Wednesday, December 13, 2023 | |
Letter From Allison R. Kokkoros, CEO | |
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As 2023 has come to an end, I want to express my sincere thanks and appreciation for all you have contributed to this community. I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to work with all of you.
Our School is home to many individuals in the District, and some of the most passionate, hardworking teachers. If you see a Carlos Rosario School teacher this holiday season, say thank you! We truly appreciate all they do for our students and our community.
As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, I recently shared some of the key strategic priorities in our organization. Please review my message here. Together, we are committed to supporting these initiatives and new efforts to improve our Carlos Rosario School experience.
At Carlos Rosario School, we are fortunate enough to witness incredible acts of kindness and caring on a regular part of our lives and daily work. Watching our adult learners and faculty and staff work together to achieve goals is an inspiring sight, one which would not be possible without you. Your continued support is what makes the holidays bright for those who otherwise might go without.
Thanks to you, many of our learners have access to scholarships, employment opportunities, and proper healthcare as well as someone to talk to when they feel isolated. These vital supports are what make a brighter future possible for the thousands of students and families Carlos Rosario School serves.
We look forward to continuing our work together throughout a year of new opportunities.
Happy Holidays and thank you for your continued support.
In Service,
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Allison R. Kokkoros
Chief Executive Officer
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Action Items and Important Dates | |
Carlos Rosario School’s 50th Anniversary Logo | |
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The Development and Communications Department created a unique set of logos to celebrate Carlos Rosario School’s 50th Anniversary. These logos were designed to align with the School’s brand identity and to provide a consistent way of recognizing the School’s milestone anniversary. Kudos to Cinthya Pallaviccini for designing this special logo.
Each element of the logo was carefully selected to convey a particular meaning and to communicate what matters to us as a school community. The number 50 is part of the infinity symbol representing the continuity of past, present and future!
This set of temporary logos is available for use only through the period of celebration and is not intended as a replacement for the School’s current logo.
All three graphics are the same logo but in different files and backgrounds (pdf, png, transparent).
Click here to download the entire set of CR School 50th anniversary logos for print!
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Dates to Remember (*Note UPDATE to Winter Holiday School Closed Dates*) | |
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We are less than 3 weeks away from our Winter Break!
- No classes over Winter break which runs from December 22, 2023 to January 2, 2024.
- School Holidays, when all-staff are off, December 22, December 25, December 29 and January 1.
- We will resume classes on January 3rd, 2023.
- The last day for the fall semester in the PM/EVE is January 11, 2024 and January 12, 2024 for AM.
- Note Change to PM last day
- The Spring semester starts on January 23, 2023.
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Action Required: Complete the Climate Survey! | |
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Take the 2023 Climate Survey today! Many thanks to those who have already participated. We value all voices and use Climate Survey data to shape our action-planning as an organization. The survey should take ~10-20 minutes to complete and is anonymous.
Each staff member who shows their survey completion screen at the front desk of either campus will receive a raffle ticket to win a CR School swag bundle!
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Save the Date - 2024 Graduation Ceremony | |
The Carlos Rosario School will be celebrating our SY 23-24 graduation in-person on Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 at 7:00 p.m. at the DAR Constitution Hall (18th & 1776 D St NW). This year’s graduates represent the Bilingual Teaching Assistant, Culinary Arts, Nurse Aide, IT Fundamentals, ESL 8, Citizenship, GED in English, and GED in Spanish programs. Stay tuned for more information as we make plans to recognize and celebrate our students’ accomplishments. | |
New Student Outreach: Calling all Carlos Rosario School Community Members to Help! | |
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You can help Carlos Rosario School meet its strategic goals for enrollment over the holidays! Word-of-mouth is one of the primary ways that our students find out about our School and each and every one of us can help spread the word in our communities, places of worship, and neighborhoods! In order to continue to cater to a diverse student population, we offer classes throughout the day: morning (9:00-11:30 am), afternoon (12:00-2:30 pm), and evening (6:00-8:30 pm)!
You can share flyers available here or reach out to Comms if you don't see what you're looking for. We're always updating our outreach supports and will have new flyers coming soon!
Here's how you can support outreach right now:
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Letting new interested applicants know they can begin applying by getting their name on the interest list here.
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Sharing our multilingual registration flyers with folks who may be interested (Amharic language coming soon!).
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Helping us amplify our message, through sharing this post!
