WARRIOR WEEKLY March 15-19 |
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Dear TMA Families,
This week, no matter if you sought it or not, you have likely been teleported back to March 2020. The news, social media, even your phone is displaying images of how the world was before school, city, country, and world declared a health crisis.
Last March, we sent students home with computers, books, and food and are eagerly hoping for their return soon. Since then, the Class of 2020 has graduated and is attending college. We welcomed new students to our community. Many of us lost family and friends to the viruses of Covid-19, gun violence, and other ailments. At the same time, others have welcomed new babies and family members into their homes.
When I reflect on the rollercoaster of the year, I know I am blessed because of Thurgood Marshall Academy. Our family has looked out for each other. Called to check up, dropped by to visit safely, and sent food and care packages to make sure basic needs were met. Our Warrior Family made a point to accept change and find ways to innovate for the sake of our student’s learning. You worked with us to co-create the next version of remote education that we knew at the time.
It has been a struggle, and I would be lying if di did not acknowledge that it was a struggle, risks but at no point did you or our team give up. At no point did our students lose faith that their community would keep their best interest in the center of our decision-making.
As we move through the spring, TMA is thankful for each of you! Our students are brave learners and challenge themselves to stay focused on their goal of college and beyond. Our team for processing and taking risk in public, modeling that authentic learning means falling, correcting, and going after it again. Our families trust TMA to be their student’s second teacher along with them.
We are not 100% sure what the spring or new school will look like, but we are confident our Warrior Family is ready for the adventure.
Quote of the Week:
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What’s Ahead:
- Thursday, March 18th: Advanced Opportunities Info-Session
- Saturday, March 20 Senior Picture Day II
- Tuesday, March 23 Law Firm Tutoring (11)
- Wednesday, March. 24 Admissions Meet and Greet
- Friday, March 26 End of Q3
- Monday, March 29 Work and Wellness Day (No School Students)
- Tuesday, March 30 Work and Wellness Day (No School Students)
- Wednesday, March 31 Work and Planning (No School Students)
- Thursday, April 1 Q4 begins
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Brief Senior Year Activities Update:
Families, senior year is winding down. With that said, we would like to share some things with you.
- The Senior Activities Committee has been working diligently to create remote activities that seniors can do together. The goal is one activity a month.
- March 13th & 20th: Senior Pictures
Please look for the upcoming events in the senior bulletin link (listed below) in this Warrior Weekly. As always if you have any questions please email sstewart@tmapchs.org.
Parent Small Group Survey:
SY 21-22 Enrollment: Registration is a two-step annual process for all TMA students.
Thank you to all families who submitted their Intent to Return form by the extended deadline. Please note that registration will tentatively open to all families on April 5, 2021. Families must complete the registration process (completing annual forms, providing required medical/dental forms and submitting valid DC residency documentation ) during the month of April. Documentation will be provided electronically at the beginning of April to complete this process.
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SY21–22 Recruitment Season
Each year, we welcome new students and families into the TMA community, and you can help us to do this by spreading the word about Thurgood Marshall Academy! Please help us by sharing your family’s experience at TMA with others and by inviting parents you know to come to apply to TMA through myschooldc.org.
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Attendance:
Students must log in to their scheduled Zoom/Canvas sessions for synchronous classes to be considered present for the class period. Please email your student’s teachers, advisor, and rshort@tmapchs.org, when your student will miss any synchronous classes.
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Community Service Opportunities
All Warriors should be working to earn 100 hours of community service by the end of their senior year to meet graduation requirements. Volunteer hours must be completed at either a 501c3 non-profit organization or government agency. Students may not receive any pay for volunteer hours.
Service Opportunity Spotlight: TMA Community Service Ambassadors
The TMA Community Service Ambassadors hosted their first community service day event on Saturday, March 13th at Thurgood Marshall Academy. This event was an opportunity for us to give back to our community, build relationships, and lend a helping hand where needed. Our motto is "Let’s Build a Community Where Everyone Wins".
