#its an elementary spanish class because i need to take two years of a language as part of my gen eds at iowa

[orlamccools]

i havent really shared this on here bc ive been nervous but. starting in late august im going to be taking an online class through a community college that does like direct credit transfers to iowa which is v exciting but also kinda nerve racking bc i havent been in school in like. 18 months. but its also exciting bc im on my way back!!!

#maddie mumbles #its an elementary spanish class because i need to take two years of a language as part of my gen eds at iowa #so i figured why not knock it out of the way now by having that be like the only class i have to focus on all semester

[blush-and-books]

i'm about to pass out but needed to write this - JATP + school headcanons

*disclaimer: I am only evaluating their attitudes and performance in what are considered "core" classes in my state. Idk if it is universal. These are also generalizations -- ik theres different types of math and science that they are taking

LUKE

He inspired this so we start with the king

ENGLISH CLASS: He excelled. Somehow, unknowingly, became his teacher's favorite. Did the homework for this class and ONLY this class. A+

MATH CLASS: B-/C+. Does not like math, hates it actually, never did the homework. Somehow averaged a B+/A- on tests and quizzes because he would have Reggie tutor him days before in preparation. Teacher always shocked at how he managed.

HISTORY CLASS: Did not do the homework, but still, like, paid attention?? Had it with all the guys so there were funny moments and events to associate with each lesson and lecture and somehow he remembered it. Again, did not do the homework. Maybe if he was super bored. C+/B-

SCIENCE CLASS: Skipped it most of the time. Would show up for labs and experiments even if he had no clue what was going on. Bobby tried to help but Luke was so uninterested lol, and the teacher was v boring!!! Not fun. D+

LANGUAGE: Took Spanish because its what everyone did??? He thought it would be the most useful but it ended up being such a mistake. He thought that English was complicated, but shit!!! Hard :(( Julie tried to revive his education but fails often (but hes really faking it bc he just wants to keep hearing her speak Spanish and try to teach him). D+/C-

JULIE

ENGLISH CLASS: Aces all of her essays. Emotionally attached to all of her female English teachers!! Sometimes her interpretations of the books are a little off but literally everyone's are. Loves English. A-/A

MATH CLASS: Gifted kid syndrome but only with math if that makes sense?? Got super ahead in elementary and middle school but now that shes in high school she barely knows what's going on and is running out of math classes to take because she was able to jump so much from middle to high school. Has to study the most for this one. Thank god for Reggie. B-

HISTORY CLASS: Could take it or leave it! Likes the subject but hates the teacher. Does well on tests to spite them. Doodles too much on her homework and it annoys the teacher v much. A-

SCIENCE CLASS: kinds vibes ngl??? Something kinds cool about it. Has Flynn in the class, a fun young science teacher, and they all just have a really good time. Julie never really liked science but with the right people and environment shes flourishing!!! A

LANGUAGE: Did not have to take one -- took a fluency exam in Spanish her freshman year. Has minor superiority complex every time Flynn complains about not knowing her language.

REGGIE

ENGLISH CLASS: Got distracted hella easily... Not very fun :( teacher didn't understand that he had ADHD and learned things in a different way. Luke tried to help him cheat on tests tho so he didnt have to repeat the class. D+/C-

MATH CLASS: GENIUS!?!?!?!? GENIUS. Literally took two math classes one year bc he could. Somehow it all made sense. Really loved how numbers were consistent and clearly right or wrong; not subjective. Teachers loved him because he was always kind and positive and brought a smile to everyones face. A+++

HISTORY CLASS: Did not suck at it??? Kinda cool stuff and fun times with his besties. Did better in the class than any of them. Teacher was a total prick tho and Reggie was also late because it was their period right after lunch and he was a slow eater and the teacher didnt allow food. Again: teacher was a prick. B+

SCIENCE CLASS: Enjoyed the labs and experiments, usually aced those because he has exceptional attention to detail. Everything else, not so much. Certain concepts were just very hard to grasp and he had a hard time creating ways to remember things. C+

LANGUAGE: He took French because he knew his mom took French when she was in high school and he thought she could help him and they could bond. That plan didn't really work out -- but he still did okay, even if his mom didn't pay attention. B-

ALEX

ENGLISH CLASS: In between Luke and Reggie -- read the books and retained most of the information, but the essays were not it. He really liked class discussions even though the teacher would tell him his interpretations were wrong (how do you interpret something incorrectly?? Art is up for interpretation?? He will never quite understand). B+/B-

MATH CLASS: Kill him. Least favorite class. Hates math and has hated math since his first lesson on fractions broke his spirit in third grade. Reggie helped him through most of it but shit really did not click. Did his best because his parents would be mad if he didn't. C-/C+

HISTORY CLASS: Very into history for some unknown reason??? The TA in the class was hot so he made sure to pay attention and make a good impression. He was often apologizing for the behavior of his bandmates. A+

SCIENCE CLASS: Did not hate it!!! Had the fun young new teacher instead of the same old dude that had been there for 20 years. She was really fun and sweet (and totally got the vibe he was gay and was super supportive)!!! He didnt quite understand everything but still worked his ass off. B+

LANGUAGE: French with Reggie because he thought it was a more romantic language. Quickly realized his mistake and switched to Spanish the next year. Realized his mistake again (the mistake being that he would be good at learning a new language) and stopped trying lol. C+

FLYNN

ENGLISH CLASS: Her essays are well written because Julie edits all of them. Like Alex, is always told that she is reading the text wrong?? The two of them bond mega over that. Just because she has a wider imagination does not mean she should be punished for it!!! B+

MATH CLASS: Geometry is her jam but algebra makes her wanna commit every degree of murder. Sometimes it clicks and sometimes it definitely does not. Probably dont ask her for help because shes awful at explaining things. B-

HISTORY CLASS: Hates it here!!!!!!!! She hates the curriculum, hates the lecturing, and constantly either feels bored or singled out in every lesson. Is advocating in the district for textbook and curriculum reform to include diverse and pan-ethnic studies. C-

SCIENCE CLASS: Her favorite class!!!!!! Loves everything about it. She isnt learning how the world works through history but instead through the facts of science. She feels invincible in the lab and like she has so much more to discover. She particularly enjoys astronomy. A+

LANGUAGE: Spanish so that Julie could help her out!!! Can barely utter more than 2 sentences in conversation but is perfect on paper and that's more than half of the battle. A-

#i made this on mobile so shes just long #jatp #julie and the phantoms

[longitud-de-onda]

{un veneno} january: captivate

pairing; javier peña x female reader summary; the year is 1980. javier peña has been at the embassy in bogotá for a year when he meets you, fresh out of college and brand new to the country. rating; nc-17 warnings; smoking, masturbation word count; 2.4k a/n; so this is a passion project of mine, it will be 12 chapters, full of fluff, smut, warm tropical nights, and later on, a lot of angst. bonus; there’s a playlist for the series! check it out here on spotify or message me for apple music

un veneno masterlist

“Quero um–no, fuck–un paquete de cigarros?” you said to the shop attendant. Spanish was no easy task. It was a dumb decision to come here without any knowledge of the language, but you had assumed some university-level Portuguese would help. Apparently not, because the man behind the counter shot you a confused look as he pulled a pack from the shelves behind them. He understood, that was clear, but you didn’t know the words.

“Ella quiere unas Pielrojas porfa, con filtro,” said a voice behind you, “No esos malditos y caros Marlboros. Bueno, que sean dos y yo pago.”

“Señor Peña, ¿cómo vas?” the shopkeeper said, and you turned to look at this ‘Señor Peña.’

He was a bit taller than you, and more than a bit older. Tanned skin, tight pants, a pink shirt. A large pair of orange-tinted sunglasses masked his eyes.

“Muy bién, Roberto, ¿y cómo va tu esposa?” He said, and the shopkeeper laughed. You only caught a few words of the exchange and were unsure if you were getting your cigarettes.

You flew into Bogotá the day before and had just gotten settled at the hostel you’d be staying in for the next couple of weeks. It had been a solid three days since you’d had a smoke and you wanted to go to the park nearby and relax.

The man turned to you and began to speak with a rough but refreshingly familiar American accent, tinged with the light musicality of the Southern states, “I’m sorry ma’am for the interruption, but Roberto here was going to try to sell you the Marlboros, which are much to overpriced, and I couldn’t let a pretty little thing like you get ripped off like that.”

“Thank you? But I can handle myself,” you said.

“Obviously not, you sound like you’re confusing Portuguese for Spanish, which just won’t cut it here,” he said, turning to pay for the two boxes that Roberto placed on the counter.

He tossed you one pack, which you fumbled with, clutching it against your stomach to ensure it didn’t fall. He laughed.

“That right there’s a pack of Pielroja, it’s loosely packed, so I hope you don’t mind, but it’s cheaper, local, and ten times better,” he said.

“Thanks,” you said. As interesting as the guy was, you really wanted to leave for the park. Colombia wasn’t your first rodeo, but somehow every new country was exhausting between the 24th and 32nd hour marks.

“You’re welcome,” he said as you brushed by him and walked out the door.

Outside the shop, you paused to fish your lighter out of your bag.

“So what’s an American girl doing in Bogotá all alone?” The man was back, standing in front of you.

“You just don’t stop, do you?”

“Not really, no,” he grinned, leaning back against the building.

You opened the pack of cigarettes he bought you, lit one, and drew it to your lips.

“So, do you like it?” he was messing around with his own box and pulled out one. He held it out to you, silently asking for you to light it. You complied.

You weren’t sure if he was talking about cigarettes or Bogotá. “It’s nice. So far,” you said, exhaling smoke.

He laughed again, this time bringing a smile to your face. He had a nice laugh.

“You never answered me, what are you doing here?”

“Teaching English at an elementary school nearby, I start next week,” you said.

His eyebrows shot up, “How old are you? 20?”

“22.”

“What kind of 22-year-old wants to be a schoolteacher?” he said.

“Me, apparently,” you said, “But it’s not my career or anything. Graduated last May, I’ve been traveling and teaching English, got a gig here, whole school year, pays pretty well, I’m excited.”

“You’re crazy,” he said, “22, fresh out of college, your only experience out of the states was probably in Europe, and you’re gonna teach kids? In Colombia?”

“What’s wrong with a bit of crazy?” you said.

“What’s your name?” he asked, ignoring your question.

“Y/N.”

“Y/N,” he said. You liked how he said your name. “I’m Javier.”

“Nice to meet you,” you said, staring at him propped up against the building.

The top two buttons of his shirt were open, and a thin sheen of sweat lay over his chest and face. Something about the look with the broad mustache made him appear like he was stuck in ‘73. His smile was one of those that reached the eyes and spilled into those around him.

You exhaled carefully.

“So, what are you doing in Colombia?” you asked.

“I work for the American embassy,” he said. There was a pause as he waited for the impressed look on your face that never came.

“What is this then, a welcome package?” you asked, chuckling to yourself.

“It could be,” he pushed himself off the wall and took another drag, “But then again, you’re only 22.”

“What does that have to—oh.” You found yourself laughing again. Javier was the sort of guy that you’d probably slap in the face back in the USA. But here, with the cloud cover doing nothing to mask the heat and humidity, the smell of papaya and passion fruit wafting through the air, you were only amused.

“See you around, Y/N,” Javier said, and he walked down the sidewalk before turning a corner and disappearing.

Five days of getting to know hundreds of students in different classes during the first week of school, all while trying to develop lesson plans, left you lying in your hostel bed on a Friday night. You were alone in the room, the rest of the residents out partying, as per usual for a hostel in the middle of a city.

You would have loved to be out too, Colombian Rock and rum thrumming through your body, dancing with someone, going home with someone.

But you had spent too much energy this week and partying would have to wait. You had a year left in Bogotá, at least another 50 Friday nights. Lesson planning would let up once you got into a rhythm. And figured out a living situation.

One of the other teachers had offered her spare bedroom during February and a bit of March, but her daughter would be back in town after that, and you’d lose the space. The wait until you got your own space in February felt far away. March even further. But planning for that needed to happen sooner rather than later. The hostel bed was killing you, and you hated the drunk guys coming and going.

At least you knew you’d be alone for another hour. No one dared come back before midnight; if you were caught calling it an early night it was certain fodder for shame the next morning. At least, that was the way your roommates worked.

Still, to be safe, you closed the curtain, encapsulating yourself on your bed in the darkness. You closed your eyes and slipped one hand down your stomach, dipping under the waistband of your pants and into your underwear.

As your fingers brushed over your clit, you let out a small gasp, your free hand fisting into the sheets. The last time you had been touched was over a month ago, back during the cold December winter weather in Brussels. You worked your hand across your slit, telling yourself this had to be a one-time thing. You would go out, find a good hookup this week.

Your brain was overworking, shuddering in pleasure, and the man from last week flickered across your vision: Javier.

You imagined his chest, the open shirt leaving a trail right down his chest, glowing in the sun. You slipped a finger inside, gasping at the sensation.

He would probably take you to bed if you played your cards right. If you found him again. He seemed to have that kind of character. You remembered his last words to you, suggestive and sensual.

He was older, probably by a lot. You shouldn’t be thinking about him, but you wanted him to hold you in his arms, kiss your neck. You imagined how he’d taste, probably like cigarettes and whiskey.

The thought of his hands snaking down your waist, pulling you closer almost sent you over and you moved your fingers faster. His smile, snarky and self-obsessed as it was, had worked its way into your brain, and you wondered where he was now.

Did he remember you? Had he laid in bed like you were now, getting himself off to your name? And that image, flooding into your brain, as unrealistic as it was, caused you to almost scream out loud, your whole body spasming.

Finally relaxed, your body almost limp on the bed, you became aware of the layer of sweat that now covered your body, and made up your mind to take a shower. As soon as you recover. That was the best orgasm you had had in months. But where had those thoughts come from?

You had only seen Javier that one time, right outside the corner store, then tried and failed to shove him out of your mind. In the few minutes you had known him, you had decided he was an asshole who didn’t deserve your time, but the sort of asshole you could see yourself becoming good friends with.

If he was years younger, you could have imagined traveling with him, continuing your round-the-world travels with Javier would have been amazing. You had seen so many things during your six months in Europe and met so many people. Many of the backpackers at the youth hostels you stayed at traveled with others. Mostly, they were single, their companions just good fun and friendship for the journey.

You had long since imagined meeting someone on the road like they did, someone that would sweep you off your feet and set aside a year of their life to spend with you, hopping from country to country, odd job to odd job.

Javier’s shit-eating grin and verbal wit would stick in your mind long after you left Colombia. And here you were, getting off to him.

If he lived in Bogotá? Worked at the embassy, probably lived nearby? You’d probably see him again. And you’d have to look at him in the eye, the only thing running through your mind the memory of tonight.

You wanted to see him again. Wanted to have lunch and smoke with him. Wanted him to show you around. But after what you just did, you didn’t know if that was possible.

Sex was no stranger to you, the one night stands being a common figure in your life throughout college, but even you wouldn’t go for someone as old as him. You had standards. A guy his age was reserved for friendship. At least, that’s what you told yourself. Until now.

“God, I’m fucked,” you breathed out, sitting up and gathering your shower stuff before heading to the bathroom.

Javier had returned to the corner store every day for the past two weeks, hoping to catch a glimpse of you again. He was back today, 15:30, hopefully after school got out, he imagined, eyes scanning the store as he lingered by the refrigerators full of six-packs.

The bell rang as someone walked in and he looked up. You stood there, exhausted from a day of child-wrangling and his eyes lit up.

All you wanted was a bottle of something and a shitty candy bar. You were roaming the aisles, trying to settle between the foreign brands of chocolate when Javier approached.

“Y/N,” he said, causing you to startle as you looked up. A deep red blush began to blossom across your cheeks as you took him in. He was even better in person.

“Javier, what a coincidence, running into you here again,” that was a lie. You walked past four other stores just to come here, hoping he would be nearby.

“Yeah... a coincidence,” he said, reaching down to grab a candy bar. “This one’s the best, that is, if you like milk chocolate.”

“So two weeks later and all you’re still giving me local product recommendations? You should write for the newspaper,” you laughed, signaling you didn’t want the chocolate when he tried to hand it to you, “But you’d be wrong, because the only good chocolate is dark chocolate.”

“You like that bitter shit?” he said, still holding the bar in his hands.

You reached down for something that said 85% and figured that would be dark enough for you.

“Gross,” he said.

“You can leave,” you said.

You didn’t want him to leave.

“Do you want to go for a coffee?” he said. “You look exhausted.”

“Real good way to charm a woman,” it should have stung, but when Javier said it, you smiled.

“That, um, sounded bad, didn’t it?” his brow was furrowed and his smile was gone.

“Yeah, it did,” you kept smiling, hoping he would light up again. You wanted his excited face burnt into your memory. “So, what’s the best café around here?”

“Are you some kind of heathen who takes their coffee with no sugar or milk to go with your raw chocolate beans? If so, I have no suggestions because that’s disgusting.”

You laughed, loudly, with your whole body, “Unfortunately for you, I do. But if you give me a good café con leche I’ll drink it.”

“Good, because you’re not going to get away with that bar of chocolate and coffee with no add-ins.”

“I worry you have a sweet tooth and can’t appreciate good flavors,” you said. It was so easy to talk with him. He knew exactly what to say to keep you smiling as he leaned against the display like he owned the place.

“I don’t have a sweet tooth, you just like your food to hurt you,” he said, “Let’s go, there’s a good café down the block.”

He reached out to grab your hand and you almost lost it. His palm was soft and his grip firm.

Javier led you to the register where he flung his arm around your shoulders, “Roberto, te acuerdas de Y/N, ¿verdad?”

Roberto chuckled, ringing up your two chocolate bars, “Por supuesto.”

