Jefferson Middle School
You may have heard about Jefferson Middle School Academy when their video, “Rock the CAS” went viral last year. And rock it they did—students made double-digit gains on the test!
Besides music-making and test-taking, Jefferson is known for teachers and staff that are as passionate as they come. A Flamboyan Foundation partner, teachers go on home visits to get to know families and to talk about shared goals. They’re also always ready to help, no matter what time of day.
“All the teachers gave us their cell phones and emails and told us they’re open at all hours for whatever help we need,” said Elizabeth Wess, whose daughter is in the 8th grade.
Her daughter entered in 6th grade, and was “used to being the smartest at everything. Then she started struggling with math… but the teachers noticed right away. They stepped in and gave her extra attention right then and there. They helped her so much that today she doesn’t need any extra tutoring because they caught it so quickly and worked with her and guided her.”
Ms. Wess found Jefferson at a school fair and was intrigued by the IB program. Once at Jefferson, she quickly fell into its charms.
“The teachers are…. I’m getting emotional. I don’t know how they could be any better. It’s indescribable,” said Ms. Wess.
Sundiata Alaye has a similar story. His children had previously been in private school. Then a friend told him about Jefferson. He scheduled a meeting with Principal Natalie Gordon to learn about the school, and “within 15 minutes of hearing her speak so passionately, it was love with Jefferson at first sight.”
His older child, once introverted and shy, blossomed at Jefferson. “Now he thinks he can do anything. And I know that a lot of it is because of the teachers, who supported him and led to his transformation.”
Echoing Ms. Wess, Mr. Alaye said: “I don’t think you’ll find a greater commitment from students, teachers, and administrators in the city. Have a sit down conversation with Natalie Gordon and watch how quickly you become addicted to Jefferson. “
What’s the secret?
There’s the International Baccaleaurate curriculum, which helps students become critical thinkers and world citizens. As a result of IB, “my children are well-rounded and their minds have expanded. We can easily have conversations about ancient Greece one day and world politics another. The way [Jefferson and IB] prepares the children is unbelievable,” said Mr. Alaye.
There’s the constant push to innovate and give students new opportunities.
Next year, Jefferson will offer a business entrepreneurship/advanced math class, in which kids will develop a business plan, study marketing and economics, and learn how to track income and expenses while hewing to 7th grade math standards. The school had piloted the program two years ago and had won awards for rookie teaching and a student project as a result.
They’ll also offer a digital media class that will teach students how to code. These are in addition to other great classes such as advanced literature and Spanish, music, and reading interventions at every level.
Of course, these classes will be run by some of those incredible educators parents talk about. Principal Gordon says, “Our teachers just love the kids.”
Powell
Some may know Powell Elementary School from its recent time in the spotlight-- President Obama chose Powell to announce his budget last month. He also highlighted Powell’s preschool and early childhood programs—which are no secret. But Powell offers so much more than that!
True, it has an amazing early childhood program—with dual language from preschool to 5th grade. True, it was a pilot school for the Tools of the Mind early childhood curriculum. True, organizations have come to learn from Powell’s award-winning early childhood program.
But did you know that students call the school, “Pantherville”? There’s a student mayor of Pantherville—elected by and for the Powell Panthers-- sworn in by a real-life councilmember each year. There’s a Pantherville council and peacekeepers. They run a mini-society and economy that uses Panther Bucks as currency. They meet with the principal and staff regularly to propose an idea—for example, last year they wanted to paint murals in the bathrooms so students would feel more invested in keeping them clean.
It’s all a part of Powell’s project-based approach. That means, in the words of Principal Janeece Docal, “We make sure that all the standards are demonstrated in authentic ways. “ From the Pantherville model, students learn about government, democracy, and economics in ways that they never could from a textbook.
Other examples of project-based learning: students have portfolios that they present six times a year. They also go on expeditions to watch their learning come to life—for example, for a civil rights unit, 5th graders participated in a mock trial at the National Portrait Gallery. Currently, 2nd graders are learning how to aerate a pond to keep fish alive.
The school couples real-life learning with has a relentless focus on college. At the beginning of the year, the oldest students—5th graders, attend a convocation assembly where they state who they are, what their goals are, and what university they will attend—and what major. “They’re allowed to change their minds, of course,” chuckled Principal Docal.
These efforts drive results. Powell doubled in enrollment from 2009 to 2013, and year after year, it’s made, on average, a 10 percent gain on the DC CAS.
If parents are skeptical, the school welcomes them with open arms. Any prospective or current parent—or anyone who’s interested, really—can come in on Tuesday morning for a tour. There are also Thursday coffees and Friday empowerment meetings and the school is a Flamboyan Family Engagement Partner that does home visits. The staff goes on community walks at the beginning of the year to get to know families.
