Monday, June 24, 2013
Headmaster - Reflection #2
In the first part of Headmaster it talks about one of the staples of Deerfield was that all 500 students who wanted to play sports all got to be on team (no cuts). This was a staple of the school and built their culture. What at Brilla should be something that we make sure all are involved in that is "extra curricular"/ non academic? How will we be able to do this?
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As mentioned before, an International Night would be a great opportunity for families of the school to get together, and feast together. It would be a social event where people can bring in food that represent their cultural heritage, and adults/children can dress up.
ReplyDeleteBook Drive: This would be a great way for parents and families to donate books that their children no longer need to other families at the school . When books are retired, we can hold a drive to provide families with the opportunity to purchase new books at a very low price.
It's also valuable for parents to establish relationships with other parents, outside of the Brilla Charter Prep setting. Each class can have a set of class parents that can organize social events for families outside of the school setting, such as picnics in the part for parents and students. This way, students develop friendships outside of school that can be fostered through the parents.
There are many things that we can do get everyone in the school community involved. We need to on what we are going to do and ensure we do those things well at all times.
ReplyDeleteScience/Math Fair: This is an event where parents and families can come view science projects that have been completed by students. The families can also come and learn about science and math and play some cool games as well. This will help parents build knowledge in these areas of study, and they can help support their child's learning at home.
Field Day: This is an event that can take place at the end of the year. Families will be invited to attend this event. It is fun time for all stakeholders in the school to bond together and participate in different fun activities.
Staff and Family Picnic: This would be event that would take place in early August. Families and staff can come together to celebrate the summer and the start of the new school year.
Friday Celebrations (Community Circle): Community Circle would take place on Fridays and we would celebrate student and family achievements. We would do our class chants and cheers as well. Families are welcome to come to this event and partake in the celebration.
I love your field day and staff/family pic-nic ideas! Inviting families to get involved, not only in the classroom, but in extra-curricular events make them feel more a part of Brilla's community. These types of relationships will build school loyalty and help families to feel that they are an integral part of the school's success. Bringing the staff's families and students' families together at these types of events will build strong relationships and bonds that run deeper than academics.
DeleteI like how at the heart of your ideas, you have the families involved. It is so important to create these activities thinking about not just the students, but also their caregivers and siblings.
DeleteI think whatever it is, at its core must be connected to and involve the community (something that's not just internal to Brilla -- even though getting everyone involved in inner traditions is great too).
ReplyDeleteOne way of doing this is to have 4 community activism days spread throughout the year in which we would take half the day to go out into the community and give back to Mott Haven/Bronx/Greater NYC. This could range from the entire school doing the same activities, or breaking up into groups to conquer many sites. Not only would this be a good way to give back but would also be a great way to spread the message of Brilla throughout the community.
For the second half of the day, we can have discussions in our classroom that connect what we did in the field to what our values and character our at Brilla. It would provide an essential learning experience to every student.
I agree with all the above mentioned events; however I also think we need to have ongoing events/teams. Similar to Deerfield, my middle school, De La Salle Academy, also had soccer teams for the whole school, that was built into the schedule. Every Friday we'd have half a day at school and for the afternoon we all played soccer in the park. While this is not necessarily what I'm suggesting for Brilla, I do think it had such a positive affect on my middle school experience.
ReplyDeleteOne great benefit about being in the South Bronx neighborhood is that we have St. Mary's park so close by, which has basketball courts, baseball fields, running tracks, football fields, soccer fields, tennis courts and even a pool inside the facility. (Future Brilla swim team? Count me in!) I think this would be a great resource for our school and while some of the above activities require permits, for kids under 17 years old, the permit is either free or very cheap. If we could have a different after-school activity after school each day, besides the already established program with St. Pious, (i.e. Basketball on Mondays, track on Tuesdays, etc.) that 1 or 2 teachers could run it would, 1. (ideally) allow all students to be a part of something after school and 2. not burn out teachers since it would only be a 1 day a week commitment for that teacher (and of course optional). This doesn't include the things we can do after school inside the school building such as yoga, music club, Spanish club, step team or salsa team (count me in for this too!) If Brilla had after school teams/programs like this available to all students, we would not only be helping their minds grow, but their personalities as well.
Ms. Cuevas,
DeleteI love that the park is so close. I agree that we should take advantage of that location for our students. It can be a great common area where Brilla students can play not only with each other as a team, but with the entire community. It's wonderful that there is a space open to everyone who wants to take part.
I think that there are way too many organizations that identify themselves as part of the community but in reality little is done to create a culture of community engagement. Below are some of my ideas to, as a school community, impact the community outside the school walls and truly create a culture of community engagement.