He leaned towards you and said, in broken English, “Careful. Señor Peña is crazy man, yes? He is flirt but he doesn’t mean it.”

Javier laughed, “No somos una pareja, Roberto, somos amigos. Solo amigos.”

You understood that part. You were friends. You grinned. After just ten minutes of talking over two weeks, Javier thought of you as a friend.

next: february: blossom

taglist; @pascalisthepunkest​ @turquiosenights (tumblr isn’t letting me tag so idk if these show up in your notifs)

#javier peña #javier pena #javier peña x reader #javier pena x reader #un veneno fic #camila writes #rated e #under 5 #reader #fluff #pedro fics #narcos fics #javi x reader

[garreaus-a]

hi, everyone ! it’s jessie again. i couldn’t help myself, ok ? i had to bring in my Chaotic Good, espionage-elite, French son samuel ... i hope u like him :’). he’s a character i’ve had awhile from a previous rpg / my indie ( aka the Archive ) so i adjusted his backstory a lil’ to fit here. again, please hmu on discord if you’d like to plot !! <3

⌠ BEN BARNES, 36, CISMALE, HE/HIM ⌡ welcome back to gallagher academy, SAMUEL GARREAU ! originally hailing from BLACKTHORNE, this alum specializes in THREAT ELIMINATION. when i see them walking around in the halls, i usually see a flash of ( complacent smirks paired with attentive eyes; the aroma of expensive, but fresh cologne; the decision to just “wing it”; a cigarette between lips ).  it’s the ( leo )’s birthday on 08/14/1983, and when they were still in school their most requested dish was BOUILLABAISSE from the school’s chefs. hopefully their presence can help ease the minds of gallagher students.

𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝙱𝙰𝙲𝙺𝚂𝚃𝙾𝚁𝚈.

in the late 1970s-80s, there were a string of infamous art robberies and trafficking occurring around france, which linked to notorious art thieves from both france and america. french-american cia agent matthieu garreau was assigned to assist the central directorate of the judicial police and the dgse in their investigation. french art curator adeyln legrand ( her fam is Old Money rich bc they own museums across the country ) was involved in the case as well, helping the agencies identify the stolen art pieces and their worth. as soon as matthieu laid eyes on her, it was love at first sight !

samuel elias garreau was born in paris, france — just before matthieu was sent back to washington d.c. he was raised by his mother and maternal grandparents ( who lived in marseille ) for most of his childhood. his childhood was filled with love, art, linguistics & french cuisine. he became a polyglot at a very young age, knowing how to speak french, english and spanish fluently. his father visited his wife and son as much as he could in france, but eventually, the two moved to washington d.c. when samuel was 10-years-old. 

a bit of context on the garreau family: the garreau family name has been involved in espionage for a VERY long time. lineages stem back to being loyal spies for the french monarchy for many generations before the surviving garreaus immigrated to america to escape WWII. many relatives eventually returned to france, but samuel’s paternal great-grandparents decided to continue to raise their children in the united states & establish connections with american intelligence agencies. 

immediately, matthieu wanted to begin espionage training ( already samuel was a couple years behind in hand-to-hand combat / weaponry training, so he’s eager ). adelyn was a bit Conflicted but ... lil’ energetic, happy-go-lucky samuel was ECSTATIC !! what better way to bond with your father, am i right ??

those 4 years before spy prep high school was full of father-son bonding, grueling combat training, & survival skill training. but, samuel was also a normal, private elementary / middle school student in washington d.c. it was a lot of pressure — juggling school, his blossoming social life, and keeping the whole “ i’m training to become a spy ” thing a secret bc sam CANNOT stop talking

before samuel busted at the seams, he was sent off to a prestigious spy prep school on the east coast to truly hone his skills and begin to identify what he may excel at as a spy; however, sam didn’t take it seriously ... like at ALL. it was mostly because he was so bored — he needed something stimulating / challenging. often samuel was being a Sneaky jerk, pulling pranks & being a kleptomaniac; however, his grades showed the opposite of his delinquent behavior. he was excelling in all of his classes.

the garreaus did not know what to do with samuel. literally, they had a whole damn family meeting about where he’s headed in his spy career bc there’s NO WAY any spy university would be willing to take him. the plan would be to utilize their connections in france and get him enrolled in an academy there until ...

blackthorne academy showed up outta nowhere and was like “ hey, we’ll whip his ass into shape. give him to us. ” the garreaus were reluctant due to the academy’s reputation and suspicious as to HOW blackthorne caught wind of their samuel; however, maybe this is what he needed. the most against this was his mother, but her voice held no authority. 

samuel was in for a RUDE awakening at blackthorne. maybe it was for the better ? he majored in THREAT ELIMINATION + LINGUISTICS, CULTURE, & ASSIMILATION ( whatever was blackthorne’s version of those were ). 

his first year there practically BROKE him, but by his sophomore year, his flaws became refined skills. somehow, his extrovert / devil-may-care and shrewd personality still shined amongst his callous and/or sadistic peers. 

the codename HERMES seemed to be used by his instructors sometimes to “ make fun ” of samuel, the label representing his ability to outwit his peers, mischievous and intrepid nature, proficient adaptability, and most importantly, he mastered the art of infiltration & extraction — just as the god of thieves would ( the ONLY time he’s the quietest compared to his peers tbh ) u know ... also stole lives too ... i know that’s cheesy SHHH

of course ... we all know the whole deal about blackthorne. he was molded into the perfect assassin, not a sophisticated spy that could have a drink with james bond or ... with his prestigious, royal spy family. 

throughout his many years of fieldwork across the globe, samuel was many things for both private clients and espionage / government agencies ( mostly doing a lot of infiltration / extraction & surveillance undercover missions ), even sometimes an actual thief for the right price. 

however, despite samuel’s slight identity crisis, he earned quite the name for himself in the espionage world and solidified himself as a reliable secret agent. but he’s still a pain in the butt :-P

during blackthorne’s last years, samuel often was asked to come by as a guest instructor, a desperate attempt to liven things back up to relive its better days. despite the absolute DEMONS his students were being, it surprised him that he actually enjoyed teaching. 

so, he was a bit shocked ( and ecstatic ) to hear that gallagher requested HIM out of the many blackthorne alumni to be a part of the faculty, let alone the threat elimination instructor. who would be a better teacher to teach future spy how to take down an assassin than an ACTUAL assassin ( and one who made quite a Reputation at blackthorne for outsmarting his upperclassmen and instructors ) ?

𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝙿𝙴𝚁𝚂𝙾𝙽𝙰𝙻𝙸𝚃𝚈.

tbh, samuel is the epitome of ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

he lives for the adrenaline rush; he will go out of his way and even risk his life sometimes to make missions more exciting ... but obviously, with a little planning beforehand to make sure missions are completed successfully

sam surprisingly is cooperative ( even if he really wants to do the opposite, he’d listen unless his quick-wit is essential for the situation ). his many years of experiences have made him realize how important intel and medical agents are to missions. he has a lot of respect for his fellow agents and students who aren’t concentrating their studies in the more physical combative majors

samuel likes being a nuisance. he’s quite devious and gets away with it a lot LMAO

he’s such a thespian it’s Unreal ... he’s so dramatic. but, this makes him excel at undercover missions bc this man enjoys acting way too much

samuel LOVES his students and it really cracks him up because if blackthorne student sam heard he’d be a mentor in the future, he’d laugh in your face

aka he’s the Cool Teacher at gallagher ok :’)

𝙷𝙸𝚂 𝙳𝙾𝚂𝚂𝙸𝙴𝚁 / 𝙵𝚄𝙽 𝙵𝙰𝙲𝚃𝚂.

he still has the slightest french accent when he speaks, mostly to latch on to a remaining attachment he has to his mother and previous “ normal life ”

an excellent cook ... obviously he enjoys cooking french cuisine the most 

he also is an avid art enthusiast and also loves fashion and architecture. he spends the majority of his salary on designer clothes and art pieces

if the faculty have to become normal professors, samuel is definitely up for teaching anything world history related !!

randomly knows a lot of natural history trivia thanks to his maternal grandmother, who was a botanist

the languages samuel currently knows is: french, english, spanish, italian, russian, german, arabic, japanese, and chinese ( mandarin & cantonese )

and that’s it !! im exhuasted and i can’t think of any wcs atm so pls if u guys have anything in mine PLEASE let me know :’)

#『 ✰ ｡ . * » ┇ 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙨 ╱ ooc. 』 #gallagher:intro #this is So Long ... im SORRY

[baromtm-blog]

⋆ ╰  another  year  at  hollingsworth  ,  another  year  of  the  big  six  rivalry  .  i  hear  that  BAROM  BANG  is  ensuring  PHI  GAMMA  IOTA  gets  a  solid  pledge  class  and  stays  at  the  top  of  the  ranks  . oh  ,  you’re  not  familiar  with  HIM  ?  ROMY  is  the  KIM  YUGYEOM  look  alike  from  CHARLESTON  ,  SOUTH  CAROLINA .  apart  of  PC  ‘16  ,  he  is  majoring  in  FINE  /  STUDIO  ARTS  and  has  plans  to  DEBUT  HIS  ARTWORK  AT  A  RENOWNED  MUSEUM  after  undergrad  .  it  makes  sense  they  pledged  their  house  ,  their  SAGACIOUS  &  CHIVALROUS  attributes  make  them  perfect  matches  .  however  ,  their  PUERILE  &  CONCUPISCENT  attributes  keep  their  name  alive  on  greek  rank .  if  you  don’t  catch  them  dancing  to  PLAYING  GAMES  -  SUMMER  WALKER  at  a  fraternity  band  party  this  year  ,  you’ll  be  sure  to  catch  them  nursing  their  morning  hangover  at  THE  LOFT  APARTMENTS  . cheers to  another  wild  semester  !

          hi  babies ,  it’s  ares  again  with  another  muse  !  he  is  a  slight  mash  of  the  chara  i  was  originally  gonna  bring  to  the  group ,  but  decided  that  i  like  this  version  much  better  !  i  won’t  talk  your  ears  off  about  myself  or  anything  since  i  know  this  intro  is  about  to  be  ...  how  do  i  say  ...  lengthy  as  it’s  very  background  /  family  history  heavy .  but  as  always ,  i  can’t  wait  to  write  with  everyone  (  again  !  )  and  i’m  not  ashamed  to  admit  that  j*stin  b*eber’s  ‘ journals  ’  helped  a  lot  with  muse  lmao . i’m  also  a  complete  IDIOT  who  reblogged  the  same  gifset  twice  but  i  refuse  to delete  it  because  yugyeom  is  beautiful ,  don’t  fight  me  on  that .

trigger  warnings :  detailed  talk  of  religion ,  minor  mentions  of  death ,  poor  writing ,  and  sugaring .

korean name  :  bang  ba-rom .

preferred spelling / arrangement  :  barom  bang .

nicknames  :  romy  /  romey  and  romeo  (  by  his  older  sister  only  ) . 

birthday  /  age  :  february  14th ,  1998  /  21 .

zodiac  :  aquarius .

pronouns  :  he  /  him  or  they  /  them .

gender  :  genderfluid .

sexual  orientation  :  bisexual .

romantic  orientation  :  biromantic .

height  :  6′0″  (  six  foot  ,  zero  inches  ) . 

hometown  :  charleston ,  south  carolina .  (  click !  )

current  location  :  savannah ,  georgia .

nationality  :  korean - american .

ethnicity  :  korean .

languages  spoken  :  english ,  korean ,  japanese ,  elementary  latin ,  and  conversational  mandarin .

bang  family  inspo  :  the  greenleafs  (  greenleaf  )  ,  the  gemstones  (  the  righteous  gemstones  )  ,  and  the  osteens .     

          𝖎𝖙  𝖜𝖆𝖘  𝖙𝖍𝖊  𝖘𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖊𝖗  of  1958  when  𝑘𝑖𝑚  𝑗𝑖-𝑚𝑖𝑛  was  born  in  sydney ,  australia  to  dong-wook  and  sook-ja ,  immigrants  from  seoul ,  south  korea .  the  family  was  small ,  but  loving  as  it  was  fueled  with  love ,  patience ,  and  the  parents’  love  for  the  lord .  ji-min  grew  up  in  a  home  that  was  religious ,  but  not  to  the  extreme ,  as  she  was  expected  to  go  to  bible  study  on  wednesdays  and  attend  service  on  sundays .  dong-wook  and  sook-ja  were  pillars  of  their  community  --  they  hosted  potlucks  after  service ,  always  had  small  cookouts  whenever  they  felt  the  need  to ,  and  they’d  give  the  clothes  off  of  their  backs  if  someone  needed  clothes .  overall ,  the  kims  were  the  neighbors  that  everyone  wanted ,  so  everyone  around  them  was  crushed  when  the  kims  decided  to  leave  behind  australia  for  the  states  --  specifically ,  south  carolina .

          𝖙𝖍𝖊  𝖋𝖆𝖒𝖎𝖑𝖞  𝖔𝖋  𝖙𝖍𝖗𝖊𝖊  settled  in  the  city  of  charleston ,  south  carolina  and  during  this  time ,  dong-wook  and  sook-ja  came  up  with  the  idea  to  open  their  own  church .  so ,  in  the  late  1960s ,  songbird  church  was  born .  of  course ,  the  congregation  was  small  (  as  was  the  church  building  itself  )  and  the  kims  paid  their  way  through  divinity  school  in  order  to  become  pastor  and  first  lady  respectively .  through  the  years ,  the  congregation  at  songbird  began  to  grow  to  the  point  where  they  were  able  to  purchase  a  bigger  building ,  and  the  kims  were  once  again  pillars  of  their  community .  during  this  time ,  ji-min  met  a  member  of  the  congregation  named  𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑔  𝑗𝑜𝑛𝑔-𝘩𝑦𝑢𝑛  who  was  only  a  year  older  than  the  then  fourteen  year  old .  the  couple  dated  for  four  years  before  getting  married  in  1982 ,  about  four  months  after  ji-min  turned  eighteen .

          𝖜𝖎𝖙𝖍  𝖙𝖍𝖊  𝖉𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖑𝖔𝖕𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙  𝖔𝖋  technology ,  it  was  the  start  of  1986  when  songbird  was  first  televised  and  thus  changed  from  songbird  church  to  songbird  ministries .  dong-wook  and  sook-ja  drew  in  a  large  amount  of  viewers  through  their  channel ,  and  it  was  soon  that  they  were  moving  their  church  once  again  to  a  bigger  building .  ji-min  and  jong-hyun  decided  to  head  off  to  harvard’s  divinity  school  to  help  run  the  church  as  co-pastors .  soon,   the  televised  services  were  being  given  in  english ,  spanish ,  and  korean ,  one  of  the  first  churches  to  do  so .  three  years  later ,  ji-min  and  jong-hyun  welcomed  their  first  child ,  𝒏𝒂-𝒚𝒆𝒐𝒏 ,  in  the  winter  of  1989 .  after  the  birth  of  na-yeon ,  the  bangs  were  soon  having  the  second  child ,  a  son  named  𝒋𝒊-𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒐𝒍 ,  in  1993 . 

          (  death  tw  )  𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖌𝖇𝖎𝖗𝖉  𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘  𝖍𝖆𝖉  𝖎𝖙𝖘  first  tragedy  when  dong-wook  passed  unexpectedly  from  a  heart  attack  in  1995 .  considering  that  dong-wook  and  sook-ja  never  had  any  other  children ,  the  position  of  lead  pastor  was  given  to  ji-min  and  jong-hyun  was  considered  to  be  the  ‘  first  husband  ’  of  the  church .  sook-ja  took  on  the  role  of  co-pastor  as  she  was  getting  older ,  and  would  often  lead  women’s  retreats  and  things  of  the  sort .  three  years  after  dong-wook’s  unexpected  death ,  jong-hyun  and  ji-min  welcomed  their  third  baby ,  another  son  named  𝒃𝒂-𝒓𝒐𝒎 .  it  was  a  year  later  when  sook-ja  decided  to  formally  retire  from  songbird ,  leaving  the  church  in  the  hands  of  jong-hyun  and  sook-ja .  the  two  of  them  brought  new  ideas  to  the  table  and  soon ,  the  church  grew  even  more  than  it  had  in  its  near  30  years  that  it  had  been  open .

          𝖎𝖓  𝖙𝖍𝖊  𝖘𝖕𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌  𝖔𝖋  2000 ,  the  final  bang  baby  was  born ,  a  healthy  baby  girl  named  yuna .  the  family  continued  to  hold  high  positions  within  their  community ,  and  everyone  knew  their  names  wherever  they  went ,  and  in  the  fall  of  2008  the  family  opened  the  doors  of  the  songbird  ministries  campus ,  where  they  were  able  to  seat  16.9k  congregates .  by  this  time ,  na-yeon  was  attending  duke’s  divinity  school  with  aspirations  of  becoming  a  co-pastor  at  songbird  while  ji-cheol  was  a  youth  pastor .  so ,  where  did  that  leave  little  ba-rom  ?

          𝖋𝖗𝖔𝖒  𝖆  𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖌  𝖆𝖌𝖊 ,  barom  knew  that  he  didn’t  want  to  be  a  part  of  songbird .  while  he  did  love  the  church  and  everything ,  he  knew  that  being  a  pastor  wasn’t  in  the  cards  for  him .  much  like  many  middle  children ,  barom  felt  like  he  was  often  overlooked  or  ignored ,  so  his  parents  didn’t  really  pay  much  attention  as  he  did  what  he  wanted  to .  it  didn’t  help  that  na-yeon  would  often  cover  for  him .  barom  was  the  child  who  only  embraced  his  church  boy  image  when  it  was  necessary  for  him ,  and  when  he  reached  high  school  and  would  often  find  himself  sitting  across  from  the  principal ,  his  favorite  phrase  was  ‘  don’t  you  know  who  my  parents  are  ?  ’   barom ,  even  though  he  was  often  overlooked ,  was  ridiculously  spoiled  by  his  parents .  during  his  summers  away  from  charleston ,  he  was  often  spending  time  at  the  family’s  summer  house  in  the  hamptons  or  when  winter  break  rolled  around  he  was  jetting  off  to  the  aspen  mountains  for  some  snowboarding .

