Last YESS ACHS Blog Update *cries*

The time is here. Students are gritting their teeth to muster every last ounce of motivation they have to finish final projects and study for tests to hopefully shoot that last shot to improve their grades before the finals are posted. In our YESS class we have had a fleeting, yet emotional and educational, last few classes.

The kids had a big responsibility this week to use all of their research time from the past few weeks to put into presenting what they have learned and their feelings/experiences with the social justice issue they chose (as described in previous blog entry). Many students took this opportunity and ran with it, choosing topics that are current in society but also extremely personal to them. Several students chose this opportunity to discuss Immigration and what that experience has been like for them/their family, relating it to disturbing and educational statistics. Others chose climate change, I loved seeing the passion that students had for bettering our planet and their ideas for implementing it at a small scale, and even their plans to study environmental sustainability in college! I was moved and inspired by the students who chose to touch on racism and police brutality. They backed up their opinions with facts and with interesting results retrieved from surveys they created and administered to as least 30 people of all ages. It was mind boggling to review the anonymous responses given by students, teachers, parents, and members of the community alike, especially when students related their chosen issue to our community in Commerce City. This raised the question: Is this a problem where we live? How so? Two students took this opportunity to be brave by openly coming out as part of the LGBTQ community to the entire class when presenting info on LGBTQ rights/hate crimes. Like I said, these presentations were tearful every class so we were careful to establish sacred space related boundaries and also re-establish the room as a judgement free zone before presenting. Talking in front of a group is nerve wrecking enough, let alone when you are a teenager who is revealing something vulnerable about yourself, respect is everything. Huge props to them, I did not have a SINGLE student refuse to present, they all were courageous and participatory- even if they did not fully finish, they all shared thoughts and answered peer questions.

I am SO proud of them and honored to be the one to witness their growth over time, both individually and in their class/table relationships. On the last day of class I told them thank you for allowing me to experience their personalities, for allowing me into their hearts, and for truly accepting me for who I am- An imperfect human with a lot of love to give and a dream to be here discussing these topics with them, pushing them to be the best versions of themselves. It is because of them that I am dedicated to becoming a better teacher and a better person as a whole, always. I told them that I moved here alone not too long before I started working in this building and when times were difficult, my classes became my family. They were always there to cheer me up and make me laugh, even to motivate me without knowing it through their own stories of resilience and perseverance. Each one of my classes offered unique challenges that I will continue to reflect on and learn from, I am the luckiest person in the world to call myself their teacher.

Some pics from presentations!

Mya created a children's book about LGBTQ people that spread awareness and equality, and mostly emphasizing the importance of treating everyone the way you would like to be treated. She read her book slowly, enthusiastically, and with emphasis on her drawings just as if we were little kids. It was so cute!!!

TaVaunte presented on the topic of Racism and Police Brutality, relating his research to his own experience as a young black male in the U.S. He had a lot to educate us on and many facts to back up his opinions. He presented data in a way that was appropriately non-biased while also sharing his raw and passionate emotions on the subject and how it affects his place in the world at times.

This is a cool project made by Myreya. When you pulled the tabs at the top of the photos there was a little pop up of information about the photo relating to climate change. She even ended up letting me keep the plant!!!! They named him Jeffrey :-)

This comic strip was one of my more surprising projects. While it may lack color, this black and white story exposed a journey taken my an immigrant family and all the sacrifices they made for their children and future children to have a better life. At the end he ended up saying that the character graduated from Kearney and was in high school reading his comic aloud to his class in YESS. It ended up being revealed that this was a true story describing the hardships and successes of immigration experienced by Ignacio's parents, grandparents, and great grandparents.

This is Giselle's tri-fold presentation representing many shocking facts and data acquired from her survey. In the space below the bar graph she had a photo of her parents (which she took after she turned it in because her parents wanted it back, of course) but the paragraph to the bottom right is what made all of this information very emotional for everyone in the class, including her. She spoke of how grateful she is that her parents came here without money or food, barely even a plan. But all they knew was that they were determined to give their children better opportunities than what they had. It is because of this that she has plans of becoming a doctor and giving it all back to them one day as a way to say thank you and I love you.

