SCHOOL YEAR CALENDAR
2009-2010
MARCH
1st-
Parent Conference Day
12:00 pm-7:00 pm
NO SCHOOL
16th-
OCC Board mtg.
6:00 Oyster campus
17th-
OA LSRT mtg.
6:00 Adams campus
26th- Early Dismissal 12:15 pm *End of third term Mar. 29-Apr. 5
Spring Break
NO SCHOOL
6th-
Students return to school 16th- Emancipation Day NO SCHOOL
17th-
Oyster-Adams Auction
7p-11p
Hilton Washington
19th-
Report Cards issued
20th-
OCC Board mtg.
6:00 Adams campus
28th-
OA LSRT mtg.
6:00 Oyster campus
MAY
17th-
Parent Conference Day 12:00 pm-7:00 pm NO SCHOOL
18th-
OCC Board mtg.
6:00 Oyster campus
26th-
OA LSRT mtg.
6:00 Adams campus
31st-
Memorial Day NO SCHOOL
JUNE
16th-
OA LSRT mtg.
6:00 Oyster campus
18th-
Early Dismissal 12:15 pm Last Day for students End of fourth term |
| |
|
A Message from
Principal Liang-Aguirre
|
March 5, 2010
Dear
Oyster-Adams Community:
DCPS
released last week the modified school calendar to make up for the snow days
last month. Please note the new school
days: - Friday, March 19th will be a
regular school day.
This was previously scheduled as a Professional Development Day for
teachers, with no school for students.
- Monday, May 17th will be a
regular school day.
This was previously scheduled as a Parent-Teacher Conference Day. The District will work with schools to ensure
that teachers and parents schedule time to talk about summer learning and
end-of-year topics during late May.
-
Friday, June 18th will be a full regular school day. This was previously scheduled as a
half-day for students. It is now a regular full school day.
-
Monday, June 21st and Tuesday, June 22nd will be regular school days. The
last day of school for students and teachers is June 22nd. These were the
designated "make up days" built in to the calendar last year.
- Monday, June 28th is the first day of summer school.
This week we officially welcomed Dr. Lesmez to
Oyster-Adams as the new AP for the Intermediate Campus. It is
clear that "Learning by Doing" model will be the way she become trained in her
new position. March is a busy time to
start a new job in school and she has already been a great asset.
We would also like
to introduce Jennifer Smith, who is serving as the Intermediate Campus art
teacher. Jennifer has an art education
degree from Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia and has experience
teaching in a variety of public and private schools in Pennsylvania and in the
DC area. Stop by and see what our
students are doing!
Finally, Ms. Villegas and I have completed the
second round of IMPACT assessments for our teaching faculty this week. For those of you who attended the Teaching
and Learning Presentation that DCPS held a few weeks ago, you will remember
that this process is incredibly rigorous and intensive-for teachers and
administrators alike. We completed 69 assessments this cycle (all instructional
staff) which equals roughly 140 hours of classroom observations, write ups and
individual conferences. If we have been
hard to reach these past weeks, please forgive us!
We appreciated to opportunity to check in with
each staff member individually and continue to be impressed and profoundly
grateful for the excellent staff that we have.
Their professionalism, openness and willingness to always improve their
craft are remarkable.
Enjoy the weekend,
M. Liang-Aguirre
|
|
|
Week of March 8-12:
Tuesday:
Wednesday:
Thursday:
- DC-BAS C-Make Up
Testing (Grades 3-8)
UPCOMING EVENTS
March 16: OCC Board Meeting
March 18: Middle School Dance
March 19: Regular School Day!
(Professional Development Day Cancelled)
March 29-April
5: Spring Break
From our Assistant Principals
Greetings
from Karen Lesmez, AP-Intermediate Campus!
Hello
to all! I am thrilled to have this opportunity to introduce myself and let you
know how my first week went (I'm still here). As the newest member of the
Oyster-Adams family, I thank everyone for welcoming me with such fanfare! It
was wonderful on Monday during Parent-Teacher Conferences to briefly meet so
many of you. On Wednesday after school and Thursday morning I was at the Oyster
campus and was able to meet a few more parents.
