CHEC STUDENTS RETURN TO CAMP HORIZONS
FOR A TEAM BUILDING WEEKEND GETAWAY
MONDAY, MAY 29, 2023
Memorial Day (Holiday)
TUESDAY, MAY 30, 2023
SLC Morning Meeting
WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2023
SLC Morning Meeting
Departmental Planning Period Meetings
ALT Team Meeting
THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2023
Departmental Planning Period Meetings
FRIDAY, JUNE 2, 2023
No Meetings
Principal: Maria Tukeva
MAY 29, 2023:
STANDING WITH CHEC SENIORS AS THEY TAKE THE NEXT STEP
This week, we focus on the phrase from our mission, “We trust one another to continually improve our practices.”
Last week was another difficult week, and I am grateful to our whole team for your resilience and responsiveness. Thank you to all for your honest feedback on our current culture and climate challenges. We have heard from students, staff and parents and there are many consistent themes across all stakeholders. The conversations and circles were in themselves healing, as we were all able to process feelings and thoughts. The events of last week were reflective of what we have already been addressing in our design process, and the seriousness of these events provides more urgency to our work. We are approaching this challenge both with deep thought and research, but also with urgency to address those matters that are technical fixes. In the attached document, you will see a short and long term plan for addressing the challenges, and this will be updated weekly to indicate what has been completed.
Every time we are together as staff and students, is an opportunity for learning and growth, and we were fortunate to have an amazing opportunity this past weekend when 50 students, grade 6-12, and 9 chaperones, visited Camp Horizons, for an experiential leadership training. We have been doing these trips for over 15 years, with a two year pause during the pandemic, and have always focused on leadership development and bonding for youth. This past weekend had a special importance, as we focused on our recent challenges, and committed to use design thinking to address it through student voice and student/staff collaboration. Our focus question at Camp Horizons was, How might we increase a sense of belonging among all students and staff at CHEC? We approached the question through the lens of the recent uptick in violence in school, and the students had insights and ideas that can drive our next steps. These students have begun to develop prototypes that they will work on between now and the end of the year, and will return to Camp Horizons in September to assess their progress.
Kudos to Ms. Weiss, Mr. Molina, Mr. Valdivia and Mr. Harris for coordinating a magical Camp Horizons trip! Kudos to the chaperones, Mr. Rahman, Ms. Ramirez, Ms. Donahoue, Dr. Brown, Mr. Arabian, Ms. Alvarado, Dr. Lainez, for sharing this special time with our scholars, and collaborating side by side with them in activities and designing!
We have a strong, resourceful and committed community, and we will come out even stronger and more united on the other side of this process.
CULTURE AND CLIMATE
Our norms are more important now than ever before. Please take time every day to discuss norms, to provide positive feedback when you see them being lived, and to redirect using the language of the norms. One of the most powerful ways to process violation of norms is the use of restorative circles. You can make time in the beginning or close of your class, to have circles based on prompts related to culture and climate. The Culture team is ready to support you should you decide to do this.
Another way to engage with students on this topic, is through SEL check-ins, and listening and observing carefully. If you see a student seems particularly pensive, you can reach out for a conversation during the work period of class, or after class.
We must continue to improve in making sure students arrive to, and remain engaged in, all classes, every period. Now that we are in the last weeks of school, it is the ideal time to try an approach you have wanted to try, but have not yet. Seek out your SLC administrator, Coaches, or Department Chairs to support you. For example, if you have never tried Reciprocal teaching, but would like to, reach out to get support. Another possibility in line with our redesign, is to reflect on the current GRASPS or project, and ask students to plan an alternative product or topic, to provide more choice as they complete the project. Another way to provide change and engagement, is to ask a colleague’s class to come and do a mini-exchange presentation, gallery walk, or debate during the class period. It could either be the same discipline or another discipline for inter-disciplinary connections.
You have received information from the Climate team on our new color coded pass system, as well as the passes. However, for any system to work, it must be implemented consistently by ALL staff members. Please support our new revised system of passes, so that we can eliminate unnecessary lost instructional time, and ensure that all students are moving safely and with purpose during the entire school day. If a student or students have misplaced your classroom pass, please reach out to the Culture team for a new one. To make sure students can own their learning through full and active participation in class, continue emphasizing on time arrival to class, a strong opening and close to class, and minimizing time out of class. Please make your focus on engaging students with ideas and activities that are interesting, aligned to standards, and relevant to their lives and cultures. Our project based approach to instruction is a great vehicle, especially when we design the projects with students in mind.
