Dear Brent family,
On October 18-27, we will be coming together as one Brent community to celebrate the United Nations International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development and explore actionable steps towards the 17 Global Goals.
Our goals for this year’s community event are the following:
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increase /heighten awareness within the Brent community of the UN theme of the year
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celebrate and acknowledge the different nationalities and traditions represented in the school community
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embrace and celebrate our diversity
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practice our ESLRs throughout various aspects of the Brent community
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embody global citizenship
The list of activities were sent in an earlier email (October 11, Monday) by Mr. Jameson Brame, Head of Social Studies. Please feel free to check it out for more details!
Managing Distractions: Thank you to Mrs. Abbey Diwas and Ms. Kim Arganda for facilitating interactive and helpful assemblies on Managing our Distractions. Recordings of these assemblies were sent to all on Wednesday, October 13. We encourage you to review them and work on the strategies presented.
MMC Feedback from parents and students: Finally, thank you to all our students and parents/guardians who took the time to share their feedback on our MMC program.
Our excellent and dedicated faculty got into teams this week to read through, discuss and reflect on MMC feedback responses as well as feedback from last week’s PTCs. We noted best practices as well as areas of growth. We also shared additional effective classroom strategies, opportunities and areas of growth to focus on for the rest of the semester.
Best Practices: We will continue to with the effective use of:
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Recordings of classes and posting of recordings on Google Classroom in a timely manner
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Virtual Assignment Notebooks to support a balanced scheduling of requirements
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Organized Google Classrooms for easy access to assignments and class material and maximized use of Google Meet
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Google Hangouts/Chat and Emails. Communication is going well among members of the Brent community.
Challenges and Opportunities:
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Internet connectivity: We will continue to offer flexible options for students who have equity challenges: intermittent internet connectivity, problems with devices, etc.
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Workload and well-being: Faculty will also regularly check the virtual assignment notebooks before assigning homework or quizzes and will communicate with grade level colleagues. For summative assessments, a week’s notice will be given as well as getting students’ input on the schedule of quizzes/tests. Faculty will likewise continue employing strategies that support time management/managing distractions. Socio-Emotional Learning approaches will continue to be utilized in the classroom.
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Enhancing engagement and understanding: Faculty will continue to find innovative ways of engaging students, scaffolding learning and checking for understanding. In addition to clubs, we will continue to explore other ways students and community members can interact.
We remain committed to sustaining what’s great and growing through experience and reflection. We will continue to approach this school year with curiosity, agility and a growth mindset. Together, with strong communication and being lifelong learners, we are making our Brent education experience the best that it can be!
May our theme, Abound in Hope, our Mission, Vision, ESLRs and Brent Crest values continue to inspire and make us resilient during these extraordinary times.
Stay safe and God bless us all,
Dr. Celeste R. Engler
Dr. Celeste R. Engler
School Principal