The year so far with the students at the CRIT-RISE-Haywood program has been a joy, complete with many surprises. It has been my pleasure to see them grow. Each time they shock me with courage and talent that none of us knew existed. We began 2014 with the Hip Hop Enhancement. Many of the students thought they were familiar with this style of dance, but soon found out it was harder than it looked. That didn’t stop any of them.  The students learned a routine and really had fun doing it. Some of them were naturals, others not so much, but the real treat was the dedication it took to learn the routine and to see them rise to the occasion. The next fabulous Enhancement was Songwriting. The students came up with a fantastic, heart-felt song with the aid of Mr. Bobby. Now if only I can get them to sing it at the Spring Showcase.  Oh, and I forgot mention that one of the quieter students has a solo rap. Keep your fingers crossed.

We were able to squeeze in a field trip on the weekend. Some of the students had expressed their desire to go to the downtown library and check out books and movies. This was such a treat for us. The weather was fantastic and the students are all so good.  One student spent the entire visit time trying to convince me to change the number of check outs they could take home with them that day. She may become a lawyer, who knows!

All of the boys plunged into Fashion Design, even though they had already determined that this was not the enhancement for them.  To our surprise, there is that word again, the boys created some pretty neat things to wear. Maybe not to your surprise, the girls were all geared up and ready to make their fashion statements come alive in their very own article of clothing that they designed and created.  This Enhancement really got them going, and they became very detailed oriented and did not want to put the project down.

RISE is not all about having great Enhancements -  it is also about helping our refugee and immigrant population have a support system during these critical years of schooling. The students have come to know that when they step through the doors, they will be expected to expand and not leave the same way they came in. They love to read books, together and alone. It is great to see the community that they have formed. The students feel safe and are free to try new things and not be criticized for making a mistake. I love to hear when they are doing better in school or want to share something that they have done or learned that week or day. We have been working on comprehension and their ability to retell a source text in their own words. They are gaining more confidence in their ability to read information and retell that information. Soon they will begin to understand that it is from this point of mastery that opinions can be formed. I asked one student, “Why did I pick this book?” The student replied back in a sarcastic tone, “Because you want us to change the world.” I wanted to burst out in laughter: I guess they have heard me say it so much, they may be tired of hearing it. But I’m not going to stop. These kids can change the world.

#NAZA

   

We have been doing lots of exciting activities at Stonebrook this Winter! We had our Fall Showcase in December. RISE students showed their artwork, and performed dance routines and songs they had written for their families and teachers, not to mention they cooked for everyone!

It was great to start a new chapter for RISE in January. This semester we have been very focused on academic activities and games, primarily focusing on basic math and reading skills since so many of the students have been living in the US for a year or less. Here are some of the activities we’ve been doing so far!

At the beginning of the semester, we took a field trip to see the Nashville Predators play hockey downtown.

We created a “Word Wall” where students bring in daily vocabulary words and write the definitions at the front of the classroom.

Our Science teacher just led a class last week where the students planted Snow Pea plants and we are eagerly waiting for them to sprout!

RISE students enjoy a Nashville Predators game! 

Ms. Tiffany accompanies RISE students to a dance clinic.

For our art enhancements this semester, we have already had Theatre, Hip Hop Dance, Songwriting and are just beginning Mural Painting. In Theatre, the students learned about what it means to be a stage actor and learned lots of fun improv games that take a lot of imagination. In Songwriting, the students worked together to write a song about achieving your dreams. Several students participated in a dance clinic sponsored by Move and Grooves; they loved the chance to do more hip hop!

Many thanks to the Metro Nashville Arts Commission, Moves and Grooves, and the Predators Foundation! RISE Enhancements are funded in part by the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission.

Last week the Elders took a break from class to give back, and have a little fun. After speaking with the good people at the Nashville Food Project, they agreed to take us on, and put us to work in the kitchen. For those of you who don’t know, the Nashville Food Project is a nonprofit that provides nutritious, hot meals for those who may not have access. When the elders arrived at the office there was little time to stand on ceremony, as the evening meal had to be prepared.  There was a crew of 11 elders and two interpreters, and it was all hands on deck to get everything prepared.  Meat was cut, lettuce was shredded, onions were chopped, and cheese was grated, all under the watchful eye of the wonderful kitchen manager Sarah.  Along the way, some of the elders got to show off their ever improving English skills, and everyone learned a little Nepali and Karen kitchen lingo. After all the prep work was done, the elders got to take a tour of the facility, and learn about the great work they are doing.  Then, on the way out the door the elders got to take home a little reward for all their hard work, in the form of some bread.  In all, this was a wonderful experience for everyone involved, and hope to volunteer again very soon!

The salad assembly team.

   

Tanka says “That’s enough cheese.”

Padam is all business.

  Doing work on the cutting board.

     Go Team Elders!!!!

I still remember the day when I landed my feet at Nashville International Airport in 2008. The first thing I saw after getting to the baggage claim, were some American caseworkers from World Relief holding some beautiful flowers in their hands, to welcome me and my family to Nashville.

Though it was an entirely different world for me, it didn’t trouble me to get along in this new environment.  That was, in large part, because of the hard work and effort that organization gave.

The help I received from my caseworkers was very important and precious to my ability to become self-sufficient. My job at CRIT helps me to give that same assistance in return to the people who are in need today. I know firsthand how it feels when you have no clue how to fit into a new place, but excellent service providers like CRIT are here to help newcomers and make the transition as easy as possible.

Apollo Middle School students have been very busy! Whenever I enter the school, there is fun, all-school activity happening!. My R.I.S.E. students have had a lot of energy and are eager to get together as a group after school.

This semester, we have a new schedule that includes sharing our week between the computer lab and the art room.  In the computer lab we focus on academic computer websites, such as ones that have fun English learning games and others that have fun ways to learn math.  The students really love the pirate game that quizzes them on multiplication tables so their character can run across the boat and make its way to the crow’s nest!

In the art room, we have been doing station rotations.  Each station has a different academic component to it. For example, one station is ‘egg shell math’: there are two pennies inside of an empty egg carton and each egg cup has a number written on it. Shake the egg carton, open it up, and where the pennies land, you multiply. This is a great way for some fun, light-hearted competition while learning multiplication tables! As you can see, multiplication tables are something we focus on! Its important to lock down that basic math foundation because it makes the rest of math a breeze. Besides our math activities, we have science trivia, a small library of books, and a homework station for those with homework.  Next week we are going to focus on literacy more by  incorporating the book library and allowing the students to create their own reading timelines!