Week 6

Happy Halloween from SEAD! 
We have a busy week ahead, so make sure to read through the "On the Horizon" section so you know what's coming up this week!

I hope the SEAD scholars enjoyed the extra influx of candy (and cupcakes) today.

Happy Halloween from Denise and Alex, who dressed up today.
Denise is an adorable bear (I didn't know bears liked cupcakes!) and Alex is a rainbow.

Updates from the past week:

• In our College Knowledge session this week, Miguel and Alex and I discussed how important a transcript is in college applications and the differences between target, reach, and safety schools. I'm excited to start building a solid college list with them, and hope other students will come to me to talk about these topics! 
• On Saturday, Jakara, Ke'Andre, Miguel, Pam and I met up with SEAD Scholars from Schenectady and Raymond and their interns at Boston College. We attended an info session an a campus tour, then enjoyed lunch in one of the dining halls and got to catch up with our SEAD family! I hope the students got a good feel for what they're looking for in a college and whether BC fits that vision. Upcoming college visits include a school-sponsored trip to Worcester on November 7th, where the students can choose between a visit to Worcester State, WPI, or Clark University as well as a trip to Boston University on November 11th (No school, Veteran's Day). Check out the great pictures from our BC trip included in this blog!
• Congratulations to Pam and the East Boston Girls Soccer Team on their recent win...the Jets are the City Champions for the third year in a row!!! 

On the horizon:

• Our College Knowledge workshop will be taking place right after school on Monday 11/3. We will be continuing our discussion about the college search process, doing some individualized research into schools the scholars might be interested in, and introducing the financial side of college with a brief overview of college costs, financial aid, and scholarships.
• Finally, it's here! The SEAD Family Dinner! The Family Dinner will be taking place at 6:30pm in the EBHS Library on Monday 11/3. Dinner will be provided and Jenni, Danise, and Jay will be attending from Dartmouth! I'm really looking forward to meeting all of the SEAD scholars' families, so I hope to see you there.
• Thursday 11/6: Eastie Crunch Time will be happening after school. This is the last day before the quarter ends, and we want to use this time to make sure students get all their work in before grades close! This is essentially going to mimic crunch time from SEAD II this summer and will be a study hall with support from me!
• Friday 11/7:
• College Visits: The SEAD scholars are invited on a college visit to Worcester, MA. The students will be able to choose between a visit to Worcester State, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), or Clark University. They must see me in my office to get a permission slip to sign up. The trip will be for the majority of the school day, and students will be back to East Boston by 2pm. The students will be excused from class for the day (the last day of the quarter).

• After school: SkyZone trip! SkyZone is an indoor trampoline park in Everett, MA  and the SEAD Scholars and I will be spending the afternoon there on Friday November 7th. We will be leaving after school when we get back from the college visit trip to Worcester. We'll head to SkyZone, jump and have a blast for a while, and then get something to eat! The scholars should be back to East Boston around 5pm. SEAD will be paying for the admission to SkyZone and dinner. The scholars need to *bring socks* and *a completed and signed waiver form*. A parent or guardian needs to sign the form if the scholar is under 18. I need to have all of the completed waivers by the end of the day on Thursday 11/6. Students cannot attend the trip without a hard copy of the waiver signed by a parent or guardian. I will send a paper copy of the waiver home with the scholars so that they can get it signed, or you can print out a copy on your own here: http://www.skyzone.com/Portals/0/waivers/everett.pdf

Pictures of SkyZone, the indoor trampoline park we will be going to on Friday November 7th!
Read more about Sky Zone here: http://www.skyzone.com/everett


•  Saturday 11/8: SAT Practice Test at East Boston Public Library from 12pm-5pm. Attendance is worth 10 College Knowledge points toward a prize and all students who attend get a water bottle regardless! Students who are taking a full length practice test as part of a class they're enrolled in can still get 5 bonus College Knowledge Points for attending, although it is not mandatory (this applies to Juan Pablo, Pam, Jakara, Miguel, and Denise). The test IS mandatory for everyone else and I fully expect as many of you as possible to be there. I will get the SEAD students who attend dinner afterwards as a reward for their hard work and dedication!

