Special Visitors from Bank of Georgetown Visit WMSG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bank of Georgetown’s Michael Fitzgerald (left), President & CEO, and Vincent Burke, Managing Director of Business Development and Counsel (right), visited the school and spent a moment with these two 6^th graders, encouraging them to consider a career in finance.  WMSG welcomes friends who are eager to speak about their successful careers.  Kathy McMackin, Director of Development and Community Outreach, and Sister Mary Bourdon, Director, join in welcoming these two special supporters of the school.

WMSG Students are White House Guests as First Lady Michelle Obama Launches "Let's Move!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Four lucky WMSG 7th and 8th graders spent one of their "snow days" as guests of First Lady Michelle Obama, as she announced the Administration's "Let's Move" Childhood Obesity Initiative on February 9, 2010.  Carsan, an 8th grader, assured administration officials and other guests, that WMSG uses a number of strategies to combat this issue.  Among them: an award-winning Extended Day Program that features clubs and activities such as a Running Club, a Health/Nutrition Club that teaches cooking and meal planning, courses with The Washington Ballet and The Girls and Boys Club, as well as a Physical Education/Health curriculum that emphasizes healthy living.

Bokamoso Visits from South Africa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
"Bokamoso" means "future" in the South African Setswana language.  This talented youth group, a guest of St. Andrew's Episcopal School, performed in THEARC's theatre for our students in January 2010, and afterwards led discussion groups about both country's cultural issues.  WMSG was happy to help welcome this very talented organization that has helped hundreds of young people survive the challenges of crime, poverty and the hopelessness of the AIDS crisis in that country.  Following the performance, WMSG hosted a luncheon for the performing group as well as the accompanying St. Andrews students and staff.

A Very Special Tea Party at TheVIEW Campus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year's Asian New Year celebrates the "Year of the Tiger", and WMSG's 5th grade, assisted by art teacher Kate Baschuk and volunteers Maura Fitz-Patrick and Judy Zielinski, transformed the all-purpose room into a teahouse decorated with the students' Sumi'e brushstroke paintings, authentic Japanese kimonos and a table display of Asian artifacts, and filled with the sounds of Chinese flute music and the scents of Jasmine tea.  Guests were able to socialize while admiring the artwork and music.  The purpose of this event was to provide an integrated learning experience which encompassed visual art, music, social studies and language arts.  Campus Administrator Charlene Hursey and teachers assisted in making the afternoon memorable for students and honored guests.

The Smithsonian Welcomes WMSG

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sister Mary Bourdon, RJM participated in a panel discussion of the “Women & Spirit” exhibit, which provides a history of Catholic religious communities in the United States.  One of WMSG’s 8^th grade students joined Sister Mary in speaking about the values of Catholic education.

"Bingo!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once again, Connelly School of the Holy Child in Potomac, MD, held a Bingo party to benefit The Washington Middle School for Girls.  Students and staff from WMSG attended the event.  Old and new friends visited, and enjoyed the game – all for a good cause!  Special thanks to Jean Plummer, Connelly’s Director of Campus Ministry, and Robin Morino Hoeymans, former WMSG teacher and Connelly Alumnus, and all at Connelly for their valued support and friendship.

Tibetan Prayer Flags Represent Our Hopes and Prayers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WMSG made prayer flags at morning prayer on September 11, 2009, reflecting our dreams of a peaceful and just world.  The flags joined those of other students from all over the country when the Dalai Lama visited American University on October 10, 2009, and will be returned to WMSG having been blessed by the Dalai Lama.

WMSG Celebrates its 2009 Graduates

 

 

 

 

On Friday, June 5, 2009, 16 8^th grade students were congratulated by D.C.’s First Lady, Michelle Cross Fenty, who in her speech to the graduates, their families and friends, WMSG students, staff and board, remembered the courageous women who have gone before us.  In addition, she celebrated this year’s graduating class, and assured each girl of her belief in her future.  The graduates were welcomed to the Graduate Support Program by several WMSG alumnae who were present, and the rising 5^th graders from our VIEW Campus were welcomed to THEARC Campus by a 7^th grade student.

