Eli Schlam- Board Spotlight

Why do you serve on the Board of Trustees? What aspect of the mission most resonates with you? What makes Two Rivers special?

I first learned about Two Rivers from a friend who was serving on the Board. When she invited me to apply, I spent some time learning about Two Rivers mission and model. Two things really spoke to me.  

First was the part of the mission about students being active participants in their own education. In my family, we have a saying that you should live life as an adventure, not an accident. It means that you should be an active participant in your life by choosing your own path, not just letting things happen to you. So this part of the mission fit right into how I try to live my life and how I think we should be educating students. I believe strongly that students both learn better and grow as people when they are given the autonomy and trust to guide their own learning and have a say in how their schools are run. When I was in high school, I started going to my town's school board meetings to advocate for the issues that I thought were important to students because I felt that the people making decisions about how the schools were run should be hearing from the people directly impacted by those decisions, the students. And I love that Two Rivers makes it part of their mission to empower elementary and middle school students to also be active participants in their own education.

The other thing that really spoke to me is the part of TR's model that teaches students how to give and receive criticism. It's not something that we highlight as much as the experiential learning or the scholarly habits, but I think it is one of the more important things that we teach our students. Being able to give criticism in a way that prevents pushback and receive criticism without getting defensive is a crucial skill for self-improvement, collegiality, collaboration, and having healthy relationships; all of which in my view are essential for success in life, school, and work.  

Those are the two things that spoke to me right out of the gate and they still are things that I think make Two Rivers special. What I also know now after serving on the board for six years is that the other thing that makes Two Rivers special is the people. I have been so impressed by everyone I have met who works at, learns at, or supports Two Rivers because everyone is deeply committed to and passionate about the mission and goes above and beyond to support the school and students.

You are rolling off the Board as of July 1. What role did you play? What are your proudest of?

As a Board member my job was to provide oversight and support to the school. Over my six years, I've been involved in several big decisions including hiring two Executive Directors. But the one I am most proud of was the decision of where to locate our new middle school. That was not an easy decision to make, but the Board and school went through a very thorough and collaborative process that sought input from all of our stakeholders. And then the Board took all that information and made the best decision for the school and our students.

What's your day job?

I'm Associate University Counsel for George Mason University. I provide legal advice to the University and represent it in legal matters. It's a great job, and I love working in higher education.

Can you share a fun fact about yourself?

Well, as some people at Two Rivers know, I am a fruit aficionado. I love cooking with fruit and finding new and interesting ways to use fruit in savory dishes. And I especially love mangoes, hence the mango tasting that I've donated to that Gala in the last few years. Mangoes are amazing fruits once you branch out from what you can buy at the grocery store and experience the wide variety of flavors that mangoes can have. There are mangoes that taste like coconut and others that taste more like peaches and still others that have more citrus flavors and others that are more herbaceous, and I could go on. I'm fortunate to have met one of the world's experts in mangoes who sends me mangoes from his collection in Florida, so I've gotten to try some really exception ones (and you can too if you win the mango tasting when I offer it next year at the gala).

The other fun fact about me that most people don't know is that I was an ice dancer growing up. Was never going to be in the Olympics (or anywhere close to that good), but it was a fun hobby.

Erin Sheehy - Family Spotlight

When did you join the Two Rivers community? What attracted you to it? What do you remember from those early years?

We joined the Two Rivers community in 2007, when my son - who is now 20 - entered in PK-4. We went from being dead last on the wait list the year before to first on the admitted list the year he got in - we felt like we hit the jackpot. My daughters then started in PK-3 in 2009 and 2013. When we were looking at schools, we weren't looking for anything really specific other than how it felt to be within the four walls of the school building. From the second I stepped foot into the 4th Street building, I knew it was where I wanted my children to go. There was so much love, joy, positive energy, and happiness that I didn't want to leave. That feeling has been a constant during our 15 years at Two Rivers. Every school year at Two Rivers, each of my children has had adults in the building who they knew genuinely cared about them and were there for them, which I think makes a huge difference in a student's school experience.

Congratulations, you will join the Board in July! Can you talk about your involvement with the school over the years and what led you to decide to apply for a Board position?

