01-24-2022 - CHEC BULLETIN

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MS. KAMAL'S 11TH GRADE AP ENGLISH CLASS
WEEK OF JAN. 24, 2022


Monday, Jan. 24, 2022
Exams/Portfolios


Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022
Exams/Portfolios
ALT Team Mtg 3:45


Wednesday, Jan. 26, 2022
Term 2 Ends
Half day PD - Half Day Records day for staff  (no school for students)


Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022
First Day of Advisory 3



Principal: Maria Tukeva



JANUARY 24, 2022: THIS WEEK'S FOCUS

This week, as we end the first semester of School Year 21-22, and begin the second semester, we focus on the mission phrase,

We trust one another to continually improve our practices.“ At any transition point, we find ourselves with an opportunity to reflect on what worked well, and what we can improve.  The re entry to full in person learning in the first semester, was a huge change in daily routine and practices, for all of us. Now, at the mid- point of the year, we have an opportunity to reflect, collaborate and adjust as needed for the second semester.  Here are some recommendations as we transition to a new semester:

  • Make sure all students have all the classes they need for the second semester, including Credit Recovery
  • To end Advisory 2 strong, and limit failures, for the next week, reach out and push students to complete work, take make up exams, so that they can be sure to pass all of their classes. Contact parents with KinVo to let them know the urgency.
  • New Classes starting this advisory/semester will need CANVAS pages set up by Thursday – please reach out for help if you need it
  • For new and continuing classes, this is a good time to re-norm, and to align your classroom norms to the schoolwide norms.  Review the four Schoolwide norms, and align your opening routines and rituals and teaching of norms, to the schoolwide norms
  • Please prepare to celebrate the accomplishments of the second advisory,  by giving ideas and nominations for your Grade Level Awards Assembly, which will be occurring no later than February 11th.  Collaborate as  a grade level to make the awards reach more students, instead of one student receiving multiple awards.
  • Seating Assignments in classes have to be updated, and new classes will need seating charts. Please work with your SLC Administrator on this.
  • Be prepared to launch your first GRASPS on Day one of the First Semester – remember – gaining student engagement and interest in the GRASPS is the first step in instruction!

Let’s use our CHEC teamwork to have a wonderful start to Semester 2!  Thank you CHEC Team, for all you do!



CLIMATE AND NORMS

Thank you to all for your collaboration and engagement as we make sure we are communicating clearly to all students what our norms are, and why they are important to our whole school community.  This week’s Focus Norm is Dependability. As with previous norms, lessons have been developed, and we will begin them on Thursday.  The lessons were postponed last week to allow full class time for portfolios and other end of the semester assessments.  Your SLC administrator will share the lessons with you.

An important part of reinforcing the norms, are incentives.  One incentive that the SGA has advocated for, is an opportunity to go off campus for lunch (chaperoned by staff).  Each week, we will select one class, nominated by a teacher, to go off campus for lunch.  This Tuesday will be our first Off Campus Lunch! Last week, three teachers nominated their classes – Mr. Pinto, Ms. Weiss and Ms. Ferguson.   A plicker wheel was used to choose the winning class. And the winner is – Ms. Ferguson’s 3rd period class! We will be going to the Mayflower Chinese Restaurant on Mount Pleasant Street.   

The process is the following:

1.Please nominate a class that you have, that has for the most part (90% of the class 90% of the time) demonstrated the first two norms – Owning their Learning, and Digital Citizenship.
2.All nominated classes will be put into a random selection process, (Plicker wheel) and only one be selected to go off campus for lunch.  Each student in the class will be provided with $6.00 to support the purchase of their lunch (they can use their own money as well).
3.If there are any students in the nominated class with less than 85% attendance, or with multiple discipline referrals, they will not be included in the lunch off campus.
5.There will be more incentives coming – please participate in our incentive survey coming up this week!



COVID 19 UPDATES

The COVID 19 SERT Team met on Wednesday, January 12, and will meet again on Wednesday, February 2, at 3:45 in the High School Library and virtually.  The team shouted out the continuing teamwork and diligence of all staff, greater consistency in redirecting students for mask wearing, discussed future presentations by the Student Ambassador Team, as well as DCPS updates and announcements such as the Test to Return after the February and April breaks.

Update on Testing and Cases:
The number of new  cases this past week include 2 staff, and 5 students.  This reflects a decrease in staff cases and an decrease in student cases.  

  • We must continually reinforce proper wearing of masks – This week, we will send home any student who refuses to wear his or her mask properly.
  • Limiting unnecessary passes for students is critical to limiting transmission.  The Agenda book is the only pass, and it must be signed and dated.



SHOUT OUTS

  • Shout out and Farewell to Ms. Bowens! As she transitions to Central Office, we thank her for all her contributions to CHEC! She will be missed!
  • Shout out to Mr. Stewart for selecting students to give our MLK Day Announcements!
  • Shout out to all teachers and staff who have been covering classes!
  • Kudos to the Ops Team, Admin Team and Dean Team for their coordination of COVID 19 testing, contact tracing, and prevention!



