The City-Wide Swim Meet is Saturday, March 1st, 12-4pm! Come cheer on
your favorite swimmers in
grades 1-8 at the Kennedy Pool. For more information, visit: http://www.somerville.k12.ma.us/pool.
News & Notes
Somerville High School Class of 2014 Scholarship Applications Available
The Class of 2014 Somerville High School Scholarship Foundation Application is now available for download on the Somerville High School Guidance website (www.somerville.k12.ma.us/guidance). All seniors are encouraged to review the many scholarship opportunities available, and apply for one or more scholarships. Each year, more than $150,000 in Scholarship Foundation awards is presented, thanks to the generosity of our community. All seniors should have already received a 2014 Scholarship Booklet. Stop by the SHS Guidance Department for a copy if you have not received one.
Somerville Evening School Opportunities
Keep your mind sharp and your body active with one or more evening school learning opportunities. Upcoming adult evening school learning opportunities include:
· Extreme Couponing Lecture Class on Tuesday, March 11, 2014 from 6-8:30 PM for $25;
$20 if you mention you’re a Somerville PTA Member.
· Zumba Gold Class (Low impact workout) Tuesdays from 6:30-7:30 PM
5 weeks for $25, starting March 4, 2014
· YOGA class begins on Tuesday, March 4th from 7:30-8:30 PM
Bring your mat – $25 for 5 weeks…….the deal of lifetime!
· Clutter Clearer Coach, Tuesday, March 18th, 7-8:30, $20. Be Clutter Free with our one-time lecture that will inform people about conquering their clutter at home and in the office.
· Learn to Sew or Make Your own Furniture on Thursday nights, 6-9 pm.
· Bilingual? Get trained in the Art of Medical Interpretation career.
Tuesday, March 4th, 6-9 PM, 60-hour program; call (781) 729-3736 x 105
· Computer Basics, Drivers Ed and Academic Recovery courses always available.
Register any Tuesday or Thursday night at least 1 week prior to class at the Somerville High School main office (81 Highland Ave.). We accept cash, as well as personal checks payable to: Somerville Adult Evening School.
Want to teach a class, or have a question? Call or email Evening School Principal Sophia Carafotes @ 617-628-2594 or scarafotes@k12.somerville.ma.us.
“We Are the World” Family Cultural Event helps Students Reunite, Celebrate Inclusive Culture at East Somerville Community School
We Are The World Grant
by Linda Wiegenfeld, Grade 4, East Somerville
Liliana Skero, the ELL teacher, and I, Linda Wiegenfeld, Grade 4 teacher, were given a Duhamel Grant to sponsor projects connected to the theme: ‘We Are the World.’ This year, our school – the East Somerville Community School – was reunited in a beautiful new building (we came together from 4 different locations). The school is now in the process of building on our past experiences but also has been very busy creating a new inclusive culture. Many of our students and parents can relate to this process because they have been through the immigration experience. Liliana and I thought we could show the connection. We wanted all to feel welcome and comfortable in a new setting.
The grant gave us money to create a small festival highlighting the different countries of the world. We did so with Grade 4 students and their parents. We served food from many different countries as a breakfast snack such as Indian lassi (a sweet drink), Sudanese cookies, pita crackers (Greek) and hummus (from ancient Egypt) for the dip. On the cheese was a toothpick display of flags from 100 different countries. Sara Ali, a paraprofessional from our school, showed pictures of Sudan as the children were eating.
Then we rotated rooms and spent about 35 minutes in each room.
In one room students made designs called ‘papel picado’ which literally means ‘punched’ or ‘perforated’ paper. This traditional cut paper folk art is found throughout Mexico. In the same room, they also made origami designs based on the traditional Japanese art of paper folding.
In another room a bingo game featuring all the countries of the world was played. Highlighted in this game were the 43 countries represented in our school. We’re still counting and that number might increase.
In the third room were books with tales from all over the world to read and there were also international games. The games included Place Value Safari (Africa), Parcheesi (India), Mancala (a sowing game played around the world), Geo Dice and Geo Puzzles, checkers (started probably in Mesopotamia – today’s Iraq), and Double Shutter Tin Game (England).
We ended the celebration by giving a maraca, the native instrument of Latin America, to the students. As the words of the song playing in the background said: “There’s so much that we share, that it’s time we’re aware, it’s a small world after all.”
What’s Happening
Saturday, March 1: City-Wide Swim Meet
Come in from the cold and cheer on your favorite Somerville swimmers in grades 1 through 8 at the 2014 City-wide Swim Meet Saturday, March 1st at the Kennedy Pool from noon to 4pm. Students can sign up to swim as part of their school team at the Kennedy Pool (5 Cherry Street), by calling (617) 629-5445, or by talking to their school’s physical education teacher. Students will co