Inside this issue:Honoring Excellence in Education

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President Bush Tours the Woodridge Smart Lab Technology Center

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Photos from the visit

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Honoring Excellence in EducationSpecial Presidential Visit Edition • Autumn 2006

Friendship Chairman Donald Hense, Edison Schools CEO Chris Whittle and

President Bush celebrate school excellence.

George W. Bush

President of the United States

Salutes the Students

and Faculty of

Friendship Public Charter School

Woodridge Elementary

and Middle School Campus

Donald L. Hense,

Founder & Chairman

On October 5, 2006, U.S. President

George W. Bush, along with Secretary

of Education Margaret Spellings, visit-

ed Friendship’s Woodridge Elementary

and Middle School Campus in recog-

nition of the school’s record of academ-

ic excellence. Woodridge was selected

for this presidential honor from among

191 public and public charter schools

in the District of Columbia.

During the Woodridge visit, President

Bush and Secretary Spellings talked

with students in Mr. Brown’s Math

Class and Mr. Brook’s SmartLab™

Class. With broad smiles and school

pride, students shared their knowl-

edge of robotics, engineering, science

and algebraic concepts. �e President

concluded his visit with a nationally

broadcast education address held in the

campus gymnasium that highlighted

Woodridge as a public school making

a positive difference.

In the 2005-06 academic year, Wo-

odridge was the only Ward 5 school and

one of only four District public charter

schools to achieve Annual Yearly Prog-

ress (AYP) as defined by the federal No

Child Left Behind legislation. �at

same year, the District introduced the

DC CAS, a more rigorous assessment

test to measure AYP. Not only did Wo-

odridge students achieve DC CAS pro-

ficiency standards in math and reading,

they exceeded those standards by 11

percent in both subject areas.

“Too many believed that our children could not learn to

high standards. And that belief ran through all segments of the community including

the educational community. Friendship has always had

high performing schools but with NCLB we had to prove it publicly. We used NCLB to bring everyone on board

to chart a course for the future of our campuses that

was centered around student academic performance first and foremost. We are proud that our

hard work is paying off at the Woodridge campus.”

–Friendship ChairmanDonald L. Hense

President Bush Tours the Woodridge Smart Lab Technology Center

Secretary Spellings introduces President Bush to the Woodridge community.President Bush salutes Woodridge students, faculty and parents.

“I’m glad to be at Woodridge, as well. I’m here because this is one of America’s fine public charter schools. I’m here to remind people that

charter schools work, and they can make a difference in the lives of our children. So I want to thank you for letting me come.”

“I want to thank the teachers, the administrators and the principal for setting high expectations…A center of excellence is always a place of

learning where people believe the best. And I want to thank the folks here for setting high expectations. I want to thank you for achieving results.”

President George W. Bush

Above: Secretary Spellings joins President Bush at the Pneumatics

computer station.

Right: 8th graders Jazzmen Coghill and Qitorah Washington construct

models of everyday machinery at the LASY computer station.

Above: 7th grader Se’Vaughn Carter and 8th grader Bijan

Smith analyze data at the Sen-sible Science computer station.

Right: 7th grader Se’Vaughn Carter in awe as he shakes the President’s hand at the Fisch-

ertechnik building station.

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Woodridge School Leader Mary Dunnock, Mr. Lakis’ 5thGrade Class and President Bush.

8th grader Asia Goode and family with President Bush. In his ad-dress, the President credited Asia’s honor roll status to Woodridge’s

academic intervention program.

“Meeting the President of the United States is an amazing opportunity and our students earned it! We made AYP for

the 2005-06 year, and we will do it again. My, oh my, what an amazing year this will be.”

Woodridge Principal Mary Dunnock

Left: 7th graders Caleb Gray and Se’Vaughn Carter demonstrate motorized Fischertechnik model.

Below: 7th grader Casim King and 8th grader Joy Green demon-strate their LEGO Robots.

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Chamberlain ElementaryCampus

Grades Pre K-51345 Potomac Ave., S.E. (202) 547-5800

Southeast Elementary Academy Campus

Grades K-6645 Milwaukee Pl., S.E. (202) 562-1980

Woodridge Elementary & Middle Campus

Grades Pre K-82959 Carlton Ave., N.E. (202) 635-6500

Junior Academy at Blow Pierce Campus

Grades 6-8725 19th St., N.E. (202) 572-1070

Collegiate Academy at Carter G. Woodson Campus

Grades 9-124095 Minnesota Ave., N.E. (202) 396-5500

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Left: Chairman Don-ald Hense and Edison Schools CEO Chris Whittle share in the day’s events.

Right: Friendship Chief Academic Officer

Michael Cordell

Left: Woodridge Principal Crystal Clark greets President Bush

Right: Woodridge 8th graders greet

President Bush