CHEC bulletin for Week of December 7, 2020
MARIA TUKEVA’S (MT) MESSAGE:
MEETINGS THIS WEEK:
All Departments and SLC’s send individual notifications of their meetings
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Monday, December 7, 2020
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
SLC Meeting
Department Meetings
9:30am- CHEC Parent Workshop - en Espanol
Term 2 PR Aspen Gradebook Opened
LSAT/Reopen Community Corp Meeting 4:00 pm
Thursday, December 10, 2020
International Celebration
11:30am- CHEC Parent Workshop - in English
Middle School Parent Town Hall – Reopen Corp – 5:30pm
Friday, December 11, 2020
High School Parent Town Hall – Reopen Update – 5:30 pm
UPCOMING EVENTS
REOPEN UPDATES
Thank you to all for your authentic engagement with our students, parents and colleagues last week during our Faculty Meeting. We gained valuable insight from our students and parents, as well as from one another. A special thank you is in order for our facilitators of the circles! The process of planning for reopening is one that will take the collective effort, ideas, and compassion of all members of our community. I particularly appreciate everyone’s concern for fellow colleagues, students and families, as we consider how to design a reopen process that will take into account everyone’s needs and circumstances.
Updates for this week include:
- Survey for Parents and Students – The Parent Survey will be sent electronically via email, and the Student survey will be conducted on Tuesday and Wednesday in Advisory.
- Reopen Community Corp will meet on Wednesday, December 9, at 4:00 pm. At this meeting we will look at the data from our surveys and discussions to determine what our design will look like.
- On Thursday and Friday, we will have Parent Town Hall Meetings at 5:30 pm to share information with Parents, and gain additional engagement and involvement.
- Our Instructional Plan is due on Friday, December 11.
As always, thank you for all you do, for our students, families, and school community. “We trust one another to continually improve our practice..” This is more important now, than ever before.!
INSIGHT SURVEY
The Insight Survey is underway, and the deadline is this Friday, December 11. We use the results of the Insight Survey to design our Comprehensive School Plan, and determine where we need to make improvements in the areas of Leadership, School Environment, Professional Development, Diversity, and Instruction. You should have a received an email with a link to the survey. If you cannot find the link, please contact insightsurvey@tntp.org.
KOGNITO TRAINING - AT RISK STUDENTS
All DCPS employees are required to take a three hour on line training focused on best practices and strategies for working with at risk students. This week, in order to provide time to complete this survey, SLC and Department time on Wednesday will be focused on completing the survey. Your Department Chair and SLC Administrator will provide details.
ADVISORY 1 GRADING FOLLOW UP
This is a reminder that in our ALT Team meeting of December 1, 2020, (4:00 pm) we created a Sub-Committee on grading and gradebooks. Please be on the look out for information that the Sub-Committee will be sharing.
SHOUT OUTS
- Shout out to Ms. Penn for coordinating our NAF CTE Computer Science Week this week!
- Kudos to the Middle School Counselors, Ms. Cruz, Ms. Marshall and Ms. Ortez, for finishing all of their SST’s for November!!
- Shout out to Ms. Nunez, she will be addressing the International Conference of Teachers of English this week!
- Shout out to Mr. Cohen, he was nominated for the Witness Institute Fellowship for Emerging Leaders!
- Shout out to Ms.McCulloch’s AP art students, their ornaments were displayed on the National Christmas Tree!
WE HAVE A RECOGNITION! HONORED TEACHERS PARTNERSHIP CONTINUES THIS YEAR!
Columbia Heights Education Campus’s great teachers deserve to be recognized! We’re proud to partner with Honored Schools again this year to do just that! Go to HonoredSchools.org to tell Columbia Heights Education Campus teachers how they’ve made a difference. Please share this with parents and students! Once recognized, teachers get an email with your recognition story and we’ll celebrate them! Last year our very own Ms. Ramirez won the Life-Changing Teacher Award and a $5000 cash award!
INSTRUCTION:
DECEMBER 3, 2020 FACULTY MEETING
WEEK 6 OF ADVISORY 2
We are beginning the sixth week of the second advisory.
Progress reports are due this week
(December 15). Please be sure your
grades are ready on time, and that you have followed all grading guidance. By
this week the first GRASPS of the advisory should be almost complete and students, and in the independent work period
of the class, students should be completing different components of the
project, and giving and getting feedback. In reflecting upon the First
Advisory portfolio presentations, we saw that in order for students to speak
authentically on the essential questions of the unit, it is important to weave
those questions throughout the instructional process. Other reflections and
suggestions to consider as we progress through the second advisory:
Take advantage of Break Out rooms as a way to engage
students in more academic discourse with each other, and reduce the amount of
teacher talk.