XQ REDESIGN UPDATE
“How Might We Use Design Thinking to Transform our School through Student Voice and Choice?”
Our next milestone is our faculty meeting of June 8. Independent of the selection process, we will have this second charette which will be a learning launch of some of our prototypes. For this charette, we will want to increase the number of students presenting, as well as the number of students and parents attending. Each SLC will be asked to identify and bring at least 20 students.
In order to maintain the momentum of our Redesign, there will be a number of opportunities this summer for professional development and curriculum development aligned to design thinking. After the Camp Horizons Trip, many chaperones felt this would be a great opportunity for staff team building as well. Please see the professional development survey in the PD section of the Bulletin.
Thank you to all, for your active engagement in this journey!
NEW FIELD TRIP PROTOCOLS
Field Trip Office Hours for Trip Sponsor Role (Week of 1/23 and ongoing)
All field trips taking place after January 3, 2023, must be entered via the new Field Trip QuickBase app. The Field Trip QB User Guide and additional resources are available in the DCPS Way Field Trip Folder. Trip Sponsors to attend upcoming office hours for support with the new app:
Before loading the trip onto the App, please still fill out the CHEC Internal Field Trip Form and get it signed before proceeding.
Thank you!
SHOUT OUTS
- Shout out to the entire Music Department –Mr. Onley, Dr. Barnett, Mr. Jacobs, Mr. Brush, for their Kennedy Center Performances on Thursday! The talent of our students is exemplary, with the guidance and support of their teachers!
- Kudos to Mr. Schutt, Mr. Whitney, and Mr Alvarado for coordinating Senior Portfolios make ups last week!
- Shout out to Ms. Yamashita and Mr. Jones they head off to Japan six of our scholars!
- Shout out to the whole CHEC team for completing PARCC and AP testing!!
- Kudos to the Instructional Coach Team – Mr. Diaz, Dr. Emilius, Ms. Vialpando and Ms. Warren, for creating our Summer Professional Development Survey!
- Kudos to the Enrollment team, and to all staff for enrolling over 67% of our students for next year
INSTRUCTION
MR. ALVARADO'S CHEMISTRY CLASS
Week 17 of Semester 2 and Week 7 of Advisory 4
It is the seventh week of the Fourth Advisory! Shout out to all for your perseverance in completing all testing! We now have four weeks of school left.
Two important updates –
Field Day is postponed until June 20 for High School, and June 21st for Middle School.
We have an extension on TAS until June 19th, to provide more time for grading finals and portfolios.
Please plan backwards from your portfolio presentations on the 15th and 16th of June. It will be important to maintain the focus in your classes by maintaining student interest and involvement in their GRASPS. Especially at this time of year, students need to continue to set goals, have work time, and get feedback on their GRASPS, in order to experience success. Let students choose and design a field trip experience, and then schedule it! Ask them how they want to support learning your current topic by visiting some place in Washington DC. Please see additional suggestions in the Climate section on how to try engaging approaches during these last weeks of school.
The Whole Child
This memorial weekend, we remember the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for our Country. Whether we are black or white immigrants or US citizens, these soldiers sacrificed their lives for our country. I would like to take some time to remember my Veteran and my memorial day soldier my belated husband Walter Planter's Jr. He was in the U.S. Navy and he served his country well. No matter the skin color or nationality, we should always protect and serve the people in our country.
Happy Memorial Day!
Sincerely,
Ms. Planter
Angenette Planter
Whole Child Teacher Lead
Environmental Science Teacher
To Live, To Learn, To Love!
Instructional Calendar
Please view the 22-23 CHEC Instructional Calendar here.
Assessment Corner
I wanted to take a moment to extend my heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to each and every one of you for your hard work and dedication during the recent PARCC administration. Thanks to your efforts, our students successfully completed 6,600 test sessions. Please see the completion rates below:
From Pearson Access Next:
- ELA - 95.12%
- Math - 95.24%
- Science - 91.7%
The smooth administration of PARCC would not have been possible without your professionalism, attention to detail, and commitment to our students' success. Your tireless efforts in preparing our students for the test, organizing logistics, and ensuring a supportive testing environment are deeply appreciated.
