The Eagles' Nest May 6, 2024

Each year in May, members of our communities take a special lens on mental health. Now more than ever, we are seeing firsthand how mental health issues present to every member of our school community - students, staff, and families/caregivers. Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is just as important as physical health throughout our lives, and some would argue it is, more important.

Mental health issues are common – more than 1 in 5 US adults live with a mental illness. When looking at how mental illness impacts communities of color, the National Association of Mental Health reports that while People of Color (POC) have rates of mental health disorders similar to Whites, these disorders are more likely to last longer and result in more significant disability for POC. Most mental illness goes untreated, especially in communities of color. Fifty-two percent of Whites with AMI received mental health services in 2020, compared to 37.1% of Blacks and 35% of Hispanics.

Our goal at EXCEL is to provide resources to support scholars and staff with mental health concerns, either onsite or through referrals to organizations in the community that can provide such services. Ms. Chinyere Osborne, our Mental Health Clinician, is here to help us get the direct services or referrals that will best fit our needs.

At the same time, we as adults must prioritize our mental health. Ensuring we are mentally fit to support the families and communities we love is the best way. Here are some ways to make that happen:

• Learn about mental health.

• Learn about healthy ways to cope with stress and respond to loss. When possible, engage in these practices.

• Share information on mental health, healthy coping skills, and resources with family, friends, neighbors, and others in your community.

• Talk about mental health and use non-stigmatizing language.

• Check out Ms. Osborne's 30-day Mental Health Awareness Challenge posted in Class Dojo!

These are just a few steps to take ius in the right direction to manage our mental health in ways that promote peaceful, positive engagement with those we love and socialize with in our communities and lives.

Teachers' Appreciation Week has finally arrived and we are excited to be able to give some special love to the people who pour into our scholars every day. This year, especially, has been a year of many changes, many “asks,” and new learning for our band of instructional leaders, so we plan to do all we can to show them how much we love them.

Tuesday, May 7th is National Teacher Appreciation Day, and we are counting on all members of our parent community to lead the way in showering our educators with love and appreciation. Your role in this is crucial, and any expressions of love you might have for your beloved educators are deeply valued: a note, a card, and yes, gifts are appropriate if it is within your budget to do so.

At EXCEL, we celebrate ALL our staff this week because we know it takes a collective effort to support the learning of young minds, so look out for updates on how we are celebrating. We thank you in advance for supporting our group of dedicated educators!

National School Nurse Day was established to foster a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting. School Nurse Day is celebrated on the Wednesday within National Nurses Week. National Nurses Week is May 6-12 each year.

Please join us in showing some special love to OUIR School Nurse, Ms. Sylvia Williams! She takes such great care of students AND staff every day and we are so grateful for her!

We are excited to be almost complete with MCAP assessments! Our 8th graders will be sitting for the NEW Social Studies MCAP this week on May 8th and 9th, then we will be done with STATE testing. Windows for local testing is opening and our students will be completing assessments on the following platforms;

• iReady Mathematics (K-8th grade; assessment window opens Monday May 6th)

• iReady Reading (K-8th grade; assessment window opens Monday May 6th)

• DIBELS (K-3rd grade; assessment window opens Monday May 13th)

We aim to be completely done with all assessments by the end of this month. More details will be sent regarding specific grade level testing dates. We thank you for prioritizing the availability of your students for these assessments - it has been a great help to us as we comply with state and district requirements.

Career Day 2024 is coming to EXCEL Academy Public Charter School on May 24, 2024. PLEASE consider volunteering by presenting your occupation or business to our students! We are in great need of presenters in addition to students in Higher Education who would like to share their experiences.

Sign up by clicking the image above, using the link below, or scanning the QR code on the flyer. Stay tuned for more details regarding Career Day preparation and fun! If you have questions regarding Career Day, please contact our Professional School Counselors Mr. Dent (K-5th gr.) at antron.dent@pgcps.org or Mrs. Ruffin (6-8th gr.) at damalia.ruffin@pgcps.org.

Next Sunday is Mother's Day and we want to say happy Mother's Day to all the moms, grandmas, aunties, godmothers, cousins' big sisters, and community members who serve in the function of "mother" to our scholars. We know for a fact that your efforts, sweat, tears, and love are all poured into the human beings you send to us every day, and we always want to acknowledge you. THANK YOU for all you do and for trusting us with your most precious gifts. We hope that your day will bring you all the love, joy, and RELAXATION you deserve!

On a beautiful, glorious morning, EXCEL Academy Public Charter School held its OFFICIAL grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony! We want to thank our governing board and chair, Mr. Clarence Jones, Jr., charter operator Sowing Empowerment and Economic Development, Inc. and Ms. Lisa B. McDougal, Highmark School Development , Grimm and Parker Architects , Kascon Incorporated , our Instructional Director Ms. Elizabeth Saunders and the Area 2 Office of Prince George's County Public Schools , ALL of our community partners, and, of course, our founder, Pastor Denise Johnson, for their support! We even had a guest appearance from the Honorable Judge Lisa Hall Johnson.

But we can not overlook the staff and faculty of EXCEL, both past and present, who have dedicated countless hours in service and support of our students and families. We WOULD NOT have been able to get here without all of you. And we absolutely want to thank the broad spectrum of parents and families who have and continue to support us throughout the years. This labor of love is the product of a collective effort, and we appreciate you more than you know.

And the students! We want to thank the students in our EXCEL Ensemble and our National Junior Honor Society students who served as student ambassadors and helped to guide the tour. We look forward to many more years of learning and growth in this facility.

Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month is observed in the United States during the month of May and recognizes the contributions and influence of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. During Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, communities celebrate the achievements and contributions of Asian and Pacific Americans with community festivals, government-sponsored activities, and educational activities for students.

Here are EXCEL Academy we have some members of our school community, particularly from the Philippines, who are members of this community being celebrated. Some famous celebrities who are members of this celebrated community include:

• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

• Jason Momoa

• Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson (also known as "H.E.R.")
  

• Nicole Scherzinger

• Keanu Reeves

• And of course, there is our own in-house celebrity - Ms. Farrezzel Lofranco!

If you're looking for resources and activities to help you and your family celebrate, click this link. Stay tuned for information on a special presentation for our scholars later on this month!

Congratulations to the students who started and completed the eight-week EXCELlence Saturday Academy! Students celebrated their last day on Saturday by receiving certificates for participation, improvement, and perfect attendance.

Many thanks to Ms. Delores Harris, Ms. Melissa Theodore, Mr. Alan Williams, Ms. Angela Dye, and Ms. Tiffini Anderson for supporting our scholars in this program!

Families, please find the district policy on the Code Of Conduct For Families, Volunteers, and Visitors as indicated by the PGCPS Board of Education. Over the last month we have had to revisit some aspects of this policy with members of our community, particularly in these prohibited areas:

• Act in a threatening manner (i.e., gross disrespect, threatening, using loud or offensive or profane language, swearing, or displaying temper, or causing disruption to professional or academic climate) toward any staff member or student;
• Approach someone else’s child in order to discuss an issue or chastise them. (Such an approach to a child may be seen as an assault on that child and may have legal consequences);

• Injure any other person (staff, student, or other parents) or threaten to do so;

• Send abusive, harassing, or threatening emails or text/voicemail/phone messages or other inappropriate written communication;

• Misuse social media to fuel campaigns and complaints against schools, school staff, and/or other parents/students through social networking and websites;

• Record or videotape any interactions within the school building where there is an expectation of privacy (classroom instruction, conversations with teachers, students, staff), unless all participants of the conversation have given their permission for the recording or videotaping

As has been stated throughout the year, members of our community may not always agree but we must still be agreeable. We have a duty to keep the mental, emotional, and physical safety of all people within our school building (students, staff, and visitors) safe. We thank you in advance for your collaborative efforts in ensuring and maintaining civility in our interactions.

Families, please note that on May 14th and May 27th all PGCPS schools and offices will be closed Primary Election Day and Memorial Day, respectively.

Again, please note that the time changes for PGCPS schools that are supported through the Department of Transportation do not affect EXCEL Academy Public Charter. Our start time will be the same in the coming year.

Hello EXCEL Families!

We're excited to bring you the latest updates from our EXCEL Eagles PTSA. We're delighted to announce that our PTSA was officially approved, and we're now ready to connect with all of our families. To ensure you're included in all PTSA communications, please fill out the attached Google Form below.

Next week marks the beginning of Teacher Appreciation Week! Check out the flyer above for fun and thoughtful ways to show your appreciation for our wonderful teachers and staff.

Save the Date: Join us on May 21st at 6:30 PM at EXCEL for the PTSA elections of officers and the approval of bylaws.

Stay tuned for more information about joining the PTSA, open positions, Community Survey and how you can be a part of this fantastic community. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at exceleaglesptsa@gmail.com.

EXCEL PARENT/CAREGIVER TOWN HALL

& SEED-EXCEL BOARD MEETING

Many thanks to all who attended our Parent/Caregiver Town Hall on Tuesday, April 30th (presentation attached below.) Based on the numbers, about 20% of our families were represented in the meeting, but we would love to see more in our upcoming meeting on June 3rd. The feedback and shared experiences of families were EXTREMELY valuable in being able to pinpoint specific areas of improvement in various aspects of our school, as well as clarify some misunderstandings about policies and processes. At our next meeting we plan to share this data as well as offer intentional strategies to target improvement in those areas. Please save the date on your calendars and keep your eyes and ears open for a formal announcement on the details.

The next SEED/EXCEL board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 16, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. and will be held virtually unless otherwise indicated. The meeting information is below:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86000758117?pwd=RGUxWWh5WkZpWm1xWWdiMmU0WWsrQT09

• Monday, May 6th: Soccer Game vs. Andrew Jackson Academy @ Ernest Everett Just MS (Home Game)
• Thursday, May 9th: Southern Area Student Art Exhibit @ Harmony Hall Regional Center (EXCEL Students featured!)
• Friday, May 10th: 3rd Quarter Awards Program: 8:15 am for 2-5th grades and 9:15 am for 6-8th grades
• Monday, May 13th: Virtual Admin-Parent Office Hours, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.; Progress Reports released ELECTRONICALLY on SchoolMax Family Portal
• Tuesday, May 14th: SCHOOLS AND OFFICES CLOSED - Primary Election Day
• Friday, May 24th: Career Day
• Monday, May 27th:SCHOOLS AND OFFICES CLOSED - Memorial Day

Have a safe and productive month!

EXCEL Academy Public Charter School develops compassionate lifelong learners through inquiry-based learning experiences. These experiences cultivate intercultural understanding through innovative teaching techniques and community partnerships, with rigorous and culturally engaging academic and social learning opportunities.

Email: excelacademy.pc@pgcps.org
Website: http://excelacademypcs.org
Location: 6700 Bock Road, Fort Washington, MD 20744
Phone: 301-925-2320

Social Media:

• EXCEL on Twitter
• EXCEL on Instagram
• EXCEL on Facebook