Social Justice School is building its long-term home in the neighborhood at 3rd Street and Kennedy Street NE. The AFRO newspaper recently published a nice profile of the school. See Creating the next generation of change makers: A look at D.C.’s Social Justice Charter School by Deborah Baily.
The piece tracks what Social Justice School officials have previously shared about the school’s mission and its guaranteed income pilot for families. Check it out.
Ed. Note 8/15/2025: Given everything going on, I do not recommend that parents take their kids anywhere near police-sponsored activities.
Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center Annual Backpack Giveaway
On August 16, 2026, 11am-1pm, the Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Rec is holding a backpack giveaway at Riggs-LaSalle Rec, 501 Riggs Road NE. Must be a DC resident.
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MPD 4th District Backpack Giveaway
On August 21, 2025, 4pm-6pm, MPD 4th District officers will offer free backpacks and free haircuts while supplies last, 6001 Georgia Avenue NW. Child must be present to obtain a backpack.
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Metro Transit Police Department Annual Back to School Bash
On August 23, 2025, 11am-3pm, the Metro Transit Police Department is holding its annual back to school bash at Fort Totten station, large parking lot. Enjoy free food, drinks, haircuts, school supplies, live music, and giveaways.
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Lamond-Riggs Library Back to School Uniform Swap
On August 23, 2025, 2:30 pm-5:30pm, Lamond-Riggs Library is hosting a back-to-school uniform swap, 5401 South Dakota Avenue NE.
Please bring any lightly used school uniforms to the library. All clothing should be clean and free of serious wear and tear. Clothing should be sized to fit students aged 3-16. Accepted items include khaki pants, school shirts, belts, and school shoes. All leftover clothing will be donated to the PTA of the appropriate school.
While at the branch, get ready for the new school year by signing up your child for a Library card and registering for Beyond the Book!
UDC offers free workforce development and lifelong learning courses for DC residents. There are several Open House dates during the month of July for residents to learn more information about admissions and enroll for fall 2025.
Open House Location
University of the District of Columbia
3100 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue SE
Open House Dates
July 10, 1:30 pm-4:30 pm
July 17, 10:00 am-2:00 pm
July 24, 10:00am-2:00 pm
July 31, 1:30 pm-4:30 pm
Important Deadlines
August 8: New Student Application Submission Deadline
August 8: Continuing Student Enrollment Deadline
Required Documents
State ID
Proof of high school diploma/GED
Proof of DC residency
Support the LaSalle-Backus PTO Fundraiser at Chipotle this Saturday, June 7, 4pm-8pm at 625 Monroe St NE!
Order online using code 9VMTXJK or show the fundraiser flyer in the restaurant.
&pizza Brookland Location (666 Monroe Street NE)
May 3, 2025
11:00 am-9:00 pm
Eat out at &pizza and support a good cause! Place an order in the shop (show flyer) or order online and use code LSBPTO. Up to 30 percent of sales goes to support our neighborhood public school, LaSalle-Backus Elementary.
Can’t make it but still want to support the PTO? Donate via Venmo (@LaSalleBackusPTO) or Cashapp ($LaSalleBackusPTO)
&pizza Brookland Location (666 Monroe Street NE)
May 3, 2025
11:00 am-9:00 pm
Eat out at &pizza and support a good cause! Place an order in the shop (show flyer) or order online and use code LSBPTO. Up to 30 percent of sales goes to support our neighborhood public school, LaSalle-Backus Elementary.
Can’t make it but still want to support the PTO? Donate via Venmo (@LaSalleBackusPTO) or Cashapp ($LaSalleBackusPTO)
Passing along information I received about an upcoming Young Archaeologists’ Club program at Lamond-Riggs Library hosted by a DC educational nonprofit called Archaeology in the Community. Sounds pretty cool:
This is an opportunity for youth interested in archaeology to work with professional archaeologists and explore STEM-related topics through hands-on activities, games, and crafts. Participation is free, but registration is required.
The program is designed for middle-school-aged students. The one-day engaging sessions go from now through August at different locations throughout Washington, DC and virtually. Participants can choose which days, locations, and topics work best for them. Our next sessions will be April 26-27 at the Lamond-Riggs/Lillian J. Huff Neighborhood Library. If there is a way to reach out to families in the Riggs Park neighborhood about this opportunity, they can read more about the schedule and register on Archaeology in the Community’s website. Spots are limited!
