| About High School Renewal | Creating Small Learning Environments | Teaching and Learning |
| College and Career Planning | Newsletter | Site Overview and Resources | Home | |||
 |
||||||
|
||||||
| |
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||
| |
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||
Office of High School Renewal | |||
Graduation PolicySuperintendent Thomas Payzant's new Graduation Policy, accepted over the winter by the Boston School Committee, is a cornerstone in his effort to support the development of small schools and learning communities within his High School Renewal initiative. The strategy at the heart of this effort is to provide a more personalized environment for student learning and high achievement and intensive teacher collaboration. Not only does the policy recognize and support the fact that students move through their high school experience in very different ways, the policy opens the door to greater opportunities for scheduling larger blocks of time that permit a more in depth focus on the curriculum and closer teacher-student relationships; two of the essentials of high quality instruction. The new policy, believed to be one of the first of its kind in an urban district, creates the potential for greater flexibility for student promotion at the school level and for such things as multi-age classrooms and seminars. Within the new Graduation Policy every high school must follow one of three Pathways, each of which is designed to provide every student with an academically challenging curriculum. Pathways I and II include a set of core academic courses - in Pathway I English and History will be two distinct courses, and in Pathway II these two disciplines will be integrated into one Humanities course. Humanities curricula have become a staple in small schools development across the country with hundred of schools now combining historical themes and topics with a range of literary works, primary source documents and arts infusion initiatives in an effort to spark greater interest and relevance among students. In Pathway III, the school community can develop a unique set of courses and academic experiences, that are comparable in rigor to the Pathway I courses. The new small high schools at West Roxbury Education Complex and Hyde Park Education Complex have already taken advantage of these Pathway II and III flexibilities in their new designs. Among those schools are exciting new course sequences in engineering and robotics, social justice and historical analysis, media and communications technology, and urban science and ecology. For more information, read the Superintendent's Circular number T&L-11 [Word]. Article by Larry Myatt, Office of High School Renewal | |||
Office of High School Renewal | |||
Visitor Program | |||
| In March, 61 visitors from England, California, Illinois, Indiana, and Texas visited Boston’s small high schools to gather information and ideas for their districts' reform plans. Visitors spent one day visiting schools and one day at Children's Museum participating in workshop sessions with high school renewal partners. The feedback from the site visits included the following comments: I had a wonderful visit with students and staff…the most helpful segment of the day was Q and A with students, faculty, and staff. I enjoyed the visit. Many of my misconceptions were cleared. My list of six questions was answered. Unfortunately, but in a good way, it requires rethinking the original plan. Overall, it was a very informative and worthwhile visit. We are very appreciative of the opportunity to interact and dialogue with all the team members and to impart this information to our teachers and staff to support our redesign efforts. Talking to the students was helpful. I appreciated their insight and apparent pride in their school. This was a very useful visit to allow us to refine our thinking for education in Manchester. On Thursday, April 7th, the Visitor Program conducted a Learning Walk for members of the Boston community. The agenda included a welcome and orientation at the Office of High School Renewal, school visits and a debriefing luncheon with High School Renewal partners. Participants included political leaders, school committee members, and staff from community organizations. | ||
Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) | ||||||||
BSAC Surveys Peers on Cell Phone PolicyIn a memorandum, Superintendent Tom Payzant announced that the Boston School Committee approved a new Boston Public Schools policy on student use of cellular telephones in schools. He added "This policy was developed through a collaborative process among the School Committee, schools, and the Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC), who surveyed their peers on this issue and presented their findings publicly at several School Committee meetings. This final policy reflects extensive involvement of the members of BSAC, and I am grateful for their thoughtful participation." See attached Memorandum and Approved Cell Phone Policy [Word]. | ||||||||
Boston Student Advisory Council (BSAC) | ||||||||
BSAC Recruiting Ninth and Tenth Graders in May
What's the role of BSAC members?
What do BSAC members do?
