Win Prizes for College Knowledge!

Introducing...SEAD prizes for College Knowledge!

As you may know, I have been hosting "College Knowledge" workshops that cover everything about the college process, including SAT prep, college search information, and more. I would love for attendance at these sessions to be higher, and in order to encourage students to come, SEAD has developed prizes for coming to College Knowledge events!

Here's how it works:

What/When are the opportunities to get points?

• Do your WilsonPrep, and come show me at the end of the week on Friday!
• To get the full five points, you need to complete 5 WilsonPreps per week - it's okay if you don't do them all on their respective days (e.g., if you work Tuesday and can't do Tuesday's problems on Tuesday, doing it on Wednesday is fine!) but they all need to be by Friday to get the full 5 points.
• To get two points, you need to complete 4/5 WilsonPreps by Friday. 
• Attend the weekly College Knowledge sessions that I've scheduled (see the calendar!). If you can't attend one, you can still get the points if you schedule another time to make it up with me.
• Attend our college visits! The first one is to Boston College on October 25th with other SEAD students from Schenectady and Raymond!
• Come to the SAT Practice Exam on Saturday, November 8th, from 12-4pm at the East Boston Public Library. Not only will you get College Knowledge points, you'll get a Dartmouth water bottle AND I'll also have pizza!
• Students who are enrolled in a class that requires them to take a full-length practice SAT test will be given 5 automatic points. However, the students can earn the other 5 out of 10 points for coming in and taking the test with me - you can't ever do too much SAT prep!
• Try, make an effort, and commit yourself to your college plans and your future - you can gain unto 5 extra points for being enthusiastic and putting in effort!

All of these opportunities are scheduled on the calendar here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AllZ96fz-MMDdEhJRnhSVFkwTXdpZ3gtZ2J3b1N4dnc&usp=sharing

This system will be implemented starting on Monday, October 20th. I will be hosting a College Knowledge Session in 142b from 2-3 pm that day. For students who have already been making an effort to complete College Knowledge with me before the point system was put in place, I will be sure to take this into the effort/enthusiasm point category when I calculate your points at the end! 

Great work to students who have already shown their dedication to college through these workshops, and I hope to see more of you in the upcoming weeks!

To Parents, guardians, siblings, SEAD scholars, and SEAD family:

Dear Parents, guardians, siblings, SEAD scholars, and SEAD family:

*A hard copy of this invitation has been mailed to each SEAD scholar's home.

SEAD goes to Salem

Today, 5 of the SEAD students and I traveled to Salem, MA to enjoy the day off from school and travel back in time...to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692! Ronaldo, Ke'Andre, Miguel, Alex, Denise and I saw a show, The Witchcraft and Ghost Experience, at the Gallows Hill theater, ate lunch at Red's Sandwich Shop, and explored the town before catching a bus back to Boston. We got to sleep in and still visit Salem at its spookiest!  

From left: Ronaldo, Miguel, Denise, Ke'Andre and Alex pose in front of the Gallows Hill theater where we saw the show. There were many special effects - and the show was in 4D!

 Even though Miguel and Ke'Andre weren't ready for their close up, we had to document the HUGE size of the pancakes at Red's, the restaurant we went to for lunch. The pancakes were so big they couldn't finish them, although they made a valiant effort.

Denise and Alex pose with the "Bewitched" statue!

Fall (especially October!) is the perfect time to visit Salem. It's a quaint New England town with a spooky story to tell!

Selfies in Salem (featuring Ronaldo and Maggie)

The girls enjoying creepy candy

SEAD goes to Salem: the whole group in front of the theater where we saw The Witchcraft and Ghost Experience (in 4D!)

Just as a reminder, here's what's up this week:

Tuesday: Dismissal at 1:15 for teachers' PSAT prep, College Knowledge 1:30-2:30 after school in my office, 142b

Wednesday: PSAT Day, Maggie won't be in her office and will be chaperoning a trip to Bridgewater State with Tech and Talent Search

Thursday: Ronaldo's Birthday!

Friday: T2 Schedule

Thanks to everyone who made it to Salem this morning - I had a wonderful time with you all and hope you had fun, got a little scared, and learned something too! 

Looking forward to a great week ahead,

Maggie

Eastie SEAD Events Calendar

Want to do cool stuff (and learn!) with SEAD?

Check out all of the Eastie SEAD Events happening this fall at the calendar here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AllZ96fz-MMDdEhJRnhSVFkwTXdpZ3gtZ2J3b1N4dnc&usp=sharing

This link is live, so it will always have up-to-date information. 

Click the "Nov" tab on the bottom left of the screen to see our events for next month, too!

Week 3

Updates from the past week:

• This week the students have been taking the Accuplacer test. Testing continues into next week, and there is a day for makeup!
• Rather than weekly group meetings, I will be hosting a "College Knowledge" Workshop once a week after school from 2-3pm. This week, no one was able to attend - let's try for majority attendance next week on Tuesday (session will start at 1:30 in my office, 142b, due to early dismissal so the teachers can prep for the PSAT). These will be critical sessions to attend so that the students are better prepared for the college application process next year. In addition, I will still be having individual meetings with the students once per week. Due to the lack of group meetings, it is critical that the students attend their weekly meeting with me to check in for the week. The more you stop by to see me, say hi, and grab some candy, the better! I love seeing your faces!
• Denise, Ronaldo and I visited the Museum of Fine Arts on Wednesday afternoon and had a wonderful time entertaining ourselves among the Ancient, Contemporary, American, and European artwork! 

