And this is why we love Alan...

"Hey Hannah, I hate to remind you... but... YOU'RE GONNA DIE."

                                               - Alan Shelton 

CELEBRATE Good Times....

I know it's been a while, but it makes the updates all the more exciting. 

Today is report card pick-up day! - dreaded by students, loved by staff. 

We got our first in-kinding of the year underway thanks to Nicole!  Because of her we will be able to offer parents cinnamon cake from Corner Bakery!  We are so excited to be able to meet some parents today and let them know all of the great things we have been doing. 

In additon to the parent teacher day, we have had a lot of exciting things happening including but not limited to...
- We have begun opening the gym to students for morning greeting, socializing, letting them play basketball and of course playing all the coolest jams. 
- Our team has added more to our schedules in the past two weeks by picking up more classes!  Three of our corp members (Jasmyne, Nicole and Andrea) are actually in junoir ACT prep classes! 
- Andrea has done an awesome job getting all of our attendance ducks in a row.
- We have created a "Meet your CY Team" poster board to display at all of our events... It will get it's first test run today. 
- Homework help has been a big hit!  The basketball team is required to come to our support THREE times a week! 
- We are attempting to begin a Creative and Performing Arts Club next semester, so let the in-kinding begin!
- We all did teacher appreciations on tuesday night but making posters and hanging them on teacher's doors so they would be SURPRISED by them in the morning. 
- All of our students are CRAY CRAY (crazy) but we love them for it. 

-----DEUCES!-----

Hump Day Haiku

This weeks hump day haiku is a rather special one, because we have ANOTHER birthday today!!!

All Jazzed Up

Jasmyne has some 'tude

Snappalicious, so divine

Where you at? What what?

                       - Phil Horn 

Happy Birthday to the Jazziest member of our team!

This happens to be the only picture of Jasmyne... good thing she looks so fierce in it.

Know that you are loved (kind of) by us all!

Happy Novemeber!

Our homework help room exploding with students.

It is hard to believe that November is already upon us.  You know what they say, time flies when you're changing lives.  Last week was a busy one for us and it ended on a great note!  We started homework help, and while the beginning of the week did not look too promising by Thursday we actually had a sign-in sheet, which led to Jade doing "the sign-in sheet dance" at the end of the day (it was an utterly fantastic show, let me tell you). We also began our behavior coaching sessions during lunch.  For the most part I believe that the lunches went pretty well, however not everyone had 100% success due to some stubborn students, but we are on the right path! 

Friday was our first TEAM DAY at City Year and we had boatloads of fun!  We started the morning out with a fancy schmancy brunch at Orange followed by Chicagoween in Daley Plaza.  It was a nice change of pace to be at the plaza without doing chain breakers or jumping jacks... but we are always ready to do those things of course if needed and with excellence. 

Team in Daley Plaza in front of orange colored fountain. (Jasmyne is with us in spirit)

Chicagoween got us all in the mood for a spooktacular weekend, but our day was far from over.  There was still work to be done and lives to change.  We traveled to the West Side via the blue line so we could school our 9th graders on the importance of attendance.  We gave them a dose of what we like to call The Attendance Reality.  We also got the opportunity to formally introduce ourselves to the entire school, so now when they see me making a fool of myself at morning greeting they can call me out by name!  Our attendance rally went better than expected, but as I glance out the window (30 minutes into first period) there is still groups of students strolling in to school so our work is far from over!  I have to say the only thing that could have made Friday better was some cake.  Good thing it was Phil's Birthday on Saturday and therefore a reason to eat cake on Friday!!!!!
Happy Birthday Phil! I hope your day was Sasstastic!

Miss Serrano and the birthday boy looking extra fine. 

 Well it's time to go... I think my boots are on fire.  Hope everyone has a great Monday! 

Hump Day Haiku

An Ode to Mari

Mari loves her math

Algebra, trig, calculus

She knows no English

         - Phil Horn

Just another manic Monday...

     Some people may be curious as to why it has been over a week since the last update, and the answer to that is quite simple.  I wanted to make a post so jammed packed that reading it could actually make your face melt off.  I then realized there could be some legal implications with that, so I will try and give you the skinny on this past week without damaging any body parts.

