Dear Community,

Both Hyattsville Middle and Hyattsville Elementary have been identified in the latest amendment to the PGCPS Educational Facilities Master Plan for replacement in cycle 1. Hyattsville Middle will be part of a package of schools to be built using the new alternative construction financing model, with a request for proposals advertised this summer. Unfortunately, Hyattsville Elementary will be replaced later in cycle 1, with planning slated for 2023.

Nevertheless, this is a HUGE win for our school communities. Now we just need the Board of Education to approve the plan. The vote will take place at the June 6th board meeting, and we need them to hear from you on the importance of #followingtheplan!

Please customize and send the letter below to the ENTIRE board and Dr. Monica Goldson, interim CEO.

Dr. Alvin Thornton, Chair, alvin.thornton@pgcps.org
Edward Burroughs, Vice Chair, edward3.burroughs@pgcps.org
David Murray, District 1, david.murray@pgcps.org
Joshua Thomas, District 2, joshua.thomas@pgcps.org
Pamela Boozer-Strother, District 3, pamela.boozerstrother@pgcps.org
Patricia Eubanks, District 4, patricia.eubanks@pgcps.org
Raaheela Ahmed, District 5, raaheela.ahmed@pgcps.org
Belinda Queen, District 6, belinda.queen@pgcps.org
K. Alexander Wallace, District 7, kalexander.wallace@pgcps.org
Sonya Williams, District 9, sonya3.williams@pgcps.org
Paul Monteiro, appointed, paul.monteiro@pgcps.org
Sandra Shephard, appointed, sandra.shephard@pgcps.org
Curtis Valentine, appointed, curtis.valentine@pgcps.org
Amanya Paige, student member, Amanya.Paige@pgcps.org

Dr. Monica Goldson, interim CEO, ceo@pgcps.org

Thank you for your support!

Hyattsville Elementary School PTA and Hyattsville Middle School PTSO

********
Subject line: Keep Hyattsville Middle and Elementary in the FY20 EFMP Amendment!

alvin.thornton@pgcps.org
edward3.burroughs@pgcps.org
david.murray@pgcps.org
joshua.thomas@pgcps.org
pamela.boozerstrother@pgcps.org
patricia.eubanks@pgcps.org
raaheela.ahmed@pgcps.org
belinda.queen@pgcps.org
kalexander.wallace@pgcps.org
sonya3.williams@pgcps.org
paul.monteiro@pgcps.org
sandra.shephard@pgcps.org
curtis.valentine@pgcps.org
Amanya.Paige@pgcps.org
ceo@pgcps.org

Dear Board of Education Member,

I am a [insert personal information here: concerned community member, parent of a student at, etc.]. I am writing to request that Hyattsville Elementary School and Hyattsville Middle School remain in Phase 1 of the FY20 amendments to the 2017 Educational Facilities Master Plan, and that Phase 1 remain as proposed—although we do ask that planning for Hyattsville Elementary School begin sooner than 2023. These neighborhood public schools serve a diverse community and are both Title 1 with large populations of English-language learners.

The Educational Facilities Master Plan is the result of a comprehensive, objective look at the school system’s facilities and projected growth data. Those studies have objectively determined that the greatest need for modernization and new construction is in the northern part of the county.

Consider Hyattsville Elementary, built in 1935 and updated in 1979 for 406 students on two acres of land. There are now 521 students, which has required the placement of five temporaries on the already too-small playground (if you count a blacktop open area and one play structure as a ‘playground’).
Consider Hyattsville Middle, built in 1938 and expanded in 1973, with a state-rated capacity of 829 but currently housing 940 students—and that is with a partial realignment of the 6th grades from the feeder elementary schools. This incomplete realignment has led to educational inequities for students in the community as the Creative and Performing Arts program at Hyattsville Middle is only available to 7th and 8th graders and capped at 200 students.

In both buildings, the overcrowding has stressed already failing spaces. The bathrooms and public spaces are not adequate for the number of students. The necessary use of ‘temporaries’ (not so temporary as they have been in place for many years now) requires students to go in and out of the main building in all types of weather and poses a safety issue during lockdowns.

The outdoor spaces and recreational fields are limited. Deferred maintenance and system failures render classrooms unsafe with mold, mildew, burst pipes during cold weather, and serious HVAC issues that include classrooms that are stifling hot all year long or simply have no working air or heat. Nevertheless, with no extra space available, students and staff are forced to remain in those classrooms. Not only do these persistent issues detract from learning, but they also pose health threats.

Thanks to the innovative new approaches to tackling this backlog developed by the PGCPS capital programs office and our elected officials, we FINALLY have the opportunity to get the educational facilities our children deserve.

The Educational Facilities Master Plan and its FY 20 amendment are not based on politics. They are based on the data. Your decision to approve the FY 20 amendment should also be based on that data.

The Hyattsville Middle and Elementary School communities have been anxiously waiting for years to have safe, functional facilities. We look forward to finally getting them. Thank you for your service and your commitment to our children and staff.

Regards,

NAME
CITY

040219 PTA meeting

Teacher Appreciation week is this week – May 6th-10th!

Here’s something you can do every day
to show our HES teachers and staff some love for all they do!

Monday: Bring your teacher a flower or a drawing.

Tuesday: Bring in Lysol wipes, hand sanitizer, paper towels, or tissues.

Wednesday: Bring healthy snacks (fruit, granola bars, etc.) to the staff lounge.

Thursday: Bring your teacher a gift card (any amount is welcome) for Target, Amazon, Michael’s, Starbucks …

Friday: Bring a breakfast item, savory or sweet, to the staff lounge.

EVERY DAY: Remember how grateful we are for our amazing HES teachers and staff!!

Come dine at Pizzeria Paradiso on Thursday May 2nd and help raise money for HES!

This Saturday, April 27thth at 11 a.m. please join your fellow students, parents, and teachers as we march in the Hyattsville Anniversary Parade!

Students wanting to march should:

• be at Hyattsville Middle School no later than 10:45 a.m. and look for the HES banner and flags
• feel free to make banners or signs to show your Lion spirit

This year’s parade will step off at 11 a.m. from Hyattsville Middle School (6001 42nd Ave.) and follow 42nd Ave., Jefferson St., and Hamilton St. until it reaches the reviewing stage at Magruder Park. There will be a carnival at Magruder Park after the parade with games, rides, music and fireworks that night provided by the City of Hyattsville.  

International night at HES is Thursday, April 25th from 5:30 to 7:30pm at the school! Please bring a dish to share, labeled with a recipe and a flag from the country the dish is from.

To volunteer to help with set up and clean up please go here.

030819PTA meeting

On Saturday April 6th from 9am-5pm, with possibility of continuing until Sunday April 7th if needed, we’ll be Painting the Temps (weather backup Saturday April 13th). Stay tuned for details. Everyone is welcome to come join the paint party.

Friday, March 22 is the annual HES Movie Night! Join friends and neighbors from 6-8PM in the HES gym for a viewing of Teen Titans Go –admission is free! We’ll have popcorn, pizza, and drinks for sale, along with new, very cool HES t-shirts! $10 each, in adult and kid sizes.

We’ll also be raffling off some goodies: a copy of the evening’s movie, a whole pizza, and one of the new HES t-shirts. All kids get one raffle ticket upon entry–to get an extra raffle ticket, please bring one of the following to donate: hand sanitizer, tissues, or antibacterial wipes.

See you there! Bring a friend! All are welcome.