What began as a single restaurant and bar next to the Howard Theater on U Street has now grown into an operation that oversees production and distribution in Delaware and all over the DMV.ÌıÌı

Still, the company says its focus is on bringing value to D.C. neighborhoods and making high quality “beer flavored beer.�

“It’s kind of like a Cheers situation,â€� said Bri DeOrsey, a bartender at Right Proper’s Brookland bar and production facility.ÌıÌı

DeOrsey has worked at the bar for eight years, one of the only employees who has been on staff since before the pandemic. In addition to bartending, DeOrsey also handles event coordination and other responsibilities for the company. Ìı

She said that, even with the company’s expansions,Ìıit’sÌıstill a neighborhood spot, with a neighborhood feel.ÌıÌı

“This was an old autobody shop,â€� she said, referring to the Brookland location. “There are neighbors who still remember it as that.â€� Ìı

While the company strives to keep the vibe local, customers like Bob Woodward and Jocelyn Nieva make the journey, regardless of the distance.Ìı

“There are no great breweries near our house,â€� said Nieva. The two, who live near American University, routinely bike the seven miles to enjoy a drink at the Brookland location.ÌıÌı

“We’ve been coming here for years, and we love it.â€� Upon hearing the news that a new location is opening inÌıEckington, they both agreed it would be “one more place to drink.â€�Ìı

The new location in Eckington will be the largest of the company’s three locations, though it will be similar to the Shaw location. The overall focus will be to bring value to the community.Ìı

“They don’t really have a restaurant over there,â€� said Thor Cheston. He and his wife Leah Cheston co-own the business. “We’re looking forward to being of service to the community,â€� he said.ÌıÌı

According to Thor Cheston,Ìıconstruction atÌıtheÌıEckingtonÌıfacility startedÌıtwo weeks ago, butÌıthere’sÌıno official opening date yet.ÌıÌı

“We would love to have an official date,â€� he said. “As of right now,ÌıMaypril.â€�Ìı

While the brand is successful, the focusÌıremainsÌıon making high-quality products. “We could sell more than we’re actually producing,â€� said Chris Broome, headÌıbrewerÌıand production manager for the company.ÌıÌı

Broome has been with Right Proper for about two years but has been a brewer forÌı10.ÌıÌı

He said that while other breweries are focused on new and unique, Right Proper is leaning into four core beers, keeping things simple with a focus on the details.ÌıÌı

The choice to keep a limited product line reinforces the company’s overall goal of reducing cost and increasing quality, he said. Ìı

“When you think of D.C. craft beer, we want you to think of Right Proper,â€� Broome said. “WeÌıaren’tÌıtrying to re-invent the wheel.ÌıWe’reÌımaking beer flavored beer at the highest quality possible.â€�Ìı

At current capacity, Right Proper brews and distributes about 5,000 barrels of beer per year. Current plans to expand capacity in the next six to 12 months are underway, with a goal of 6,500 barrels per year.ÌıÌı

Going beyond that, however, would be a challenge.ÌıÌı

“The more tanks you have, the more space you need for raw materials,â€� Broome said.ÌıÌı

Since raw materials for beer making attract rodents, the production facility also employs Prima, to help combat pests.ÌıÌı

“Prima is a working cat,� Broome says. “Lots of breweries have them.�

Prima is just one of several ways the Right Proper has been able to innovate through the volatility of recent years. Partnerships such as Zeke’s Coffee, whichÌıoperatesÌıinside the Brookland location, allow the shop to offer something that otherwiseÌıwouldn’tÌıbe on the menu.ÌıÌı

“Zeke’s is very good at making and serving coffee, and we are really bad at it,â€� said Thor Cheston. “We’reÌınot going to pretend we know whatÌıwe’reÌıdoing, soÌıwe’reÌıgoing to get people whoÌıdo. We makeÌıvery goodÌıbeer andÌıwe’reÌıgoing to stick to what we know.â€�Ìı

For Leah Cheston, it’s also about being able to pivot.  Ìı

“Sometimes it still feels like we’re surviving the pandemic,â€� she said. “You just keep going.â€�  Ìı