On the horizon:

• THIS Monday: Trip to Salem, MA! Enjoy your day off from school with a fun trip to Salem to see a witch performance, get lunch, and explore this spooky town! Meet at Airport Station at 9:45am on Monday morning (10/12, Columbus Day)

• Some students  have begun to register for our trip to Boston College on October 25th. Please come see me if you're planning to attend and we will register together!
• Next Wednesday, October 15th, is PSAT day! The students will all be taking the PSAT - come prepared to focus and eat a good breakfast! I will be leaving school from 8-2 to chaperone a college visit for seniors that day, but I'm so excited to hear how it goes! The PSAT is a chance to practice and use all of your SAT skills you've gained since SEAD II and through WilsonPrep!
• This Summer: SEAD III It's never too early to start thinking about SEAD III this summer...Dartmouth misses you! The SEAD III program dates have been finalized: July 4th - 25th, 2015. Mark your calendars and please let me know ASAP if you will have any conflicts.

For parents and guardians:

• I've started calling each of the SEAD students' parents/guardians just to introduce myself and check in about your students' progress this fall. Please call me back if I don't get ahold of you the first time, I'd love to chat!
• I have finalized our calendar of events for the term. I will be sending it home next week. While it is mostly confirmed, please understand that details may change. I will alert you and your students as early as I can about any changes.
• The start of many weekly reminders: I will be hosting a SEAD Family Dinner on Monday, November 3 from 6:30pm - 8pm in the EBHS Library. Dinner will be provided by SEAD! Please RSVP to me, Maggie, at 860-485-8358 or at Maggie.R.Finn.16@dartmouth.edu

SEAD shoutout: JUAN PABLO!

While I could shoutout all the SEAD scholars every week for doing something great, Juan Pablo has been all over my radar this week. Juan has been on top of his game in English, raising his hand to be the first to participate in class and staying after for extra credit. Two of his teachers have praised his work ethic this week and the SEAD family is so proud of his dedication. Good for you, Juan!

Photos from Week 3...Denise and Ronaldo stole the show this week!

Ronaldo examining yogurt under the microscope in Biotech class...looking for bacteria, yum!

 Denise at her first day of the CityStudio after school art program at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts - all smiles!

Ronaldo contemplating the art at the Museum of Fine Arts 

Mesmerized by modern art at the MFA

 Denise "interacting" with the art at the MFA

Have a wonderful long weekend, everyone, and hope to see you on Monday for our trip to Salem!

Best,
Maggie

Info: Trip to Salem (This Monday, 10/12, Columbus Day)

Week 2

Happy October! I hope you're enjoying the beautiful colors on the Eastie trees - I know I am!

Updates from the past week:

• This week I've had the time to sit in on the SEAD students classes and watch their brains in action! I'm inspired by what I have seen, and hope to see more and more dedication and commitment to academics throughout my time here. I am committed to supporting the students in every way, including academically, and hope to always be available to attend any class they may need support in.

On the horizon:

• Change to Weekly Wednesday meetings - students will first get lunch in the cafeteria and bring their lunch to our meeting space in the library, where we will have a brief 15 minute meeting to go over important details for the week. 
• I will be hosting our first "College Knowledge Workshop" this coming Monday (10/6) after school from 2-3pm. These workshops will happen every Monday at this time and cover various topics important for college knowledge, such as SAT prep, college applications, the college search, and more! These workshops are a really valuable way to start to understand the college process, without it being overwhelming. All students are expected to attend.
• I am almost always available to stay after school with students for homework help and anything else they may need. 
• This coming Wednesday, October 8, we will be making a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts which is free on Wednesday nights - a great opportunity to take advantage of all of the art and culture in the Boston area. Anyone who is interested in going will be required to stay after school for a 1 hour study hall in order to work on homework, and we will be leaving from Eastie at 3pm and back around 6 or 7pm.

For parents and guardians:

• All of the information above is relevant for you to know, too!
• I will be sending home a Calendar of events and an explanation of each event that is planned. While it is mostly confirmed, please understand that details may change. I will alert you and your students as early as I can about any changes.
• I will be hosting a SEAD Family Dinner on Monday, November 3 from 6:30pm - 8pm in the EBHS Library. Dinner will be provided by SEAD! Please RSVP to me, Maggie, at 860-485-8358 or at Maggie.R.Finn.16@dartmouth.edu

SEAD shoutout:

SEAD shoutout this week goes to Jakara! Jakara brought her English grade up significantly and worked hard with me to hand in her science lab and math project on time and well-done. Great work, Jakara!

As always, please feel free to contact me at any time (students: for anything, parents: for anything about your students!)

My contact information is above, and was mailed home in a greeting letter to parents & guardians last week.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
Maggie