PAGE 2 JUMOKE JOURNAL - Jumoke...

DECEMBER 2015 “SHAPING OUR COMMUNITY FROM THE INSIDE OUT”

Happy Holidays Executive Director, Dr. Troy A. Monroe

I would be remiss if I did not take this time to wish our Jumoke family and community Happy Holidays! As I reflect on the first half of the year, there is so much to celebrate and be happy about. The fact that we our providing many experiences and delivering quality instruction suggests that we our truly “shaping our community from the inside out!”

As you read this edition of the Jumoke Journal, it is my hope that you take particular note of the purposeful opportunities that have been created to promote the work with our scholars in and around the community, the impact of our deliberate efforts to provide a quality education experience, and the focus on developing the “whole child” through emphasizing great citizenship in and outside of school. Even this past trimester, there have been opportunities for scholars to become civic minded and service oriented, while celebrating and promoting the development of their arts and talents. It is our continued focus on these areas that will ultimately result in the fulfillment of the Jumoke mission; “… to prepare children to

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Holiday Issue JUMOKE ACADEMY CHARTER SCHOOLS

DISTRICT EDITION OF “THE JUMOKE

JOURNAL”LEARN 2 LIVE

COMMUNITY & POLICE PRINCIPAL PISTORIUS

PAGE 2

PERFORMING OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL

CHRIS KULMANN PAGE 3

TWO PERSPECTIVES, ONE SCHOOL

AMY BEARDSWORTH PAGE 5

‘…focus on developing the

“whole child” through emphasizing great citizenship in and

outside of school.”

JUMOKE JOURNAL


Interview with Jumoke Scholar Sephton Reid about the “Learn 2 Live” Event JAH-SMaRT Principal, Justin Pistorius

On Monday, October 26th, Jumoke Academy’s eighth-grade boys participated in a field trip to First Cathedral in Bloomfield for a productive discussion with local law enforcement and community leaders about how to encourage and promote positive interactions with citizens. The event, called “Learn 2 Live,” was a collaborative effort between the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity’s local Hartford chapter and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and is part of a larger national campaign that will stop at over 100 cities over the next 14 months. It was well-attended, with students from about a dozen local schools in the audience, ranging from elementary to high school. Jumoke’s 8th grade boys listened to a presentation by a NOBLE representative about how to handle engagements with police officers, and learned about some of the procedures that law enforcement officials follow when involved in a situation.

The highlight of the event was a question and answer session hosted by a panel of police officers from Hartford, Windsor, Bloomfield, and Central Connecticut State University. It was a great way for students to meet some of their local force and for police officers to interact with the students of their communities. The biggest issue discussed was about the recent national events involving excessive force, and the ramifications that all communities and police

officers must navigate to maintain appropriate action and trust in our current climate. Students from all the schools asked insightful questions about law enforcement policies, and received positive, supportive, and honest answers from the panel. JAH-SMaRT’s own Sephton Reid asked a few good questions that received applause from the student audience. The event was a definite success and a valuable experience for our scholars.

I asked Sephton a few questions about the event and here is what he had to say:

Principal Pistorius: Had you been paying attention to current events related to policing before attending this Live 2 Learn forum and, if so, what were some of your thoughts and feelings about the event?

Sephton Reid: Yeah, I had been paying attention to a lot of events across the country of the police shooting innocent people, how the chiefs of police respond, how they investigate…. I was wondering why in all

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“I learned that police officers get nervous when they pull you over. I never thought of them as people

who get nervous. I thought they liked pulling

people over because I thought they got paid for every ticket they give.”


of those shootings why police were shooting to kill in the chest instead of the legs so they could question the suspect later in the investigation.

Pistorius: Did you get a chance to ask your questions to the panel?

Sephton: Yes. The woman giving the presentation said that police are trained only to pull their guns if they feel like their life is threatened so they are trained to shoot for the chest and head to remove the threat on their life.

Pistorius: How did you feel about the response?

Sephton: I didn’t like it. I feel like they should be able to wound people if they have to save a life and to ask questions of the suspect later. I also asked the panel why they sometimes turn on their lights just to get past an intersection and they said they do that because they are called to respond to a scene and they have to get there quickly.

