Raising the Bar

The students at Segue Institute for Learning are your typical adolescents in grades six through eight. They are full of potential and incredible energy, along with drama and angst at times. They often rapidly cycle through a whirlwind of emotions ranging from enthusiasm, silliness, love and hate for their friends and other classmates and teachers, frustration, and triumph. Anyone who has ever worked in a middle school setting knows well the rewards and challenges of teaching this particular age group.

As someone who has experienced these challenges in other schools and environments, I look around Segue and am impressed to see that teachers who are wholly dedicated to moving students forward and upward in spite of the scholars' occasional best efforts to resist change. One of the keys to the faculty's success is the fact that they consistently hold the students to the very highest of standards regarding their behavior and academic achievement. A failing grade is always a chance to "do over." Many opportunities for additional academic support exist. All of the teachers and staff work tirelessly and collaboratively to apply consistent expectations, using both encouragement and praise, and clear-cut consequences that ensure every student is held accountable for each decision they make.

I consider it a blessing and an honor to be a part of this community. Segue is a place where all students are accepted, respected for their individuality, and encouraged to do their very best. Each day begins anew, another blank page flipped over, as Mr. Garcia reminds students in the end-of-the-day announcements to "go home and come back better tomorrow!"

By: Jill Marie

Use the Force :o)

Use the Force is a new addition to After School at Highlander Charter School. This class brings together about 12 Star Wars fans in 2nd-4th grade to participate in creative, themed activities while learning about how to fight the dark side. 

Our class began in September with a ceremony where all of the students took the Padawan Oath to fight the dark side and be kind. Upon completion of their oath, they tied their Padawan belts. We spent the next few classes talking about how to identify the Dark Side (bullying, unkind words, disrespect, etc.) and what we can do to help. We also spread kindness and love by writing thank you notes to teachers and parents, and taping posters with positive messages in the upstairs hallway.
This month, we have made light sabers, painted pictures, learned how to draw Yoda, and built star ships with Legos. We have also created Star Wars identities, complete with unique names, pets, and planets.

Next week, look forward to droids using recycled materials. Pictures to follow.

By: Jill W.

First Quarter After-School Programs at Segue

This quarter at Segue Institute for Learning, I have been helping out in Dance Class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students have been rehearsing their Bollywood and Jazz pieces. They have been learning a variety of dance moves. All of the students have been excited about performing their dances. The group has also been very enthusiastic about dancing. Overall, students have fun. They have worked very hard, learning their pieces in less than two weeks.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, I have been helping out in Homework Club. Students have been eager to do all of thier homework before leaving school for the day. At times students do not have homework and they end up doing some independent reading. Overall, I am having a great time assisting students in both programs.

By: Yairy

Beats and Rhymes and Games Galore

The first session of after-school at Highlander Charter School has been really great so far. The students really enjoy the different program options, as well as being able to learn from new staff members. The middle school students, especially, are having fun in new classes and teaching other kids what they have learned. In my Beats and Rhymes class I taught the students how to beat-box and I've watched them teach younger students or their peers.


Wednesday afternoons are always game days, in my program, Games Galore. This class gives the students a chance to just simply relax and play games with their friends. We have a relaxed feel with background music and friendly competition. Some favorite games of the class included; SWAP, UNO, Pictureka, and a new and exciting game called Would You Rather?

By: Nellie

Character Creation

By: Deyan

Every Thursday at Highlander, a group of 2nd-4th grade students has been gathering together for Mr. D's Character Creation Workshop, where they are challenged to flesh out their very own characters through art and writing. Over the course of a 9 week after-school session, the students have determined what their characters look like, what they do for fun, who their friends and family are, and much, much more! Check out some of their fabulous ideas by clicking the images below:

Ali's spy, Tom, has some interesting hobbies:

Aliyah's mermaid, Ruziah, has the magical power to make people happy: Antone's character, Tone, has a blast at school but takes his job very seriously: Diogene's character, DJ, runs a hot-dog stand while his dog, PJ, stirs up trouble: Quinn's talking dog, Makey, loves spending time with his owner: Runaisha's ghost, Wolfahme, may be 100 years old, but she's a typical teenager at heart: And finally, Teddy's ninja, Flyer, fights villains in Zombie Town:

ICS's Tree of Thanks

Every Friday at International Charter School, the students in the after-school program are entitled to a "free" day. There is no required time for math or literacy homework; the students are given the opportunity to engage in fun activities that range from team-building exercises to creating dream-catchers.