Noelani chose a topic that was not on the list of options to choose from but I approved of it because of her passion for a topic that is often ignored- Funding in Education or "Red for Ed". She explained what is was and why this issue was so important to her, she said that she wants to become a teacher one day and she wants other people to value their education more and for students to understand the value of having teachers in their lives. In the bottom left, she took the time to write out how thankful she is for her teachers by describing how they have changed her life when she thought no one else was around to care about her well-being. I am better for having met Noelani and I am thankful to be one of the teachers that was there when she returned to ACHS after having to leave for personal reasons. She is a strong, hilarious, empathetic, intelligent, mature, and UNIQUE person full of grit with a lot to offer the world... And not to mention a damn good mentor. Sorry for the swearing but I feel that it is necessary emphasis! She will undoubtedly grow up to pay it forward and change many lives as a teacher.

I will end this final post with the quote on the bottom left of Noelani's project...

"Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all."

- Aristotle

Until next year,
Ms. C


P.S-

Lastly, here is a card signed by myself and all my students for Ms. Jenna, the lady in our building who gave us our own classroom in January. In it, if you squint your eyes hard enough, you can read how finally having a home in the building has impacted our students.

Many thanks to Jenna, and also to everyone who has ever taken the time to read up on what we are up to in C251. We had a great year, I can't wait to do it all over again in a few months!

Peace and HAVE A GREAT SUMMER EVERYONE! 💜

Stand Up Project & GRADUATION!

Last week flew by in the blink of an eye. It was somewhat of a lonely week for us at ACHS because it was the first time that all of the seniors in the building were gone. My classes were much quieter, partially due to the kids starting their huge capstone project and partially because a think that a lot of students are mentally checked out at this point in the year. This has been a big challenge for us lately, but each class I talk about the importance of finishing strong with the help of inspirational videos - it is a constant task for all of us to hold ourselves and each other accountable - the year is not over yet!

As for the project they started called the Stand Up Project, they are to complete 3 parts by the last class day. First, students are to choose a social justice issue that they care about most then they are to do 3 different tasks with their topic. They are to write two reflections, one on their chosen issue and one on themselves. They are expected to go into detail about why they chose their project and what they learned. In the other reflection they are to describe what they have enjoyed most this year (lessons, activities, concepts) and describe what they have learned about themselves over the past year. Lastly, they are to complete a "community project" which educates, inspires, and motivates others to get involved in their cause. The list they have to choose from is lengthy so they have a LOT of freedom with this project (fundraiser, survey, music video, tri fold, video slide show, serve the community, etc.). Excited for their final presentation!

Also, this weekend was GrAdUaTiOn!!! The ceremony was beautiful. I was excited to see a lot of underclassmen there so they could realize what an honored and valued accomplishment that graduation is. Jen, my mentor leader, gave a really beautiful valedictorian speech with emotional sentiments and true-to-self charismatic "Jen" laughs.

I'm going to miss the class of 2018 something fierce, I am better for knowing each and every one of them.

Here are some photos from graduation :)

As we go on... we remember... all the times we... spent together 😩

Not seeing these faces during off periods, lunch, after school, and during class is going to be such a difficult and lonely transition! But sending them off to contribute all the beauty and knowledge have to offer society only makes room in my heart for more wonderful seniors 💜

Here are some sweet shots of my mom (she was in town to meet my students and meet seniors at graduation!) helping Kevin with his graduation cap decor. The pic on the left are the caps we helped Jen and Carlos with. It was cool being able to recognize them all the way from the nose bleeds in the stands!

Until next week (THE LAST WEEK OH MY GOSH!),

Ms. C

Year End Event Celebration & Marijuana Unit Presentations

LAST WEEK RULED!!!

This blog entry is coming at you full force with photos galore 😀
To sum up the most memorable events that occurred at the Broncos Stadium last Wednesday, Adams City High School did an excellent job of representing the school! Students showed up and showed out, including our Mentor Leaders and Mentee of the year, who all gave outstanding speeches. Four of our senior students won scholarships and two other students, Shalayah Davis and Janette Alvarez, were recognized for their hard work this year in YESS.  

