CHEC LEADERS AT CAMP HORIZONS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2023
A Day
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2023
B Day
SLC Morning Meeting
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2023
A Day
SLC/MTSS morning meetings
Department Meetings
BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHT
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2023
B Day
Department Meetings
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2023
B Day
No Meetings
Principal: Maria Tukeva
SEPTEMBER 11, 2023:
IN MEMORY OF SEPTEMBER 11
Today and all of this week, we dedicate to the memory of those who lost their lives in the events of September 11, 2001, and the first responders and others who assisted in saving lives in the aftermath.
“We are Designers of our Learning and Experiences”
Every week, the bulletin will focus on a phrase from the mission, as well as an element of our Comprehensive School Plan. This week’s focus is on the phrase from our bulletin, “We trust one another to continually improve our practices.” Engagement focuses on engaging our parents and families as equal partners in their children’s school based education. Our design thinking approach provides a process through which parents can participate in problem solving. This week’s Back to School Night will focus on the Engagement Domain of the CSP, as we welcome parents back to school, and engage them in discussions about their goals for their child during this school year. All staff are asked to prepare their room or work station to welcome parents, and to have all materials on your class or work, available to share with parents.
CULTURE AND CLIMATE
Our theme for culture this year is “Belonging.” We know from our surveys and empathy interview last year, that only about half of our students feel a real sense of belonging or being a part of the school. Through our work on building norms together with students, the creation of a social contract, and our redesigned Advisory program, we are making relationship building and social emotional learning our number one focus.
This week, we will focus on having a warm welcome to the building and to every class. As we discussed and practice in pre-service, the entry into every experience determines our thoughts and feelings throughout that experience. As students enter the building and the classroom, we want to make sure our welcome is sincere and warm.
You have received information from the Culture team on these initiatives, as well as how our Culture team will support all staff in maintaining a positive culture. The norms have been discussed in detail in Advisory over the first two weeks, and we will continue with our color coded pass system. To make sure students can own their learning through full and active participation in class, start the year out emphasizing on time arrival to class, create a strong opening and close to class, and minimize 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?”
Last week in our first ALT Team meeting, we reviewed the CSP, and begin to visualize how the ALT team can guide our implementation of our SY 2023-24 CSP_CHEC.docx.
Designers of Meaningful Engaged Learning
The teachers who will be launching co-designed projects met to tune their projects with the Rigor rubric, and this week the same group will attend a professional development on how to use the co-designing template, how to pace out their project, and design their anchoring field trip.
Designers of their Wellness Journey
The first Design Thinking lesson will launch in advisory this week! We look forward to learning alongside students! 43 students and 7 staff continued their design sprints from last year at Camp Horizons this weekend. They will present their sprints at ALT and at the Faculty Meeting in October. In order to deepen our learning, we will be engaging in visits to conferences and other schools. If you are interested in a particular conference or learning opportunity, please reach out.
SHOUT OUTS
- Shout out to the whole CHEC Team for a Fantastic Second Week of School!
- Shout out to the ALT team for inviting over 15 students to the ALT meeting! The team got excellent feedback and ideas from students!
- Kudos to Ms. Weiss, Mr. Diaz, Dr. Brown, Dr. Lainez, Mr. Arabian, Mr. Rahman, Ms. Menendez, Ms. Ramirez for chaperoning 43 students to Camp Horizons over the weekend! The chaperones continued with the design sprints from the spring, and students came up with prototypes they want to share with the staff and student body!
- Shout out to Ms. Ramirez and Ms. Alvarado for presenting at the Faculty Meeting!
- Shout out to Mr. Tobias and the Tech Team for rolling out our new cart system!
- Shout out to AP Boone, Dean Williams, Dean Henderson, Dean Padilla and the Culture Team for a comprehensive approach to climate and culture!
- Shout out to the High School and Middle School Counseling Teams for continuing to troubleshoot the master schedule and students schedules,
- Kudos to all AP’s and teachers for receiving feedback on the schedule and making significant changes rapidly!
INSTRUCTION
MR. NARVAEZ AND MS. SANCHEZ TEAM TEACH
7TH GRADE DUAL LANGUAGE HISTORY
Week 3 of Advisory 1
We are beginning week 3 of the school year! Thank you to all for your patience as we balanced classes and adjusted our new master schedules.. We are striving to resolve all changes to the schedule by Monday, September 11. If you have questions or concerns please see your SLC administrator, Ms. Pugh, or your Department Chair.