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! Please see below our Honored Teachers from last week, and go to the website to read the wonderful things their students say about them!






INSTRUCTION
MR. FUENTES' 6TH GRADE SPANISH LANGUAGE ARTS CLASS
Week 11 of Advisory 2

We are now entering the first  week of the third advisory, and completing Portfolio Presentations and exams.  The first week of the new advisory, please be sure your CANVAS pages are updated, and for new classes, that they are set up.  Please also be ready to launch your first GRASP on the first day of class.  Launching it in a way that generates curiosity and engagement, will go a long way to gaining student interest.  The first week is also a time to renorm.  Please see the suggestions for the first week in the first article in the bulletin.  

Please see the plans for all departments in this link.




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.

OPPORTUNITIES
ANTIRACIST EDUCATOR UNIVERSITY KICKS OFF FEB. 3

On Thursday, February 3, 2022 at 4PM, DCPS is excited to launch the second year of Antiracist Educator University.

Antiracist Educator University is a virtual opportunity to proactively apply what we’ve learned about race and equity to our daily practice in the classroom as well as shifting policies, mindsets and culture.

Antiracist Educator University is a strategic lever that provides DCPS educators and staff with shared learning rooted in a collective commitment to active anti-racism. That’s why it applies the pillars of anti-racism and the DCPS Equity Framework with action through Content Experts, Professional Learning Communities and Micro-Credentialing. PLUs and certification are available at no cost.   
Key dates/times*

  • February 3, 4-4:45pm, 5-5:45pm
  • February 17, 4-4:45pm
  • March 17, 4-4:45pm, 5-5:45pm
  • April 21, 4-4:45pm
  • May 19, 4-4:45pm, 5-5:45pm
  • June 16, 4-4:45pm

*If these dates/times don't work for you, please still register! There are asynchronous options available as well. Synchronous PLCs will be limited to 15 participants per cluster.





SARAH MINTZ RECEIVES GRANT FROM THE GRANTED FOUNDATION

Ms. Mintz recently received funding notice from GrantED Foundation to support 50 paperback copies of the book "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai.  

NEW PROJECTS CREATED

MR. TALARICO HAS CREATED A NEW CLASSROOM PROJECT: "AP ENGLISH STUDENTS NEED CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN-AMERICAN NOVEL"

My Students
At my school, all students must take AP English Literature. However, our district will not provide a textbook for AP classes, leaving us to constantly scramble to find readings let alone books. About 40% of our students are African-American, but we currently do not have any novels by African-American writers available to our AP Lit students. Our students are creative critical thinkers who strive for social justice even though many of them have experienced immense inequalities. 100% of our students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. Despite these obstacles, our students have been incredibly successful in winning prestigious scholarships and attending renowned universities. They are truly an inspiration.

My Project
Due to limited resources, most of the novels we possess are canonical works by white men. Britt Bennett's acclaimed novel, The Vanishing Half, will expose students to a diverse, contemporary voice and an exciting, genre-bending style unlike any text they have ever read. In addition to an AP essay that analyzes Bennett's development of one complex relationship in the novel, students will interview a family member about their story and write a short story based on the interview. Students will then share their stories in a public forum and experience what it is like to be a real author.



MS. JESSI HAS CREATED A NEW CLASSROOM PROJECT: "HELP LET THE FEELINGS FLOW, NOT THE GERMS!"

My Students
Our students are primarily students with disabilities as we support learners with Behavioral Support Services on their IEPs, through counseling, therapy and coaching. We also support the general education population through group and individual therapy, as well as all students through Tier I and Tier II services which include targeting in classroom social-emotional curriculum and support. We love our students as they are resilient and motivated, represent diverse backgrounds and come to school ready to grow. Additionally, our Dual Language Immersion Early College Campus helps our students succeed despite all odds, as our student mostly come from low-income families, many from where English is not the first language.

My Project
Due to limited resources, related service providers (i.e. clinical social workers, youth engagement coordinators, suspension and expulsion coordinators) and community based organizations that provide therapy and case management to students and families during schools hours, have been unable to receive individual air filters for their offices located inside the schools. For these providers, their offices is where their work is done. It's these school-based offices where students receive therapy, counseling, crisis de-escalation, health resources and other essential wellness services. During the COVID public health crisis, a mental health crisis amongst our youth has emerged and the work of these providers must carry on in the safest ways possible to assist and support.


LINCOLN LIBRARY NEWS!

Schedule Library Visits and Collaborations
Email angela.falkenberg@k12.dc.gov or call extension 4018 to schedule Library Visits and/or lesson collaborations. These collaborations include co-teaching, resource curations, reading promotions, GRASP assistance, etc.

Angela Falkenberg
Columbia Heights EC - Lincoln MS
School Librarian, M.Ed
THE DEAN TEAM
DEWAYNE BOONE
KANEIL WILLIAMS
Greetings CHEC Family!

Quote of the week:
 

 
Thank you for fighting for our children! You may not see the results immediately, but their lives will be forever changed!