My involvement over the years has consisted of chaperoning field studies here and there, sending in food for potlucks, and helping sometimes with the Gala. I have always wanted to do more for the school that has done so much for our family, but never felt like I had the time to commit to a sustained role. As my youngest child enters 8th grade, I feel like I have the time to dedicate to board service and also have developed some professional experience that will hopefully be of use to the board, specifically around fundraising and having insight into what's happening broadly in the DC education landscape.

In school year 23-24, we will begin a year-long celebration that culminates with a commemoration of our 20th anniversary in fall 2024. And, we are introducing to our community our new ED, Belicia Reaves. What would you like to see happen? How can we share what makes Two Rivers, Two Rivers?

I think the 20th anniversary is a great opportunity to bring all the campuses together in a way that strengthens the cohesiveness of the network. I would love to see more network-wide events and communications to jointly celebrate our Two Rivers community and shared experience. What a great time to be joined by a new leader who can bring a fresh perspective and new energy to the mission and core values we all care so much about.

Tell us about your day job. What kind of work do you?

I lead External Relations for an organization called Education Forward DC, which has been making grants to schools and nonprofits that support schools since 2016, with the mission to make sure every DC student can go to a high-quality, high-equity public school. Ed Forward DC provided funding and strategic support to Two Rivers, for example, when it decided to open a second elementary school at Young to add more spots for DC students looking for a high-quality school option. In my role at Ed Forward DC, I'm responsible for fundraising and managing our engagement with our Board.



How can folks get involved with Two Rivers? What if they don't have a lot of time?

There are so many ways to get involved, ranging from formal to informal opportunities. You can join the Family School Association (name change from Parent School Association), or help with the Gala, or answer the call when teachers or administrators put out an ask for a specific need. If you don't have a lot of time, just reaching out to a teacher or other staff member to say you appreciate them is always a great way to connect with and support the school. And show up for family conferences, showcases, and the middle school musical performances! It's understandable that not everyone can put a lot of time into supporting the school, but I'd encourage everyone to try to do something when they can - it's a much more rewarding experience to feel connected to the school by being directly engaged. And the school needs us - especially during these challenging post-covid years.

Kojo Saunders - Alum Spotlight

It’s been a minute since you finished middle school. Who was your first Two Rivers teacher? 

I had Mr. Guye - I remember first grade. But then that second year we went to 4th Street - the new location for the elementary school. And then they ended up having to build the middle school. I think that we were the second class at Two Rivers. Marquise - he was in the first class. Funny story - I ended up running into him at work because he's with MPD (Metropolitan Police Department) and someone hit our firetruck and they tried to speed off, so we all jumped out, and there just happened to be a cop driving by (Marquise), so we flagged him down, and the cop's [said] “I'll go get him… and don’t I know you from Two Rivers?!” 

What still stays with you from Two Rivers?

I think they were on Wednesdays - the community meetings. Conflict resolution is very important because..especially when we get to a situation and there are people already arguing and, well, hold on, let's all go back to page one so that we're all on the same page. I mean, it's something that's necessary in society now.

But thinking back on it, it's strange that there was already that focus on it from elementary and middle school. So that you get that root started early so that it's already developed for when you go into whatever career path or job path you want to go down. 

I wasn't the most socially-skilled person back then. Still aren't now, but it helps that you at least know how to conduct yourself in a way that helps everyone and not just yourself. Because, I mean, there's a time and place to be selfish, but when there's a goal amongst a group of people, then you gotta put yourself to the side and learn how to talk and communicate with people in a way that's good for everybody. 

Can you describe where you are and how you chose your line of work? 

I applied to colleges and got accepted to colleges. But I was still kinda hesitant because I'm like, I'll go, but I don't know what I'd wanna do.

And I talked that over with myself. I don't think I'd ever do that for any other decision in my life. So I decided to take a gap year. And by then I had already had a year or so in the bike shop I worked at. And then I got a promotion and ended up managing a bike shop. And I was like, this is the most stressed out I have been ever in life. So, I texted a friend of mine and it's so weird how it worked out because I've kind of always wanted to be a firefighter. But it was always something in the back of your head - kind of like if someone came up to you and was like, “Hey, NASA's giving astronaut tryouts”.

I always thought about it but it always seemed so far away and unachievable -because it was this big thing. It seemed so different, because there's no “Firefighter University of the District of Columbia” or anything like that.

So, I texted my friend [and asked] “Is the fire department accepting applications?” He said, “Yeah and they close tomorrow. So fill it out now.” So I did that as soon as I got home.