This week we are celebrating for Back to School Night, which is Wednesday, September 13th. Please have materials available that can help parents understand what your class is working on, or what your role in the school is if you are not a classroom teacher.
The focus of this week continues to be on relationship building, and co-creation of norms with students. At the same time, it is important to find out from students what their interests are in relation to your content, so that together you can design learning experiences that are engaging and motivational.
This week we continue with diagnostics. All classes should complete their diagnostics by the end of this week, so that they can be used to plan instruction.
Buddy Teacher Program
A Buddy Teacher is a veteran CHEC teacher who will be paired with a new teacher (new to teaching or an experienced teacher new to CHEC) to provide support throughout the 2023-2024 school year. A Buddy Teacher is expected to introduce themselves and check-in with their buddy regularly. Buddy Teachers will provide their buddy guidance on navigating things ranging from how to print to IMPACT to classroom management tips and tricks. Buddy Teachers are not expected to be experts on all topics but, when needed, should point their buddies to the people in the building who are experts. Our goals through the Buddy Teacher Program are to a) provide new teachers with more supports, b) create a stronger sense of belonging for new teachers, c) cultivate an environment where all teachers feel they have the resources they need to succeed, and d) foster a culture of shared leadership within our CHEC community.
Instructional Calendar
Professional Development
We will host a three day professional development at CHEC in Project Based Learning, by PBL Works on October 18, 19, and 20. Details forthcoming.
There is also an upcoming Professional Development on our two new Advisory Curricula, Wayfinder, and We do it for the Culture. Dates are forthcoming.
ALT TEAM
TThe ALT team is serving to guide our Redesign and our Comprehensive School Plan, and will be meeting every two weeks. The first ALT team Meeting as Tuesday, September 5. Notes can be found here. The agenda will consist of reading and internalizing the Comprehensive School Plan SY 2023-24 CSP_CHEC.docx. All staff are invited to attend the ALT team meeting, as well as students and parents. One of our goals in the Shared Leadership Domain is to increase the number of staff and students attending, with an emphasis on those who have not participated in the past. We need to hear all voices on the ALT!
OPPORTUNITIES
NJROTC PHOTO OP
PROJECTS FUNDED
MR. LINERO VALLE’S NEW CLASSROOM FUNDED PROJECT IS: “USING MEMOIRS TO CREATE CHOICES!”
My Project
My students are a great source of inspiration. In their Freshman year, they are going to experience a new world and deserve to read books that inspire them to be the best they can. At my school, my students have not had the opportunity to have a voice in the selections of texts they read. If we want our students to continue inspiring others, we have to give them options! These memoir texts will give them that option. It is time to teach them to choose from good options so they make good choices in their adult life!
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MS. ISMAEL’S NEW CLASSROOM FUNDED PROJECT IS: “CLEAN AND SAFE CLASS”
My Project
The requested materials will enhance our classroom appearance will give our class a vibrant clean feeling. We are looking forward to a refreshing bright classroom that encouragSe the class to be engaged daily. Many of my students are very aware of keeping our environment clean and safe from germs. I love the fact that my students like to keep the class in order. We sweep and wipe down the desks at the end of the day to ensure our class is clean and germfree. We periodically change our bulletin boards each term to display our ELA topics, which may include creating storyboards and one-pagers which require the colored pencils. Vocabulary words boards are frequently changed and the final product for each term that students are expected to complete is displayed.
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THE DEAN TEAM
Message from Deans:
Thank you for an amazing WEEK 2! We appreciate everyone who is supporting the push for a more positive and strong school culture with implementing the initiative of “Belonging”. We are seeing students more eager to get to classes on time and consistency with enforcing our norms. Every day is a work in ogress but remember “We are One” and in it together. Teamwork makes the dream work!
This year is critical to ensure all students and staff feel a sense of belonging and loved. As part of our redesign and sprints, the Culture Team will provide a lot of emphasis and support in the following practices:
- 100% of students at CHEC will receive a warm welcome and be greeted at the door. EP1, EP3, and EP4
- 100% of teachers will create classroom norms and expectations with students during the first week of school (E.g. Social Contract). EP1
Currently, we are seeing an average of 3-4 teachers greeting students in the hallways or at the doors of their classrooms. The expectation is that all teachers are present and actively supporting and greeting students during every transition. Please ensure during every transition you are present to greet students and even if you don’t have a class, your support in the hallway is essential.During your first weeks, remember to take time to set norms and expectations in your classes that support our school norms and the Becoming Initiatives. Below are resources previously shared to help you create an environment of "Belonging" to kick off the year.
