CHEC bulletin for Week of February 25, 2019
JAYCEE RUFFIN FROM WPGC SPEAKS AT THE CHEC GREEK LIFE SESSION
MARIA TUKEVA’S (MT) MESSAGE:
SHARPENING THE FOCUS
Welcome back to all from Winter Break! We hope that everyone was able to relax and enjoy family friends!
We now have seven instructional weeks until PARCC, and 8 instructional weeks until the AP exams begin. Thanks to everyone’s team work and dedication, we have been working with our students to achieve mastery of the standards they must meet in order to be successful not only on the assessments, but in their future college and career. Both the PARCC and the AP are aligned to knowledge and skills that are needed for their futures, so by aligning our instruction to the standards assessed on these tests, we are ensuring that all students who graduate from CHEC “will be prepared to succeed in college and civic life as leaders in the quest for social justice.” (CHEC Mission Statement).
Throughout the year, we have been using our data and student work to engage in a cycle of continuous improvement, and adjusting our strategies and instructional plans to meet the needs of our students. Students are engaging in reflection and goal setting through their POP sheets, and are taking more ownership of their growth. Seven weeks is not a long period of time, however it is sufficient to make sure that every student makes progress toward proficiency. We have sufficient data and knowledge of where students are, we know how to implement high leverage instructional strategies, and students are taking more responsibility for their own growth. In order to make these seven weeks count, there are ways we can strategically use time and resources to increase student achievement.
Teamwork makes the dream work! ELA and Math take the lead in the curriculum and instruction for their content, however ALL content teachers have responsibility and commitment to support and build students’ skills in these fundamental areas through aligning to the Common Core Standards. For the past month, we have been reviewing and calibrating student work in our Academic Leadership Team, and have seen how writing is a critical component of every content area. We have noticed in all of the calibration exercises, that deconstructing the prompt remains a challenge for many of students. Data at all grade levels shows that writing is an area in need of additional focus for our students.
Through sharpening our focus on the teaching and assessment of standards aligned writing across the curriculum, we will not only improve achievement as measured by PARCC, but also in all content areas. Over the seven weeks from now until the PARCC, all SLC meetings will focus on a collaborative cross curricular approach to teaching and assessing writing, and sharing best practices and strategies. Every meeting will provide an opportunity to share and analyze writing prompts, practice deconstructing promps, calibrate writing products, and plan for instruction to improve writing.
The SLC cross curricular planning will be supported and enhanced by our weekly departmental data analysis and planning, through which grade level teams focus on their Action Plans, revise them according to weekly short cycle data, and collaboratively plan objective calendars that include differentiation through stations. We have one more interim coming before the Assessments (March 4 and 5) and the extent to which students feel confident and engaged in doing their best on the interim, will greatly determine how well they perform on the actual assessment.
The key to success on our assessments, is keeping our focus on what the data is telling us, making adjustments as needed, and fully engaging our students as partners with ownership for their learning.
If it is to be, it is up to us!! We can do this!!
BUDGET FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2019-2020
All DC Public Schools received their budgets for School Year 2019-20 on Friday, February 21, about three weeks later than originally anticipated. We now have one week to complete and submit the budget, which is due on March 1st. All DCPS budgets, including the CHEC Budget, can be seen on the following site: https://www.dcpsdatacenter.com/fy20_initial.html. An initial analysis shows that although there appears to be a slight increase in funding, it is not an actual increase in resources, since additional costs have been passed on to schools (security costs), and the cost per staff person has increased by 4%.
The LSAB will be reviewing the Budget Survey results, and making recommendations, in our meeting of Tuesday, February 26.
SHOUT OUTS
- Shout out to the Arts Department for hosting 40 Arts Educators on February 7!
- Shout out to Ms. Spinks, Ms. Henry, Ms. Gonzalez, Ms. Castro and Mr. Odom for taking 40 students on a college trip to Atlanta Georgia
- Kudos to the Arts Department for an outstanding Black History Month Celebration!!
- Kudos to Mr. Jackson and Ms. Hartwill for taking a group of students to visit colleges in Florida over the February Break!
