Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy PCS

Dear MMBDA Learning Community,

Spring has sprung! We are delighted that warmer weather has prevailed and our students are able to enjoy more consistent days of outdoor recess. May begins our PARCC testing period, a mandated standardized test for students in grades 3 - 8 in ELA, Math, and Science (G5 & 8). Parents, please ensure that your child has a good night's rest and that she or he comes to school on-time and well rested. Breakfast is available for free every day beginning at 8:30 a.m.

Our teachers have been working very diligently with all of our students this year and on May 8th - the 12th, our school honored and thanked our teachers for all of their hard work! Thank you to our PTO for providing popcorn to our staff and showing your appreciation by giving gift cards to our teachers. Thank you to Dr. McKay for providing daily surprise treats for all teachers and staff. The outpour of support and love was greatly appreciated.

The last day of school for students is June 22nd. We encourage our parents to please continue to send your child to school on time and through the last day of school. Attendance matters and we want to ensure that your child fully completes their academic year.

Our Summer Boost program will begin on July 5th and will end on August 4th. The hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and bus transportation is available and so is before and after care for a fee. The Summer Boost program is available at no cost for existing students and for students currently enrolled to attend our school in the fall. Summer school will be mandatory for students who are not performing at grade level and or based on teacher recommendation. We encourage our families to send their child to the Summer Boost program and more information is available by clicking here.

Thank you for your continued support!

Dr. Acevedo

Principal - Brookland Campus

The following students have been in school 98 - 100% of the time since the beginning of the school year and were recognized for this amazing achievement with a certificate, a special outdoor breakfast and a gift card.

PreK 3 - Ralia Jones

Kindergarten - Adrian Clark

1st Grade - Katerin Luis, Jeremy Solís, Yamir Tucker-Wilson

2nd Grade - Tarria Jackson, Jalen Bunn

3rd Grade - Yefri Luis

4th Grade - Genesis Ayala

5th Grade - Axel Casarrubias, Jerrell Islar, Malachi Clark, Sophia Cabande

6th Grade - Karla Hernández

7th Grade - Yanni Tucker

Thank you to our students and their families for recognizing the importance of being in school.

Students in grade five are learning about various staff passions in an effort to harness their own passions and complete their culminating IB exhibition program. Below students learn from Dr. McKay about gardening and the importance of planting and taking care of nature. Students are working diligently with mentors to harness their passions, conduct research and seek solutions to real world problems. Thank you to Dr. McKay and all of our mentors for helping our students.

Our kindergarten and first grade students enjoyed visiting the Washington Youth Garden located inside the National Arboretum.

Kindergarteners learned about mini beasts (worms, butterflies, bees, and birds) First graders learned about pollination and their garden habitats. Mr. Wise organized these field trips in accordance with the student units of inquiry.

According to Mr. Wise "students had a fantastic time and were able to engage with the DC habitat and all that it has to offer."

Third grade students in Ms. Jackson's class excavate gemstones as part of their unit of inquiry, "Sharing the Planet". Students will also be attending a field trip later this month to learn how collecting and using natural resources impacts the future of all living things.

At the conclusion of each month our teachers and staff recognize and nominate teachers/staff for their hard work and dedication to our students based on the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile. The recent April nomination focused on the "risk-taker" trait. For the month of April, please join us in congratulating our teachers of the month featured below as follows:

Featured from left to right are Ms. Loftlin (Grade 5), Ms. K. Williams (Kinder Para) and Mr. Wise (Environmental Science)

Thank you to our staff/teachers of the month for their hard work!

The March Learner Profile attribute was "caring". Congratulations to our teachers who were selected below: Mrs. Otunba (Kindergarten), Mr. Gianelle (Latin, Gr 5-8) and Ms. Guzmán (Kindergarten).

First grade students completed a project based learning assessment as part of their units of inquiry "how the world works" and "how we express ourselves". Students created a fictious restaurant called "The One Leaf Clover" and all students came up with their own roles and picked their own jobs. Students personified each of their roles and waited on staff in a restaurant setting. Students learned how to handle money, the various roles in a restaurant, and how to solve real world problems when systems break down. There was even a demanding customer who challenged the students with real issues in a restaurant.

Recently, our school held a staff and student basketball game to encourage student attendance and school participation. Thank you to all of our staff who were able to pitch in and assist and to our own Mr. Shivers for organizing the event and to Dr. Acevedo for being the MC. Below are some pictures of the event. The staff team included from left to right: Mr. Muhumure, Mr. Gianelle, Mr. Tolliver, Mr. Rico, Mr. Otunba, Mr. Coston and Mr. Shivers.

Our students and staff have embraced the International Baccalaureate (IB) Learner Profile, which represents 10 distinct attributes valued by IB World Schools and the overall IB Programme.

At MMBDA, we seek to further develop these attributes in our students and to recognize them in our staff. The International Baccalaureate (IB) learner profile describes a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success. The learner profile aims to develop learners who are and strive to be:

Inquirers
We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

Knowledgeable
We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global signi­ficance.

Thinkers
We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyze and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators
We express ourselves con­fidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.

Principled
We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

Open-minded
We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring
We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.

Risk-takers
We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

Balanced
We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives—intellectual, physical, and emotional—to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognize our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.

Reflective
We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development

These attributes imply a commitment to help all members of the school and community to learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them.These human capacities or character traits can also be developed by parents at home. We encourage parents to review this document for ways to further develop these attributes at home. The full IB Learner Profile document is available by clicking here.

Thank you for partnering with our school to advance these important character traits inside and outside of school!

Our last Family Market Day is Thursday, June 8, 2023, at 2 p.m. - 5 p.m., where food is distributed for free. Please pass the word-on or share this information with someone you know! All families and community members are welcome to attend our Family Market Day(s) in the Library, the lower portion of our school. Please share and add the market to your calendar and notes. It's free!

• May 29, 2023 - Memorial Day Holiday, No school.
• June 8, 2023 - 2 p.m. - 5 p.m., Family Market Days
• June 8, 2023 - 5 p.m. - Grade 5 PYP Exhibition
• June 14, 2023 - 10:00 a.m. - Grade 8 Graduation
• June 15, 2023 - 9:30 a.m. - Kindergarten Graduation
• June 16, 2023 - School Field Day
• June 19, 2023 - Juneteenth Holiday, No School
• June 22, 2023 - Last day of school for students.