02-07-2022 - CHEC BULLETIN

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MS. JOSEPH AND MS. HALLERMAN
TEAM TEACH TO ELIE WIESEL'S "NIGHT"
WEEK OF FEB. 7, 2022


Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022
ALT Team Meeting 3:45


Thursday, Feb. 10, 2022
NAEP Testing – 8th grade – see schedule\

Principal: Maria Tukeva



FEBRUARY 7, 2022: THIS WEEK'S FOCUS: BUDGET SEASON - BUILDING A BUDGET THAT SUPPORTS SUCCESS FOR ALL STUDENTS

This week, as we enter the budget season, we continue to focus on the mission phrase,

All Columbia Heights Education Campus graduates will be prepared to succeed in college, careers and civic life as leaders in the quest for social justice and anti-racism. Our scholars are self-motivated, intellectually curious critical thinkers who value multilingualism and diversity. ”

Within this phrase and vision for students, the word “All” is extremely important.  The mission statement is something that we aspire to for ALL students, and until it is reached for ALL students, we have not achieved it. As a school with great diversity, we are charged with designing our programs to meet diverse needs,  and eliminate the opportunity gap.

This week, all schools will receive their budget allocation for next school year.  In fact, Mayor Bowser will be announcing the Budget priorities in a press conference at CHEC on Monday, at 11:00 am.  Senior Tayvani Chambliss will be introducing the Mayor!

This year, there is a new budget formula, and new budget platform, which were developed by DCPS with the goal of increased transparency and increased equity across schools.   When the allocation amount and formula is released this week, the Local School Advisory Team will represent key stakeholders in analyzing our needs, as well as how resources should be allocated.  The ALT team will analyze our progress toward the goals of our Comprehensive School Plan, and provide feedback on how the budget should align to reaching those goals.  We will provide updates and information throughout the process.

Please get involved and ask questions, share ideas, and advocate for equity for our students and school.  There will be an opportunity to provide feedback in a budget survey, once the allocation and the implications for staffing and non personnel costs are clearly understood.

Thank you CHEC team, for all that 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 Empathy and Respect.  As with previous norms, lessons have been developed, and we will begin them on Thursday.    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 second Off Campus Lunch! Last week, two teachers nominated their classes –Ms. Nunez and Ms. Mintz.   A plicker wheel was used to choose the winning class. And the winner is –Ms. Nunez/Mintz’s class! It turns out they both have the same cohort! We will be going to Chipotle or Chic Filet!

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!




NEW OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS
Do you need someone to support you in your daily work?
Do you want to share your career and learning with a young person?
Do you want to encourage more of our students to work in the field of education or related fields?
Then please sign up to take a senior in an internship! We have over 30 students scheduled for internship, and they need a structured, positive experience that exposes them to the expectations of the world of work. If you are interested, please contact Ms. Spinks, at Courney.Spinks@k12.dc.gov
Thank you for supporting our students!



COVID 19 UPDATES

The COVID 19 SERT Team met on Wednesday, February 2, and will meet again on Wednesday, February 16, 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 1, and 3 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 continue to send home any student who refuses to wear his or her mask properly.
  • Limiting unnecessary passes and movement for students is critical to limiting transmission.  The Agenda book is the only pass, and it must be signed and dated. Passes should be limited and not given for breaks or other non essential tasks such as going to the bathroom.



SHOUT OUTS

  • Shout out to Mr. Stewart and Ms. Falkenberg for creating a rich array of resources for Black History Month! Shout out to Mr. Stewart for writing the grant for the purchase of the 1619 Project for all staff and students! Kudos to both for presenting in our Faculty Meeting!
  • Shout  out to the Black History Month Committee, Dr. Barnett, Mr. Stewart, Mr. Duvall, Mr. Onley, Mr. Duvall, Mr. Diaz and all members for organizing  a series of activities and events that will continue beyond February!
  • Kudos to the Equity Team, Ms. Warren, Mr. Talarico, Mr. Cohen, and all members for the organization of the Equity Fair, and for their presentation at the Staff Meeting!
  • Kudos to the Middle School Team for a great ANET administration!
  • Shout out to the Dean Team for the Pride, poise and perseverance in maintaining climate in spite of obstacles! Shout out to our AP’s for supporting the Climate initiative every day!
  • Kudos to all teachers who are nominating their classes for incentives!
  • 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. CHAVEZ AND MR. RAHMAN TEAM TEACH
8TH GRADE SPANISH LANGUAGE ARTS CLASS
Week 3 of Advisory 3

