CHEC bulletin for Week of October 29, 2018
CHEC FOOTBALL TEAM WINS DECSAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP. GO GRIFFINS!
MARIA TUKEVA’S (MT) MESSAGE:
WELCOME BACK FROM BREAK!
We hope that everyone has had a wonderful Thanksgiving Break, and is refreshed and rejuvenated! As the holiday season continues, it is important to exercise self care, and be attuned to our students and their families as they may confront stresses during the holidays. We look forward to finishing 2018 strong!
THE STAR FRAMEWORK
Within the next two weeks, the Office of State Education (OSSE) will be releasing the School Report Cards. The DC School Report Card helps parents understand how a school is doing with all of its students, in addition to helpful information about the school itself, including the closest public transportation routes, academic programs and extra-curricular options, the best contact person for parents and families, and more. The DC School Report Card will help parents answer some of the most crucial questions about your child’s current school, and is a first step for parents and families thinking about their child’s next educational step.
As part of the Report Card, every school’s performance is measured and rated by the annual STAR (School Transparency and Reporting) Framework. Schools receive a rating from one to five stars, five being the highest. The ratings are based on metrics for academic achievement, academic growth, school environment, and language acquisition. The metrics are all disaggregated by subgroups, so that there is a focus on attaining equitable outcomes for all students. The metrics are quite complex, and in order to make sure we as a school community and parent community understand what they mean for our continued growth, we will have a series of meetings over the next few weeks with staff, parents, and the Local School Advisory Team (LSAT).
Once we receive our STAR rating, we will share it with the entire community, and delve into the specific data points, to celebrate our strengths, and build on our areas of growth. The STAR rating metrics are aligned to our Comprehensive School Plan, so we will not have to change directions or focus. We look forward to receiving our STAR rating and utilizing the data to continually refine our instructional program.
SHOUT OUTS
SHOUT OUT TO COACH TYSON, COACH A, COACH DUVALL, COACH WEST, AND THE CHEC GRIFFINS FOOTBALL TEAM FOR WINNING THE DCIAA AND STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS!!!
Shout out to Ms. Dulce Nunez for presenting to our parent group on the dangers of human trafficking!!!
Shout out to Mr. Talarico and Ms. Henry for assisting our students in meeting the deadline for the OSSE Scholars!
Shout out to Ms. Thweatt, Ms. Warren and all of the facilitators for our faculty meeting! Ms. Malcolm, Mr. Talarico, Mr. Aguilar, Mr. Schutt, Ms. Athmer, Ms. Penn, Ms. Crivelli, Ms. Henry and Ms. Ermis!!
Kudos to Ms. Penn-Pearson for coordinating our Verizon site visit, and for Mr. Lopez Febres, Ms. Chatalian and Ms. Ryan for hosting visitors!!
Shout out to all of our Camp Horizons Chaperones for doing an outstanding job of building leadership among our students – Ms. Weiss, Ms. Gonzalez, Mr. Olson, Mr. Gonzalez, Ms. Carino, Mr. Caceres, Ms. Bruggeman, Ms. Alvarado, Mr. Alvarado, Mr. Ellingsen!!!
CHEC was nominated for two Standing Ovation Awards – one for Empowered Team and one for Families Together! Kudos to members of our faculty who supported the site visits by hosting classroom visits and meeting with the selection panel members – Mr. Boone, Mr. Magee, Mr. Talarico, Ms. McCulloch, Ms. Alvarado, Ms. Whitaker, Ms. Chiu, Ms. Chatalian, Ms. Bernard, Ms. Peddyreddy, Ms. Warren, Ms. Yanez, Ms. Gonzalez, Mr. Molina, Ms. L. Lemus!!!! Thank you for sharing all that we do at CHEC!!
Kudos to all teachers whose classes were visited and who represented CHEC in our Instructional Superintendent Walk! Classes were randomly selected by the IS and his team, and the feedback was extremely positive!! Shout out to Ms. Abbondanza, Mr. Hunter, Ms. Hartwill, Mr. Zinzarella, Ms. Emilius, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Rowe, Ms. Ngacha, Ms. Ferreira, and Mr. Olson.