She said she and her husband both worked in the restaurant industry and started Right Proper because they saw a need for more places in D.C. where you could get a relaxed, comfortable environment and good affordable food.  Ìı

Over the years, she learned it doesn’t necessarily get easier.ÌıÌı

“There’s no destination really,â€� she said. “You just get better at flexing.â€� Ìı

Like her husband, Leah Cheston expressed excitement about becoming a part of the Eckington community.  Ìı

“We identified Eckington as a place that needed more amenities,â€� she said.  Ìı

The 5,500 square foot location will seat 180, and will feature a full kitchen, but smaller brewing capacity. While there will unfortunately be no brew cat because of the restaurant, she said the kitchen is sure to be its own draw.  Ìı

“People forget we have really good food,â€� Leah Cheston said.  Ìı Ìı

The new facility will beÌılocatedÌıat 1625 Eckington Place, NW.  Ìı

The post After 12 years, Right Proper is still getting it right first appeared on 91ÇÑ×Ó.

By showtime at Songbyrd Music House, the venue was empty. Despite this, the performers at , a monthly sign-up-based drag showcase at Songbyrd, seemed to be in good spirits, waiting for a few dozen spectators to drift in before they started nearly an hour late.

DC Drag Lab is one of only three regularly scheduled open sign-up drag shows in D.C., the others being Screen Test (hosted on Wednesday nights at Shakers, on hiatus until November) and Slay Them (hosted on first Fridays at Red Bear Brewery). At open sign-up shows, any performer can contact the host and perform, regardless of their experience level. Host Brooke N. Hymen posted the sign up in July.

“I started producing DC’s Drag Lab because we were missing an open stage, non-competition format drag show in the city. Open stages are where I really got my start and was able to work on my craft and try out new numbers, so it felt important to bring that platform back for newer artists,� Brooke said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Outside the walls of Songbyrd, a 220-capacity venue in Union Market, these new performers have a much tougher time booking performances without connections and a history of shows. Here, though, they have up to five minutes to perform whatever they so choose: usually a mix of lip sync, dance, and comedy numbers. All the while, each performer sashays into the audience to collect cash tips to fund their drag.

Inclusivity is the basis of an open stage show, and this month’s Drag Lab cast made a point of letting the audience know that these values don’t stop at the stage door. During numbers, queens supported one another by filming for social media and cheering with all their might. The performers of Drag Lab, many of whom are rarely able to show their skills, took the stage with a passion for both performance and their community.

Jazz What and Vettick What traveled to DC from suburban Maryland to perform, and relied on the community that they built with one another to propel them into drag performance.

“I started doing drag almost two years ago already, in November 2022,� Jazz What said. They started performing on their partner Vettick What’s birthday, at Vettick’s encouragement. “They were the one who pushed me and told me ‘Hey. Are you going to talk? Or are you going to do something about it?’� Jazz said. At Drag Lab, they wore a leather outfit and performed a comedic routine beginning with Queen’s “I Want to Break Free� and ending with a dance break. They were followed by Vettick What, who, adorned in white face paint, covered themself in fake blood as they danced to Paramore’s “Misery Business.�

“I came to life… like a week after my birthday.� Vettick said. Though their initial birth was as the feminine drag queen Betty What, they changed their name to Vettick What in December 2023 to represent their desire to gender-bend in performances.

“The best thing about open stages like tonight is that you can let go, and you can do anything you want… It went great! And all of the performers were so great to be watching,� they said.

As the two headed to their car at the end of the night, they were stopped by multiple audience members that they knew, exchanging hugs.

Jazz and Vettick were not the only ones in the room encouraging each other. Though groups entered the audience separately, it became clear by the end of the night that many already knew one another. Ballroom performer Bombshell Monroe climbed onto the stage halfway through the night to celebrate her birthday and the performance of her drag daughter (a younger performer that she is mentoring) Jade Monroe. Silver Ware, the host of T4T 2000, a monthly transgender social hour at Trade Bar, was invited to the stage as a surprise guest host to cheers from the crowd. By the time the show ended just after 1:00 a.m., groups that entered the audience together had separated and blended together into a small sea of queer faces.

