In our Classroom Collaborations series, City Year LA corps members share their experiences partnering with teachers in schools to inspire students and end the dropout crisis.

Team leader Jose Ramirez and partner teacher Ms. Martinez.

Jose Ramirez, Team Leader on the JPMorgan Chase Team at Hollenbeck Middle School

I walk into the classroom. The bell hasn’t rung yet but students are already getting to their seats and taking out their notebooks. I walk around the room to greet each student, ask them how their days have been going, and prompt them to begin their work – in our classroom the lines between casual conversation and conversation about work/academics can be very thin; it keeps our relationships going strong. I’m not even completely sure if the bell has rung yet or not, the transition feels so seamless, but Ms. Martinez is already in front of the class and beginning the warm up. Throughout the entire lesson I am involved. She asks: “Mr. Jose, what do you think? Do you have anything to add? Can you lead this part of the lesson?” In our classroom my voice is as integral to the flow of the day as hers is. I am seen by my students as a second teacher and they respond to me in that way too; they respect me as such.

Our lessons are always planned with an objective in mind: What should our students leave the classroom knowing today? This is the question that not only guides our day’s structure, but also guides the way we speak to the students on a daily basis. We make sure that the vocabulary we are covering at the time we are also using in our language throughout the day. Our methods are based on consistency and repetition, and they work. As we build in and talk about certain vocabulary or parts of speech in our own language, our students begin to use it too. Our students’ vocabulary is clearly expanding, and their advancing eloquence is becoming more and more visible in both their communication with each other and in their writing assignments. In this sense, within the classroom, I am both a tutor and co-facilitator of the lesson; the points of the lesson are usually elucidated by both of us working together, filling in gaps and keeping each other in check to best elicit comprehension.

The JPMorgan Chase team at Hollenbeck Middle School.

The work that I am able to do within the classroom is incredible. With my students I get to not only help them advance with their academics but I get to know them as human beings with wants, needs, and aspirations of their own. It feels like I have 25 little brothers and sisters who I also happen to have strategic interventions planned for. The work is amazing and would definitely not be possible without the relationship that I have with Ms. Martinez, my English teacher.

Our relationship is collaboration at its best. Every day after class I stay behind, usually the entire period after, to talk about students who seemed to get and not get the lesson, ways we could improve lessons, parts of the lesson that we need to readdress next class period, and to hash out future lesson plans. Within this space we are able to not just pull our cognitive resources to create awesome lesson plans, but are also able to talk about individual student needs and really plan out our time and energy around what our individual students would learn best from. I provide a perspective of my students that comes from my ability to see them all throughout the day and she provides the perspective of teacher who has their grades, their test scores, and has the input of the academic side of their person. Together we are a cohesive, more informed unit; the whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. Our students feel our unity everyday too, and that is what makes our classroom environment, and my individual tutoring too, so great.

Check out more stories from our Classroom Collaboration series here!

Check out more stories from the JPMorgan Chase Team at Hollenbeck Middle School here!

In our Classroom Collaborations series, City Year LA corps members share their experiences partnering with teachers in schools to inspire students and end the dropout crisis.

Maghan Beaudralt, corps member at Virgil Middle School

Corps member Maghan Beaudralt and her partner teacher Mrs. Brinkman.

Located in the diverse and culturally rich area of Koreatown, Virgil Middle School sits exactly where it sat 100 years ago when it was built in 1902. Being an older school, Virgil has notable alumni such as Norma Jean (most commonly known as Marilyn Monroe) and Carole Lombard. Already familiar with music ringing through its hallways, singing has become an activity that both students and staff look forward to hearing when they enter room 511.

When I first met Alice Brinkman, my partner teacher, I remember having the image of Kimberly, the pink power ranger, pop into my head. Back in September a bubbly and energetic Mrs. Brinkman brought smiles to the room during the City Year and Virgil orientation meeting. I knew that I was going to like being in her class and that still rings true today.

Mrs. Brinkman began teaching as a special education math specialist in Tampa, FL. She then decided to dedicate some time to service and volunteered for a Christian organization called Metro Kidz in Lima, Peru and LA. Following her time with Metro Kidz Mrs. Brinkman became a Tiger here at Virgil 4 years ago.