Shout out to Ms. Spinks and Ms. Thweatt for coordinating our Senior Convocation!!!
MEETINGS THIS WEEK:
Monday, November 26, 2018
SLC Morning Meeting
Tuesday, November 27, 2018
SLC Morning Meeting
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
Early Release Day- Departmental Curriculum Development Time, PLT Reset for Middle School and 9th Grade
Academic Leadership Team Meeting
Thursday, November 29, 2018
Departmental Planning Period Meeting
Friday, November 30, 2018
No Meetings
OPPORTUNITIES:
CHEC NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY AT THE 2018 CONVOCATION
UPDATES FROM: LEADERSHIP I DONORS CHOOSE I CHEC ARTS I OSSE SCHOLARS I CANVAS I WILDERNESS LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING I LIBRARIES I FLAMBOYAN I
ACADEMIC LEADERSHIP TEAM 2018-19
The sixth Academic Leadership Team Meeting took place on November 16th , This year, the Team will meet every other week, rotating meetings one week on Wednesday at 3:30 pm, and the following week on Friday at 7:45 am, in order to provide opportunity for those who teach extended day to become involved.
The ALT Team recently received an exciting invitation to participate in a problem of practice with Chancellor Alexander. The Team discussed our four focus areas, and picked college and career readiness as the area of focus. On December 11, Chancellor Alexander will come to CHEC, visit classrooms from 2:30 to 3:30, and then meet with the entire staff for 15 minutes, and continue the problem of practice discussion with the ALT Team. We look forward to this opportunity to engage with our Chancellor!
The ALT meetings are now focused on each team analyzing and presenting data on the key areas of the Comprehensive School Plan, and developing next steps. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 28 at 3:30 pm. We will share information on what the STAR Framework is and its impact on our school, and plan for our problem of practice discussion with the Chancellor. Please get involved and join us at the Academic Leadership Team Meeting.
CHEC TEACHERS - DONORS CHOOSE GIVES YOU A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO FUND CLASSROOM PROJECTS
If you have not already done so, consider Donors Choose for funding for any of your classroom projects. To date, 28 CHEC teachers have done so, as reported here. We recently learned that there is about $175,000 remaining in a particular fund that has been earmarked for all DC Public School Donors Choose requests (from the A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation). Recent project amounts range from $300 - $1,000 – by Ms. Falkenberg (twice!), Ms. Alvarado, Mr. Khafra, Mr. Spoth, Ms. Malcolm, Mr. Talarico, Ms. Warren, Ms. Nunez, Mr. Magee, Ms. Docena, Ms. Patterson, Ms. Peddyreddy, and Ms. Hartwill. The process is easy – if you would like to create an account to receive project funding, just go to this link:
CHEC ART DEPARTMENT RECEIVES GrantED FUNDS - AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL TEACHERS
CHEC Photography teacher Mandy McCulloch submitted a proposal to GrantED and was granted funds to purchase tripods. Ms. McCulloch would like to share with all CHEC teachers that GrantEd provides DC public school educators with a resource to fund nearly any classroom expense with an accessible way to apply for fast-cycle, micro-grants using their smartphones. https://www.grantedfoundation.org/
FOUR CHEC STUDENTS AWARDED INTO THE OSSE SCHOLARS PROGRAM FOR 2019
Every year, more than 250 DC high school students apply to be the Office of the State Superintendent (OSSE) Scholars. Becoming an OSSE Scholar is a tremendous honor and opportunity for students in Washington, DC. OSSE Scholars provides high-achieving, academically-motivated students who exhibit financial need with the opportunity to attend selective summer college programs. As an OSSE Scholar, students attend top-tier universities across the country for rigorous summer courses. The program offers early exposure to college-level academics, navigating a college environment, and, at certain universities, earning college credit.