- Kudos to Ms. Falkenberg and Mr. Stewart for leading our Faculty Meeting in February and sharing resources and ideas for Black History Month!!
MEETINGS THIS WEEK:
Monday, February 25, 2019
All SLC Meeting in the Model UN
ANET ELA III Window Opens
Tuesday, February 26, 2019
SLC Meetings
Wednesday, February 27, 2019
Department Meetings
No Early Release Day - Postponed to Wednesday March 6
Term 3 Progress Reports Due in Aspen
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Departmental Planning Period Meetings
MSB High School Cluster Fair – 3rd and 4th Periods During PLT
Friday, March 1, 2019
No Meetings
Saturday, March 2, 2019
Saturday Academy
OPPORTUNITIES:
PALESTINIAN VISIT
UPDATES FROM: LEADERSHIP TEAM I PALESTINIAN VISIT I URBAN LEAGUE SCHOLARSHIPS I FEREBEE FRIDAYS I KENNEDY CENTER I STATE DEPT. I ADULT CITIZENSHIP I VISUAL ARTS I DONORS CHOOSE I GLOBALIZE DC I CANVAS I WILDERNESS LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING I LIBRARIES I FLAMBOYAN I
ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP TEAM
The last ALT Team Meeting was held on February 13, 2019. The agenda included tuning of writing prompts for alignment to PARCC and AP, and the calibration of student work from Social Studies and Science classes, in order to develop a common language of how to assess the quality of student work, and implications for instruction. The next ALT Team meeting will be on Friday, March 1 at 7:45 am, and we will analyze Arts writing products for alignment to PARCC and AP, and calibrate student work from those departments.
PALESTINIAN CHILDREN VISIT
On behalf of Rebuilding Alliance and our Delegation (Palestinian students Lama, Aysar, Ahmad and their parents Heyam and Amal), thank you for hosting us today at Bell High School! In addition to lunch with Mr. Salah, and a memorable reception by the staff, we were so impressed by Mr. Rosenberg's students’ attention, questions, and feedback! Easily our most fun day!
Some of the children asked how to help, and we really loved the idea of Bell students writing a letter, signing it, and sharing it with US representatives! Personally, I would love to see it translated into Arabic to show our friends in Gaza and Susiya that they are not alone! Also, we would love to share pictures and find a way to keep in contact.
Do you have other ideas how to keep in contact and keep momentum? Would you like to put us in contact with other schools who might like a visit? Please follow us on FB to know about Lama's speaking tour during the next 2 weeks: https://www.facebook.com/RebuildingAlliance
Rasha Mahmoud
Community Outreach Manager
Rebuilding Alliance
CHEC SENIORS RECEIVE GREATER WASHINGTON URBAN LEAGUE SCHOLARSHIPS
- CHEC students Gerardo Hernandez, Maritza Mundo, and Jessica Amaya received scholarships through the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL).
- Gerardo received the Yancey Eights Scholarship for $8000.
- Maritza and Jessica both received the Safeway Scholarship for $2500.
- They will be honored at the GWUL Gala on March 15th at the Ronald Reagan Building.
FEREBEE FRIDAYS
Acting Chancellor Ferebee is hosting his third community meet-up, a part of our Ferebee Fridays series, this Friday at the Latin American Youth Center from 4:00 PM-5:30 PM. Parents, families, and members of the CHEC community are invited to drop in to meet Dr. Ferebee. Here is a flyer with more information:
Here is a link to register
Ashlynn Profit
Deputy Press Secretary
DC Public Schools
KENNEDY CENTER OFFICE OF CURRICULUM VISITS CHEC
On Thursday February 7th a team from the Kennedy Center Office of Curriculum and Administration visited CHEC for some interactive student demonstrations of their work in music and art. Speaking for the guests, Kennedy Center Program Director Nathan Diamond said “all on the trip came back raving about CHEC, the thoughtfulness of the student work, their maturity, and the care for student needs. I am continually impressed by the work that is happening at CHEC and so glad that we were able to share this with our national network.” They are definitely looking forward to many more connections in the future!
