​The Brent Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) is seeking three new parent leaders to be elected for the 2016-2017 school year. The LSAT exists in every DCPS school and consists of parents, teachers and non-instructional school staff to advise the principal on matters that promote high expectations and high achievement for all students. The LSAT also consults with the Brent Principal to allocate the school budget for Brent provided by DCPS.

Terms are for one-year, renewable for an additional year for a maximum term of service of two years. The total number of parents is six that serve on the LSAT. If you have any questions about the roles and responsibilities please contact the current LSAT Chair, Allison Lewis, at allisonllewis@gmail.com.
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To submit your name for the election please send the following information to Kevin Moore at kbmoore25@gmail.com. Parent Name, Student Name(s), Current Student Grade(s), brief statement about yourself and why you want to be on the LSAT. This information will be posted in future TuesNews. Please submit your nomination materials NO LATER THAN June 3rd. Elections will be held on Friday, June 10 in the morning.

A Spanish heritage celebration will be happening on May 27 throughout the day! Classes will rotate through a “Mercado” of student=made crafts inspired by Cinco de Mayo and Mexican culture. Each student will pick a craft (made by another student) to take home with them. Traditionally, Mexican people use bright colors and easily available materials found in nature to make “artesanías” (handmade objects) that are useful in the home or used in celebrations. Brent students-are learning about the craft they made themselves as well as other artesanías in Mexican culture. If you are able to volunteer, please access the google doc links below. Also, Please email jenniferannettem@gmail.com with any questions!

Prepping Crafts-Various dates
Day of Mercado–May 27

The Buy-One-Get-One-Free Book Fair will be held from May 23 through May 27. The fair will be open Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m. and 3:15 – 4:15 p.m., and on Wednesday from 3:15 until 6:30 p.m. In addition, on May 23, Parent-Teacher Conference Day, parents will have the opportunity to visit the fair and obtain summer reading material for their children from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm. If you can help with set-up on Friday, May 20 right after school and/or with clean-up on May 27 at 4:15 pm, please contact Ms. Bettina in the library or by e-mail at bettina.schewe@dc.gov. Thank you.

​Our annual exhibit night is this evening for all students, Early Childhood-5th grade, from 6:30-7:30 pm. Come see displays on “Controversial Issues-Defined and Discussed,” and “Mayas, Incas and Aztecs,” just to name a few! There is lots to see and the students are eager to share their work! Please note that second grade will be performing three Civil Rights plays in the cafeteria, and will not be on the second floor near their classrooms.

Brent’s 4 teaching partners….you see them in the hall, in classrooms, in the library and cafeteria, but what do they do? How are they helping our students this year?
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Having been conceived as part of last year’s Strategic Plan and primarily funded by the PTA, the Brent teaching partner program started strong this year with four students from Trinity University’s School of Education joining Brent in August. Since then, these four educators (Taneika Blackwell, Leontia Collins, Shani Plummer, and Brittany Wilkerson) have been helping students who need more individual attention as they work toward getting and staying on grade level. Over the course of the day, the teaching partners interact with students in a variety of settings. For example, a teaching partner will work with a 4-person group of students on their multiplication skills using curriculum and tips from Mr. Mangiaracina. Later that same teaching partner will join a class during Writing to support any struggling writers. In addition to working in small groups and in the full classroom, teaching partners work one-on-one with students for quick lessons. ​

​While the teaching partners primarily work with 3rd-5th grade students, they are a key component of this year’s new Brain Block program for the Kindergarten through 2nd grade students. During Brain Block, the teaching partners join teachers from across the school in working with small groups of students to advance foundational skills, especially literacy and math.

​Their interaction with the 1st and 2nd graders doesn’t stop with Brain Block. Lunchtime finds the teaching partners assisting with the always fun task of keeping order in the cafeteria. The teaching partners’ afternoons are another mix of one-on-one, small group, and full classroom assistance. Although each classroom does not have a teaching partner assigned to assist in it all day long, the teaching partners provide critical support to the classroom teachers by working with those students who need a little extra time.

After a full day of helping mold Brent minds, the teaching partners not only prepare for the next day’s lessons here, they also have to do their own homework for Trinity! Thanks for bettering Brent this year, teaching partners!

Visit http://www.capitolhillclassic.com and register for the fun run. You can pick “Brent Bears” from a drop down list. The Capitol Hill Classic benefits schools on the Hill. Sign up today. Join the Brent Bear Race Team for the Capitol Hill Classic on May 15.