Here’s the latest scoop on what’s happening around school.

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PAYNE FIELD TRIPS

The PTSA has supported field trips throughout the year by covering transportation costs. By year’s end, PTSA President Mark Jordan said every grade will have participated in a trip supported by the PTSA.  Most recently, the board approved $120 to cover transport costs for second-graders to visit the Frederick Douglass House in Historic Anacostia.

A message to teachers out there: Are you considering additional field trips this year that are currently unfunded? If so, send your request through the administration as the PTSA is considering allocating funds to support even more trips this year. Please send all requests by April 15.

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BASKETBALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE

Eliot Hine Middle School is calling on Payne to form a basketball team of parents, staff and students for the 2019 Basketball Fever Feeder FUNdraiser.

Eliot-Hine and its feeder schools will compete 5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at Eastern High School. Fans are welcome, and it’s free. Concessions and the silent auction will benefit the Eliot-Hine PTO.

Interested in joining the team? Email Assistant Principal Ward: jason.ward@dc.gov

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KILN UPDATE

Art teacher Ms. Harvey confirmed this week she is planning at least one pottery project before the school year is done. You may remember, the kiln room has been out of operation for some time (with the space currently used as storage). But the PTSA funded a recent inspection and minor repairs. Once the room containing the kiln is emptied, it can be fired up once again. Here’s our kiln:

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LAST CHANCE FOR SURVEY

Today is the last day to complete the DCPS Panorama survey, a district-wide confidential survey to gather feedback from students, families and staff about students’ social and emotional learning. The link to take the survey is surveys.panoramaed.com/dcps, and the access code is “family.”

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PAYNE HISTORY LESSON: SEGREGATION AND PTA PROTESTS

During segregation, Payne was a school for black children, and it was severely overcrowded. In the early 1950s, parents became vocal and staged a number of walkouts and pickets. Parents saw a clear solution: Send children to nearby white schools, which had plenty of space. But D.C. was “rigidly segregated” at this time.

Building expansions to the school were not enough for Payne, which in 1953 had 899 students. Today there are fewer than 350.

The Washington Post reported on Feb. 9, 1953, “Several hundred members of the Payne-Maury Parent Teacher Association voted unanimously yesterday to continue keeping the children from attending Payne Elementary school as a protest against overcrowded conditions.” When the protest began, only 57 of the 899 students showed up.

More than a year later, in May 1954, the Supreme Court ruled that public schools could not be segregated on the state level in Brown v. Board of Education. (Fun Fact: The legal case that ended segregation in D.C. was Bolling v. Sharpe.)

Information provided by Jen Harris, executive director of Story of our Schools and the D.C. Public Library’s Washingtoniana Collection.

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SPRING FUNDRAISER

The Payne auctions during the past two years were fun and successful events. Based on a number of considerations, the PTSA has decided to try a different approach this year, combining a larger spring carnival with a small, focused on-site silent auction. The event will be in May to coincide with Payne Spirit Week and the end of PARCC testing. We will be looking for volunteer support to help make this event happen. More details will follow.

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MORE IMPORTANT DATES

TODAY, March 29: My School D.C. lottery results released. Welcome, new Wildcats!

April 1: Payne enrollment opens, starting with PK3 and PK4.

April 4-5: No school (Note: There will be after care April 3)

April 17-21: Spring break

April 21: Deadline to pay PTSA dues to participate in annual election.

May 21: PTSA annual meeting and elections.