Presenting, Performing, and Sushi!

This week started off with Memorial Day. East Boston had a great neighborhood celebration complete with a battle reenactment, kayaking, and a water show from a Massachusetts Fire Department boat - and I saw Alex and her mom there! I didn't get a picture, but here's the Boston Common decorated with 37,000 flags for every Massachusetts soldier who has fallen in combat since the Revolutionary War. This left me with lots to think about.

On Tuesday, I learned that spontaneous SEAD events are the best SEAD events. Without much notice at all, Ronaldo, Miguel, Alex, and Denise headed to Chinatown with me after school! The highlight, besides the yummy bubble tea and sushi, was the wall of decorated plates that we made lots of contributions to:

The Wall

Miguel loves #tryingnewthings with SEAD!
(he doesn't love the camera, though...)

We figured out that the five of us alone came from Peruvian, Venezuelan, Jamaican, Indian, Irish, Italian, Honduran, and Salvadorian roots. We are the world!

This week, Pam, Juan Pablo, and Alex all presented their long-term research projects to their English classes, and I'm really glad I got to attend all their presentations. Great job, all of you, and congratulations on being done after MANY months of hard work on this assignment!!

Juan Pablo on Gun Laws

Alex on Transsexuality

Pam on Criminal Conviction and Mental Illness

Thursday was an Orientation event for incoming Eastie freshmen and their parents. Students and families had a chance to sit in on classes, attend a presentation in the auditorium, and visit booths for sports, clubs, and other activities at the school. My colleague See and I spread the word about College Access at our booth. We had a great time decorating the school, too!

Eastie at its finest :)

I went to Alex's school play, Class Action, on Thursday night. The play was about the lives of high school students in the 90s, and I was very impressed by everyone's acting and the hours of effort that went into the production. Wonderful performance, Alex!

Alex's Monologue

And on Friday, the entire school headed to the auditorium for the annual Multicultural Show. We enjoyed everything from tango to rap to an awesome Teacher's Dance...and some great Korean and Indian dancing by Alex and her friends!

Bye for now,

~Anna

Week 8 at Eastie

Hi everyone,

I hope you all enjoyed the long weekend and Memorial Day. It looks like summer might finally be here to stay!

On Wednesday, my colleague See and I attended a community workshop at East Boston High School. Representatives from the Mayor's office came to facilitate a discussion about how we could redesign high school education in the Boston Public Schools district. People from many different places and backgrounds attended, and as a group we came up with ideas for how an ideal high school would educate its students and what steps BPS could take to get there. I'm excited that the city of Boston is making this a priority, and that this kind of event can be hosted at Eastie!

On Saturday, Alex, Denise and I spent the day on Spectacle Island! We took the ferry across the Boston Harbor (Alex is not a fan of water and was very brave), and we learned about the history of the island - it has been everything from a hospital to a resort to a landfill, and now it's simply a beautiful spot! We had a picnic lunch, played games, climbed a hill for a panoramic view of the Boston area, and just enjoyed the sunshine and each other. Thanks for a fun day, girls!

Waiting for the ferry

Bye, Boston...

...Hello Spectacle!

Denise took TONS of photos, of course

Hanging out on the picnic blanket 

What a view!!

:)

Shout-out to Ronaldo for attending an NAACP conference in Orlando this past weekend! Did you know that Eastie has the only high school chapter of the NAACP in the country??? Ronaldo was chosen as one of six students to attend this conference, and I'm really proud of him for that.

This is the conference Ronaldo attended - very cool!

Also, shout-outs to Pam, Juan Pablo, and Alex for completing a HUGE research project for their English class! Pam wrote about the relationship between the death penalty and mental illness, Juan Pablo argued for stricter gun laws, and Alex wrote about transsexuality and why it should not be diagnosed as a psychological problem. These are all complex topics, and the SEAD students spent many hours finding sources from the big library downtown and writing draft after draft of their papers. This week they will be giving Powerpoint presentations on their topics, and I can't wait to go to all of them!