Now this former Michigan American Idol contestant is more than just your ordinary 7^th grade math teacher. She is able to take the Pythagorean theorem or any formula and change it into a song and dance that students can memorize as easily as their favorite hip-hop song. What I find so special and valuable about Mrs. Brinkman is that she has the capability of turning an ordinary math class into an experience that students can truly enjoy. She cultivates an environment that encourages students to learn and understand concepts that are needed for success.

Maghan and her partner teacher Mrs. Brinkman always find time for a good laugh!

When entering City Year, I had little to no experience in the class room. I had some experience tutoring and coaching children but when it came to lesson plans and teaching techniques, I was a newbie. That didn’t matter to Mrs. Brinkman. She immediately included me in every goal, plan, and schedule while filling me in on every teaching trick she had up her sleeve. She had faith in my potential to help our young Tigers succeed and continued to push me as an educator. Finding time during a jam packed school day to collaborate with a City Year corps member can be challenging but Mrs. Brinkman quickly opened her door for me and my other corps members as equals. I have felt humbled and grateful even before the first day of school to have the opportunity to collaborate with this vibrant math teacher.

I asked her to share her greatest success story and she told me about a challenging student she had taught that she was able to make a connection with through dancing. Even though the story was very moving and inspirational it was her final statement that allowed me see the genuine passion she possesses:

I share that story because it’s hard to say a greatest success. Many of us teachers continue to teach year after year because of moments like the one above, where we feel somewhat responsible for helping a young person reach their potential.

As many, I have always had a sincere respect for the difficulties educators of our communities face, but that respect has grown immensely throughout this year.  I have realized that “difficulties” is a severe understatement. Although I am not continuing on the path of education, I have learned so much from this 4 year veteran at Virgil Middle School. She has taught me that no matter what career you pursue, you treat anger with kindness, challenges with resilience, to smile even when all you want to do is scream, to respect yourself and others even when they show little to you and to stay true to your passions, goals, and commitments. Mrs. Brinkman has a true innate love for teaching and through that is able to bring forth the passion in others while positively affecting everyone around her.

Check out more Classroom Collaborations here!

Raymond Gonzales with a UCLA volunteer on M.L.K. Day.

In our Classroom Collaborations series, City Year LA corps members share their experiences partnering with teachers in schools to inspire students and end the dropout crisis.

Raymond Gonzales, JPMorgan Chase Team at Hollenbeck Middle School

This past year I have had the privilege of working with a caring, inspiring, and motivating educator. Kat Czujko is a 7^th grade Science teacher at Hollenbeck Middle School who is devoted to the success of her students.  Throughout the years she has become a huge City Year champion appreciating the work that we do. She acknowledges the value of having a second adult in the classroom acting as tutor, mentor, and role model to the students and utilizes corps members to better equip the classroom with resources and guidance.

From day one she addressed to the students that her and I were there to best serve and meet their needs. She made it a point to address to the students that respect was a key factor in our success and that they must respect her and I as equals and treat us as though we had the same amount of authority. What has made our relationship so successful is that we are constantly communicating about how to best meet the needs of our students. We are always having conversations about how to best approach a students absences, sassy comments, or lack of homework completion. I feel that she has really made this a rewarding experience for me because she has given me a space to really be productive and proactive with my students.

She appreciates that City Year exists to provide students with specific intervention to help our lower performing students get back on track towards meeting the culmination requirements. She encourages 1:1 and small group intervention creating specific lesson plans for me to execute with our off track students. This has allowed me to best serve my students giving them individualized attention to help them perform at their best. She has also allowed me to create a space where I can have dialogue with my students regarding their specific situations in order to build relationships of trust and empathy.

She has also been a personal mentor to me in my process towards figuring out my future. She kindly provides me with her insight and wisdom when pertaining to my future as an educator. Additionally, she took the time out of her busy schedule to practice with me for my Teach for America interview and even wrote me a Letter of Recommendation. She has never hesitated to help me personally through my City Year experience and has acted as a support system for me throughout this challenging journey.