Pistorius: Have you had any experiences with police and if so what were they like?

Sephton: Mostly they’d say hello to me and I would say hi back. I also participated in a program at my old school where I got to ride in a police car with Waterbury police officers. It was cool because they showed us the different buttons and what they do. I had a lot of fun and they seemed very nice.

Pistorius: Did you feel like you learned a lot from attending the Live 2 Learn forum?

Sephton: Yes, I learned that police officers get nervous when they pull you over. I never thought of them as people who get nervous. I thought they liked pulling people over because I thought they got paid for every ticket they give. I also learned that I should just keep calm, not give an attitude and ask for permission to reach for things before I do so they don’t think I am reaching for a weapon or something.

Performing Music Outside the Walls of School JAH-HC Arts Coordinator, Chris Kulmann

Hello there. Welcome. Won’t you please sit and allow me to share one of my fondest memories with you? I was a senior in high school, and I belonged to my school’s highest level choir. The month was December, and we had prepared several seasonal pieces of music from jazzy renditions, full of crunchy chromatic chords, to the typical sing-along renditions of the holiday classics. Through choir, I visited several nursing homes and toured all the classrooms of my school and spread the holiday cheer, bringing smiles to hundreds within a single week. This was not the last of it, however, for the band director and my choral director had

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James Michel, Board Chair Melanie James, Treasurer & Teacher Representative Rev. Cyril Burke, Community Representative Emeritus Thomas Smith, Community Representative

Glenn Winfree, Community Representative Todd E. Cooper, Community Representative Sharon Gentles-Harris, Community Representative Bertram W. McDowell, Jr. Community Representative

The Jumoke Academy Board of Directors


planned an event where the singers and the brass players met on the town green and played for a half hour for a few townsfolk who were willing to brave the cold on that Tuesday evening. When the event was over, my peers and I were filled with energy and not ready to go home. We decided to take our act on the road. We drove a short distance and parked by a residential neighborhood and knocked on the doors of every house we came across with Christmas lights. When someone answered the door, we’d perform a few numbers for them, and wish them cheer as we finished and would move onto the next house. People were shocked. They asked us what organization we belonged to or why we were doing this. They’d offer us money (which we never took) or hot cocoa (which we ALWAYS took) or take our pictures. The amount of joy we brought to individual families only encouraged us more and we decided to all meet up the following night and share our gift in a different neighborhood. Then do it again the following night. The next year, although many of us had graduated high school, we decided to meet up and do it again because it was so much fun.

The third and final year we did this tour was the most memorable. The night was extremely cold, and we all agreed that the next house we performed at would be our last one before we all go to our homes. We sang and played and wished our Merry Christmases as we had every house for the last three years. Only this time, a woman stood at the end of the driveway waiting for us as we were about to leave this last house. She told us that she lived across the street, at a house without Christmas lights, and that it would mean the world to her husband if we could perform for him. She explained that he was a disabled veteran, on oxygen, who had given up. He stopped believing in the Christmas spirit and thought that the world had already become a vile place, void of cheer. She also explained that in

order to all get into the room where he was, we’d have to climb the icy stairs and enter through the side-door on their porch. We entered to see this legless man in a wheelchair. His face went from suspect to surprise, and eventually melted into grace. I watched, as this man crumbled over in his chair and wept into his hands as we finished up with “Silent Night.” He and his wife thanked us tremendously and let us know that we changed their outlooks on life. As we made our way outside and back down those icy stairs and back to our cars, we knew that this would be a moment that would never be forgotten. That experience warms my heart every time I recall it, and it is a story I never tire of telling. However, none of that would have happened if it weren’t for the opportunities provided to us at our school. This is why it is not only important for our Jumoke scholars to work hard for two concerts a year, but to be able to share their gift outside of school and in front of others. Last year, members of the JAH-HC band performed in the Thomas Hooker Day Parade, Chamber Singers sang “God Bless America” in front of JAH-TED during their Memorial Day celebration which had several U.S. veterans in attendance, as well as put on concerts and the musical, Godspell Jr, in venues that were open to the public. This year, 5th graders in orchestra got to perform at the CT Science Center, and there are several other public performances in the planning stages. These performances not only allow scholars to grow confident in themselves and encourage them to work harder at their skills, but also provide them with a different opportunity altogether. These performances grant our scholars the opportunity to reach people, people who may not otherwise be exposed to such events, and hopefully move them. If