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College & Counseling Updates
Hello Juniors & Families:
Just a few quick action items to take note of during this week. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
1. Please indicate your interest in taking the SAT (in school; in person at TMA) on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. It will start at 9.30am IN PERSON, IN SCHOOL, AT TMA. If you are interested in taking the test and have not indicated such, please do so HERE.
2. If you are interested in taking the SAT, are you also interested in an after school SAT prep course? If so, please indicate so HERE.
Spots are limited to only 20 registrants. The course will be virtual, the practice exams might be in person.
3. Have you or your parent/guardian completed the parent/guardian or junior profiles? If not, please do so by clicking the link that best describes you: Parent or Student.
Thank you for your attention to this. Remember, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me.
For the last few summers, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation has sponsored 20 DCPS and DC public charter school students to attend the Stevens Institute of Technology Pre-College Summer programming in Hoboken, NJ. The experience was on campus the summers of 2018 and 2019. The program will be offered virtually this summer (2021) due to the pandemic. This experience is available at no cost to selected DCPS and DC charter school students through the Clark Foundation sponsorship.
Program and application details follow.
Applications are due April 1st.
The Stevens Pre-College Summer 2021 programs are week-long (one program is two weeks), full day sessions beginning the week of July 11. The participants will experience live sessions taught by Stevens faculty, spend time in the evenings on research projects, and have the opportunity to participate in student life workshops. Students must attend all sessions to receive their completion certificate. This is a time-intensive and rewarding experience.
We are pleased to offer DC students a variety of pre-college programs at Stevens during the week of July 11th. The programs include:
- Business Explorer (1-week program)
- Exploring Career Options in Engineering and Science - ECOES (2-week program)
- Introduction to Coding (1-week program)
- Pre-Med Biomedical Engineering (1-week program)
- Pre-Med Biology (1-week program)
- Cybersecurity-Advanced (1-week program; a background in AP Computer Science or similar is required as a prerequisite)
Program descriptions may be found here. The group of DC students will also be invited to attend a special SAT prep workshop planned for July 10th and 11th.
Please share this information and encourage your students to apply to receive a sponsorship to attend Stevens Pre-College 2021.
Details for DC students:
- Programming is best suited for rising 11th and 12th graders.
- Programming for DC students is during the week of July 11, 2021 (the ECOES program is two weeks July 11-23).
- 2021 programming is virtual. Students will need an internet connection, computer, headset with microphone, zoom installed on computer, webcam and a learning space.
- The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation will fund at least 20 DCPS and DC charter high school students. Clark sponsorship includes fully paid tuition (a value of $1,000-2,000 per student).
- Students must apply through the Stevens website (below)
- Applications due April 1, 2021.
Important notes about the online application:
- Students are requested to provide a personal statement (max 500 words).
- Guidance counselors must provide official student transcripts for students. Counselors will receive an email with a link from Stevens to upload the transcript.
- Letter of recommendation and PSAT, SAT or ACT scores are both OPTIONAL. You do not need to provide this.
- Uploading any supplemental materials on the application is OPTIONAL. You do not need to provide this.
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DCPS and DC public charter school students do not need to fill out any financial aid information on the application -- if selected, the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation covers full tuition for DC students. (When you get to the financial aid section of the application it will ask you if you would like to be considered for financial aid -- select no and continue)
Contact Information for Questions
Please contact Joel Rolon, Director of Pre-College Programs, with questions or for more information. Mr. Rolon may be reached at summer@stevens.edu.
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Programs Updates
If you are interested in enrolling your student in Homework Help, email Ms. Schwarz at cschwarz@tmapchs.org. If you want to sign your student up for the Mentor Program, email Ms. Jean at pjean@tmapchs.org.
21st CCLC evaluation of TMA Programs:
illuminatED llc, an independent evaluation firm, is working with TMA to evaluate Programs activities that are funded by a 21st Century Learning Community Centers (21st CCLC) grant from the District of Columbia (DC) Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). illuminatED has served as TMA’s evaluator on its previous 2st CCLC grants for more than 16 years.
The evaluation responds to the following questions:
- To what extent has TMA met its stated OSSE 21st CCLC objectives, as described in TMA’s 2019-20 application/2020-21 continuation application to OSSE?
