AWARDS FOR THE WEEK, Hillary's Math Class

Best Effort - Sherley Pepin
Mathematicians of the Week - Gianna Mathes, Moe Moe Taylor

The kids can fly!

Hey guys!
Thanks Hillary for creating this blog, its really awesome, I had started a journal a while back , but not posted here for a while.
For this Starburst introduction activity yesterday, one of the questions I asked the students who recieved a particular color of Starburst was "If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?" Many of the responses were actually exactly the same: either a cheetah or a bird. The kids wanted to be a cheetah so they could be faster and a bird so they could fly all over the world (as one kid put it). All I could think was, don't they know they can already fly?

preparations (Hillary)

It's hard to believe that we've only got two more days until the students come. Our orientation week has gone by so fast; between the lesson planning, the classroom setup, the cheers, and the team building, it feels like I've spent maybe an hour at Summerbridge, not a week.

But while I am a little nervous, I'm also really, really thrilled to meet the kids, especially my students. I've only been able to reach one of my advisee students, Naomi (every teacher is assigned 3-4 students to advise throughout the summer), but she sounded really excited and she says she loves math, which is awesome. Getting settled into the Tobin School has also helped me get excited about teaching my classes, 7th Grade Math and Culinary Anthropology; for the latter, I'll be sharing with Marlena, another social studies teacher, but she's done SBC before, so it will be nice to have someone who knows the ropes at close hand.

At any rate, I have some lesson plans for later in the summer to go work on, but I can't wait to experience first-hand the SBC Spirit that has Naomi so thrilled to start the summer.



Hillary

introductions

Welcome to the Summerbridge Cambridge (SBC) blog! Here you'll find updates from our staff and our students on classes, projects, field trips, the adventures of Spirit Boy and Spirit Girl...the list goes on and on.

In case you're wondering about SBC, here's some useful info:

What is Summerbridge Cambridge?

Summerbridge Cambridge (SBC) is a program with a twofold mission:

1) provide highly motivated, underserved middle schoolers with educational opportunities they might not otherwise receive, and

2) inspire high-achieving high school and college students to pursue careers in education.

As such, it has two main components: the afterschool program and the summer program. This blog is focused on the summer program. SBC is affiliated with the Breakthrough Collaborative, a worldwide organization of programs with similar goals.

Who can go to SBC?

Students must go through an application and an interview process. Those who are selected must commit to spending at least two summers with the program.

Are your teachers qualified?

Short answer: Yes. Long answer: Our teachers are very qualified. Every teacher goes through an application and interview process similar to that underwent by the students. Over 250 applicants applied for approximately 30 positions for the summer of 2006. Teachers are encouraged to design courses about which they are passionate, and are given support and training through the SBC administration and the presence of professional mentor teachers. Our teachers this year come from institutions as diverse as Harvard University, Claremont-McKenna College, Centre College, University of North Carolina, the Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, and Brookline High School.

Is SBC a for-profit organization?

SBC is a nonprofit organization. All its programs are free.

How does an average day work?

Students attend math and literature classes, along with either a science or a social studies course, in the morning. In the afternoon, they might be on a field trip, learning a new skill in a teacher-led activity, receiving extra help with homework, or volunteering in the community. After a long but rewarding day, students are dismissed at 3:45.

Where is it?

The Tobin School, 197 Vassal Lane, Cambridge, MA 02138.



In this blog, you'll see updates from each of our staff members on their individual courses, as well as reflections about teaching and the changes they hope to effect this summer. Exceptional student work will also be posted, as well as student thoughts on what SBC means to them.

This blog is a great way to get an idea of what the SBC community is like, what we stand for, and what we hope to achieve. Stay tuned!

SBC Spirit,

Hillary




For more information:

http://www.breakthroughcollaborative.org

http://www.summerbridgecambridge.org

http://www.cpsd.us/tobin/

testing testing

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