STAFF  RESOURCES

Special Education & Restorative Justice
January 25 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Restorative justice is a philosophy and approach rooted in indigenous traditions for building community and responding to harm. Schools worldwide are extending this tradition and applying restorative principles to manage classrooms and create inclusive, socially connected, and supportive learning environments. We are committed to educating youth regardless of their social, emotional, physical, or intellectual abilities. In fact, students with special needs and trauma make a significant part of our school population and are disproportionately represented in school discipline cases. Even with no formal diagnosis, students have different capacities for sustained attention, social awareness, intellectual cognition, emotional regulation, memory, and expressive and receptive language. This session will help participants identify and accommodate these differences as an essential part of preparing for, keeping, and following up on responsive interventions, such as responsive circles.
All professional development sessions use a trauma-informed approach and teach skills and practices that you can implement immediately.

Coaching and Skill Building; Restorative Practices in Action
January 26 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

In these highly experiential coaching sessions, you are invited to bring your unique challenges and questions and get on-the-spot coaching and group-peer support. These sessions may take us on pedagogical, behavioral, ethical, personal and cultural reflections and insights on how restorative practices can support individuals and our sense of community.  You will leave with both new or reinforced skills integrating the restorative approach and hands-on practical strategies for your unique situation. We will invite the wisdom in our circle and peer-to-peer support. Come and join us! Every Wednesday, 4-5:30pm EST.

CHEC HAPPENING

I. COVID-19 : We are still working actively to screen students at entry and test weekly for COVID-19.
a. Please continue to be safe and stress mask wearing, social distancing, and timely arrival to class as we.
b. Also, communicate any personal Covid-related health updates to pankaj.rayamajhi@k12.dc.gov.

II. Kickboard: The Culture Team will be rolling out our PBIS initiative connected to Kickboard in the upcoming weeks. To get information to provide us with incentives students would be interested in and the number of points which should be applied to each of the schools' norms, which will drive our incentives, we need all to complete the survey below:



STUDENTS OF THE WEEK


Look out for next week’s nominations!

Peace & Love,
The Dean Team
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.


LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
The middle school boys and girls basketball teams lost to Oyster Adams.  The middle school wrestling team placed 2nd at the last DCIAA meet.  The JV boys basketball team and varsity boys basketball teams defeated Phelps and Ron Brown.

SPORTS TEAM STANDINGS
LINCOLN
BB: 2 - 7
GB: 3 - 7
BELL
JVBB: 9 - 6
VGB: 5 - 6
VBB: 11 - 4
Bowling: 0 - 0
01/221/22 VIDEO RECAP:  BELL VS RON BROWN @CHEC (BOYS JV BASKETBALL)
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

MONDAY:
JVBB vs. Roosevelt at Roosevelt @ 4:00
VGB vs. Roosevelt at Roosevelt @ 5:30
VBB vs. Roosevelt at Roosevelt @ 7:30

TUESDAY:
MSGB vs. Francis Stevens at Francis Stevens @ 4:45
VBB vs. Georgetown Day at CHEC @ 5:00
MSBB vs. Francis Stevens at Francis Stevens @ 6:00


WEDNESDAY
JVBB vs. DCI at CHEC @ 4:00
HS Swim at HD Woodson @ 5:00
VGB vs. DCI at CHEC @ 5:30
VBB vs. DCI at CHEC @ 7:30


THURSDAY:
MS Wrestling Championships at McKinley Tech @ 4:00


FRIDAY:
VGB vs. Cardozo at CHEC @ 5:30
VBB vs. Cardozo at CHEC @ 7:30


SATURDAY
No Games
To participate in sports, including tryouts, students must complete participation paperwork and upload their physical via https://www.thedciaa.com/participation-forms.  Additionally, all student-athletes, who are older than 12, must be vaccinated by November 1st to begin or continue to participate in sports.  Anyone with questions, should contact the CHEC athletic director, Coach A in room D236, or via email at desmond.alexander@k12.dc.gov .  Winter sports practice begins November 1st.

Winter sports include:

Middle School
Boys Basketball - Coach Edmonds (lionel.edmonds@k12.dc.gov)
Cheerleading - Coach Wright (aaliyahwright88@gmail.com)
Girls Basketball - Coach Hanlon (constance.hanlon@k12.dc.gov)
Swimming - TBD
Wrestling - Eduardo Reyes (eduardo.reyes@k12.dc.gov)

High School
Bowling - Coach Ferguson (mya.ferguson@k12.dc.gov)
Cheerleading - Coach Wright (dionnewright02@gmail.com)
JV boys - Coach Joyner (jason.joyner@k12.dc.gov)
Swimming - Coach Allen (reiss.allen@k12.dc.gov)
Varsity Boys Basketball - Coach Cook (rodney.cook@k12.dc.gov)
Varsity Girls Basketball - Coach Ficklin (rodricus.ficklin@k12.dc.gov)
Wrestling - Coach Alvarado (kenrry.alvarado@k12.dc.gov)
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