Nicki Minaj - "Principal" for a Day

Superstar Nicki Minaj Surprises Students as "Principal for the Day" at Collins Academy High School in Chicago from Get Schooled on Vimeo.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Nicki Minaj!

Nicki Minaj Introduction from Get Schooled on Vimeo.

Update coming soon...

It's been a very long time since my last post and A LOT has happened...the biggest event being the Get Schooled Celebration with celebrity guest Nicki Minaj!

I'll be sure post an update soon about what's been going on as well as my experience for these last 3 weeks of City Year!

I think the last month of City Year is even more hectic and busy than the 1st! HA!

LOVE.

QUOTE:

"Ms. Serrano, we owe everything to you!"

-One of my students that performed on stage with celebrity, Nicki Minaj

I don't know if they owe everything...haha but it's cute that they recognize and thank me for helping them out

You want something, go get it. Period.

This is my voice...

GYSD

aserrano2011's photostream on Flickr.

Pictures from Global Youth Service Day!

‎"I never needed eyes to see, never. I simply needed vision and belief. If you truly believe, and I mean believe from the bottom of your heart, you can make change happen."

Trey Songz? Alicia Keys? Who will it be?!

So aside from the $30,000 in scholarship money, the new counseling library, and free one-year access to online SAT prep, the Get Schooled Challenge is also rewarding Collins Academy with a day with a celebrity! They will come to Collins to be principal for the day, teach a class, and also put on a concert! Around 900 people can fit in our gym. Our school has only 400 students which means there are about 500 more spots to fill and my principal has a great idea. Aside from inviting some students from other neighboring schools and the school that we share the building with, he is going to invite the incoming freshmen! I think this is a great way to introduce the incoming freshies to Collins and give them a little taste of what our community is like. Now we're just waiting to hear back from Get Schooled about what celebrity its going to be and its between two...

Trey Songz

or...

ALICIA KEYS!!!

I can only hope and wish its ALICIAAAAA!!!! :D

COLLINS ACADEMY WON THE ATTENDANCE CHALLENGE!!!

From the Get SchoolED website:

http://www.getschooled.com/and-the-school-who-improved-attendance-the-most-is%E2%80%A6-collins-academy

AND THE SCHOOL WHO IMPROVED ATTENDANCE THE MOST IS...COLLINS ACADEMY!

That’s right, Collins Academy in Chicagoshowed that if you focus on accomplishing a goal and work together, real change is possible. The 400 student school saw an almost 7% increase in attendance over the course of the last six weeks and is this year’s Get MotivatED Challenge winner! That gain reflected the commitment of every staff member and volunteer in the school. With help from a team of City Year Corps members, the administrators opened the gym for free play – basketball, hang time, etc.; kids came early to school to meet up with friends. Teachers and staff plastered themselves with information and encouragement about the challenge so that they became walking ads. And the students responded – they came to school, they got their friends to come, and they used their voices in videos and teacher nominations to recognize a school that was working for them.
Research shows that if students have more than 10 absences in a year their likelihood of graduating on time drops significantly. And students who are more involved in school activities, are more likely to attend school regularly and graduate on time.
The 25 Challenge schools (with an average free or reduced price lunch rate of 86 percent) represent 24,000 students and more than 1,000 school teachers and staff. Schools used a variety of tactics to engage their students and staff throughout the six week challenge, including participating in one of the Challenge’s motivating components (teacher nomination effort, video contest, pep rallies, taped celebrity messages, etc.).
While every participating school that was engaged during the challenge will be recognized for their work through a variety of ways (school trophies, awards for students who led and championed the challenge in their schools, media outreach to help publicize the school’s progress, etc.), Collins will be rewarded with a very special treat. Since they were the school with the greatest percent increase in attendance over the six week period, Get Schooled and Comcast will award three $10,000 college scholarships to students who showed tremendous leadership during the challenge. The College Board will also donate a new counseling library to the school and provide one-year of free access to SAT prep on-line for every junior and senior in the class. All of this will be awarded at an all-school, celebrity-led celebration in May.

Selling drugs on the corner...

