Thurgood Marshall Academy

Local Flavor Week Kicks Off at Thurgood Marshall Academy

Courtesy of Rhoda Shirk

  Thurgood Marshall Academy students helped kick-off Local Flavor Week on Tuesday, September 22. Sponsored by the DC Farm to School Network, the initiative promotes the use of local produce and healthy eating in schools. In addition to hosting the event, Thurgood Marshall Academy participated by using vegetables from the organic garden in the week's lunches.

Students Tidy DC Park

About 35 American University students found everything from Cadillac tires to wheelchairs to mix tapes while cleaning up a creek in Marvin Gaye Park in northeast DC Saturday morning.

The cleanup of the creek - Watts Branch - was part of the 15th-annual Anacostia River Cleanup and Earth Day Celebration. Members of the AU-George Washington University community service group DC Today ... DC Tomorrow found out about the event through the non-profit organization Washington Parks and People. School of Public Affairs Leadership Program students also participated in the cleanup.

"We think that it's interesting to come here and you see the trash," said Sarah Lehar, a senior in SPA and member of SPA Leadership who participated in the event. "And at the end, when we walk away, it's going to be absolutely gorgeous. You see the product of your work."

Also present at the worksite were four students from Thurgood Marshall Academy, a public charter high school in Anacostia. The students were part of Teen Action, a group that meets weekly with DC Today ... DC. Tomorrow and also helps on community service events, said Sharon Strich, a GW sophomore.

"We have kids who come back every week," she said. "Every week, because they enjoy it."

Other events include working at homeless shelters and cooking meals at the Ronald McDonald House, the Thurgood Marshall Academy students said. One freshman said she already had the 100 hours of community service she needed to graduate but continued to come to the events anyway.

"Either we come because we want to get out of the house, or because we like the people we work with," said another Thurgood Marshall Academy freshman.

Working with the students at the academy was a large part of the organization's mission, according to Justin Bibb, a co-director and co-founder of DC Today ... DC Tomorrow.

"Part of our job is to engage them in meaningful ways to not only gain their hours to graduate but also to engage them in the urban issues based in their community," Bibb, a senior in SPA, said.

The cooperation of groups like Teen Action, D.C. Today ... D.C. Tomorrow and the SPA Leadership Program was vital to organization's goal of revitalizing city parks in D.C., said Washington Parks and People Maintenance Chief Behnam Mehrabkhani.

"We are a non-profit organization, and we don't have a lot of people," he said. "Without the volunteer help, we cannot do anything. We have like six or seven people, and this is a 1.6-mile park."

Lehar said she enjoyed helping out.

"The result is there," she said. "You can see it. This is a way to have a direct impact on the community in a short amount of time."

TMA Students Win Debate

On Saturday, May 17, a team of TMA freshmen (Tykia Shirriel, Moo Johnson, Andrew White, and Markysha Dickens) defeated a team comprised of seniors from Friendship Collegiate Academy by a wide margin in a competitive debate during the fourth annual D2D Hip-Hop Summit; their hard work was recognized in an article in the Washington Post on Sunday, May 18.

The students, who were nominated by teachers and the Programs department, practiced after school for five weeks prior to the debate. Many thanks to Charles McGuire-Wien for working with the students. Congratulations!

Health Fair a Success!

Thank you to everyone who supported Thurgood Marshall Academy's 1st Annual Community Health Fair. Over 100 people attended the fair and basketball game and the 10th grade Health Classes did a wonderful job teaching fitness classes, testing blood pressure, leading progressive relaxation, analyzing BMIs, and preparing health snacks and explaining nutrition. Thank you to all the health organizations who participated in the Fair for their information and services!

           

Community Health Fair May 10th

Thurgood Marshall Academy will host its first annual Community Health Fair on Saturday, May 10th, from 11:00 am until 2:00 pm.  Hosted by the 10th Grade Health classes, the fair will welcome 20 local health organizations, in addition to student presentations. 

Join us for free HIV testing, diabetes screening, blood pressure screening, the Faculty/Staff versus Student basketball game, and more!

Students Click to Win with Washington Capitals

On March 14th, 125 Thurgood Marshall Academy students, faculty and friends attended a Washington Capitals hockey game.  These tickets were generously provided by the Washington Capitals Charities' Caps Care Click to Win Program. The Capitals beat their opponent, the Atlanta Thrashers, 4 to 1.  A great time was had by all.  Thanks so much to the Washington Capitals and the Capitals Charities.  For more information, please see: http://capitals.nhl.com/community/CommunityNews.htm

Neighborhood Exploration

In Mr. Ullery's Environmental Science course, students took to the streets to explore the neighborhood surrounding Thurgood Marshall Academy. Before they ventured outside, they used aerial photographs and maps to develop hypotheses about what they would see on their walk. During their walk, students recorded places where there was access to fresh food and places where people meet to talk, engage in community events, and learn new things. Armed with this "ground truth," they synthesized their findings by creating power point presentations of their results. Students also discussed how their neighbors view the community and offered some solutions to the problems they observed. Through projects like the Neighborhood Walk, students learn how to be advocates for themselves and their communities.