We had a JAM PACKED week at Brooklyn Collaborative!
1/13 – The debate tournament was a huge success! Thank you to Coach Alex for his ongoing work with the team, and to Devon for chaperoning and being a great coach for the day. It was a day for 10’s as Brooklyn Collaborative ranked 10th place overall, and we had teams that placed 10 in both novice (Elijah G.) and open public forum (Diego and Shai). Speaker awards were given to Diego and Shai as well, and everyone did a great job! Tovi and Elijah M. had their first tournament, which is always nerve-wracking, but they made it and they did great, as well as racked up lots of invaluable experience. Debate Team also started preparing for our next debate, the Harlem Classic, which will take place on Febuary 10th at Phillip Radolph HS. The topic is: The United States should abolish the capital gains tax. We started using a digital platform for debate which allows us to map an entire debate case with all of its branching arguments. The arguments are weighed by impact and it is an entirely community driven platform. The students LOVE it and we’ve been working on it for the past week.
1/16 – On the one year anniversary of the passing of former BCS student Malyek Johnson (who died of natural causes on 1/16/2017), we had a moment of silence in Upper Grades crew and a circle in the Wellness Center for students who were closest to Malyek. We will always remember Malyek. #E4M
1/17 – Through the DOE Lambda Literacy Program, author Laurent Lynn came to speak to our Gender & Sexuality Alliance club about his book Draw the Line. In preparation for his visit, 30+ students received copies of and read the 500 page book! At the meet & greet, students had the opportunity to ask questions about the book, see Laurent’s sketches that were a part of his process of developing the characters, and get their own copy of the book signed! What an exciting event for our students!
1/17 – Our Mural Club is generating preliminary sketches for our next mural with Groundswell, in partnership with artist Jose and teacher Jill. We can’t wait to see what ideas students produce for the 5th floor workspace across from 507!
1/18 – Staff and students participated in Grade 8 ELA roundtables. Students read Native Son by Richard Wright which tells the story of a young Black man caught in a downward spiral after he kills a young white woman in a brief moment of panic. So who should we blame for her death? Our 8th graders culled evidence and arguments to convince panelists that we should blame either Bigger, Mary herself, or the society they lived in. Panelists enjoyed hearing our literary arguments and participating in a lively discussion about important questions around race, determinism and free will!
1/18 – Beth and Milo hosted a PROSE intervisitation with fellow teachers in their Green Engineering class. They opened up their classroom to visiting teachers around the focus question: How do student-centered protocols increase student engagement and independence? They had students in different stations (including Calculation Station, Word Wall, Back-to-Back, Face-to-Face, and Quiz-Quiz-Trade) reviewing for Friday’s midterm assessment.
1/18 – During the 10th grade town hall, students ran the meeting. Our primary goal was to provide an opportunity for the candidates for Student Council to share their campaign speeches with the class. Then, each of the crews voted for their representatives. We’re excited to see what the Student Council reps do this year!
1/19 – Our Computer Science class had its first showcase with teacher Brian! Students showcased their websites which they built from scratch! They asked 30 students/teachers a question that they are showing the data and analysis of on multi-page websites. Professional programmers, including from Jet.com, were guest audience members during our showcase breakfast!
1/19 – For the last two months our 7th graders have been engaged in their expedition “Sugar, is it worth it?” They have been exploring the history of sugar and its connection to slavery, how sugar affects our body systems, the connection between sugar and diabetes, caloric intake and sugar hidden in every day items, and how the advertising industry sells sugary products to the public. On Friday, as the culmination, students put on a health fair to teach the community about some of the negative aspects of sugar to encourage better consumer choices! We welcomed many BCS and BNS classes to the presentation of learning.
1/19 – Students in Architectural Drafting just finished their first big project after researching Robert Moses’s intentions to divide the city’s neighborhoods. On Friday, they presented their design ideas to BUILD COMMUNITY! Students presented their ideas in the form of sketches, elevation and plan view drawings and 3D models!
1/19 – We had our lunch Book Club around the book “Gracefully Grayson” by Ami Polonksy which students and teachers loved! Our library circulation continues to increase, with regular ELA class visits! 8th grade enjoyed some quality time in our library this week.
1/20 – Select 6th and 7th graders received a very special invitation to the Family Benefit Party at the New York Historical Society (DiMenna Children’s History Museum). Along with Candice, they enjoyed hands-on historical activities, met figures from the past, are lots of terrific food, got a goody bag to take home, and interacted with important NYC philanthropists including Joe and Diana DiMenna, the patrons of the museum, and Richard Stopol, the President of NYC Outward Bound Schools! The event celebrated all the ways this nation has been shaped by its citizens, from bringing together diverse cultures to the exercising of our rights as Americans. As an added bonus, the museum gave the students a front row seat to the Women’s March happening at the same time along Central Park West – a powerful symbol of the ongoing ways in which citizens shape our democracy!
