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May312008
POSTED AT 10:06 AM
With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.
~Thomas Foxwell Buxton
Today’s Session:
The start of today’s session was very exciting! I read a letter to the children from the Mayor’s Youth and Family Services. The letter states that the Academy children were selected as a group finalist to receive the Mayor’s Youth Award. This award is given to young people who have done outstanding work to help others.
The finalists will each receive a certificate at the ceremony scheduled on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. in the City Hall Auditorium (located in City Hall, not Parsons Complex). Ironically, this is slated as our last Academy session. I can’t think of a better way for these hardworking children to be honored! Each child will be receiving a certificate, so I hope to see everyone there!
Next session:
Typing and illustrating!
ANNOUNCEMENTS! PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
- All stories are due in FINAL FORM by MONDAY June 9, 2008. This means, typing and illustrations are complete and the book is ready to be bound.
- Each Academy child should come to the next session with a WORKING email address. In the event your child does not finish typing their story during the Academy session, I will email it to them to finish, print, and illustrate at home.
- All Academy children should bring their finished product to the Mayor’s ceremony for a photo opportunity!
- We are in need of old magazines. If you have any you are willing to donate, please send to the next Academy session! Thank you :)
Housekeeping:
- Encourage your child to look for examples of leadership. Help them to make a running list!
- Thank you to everyone who has returned the Attitude Inventory. I’m just waiting on a few. . .
- Check back weekly for video, picture and BLOG updates!
- As always, a warm thank you to the volunteers this week: Ms. Greene, Ms. Leslie Vassallo, Ms. Duffy, and Mr. Thaler!
- Lastly, thank you Academy students for coming each week and dedicating your time to help others. 1 session to go! Let’s get those books finished! PERSEVERANCE!
May242008
POSTED AT 10:30 AM
“A leader is a dealer in hope.”
Napoleon Bonaparte
Today’s Session:
Children used the time today to make greater strides in their writing. With just 3 Academy sessions left, we are down to the wire! A few more children finished their drafts and were able to start typing.
We ended the session by reflecting on the chalk activity from last week. I asked the children to think of ways leaders lead. What distinguishes them as a leader? We talked about the difference in leading others to be recognized verses leading because it’s the right thing to do: The example given was helping another student who perhaps gets made fun of. Leading means not following the crowd, but modeling the right thing to do. Children began making good connections to leadership and their challenge for the next session is to come in with an example of leadership they have seen throughout the week. The example can be something they see within Meadowside with a teacher, peer, or principal, but can also extend to other sources outside our school.
Next session:
We will continue our discussion of leadership and try to define it through examples. My hope is that the children will practice and apply leadership in their classrooms.
Housekeeping:
- Encourage your child to look for examples of leadership. Help them to make a running list!
- Each child took home their Academy folder this week. Please guide them to work on their story. They should finish drafting and typing. Finished stories can be emailed to me: mvassallo@milforded.org. I’d like all students to come to the next session with their story completed so they can focus on their illustrations.
- Starting next week, my volunteer staff will be dismissing children from the Academy. I am attending classes at Southern and need to be there at 5pm.
- If you are picking up your child early or your child will not be attending the Academy session, please jot me a note so I can account for their absence.
- Thank you to everyone who has returned the Attitude Inventory. I’m just waiting on a few. . .
- Check back weekly for video, picture and BLOG updates!
- As always, a warm thank you to the volunteers this week: Ms. Greene, Ms. Leslie Vassallo, Ms. Duffy, and Mr. Thaler!
- Lastly, thank you Academy students for coming each week and dedicating your time to help others. 3 sessions to go! Let’s get those books finished!
May152008
POSTED AT 10:11 PM
“Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe, shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.”
-John Jake
Today’s Session:
Today’s session was all about writing and the children made great strides in their stories! In fact, congratulations to Krushangi who is the first to begin typing her story! Ms. Greene began the session with a quick review of storyboarding. Then, Ms. Greene, Ms. Leslie Vassallo and I could be seen circling the room, conferencing with children. Many had questions about how to set up their storyboard since it was the first time they were using this technique. Once this was finished, they set off to write! We ended the session with a few pointers: remember their audience as they write, include an underlying theme of hope, stay focused on their writing because the deadline is fast approaching! Lastly, we held a brief discussion about the characteristics of a good leader: I asked the children to think of someone they felt was a good leader. Examples could include people they’ve read about and/or witnessed at Meadowside with adults or peers. We then headed outside to engage in chalk drawings of leadership! A common theme that arose was perseverance, which ironically is this month’s character trait at Meadowside!
Next session:
We will follow-up on our discussion of leadership and try to define it through examples. My hope is that the children will practice and apply leadership in their classrooms.
Housekeeping:
- If you are picking up your child early or your child will not be attending the Academy session, please jot me a note so I can account for their absence.
- Parents! If you have not already done so, please return the Attitude Inventories (there are 2 sides to it). Thank you!
- Check back weekly for video, picture and BLOG updates!
- As always, a warm thank you to the volunteers this week: Ms. Greene, Ms. Leslie Vassallo, and Mr. Thaler!