          𝖉𝖚𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌  𝖍𝖎𝖘  𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖙𝖍 ,  𝖇𝖆𝖗𝖔𝖒  had  an  affinity  for  the  arts ,  particularly  fine  arts .  he  liked  going  to  museums ,  he  enjoyed  getting  new  art  supplies  for  christmas  or  his  birthday ,  and  he  often  took  home  first  place  whenever  he  entered  into  his  school’s  art  competitions .  this  explains  why  after  he  graduated  from  high  school ,  he  began  to  look  into  art  programs  at  various  schools .  the  summer  before  attending  college  (  ultimately  at  hollingsworth  u.  )  barom  goes  off  to  italy  to  take  a  summer  long  art  course .  he  was  staying  in  venice  and  spent  most  of  his  days  sketching ,  painting ,  and  making  memories  until  he  encountered  a  man  a  few  years  older  than  him .  at  only  twenty  six ,  the  man  was  wealthy  and  liked  to  flaunt  it ,  especially  with  a  wide - eyed  barom .  they  spent  time  on  the  man’s  yacht ,  partying  with  other  wealthy  italian  locals .  funnily  enough ,  at  that  time ,  barom  only  wanted  one  thing  from  the  man  --  his  money .

          𝖔𝖋  𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖘𝖊 ,  𝖇𝖆𝖗𝖔𝖒  𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉  pay  his  own  way  and  do  whatever  he  wanted ,  but  there  was  something  about  being  able  to  bat  his  eyelashes  and  make  someone  weak  in  the  knees  that  made  him  feel  powerful .  in  essence ,  barom  had  become  a  sugar  baby ,  and  he  was  perfectly  content  with  that .  no  one  could  tell  him  no ,  and  boy  was   he bratty  if  they  even  attempted  to .  the  summer  comes  to  a  close  and  he’s  back  stateside  to  attend  his  first  year  of  college ,  and  all  goes  well .  during  this  time ,  barom  decides  to  pledge  phi  gamma  iota ,  the  epitome  of  nice  boy  frats ,  but  barom  was  nothing  close  to  a  nice  boy .  during  his  second  semester ,  barom  became  involved  with  his  second  sugar  daddy ,  a  rolling  in  dough  man  in  his  forties  who  was  bound  to  take  over  his  father’s  oil  company  in  texas .  the  man  was  on  vacation  in  savannah ,  ga  (  with  his  wife ,  no  less  )  when  he  encountered  barom  at  a  lively  nightclub  in  town .  he  may  have  only  been  eighteen ,  but  barom  soon  had  the  man  tipsy  and  wrapped  around  his  finger ,  whispering  sweet  nothings  into  his  ear  while  getting  what  he  wanted . 

          𝖙𝖍𝖊  𝖗𝖊𝖑𝖆𝖙𝖔𝖓𝖘𝖍𝖎𝖕  𝖈𝖔𝖓𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖚𝖊𝖉  𝖊𝖛𝖊𝖓  after  the  man  returned  to  texas ,  but  that  didn’t  stop  barom  from  going  to  live  his  best  life  in  new  york  over  the  summer .  once  again  he  spent  time  focusing  on  his  art  in  a  new  city ,  but  he  also  found  himself  playing  the  same  tricks  on  a  man  in  his  thirties ,  who  became  trapped  under  barom’s  thumb  with  only  a  few  kisses  on  his  neck  and  his  skilled  usage  of  his  ‘  fuck  me  ’  eyes .  out  of  the  sugar  daddies  that  he’s  had ,  the  one  from  new  york  was  the  only  one  that  he  had  ever  been  intimate  with .  to  barom ,  this  one  was  a  bit  different  for  whatever  reason  and  the  two  decided  one  night  to  go  out  to  an  upscale  club  in  manhattan .  the  two  sipped  alcohol  until  the  early  morning  hours ,  soon  leaving  the  venue  so  wrapped  up  in  one  another  that  they  missed  the  paparazzi  lingering  outside  (  did  i  forget  to  mention  that  his  man  was  ahem  ...  ~famous  ?  ) .  so  anyways ,  some  risque  photos  of  the  couple  get  taken  due  in  part  of  these  fools  not  letting  up  the  window  to  their  car  (  nothing  bad ,  but  let’s  just  say  that  barom  looked  as  though  he  was  thoroughly  enjoying  himself  ) .

          𝖙𝖍𝖊  𝖌𝖚𝖞  𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖘  𝖚𝖕  ending  their  relationship  when  he  gets  blackmailed  for  them ,  and  maneater  barom  had  his  heart  broken  for  the  very  first  time .  thus ,  when  he  returns  to  #hworth  for  his  junior  year  ,  barom  avoided  getting  another  sugar  daddy  for  an  entire  year .  he  focuses  on  his  fraternity ,  schoolwork ,  and  really  buckles  down  on  his  art .  his  junior  year  goes  well ,  but  an  old  dog  won’t  learn  new  tricks ,  so  the  summer  before  his  senior  year ,  barom  picks  up  his  fourth  (  and  most  current  )  sugar  daddy ,  a  guy  who  lives  in  buckhead ,  atlanta  and  honestly  don’t  ask  me  why ,  but  i  picture  him  as  a  young  matthew  mcconaughey .  again ,  DON’T  ask  me  why .

          𝖆𝖘  𝖋𝖔𝖗  𝖍𝖎𝖘  𝖕𝖊𝖗𝖘𝖔𝖓𝖆𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖞 ,  barom  is  quite  wise  for  his  age ,  and  he  partly  blames  that  on  the  fact  that  he  grew  up  in  the  church .  if  you’re  in  need  of  some  sound  advice ,  he’s  your  man ,  but  he’s  gonna  beg  you  not  to  ask  as  well .  despite  his  sugaring  ways ,  he  is  also  very  independent  and  likes  to  do  things  on  his  own .  his  family  may  have  provided  him  with  the  best  of  things  ranging  from  maids ,  butlers ,  and  a  slew  of  foreign  cars ,  but  he  liked  to  do  things  on  his  own .  he  found  doing  his  laundry  or  washing  his  dishes  after  dinner  as  quite  therapeutic ,  and  he’s  still  the  same  way  to  this  day .  negatively  speaking ,  barom  can  be  very  childish ,  but  i  would  say  leaning  more  on  the  bratty  side .  as  a  man  who’s  used  to  getting  his  way ,  being  told  no  will  turn  him  into  a  pouty  baby  in  no  time  and  he’s  the  worst  because  i  swear  he’ll  sit  in  the  middle  of  the  floor  and  pout  until  someone  says  yes .  he  can  also  be  lewd  in  his  speech  and  it  mostly  stems  from  the  fact  that  he  is  extremely  confident  with  his  sexuality .  it’s  even  worse  when  he’s  had  alcohol  --  this  is  when  he  gets  more  relaxed  and  he’s  more  likely  to  start  turning  those  sweet  nothings  to  tender  touches  and  soft  kisses .  also ,  you  should  know  that  he’s  the  biggest  blackpink  stan  so  if  you  hear  him  blasting  their  music ,  chances  are ,  he’s  wearing  a  face  mask  with  his  hair  pulled  back  by  a  pikachu  hair  band  and  living  his  best  life .

as  for  most  wanted  connections  :

i  would  really  love  the  drama  of  someone  figuring  out  that  he’s  a  sugar  baby  and  holds  it  over  his  head  all  the  time  ?  and  barom  always  is  whisper  yelling  at  them  to  not  tell  anyone  or  his  life  would  literally  be  ruined .

hmm ,  i  think  it  would  be  interesting  for  him  to  have  a  crush  because  he  wouldn’t  know  what  to  do  with  himself .  he’d  be  a  little  awkward  baby  around  them  with  blushed  cheeks  and  probably  stuttering  all  the  time  ....  i  need  it  !

i’m  literally  so  desperate  for  an  angsty  friends  with  benefits  or  ex  friends  with  benefits  because  i’m  such  trash  for  plots  like  these  it’s  not  even  funny .

um ,  i’m  also  down  to  brainstorm  or  work  based  on  chemistry  but  i’m  really  excited  to  plot  and  interact  with  everyone  again  ! 

#rank:intro #can ya'll tell i gave up formatting the words w the fancy font #FNADKAFHDA #i'm late as always but what's new !! #can't wait to plot w everyone again !!

[teacher-lavin]

Waking from History’s Nightmare: Baldwin & Joyce (Part Two)

The Threat

Two weeks after school ended for summer, I had told a group of much younger teachers, “The students I teach have saved me much more than I ever saved any of them.” The next evening, the phone rang late. Muffled crying, then: “Lavin, I don’t know what to do. My mom is threatening to kill me and then to commit suicide. What should I do?” It was Candela (name changed here, another short story with a moral....). Overwhelmed, I told her to call her older sister and ask her to meet us at Burger King. 

James Baldwin’s views of teaching and James Joyce’s deep encounter with language play both pertain to the tale. 

First Baldwin:

“The purpose of education, finally, is to create in a person the ability to look at the world for himself, to make his own decisions,” 

Baldwin delivered this claim in his Talk given in a  New York City library to a group of majority white educators (October 1963). He roots his discourse within the mind and heart of the student, particularly the African American student, wishing teachers to know the student’s psyche as:  her or their or his or The child’s internal struggle. Therefore, Baldwin poses the questions as if within an imaginary stream of consciousness resonating within in the student’s mind. He  postulates further,

“. . . [the student will] say to himself this is black or this is white, to decide for himself whether there is a God in heaven or not. To ask questions of the universe, and then to live with those questions, is the way he achieves his identity” -- James Baldwin, Talk To Teachers (1963).

Baldwin assumed, I decided, that the child’s coming to terms with big questions is a process whose uncertainties demand companions, and that accompanying a child or a young adult who is asking these big existential questions is the teacher’s role. 

Rewind Three Months Earlier: The Library Excursion

“Candela” told me about three months earlier that she was taking the bus to the Jesuit university on the other side of town after school. She was seventeen that year. Her mother signed a permission slip. Our high school had no library. Candela had complex questions about our readings: James Joyce’s fiction, James Baldwin’s essays, Gloria Anzaldua and Frantz Fanon’s writings and Adrienne Rich’s A Wild Patience Has Taken Me This Far. I wanted her to experience a library as she restlessly interrogated how and what she would write.  

For that purpose, I had met Candela’s mom just the week before Candela’s library escapade at the end of her shift from midnight to 7:30 a.m. cleaning the elementary school two blocks away. Mrs. Cartagena (name changed), a small fiercely determined Cuban woman told me that she “was losing touch with her daughter” (my translation). She cried. She was exhausted.  I stayed until her tears allayed, and she said she hoped the library would broaden her daughter’s horizons.

Because I’d taught for decades at night as an adjunct professor in the Jesuit English department, I knew lots of librarians there and phoned ahead to set up Candela’s visit. The  University’s library is a weird mix: extensive collection of James Joyce criticism and Irish history, and a wonderful offering of contemporary poets from across the panoply of world cultures and languages. It goes deep.   

The morning after her visit to “Hawk Hill” (local term for the Jesuit tower looming  almost ivory over West Philadelphia), Candela had more questions than before her trip across town. “So, what is Poverty Awareness Week?” There were signs around campus advertising a week of awareness devoted to homelessness and world hunger. “I was in heaven with the books, taking them off the shelves, reading, then finding more and more and more?” She added excitedly, “Your friend, the librarian, showed me a book by Edwidge Danticat, signed by the author. Imagine that: Danticat actually must have held it in her hands. I felt like I went around the world, no lie, Mister.” 

Then, Candela paused and said, “Hey, if they really want Poverty Awareness, why don’t we just invite them over here?” She laughed an ironic laugh. 

The Threat, 

--Fast Forward Three Months, Burger King 

We met about thirty minutes after Candela’s tearful, frightened call, the three of us, Candela, her older sister (fictional name, Marisela) who had left her home twenty blocks away and her own three children with a neighbor (her husband was working nights) and me. We  replayed through tears their mother’s threats and her delirium. Marisela said that we must call 911, report the incident and the troubling words kill and suicide and that their mom would be detained, by the police and placed on meds. After about ten days she would be released. This had happened before. Marisela would sign the papers. 

Candela said that would be brutal, heartless and inhumane. Marisela countered that  there was no alternative. Then, Candela said that she couldn’t bear thinking of her mom confined in that cold, clinical environment where no one would understand her. Marisela said that there would be Spanish-speaking nurses and assistants.  Candela dissented, “But translation has to have nuance. It has to have sensitivity to the words and their meanings. It has to be dialogic.” Marisela looked perplexed. Candela explained, “I learned this all from James Joyce. Nobody gets mom’s meanings the way that I do.” Candela’s point came literally from our class. And, then, she cried and quoted her favorite line from Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, “Can't hear with the waters of. The chittering waters of. Flittering bats, fieldmice bawk talk. Ho! Are you not gone ahome?” And she added in her own words, “That’s so much more than Good Bye.” Candela  said that she needed to make sure her mom understood everything that had happened before she brokedown and everything that would follow from that point. Anything less, would be “a violation of the sadness of her story and of the sadness of her life.” Again, Marisela looked perplexed. A very shaky pause ensued, “Spontaneously, Marisela hugged Candela and repeated over and over, “Candy, I’m so proud of you, baby.” Together, they decided to call 911 and to be there with their mom and to accompany her and to do the translation whenever and wherever possible, in person, the two of them. 

If Baldwin’s distillation of the point of education brings teachers into a dynamic relation with the profoundly personal context within which students take risks and grow intellectually, his statement of the “paradox” of education, later in his essay, poses another problem of which we need to be aware. His terms inform the occasion, 

“The Paradox of education is precisely this -- that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated  ....  The obligation of anyone who thinks of himself as responsible is to examine society and try to change it and to fight it -- at no matter what risk. This is the only hope society has. This is the only way societies change” - James Baldwin, Talk To Teachers (1963).

So much of what we do as students and teachers and family members and neighbors and co-workers is caught within the paradox that James Baldwin articulates as an admonition to “examine and try to change” society’s forms wherever our perceptions pose poignant questions and uncertainties. Candela and her sister, Marisela, revealed Baldwin’s wisdom to me as well as an assurance that bringing students literature in all of its complexity is crucial to acquainting them with complexity  so that they can distinguish what they want to believe and how they want to live. 

Candela came away with deep convictions about nuance and dialogic sensitivity to meaning. That’s where she felt and honored profound responsibilities to her mother. Isn’t that when words are most crucial, when we discern how they create meanings and, thus, relationships? It’s no surprise that Candela continued growing and  became an extraordinary leader in her community. That will be another story.

Our work, however, as students and teachers, is to keep that conversation alive with the integrity we learn from Baldwin responding  that “Joyce is right about history being a nightmare-but it may be the nightmare from which no one can awaken. People are trapped in history and history is trapped in them” James Baldwin, A Stranger in the Village, 1955.

#James Baldwin #James Joyce #Curriculum #education #Latinx

[epacer]

Story You May Have Missed

Crawford High School principal Froylan Villanueva

Crawford High’s New Horizons

In August, Froylan Villanueva started his job as principal of Crawford High School with only four business days to prepare for his new role before students and staff started classes.

“I started on a Tuesday and school started on a Monday,” recalled Villanueva of his first week on the job. “When I got here, I was excited and I’m still getting to know staff.”

He is also still getting to know his student body — the most diverse of any high school in the state.

“We have languages that I didn’t even know existed, honestly,” he said, and listed off the countries and cultures that make up Crawford High — African refugees from Somalia, Tanzania and Congo; students from Mexico and other Central American countries; Arab students; Asian students from Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia; and even a Karen community of refugees from Burma.

“One of our strengths is that we are so diverse — but its also a challenge,” Villanueva said, adding that the many languages his students and their families speak make communication difficult and requires a lot of involvement from school district translators.

“I make automated phone calls once a week and do them in English and Spanish and I feel I’m leaving a lot of people out,” he said.

The challenges with language diversity also show up in standardized test scores. “Because they don’t speak the language and [the tests are] in English, so when compared to other schools that have a more homegenous community, more of our students are going to be challenged.”

A 2015 study by Schoolie.com ranked Crawford among the worst performing schools in academics and college readiness and even recommended shuttering the school. For his campus of over 1,150 students where one in three are classified as English learners, Villanueva has set improving English among students as his top priority.

“My goal is to be able to empower our students so that they get reclassified … because not only do English learners not dominate English, they also have the highest percentage of not completing high school,” he said.

Villanueva’s resume shows he is suited for the challenge. He completed his doctorate at SDSU in May with a thesis titled “What it means to be an English Learner,” which included exploring different approaches to multi-lingual communities like the kind found in Europe.

He is also a local.

“I’m a product of this neighborhood,” he said. “I grew up in City Heights, El Cerrito. I see it as coming back home — coming back to the area I grew up in.”

Villanueva’s professional experience is also extensive, having worked as the head administrator at high school, middle school and elementary schools in three different districts, most recently as principal of Southwest High in the Sweetwater district. However, working at Crawford is not his first gig in the San Diego Unified School District.

“I actually worked for San Diego Unified School District as a custodian when I was a student at San Diego State,” he said, adding that he also worked as a para-educator at Marston Middle School in Clairemont in a program working with students being bussed from the inner city.