The cast of this month’s Drag Lab included hosts Brooke N. Hymen and Andromeda and featured performances by Anya Olympia, Miss Gorgeous Michael, Archer Back, Jazz What, Vettick What, Donnicka Reddy Alexander, Jade Monroe, and Dream.

The post DC Drag Lab opens the stage to up-and-coming drag performers in the DMV first appeared on 91ÇÑ×Ó.

The study shows the inequitable distribution of poor air quality throughout the city, revealing wards affected by higher pollution levels have a greater risk of health problems.Ìı

The findings come as Eckington residents are fighting for greater equity in the city’s distribution of industrial land, with particular focus on those two asphalt plants.Ìı

New research shows that neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., with more people of color, are exposed to more air pollution and have higher rates of disease.

— NASA Earth (@NASAEarth)

Fort Myer’s asphalt plants

Eckington Civic Association president Conor Shaw wants to limit industrial land in the neighborhood that contributes to Ward 5’s poor air quality. Shaw has his eyes set on the asphalt plants, which sit on the northern edge of Eckington, surrounded by homes and businesses.

Fort Myer Construction owns and operates the two plants. Fort Myer has been in business for nearly 50 years, providing the DMV with infrastructure needs, including asphalt and road pavement.

“It’s striking that there’s only two asphalt plants in the city and they’re both located in this part of town,â€� Shaw said. “It’s also striking that the city, to my knowledge, does not have any permanent air quality monitoring locations in this part of the city.â€�

like formaldehyde and arsenic, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Exposure to asphalt fumes can cause health issues including headaches, fatigue, eye and throat irritation, and even skin cancer, .Ìı

“It is easy for an untrained observer to have seen steam rise from our plants and potentially confuse that with smoke and/or pollution,� Chris Kerns, the vice president and general counsel at Fort Myer, said in an email statement. “Fort Myer’s state-of-the-art asphalt plants, both located in D.C., are tested annually by an independent, qualified laboratory and are in full compliance with Federal EPA and District of Columbia DOEE [Department of Energy and Environment] standards.�

“It’s important for people to understand that the city is authorizing facilities like this [asphalt plant] to put pollutants into the air, especially those that are known to be harmful,� Shaw said. “They’re only supposed to do that at levels that are safe.�

Kerns, the general counsel for FMC, pushed back on that claim. “Because our plants are outfitted with approved and redundant filtering systems which are consistently monitored, results show that our readings are far below the maximum allowed under even those tight standards,â€� he said in the email statement.Ìı

Shaw said the noise of the facility’s trucks and construction is also unacceptable. He said the plant operates late at night, early in the mornings and even on weekends. The designated truck route uses 4th Street NE, which runs adjacent to the facility, and is highly residential.

The plant is also next to the Metropolitan Branch Trail, “Northeast’s Rock Creek Park,â€� as Shaw likes to put it. The Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood metro stop is also just down the street.Ìı

“You definitely notice on this part of the trail that you’re inhaling other things besides clean air,� he said. “Land that’s next to a trail and within a half mile of a metro station in the core of the District is not an appropriate place for an asphalt plant.�

Sylvia Burch, who’s lived in the Eckington area for years, said the trail is where she goes to decompress. But Burch said the asphalt’s plant presence doesn’t go unnoticed.Ìı

“It’s smelly, it’s noisy and it doesn’t need to be in a residential area,� she said. “Use the land for something else, like housing or commercial use.�

Despite objections by some Eckington residents, Kerns said Fort Myer strives to create a safe place for local communities.Ìı

“As a 50-year-old locally owned company, and as a responsible citizen, we are committed to a clean and safe environment. We are proud to be the leader in the District of Columbia in the production of recycled asphalt and the building of green infrastructure projects,â€� Kerns said.Ìı

Eckington fights for a cleaner environmentÌı

Over the past four years, Shaw and other Eckington advocates crafted a comprehensive plan to help improve the neighborhood’s growth and quality of life. In 2017, they submitted a vision to D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, pushing to use industrial land, like the area which Fort Myers sits on, for more housing, retail and commercial development.

