Newsworthy Notables - Gates Scholarship Program Seeking Eligible DCPS Males
At Garfield, cooking and contests
Garfield Elementary School parents began their six-session “Cooking Matters” class Nov. 3 with guest chef Peter Smith, owner of D.C. restaurant PS 7. Held in partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank, free sessions include work with a nutritionist and cooking an actual "healthy" meal. After each session, parents go home with a free bag of groceries to cook the same meal for their families.
Garfield Elementary School had seven finalists in an art contest sponsored by the Alliance Francaise de Washington, which provides French language and culture lessons in a handful of DC public schools. The students are: Davon Allen, Kahmari Blalock, Martaya Boone, Adrian Mabin, Maniya Porter, Keilyn Brittingham and Zakiya Roberson. The Ambassador of Monaco was present at a Nov. 4 press conference to name Roberson as the grand prize winner of an all-expense paid trip to Monaco to serve as a junior juror for the Monte Carlo circus in January 2011.
Garfield Elementary School kindergarteners have won the “Timeout with the Washington Wizards” contest. The Wizards are sending a charter bus to pick up students and take them to the Verizon Center at 10 a.m. Nov. 15. A Washington Wizards player will read a story and another special guest will make a visit. Later, students will have lunch from sponsor Chick-fil-A. Each student will receive a gift bag as well.
Eaton goes global at well attended LSAT potluck;
Asia Society newsletter covers school’s curricula project
Eaton Elementary’s Local School Advisory Team hosted an international potluck dinner and presentation by the school’s catalyst coordinator as well as Homa Sobet Tavangar, author of “Growing Up Global.”
The catalyst coordinator discussed the progress of the world cultures element in the school and Tavangar provided suggestions to parents about activities they can incorporate into their homes that would reinforce the international theme at the school. About 200 parents and children attended.
Also, the Asia Society, the leading organization for globally themed education, has featured one of Eaton’s curricular projects in its newsletter this month. Eaton has been working with the Asia Society throughout the past year including conferences on Chinese language instruction, release of global theme graduation standards for elementary education, and school tours of international schools.
At Hardy, conservation, elections and a spike of confidence for girls’ volleyball
A group of Hardy Middle School students will be accompanying a science and art teacher to the US Department of Education on Tuesday for the Rivers of the World Art Installation. This project partners with schools around the world to study rivers and conservation.
Hardy also is gearing up for Student Council Elections next week. The student council is a new body in the Hardy community.
AND the Hardy girls’ volleyball team has won the first two rounds of the city-wide tournament.
Hyde-Addison touts math, writing; fall walking tours connect kids to nature
Fifth-grade mathematicians at Hyde-Addison are preparing to apply their knowledge of geometry by building large domes out of triangles.
Hyde-Addison students have finished the most recent publishing and the school is brimming with gorgeous student writing about real, true-life experiences.
And each class at the Ward 2 school is engaged in touring the trees and foliage in its schoolyard through a partnership with Casey Trees.
Walker-Jones farm: an outdoor classroom, meeting space and evidence of school’s commitment
The Farm at Walker-Jones is an emerging urban farm serving the great kids, families and neighbors of Walker Jones Education Campus. This half-acre production farm serves as an outdoor classroom, community meeting space and a reminder to all that pass of the school's commitment to both the minds and bodies of its students. You can follow the evolution of the farm on the project blog at www.wjfarm.wordpress.com.
Wheatley EC students set sights on college life
Middle school students at Wheatley EC are taking their second college tour this month. They have already visited Howard University and this Friday they’re visiting the University of Maryland. Students tour the campus, talk to students about campus life and complete a scavenger hunt. All this is connected to their work in middle school and setting goals for high school and graduation.
Cluster Five PD offers a variety for educators
Educators in Cluster Five recently attended a professional development day that was a major hit with teachers and coaches. Teachers were able to self-select a variety of areas to study including, but not limited to the following:
- Great early-childhood instruction;
- Effective balanced literacy;
- Developing great goals and objectives for math instruction;
- Effective lesson planning across schools;
- TLF;
- Writing great objectives; and
- Thought-partnering opportunities within content areas.
All of this was done with a ton of great energy and a strong spirit of collegiality between principals, teachers and instructional coaches.
Library association president to visit Ballou’s librarian as part of national library tour
Melissa Jackson, the library media specialist at Ballou High School (formerly at Martin Luther King Elementary School), and her library program has been selected by the American Association of School Librarians affiliate organizations as an outstanding example of what good school libraries offer to students and the community, and what libraries are doing to prepare students to be learners for life.
Association President Dr. Nancy Everhart is making a national tour of outstanding libraries and visiting one librarian in every state/region. Jackson has been selected for Washington, D.C., and the visit will occur Dec. 8. Her tour is aligned with the national AASL initiative, Learning4Life (L4L). The L4L plan supports states, school systems and individual schools preparing to implement the Standards for the 21st-Century Learner and Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs.
The plan also will increase awareness and understanding of the learning standards and guidelines and create a committed group of stakeholders with a shared voice.
Gates scholarship program seeking eligible DCPS males
The Gates Millennium Scholars program (GMSP) visited Howard University this month to introduce DC-area male scholars to the program, encourage them to apply for GMSP scholarships and inspire them to achieve and excel.
GMSP is trying to increase the number of GMSP recipients city-wide for the program that funds dynamic college-bound low-income students through their undergraduate education in the discipline of their choice through their graduate education in seven selected disciplines. (Last year, DCPS had seven Gates Millennium Scholars; this year, DCPS has more than 183 eligible males for the program.)
The program, The Gates Millennium Scholars Bridge Builders Male Initiative Workshop, was held in the Cramton Auditorium on the Howard University campus. While geared toward young men, the program is also open to women.
Truesdell EC rakes in the cash for homeless relief
Truesdell Education Campus in Ward 4 raised $6,500 for the homeless during its recent Walk for the Homeless in which students and staff walked the neighborhood accompanied by the DC mounted police, members of the Coolidge High School band and Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser.
Students take the lead at Beers’ STEM night
Beers’ Elementary School’s STEM Night opened recently with a standing-room-only crowd of students, parents and community partners, and an interesting twist: Beers’ students explained and demonstrated what STEM meant at Anne Beers. Community partners set up tables on both sides of the gymnasium/auditorium to describe what they do with Beers as well as some activities to engage the parents.
After the assembly, students led the parents to different parts of the school where classroom projects connected to Beers’ advisory theme (environmental systems) were displayed with an explanation. Most students, including the youngest learners and scientists, were able to explain what they had done in class. Parents also engaged in instructional activities with their children with the support of teachers and staff.
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