A New Neighborhood

I know I've been a terrible blogger. Part of the reason is because now that I am the full-time production coordinator for WEDJ, and due to WEDJ's continual expansion, I almost always spend 50-60 hours a week at the school and often even 70-80 hours. So, I've had little time to blog.
There is tons to blog on of course. WEDJ students continue to make leaps and bounds in their growth artistically, socially, and academically. Our newest campus, in NW is just a dream to work at.
Beyond WEDJ, one thing I wanted to focus on is a place that has quickly become near and dear to my heart.
My wife and I recently bought a house in Huntington, which is a 1940's subdivision of Alexandria/Fairfax County. Our house is half of one of the "historic" duplexes in the neighborhood and we absolutely love it. We've done some minor renovations (mostly the kitchen) but the previous owner did such a wonderful job of both updating and preserving the character of this house. It's a wonderful little urban neighborhood surrounded by the skyline of new development in just about every direction. And....you cannot beat the proximity to the metro. Few houses in the DC area are located quite this close to a metro station.
Before we bought the house we did a thorough inspection of the house, but we also did a lot of research on the neighborhood. One of the ways we did this was to simply walk around and talk to people. We got a really good vibe... a vibe that proved true after we moved in. The neighbors here are wonderful, friendly, diverse, and resilient (more on their resiliency in a moment). There are few places I've felt this welcome in my life and I am so glad we have chosen to buy our first house here.
That being said, in our research, we found out something we had heard about and were familiar with, but also dreaded. Much of this neighborhood, including the house we purchased, was involved in a 100-year flood event in 2006. This flood was caused primarily from the build of of sediment in Cameron Run which is just adjacent to the neighborhood due to 30 or so years of construction debris. It devastated the neighborhood. However, in speaking of the neighbors' resiliency, they came back! I don't much about what Huntington was like before the flood, but to hear some of the stories I've heard and the success of what came after, it's truly amazing!
That being said, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. State, federal, and local officials from both Alexandria City and Fairfax County are refusing to take responsibility for this event. There is a lawsuit being put forward by those homeowners who have been affected and even a plan to build a flood wall by the creek to prevent future flooding, but all of this is dependent upon money being available to do so. My wife and I spoke with county officials who assured us that they are committed to providing a solution and we have also joined the Huntington Community Association but, what I've learned in life is that you always need to be your own adequate. This flood control could be a few years off still.... so we wait and write letters and hope. We were required to buy flood insurance on the house so, at the very least, we do have the peace of mind.
I cannot emphasize enough, however, the potential of this neighborhood. I've found so few places both as convenient and charming as Huntington. There are developers looking to come in and improve the area even more, adding some mixed-used development across Huntington Avenue from us. I think this would be a good move for the neighborhood because it would allow more modern conveniences to move in with the 1940's charm the neighborhood already has going for it.
All in all, I can say, I have no regrets in having moved to this neighborhood. We have already forged friendships that I believe will last a very long time. It is wonderful place to live.

High School Performance

I have been a terrible blogger as of late, but this needed to be said publicly.

Last night, the 9th and 10th grade students at WEDJ had their spring performance, entitled "Buffalo Soldiers" and it was simply amazing! I'm so very proud of their growth this year as performers and young men and women. The students, and the students' teachers have worked so hard and it showed!!

There is an encore performance tonight at 7 PM. There are tickets still available and are $5. So come on by and see how far we have come!

Calendar of Events

I apologize for not being a loyal blogger as of late. But, as this post will show, it seems like there's never an time anymore!

These are my upcoming weekend appearances.

September 28 - 30 - Connecticut

October 6 - Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Washington, DC Area Alumni Association Annual Founders Day Celebration at the Capitol Brewery on Capitol Hill across from Union Station.

October 7 - Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Province 27 Sinfonia Slam at the University of Delaware.

October 13 - CPR Training

October 20 - WEDJ Saturday Program
and
Kelly and Ben's Annual Halloween Party (contact me for details)

October 27 - WEDJ PCS Performance for Grade 1-6 with a Science and Nature theme

November 3 - Class at GW

November 4 - Phi Mu Alpha Washington, DC AAA Meeting in Maryland

November 10 - 12 - Going out of town (not sure where yet)

November 16 - 18 - Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Alumni Retreat

December 1 - Class at GW

December 8 - WEDJ Saturday Program

December 15 - WEDJ PCS Performance for Grades 7-10 themed Theater for Change

And that brings me up until winter break!