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“…it is not only important for our Jumoke scholars to work hard for two concerts

a year, but to be able to share their gift outside of

school and in front of others.”


we can give our scholars the ability to feel the warmth that comes with changing a person’s life, in whatever amount, we have given them more than anything we could give them in a classroom.

Two Perspectives: One School JAH-SMaRT Dean, Amy Beardsworth

While walking through the halls of Jumoke it is not unusual to hear the phrase “Jumoke Baby” being tossed around. A “Jumoke Baby” refers to a student who has attended a Jumoke school since the beginning of their educational career. The students who fit this category seem to use the term with pride and affection. While Jumoke enrolls many scholars from PK through 8th grade, we also welcome many new scholars to our community.

Assatta Clarke has attended school since kindergarten, and her friend Madisen Domin started 7th grade at JAH-SMaRT this past August. Their educational paths have brought them together for what is shaping up to be a very successful 7th grade year. Their views on Jumoke help to shed light on the life of a “Jumoke Baby” and a student new to the district. Assatta is glad to be a “Jumoke Baby” because she feels connected to everyone and likes knowing everyone. She also said that she believes that the connection with the teachers makes Jumoke special. When asked what makes Jumoke special, Assatta says “In a lot of schools that I have seen, it seems like the teachers are not as connected to the students as they are at Jumoke. Jumoke is so small you get to know everyone.”

While Madisen has been at Jumoke for only a couple months, she also has noticed the connections that people have. She has enjoyed her shift to Jumoke and feels accepted and part of the community. A major difference that Madisen has noticed is that Jumoke is not as disconnected as her previous schools. She enjoys feeling like she “can be part of one giant community.” Madisen believes that Jumoke is special because “the camaraderie that everyone has really puts the school as one, rather than separate pieces.” She likes celebrating fun events as a whole school rather than individual classes.

Starting Jumoke in 7th grade has not seemed to affect Madisen’s acceptance into the school community. Both Madisen and Assatta were asked if they thought that starting Jumoke at different times would make any difference in their success; neither thought that it would. Madisen felt that the teachers treated her as if they had known her all along. Assatta recognized that every student learns differently and students don’t need to be like everyone else to be successful. It is powerful and rewarding to know that the attention and effort put forth towards our school community is directly impacting our scholars. When, according to Assatta, the worst part of the school is our lunch, we are doing something right.

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Assatta and Madisen are dressed as twins for JAH-SMaRT’s Twin Day


PBIS Kick Off and Behavior in and outside of school TED-JA Teacher Kashay Green

Scholars and staff at the elementary school kicked off the month of November learning and reviewing the positive expectations at Thelma Ellis Dickerson’s Elementary School. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, more commonly known as PBIS, are Jumoke Academy’s way of encouraging good behavior. Jumoke scholars and staff are “Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn at All Times.” The school-wide PBIS system supports Jumoke’s 3 R’s by creating a positive environment for scholars to excel both academically and socially.

This year scholars and staff at TED-JA were excited to welcome Jumoke’s new Mascot, Mr. Jaguar. Mr. Jaguar attended the PBIS rollout ready to reward and acknowledge all of the school’s Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn scholars. In the school-wide PBIS system scholars receive a paw print when they are having a “Paw-fect Day.” These green paw prints are carried by all staff members and are given out to scholars who are seen demonstrating the expected behaviors of being respectful, responsible, and ready to learn. Scholars may then exchange their earned paw prints for the rewards listed on the school’s paw print incentive menu. These incentive menus and PBIS expectations are displayed throughout our school building on every floor.

