Dear Oyster-Adams Families,

Welcome to a new school year! As we celebrated the nation's 250th Anniversary this summer, I thought a lot about the courage required to open our school over 50 years ago. Dual Language Programs did not exist anywhere on the eastern seaboard, and there was no public precedent for programming like this. We were founded on the faith our Salvadorean community had in this city, in public education, and our school's ability to honor linguistic heritage while inviting others to share in it. Our antepasados believed that latinidad is a gift to this nation, and we pass that belief on to every generation of tigres.

Nuestra cultura cura. Our community teaches us the power of collective action over individual success, the strength of generational resilience, and the importance of honoring our ancestors while also learning from their imperfections. The stubborn, poetic linguistic resistance of communities like ours reminds us that there is nothing more American than being multiracial and multilingual.

Muralist Luis del Valle's original work celebrating our school's history

As we prepare our students for the next 50 years, I want them to love this country enough to engage with it fully: to listen deeply to others' experiences, to fight for and celebrate the rights of others, and to never grow cynical when doing the right thing. To do that, Oyster-Adams is working on three things this year.

First, we must teach history honestly. That means confronting difficult truths while also telling the stories of courageous people and movements that expanded freedom and justice in times even darker than our own. This year, through a partnership with the DC History Center, our 4th graders will spend a year studying the history of our city through diverse community perspectives in both Spanish and English language arts. In 6-8th Grade Humanities, our team is developing a literature-rich, primary source-based History of the Americas sequence that spans from early Indigenous and African civilizations through the transformative movements of the 21st century.

Second, we believe children need opportunities to practice their voice and belong to something greater than themselves. Every classroom is committed to developing discourse, public speaking, and debate skills, whether through playground conflict resolution, student government, class discussions, or our new Bilingual Theater Program at Adams. Finding your voice and practicing courage matter more than ever in a democracy. Our Arts and Library Program will continue to champion that through bicultural beauty. Moreover, OCC has expanded funding for partnerships and clubs so that we can build rich connections to the greater world in and out of our classrooms with our new Student Life Coordinator.

Third, we believe facts matter. Strong science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education are essential to a healthy democracy. Our STEM program continues to grow in rigor, real-world relevance, and interdisciplinary learning. Our Math proficiency scores are on a continuous growth trajectory, particularly in Middle School where we are working to close the largest achievement gaps across socio-economic lines. Across both campuses, we will continue to engage students in conversations about media literacy, critical thinking, and the thoughtful use of technology.

Thank you for entrusting us with your children. Together, we will continue building a community where students learn not only to excel academically, but also to lead with empathy, courage, curiosity, and hope.

In this newsletter, you can expect to find a large treasure trove of logistic updates that will impact your daily life at school, and set you up for success. Please read them carefully with particular attention to:

• Beginning of the Year Events
• The Family Handbook
• Student Dismissal Forms
• Immunization
• Student Cohort Assignments

Remember always that thanks to OCC's (our PTA) generosity, no family has to pay for school supplies before the school year. We've got what you need, just bring your children and we will take care of the rest!

Feel free to reach out to your campus AP's with any specific questions or concerns prior to the first day of school:

• AP for Oyster Rosa Berrocal: rosa.berrocal@k12.dc.gov
• AP for 4-5th Adriana Antúnez de Mayolo: adriana.antunezdemayolo@k12.dc.gov
• AP for Middle School Daniela Morad: daniela.morad@k12.dc.gov

Con gratitud y esperanza,

Carolina Brito
Principal
Oyster-Adams Bilingual School