Moving forward, I would like to draw your attention to the upcoming EOY Health and Physical Education Assessment (HPEA). While this survey will be limited to Health & PE classes, and advisory, we’ll need to help to make sure we administer the test to as many of our learners as possible. Please be on the lookout for correspondence regarding this survey.
Additionally, if you missed any planning sessions due to PARCC, please continue to reach out to Mr. Magee for admin pay. Similarly, for missed planning sessions due to AP, please contact Mr. Jones and Mr. Pyram. Your proactive communication in these matters ensures a smooth workflow and effective collaboration among the team.
I would also like to express my immense gratitude for the opportunity to serve as the test coordinator this year. It has been an invaluable experience, and I am grateful for the support and cooperation I have received throughout this testing season. However, I am excited to announce that I will be returning to the science classroom next year.
Once again, congratulations on a successful PARCC administration, and thank you for your unwavering dedication to our students' academic progress. I am proud to be a part of such a remarkable team.
Pete Magee
Testing Coordinator
Love & Empathy Page
If you know of students and families in need of assistance, please send the information to our Bulletin, where we will publish opportunities to show love and empathy. Please share these with your networks.
Professional Development
Thank you to all who signed up for the ISTE and PBL Conferences in June!
The Instructional Coaches have put together a Summer Professional Development Survey, in order to offer time and compensation for learning and planning. The survey has been sent out in a separate email. Please sign up!
ALT TEAM
The ALT Team met on May 16 to plan for summer professional and curriculum development to support our Redesign process. We also discussed design criteria for next year’s master schedule. All are invited to the ALT Team meetings! The next meeting will be Wednesday May 31st at 3:30 pm in the Middle School Library. The agenda will include a follow up on Climate and Culture challenges and the design process, the master schedule, and PD opportunities for the summer to support Redesign.
OPPORTUNITIES
EGNA LE EGNA HIGH SCHOOL MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Please share with students of Ethiopian and Eritrean descent,
Greetings,
I hope you are doing well. My name is Amenti from Egna Le Egna Mentorship program (ELE). We are a group of college students based in Silver Spring, Maryland, working with high school students across the U.S. from the Ethiopian and Eritrean diaspora communities. The ELE Mentorship program provides Ethiopian/Eritrean high school students in grades 9-12 with academic enrichment and resources to succeed in high school and beyond. This program offers free virtual tutoring, mentoring, ACT/SAT preparation, and educational and career guidance, including college preparation, free of charge to assist students and guide them toward their goals.
The current academic year, 2021/2022, was our first year of entire operation. During this time, we have worked with over 125 high school students and have helped students gain admission to multiple colleges and scholarships. We are currently in the process of recruiting the incoming class. We will recruit students enrolling in 9-12th grade in the 2023 to 2024 school year. I invite you to share the mentee application and flier below with any of your students who would benefit from this mentorship program. Please visit our website at ELE Mentors Website, which we constantly update, to learn more about our program.
As we are currently recruiting the next cohort of students to work within the 2023/2024 academic year, the main goal of this letter is to see your willingness to help us reach out to our target population by sharing the application form that can be found in our website to any Ethiopian/Eritrean high school student who might benefit from this program. We would appreciate your putting this info on a schoolwide system so that all parents can know about our organization. We are also happy to send one of our mentors to speak with your students or faculty about our program and share what we do.
Thank you for your time, and I hope you are staying safe and healthy.
Best regards,
Amenti Bekere
ELE Mentors
Georgetown University’s Equity and Excellence for English Learners Professional Development Certificate
A Professional Development Certificate for In-Service Teachers
The English Learner population in DCPS and DC public charter schools is increasing, but there is a lack of ESL-certified or trained teachers who can teach equitably in ESL/Dual Language programs. The goal of Georgetown University’s Professional Development Certificate Program is to train effective teachers across general education, ESL, and dual language settings, paying special attention to increasing the pipeline of bilingual teachers in DC.
If you are an experienced DCPS school teacher without prior preparation in the effective education of English Learners, our hybrid certificate program can help you better serve your culturally and linguistically diverse students.
All applicants to the Equity and Excellence for English Learners Professional Development Certificate will receive scholarship to help cover the cost of the program. Funding for these scholarships is provided by Project ELEECT (new window).