Besides his studies, his roots in the area and his professional experience, Villanueva also brings with him a personal experience that helps him relate to the English learner students at Crawford.

“I take it personally because I am an English learner,” he said. “When my parents came from Mexico they were speaking to me in Spanish so when I entered Emerson, I wasn’t speaking English I was speaking Spanish.”

Now at Crawford, Villanueva spends some of his time learning a little Somali or asking his new students from Venezuela where and how they also learned to speak Creole.

“I want people, when they see me, [to] know that I’m trying to speak their language,” he said. “I think that in the community that I grew up in, which is this community, there are great things — the diversity is like none other. I want people to know that our diversity is a strength. I feel like I can fit in with all the different groups on our campus because I’m open to it.”

A new campus

Just as Villanueva is bringing a renewed approach to the administration of Crawford High, the campus itself is undergoing its own renewal.

Construction is currently underway on a new building for a CTE auto training program for students that is a project partnership with Ford Motor Company.

“That building will be completed in April,” Villanueva said.

In March, construction on new restrooms will begin and a temporary kitchen will be set up while the current kitchen is renovated in April. And on the first day after students get out for summer, buildings on campus will be demolished to make room for a brand new performing arts theater and administration building.

Already completed at Crawford are new track and sports fields installed two years ago with new turf, lights, sound system and bleachers.

Villanueva sees the renovation of Crawford, which was constructed in 1957, as a way to build pride in the school. He pointed to his alma mater, Hoover High School, and how its recent renovations make him feel about the school.

“I know that having been a student there, I’m kind of proud, I’m like I wish I can be there right now. I know that’s going to be the case for Crawford students as well,” he said.

Bringing some pride back to Crawford is something that the school needs, Villanueva acknowledged, and pointed to the number of local students who commute to attend other high schools such as Patrick Henry. “Nothing against Patrick Henry, but we want our kids to stay in our community and be proud of the school and the buildings that they enter,” he said. “That’s my job, to promote our school and say, ‘Come on back.’ Don’t choice out. Give Crawford a chance.’” *Reposted article from SDNEWS.COM by Jeff Clemetson of January 27, 2020

[hangonimevolving]

The Iron String.

“Trust thyself: every heart vibrates to that iron string.”

--Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance

Here we are. It's August. Five months plus since the start of the U.S. pandemic, lockdowns, and general disruption to society. Over 5.26 million confirmed cases in the United States alone to date, and 167,000 deaths. Our world around us has changed.

Much of the last two months of summer for me were spent in an agonizing holding pattern concerning the almighty School Question. What would happen in the fall? Would schools be reopening? If so, how would that look - would we just act like life is normal, or would there be modifications to help prevent transmission of the virus? If so, what on earth modifications are even possible for young children that are reasonable, and to which little kids can even feasibly adhere given their ages and needs? If it proves too difficult to reopen schools, what would be the plan? Would there be some sort of virtual learning program, and how would it differ from the shifts that happened this past spring, with teachers scrambling to educate themselves on distance-learning technologies and teleconferencing utilities in order to teach a room full of kindergartners on Zoom? Surely, with several months to ponder the possibilities and plan for vairous contingencies, schools would be more prepared with better, more structured and thought-out plans for fall, than what they had in the spring... right?

Er, wrong. WRONG. The short version of how this situation ended, at least in our geographic area, is that the public school system (and my own kids' small, family-owned private school) made the decision to reopen to face-to-face teaching by the middle of July. Late in the game, both also hastily threw together a virtual option for students - but the virtual option was tantamount to a continuation of the fly-by-night Zoom teaching that had been put into effect at the very start of the lockdown.

I for one was entirely disappointed and disgusted with this. With SO much time to plan, this is really the best that could be done?! Bruh, NAW. I wasn't having it.

So blah blah blah, hem, haw, blah. Research, research, research. Reading, millions of review websites, forums, blogs, legal defense funds, Department of Education website, nonprofits, clubs and associations and collectives.... a phone call with an old friend from high school with over 10+ years experience, and a series of long and informative text message exchanges with two other friends, one a veteran with over 15+ years with three now-adult children, another a mom about my age of children about my kids' ages, facing this situation just like me and working through options just like me...... and, after all this, I knew exactly what I would be doing. What WE would be doing, in our family.

By June 13, it was official, and it was all systems go.

Ladies and gentlemen.... I am officially a homeschooling mom. Like, a LEGIT homeschooling mom. As in, I am doing a 100% parent-led homeschooling curriculum plan, FULL-time, with my two children.

I won't lie. In a million, bajillion, baskillion years, I don't think I ever intended to find myself in this place. I'll also say with honesty, that I have admired from afar the rare few homeschooling families that I somewhat know, and the flexibility and creativity with which they approach academics and learning in general.

I have also been increasingly dissatisfied and frustrated with the academic progress of my own children... Dr. Spouse and I have had long discussions where we've tried to speculate on the things that we haven't been satisfied about in our kids' schooling. The list has been long. But even as we were able to identify specific shortcomings in our children's particular educational environment, I've felt a rising sensation of control-freakism and bootstrapism in my chest, that has whispered to my conscience: "if you feel something is wrong here, don't sit around waiting for someone else to fix it. And, when you articulate your concerns in a constructive, non-threatening, but clear way, and people have smiled and nodded and claimed they'd follow up on those items, but in the end, they havent taken those concerns seriously - then it is time to man the f&* up and TAKE CARE OF THAT SHIT yourself. Because YOU are the only one you can trust. YOU are the only one who can do it right, in your own view. So either do it, or stop feeling dissatisfied about it."

So here it is. Our original plan, prior to the pandemic, was to switch the kids to the local (A-rated) public elementary school for this coming year. We had hoped that a change in environment, teachers, and the accountability of being a reputed school in the public school system, would mean more organization and oversight, and that hopefully this would translate into better academic progress in our kids.... but the pandemic changed all our plans, and besides, I don't know if more "in theory..." type things ever really translate to palpable, effective change at the individual level (at least not for me anyway, I never have such luck).

Rather than seeing this weird, surreal circumstance has having forced me into the homeschooling decision (which, maybe it sort of did) - - for reasons I can't explain, I dove headlong into it, with great excitement and hope. I can't really figure out how I have been as enthusiastic or jazzed about it as I have been - - but lookie, I'm jazzed! Seriously. From the moment we made the decision to do it, I felt like a 1,000-lb. weight was lifted from my chest. No more feeling anxious or on the edge of my seat about decisions that are being made outside of my control. In this matter - I stopped waiting for other poeple, and I TOOK CONTROL. For my own kids, anyway.

I'll write a detailed post at a later time about some of the particulars of the homeschooling plan that I am using, the research I did, the materials I ended up purchasing, the knowledge and insight I required while in the preparations phase, and other stuff. But, for now - I've droned on long enough. I'm gonna share some pictures now.

To bring it back to the start of this post - - with this homeschooling plan, I have found my iron string. I literally felt this resounding, reverberating sense of CONFIDENCE the moment that I decided to do this, and effectively brought Dr. Spouse on board. NEVER, in my life, have I felt so right about a decision. I feel a tremendous inner harmony about it - like I've come home to myself, if that's not too weird to say.

Sooo.... here are pictures of Week 1 of our great homeschooling adventure.

Obligatory "First Day of School" picture....

Our newly-tweaked home office - - now serving as our homeschooling classroom!

Particularly proud of our new training clock, our large-format calendar, and the "today's date/weather" board that I made with vinyl die-cuts from my Cricut, some chalkboard-surface Contact paper, and some rainbow sparkly duct tape :)

Spanish class: kids use a fun new app for two class sessions a week

Dey working on simple addition/subtraction with Teddy Bear Counters

Dey slaying his worksheets in Handwriting class - we're doing both print letters and cursive

Vev learning to tell time, and to recognize and convey the time in both analog and digital notation

After reading several history textbook chapters on the origins, diets, nomadic lifestyles, housing practices, and modes of dress among prehistoric humankind - we did a "History in action" lesson where the kids were given 10 minutes to construct a shelter out of a "mammoth skin" (blanket), "two tree branches" (pool noodles), and several large "rocks" (throw pillows). They didn't need the full 10 minutes :)

Vev enjoying one of his first chapter books - an "I Can Read" reader during a Language Arts learning block

After a week reading science textbook chapters about the earth's atmosphere, we conducted science experiments to better understand the properties of air! The boys had a "paper race" using construction paper and pieces of cardboard as fans, to race two paper structures across a finish line. They discussed their expectations and each articulated a hypothesis about which paper would travel faster, prior to conducting the experiment; afterwards, we determined whether our "guesses" (hypothesis) were accepted or rejected :)

This is just a smattering. There's been so much, and in only four days. I can't believe how much we are able to learn and cover in our homeschooling time. And the crazy thing is, we are able to do Phonics and Grammar, Reading, History, Read-aloud time, Math, Spanish, Handwriting, and Science in only about 3 hours per day. We integrate things like art, movement, current events, and practical life skills into pretty much everything we do, but on occasion we are even able to do a discrete, planned-out period of time for these topics too.

The iron string is taut, and secured in its proper place. We are ready for it to guide us through this school year.

#homeschooling #Vev #Dey #quarantinelife

[friend-clarity]

The Results Are in for Remote Learning: It Didn't Work

Even though many students these days are tech savvy, that doesn’t assure they will do well with remote learning. Some education experts say there is a huge gap between what students can do for fun on their cellphones and gaming systems and how good they are at using a device for educational tasks such as reading a document, answering a question or figuring out a problem.

Tawnell D. Hobbs, Lee Hawkins, WSJ/MSN

This spring, America took an involuntary crash course in remote learning. With the school year now winding down, the grades from students, teachers, parents and administrators is already in: It was a failure.

School districts closed campuses in March in response to the coronavirus pandemic and, with practically no time at all for planning or training, launched a grand experiment to educate more than 50 million students from kindergarten through 12th grade using technology.

The problems began piling up almost immediately. There were students with no computers or internet access. Teachers had no experience with remote learning. And many parents weren’t available to help.

In many places, lots of students simply didn’t show up online, and administrators had no good way to find out why not. Soon many districts weren’t requiring students to do any work at all, increasing the risk that millions of students would have big gaps in their learning.

“We all know there’s no substitute for learning in a school setting, and many students are struggling and falling far behind where they should be,” said Austin Beutner, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, in a video briefing to the community on Wednesday.

Already, school administrators are looking ahead to an uncertain fall, when many will be trying to apply lessons gleaned from the rocky spring to try to reopen classrooms, possibly using a mix of in-person and remote learning. To prevent a repeat of the spring disaster, some of them say, more students will need suitable electronic devices and internet access, and teachers will need much better training about how best to instruct from afar.

Preliminary research suggests students nationwide will return to school in the fall with roughly 70% of learning gains in reading relative to a typical school year, and less than 50% in math, according to projections by NWEA, an Oregon-based nonprofit that provides research to help educators tailor instruction. It expects a greater learning loss for minority and low-income children who have less access to technology, and for families more affected by the economic downturn.

Even though many students these days are tech savvy, that doesn’t assure they will do well with remote learning. Some education experts say there is a huge gap between what students can do for fun on their cellphones and gaming systems and how good they are at using a device for educational tasks such as reading a document, answering a question or figuring out a problem.

“I think we have this assumption that since they spend all their time on their devices, it’s no big deal for them to learn remotely,” said Janella Hinds, a social-studies teacher at the 500-student High School for Public Service in Brooklyn’s Flatbush neighborhood. “But being a digital consumer and a digital learner are two different things.”

Parents, for their part, are frustrated after more than two months of trying to supervise their children’s at-home learning while juggling jobs and other responsibilities.

“It’s been very challenging,” said Mara LaViola, who has a 17-year-old son with autism and other disabilities in the Eanes Independent School District in Austin. Initially, she figured she would be more tolerant of teaching shortcomings during such an unprecedented time. But she was dismayed that her son’s interaction with teachers didn’t extend much beyond a morning greeting.

“The vast majority of it failed because of a lack of imagination, and a lack of effort,” she said.

A spokeswoman for the district defended the program, saying the parent of another special-needs student recently gave its services high marks.

School districts and teachers that had previously used forms of online learning made the transition more easily. But many educators, even those comfortable with the method, say remote learning isn’t comparable to in-person teaching.

“I find it hectic and stressful,” said Dallas middle-school teacher Delna Bryan, whose advanced Spanish classes include both fluent and nonfluent youngsters. “In the classroom, I can look around and see body language and know when some of my students not fluent in Spanish need me to switch to English. I can’t do that online. We need the interaction with the kids, face-to-face.”

Districts are now debating what they should do when schools reopen for the next academic year—whether to rewind back to where students left off in March, or to plow ahead with the regular curriculum and let teachers fill in missing skills. Some plan to administer exams at the start of the school year to gauge learning shortfalls.

School districts didn’t realize the number of students without access to devices and the internet until they surveyed parents. Districts that could afford to do so hurried to buy the technology needed to get students online. Some, such as those in Austin and Belleville, Ill., put Wi-Fi wired buses in parking lots for students to connect from their parents’ cars. Many districts prepared printed packets of work for students without online access, which were handed out in food drive-through lines at schools.

One major issue has been how to assess students fairly when learning is done remotely. Many school districts aren’t comfortable issuing grades for remote work. Some have told teachers not to give failing grades because of equity issues. Many are using a “hold harmless” approach, where grades that negatively affect students can’t be used, but ones that help them or are neutral are permitted. Some teachers believe the rule has simply resulted in students not doing work.

Others worry that remote learning facilitates cheating. “Whatever work we’re receiving online may not always necessarily be the work completed by the child,” said Alexa Sorden, founding principal of Concourse Village Elementary School in the Bronx.

Some of the nation’s largest school districts, including Los Angeles and Chicago, concerned about inequities in internet access and parental involvement, have told teachers not to give students failing final grades or anything lower than what they had before the shutdown. Washington state banned “F” grades in all of its districts.

“We can’t use the shutdown to fail them,” said Michael Hinojosa, superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District in Texas. “And some teachers are really good with this and some of them are not. We didn’t want to penalize people until we can make it better.”

Dr. Hinojosa said students won’t be failed for not completing remote work assignments, but those already failing before the pandemic who didn’t do any work will still fail. He said teachers can give an “incomplete” to students who fell short of passing but are willing to complete the work over the summer.

Many teachers unions have been supportive of not grading students because of inequities, although some of their members feel like it allows students to slack off.

Remote learning has turned the simple task of taking attendance into a challenge. Many count students as present if they log in to do work in programs like Google Classroom, an online classroom manager. Some give attendance credit for weekly progress on completed work, while others allow parents to call in to vouch for their children. Some districts aren’t bothering with attendance at all. Those that have been able to track attendance say it has been below regular levels.

Some students have simply gone missing. Early into the shutdown, the Los Angeles Unified School District estimated that on any given day in a week span, 32% of high-school students didn’t log in to learn.

Mr. Beutner, the Los Angeles superintendent, said at the time that some of those missing are among the most vulnerable—those in the foster-care system or living in deep poverty, students with disabilities and those who regularly missed school in ordinary times.

“It’s simply not acceptable that we lose touch,” he said, while noting that the number of students logging in has grown as the district worked to provide students with laptops and internet access.

Some districts have opted to end the academic year early. The Bibb County School District in Georgia wrapped up on May 1, three weeks ahead of time.  Officials cited stress on the community and said they planned to use the time to get ready for next school year.

The Quitman Independent School District in Texas stopped giving new assignments two weeks before the school year ended to focus on teaching life skills. Based on their age, students were asked to complete tasks ranging from making a bed to changing a tire to reading a bill.

“Parents are overwhelmed,” said Rhonda Turner, superintendent of the 1,200-student Quitman district. “It seemed like a perfect time to implement this. We’ve had a phenomenal response” from students and parents.

Lucia Curatolo-Boylan, a mother of four children, ages 4 to 10, in New York City public schools, found supervising the schooling a challenge. “It was definitely more difficult than I probably could have ever expected,” she said. “There was a lot that my oldest son was able to do on his own, which was wonderful. But the other two children really required my constant supervision and presence, which made it also harder to be there for my baby. Her nursery school education of her letters and numbers is quickly disappearing and not a priority because I had to sit with my kindergartner from 9 to 2 every day.”

Her son, 10-year-old Miles, has found remote learning exhausting and unpredictable. “Sometimes you have a lot of work and sometimes you don’t,” he said, recalling a time when he worked “almost an entire school day on three things.”

Some schools, particularly those with ample resources and some experience with remote learning, had a far easier time of it than most.

In Broward County Public Schools in Florida, the district had been building its technology program for several years and many teachers were already managing classwork online, so things have gone more smoothly. Nevertheless, a survey of Broward students in grades 6 through 12 found that 52% don’t feel motivated to complete distance-learning assignments. About 45% said they almost never receive adult help at home to complete assignments.

Administrators at Riverdale Country School, a private school in New York City, said their foray into online learning was successful, thanks to careful preparation and execution and having the resources to pull it off. The transition involved a month of infrastructure design and collaboration between administrators, teachers, the school’s technology team, students and parents.

Faculty and students participated in one-hour training sessions during the school day, and the school closed for two days before its spring break for a remote learning trial run.

As the school year comes to a close, districts are focused on making improvements. Some will use summer break to retool remote learning, provide teachers with professional training to use it, and work to outfit students with needed technology, with hopes of using federal stimulus money to do so.

About 9.7 million students aren’t connected to the internet, according to an estimate by the EducationSuperHighway, a nonprofit focused on connectivity in public schools. “As a nation, we were not prepared to take learning online,” said founder and CEO Evan Marwell.

Louisiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, West Virginia and Washington, D.C., have the largest percentage of unconnected students, ranging from 26% to 28%, more than the national average of about 20%. New Hampshire, North Dakota and Utah have the lowest percentage, ranging from 10% to 12%.

Many districts plan to offer summer school, likely remotely, to get students caught up and help combat “Covid slide.” But some educators worry that the same remote learning that wasn’t effective in the spring won’t have changed much for summer.

New York City Department of Education will provide remedial instruction over the summer and possibly in the fall to thousands of students who have fallen behind during remote classes this spring. Officials expect about 177,000 of the city’s 1.1 million public-school students to enroll in remote summer learning, with about 102,000 of them required to take part.

School superintendents differ on how to reopen schools in the fall using social-distancing practices. Many are contemplating a hybrid system of splitting up classes and rotating students in and out of classrooms, with some reporting to the school on some days while the others work remotely. Another strategy being explored is to have younger students who can’t be home alone in classrooms every day, while older students learn at home.

To keep everyone safe, districts are considering new rules such as requiring students and teachers to wear masks, having students eat lunch in classrooms and requiring them to attend school in person only two days a week. Other possibilities include prohibiting the sharing of school supplies and the spacing of desks closer than 6 feet apart, and limiting parents and other visitors on campuses.

Educators hope that the rockiest days of remote learning are behind them.

“We’ve been building this plane and flying it at the same time,” said Danielle Buttacavoli, a school counselor at IS 61, the William A. Morris Intermediate School, in Staten Island. “We’ve been getting stronger at using these platforms, and I think the same goes for the students.”

Write to Tawnell D. Hobbs at [email protected] and Lee Hawkins at [email protected]  

[myexperienceinspain-blog]

My brief comparison of a Spanish and American School

The differences between the Spanish and American schools are reasonably parallel to the differences between the Spanish and American languages.

In order to understand the difference between both schools, its important to explain in detail the structure of Spanish schools and American schools.

Firstly, schools in Spain are funded by the state and is obligatory between the ages of three and sixteen. However, parents or legal guardians have to pay for books, materials and sometimes uniforms for their children. There are generally three categories of Spanish schools in the Spanish education system: public schools  which are largely funded by the government; Private schools (that are privately funded; and semi-private schools (coordinated schools), funded in part by the state and partly by private sources.

Once the required training has been completed, a student may choose to continue high school (a high school diploma has been requested in the past two years) or attend a vocational school for secondary vocational education. Only those who have completed high school or have a higher professional qualification can be admitted to the university.

Pre-primary education in Spain, known as early childhood education, is divided into two cycles. The first cycle is intended for children from 0 to 3 years old and is optional. Therefore, families must pay for the first cycle of kindergarten, although there are assistance programs for families in need. The second cycle of pre-school education is compulsory in Spain, so that pupils from 3 to 6 years old can participate in free public education. In Spain, primary school or university has six school years; Students are between 6 and 12 years old. The aim is to offer Spanish students a solid and common education in culture, oral expression, reading, writing and mathematics. In general, the teaching method focuses on the cognitive and social development of the student.

The timetable for Spanish lessons depends on the school, but there are two main timetables. Some schools are open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offer a 2-hour lunch from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. The other schools start at 9:00 a.m. and end at 2:00 p.m., the typical lunch break in Spain. At the end of school, everyone can go home for the most important meal of the day (according to Spanish customs). After school, Spanish students take upper secondary education or ESO. 

ESO students are between 12 and 16 years old, which is a combination of high school and the first two years of high school in the United States. Spanish students must complete ESO for four years under Spanish law. However, if they repeat a year and are 16 before they are ready, they can leave school if they wish. The goal of ESO is for students to develop critical thinking skills and other skills that can help them in their adult lives.

The Spanish baccalaureate is free, non-compulsory education for students aged 16 to 18 who complete the last two years of “high school”.

Although it is not mandatory, more and more young people are choosing to stay in the baccalaureate for two years. During this time, students acquire more specific knowledge concerning a discipline of choice: art, science and technology or the humanities and social sciences. After graduation, students can take the entrance exam or move on to higher vocational education (higher vocational education).

Now, the American school system:  American students go to primary and secondary school for a total of 12 years. These years are qualified from the first to the twelfth year. Around six years old, American children attend primary school, which is usually called "elementary school". They follow five or six years and then go to secondary school, which consists of two programs: the first is "middle school" or "junior high school" and the second is "high school". A diploma or certificate is issued after high school diploma. After graduation (grade 12), American students can attend a college or university. Studying in a college or university is called "higher education".

Of course, you can find similarities here and there, but when you get there they don't have much in common. Apart from my experience in an American school,

Here is a comparison between my high school in Madrid and what I know about schools in the United States.

One of the biggest differences is the class itself. In my school, students receive a class and here they have all their lessons. Teachers change rooms every period. It was one of the first things that seemed really strange to me. All students are grouped together (indicated by a letter, for example 11 ° A, 11 ° B, 11 ° C, etc.). They usually stay in their room, but move when the time comes for a number of other courses such as art or music or religion. For me in the United States, both in middle school and in high school, the teachers stayed in a room (and the students changed classes each hour, according to each student’s schedule.

This difference offers an interesting dynamic. First, decorations and style are the interests of students, not teachers. I would say that it has the potential to be a good thing, but there is very little decoration and the classes absolutely lack personality (at least on the walls). Second, I think this leads to a lack of control over the classes by the teachers (the students, not the class). It seems to me that certain things are lost when the teacher has to change classes after ringing the bell. 

Another difference is that here in Spain, people generally call teachers by name (or, sometimes, "profe," or “seño”) It also caught my attention. It was a shock to hear my classmates call a teacher by their first name. Back in the United States, we have to call teachers by their last name and using “Mr” or “Ms”. 

Spanish school systems also have religion as a class, in some schools its an optional class, but in others it’s definitely mandatory. In the U.S, religion can’t be taught due to the fact that the school system respects everyone’s different religion and it can’t be biased. 

There are no honorary classes here in Spain, I have taken honorary classes throughout my whole school life back in the U.S It was great to be challenged and learn from other people who shared my passion for learning and knowledge. However, equality is seen as more important here. All students are grouped regardless of their skills. I don’t think that in my school (Casvi) is necessary to have honorary classes since here the education is so advanced, It’s sometimes so challenging for me to keep up with a certain subject, even though I’m a good student!

Another difference that is in back in America, there is a big scholastic pride for every school, football teams are notorious and every school has a school mascot. Here in Spain, there’s nothing like school mascots but there is extracurriculars for different sports, in which each sport has tournaments and they represent their school (like in the U.S)

Here in Spain, the school days are divided into morning and afternoon with a 30-minute break. The rest is not for lunch, but as a snack.  When it’s lunch time, we have an hour break to have lunch either at school or at home. It’s the same in the U.S.

Although there are a lot of differences, I definitely prefer the Spanish school system because staying in the same classroom is much more easier for me and that way I can’t be late to any class. The school system here is much more organized based on your needs and they take into account any help that you need.

[rimalupin]

50 More Interesting Questions

Rules: fill this out and tag at least one person you’d like to know more about! Or just fill it out! Or don’t! Answer only some of them! Make up your own questions! “What kind of requirement is that”, you ask? A reasonable one! Who am I to tell you what to do? Anything goes!

Thank you for tagging me @theempresskaizer & @kakihoden! :D <3

1. What kind of food can’t you stand?: Anything fermented. Like, ew. Also brussel sprouts (Then again, I have yet find someone who can cook brussel sprouts “well.” :b)

2. If you could choose one minor inconvenience to never have to deal with again, what would you pick?: Public transit schedules. They’re so darn inconvenient (And yet I’m commuting for the remainder of my uni career. At least I’m saving money..?). -.-’

3. Have you got any useless talents?: I try to make use of my talents, so I’m gonna say no. :b

4. If you could be really really good at one thing, what would it be?: Taking (good & worthwhile) risks because I’m always so darn careful so I end up not trying new things sometimes.

5. Name a few people you think are extremely good-looking: ALL THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY I KNOW AND LOVE. <3 Oh, also Emma Watson, Gal Gadot, Shawn Mendes, Tom Holland, and all the other celebs I tend to fangirl about (I can’t name them all rn, haha sorry~. :P).

6. What was your favorite way to pass the time as a kid?: Singing all the Disney songs (Which I still do nowadays, haha~.). I would also read books, write my own stories, and act as if I was on a Disney Channel show (I was quite the Disney fangirl back in the day. xD)

7. What is something you’re proud of?: My friends who are just starting college/uni this year. Most of them are already setting up their dorms and getting ready for classes. They’re growing up so fast! :’)

8. What’s one character flaw in people that you just can’t tolerate?: Dishonesty. I don’t associate with phonies.

9. Do you consider yourself to be more of a leader or a follower?: I’m a bit of both. Then again, being a follower makes you a kind of leader: you essentially lead people to follow your leader, if that makes sense Okay I’ll shut up about leadership theory sorry y’all. :P

10. What kind of student are/were you?: The diligent one (but people often claim I’m the overachiever even tho I’m not always a straight A student lololol).

11. Butterfly effect question! Has there ever been a seemingly minor decision you’ve made (at the time) that ended up having a profound influence on your life?: Ohhhhh yes. This kind of thing has happened to me many times (In like the best ways possible, thankfully.).

12. Name your most irrational fear/aversion: Being alone/left out (Even though “I’m never really alone” ((Which I know I’m not. Hence the “irrational” part of this particular fear/aversion.)).)

13. Are there any fictional characters you find especially relatable?: Yup. Plenty of ‘em.

14. If you drink, what kind of drunk are you? Alternatively, what sort of person are you at parties?: I don’t drink... Yet. My Canadian friends are trying to get me to drink with them since I’m now legal in Canada but I’m scared heeeeeelp. :b I’m usually the wallflower if I don’t know anybody too well at a party. However, if I find people I’m comfortable hanging out with, I’ll stick with their squad throughout the event, talking, eating, dancing and taking pictures/SnapChats to our hearts’ desires~. ^-^

15. Do you fall in love easily? Or does it usually take a long time for you to trust someone?: Nope. I have to get to know the person before I “fall in love” with them, let alone having a crush on them. Which is why the biggest crushes I’ve had were on some of my closest friends. But I’ve never told them because I didn’t want to risk our friendships IDK I’M A NOOB WHEN IT COMES TO LOVEY-DOVEY THINGS. :b

16. Would you rather have one close friend or 100 casual friends?: One close friend. <3

17. Do you consider yourself to be more of a slob or a neat-freak?: Neat-freak. Definitely a neat-freak. xD

18. Describe a place (imaginary or real) that you would find incredibly cozy: 

Both of these locations are places where I’d have more than enough room to move or think. ^-^

Outdoors: Somewhere near the sea, where I could feel the sand on my toes, hear the waves splashing onto the shore, smell the ocean breeze, and watch the orange sunset glowing along the horizon.

Indoors: An empty practice room. Wooden floors, large mirrors in front of the room, dance barres along the side walls, a few windows displaying the outside world, and a speaker/stereo system perfect for blasting the music around the room.

19. Do you have kids? If not, do you want them someday?: No kids atm, but I love working with them! Yes, I’d like kids someday~.

20. What was your favorite book as a child?: I read many books as a wee child. But one book I can clearly remember is Stellaluna. It’s an adorable story about a bat who discovers who she truly is thanks to both her adoptive and biological families (The former being a family of birds and the latter being a family of bats.).

21. Name one thing you just don’t get what all the hype is about: Fidget spinners. I’m still seeing people freak out about those things. Didn’t the trend die a month or two ago?

22. Name one thing that you think is tragically underrated: Myspace. *evil laughs despite the fact that I never had a Myspace account* :P Sorry I couldn’t think of anything else bahaha~

23. If you had to be glued to a person for a month, real or fictional (who you have never met), who would you choose?: I mean, I’ve never met MYSME’s 707 IRL, so I’ll stick with him And we can visit his space station, haha~ ^-^

24. What’s something you’d like the chance to do someday?: Act in a theatrical production. I haven’t done theatre in a year and I already miss it. T.T

25. Do you typically speak your mind when you have a controversial opinion? Or do generally prefer to not rock the boat?: I’ll definitely speak my mind if I’m well-versed in the topic and if I’m passionate about it. If I want to present a controversial opinion, I have to be sure that I can articulate my POV eloquently and professionally. I’m also more than willing to listen to the other side, as long as they fully know what they’re talking about (Frankly, I will not take any B.S. if I suspect B.S.).

26. What’s the dumbest fad you’ve been caught up in?: I’m blanking... Yeah, IDK, but I’m pretty sure I got caught up in some kind of dumb fad back in middle school. *shivers b/c I don’t want to relive those years*

27. What’s something you thought was cool as a kid/adolescent, but now cringe at yourself for?: When I was younger (like elementary/middle school-age), I dreamed of becoming a singer. In order to accomplish that dream, I joined my school and church choirs: however, that turned out to be a pretty toxic experience since almost everyone I was singing with treated every single practice and performance as a singing competition. Like, c’mon you guys: we aren’t on Glee. -.-’

28. What’s a trait you consider to be very admirable?: Honesty: I admire people who are genuine and true.

29. Is there a particular kind of item people always tend to give you as gifts? (For instance, people always get you things with ducks on them because you like ducks, etc.): Books (people know I’m a huge bookworm), clothes (b/c I’m usually too lazy/don’t have time to shop for my own clothes, LOLOL), stuffed animals (I’m a child at heart and I love cuddly & cute things), sweets (especially chocolate).

30. Do you speak multiple languages? Which ones?: 

English is my mother tongue.

I apparently used to speak Tagalog fluently when I was very young, but then I stopped speaking that language once I started preschool; however, I’ve picked up some terms over the years, so I can sort of dissect my parents’ conversations w/ the other adults (”Yes, Mom, I knew that you were talking about my uni stuff with Tita *insert name here*.” :P), plus I’m going to take a Tagalog 101 class in Autumn Quarter, so I’ll (hopefully) learn how to say complete sentences instead of just the names of foods, holidays, and Filipino Folk Dances. xD

I learned Spanish throughout my high school career, so I’m okay in that department even though I haven’t practiced speaking/listening/writing in that language recently. I’m still fluent enough to help my sisters with their Spanish homework, so that’s something. :P

I tried learning some French, Japanese, and Korean through various language learning apps, but to no avail.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

31. Would you rather live in the big city or the countryside?: Can I choose like a little town instead? Big city: the countryside would be MUCH too quiet for me (Plus I’d be much too tempted to run atop every hill Sound of Music style and start singing at the top of my lungs - which would probably annoy a lot of people, myself included. :P).

32. Has there ever been something you were certain you’d hate, but ended up loving?: Giles Christophe a.k.a my Midnight Cinderella bias. Ironic, huh? xD <3 Also Jumin Han from MYSME. :P

33. Do you mind being the center of attention, or do you prefer the spotlight to be on someone else?: I will hide from the spotlight like I’m a friggin vampire unless there’s a damn good reason for me to be under it.

34. Favorite holiday?: CHRISTMAS!!!

35. Are you a more go-with-the-flow type of person, or do you need to have things planned meticulously?: If I’m in charge of scheduling something, then I MUST have everything carefully planned. If I’m leaving the scheduling to someone else, then I’ll just go with the flow~.

36. Is there something you loved so much you wish you could forget it and experience it all over again? (A tv show, book, series–anything.): My first trip to Hawaii: I’d love to explore the islands and swim in its oceans again.

37. What hobbies do you have?: Reading, writing, singing, dancing, listening to music, playing the guitar or ukulele, checking social media (JKJK :P), drawing/arts & crafts (If I’m EXTREMELY bored), playing video games, watching TV/YouTube, exploring places both old and new Yeah, I do too many things, haha~

38. If you could have a superpower, but it was only mildly useful, what ability would you want to have?: “Mildly useful?” (O.o) I guess the ability to learn things VERY quickly - like, master an activity on the first try. I actually have a friend with that ability, which has allowed him to almost effortlessly master almost every sport he’s ever learned: he’s basically a superhuman and I admire and envy him for his “superpower.” :P <3

39. Something people are always surprised to learn about you: My age: people think that I’m much younger than I actually am, mostly because of my shorter-than-average height and my baby face. I’m basically an adult stuck in a teenager’s body. xD

40. Something that took you way too long to figure out: How to apply the Unit Circle to various math problems eff you precalculus and calculus never again ugggghhhhh.

41. Worst injury you’ve had?: My broken heart (JKJK, sort of. :P) I got burned by the metal tip of a very hot glue gun. Thanks to that, I have a tiny scar on my upper right arm.

42. Any morbid fascinations?: Does watching playthroughs of horror games through YouTube count?

43. Describe your sense of humor: Clever/witty, sarcastic, sassy. Oftentimes unintentional: jokes will usually come to me naturally through conversation. If we’re close, plenty of embarrassing stories, inside jokes, and horrible puns will be part of our daily doses of humor.

44. If you had to be born in another era/place, which would you choose?: I’d want to be born in Canada, mostly because I’ve got a lot of family living up there, plus I’d love to live in a place that isn’t completely messed up rn. #SorryNotSorryAmerica *crosses to the Canadian border like a badass*

45. Something you are irredeemably bad at: LOL, WHAT’S A SPORT? :b

46. Something that sucked but you’re glad you went through: Freshman year of high school. I first moved to my new home that year, so being the new kid sucked for a while, but I eventually made some friends and found more opportunities to grow as a person (through writing and theatre).

47. Would you rather have a really godawful ugly tattoo in a place that is only slightly inconvenient to conceal with clothing (upper arm, thigh, etc.), or the coolest, most beautiful tattoo ever in the middle of your face? (Neither tattoo can be removed or concealed with makeup, and the ugly tattoo will deeply offend anyone who sees it.): Ugly tat. At least I’d have a place to hide it. xD

48. Are you more of an optimist or a pessimist?: Realist. Leaning on the pessimist side. However, I do try to believe that things will get better, that there’ll be more bigger and better opportunities out there, etc. etc.