“These changes we’ve pursued wouldn’t push anyone out, it would have made it clearer to folks that residential and commercial uses instead of industrial ones would be welcomed,â€� Shaw said.Ìı

Shaw said affordable housing was supposed to make it into the comprehensive plan, but he said Mendelson removed the recommendations made by Eckington residents and doubled down on his position that the District needs industrial land.ÌıÌıÌı

In April, to Mendelson, asking him to reinstate the ECA’s previous amendments for more housing. The letter stated that Eckington’s metro- and trail-adjacent properties are where D.C. must build affordable housing in order to achieve affordability, equity and environmental goals in the coming years.Ìı

“The continued concentration of Production, Distribution, and Repair (PDR)-designated land in Wards 5 and 7 poses racial equity issues, as the Chair has acknowledged in discussions about this Comprehensive Plan,â€� the letter pointed out.Ìı

Mendelson did not respond to a request to be interviewed for this story. But he did tell in May that industrial land is still needed.

“No one wants a concrete plant or an auto repair shop near their house, but we need them…Are we all going to have to go out to the suburbs to get our cars fixed? At some point, we’re going to wake up and say, ‘Geez, there’s no land left for the warehouse or the concrete plant,’â€� he said at the time.Ìı

But the need for housing remains. Ward 5 resident and advocate Cynthia Carson said affordable housing is vital to local neighborhoods.

“There’s been so much history throughout these neighborhoods from racial covenants and unaffordable housing,� she said. “Local people can’t afford these places anymore, so something needs to change, affordable housing needs to be available here.�

An inequitable distribution of industrial land and air qualityÌı

Fine particulate pollution levels in D.C. have declined nearly 50% over the past 20 years due to a number of . But the benefits of clean air are not distributed evenly across the District, according to the NASA study. And air quality data is limited,

The recent NASA study also highlighted how those exposed to higher levels of air pollution in Wards 5, 7 and 8 are predominantly people of color.Ìı

.Ìı

The map shows the percentage of Black residents in D.C. neighborhoods, with the dots representing the number of deaths attributable to air pollution per 100,000 residents. Those living in Spring Valley, Foxhall and other neighborhoods in Ward 3 are less likely to experienceÌı poor air quality. (Courtesy of Susan Anenberg/George Washington University)

“It’s a legacy of frankly racist decisions, having these facilities next to communities that were almost entirely Black,â€� Shaw said.Ìı

For the future, Shaw hopes to see proper use of industrial land in Eckington and other neighborhoods affected by poor air quality.Ìı

“We think the city should be doing a lot more to ensure residents aren’t being exposed to unsafe pollutants,â€� Shaw said. “Until we do something about this, the inequitable distribution of industrial land and the exposure to pollutants is just going to continue.â€�

The post Poor air quality poses major threat to Eckington, other neighborhoods in Ward 5: NASA study first appeared on 91ÇÑ×Ó.

But what should be a pleasant —Ìıand safe — walk to school often leaves her feeling anxious all because of dangerous intersections and speeding cars along the residential road.ÌıÌı

The mile-long stretch is dotted with five schools and a host of playgrounds and recreation centers. Thomas and some of her neighbors have complained about the stretch of road for years. But after so much inaction —Ìıfrom city agencies, countless studies and slow-moving bureaucracy — they’ve decided to take action on their own.Ìı

Ìı“With the recent tragedies around the city with young children being struck by vehicles, the urgency has become so much more apparent and we’ve really stepped up our efforts,â€� she said.Ìı

Last month, Thomas and other Eckington residents banded together to form to improve safety in the area. The safety project aims to make Lincoln a less dangerous thoroughfare by creating cost-effective solutions. Thomas said implementing all-way stops and raised crosswalks would alleviate some of the danger for pedestrians. Though Lincoln is the project’s main priority, Thomas said fixing is also necessary.Ìı

Lincoln residents say road safety has been an issue for a long timeÌı

Pedestrian accidents aren’t new along Lincoln.Ìı

According to , there have been seven car crashes on the road since January. One of the crashes included a pedestrian just last month.Ìı

Thomas said at a recent community meeting, one neighbor said her mother was struck by a car on Lincoln years ago.Ìı

“Making our streets safer for all of us while we walk around and enjoy the city just makes good sense to everyone,â€� Thomas said.Ìı

Proponents of the new project say excessive speeding, blind spots and inconsistent traffic patterns in major intersections are the main issues. Last week, the project sent over 90 individual requests to DDOT and ANC 5E members for raised crosswalks, all-way stop signs and other safety measures.Ìı

Thomas said many drivers use Lincoln Road NE as a shortcut to avoid the intersection of North Capitol Street and Rhode Island Avenue. She said Lincoln’s wide roadway design allows cars to speed through neighborhoods, putting pedestrians at risk.