That's all for now...hard to believe that next week is my last! I will be having a PIZZA PARTY on June 4th, my last day. I'd love to see everyone there!

Have a great week,

Anna

A Week of Art!

Hi everyone!

Thanks for another great week in Eastie. I can't believe how fast the term is flying by, and I am looking forward to what my last 2 1/2 weeks will bring!

This past week was another beautiful one, with lots of trees in bloom. Jakara, Ke'Andre, and Denise's first-block English class has been spending a lot of time reading outside! Here's a picture from their outdoor class on Monday:

Also on Monday, Alex and Denise came to my office after school for an impromptu study-fest! They put on quiet music, grabbed some snacks, and worked on Chemistry, Math, and practice questions for the Accuplacer test. Thanks for coming in, you two! Thanks to JP and Jakara for coming to work with me on English and Math on Friday, too (I didn't get a picture, but it did happen!). Remember, I am almost always available for homework help after school.

Tuesday was a kickoff event for $ALT, a traveling college and financial planning center! A big yellow trailer, decked out as a real office inside, parked outside of the Eastie Public Library so that community members could meet with advisors all day. I highly encourage SEAD students to check it out the next time it comes to the neighborhood!

 On Wednesday, Alex, Denise, and I headed to the Colleges of the Fenway area and visited MassArt. We had the opportunity to meet with an admissions officer (Alex was full of great questions!) and to walk around the campus. MassArt is one of six schools in the Fenway consortium, so there are lots of good schools there that the SEAD students can visit in the future!

Don't they fit right in?

Filling out cards for more info

MassArt was displaying the work of graduating Masters students in a campus art gallery, so we had a great time checking out their work. Iced coffee at a nearby Peet's rounded out our adventure!

On Thursday, Denise and I went to the Institute of Contemporary Art to meet with the director of the Teen Arts Council she applied for. The extremely friendly Carlie gave us a tour of the areas where teens work at the museum, and then we were free to explore on our own! The highlight was a glass viewing deck with a spectacular panorama of the Boston Harbor. Denise said it was "so relaxing!"

Flour Bakery was the final stop on our journey, since we were so close by. Denise's Sticky Bun Bread Pudding and my homemade Oreo were delicious! Thanks for spending time with me, Denise, and I am so proud of you for taking the initiative and applying for this great opportunity. It's a valuable experience, no matter what the results are!

On Friday I had the opportunity to sit in on a class on the history of colored peoples in America and the traumas these groups have experienced. Here's an article that recently came out about the class: 

http://inservice.ascd.org/addressing-african-american-history-and-street-trauma-today-a-student-led-pilot-course-at-east-boston-high-school/ 

Amazing things are happening at Eastie!!

Shout-out to Pam, Miguel, Alex and Denise for completing all of their AP tests!!! Between the four of them, they took US History, Biology, English Language, and Environmental Science exams. Nice work, everyone!

That's all for now. This week the SEAD students will be taking the PARCC exam again, and I hope that they will put their best effort into this test while also making academics their main priority. I can't wait for our weekend trip to Spectacle Island!

Have a great week,

Anna

All Kinds of Adventures This Week!

First off, I'd like to congratulate the SEAD students on signing up for the June 6th SAT! This week, "photographer" became an unexpected part of my job description as I helped out with the registration process. Never a dull moment as the SEAD Intern!

ID Pictures for the tickets that students will bring on test day...looking good!

On Tuesday, Denise and I had a feast of pupusas, plantain empanadas, and drinks at Tu Metapan restaurant in celebration of Cinco de Mayo! After we ate, we worked on Denise's application to the Teen Arts Council at the Institute of Contemporary Art for next year. She finished her application, and we will be touring the ICA this coming week - way to go, Denise!!!