As my first week comes to an end I can happily report that I survived and I am
doing well-still in one piece. I got to know the school building quite well as
I ran up and down stairs making sure that all was in order, checking out the
terrific Science Fair, and informally observing in a few classrooms. I look
forward to working closely with parents and teachers as we look to the end of
the school year, yes, in just a few short months! There is lots to do and I am
having fun, that's for sure. This has been a coming home of sorts for me. As Mrs. Aguirre mentioned I completed my
student-teaching practicum at Oyster many years ago and have loved this school since.
I am now proud to be the Assistant Principal at the Adams campus. I can easily
be reached at Adams: 202-673-7311 and via email: <karen.lesmez@dc.gov>
Thank you!
A Note from Assistant
Principal, Ibis Villegas (also Testing Coordinator!)
On March 9th
& 10th, our school will be administering the final DC Benchmark
Assessment System (DC BAS) before the actual end-of-year exam, the DC
Comprehensive Assessment System (DC-CAS).
The assessment is being administered to students district-wide in grades
3-8 and10.
As you know, the
DC-BAS is an important component of our educational program. This will be the 4th
administration of the test this school year.
The results provide teachers with information on how our students are
progressing on each of the categories in reading and math and allow us to make
instructional decisions to best meet the needs of our students.
If you have any
additional questions regarding the DC BAS assessment or your child's subsequent
results, please contact us. If you have
specific questions on the DC BAS that you would like answered by the central
office, you are also welcome to contact Kara Baer in the Office of Data and
Accountability at 202.671.2608.
Primary Campus Specifics
Girl Scouts will resume meeting at the primary campus next week! The troop will meet weekly from
4:30-5:45 p.m. Mondays, beginning March 8, in Room 301. New members are
welcome. Registration forms are available from Lauren Velazquez in the OCA-DCPS
after-school program office. The program is free of charge. Parents are welcome
to attend. For more information, contact Jodi Enda, jodi.enda@comcast.net.
Intermediate Campus Specifics
There is a new
middle school Spanish book club run by Ms. Smith and Ms. Morado. It meets
on Thursdays in the library during lunch and recess. It wonderful to eat
together and talk about books! The first book we are reading is La
Invención de Hugo Cabret which we will finish March 18th. Next we
will read the Little Prince.
|
|
|
Our 4th/5th grade girls' basketball team is still
winning! The
girls beat Ketchum this week in the quarter-finals and will play their next
games:
Monday March 8, 4:45 at Francis Tuesday March 9, 3:45 at Francis (for the championship, if they win
the previous game)
Come Cheer on our Tigers!
|
|
|
|
March 5, 2010
Hello Oyster-Adams
Community!
There is now a page
dedicated to sports on our Oyster-Adams Website. It is still a work in progress
but it currently has information on signing up for track and field. Please
visit http://www.oysterbilingualschool.com
and you will find it under the Programs tab.
This month the OCC is starting on new feature. We are
highlighting an Oyster-Adams parent or family who give their time and energy to
making our school and community stronger.
Our first person is Karen
Smith who for years has been a dedicated parent to Oyster-Adams. She can be
counted on to take on a complicated task and simplify it and make any situation
better. I hope you will learn something new about her.
If you would like to nominate someone, please send me 2
paragraphs of why you are nominating them and how they help to improve our
community. Send to alvaradojay@gmail.com or type and place in an envelope and
put in the OCC box at either campus. Include your name and email address or
phone number.
Name: Karen Smith
Q: Children's names
at Oyster-Adams and also any at other schools:
A: Otto Euller
Q: Since what grade
has your family been at Oyster-Adams?
A: We have been
at Oyster since Otto was in Pre-K. He is
now in the 8th grade.
Q: What committees
have you been on?