Ms. Czujko has definitely influenced my leadership development and has helped me build stronger leadership skills to carry out into my next years as an educator. She has demonstrated to me best practices in being an teacher and has given me the opportunity to display my skills in her classroom to better equip me for the future. She has even supported me personally through this stimulating process offering me a space for questions and mentorship. She has provided genuine support in my service and my personal life.

Check out more Classroom Collaborations here!

Daniel Dieters, corps member.

The Sony Team at John Liechty Middle School just hosted their Spring after-school event and it was a huge success. Once again our fabulous learning coordinators Jillian Kelter, Dom Mota, and Juan Carillo put their creative minds together to plan the L.I.F.E. themed literacy event. The theme of L.I.F.E. comes from the classic board game I’m sure you remember playing with family or friends as a kid.  Our event planners coordinated literacy into the theme claiming the letters to stand for Literacy Is Found Everywhere! The event featured 3 components (professional meet-and-greet, mini outdoor carnival, and parent involvement), and engaged over 150 students and about 30 parents!

The first and major component to the event were the 9 professionals who volunteered their time in order to share their experiences with the students. The professionals were given a set of discussion questions to help guide their conversations with students. These questions outlined their occupations, as well as showed how literacy has played a role in the attainment of their occupation, and continues to play a role within their job.

The auditorium was split into three paths in their “Life” journey. On the first path students were able to speak to a judge, cartoonist from Nickelodeon, and a contractor. The second path featured a lawyer, chef, and a writer and on the third path students were able to meet a homeland security detective, a screen writer, and a finance manager. Lastly, we had additional booths set up with two librarians who were giving out information about local libraries as well as how to sign up for your very own library card. All students who completed one of the three paths, including outline questions for each occupation on their chosen path, received a ticket for a cup of Thrifty’s Ice Cream (generously donated by the Salesian Sisters) and a free book of their choice. The books were donated by Disney and the children were able to choose from 8 different titles.

The Sony Team at John Liechty Middle School joins together for a photo during Opening Day at City Hall.

The second component to the event was the outside portion. While students were waiting outside before and after participating in the Life path portion, they were able to partake in carnival themed education games recycled from our Math Madness event in the fall as well as get their shuffle on to DJ Somoano brought to school by Dom Mota. As an electronic music enthusiast I must admit he was pretty legit and definitely got my fist pumpin’. The DJ booth is also where we raffled off several prizes including movie tickets, school supplies, and an original Life board game. The last station outside was the ice cream station where students who participated in the career path component were given two scoops of their favorite Thrifty’s ice cream complete with all the toppings their little hearts desired. On that note we still have three huge tubs of that Ice Cream in our freezer and our team has been struggling every day to resist the temptation.

The last component was a parent center lead by our very own Alicia Paniagua and the Communities in Schools’ coordinator Sandra Gonzales. In this room parents were presented information about the upcoming CST test and how they can best support their children in taking the test. They were also able to hear from the non-profit Centro Latino for Literacy that presented the resources offered at their program. Centro Latino for Literacy teaches non-literate Spanish speakers to read and write, giving them the essential skills and confidence to participate in society.

As you can probably tell our Life event point people truly had their hands full with this event and we were so proud of them for all the extra hours and planning they put into making this event one to remember. I would also like to add that the John Liecthy team is one special unit and when we put our hearts and souls into something it shows. You could definitely feel the love once the event got underway. I hope you enjoyed this update from the JLMS squad and we hope to see you at our next big event! Leichty Sharks, OUT.

Check out more stories from the Sony Team at John Liechty Middle School Team here.

Corps member Lauren Vancamp sharing encouraging words to students.

In our Classroom Collaborations series, City Year LA corps members share their experiences partnering with teachers in schools to inspire students and end the dropout crisis.

