Dear DCI School Community,

As we wrap up an incredible Hispanic Heritage Month, we want to take a moment to celebrate and thank our amazing students, staff, and families for the energy, creativity, and heart you’ve brought and continue to bring DCI this fall. Hispanic Heritage Month has been a time to reflect, learn, and honor the many contributions the Latino/x/e community has made—and continues to make—to our nation’s culture, history, and to DCI itself. We’re so proud of our staff and students for continuing to build a school community that values inclusion and belonging.

La Gran Fiesta: This past Friday was a beautiful celebration of culture, and community. From lively music and dancing to meaningful art and student-led activities, our theatre and hallways were alive with joy and pride. A huge gracias to our Latinx Student Union (LXSU) and staff and student volunteers for their contribution to the event!

Community in Action: A special shout-out to HOSA and National Honor Society students, who hosted a successful bake sale fundraiser at our volleyball match last Friday—raising $542.71 for Nueva Vida! Thank you to all the faculty, staff, and parents who supported this effort. 

Together, these moments remind us what makes DCI so special—our shared culture of connection, learning, and gratitude. Thank you for being part of our DCI community — ¡Gracias por ser parte de nuestra comunidad de DCI!

Shout Outs!

Middle School Spooky Essay Contest Winners!

DCI middle school students were invited to take part in a seasonal Spooky Synonym Writing Contest. Participants laid overused words like bad and mad to rest in the “graveyard” and crafted eerie, imaginative stories of 100 words or less. With more than 60 entries and six staff members serving as judges, the winning stories were chosen for their creativity, word choice, and frightfully impressive writing. Congratulations to our winners!

• Scary - Ariana B. (6th Grade)
• Bad - Asmara T. (6th Grade)
• Mad - Beatrice S. (7th Grade)
• Sad - Kenza K. (7th Grade)
• Creepy - Knova R. (6th Grade)
• Spooky - Ruby M. and Eli A. (6th Grade)

Teacher / Staff Shout Out!

Check out this week’s student to staff shout outs:

I want to shout out Mr. Teddy because he is a great ATL teacher!

I want to shout out Mr. Han, because even though it's his first year, he is fun, kind, and listens to me and my peers. – Anika Wolf Lopes

Please consider submitting a “shout out” to recognize your students’ teachers, staff or one another. These will be included in each bi-weekly edition of the Dispatch. Thanks!

What is Happening at DCI?

FARM Applications Due 

We strongly encourage eligible families who qualify for free or reduced price school meals based on household income for the 2025-2026 school year complete the Free and Reduced school meal application (FARM) ASAP! We understand that families may be experiencing changes in work or income right now, and we want to make sure every student has what they need to learn and thrive. Completing the FARM application helps connect families to healthy meals and important resources that support students throughout the school year. Click here for application instructions and more information shared in an email to families earlier this week. Email reception@dcinternationalschool.org or call (202) 808-9033 for support with completing the application.

Winter Athletics Tryouts

Get ready, Dragons! 🐉 High School winter athletics tryouts begin November 10th, and Middle School tryouts begin November 13th. For details on completing the required athletic paperwork, submitting the 2025–2026 Winter Athletics Sign-Up Form, and reviewing all tryout dates, please check out:

• This Middle School–specific message
• This High School–specific message

Safety Update: Aspen Street Gate

On October 15th, outside of school hours, a vehicle accidentally damaged the Aspen Street gate. The area was secured immediately, and no one was injured. Safety remains our top priority — Facilities reinforced the area with temporary fencing that will be open during arrival & dismissal and closed (locked) during the day to keep the Aspen lot secured. We continue to stay vigilant with all exterior doors and want to remind everyone that all guests must enter through the main entrance per our visitor policy (no exceptions). Repairs will take time, and we’ll share updates as they come. 

Buddy Days Kick off October 31st!

DCI will host our first of seven Buddy Days on Friday, October 31st with students from Mundo Verde JF Cooke campus. Each year we invite the 5th grade classes of our five member schools to tour the school with a 6th grade buddy – this provides them with the opportunity to get a taste of what life at DCI as a 6th grader is like. Please see below for the full schedule:

• Mundo Verde JF Cooke campus = October 31st 
• Mundo Verde Calle Ocho campus = November 21st 
• LAMB = December 5th 
• DC Bilingual = December 12th 
• Yu Ying = January 9th
• Stokes East End = January 23rd
• Stokes Brookland = February 6th 

We can’t wait to welcome our 5th grade cohorts!

Introducing The Lair, DCI’s student-led Podcast!

DCI now has a student-led podcast! On The Lair, students share stories from our community, works of fiction and radio drama, and music. Check out The Lair at bit.ly/thedcilair, or wherever you get your podcasts (you can find it on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or subscribe in your podcast app of choice - YouTube coming soon!) 

Robotics Fundraiser!

Support DCI's robotics teams by purchasing tickets to their annual fundraising raffle! Win a free week-long stay at a house in Ireland or Spain, and help the team pay for the cost of attending district and world championships! Enter Raffle Here and click here for more information. 

Upcoming Events

Calling all MS Families! Join Us for a Dialogue with Dr. Davian on October 29th!

Middle school families are invited to our first-ever DCI Dialogue with Dr. Davian — a special meet & greet and conversation with our new Middle School Principal, Dr. Davian Morgan.

• 🗓 Date: Wednesday, October 29th
• ⏰ Time: 4:00–5:00 p.m.
• 📍 Location: DCI Theatre
• ✍️ RSVP: Click here by Monday, October 27th to let us know you’re coming!

This will be a great opportunity to:

• Learn more about Dr. Davian’s background and leadership journey
• Hear about key initiatives and priorities for the 2025–26 school year
• Celebrate some of our early wins and highlights
• Engage in an open dialogue and Q&A about our middle school community
• Please feel free to submit any questions you may have in advance here. 

We hope you can make it!

Check Out Two Upcoming Information Sessions: How to Support Your College-Bound Student

Navigating the college journey can be both exciting and overwhelming for students and families. We’re hosting two sessions to help parents and guardians support their college-bound students—one in-person Café y Charla on Monday, November 3rd, and one virtual session on Tuesday, November 18th, both from 5:30–6:30 PM. Please complete the RSVP form by Friday, October 31st for the Café y Charla and by Monday, November 17th for the virtual session to confirm your attendance.

If you have any questions, please contact our Family Engagement Liaison, Brian Garcia, at brian.garcia@dcinternationalschool.org.

Save the Date: International Potluck on November 13th 

Let’s give thanks and celebrate our diverse DCI community by sharing our favorite dishes! Join us on Thursday, November 13th, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 p.m. in the Main Cafe for an evening of food, fun, and togetherness. This is a wonderful opportunity to connect and enjoy a variety of flavors from different cultures. If you’d like to participate, please fill out this form by Monday, November 10th to let us know what dish you would like to share. We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any questions, please email our Family Engagement Liaison, Brian Garcia, at brian.garcia@dcinternationalschool.org.

Mark Your Calendars: Student-led Virtual Conferences Take Place Nov. 24th and 25th

Please note that this fall’s Student-led Conferences (SLCs) will take place on Monday, November 24th and Tuesday, November 25th. Please be on the lookout for future messaging that will include a link to sign up to attend your child’s virtual conferences.