Belonging Resources
Connection to DCPS Essential Practices
Core Practice 1 (Student Relationship Structures) is connected to
- Essential Practice 1: Cultivate a Responsive Learning Community,
- Essential Practice 3: Lead a Well-Planned, Purposeful Learning Experience, and
- Essential Practice 4: Maximize Student Ownership of Learning.
The tools and resources shared for Core Practice 1 are intended to support teachers in:
Providing time and space to foster intentional relationship structures, many of which are foundational to cultivating a welcoming, and responsive learning community for all students (EP 1),
Designing discussion structures that center student voice, which can lay the foundation for student-centered learning (EP 3) and engaging in meaningful cognitive work (EP 4).
SHOUT OUTS AND KUDOS!!!!
- Shout out to the 10th Grade SLC team in being reflective and contributing to a great discussion around Tier 1 interventions and classroom management strategies as it relates to student behavior and MTSS.
- Shout out to the 8th grade team! Thank you, Mr. Maxwell, Mr. Cabra, Mr. Andoni, and Mr. Narváez for patiently waiting to greet students during transition. This is a perfect example of how every teacher should receive students during every transition. Keep up the good work!
SCHOOL CULTURE UPDATES AND REMINDERS
- Kickboard will be launching soon. Mr. Whitney is working hard to ensure the system is properly set up for everyone to access it.
- After-school Detention for tardies to school will begin this week!
- All students late to school will be required to stay after school until 3:45 pm. This will be effective on 9/12/23
Please ensure that you have a hall pass. If you do not, please inform a member of the culture team. Students are required to have a laminated colored pass to use the restrooms and travel to authorized locations in general.
HS Side
4th Floor: White
3rd Floor: Green
2nd Floor: Lavender
1st Floor: Yellow
MS Side
3rd Floor: Purple
2nd Floor: Blue
1st Floor: Red
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
- Enforce the 10/10 Rule (No passes during the first 10 and last 10 minute of class.
- Do not issue passes during lunch periods. Students should have taken care of their needs during lunch or transitions.
COMMUNICATING WITH THE CULTURE TEAM
- Use the "Chat" feature to contact a Dean or Student Support Coordinator
- Can be used to alert the team immediately
- You can still call the main office to have a team member alerted
- Be sure to also have your alerts turned on for Teams on your preferred device to receive notifications.
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.
RECAP SEPT. 1, 2023: BELL VS. KIPP LEGACY
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
The HS football game against Roosevelt was delayed and eventually cancelled due to lightning . At the time of the delay, we were leading 16 - 14 in the 2nd quarter. All other games were postponed due to the heat advisory all week.
LINCOLN
BSOC:0 - 0
GSOC: 0 - 0
VB: 0 - 0
BELL
BSOC:0 - 0
FB: 2 - 0
GSOC: 0 - 0
VB: 0 - 0
THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE
Monday:
HS GSOC vs. Jackson-Reed at Jacksin-Reed @ 4:00
HS BSOC vs. Coolidge at Coolidge @ 5:30
Tuesday:
HS GSOC vs. EL Haynes at CHEC @ 4:00 (Petworth Cup)
HS VB vs. SWW at Roosevelt @ 5:00
Wednesday:
HS BSOC vs. Jackson-Reed at Jackson-Reed @ 4:00
MS VB vs. Jefferson at CHEC @ 6:30
Thursday:
MS BSOC vs. Stuart Hobson at CHEC @ 4:00
MS GSOC vs. Deal at Deal @ 5:00
HS BSOC vs. Washington Latin at CHEC @ 5:30 (Petworth Cup)
HS VB vs. Jackson-Reed at CHEC @ 6:15
Friday:
FB vs. Dunbar at Dunbar @ 6:00
Saturday:
HS GSOC vs. TBD at Roosevelt @TBD (Petworth Cup)
HS BSOC vs. TBD at Roosevelt @ TBD (Petworth Cup)
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)