Provide incentives and fun ways for students to come on camera daily, so that when it comes time to present their portfolios, they are ready to come on camera and speak in front of others. For example, let students know a week in advance, when their turn will be to come on camera and show their work or present something. Then, provide badges or other incentives. The Dean Team will be visiting classes to assist in promoting a higher level of engagement.
INSTRUCTIONAL CALENDAR
The Instructional Calendar is a living document that houses all the major curricular requirements, assessments, and schoolwide events. The Instructional Calendar is complete for the moment, however changes may be made and will be noted. If you have any requests for additions to the Instructional Calendar, please contact Mr. Magee, peter.magee@k12.dc.gov, or your SLC Administrator.
Please view the Instructional Calendar for 2020-21 here.
IMPACT UPDATES
Informal observations for teachers have begun, and will
continue until every teacher has had at least one informal observation. Once
you have had an informal observation and feedback, the formal observation will
take place.
As a follow up to our IMPACT orientation we last month, we are creating a library of practices and videos to support development on particular EP’s. As we discussed, we are all in a learning curve with virtual instruction, and will be learning from each other throughout the year. If you would like to share a best practice and be videotaped for the video library, please let your SLC Administrator know.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Professional Development and learning is a priority for all of us, and we are all on a new learning curve.
Here is the link for topics being covered in office hours this week:
Join the Summit Master Course Training each Tuesday during the first 30 minutes of your planning period to learn new Summit Projects and PLT Best Practices!
Ms. Ramirez- Building engaging content assessments and checks for understanding
Ms. Zuccarello- Focus Area Workshops and Mentoring during PLT
Contact Veronica Zuccarello or Gabriela Ramirez with any questions.
EQUITY BEGINS WITH
OUR CURRICULUM
As part of our
mission to develop as leaders in the quest for social justice, it is important
that we continually review and revise our curriculum to align it to social justice
and anti-racism. Please take advantage
of this great opportunity. T
Black Lives Matter at School 2021 Curriculum Fair
Please join Teaching for Change and the D.C. Area Educators for Social Justice network for a virtual Black Lives Matter at School Curriculum Fair, co-hosted by Howard University's School of Education, on Saturday, January 30 from 10:00 am - 12: 30 PM ET. Teachers will have the opportunity to: - Join workshops featuring lessons related to the BLM at School Week of Action - Hear from guest speakers and panelists - Receive a FREE e-book for remote instruction Learn about previous BLM at School curriculum fairs here: https://www.dcareaeducators4socialjustice.org/news/black-lives-matter-curriculum-fair and RSVP below.
OPPORTUNITIES:
MS. DULCE NUNEZ REPRESENTS CHEC AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH
UPDATES FROM: I FAMILY CODING NIGHT I AP ART STUDENTS I LINCOLN LIBRARY I DONORS CHOOSE I DULCE NUNEZ REPRESENTS CHEC I
CODING FAMILY NIGHT AT CHEC
CHEC AP STUDENTS DESIGN ORNAMENTS FOR THE NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE
Here is a short video about the holiday display on the mall. There is a moment where you can see some of the ornaments designed by this year's AP cohort.
National Christmas Tree Lit Without Crowds This Year
A D.C. holiday tradition carried on, but it looked much different than in years past. Because of COVID-19, no live audience was present when the first family flipped the switch on the National Christmas Tree. News4’s Shomari Stone has more.
The students who submitted design were:
- Bleriot Abanda
- Cesar Bautista
- David Guerra
- Alcides Lopez
- Brayan Vargas
- Janaiyah Ward
MANDY McCULLOCH
LINCOLN LIBRARY UPDATES
LMS Roles Spotlight: Teacher-Librarian Collaboration Ideas
Another role of a Library Media Specialist is Reading Advocate. As your partner, I can help you brainstorm, develop, and curate resources to further build a culture of reading within your classroom and CHEC to build reading stamina, inquisitive scholars, and mildly skeptic information consumers. Some ideas to consider:
Plan Drop Everything and Read time (all contents, PLT, flexible or more structured)
Book clubs and/or virtual author visits (all contents, PLT, singular or multi lesson)
Reading challenges, including the 25 Books Campaign (all contents)
Media Literacy & Current Events (all contents, PLT, singular or multi lesson)
Previous roles mentioned: Instructional Partner and Information Specialist. Contact angela.falkenberg@k12.dc.gov for more information.