For more information, call Barbara Locurto, High School Renewal, 617 635-9440 or Jenny Sazama, Youth on Board, 617 308-5384. Print: BSAC Recruitment Flyer [Word]. | ||||||||
Boston Arts Academy | ||||||||
Africa Lives! A Humanities 1 Exhibition at Boston Arts Academy
On Tuesday, April 5, 2005, freshman Humanities 1 classes at Boston Arts Academy (BAA) treated their fellow students and families to a very special exhibition, Africa Lives. The Africa Lives curriculum focuses students to study and learn about this vast continent's culture, current and historical events, and art forms. The Humanities 1 students prepare an interdisciplinary project that showcases their knowledge and passion for Africa in a variety of mediums. One of the main goals of this exhibition is to encourage the students to be artist-scholars and more aware of the world around them. BAA humanities teacher and Africa Lives organizer, Raul Garcia, remarked to parents during the opening ceremonies that "This event is a major exhibition that gives students the opportunity to learn about Africa and translate what they've learned to an arts medium." There was an energy and excitement that was palpable at Boston Arts Academy during the event. Exhibition attendees were anxious to experience the culmination of many weeks of hard work. They were not disappointed. Dance students performed an energetic African dance piece to kick off the event. These students learned this work not only as a piece of art but also explored its origins and historical meaning. Matika Cannon, a 9th grade dance student at BAA commented that "This is so wonderful. I love that we get to learn about Africa and how they used to dance there." Following the opening ceremonies, audience members toured around the various humanities classrooms to experience an array of presentations representing Mali, Ile-Ife and Nubia. These classrooms were knowledgeably and artfully decorated to represent different aspects of their numerous civilations. In addition, attendees were asked to complete a presentation rubric that would critique the student's work and offer supportive comments and suggestions. The goal was for students to acquire key academic skills. Students learned how to research a topic, analyze information, document a variety of sources, work effectively in groups, and hone their presentation skills. Boston Arts Academy would like to congratulate its Humanities 1 students and teachers for their special accomplishment. Everyone truly enjoyed the experience and learned a great deal about a continent that is home to a multitude of fascinating cultures. | ||||||||
Boston Day and Evening Academy | ||||||||
BDEA Students Meet Ukraine President at Profiles in Courage Award Ceremony
Several BDEA students were invited to attend the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award ceremony where President Viktor Yushchenko was presented with the 2005 Profile in Courage award. Students had been studying the elections in Ukraine and recently hosted a Boston University graduate student from that country who participated in that nation's Orange Revolution. Ms. Benzevich presented President Yushchenko with the school's tee-shirt to mark their attendance at this historic event. | ||||||||
Burke High School | ||||||||
Burke Students Explore Technology and Science ActivitiesJeremiah E. Burke High School students in Mr. Montero's and Mr. McLean's after school program enrich their classroom lessons by incorporating science with technology in activities that help prepare them for future career opportunities. The teachers, with training and support from MassPEP, dedicate their own time and serve as mentors for the students. Students explore the real world through projects using digital clocks and thermometers, electric musical instruments, and robotics. Through practical applications of electronics and robotics foundations, students integrate science, technology, essential writing, and speaking skills. | ||||||||
The Burke Family and Community Engagement Team in conjunction with Harvard Graduate School students will offer computer workshops for parents that will train them to use technology as a tool and give them an opportunity to obtain a computer for as little as $199. The parents will be trained to use the computers to communicate with teachers and administrators, thus bridging the gap of home and school communication. This is also an opportunity to bridge the digital gap between students who have and those who do not have computers at home thus allowing all students to continue to work on school projects at home. | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Impact II | ||||||||
CHESP Homeless Grant Awardees Share at IMPACT II Awards OrientationWhat happens when you're selected as a CHESP Learn & Serve awardee? On March 31, for nearly 60 teacher recipients of a $400 Homelessness grant, it was an after school Awards Orientation at Madison Park's High School Renewal area. Raising young people's awareness to do something about homelessness was why awardees gathered together. They focused on how to plan activities and provide materials for students to learn in the classroom and serve in the community. Here's just a sampling of what BPS teachers and students are doing about homelessness in Boston and beyond:
