Dear DCI School Community,

Welcome back to the Dispatch! We hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing break. With less than a month left for our seniors, there are so many celebrations and events coming up, both for our high schoolers and middle schoolers. Here are a few to take note of –

• April 29th – May 2nd = DC CAPE Testing (High School)
• April 29th – May 23rd = IB Exams 
• May 5th – May 8th, 2025 = DC CAPE Testing (Middle School) 
• June 11th = HS Graduation 
• June 13th = 8th Grade Promotion

For a full list of upcoming events and key dates, please check out our “Important Dates” landing page. 

Speaking of upcoming events, May is AAPI Heritage Month and DCI will be celebrating with our second annual AAPI Night Market on Wednesday, May 21st! More information about this event is listed in the “Upcoming Events” section below. 

In addition, May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. While one in five people experience a mental health condition each year, every single one of us has a mind to take care of. DYK that DCI has a robust mental health team with grade-level counselors, two social workers per school, and mental health partners from the city's Department of Behavioral Health, Mary's Center, and Georgetown WISE – all of which are resources here to share information about mental health for both students and staff. More to come on DCI’s planned activities and events for Mental Health Awareness Month and Week (May 12th - 18th). 

So much to look forward to the rest of this month and leading into May, let’s go Dragons!

Shout Outs!

Please see below for “shout out” submissions! Thank you for recognizing our teachers and staff!

Ms. Douglass is one of my favorite teachers, she makes it so that I understand the PE work, and her class is really funny! 

I would like to shout out Ms. Ali, She is awesome at making all of the lessons fun and easy!

Shout out to Mr. Reyna, because he helps us understand something in math if we do not understand it. 

Shout out to Mr. Shelbourne for being so supportive and helping me reach my goals!

Shout out to Ms. Garcia for being a great ATL teacher. She is always super kind and funny. I'm excited to see how the next two years will turn out with Ms. Garcia as my ATL teacher.

Please consider submitting a “shout out” to recognize your students’ teachers and staff. These will be included in each bi-weekly edition of the Dispatch. Your name will be associated with each shout out, or you can choose to shout out anonymously. Thanks!

What is Happening at DCI?

Family Survey and Raffle Update!

Thank you to the 300+ families that participated in our Family Survey! The survey has since closed and our team is analyzing all of the responses. We will be sure to share key themes and recommendations in an upcoming edition of the Dispatch. For those that completed both the DCI and OSSE survey, you were entered into a raffle and 10 lucky winners received their gift cards this week! Thank you again for your participation, your input is greatly appreciated. 

NEW LANGUAGE CAMPS ADDED! Register Now for DCI Summer Camp

Are you looking for a language camp to help your child practice their Chinese, French or Spanish? Half-day sessions were just added! Sign up now for DCI’s Summer Programs running between July 14th and July 25th, 2025 for rising 6th through 9th graders! For more information and how to register, visit our Summer at DCI webpage. Campers do not have to be enrolled at DCI to participate so help spread the word!

Immunization Clinic at DCI This Saturday, April 26th

DCI has partnered with Safeway to provide immunizations to currently enrolled or enrolling students on Saturday, April 26th from 9am-12pm at DCI. Please complete this form by Thursday, April 24th if you plan on attending. Please complete a form for each student attending DCI. Walk-ins will also be accepted. For more information, please contact Jania Washington at jania.washington@dcinternationalschool.org. 

Upcoming Events

[REMINDER] DC CAPE Testing Begins April 29th

DCI will administer the District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessments of Progress in Education (DC CAPE) to evaluate student learning in key academic areas starting on April 29th. For more information, please reference this previously shared save the date email here.  

Join Us for an Informative Session on the English Language Learner (EL) Student Experience at DCI on April 29th

Families are invited to explore the support systems in place for EL students, including who supports them and their roles within the school. We will also discuss case management, the classroom supports students receive based on their plans, and the purpose of ACCESS testing. Our English Language Coordinator, Juan Canel, will be there to facilitate the sessions. Please complete this form to RSVP by Friday, April 25th.

Come Watch DCI High School Ultimate Scrimmage During DC Breeze Game!

We’re thrilled to announce that our DCI High School Ultimate Team has been invited to scrimmage during halftime of the DC Breeze vs. Toronto Rush game on Saturday, May 3rd! This is an exciting opportunity for our athletes to play on a big stage and showcase their skills in front of a lively crowd.

Game Details:

Date: Saturday, May 3rd

Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Carlini Field at Catholic University

(4900 Bates Rd NE, Washington, DC 20011)

Tickets:

Grab your tickets here (DC Breeze 5/3 Tickets) and use promo code DCI25 for a discount!

Click here for additional game details.

[REMINDER] Sign up for Student-led Conferences by Friday, May 9th

Student-led Conferences (SLC) are an important opportunity to learn if your child is on track for the end of this year and next year. Virtual and in-person conferences will take place on Friday, May 9th. There will be no school that day. Sign up today to reserve your desired time slot as spots go quickly. For more information about SLCs, please reference the save the date invitation email here. 

Save the Date! Politics and Prose Book Fair May 10th

DCI will be hosting a book fair at Politics and Prose on Saturday, May 10th to help benefit our school library! This annual book fair fundraiser is an excellent opportunity to support both DCI and a local bookstore. Shop in person at any of the three Politics and Prose bookstore locations on May 10th and 20% of all book sales will go towards the DCI library! For more information and to let us know you are interested in participating, check out the save the date email here. 

Check out DCI’s First Spring Family Picnic May 17th 

We are thrilled to invite you to our first DCI Family Picnic on Saturday, May 17th from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM here at DCI. This is a great opportunity for our school community to come together for an afternoon of food, fun, games, and connection. 

• We are looking for family volunteers to help out before, during, and after the picnic. If you are able to assist us, please complete this volunteer form
• If you are able and willing to contribute snacks, a side or dessert, please sign up here to share your favorite picnic item here. 
• If you plan on attending, please fill out this form to RSVP.  

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

AAPI Night Market Set for May 21st 

You’re invited to DCI’s second annual AAPI Night Market, hosted by the student-led AAPI Club! This year, the event is co-sponsored by our community partners at Yu Ying. Inspired by the open air markets of Asia, we will be celebrating AAPI Heritage Month by hosting our very own event filled with food, crafts, games, and prizes. The event will take place Wednesday, May 21st between 5-7 p.m. and students of all ages and families are welcome to join the celebration!