After school today, Nicole and I walked to the bus stop to head home. Little did we know we were in for an adventure. BG, BJ, Kevin, and Aaron were conducting their business on the corner. I had always been curious about how exactly being on the corner works, and found myself very curious about this group of boys. BG is currently attending high school, and got kicked out of Collins recently for fighting. BJ is still in school and heads to the corner after he gets out at the end of the school day. Kevin was very quite and pretty much stood on the side. Aaron graduated high school and wants to be a business man when he grows up. I kept talking to them, in the back of my mind thinking about Big M (he's told me before that he stands on the corner with his uncles frequently). It was very clear what they were doing out there, yet Nicole and I still wanted to take the time and effort to talk to them and get to know them a little bit rather than just ignoring them. Hopefully we'll run into them again in the future and maybe even spark just a little bit of an interest in doing more than just dealing. In the 10 mins that we were waiting for the bus, there was at least 6 dealings, one with a mom and her young daughter. "Keep walking, baby girl, keep walking," she tells her daughter as they walk by. We locked eyes for a moment and I thought she was trying to walk away from the boys and protecting her daughter from the smoke, but as she passed by me, she pushes her daughter to continue walking as she hands money to Aaron and he in turn hands 2 baggies of weed. The little girl just kept staring in confusion. The most interesting part to me was how obvious it was. Instead of saying hello to people passing by, Aaron says "Weed?" and as quickly as that, the person accepts or declines. Most of them waiting until they pass back again to hand over the money and receive their product. Now don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed talking to these boys, I liked them. It's just unfortunate that they feel they can only do that to get ahead. "Why did you get kicked out of Collins?" "Because of fighting?" "Why were you fighting?!" "Well, because I'm black! You know how it is!" In some way, I really hope having a normal conversation with them can in a way make them realize people aren't against them, there are other ways. We'll see. All I know is that I'm trying my best to remember their names, so next time I see them, I can show them that there are people that care about them and how they are doing, what they aspire to do, their past, their present, their future,...anything really, I want to have some sort of positive connection to them, something they may not have with too many people.

Starfish: The best thing that happened at Collins was City Year

For about a week now, a student and I have passed a notebook back and forth to each other. We've written about his dreams, his background, his future, and his feelings towards Collins. In our latest exchange, I asked him what it is like being a student at Collins. This is an excerpt from his response:

I can't take the b.s. everyday at Collins. It's a day of fear, you never know who, what, when, something is going to just happen. The best thing that happened at Collins was City Year. I feel like I am finally getting help. I am being noticed. 

M is one of the hardest working students I have. He is one of my coursework focus students and I create weekly grade reports that helps him visualize his progress in class. Ever since the first grade report, he has taken his role as a student very seriously. Before, I would often times catch him dozing off in class and dropping further and further behind because he wasn't understanding the material and didn't ask for help. Now, he works hard everyday and is on task. He calls me over in class when he's having trouble with a concept and wants me to check his work to make sure he is understanding correctly. He's understanding the importance of investing in his education daily and has really come to appreciate the help City Year offers him.

Dear K...

A note I wrote one of my girls during class...

Dear K.R.,

You have a natural talent for understanding economics. Have you ever thought of studying economics in college? You'd be really good at it!

-Ms. Serrano

"I haven't thought about it before," she says. "Have you thought about what college you want to go to?" "No." "I'm going to look up economic programs and different colleges and print them out so we can take a look at them, okay?" "Alright."

Then she takes the post-it note I wrote and sticks it on her shirt like a badge. On her way out of the class as she passes the teacher, Ms. H, she says "I would show you my note but I don't want to be late, bye Ms. H."

 

 

Morning Greeting Fight

Everyone was heading out of the gym and before we knew it, there was a huge crowd and commotion right outside in the hallway. D and DW were locked together in mid-fight. I was cautious going in the circle trying to break it up, and when I saw that there weren't any swings being taken I put myself in the middle to break them up. With the help of some other students, we pull them apart from each other, and I yell out to everyone to get to class. The mass of around 50 students start walking down the hallway away from the annex into the main school building. At this point I was walking behind D and DW was up ahead a couple feet. DW turns and swings at D again and they start trying to get in it again, I was a lot quicker this time and pushed D back away from the crowd and I yelled to DW and the other students to keep walking. At this time, the security guards were running towards everyone and grabbed DW and D, taking them up to the Dean's office. Both students will probably get a 10 day suspension for fighting, and on top of missing school and getting behind in class because of his recent actions, D won't be able to participate in the VIP lounge, a City Year event celebrating students that have made progress over the recent weeks.

What a way to start the morning- barely breathing because of a cold, and already broke up a fight (twice)...

Wonder what the rest of the day will hold.

"I don't want you to get locked up."

I noticed something was wrong with Big M today. "It's personal business," he said walking away from me when I asked him what was going on. "I'll meet you down stairs, Ms. Serrano." Tuesdays I meet with him and another student during lunch to talk about school, life, and how to better manage behavior. During the session, it became apparent that there was something really big bothering him, so I ended the session early, letting T join another group that was enjoying lunch, and I asked to talk to M outside in the hallway. "Come on, M, I want to talk to you. I'm worried about you, I want to make sure everything is okay." "I'm alright." We walked to a hallway separated from the main hallway and lobby. "Is it something with your family?" I asked. "No, it's something else." "Is it something with your girlfriend?" "..yeah." "What happened? Did you guys break up?" "No...she's a whore." I asked about where he was getting his information and if he is sure that he is interpreting everything correct. "I know it...she's a whore!" ... "How do you feel right now?" "Pissed off." "Good, it's good that you can acknowledge your emotion and how its making you feel. When you've felt this 'pissed off' feeling before, how did you react?" "I go off." "And what ends up happening because you go off?" "I get locked up."

