School Garden Love

On Saturday, April 14th, groups of volunteers wearing bright purple t-shirts showed up at various school and youth gardens around DC, ready to use their brain power, muscle strength, and good cheer to help these gardens better serve their student populations.

The volunteers hailed from Food Corps, an organization that places motivated individuals in limited-resource communities for a year of public service.

Food Corps Volunteers in front of the A-Frame trellis they built!

Working under the direction of local partner organizations, volunteers deliver hands-on nutrition education, build and tend school gardens, and bring high-quality local food into public school cafeterias.

Thurgood Marshall Academy was one of a few lucky school gardens around the DC area to host a group of these dedicated Food Corps volunteers. The purple-shirted school garden experts quickly set to work mixing and pouring concrete, digging holes for trellises, hammering in t-posts, and using drills and saws to build cucurbit (melon, squash, and cucumber) trellises. While they worked, Food Corps volunteers talked with TMA students and staff about their years of service in school gardens throughout the country.

TMA Senior Justice Long talks with a Food Corps Volunteer.

At the end of the volunteer day, the group stood back and surveyed their accomplishments: together they’d built two large A-frame trellises, two pea trellises, and a berry trellis; weeded and tilled the fruit orchard and five raised beds; and re-filled the garden’s rain barrels. We were sorry to see them leave, but are excited to hear about their many accomplishments in the coming months!

Out of the Classrom and Serving the Community

In the midst of a week of DC-CAS testing, AP practice tests, and college tours, juniors spent their Thursday and Friday mornings volunteering in the nearby community.  On Thursday, students made the short trip to Congress Heights to partner with Behrend Builders from the DC Jewish Community Center to beautify the gardens and courtyards at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, which was established in 1855 as the first large-scale federally run psychiatric hospital in the United States.  Originally serving nearly 7,000 residents, it now provides residential treatment for 280 patients.  Equipped with gloves, shovels, and trowels, students pulled weeds and cleaned the courtyards of the hospital to make the outdoor spaces more enjoyable for staff, clients and visitors.

Darricka Allen proudly displays a heap of weeds.

 

Students spent Friday morning hauling large debris and trash from nearby Shepherd Parkway, one of DC’s most neglected wooded areas.   The steep incline and deeply embedded trash provided an extra challenge leading students to problem solve and use teamwork to drag discarded furniture, rubble, and automobile tires (some even as large monster trucks) to the top of hill and thrown into the dumpster.  Congress Heights Community Association periodically hosts clean-up days of Shepherd Parkway, follow the Restore Shepherd Parkway Community Blog and  TMA's community service blog  for dates and ways to volunteer in the future! 

Cornell Thornydyke gets help from Ms. Boehle-Silva.

A team effort at work!

In a 90 minutes, students filled a dumpster and collected this mountain of tires

D'Ionni Michals-Phillips and Kenyana Williams armed with their newly found debris

4th Annual MLK Day Scholarship Event

The TMA Library, filled with students and volunteers.

 Thurgood Marshall Academy marked the 2012 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday with the fourth annual Martin Luther King Day Scholarship Event. Over 40 students, most of them from the senior class, attended and applied for a wide range of scholarships and summer programs. Each student was matched with a volunteer from the community who helped students edit essays and decipher application requirements, and offered advice on college and scholarships. Both the library and the computer lab were packed with students and volunteers! 

Kathleen Williams works on a scholarship application.

Seren Snow and volunteer hard at work in the computer lab.

Marquise Williams and a volunteer confer about a scholarship essay.

Student Advisor and Alumni Coordinator Emma Levine, who helped organize the event, stated: “The Martin Luther King Scholarship Day was an excellent opportunity for seniors to complete scholarship applications, and underclassmen to complete summer programs applications.  Many students said that they completed over 5 applications during the event—hopefully this will translate into seniors getting a lot of money for college!”

Jasma Grantham fills out a scholarship application.

Students interested in more scholarship opportunities should see Mr. Mitchell or check out the TMA Community Service Guide here.

Nuclear Nuances: Chemistry Experts Visit TMA

Earlier this week, students in Ms. Enrich’s chemistry classes got a chance to make connections between their classroom learning and real world examples. On the agenda in chemistry class this quarter is a study of nuclear energy so students put their knowledge and questions to the test!

Six speakers including Nuclear Engineer Amanda Anderson, Senior Department of Energy Systems Analyst Bradley Williams, Lauren Gibson and Suzanne Schroer from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and nuclear energy lawyer Arthur Domby led small group discussions with the students. The intimate atmosphere provided students a distinct opportunity to gain insight into possible careers in the field of nuclear energy as well.



An enthusiastic Ms. Enrich commented about the event, “True learning entails taking that knowledge and skills and applying and connecting it to something that matters to students, our community, and our world.”

Mentor Program Day of Community Service!

Saturday, April 9th was a busy at Thurgood Marshall Academy. Mentors and mentees in TMA's own Mentor Program spent the day working on four different service projects. Throughout the day, they made sandwiches that were delivered to the Gospel Rescue Ministries of DC, made 8 care packages for soldiers serving overseas that together weighed over 150 pounds , created over 60 door tags and picture frames for seniors and planted flowers, painted signs and repaired raised beds in our garden.

Thanks to everyone who participated!

TMA is going to Host the "Go Green" Stamp Ceremony!