Graduates will be attending high schools such as: Connelly School of the Holy Child, Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts, Archbishop Carroll High School, Elizabeth Seton High School, Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School, National Collegiate Prep High School, IDEA Public Charter High School.  (at left: Michelle Cross Fenty, Board Chair Paul Warren, Sr. Mary Bourdon, RJM, Director)

... And a Nod to our Alumnae

 At left, WMSG alumna Tania Hester, is congratulated by First Lady Michelle Obama, at the Washington Math, Science & Technology Public Charter School’s graduation earlier this month.
WMSG’s 2009 high school graduates will be attending the University of Pittsburgh, University of the District of Columbia, Washington Art Institute, and others institutions of higher learning.

 

WMSG Presented with

Fight For Children’s 2009 Quality Schools Initiative Award
 

“The winners of this year’s Quality Schools Initiative exemplify the best local education has to offer,” commented Michela English, President and CEO of Fight For Children, when Sister Mary Bourdon, RJM, Director, along with Paul Warren, Chair of the WMSG Board of Directors, Kim Hopwood, Director of Graduate Support, and Kathleen Shorter, Director of Special Projects, accepted the award on behalf of all at The Washington Middle School for Girls.

“These schools have worked long and hard to develop and implement innovative programs with one common goal – to provide a quality education and make a difference in the lives of children in Washington, DC.  All of us at Fight For Children applaud their efforts and look forward to hearing about their continued success”, Ms. English continued.

The Quality Schools Initiative is an innovative awards program sponsored by Fight For Children that encourages replication of high quality programs that improve student achievement in public, charter, and independent schools throughout Washington, DC.
WMSG won the award in the independent schools category, and was also awarded a $100,000 grant from Fight  For Children.

Fight For Children board member and School Night Honorary Co-Chair, Michelle Fenty, presented the awards to the three schools (public, private, and independent) selected at a luncheon that was held on April 17, 2009.

WMSG Wins 2009 Leadership Award!

 

 

 

 

 

WMSG Director, Sister Mary Bourdon, RJM, accepts a check for $10,000 from the Washington Area Women’s Foundation at a dinner in honor of the awardees on April 7, 2009.  Sr. Mary (3^rd from left) is joined here by Angela Stepancic, Campus Administrator, THEARC, Gina Robinson, WMSG Teacher, and WAWF’s Barbara Thompson.  WMSG’s Extended Day Program was selected for this award because of its work to change the lives of women and girls.  As Sister Mary said, “All of us at WMSG are honored to be among others who are dedicated to the cause of enriching the lives of young girls and women in the DC area, and we are especially pleased to be counted among the friends of the Washington Area Women’s Foundation”.

See article below from The Washington Times.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Raising courageous women

Christopher Gergen and Gregg Vanourek

Driving down Suitland Parkway in Anacostia, one comes across an unexpected jewel just off the Stanton Road exit. There, inspiration is waiting, tucked away in a neighborhood better known for tragic news than good news. One of the District's most visionary projects sits in a gleaming glass-and-steel building with the letters THEARC stamped across the entrance.

Opened in 2005, the Town Hall Education, Arts & Recreation Campus is a 110,000-square-foot facility built on 16.5 acres in Ward 8. It's is home to 10 nonprofit agencies ranging from Covenant House Washington to the Washington Ballet to the Children's Health Project of DC, run by the Children's National Medical Center.

Walking into THEARC, one immediately is struck by the rich range of services available to the neighborhood's children and families. However, it's not until one walks upstairs that the true impact of THEARC is felt.

The hall is lined with lockers, and young women are streaming from class to class in crisp uniforms. When one eighth-grader is asked her goals for high school, she immediately reels off an impressive array of choices. There is no doubt in her eyes — just confidence in the possibilities that lie ahead.

These are the students of the Washington Middle School for Girls. Launched in 1997 as an after-school program through an unlikely partnership between the National Council of Negro Women, the Society of the Holy Child Jesus and the Religious of Jesus and Mary, the private Catholic school has grown to serve girls in grades four through eight.