Reflecting on the Awards Orientation, one teacher said it all. "Prior to applying for this grant, I never imagined students could be aware of homelessness issues in such an explicit, hands-on manner. The materials and presentations have not only inspired, but blown me away with ideas. Thank you for your kindness and all you do." In return, IMPACT II @ High School Renewal thanks the thousands of BPS teachers and students for their Service Learning efforts, past and present. Stay tuned this Fall for an Announcement on a no pain/big gain CHESP Learn & Serve grant opportunity. | ||||||||
The English High School | ||||||||
Job Shadow 2005
For the third year in a row, the students from The English School TV/Film Production class were invited to FOX SPORTS NET NEW ENGLAND in Burlington as part of Job Shadow Day arranged by Junior Achievement of New England. The JA students and teachers (Mortensen & Jones) toured the FSN television station and learned first hand how a sports broadcast program is designed and produced. Last year, students were asked to compose an ad campaign for the upcoming Celtic games. As part of this year's field trip on March 16, 2005, students participated in on camera auditions to be selected as announcers at a Celtics game. During every home game, the Boston Celtics honor a hero in our local community in their "Heroes Among Us" program. Since a tie resulted at the auditions, two students from English High School were chosen as announcers. Dashawon Johnson was "FanCaster" at the Celtics game on March 30th and Asia Morris was the "FanCaster" at the Celtics game on April 6, 2005. Congratulations! Go Celtics! Article by Sue Mortensen, Lead Teacher, English High School | ||||||||
Health Education and Careers Network | ||||||||
Fifth Annual Health Careers Expo
HECN's Fifth Annual Health Careers Expo was held on March 23rd at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center. Students from Dorchester Education Complex, Madison Park's Health and Human Services Academy, the Health Careers Academy, and J.E. Burke, West Roxbury, Brighton, Hyde Park, and Monument high schools participated. Forty-six Health Care Professionals and sixteen representatives from postsecondary education and workforce development organizations greeted them. One could wonder if there was anybody from the Boston Public Health Commission or the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center working anywhere else that day as we had so many professionals who volunteered to spend the day with us. Our young people knew how important they are when so many professionals took time from their busy schedules to spend the day sharing with them. Thanks to Clark University and the American Red Cross, every student was able to put on a surgical gown and mask as they prepared to tour the Expo. Students also had the opportunity to visit with college professionals representing eleven institutions and programs of study related to health careers. This year each student arrived with a patient case study, provided by HECN staff, and met with Health Care Providers based on the needs of their patient. For example, if your patient were 86-year-old Mrs. Washington who broke her hip in a fall and was also diagnosed with Type II Diabetes; then you might spend some of your time with Primary Care providers and some with Allied Health Providers. Each student recorded their progress on their patient's record. One young woman from Brighton High School - School of Health Professions recorded that Mrs. Washington should see a Physical Therapist in order to learn how to use her adaptive equipment correctly and safely, a Recreation Therapist to help her get involved in activities so she wouldn't be depressed and an Exercise Therapist when she is ready to start an exercise program to help her regain her strength. Our HECN Advisory Board Chairperson, Dr. Pat Toney from the Roxbury Multi Service Center, was with us at the Expo assisting our young people as they visited with professional representatives. She shared some wonderful comments made by students as they participated in the day's event. Comments from student attendees: I was not really thinking about going to college, but this event has been very good and I am thinking about EMS, nursing or occupational therapy. After talking to some of the professionals here, I decided that I did not want a career in health. Then I talked to some of the representatives from the Public Health Commission about the types of jobs at the Commission. One woman talked about health research and she made it sound really interesting. I was able to sit down and talk to an adult and have that person really listen to me and give information about what it is really like to work as an EMT. My friend and I worked as a team on the case study and we had a chance to talk to the college representatives. I wish that we had more time. I finished my case study, but I did not have enough time to talk with college representatives. I am coming back next year and I will have my questions ready. My friend went to this event last year but this is better than what she described. I liked doing the case study because it was like putting the pieces of a puzzle together, and the more questions I asked, the more I understood the case. This event was good, this event was really good. This fabulous event was made possible through the hard work of the staff of the Health Education and Careers Network and our Expo Task Force members, and supported by the HECN Advisory Board, the Office of Career and Technical Education and the Office of High School Renewal. | ||||||||