- What are TMA’s key programmatic successes? What barriers are encountered in program implementation and how are they addressed?
illuminatED is working with TMA to observe (virtually) various Programs activities (including Homework Help, Mentor Day, clubs, Law Firm Tutoring, and family events), talk to key stakeholders, and share insights and information that will help TMA to make Programs the best it can be. Students and teachers will complete surveys about Programs, too.
Please contact Ms. Wilson Amanda Wilson, Director of Programs at TMA, at awilson@tmpachs.org if you have any questions about the evaluation.
Virtual Congressional Art Competition 2021
The Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the Artistic Discovery competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated.
Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of artists select the winning entries in each congressional district. Winners are recognized both in their district and at an annual awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. The winning works are displayed for one year at the U.S. Capitol.
As such, we are kicking off the 2021 Congressional Art Competition for the District of Columbia. This year’s event will be completely virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A packet of information, including deadlines and submission forms is attached to this email.
Photographed student art is due via email by 5 pm on Friday, April 30th.
Athletics
Attention all Warrior Athletes and prospective Athletes:
Virtual meetings and conditioning sessions are now taking place. If you are interested in being a part of one of our athletic teams, you are required to attend these sessions to prepare for the upcoming season. Please contact the following coaches for information on when and where to attend:
Basketball (girls) Coach Sam Koonce - skoonce@tmapchs.org
Volleyball- Coach Brian Moore-bmoore@tmapchs.org
Track and Field- Coach Alex Charles- ACHA1356@gmail.com
If you have any questions regarding athletics, please contact: Michele Thompson, Director of Athletics, - mthompson@tmapchs.org or 410-921-9047.
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Technology & Online Resources
Canvas Tutorials for Parents: Below are some helpful tutorials for our parents and guardians who are helping their TMA student navigate Canvas.
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How do I create a parent account in Canvas? (video here)
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How does my child submit assignments in Canvas? (video here)
If you have questions about Canvas, please contact any of the following TMA team members.
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Erica Culbreath (technology teacher), eculbreath@tmapchs.org
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Malika Mays (Associate Head of School), mmays@tmapchs.org
- You can also contact your student’s advisory teacher.
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Resources and Support Information
Prospective Athletes
Although we are not at the phase on re-starting high school athletics, we want to make sure that all potential athletes have the necessary paperwork on file. Therefore, all prospective athletes must have a current physical on file at the school clearing them to play, and all immunizations must be up to date before a student will be allowed to participate in sports. Please CLICK HERE to find the Universal Health Form.
PEPCO Resource for Families/ Energy Assistance
Parents, if needed, please use this energy resource for your family. There is limited time to use this. This is for Maryland and DC families PEPCO Resource Flyer
General Resources
If your family needs any resources (like food, clothing, school supplies, etc.) or support during this time of distance learning, please reach out to Ms. Moore at nmoore@tmapchs.org.
PAVE + Medstar WISE Center Virtual House Meeting Series!
We are excited to share about a series of virtual house meetings PAVE will be hosting in collaboration with the WISE center.
Series Blurb:
At Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE) we focus on informing, connecting and empowering parents to improve the education system for ALL DC kids. In this Virtual House Meeting series, in collaboration with WISE, we invite YOU to share YOUR story, connect with other parents in your community, and take action to see change!
Virtual Hose Meeting Series with PAVE + Georgetown WISE Center
At Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE) we focus on informing, connecting and empowering parents to improve the education system for ALL DC kids. In this Virtual House Meeting series, in collaboration with the WISE Center, we invite YOU to share YOUR story, connect with other parents in your community, and take action to see change!
PAVE + WISE Virtual House Meeting #1: Story of Self
Thursday 3/11 6-7:30PM
At PAVE we focus on informing, connecting and empowering parents to improve the education system for ALL DC kids. In collaboration with WISE, at this Virtual House Meeting we invite you to come share your story, connect with other parent leaders and take action! During this meeting we will discuss how YOU can share YOUR story in the public narrative to advocate for our kids.
