planning a cleanup this weekend to prepare two outdoor spaces for spring activities.
Miner Elementary School (601 15th St. NE) has invited students, their families and neighbors to its a fall cleanup this Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The project will address two outdoor spaces as part of an effort to prepare for the return of warmer weather and to get an early start on garden care, according to PTO Communications Chair Holly Harper.
“We are calling on our neighbors to help build something beautiful and green for our children,” Harper said in a statement.
The first space is an undeveloped piece of land along the early childhood playground. On Sunday, organizers hope to plant two or three trees there to provide shade for the playground, as well as act as a barrier between it and the edge of the school’s property.
Second, the school has garden beds for vegetables and flowers that need some repairs, cleaning and weeding before preparing the soil for winter and planting some spring flower bulbs.
In addition to volunteers, the project has relied on the help of donors. For example, Frager’s Hardware offered the school free and discounted plants, and the Department of Public Works provided tools and mulch.
However, Harper emphasized the outdoor work at Miner won’t end Monday. She hopes after the area is cleaned up, a garden club can organize in the spring to maintain the spaces more regularly.
“We are currently looking for a garden club coordinator and exploring our options to establish the program on an ongoing basis,” she said. “This is truly a community effort.”
Photo via DCPS
Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen and D.C. State Board of Education member Joe Weedon will attend the monthly ANC 6A meeting tomorrow night to participate in a public forum on education in northeast Capitol Hill.
The forum will take place at Miner Elementary School at 601 15th St. NE at 7 p.m. Thursday. Representatives from Miner, Eliot-Hine Middle School, Maury Elementary School, School Within School and Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School will also participate in the forum.
“This is a great opportunity for our schools to share about their programs and areas that we as a community can assist them,” ANC 6A chairman Phil Toomajian said in a Facebook post about the event. “It’s also a great opportunity for community members to learn more about your neighborhood schools and to learn how you can support them and get involved in them now.”
The forum is expected to last a little more than an hour according to the meeting agenda.
Photo via DCPS
E Street Adventures, a community group that sponsors events for children in the neighborhood around Miner Elementary School, is seeking volunteers and donations for its annual Halloween block party.
The party, called “Tricks and Treats on E Street,” is the largest event that the group of E Street residents holds. It takes place on E Street NE between 16th and 17th streets. This year’s party is scheduled for the evening of Oct. 17.
Rena Goldman, founder of E Street Adventures, threw her first Halloween party in the area in 2013, after moving to the 1600 block of E Street. Originally, the party was just a performance by a fire dancer who is a friend of Goldman’s and an appearance by Goldman’s boyfriend, Aaron Bryant, who dressed like a superhero.
As more community members got involved, the party grew into a full-fledged Halloween celebration with lawn games, pumpkin carving and face painting. Children in the neighborhood now look forward to the festivities all year, Goldman said.
“The party creates such a sense of community and a safe environment,” she said. “Normally, this area can be kind of rough, and kids can’t go out and trick or treat. This is a time when kids can come out and do something fun and innocent that’s just for them.”
This year, Goldman hopes to make the celebration even bigger and invite children from surrounding neighborhoods as well. She set up a website where community members can donate to the party or volunteer to help out. Goldman is looking to add a moon bounce, an obstacle course and a costume contest to the festivities this year.
“A lot of times what we have depends upon the donations we get,” she said. “The more donations we get the more things we can do. Certainly, my team members and I have no shortage of ideas.”
Photo via E Street Adventures
A person used a vacuum cleaner to disarm a man accused of a triple stabbing near Miner Elementary School over the weekend, according to a police affidavit.
Ernest Johnson, a 20-year-old Southeast D.C. resident, was arrested Wednesday for the triple stabbing that occurred before sunrise Saturday. Johnson broke into an apartment on the 1500 block of F St. NE and stabbed his ex-girlfriend, her new boyfriend and her 75-year-old grandmother, according to the police report. Johnson’s ex-girlfriend’s sister and cousin also were in the apartment and witnessed the attack.