For parents and guardians:

• SEAD Family Dinner! I will be hosting the SEAD Family Dinner THIS COMING Monday, November 3 at 6:30pm 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 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Read more about the SEAD Family Dinner here: http://seadebhs.blogspot.com/2014/10/youre-invited.html

• Sky Zone Trip: On Friday, November 7th, I will be taking the SEAD Scholars to Sky Zone in Everett. I've described this trip more above under "On the Horizon". This trip is going to be a blast and I''m really excited about it - I hope to see everyone there! Before the students can attend, though, they need to have a waiver signed by a parent or guardian if they are under 18. I need a hard paper copy of this waiver by the end of the school day on Thursday. Students cannot attend the trip without a hard copy of the waiver signed by a parent or guardian. I will send the students home with a paper copy for you to sign, but you can also print the form yourself and send it to school with your student here: http://www.skyzone.com/portals/0/waivers/everett.pdf
•  Due to scheduling issues, the SEAD Parent Workshop scheduled for 11/10 has been cancelled. I'm hoping to support the future SEAD intern connecting with parents, so look for more ways to get connected to SEAD and your scholar in the future.

This week's SEAD shoutout is Alex! Alex got an 89 on her second AP Environmental Science test, a huge improvement from the first test! Alex also stayed after this week to work on her science fair project, which she has been really engaged in and excited about. She's also trying to connect it to her classes this Summer at SEAD II, and has impressed her teachers with her knowledge of biodiesel! Way to be curious, Alex! 

Photos from Week 6:

Schenectady, Raymond, and East Boston SEAD scholars reunited at Boston College this past Saturday!

Fall beauty on the Boston College campus!

Fall '14 SEAD interns, featuring a photobomb from Miguel! 

From left to right, Kayla (Schenectady), Katherine (Raymond) and me!

SEAD Selfies! Scholars and interns can squish in for one big SEAD family picture!

Happy Birthday cupcakes for Jakara, who turns 17 tomorrow (November 1)! Happy Birthday Jakara!

I hope everyone has a safe and sweet Halloween and a wonderful weekend!

Maggie

Important Date: Monday November 3

On Monday, November 3 we are having our SEAD Family Dinner in the EBHS Library at 6:30 pm!

 Dinner will be served! Please RSVP as soon as you know how many people in your family will be attending. Danise, Jenni, and Jay will all be making the trip from Dartmouth to attend!

Schedule Change

This week's College Knowledge Workshop is now on THURSDAY 10/30 (instead of Tuesday, which is the date on your calendars). We will be talking about the importance of transcripts, the scholars' "Dream Schools", and a very important foundational topic in the college search process: Target, Reach, and Safety schools. The workshop will be in my office from 2-3 pm after school and there will be snacks provided by the PULSE after school program!

Week 5

Updates from the past week:

• This week has been full of academic support for the students, and I hope that they've felt supported by my presence in their classes and that I've been available to help them with their homework when they need it. Continue reaching out if you would like me to sit in on a class or help you with any work you might have.
• This week in College Knowledge, Jakara, Juan and I talked about SAT prep, specifically, tips for the essay. We also focused a lot on what would be helpful to them as part of the College Knowledge curriculum, and I'm looking forward to a great workshop next week (see what we'll be doing next week below under "On the Horizon"). 
• Remember, this past week we started our *NEW* policy regarding College Knowledge requirements, and it involves PRIZES for the students! Find out more at my blog post on the topic here: http://seadebhs.blogspot.com/2014/10/win-prizes-for-college-knowledge.html

• Students are now signed up to receive a FREE after school snack anytime they stay after with me. The snack will be served right outside my office in the senior caf....mmm!