One Friday in October, in preparation for Thanksgiving, the children created a "Tree of Thanks." In a large group, the after school teachers and children sat together and decorated Fall-themed decorations such as pumpkins and fall-colored leaves, on which we wrote our thankful sentiments. These sentiments were diverse, however they all began with the same words, "I am thankful for..." While there were a few sentiments dedicated to how thankful children were for eating candy and playing video games, most students seemed to write about what they thought was more important. One student, who has an Individualized Educational Program, wrote how thankful he was for his good education and helpful teachers. Another, who lost his parents, wrote about how thankful he was to be alive. As I stepped back and read all of these thankful sentiments from the students at ICS, I realized that being a child isn't so carefree all the time. We can learn more from these children than expected, and I intend to learn as much as I can while I am lucky enough to work with them as a CharterCorps member. 

By: Francesca 

KB is FUN!

It has been two months that I've been working with kindergarten. I love working with the kids, is SO much fun. I love helping the students and seeing their smiles when they learn something new. The connections I have developed with the students, the teacher, and the TA are amazing. Since the first day of school I felt welcomed and included. Everyday I learn something new about the students. !!! KB IS FUNNNNNNN!!! 
 

By: Naomi

From Puerto Rico to Segue

I've had the pleasure of working with a wonderful young woman in my seventh grade class this year. She's new to the country from Puerto Rico, and has had a rather difficult time adjusting to a new country, new school, and new language all at once. I'm fluent in Spanish and have consequently been assisting her throughout her classes this year. I have seen a steady increase in her comprehension skills throughout the past couple of months. For myself, it has sparked a great interest in working with students who English language learners. As an ELL student, you essentially have to do twice the work: you are expected to learn a foreign language all while completing the regular classwork. I hope to learn more about teaching students coming from different language backgrounds, especially since it will allow me to better serve my students - a great number of the student body at Segue come from Spanish language backgrounds.

Highlander Mountain Day Trip!!!

I had the pleasure of joining Highlanders 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students on their Traditional Mountain Day Trip. On the Friday morning of the trip I arrived to highlander around 7am on my bicycle and as I passed the cafeteria window I could see the students playing around through the window with excitement for the trip. As I walked into the cafeteria some students ran up to me and we began conversing about the trip and their expectations for the day. Some of the 6th grade students told me that they wanted me to be the group leader for a specific group that was going up the mountain.  Arriving to Wanchusett Mountain and preparing to hike up the mountain was quite interesting, seeing all these students hiking together as a team and working to support each other to ensure the safety and success of the trip was amazing. Some of the highlights of the trip was when the group of kids that I was with made a song and we chanted it as we reached the top of the mountain to indicate that the best group had arrived. During lunch some of the kids was excited to see live fish in the pond and for some who observed the horizon of Worcester found it breathtaking. 

One of my 6th grade students had hurt his knee so I had the opportunity to use my first aid training to bandage his knee and while hiking down the mountain another one of my 6th grade students slipped and slightly bruised his leg in which I bandaged him up as well. What was really touching was observing how his classmates came to his aid and guided him down the mountain the remaining way. As we got closer to the beginning of the mountain we chanted the song again letting everyone know that the best group had arrived. It was an exceptional experience to see kids in an environment that they are not custom too and be able to adapt not only to the environment but surpass,the challenges they endured during the way; fighting through fatigue, the weather, and swarming bees. I was happy to see the students band together as a unit and support each other going up and coming down the mountain.

Let's Salsa

International charter school has a community garden in which all the grades plant different items that they later enjoy. My second graders got to salsa.