THE DEAN TEAM
PLEASE ENJOY THE "SONG OF THE WEEK"...
REST PEACEFULLY, TINA TURNER
NOVEMBER 26, 1939 - MAY 24, 2023
Message from Deans:
Keep up the momentum...We are almost there!!
We are just 3 weeks away to the end of the 2022-2023 school year!!! Keep pushing and being productive! How we end the year will set the tone for next year. Every day and moment counts. Please remember to hold students accountable for our norms and core values
As a reminder, WE ARE DESIGN THINKERS and must be creative with how we keep students engaged. START CLASSES STRONG AND END STRONG.
Think of one thing you can change or improve in your classroom management to keep students engaged and excited to come to your classes and remain there until the end. The goal is to help remind students the importance of being on time and that every moment counts!
School Culture Updates, Reminders and Shoutouts
See Below Dates for Special EOY Events:
- MIDDLE SCHOOL:
- Organization Fair: May 30th
- 8th Grade Grad Promotional Activities:
- Class Trip: June 13th
- Sneaker Ball: June 14th
- Promotional Ceremony: June 16th
- HIGH SCHOOL:
- Organization Fair: May 31st
- 12th Grade Grad Activities:
- Masquerade Theme Prom: June 17th
- Senior Trip: June 21st
- Graduation: June 23rd
- Please remember to follow the protocol for the new pass system.
- Students should not be in the hallways outside of transition without this pass. They will be sent back to your classes. Hand-written passes will no longer be permissible.
- If you need another pass for your classroom, please let a member of the Culture Team know and a new one will be provided.
Best Practices
- Please make sure you give passes at all times
- Always write students’ Time Out and Return Time
- Only one student should be out of class at a time
- The 15-15 Rule
Reminder: Hall sweeps that will be conducted during PLT, 2nd, and 4th Period during the first 15 and last 15 minutes.
Thank you in advance for your support and partnership as we work to build a rich culture of high expectations of students.
UPCOMING PBIS INCENTIVES
(Please note that this schedule is tentative and is subject to change at the discretion of Culture Team Leaders.)
Our next incentive is an Ice Social that has been rescheduled. The date is TBD. Stay tuned!
PBIS Reminders and Celebrations
Teacher All-Stars
(500+ Highest Interactions from 05/08 - 05/14)
- Latrice Quickley (805)
- Desepe De Vargas (659)
- Shannon Raff (590)
- Simon Dwight (521)
Kickboard norms reminder
Currently, we have less than 50% participation in staff rewarding students with Kickboard points. Remember, Kickboard helps to build positive classroom culture and should be integrated in your classroom incentives, norms and strategies to manage your classroom.
- 15 interactions per class and
- 45 interactions per day (minimum)
- DO NOT deduct student dollars
- Do not attempt to inflate the day of the incentive
- Use the first 15 and last 15 of class to give dollars
- Create in-class incentives (Do not deduct dollars)
STAFF RESOURCES AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Restorative DC Professional Development Opportunities:
Student Support Forms:
Reminder: Please bookmark this link for future behavioral referrals:
Use this form to recognize students for Student of the Week and Month:
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 HS track team had a strong showing at the DCIAA Outdoor track championships. Almera Carter was named to her 2nd consecutive ALL league team. The middle school softball team lost a nail-bitter to Jefferson and tied Eliot-Hine.
BELL
BOYS BASKETBALL: 5 - 8
FLAG FOOTBALL: 4 - 7
SOFTBALL: 5 - 4
TENNIS: 2 - 7
LINCOLN
SOFTBALL: 0 - 5 - 1
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
Monday:
MS SB vs. Deal at CHEC @ 4:00
Tuesday:
No Games
Wednesday:
HS Track at DCSAA Championships Day 1 at Dunbar @ 3:00
Thursday:
HS Track at DCSAA Championships Day 2 at Dunbar @ 1:00
MS & HS golf at Potomac Golf Course @ 2:00
Friday:
No Games
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. 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 have begun.
Desmond Alexander, CAA
Athletic Directo.
Columbia Heights Educational Campus
Bell/Lincoln Multicultural Schools
(202) 939-7700 Ext: 5207 (office)
(202) 576-9147 (fax)