“And while most of us are mainly pedestrians, we are drivers too. We want drivers to be safe and we want to be safe while we are driving our families around our neighborhoods too,â€� she said.Ìı

Over 1,800 students commute to the schools on and adjacent to Lincoln each day. When kids are in the area, the speed limit on Lincoln is 15 mph. But the project hosted a community walkthrough last week, and cars were clocked going well over the speed limit, even with kids around.

30 mph on Lincoln rd. In theory it’s posted for 15 mph when kids are present (and they were).

— Fix Dave Thomas Circle (@FixCircle)

DDOT has mentioned Lincoln Road in , a long-range transportation plan in the city. But Thomas and other project members fear the safety issues on Lincoln won’t be resolved for years.Ìı

“If DDOT would make this their first priority and actually follow through on it, that would go a long way to making us safer and restoring community trust in the department,� Thomas said.

The project’s emergency plan includes adding two radar speed displays on Lincoln, trimming or cutting down foliage and adding crossing guards during school commuting hours. For main intersections like where Lincoln Road crosses Rhode Island Avenue Northeast, the plan suggests adding speed cameras and raised, brightly painted crosswalks.

“These roads are designed to get traffic moving as quickly as possible through our neighborhoods, with little or no regard for pedestrians,� Thomas said.

Danger for North Capitol Street pedestrians and drivers

Like Lincoln Road Northeast, North Capitol Street runs through Eckington. The street has been a hotspot for accidents — from fender benders to fatal wrecks. Since 2017, eight people have been killed in car accidents in the Eckington and Bloomingdale area of the corridor, including five pedestrians.Ìı

Another in a long list of reasons why this project is imperative for the safety and reunification of our neighborhoods

— Joseph Smallwood (@j_smallwood)

Although countless studies have already been done on North Capitol, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently approved another $1 million study on North Capitol Street to make it a safer thoroughfare.Ìı

The new study will test the feasibility of the , a plan that focuses on leveling the highway underpasses and transforming them into a green space. The project would fill in the underpasses of North Capitol between V Street and Seaton Place.Ìı

Proponents of the project like the Bloomingdale Civic Association support the project, as it would reconnect neighborhoods like Bloomingdale, Eckington, Truxton Circle and Edgewood, since North Capitol divides them. Though the underpass would be filled in, drivers will still be able to drive along at-grade lanes along North CapitolÌı

, Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie said he requested and received $1 million for the study in the 2022 fiscal year budget.

“This analysis will help determine the best way to connect Ward 5 neighborhoods, address traffic and safety concerns and improve the quality of life for residents,â€� he said.Ìı

Eckington Civic Association President Connor Shaw and Ward 5 activist Nick Sementelli have a different vision for North Capitol Street. They are advocating instead to bring the entire corridor up to street level, filling in all the underpasses which would reduce speed and traffic. Filling in the underpasses would also restore east-west access along the corridor. Their plan also prioritizes pedestrian accessibility and dedicated bus lanes.Ìı

Shaw and Sementelli said the deck over project’s vision for a park is too narrow of a plan for the corridor and limits options for the future. The deck over would only cover a block of North Capitol, while Shaw and Sementelli’s idea covers the entire North Capitol Street corridor.Ìı

“I’ve been in and around that street for a very long time,� Sementelli said. “I had always been aware of the incredible danger of the street, certainly hearing cars speeding through the underpasses there, seeing wrecks and crashes on the regular.�

Sementelli took interest in the efforts to make North Capitol Street less dangerous when he and a few neighbors dug up previous studies done on the street. He said the studies never came to anything. Sementelli said DDOT and the NoMa BID outlined nearly 60 recommendations in a that would make the street safer. He noticed only around 12 of the recommendations had been done, nearly a year after the NoMa BID and DDOT study came out.Ìı

Both Sementelli and Shaw said the current highway-like design of North Capitol is responsible for high speed and accidents.