- Sample language: “The Carlos Rosario School is now accepting applicants for the Spring 2024 semester! Feel free to spread the word to individuals who are keen on improving their English skills, embarking on career training courses, or obtaining their GED in either English or Spanish.”
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Download and share any flyers in this link with your networks (students, family, partner organizations, friends, schools, places of worship, community shops or anyone who might be interested). DO NOT share the link externally.
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Are you already familiar with some local community organizations, churches, or businesses and plan to bring flyers there on your own? You can always request promotional materials and flyers by emailing [email protected] or stop by at the HSC Communications Department, (located in office number LL13).
- Share these two Career Training promotional videos!
- Bilingual Teaching Assistant Program Video
- Culinary Arts
Thank you for your support of our outreach efforts!
Questions or ideas? Contact Donald Ndebeka, Communications Manager.
|  | Bi-Weekly CR Bulletin Schedule | |
This is our last CR Staff Bulletin of the year! We will resume with more news and updates in the new year. Remember to stay safe during this holiday season.
We will continue to bring important updates to you via this internal bulletin on a bi-weekly basis. Please expect to receive our bi-weekly CR Bulletin every other Wednesday. The next bulletin will come out on Wednesday, January 10, 2024.
Remember, you can follow us on social media:
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In-Person All Staff Winter Holiday Gathering | |
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If you miss this evening's All-Staff Winter Holiday Gathering (PM), there will be another on Friday! Please join us and attend the Winter Holiday Gathering on Friday, December 15 at 12:00 pm at the Sonia Gutierrez Campus.
Similarly as last year, we will have a Potluck! The school will provide a simple main dish, refreshments, and some deserts and we can all bring our own holiday flavors. Let us build community by sharing our favorite foods!
If you are able, you can bring a special dish to share. Please let us know what you can bring by completing the form HERE. If you can't, that is also okay. The idea is to have an array of food and spend some quality time together.
We will have games, giveaways and much more! You will not want to miss the fun!
Questions and answers:
- Is the activity in person? Yes.
- Do I have to bring food? No, you do not have to. The school will provide a main dish and dessert, so it is not dependent on anyone bringing food. The potluck idea is the sharing part among us and bonding as teams.
- How many should I plan to feed? It can be for 2, 4, 6, 10, it is up to you, remember you do not have to bring anything if you can't.
- Will there be transportation? Yes! The school will provide transportation between campuses to and from the activity.
Daytime Winter Celebration Logistics:
- Friday, December 15 at 12:00pm-3:00pm
- AM Instruction Location: Faculty who plan to attend the day celebration are welcome to teach their class virtually from their classroom.
- Transportation to SG leaves from HSC at 11:40am
Questions? Contact Ronald King or Jared Perez.
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Can you believe the holiday season is just around the corner? It’s an exciting time for all! In the midst of all of this excitement, a few tasks can fall off your radar, but don't worry, here are some reminders of some important end of year tasks to keep in mind!
Click here to read information regarding annual leave (use or lose), W2’s and much more. Please read the document in its entirety. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to Monique Wright [email protected].
| SY 2023-2024 Carlos Rosario School Calendar | |
The Carlos Rosario School Calendar has been up and running in Outlook since the end of October now. We are sending a friendly reminder on how you can access the current public School Calendar in Outlook, if you have not added it yet. Please review the instructions here.The calendar named "SY 2023-2024 School Calendar" has been removed and is no longer available. Please use the calendar titled @CRSchoolCalendar moving forward.
You can also view the Google Sheets version of the "SY 2023-2024 School Calendar" on the Intranet if you would like to view an entire month. By clicking the tabs on the bottom of that window, you can move between the months.
| Carlos Rosario School 50th Anniversary Celebration | |
Thank you for your engagement throughout the event, and especially during the breakout room discussions where you shared ideas related to priority areas. We invite you to share any additional thoughts on this form (and feel free to write in any language).
Moving forward, our Executive Leadership Team and other leaders will own the analysis of the discussion notes from our Look-Ahead, and we will integrate items into our Climate Survey action plan next month.
As you consider our strategic work, for reference, here is our 2025 strategic plan one-pager, our Year 1 Implementation Summary, and Year 2 Implementation Goals.
As we continue celebrating our 50th Year, stay tuned for the following:
- Email Signature template with 50th Anniversary logo
- Details on the winter panel discussions on Digital Equity and Higher Ed Access.
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50th Anniversary Swag Fundraiser.
