Tag Archives: Haley

Fractions Are Never Easy

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A critical piece of City Year corps members’ service in schools is the one-on-one and small group tutoring that they provide for students.  They go through intensive training in order to be the most effective tutors possible so that they can help their students move the needle on their course performance.  Below, Sam Freund, team leader serving on the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care/PTC team at the Holland Elementary School, shares a story of academic achievement from his service last year at the Haley Pilot Elementary School.

 

Corps members serve as tutors, mentors, and role models for students in Boston Public Schools.

Corps members serve as tutors, mentors, and role models for students in Boston Public Schools.

Fractions are almost never easy. Even as a college graduate, I feel as though I have struggled with them, and it was no different for one of the 5th grade students I worked with in my extended day program. We had built a very strong relationship; she was on my English and Language Arts focus list, so we got to spend all day during class and every day after school together. She usually did very well in math, but fractions were doing nothing but causing her frustration. We worked together almost every day after school trying to get her up to speed, but nothing seemed to be working. One day while we were working together, an old trick I had learned when I was her age popped into my head and I showed it to her. After three examples, a light bulb went off. Not only did she now understand the concept of simplifying improper fractions into mixed numbers, but she became the go-to student in her class when her peers needed help converting improper fractions. Whenever she heard someone ask me for help with those types of problems, she would leap out of her seat and offer her assistance. At times, she was so quick and eager to help that I would have to remind her that she still had her own work to do. I even remember returning from recess one day to see her standing at the white board with another student, marker in hand, walking her through the process the exact same way that I had taught it to her. I guess sometimes all it takes is having someone explain a concept to you in a way that you can grasp and understand, and suddenly fractions can be that easy.

Video: DJ MCAStic & Paul!

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Ladies and gentlemen of the blogosphere, the Haley team proudly presents a video clip from its rally to get scholars excited for the MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) testing this past week (lyrics below):

“MCAS (Forget You)”

Lyrics by Sam, Melody by Cee Lo Green

You all are gonna do amazing on the science and math

On the MCAS.

And all the City Year and teachers yea we wish you the best on the  MCAS

If you just remember to check all you answers,

You gonna pass this test

Cause all the scholars at the Haley, yes we know you’re the best (at taking)

The MCAS

Nobody’s tired; everyone is fired (up)

Cause you got a full night sleep last night.

Nobody’s hungry, and I’m not a liar,

Cause the breakfast here at school is tight.

We come into school, cause that’s what scholars do

Oooooh, I got some news for you

(You guys are going to do awesome on the MCAS)

You all are gonna do amazing on the science and math

Yeah on the, MCAS.

And all the City Year and teachers yea we wish you the best on the

MCAS

If you just remember to check all you answers,

You gonna pass this test

Cause all the scholars at the Haley, yes we know you’re the best (at taking)

The MCAS

Read all directions, answer each question,

And make sure that your pencil’s sharp.

Check all your answers, no need to hurry,

Cause you don’t want to miss a step.

I pity the fool, who fools around in school

(Not ready for the MCAS, if you fool around in your class)

Oooooh, I got some news for you

(You guys are going to do awesome on the MCAS)

You all are gonna do amazing on the science and math

Yeah on the, MCAS.

And all the City Year and teachers yea we wish you the best on the

MCAS

If you just remember to check all you answers,

You gonna pass this test

Cause all the scholars at the Haley, yes we know you’re the best (at taking)

The MCAS

Adding and subtracting, multiplying and dividing for math

(MCAS, MCAS, MCAS)

And the fifth grade got the science where needs improvement is a thing of the past

(The past, the past, the past)

Cause I slept, yeah?

Ate breakfast, yeah?

Got here early, yeah?

Have all my supplies, yeah?

So now I think I’m ready to take this test. I’m feeling pretty good now.

I’m gonna rock this test!

You all are gonna do amazing on the science and math

Yeah on the, MCAS.

And all the City Year and teachers yea we wish you the best on the

MCAS

If you just remember to check all you answers,

You gonna pass this test

Cause all the scholars at the Haley, yes we know you’re the best (at taking)

The MCAS

We’ve Got Skills, and They’re Multiplying

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Mandy painting/Photo credit: James Koved

Corps member Mandy brings her background in art to painting a panel mural

This month, the MFS Investment Management team serving at the Haley is working on panel murals for an upcoming service day at our school, in coordination with the Boston Civic Engagement team.  We designed the murals to be based on the broad themes studied by grade level – family, community outreach, environmental stewardship.  What has resulted, though, is not simply a collection of basic panels, but true works of art.

In entering City Year, I knew I would be placed on a team with other young people looking to serve in schools.  I suspected they’d have some background working with students, perhaps even teaching.  And, indeed, I’ve found my teammates to be a group of well prepared individuals, certainly adept at interacting with students.  What surprised me, though, was the breadth of background skills brought to our team. Haley team members have studied art, history, science, music,

Rey dancing/Photo credit: Elliot Haney

Haley team member Rey as the King of Pop

culture and sports, we can draw comic books that would impress Stan Lee and have a breadth of cooking knowledge that rivals some nutritionists.  And that’s not even counting our resident Michael Jackson.

As we’ve started to paint murals, I’m happy to see our artistic skills put to good use.  But even beyond these paintings, being surrounded this quality and breadth of expertise encourages me to bring my background to the team and fosters a culture of shared knowledge. We’re learning how to paint, how to pickle string beans, and details about Spock that go far beyond what I thought I’d gain from this year.  Next time, I’ll have pictures of our final murals and of our upcoming service day and you’ll have a chance to see our new skills put to good use.

With ♥, City Year

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Photo credit: James Koved

Cards from the Haley Teacher Appreciation Breakfast

City Year has a culture of appreciation all year, but Valentine’s Day seems as good a day as any to extend that loving embrace outward and recognize the external individuals who are key to our success.

The Haley Team held a Teacher Appreciation Breakfast this week to honor the school’s teachers, specialists, and staff.  Here’s what we said to this fantastic group:

To our partners in fluency and phonics, magnetism and migration; to our partners in chilly mornings around the bus loop and Monday all-school meetings; and to our partners in educating the next generation of outstanding scholars:

Thank you.

Thank you for Pledging for Peace each morning with us.  Thank you for your dedication to your students this year, last year, and next year. Thank you for believing in their success and for believing in our ability to facilitate that change.  Thank you for opening your doors and arms in welcoming another City Year team.  Thank you for collecting cans of food, for sprinting around a rectangular track, for celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr., and for fueling our unbridled optimism.  Thank you for being our partners.

Who did you appreciate on Valentine’s Day?   Let us know in the comments!