Guided by the motto "In the Spirit of Courageous Women," the school recruits girls from underserved communities who are at risk of dropping out of school. Eighty-eight percent of the students come from single-parent homes, and 85 percent qualify for federally funded free or reduced-price lunches.

Though the Catholic school includes morning services and prayer, its educational approach is holistic in nature, offering an academically rigorous curriculum emphasizing science, math and language arts. Individual attention, high expectations and trusting adult relationships are important parts of the equation.

The classes hold no more than 12 to 15 girls, though a peek into the classrooms shows one group of eight girls studying math while another teacher offers individual tutoring in reading.

The results are promising: Although most of the girls enter the fourth grade at least two grade levels behind in reading, the majority are reading at or above grade level by sixth grade. To date, 76 students have graduated from WMSG, with many of them going off to the city's finer high schools, including the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Maya Angelou Public Charter School and Georgetown Day School. Ninety-five percent of WMSG's graduates have finished high school, and the school's full-time director of graduate support actively stays in touch with the few who have dropped out. (All alumni have her cell-phone number.)

The initial college-matriculation numbers are comparably good but not off the charts at 55 percent, leaving one wondering whether WMSG would be well-served to start its own high school.

Contributing to the students' growth is WMSG's commitment to leadership development and to expanding the girls' minds and experiences. Once the school day ends at 3:30 p.m., a notable number of extended-day options are available, including courses on financial planning led by the Women's Group of MassMutual and courses on adolescent health with doctors and nurses from the Children's National Medical Center. There also are courses in music with the Levine School of Music, dance with the Washington Ballet and fine arts with the Corcoran Gallery of Art.

Students also engage in world affairs, including developing a project to address genocide in Darfur and participating in the 51st session of the Commission on the Status of Women at the United Nations, focusing on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against young girls.

Perhaps most remarkable is that the school receives less than 10 percent of its budget from taxpayer dollars — mainly in the form of participation in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program. The rest of its $1.5 million annual budget is raised privately, with 25 percent coming from individuals. The school is rolling out a program for individuals or groups to adopt individual students, providing not only needed funds, but also an opportunity for mentoring.

Relationships, relevance and rigor — these often are alluded to as the critical ingredients for keeping students engaged in school. One needs to go no further than the Washington Middle School for Girls to see the results in action.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sister Mary Bourdon, RJM, Director of WMSG, and students celebrated the school's Tenth Anniversary on September 8, 2008. Begun in the basement of an apartment building in the Anacostia neighborhood of Washington, DC, the school, housed in two campuses, has grown from 12 students to almost 100. Stay tuned for more information as to celebrations coming up later this year!

WMSG Celebrates its Graduates

 

 

 

 

On June 3, 2008 in THEARC’s (Town Hall Education, Arts, and Recreation Center) theatre, 13 young women graduated and began to celebrate their new lives as high school students.  The graduation speaker, Ms. Roberta Jacobs of the National Council of Negro Women, reminded the graduates to face challenges head-on, and to always surround themselves with positive and loving people. WMSG’s Class of 2008 will be attending some of the area’s best high schools – both public and private. Congratulations to each graduate and her family!

Turnaround Starts With Students

By Marc Fisher
THE WASHINGTON POST Sunday, May 25, 2008; C01

Sister Mary Bourdon runs a school divided into two campuses. One is a spanking-new set of classrooms in a lushly equipped arts center in Southeast Washington. The other, five minutes away by car, is a warren of rooms in an old apartment complex where gunmen burst in one recent day, desperate to find a hideout.

You won't see metal detectors or security officers at either campus of the Washington Middle School for Girls. Instead, you'll find parents clamoring to get their kids into the school.

The parents look beyond the physical setting to what happens in these classrooms, which is nothing less than the transformation of the same kind of children who drift through the city's public schools and emerge, on average, less likely to succeed than when they entered.

"My daughter could not read at all -- not even 'c-a-t,' " says Kimberly Young, whose older daughter completed Washington Middle and moved to a suburban Maryland high school, where she's earning a 3.6 grade-point average. "In the D.C. public schools, she was failing and acting out. Here, they refused to let her fail."

