Ward 5 Report: Happy Ward 5 Holiday Party, Giving Back, and Congratulations to Ward 5 DCPS Standing Ovation Award Winners

View this email in your browser Neighbors, In Ward 5, we know how to celebrate. At the same time, we also take care of each other. I hope you had the chance to attend the Ward 5 Holiday Party last week; it was a good time for all. I was delighted to coordinate transportation through the D.C. Department of Parks and Recreation for over 250 seniors and, equally important, I was glad to have the opportunity to showcase some of the District’s best restaurants, caterers, bars, and distilleries – all located in Ward 5! Admittedly, the highlight of the event was seeing the generosity of Ward 5 residents.  We collected more toys this year than ever before. Those toys, as well as our partnership with Toys for Tots, resulted in over 2,000 youth in Ward 5 receiving gifts for the holidays. Last Saturday, my office partnered with the Marines Toys for Tots Foundation to distribute hundreds of toys to Ward 5 children and families. We are especially grateful to our host site, Brookland Middle School, as well as Career Path D.C. and all of our volunteer organizations. Additionally, we supported Women's Wing at their annual Christmas party for children of incarcerated parents. I was joined by D.C. Department of Corrections Director Quincy Booth, U.S. Parole Commission Chair Patricia Smoot, and Women’s Wing President Saymendy Lloyd. We also provided toys to 100 Fathers, Inc., a group led by Ward 5 leader Franklyn Malone. The toys will allow young fathers in their program to give gifts to their own children. Finally, we were happy to provide toys to another worthy organization located in Ward 5: Generation Hope, a non-profit that provides tuition assistance, one-on-one mentoring, and crisis support to teen parents who are attending college in the Washington, D.C. metro area. This outpouring by Ward 5 residents is heartwarming and reminds me once again why we have the best Ward and the best community in D.C. In Service, Kenyan In this issue of the Ward 5 Report: In The News Kenyan in the Community Ward 5 DCPS Standing Ovation Award Winners January Deadline to Sign Up for Health Care through DC Health Link National Symphony Orchestra in Ward 5 In The News Councilmember McDuffie is in the news for introducing legislation to protect seniors from deceptive mailers that create a false sense of urgency to sell their homes below market value: Councilmember McDuffie and concerned residents talk with NBC4’s Kristin Wright WUSA9’s Marcella Robertson spoke with Woodridge residents and Councilmember McDuffie Kenyan in the Community Ward 5 DCPS Standing Ovation Award Winners Each year, D.C. Public Schools honors the dedication and excellence of teachers, administrators, staff, and schools with the Standing Ovation awards. These awardees will be honored at the annual Standing Ovation for D.C. Public Schools event in February, hosted by the D.C. Public Education Fund. Congratulations to these winners: Rubenstein Winner for Excellence in Leadership, Assistant Principals: Kermit Burks, Noyes Elementary School Rubenstein Winner for Excellence in Teaching: Lashunda Reynolds, 12th grade teacher, McKinley Technology High School Rubenstein Winner for Excellence Among School Staff: Shayla Stafford, Instructional Coach, Phelps ACE High School January Deadline to Sign Up for Health Care through DC Health Link The deadline for enrollment is January 31, but the sooner you sign up, the sooner you can access health insurance. There are enrollment centers all over D.C. to help you sign up, including a new Enrollment Center at the Woodridge Library. To get started, visit www.DCHealthLink.com or call (855) 532-5465. National Symphony Orchestra in Ward 5 The NSO In Your Neighborhood is an initiative that provides free performances and educational activities by the National Symphony Orchestra in neighborhoods throughout the Washington D.C. area. Refer to the full schedule or and attend one of these performances in Ward 5:   WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3 7:00 p.m.: Franciscan Monastery,1400 Quincy St., NE NSO members Marissa Regni, violin; Rachel Young, cello; Paul Cigan, clarinet; and Lisa Emenheiser, piano perform an evening chamber music. Free and open to the public.   THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 6:30 p.m.: Woodridge Neighborhood Library, 1801 Hamlin St., NE This 60-minute chamber performance takes place in the library’s Rotunda. Local musicians Brittney Allen (flute) and Herman Burney (cello and bass) are joined by NSO musicians Deanna Lee Bien and Claudia Chudacoff (violins); Eric deWaardt (viola); and Eugena Chang (cello). Free and open to the public.   FRIDAY, JANUARY 5 8:00 p.m.: Israel Manor, Inc., 1251 Saratoga Ave., NE This 60-minute performance will take place in the church’s Capitol City Hall of Distinction and features NSO musicians Lisa-Beth Lambert, violin; Jennifer Mondie, viola; Eugena Chang, cello; and Nicholas Stovall, oboe. Free and open to the public.   FRIDAY, JANUARY 5 8:00 p.m.: Smith Public Trust, 3514 12th St NE This 60-minute performance will be shared by NSO violinist Glenn Donnellan and a local hip-hop artist. Free and open to the public.   SATURDAY, JANUARY 6 11:30 a.m.: Woodridge Neighborhood Library, 1801 Hamlin St., NE NSO musicians Heather LeDoux Green (violin) and Paul DeNola (bass) give a performance for families.   SUNDAY, JANUARY 7 2:00 p.m.: McKinley Technology Education Campus, 151 T St., NW An hour long concert of chamber music by the NSO bassoon section — Sue Heineman, Steven Wilson, Edward Rumzis, and Lewis Lipnick — will be performed in the school’s auditorium. Free and open to the public.   SUNDAY, JANUARY 7 6:00 p.m.: Busboys and Poets, 625 Monroe St., NE NSO musicians and friends Ricardo Cyncynates and Jae-Yeon Kim, violins; Tsuna Sakamoto, viola; Eugena Chang, cello; and Claire Eichhorn, clarinet — will collaborate with local poets for this 2-hour performance. Free and open to the public.   SUNDAY, JANUARY 7 6:30 p.m.: Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, 400 Michigan Ave., NE An hour long concert of chamber music by members of the NSO horn section— Abel Pereira, Robert Rearden, James Nickel, and Markus Osterlund, horn, and pianist Lisa Emenheiser — will be performed in the Crypt Church. Free and open to the public.   MONDAY, JANUARY 8 7:00 p.m.: Dance Place, 3225 8th St., NE This hour-long chamber music concert by an NSO string quartet — Jane Bowyer Stewart, violin; Susan Midkiff, violin; Denise Wilkinson, viola; and Kerry van Laanen, cello — will be performed in Dance Place’s Black Box Theatre. This event is free and open to the public, but registration is required at danceplace.org.