In a recent newsletter, Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George noted that she is working ANC Commissioner Danielle Geong (4B09) on pedestrian safety near LaSalle-Backus Elementary School. Commissioner Geong and several residents testified about this issue at DDOT’s recent oversight hearing.
CM Lewis George writes:
Working to Improve Traffic Safety in Riggs Park
Last week, my team joined ANC 4B Commissioner Geong, DDOT’s Safe Routes team, and the LaSalle-Backus PTO for a traffic safety walk around LaSalle-Backus Elementary School. The area along Riggs Road where the school is located has been a source of concern for many community members, with frequent reports of speeding and drivers running red lights, endangering students and families, particularly during drop-off and pick-up time. DDOT’s Safe Routes team is looking into several solutions, including potential jersey barriers, street narrowing, and speed bumps, and committed to improving signage in the area. I’m also continuing to work with DDOT to advocate for a Safe Routes Action Plan for LaSalle-Backus to look into further traffic calming measures to ensure our students, teachers, and families are safe.
Social Justice School Relocation Fact Sheet
Back in June, the DC Public Charter School Board approved Social Justice School’s relocation application (see this post for information about the relocation). The plan remains having modular classrooms in place at 333 Kennedy Street NE for the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year. If there is a delay, classes will be held temporarily at Impact DMV Church on First Place NE.
School officials are still negotiating with the Cafritz Foundation over a permanent move to the remaining warehouse at 3rd and Kennedy Street NE. If they reach an agreement, school officials anticipate that construction on the warehouse will take approximately 18 months and that they will be able to occupy the space in time for the 2026-2027 school year.
There will be two back-to-school events in the neighborhood on August 17, 2024, one at Riggs-LaSalle Rec and one at Fort Totten Metro station.
Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center Back-to-School Community Day
August 17, 2024
11:00 am-1:00 pm
Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center (501 Riggs Road NE)
Free backpacks, school supplies, snacks & ice cream. Hosted by Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation, Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association, and the Office of Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George.
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Metro Back-to-School Celebration & School Supply Giveaway
August 17, 2024
11:00 am-3:00 pm
Parking Lot at Fort Totten Station
Hosted by Metro Transit Police Community Services Bureau. Children of all ages are welcome from elementary to high school.
• Free School Supplies
• Kids Haircuts & Glam Station Makeovers
• DJ and Music
• Games and Fun
• Complimentary Food & Desserts
• Petting Zoo
• Miniature Train Rides
Follow MTPD on twitter for up-to-date information.
From DC Bilingual (click link for registration)
DC Bilingual, in partnership with Washington Yu Ying PCS, Elsie Whitlow Stokes, Latin American Montessori Bilingual PCS, and Mundo Verde PCS will host a Middle School Fair on February 15, from 5:00-6:00 PM for families interested in learning more about middle school options in DC.
This event will be an opportunity for families to meet directly with middle schools across the city and organizations supporting student academic learning. Attendees will learn about school programs, how to enroll your child, and have the opportunity to ask questions directly to representatives present at the event.
Participants include:
In her recent newsletter, Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George shared news that DC School Connect has launched a new pilot that will transport neighborhood students to Ida B. Wells Middle School. Councilmember Lewis George notes that the walk from Riggs Park to the feeder middle school is roughly 1.5 miles (longer from certain parts of the neighborhood) and involves crossing busy roads. The DC School Connect shuttle will pick up students near LaSalle-Backus Elementary School in the morning and drop them off back there after school. More info and sign-up at https://www.dcschoolconnect.com.
District officials celebrated the completion of a new building at Friendship Ideal Public Charter School located at 6130 North Capitol Street NW in Lamond. The school sits in a cluster of public charter schools near Kansas Avenue, Chillum Place, and North Capitol Street.
From the newsletter of Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George:
This week we cut the ribbon for Friendship Ideal PCS’ beautiful new building in our Lamond community in Ward 4. The new building features a spacious new gymnasium to host school activities and gatherings; modern and expanded classrooms; sustainable features like eco-friendly grounds, bicycle racks, and an electric vehicle charger; and community meeting spaces to serve our broader Ward 4 community. Everyone was thrilled about the new facility, but it was Friendship Ideal’s cheer squad and marching band that stole the show with their energy and talent! Projects like this take years of planning and dedication, so we celebrated the Friendship PCS school leaders, educators, parents, and broader school community that made this vision a reality. As chair of the Facilities and Family Services Committee, I know how important it is for our students to have comfortable and safe learning spaces. I’m excited for all the ways this facility will help our Friendship Ideal Warriors learn and thrive!
