Get Involved: Mentor one of our sophomores.

It is personal and rich. It is easy to get involved and truly impacts the life of every participant. The TMA Mentor Program is set to begin its eighth year, and now is your chance join. Over the course of the year, we will ice-skate, we will perform community service, we will visit colleges and laugh and learn and all grow up a bit. If you are a TMA sophomore, please sign up! If you are a DC area professional, we'd love to have you mentor one of our students. Mentor applications are available here.

For more information email Scott: sguggenheimer@tmapchs.org

Exclusive Video - Worm Poop

All the videos in the world would not do justice to the summer efforts of a few dedicated TMA students. Every day they come to the school garden. They water and weed. They harvest and cook. They deliver treats to staff. Ask Jessica Sher! They brought her whole wheat pasta flavored with pesto sauce made from the garlic, basil, and onion that they had harvested that morning. And, as you just saw, they keep a worm bin to compost food waste.

Last week they sold eggplant, garlic, and bags of their compost at the Mt. Pleasant Farmer's Market. Above, you saw Green Club co-advisor Sam Ullery, and below you will hear his teammate Sarah Johnson. But the story here is the students: Brittany McGhee, Moo Johnson, Keith Jenkins, Aaron Toomer, Akasha Rodgers, Brian Crawford, and Isaiah May. As Ms. Johnson said last week, "At first, I think I may have motivated them, even inspired a few. Now, though? They inspire me."

Check out the videos. And when you're done, make plans to visit us at the farmer's market.

Gym Update #1

The TMA community is eagerly awaiting the completion of our new gym to be shared with our gracious neighbors, A. Kiger Savoy Middle School. Construction, which began in the summer of 2007, is set to be completed by the start of the 09-10 school year! The picture above shows progress as of July 10th.

When everything is said and done, the gym should look like this:

















and that's all the news that's fit to print.

A thumb up for Close Up

Two weeks ago eight TMA students had the privilege of attending a summer program offered by the Close Up Foundation. Close Up brings students from around the country to our nation's Capital for an opportunity to learn about our democracy in an immersive learning environment. Our students spent the entire week with 80 other students from Texas, California, The Marianas Islands, Guam, and Montana. Together they visited the monuments, met with Senators and Representatives on Capitol Hill, had nights out on the town, and even passed legislation as a mock congress.

It was a great experience for our students because they got to "rediscover" their home town. You know, sort of like when Mom visits and you take her out to do all the touristy stuff and then realize that you forgot how awesome your city is. Digressions aside, the highlight of the trip occurred on "Capitol Hill Day" when the kids met Sen. Herb Kohl and had breakfast in his office and then were invited to a private meeting with Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton. The experience was amazing, but, that's for another post.

Until next time....Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-Th-That's all folks!

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle... into a work of art

Last week, amidst the arrival of incoming 9th graders for Summer Prep and the return of TMA students for summer school, the TMA community welcomed an amazing addition to our building. This addition, created by TMA students, came in the form of a 6' x 6' mixed media piece of artwork.

Students were commissioned by the Earth Day Network to create a piece of art that demonstrates TMA's commitment to environmental activism on the occassion of the first annual TMA Earth Fair. Each of the 12 border panels was created by students and addresses a different environmental theme: public transportation, solar power, wind power, growing local food, river clean up, pollution reduction and recycling to name a few.

The level of detail in this work is simply impossible to capture on film (on memory card?). Click on any of the pictures below to see them in their detail filled, full-sized glory.

The recycling panel uses actual pieces of newspaper and plastic cups in the recycling bins.

The TMA "wonder student" is capping factory pollution with real wine corks.

The lower right panel shows a TMA student growing local food and uses real dirt from our Green Club's organic garden.

Art teacher Byron Johnson then tied these themes to our school building in the centerpiece of the work.

I am so proud to work in a school alongside students and faculty who have the talent and vision to create such a special addition to our school. Thank You!!!