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2014

At the Academy : C-Tech and Speech Competition

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The Maya Angelou Academy has just finished up its first unit of the school year and we look forward to the exciting year ahead of us!

This year, the Academy has returned part of its focus to vocational programming as many of its scholars have been in need of alternative academic pathways. Our GED Program scholars, as well as our already credentialed scholars, have been participating in the first round of C-Tech courses. C-Tech introduces the world of cable wiring and fiber optics with an emphasis in hands-on training and experimentation.  This is the first year the Academy has supported vocational programming during school hours. While the C-tech course currently only runs for two hours a day, the Academy staff hopes to expand its vocational program depending on the needs and interests of the scholars.

In addition, the Academy hosted its fifth annual Speech Competition on November 6, 2014. The competition began in 2010 as the culminating activity on the unit of Power. The unit encourages scholars to explore various power structures and investigate the different meanings and methods of power in their classes. They study famous speeches in their English classes, analyzing rhetorical devices and delivery methods, and write a speech of their own on the topic of Power. Two scholars per class are then selected to compete in the school-wide competition. The contest is judged by a panel of outside critics as well as by audience members comprised of scholars, teachers and staff. This year’s winner was Justin S. with his speech “How Will You Use Your Power?” Runner-up was Elihadji N. with “Street Power.” Both speeches can be read here.

As the Academy forges ahead into the second thematic unit of the school year, teachers and staff will continue to push scholars to challenge themselves, to become better learners, thinkers, and in turn, change agents in and for their communities.

Dear Maya Family: Letter from CEO

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December 2014

Dear Maya Family,

There are days that try our patience, our stamina, our resiliency and our resolve. However, amidst the discipline problems, construction noise, and other stress-inducing challenges, our staff and colleagues have persevered.  As our namesake Maya Angelou would say, “Try to be the rainbow in someone’s cloud,” and the teachers and staff of Maya Angelou Schools do so every day. It is not an easy job, but together, we can be a mighty force of change.  We can change the lives of the students we seek to serve.

Just a few weeks ago, the high school staff moved to the upper-level floors of the newly renovated Maya Angelou Learning Center. These sun-drenched classrooms will serve as the home base for our wonderful team of teachers and administrators. There is no doubt that the construction has been a period of endurance for us all, but we anticipate great transformations this year.

Even amid the renovation and transitions, Maya students continue to surprise and behold me. In this issue of See Forever, read about Omar Mobley, one of the four Young Adult Learning Center graduates who was chosen to intern with Forrester Construction on our renovation project. Also included in the newsletter is the essay of Shakira Hawkins, a senior at the high school who won a prestigious opportunity to study at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia through OSSE’s Summer Scholar program. And finally, our scholars at the Academy competed at yet another spectacular Speech Competition with incredibly moving and impassioned deliverances on the topic of power. You can read the top two speeches here.

We hope to make this a year of transformation and collaboration, not only with our partners, but also with our supporters and parents. Please come by and see the new space we will call home, meet our administration and teachers and experience the Maya Way.

We wish you a wonderful holiday season and look forward to celebrating the last month of 2014 with you!

Warm Regards,

Heather Wathington

 

Dear Maya Family: A Letter from the CEO

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June 30, 2014

The summer days are whizzing by so fast I can hardly believe it. After a marvelous series of commencement ceremonies, our central office, YALC and Academy have been operating in full gear these last few weeks managing a number of exciting changes. The high school doors will remain closed for the summer to allow for major renovations by our partner Forrester Construction, an immense endeavor you can read about in this issue of our newsletter.

These next few months will also serve as crucial planning periods for the upcoming school year. We have been so fortunate to welcome two incredibly knowledgable and passionate individuals to help with the preparations:

Brian Rahaman, our new high school principal, comes to us from the SEED Foundation as the former Director of Program Design.  He has extensive experience working with teachers to guide their instruction and will lead the high school with an acute focus on building student literacy and mastery. We are delighted to have him lead the high school forward.

Adele Fabrikant who will serve as Chief of Schools will coach our school leaders, lead our Directors of Special Education, Postsecondary Student Success, and Socio-Emotional Learning and oversee organization-wide academic policies and practices. With over 14 years of experience in education, Adele most recently served as the Deputy Chief, Office of Youth Engagement for the DC Public Schools. Adele was also the Founding Principal for a public transfer high school serving over-age and under-credited youth with the New York City Department of Education.

The 2014-2015 academic year promises to be quite the fresh start. New walls, new leadership, new bright-eyed freshmen. While I am heartbroken that our namesake, Dr. Maya Angelou, is unable to witness such transformations, we are continually moved by her phenomenal spirit. The world is immeasurably better because of all that she gave and the Maya Angelou Schools will strive to uphold such a powerful legacy.

This summer newsletter seeks to highlight the achievements of not only our students, but of our staff and partners as well. You can read about our long-time partnership with WilmerHale and the Young Adult Learning Center’s latest accomplishment towards full accreditation. Also in this edition is a profile on Ms. Romelle Simpson, a 2009 graduate of Maya Angelou High School, and her journey to accomplishing her dreams of becoming a patent attorney.

The stories are endless and we want to share with you what all has happened this year in our family. Remember to follow us on Facebook and Twitter, especially if you’d like to engage in more frequent updates. Have a wonderful summer and we look forward to another year of your support!

 

Warmest Regards,

Dr. Heather Wathington