DEPARTMENT OF STATE OPPORTUNITY FOR DCPS TEACHERS
Greetings from the U.S. Department of State! We are pleased to share an exciting opportunity for DCPS teachers and school librarians in grades 6-12: The United States Department of State Teacher Institute.
Applications will close at 11:59 p.m. on March 1, 2019.
The program is very competitive. Selected educators will participate in an intensive training led by the United States Diplomacy Center and the Diplomatic Reception Rooms from July 15-19, 2019 at the U.S. Department of State. Participants will learn to incorporate the history and practice of diplomacy into their classroom by discovering the people who conduct diplomacy, the places where the U.S. Department of State engages in diplomacy, the issues diplomacy helps resolve, and the tools to integrate diplomacy into their classroom. Participants will learn to conduct diplomacy simulations that foster global competency skills and become proficient in object-based teaching. Participants will gain unparalleled access to the historic art and objects in the U.S. Department of State’s collections and will utilize these resources to create dynamic lesson plans that help engage students in active learning and teaches the importance of diplomacy.
To learn more about the Teacher Institute, please click here:
https://diplomacy.state.gov/education/teacher-institute
Teacher Institute – The United States Diplomacy Center
diplomacy.state.gov
The 5-day institute, available to 6th-12th grade teachers from Montgomery County, Fairfax County, and District of Colombia public schools, is structured to provide an array of engaging opportunities including diplomatic simulations, object-based learning, historic background, classroom techniques, and more.
To learn more about the educational initiatives of the Diplomatic Reception Rooms and United States Diplomacy Center, please watch these short videos:
https://vimeo.com/244777451
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=feRjCnKaC8Q
The Institute is open to teachers of social studies, the visual or performing arts, English language arts, world language teachers, school librarians, or those interested in bringing a global perspective into their classroom working with students in grades 6 to 12. Educators and schools selected for this prestigious program will be recognized in the press, and educators will receive PD credit and a stipend. To apply, educators can visit at: https://goo.gl/forms/sumz33810GYF3MNn1
Anne Menotti
Senior Advisor, Education & Outreach
Diplomatic Reception Rooms
U.S. Department of State
MenottiAD@state.gov
Lauren K. Fischer
Education Specialist
U.S. Diplomacy Center
U.S. Department of State
FischerLK@state.gov
OPPORTUNITY – MARCH 5th – FULL DAY TRAINING – ADULT CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION
Strategies for ELL’s, and STEM strategies. The next ALT Team meeting will be on Wednesday, February 13 at 3:30 pm, and we will analyze Science and Social Studies writing products for alignment to PARCC and AP, and calibrate student work from those departments. Please see this flyer for more details.
VISUAL ARTS PD OPPORTUNITY IN EL SALVADOR
Caroline Lacey, an artist, educator and native Washingtonian has lived and worked in El Salvador with Laberinto Projects, an arts and education non-profit. This past summer Laberinto Projects held a pilot for a professional development program in El Salvador for educators in the MD/DC/VA area and were thrilled with the overwhelmingly positive response to the course, an incredible and intimate learning experience on the ground in El Salvador. Laberinto Projects is officially launching four dates for 2019 and they wanted to share those with you. (PFD attached for printing and sharing).
Here is a link to the course and our organization http://laberintoprojects.com/educa-professiona-development/
The course, Visual Literacy as a Tool for Cultural Proficiency in the Classroom: El Salvador as a Case Study, is a professional development pre-immersion, in-country travel and post-immersion, 3-credit course for teachers in the Washington, D.C. area. It promotes teacher collaboration and applies standards-aligned tasks with direct impact on classroom learning, while fostering cultural proficiency and academic excellence. Teachers will acquire the tools needed to integrate the diversity of cultures and experiences that are represented in their classrooms through the exploration of a Central American art archive and through object-based learning, visual literacy skills and global competency. The course will be taught by Muriel Hasbun, a long time professor of the Corcoran Gallery and College of Art + Design. The 3-credit course is accredited through Washington Trinity University.