“Our focus is turning this street from what is and is intended to be a highway for commuters,� Shaw said. We want to turn it into a street that serves the neighbors that live here, has slower speeds, and has more sidewalk space.�

Both the deck over and community boulevard projects seek to ameliorate the danger of North Capitol’s intersections and underpasses. But Sementelli is confident in his proposal.

“We’re going to have this once in a generation opportunity to transform North Capitol Street and really look holistically at how to improve safety and how we can deliver a more sustainable future for residents,â€� he said.Ìı

For Thomas, she wants to see continued support for neighborhood safety.Ìı

“We have grandparents who want their grandkids safe when they visit, and our neighbors who aren’t parents want their friends, families and neighbors safe too,â€� she said. “We’ve had nothing but support from all of our neighbors.”

The post Eckington, North Capitol residents fight for safer streets first appeared on 91ÇÑ×Ó.

“Have you ever heard of ‘King Henry Doesn’t Usually Drink Chocolate Milk?’â€� he asked.

It’s a mnemonic device Malik, 10, had just learned to help him remember metric system measurements — kilo, hecto, deca, base unit, deci, centi, mili. He’s a student at Langley Elementary School in Eckington. His mother, Annie Wright, is the Langley Parent Teacher Organization president.

Wright has frequent conversations with parents and school administrators about if and how Langley Elementary would reopen. Langley is a Title 1 school. It was one of several facilities to undergo HVAC renovations, not to mention an ongoing bathroom renovation project. Wright doesn’t point out those projects to criticize Langley Elementary administration. She said they are working hard to eventually open classrooms.

But it’s still unclear when Langley students, along with other D.C. students, will return to their classrooms. After announcing that 7,000 of D.C.’s roughly 30,000 elementary school students would return to classes on Nov. 9, the District was forced to keep classrooms closed after members of the Washington Teachers’ Union organized a sick-in.

According to reporting , enough teachers called in sick Nov. 2 to necessitate the cancellation of online classes. The District abandoned plans to reopen some schools the same day.

DCPS will not open elementary schools on November 9 as planned. We have heard feedback from many in our community about plans, and we will use this moment to adjust our timeline and staffing plans for reopening. Read more:

— Chancellor Ferebee (@DCPSChancellor)

Washington Teachers’ Union Spokesman Joe Weedon said his organization wants to see more transparent data on building repairs and student interest in in-person classes in addition to more earnest engagement with parents and teachers before schools reopen their doors.

“There has been a lack of data,� Weedon said. “There is a lot of frustration on both sides but especially from the teachers at this point.�

opened on Nov. 18. CARES classrooms allow students to continue virtual classes onsite and under the supervision of school staff. Wright said she understands the importance of the CARES classrooms. She is able to work from home and her sister often comes over to help Malik with technical issues. Wright said she knows not everyone’s situation is like hers. But Langley hasn’t opened a CARES class, yet.

“Langley still needs work,� Wright said. She was among the parents able to tour the building’s recent projects. “I feel like the administration is working to at least prepare for CARES classes.�

Malik is somewhat aware of the tensions and hurdles associated with reopening classrooms. His mother is the PTO president, after all, so he hears the discussions about facility upgrades and teacher safety.

But on a daily basis, he just busies himself with the business of learning, like trying to remember what “King Henry Doesn’t Usually Drink Chocolate Milk� stands for.

Settled in

I wanted to talk to Malik because after covering the possibility of a limited reopening at Langley in late October, I realized I hadn’t asked any Langley students about how they would feel going back to school.

Malik is not representative of all students. He’s just one fifth grader who wakes up, eats the breakfast his mom makes for him, usually breakfast sausage and muffins. He might watch a couple videos on YouTube and then logs onto his Microsoft Teams account at 8:45 a.m. for class.

