WARRIOR WEEKLY February 22-26 |
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Dear TMA Families,
Greetings from Team TMA. We hope that your weekend was spectacular. Please take a moment to read through this weekly bulletin and review the updates that we have posted. We have a few great events planned this week and we hope you can join us. Enjoy the week and we will talk soon.
Quote of the Week:
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What’s Ahead:
- Monday, February 22 - Quarter 3 Progress Reports available in the Campus Portal
- Tuesday, Feb. 23 Law Firm Tutoring (11)
- Tuesday, Feb. 23 DC TAG/Financial Aid Night
- Wednesday & Thursday, Feb 24-25 African American Heritage Month - Panel #1/#2 College Success Foundation-DC 2021
- Thursday, Feb. 25 Admissions Meet and Greet
- Friday, Feb. 26th: TMA SHINES!--8:45am & 12:45pm
- Saturday, Feb. 27 Mentor Day
- Monday, Mar. 1 First Day of Women's History Month
- Friday, Mar. 5 9th Grade, Howard Law Day
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This invitation will go out to staff, faculty, parents, and students alike. Sign up today and tell us how you SHINE! Look out for an email Tuesday evening giving you information about how your shine can be showcased Friday. Direct link can be found here : bit.ly/tmashines2021
- 8:45am & 12:45pm
Brief Senior Year Activities Update:
Families, senior year is winding down. With that said, we would like to share some things with you.
The Senior Activities Committee has been working diligently to create remote activities that seniors can do together. The goal is one activity a month.
February 19th @ 7:30 pm: Game Night (Name That Tune 90’s & 2000’s music).
March 13th & 20th: Senior Pictures
Please look for the upcoming events in the senior bulletin link (listed below) in this Warrior Weekly. As always if you have any questions please email sstewart@tmapchs.org
Parent Small Group Survey:
SY 21-22 Enrollment: Registration is a two-step annual process for all TMA students.
Step 1 (Intent to Return) opens on February 5, 2021. Families must complete this Intent to Return form -->SY 2021-22 Intent to Return Form <-- by March 1, 2021 to notify the school of their plans to return for the 2021-2022 school year. Failure to submit the form by the deadline may result in the loss of your child’s enrollment seat for the 2021-22 school year.
Step 2 (Registration) will open to all families on April 5, 2021. Families must complete the registration process (completing annual forms, providing required medical/dental forms and submitting valid DC residency documentation ) during the month of April. Documentation will be provided electronically at the beginning of April to complete this process.
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SY21–22 Recruitment Season
Each year, we welcome new students and families into the TMA community, and you can help us to do this by spreading the word about Thurgood Marshall Academy! Please help us by sharing your family’s experience at TMA with others and by inviting parents you know to come to apply to TMA through myschooldc.org.
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Student Opportunities
College Success Foundation -DC African American Heritage Month - Panel #1/2
Please join the CSF-DC’s 2021 African American Heritage Month Celebration (AAHM Celebration). Attached please find their Announcement/Flyer. As you will note, their AAHM Celebration will take place over two days (Feb. 24th and Feb. 25th ) and each session will begin at 6:00 PM EST. Guests can access each session by clicking on “Part I” or “Part II” in the announcement. Please RSVP your participation to attend by responding to this email/evite and clicking “Accept”. Please share with your scholars and encourage them to attend and RSVP as well. They are asking for RSVP’s to help us keep track of planned participation. Please email nbanks@collegesuccessfoundation.org or bjacob@collegesuccessfoundation.org if you have any questions or concerns.
2021 Cherry Blossom Festival Student Art Gallery
While the National Cherry Blossom Festival will look different this year, we are happy to announce an exciting opportunity for students to safely continue some traditions from home. The National Cherry Blossom Festival and DC Collaborative jointly invite grades K-12 students from DC public, public charter, and Japanese schools to participate in the annual Cherry Blossom Festival Student Art Gallery by submitting an artwork entry that depicts the theme "Home is Where the Blossoms Are", with a special focus on Friendship. In an effort to encourage participation among as many students as possible, in partnership with Chase the festival will provide art supply kits to 250 participants.
We have adapted some aspects of the Student Art Gallery given the circumstances of the pandemic. Instead of a contest, this year all artworks submitted will be exhibited online and in public. We will not be accepting group submissions due to the pandemic. The deadline to submit artwork is March 12, 2021. All artwork will be exhibited on the National Cherry Blossom Festival website, displayed on a large screen in Gallery Place, and showcased on screens at several Chase Bank branches in the DC area.
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Attendance:
Students must log in to their scheduled Zoom/Canvas sessions for synchronous classes to be considered present for the class period. Please email your student’s teachers, advisor, and rshort@tmapchs.org, when your student will miss any synchronous classes.
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Community Service Opportunities
All Warriors should be working to earn 100 hours of community service by the end of their senior year to meet graduation requirements. Volunteer hours must be completed at either a 501c3 non-profit organization or government agency. Students may not receive any pay for volunteer hours.
Service Opportunity Spotlight: TMA Pen Pal Program
Looking for a way to brighten the day of some of our community elders? This is the opportunity for you! TMA students will prepare handwritten letters, notes and cards for residents of local area nursing homes who have been isolated since the pandemic. These letters, notes and cards should be dropped off at TMA on Thursdays to be included in the weekly mailing! Community service hours will vary. This service opportunity is currently being offered to 9th and 10th grade students.
Interested in this opportunity? Reach out to Ms. Ames, zames@tmapchs.org, to learn more!