And the proof is in the pudding. Principal Docal says a non-Powell parent walked into the school today to sign up. “She heard other parents talking about how excellent we were and she came in to register right away.”
A first-year Powell parent, Yanira van den Broeck Nieves, identifies completely with this sentiment. She sent her two children to the school after taking a tour last year. She noticed how students generally seemed very happy, but she remembers one incident in particular during the tour—when one of the pre-K teachers stepped aside to talk to an upset student. “The teacher really spoke to the student at her level and was empathetic. That stuck with me. “
She continues, “Once I visited Powell, felt the sense of community and saw the level of engagement, it made me realize, this is the school I want.”
Bruce Monroe
Walk into one classroom and hear a teacher explaining fractions. Walk into the classroom next door and hear another teacher explaining fractions. In Spanish.
That perfect match, that classroom synchronization is the main attraction at Bruce-Monroe Elementary School @ Park View, a dual-language school housed in a beautiful historic building in the Columbia Heights/Parkview neighborhoods.
Staff has gone to great lengths to create such a seamless model — from pre-K onward students typically spend half their time learning in English and the other half in Spanish. It has since become a model for other dual-language schools in the district.
Principal Palacios emphasizes that the opportunity to learn two languages not only makes students competitive but, research shows, also strengthens their brains and gives them higher cognitive abilities.
If English-speaking students start in pre-K, they’re bilingual by second grade, speaking Spanish in “beautiful native accents,” Principal Palacios said. Students who come in as newcomers to the English language leave proficient by the fifth grade.
The data is promising: Bruce-Monroe’s DC CAS scores are above other schools with a high percentage of English language learners.
“A newcomer to the country would need to learn so much English to access academic content, but because it’s in both languages, they can learn the language and the material at the same time. They don’t fall behind,” Principal Palacios said.
To supplement the bilingual atmosphere, staff has developed a “Global Citizenship” focus and mission for the school: students are taught four main principles for future success and stewardship. They are: 1) accept all people; 2) take care of the environment; 3) help those in need; and 4) work for peace. These themes are emphasized both inside and outside the classroom, whether through the recycling program or cultural events or Singapore math methods (which covers fewer concepts but in greater depth).
The school also does not sacrifice academics for nurturing worldviews. For students who may fall behind or become bored in the classroom, there are interventionists at every grade level to meet them where they are—whether they need catching up or more enrichment. These specialists work in the classroom so that everything they do is in sync with the curriculum.
Students aren’t the only ones learning, either. Parents can take language classes, including English as a Second Language for native Spanish speakers and Spanish language for English speakers. There’s a full-time parent coordinator whose sole job is to liaise with parents.
Every feature of the school has come to fruition because of the family-like environment that Principal Palacios seeks to nurture. She says, “Our school is a community, and my style of leadership brings in the contributions of parents, teachers, instructional aides, and staff. We have ideas and work toward a consensus, knowing we have the same goal: the education of our children. “
In the words of one new parent who emailed the chancellor: “It has just been wonderful transitioning our boy back into DCPS! I have signed him up for fifth grade at Bruce-Monroe and my husband and I couldn’t be more pleased. From the security to the school nurse [to] the administration, to the teachers and principal, we feel very honored to have our child at such a fine school. All the best to you and the hard work you do. If there is anyway as a parent I can help out, count us in.”
Kimball
Kimball Elementary School students have the best backyard ever. With a national park behind the school (Fort Dupont), an ice arena nearby (Fort Dupont Ice Arena) and the new Nationals Youth Baseball Academy down the street, Kimball students have a variety of amazing opportunities in front of them.
With these resources, students can play baseball and softball while receiving mentoring and tutoring. Next year, students can also receive tutoring after ice skating at the arena.
These resources and partnerships help add to the community spirit that is woven into everything Kimball does. “This is a community school—some families have been sending their children here for generations, even if they’ve moved away. It really feels like a family,” said Principal Suriya Douglas.
Beyond sports, the community is heavily invested into pouring into the school in other ways. Neighbors who no longer have children at Kimball still volunteer, working with students to build math skills, coaching teams, and run the guided reading room, to name a few. The local churches partner by supporting a scholar banquet for DC CAS proficient and advanced students, and sponsoring a peace assembly to build a culture of problem-solving and peace-making.
And of course, the community members that have the biggest stake in the school are parents. Kimball has a supportive group of parents dedicated to the success of the school. Kimball teachers took it upon themselves to visit homes and help families see that they were willing to come to them. Next year, Kimball will become a Flamboyan Family Engagement Partner—formalizing what they’ve already started.