Hour of Code: December 7-13, 2020
The Hour of Code is happening this year from Dec. 7-13, 2020, and Code.org has designed 115 brand-new tutorials and lesson plans! Many activities were created with remote learning in mind to support the various classroom models taking place during this time. You can sign up to participate in the Hour of Code here. Reach out to Ms. Falkenberg if you'd like to partner on mini activities or lessons. Activities and links will also be available in the Lincoln Library Hour of Code channel. Worth exploring for STEM classes or WUW computer and gaming sessions. Reach out to Ms. Penn Pearson (krishunda.penn@k12.dc.gov) for next week's CTE & Computer Science Virtual Events. Events will also be posted through the CHEC Resource Hub Canvas Calendar.
DONORS CHOOSE - MS. ERICKSON HAS A PROJECT FUNDED
Ms. Erickson’s classroom project "Independent Reading Books for Students of the Week Incentives" was recently funded by Donors Choose.
MY STUDENTS
Our ninety 8th-grade students are intellectually-curious, creative, and resilient scholars who work hard each day in class to fulfill our school's mission "to succeed in college and civic life as leaders in the quest for social justice." These students are mostly Latino and African American. Many are immigrants or the children of immigrants. Many are learning English. 100 percent qualify for free and reduced lunch. Despite the obstacles that face our students, they are incredibly hardworking and diligent, focused on their studies and achieving their goals.
In my English Language Arts classroom, our students read complex texts and develop critical thinking skills necessary for their futures.
We cultivate our loves of reading together every day. Our students are grateful to have access to texts, both in and outside of the classroom, to learn and develop their skills. Personal copies of texts enable our students to annotate on and interact with their reading as well as come back to what they read and continue their pursuits as lifelong readers.
These students inspire me daily, and as they begin to leave their marks on the world in the future, I hope they inspire you, too!
MY PROJECT
Remaining academically motivated during remote learning from home amidst the pandemic is challenging for even the most diligent students. My students learn best and are able to overcome academic challenges when their hard work is regularly celebrated in our virtual classrooms. In my classroom, to recognize students' hard work, I select five students each week as our Students of the Week. My ninety students and I celebrate these students in class by congratulating them virtually and sending encouraging messages to them and their families. Their favorite part of being selected, though, is getting to pick an independent reading book to keep. Our students are so grateful to have access to texts of their own to continue their independent reading outside of class, enabling them to continue to build their reading and critical thinking skills, take ownership of their learning, and remain motivated amidst this challenging time.
The resources for this project include:
- Just Mercy (Adapted for Young Adults): A True Story of the Fight for Justice x 5
- March: Book One x 5
- New Kid x 5
- One Crazy Summer x 5
- Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry x 5
- Maus I: A Survivor's Tale My Father Bleeds History x 2
- The Book Thief x 3
- The Maze Runner x 3
- The Giver x 5
- The Alchemyst x 2
The DonorsChoose team
P.S. Check out your school page at DonorsChoose to see all the teachers posting projects from your school. You can trade tips and tricks with colleagues to get your projects funded.
DULCE NUNEZ - INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE FOR TEACHERS OF ENGLISH
On Friday December 4th, Ms. Dulce Nunez, representing CHEC, made a presentation at the International Conference for Teachers of English.
Here is a photo that Ms. Nunez is proudly sharing since she mastered scaffolding at CHEC.
STUDENT WORKS
In this section of our Bulletin, we will highlight student work from all disciplines. If you would like to share some excellent student work, please send to M. Tukeva, and we will highlight it in this section.
This week we would like to highlight the work of Alex Flores, Ana Reynoso, Anura Sharma, Anura Sharma, Anna Aguilera and Alberdy Ramirez Lopez.
These students submitted works that are featured on the Smithsonian website as part of the Living Through History project. The Living through History Cornerstone is a K-12 academic and SEL curriculum for DCPS students. Through the lens of global competencies, students, staff, and families applied academics across content areas to understand and process their experiences during the quarantine and connect with others’ experiences across the globe.
Please check out their incredible work below.
THE DEAN TEAM:
Hello CHEC Family!
We hope you all are well. The Dean Team would like to share
a few shout outs and friendly reminders.
CHEC Happening:
What's happening at CHEC? We have added an Activities and
Trips Tab to the Canvas hub. The Canvas hub will serve as our central location
for all things LIT; hence the name of the tab LIT School Activities and Trips!
All students will be receiving notifications of activities, events, and trips
happening at CHEC. Please use the link below to see activities added to the LIT
School Activities and Trips Calendar. https://dcps.instructure.com/courses/206982
PBIS STUDENT WINNERS: WEEK 11 | |
Student Name | Grades |
Frank Juarez Crespin | 6 |
Marilin
Escobar Orozco | 7 |
Evanyeli
Chiti-Alay | 7 |
Amy
Calderon | 8 |
Frank
Juarez Crespin | 9 |
Suhnya
Hester | 9 |
Gabriela
Valdez Hernandez | 9 |
Erickson
Turcios-Canales | 9 |
Billy
Garcia | 9 |
Taylor
Harvey | 10 |
Anna
Aguilera | 10 |
Deovion
Barrett | 11 |
Joselyn
Bercian | 12 |
Please celebrate these students for their high earnings of PRIDE points!
