Buenas tardes familias,

This week I'd love to take an opportunity to showcase some brilliant classroom accomplishments, and continue celebrating our Social Work and Counseling Team! All month long, our faculty has been building on our positive momentum from our socio-emotional reset in January, to build confidence in interpersonal and academic discourse in both languages.

• Congratulations to Sra. Delgado and Sra. Hunter's 5th Grade students who investigated: "What happens when two worlds collide?" as they learned about Spanish Imperialism and Westward Expansion in North America. In Sra. Delgado's classroom, students engaged in a debate about the impact of Spanish incursion into Taino territory. They prepared their evidence, arguments, and rebuttals all Unit long and invited families to come watch the moment!
• Sra. Castro's AP Spanish class redefined the bar for linguistic rigor as they analyzed the Mirabal Sisters' resistance to "militarismo" during Trujillo's dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. We heard the whole class erupt in cheers frequently after hearing great arguments from their peers in a Parliament-style classroom set up. Sra. Castro's students debated the motivations for these historical figures and their strategic thinking.
• After visiting Sr. Moreno's 4th grade classroom, one visiting Principal said: "Those were the best centers I've seen in DC. Finally a classroom where all the centers were aligned to the same objective!" Students were reading background research in one center, running a mini-lab and discussing their findings in another, and synthesizing through writing with teacher support.
• Ms. Roberson scaled the Socratic Seminar structure typically used in High Schools in her 3rd grade classroom. Students were discussing evolutionary adaptations for species survival, all while keeping track of each other's contributions, and making sure that everyone got a turn to share an idea. The conversation unlocked wild, brilliant, and original thinking in our kids.

We are so proud of the self-confidence, discourse, and real-world transfer we are seeing in our classrooms. Thank you to our coaches and AP's for providing the high-quality PD that makes this collective learning possible!

As we also celebrate Social Workers and School Counselors this month, we want to remind families of two things:

• Growing Stronger Together: Understanding Conflict and Preventing Bullying Family Workshop March 17, 5:30–6:30 PM (Oyster): Join us for an engaging family workshop designed to help all OA families better understand conflict and prevent bullying. We’ll explore the difference between everyday conflict and bullying, how to recognize signs that your student may be struggling, and practical strategies you can use at home to support them. We’ll also discuss how to talk with students about the impact of their actions, build empathy, and encourage accountability. We hope to see you there! For more info, check out the Enrichment and Joy for Families section.
• I invite our whole community to tell us why our counselors and Social Workers make such a profound difference in our children's lives, our own practice, and our well-being as a community. Here's a quick form you can fill out to send the team your love! I'll collect the quotes and deliver them to each person. We need your shout-outs by March 20th!

Un abrazo fuerte,

Carolina Brito, Directora