PAVE + WISE Virtual House Meeting #2: Advocacy 101
Thursday 3/25 6-7:30PM
The Advocacy 101 Virtual House Meeting will be a space for you to connect with other DC parents, grandparents and caregivers and be informed of the process PAVE Parents went through to develop a solution for response and recovery from COVID-19 in education. You will also have the opportunity to make a plan to advocate with PAVE for the parent priorities that matter most to YOU!
PAVE + WISE Virtual House Meeting #3: Where the Power Lies in DC Education
Thursday 4/8 6-7:30PM
Join us for our VIRTUAL House Meeting: Where the Power Lies in DC Education. At PAVE, our parents are partners and leaders in the education system to make sure our schools serve ALL DC kids. During this meeting, we will give you the tools and information you need to know about how DC's education system works, the key players, and how education policy gets made!
Parking Change
Our neighbor, Bethlehem Baptist Church, let TMA know recently that they have begun real estate development of the field next to their church. It is therefore no longer available to parents or visitors for parking while visiting the school. This school year there will likely be space for visitors in the paved lot next to TMA’s building, and we are working with the Church on alternate arrangements for the future.
COVID-19 Testing Site
Curative, Inc., has set up a kiosk on TMA’s property to offer COVID-19 testing to the general public (including TMA families). Beginning March 15, 2021, the company will expand the kiosk hours to 8 am - 4 pm. One can make appointments at curative.com. (Curative and Thurgood Marshall Academy are independent organizations--we simply provide them with space as a public service.)
Job Opportunity
Thurgood Marshall Academy has learned that Curative Inc. seeks Test Site Specialists--a part-time job paying $20.00/hour. We thought this might be of interest to families of our students--if interested, contact Samantha Viotty of Curative Inc. at samanthaviotty@curative.com. Note that Curative Inc. is entirely independent of Thurgood Marshall Academy--we are simply sharing information.
Kids Ride Free Cards
Kids Ride Free cards are now available for pick up at the school. Please email Ms. Moore at nmoore@tmapchs.org for additional information and pick-up hours.
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Internet Resources
If you received an email regarding free Internet services from the District of Columbia. You should receive a text message, phone call, and/or email from the DC Government soon asking if you want to opt-in to free Internet from DC—please respond “yes” (even if you have enrolled in Comcast via Thurgood Marshall Academy). The attached flyer provides additional details regarding the Internet Services Program: DC Government Free Internet.
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Special Education, Student Wellness & Interventions
Wellness Women’s History Spotlight
Dorothy Irene Height (1912-2010)
Dorothy Height, an African American woman, is known for her work as an American civil rights and women’s rights activist. Through her leadership in the National Council of Negro Women (1957-1996), she was an “influential leader of organizations focused primarily on improving the circumstances of and opportunities for African American women.” (www.Britannica.com).
Ms. Height was honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1994) and the Congressional Gold Medal (2004). Dorothy earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology from New York University. She did additional postgraduate work at Columbia University and the New York School of Social worker. (social workers.org)
DC Department of Behavioral Health Wellness Wednesday/Support for Parent
Theme: Getting Ready to Spring Forward
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Password: WW20
Caregivers Empowering EachOther Virtual Gathering
Calling all caregivers and parents! The WISE Center, TMA's community partner at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, will soon begin hosting Caregivers Empowering EachOther (CEO) virtual gatherings. All caregivers and parents are welcome to participate. The purpose of these gatherings will be to connect and share stories, problem-solve challenges, and learn new strategies to support your students at home. Topics can include self-care, supporting self-regulation, and discussing difficult topics; though we want to hear about specific topics you are interested to address. If you would like to participate, please contact Dr. Megan Polanin (mpolanin@tmapchs.org) to get connected and learn more.
Supporting Families through Transitional Living Circumstances:
Know your rights! Please see link below to learn more about the Educational Rights of Parents and Students Experiencing Homelessness: Click here.
If you have any questions, concerns or need support connecting with community resources please don't hesitate to reach out to Yolanda Hayden, School Counselor at yhayden@tmapchs.org.
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Faculty & Staff Directory:
Are you Looking for One of Our Team Members?
If you need to contact a TMA Faculty or Staff member, you can find their email address listed HERE: Faculty & Staff Directory
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