This has been another exciting week at Marbut Traditional Theme School. We are preparing for the Georgia Milestones by reviewing concepts from first semester, introducing new ones, and reminding our students of the importance of this test. We have also spent time with our 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders discussing how our school earns its CCRPI score. There are lots of conversations happening with teachers and families about the skills students will need to demonstrate to show growth and to achieve proficiency. We also understand that the experience we are providing our students is much more robust than a standardized test. We place our biggest priority on helping our scholars develop into compassionate, thoughtful citizens who are equipped to solve problems and engage in critical thinking. 

This week, our teachers engaged in professional development to learn about their communication styles. We believe that ongoing professional development is important for us to continue to be the most effective educators we can be at Marbut. We have some exciting events on the horizon in the coming days. On Saturday, we are hosting the Father/Son Hike at Arabia Mountain Trailhead. We have nearly 70 participants signed up for this event. Next week, our PTA will host a Spring Fling on March 30th as we transition into Spring Break. Our garden is taking shape with the help of parents' donations and the work of our students. Here is a video that shows what it looks like now!

This week we made some adjustments to our arrival and drop-off procedures. We were having an excessive number of parents use the teacher's parking lot to drop off students. While we appreciate the efforts of parents to get students on campus on time, this was creating a safety hazard for our students. As a result of these concerns, we have restricted access to the teachers' parking lot in the mornings and encourage parents to use the front circle or the lot on the right of our entrance if they need to park before releasing their students. We appreciate the support and cooperation of our parents with this change. As a courtesy, we have extended our breakfast time for 15 minutes for the remainder of the week so that parents and students can adjust to the minor increase in traffic in the morning. We encourage everyone to arrive as early as possible. 

A 2018 study found that the representation of Blacks in Science fields in college was less than 10%. We must do a better job at the K-12 level of introducing our students to Science and making it a viable option for careers. Less than 6% of doctoral degrees earned in Science were by Black students. We are working to bring Science to life at Marbut with more hands-on experiences, visits from those in Science related fields, and posters and images of people of color who are scientists, engineers, and inventors. We are also using the Science Genius Approach, by integrating our Hip Hop Literacy Laboratory as a space to encourage a creative approach to the teaching of Science. Learn more about the Hip Hop Literacy Laboratory here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh0t4h_zgbE