ReplyDeleteAcademic Showcases of Students Work. We can showcase themes like Black History Month or one of our core values. We can invite community leaders to participate.
Book drive. Asking families to bring books in good conditions for donation to local libraries.
Service Week. Having a week in which students can identify needs in the community and come up with ideas into how to help the community. We can pick a couple of proposals and deliver them to local politicians. I think this is a great way to create a sense of societal responsibility in the children.
Feed the hungry day. Make bags of food and write letters for the ones in need and deliver to local shelters and churches.
I definitely agree, sometimes too many organizations/clubs/things going on, detracts from the overall community. There has to be an overlying connection between all organizations. I saw this at my university and it was at times difficult because people embodied part of one community rather than the whole.
DeleteI agree with everyone in the fact that our "extra curricular" activities should be tied into the greater Mott Haven/Bronx community. One idea that I would suggest would be some kind of Community Garden. Every month could have a Community Garden Day where people take responsibility of the various vegetable plants and flowers. This garden could provide a small amount of produce for either our students or the community especially because most low-income neighborhoods are considered "food desserts."
ReplyDeleteI also think that gardens are symbolic for Brilla! We are growing and blossoming every single day and the progress is visible !
A community garden is a fantastic idea!! Not only does it allow students to get involved in the cultivation of healthy foods, but it's also a way to create a visible, tangible symbol of the impact that Brilla College Prep is making in Mott Haven.
DeleteI love the idea of a community then we could give lessons on how to eat them !
DeleteI am a fan of this idea too! A garden creates a lovely, peaceful space, as well as shows students the importance of sustainability and environmental responsibility.
DeleteHi Katherine,
DeleteI think a garden would be awesome. The activity will involve students in all areas of study as well as parents and the community.
I really liked your comparison of Brilla students to blossoming plants, and think this would be a really cool idea!
DeleteSome ideas for our "extra curricular" activities could be
ReplyDelete1. Community Service week
2. After School Sports teams (involving parents as well)
3. Mentoring program
4. Friday Night book/movie nights
5. School Pets
All of these ideas can be modified to include all students and their families, which is so important in a community like Mott Haven. We are blessed to have great families already so excited and willing to participate and help in all that they can! Brilla is going to be a great family and everyone has mentioned great ideas to help strengthen those relationships and mission we want to achieve.
As Mr. English mentioned, I think a Science Fair is a classic and great way to get ALL students involved in an extra-curricular activity. If we were to showcase our scholars' projects on a Parent Workshop saturday, for example, we would also ensure high-percentage participation from parents as well. We could invite community leaders to an awards ceremony and perhaps even team up with the community to offer some sort of college savings bond as a prize for our Fair winner(s), in order to encourage both scholars and families to put forth their best efforts.
ReplyDeleteI also like the idea of a Science Fair. I think it can be something that is both super fun and academic. I love the idea of possibly having a prize be a college savings bond, I've never heard of something like that--awesome!
DeleteWell I for one am not overly impressed that no kids got cut at Deerfield. Even Michael Jordan got cut! Iron sharpens iron.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, we probably shouldn't be cutting kindergartners or first graders from teams. How about futsal! That's a fun interactive team work based sport.
Mr. Barnes,
DeleteI admire your honesty and I agree that being cut definitely shows your grit. I am all for the futsal idea. I used to play in high school so sign me up as a coach! Bring it on.
I agree that the idea of being part of a team shapes your character development profoundly in a way that cant really be matched through other methods. I do think there is value in being cut, also. So I think that Brilla should have both types of teams. In terms of ones that everyone can participate in, I think their home room will feel like a team and they will participate in competitons such as a home room chant competition. I am also developing an idea for a vertical mentoring program, which would form a serious of teams across grades. These groups could work together to put on events, etc. I also envision a whole school flash mob, theatrical plays, and more that every student would participate in. I do think it would be neat to have a sports related activity that everyone could participate in, but this will be tough given our space limitations. Kickball?
ReplyDeleteHere is MS Barry's post
ReplyDeleteThe structure of our elective programming provides an opportunity for all students to be involved in and explore their interest in different modes of art, expression and physical activity. Developmentally, it's important for K and 1 students to experience these activities without external stressors or being cut from a team. We should foster interests and support this sort of exploration so our kids can discover themselves.
