Week 8! Testing, testing, and more testing.

Recently, Raymond high school has been all about standardized tests, tests, tests...

Two weeks ago, the SEAD scholars (and the rest of the Juniors) took the NECAP (New England Common Assessment Program) in science. Raymond High School is transitioning between two types of standardized tests, the NECAP and the Smart Balanced Assessment. Though the rest of the district has already transitioned away from NECAP this year, the juniors had to endure one last year of the test in only the science subject, even as the entire district pioneers the new Smarter Balanced Assessment. The SEAD students endured this doubling up of standardized testing valiantly, with minimal grumbling. 

Last week, Jade and Cam again went to the testing room for their AP US History tests. These two have been studying for this test by taking the APUSH class at RHS this entire year. APUSH is a challenging and strict class at RHS, and both students have been doing well in the course. They both felt confident after the exams as a result of their preparations. Congratulations Jade and Cam on getting your first AP tests under your belt! Though it may seem like a challenge now, these tests will offer you an edge in college admissions and perhaps even credits in college. They may turn out to be money-savers. I'm very proud of you both for opening the door for these opportunities. 

Later last week, the SAT test results from the administration in early May came out. Jade and Cam had both taken that test, and I am proud to say that their results were both more than satisfactory to themselves and to me! Cam actually ended up doing even better than his goal score. He was not quite sure as the reasons behind his success, since he recalls being tired and nervous the night before. However, his studying earlier in the year must have paid off. Cam is now working on improving his score even further for the test in the fall. I am very proud of him for his score as well as his continued effort. Jade achieved a similarly high score. Though she did not reach her goal score, she was able to spot some very specific areas of improvements for over the summer. She, too, will prepare to test again in the fall. I am so proud of her for her high motivation and standards for herself. 

Last but not least, this week, the students will also all be taking the Smarter Balance Assessment for the first time in RHS history. I am curious as to what they will think about this new standardized test compared to the older versions. Good luck everyone! 

I'm really proud of all your hard work SEAD scholars. I also cannot believe that out time together will be coming to an end in one short week. I hope to continue to capitalize on every moment of this time. 

Best,

Zan

Here is Jade studying during her study hall. 

Week 7! Why I love all the SEAD students.

This week was rather uneventful, we didn't have any important SEAD events and nothing very dramatic happened in the lives of our students. However, that doesn't mean that the SEAD scholars didn't work hard and grow in many interesting ways. So, I would like to take this opportunity to write one thing that I've come to appreciate about each SEAD scholar in the past weeks. 

Jade: 

I appreciate how thoughtful Jade is about every topic in the world: education, religion, morality, Ashton Kutcher, whatever. She is also extremely articulate. The result of this combination of traits is that you can ask Jade a random question at anytime, and she will come up with a greatly entertaining and thought-provoking answer. For example, last week, I asked Jade about what she would do if she had complete control over her own education/learning experience and had all the resources in the world. Jade gave me an answer on the spot about how she believes that diversity in teaching method is extremely important, so she would have a lot more small group discussions and projects so that teachers can observe how students learn best and cater their instruction to these varied needs. When I work with Jade, I enjoy myself beyond the general satisfaction of creating a good rapport with a student: I also feel the genuine intellectual engagement of examining and sharpening ideas with a reflective mind. 

Shae: 

I appreciate Shae's strong ability to empathetically listen to those around her. No matter who you are, when Shae talks to you, she makes you feel like the most important person in the world and extremely comfortable with yourself. Shae has a special ability to make others feel that their perspectives are understood and appreciated. At Applebee's when we were on the verge of an argument because of a mix up in service, it was Shae who deescalated the situation by making everyone feel like they were heard. I know from personal experience how difficult it can be to consider the views and feelings of those around you during the teenage years, and I am all the more impressed by Shae's developed ability to do so.​ 

Tati: 

I really appreciate how Tati always has a clear idea of what she wants and what she needs to do to get it. Tati is very direct in her speech, and she is very good at analyzing a situation and coming up with action steps to meet her needs. She isn't afraid to ask for help, and she isn't afraid to check in on progress on action items. I find these to make her a great leader among her peers. 

Katie: 

I've appreciated from the beginning how open Katie is with her feelings, negative or positive. Katie is not one to brood silently or use back-handed methods. She makes her feelings clear quickly and boldly. These past two weeks, I have also been especially impressed at the efforts Katie are making to control and channel her feelings to best effect her actions. For example, Katie is now able to recognize that she is frustrated, express it in a constructive manner, and move towards a solution/action items to resolve the feelings. Awareness of our emotional states is a skill that shows great maturity, and I am so proud to see her developing it. 

Wes: 

I really appreciate Wes's positive attitude towards everything and everyone. He is always polite to all the adults at RHS, and he invariably smiles and says hi when we meet in the hallway. Wes also treats his school work seriously. He takes notes in class and often voluntarily gets help from the teachers. Not matter how much difficulty he might be having, Wes does not get angry or lash out. It always makes me smile to see Wes. 

Cam: 

Cam is what I would have to describe as sneakily sweet. On the surface, Cam seems so "cool": he's funny and banters around with all his classmates and teachers, he likes football and is not afraid to talk about it... However, a few things that Cam has done made me really appreciate how thoughtful and sweet is. (I hope he doesn't mind me cracking his persona here.) To name a few examples... Cam bought his math teacher a huge brownie for his birthday. Cam also voluntarily brought cookies and sodas to our movie event. 

Until next week everyone!

Best,

Zan

I got a new sketching app today, so I played with it while Jade and I talked which books she should read for her English independent project. Here's her looking up different memoir possibilities. 