YUM...photo-ception

On Wednesday, I spent a wonderful afternoon in Cambridge with Ronaldo. We headed to Harvard Square for a Starbucks treat, and then to an event commemorating the end of his work as a Harvard Youth Peer Educator (HYPE) at Harvard's AIDS research center. The HYPE is a collaboration of high school students, Harvard students, and professors that Ronaldo was part of for the past few months (in addition to his second job at McDonald's!). Here are some highlights:

Hard to see, but Ronaldo's on the right. This video will be on TV soon!!! 

Ronaldo being recognized for the genuineness and honesty he brought to the group.

Certificate of Achievement!

I spy a familiar name... (hint: second one down on the right)

With the Eastie NAACP Co-Leaders who made this possible!

To celebrate after, we went to JP Licks for some fantastic ice cream and conversation. I'm so proud of you, Ronaldo, and I really enjoyed spending this time with you.

Spring is in full swing here in Eastie, and the trees are blooming so beautifully! I got a pleasant surprise when I visited Alex and Denise's AP Environmental Science class and we all headed outside to do an assignment in a nearby park.

On Friday, See and I had delicious lunches thanks to the NAACP, in which both Ronaldo and Miguel have leadership roles. The group sold lunches as a fundraiser, so See and I fueled our afternoons with empanadas, salad, fruit, and brownies!

And Friday was the SEAD Leadership Team visit to the school, which meant lots of meetings (HUGE thank-you to all the students for making it to those) and the FAMILY DINNER! I was really happy to meet so many people, including former interns and SEAD alumni who are now in college! We had poor lighting in the library and therefore couldn't get a group picture, but here are the Eastie-colored cupcakes we enjoyed for dessert. 

This week's shoutout goes to... PAM! Pam is a captain of her softball team, which is a huge time commitment that she works hard to balance with her studies. Pam also made it through the very long AP Environmental Science exam at Suffolk Downs on Monday! Thank you, Pam, for giving 100% to all that you do.

That's all for now! We will be heading to the MFA and Fenway Schools on Wednesday, and Spectacle Island next Saturday. 

Have a great week,

Anna

Welcome Back!

I hope everyone enjoyed their April break. It was so nice to see all the SEAD students again!

The uncontested highlight of this week was the JROTC Military Ball that took place on Thursday evening. I had never been to an event like this before, and it was fantastic. Lots of Eastie faculty and staff came, and some have been going for 22 years!! Here are some highlights:

The gorgeous Spinelli's staircase

Program

The Dance Floor!

Making a LOT of Toasts

And, of course, Cadets Juan Pablo and Miguel!!! They looked even cooler in their jackets, but by the time I took the picture the Colonel had removed his jacket so they had to do the same. They still look awesome in those bowties, though, and I'm so proud of their accomplishments!

I spent Friday chaperoning a Physics field trip to Boston University. The 65 Eastie freshmen attended a lecture on the properties of light, tried a bunch of really cool experiments about gravity, circuits, and other topics, and got the chance to ask current students what it's like to study science in college. I hope the students enjoyed their day!

On Saturday, Ke'Andre, Denise, Miguel, and Juan Pablo took a practice SAT with me at the public library. I know that isn't the most fun way I can think of to spend a Saturday afternoon, so I'm really glad they all made the effort to come! The more practice tests the SEAD students do, the more comfortable they will be when the real test day arrives in June (remember to sign up this week!!). 

Working Hard

What's an SAT without snacks? :)

This week's shout-out goes to... MIGUEL! Miguel attended the JROTC Military Ball for the first time this year, and he has really taken on a leadership role for the younger cadets. Miguel is also improving a lot in track! He worked hard to bring his grade up in AP Bio at the end of this quarter, and he also stayed the longest at the practice test. You have a lot to be proud of, Miguel - keep it up!!

That's all for now. Stay tuned for Pupusas after school on Tuesday, the MFA / Fenway Schools trip, and Spectacle Island! I can't wait to see you all at the Family Dinner on Friday.

Bye for now!

~Anna