49. What would be the most flattering compliment someone could give you?: That I’m a hardworking and genuine person. Then again, I don’t do well compliments anyway: I’ll definitely blush and stutter and try to hide behind some kind of an object while complimenting you back. xD <3

50. Something you feel people often misunderstand about you: I’m often quiet and reserved when I’m meeting new people. Some may think I’m naturally calm and composed, others take it as slightly intimidating. But I’m just quiet because I’m awkward, plus I don’t usually start conversations. :b

Tagging: @princessofwysteria, @sukio-sakamaki, @allforthecrown, @o0w0o, @widzzicles, @rizosrojizos, and anyone who wants to do this! (I would’ve tagged more peeps, but I didn’t know if they had been tagged already. So please join in if you haven’t done this already~.). ^-^ <3

#wheeee #more tag games! #^-^ #tagged #50 more interesting questions

[universityheadquarters]

Are Summer School Classes Really Worth It?

What Are the Pro's and Con's of Taking Summer Classes?

Summer school in college is a great idea. Unlike your elementary, middle school, and high school years, it’s not a sign that you failed a class that you have to now make up. Instead, you’re working to get ahead on your credits. However, you do need to know a few things about summer school before you sign up for a class or two. First, your daily and weekly class load will be much more intense. You’re going to cram an entire semester of work into about a ten-week time-frame. It’s best to use this to get basic classes out of the way, or a class you failed, so you can work on your major classes. If online classes during the summer session are the only way you’ll be able to complete a summer session or two, some colleges and universities do offer these. Check with your university or college and see whether the classes you need or want to take will be offered. If a class is routinely offered only during summer sessions and it’s required for your graduation, then, once you find the class, enroll early so that you reserve a spot. Among some of the suggestions for graduating on time, such as taking 30 credits per academic year, you’ll find a suggestion to attend summer school. This is one great way for you to continue earning college credits needed for your degree program and shorten the amount of time it takes for you to graduate. Most colleges and universities offer summer sessions and intersession programs. Once you have enrolled in your chosen summer classes, stay on top of them, and attend daily. Do your homework daily and hand it in on time just like any other class. Summer sessions move quickly, so you don’t have time to get behind.

Summer Session Classes

Summer Classes in College

Do’s and Don’ts

Classes Failed During

Summer Sessions Expensive

Summer Session Classes

Do Summer Classes Benefit University Students?

Summer school classes can be a huge benefit to university students. That’s why they are more than willing to give up precious summer break time to take classes, study, and take exams. If you want to graduate on time, or even a little early, then you may choose to use the summer session to retake a class you failed, overlooked, or a class required for graduation that is only offered occasionally. For first-year students or sophomores, summer school classes are great for taking prerequisites or even getting general education classes out of the way.

Not as many students enroll during summer sessions. Because of this, students can benefit from smaller classes sizes and additional attention from professors or graduate assistants. By taking a few classes during each summer session, students can free up some time during the fall or spring semesters so that they can take a required internship. Summer session classes may involve study abroad programs that may benefit students by giving them exposure to other languages, cultures, and practices. There are also less academic reasons to take courses during the summer session. It may give students more opportunity to partake of recreational or social events during the school year such as concerts, swimming, art festivals, hiking, camping, or sports. Incoming freshmen can take part in a summer academic and cultural engagement program. Its purpose is to help students transition from a high school environment into a university environment. Students also become better acquainted with the university community in which their campus is located. These students learn to live on their own in special housing, adjusting to living with people who aren’t their families. They also take part in retreats and orientations intended to help them adjust to their new environment. Along with retreats and seminars, students take a few credits toward their intended majors. They may spend part of their time studying abroad, as well as on campus. Students who take summer classes may be able to reduce their fall and spring course loads. Rather than taking 15 credits or more each semester, they may be able to take 12. One university has realigned its summer course offerings to make sure that its highest-demand classes are offered in the summer months. Students benefit because summer session classes meet degree pathway initiatives, which means they may graduate sooner. 

Students can also benefit from these added classes if the in-demand courses are often full during regular semesters. If a student isn’t enrolled at the university offering summer courses they are interested in, they may still be able to take those classes and transfer them to their degrees at their university. If they are taking online classes, they may also expect a discounted tuition, which makes taking more than one or two classes a possibility. Finally, students may be able to take advantage of a broad menu of classes during summer sessions. Classes such as architecture, biology, math, psychology, journalism, English, education, writing, political science, criminal justice, public relations, Spanish, sociology, economics, accounting, marketing, business, chemistry, engineering, history, theatre production, and many others may be offered. While summer session classes mean that students can’t relax for the entire summer, they may make use of this opportunity to either stay on-schedule or get ahead. Graduate students, in particular, may benefit from summer courses, as they will be able to complete mandatory practicums or clinical internships during the regular semester. Florida law actually requires university students to take summer courses. Students can complete general education classes or begin working on core courses.

Will Taking Summer Classes in College Shorten My Degree Program?

The longer you’re in school to earn your degree, the more you tend to pay for your classes. Taking longer to earn your degree also decreases your lifelong earnings. Thus, summer school might be a good solution for you if you’re looking to get into the workforce as soon as possible. Even if you go to school year-round, you’ll still have two or three weeks between semesters or sessions to take some downtime and relax. By taking the summer session equivalent of a full course load, you’ll be able to reach the culmination of your degree more quickly. While sitting in a classroom while the sun is shining and other students are playing isn’t ideal, you’ll benefit in the end. One Texas community college system is offering summer classes free of charge. They believe that, with free classes, students will realize they won’t be adding to student loan burdens or using up federal financial aid too fast. 

Students who earn 24 total credits during their fall and spring semesters will be eligible to receive up to six free credit hours the following summer. Because community college students are required to earn 60 credits to graduate, they would be able to earn all of these credits and graduate within two years. The incentives of free college credits and earlier graduation may mean more students who are willing to take one or two summer sessions and finish their degree programs earlier. The benefit to students who attend full-time is “momentum.” Building up credits more quickly may motivate them to attend full-time and take those summer classes. The community colleges also benefit by retaining students they would otherwise lose after the culmination of their spring semesters (called “summer melt”). How much money could students save with free summer classes? About $186. While this isn’t true for every university, summer tuition is often less expensive than it would be during the fall and spring semesters.

Do’s and Don’ts

A few simple do’s and don’ts of summer classes:

Online summer courses offer convenience and flexibility. Students can keep their working hours and study in their off time.

Take your prerequisite and general education classes during summer sessions. You’ll be able to start on your major courses sooner.

Register for a different college so you can take courses that are no longer available at your university.

Don’t discount your ability to take summer courses. By taking one per session, you’ll be able to finish faster while still having time to relax.

If you take courses from another institution, verify that your credits will transfer to your university.

Just because summer sessions may be less expensive, don’t consider them to be of lower quality.

Don’t forget about your graduation goal. You’ll be able to graduate on time or even earlier.

Can I Make Up Classes I Failed During the Fall or Spring Semesters?

Those mandatory general education classes may not be in your areas of academic strength. For instance, algebra or another math class may be the bane of your existence. And, no matter how hard you try; you may still fail one of these required classes. Or, you may have failed a required prerequisite class that would allow you to begin taking classes in the major you chose. Don’t think that you’re just stuck and unable to make any progress toward graduation. Even though it will still cost you some extra money, you can repeat those classes, but you don’t want to take them during fall or spring semesters, when you’re taking a full class load of 12 or 15 credits. That could push back your graduation date by an entire semester. Instead, sign up for the classes, if they are offered, during one or two summer sessions. You’ll be required to read and study more material during each class session—summer session classes pass by more quickly. If you think it’s necessary, find someone to tutor you, so you can understand the material more easily. One California university has established a program that allows students to re-take a failed class during the summer months more easily. Some conditions do exist. Students must have at least 80 credits, so they are closer to graduation. If you attend a college with similar rules, you’ll likely only be able to take major courses you’ve failed or missed in this way. The second requirement for students to qualify is that they still have some time before they graduate; plus, their parents should not be able to contribute more than $4,000 toward their tuition fees. They must be in good academic standing and write a one-page paper that describes their financial need. And they must have their coursework approved by their adviser. A second university offers summer session classes for students to make up a failed class, underlay (took less than a full course load in a previous semester), or because of withdrawal from the university. Students may also take a course for enrichment purposes. Students wishing to take a summer class for the above reasons should get prior approval from the associate dean. They may also need departmental approval if they need their course to fulfill a core, major, minor, or language class. You need to make sure, if you plan on taking summer courses in order to shorten your time in school, that you know the requirements for summer courses. Each school makes their own decisions about how and when they let students take summer courses and, while some are very open to allowing any and all students access to these courses; some, as you’ve seen above, are more stringent with their rules governing access to summer sessions.

Are Summer Sessions Less Expensive than Fall or Spring Semesters?

This also depends on the individual school and the structure of its summer session offerings. One university charges $536 per credit for all undergraduate courses and $853 for all graduate courses. Additional fees, such as the enrollment fee, technology fee, online course fee, student activity fee, and late fees add to the total cost of the class for the student. One school’s undergraduate tuition for New York state residents is $286/credit, while out-of-state tuition is $694/credit. In-state graduate tuition for the school is $462/credit, while out-of-state tuition is $944/credit. Fees include health service, technology, late registration, late payment, late add/drop, withdrawal, and transportation fees. At this university, summer session tuition closely resembles tuition for a fall or spring semester with undergraduate programs costing $1,060/credit; Metropolitan School of Professional Studies is $915/credit; School of Arts & Sciences costs $500/credit hour; and professional and off-campus programs are $1,110/credit hour. As you can see from this one example, many things can affect the cost of your summer session. Make sure that you check with your school as to the front-end cost and all other fees that may be associated with a summer session.

How Often Do Summer Session Classes Meet?

At most universities, students experience an intensive summer class schedule. Classes are more focused, meeting four or five days per week, for three to four hours at a time. These classes can last from two to 12 weeks; most classes are in session for six to eight weeks. The quality of summer classes is just the same as fall and spring classes. Summer sessions are the equivalent of around 10 weeks of undergraduate-level coursework. These courses are condensed into a shorter period, meaning that one or two days of class corresponds to a full week of instruction during fall and spring semesters. Homework assignments will be given daily (readings, problem sets, or long-term assignments such as research projects or papers). Classes are often scheduled for a full day of course-related activity, Monday through Friday. Students receive daily lunch breaks. For Students at California State-Fullerton, summer courses meet three times per week, after 4 p.m. Because of the intensity of the courses, one class per session is taught for five weeks. Students then progress to the second class in the second session. Graduate students can enroll in a maximum of 12 credits. If they want to enroll for more credits, they will have to get an excess unit petition form signed, then bring it back to the Admissions and Records office. For graduate students majoring in the Master of Public Health, two core competency courses are only offered during the summer. Most students opt to take these courses during the summer of their first academic year. If they choose not to do this, they will have to wait until the summer session of the next academic year to take these courses. Until they have completed these classes, they will not complete their MPH degree program. At Lake Forest College, three summer sessions are offered: May, June, and July. Classes meet for four days each week during the four-week session. All classes take place on campus. Current Lake Forest College students, future students, visitors from other colleges, high school students, or regular community members are eligible to take summer session classes at Lake Forest College. Classes are small, giving a major, beneficial impact to each student. Everyone can take advantage of field trips, debates, demonstrations, and small-group instruction which are all offered. If a current Lake Forest College student is behind on class credits, they are eligible to take a course for $500. For students who want to complete required internships, summer internships are available. Check with your chosen college to see what their summer sessions look like. They may even be available in classes that meet on weekends or evenings to allow you to attend around a job or internship schedule. Check around; you never know what you might find.

Sources

https://www.summer.harvard.edu/inside-summer/take-chance-advice-future-harvard-summer-school-students

http://www.washington.edu/reports/summer/sfgr/appendix7c3.html

https://summer.yale.edu/academics

http://www.cameron.edu/graduation_planner/15-ways-to-stay-on-track-to-graduate

https://news.psu.edu/story/395705/2016/03/02/q-what-are-benefits-taking-summer-courses

https://universityhq.org/resources/college-planning-guide/

  Originally posted on University Headquarters at 

https://universityhq.org/resources/college-planning-guide/are-summer-school-classes-really-worth-it/

[rayj-drash]

Every Time I Sing, I Cry

Shaina Joy Machlus

shainajoy.com

twitter and instagram are @punimpie

CW: State and police violence, rape, sexual assault

The first time I actually sang, I cried. It was only a few nervous tears, enough to dampen my shirt cuff but not enough to demand the attention of my teacher. Perhaps due to my anxiety, this first class was completed outside of my own body. I watched myself leave my shoes at the heavy door, put on bright pink house slippers, shuffle through the hall and the sparse living room into a sun-soaked balcony enclosed in glass. I saw myself sit down in the wobbly, folding chair, look out onto the gardens and balconies of the other neighbors—my audience. I could hear the tap of a finger on the plastic electronic keyboard; what sounded like Morse code: SOS. There, in Barcelona, swept up in the struggle for Catalan independence, I found my singing voice.

Tap, tap, tap. It was my call to begin, to repeat. When I did not respond, my teacher Romi repeated the same note. Romi was my first and only singing instructor. I probably chose her because I did not know any other singing instructors. Also because her name was Romi and I loved the way she spoke in her thick Argentinian accent about her nontraditional singing method of accessing your inner child: “gritando como una niña.” Classes were 30 minutes twice a week. I always arrived promptly, ready to take my shoes off and begin.

Tap, tap, tap. Now more of a command. I watched myself open my mouth and push out silent air. I remember the thought: “How does one begin when they have no idea where to start?”

Most people have no memory of their initiation into singing. It was something that happened in toddlerhood; in passing. Their odd notes casually floating away with laughter, claps, a chorus of people joining in. That is not to say my childhood was not filled with music. Still, I had the strong feeling I had never personally experienced this milestone. I carried only one true memory of singing. I was driving in an old Volvo station wagon through a particularly lush part of New York State. I rolled down the passenger window beside my then lover who had just confessed to being unfaithful, opened my mouth wide as it could go, filled my lungs with summer air, and tried to let song escape me. The sound I made was so far from my intended aria, I kept quiet ever since. With the acception of the intake of alcohol, which never ceased to persuade me otherwise. Like the time I sang “Single Ladies” and the karaoke bar pretended to be closing in order to keep me from singing again. Or when my microphone was taken away mid-“Say My Name.” (Yes, I do have a Beyonce tattoo, thank you for asking.)

The December before I turned 30, something shifted. While at a very ordinary concert, I decided I could not spend the rest of my ordinary life not knowing what it felt like to sing. To live a life afraid of your own voice is no way to live. The next morning, without thinking, I picked up the phone, unwrapped a crumpled piece of paper with the word “Romi” scribbled on top and dialed the numbers below.

It took me two whole sessions to make any noise at all. Our classes were always the same; Romi would progressively tap a higher and higher note on the keyboard in quick threes: tap, tap, tap. I would repeat the note as best as I could, yelling in short bursts a sound that was halfway between an “ah!” and an “oh!”. To my surprise, creating those noises thawed a space inside of me. A space that was the opposite of where my tears came from—although the two seemed to function in parallel. It was a strange, but not altogether disagreeable feeling to pry myself open and closed simultaneously.

On the morning of October 2, 2017, I pressed the number four apartment button and rode the beautiful but creaky elevator up to Romi’s place. I took my seat beside her and her keyboard. Unlike our first class, I felt glued inside my heavy body. The density I was hauling on this particular morning had less to do with the one hour of sleep I had managed and more with what had come to pass during the previous day that I spent on the streets of Barcelona, from 4 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. 

Maybe it is worth mentioning that I had spent the previous four years moving my life in the USA to Barcelona. Like many other Jews, my family had been murdered and chased out of their Eastern European shtetls onto a variety of strange lands, one of which being the occupied territory of the so-called “United States”. Yampol, the thriving shtetl of my family, was burned so extensively to the ground, there is almost zero evidence of it ever having existed. The family history that we could piece together is a scrappy patchwork of survivals and profound attempts to survive. One of my most treasured appliques was that of my great-grandmother, whose name I am endowed with, who died in a plane crash in Malaga, Spain. In a somewhat cinematic turn of events, an audio-visual specialist from Pace University, named Carlton Maloney, happened to be on the same plane as said great-grandmother. Maloney was adding to his series of take-off and landing recordings and as a result there is an audio recording of the entire plane crash. Even before the world-wide-web granted me the possibility of experiencing the crackling booms, screams and ultimate silence of the crash audio, I felt the need to complete the little loop of immigration my family had made. Moving into a tiny room in Barcelona, steeping myself in the streets, the language, the culture felt something like tying a neat bow in my familiar tapestry.  

Four years in Barcelona granted me the ability to live and learn through a series of far-reaching events. Without a doubt the most extraordinary of which took place on that October 1 in 2017, when there was a referendum to determine whether the northeast region of Spain, Catalunya, would succeed and become its own independent country again. Catalunya, once a flourishing autonomous, anarchist country, had been owned by Spain since 1714. The Spanish government in Madrid deemed this new election unconstitutional. Both the President and King of Spain appeared poised and confident on TV, adjusting the knot on their ties while promising to keep all of Spain under the crown by any means necessary. The very next scene on the news showed armored vehicles being deployed by the hundreds from the capitol, they dotted every road leading to Barcelona. From above they looked like armored beetles, topped with Spanish flags and the buzzing of the National police hanging out the windows chanting promises of violence toward the Catalan people into news cameras and other onlookers. 