The 2019 OSSE Scholars at CHEC are:
- Cindy Guevara
- Regan Robertson
- La’Rissa Dunn
- Jeffrey Williams
The OSSE Scholar Panel loved a number of the students at CHEC and fought hard for these four!! Four is actually the highest number selected from any one school and two of those are DCPS schools which we think speaks to the caliber of the students but also the intentional involvement in the process by adults at those schools this year. Thank you so much for your amazing partnership.
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
Friendly Reminder
Please make sure students travel to the library with a pass or you can call ahead of time if you're planning to send a large group to ensure everyone can be accommodated. Lincoln Library should only be used my middle school students. High school students must use Bell Library. Each library has resources that best fit their audience and printing materials can be limited.
If you send items to the middle or high school library printers, remember to pick materials up in a timely manner. Paper is wasted and large quantities can lead to jams. When sending students, send those who are comfortable making copies independently - librarians can help assist but we are not responsible for making copies.
Three Reading Challenges with Rockstar Librarians Across DC Public Schools Webcast
Curious to know why librarians and schools incorporate reading challenges? Register to receive a link to last week's webcast with Ms. Falkenberg and other DCPS librarians to learn how developing a culture of reading can benefit a school community.
Articles Worth Reading
Webinar
BELL LIBRARY
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@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
Setting the Stage: 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!
Kudos to Jessica Alvarado and Omar Lopez for conducting the first home visit of the 2018-19 school year!! Thanks for getting us started!
CLIMATE:
De-escalation Tool Kit
We will be doing further training for all staff to further improve our school culture and climate. The following are suggestions as we go forward that will help us to keep student safe and accountable and promote consistency in and out the classroom.
- Build Positive Relationships
- Follow the CHEC 5 Step Process
- Proximity
- Utilize Restorative Justice
- Stay in constant communication with student and parent (Give positive praises and updates)
- Restitution Speeches (Involve Culture Team)
- Tap into student’s interest (Sports, Performing Arts, etc.)
- Tap into school resources (Social Workers, Mary’s Center, etc.)
- PBIS and/or in class incentives
- Utilize a plan for success
Referral
Please make sure to use the new updated referral sheet that is attached to log behavioral infractions.
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.
2018 DCSAA FOOTBALL CHAMPS!!!
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
Congratulations to Coach Tyson and the High School Football team on winning both the DCIAA & DCSAA Championships. Please congratulate all the players and coaching staff when you see them. The winter sports' season begins this week for high school. Please come out and support your Griffins!
Congratulations to Coach Ferguson and the Middle School Archery Team on a great season. The Archery team finished the season with a loss to Stuart Hobson. Congratulations also to our High School Boys Soccer, Girls Soccer, and Volleyball teams who all qualified for their respective state tournaments. The High School Boys Soccer team lost to Wilson in the state quarterfinals. The High School Girls Soccer team defeated School Without Walls in the state quarterfinals but lost to Georgetown Day in the semi-finals. The High School Volleyball team lost to Washington International in the state quarterfinals.
LINCOLN
Archery: 3 - 4
Boys Soccer: 5 - 3 - 1
Girls Soccer: 3 - 4
Volleyball: 5 - 8
Girls Basketball: 0 - 0
Boys Basketball: 0 - 0
BELL
Varsity Girls Basketball: 0 - 0
Junior Varsity Basketball: 0 - 0
Varsity Basketball: 0 - 0
Boys Soccer: 10 - 3 - 1
Football: 11 - 0
Girls Soccer: 9 - 4 -1
Volleyball: 10 - 6
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
Monday
No Games
Tuesday
Varsity Basketball Scrimmage at St. Anselm @ 5:30 p.m
Wednesday
No Games
Thursday
No Games
Friday
No Games
Saturday
Varsity Girls Basketball vs. IDEA Public Charter School at IDEA Public Charter School @ 2:00 p.m.
Varsity Basketball vs. IDEA Public Charter School at IDEA Public Charter School @ 4:00 p.m.