     On Monday we notified our behavior focus list students that they will be joining us for "Leadership Lunches."   Some students were excited to be chosen, while others were a bit hesitant to say the least.  One student actually informed me that he had "things to do" during our twenty minute once a week meeting and therefore could never make it... we'll see about that!
     Wednesday our school had an activity fair in which we rolled out our after school homework help and The Collins Academy Emerging Leaders Club.  I am proud to say that a good amount of students signed up for our leadership club (more than chess club! suckers!), and I am hoping to have a good year!
     Thursday was bittersweet because although we were not in school = ( , we got to go on a field trip to Springfield for Americorp's Opening Day for the state of Illinois with the entire corp! There was no school on Friday, but City Year managed to have quite an exciting day.  After starting the day with PT we were informed that Sentator Dick Durbin would be coming to speak for us!  It was an awesome end to our IJ sessions, in which we all read a story about being in the belly of the beast.  This story was more exciting than I could give it justice, so I'll leave it at that.  The corp also got some training to prepare for Saturday's Make A Difference Day.  The rain however prevented most of us from making a difference in anything but our sleep cycle (yay for sleeping in!).  Props to Phil and Andrea who WERE able to make a difference doing indoor service projects.
     So that brings us to today... Monday... which is almost never a Funday, but no complaints here.  It's been a pretty mellow day around these parts and we are all looking forward to starting homework help today.  The lovely Jasmyne and myself will be missing this monumental moment to attend an after school coordinator meeting.  All of the other coordinator roles have had a chance to meet this past week, but I like to think that they have saved the best for last ; ).  Which brings me to my next point... I have added a new tab at the top of the blog called COORDINATORS.  You can refer to this section to see who has what coordinator role and any news going on!

Nicole's Birthday!

We were all here nice and early today, with the exception of our team leader (cough cough) who got caught up in what will undoubtedly go down in history as The Great Cake Mix-up of 2010.  The lovely Jasmyne brought us some doughnuts this morning, which may be why we were extra fired up for today's morning greeting.  We got to see Jasmyne get down to some Will Smith and Jeremiah made sure every one of his students brought in their take home tests.  It is safe to say that we are all ready to put some idealism to work today! *BING!* 

Now on top of all that, we have yet another reason to CELEBRATE! For today is Nicole's birthday and we would all like to formally thank her for being born!



Miss Lewis in action... Isn't she adorable?



Happy Birthday Nicole! We all love you!

Hide Your Kids... Hide Your Wife... We Have ARRIVED!

After a month of training our team has finally emerged from the sweaty gym of Thomas Jefferson Elementary ready to leave a mark on The West Side of Chicago!  This past week at our school has been a roller coaster ride but exciting none the less.  Without further adieu I introduce to you our grand slam team... so hide your kids and your wife cause here we are!  (Well don't hide your kids... after all we are here for them!)

Phil Horn otherwise known as The Sassy One.  Phil hails from Columbus, Ohio and is a recent graduate of The Ohio State University with his degree in social work.  After this year Phil wants to get his M.A in either social work or public health.  He will be working in a world studies classroom this year!

Mari Mermelstein  (Msquared) is our math wiz from Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.  Mari recently graduated and got her mathematics education certification at the University of Illinois Wesleyen.  Of course Mari will be working in an Algebra class this year and is hoping to have her very own classroom in the near future.  

Jeremiah Washington is one of two native Chicagoans on our team! After attending the University of Chicago Jeremiah came to City Year ready to give back to the very community he grew up in, attending grammar school just down the road from our lovely high school!  Jeremiah will be working with students in health classes this year. 

No team would be complete without their very own smart-alec and that is precisely where Alan Shelton comes in!  Alan is a recent graduate of the Kansas City Art Institute which is also where he grew up.  Next year Alan hopes to go to either Japan or Korea to teach English abroad.  Alan is working with students in English classes this year. 

Nicole Lewis always puts some pep in everyone's step!  Nicole is a proud Michigan State graduate and she recently got her certification in elementary education.  After this year Nicole is considering becoming a senoir corp member at City Year ( a very brave soul) before pursuing a career in education.  Nicole is also working in English classes this year.  

We call her The Spicy One because she is always getting everyone one FIRED UP!  Ladies and gentleman I am referring to Miss Andrea Serrano.  This Mexican fire-cracker moved to the states at a young age and pursued her education at The University of Notre Dame getting her degree in Anthropology.  Andrea will be working in a world studies class this year. 

Jazzy Jasmyne Griffith is our other Chicago born teammate.  Jasmyne left the windy city to go to Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi but she is back with avengence!  Currently Jasmyne is working on her Masters degree in non-profit management at Argosy University to reach her dream of running her own NPO.  Jasmyne is working in an English class this year. 

Dr.Martin Luther King Jr, Mohandas Gandhi, Captain Kirk... all great leaders.  Soon to join their ranks is our very own Jade Lopez.  Fearlessly leading our team to greatness, Jade is a senoir corp member with City Year.  Jade received her degree in Africana Studies from North Park University in Chicago and has plans of beginning a career in education after this year.  

And of course there is yours truly. (drum roll please!) Hannah Gray.  I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA where I also got my Economics and Sociology degrees at The University of Pittsburgh.  Since I have fallen in love with Chicago I plan on getting my masters degree in teaching somewhere in the city.  I will be in an earth science class this year. 

As our second week here draws to a close we still have many unanswered questions, but the thing we are all learning fast is flexibility!  I know that I speak for us all when I say that this will be an interesting year, but the students have already brought so many smiles to our faces that it all seems worth it already.  We have already made a little home in here in the West wing of our school and I love it already.  So here is to the year ahead... to all making it out alive and to CHANGING LIVES!