A: I was OCC
treasurer for four years. I helped
organize and run the Christmas Tree Sale fundraiser for four years. I have helped with Fiesta ticket sales for
many years. I helped design and build
the teaching garden with Gustavo Gatti. I also helped design and fundraise to
build the retaining wall and climbing wall with Gustavo Gatti and Stephan
Martin. I also organized several annual
garden and grounds clean-ups. I played a minor role in the redevelopment of the
Adams playground. I have helped Serena Wiltshire with the auction projects for
several years, including some late nights to help her finish up the last few
items. I am now the 8th grade
room parent.
Q: What is the
fondest memory so far during your time at Oyster-Adams?
A: It would
either be the auction sale of the grandfather clock that my husband built, my
son's class decorated, and I along with a half dozen auction elves helped
finish. It was whimsical and fun and a
real artistic masterpiece. It sold for a lot of money. Or else it would be the overall success of
the Christmas Tree fundraiser that I initiated at Oyster along with Ed
Racobaldo and have kept going for four years. This has become an Oyster
tradition that I hope lasts for many years to come.
Can you tell me a
little information about your background?
Q: Where were you
born (city, state, country)?
A: Cleveland,
Ohio
Q: Where were you
raised?
A: Cleveland,
Ohio
Q: How many
cities/countries have you lived in?
A: I have lived
in Cleveland, Ann Arbor, Washington DC, and Wellington New Zealand.
Q: How many languages
do you speak?
A: I only speak
English well. I studied German in
College, but don't remember it well.
I've pick up a bit of Spanish over the years, but my son will assure you
that I do not speak Spanish.
Q: Why did you choose
Oyster-Adams for your child(ren)?
A: I think it is
a wonderful gift to be bilingual and I know that language acquisition is much
easier at younger ages. This is a gift I
wanted for my child. Oyster was the only
bilingual DCPS school when Otto was entering Pre-K. We enrolled Otto in the days before the
lottery and camped out over night on a very cold January day to get Otto on the
Out of Boundary list. After 10 years at
Oyster, my son is now completely fluent in Spanish. He speaks it like a native and we are
extremely proud of his accomplishment.
Q: What is some
advice you would give to new parents at Oyster-Adams starting to navigate pre-K
- 8th in the community?
A: If you want
something done, do it. When Otto was
born, I took him to Walter Pierce Park and was appalled at the condition of the
playground. I complained to a friend of
mine, who is a community organizer. He
told me to stop complaining and get active.
I proceeded to organize the neighbors, raise money, and work with DC
Parks and Recreation to redevelop the playground. It took about 4 years for it all to come
together from our initial neighborhood meeting of about 6 moms to the community
playground build with about 150 volunteers.
I am thrilled every time I go by the park and see the dozens of children
and families enjoying the playground. I
have used this lesson many times at Oyster and this is why I have been so
active in my volunteer work at Oyster. I
have seen the need and tried to make a difference. I have repeated this achievement to some
extent with the fundraising and building of the teaching garden, retaining wall
and climbing wall, drive-through garden, and I hope in many smaller less
noticeable ways.
If you need to be
in touch with me: email - alvaradojay@gmail.com or cell phone: 202-582-1142.
Thanks,
Jackie Alvarado
OCC Co-Chair
|
AUCTION NEWS
Save the date: April 17, 2010
|
Get
Your Auction Donations In By March 15th
We are now accepting donations ON-LINE for the Oyster-Adams Auction, to
be held on April 17th 2010 at the Hilton Washington. March 15th is
the deadline for ALL donations! Do you have a special talent you can turn
into an auction item? Maybe you are a great baker and can bake a cake or
cupcakes for a birthday party? Perhaps you could host or cater a
dinner? Offer language or music lessons? Donate your vacation home for a weekend? Or, ask your
favorite restaurant, shoe store, hairstylist, dentist or massage therapist for
a gift certificate! How about donating that brand new food processor or
other wedding gift that never made it out of the box?
Proceeds from the auction go directly towards improving our children's
education through programs including science, art, and field trips. The success
of the auction depends on your donations. Not sure what
you can donate or do you have a question? Email Theresa Minni at tminni@gmail.com with your ideas.