Young's younger daughter, now in sixth grade at Washington Middle, was assigned to attend Saturday tutoring sessions. "When I couldn't bring her because I was working, this school sends a teacher to get her every week," the mother says. "They find the problem, and they fix it."

In as little as two years at Washington Middle, some students have jumped several grade levels in reading and math test scores, and many graduates move on to top-flight private and public schools. The first Washington Middle graduates to finish high school are attending college in impressive numbers.

D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee has spent her first year tackling the system's big structural problems -- fixing decrepit buildings, shutting down mostly empty schools, pushing out burned-out teachers.

But spiffy buildings and greater financial efficiency only go so far toward the ultimate goal: eradicating the assumption, all too common in many D.C. schools, that the kids are too dysfunctional or damaged to learn.

Sister Mary and the faculty at Washington Middle insist that their girls perform at a high level. A private Catholic school with only 90 students in grades 4 through 8, Washington Middle aims to admit girls whose families cannot afford more than the school's $25 monthly tuition. The school depends on philanthropy from individuals and foundations for the bulk of its $1.5 million budget.

"If kids are even barely passing and we can connect with their parents, we take them," says Bourdon, who goes to nail salons, cookouts and apartment complexes all over Southeast to recruit students.

The school features morning prayer and a religion class, and students wear classic Catholic school uniforms. Otherwise, the focus is on secular academics. Most of the girls are not Catholic, but, in contrast to the archdiocese, which is closing several inner-city schools, this private school is growing.

Launched a decade ago by the National Council of Negro Women, the Society of the Holy Child Jesus and the Religious of Jesus and Mary, Washington Middle hews to a traditional curriculum yet allows teachers the freedom to find their own ways to connect with children who often lack serious academic role models.

"The way we carry ourselves in front of the children is very different from the public schools," says Nicole Short, who came to Washington Middle after working in the D.C. system. She teaches a life skills class that includes instruction on etiquette, public speaking and writing.

In Maureen Heard and Brianne Wetzel's social studies class, the six sixth-graders face off against Miss Heard in a heated contest to see who can answer the most questions about ancient Rome. The girls nearly burst out of their seats to score points on the details of Roman government, architecture and social roles. They lose this time but immediately debate how to beat their teacher in the next round.

"No one has taken these kids seriously," says Heard, who is in her second year as a volunteer in Response-Ability, a Catholic version of the Teach for America program that trains recent college graduates to work in inner-city schools. "Once we show them that they can succeed, you see them really grow up and gain confidence and bond with each other."

The tight friendships fostered by a small school that mandates long hours and parent involvement result in a sense of separation from the outside world -- an invaluable tool where the streets are rough and the temptations palpable.

"We want the school to get inside the girls so they are not living in two worlds," Bourdon says. "They get teased in their neighborhoods for wearing the uniform and carrying the books, but we tell them, 'You have to make a decision about who you are and what you want to be.' " For most girls, that decision is easy, despite the jealousy and ribbing they face back home.

"If I was in public school, things would have happened," says eighth-grader Bianca Bradley. "Fights, drama. At my old school, the teachers didn't care -- they just gave us the work and sat down at their desk. Here, they show you every step."

"Here, you don't have to act out to get attention," says classmate Celisman West.

The girls admit that they are not always angels and that detentions and suspensions are liberally dispensed. "But our friendships are so close, we can talk about anything," Bianca says. "We're all like sisters. It's family."

 

WMSG Visits the White House

 

 

Sister Mary Bourdon, Director, recently visited President and Mrs. Bush at the White House.

 

When First Lady Laura Bush visited WMSG, she invited our students and staff to visit the White House.  Just before the Christmas holiday, our fourth and fifth grade students made the short trip to the executive mansion, and were particularly thrilled to be welcomed during a time when the president’s home is decorated for the holidays.

On a separate occasion, Sister Mary Bourdon, Director, was the guest of President and Mrs. Bush in order to celebrate the Third Anniversary of the Helping America’s Youth Initiative.  During her visit, Sister Mary was asked by Mrs. Bush if the girls were continuing to increase their reading hours.  We are happy to say that more and more students are making use of the libraries at each campus.

