Difference between revisions of "2009 Alternative Break Project"

From PhiSigmaPiWiki
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==Blog==
 
==Blog==
−
Welcome to my daily blog of our Alternative Break Project in Shelby, Mississippi!  Our goal is to build a pond for the students here at Shelby Middle School so that it can be used in their life-sciences studies. Here, you’ll be able to read about our daily adventures and successes throughout the course of the week. A special “thank you” to all the Brothers who are making this happen. Written by Director of Member Services, [[Anika Jackson]].
+
Welcome to my (Director of Member Services, [[Anika Jackson]]) daily blog of our Alternative Break Project in Shelby, Mississippi!  Our goal is to build a pond for the students here at Shelby Middle School so that it can be used in their life-sciences studies. Here, you’ll be able to read about our daily adventures and successes throughout the course of the week. A special “thank you” to all the Brothers who are making this happen.  
  
−
===Day 1: January 6, 2008===  
+
===Day 1: January 5, 2009===
 +
Today was supposed to be a travel day, but the adventure actually started sooner than expected.  Due to poor weather conditions, some Brothers were delayed in arriving, but we all got here safely.
 +
 
 +
The excitement and commitment I see in the Brothers thus far makes me excited to see the project get underway.  Despite the weather predictions of more bad weather, we’re moving forward with our plans as best we can.  Our goal is to create an operational life-sciences pond for the students here at Shelby Middle School (SMS).  A challenge, indeed, but well worth the long-term experiences it will provide the SMS students!
 +
 
 +
It’s great to see Brothers living the legs of our tripod!
 +
 
 +
===Day 2: January 6, 2009===
 +
 
 +
[[Image:ABP09 Day2(1) Brothers (with Principal Mr. Lordi - back row, fourth from left) at Welcome Dinner.JPG|thumb|left|Brothers with Principal Mr. Lordi]]
 +
What a busy day!  We arrived at Shelby Middle School around 9 a.m. and were greeted by the principal, Mr. Lordi, and Coach Cooper, who teaches sixth grade math and coaches at least two sports.  Both of these men were excited to see us and we were excited to get to work!
 +
 
 +
After watching a brief “how-to” video about installing a pond, Coach Cooper led us to the worksite.  While the main hole for the pond had been dug, there was still plenty of digging to be done.  We dug a “lip” around the top portion of the pond to allow fish to eat, as well as a 4’x4’x4’ hole for the bog, a whole for the filtration system and a hole for the waterfall.  Yes…we were digging!
 +
[[File:ABP09 Day2(2).JPG|thumb|right|Brothers get to work]]
 +
After a brief lunch break, we were back at the worksite to “fine-tune” our digging work before the rain came and forced us back inside.  Admittedly, it was hard to get some Brothers to leave the site even though our work for today was done!
 +
 
 +
Tonight, we attended a Southern-style, home-cooked, pot luck welcome dinner hosted by the Shelby community.  Great meal aside (some Brothers got really excited about the cornbread, collard greens and banana pudding), it was great to meet so many people who’ve lived in Shelby all their lives and could tell about the many connections they have to the community.
 +
 
 +
Many from the community who attended, including the Shelby mayor, president of the Shelby Chamber of Commerce and assistant superintendent for the school district, expressed how excited they were to see a national organization commit so much to their “small town.”  From their personal stories, we learned about the true dedication from the people of Shelby to their community and students.
 +
 
 +
Due to heavy rain/storms predicted to move into the area tomorrow, we'll be in elementary, middle and high school classrooms to interact with students tomorrow instead of Friday.  Brothers have been very excited for this portion of the trip.  I’m sure I’ll have some great stories to share tomorrow!
 +
 
 +
===Day 3: January 7, 2009===
 +
When I woke up and looked outside this morning, I was glad that we had made the schedule change.  It was raining pretty steadily.
 +
 
 +
After dropping the Brothers off at their respective schools for observation (the Brothers were split between Brooks Elementary School, Shelby Middle School and Broad Street High School), VP of Chapter Development Brother Kyle Williams and I took the opportunity to experience two schools, splitting our time between the elementary and high schools.
 +
[[File:ABP09 Day3(1).JPG|thumb|right|Brother Natalie Swierzbin with SMS Student]][[File:ABP09 Day3(2)Rebecca Torres with biology students.JPG|thumb|right|Brother Rebecca Torres with SMS Biology Students]]
 +
 