Week 6! Applebee's and the POPs concert

Hi Everyone!

This week, we had to say goodbye to one of our lovely SEAD scholars, Shae, as her family moved away to Massachusetts. Shae has left Raymond after being apart of the district for five year and participating in SEAD since the beginning of this program cohort. She will be attending Pembroke high school in Massachusetts, and she hopes to continue to participate in the SEAD program by staying in contact with future Raymond SEAD interns for academic support and attending SEAD events at the East Boston location. We wish you all the best of luck as you finish out the year at another school, Shae.!

Many adults and students in the building have told me that they will miss Shae dearly. For example, the coordinators for the Reach High Scholars program, Ms. Genny Moriarty and Mr. John McDaniels have gotten to known Shae through her participation in college readiness events such as the SAT prep classes and the Phillips Exeter College Fair. They told me that Shae was always a positive addition to any event, and they will be sure to keep in touch with her to help support her transition. ​I'm personally really glad that Shae has been able to make connections at Raymond that will follow and support her as she moves on to a new school and college. 

Our SEAD scholars were also eager to plan a goodbye dinner for Shae. Shae, Jade, Tati, Wes and I ended up having dinner at Applebees on Thursday to give Shae a sendoff. Cam and Katie unfortunately couldn't come due to out-of-town commitments, but they sent their love. At the dinner, everything was going great until Tati discovered that her burger was quite raw, though she had specifically ordered it well done. Tati asked the burger to be redone, and the waiter was very apologetic and tried to correct the mistake. However, the kitchen ended up serving her an even rawer burger than the original well after everyone finished their meals. Needless to say, Tati was not pleased. I was proud of how everyone responded to this situation. Though Tati was justifiably unhappy with her meal, no one made a scene or antagonized the restaurant. Instead, the group collectively decided to empathize with the waiter after talking about the situation. We even ended up leaving the waiter a good sized tip for the trouble he went through on account of our order. I was very happy about everyone's ability to keep their emotions in check and think from a different perspective. Because of everyone's maturity, we didn't let this ruin our evening. 

Last week, we also had a POPs concert in the gym of RHS. The combined high school and community band performed several familiar tunes such as Pirates of the Caribbean, Annie, Minnie the Moocher, and a Lady Gaga Medley. The Chorus sang several classic songs such as Pinball Wizard. Senior musicians also each performed touching solos. One student performed an original composition romantic ballad, and many members of the audience teared up at his performance. I also participated in the concert by playing the Euphonium as part of the band! the entire concert was incredibly well received. An audience member even told me that we sounded professional! Unfortunately, none of the SEAD students could come to the performance due to various reasons. I guess my rocking abilities just don't extend that kind of appeal :P. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the experience immensely and am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in the community in this way. 

Thanks again for an awesome week. I'm loving my time at Raymond, and above all it's thanks to all you lovely scholars!

Zan

Here are some pictures of Katie, Tati and Shae trying not to be photographed by me. Apparently they need to be specially prepared for a face shot...

Week 4 and 5 MEGA POST! Vacation, the college readiness super star, and goodbye Shae!

Hi Everyone!

 

Last week was vacation week!

Even though we did not have school, everyone was still quite busy:

On the last day of school before break, several of our dynamic SEAD scholars participated in spirit week performances. One of the biggest highlights for me was when Wes played the role of Tati in the junior class skit. All I can say is, “Tati” was very angry at her date during “prom”, and “she” was sassier than I have ever seen her.

Wes had several track meets over break, and at one of them, he placed 3^rd out of 193 people in the state of NH. Congratulations Wes!!

Wes, Katie, and Cam all worked many hours at their respective jobs over break. Keep up the commitment and hard work everyone!

Cam and Jade took the SATs at RHS on Saturday May 2^nd. I hope you guys showed your best abilities during the exam!

Unfortunately, Jade’s other news is less uplifting. She had to spend vacation taking her brother to several doctor’s appointments since he broke his collar bone in a four wheeler accident. Jade took up more responsibilities around the house and in caring for her family members. Our thoughts are with you and your family Jade!

Last but certainly not least, Shae was our college readiness superstar of the break! Despite having to prepare for her family’s upcoming move to MA on May 8^th, Shae was able to attend two college readiness during break. She took the SAT practice test with me on April 27^th, though she was the only one at the event. Shae also stayed after the test to go over the problems with me and have a delicious lunch from Fremont House of Pizza! I appreciate your effort Shae. In addition, Shae was the only SEAD scholar who attended a college fair featuring hundreds of colleges at Phillips Exeter Academy. She talked to over ten colleges in depth. She was especially interested by Emerson College in Boston, and Hobart and William Smith Colleges in upstate New York. Shae asked many intelligent, thoughtful questions, and all the adults in attendance (Mr. John McDaniels, Ms. Genny Moriarty, and Me!) were very proud of her.

Finally, though we had a college trip to UNH planned for this break, only Shae was available to go. Because of this, we unfortunately had to cancel the visit.

I hope everyone had a ton of fun during their breaks, you were certainly busy!

Looking ahead to this school week, we will be saying good bye to Shae on Friday as her family moves away. We will all miss you very much Shae! I would love it if everyone could come to the POPS dinner on Thursday as a goodbye gesture to Shae. She has mentioned that she has never been to one, and would like to see what it’s like before she leaves Raymond. I will pay for your dinners! Additionally, you will get to see me play in the band!

 

Anyway, welcome back keep up the good work everyone!

 

Zan

Our college readiness superstar Shae hard at work on her Math homework.