Thurgood Marshall Academy

Mr. Batchelor Goes to (another part of) Washington

Thurgood Marshall Academy junior Markus Batchelor is spending the fall semester at The School for Ethics and Global Leadership (SEGL), located in Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. The semester-long, residential program features a program centered around international politics, leadership development and public policy. Markus applied for a spot at the very competitive program with enthusiastic recommendations from teachers at Thurgood Marshall Academy. He is living and studying with 63 other talented juniors from across the country.

In addition to his core-curriculum classes- Pre-Calculus, AP English, Spanish, and AP U.S. History- Markus takes Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, and Ethics and Leadership, a day-long class that connects students to leaders in public service and international policy. So far, Markus has attended a House Committee Hearing on Afghanistan and Pakistan,visited the Pentagon and the United Nations DC Information Center, and questioned Carl Wilkens, the only American to stay in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide.

Orientation: The First Days at Thurgood Marshall Academy

Returning and new students visited Thurgood Marshall Academy for orientation last week to become familiar with the school's policies, programs, and expectations for the year.

"How many of you want to go to college?" college counselor Mr. Mitchell asked a group of tenth-graders. Most of the small crowd raised their hands. "How many of you are left handed? How many of you play an instrument?" The students who raised their hands are in luck---Mr. Mitchell used these examples to show the different kinds of scholarships available for various talents or attributes.

In another session, students heard about some exciting extracurricular programs, like the Mentoring Program, Law Day, and the new Pep Squad, which will cheer for the Warriors at home games in our new gym!

What are Thurgood Marshall Academy students looking forward to this year?

"I'm planning on studying." "And asking questions!" said sophomores Monet Tucker and Patrice Young. 

Freshman Amana Everett said she's looking forward to music class and "getting to know the teachers." With two sisters and a cousin already enrolled at Thurgood Marshall Academy, she's practically a veteran.

It's all systems go for the first week of school! Best wishes to all for a successful year.

Summer Does Not Mean Vacation for Thurgood Marshall Academy Students

True to form, Thurgood Marshall Academy students worked hard throughout the summer. Participants in Summer Prep, Summer School, and summer Advanced Placement enrichment programs hit the books alongside students in the DC Superior Court Internship program.

DC Superior Court Internship Program- Led by Mr. Hendricks, the DC Superior Court Internship Program paired nine rising seniors with a DC Superior Court judge. The student interns worked with the judge and his/her chambers for six weeks during June and July. For four days per week, the interns headed to the court to assist with and observe a variety of trials, including a few murder cases. In class on Fridays, they discussed their experiences during the week, reviewed legal vocabulary, and heard about law in action from guest speakers.

In its second year, the internship is experiential learning that focuses on issues affecting the Thurgood Marshall Academy community. Culminating in a final analysis of one of the observed cases, the internship gave these rising seniors a chance to apply what they learned in the classroom to a real-life situation. "They're getting to do what most law students would be doing for their internships," commented Mr. Hendricks.

School-Wide Health Fair

On January 10th, 2008, teacher Kena Allison and her health classes hosted a fun and informative school-wide Health Fair, which provided timely information on exercise, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS. For final exam credit, students led activities in progressive relaxation, measuring blood pressure, making healthy food choices, measuring body mass index, and delivering a health-themed skit.  Over $700 was raised for Metro Teen Aids as part of the health class’s student dress down day on January 11th.

Kena Allison's second semester health classes will host a community-wide health fair on Saturday, May 10th, 2008.  We look forward to it!