His mother is able to work from home and his aunt is able to come over frequently and help with virtual learning. Malik said he knows not all students are in the same situation he is. Some have parents who work a lot, he said or at higher risk. It’s why, he said, he knew he wouldn’t be going back to school even before the District abandoned the plan.

But, even then, he didn’t mind the prospect of learning from his room for the rest of the school year if necessary. He still doesn’t mind that possibility.

“It feels safe,� he said. “It feels awesome, because you get to stay in your pajamas all day and be like ‘This is me. You got me.’�

Malik wasn’t always this comfortable with online learning. When schools first closed in March, he struggled to adjust.

“I feel like with my son, it (was) a lot of hand holding with him being at home,� Wright said in an earlier interview. “In the beginning I always plead the case that if you were in school, I would not be here holding your hand.�

But he hit his stride. Now, he said, he feels independent in his learn-from-home environment.

“I do feel more mature,� Malik said. “I have to stay here. I have no supervision. I have to make sure I have tunnel vision.�

That’s not to say that Malik doesn’t miss his friends. He misses recess and lunch hours – times that used to be social, but now he spends alone. At Langley, he said he and his friends made a Ghost Keepers group based on a mystery book they all liked called The Ghostkeepers Journal and Field Guide.

He also said he gets stressed sometimes. The long hours staring at a screen are hard for him, but when he does get stressed, he said he draws. He’s gotten better at drawing faces since the pandemic started. Noses used to be hard for him, but he’s starting to get the hang of drawing them.

I would love for him to go back, but I really don’t think that he is going to make it back in that building anymore.

In the weeks since D.C. Public Schools abandoned its plan to return some students to school, Wright is considering what the second half of the school year will look like for her son. She said she thinks Malik will finish out the school year learning from home, which is emotional to consider. Malik is a fifth grader, meaning this is his last year at Langley. Usually there is a graduation ceremony, but that, like so many other milestones, may be virtual this year.

“I think Antonio’s last day at Langley was March 15, 2020,� Wright said. “I would love for him to go back, but I really don’t think that he is going to make it back in that building anymore.�

It’s a reality many D.C. parents are considering as another round of end-of-school milestones inch nearer. DCPS is floating another plan to reopen during the January 2021 semester, but Weedon said there still needs to be more meaningful parent and teacher engagement before the Washington Teachers’ Union will sign off on any in-person learning plan.

“Whether it’s continuing to roll out the plan [DCPS] had previously developed is unclear,� Weedon said. “They are trying to engage a new school based committee … but there are no details in what they are looking for.�

There is still no knowing how and if a new plan to reopen schools will manifest. When asked how he feels about the possibility of finishing the school year virtually, or even beginning the next one from home, Malik was direct.

“Shoot, I wouldn’t mind,� he said. “I would keep in my real comfy clothes.�

The post In Eckington, pajamas are the school uniform for the foreseeable future first appeared on 91ÇÑ×Ó.

Her son, Theodore, attends preschool at Langley Elementary School in Eckington. Each day he’s joined by another Langley Elementary preschooler. The same goes for Robbins’ daughter, Elena, a first grader, who is joined by two of her classmates.

Together, their five-student learning pod has fallen into a rhythm. The preschoolers finish around 11 a.m. and then do asynchronous activities while the three first graders continue until about 2 p.m. with a break for lunch and exercise.

“They have to wear masks all day,� Robbins said. “It’s good for them to practice those skills for when we do go back.�
Langley Elementary School, like all D.C. elementary schools, will welcome some students back Nov. 9.

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Oct.5 that D.C. Public Schools would begin a phased reopening plan, beginning with the elementary schools, at the beginning of the second term.

Classrooms will be limited to 11 students and only one class will open per grade. Students will be given the option to return to the classroom on a lottery basis. If their child is chosen, parents have the option to stick with online learning or transition to in person. Classrooms for special education and supervised online learning are also slated to open.

Langley Elementary is also one of several D.C. schools undergoing an HVAC system upgrade. According to minutes from the Sept. 23 parent teacher organization meeting , there is also an ongoing bathroom project.

But, for Robbins and other Langley parents, the specifics are still murky.

Although Mayor Bowser tweeted an explainer video showing some details of the air filtration updates, Robbins also hasn’t heard any updates on what that looks like at Langley.