Lauren VanCamp, corps member

One of the most important relationships to navigate as a City Year corps member is the one between you and your partner teacher.  However, relationships between you and your students, you and your teammates, you and your Program Manager are more clearly defined.  Much like the elusive definition of a good teacher, describing exactly what makes a teacher partnership successful is a difficult task considering its unique nature.  Everyone can point to a successful relationship, but very few can say in five hundred to seven hundred and fifty words why or how.  For the sake of showing my utmost gratitude and admiration for my partner teacher, Ms. Alva, I will try my best.

First and foremost, Ms. Alva is one of the most effective third grade classroom teachers I can imagine.  Upon entering the classroom, one can see how she builds an important and meaningful relationship with each student.  Every single one of the students in Room 7 knows how special they are to this class.  Ms. Alva rarely misses a day in the classroom, but on those rare occasions she leaves notes of encouragement for the students who typically struggle to sit still and pay attention.  When Ashley received her teacher’s note (“Thanks for doing a great job today, Ashley!”), she felt the confidence that Ms. Alva places in her on a daily basis.  There is also a constant line of communication between Ms. Alva and her students’ families.  She goes above and beyond the scheduled parent conferences to ensure that the students feel invested in.  When Janice started missing school a few days a week, Ms. Alva called home to check in and design a plan so that her student wouldn’t fall behind.

This approach to teaching and being in a classroom makes my work infinitely more valuable.  From the start of my service, Ms. Alva viewed me as a useful tool for strengthening students’ confidence and supporting their individual academic needs.  We are in an ongoing conversation about which students need what things from each of us.  Together, we fill in gaps and spaces that might not otherwise get filled.  While working with some of our students in City Year’s After School Program, I come across behavioral and academic issues that Ms. Alva and I do not get to see during the school day.  For instance, Jose experienced multiple breakdowns over the amount of reading in his homework.  I was able to fill Ms. Alva in on these episodes and she, in turn, created more individualized reading packets for Jose’s reading level.  This individualized homework packet is now an effective intervention in and of itself: whereas his homework before was overwhelming for his reading level, it now targets the skills that he struggles to master.  I also utilize Ms. Alva’s connections with our students’ families to make sure that they are constantly informed.  After discussing one student’s alarming behavior changes in our after school program with Ms. Alva, she was able to get his mom on the phone.  They arranged to have him meet with the school psychologist, and his behavior continues to improve every day.  With the two of us working together, no stone goes unturned.

Ms. Alva and I share data that is relevant to our students’ work.  This open sharing of information gives us the opportunity to collaborate on strategies for each of our students.  When I began to notice Myka’s general trouble with comprehending information, we were able to look at her test scores and academic performance in class to come up with alternative interventions.  Information sharing also allows us to celebrate the successes of our students together.  As we each look through the assessments of our students, we cheer on those who are improving.  During the last Quarterly Assessment, Ms. Alva looked over Samuel’s shoulder and said, “Ms. Lauren has been doing great work with you Samuel!”  This collaborative encouragement shows our students that we are both in the classroom routing for them to succeed every day.

Ultimately, our partnership is best summed up by one of City Year’s values: Students First, Collaboration Always.  Each day that we are in the classroom together, the students know that we are there to support them.  We both see the value in working together to improve the lives of these third grade students.  I am beyond grateful to Ms. Alva for appreciating the work that I do in a way that allows us to see our students achieve great things.

Check out more Classroom Collaborations here!

City Year Los Angeles’ second annual Spring Break: Destination Education did it bigger and better than the first!

The Hunger Games' Liam Hemsworth stopping for a quick photo with City Year LA corps members! — at Sony Pictures.

This past Saturday at Sony Pictures Studios, City Year Los Angeles hosted what has easily become one of the most exciting events in our 5 year history here in LA. An evening full of food, fun, family and friends helped raise awareness about the drop-out crisis here in LA and around our country. Every 26 seconds a student gives up on school – it was clear on Saturday night that the Los Angeles community is standing up against that daunting statistic. Our sponsors helped us raise $1.2 million to support our work as tutors, mentors and role models to more than 3,000 at-risk students here in the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Over the course of the evening Hollywood celebrities, world-class brands and the Los Angeles community turned out in force. Sponsors set up interactive booths for the more than 1,100 guests in attendance. At the Hauptman Family Foundation booth, guests were able to get a taste of the City Year experience by painting murals and trying on red and yellow jackets. Gamers got down with the latest releases for Microsoft’s Xbox 360 Kinect while Summer fashion makeovers were under way over at the JCPenney and Sephora booths.  At the People Magazine booth, attendees were posing for their close-ups and own magazine cover photos. Consistent lines of folks lined up to test their skills at the NFL Football booth to throw for a chance to win a pair of Superbowl tickets. Kids were able to decorate their own cookies and audition to be the next Food Network Star with Giada De Laurentiis at the Food Network booth.