In front of the cafeteria was Mrs. Kate, a food processor and fresh ingredients ready to make magic. These ingredients were passed around so that the students could become familiar with them. As Mrs. Kate began the recipe all the students had a copy and were able to follow each step. Students were excited to volunteer as helpers and to remind her of any forgot ingredients.

With all the ingredients chopped and mixed, all the students got to spend a few moments enjoying what they had helped create. It was a great way to show the students the rewards of a little hard work and care. From their garden came the tomatillos, the serrano chile and the cilantro. Since the second graders themselves did not plant all these items, they were able to see the rewards of both individual and community effort in the form of a tasty treat. A tasty treat I share with the rest of you:

Ingredients
1 lb fresh tomatillos, husked, rinsed and chopped
1 fresh serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped white onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Ingredients can be chopped by hand or with a food processor. Stir together all ingredients and let stand, covered, about 1 hour.

Servings: About 3 cups

Enjoy!

A Shining Moment

Often times I hear students say, "Miss, I'm not good at math!" My reply is usually, "I doubt it. Let's practice!" This is usually followed by a grunt from the student. But I have noticed that many students who believe they are incapable of completing math problems correctly, usually need a little extra practice to build their confidence. So, I downloaded several applications onto my iPad and proceeded in allowing the students to solve over one hundred math equations through an interactive game called "King of Math." During the game, the student had no idea how many equations had been solved. At the end of Homework Club, there was this great shining moment where the student realized, "I am good at math! I can do this!" This is truly a shining moment.

Angelica Neal

Encouraging the students

    The past three weeks I have really put an emphasis of havering the kids trying their best to behave

and following the rules. By the third week students were trying hard and were obtaining extra bucks and

saw a change in them. I spoke to the students individually and as a class. I hoped for them and spoke to

them about the highlander bucks and their behavior, it has improved so much that the students are

receiving 1-3 extra bucks a week or even daily.

A Day to Remember

We can all agree that 9/11/2001 was a day that changed the world's history. Inevitably, for those of us who lived through that day, it would always be in our memory. On the 11^th of September, 2012, our team was honored to participate in Serve Rhode Island's 9/11 National Day of Service. On that day our team was able to collaborate with two other AmeriCorps teams serving in RI while doing something great for the most over-looked members of our communities: our teachers. We worked on improving the teacher's lounge at Carl G. Lauro Elementary School; we painted the walls and ceiling.

The end result was just marvelous! Words can't describe how drastically the room changed; it was a completely different place than when we first walked in. It couldn't have been any less, after eight laborious hours and with the help of more than 14 people. But here, the most important aspect wasn't the work and effort that was donated; in fact, it wasn't even the end result. The valuable lesson of this day comes through the process and not the product. What happened during our work there was magical! It was a site to see, to live, and relive. This day was full of enthusiasm and the atmosphere was full of serenity, happiness, and collaboration. There was music playing in English and Spanish and people were singing their lungs out. It was just fun to work in an environment in which people were enjoying what they were doing and the company they had. Not only that, everyone was considering each others' thoughts. For example, everyone had the chance to request a song they wished to hear. Who said work couldn't be simultaneously fun and efficient?

By: Dianny

Nothing Wrong with Corny...

When Friday comes around at the International Charter School, all of our after school students know what that means – craft time! Instead of following the usual weekly homework and reading schedule, students get to have a hands-on project that they can take home and show off to their family. In commemoration of the autumnal season, we recently made ears of corn using fall-colored tissue paper. Students first arranged a sticky corn template and then scrunched tiny pieces of tissue paper to make the kernels.

A kindergartener in the English-Portuguese strand brings her corn to life!

Below is the finished product, and with a quick loop at the top the kids are ready to hang their creation in their rooms, on their backpacks, or wherever they please. The students really seemed to enjoy this project, and it was a good way to channel the patience and creativity for a K-3 age group. I’m looking forward to doing more fall crafts at ICS!

"I'm all ears."

--Leah