At 11 am on Thursday, Thurgood Marshall Academy is hosting the launch of a new series of stamps based on the ways people can "Go Green". They chose TMA because of our wonderful garden! We are so thankful for the work that Mr. Ullery, Ms. Lee, Luis, the mentor program volunteers, Earth Day Network and the Green Club have done to prepare the garden for it's national debut! The event will be a short ceremony and in attendance will be Lisa Jackson, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the new Deputy Postmaster General. We hope to see you there!

Here is a preview of the brand new "Go Green" Stamps!

TMA Students Giving Back to the Community

Last Wednesday and Thursday, while the rest of the school was either taking the DC CAS, practice exams, or preparing for graduation, the majority of 11^th graders participated in community service projects at Martha’s Table, Bright Beginnings, Food & Friends, Bread for the City, Behrend Bulders at the DC-Jewish Community Center, Metro Teen Aids, and the Wright House. Students helped out these organizations in many ways from playing with toddlers and preschoolers, to packing grocery bags for people with life-challenging illnesses to making and serving peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to the homeless. Students really enjoyed volunteering and getting to learn more about the challenges that many people across DC face every day. Thanks to all of the organizations who hosted our students!

Four years of tireless support and unconditional love - one night to celebrate

On May 27th, the seniors and their parents sat down for our annual senior parent dinner.  Over the course of the night, TMA seniors did their best to say thanks to the family members who have supported them in their journeys to college.  As they head off this coming fall, we will celebrate not only their individual achievements at TMA but the collective efforts of their families.

Here's a slideshow from the evening:

TMA students get healthy (and TMA staff members get dunked on)

This Saturday members of Kena Allison's health class and Sam Ullery's environmental science class joined together to host our second community-wide health fair of the year.  Students led workshops in progressive relaxation, gave tours of the garden, took blood pressure, and presented at booths covering topics ranging from sexual health, soil quality, risks associated with alcohol, and good eating habits.

The Health Fair was a tremendous success, thanks to the students' efforts, the guidance of Ms. Allison and Mr. Ullery, and outside organizations such as Metro Teen AIDS, Women's Coalition, Anacostia Watershed Society, and the National Audubon Society.

Oh.  And there was a little student v. faculty basketball game.  Everybody had fun and got some exercise.  The score is irrelevant.

Hey!  Look!  More pictures!

Amongst The Movers: Business Suits & Blackberries

On the morning of April 28, 2010, I as a 17 year old high school student had the great opportunity to do something that people in my age bracket seldom do. Thanks to my mentor I had the privilege of sitting in on a congressional hearing. During that time and the conversations that followed, I learned a lot about the flow and actions that take place in political hearings or in the government period. Here is my account depicted in a vivid storyline detail:

I entered the Russell Senate Office Building curious as to what the morning would hold. Alongside my mentor, Curtis Johnson, the Associate Director for Governmental Affairs at D.O.T by way of FMCSA, and a team of his skilled colleagues, I felt as if I belonged, though I had no clue of what the hearing even entailed! Walking through the signature marble hallways, passing many established politicos in the process, the "feel" of business happening around me was evident. And of course strolling past the offices of officials like John McCain and John Kerry, added to my notion that serious work was being done here.

What's taking Ford so long to develop a solar powered car?

During a week-long celebration of Earth Day, the Green Club hosted a Solar Derby last Thursday.  Students built their own solar-powered cars, and challenged each other to a 15-meter sprint.  During the derby, students made minor adjustments to their vehicles, fine-tuned their solar engines, and tried to find out what variable made the most significant impact on speed.  For the record, it was standing in between the sun and an opponents car, a tactic that was outlawed for the final race.

In the championship race, freshman Veronica Davis (celebrating above) boasted the fastest vehicle, Darylquisha Hill made the most significant improvements, and everyone enjoyed Mr. Ullery's solar-cooked apple-turnover.  Enjoy these pictures, and stay tuned for video from the race.

Soul of the City Spring Break with India Young

Soul of the City, organized by the Humanities Council of DC, hosted a spring break program for youth in DC. The program invited students to take an incredible journey into the lives of three immigrant communities in Washington D.C. The final result of all of their hard work was a performance about the city's immigrant life. TMA senior, India Young (far left in photo above), participated and I had a chance to speak with her about her experience.

Ms. Gall: Why did you decide to apply for the Soul of the City Spring Break program?

India Young: I like theatre and I didn't have anything else planned. I also received a $100 stipend.

M.G. Tell me about the week.

I.Y. We talked about three different immigrant groups and then we had food that was part of those cultural groups. We did play bills of different stories they told us.

M.G. What was your favorite part of the week?

I.Y. The end performance on the 15th, a lot of people were there and we reviewed all we did during the week and did our final performance.

M.G. Would you recommend this program to future TMA students? Why or why not?

I.Y. Yes, because it gets you out of the house for spring break, you meet new people, you get experience acting, and it's fun!

Thanks to the Humanities Council of DC for hosting such a successful week, and to India Young for representing TMA!

Make Haste Not Waste

Last Sunday, a group of 12 students joined Ms. Gall and Mr. Kaplan at the Kenilworth Aquatic Garden for a day service. Braving the damp weather and early morning wake up call, the group traveled together over to the park to join in o the JCC's Spring Into Action Day of Service. Students spent the morning cleaning up garbage along the Anacostia River Bank. A few students even jumped into kayaks and canoes so that they could grab the harder-to-reach waste. One student summed up her experience quite eloquently: "I was disgusted at the amount of garbage but feel inspired to try to change it." Stay tuned for upcoming service trips and future opportunities to create change.