On the horizon:

• This weekend, we are going on our first college visit to BC! All of the info about the trip is here: http://seadebhs.blogspot.com/2014/10/visit-to-boston-college-this-weekend.html 
• Next week's College Knowledge session is on [CHANGED TO] Thursday 10/30 from 2-3pm. We will be talking about the importance of transcripts, the scholars' "Dream Schools", and a very important foundational topic in the college search process: Target, Reach, and Safety schools. This session will be happening this coming Tuesday, 10/28 from 2-3pm.
• My schedule for next week (10/27 - 10/31)
• Monday and Wednesday I will only be able to be after school for 30 minutes.
• On Tuesday and Thursday I can stay as long as the students need. Tuesday, I am available immediately after school until as long as the students need to stay. Thursday is our College Knowledge session, and I am available after that for academic support!  
• Friday, I will be leaving at noon.

For parents and guardians:

 SEAD Family Dinner

I will be hosting the SEAD Family Dinner on Monday, November 3 at 6:30pm 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 

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

This week's SEAD shoutout is Denise!

Denise went out of her comfort zone to participate in an exciting review game for her test in AP Environmental Science. She answered a question right to give her team, "3 Blind Mice" a point and committed to studying her study guide to do well on her test! We're proud of you, Denise!

Photos from Week 5:

The SEAD scholars have been teaching me so much about science (I'm a history major, so they have a lot to teach me!) I've been spending time in Alex and Denise's AP Environmental Science class learning about the world around us. Jakara and Juan have been working on chemistry homework in my office. I've been to Miguel's AP Bio class while they've been working on their Osmosis and Diffusion lab! Way to go, SEAD scholar-scientists! 

Check out Jakara's chemistry project about the element Calcium. Although I know that calcium is in milk and important for strong bones, I learned a lot from her poster. Plus, it looks great! I really admired how much effort she put in researching and making her poster look visually appealing.

During AP Bio this week, Miguel worked hard in the Osmosis and Diffusion lab. Here is a snapshot of part 1.  The purple cube is agar, a type of gel that is meant to simulate a cell wall. The agar cube has been placed in a 1 molar hydrochloric acid solution. If you look closely, you can see the fuzziness around the cube that looks like a ghost is hugging it. That is the acid diffusing into the agar and changing its color from purple to clear. This is supposed to mimic how substances can diffuse through cell walls during osmosis. I thought this lab was so cool!

Last night at Eastie's Open House, I greeted parents at the front door and sold raffle tickets for the Family Center's raffle baskets. The Eastie School store was also open to purchase Eastie gear! Miguel and Pamela were selling baked goods for NHS, and Juan Pablo was helping organize and direct parents for JROTC.

Today was the AP & Honors Kickoff event. All AP and honors students (including some of our SEAD students!) were there in addition to school administrators and community leaders.

Have an amazing weekend!

Maggie

TOMORROW: Eastie Open House

Another reminder that tomorrow is Eastie's Open House! 

All the information for the event is below

(please note that child care is available!)

If you would like to meet me, the SEAD intern, I will be at the front entrance by the Family Center and Auditorium greeting parents and selling raffle tickets. 

This is me, so say hi! 

Visit to Boston College this weekend!

This Saturday, EBHS students will visit Boston College and meet up with SEAD students and interns from Raymond High School and Schenectady High School.

Junior year is the ideal time to begin thinking about what colleges might be right for you, and I strongly encourage all students to come visit BC with us on Saturday!

Want to know more about BC? Read on! Having an idea of what to expect will help you ask the right questions when we get there!

Eastie's Open House for Parents this week!

Just a reminder that Eastie will be hosting an Open House for parents this week on Thursday, October 23, from 5:30-7:30pm at the school (86 White Street, Boston, MA 02128). 

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be happening! Come find out more about how your child is doing and visit me, your student's SEAD intern, at the front entrance by the Family Center & Auditorium.