IMPACT II | ||||||||
Big Turn Out for Homelessness Mini-Conference
Along with receiving background material on local resources, including a brochure on the Boston Public Schools Homeless Student Initiative, conference attendees enjoyed:
Homelessness is not an easy subject. But, conference participants left smiling. Raising questions and adding suggestions, BPS teachers continue to demonstrate their ability and enthusiasm for Educating Students as Active Citizens. For these Learn & Serve Projects on Homelessness go to Boston TeachNet www.bostonteachnet.org For information on CHESP and the Homeless Resource Guide, contact Barbara Locurto, IMPACT II @ High School Renewal, blocurto@boston.k12.ma.us, 617-635-9440. | ||||||||
Josiah Quincy Upper School | |||
| JQUS Winners in Essay ContestMax Warburg Courage Curriculum, Inc. has announced that two JQUS students, Amy Duong and Holly Arcadipane, were among the winners in the 2005 "Courage in My Life" Essay contest. We congratulate Amy and Holly on their significant achievement. A total of 1700 essays were submitted for consideration and from those only 40 winners, representing about 2.3% of the entries, were selected. This places Amy and Holly in a select group. It could not have been easy for the judges to limit their awards to only 40 students. We also offer congratulations to Ms. Judy Woo, Amy's humanities teacher, and to Mr. David Crane, Holly's humanities teacher, for the support and encouragement they gave to the two winners. Amy and Holly's winning essays will be published in the upcoming edition of The Courage of Boston's Children. The two winning essays from the JQUS were inspired by events in the personal lives of Amy and Holly. Amy's essay centered on her mother's courage in the face of a difficult childhood and family situation and was driven by Amy's admiration for her mother's ability to forgive. Holly's essay dealt with her experience in grade 3 when she befriended a fellow student who was mentally and physically challenged, not an easy task for an eight year old to take on. The Max Warburg Courage Curriculum Essay Contest was established in memory of Max Warburg, who as a grade 6 student fought valiantly a losing battle to leukemia in 1991. The contest seeks to encourage students to read about courage in the many forms that it can take, to reflect seriously on the topic, and to write about how courage may have played a prominent role in their own lives. Holly and Amy obviously took this assignment seriously, as attested to by the decision of the contest judges. Amy and Holly will be honored at a citywide award banquet at the Park Plaza Hotel on May 12, 2005. | ||
Madison Park Technical Vocational School | ||||
Senior Oasis - Madison Park Technical Vocational High School's College and Career Center
The college and technical school acceptances are mounting at a fast pace for Madison Park Technical Vocational High School's Class of 2005. Like seniors across the country, Madison Park students are trying to decide what their next steps should be and they know they can get a huge dose of support in the College and Career Center at Madison Park. Thanks to funding from the Carl Perkins Grant, the Madison Park College and Career Center is open and staffed five days a week by the Center Staff, MP Guidance Counselors, and a host of interns from local colleges. Students have access to a variety of tools and technology to help them work with staff to make good college choices. Seniors are flocking to the Center armed with acceptance letters, financial aid packages, and housing information to work with the staff to find the ideal post secondary placement and plan for the future. | ||||
Monument High School | ||||
Federal Express Grant Supports Partnership with Nasra School, Pakistan
Federal Express recently donated $5,000 to sponsor Monument High School's Partnership with the Nasra School in Pakistan. This donation forms the first Girls Learn International (GLI) Chapter in the Boston Public Schools. As part of the GLI service learning program, Monument students will engage in a variety of educational, communication, advocacy and outreach projects on behalf of the Nasra School in Pakistan. At the check presentation, in the school auditorium, Monument High School interns presented on issues of public safety and criminal justice, as they relate to girls in Pakistan. Headmaster Jonathan Pizzi welcomed the Federal Express senior managers, Bill Sullivan, Steve Wasserman and Perry Jenkins. Shaneka Davis, Monument's Class Valedictorian, introduced Monument's partnership classroom with the Nasra School in Pakistan and described recent chapter activities. Monument tenth grader Lan Le read a letter from a young girl in Pakistan. Lan pushed the microphone aside before presenting her words from a recent email exchange where a Pakistani student discussed her hobbies and what she studied in school. Monument ninth graders Patrice Moore and Tori Davis presented on a current event in Pakistan that addresses gang rape as a major public safety concern. Ashley Lewis and Ashlei Davis, both juniors, explained the political and cultural reasons that many young Pakistani girls are discouraged from getting an