 +
We started at the high school where we sat in on a biology class, taught by first-year corps member Jason Nagle, with Brother Rebecca Torres.  It was amazing to see how sharp these 10 students are!  Mr. Nagle’s teaching style was very interactive, using practical examples to help students learn the material.  Throughout class, he encouraged students to go to the board and fill-in-the-blank with answers to specific statements related to the topic – water and hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances.
 +
 
 +
When the students got stumped on one question, Mr. Nagle said, “Maybe our visitors can help us out.”  Kyle, Rebecca and I all looked at one another, clueless as to what the answers were.  Then, the students shouted out the answers.  It was indeed inspiring (and shaming, all the same) to see their knowledge as high school freshmen and sophomores.
 +
 
 +
Then on to literature class, taught by first-year corps member Sarah Walker and observed by Brother Mallory Stites.  Here, we learned about denotation and connotation with 15 sophomores.  At the end of class, we had an opportunity to learn what each student wants to do after high school.  Little did we know that we had a future pilot, two doctors, two psychologists and an archaeologist in our midst!
 +
 
 +
It was now lunch time.  We ate in the cafeteria with the students where our meal took us back to grade school days – complete with the hard plastic trays and milk cartons!
 +
 
 +
Now, on to the elementary school!  Kyle and I started in second-year corps member Sally Fairchild’s first grade class.  There, Brothers Avery Cootes and Lacy Kelly were learning about adjectives with a class of 25 very active students who all wanted to share their adjectives with answers to every question.
 +
 
 +
Then, we moved next door to corps member Jacob Schiffin’s second grade class, where Brothers Natalie Swierzbin and Michelle Rodgers were helping students write in their journals and learn about prepositions.  The subject soon changed to math, where the class learned about subtracting three-digit numbers.  At the end of the school day, the students rushed to hug Natalie, Michelle, Kyle and me, asking us to come back tomorrow.  Some students didn’t even want to let us go from the hugs.
 +
 
 +
The classroom experiences showed us some of the striking challenges that exist in the classrooms here.  It makes so much sense that Teach For America has so many talented corps members serving these schools to provide these bright students with the structure and academic support and challenges they need to be successful – truly an eye-opener for many of the Brothers and me.
 +
 
 +
Needless to say, the rain lasted all day and when Kyle and I drove by the pond hole around midday, there was plenty of water in it (about 75% full).  Tomorrow’s challenge: getting the water out of the pond so that we can correctly install the pond liner and proceed with installation.  I’ve already purchased some buckets!
 +
 
 +
===Day 4: January 8, 2009===  
  
 
{{abp}}
 
{{abp}}
 
[[Category:Teach For America]]
 
[[Category:Teach For America]]
 
[[Category:Alternative Break Project]]
 
[[Category:Alternative Break Project]]

Revision as of 06:46, 1 November 2013

During his State of the Fraternity Address during National Convention in Louisville, KY, National President Jonah Goodman announced the location of the 2009 Alternative Break Project. The Project would take place at Shelby Middle School in Shelby Mississippi and was given the name "Playing to learn at Shelby Middle School."

Shelby Middle School

Shelby Middle School, located in Bolivar County Mississippi, is a Public School with approximately 253 students. Currently, 99% of students within the Bolivar County School district is eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program.

The Trip

On January 5th, 2009, 13 Brothers, along with Director of Member Services Anika Jackson, arrived in Shelby. Between January 5th and January 10th, the Alternative Break Project Corp Members began setting up an educational pond for students. Brothers also had the opportunity to shadow Teach For America Corps Members, interact with students, assist in the organization of dominoes for an after-school mural project, and have potluck dinners with Teach For America Corp Members. A trip to the BB King Museum also occurred to show Brothers Shelby history.

The Alternative Break Project Corps Members

Alternative Break Project, January 2009

Blog

Welcome to my (Director of Member Services, Anika Jackson) daily blog of our Alternative Break Project in Shelby, Mississippi! Our goal is to build a pond for the students here at Shelby Middle School so that it can be used in their life-sciences studies. Here, you’ll be able to read about our daily adventures and successes throughout the course of the week. A special “thank you” to all the Brothers who are making this happen.

Day 1: January 5, 2009

Today was supposed to be a travel day, but the adventure actually started sooner than expected. Due to poor weather conditions, some Brothers were delayed in arriving, but we all got here safely.

The excitement and commitment I see in the Brothers thus far makes me excited to see the project get underway. Despite the weather predictions of more bad weather, we’re moving forward with our plans as best we can. Our goal is to create an operational life-sciences pond for the students here at Shelby Middle School (SMS). A challenge, indeed, but well worth the long-term experiences it will provide the SMS students!

It’s great to see Brothers living the legs of our tripod!