The fun didn’t stop there, Beats by Dre. with Interscope Records featured three of the label’s hottest recording artists for thrilling live performances: award-winning, multiplatinum R&B artist Robin Thicke, “American Idol” Season Ten finalist Haley Reinhart and debut artist Ashan.  The crowd could be seen dancing and singing along as the evening culminated into a full fledged concert experience. All this and more happening while Fisker Automotive invited guests to test drive their luxurious Karma. In all, we had 21 amazing booths from our platinum, presenting, and gold sponsors.

All of this would not of been possible without our sponsors and for that we thank you!

City Year Los Angeles’ would like to thank our generous sponsors for making Spring Break: Destination Education such a success! Please give them a shout out for helping us put together such an amazing event!

Check out more coverage on City Year Los Angeles’ Spring Break: Destination Education

• Teach me tonight: City Year hosts Spring Break carnival fundraiser at Sony – via Variety
• Jon Hamm, Liam Hemsworth, Dianna Agron, Robin Thicke, Teresa Palmer, Giada De Laurentiis Among Stars at Spring Break 2012: Destination Education – via Society News LA
• Dianna Agron & Liam Hemsworth: Destination Education Event – via Just Jared

In our Classroom Collaborations series, City Year LA corps members share their experiences partnering with teachers in schools to inspire students and end the dropout crisis.

Brendan Patterson, corps member

Corps member Brendan Patterson and his partner teacher Mrs. Strickland.

As I near the end of my five minute walk from the Blue Line station to Compton Avenue Elementary School at 7am every morning, my anticipation becomes focused on seeing one thing. On most early mornings the parking lot of the school will be vacant with the exception of a single, red, minivan parked in the same spot aside the gated entrance.  Like a gopher on groundhog’s day, the van serves as an indicator of my day to come, whether it be spent working alongside one of the wisest people I have ever known or full of the chaos usually associated with a substitute teacher. When my walk concludes and I finally see the red minivan that belongs to my partner teacher Mrs. Doris Strickland, I can be assured that today will be a good day.

Mrs. Strickland wakes up at 3:30am every morning to get in her minivan and drive from her home in Corona to an elementary school tucked inside the Hacienda Village Housing Projects in Watts. She is the only faculty member to be on campus by the time my City Year team arrives at 7:00am and she is usually busy arranging her incontestably decorated classroom for the day’s upcoming activities. While many classrooms in LA Unified reflect the repeated cuts in education funding with a general emptiness besides the standard desks, chairs and chalkboard, Mrs. Strickland’s classroom contains everything from a library to a doll collection. Many of the things in this classroom were paid for with Mrs. Strickland’s own money, including the two computers she bought so her students could do research projects. The message is clear: if the students come ready and willing to learn, they will be given everything needed to succeed.

Amid a faculty full of strong African-American women, Mrs. Strickland is as strong as they come. Born in Alabama in the era of segregation, her stories about growing up in the heart of the civil rights movement and being 1 of 10 children who all went to college despite being “poor”, have an authenticity to her students that no textbook passage or video can match. Put simply, Mrs. Strickland is old school and her students respect that. Her experience and wisdom magnify her small frame inside the classroom. Mrs. Strickland’s expectations of her students are just as big as her classroom presence, as she constantly labels her students “the Geniuses of Room 25”. Mrs. Strickland is keenly aware of the external challenges her students face, however she is unwilling for that to be an excuse. One of her most popular quotes when a student comes to her with an incomplete homework assignment for whatever reason is, “Did you die over night? No? You’re still alive? Then you have no excuse. The only excuse I accept is you died. Thankfully your still alive.”