One of the first memories I have is of firefighters [when I was four or five.] Putting a fire out across the hall from the apartment we were living in. Oh. And, uh, that was always cool, and my mom says for like the next year I was screaming “Smoke and fire!” and kicked the door, cause I guess that's what they had done. 

The crazy thing is I was detailed one day, which kind of means like if you show up to work and you're an extra body there, you get sent to another firehouse to fill in for somebody who might have called in sick or took the day off. And it was the firehouse right down the street from where we used to live. So I talked to [the crew], I was like, man, so I’m still on probation. Everybody wants to know why you got the job and why you want to do the job. And I was like, yeah, well, when I was four or five, I guess y'all would have been first there because it's literally just a right and a left.

Then the wagon driver, who's usually the most senior person in the house, looks up, he's like “315.” And I was like, “Yeah, 315.” He's like, “Go see who was on the engine that day.” So, I go and I find out the wagon driver's the one who put out the fire that day!” 

It's crazy to think about, but, I kind of always saw it as, like, well, I've always kind of wanted to help people out, which is what delayed me from going to [college], because I was like, “I want to help people, but [there is no] degree in helping people. There's so, so many options and then I look at the [fire] department, I'm like, well, they'll pay for a certain amount of schooling and the pay's decent and you get benefits along with it.

On May 29, 2022, Kojo Saunders of Engine 10 in Trinidad, with just six months of experience, found and rescued a woman from her burning apartment. When asked by a news outfit how it felt to save a life, Kojo offered a simple and straightforward response, ​​“It feels nice to be able to do my job.”

Delonna Gibbs - Staff Spotlight

Tell us about the path that took you to Two Rivers. What experiences do you bring to Two Rivers?

My path to Two Rivers has been a journey with several twist and turns along the way to finding the perfect match for my teaching style. I have been in urban education for almost twenty years. I love connecting students with great books, hands-on learning, and amplifying student voice. As Reggio Emilia Preschool Teacher, I loved watching a student engage with a provocation activity or how their curiosity would lead us to amazing discoveries. I started teaching ELA almost six years ago. After teaching in middle school, I took a leap of faith and joined the Two Rivers community in the fall of 2021.

When did you join the Two Rivers community? What attracted you to it?

At Two Rivers I have autonomy to create lessons to meet the needs of my students. In my previous school I was required to implement a scripted curriculum, and my creativity was stifled. I believe in creating wonder and curiosity when teaching. When I discovered that I could use creativity in my lessons, do more hands-on learning, and students' ideas could guide my scope and sequence. I knew that Two Rivers was the best choice for me.

What did you learn from this year? What gives you hope for next year?

Last summer, I read Keeping the Wonder: An Educator’s Guide to Magical, Engaging, and Joyful Learning. It sparked a desire in me to want to dress up in costumes this year for unit launches to pique my students' interest in the new unit. This year I dressed up as a Book Fairy, Book Tasting Chef, Ringmaster for The One and Only Ivan book launch, Queen for Jamestown Expedition Launch, and a Goddess for the Lightning Thief book launch. I also hosted a tea party hosted by the Virginia Company of London to help my students understand the gentry mindset of the first colonist that arrived in Jamestown. In reading my student feedback from this year, my students shared how I made ELA fun this year. Next year, I will get to teach 4th grade again, so I am hoping to make more magical tweaks to lessons and unit launches.

You are leading summer school this year. Yay! What excites you about this new role?

It is such an honor to be the Summer School Principal this year. We are offering an extended school year (ESY) for students who have some unfinished learning they need to work on. I understand how important strong reading skills are and how it is the one subject that touches all subjects. Hence the reason I asked if I could run a reading program at summer school. Our summer school theme is “Reading is my Superpower.” On the first day of school, staff will dress up as superheroes. My goal is to make summer school feel like an educational summer camp. My goal aligns with our EL model and could spark curiosity in students who work extra hard to access their education fully.

We are a parent-founded school. How can folks get involved with Two Rivers? How can families support the education of their children?

One way families could help their students is by fostering a love of reading. Families could do storytime each night, listen to audiobooks on the way to school, attend events at the DC Public Library, or have their children read to them. Students who are reading at least twenty minutes a day are building their vocabulary and background knowledge. Books are magical and can be a catalyst for deep thinking as well. Bonding around books could be a great family tradition.