For more information, contact Caroline Lacey at coolacey@gmail.com or 240.418.6276. www.laberintoprojects.com
MS. BRUGGEMAN RECEIVES FUNDING FROM DONORS CHOOSE
Give Ms. Bruggeman a high five! Her classroom project "Cuba and Panama Cultural Exchange-Developing Global Citizens in Washington D.C.!" was recently funded for $1,468.
OPPORTUNITY FROM GLOBALIZE DC
Globalize DC shares information about free global opportunities open to DC educators, students, and schools. They send information out by email and on their website. These great global opportunities as a “Global Alert” are included at the following link for sharing within the CHEC community – there are trips and other great programs that may be of interest.
LOGGING IN TO CANVAS
For any students who need assistance to log into Canvas, follow the directions below. If there are any students that cannot log into Canvas please have them email the Canvas support team at dcps.canvas@dc.gov.
Student Login Information:
Username: Student ID #
Password: Birthdate (MMDDYY) (Note: include a zero in front of single digits. For instance, 01/09/05 would be 010905)
WILDERNESS LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITY
Wilderness Leadership and Learning (WILL) is a holistic 12-month experiential learning, youth leadership and life skills development program for DC 9th to 11th graders. WILL is beginning to recruit for its 15th class. There have been Bell students in WILL every year. Please refer a student to be part of this amazing program to strengthen student's leadership, life skills, cultural awareness, empathy, compassion, and Environmental Awareness. Contact Ms. Elmore, College and Career Center, A126. Milagros.Lopez@dc.gov with student referrals.
CHEC LIBRARIES UPDATES
LINCOLN LIBRARY
DCPS Winners in 2019 Mark Cuban Winter Reading Challenge
Congrats to CHEC on being one of the top DCPS schools during the January Winter Reading Challenge!! Students and staff across grade levels worked hard to include time to read independently or during class while logging books and minutes through Beanstack.
Technology Knights Are Here to Help!
8th grade students have been selected to serve as technology leaders during second semester. Students have been assigned carts and teachers to provide help as issues arise and assist in inventory or other tech needs. Follow the link below for students introductions and cart assignments. More information will be added periodically.
Black History Month Resources
Thank you for the feedback from last week's staff meeting. Please fill out the survey link so we can better assist you during Black History Month or throughout the school year. Resources to Black History Month lessons, podcasts, and other ideas can be found below.
Survey: https://bit.ly/2t6AfmE
Articles to Read:
Ten Ways Teacher Librarians Improve Literacy in Schools
STEM Role Models Posters - Nevertheless Podcast
Audiobooks to Listen to During Black History Month
FREE Poster Downloads: Women in Science - Women's History Month
BELL LIBRARY
Top Bell Library Patrons for the Month of January:
1. Rashard Thompson
2. Zion Marcellous Caudle
3. Jordan Helena Hopper
4. Armando Abarca-Salvador
5. Miracle Gilyard
6. Robert Myles Hubbard
7. Cora M. Norris
8. Mayra Wallace
9. Cheyenne Miasa Boney
10. Amat Gaye
Please reserve using the Bell library via our reservation platform, Skedda:
(https://reservechecbelllibrary.skedda.com/booking). Once booking your first reservation you will be prompted to create a quick login. Users will be able to see when space is available and when space is unavailable. This will allow for transparency and comfort in knowing that the time that you have requested, is available. There is also a space for *notes. If you would like to request AV material (i.e. projector), please let Mr. Stewart know.
For Black Lives Matter Week and Black History Month--on February 5, 2019 Ballou High School student authors will join us to discuss their book, Our Lives Matter. If you and your students would like to attend this Bell Library event, 10:15 AM- 11:45 AM, please let me know. Each participant will receive a copy of the book that will be signed by the authors-- limited space, please reserve soon! December's author talk with students from the LAYC entitled, Voces Sin Fronteras: Our Stories, Our Truth was amazing with CHEC students asking prudent and deep diving questions.