We are now entering the third  week of the third advisory. Please be sure your CANVAS pages are updated, and for new classes, that they are set up.  Routines and rituals are very important at this time, please continue to teach them explicitly, and to align them to our school wide norms.   At this point, students should be close to completing their first GRASP, or at least in the revision stage of a portion of the GRASPS.

Please take advantage of the rich array of resources regarding Black History, provided in the faculty meeting, to enrich your curriculum and instruction.  There is something for every discipline to utilize to make your classroom a place where every student can see him/herself reflected in the curriculum, and feel pride and joy in the history of his/her culture.

All grades will be having Awards Events this week.  Please think of ways to recognize as many students as possible for a wide variety of accomplishments,
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
NEW PROJECTS CREATED

MR. TALARICO HAS CREATED A NEW CLASSROOM PROJECT "DC STUDENTS NEED CULTURALLY AFFIRMING 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 hard copy 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. MOMTAZ HAS CREATED A CLASSROOM PROJECT "USING DRY-ERASE BOARDS TO FURTHER STUDENT VOICE AND COLLABORATION"

My Students
I teach 9th-grade science in the heart of DC. I have 75 to 80 students across all my periods. My students range from logical curious to creative. Their creativity is truly an inspiration. But one thing that brings a smile to all my students is when they can do hands-on activities and be active while doing projects. They have missed doing hands-on activities with classmates during virtual learning, so I make sure they have opportunities this year to engage in hands-on activities with their peers in the class. Our school is 100% free and reduced lunch, and our families come from low-income households and a variety of backgrounds such as Black, Latinx, and other minority backgrounds. I want to show my students that they can pursue STEM and bring their talents to the field to have more representation in the STEM fields, no matter their background. Despite all the challenges, my students know that knowledge and pursuing higher education can lead to a better and brighter future.

My Project
My students have let me know again and again how much they enjoy working in groups and collaborating with their peers during projects. During projects, these whiteboards can be used to draw out their ideas and collaborate with their classmates.Individual whiteboards also allow students to practice problems and build a culture where students have fun while collaborating and presenting their voices in creative ways other than paper and pencil. Students especially enjoy using whiteboards during science jeopardy lessons and using the boards to express themselves by doodling and creating art.



LINCOLN LIBRARY NEWS!

Black History Month Resources
Happy Black History Month! These resources are available to you this month and every month. Additional materials and events will be added throughout this time of celebration and learning so bookmark this newsletter for continued reference:


CHEC Lincoln Library Canvas Page
Check your email (called Lincoln Library Canvas Buttons; sent 1/13) for Canvas buttons and links to add to your class Canvas pages. As you update your Canvas pages, include access to the library for independent reading, research resources, and technology support. As a reminder, our digital library collections are accessible through Clever under the Library Resources section. Need help? Email angela.falkenberg@k12.dc.gov to schedule assistance.

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
KANEIL WILLIAMS
DEWAYNE BOONE
Happy Black History Month!




CHEC HAPPENING

Kickboard
Kickboard training is right around the corner!! Thanks to everyone that took time to complete our Points and Incentives Survey. Look out for details this week.

New Late Policy
CHEC is implementing a new initiative for late arrivers. Students that arrive after 9:20am will now be required to serve afterschool detention.

Dismissal Guidance
APs sent an email on Thursday morning with the following information:

Below are how our Lincoln MS students should be dismissed by floor/teacher.

All 1st Floor classes: 3:10pm (except Mr. Reyes class)
All 2nd Floor classes: 3:20pm

3rd Floor:
Ms. Garcia-Carmona/Ms. Micheals: 3:20pm
Ms. Nimer: 3:20pm
Mr. Chavez/Mr. Rahman Class: 3:22pm
Mr. Cabra Class: 3:24pm
Ms. Jones/Mr. Schroeder: 3:26pm
Mr. Reyes: 3:26pm
Ms. Degolacion: 3:28pm

All teachers: if by any reason you need to keep your students in class and you miss your dismissal time, you must release them at 3:30pm. If you miss your dismissal time, your new dismissal time is 3:30pm.

