A Message From The Principal
"Habari Gani". Habari Gani means "What's the News" in Swahili. I would like to welcome you to Roots Public Charter School. Our children are the community's future. We must strive to guide them toward higher academic achievement in order to secure the success of our community. The mission of Roots Public Charter School is to offer a culturally relevant (African-centered) and academically stimulating curriculum. We believe that by giving youth an appreciation of their land, history and culture we inspire and motivate
them to academic and social high ideals. We seek to provide students with a strong African-centered learning environment, and guide students toward academic excellence, exemplary character, and social responsibility. Roots Public Charter School (RPCS), or Roots as we fondly say, was founded as a non-profit corporation in March 1999 by Principal Emeritus, Dr. Bernida Thompson. Dr. Thompson retired in 2023, giving me the honor of proudly accepting the challenge of continuing to grow the legacy she built in September of 1999. With an enrollment of 60 students, it started with the 1st through 8th grades. In 2004, we added the Pre-Primary (ages 3–5). Roots alumni have graduated from many of the area’s finest public and private high schools and nationally ranked colleges and universities.
Roots Public Charter School is nationally accredited by The Middle States Commission on Elementary Schools and The Commission on International and Trans-Regional Accreditation. Our national success includes a National Blue Ribbon School (2023) and earning D.C.'s own Bold Performing Schools status in 2022 and 2023. These are large honors for our small, but growing, and nationally leading school.
At Roots, we offer a variety of programs designed to meet the needs of our diverse student body. From our rigorous academic curriculum to our extracurricular activities, we are committed to providing a well-rounded education that prepares our students for success on all levels of their academic journey, college and beyond.
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We look forward to you visiting and enrolling your child.
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Ms. Rasheki M. Kuykendall
Head of School
Roots Public Charter School