- Lastly, thank you Academy students for coming each week and dedicating your time to help others.
May122008
POSTED AT 03:19 PM
Today’s Session:
Today’s session focused on the importance of reflection. The children were split into teams with four in each team. The object of the game was to bounce a balloon as many times as possible in a 90 second time frame. There were only 2 rules to abide: Everyone in the team must participate and the balloon could not be bounced with their hand. Although this was a challenge, the children quickly learned that they needed to rely on teamwork and communication to be sure they followed the two rules. Many used their forearms and even their feet to bounce. After 90 seconds was up, we recorded the number of bounces each team made and reflected on strategies that worked well: Each team reported. Some good ideas were to stay within close proximity of one another to have better control, keep good control over the balloon (no wild bounces) and trust one another to retrieve the balloon if it went astray (as opposed to the whole team charging after it). After reflecting, each team was given another chance to beef up their number of bounces. Sure enough, every team improved with increased scores! Great job Academy Students!
In the latter part of the session, Ms. Greene explained how to write the dedication page to their book. She also taught the children how to “storyboard"-a technique writers' use to help organize and plot the book. Their storyboard is a map or blueprint they will refer back to as they write.
Next week:
Children will finish their storyboard and begin writing!
Housekeeping:
A big thank you to everyone for being prompt with picking up their child this week!
A big thank you to Sashrika for writing a letter to Mr. Davis regarding the use of the computer lab to type books.
A big thank you to those who made craft donations!
A big thank you to Ms. Greene, Ms. Leslie Vassallo, Mr. Thaler and Ms. Duffy for their continued support!
And of course . . . a big thanks to all the Academy students for your participation in this important mission!
May022008
POSTED AT 07:11 PM
May 1, 2008
Yesterday's Session
Yesterday's session was another success! Children signed up for their book topics and shared why they chose their topic. Then they created an Academy Wish List. From this list, we were able to see what items we could scrounge up without purchasing and what items we needed to purchase with our grant money. The children did a great job figuring out ways to tap into resources! Lastly, we taught them what the word "outreach" meant. We explained that the purpose of the Academy is to reach out to people in need; that's why they were chosen to take part in this experience!
Abija Homeland School Needs Us!
We have partnered up with Abija Homeland School in Uganda. The school is comparable in population to Meadowside, with 483 students. However, the school includes a vocational program with students ages 15-24 and an elementary school with children ages 3-9. At the vocational school, 20 students are orphaned, 70 considered vulnerable, and 150 were abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army and forced to serve as child soldiers. Abija has requested 1, 830 books! We will make approximately 30 books.
Housekeeping
Please keep in mind that pick up is at 4:30 pm at the SIDE door (third grade wing). Also, please visit my website with your child to view photos and footage from yesterday's session. A big thank you goes to Mr. Thaler for helping out this week. As always, Ms. Duffy and Ms. Greene enhanced yesterday's session and will continue to do so each week.
Website:
http://teacherweb.com/CT/MeadowsideSchool/MissVassallo/
Thank you everyone for your commitment to the program! Next week, the journey of writing begins!
May022008
POSTED AT 07:06 PM
Last Week's Session:
First, I'd like to thank you for allowing your child to take part in the Academy! The first session was a definite success! It was my job, along with the other volunteers (Elizabeth Duffy/School of Ethics Education, Meg Greene/Meadowside parent and author) to educate the Academy children of the circumstances around needing the books for children in Uganda. I also wanted to instill in them a sense of empathy. Lastly, I wanted them to feel a sense of empowerment. Insightful conversations were held last Thursday afternoon about the situation in Uganda. You would be proud of how your children discussed the situation. Mr. Davis sat in for quite some time and his presence solidified the importance of the children’s mission. Seeing the children invested excites me.
Plan for tomorrow's session:
Children will sign up for book topics and begin writing. The children will then work in teams to brainstorm a budget for supplies. As always, a small amount of time will be spent on Character Education (Pillars of good character) and reflection. Mr. Thaler has offered to film some short video clips. My plan is to upload them to my website (which can be found on the Meadowside site). I will let you know when the clips are up and running.
Housekeeping:
I am going to ask that everyone use the SIDE door by the third grade wing for pick up. This will alleviate clogging up the fire line in front of Meadowside. I will be dismissing children from this side door.
Also, I am hoping you could do me a favor: I have attached a Parent Attitude Survey to this email. I'd greatly appreciate if you could please take some time to complete and return it no later than Thursday, May 8, 2008. Putting your name on the survey is optional, but please know I will not share your survey with anyone. I may take the results and tabulate them to share with staff, but under no circumstances will your name be attached. I developed the inventory to see what we, the Meadowside Community, can do to make learning better and more engaging for our children. Dr. Polansky has stressed that the level of engagement be increased throughout the district. I am looking to assess the level of engagment YOU see at Meadowside. You are an integral part of the equation and your feedback is critical. I will have some hard copies on hand; if you'd like me to send a copy home with your child, just let me know.
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