Yes, I'm a little busy, but that means life is full!

Paris

I'm flying out tomorrow with my wife for a week in Paris, France. I'm extremely excited! It will be nice to get away for a little while. I'll take lots of pictures so that I can spruce up this blog a bit!

Janey Ousted

I know I'm extremely late on this story but I think it's noteworth enough to post here.

Again, I am unsure what to make of Fenty's plan as of yet. Currently, I'm of the mindset of, "anything different is better than no difference." However, I will be watching Mr. Fenty and Ms. Rhee very closely to see what will become of all of this.

In a meeting I attended with some leaders from charter schools, the main concern expressed there was that charter schools that were initiated by DCPS would have to change their accountability plans to fit the DCPCSB standards. Of course, for WEDJ this is not really an issue because we are already authorized by the DCPCSB. Only time will tell what will really happen, but, again, I'm just glad that at least somebody is doing something different. The same old thing just wasn't working anymore.

End of Year Four

I have officially ended my "senior" year as a full-time teacher and my second year at WEDJ and working in DC. It seems weird to me, at this point, that I ever worked, or lived, anywhere else. It also seems unreal that so much has changed, for the better, since my having come here. I only hope I can continue the trend indefinitely.

Our students ended the year on a bright note. The middle/high school students put on "WEDJ Side Story", and, no, that is not a typo. It was basically a musical revue that explored interpretations of scenes from various shows including "Grease," "Porgy and Bess," "Titus Andronicus," and, of course, "West Side Story." We were also able to include quite a bit of original student work in the form of original rap and hip hop. It was overall pretty interesting and I am extremely proud to see how far the middle/high school student have come from the beginning of the year.

One week from today I will be leaving on my trip to Paris, France. I am looking very much forward to immersing myself in the history, culture, and artistic environment Paris is so famous for. Of course, I know that in only a week I will hardly get to experience the true Parisian experience, but I'd like to think I'll get a decent taste. My wife and I are hard at work, already, planning out every detail of our seven day excursion!

I've already been working hard on things for the WEDJ Summer Program. This summer, I have a lot of unique opportunities in the works. The theme is "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and I'm trying to make it more of a sports/nature/arts/academia kind of thing. I have some unique programming that I'm bringing to the table, so I hope that students and teachers alike will have an enjoyable and meaningful experience!

One of the things I'm beginning to realize in having a public blog is, while it is great to have a forum to publically express things, often times, because it is public, I have to think it through so much that by the time I get around to even posting it, I've almost forgotten what my originaly intention was. So, that's my most recent excuse for not posting. However, I will try to be more religious about it in the future.

I have to keep a detailed journal for summer school this summer as part of my GW internship, so perhaps a few nuggets of inspiration will come from that and magically post itself onto here. We shall see!

Disney's Aladdin, Jr.

The William E. Doar, Jr. Public Charter School for the Performing Arts
Proudly Presents

Disney's Aladdin, Jr.
Performed by Grades PreK-5th
Wednesday, May 23rd at 2
Thursday, May 24th at 2 and 7

Tickets are $8
Call (202) 269-4646 for more ticket information.

A Great Experience

I was fortunate enough to be able to take my 5th and 6th grade select chorus students to two different events this week. On Wednesday, we went to a reception at The Hart Senate Office Building. I could tell my students could sense the importance of what they were doing there.

Then, on Friday, I got to take them to perform at the Fourth Annual Public Charter Schools Best Practices Conference which was presented by the State Education Agency's Office of Federal Grants Program. My students had the most amazing time there. Not only was it a great opportunity for them to perform for an enthusiastic audience, we were also provided with a very lovely meal in the ballroom with other conference-goers. The students were so well behaved. While we were eating, there were speakers talking about various responsibilities and realities we face as charter schools. My students not only listened intently, but even responded and interacted when questions were asked. I was so excited to see them, eyes bright with excitement over what they were doing. I think this event truly made an impact on them.

I would like to thank Ms. Claudine Sherwood, Dr. Ramona Edelin and all of those who helped to make these events possible for my students. It is very much appreciated!