When I met Mrs. Strickland for the first time the day before instruction began, I couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated. She was quick to put me at ease, “This is a thinking class, our goal is to get the students to think. They will struggle and try everyway they know how to get the answer from you, because they are fourth graders and that’s what they do. However, as long as we get them to think, we will be just fine. When they struggle for a little while but are able to figure it out themselves, that’s the most rewarding part.”

The first day of school Mrs. Strickland stood in front of the class and laid out her expectations in no uncertain terms, “This is Mr. Patterson. You will call him Mr. Patterson. He has just as much authority in this classroom as I do. He went to college and graduated in four years, that’s how it’s supposed to be done.  He is here to help you and if he gives you instructions you are to follow them just as if I had told you to do it.” In that moment I was elevated not by the power, but rather the responsibility bestowed upon me by this undisputed leader. Here was a woman who has been teaching since before I was born, taking a step back and letting me lead and grow as a person and for that I am grateful.

As I started in August, I did not know if I wanted to become a teacher. I anticipated that my year as a corps member would give me the opportunity to get an up close look at an urban classroom before deciding if teaching was the profession for me. The trust Mrs. Strickland has placed in me since the beginning of the year has enabled me to reach my full potential as a corps member inside the class room. She has also motivated me to further my career in education. In late September, I asked if it would be okay for me take a student to the back table so we could work one on one for the third day in a row. Mrs. Strickland said, “Oh yes, Mr. Patterson if you feel they need extra help back there you just go ahead. Do what you need to do and we will be just fine.” Throughout the year I have learned that asking my students questions and letting them find the answer is, as Mrs. Strickland always said, the best way for teachers to teach and students to learn. As I prepare myself to say good-bye to the students I have grown to care for so much over the past 9 months, I take comfort in the fact that as long as that red minivan is parked at Compton Ave, they will be just fine as well.

One of the most highly requested resources from the students we serve are books! Access to books makes all the difference for students while developing key literacy skills and building a lifetime relationship with reading.

During the month of May, BookEnds, and the entire Brentwood community, will be engaged in a community wide book drive that directly benefits the students we serve!  This huge drive begins on May 1, and runs through May 19, with a family friendly event book sorting and celebration on May 20 at the corner of San Vicente and Montana.  In the fall, City Year corps members will take the books directly into the classrooms of underserved students throughout Los Angeles.

“The Los Angeles Unified School District does not have a budget to purchase new books for each and every classroom, which leaves many students without the necessary books to inspire and educate them,” said Robin Keefe, president of BookEnds. “BookEnds is proud to provide an easy and economical solution.”

BookEnds is looking to the Brentwood community to donate their gently used books which will go directly to students in Los Angeles schools in desperate need of books.  Area schools and other organizations in Brentwood are holding book drives, and there will be book collection bins scattered throughout the neighborhood.

To find out where you can donate your new or gently used books

The locations of the book collection bins in Brentwood include:

• Brentwood Presbyterian Church
• Brentwood Library
• Brentwood Village
• California Pizza Kitchen/Brentwood
• Diesel Book Store
• Fire Station #19
  
• First Republic Bank
• Vicente Foods
• Westside YMCA
• Whole Foods/Brentwood

To find out more information about the celebratory community sorting, please contact Gayle Baigelman, gbaigelman@bookends.org, 310-478-2665.

BookEnds and City Year are grateful for the support of Zev Yaroslavsky, Los Angeles County Supervisor 3^rd District, as well as First Republic Bank and California Pizza Kitchen.

About BookEnds

BookEnds is a Los Angeles based literacy nonprofit.  BookEnds student volunteers organize book drives in their schools to recycle their gently used children’s books directly into the hands of kids in schools and youth organizations in desperate need of books.  To date, BookEnds has redistributed 2.3 million books.

By Bryan Brown, corps member – 116^th St. ES

The team at 116th Street Elementary at Opening Day.