Day 2: January 6, 2009

Brothers with Principal Mr. Lordi

What a busy day! We arrived at Shelby Middle School around 9 a.m. and were greeted by the principal, Mr. Lordi, and Coach Cooper, who teaches sixth grade math and coaches at least two sports. Both of these men were excited to see us and we were excited to get to work!

After watching a brief “how-to” video about installing a pond, Coach Cooper led us to the worksite. While the main hole for the pond had been dug, there was still plenty of digging to be done. We dug a “lip” around the top portion of the pond to allow fish to eat, as well as a 4’x4’x4’ hole for the bog, a whole for the filtration system and a hole for the waterfall. Yes…we were digging!

Brothers get to work

After a brief lunch break, we were back at the worksite to “fine-tune” our digging work before the rain came and forced us back inside. Admittedly, it was hard to get some Brothers to leave the site even though our work for today was done!

Tonight, we attended a Southern-style, home-cooked, pot luck welcome dinner hosted by the Shelby community. Great meal aside (some Brothers got really excited about the cornbread, collard greens and banana pudding), it was great to meet so many people who’ve lived in Shelby all their lives and could tell about the many connections they have to the community.

Many from the community who attended, including the Shelby mayor, president of the Shelby Chamber of Commerce and assistant superintendent for the school district, expressed how excited they were to see a national organization commit so much to their “small town.” From their personal stories, we learned about the true dedication from the people of Shelby to their community and students.

Due to heavy rain/storms predicted to move into the area tomorrow, we'll be in elementary, middle and high school classrooms to interact with students tomorrow instead of Friday. Brothers have been very excited for this portion of the trip. I’m sure I’ll have some great stories to share tomorrow!

Day 3: January 7, 2009

When I woke up and looked outside this morning, I was glad that we had made the schedule change. It was raining pretty steadily.

After dropping the Brothers off at their respective schools for observation (the Brothers were split between Brooks Elementary School, Shelby Middle School and Broad Street High School), VP of Chapter Development Brother Kyle Williams and I took the opportunity to experience two schools, splitting our time between the elementary and high schools.

Brother Natalie Swierzbin with SMS Student
Brother Rebecca Torres with SMS Biology Students

We started at the high school where we sat in on a biology class, taught by first-year corps member Jason Nagle, with Brother Rebecca Torres. It was amazing to see how sharp these 10 students are! Mr. Nagle’s teaching style was very interactive, using practical examples to help students learn the material. Throughout class, he encouraged students to go to the board and fill-in-the-blank with answers to specific statements related to the topic – water and hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances.

When the students got stumped on one question, Mr. Nagle said, “Maybe our visitors can help us out.” Kyle, Rebecca and I all looked at one another, clueless as to what the answers were. Then, the students shouted out the answers. It was indeed inspiring (and shaming, all the same) to see their knowledge as high school freshmen and sophomores.

Then on to literature class, taught by first-year corps member Sarah Walker and observed by Brother Mallory Stites. Here, we learned about denotation and connotation with 15 sophomores. At the end of class, we had an opportunity to learn what each student wants to do after high school. Little did we know that we had a future pilot, two doctors, two psychologists and an archaeologist in our midst!

It was now lunch time. We ate in the cafeteria with the students where our meal took us back to grade school days – complete with the hard plastic trays and milk cartons!

Now, on to the elementary school! Kyle and I started in second-year corps member Sally Fairchild’s first grade class. There, Brothers Avery Cootes and Lacy Kelly were learning about adjectives with a class of 25 very active students who all wanted to share their adjectives with answers to every question.

Then, we moved next door to corps member Jacob Schiffin’s second grade class, where Brothers Natalie Swierzbin and Michelle Rodgers were helping students write in their journals and learn about prepositions. The subject soon changed to math, where the class learned about subtracting three-digit numbers. At the end of the school day, the students rushed to hug Natalie, Michelle, Kyle and me, asking us to come back tomorrow. Some students didn’t even want to let us go from the hugs.

The classroom experiences showed us some of the striking challenges that exist in the classrooms here. It makes so much sense that Teach For America has so many talented corps members serving these schools to provide these bright students with the structure and academic support and challenges they need to be successful – truly an eye-opener for many of the Brothers and me.

Needless to say, the rain lasted all day and when Kyle and I drove by the pond hole around midday, there was plenty of water in it (about 75% full). Tomorrow’s challenge: getting the water out of the pond so that we can correctly install the pond liner and proceed with installation. I’ve already purchased some buckets!

Day 4: January 8, 2009

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