Principal Douglas is straight forward about the progress that needs to be made and where they are right now: “We have a committed staff invested in supporting children to achieve their highest potential. We’re doing a solid job of teaching fundamentals. We’re pushing our students to learn independently. And while we know we need more students to get to grade level, building the foundations is something we’ve been able to deliver. Come and see for yourself. We’re a program on the rise.”
Sousa Middle School
Writer Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “This world is but a canvas to our imaginations.” Students live this out daily at John Philip Sousa Middle School, where the arts are weaved into every class. They can regularly express their thoughts and emotions through movement in the excellent dance program, which is taught by a Rubenstein Award for Highly Effective Teaching winner, Nakia Espinal. Last year, dance students had the opportunity to take a master class at the Alvin Ailey Dance School in New York City.
Students can also apply their creativity during math class- for example, if they are learning about area, they might build a model home to see the concept in real life. By integrating the arts, academic concepts become more relevant.
Students also express themselves through picking “exploratory” classes, which include physical education and dance, technology, foreign language and studio arts. In the latter, students tackle everything from clay building, yarn painting, embossing and stop-motion animation.
The idea is that exposure to the arts helps students discover and explore possibilities they never thought imagined. Subsequently, students will be more invested and excited about school.
After all, it’s only at school where they can learn to create tangible masterpieces with their ideas and hands.
“Students were really impressed they could make a movie with stop-motion animation-- something they see on TV everyday. When they see their work come out to be something really positive, they really enjoy it,” said arts teacher Jenna Lee.
It’s extra special when others can see their work too. Last December, Sousa students were selected to create ornaments for the National Christmas Tree display near the White House. They carefully imagined, sketched, and built plaster miniature models of DC landmarks—a mini Howard Theatre, a mini Ben’s Chili Bowl and a mini Lincoln Monument and more.
Sousa also has a showcase every spring, featuring plays, dance performances and an art gallery. “It’s a great community event that students can be proud of,” said Ms. Lee.
And if students or parents need more than artistic expression, they can voice it to the teachers and administration, which has an open-door policy and is intentional about being accessible and responsive.
Sousa is a Schoolwide Enrichment Model school, which provides advanced students with an abundance of enrichment options—more tools to paint their canvas of the world.
Amidon-Bowen
Jamila Bey did “well” in this year’s lottery, matching or earning top-of-the-waitlist berths at well-regarded schools around the district. And still, deep down she knew that she wanted to stay with her neighborhood school, where her son currently attends kindergarten.
With a dance studio, chess program, well-known choir, soon-to-be greenhouse and more, Amidon-Bowen Elementary School, in the up-and-coming Southwest/Waterfront area, offers not only strong academics, but also a buffet of extracurricular activities. And that’s why Jamila’s son is staying.
“I jokingly say that my son is MIT Class of 2030 — I’d like for him to at least be admitted. With Amidon-Bowen, I am confident that the education he’s getting is absolutely on par with what my friends’ kids at private schools are getting,” said Jamila.
Step into Amidon-Bowen and you’ll see what she sees: new windows, happy colors and technology in every classroom. And next year, you’ll see custom artwork made by an artist-in-residence with the input of students, hanging from the ceilings, made possible by the DCPS Proving What’s Possible Student Satisfaction grant.
That bright, promising environment mirrors what goes on inside the classroom. A dedicated staff includes teachers who stay for a full day to help with after-school programs (35 percent of students attend school from 8:30 a.m.- 6 p.m.), and other teachers come in on Saturdays to support students who need additional help. Every grade is committed to hands-on learning: Students go on excursions that tie in with their unit and help them understand the real world — for example, kindergarten went to the National Aquarium to study undersea creatures. Fifth graders went to the Department of Transportation to see scientific concepts at work.
Back at the school, full-time library, art, music and physical education staff help students reach their potential in other ways. “Parents tell me that students come home and talk about what they’re learning. Students need something to relate to and they need to see it, touch it and apply it in order to retain the knowledge,” Principal Izabela Miller said.
When she talks to parents over her regular principal coffees and other opportunities, she says most parents ask about test scores.
“I show them our scores for the last three years, and they’re on the rise. I also show them the classrooms, the technology, and I ask them to come during teaching time,” she said. “We talk about our close-reading focus and how we get ready for Common Core standards. Some parents just want a nurturing environment. While other parents are just about the data.”
One parent, Norma Fisher, stayed with Amidon even after her daughter, now in the fourth grade, won a scholarship to a private school. “I kept her at Amidon because her reading has taken off—she’s now advanced, and her math skills are growing. Everything is running smoothly.”