Back in Catalunya, no one could have imagined the violence that was unleashed by the government against its peacefully gathered citizens waiting to vote. Over 1,000 people were hospitalized because of brutal police beatings. Videos from cell phones surfaced, recording only a fraction of the police violence; a rubber bullet taking out one person’s eye, elderly people being dragged by their arms and feet away from voting polls, a woman having her fingers broken one by one and who was later sexually assaulted, blood stained hallways of the elementary schools that had been used as voting stations. We were forced to elect between watching or experiencing the horror. We gasped, searching for oxygen, unable to exhale. Hardly able to scream in protest.

State-endorsed violence is nothing new, far from it. And although it is entwined in the DNA of both the country my family immigrated from and immigrated to, it felt anew to me. During the day of the referendum time became wildly inefficient; the hours dragged by in a deep-sea manner. We trugged from voting center to voting center, locking arms to form human chains in an effort to protect the tiny white pieces of paper where people had checked “si” or “no” and the idea of revolution they represented. I squeezed my eyes shut as tightly as I squeezed the arms of the strangers on either side of me. We hung on to each second, waiting to see who would be thrown into the prison wagons next. There was an enduring silence throughout every street. People seemed to be holding their collective breath, awaiting the inevitable moment when the armored trucks full of police turned the corner. I had no idea at the time, but I had been waiting to break the silence of that day ever since.

When friends ask me about my singing lessons, most find it amusing that after more than a year, a single word has never passed in song between my two lips. And I get that they do not understand. How could anyone, including myself, know just how far back this silence stretched? In my elementary school, I was the only student who was not invited to be part of the choir. My music teacher, feigning generosity, gave me the silent task of moving the stage curtains back and forth and told me I will be one of those girls who is seen rather than heard. Singing, something that formerly left me feeling deserted, had now become an unexpected oasis. 

The day after the referendum was sunny, I remember exactly what the sky looked like from the window of Romi’s balcony. The clouds hung lightly in cotton ball form against a neon-blue sky. Seagulls, farther from the sea than I had ever before seen, looked gigantic flying next to the bevy of ubiquitous pigeons. That was the day I cried. My tears were massive, heavy enough to form a cavern within my chest. Romi did not pause for a moment except to pass me tissues. Something miraculous happened in that little room. The more I cried, the louder my voice became, the deeper the space inside me opened up. I was like a balloon being inflated. I did not judge the noises that came from my mouth because I knew they told a story that was impossible to tell otherwise. I heard perfect notes and I felt grateful to finally understand the expansiveness of song.

We live between the notes of everyday life; some are beautiful like the popping of potatoes and onions being fried to make tortilla, others intensely painful like rubber bullets whizzing by into a crowd of people, and many are barely audible unless listened to very carefully, like the moment the wind shifts to carry salty sea air from the Mediterranean. I hear them all as song now. And I sing in response.

6 months later, on April 26, 2018, five men, including a police officer, who brutally gang-raped an 18 year-old girl in Pamplona, Spain, were tried and sentenced. The men took videos and photos of themselves penetrating the woman orally, vaginally, and anally, then stole her phone and left her half naked on the stairs. The court used the videos and photos to determine that lying still with one’s eyes closed and remaining silent constitutes as consent. None of the men were charged with rape, instead the Spanish court system convicted them of minor crimes that barely warrant jail time. Although I did not have one scheduled, I asked if I could come by for an impromptu singing class. From the folding chair, I watched an older woman hang her laundry, a cat balance across a fence, marvelled at the spectacular garden that was always empty. Romi tapped on a key and I screamed the note, letting it exit from the top of my head and make an arc downwards, landing right in front of where my two watery eyes meet, so I could watch it bloom.

[masonbellringer]

My Blog: Semester 1

A Very Interesting Beginning Sophomore Semester 1

 11/18/2019

Character Traits: The Main Premise

           When it comes to character traits the main thing to realize is that Vocab is the biggest thing. Every passage evokes a certain feeling in a person but the hard thing is putting that feeling into a certain word or words. So, in order to avoid this problem people, expand their vocabulary through reading comprehension. Also, there are so many traits that can be used its easier when you are familiar with them so to use the words more effectively and accurately.  

    11/6/2019

Staring at the pedestal: How I perceive myself

           The world is an interesting place filled with many challenges, one of the many challenges includes being liked, loved and so on. People who believe in the words of others aren’t foolish but can be misguided. I myself and on misguided path one where the world says one thing but my brain says another. I don’t hold myself on a pedestal and crush others under me instead I do quite the opposite, I hold others on a pedestal and strive to be where they are rather than be where I need to be. I put others so high above me and make the expectations that I set for myself so great that I can never even hope to reach it, it’s impossible. I also know in the back of my head that it’s impossible yet I still do it. The cycle is vicious and no matter how hard I try to get out of it, no matter how hard I try to exit the cycle and forge my own path it never works. I fear that I will forever be caught in forever feeling tied to others ideals, beliefs, and perceptions. The world is a very challenging place and I myself have to deal like any other person the challenges that I am dealt.  

   10/24/2019

The Beauty and Benefits: ELA in High School

           ELA stands for English Language Arts it is a class set to enhance a reader understanding of text using the English language and also to develop techniques that are used in the language. Language arts though sometimes felling pointless and mundane, I will admit that sitting in front of the computer for hours can really stink but it can help us achieve higher levels of performance and literacy. When you practice the language, you get better at the language. In order to achieve higher level, you must be taught how to, leaving you alone to figure it out on your own would just be sad. So, in short practice makes perfect. Also taking more classes means you can deep dive into finer points of ELA such as literature (AP lit) or the overarching language aspects of English (AP Lang). These classes give us the opportunity to become better through always evolving curriculum and texts.  

  10/21/2019

An Achievement to be Reached: SMART Goal

           I currently have and will to try to maintain an A in the class, this can be done through work being turned in on time and putting forth the best effort when doing assignments. Also, it can be achieved through no late work and making up assignments with could be missing or have a poor grade. Maintaining an A is possible with work and effort put forth by me, the easiest way to fail is not trying and I refuse to not try. When I seis to try I am basically saying “school you’re too hard for me,” or “eh there’s always next time,” when I give in to the desire to give up and take the easy way out, I give up on my own abilities to accomplish something.  

    10/10/2019

ELA: A Love Letter

           ELA or English Language Arts is a class taken by all students from the early years of Elementary School into Collage, or in other words you can never escape the bottomless pit that is language development, but the truth for me at least is that I really don’t care. Language and the tasks that come with it such as essay’s and presentations are things that come east to me. I have never particularly had a major struggle with the idea. I can bang out an essay in a few hours and public speaking is easy if not fun for me. I understand fully why people don’t like the subject, sometimes I don’t feel in the mood to type a 1500-word essay in one night but the thing is it benefits us. If we stopped English when we were in the 5th grade we would talk and think as if we were a bunch of 5th graders. With like as every other word and not understanding what the word inconceivable meant, but because of English we are developing our vocab and writing to go out in to the world and be successful later on in life. You can’t succeed if you don’t know how to as the kids say these days English.

   10/7/2019

Bloggers: The Tips and Tricks

           A blog is an opinionated column usually in print that seems conversational and is written by a person or a small group of people. The blog itself can be a diary style context and is playful with the audience, it can sometimes be formal but majority informal due to its dairy style. Blogs are usually published online and are open for people to read. Does this mean that blogs are useful source of information with hard hitting commentary on the human experience well no. Blogs or the video version know as a vlog are sometimes just fun to read or watch, they are loaded with jokes and stupid antics that can give anyone regardless of their mood a good time.  

    9/30/2019

The Spanish Community of The Catalans

           Dante’s goes to Mercedes house, he finds her with her cousin named Fernand Mondego who has a deep love for Mercedes. Danglars suspects that they have been having some kind of relation but this assumption is proved to be false and Mercedes has denied Fernand’s proposals before and denies him again. Mercedes claims that her heart belongs to another and gives Dante’s a warm embrace when they meet eye to eye. Mercedes is poor due to the death of her parents and had to live off charity in order to survive. This does not matter to either Dante’s or Fernand.

    9/23/2019

Writing in France: Alexandre Damas

           Some of the strengths in the exposition of The Count of Monte Cristo is its ability to keep the reader engaged throughout the chapter with dialogue and character descriptions. Much like the book series Harry Potter dialogue is the driving action behind the story, instead of having lengthy paragraphs about facial structure, deep inner thoughts, and the world around them. The author instead reveals this all through conversations between the characters, killing two birds with one stone by also showing the reader character traits along with likes and dislikes. The author also builds background to the setting of the story based on how the characters speak and act, also the mention of well-known locations such as Paris and the use of the word monsieur throughout gives the reader hints to where they are in the world. The exposition in general does its job it establishes the key elements of the story all while keeping the reader engaged.

    9/19/2019

The Place I will Go

           The place that I hopefully see myself in, in 2022 is graduating ERHS and going on to USC or some other high-level collage, where I will get a top-notch education. I will hopefully go into the world with a sense of calm and collectedness or I will cry my eyes out because I don’t fell prepared enough. The worst fear that I have in relation to this subject is that I’m not good enough to get into a great collage, I will never succeed in life and end up being a drifter in the street, as irrational as it sounds this is something that I fear quite often. In reality the only place that I want to see myself going in 2022 is up. To better education, higher levels of success and happiness. I also want a strong friend group around this time because a strong support system is very vital to one’s wellbeing.  

  9/16/2019

The Shoes I walk In

           If my life where a book I think that it would be about my own struggle against social conformity, along with the search for a purpose. The issue with today’s world in my opinion is everyone acts to much on emotion and feeling. This doesn’t leave room for thought-out well-planned decisions. I want to have a purpose that lasts more than just one day or year. To follow this, I have never been one to follow any of the viral trends or fads that are created by social media and the like, I personally find it unoriginal and kind of nonsensical. It’s almost like saying, “I’m going to take this popular thing, not do it as well as the original but continue to do it because its popular.” There would be some comedy and really unneeded drama sprinkled in there along the way but for the most part it would be a relatable story about life and the struggles that come with forming an opinion all your own. As the great president JFK once said, “Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth”  

    9/9/2019

The Six Standards

Standards are set in pace by the education system and are made as a goal for students to achieve in order to be proficient in literature. The one that I am most confused on is fallacious reasoning, upon researching this topic I found that it is stated to appear better than it really is. What does this really mean? How can a passage appear to be better than it actually is? Isn’t a paragraph or an idea based on content and not the look of it? So, is it possible for an idea to look or seem better than it is, I guess I am confused on how to interpret the standard itself, I need more guidance on how to do it properly?  

    8/26/2019

Annotations: How, What, Why

           When it comes to annotating, I have a few strategies, in regards to what you are actually to annotate, figure out what really sticks out to you as the reader. Ask yourself the questions of what is the author trying to convey? How does this phrase relate to the overall message of the story? Finally, what is the reason or purpose that the author included this in the book? Once you have figured out what you want to annotate you can write in the margin or on a sticky note. The annotation itself does not have to be grand or a long thought out paragraph, it can simply be a few words relating two parts of the book together or a phrase of how it relates to the overall message of the book. The main thing to avoid in annotating is, annotating for the sake of annotating. Make sure that your annotations are useful to you as the reader.

   8/22/2019

What I’ve Learned and want to Learn: ELA

           Based on what we have learned so far, I believe that the strategies and concepts covered have improved my writing for the better. Grammar has always been an issue with my writing though it’s something that I am still working on, the ideas in the group task and through the teachings of Ms. Coello have been very beneficial. An example of this teaching is when learning Capitalization, Usage, Punctuation, and Spelling. There are many ways to write an essay but each way has a certain structure and development; essay structure can be chronological or in order of importance.  When making a PowerPoint you need to follow the 8 by 8 rule, I still want to learn more about writing structure and Grammar because that would be the best way to improve my writing.  

      8/19/2019

Santiago: The Dreamer

           Santiago is a young boy who comes from humble beginnings to become something great. He uses his intuition and pure intelligence to overcome the challenges he faces on his journey to achieve his personal legend. As the story continues the reader finds that Santiago can give up easy but with the right persuasion and drive, he always finds his way back on track. Santiago and I share a few similar characteristics one is our drive. I am a very driven person to both finish the task and do it to the best of my abilities. I along with Santiago can get easily sidetracked or come to the conclusion that we can’t do it because of the world around us but we soon overcome that lie and regain confidence.

    8/15/2019

School: Strengths and Weaknesses

One thing I am really good at is writing. This year, I will use this to my advantage in this class and subject. I have always seemed to be more inclined in writing informative, argumentative, and Narrative essays. I can put in music, tune out the world around me and just write. Weather this is writing for school or just recreation it always seemed to just come natural to me. I have worked and continue to work on how to better my writing. While grammar still seems to be a somewhat of a challenge its nothing that I can’t overcome with the right practice and instruction. As I continue to write I will hope that someday I can be published author. Weather this is stories about my life or an epic telling the adventures of a daring adventure I will hope to write something that people have a genuine interest in reading.

  8/12/2019

Quotes: A Map to Life

“No one can ever take your memories from you-each day is a new beginning; make good memories every day.” -Catharine Pulsifer

           This quote is trying to express that every day is a new opportunity to live your own dream, regardless of the struggles and trails of yesterday. We must live with the consequence of our actions both good and bad, but we can also brush off the faults and look forward to a new beginning. With the new school year just starting its essentially a clean slate. Weather we didn’t do such a great job in a class or didn’t live up to the expectations set by ourselves or our parents. Striving to be better than we were and facing the trails of this year head on. It’s essential that we remain steadfast in our goals and try to make this year the best year of our lives.  

[piscesfeet6-blog]

A Town Branded By Hate Crime Boosts School Programs For Immigrants

Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series about how schools, teachers and students are coping with the immigration crisis.

PATCHOGUE, N.Y. — Wilda Rosario’s support groups for immigrant students at Patchogue-Medford High School usually start out with lots of laughter. That’s just how teenagers are, she says. But it doesn’t take too long for conversations to turn serious with this group of kids, most of them children seeking asylum from violence in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala.

During an ice-breaker of light-hearted questions, the teens turn from a discussion of their favorite foods to the meals their grandmothers made back home, and how much they miss them. What they’d bring to a deserted island morphs into a conversation about what it would have been like to take an airplane to America, instead of having to hike through the desert.

From there, during each weekly meeting in a conference room a few doors down from the principal’s office in this sprawling high school of nearly 2,500 kids, the students dig deeper and deeper into the traumas that haunt them — nightmares about sinking into muddy rivers, or being lost in the pitch-black of the desert night. They talk, too, of the hopes that keep them going — getting into college, building a house for their parents back home.

“I say to them, it doesn’t matter where you came from, it’s where you’re going,” says Rosario, a bilingual social worker who joined the Patchogue-Medford school district two years ago.

Since 2016, Rosario has run half a dozen counseling groups of about eight to ten kids. Other kids have tracked her down to talk after hearing from friends that she’s a sympathetic listener. She’s one of the reasons immigrant students smile when asked about their school. They call it calm, peaceful and supportive. It’s a refuge.

That’s not how many outsiders paint Patchogue. When politicians talk about Suffolk County — a mix of tony beach towns and working class hamlets like Patchogue on Long Island’s eastern half — it’s often to highlight the violence. President Trump has twice visited Suffolk to call for a crackdown against immigrant gangs following teenage murders in Brentwood, a few towns over. New York’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, has stopped by the county to promise more state money to target the largest of the gangs, MS-13. And Patchogue itself is still haunted by the decade-old murder of an immigrant by several native-born teens.

But away from the political debates and television lights, educators in the Patchogue-Medford school district have been quietly cultivating a different image. Instead of viewing immigrant students as a burden on already overwhelmed schools — or a security threat — a coalition of teachers and administration officials is trying to shift the narrative. They are building a haven for the hundreds of young people who have moved here in the last decade to join relatives and escape home countries like Honduras and El Salvador, which have the highest murder rates in the world.

“We’re here to support, not scare and remove,” said Michael Hynes, superintendent of the Patchogue-Medford Union Free School District. “For us, we’re trying to take care of our most vulnerable. To make sure they get what they need and deserve.”

In Long Island, this sentiment is not a given. Its two counties, Nassau and Suffolk, have been on the front lines of the U.S. immigration debate for more than three decades, ever since immigrants began flocking to fill plentiful jobs in construction, landscaping and the restaurant industry. The area has been one of the largest receiving points for a wave of unaccompanied youth fleeing Central America’s spiraling gang violence. Parents worried about their children’s safety, and only able to afford the cost of one crossing, have sent children alone to live with uncles, aunts and cousins already established in the area. The cost of crossing into the U.S. illegally can amount to more than $6,000.

Sarah Garland/The Hechinger Report

Middle school students in a newcomer program to help immigrant students adjust.

The resulting demographic changes have roiled these suburbs. Schools have often been at the center of fights over who belongs here and whether native residents have any duty to help or support immigrants. In response to the influx of children, some schools have been accused of blocking undocumented immigrants from registering, in violation of the law, or funneling them to law enforcement.

In contrast, Patchogue-Medford has spent the last four years revamping its programming for immigrant students. The recession forced the district to lay off 50 educators, but as its finances improved, the district prioritized bilingualism. Since 2014, it has added more than 70 employees, including 40 educators and counselors who speak Spanish, according to district officials.

Administration officials have also staffed each of the district’s schools with Spanish-speaking secretaries, so Hispanic parents would feel welcome. They hired a new director for language programs, Dalimar Rastello, a veteran bilingual educator who is herself Hispanic. They added resources in an existing dual-language program at the elementary school level, created a sheltered English learner program for newcomer students in the middle school, and overhauled high school offerings, placing native English speakers and English learners into more of the same classrooms, so they can learn from each other.