Please remind students to log their books for the 25 Books Campaign and Winter Challenge via Clever. If you have any questions please let me know.
Whether it's PARCC, the SAT, ACT or simply because you want to be the best you--according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin- Madison, Kids connect with Robot Reading partners and reading friends which in turn enhances their desire and enthusiasm to read and learn. Educators please identify students who you believe would benefit from a reading partner or buddy! These students will be paired and the reading fun will begin!
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach Mr. Stewart via email: christopher.stewart2@k12.dc.gov or call: (202) 939-7700 Ext. 5118
Bell Library Reservations
The CHEC Bell High School Library would love to invite teachers and staff to reserve library space via our new platform, Skedda (https://reservechecbelllibrary.skedda.com/booking). Once booking your first reservation you will be prompted to create a quick login. Users will be able to see when space is available and when space is unavailable. This will allow for transparency and comfort in knowing that the time that you have requested, is available. There is also a space for *notes. If you would like to request AV material (i.e. projector) I can have that available and set-up for you.
Bell Library Writing Center
Days: Tuesdays & Thursdays
Time: 8 AM- 8:50 AM & lunch periods
Location: Bell High School Library
We all need help! Great authors and writers have editors...the library will assist with:
Interpreting a writing assignment
Creating ideas
Locating and sharpening a thesis statement
Organizing ideas and research
Developing a logical argument
Identifying recurrent errors and strategies for revising.
*Please email papers you would like to be reviewed, at least 48 hours before the due date. Email address: christopher.stewart2@dc.gov.
CHEC Library Brunch
"The Brunch" held, once a month starting Monday, November 5th [beginning of hypothermia season] has been a great way to connect to the community through books and food (all free)! In our Nation's Capitol we have an epidemic when it comes to poverty and homelessness, including heightened illiteracy rates for several populations. Street Sense, a District of Columbia based newspaper that employs formerly and currently homeless individuals and, provides articles that touch on important issues concerning the homeless population will be interviewing me about the Brunch with the CHEC/Bell Librarian: Food, Lit. & Book Discussion program my work on ending homelessness and poverty in the District of Columbia and beyond, including the home for the homeless (no more) that I am opening this winter.
FLAMBOYAN UPDATE
Why Family Engagement?
A strong body of research shows that family engagement matters for student success.
Students do better in school and in life when their parents are engaged in their education. Family engagement contributes to a range of positive student outcomes, including improved student achievement, decreased disciplinary issues, and improved parent-child and teacher-child relationships. Emerging evidence also suggests that family engagement can have important benefits for the inner-functioning of schools, including school staff having higher expectations for students, more shared ownership and trust across their faculty, and, ultimately, stronger school performance.
All families can be capable guides, partners, and advocates in their child’s education.
Regardless of a parent’s circumstances, family engagement is not a static enterprise - with the right interventions parents can change their behaviors in relationship to their child’s education. In focus groups conducted in 2009, District parents in all wards were clear that they cared about and wanted to support their child’s learning but needed additional skills and knowledge to do so. Furthermore, they pointed out that they wanted schools to be more welcoming and responsive to their involvement.
Families play specific roles that support student achievement.
Although there is widespread consensus about the importance of family engagement, there is a diversity of opinions about what, exactly, family engagement means. Research about the impact of different types of family engagement help address this challenge. Meta-analyses find that, when it comes to how strongly parent involvement predicts student achievement, a parent’s participation in school itself is a blip on the radar screen compared to a parent holding high expectations and setting goals for their individual child, monitoring progress and holding them accountable, and supporting learning at home, among other things. Although many of these forms of family engagement are difficult for school staff to see, schools still play an important role in affecting them.
Please join us in giving every student the gift of Family Engagement! Please reach out to your family engagement team, Jessica Gonzalez and Kristen Whitaker if you have any questions or concerns! We look forward to supporting you in this work!
CLIMATE:
CHEC ALUM JEFFREY FUENTES - CLASS OF 2011 - INSPIRING 9TH GRADE STUDENTS
Culture Update with Middle School Dean – Mr. Bode Aking
“The art of acceptance is the art of making someone who has just done you a small favor wish the he might have done you a greater one.” –Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..