The California Standards Test is nearly upon us.  We know it.  The teachers know it.  The students definitely know it.  Students have been busy prepping in recent weeks by reviewing key concepts that will be on the tests and  practicing countless sheets of released questions.  All of this has been causing a decent amount of anxiety for all parties involved.   At 116^th St Elementary, City Year and the teachers have been doing what we can to keep things fun and stress-free as possible! Here are 3 ways our corps member are keeping spirits high.

Turning the Mundane, Fun-dane: In the past few weeks, Ms. Jaclyn has retooled her small group tutoring sessions to focus more on educational games.  One game that she’s using a lot, and that her students have been getting a kick out of, is the Memory Game.  In it, the students compete as teams to uncover pairs of corresponding words that are common on the CST, such as “divide” and “each.”  The students get a fun break from their more intensive work, and in the meantime get exposed to words that may otherwise confuse or trip them up on the CST.

Making Studying Sweet: One of the more popular approaches here has been finding ways to enliven the seemingly endless assault of math and English review that, while tedious, is much needed.  In Mr. Matthew’s room, his partner teacher and he have set up the Ice Cream Sundae system.  Every day that the students show up during these weeks leading up to the CST, they unlock another piece of their personal ice cream sundae that they’ll receive to celebrate after the test.  Starting with a scoop per day (up to 3 scoops), and then going into sprinkles, chocolate, bananas and more.  The students that show up the most, get the most.

Reviewing with a Purpose: The biggest initiative we’ve done as a team here has been one created by Ms. Nellie.  We have a series of 6 worksheets of released CST questions for each grade at our school.  The students get to hang out in the City Year room at recess and work on them, a reward in itself to some of them, and once they successfully complete all of them they get an invitation to our City Year post-CST dance.  Despite our best efforts to explain the relevance and importance of the CST to the students, it just doesn’t connect for all of them, and as a result some show little care for the preparations the school is putting them through.  Giving them a separate incentive that is easier to understand gives them something tangible. Students are excited and talking about the elements of the celebratory dance (“What kind of snacks, will there be!?” “Is Mr. Bryan is going to DJ!”) allows for a brief, fun escape while still pumping them up for the test.

Check out more stories from 116th Street Elementary here!

Corps member Sam Erwin

Sam Erwin, corps member

One of the last things I thought about when signing up to do a year of service, a school bulletin board, turned out to be one of the most versatile tools that we had as corps members at Malabar Street Elementary School.

When service first started in schools I admit that a bulletin board was kind of foreign to me, especially one for elementary aged children. As the outreach coordinator, however, it was my job to create a board that not only let the school know who we are but also one that advocated learning.

After a while, and after being able to see many great examples by the teachers of our school, my team and myself got the hang of how to make our board look the best it possibly could.

The California Standards Test or CST, measures students’ progress toward achieving California’s state-adopted academic content standards. Our most recent CST initiative is a great example of how we have learned to utilize our bulletin board to get our students ready to tackle the test.

“Save Your Weekend” is the motto that is at the top of our comic book style bulletin board. That same motto is tied the CST initiative that takes place during students’ recess.

At recess everyone is asked to answer two CST questions, one English Language Arts and one Math, in order to save their own weekend and the weekend’s of their classmates. From who you ask? From no other than the villain from the popular “Captain Underpants” series, Professor Poopy Pants.

Students are asked to save their weekends from Professor Poopy Pants by answering California Standards Test questions.

Using the artistic ability of a certain corps member on our team we transformed our bulletin board into a comic strip where Professor Poopy Pants builds a giant machine that will speed up the rotation of the Earth. The result of this would be that there are no more weekends.

To go along with the bulletin board we also made an announcement at a school assembly alerting all the students of the plan that Professor Poopy Pants had hatched and directing all of them to look at the board.

It has been a week since our initiative launched and so far the student response has been great, as well as the reaction of the school administration. Many students have not even realized that the questions they are answering are from CST released questions.

Our team has even made questions for Kinder and First Grade, though they do not take the CST, to help and make them prepared for when they do have to test.

That is just one example of how you can use a bulletin board at a school to engage students in exciting school-wide initiatives.

Check out more stories from the  Malabar Elementary School team here!