"Now in this situation, you have to make the decision of whether you are going to go off or instead become bigger than the situation. You already know the consequences of 'going off', and now, you can think of how you can stop the situation from getting the best of you. You just got down writing your academic goal for the rest of the school year: To pass all my classes. Now, in order to pass all your classes, you have to stay focused on your and your work, you have to be in school - so that means no suspensions or getting kicked out. If you let this anger right now get the best of you, and you go off, you'll get suspended or kicked out, and that's not going to help you towards your goal. I know it's going to be very hard for the rest of the day to stay focused on work, but if anything, it'll help you not focus on the situation. You can be better than this situation by focusing on you, focusing on your future and what you can do so that you can get out of here, and not have to deal with any problems or any drama that you are going through right now. You are only 15. You are very, very young, and you still have a lot of your life left. Take this as a sign that maybe it wasn't meant to be, that instead, you can do what you have to do to take care of yourself, so that you can get ahead."

During the whole time I was talking, I could tell he was listening. I was sitting beside him, and although he was looking ahead, I could tell by his eyes and body language that he was really listening to my words. I asked him for his hand, and told him to look at me. "It will be okay. This will pass by, just take care of yourself. Stand up." I outstretched my arms and gave him a hug. "It will be okay, M. you ready to go back upstairs?" He nods. We walk back up to the 2nd floor, and instead of heading into the lunch room to be with his friends, he keeps walking by and walks around the building. I didn't want to walk back downstairs yet, I wanted to make sure he was going to be okay, so I stand next to my teacher's room and start reading the bulletin board she has by her door. A couple minutes pass by and I see someone in the reflection of the door, "I finished my presentation for today..." says M with a big smile on his face. "GREAT!" I could tell he moved past the anger and decided to become focused on himself, ready to take on the rest of his day.

VOTE FOR MY STUDENTS!!!

We're currently in 1st place in a nationwide competition!!! Check it out here: http://www.getschooled.com/

Part of the Get MotivatED Challenge is student music videos about the importance of education. Here are our contributions!

Here are the videos so far!

More entries coming soon so check here often: http://www.youtube.com/user/WarriorAttendance

WATCH THE VIDEOS AND VOTE FOR MY STUDENTS HERE: http://defjamrapstar.getschooled.com/getmotivated/

Help support their hard work and energy!

You'll need to register and set up an account but it takes less than a minute! WELL WORTH IT!!!

A Special Visit to Collins Academy - Robert Hughes

Robert Hughes (http://www.und.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/hughes_robert01.html and http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=237399) came to visit Collins Academy today! He had a special one on on session with D.A. and then talked for 45 mins with a group of 24 students, 4 teachers, and City Year, taking our questions and having a conversation about topics from getting recruited, distractions at college, to how much he can bench press...550 for those that are wondering...
The students loved having the chance to talk to him and they were interested in everything he was saying! Robert's visit made a big difference for some of those students and I appreciate his willingness to share a part of himself with our school. It was such a great and unique opportunity to hear about what it takes to play sports in college and in the pros. Hopefully we can partner with him again sometimes in the future! Thanks Robert! And thank you Notre Dame for the tight and well knit community where we can call on each other without any hesitations and work together to make a difference in the lives of others.

"At the start of every class, I would sit down and on the top of my paper write down my goal:

 Goal: NFL

...it encouraged me to work hard so that I could one day reach it."

- Robert Hughes, Number 33 

Robert sitting down and answering student's questions

Robert in a "huddle" with students after the event

Robert and Collins students!

Robert and our City Year team!

Me: "What was your favorite part of the event?"
D.P.: "550." (Referencing that Robert can bench press 550 lbs.
Me: "And your least favorite?"
D.P.: "...(after a long pause) I can't think of any. It was all good!"

Me: "M, did you like it?!"
M.T.: "Yeah, it was all great!"

Me: "What you think of it, E? Did you like it?"
E.S.Jr.: after he comes up to me and gives me a high five, "It was great! I'm so glad I got a chance to talk to him. And you know, there were 2 future pro football players in that room..."
Me: "You and Robert Hughes?!"
E.S.Jr.: "YES!"