In some ways, Patchogue-Medford has had little choice: It now has more students learning English than students in special education, officials said, and nearly 40 percent of its students are Hispanic, according to New York State data. In other words, if these students don’t succeed, neither does the district.

But another reason has spurred Patchogue-Medford to embrace its immigrant students: In 2008, the town became a symbol of xenophobia and hatred, a characterization locals have tried hard to shake. That year, a pack of Patchogue-Medford High School students set out to hunt “beaners” and murdered Marcelo Lucero, a 37-year-old Ecuadorean immigrant. His death was one of a series of attacks on immigrants in the area, according to the journalist Mirta Ojito’s book on the killing.

“What this district is trying to do is exactly the opposite of that reputation,” said Rastello. “They’re putting their resources in the right place to show we’re not that. That’s not us.”

Luís is one of the students that Patchogue- Medford has made a priority. Last year, Rosario picked his name from a list of newcomers, and asked if he would like to join one of her support groups. Quiet and withdrawn, Luís had flown under the radar — neither a standout student nor a problem. He agreed to give the group a try and, after a few sessions, began opening up about a past that is both horrific and typical of Patchogue’s immigrant students.

Luís, who asked that his last name be withheld because he worries about his safety, speaks in a low murmur that forces listeners to lean in close. Next to one of his eyes is a dented scar. Another slices across his shoulder.

Other traumas are less visible.

Now 18, he first left home two years ago to escape the gangs near his town in Morazán, El Salvador. He said MS-13 had expanded to the area, recruiting boys as young as 13. He said he was often stopped on the way to school and forced to hand over money.

Sarah Garland/The Hechinger Report

High schoolers in a social studies class at Patchogue-Medford work on a lesson about the history of nationalism.

At 15, he was riding in a van with friends when a group of armed teenagers pulled them over. They shoved him to the ground, cutting him across the shoulder. As he lay face down in the mud, they shot several boys in his group, including two of his friends.

His parents decided he needed to leave, or he might be next. They sold their land to pay a guide to take him to the U.S. On his first attempt he only made it as far as Mexico before he was picked up. At the Mexican detention center, a boy demanded that he give up his dinner. He was hungry and didn’t want to share, so the boy cut him in the eye with a shiv made out of a toothbrush.

He used the rest of his family’s money on a second attempt. After a 26-hour ride standing in the back of a tractor-trailer, pressed up against dozens of other migrants, his group was kidnapped and taken to a house where he thought he saw bloody clothes hanging on the line and fresh graves dug in the yard. He turned over all his money to get away. Luís managed to cross the border to Texas, but was picked up by border agents almost immediately. He was sent to a youth shelter, where he waited for nearly a month to find out what would happen to him.

Luís’ uncle in Patchogue, a U.S. citizen, offered to sponsor him while he made a case for asylum, and he joined a growing number of immigrant students who arrived in Patchogue-Medford. In the 2013-14 school year, there were 125 new arrivals who were English learners, according to district officials. Four years later, there were 212. Many, like Luís, came without their parents; Suffolk County received more than 1,000 unaccompanied minors in the 2017 fiscal year, according to the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Rebecca Sanin, president and CEO of the nonprofit Health and Welfare Council of Long Island, said the large numbers, and the level of trauma these students bring with them, overwhelmed many schools. “Whether they’re doing a great job already or not, they want to be doing a good job,” she said. “But they haven’t been given enough resources in their annual budgets to meet these new needs.”

The Patchogue-Medford schools were more prepared than most.

Hynes, the district superintendent, was hired in 2014, chosen in part for his “whole-child” approach to education. Not long after he started the job, a group of local women, the Madres Latinas Amigas, sent him an email. The women’s group, composed of moms from Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and countries in Central America, had come up with a list of suggestions for making the local schools friendlier to immigrant parents. The ideas stemmed from the group’s twice-monthly meetings at the Patchogue library, where they talked about parenting, navigating their new American home, and the schools.

Within a couple of months, Hynes met with the mothers and began implementing some of their ideas, including hiring more Spanish speakers.

Rastello, one of the first of the new staff hired, helped open a centralized office for newcomers and created a registration process that ensured new students and their families went through interviews and assessments to figure out which students were on grade level but lacked English, and which had missed years of schooling at home. The district also added students’ English levels to class rosters, a simple but incredibly helpful step, educators said. And they tried to identify families with other problems, such as hunger or homelessness, so they could connect them with an outside service agency the district had invited to share space in one of the middle schools.

The Madres noticed the difference. “[Rastello] made it so the schools are open. We can enter and express ourselves freely,” said María Cristina, 44, a mother of four who moved to Patchogue from Ecuador 23 years ago. “Now we can ask for help in Spanish. Before we couldn’t.”

The district is still trying to figure out how to help students cope with the emotional trauma many have suffered. Lori Cannetti, the assistant superintendent for instruction, said that, at a bare minimum, staff are trying to connect students with “one person they can trust.”

Sarah Garland/The Hechinger Report

Cesar Morales and his brothers are here in the country without their parents, so they’ve turned to Stephanie Vogel, a Patchogue-Medford teacher on special assignment, who has supported them “like our mom,” the brothers said.

For Cesar Morales, that person was Stephanie Vogel. A veteran English-as-a-new language teacher, she also serves as one of the district’s two “teachers on assignment,” a new position dedicated solely to helping English learners settle in and succeed.

Morales, a short 19-year-old from Chiché, Guatemala, joined five brothers already in Patchogue in 2016. His teachers noticed something was wrong one day this fall when the normally cheerful 11th-grader seemed quiet and withdrawn. They called Vogel, who knows Cesar’s family well, to let her know.

He’d just learned his younger sister had died, from liver failure, during an hour-long journey to the hospital from his family’s tiny rural village. “They could tell I wasn’t okay,” said Cesar. “They asked how I was.”

Ricardo Morales, Cesar’s older brother, appreciates the care the school has provided his family, even five years after he graduated from Patchogue High. Teachers have pushed each brother to stick it out when they’ve considered dropping out. And Vogel, “she’s like our mom,” said Morales, who at 26 is one of the main breadwinners for the family. “She worries a lot about us. My brothers, everyone.”

Ricardo works at Outback Steakhouse as a cook and doesn’t expect he’ll go to college anytime soon, but Cesar wants to continue his education and become a saxophonist; he discovered the instrument at his church in Long Island. District officials said they’re trying to figure out how to build career pathways for students like him, who arrive at age 18, 19, 20, or even 21, so that they can “find hope” even if a diploma — or a career as a musician — is likely out of reach.

Hynes, a vocal opponent of using standardized testing for accountability, appears in the news often, but Patchogue officials haven’t trumpeted their efforts. One reason may be political: Patchogue-Medford is in a congressional district that voted for President Trump by a margin of 12 percent in the 2016 election, and this year reelected Republican Lee Zeldin for Congress, a reliable conservative on immigration.

And while there are some measures that suggest academic progress for the district’s immigrant students, including how quickly newcomer students are becoming proficient in English, “our graduation rates are still not where they need to be,” said Rastello. Patchogue-Medford’s four-year graduation rate for Hispanic students was 74 percent in 2017, compared to 93 percent for white students. (Though it’s up from 71 percent five years ago, before the district began making major changes to its offerings for newcomers.)

Students also said ethnic tensions rear up on occasion. Several newcomers said they’ve been called names in the cafeteria or hallways. Educators here said they’ve worked hard to mitigate conflicts, though, and are also quick to note they’ve never seen any sign of gangs here, despite the problems in neighboring towns and the concerns of politicians. (Violent crime on Long Island has actually plummeted in recent years, as the immigrant population has grown.)

So far this year, the district has received fewer immigrant students than in years past. But Rastello and Vogel are worried, not relieved. More than 12,000 unaccompanied immigrant children were in federal custody in September, up from 2,400 the year before. Patchogue’s educators imagined that dozens, perhaps hundreds, of children could be released into their care any day.

Still, Hynes is confident, “if they’re going to land somewhere, this is the best place that they could land.”

On a Monday this fall, Luís sat in Vogel’s cheerful office surrounded by posters covered in smiley faces and inspirational sayings. He had been watching the news: President Trump was warning that a caravan of immigrants from Honduras was hiding criminals, and Gov. Cuomo was back in Long Island to announce even more money to fight MS-13. “They need to understand that we all have dreams, and the countries where we live, there aren’t resources,” said Luís. “We want to overcome that.”

Thanks in part to encouragement from Rosario, his support-group leader, Luís has gained confidence that he can realize his dreams — if he sticks to his studies at Patchogue-Medford High. He comes straight home from school each day, and except for basketball games with his uncle, rarely ventures out on the weekends. As safe as the suburbs seem, he doesn’t want trouble. He’s also scrambling to catch up with his peers after the interruption of his education. He wants to become a lawyer, and help other immigrants like himself, but first he has to graduate.

“My counselor told me that I have to do what’s possible,” he said. Another thing she’s taught him: “The majority of Americans are good people.”

This story about Central American students was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s newsletter.

Source: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/hate-immigrants-ms13-children-trump_us_5c49f4dde4b0a18257f7bc40

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‘Homeschooling with Jetpacks’: Inside a First-of-Its-Kind Co-Learning Community

BETHEL, Conn. — Henry was not thriving in his public elementary school. His grades were high, but apart from that, little else seemed to be going right for him.

“He wasn’t excelling, and everybody knew it,” his mother, Margaret Genden, explains. “And there were behavioral problems because of it. He wasn't acting out, but he didn't fit in.”

When Henry was in third and fourth grade, he would come home from school anxious, unhappy and complaining of migraines. His mother, growing increasingly concerned, felt it was time for a change.

First, Genden enrolled Henry in a private school, but the problems persisted. After having him go through a few education evaluations, Genden learned that her son had a processing gap, which specialists said he would eventually outgrow. In the interim, she decided to try homeschooling Henry, but she wanted him to be in an environment where he was stimulated and interacting with other kids. That’s how she found out about Workspace.

If traditional schools were too much and homeschooling alone was not enough, Workspace presented itself to the Gendens as the Goldilocks educational opportunity.

Nearly two years ago, in April 2017, Genden and her son approached a 32,000-square-foot building with a facade resembling a big red barn.

“We were 60 feet in the door and Henry turned around to me and said, ‘I'm coming here,’” Genden recalls. “And by the time we finished the tour, I was completely on board.”

The front view of the Workspace facility in Bethel, Conn. (Image credit: Alex Weber)

Founded in January 2017 in the small town of Bethel, Conn., Workspace Education is distinct from perhaps any other place of learning. The expansive building contains rooms themed around seemingly every pastime and passion imaginable: Theater? Check. Recording studio? Check. Wood shop? Check. Makerspace? Community garden? Costume shop? Virtual reality suite? Fitness center? Science lab? Industrial kitchen? Space station? Robotics room? Check, check, check and more checks.

“It’s like homeschooling with jetpacks,” says Catherine Fraise, founder and executive director of Workspace. “I tried to think of every single way a human expresses themselves creatively, because I want every child to find themselves here.”

Fraise refers to Workspace as a “co-learning community.” Similar to how WeWork is equipped with all the bells and whistles of a modern office environment—save for the employees—Workspace provides all the tools necessary for learning—save for the students. First and foremost, it’s a place for families that homeschool their children to come and engage with others, supplement their learning and dive deeply into a wider range of topics than most parents are equipped to teach themselves.

“It’s about using the space as a tool for collaboration,” Fraise explains.

For example, a Workspace parent who is skilled in mathematics may volunteer to teach classes on algebra I and pre-calculus to Workspace kids. Or families who want their children to learn Spanish may pool their financial resources to hire a language specialist for a year.

Most courses are taught by parents, but at the request of the families, Fraise has hired a handful of certified educators, including Tom Curley, director of programming and master teacher at Workspace, to teach core subjects.

In a lot of ways, Workspace sounds like a school, says Curley, but that’s not quite right. Though it provides a space and resources where kids can learn, it does not issue transcripts or high school diplomas. The kids are legally considered homeschoolers, and their families are responsible for creating a curriculum and helping them fulfill graduation requirements.

“It’s a hybrid that I have not seen the likes of anywhere else,” Curley says. “We are unprecedented.”

Two years in, Workspace serves around 80 learners from 60 families—about half who came from homeschooling, and another half who came from traditional public or private schools. The latter tend to find their way to Workspace when traditional schools are unable to accommodate their needs, be they cognitive delays, social struggles, behavioral issues or other learner differences. Students who come from traditional schools typically require a few months to get acclimated to Workspace, Fraise says, as they start off more timid and formal than their homeschooled peers.

The sweet spot, Fraise estimates, is 125 families. At that point, there will be enough variety and overlap in the families for Workspace to reach its full potential.

She explains: “If you want to start a band, you need to have enough people that make music, so until we get to that [optimal] number, you're not going to see the full vibrancy.”

Growing a Co-Learning Community

Fraise had been toying with the idea of starting Workspace for years, but it wasn’t until she saw a need in her own children that she became serious about it.

Catherine Fraise, founder and executive director of Workspace Education

She had been a high school teacher in her home country of Australia before moving to the U.S. and starting a family. It was after the move that she learned about Maria Montessori, who designed an eponymous pedagogical approach that values collaboration and hands-on learning for children’s development. Fraise fell in love with the Montessori method and went back to school to pursue a master’s degree in it.

When her kids were of age, she put them in a Montessori school in the U.S., but due to their own sets of health and learning needs, which required additional attention, it wasn’t a great fit. When they were 4 and 9 years old, Fraise pulled them out and spent the next 10 years homeschooling them using a project-based approach that drew on her experience with the Montessori method.

But still, her children needed more than what she could offer them at home. They were two very different people with unique passions and strengths, and she wanted to give them an environment that would support and celebrate their individuality.

A few years ago, when she had the financial support she needed to start Workspace (her husband ran his own money management company and was able to provide capital for the facility), she got to work creating a “Google-like, incubative environment” that would help her kids and others find their niche.

However, Workspace does not just attract kids from the local area. In fact, few families who use the facility actually live in town. Parents and children drive in from all over the state—and some all the way from New York City, about 70 miles away—to get there. Fraise estimates that a quarter drive over an hour each way to Workspace.

But the existing space—formerly home to a bicycle company—was for sale in 2016 for about $1.7 million, nearly one-fifth the cost of building something from scratch, and as Fraise puts it, “people will drive to have this kind of experience.”

Courses at Workspace are often project-based, and the fundamental design is rife with what Fraise calls “authentic creative self-expression.”

“The most important part here is that we're creating children who are confident to manifest their own ideas,” she says. “So whatever idea they have, or anything that's in their head, I want them to be able to get it out into the world somehow.”

According to Fraise, the appropriate starting age at Workspace is around 9 or 10 years old, but she’s currently negotiating a purchase for two acres of nearby land, on which she plans to build another big red barn—this one for children ages 0 to 9.

Workspace is designed to be a hybrid between homeschool and private school. Compared to the average cost of private K-12 schools in Connecticut, which is nearly $25,000 per year, Fraise considers her model to be affordable and equitable. The basic membership plan for a family, which includes parents and one child, is $3,500 per year. Each additional child is $3,000.

Though Workspace tuition may be more affordable than most private school alternatives in the state, the expectation that parents be present with their children every day creates an obvious barrier to entry for many families.

On top of membership, many of the courses offered at Workspace come with an additional fee, usually to cover the price of materials. For instance, a marine science course taught on Mondays by one of the parents has free tuition but requires another $100 per “session” to cover materials, with an option of taking up to five sessions in a year (each session spans a seven- or eight-week period, and in this case marine science is offered 36 Mondays out of the year). That fee does not cover the price of field trips taken during the course.

Workspace has developed a course map that displays and breaks down each course offered throughout the year to help learners and families make sense of their options. No two children have the same schedule.

The course options available on Mondays at Workspace. Click image to see full schedule.

Using the course map, families can see that marine science is best suited for ages 12 and older, that it does not assign homework or record grades and that it takes place from 1-3 p.m. on Mondays.

Alternatively, families interested in Curley’s “Foundations of Western Civilization” course can see that the class is held twice a week and that each session comes with a $17 materials fee. It includes homework, grades and is marked as “rigorous.”

There is an expectation that parents will contribute to the Workspace community and teach a few classes themselves, Fraise says. It’s how they reciprocate all the time and attention other families invest in their own children.

For example, Henry’s mother Margaret Genden leads a multimedia art class and a geography class this year. Last year, she taught a writing and storytelling course for younger learners (she has a background in English literature). Fraise herself teaches courses on sewing and recycling, among others. The day EdSurge visited Workspace, she was talking about starting a Japanese-language class.

For now, Workspace does not provide enough course options for children to begin and end their learning in the facility. Families can come to Workspace for as few or as many hours a week as they choose, but most spend a day or two each week at home, during which time they’ll continue with other work, including online classes.

And if there’s something families want that isn’t currently offered at Workspace—say, an introductory journalism course—they can go to the “dream director” (yes, that’s her official title) and put in their request.

The sky-is-the-limit approach has worked well for many Workspace learners, including Henry, who is now 12 and is enrolled in more than a dozen different classes this year.

“He doesn’t want to be sick. He doesn’t want to be out. He wants to be here,” his mother says.

“The difference is absolutely life-altering,” she adds. “[Workspace] changed everything that we did, even as a family, in a positive way. All of a sudden, Henry was learning, he was thriving and [now] he’s doing things he would never have had the opportunity to do elsewhere.”

‘Homeschooling with Jetpacks’: Inside a First-of-Its-Kind Co-Learning Community published first on https://medium.com/@GetNewDLBusiness