And, if you are interested in helping to bring to life a student/alumni dance or post-graduation picnic, please express your interest to Chrissey Klockner.
Please review the full email sent out by Allison on December 11th.
|  | Operations Team Hiring Updates: Welcome, Johell! | |
We are very excited to welcome another new team member to the HR & Talent team! Johel Perez joins us as a Human Resources Analyst, rounding out the team. Johel has a breadth of HR experience and exposure and was most recently the HR Coordinator at Lowes Home Improvement. In his new role, Johel will provide key support and administration related to all HR functions.
Johel is fluent in Spanish and has a tie to our School as he is related to former Board member Pedro 'Pepe' Luján. Please say hello when Johel starts on January 2nd!
| Celebrating 50 Years - Help Us Achieve Our Ambitious Goal! | |
As the season of giving surrounds us in warmth and community, we invite you to consider making a donation in support of our students. This year, we are aiming to raise $950,000 in support of our 50th Anniversary Campaign.
Help us continue to turn students’ dreams into a reality by making a one-time online donation or setting up a payroll deduction with HR at a level that is meaningful to you. If you have questions or simply want to learn more about our fundraising efforts, reach out to Chrissey.
Donate now and amplify our mission. And after you've donated, we encourage you to share our story within your networks: share our campaign link and stories of graduates like Mirna’s whose dreams became a reality. Your ongoing support is a catalyst that propels student aspirations into possibilities.
Any questions please contact Chrissey Nguyen Klockner, Chief of Staff at [email protected].
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COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test for The Holiday Season | |
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COVID is on the rise and everyone is encouraged to take precautions, wear a mask in large crowds and when traveling and to test if symptoms appear. The most vulnerable are people with comorbidities such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity and autoimmune disorders. Please encourage our students and employees to take a FREE ANTIGEN TEST (people can take more than one), and test before returning from the holidays.
We strongly encourage everyone to pick up a FREE antigen test at the security desks at both campuses. Please take a test if you are not feeling well or have been exposed to COVID.
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COVID Tests: Still Available | |
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As of September 12, 2023, updated COVID-19 vaccines are available that more closely target circulating variants. Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, eligible patients can receive a single dose of an updated COVID-19 vaccine at least two months after their last dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Flu vaccines are also available and highly encouraged.
Do not come to school if you test positive for COVID. STUDENTS should notify their teacher or principal, and EMPLOYEES should notify HR and their supervisor if they test positive for COVID.
We also strongly encourage everyone to wear a MASK if they are immunocompromised or have any condition that puts them at risk. We support anyone who wants to wear a mask for any reason!
Questions? Contact Carmen Ramirez, at [email protected].
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Around Our School and Community | |
Telemundo Donation to the Carlos Rosario School | |
Today we were visited by Emma Asante, Vice President of Community Affairs and Lillian Mass, Reporter of NBC/Telemundo who presented the School with $3,125 to assist students with gift certificates from Safeway during the holidays. Students and staff welcomed our guests and their visit will be televised during tonight’s Wednesday evening news hour on Telemundo. We are appreciative of Telemundo's partnership with the school and thank them for their incredible support. | |
El Nuevo Día Features Sonia Gutiérrez | |
Founder and President Emeritus of the Carlos Rosario School, Sonia Gutiérrez was featured by El Nuevo Día - a leading newspaper in Puerto Rico- as part of a series about the Puerto Rican community. Sonia was interviewed about her work with education in Washington D.C., her Puerto Rican identity, and her connection with the Puerto Rican community. Please read the article here. | |
DC Council Members at the Sonia Gutiérrez Campus | |
La Cosecha Holiday Pop Up 2023 | |
The Carlos Rosario School featured some of our Small Business program alumni/vendors that sold artisan crafts and food items for the Holiday season at the La Cosecha Holiday Pop-Up. This holiday season, consider supporting one of our Small Business Vendors via the Virtual Small Business Marketplace! | |
CR Bi-Weekly Bulletin Reminder | |
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We will continue to bring important updates to you via this internal bulletin on a bi-weekly basis. Please expect to receive our CR Bulletin every other Wednesday. The next bulletin will come out on Wednesday, January 10th, 2024. Remember, you can submit information and/or feature your class activities to [email protected].
Our bulletin is not possible without the contributions, support and ideas from our team members. Please consider what you’d like to share with our staff community, and encourage your team to do so. Thank you for reading the bulletin and helping to create an impactful and informative communication channel for our team.
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