The cousin, who was sleeping on the living room couch, heard screaming coming from a locked bedroom and used a vacuum cleaner to break down the door. Once inside, the cousin reported seeing Johnson standing over his former girlfriend and her new boyfriend.
The cousin then hit Johnson with the vacuum, causing him to drop his knife and flee, the affidavit said.
It is unclear from the report when Johnson allegedly attacked the grandmother, who was stabbed multiple times.
Johnson lived at the address of the triple stabbing for a month when he dated the victim, the sister of Johnson’s ex-girlfriend said. In July, the ex-girlfriend filed a police report against Johnson, accusing him of assault.
The man was arrested on Wednesday and is charged with assault with intent to kill while armed. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Sept. 2.
Dominique Winters, a lawyer representing Johnson, couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
Photo via Flickr/nullvalue
(Updated at 12:40 p.m.) A 20-year-old man suspected of stabbing two women and a man about a block from Miner Elementary School over the weekend has been apprehended.
Ernest Johnson of Southeast D.C. was arrested yesterday and charged with assault with intent to kill, police said.
The triple stabbing happened at a residence on the 1500 block of F Street NE about 4:45 a.m. Saturday, according to authorities.
When police arrived, they found the women and the man with stab wounds. The victims were brought to local hospitals.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the victims knew Johnson. Authorities haven’t released information about the circumstances that led to the triple stabbing.
Information on Johnson’s lawyer wasn’t immediately available.
Photo via Google Maps
A Capitol Hill-area school playground damaged by a fire this summer likely won’t open completely to children by the start of classes later this month, a D.C. Public Schools representative said today.
Repairs to the Miner Elementary School playground are expected to take until September or October to complete, DCPS spokeswoman Anna Gregory said. But the school at 601 15th St. NE is set to begin classes Aug. 24.
During the playground closure, students will have use of other play equipment and a field.
“The replacement equipment to repair the damaged equipment has been ordered, and repairs will begin as soon as those items arrive,” Gregory said in an email.
The July 29 fire severely damaged a slide and a staircase at the playground.
When a Hill Now reporter visited the area this week, orange netting wrapped around the section of the playground hit by the blaze. The slide and the stairway also were gone.
Fencing was installed in the playground to block access to the areas where the slide and the staircase once stood.
Police still are investigating the cause of the fire, Gregory said. The blaze caused no injuries.
A fire took hold at a playground near the H Street corridor last night, damaging the area, but causing no injuries, according to authorities.
Firefighters responded to a report of a fire at Miner Elementary School’s playground about 7 p.m., D.C. Fire and EMS Department spokesman Timothy Wilson said. The school is at 601 15th St. NE.
Police described the blaze as a “small brush fire” that caused “minor property damage.”
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The playground was surrounded by caution tape and smelled like burnt plastic this morning. Within the taped-off area, a yellow slide and a staircase had noticeable damage.
The slide was missing its bottom half, which the fire appears to have melted away. The staircase had scorch marks.
Two people wanted for a deadly drive-by shooting near Miner Elementary School last month have been captured on video.
A homicide happened on the 1600 block of E Street NE about 5:15 p.m. on June 29, police said. The area is about three blocks from Miner.
Darrell Grays, a 33-year-old man from Northeast D.C., was killed in the shooting.
Footage police released Friday in connection with the homicide shows two individuals in a gray Ford Expedition traveling down a street.
People are seen running away from the area when one of the individuals in the sports utility vehicle emerged from the front passenger window with a gun.
The SUV’s passenger then appeared to shoot someone who fell down on the front lawn of a house. The driver also flashed a gun and sped way.
Police said last month they are looking for a gray Ford Expedition with a Maryland license plate in connection with the shooting.
The Metropolitan Police Department currently offers a reward of up to $25,000 to anyone that provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons wanted for any homicide committed in the District of Columbia. Your assistance is appreciated by your community.
Anyone who can identify these individuals or who has knowledge of this incident should take no action but call police at 202-727-9099 or text your tip to the Department’s TEXT TIP LINE to 50411.
Video via YouTube/Metropolitan Police Department