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College & Counseling Updates
Greetings seniors & families:
Just wanted to send two quick reminders for this upcoming week and also next week:
1. Please remember to RSVP for the Financing your college education workshop scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 23rd at 5:50pm. We will have a presentation from the DC TAG staff regarding strategies to completing the application early and also hear from Mr. Marcel Jagne-Shaw, Director of Financial Aid at University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He will be walking families through the financial aid award letter and going over key terms and definitions. You don't want to miss this!
2. Scholarships! Scholarships! Scholarships! Lots of scholarships available for students. If you have any questions, please reach out to Ms. Jackson. Other than that, please apply for the scholarships!
Thank you and have a wonderful week!
Hello Juniors & Families:
Just a few quick action items to take note of during this week. Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.
1. Please indicate your interest in taking the SAT (in school; in person at TMA) on Tuesday, April 27, 2021. It will start at 9.30am IN PERSON, IN SCHOOL, AT TMA. If you are interested in taking the test and have not indicated such, please do so HERE.
2. If you are interested in taking the SAT, are you also interested in an after school SAT prep course? If so, please indicate so HERE.
Spots are limited to only 20 registrants. The course will be virtual, the practice exams might be in person.
3. Have you or your parent/guardian completed the parent/guardian or junior profiles? If not, please do so by clicking the link that best describes you: Parent or Student.
Thank you for your attention to this. Remember, if you have any questions, please feel free to email me.
Scholarships to focus on for the next few weeks:
The Kappa Scholarship Endowment Fund, Inc.® (KSEF) and the Washington Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. are pleased to announce the annual KSEF scholarship program for DC Public High School and Public Charter High School Seniors graduating in 2021. Since our establishment in 1982, we have awarded over $2.0 million in scholarships to outstanding DC Public and Charter High School seniors. In 2020 we awarded $176,000 in scholarships.
The deadline for submissions of the completed application is March 31st of the current year.
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Programs Updates
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.
Athletics:
Attention all Warrior Athletes and prospective Athletes:
Virtual meetings and conditioning sessions are now taking place. If you are interested in being a part of one of our athletic teams, you are required to attend these sessions to prepare for the upcoming season. Please contact the following coaches for information on when and where to attend:
If you have any questions regarding athletics, please contact: Michele Thompson, Director of Athletics, - mthompson@tmapchs.org or 410-921-9047.
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Technology & Online Resources
Canvas Tutorials for Parents: Below are some helpful tutorials for our parents and guardians who are helping their TMA student navigate Canvas.
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How do I create a parent account in Canvas? (video here)
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How does my child submit assignments in Canvas? (video here)
If you have questions about Canvas, please contact any of the following TMA team members.
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Erica Culbreath (technology teacher), eculbreath@tmapchs.org
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Malika Mays (Associate Head of School), mmays@tmapchs.org
- You can also contact your student’s advisory teacher.
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Resources and Support Information
Prospective Athletes
Although we are not at the phase on re-starting high school athletics, we want to make sure that all potential athletes have the necessary paperwork on file. Therefore, all prospective athletes must have a current physical on file at the school clearing them to play, and all immunizations must be up to date before a student will be allowed to participate in sports. Please CLICK HERE to find the Universal Health Form.
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.
Parking Change
Our neighbor, Bethlehem Baptist Church, let TMA know recently that they have begun real estate development of the field next to their church. It is therefore no longer available to parents or visitors for parking while visiting the school. This school year there will likely be space for visitors in the paved lot next to TMA’s building, and we are working with the Church on alternate arrangements for the future.
Job Opportunity
Thurgood Marshall Academy has learned that Curative Inc. seeks Test Site Specialists--a part-time job paying $20.00/hour. We thought this might be of interest to families of our students--if interested, contact Samantha Viotty of Curative Inc. at samanthaviotty@curative.com. Note that Curative Inc. is entirely independent of Thurgood Marshall Academy--we are simply sharing information.
Kids Ride Free Cards
Kids Ride Free cards are now available for pick up at the school. Please email Ms. Moore at nmoore@tmapchs.org for additional information and pick-up hours.
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.
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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.
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Special Education, Student Wellness & Interventions
Caregivers Empowering EachOther Virtual Gathering
Calling all caregivers and parents! The WISE Center, TMA's community partner at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, will soon begin hosting Caregivers Empowering EachOther (CEO) virtual gatherings. All caregivers and parents are welcome to participate. The purpose of these gatherings will be to connect and share stories, problem-solve challenges, and learn new strategies to support your students at home. Topics can include self-care, supporting self-regulation, and discussing difficult topics; though we want to hear about specific topics you are interested to address. If you would like to participate, please contact Dr. Megan Polanin (mpolanin@tmapchs.org) to get connected and learn more.
Supporting Families through Transitional Living Circumstances:
Know your rights! Please see link below to learn more about the Educational Rights of Parents and Students Experiencing Homelessness: Click here.
If you have any questions, concerns or need support connecting with community resources please don't hesitate to reach out to Yolanda Hayden, School Counselor at yhayden@tmapchs.org.
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Faculty & Staff Directory:
Are you Looking for One of Our Team Members?
If you need to contact a TMA Faculty or Staff member, you can find their email address listed HERE: Faculty & Staff Directory
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Other Items
Capital Bikeshare for All
Capital Bikeshare for All is a new financial assistance program for low-income and disadvantaged residents of the DC area called Capital Bikeshare for All. This program allows for any residents who participate in certain state or federal assistance programs to sign up for an annual Capital Bikeshare membership for only $5. Here is a listing of the qualifying assistance programs:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Women Infants, and Children (WIC)
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- SSI/SSDI Supplemental Security Income
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Medicaid
Here is a link to the Capital Bikeshare website with more information about it. For questions, contact Lester Wallace at lester.wallace@godcgo.com.
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