Although PBIS may be our school-wide approach to positive behavior, it is a system we encourage families to discuss at home. Jumoke’s staff encourages scholars to demonstrate the expected 3 R’s in and out of the classroom. The PBIS team has created two videos, Jumoke Academy It’s Gonna Be A GOOD Year! and Jumoke Academy PBIS Paw Prints. These videos highlight what it looks like to be Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn at All Times as well as how Jumoke Academy scholars earn paw prints. Visit the links below to see how scholars and staff will be working towards having a “Paw-fect” year!

HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=LBZ4I9Q2W80 HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=UDI-ZNQTFZQ

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SCENES FROM THE PBIS VIDEO DONE BY TED-JA STAFF

PBIS KICKOFF WITH MR. JAGUAR!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lbz4I9Q2W80

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udI-ZnqTFZQ


Professional Development at Jumoke Academy District wide professional development by our Curriculum and Instruction and Professional Development department

THE ABOVE PICTURES ARE OF: DISTRICT WIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BY OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENTS ON SMARTER BALANCED ELA PERFORMANCE TASKS (FULL WRITES) AND CONSTRUCTED RESPONSES (BRIEF WRITES), SCORING. PERFORMANCE TASK FULL WRITES.

As a district teachers gathered to discuss the writing results. In efforts to reinforce the valuable work that Jumoke teachers do, the Curriculum and Instruction and Professional Development Departments led several district-wide professional development sessions in literacy during the month of November and December. The sessions covered skills as well as data review and literacy planning for instruction based on the data from each school. Principals participated in the session. AA’s had a separate PD session. Professional development presenters were Dawn Lazarus, Instruction and Professional Development Manager and Ms. Fountain, Academic Director.

It is important for teachers to continue to develop their professional toolkits. In addition to allowing teachers time to work and plan together, professional development is one of the number one ways to impact teaching and learning.

The PD also consisted of data review and analysis of recent district performance tasks (writing) for grades 3-8 and the discussion of writing types and strategies. All teachers PreK -8 took part in this

vertical district activity.

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THIS FEBRUARY 17TH, JUMOKE ACADEMY WILL BE HOSTING A CITY WIDE ORATORY CONTEST FOR GRADES 3-8 TO HONOR DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. ALL SCHOLARS ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTEST TO BECOME JUMOKE ACADEMY’S REPRESENTATIVES AT THE CITY WIDE EVENT ON FEBRUARY 17TH. SCHOLARS SHOULD WRITE AND SUBMIT AN ORIGINAL SPEECH AROUND THE THEME “SHAPING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH SERVICE” SEE HOMEROOM TEACHERS FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

2 SCHOLARS PER AGE GROUP WILL BE CHOSEN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CONTEST AGAINST OTHER HARTFORD AREA SCHOOLS.

"It is important for all teachers to look at the expectations for writing in a vertical progression so that they are able to see their instructional pieces and influences on scholar learning and growth as

students move through each grade. Most importantly, we are building capacity of our

teachers across the district." – Felicia Fountain


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DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT

TOP LEFT: TED-JA SCHOLAR AT A TRIP TO A FARM. TOP MIDDLE AND RIGHT: STAFF SUPPORTS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS RESEARCH. MIDDLE LEFT: DARIEN WILLER PRESENTS TO HIS CLASS. BOTTOM RIGHT: A DANCE CLASS AT JAH-HC. LEFT: LEARN 2 LIVE EVENT BOTTOM: BAHATI BENJAMIN REPRESENTING JUMOKE ACADEMY AT THE NECSN EVENT.


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TOP LEFT: DR. MONROE GREETS SCHOLARS AT THE CT SCIENCE CENTER PERFORMANCE. TOP RIGHT: JAH-HC PERFORMS THE THRILLER DANCE LEFT: SHANIECE NUGENT PRESENTS TO HER CLASS. BOTTOM LEFT: MS. KRUSCH’S BAND CLASS BOTTOM RIGHT: BAND CLASS AT JAH-HC

DISTRICT SPOTLIGHT


Winter Weather is near! The district office wants to make sure all parents and guardians are ready to get the information they

need when it comes to delays and cancellations due to weather. Check out these tips and protocols for this winter’s closings, delays, and early dismissals.