I hope everyone had a great weekend and that you were able to honor the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr. at some point this weekend as well. Education is “the civil rights issue of our time,” and this work was begun by Dr. King’s movement and there is still a lot of work to be done. We know this when we speak to, work with and care for our students at CHEC. But we are making progress. And we will continue to make progress if we continue to plan for and to love on our students with consistency.
As I considered the words of Dr. King above, I realized that they reflect the same principle for why we spend so much time talking about celebrating our students and why we need do more celebrating. We celebrate the small stuff (just as we “sweat” the small stuff) so that students will wish to do more of the small stuff. Inevitably the celebrations of the small stuff cause the small steps to turn into big successes.
How will you celebrate the small gains, behaviorally and academically, this week? Consider the following:
- Give PBIS points when a student that often has a tough day completes all of his or her work.
- Recognize when a student gets back on track after a redirection.
- Honor publicly students who turn in homework, especially when they’ve struggled to do so in the past.
- Catch students “doing good,” transitioning appropriately, speaking to one another kindly—point them out and give them PBIS points.
Let’s spend these next week’s celebrating the small stuff, the small efforts and the small progresses.
Please don’t lose sight of the following:
Please do not lose sight of each of the following below, as they are crucial to maintaining and improving the culture that we desire:
Uniforms
Please share these important reminders with students and parents.
- Sweaters/jackets – if they are out of uniform, they should be in lockers all day or confiscated. Lincoln and Bell sweaters can be bought from the Deans or the Main Office. Lincoln and Bell sweaters $21 and sweaters with the zipper $27.
- Please call parents when you see students out of uniform and refusing to get in uniform to ensure it is very clear that they should be in full uniform at all times. Refer any further questions to Dean Aking, Dean Boone and Dean Galvan.
Detention
- Detention is a first intervention we have for students to check and correct their behavior in your classrooms. Students being informed of this consequence is vital to the effectiveness of the consequence. Remember to use our 5 step process with fidelity so that our students will not earn a greater consequence of ISS and thus lose valuable class time.
Dismissal
- We always need more support at dismissal from 3:15pm until 3:35pm (High School), 4:15pm until 4:35pm (Middle School). Please follow students all the way out to the front of the building. Students should be encouraged to move on toward their bus stops/metro quickly. Teachers and staff that can make themselves available to stay out front will be greatly appreciated.
Cafeteria Support
- All lunches have their ups and their downs. We always appreciate additional supports in the cafeteria on days that teachers are available. Check-ins with students build relationships and adult presence supports our daily procedures in lunch.
WEEKLY SPORTS UPDATE
Athletics are an integral part of the educational program and a means to accomplish the goals of education. Our athletic program exists for the welfare of students and the contributions it makes to their educational experience. Athletic participation builds self-esteem and confidence and provides the necessary tools for success. The interaction between individuals on the fields of sport teaches students the value of teamwork, while developing the proper competitive spirit, combined with a sense of fairness.
CHEC SENIOR RASHAAD HARRIS ON SIGNING DAY
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
Congratulatitons to Coach Hanlon and the middle school girls basketball team on a great season. The middle school girls lost in the championship to Takoma. The state basketball tournament will take place this week for our high school boys basketball team. Swim championships will also take place this week.
LINCOLN
Girls Basketball: 12 – 2
Boys Basketball: 6 - 8
BELL
Varsity Girls Basketball: 6 – 10
Junior Varsity Basketball: 9 – 6
Varsity Boys Basketball: 9 – 10
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
Monday
HS Bowling vs. SWW at Bolling AFB @ 4:00
Tuesday
No Games
Wednesday
Varsity Boys Basketball vs. Ron Brown at CHEC @ 6:00 (DCSAA Tournament)
Thursday
HS Bowling vs. Phelps at Bolling AFB @ 4:00
DCSAA Basketball Tournament Semfinals at Georgetown University @ 5:00
Friday
Swim Championships at Takoma @ 5:00
Saturday
No Games