Student Support Forms:
Also, we have created a padlet which has the student support form and the behavior referral form. Please bookmark this padlet for future reference: CHEC Student Support Guide. Feel free to connect with the Dean Team if you have any questions.
Peace & Love,
The Dean Team
WEEKLY SPORTS UPDATE
On Monday, December 7th, the CHEC athletic department will be facilitating a NCAA clearinghouse registration event at 4:00pm via MS Teams. This event is open to all student-athletes and parents but is specifically targeted at our junior and senior student-athletes who are interesting in playing sports in college. If you're interested in attending this event, please reach out to Coach A (desmond.alexander@k12.dc.gov for the meeting link. Information can also be found on our CHEC athletic Instagram page @checsports. Additionally, DCIAA in partnership with Quest Act will be hosting a virtual Student-Athlete Leadership Summit led, which will take place on Thursday, December 10th at 4:30pm. Student-athletes can use the attached flyer to access the summit by scanning the QR code.
If you haven't done so already, complete your participation forms online and upload your current physical for this school year. Participations forms are available via https://www.thedciaa.com/participation-forms. Currently, there are no DCIAA physical days scheduled, so it is imperative that potential student-athletes schedule a physical with their own doctor. Physicals must be signed by a nurse practitioner (NP) or medical doctor (MD). Parents should click on the link corresponding to the appropriate level, whether middle or high school. Online forms are also available in Spanish.
Finally, our list of head coaches is below. Reach out to the coaches directly if you are a student-athlete, teacher, or parent for team meet up login information or if you have any other questions. If you haven’t done so yet, follow us on Instagram @checsports.
Lincoln
Archery – HC TBD (reach out to coach A desmond.alexander@k12.dc.gov
Baseball – Carlos Mesa carlos.mesa@k12.dc.gov
Boys Basketball – Lionel Edmonds lionel.edmonds@k12.dc.gov
Girls Basketball – Constance Hanlon constance.hanlon@k12.dc.gov
Cheerleading – Aaliyah Wright aaliyahwright88@gmail.com
Cross Country/Outdoor Track – Lionel Edmonds lionel.edmonds@k12.dc.gov
Golf – Marie Erickson marie.erickson@k12.dc.gov
Boys Soccer – Rhina Merino rnmerino123@gmail.com
Girls Soccer – Andrea Lewis andrea.lewis2@k12.dc.gov
Softball – Yanerca Marte yanerca.marte@k12.dc.gov
Swimming – Samuel Burmester samuel.burmester@k12.dc.gov
Wrestling – Eduardo Reyes eduardo.reyes@k12.dc.gov
Bell
Baseball – Reiss Allen reiss.allen@k12.dc.gov
Bowling – Mya Ferguson mya.ferguson@k12.dc.gov
Boys Cross Country/Indoor Track/Outdoor Track – Mark Robinson markblaytonrobinson@gmail.com
Girls Cross Country/Indoor Track/Outdoor Track – Donzella Hartwill donzella.hartwill@k12.dc.gov
Varsity Boys Basketball – Rodney Cook rodney.cook@k12.dc.gov
JV Boys Basketball – Mathieu Seichon mathieu.seichon@gmail.com
Varsity Girls Basketball – Rodricus Ficklin rodricus.ficklin2@k12.dc.gov
Cheerleading/Stunt – Dionne Wright dionnewright02@gmail.com
Flag Football – Ryan Duvall ryan.duvall@k12.dc.gov
Football – Daniel Tyson dnltysn@gmail.com
Golf – Ryan Duvall ryan.duvall@k12.dc.gov
Boys Rugby – Brian Mihelic brian.mihelic@gmail.com
Girls Rugby – Katherine Hanson katherinehanson17@gmail.com
Boys and Girls Soccer – Victor Molina victor.molina@k12.dc.gov
Softball – Thomas Spoth thomas.spoth@k12.dc.gov
Swimming – Reiss Allen reiss.allen@k12.dc.gov
Tennis – Lindsey Benjamin lindsey.benjamin@k12.dc.gov
Volleyball – Mafope Alao mafope.alao@k12.dc.gov
Wrestling – Kenrry Alvarado kenrry.alavardo@k12.dc.gov
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Desmond Alexander, CAA
Athletic Director
Columbia Heights Educational Campus
Bell/Lincoln Multicultural Schools