Tell us about a fun fact about yourself.

Many years ago, I took a Netflix movie watching challenge on summer and watched 263 movies in a month.

Kamalisha Green - Former TR Staff Spotlight

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When were you at Two Rivers? What led you to join the school?

I found this ad for an afterschool counselor or teacher on Craigslist. [I have a] phone interview with NaKeisha Helton-Jones. She hires me and three weeks later, I fly to DC sight unseen. My family's like, what are you doing? You're moving across the country, to some place to go work for some woman?! 

My flight is late so I literally got off the plane and go straight to Two Rivers, when they were in the wing of another school (Eliot-Hine). This was 2005. I think I probably worked maybe two part-time days and then after that, I was subbing every single day I was working in the office. I became the after-school program coordinator. When the middle school started, I was the middle school Transition Coordinator, which meant doing everything. But it was absolute madness. I got to do expeditions, but I also got to develop the [My High School Search process] How do we get into high school? So I was helping them do resume building and interviewing and then leadership development courses. I was [at Two Rivers] until 2009 and only left because I was moving [from DC].

Seems like a very entrepreneurial wear-all-the hats and “figure it out” moment! 

Before I joined Two Rivers, I was running a small recycled fashions business in Chicago. Two Rivers…felt like my next entrepreneurial venture. Here we are having a classroom in, as we called it “Spanish alley” and hallways, and there's so much to figure out. You have to have that creative and startup spirit. 

How has your time at TR shaped who you are either personally or professionally?

At Two Rivers, I got a lot of the technical stuff behind my dreamy ideation. So I got a lot out of the framework, a lot in terms of pedagogy, the data analysis. So when I left there, I actually built my own after-school program that I took on the road and a lot of the stuff from what I was doing at Two Rivers.

At Two Rivers, I was getting so much understanding about school systems and different ways kids learn. I worked a lot with the students who had behavior problems. So then even thinking about how do you approach and differentiate and make it engaging and after-school became a really big thing for me, which I had never sought out to do. It just happened to be that and so later, actually, I wound up getting accepted into this fellowship of after-school leaders and working on some policy on social emotional learning. I would say everything that I'm doing now, in some part, I'm using something that I learned at Two Rivers. 

Working with Keisha always felt like this fluid conversation of “We're participating in this together. You're doing this work. We're doing this work”. She was such a partner and servant leader as opposed to a dictator. We became really, really good friends, saw each other through pregnancies and post pregnancies and still keep in touch to this day.

Tell us about your career path after leaving Two Rivers. What have you been up to? Where are you now?

The funny part about [my new role as Vice President of Mission Programs at Goodwill of Southern Nevada] is that this role is all of the things that I've ever done - into one. I do curriculum development. I use frameworks. I'm talking about social emotional learning. I'm thinking about how we can use after-school to leverage work experiences or education.

Also, I wrote a couple of children's books. I wrote a self help book that focused on positive self talk. 

What do you do for fun? 

I do improv. I am an avid hiker. I'm an avid karaoke-er and just generally walking. People make fun of me at work … because I literally walk around with my laptop all day. And writing. Writing is fun to me, too.

Our middle schoolers cast a spellbinding performance, bringing "Beauty and the Beast Jr." to life! With tremendous teamwork, our talented students wowed the audience. 

Special kudos to the cast and crew for their dedication, and a huge shoutout to Ms. Ashanti and our incredible staff and teachers for making this magical production a reality! 

Finally, a big thank you to our community members and families for coming out and supporting our talented actors!

Two Rivers works to provide students with a high-quality education, unforgettable experiences, and constructive life lessons to help them become life-long learners who are compassionate members of society. 

For this purpose, at the end of the year, students attend a college tour experience that includes visiting local colleges/universities in the metropolitan area. They get a glimpse of college life while encouraging them to commit to excellence in high school and ensuring our students understand they have rich and varied options for their futures.

Back in May, Two Rivers was recognized as the 2022 NoMa BID Partner of the Year for our commitment to education and community involvement.

Our school has instilled a sense of community and civic responsibility in our students. In addition, it has helped strengthen the bonds within the NoMa neighborhood, as it has become an integral part of the community.

Using NoMa as an extension of our classrooms allows our students to deeply understand the community's history and culture while emphasizing the importance of active civic engagement fostering a spirit of unity and progress!

Thank you, @noma.bid