• $500 scholarship to Martin Hernandez
• $500 scholarship to Karina Rodriguez
• $1,000 scholarship to Genavee Gonzales
• $2,000 scholarship to Anahi Quezada
• Mentee of the year - Shlayah Davis
• Mentor of the year - Janette Alvarez

I'm really excited that I got a chance to get this group photo to remember my first year as a teacher. I will miss each face individually once summer gets out!

I have not seen Sergio smile this big in my whole LIFE! Zach Kerr really brought the smiles, they were totally star struck. I'm glad I have this picture because it gives me the warmest fuzziest feeling.

They were so stoked about the locker room tour even though it smelled like straight up B.O!

Carlos, Kevin, and I chillin' in the game day suite! So cool!

Here's a creative student who wanted to stand out in her shirt on the day of the event. She used tie-dye colors to make it one of a kind :-) 

In class last week we tackled the Consuming Cannabis unit where we learned about the facts, the risks, and the different methods of consuming marijuana. Here are some presentations that represented what they learned. I took many pics because it was the seniors' last presentation of their high school career!!! Monumental!

It was bittersweet seeing them present for the final time. And on that same day we had the changing of the seats traditional pep rally where the seniors gave out a rose to a teacher who has impacted them. It was a tearful afternoon to say the least. I am so proud of the young people I have had the privilege of teaching this past year, they have grown so much in such a short amount of time... And so have I!

 I can't wait to see them graduate this weekend! More pics to come from the ceremony!

Until next week,

Ms. C

Unit 2 Project Presentations & Broncos Field Trip Prep!

Welcome back y'all!

Last week was jam packed with Year End Event tasks as well as project presentations for each of my classes, we were busy around the clock!

For our projects, each student was instructed to present an individual reflection expressing their favorite lesson from Unit 2 and why. They were expected to connect it to their lives, both inside and outside of the classroom, as well as to a social justice issue they care about. Many students chose the Bullying lesson but overall I feel that most students were impacted by the Dating Abuse lesson based on how many pairs chose it. In addition to the written reflection, they were allowed to create a PSA poster with their mentee/mentor if they both agreed on the same lesson to present on.

Below is Mentor (former Mentee) Janette A. presenting on her favorite lesson, Bullying/Mental Health. She spoke about her own experience with bullying, depression, and suicidal thoughts and how the symbol of a semi colon has had a deep metaphorical meaning for her... So much so that she went and got a tattoo of it! Which, of course, was a part of her presentation.

Going up in front of your classmates is never an easy task, especially with all of the insecurities that being a high schooler may bring, so before presentations we took the time to clear the air and set the stage up with positivity and re-established the room as our judgement free zone, our safe island. The kids shared many personal thoughts and experiences in their written reflections and I was inspired by the courage they had to share all of their feelings with us in such a raw and true way, they really stepped outside of their comfort zones and felt accomplished because of it. Not only that, but I was completely blown away by their writing abilities. It is one thing to read their journals by myself after they have left the room, but to hear them articulate themselves in their own voice and dialect was really moving for me and, most importantly, empowering for them. at the end of each presentation there was one "question master" (everyone took a turn) where they asked a unique and engaging question for their peer's lesson/presentation. There was also 1 person who was the "positivity peep" who said something that they enjoyed about their reflection or poster. For most presentations there were observers who had more than one question or positive comment, it was very sweet to be an outsider looking in on them build each other up. I'm going to miss these classes dearly!!!
Some examples of some outstanding PSA visuals below:

My mentor leaders and myself also had a meeting at Lincoln to go over the script for the Year End Event once more. Turns out there's a LOT of prepping that goes into events involving students, there are so many moving parts that they are fully responsible for committing to and we are doing our best to stay on top of due dates, transportation coordination, permission slip legalities, and mostly just attempting to remain calm and optimistic about the big day (TWO DAYS AWAY!!!). Diane even came in this morning to help our Mentee speaker of the year, Shalayah Davis.

She told me just today that she, not only has never given a speech before, but has never been recognized for anything regarding academics before... not once in her life. Watching her rehearse her speech for the first time today made me teary eyed as it was really a full circle moment, she has come SO FAR from the time I met her 2 years ago... ditching class, without a place to call home, and a report card reading all F's. My how things have changed, she'll be in a graduation cap before we know it. I am so proud of her and excited to watch her kill it on stage on Wednesday! Wahoo!

Until next week,
Ms. C