“You are kind of in this limbo,� Robbins said.

She doesn’t know if the projects will be complete in time for students to return, or if her children will be among the first to resume in-person classes.

A new, new normal

Robbins doesn’t think her children will be included in the first wave of students to return back to school. She’s paid for another month of pod learning and said she’s keeping an open mind about what comes next.

“I’m thankful that we’re able to navigate it,� Robbins said. Both she and her husband are able to work from home. “So, we are really lucky in that regard, but I can’t imagine the stress for people who aren’t.�

Robbins said she realizes the choice to go back to school isn’t really a choice for everyone. Parents whose jobs don’t allow for teleworking need their children in a safe learning environment. Meanwhile, other children – those who have or live with others who have pre-existing conditions – can’t return to school.

For those reasons Parent Teacher Organization president Annie Wright is glad DCPS is making returning to in-person learning optional.

Like Robbins, Wright counts herself lucky. Her sister has been able to help her fifth-grade son with technical issues while Wright works from home. But the transition to virtual learning wasn’t easy. It took a lot of hand holding, Wright said.

“So now that he is finally comfortable and there is rhythm it’s going to be difficult … to get him back into the school,� Wright said.

Wright said her son will likely stay with the virtual format. But even if students don’t return to the classroom, a transition is coming for many of the District’s elementary students. The smaller class sizes will mean reassigning teachers.

Right now, Wright’s son has four teachers he works with regularly. But two of those teachers will go back to onsite roles, leaving two online.

She said some parents are worried that since the children have become accustomed to their teachers, it will be difficult to transition to a new teacher

Joe Weedon, spokesman of the Washington Teachers’ Union, said the organization is also concerned about the effect that the transition from entirely virtually to partially in person will have on D.C. students.

“There is a huge concern on our part that we are going to disrupt the learning that is taking place and damage the social and emotional health of our students,� Weedon said.

Robbins said she’s taking deep breaths, but she has given some thought to what a partial transition looks like and how it will affect the learning routine.

“I think every transition for a child is a little bit traumatic.�

“I think every transition for a child is a little bit traumatic,� Robbins said. “How do you keep that education moving forward? That structure helps them learn.�

The next Langley PTO meeting is Oct. 21. Robbins and Wright said they are expecting more information not just about which students will be returning to the building, but the building itself.

Wait and see

Langley Elementary School is one of several facilities undergoing an HVAC system update.

COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, is primarily spread through close contact with someone who is carrying the live virus. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated its information on COVID-19 spread Oct. 5 to also account for airborne transmission.

Although it is much more likely to catch the virus due to close contact, there have been some documented cases where small particles became trapped in the air and infected people more than six feet away from the person positive for the virus. , this is more likely to occur in small, enclosed spaces.

Which is why Weedon said his organization is particularly interested in the HVAC project.

“Social distancing alone isn’t enough to protect our teachers and students if the air is stagnant, the aerosols, the particulates will linger,� Weedon said.

He said that by making sure there is circulating fresh air, it is less likely that there will be a risk of infection due to aerosolized particles.

Mayor Bowser tweeted a video Monday showing the types of air filters that are being installed in DCPS classrooms. But Robbins said she’s anxious to see what that looks like at Langley specifically.

Along with safety protocols, air cleaners and HVAC filters can help reduce airborne contaminants including viruses. has invested in new HVAC enhancements and medical-grade air filters in our school buildings.

To learn more:

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser)

She said the school doesn’t have a pushed air system. According to the Sept. 23 PTO meeting minutes, administration had found problems with some of the air conditioning units within the building.

“So, my question is are they changing all the filters, are they putting in HEPA filters?� Robbins said.

Despite their concerns, both Robbins and Wright applaud Langley Elementary administrators and teachers for their work in the last months.

Robbins said her children are incredibly engaged during their lessons despite the virtual format. As for Wright, even though it can be slow, she’s grateful for Principal Kristina Kellogg’s communication throughout the transition.

“I’m very understanding of her position and not wanting to give too much information,� Wright said. “She just wants to make sure it’s truthful information and concrete information.�

The only thing to do now, the pair said, is wait for more of that information.

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