education. Dovetailed with the Monument High School Pathway Internship Program, Monument High School female students stay after school and participate in the Girls Learn International program, which partners the group with a classroom at the Nasra School in Pakistan. The Monument GLI Chapter recently had a school bake sale that raised $156. These funds will be matched by FedEx funds and will be sent to the partner school in Pakistan. FedEx will also sponsor the shipping costs required to send out a digital camera, pictures, music, and other items so that the students may share aspects of themselves and their culture and more thoroughly understand each other's way of life. As part of the Monument High School ePAL Program, these interns also communicate through email exchange with their peer ePALs in the Nasra School. On May 21st, Monument's Chapter will present at the Girls Learn International National Summit at the Edwards Murrow High School in Brooklyn, New York. They will present on public safety and criminal justice issues affecting females in Pakistan. | ||||
National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship | ||||
NFTE Visitor and Students Brainstorm
On March 23, 2005, Danny Kastner, featured on the current season of NBC's hit show "The Apprentice," visited Ms. Waishek's NFTE class at English High School to brainstorm creative marketing ideas with her students. Ms. Waishek's students are all participants in a youth entrepreneurship education program conducted by the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), an international organization that provides students with the resources to develop their own business plans. Kastner is the founder, CEO and chief visionary for POPstick, a leader in innovating new media technologies, who was humbled to meet with the students who had watched him on "The Apprentice." As for the students, their lesson came to life right inside their classroom! NFTE relies on experiential learning activities to communicate many themes and concepts within the curriculum, which is what fueled Kastner's invitation to speak. | ||||
TRIO Day: East Boston, Hyde Park and West Roxbury High Schools | ||||
TRIO Day
TRIO Day 2005 was an important part of the students' development and understanding of going to college. Not only were they exposed to various colleges and universities, but they also were able to share their college dreams with over 400 New England students with similar backgrounds. The end result was powerful, with over 500 students and TRIO staff shouting "TRI-O!" in support of their programs at the final rally. The students are part of TERI College Access' Talent Search and Upward Bound Programs, both of which are federally funded TRIO programs that assist first generation students in preparation for college and development of careers. Located directly onsite at the public schools of Boston and Brockton, TERI College Access advisors conduct various workshops and summer camps, work one-on-one to develop students' academic, social, and community-building skills, and guide them throughout the entire college application process. Advisors also help students developing college essays and completing applications, take them on college visits & tours, recommend academic tutors, and build relationships with both students and their families in order for students to realize their college dreams. In addition to school-based programs, TERI College Access also manages centers throughout Boston and in Brockton, where students and adults receive free, one-on-one guidance on planning and paying for college, and developing careers. For more information about these centers and services, call (617) 536-0200. Article by Timothy Eisenstadt, Marketing & Grants Coordinator, TERI College Access | ||||
WriteBoston | ||||
WriteBoston After School Program Showcases Student WorkThe WriteBoston/Odyssey High School after school program celebrated the completion of its winter session on March 15, 2005 with a showcase presented to other students in the South Boston high schools. Also present were the headmaster of the Odyssey School, Ginny Ordway, assistant headmaster, Deb Jencunas and WriteBoston staff Betty Southwick, Amy Lantinga, Mike Richman, and Leslie Ostrow. Participants demonstrated what they have been doing in the after school program at Odyssey High School. Students participated in four groups: Environmental Art, Turtle Headstarting, Boston Harbor Islands, and Medicine Wheel. Students also heard about the dance and drama program, due to begin in the spring session. The environmental art program has taken a unique approach to art. Students painted flowerpots and planted bulbs in them, forcing them to blossom early, and bringing color to an otherwise long and dreary winter. These plants were then sold, along with decorated cards for Valentines Day, and all proceeds were given to a local family shelter where one of the students, Antonio Gomes, volunteers. The art students made their own paper and created origami cranes and flowers. They also created a large display book to show off some of the paper and other collages. In the spring session, students plan to work in the outdoor classroom where they planted bulbs in the fall. Antonio Gomes also read his poignant poem "Poem on Nature" during the Art presentation. A segment of it is included below. The turtles arrived at Odyssey