WARRIOR WEEKLY October 19-23
Dear TMA Families,
 
The first quarter is coming to an end. It is essential each of us students, educators, and you are on the same page with only two weeks left. Next week your student will be meeting with their advisor to ensure they have a plan to help their progress. Please join those conversations to be sure you can support your students over the next two weeks.
 
TMA Reopening Survey Reminder
Please take a few moments to complete the TMA Reopening Survey by October 23! We need your input to support our planning as we begin to think about our future. We are working with our partners at Parents Amplifying Voices in Education (PAVE) to ensure your voice is included in our process. Remember, we are working to answer two key questions:
 
  • What, if any, in-person programming do we want to do now and after the first semester? 
  • What would direct instruction look and sound like when we reopen in-person in Quarter 3 (or later)? 
 
Thank you again for your commitment to our community! Please do not hesitate to reach out to schedule a one-on-one virtual meeting with me to share your thoughts about our decision making this fall. My team and I want to hear from as many parents as who are interested in speaking with us. Use this link to schedule time with me: https://calendly.com/raymondweeden/15min-1.
 
Finally, October is National Bullying Prevention Month. As part of the WARRIOR community, we must erase all forms of bullying. We are all experiencing this pandemic together as a community and are impacted in various ways. We will show our solidarity for National Bullying Prevention Month by participating in UNITY Day! 

When: Thursday, October 22, 2020
How to Participate: Where your ORANGE shirt/t-shirt on 10/22/2020 to all classes
 
If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact me at 202.498.3621. 
 

Sincerely,
Raymond A. Weeden, Jr.
Executive Director
 

Quote of the Week: 
"The measure of a country's greatness is its ability to retain compassion in times of crisis." Thurgood Marshall
What’s Ahead:

  • October 22nd/23rd: MAP Testing--9th & 10th Grade
  • October 24th: Mentor Day
  • October 26th: State Board of Education Candidate Forum @ 6:30
  • October 27th: Law Firm Tutoring--11th Grade
  • October 30th: End of 1st Quarter 
Attendance

Please notify your student’s teachers, advisor and rshort@tmapchs.org when your student is going to miss any synchronous classes.
Class Announcements

Click on your grade level to see assignments and announcements from your Dean and teachers:
Community Service Opportunities

All Warriors should be working to earn 100 hours of community service by the end of their senior year. Volunteer hours must be completed at either a 501c3 non-profit organization or government agency. Students may not receive any pay for volunteer hours. We have broken it down to make it manageable. We suggest the following:

  • By May 15th of 9th grade, students must have completed 20 hours 
  • By May 15th of 10th grade, students must have completed 40 hours 
  • By May 15th of 11th grade, students must have completed 70 hours

Students must complete one hundred (100) hours by May 15 of their graduation year

Below you will find some virtual approved community service opportunities.


Please contact Ms. Ames, zames@tmapchs.org, if you need additional assistance or have questions about community service. 
College & Counseling Updates

Please take a look at this college fair opportunity coming up in the next few weeks. I am strongly encouraging you to consider attending, especially if you are committed to attending college. Please see the flier for the VACRAO college fair and the information for the ALCANZA college fair. 


Both fairs will have over 200 colleges represented. 
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to samitchell@tmapchs.org
Technology & Online Resources

Creating a Parent TMA Canvas Account
TMA parents and guardians can now create Canvas accounts to view their child’s courses in Canvas. If you’re interested in creating a parent account, watch this video. You will need access to your child’s TMA email address and Canvas password to create your account. Reach out to Ms. Mays (mmays@tmapchs.org) and Ms. Culbreath (eculbreath@tmapchs.org) if you have any questions.
Programs Updates

After school programming is LIVE! To view our club & athletic offerings, follow this link. To sign your student up for a club, have them fill out this form!

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. 

Congratulations to this month’s Outstanding Lawyers of the Day!
JaVar Robinson, Jayla Richards, Trinity Steverson, DaMonte Grimes, Owen Nickle, Arryika James, London Queen, Tikija Summers, Jakaya James, Andrew Thomas, Suylemi Gonzalez, Steven Fairfax, Damair Pearson, Rajon Jackson, and Naveah Wright.

Congratulations to this month’s Best Bison!
London Hall, Rashaad Walker, Joshua Davis, Elijah Vicks, Dion Parker, Mahadia Long, Savannah Stewart, Kyrel Henderson, Rahkeam Pickens, Kaniya Johnson, Semaj’ Williams, Desahray Johnson, Danielle Bigby and Ericka Walker.

Please take some time to download, copy, fill out, and email this form to Christina Schwarz (cschwarz@tmapchs.org) if your student participates in after school programs at TMA. This form allows your student to participate in focus groups that help shape and guide our programming for the school year. We will also be sending this form out through your student’s club or athletic advisor.
Special Education, Student Wellness & Interventions

Self-Regulation: The Why and the Cans

Why?

Your Warrior has a lot on his/her plate as they manage high school virtually during a time of uncertainty. While we cannot change the fact that stressful things happen, we want our students to feel empowered to manage inevitable stress flexibly and healthy ways. Our goal is for every student to feel confident that they can RESPOND to stress by recognizing that stress exists, identifying how it impacts their bodies/brains, and preventing typical reaction patterns by pausing and putting a coping skill into action.  For the next couple of weeks, we will introduce trauma informed practices through I Can statements you can use with your student. 

I CAN RECOGNIZE WHEN I EXPERIENCE STRESS

The first step is recognizing that something occurring in our environments is stressful. This could be speaking in front of a group of people, encountering technical difficulties during distance learning; disagreeing with a friend; losing a game; meeting someone for the first time, or taking a test. 

Take note of this for the week and jot times when you recognize you feel stress.
Resources and Support Information

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.

Free Meals for DC Students
DC Public Schools are now offering no-cost meals to all DC youth ages 18 and under at 47 schools across Washington, DC. This program began on September 24. During this period, youth are not required to be enrolled in DC Public Schools to receive meals. Youth or parents/guardians on their behalf may receive up to 3 breakfast and 3 lunch meals daily. The meal sites will operate through December 31, 2020. DCPS meal sites can be found here.
 
Also, the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) is currently offering free grab-and-go afternoon meals for DC youth 18 and younger at ten sites. These meals are available for any child that visits a site. DPR meal sites can be found here.
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.

In general, if you have technology needs reach out to Mr. Schlossman, dschlossman@tmapchs.org
Faculty & Staff Directory:

If you need to contact a TMA Faculty or Staff member, you can find their email address listed HERE: Faculty & Staff Directory  
Other Items

  • State Board of Education Candidate Forum - Monday 10.26.20 @ 6:30 You are cordially requested to Save the Date for a virtual At-large and Ward 8 State Board of Education candidates forum held on Monday, October 26, 2020, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.  The forum will be co-hosted by the Anacostia Coordinating Council (ACC) and the Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School students.  
  • Concussion Awareness Program: Parents & Guardians, please review the Concussion Awareness Program that applies to all athletic activities.