 

First Lady Laura Bush Visits WMSG

Mrs. Laura Bush, a former teacher and librarian, and actress Emma Roberts, star of the upcoming Warner Brothers film, Nancy Drew, discuss the importance of reading in their respective careers with students from The Washington Middle School for Girls.

 

Mrs. Laura Bush visited the Washington Middle School for Girls on May 29, 2007, to encourage reading among the students and their younger brothers and sisters – especially over the coming summer months.  Actress Emma Roberts, who is the star of the upcoming Warner Brothers Film, Nancy Drew, joined the First Lady.  Mrs. Bush and Ms. Roberts read to the students from The Secret of the Old Clock, by Carolyn Keene.

When asked by one of the students “Why did you choose to visit our school?” Mrs. Bush replied that whenever she and her staff visit a school or organization, they are very careful to choose “ a school that has a proven record of excellence”, and that she could immediately feel that The Washington Middle School for Girls was a place where learning was important.   The students took a moment to share with Mrs. Bush their recent class work on Darfur, and shared with her their hope for more action in dealing with the tragedy there.  When asked by Mrs. Bush how many students were going on to college, every hand went into the air.  The students presented Mrs. Bush with a Photonarrative Journal compiled in 2006, and a compilation of Spring 2007 poetry.

“This was a historical moment for The Washington Middle School for Girls, and Mrs. Bush has joined with a number of outstanding women who have visited our students.  I am proud of how these wonderful young women welcomed the First Lady of the United States to our school”, said Sister Mary Bourdon, RJM, Director.

WMSG Stays in the Diplomatic Limelight- Visits the United Nations and the Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda

Sister Mary Bourdon, RJM, Director, Notre Dame Americorp volunteer Amy Herring, and three WMSG 7th graders attended the United Nations' Fifty-First session of the Commission on the Status of Women on March 2, 2007. This year the commission focused on one key theme: the elimination of all forms of discrimination against young girls. The WMSG students joined with girls who represent countries throughout the world in the international "Girls Speak Out" session. All three girls are committed to retelling the stories of violence and discrimination they heard about girls all over the world, so that one day, conditions will improve. Following their work at the UN, the girls visited Ellis Island.

In addition, recently the 4^th and 5^th grade students from WMSG’s Washington View Campus enjoyed lunch at the Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda, which was hosted by Ambassador Deborah-Mae Lovell.  Ambassador Lovell enlightened the girls with historical facts about her country, and encouraged them to strive for excellence.  While boarding the bus home, one 4^th grader exclaimed, “I’ll never forget this – I can’t believe how smart she is!”  This is one of a number of trips that makes our Nation’s Capital – and other destinations as well - a big part of our school curriculum!

Progress in Reading and Math

According to our educational consultant, Dr. Natalie Rathvon, results of mid-year (06-07) progress monitoring conducted with all students reveal the vast majority of students reading on grade level.  Gains at THEVIEW Campus (4^th & 5^th grades) were especially impressive.  For example, the typical 4^th grade student’s reading skills grew 1½ years in one semester.

In addition, Math teacher Kelley Lockard reports the following gains from using Renaissance Learning’s on-line Accelerated Math Program:                  

• At the beginning of the year, 34% of 6^th graders were performing on grade level.  We now have 66% at grade level, and hopefully will have reached our goal of 85% by year’s end;                                                                                                                                     

• The 7^th gr. moved from 29% to 58% on grade level;

• 33% of eighth grade students who were not on grade level have achieved much improvement.

 

WMSG Students Celebrate with Speaker Nancy Pelosi at Trinity University

On January 2007, WMSG students offered the "Prayers of the Faithful" (along with several Pelosi grandchildren), during a special Mass honoring Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), and in remembrance of the children of Darfur and New Orleans. The Mass took place at Trinity University, Ms. Pelosi's alma mater. The Speaker took a few moments following the celebration to thank these three students, who are excited that there are many courageous women leading the way for them.