I went to a school much like Deerfield with a no-cut policy and it was an integral part of our community. Though everyone was able to participate, there were try-outs for certain roles and students with more developed skill-sets had greater access to the activity. If we have extra-curricular teams at Brilla, we should be very thoughtful about how we approach participation. While it may be necessary to cap teams. We also want to be careful that we don't discourage and stunt curiosity at such a young age.
Face-time with families is important. I truly believe this is how we push our parents to work hard for our mission. This is also how we build trust in our parents that what we say and do are for their child's well-being.
ReplyDeleteWe can hold monthly events such as an "Academic Showcase" where students show their parents what they have been working on the past month. This can also be a time where we show parents the strategies we use in math and ELA. As we build our family/school-culture, we can branch out and build our community/neighborhood culture. We can do this by doing food and clothing drives.
I also think all students should play a sport. Whether or not they are athletic, I think being a sports team builds friendship and community. They learn to follow rules, build teamwork, and grit....and it's exercise.
I agree with involving children in sports whether or not they are the best at it. Great idea!
DeleteI agree with involving children in sports. Whether their good or not so good at sports its about more than winning, its the unity, responsibility and teamwork that is taught and learned through athletics
DeleteBesides sports teams for both families and students, I think we can have family events and student events like movie nights, field trips, book drives, penny and/or food drives, and picnics. We can also join walks for different purposes and get involved in community events. We should definitely consider the times we have these extra activities so that they can cater to all families. These extracurricular activities, along with academic activities, will build our school culture and community involvement.
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday!
DeleteI agree that we should have many field trips and movie nights! I think that movie nights especially would be a simple event that could bring many people together and share in a great fun and much needed relaxing night! Also, field trips could do a world of difference in exposing our kids to so many new passions and interests! Thank you for sharing.
Extracurricular sports shape kids just as much as a classroom does. Just as in the book, I feel our students will also bond through after a school sports. Especially as mentioned before, the fields are so accessible for all. If we make it a habit to keep our scholars active and working as a team they will come to school each day a little bit closer to one another. Of course sports not be for everyone, like many of you have said. Sports hold the world together (hello, Olympics!), but so does music. PS22 has been a shining example of how anyone can have their place in a choir. That, like sports, is a team. Once they are prepared they can begin performing throughout the community. Those shining faces could make anyone smile! There's an outlet for everyone to get involved in and I believe music and sports will be the biggest and best for our students.
ReplyDeleteI love all of these ideas about ways to reach out in the community. I also believe that sports plays a very important role in childhood, teaching important lessons about sportsmanship, being a team player, strategy, etc. I think these things would be great to focus on at Brilla.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I come from an arts program, and I would love to see us develop a passion for the arts in our students. Music, theatre, visual arts, dance, photography, etc. ignite life and creativity in children and encourage them to be brave and adventurous. I would love to develop after school arts clubs for our students to join based on interest. The arts is a powerful venue for children to develop the confidence to try new things.
Hi Alyssa,
DeleteI really like that you pointed out that we should stress the arts! So many times these passions can get pushed to the wayside. I am sure that our students would love to explore this side of extracurriculars. Also, excellent point on how it encourages students on being brave and adventurous! Thank you for sharing.
I agree, I think encouraging the arts in our students is equally important as sports. We can have a music club, a photography club, various dance clubs, etc. (I can teach salsa!) I think this will open up or students to so many new things that they may not be able to do elsewhere.
DeleteHi Alyssa,
DeleteTo add on to your post, the arts are so important in the cultural development of and self-awareness of our students. I love the idea of an arts club. Parents can also get involved with ticket sales for recitals, costumes, etc. Participating in school plays and dance recitals when I was in school helped me lose the fear of speaking in public and increased my self-esteem.
These are all great ideas. I would add a weekend farmer's market where the neighbors, parents, and staff can purchase fruits and vegetables, herbs, nuts, honey, etc. If we have a garden we can sell flowers or produce. We can also contact vendors and community leaders to help with permits and place Brilla's Banner at the marketplace entrance. Parents can sell food items to raise funds as well.
ReplyDeleteLove the visit to the farmers' market! This is a great idea that can also become a science unit :)
DeleteI strongly believe that community engagement/involvement should be a staple at Brilla. I feel that in order for this to happen we must keep the lines of effective communication open between our families and our community of Mott Haven. We can do this through mentorships and various school engagement opportunities. I also believe that our scholars should be exposed to volunteer opportunities within our community so that they will continue to build neighborhood pride and know and understand the importance of giving back. I also think that we should have our community leaders and parent in our school to conduct read alouds(Real Men Read and Real Women Read) with and to our scholars; this should happen at least once a week. I've seen this type of program in a number of schools and the impact was very profound.
ReplyDelete