STAFF RESOURCES

Restorative Approach to Discipline
February 8 @ 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Target Audience: Administrators, School Staff, Teachers

In this session, we invite participants to re-imagine school discipline through a multi-tiered approach. Join us to explore discipline practices designed to support educators in the classroom, examine conditions of learning, and explore needs and harms as a part of promoting prosocial behaviors. Participants will learn about the continuum of restorative practices—from proactive to responsive—and begin to create plans aligned with the Student Fair Access to School Act that will keep scholars in school and engaged.

All professional development sessions use a trauma-informed approach and teach skills and practices that you can implement immediately. We highly encourage participants to join our weekly coaching sessions for a deeper dive into the challenges of implementation and practice. All 2021-2022 sessions will be held virtually on Zoom.

Coaching and Skill Building; Restorative Practices in Action
February 9 @ 4:00 pm - 5:30 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.

Any questions and situations are welcomed, here are some examples:
  • I want to run more circles but I am having anxiety in this re-entry moment
  • My students are not engaging, not participating and I don’t know what else to do …
  • There are specific behaviors I just can’t see with a restorative lens ….
  • What can I do next if a student repeats the behavior after a restorative circle?
  • I want to take a more restorative approach but don’t know where to start
  • I’m exhausted and burnt out, I don’t have patience or energy to be present with the kids

All professional development sessions use a trauma-informed approach and teach skills and practices that you can implement immediately. We highly encourage participants to join our weekly coaching sessions for a deeper dive into the challenges of implementation and practice. All 2021-2022 sessions will be held virtually on Zoom.


STUDENTS OF THE MONTH:
  • Denise Nunez Shaw - 7th Grade
  • Jan Vargas-Vilchis - 7th Grade

Please celebrate these students for being nominated for student of the week

STUDENT SUPPORT FORMS:

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 JV boys basketball team concluded its season with a win over Dunbar and lost to Coolidge.  The varsity boys and girls basketball teams lost to Coolidge and Dunbar. Playoffs being this week for high school basketball.

SPORTS TEAM STANDINGS
BELL
JVBB: 10 - 6
VGB: 8 - 11
VBB: 14 - 8
Bowling: 0 - 0
LINCOLN
BB: 2 - 9
GB: 4 - 8
BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL: 2/2/2022 - BELL VS DUNBAR  @ DUNBAR
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE

MONDAY:
VGB vs. Wilson at Wilson @ 5:30 (Playoffs)


TUESDAY
HS Bowling Match at Bolling AFB @ 4:00
VBB vs. Bard at CHEC @ 5:30


WEDNESDAY
VGB playoffs con't at TBD @ 5:30


THURSDAY:
HS Bowling Match at Bolling AFB @ 4:00
VBB playoffs con't


FRIDAY:
No Games


SATURDAY
Cheer at Stomp-n Shake Off at Highland Spring HS @ 12:00pm
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.  Spring sports practice begin in mid-February.  An exact date will be given as COVID adjustments are made to the winter sports schedule.

Spring sports include:

Middle School
Baseball - Coach Mesa (carlos.mesa@k12.dc.gov)
Golf - TBD
Softball - TBD
Outdoor Track - TBD

High School
Baseball - Coach Allen (reiss.allen@k12.dc.gov)
Flag Football - Coach Duvall (ryan.duvall@k12.dc.gov)
Golf - Coach Duvall (ryan.duvall@k12.dc.gov)
Softball - Coach Zinzarella (christopher.Zinzarel1@k12.dc.gov)
Stunt - Coach Wright (dioonewright02@gmail.com)
Outdoor Track - Coach Pinto or Coach Robinson (miguel.pinto@k12.dc.gov or markblaytonrobinson@gmail.com)
Tennis - TBD



Desmond Alexander, CAA
Athletic Directo.  
Columbia Heights Educational Campus
Bell/Lincoln Multicultural Schools

(202)939-7700 Ext: 5207 (office)
(202)576-9147 (fax)

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