DELAYS AND CLOSINGS DUE TO WINTER WEATHER

•Jumoke Academy will be submitting announcements of delays and closings to the following news organizations: WFSB, NBC Connecticut, WTNH. We will be listed as

“Jumoke Academy Schools” and any announcement made on those stations applies to ALL Jumoke Academy Schools.

•We encourage you to sign up for Text Alerts from any of those news organizations to be alerted when we are listed as having a closing or delay. Instructions can be found on their respective websites or mobile apps and your phone will be texted as soon as we list a close or delay. A lot of Jumoke Academy employees use WFSB text alerts and they are almost instant! As soon as the district announces with the website, your phone will be sent a text notification. No guess work.

•As a point of information, because we share transportation with Hartford Public Schools, Jumoke Academy follows what HPS does in terms of closings and delays.

•When there is a delayed opening, there is NO Before Care available. Delays will be 2 hours, and school doors across the district will open at 10:15am. •When there is an early dismissal due to weather, there is NO After Care available, dismissal will be 1pm, and there will be no after school activities.

•Early dismissals will be alerted to the news channels outlined above, and ALSO sent out via Robocall and Text message.

CONTACT INFORMATION

We encourage ALL JUMOKE FAMILIES to make sure their information is added into POWERSCHOOL and is up to date. Powerschool is where we get the phone numbers to use for Robocalls and Text Messages from the schools in the event of an early dismissal.

PLEASE MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE MOST UP TO DATE INFORMATION FOR YOUR FAMILY.

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YOU CAN NOW DIAL

THE JUMOKE SNOW HOTLINE!

860-740-2115 Call to hear a recording of the status of delays and cancelations!


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…successfully compete in the global marketplace, overcoming any cultural, social or economic challenges.”

The ability to deliver on the mission hinges upon commitment as a community to our scholars, and on our focus to provide the best instruction and experiences. Because of this fact, we have made a huge commitment to developing the capacity of our instructional talent through professional development and purchasing resources that will result in increased student achievement. Jumoke Academy’s continued success will depend on the work that we do together in support of our scholars. To that end, it is my hope that we challenge ourselves to come out and become involved in our school programs and parent education opportunities designed to inform and create capacity to support scholar learning outside of the school day.

I look forward to 2016 and to the great things to come for our charter school!

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UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE JUMOKE ACADEMY DISTRICT

DEC 15 Envisions Math Parent Workshop 5:30pm

DEC 17 PreK- 1st Grade Winter Concert 2:00pm

DEC 17 Hot Cocoa and a Movie night @ JAH-HC 6:00pm

DEC 18 Hot Cocoa and a Movie night @ TED-JA 6:00pm

DEC 18 JAH-HC Winter Concert @ Trinity Episcopal Church 1:30pm

DEC 23 Kindergarten Gingerbread Parade 12:15pm

DEC 23 Early Dismissal - Winter Recess 1:00pm

DEC 24 - JAN 1 Winter Recess ALL DAY

JAN 6 Three Kings Day - No School ALL DAY

JAN 12 Board of Directors Meeting 6:00pm

JAN 15 Progress Reports

JAN 15 January Coffee Chat @ JAH-SMaRT 8:15am

Statement of Non-Discrimination Jumoke Academy Charter School is committed to a policy of equal opportunity/affirmative action for all qualified persons. Jumoke Academy Charter School does not discriminate in any employment practice, education program, or educational activity on the basis of race, color, religious creed, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, marital status, sexual orientation, disability (including, but not limited to, mental retardation, past or present history of mental disability, physical disability or learning disability), genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by Connecticut state and/or federal nondiscrimination laws. Jumoke Academy Charter School does not unlawfully discriminate in employment and licensing against qualified persons with a prior criminal conviction. Inquiries regarding Jumoke Academy Charter School’s nondiscrimination policies should be directed to: Valena R. Smith Jumoke Academy 834 Asylum Avenue, Hartford CT 06105 (860)904-5859

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Jumoke Academy Charter School 834 Asylum Avenue Hartford, CT 06105

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