There will be two back-to-school events in the neighborhood on August 19, 2023, one at Riggs-LaSalle Rec and one at Fort Totten Metro station.
Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center Back-to-School Community Day
August 19, 2023
10:00 am-2:00 pm
Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center (501 Riggs Road NE)
Free backpacks, school supplies, snacks & ice cream. Hosted by Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation and Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association.
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Metro Back-to-School Celebration & School Supply Giveaway
August 19, 2023
11:00 am-3:00 pm
Parking Lot at Fort Totten Station
Free backpacks & school supplies. Hosted by Metro Transit Police Community Services Bureau. Children of all ages are welcome from elementary to high school. There will be family-friendly activities, including a moon bounce, miniature train rides, a live DJ and band, and free food.
Youth 18 years old and younger can eat free meals at a number of sites across the city, including a few in the neighborhood and nearby.
Open June 26, 2023 through August 3, 2023
Meals served Monday-Friday
Breakfast: 8:30 am-9:30 am
Lunch: 12:00 pm-1:00 pm
Open June 26, 2023 through August 18, 2023
Meals served Monday-Friday
Breakfast: 8:30 am-9:30 am
Lunch: 12:00 pm-2:00 pm
Open June 26, 2023 through August 18, 2023
Meals served Monday-Friday
Breakfast: 8:30 am-9:30 am
Lunch: 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Open June 26, 2023 through August 18, 20123
Meals served Monday-Friday
Breakfast 8:30 am-9:30 am
Lunch: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Snack 3:00 pm-4:00 pm
Please consider supporting a great cause this weekend. In honor of the legacy of Silas Grant, Sr. (father of Silas Grant, senior advisor to Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie), there will be a 5k walk along the Metropolitan Branch Trail to support Reading Partners. Reading Partners is a really terrific organization in DC that supports children’s literacy.
Register at bit.ly/rpliteracywalk.
Sonny Boy’s 5k Walk for Literacy
October 29, 2022
10:00 am
Metropolitan Branch Trail (8th & Edgewood Street NE)
Photo from today’s ribbon cutting to celebrate the completion of the new addition to DC Bilingual Public Charter School, located at 33 Riggs Road NE
From Friends of Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center
Back to School Public Safety Day & Backpack Giveaway
August 27, 2022
10:00 am-2:00 pm
Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center
501 Riggs Road NE
On July 19, 2022, Ronald Mason, Jr., president of the University of the District of Columbia, held a community meeting at UDC-CC Bertie Backus Campus, located at 5171 South Dakota Avenue NE. The meeting took place before President Mason publicly announced that he planned to step down as president of UDC in 2023. In any case, he said he wanted to get out to the campus because he does not get out this way often enough, so he was interested in meeting nearby residents in an informal setting. An elderly neighbor mentioned that she would like to see the university offer programs free to seniors at the Backus campus. She said that 10 to 20 years ago, seniors could take all kinds of classes at the Van Ness campus free of charge.
President Mason shared just a few details about a planned expansion of the Backus campus. UDC no longer occupies a campus on North Capitol Street for its community college programs. The Backus campus will house most or all of the community college programs. Most of the workforce development programs have been moved from Backus to UDC’s Congress Heights campus. The first three focus areas for the community college will be teacher training, nursing, and technology. To accommodate the community college programs at Backus, a new wing will be built on the grounds of the existing parking lot on the Galloway Street NE side of the campus. The new wing will be about 60,000 square feet spread over 3 floors. The main Backus building will also undergo renovation (about 100,000 square feet). Some surface parking will remain. Design will take about one year and construction about 1.5 years.
In the interim, neighbors should start seeing a few small improvements to the campus. A neighbor and I worked on getting some money in the budget to spruce things up just a bit because this campus is a really great civic asset in the neighborhood.
(Also, this post discusses the renovations taking place at the Bertie Backus Food Hub).
My understanding is that UDC will have more community meetings in the coming months to provide more information about the Backus campus expansion.
UDC Bertie Backus Campus Community Meeting
5171 South Dakota Avenue NE
Room 303
July 19, 2022
3:30 pm-5:00 pm
The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) will be hosting an in-person Community Meeting with University President Ronald Mason Jr. for residents near the UDC Bertie Backus Campus on Tuesday, July 19, 2022, from 3:30 pm to 5:00 pm in Room 303. This is your chance to speak with President Mason directly in an informal setting about anything related to the Backus campus.
Registration (recommended but not required): https://bit.ly/community-mtg-7-19-22
Next Stop...Riggs Park 