Legendary!

TMA Homecoming 2010 has arrived and it’s LEGENDARY! Students are dressing down to wear their school colors today and their class shirts tomorrow. On Friday the Pep Rally will be held in the gym from 1:30 to 3:30 pm followed by a girl’s and boy’s homecoming basketball game versus IDEA at 6:00 and 7:30 pm respectively. Last but certainly not least the Homecoming Dance on Saturday night will feature music from TOB and UEB. The next few days are sure to be fun and exciting for the students and teachers alike!

December Law Day

On Friday, December 3rd, the freshmen boarded buses and headed to either the Newseum or the U.S Capitol.

At the Newseum, students reveled at the Berlin Wall. Students were surprised that life on the East and West sides of the wall could be so different. Our students were moved by the 9/11 exhibit. The ninth graders were very young in 2001, and the exhibit really captured the horror of that day for Americans. The students were captivated by the newspaper headlines from around the world and listened intently to the documentary about how journalists tried to react and capture that day for the world to witness. Another favorite exhibit was the 4D movie about the evolution of journalism.

At the Capitol, the students’ excursion began by watching a movie about the United States of America. Afterward, the students participated in a guided tour. They had the opportunity to see 49 statues which represent each state. They were surprised to find out that there is no statue representing the district. They were shown the Old Supreme Court Room and the United States Capitol Dome which is 88 meters in height high! Another memorable spot on the tour was a special corner where if you whisper into the ground, it bounces off the wall and you could hear the whisper repeated at the other end of the room.

The students and chaperones had a great time in both locations. As always the day could not have happened without the help of our faculty and staff!

Bronfman Amitim Fellows Visit TMA

On Wednesday, December 1^st, twenty Israeli students visited TMA. The students come from all over Israel and are in the United States for two weeks to learn about the country and to meet American Jews. Over the past five years the Bronfman Fellows have always made a trip to Thurgood Marshall Academy to participate in a dialogue with our students. This year, Mr. Hendricks’s Street Law class participated in the discussion. Our students and the Israelis talked about their lives and the differences between their schools. Our students were surprised that in most Israeli schools there is no prom or homecoming dance. The Israelis, meanwhile, thought our school building was beautiful and exchanged Hebrew slang with our students. Our students were surprised to learn that in Israel, there is mandatory military enlistment for both boys and girls.

However, the discussion did not focus solely on differences. On both sides, the students were surprised at how much they had in common. Many of the students liked similar television shows and music. Our students realized that Israel was not so different from the United States. At the end of the day, no one wanted the conversation to stop. Facebook names and email addresses were exchanged so that the conversation could continue.

A special thank you goes to Julie Dougherty for coordinating the visit. We would also like to thank the staff of the Bronfman Program! This amazing opportunity would not have happened without them.

The TMA Brief's First Issue

Thurgood Marshall Academy’s student newspaper went online today! The TMA Brief’s first ever issue is now posted on the school website. Students who are part of the Newspaper club (see full list of members on page 8) stay after school on Wednesdays to work on each issue. Expect three more before the end of the school year.

Inside you’ll find our Student Government President’s State of the Academy Address, Ask Dwayne – our advice column, Armoire – our fashion column, a creative writing section and more!

Click HERE to check it out!

Print copies will be passed out to students and faculty on Monday of next week.

Just another day at TMA

11^th grade students used Tuesday’s Law Firm Tutoring session to work on homework ranging from math problems for Algebra II to a take home exam on the Scarlet Letter.

Tomorrow 9^th grade students will be heading to either the Newseum or the Capitol for the third Law Day. Stay-tuned for a post about tomorrow’s Law Day!