On-line bidding will begin on March 15th so go to oysteradamsauction.maestroweb.com to donate
your item now. Click on "donations" and then fill in the short on-line form. If
you need paper forms for when you're visiting local businesses to solicit
donations, they can be found in the front offices at the Oyster and Adams
campuses. It couldn't be simpler!
Oyster-Adams students thank you for your efforts! And
remember, get your donations in by March 15!
|
|
|
March 5, 2010
Last week, the LSRT meeting focused on our school climate
and discipline issues, which many members of the community have concerns
with. The good news is that our
teachers, counselor/social worker and administrators are aware of these issues
and are working hard to resolve them.
The LSRT heard from Fran Arch (our school counselor), Melissa Shaw (our
school social worker), a group of teachers who are working on these issues, and
Jessica Rotem, the DCPS "culture" expert for our cluster.
Principal Liang Aguirre is working with her team to develop
both short-term and long-term strategies to develop the type of positive and
safe culture we want at our school. Many
members of staff are working on individual initiatives that will be integrated
into one comprehensive school climate action plan to be launched with teachers, parents and children, so that
it is fully operational at the beginning of the 2010-2011 school year.
Initiatives include: -
Ms. Arch and Ms. Shaw are working
with Ms. Rotem (our DCPS culture person) to bring an anti-bullying and a peer
mediation program to the intermediate campus, starting this Spring.
-
The Intermediate Campus
Administration is developing revised student discipline procedures to be
implemented shortly.
-
Sr. Gamarra is helping develop a character education
curriculum focused on our four community actions (Live graciously, act with
integrity, think globally.....) to be implemented next fall at both campuses.
-
A group of teachers from both
campuses and our counselor/social worker staff are taking a course on
anti-social behavior and are working together to develop a detailed discipline
framework tailored to Oyster-Adams and aligned with DCPS's framework.
Once
implementation of the school climate initiative is underway, there will be
ongoing work to monitor, learn, improve and sustain it.
|
|
|
Spring Break Camp City Year
City
Year is offering a camp for K-6th graders from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm March 29 -
April 2 2010. The camp will be offered
in three locations:
Turner at
Green Elementary (1500 Mississippi Ave NE)
Francis-Stevens
Education Campus (2425 N street NW)
Emery
Education Campus (1720 First Street NE)
The cost is $20;
$5 for each additional child; financial aid is available
Contact: Teddy Schlanger at 202.742.5266 or tschlanger10@cityyear.org
Parents Matter
Parenting Program
Parents
Matter is a free program for parents of pre-teen youth to learn how to communicate
with their children throughout their development, into their teenage years and
beyond.
Location: Stuart
Hobson MS (410 E Street Northeast, Washington, DC)
Dates: Every Wednesday between February 24 and March 24, 2010
Time: 5:30-8:30pm
Contact: Andrea DeSantis at andrea.desantis@dc.gov
Metro cards, childcare, and dinner provided.
Postings for this space are limited to free or very low-cost events,
services or products that support the mission of our school. Please send your notice IN ENGLISH AND IN
SPANISH to wendy.jacobson@verizon.net
by 4:00 p.m. on Thursdays.
|
|
|
March 5, 2010
No OCA news this week.
|
OYSTER-ADAMS BILINGUAL SCHOOL
Monica Liang Aguirre, Principal
Ibis Villegas, Assistant Principal
Karen Lesmez, Assistant Principal
Pablo Girón, Acting Intermediate
Campus Coordinator
Oyster Campus (PreK - 3rd Grade)
2801 Calvert Street, NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: 202/671-6130
Fax: 202/671-3087
Adams Campus (4th - 8th Grades)
2020 19th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20009
Tel. 202/673-7311
Fax. 202/673-6500
__________________________Email: contactus@oysterbilingualschool.org
Website:
http://oysterbilingual.devis.com/AboutUs/
__________________________
|
|
|
|
|
|