Week 4

Updates from the past week:

• On Monday, Miguel, Ke'Andre, Ronaldo, Denise, Alex, and I travled to Salem, MA for some witch-related spookiness! Read more about our trip on my blog post about Salem here: http://seadebhs.blogspot.com/2014/10/sead-goes-to-salem.html
• On Tuesday, a few students met with me for some College Knowledge! We have a *NEW* policy regarding College Knowledge requirements, and it involves PRIZES for the students! Find out more (or just scroll down!) at my blog post on the topic here: http://seadebhs.blogspot.com/2014/10/win-prizes-for-college-knowledge.html
• On Wednesday, students took the PSAT and had varying reactions - felt good about some parts, struggled more with some others - and we are in a great place to identify strengths and weaknesses and work even harder on our SAT prep! While the students took the PSAT, I chaperoned a college visit to Bridgewater State for seniors. I hope the SEAD students get the chance to visit this campus - it's easily accessible by commuter rail and has some beautiful brand new facilities! 
• Throughout the week, I have continued to support students academically by attending classes and staying after school for anything they may need. I have met with many of the students for their individual weekly check-ins. I have been getting to know the students better and better and feel very equipped to support them in whatever they need - please come to me.

On the horizon:

• The prize points program for College Knowledge kicks off Monday, October 20th with our College Knowledge Workshop from 2-3pm in 142b. On the agenda for this week: SAT vs. ACT (Which is best for you?), developing your resume and evaluating where your resume is at, the SAT essay, and catching up from materials students have missed in prior weeks.
• First COLLEGE VISIT! Next Saturday, October 25th, we will be visiting Boston College in Newton, MA for an info session and campus tour. We will be meeting at 9:45am at Airport Station (students who do not live in East Boston can arrange to meet me somewhere along the way, or at the Boston College T stop on the Green line). *YOU MUST SIGN UP WITH BC FOR THIS VISIT - SEE ME AND WE CAN SIGN YOU UP TOGETHER!*

• 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:

• This week, I mailed home a letter with important updates. Included, there is a letter from me, an invitation to the SEAD Family Dinner (see bullet point below) and our SEAD Calendar of Events for the term.  I have spoken with many of you over the phone, but please continue to reach out if you haven't heard from me yet - and keep reaching out if you already have!
• Eastie is hosting it's Parent-Teacher Night/Open House next Thursday, October 23, from 5:30-7:30 pm. Come hear how your student is doing and meet with their teachers! I will be here as well, in my office, 142b which is in the back of the senior caf (room 142, on the first floor, to the right when you walk in the main entrance). Please stop by and say hello!
• Reminder: I will be hosting the 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

This week's SEAD shoutout is x 3...Miguel, Pam, and Juan! 

These three SEAD scholars were inducted into the National Honor Society this week. Here they are at the ceremony on Wednesday night - looking great and showing that SEADlove. Congratulations, Miguel, Pam, and Juan! Your SEAD Family is so proud of you!

More Photos from Week 4

A very Happy Birthday to Ronaldo, who turned 18 on Thursday!

A few pictures from our trip to Salem on Monday. See more pictures and read more about the trip on an earlier blog I posted here: http://seadebhs.blogspot.com/2014/10/sead-goes-to-salem.html

On Thursday, all four SEAD interns from the four SEAD schools did a Google Hangout and shared our triumphs and struggles. I am inspired by the work other interns are doing and by the successes of their SEAD students! The SEAD family stretches across state lines, for sure! 

If you want to catch up on what the other SEAD schools are up to, check out their blogs:

Katherine is posting at Raymond: http://seadrhs.blogspot.com

Erika is posting at BCSM: http://seadbcsm.blogspot.com

Kayla is posting at Schenectady: http://seadshs.blogspot.com

REMINDER:  I am available almost every day after school. If you (students)/your student (parents & guardians) would like to stay after to do work, talk about college, or just hang out, please have them stop by and let me know that they plan to stay after - or come by right after school. I'm always here for a little bit and can usually stay as long as needed!

Have a great weekend!

Best,

Maggie

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)