Triumph:

We did it. We're able to talk and have a normal conversation. Before, he'd ignore me, call out for Ms. H and refuse my help even though I would be standing right next to him. But now, it's different. I got to him. By listening. Earlier in the year, he mention Robert Hughes, a Notre Dame football player that he grew up with. About a month ago, I contacted Robert to see if he wanted to come to our school and meet some students. I reached out to D.A. and asked for his help in planning Robert's trip to Collins. I think I was finally able to show him that I care about what he cares about, and that I'm here to help. So now in class, he's much more responsive to me. Instead of dismissing me, he calls out for me. Most of the time, he'd rather get my help than the teachers. And he is willing to stay after class to get clarification on the work. He's even my Recruitment Director for the Robert Hughes visit, and he even agreed to give the Thank You gift and say a few words!

We're continuing to make progress. I have a good feeling about this. I just have to stay on my game and find another thing that'll make him respond after the Robert Hughes visit.

Louder Than A Bomb

What is an event in your life that has made you feel hopeful about the future?

That was the topic for our Do Now yesterday in class:
"What is an event in your life that has made you feel hopeful about the future?"

As I was walking around checking and signing the Do Nows, I get to T's and read his...

"When I recited my poetry in front of the school and everyone cheered."

I felt so proud to know that an event my team put on was so special for T. It was a great opportunity for him to speak out and express himself and it really seem to impact him.


To read T's poem, head to the post entitled: "Why I Am the Way I Am"

JOY:

Me: "What have I taught you? What have you learned from me, LeAnte?"

 L: "You taught me to not let others bring me down. To shut down the distractions that surrounds me sometimes."

Cu(red)

They will tell you to be realistic.
They will tell you to manage your expectations.
They will tell you to set reasonable goals.
Refuse treatment.
Remain irreconcilably, incorrigibly infected with hope,
and you will see things beyond your most impractical dreams.

Why I Am the Way I Am - An original poem by a freshman at Collins Academy

I am the way I am because I am the way I am.

I gone be the same even if I weigh one gram.

Lookin at the way I walk down the street.

Peek-a-boo

I just keep on walkin, flappin my shoes.

The way I act is not your concern.

Worrying about me I just let you burn.

You can't beat me

You can't stop me

I won't fall

No one can drop me.

From the top of my head to the bottom of my shoe,

Shawn Tytanium eyes is always on me boo!

Comments worry me.

Just let Tyshawn be.

If I'm gay or straight I'm still me.

You don't realize why you so late.

This is why I am the way I am but I don't weight one gram.

I am Tyshawn.

You can't judge me.

I am human just like you.

A

A walked out of our leadership lunch today. She has gotten way to comfortable with walking all over me. She has gotten back into the habit of talking back, talking over me, giving me attitude, and general not caring about what I do.

Steps back...

All of the problems of the world could be settled easily if men were only willing to THINK.

http://www.ibm.com/ibm100/us/en/films/

Starfish: I made a difference to E...

One of the freshmen students in my 7^th period never participated in class and rarely brought any materials. My teacher sent him out two days in a row after he refused to participate or respond. On the second day, I followed him out into the hallway and talked to him about his lack of interest in school.  I came to find out he has low confidence in his ability to succeed in school. “I’ve lost faith that I can do good.” The bell was about to rind, so I told him I wanted to continue this conversation after school. We went back into the classroom to gather his things and then headed to homework help in the cafeteria. I asked him about his family, how he feels about school, and his goals. I pulled out a sheet of paper and started taking notes. Soon, we started coming up with steps on how to achieve his goals. The first goal we wanted to conquer was to get his grades up, but he recognized that in order to be able to raise his grades, he needs to come to school on time. I gave him some suggestions on how to have a better chance on coming to school on times and he commented “I really like these ideas.”  I pulled out another sheet of paper, making him a copy of our notes, goals, and steps for success, and had him sign his name promising to try his best to come to school on time the next morning. I told him I would be waiting for him in the lobby of the school in the morning to greet him in the morning. The next day, at 8:05 AM I was so excited to see him walking in the door! We had 5 minutes to get him to class so we hurried to his locker and down the hall to his class. The bell rang right as we walked through the door. He made it in time with a huge smile on his face! “I’m so proud of you!” “Thank you, I’m proud of myself too!” From that day on, he has come to class with his homework done, his materials in hand, and has been participating. I invited him to VIP Lounge for his improvement not only in attendance but his behavior in general. And to top it all off, he has been coming earlier to school this past week to play basketball in the gym with us during morning greeting!

JOY:

"I came to school today even though I didn't want to because I knew City Year would want me to come."

- S. B., a junior at Collins Academy 

Be Fearless

If you make only one resolution this year, let it be to live boldly. You control this moment: Rather than cautiously test the water, dive straight into life freeing abandon. Imagine the person you want to be and the life you want to live , then simplycommit to them. Believe in yourself. Embrace your beauty. Discover a new passion. Whatever you do and wherever you go, don't be afraid to make a splash.