High School from Cape Cod in October and are thriving in their environment. Students care for the turtles, feeding them, keeping their tanks clean, and weighing and measuring them each week. Two students, Christopher Wong and Matthew Straut, read pieces at the showcase of their amusing "My Life as a Turtle" stories as part of their Headstarting program. Both took on the voices of the turtles they care for and practiced voice and writing from various perspectives as they entertained the auditorium. Segments of their stories are included below. Students also presented their display board demonstrating the growth of the turtles in this safe habitat. The students plan on returning the turtles to their natural habitat on Cape Cod in June. Boston Harbor Island teens have been exploring Castle Island this winter. They have also gone on weekly field trips to different Boston locations relevant to the islands, such as the New England Aquarium, the Boston Science Museum, and the Archives. Their intention for the spring session is to explore more of the islands and begin to write about them in a format that will be easily accessible by other teens. The sequel to the original guidebook of the Boston Harbor Islands will cover another six islands not in the first book. Medicine Wheel students presented themselves in a theatrical production at the showcase. The focus of the winter session was to continue with the students' personal mythologies, and to talk and write about those issues that are important to them. Medicine Wheel is one of the most popular groups in the school and plans to expand its program to two sessions: one on Mondays and Wednesdays, and the other on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Everyone enjoyed the showcase. One of the goals of the showcase was to show off what the after school students have been doing and to invite others to attend the spring session, due to begin on March 21, 2005. The after school students celebrated the end of the winter session with a pizza party where they talked about their expectations for the spring session. Students from the community and from all three of the South Boston high schools are encouraged and welcome to participate in the after school program. For more information, please contact Leslie Ostrow at 617-541-2663. "Poem on Nature" by Antonio Gomes: …Birds fly over, squirrels enjoy and owls possess, "If I Were a Turtle" by Christopher Wong: "If I were hatched, first I would wonder what in the world am I and where am I? Second, I would try to break open this barrier that surrounds me. Now I'm out; where am I now? It's all dark, and I hear many cracking sounds surrounding my ara. I even feel something underneath me that's breaking itself..." "My Life as a Turtle" by Matthew Straut "…Since the walls are so high I try to find my way around but I keep banging into something. I have a little ramp going up to a space to rest my weary feet. I also have a little place to hide under my ramp. I'm still nervous around my caretakers. I'm taken out on a regular basis to eat and use the bathroom. Then I am weighed and measured. I've been lonely for a while but I still get to talk to my siblings..." | ||||
Resource Shelf | |||||||||||||||||||
ANNOUNCING...Upcoming course: Using Layered Curriculum and Brain-Based Techniques to Teach Diverse Learners
Read Flyer and description [Word]. For more information:
| |||||||||||||||||||
IMPACT II @ High School Renewal: Summer Institute - Boston Women Through the Centuries ~ Lifting Their VoicesBPS High School Teachers are invited to register for a great summer opportunity: Summer Institute - Boston Women Through the Centuries ~ Lifting Their Voices July 11 - July 15 ~ Monday- Friday ~ 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM at the Old State House, Boston. Highlights:
To Register email info requested below to blocurto@boston.k12.ma.us by May 16.
| |||||||||||||||||||
A Guide to the SELECT Math Website: How you can support your students' learning in math!One year ago, the Office of Instructional Technology and the Secondary Math department launched the SELECT Math website, an online resource for the BPS community, at http://boston.k12.ma.us/teach/technology/select. It features ideas for lesson plans and links to online activities and resources that are directly aligned to the district's math curriculum. Anyone can use it to support student learning in math! The website was launched as a part of an ongoing collaboration between the Instructional Technology and Math departments, which is focused on engaging students through the use of technology in the classroom. We run professional development workshops for BPS teachers on the use of technology in the classroom, most often in the form of "virtual manipulatives:" online interactive resources that actually allow students to see and connect with abstract and difficult math concepts, including coordinate-plane graphing, experimental probability, and visualize 3-D objects. Teachers are already beginning to use this resource in their classrooms all over the district. It is also available for use with students from home, or from any place with internet access. If you'd like to find out more about the project, e-mail oit-smp@boston.k12.ma.us or visit us at http://boston.k12.ma.us/teach/technology/select. We look forward to hearing from you!
| |||||||||||||||||||
