Jason: NO Outreach Winter Showcase Showdown

New Orleans Outreach has been an integral part of FirstLine Schools for years. As the primary driver of our afterschool enrichment programs, Outreach has brought dance, sports, art, Karate, and some of the students’ favorite extracurriculars to our campuses.

This year, Outreach held an annual Winter Showcase at S.J. Green Charter and at Langston Hughes Academy.  Green held theirs first on December 14, setting the stage with paper snowflakes hung from the ceiling and Christmas lights strung about. Between all the dance demonstrations, it would be hard to say which was the favorite. However, the marching band was definitely a crowd-pleaser.

Other highlights at Green included the Karate club (watching the students play ‘Sensei Says’ was especially entertaining), a very relaxing yoga session on stage, and the baseball team’s warm-up demo. Meanwhile, the packed room enjoyed a variety of treats provided by The Edible Schooyard, including fresh tea and banana bread.

LHA Dance Performance

Langston Hughes Academy followed with an equally impressive show the next week. While their Hip-Hop Dance team’s version of “No Scrubs” was a favorite, Outreach at LHA also included some skits in their showcase. There were lessons on friendship and school life in theatrical format. At the finale, the LHA Marching Eagles wowed the audience with a full band, dance team, and baton twirlers.

After LHA’s Winter Showcase, they offered food and a book sale at their Family Food Night in the cafeteria. The two showcases highlight not only the wonderful programs our students at FirstLine are engaged in, but just how vital New Orleans Outreach has been to enriching the lives of our scholars.

Jason Lacoste is the AmeriCorps VISTA K-8 Outreach Coordinator for FirstLine Schools.

AP Psychology students at Clark Prep focused on school breakfast participation

10th grade AP Psychology students at Clark Prep High School are in the midst of a student-led initiative focused on school breakfast participation. The initiative was born out of the students’ observation that there is a lack of breakfast participation and their teacher’s desire for students to actively engage in research methods. 

The students administered a survey to their classmates and analyzed the data. Since then, strengths and weaknesses of the current school breakfast program have been identified and an action plan developed. The students have also presented their findings and recommendations to their school’s food service provider.


Pictured is teacher Leah Evans and three of her students who are participating in this initiative.

Ashe Students Embrace Composting...and then some

"...And now we have Program Manager Rahn Broady reporting from the field at Arthur Ashe...Rahn?

"Yes, ESY NOLA staff members have now confirmed that students at Arthur Ashe are going rogue with composting. Last week one of our recently-hired Compost CEOs appeared on the scene of an escalating conflict and settled the fact that indeed, lettuce can be composted.

Compost CEO hard at work

"This morning Chef Educator Emily Hagar reported that one of the compost executives appeared earlier this week with a serious look on his face, asking for an apron.  He darted into the cafe as the Chef Educator trailed behind reminding him Ashe only composts at lunch, not at breakfast.  Reportedly he waved her off, reassuring her he wanted to compost, and commenced to dump smaller buckets from each cafeteria table into the larger one.  About halfway through the job, he happened on a small bucket that contained the crust of some breakfast pizza. "You've GOTTA be kiddin' me," he said with distaste.  Isolating the crust into a garbage can, he proceeded to complete his mission, which is to build the soil for his one-acre garden.  Back to you, Alisha..."

Alisha Johnson is the Development Manager and Rahn Broady is the Program Manager for Edible Schoolyard NOLA

Kathleen: Treme Series Writer visits Clark Prep

From left: Nelson, Eric Overmyer, Anthony “Magic”, Shakerin

On Monday, December 3, Eric Overmyer visited Clark Prep. This visit was really something special. Mr. Overmyer is a writer for the HBO show Treme, The Wire and other popular television series. As a visitor at Clark Prep, he didn’t come for what many visitors typically do, such as a tour or attending a basketball game. Eric’s first trip to our campus was to share his invaluable knowledge with some of our students and others from three other FirstLine Schools: Langston Hughes Academy, John Dibert and Arthur Ashe all had the opportunity to show the rough cuts of their semester pieces that they worked on with Kids Rethink New Orleans. After viewing the rough cuts, Eric Overmyer offered constructive feedback and also answered a variety of student questions.

Tulane’s Digital Media Program is partnering with Kids Rethink New Orleans, thanks to partial funding from Gulf South Leadership Institute, at these four FirstLine schools, establishing an after-school media program at each one. Clark Prep students paired up with three Tulane mentors, all in the Tulane Digital Media Program taking a class called Place-based Storytelling in New Orleans.  Clark Prep’s Digital Media Club is working to produce two videos as their semester pieces: one about the Claiborne Corridor and the other about drugs in our community. The Tulane students create videos in their class and bring their experience to the Digital Media Clubs at the four schools, establishing a meaningful, valuable mentoring relationship with members of each club. Tulane is set to host a screening of their works on campus before Winter Break.

FirstLine’s Aspiration Manager Darcy McKinnon, faculty supervisor of Clark Prep Digital Media Club, is working hard to make sure that the program is permanent. By raising funds and maintaining formidable relationships with NOVAC, she also hopes Clark Prep and Tulane maintain a relationship in the years to come so that Clark Prep students can keep making awesome work and continue learning from such valuable mentors. As for members of Clark Prep’s club, they were invited by Eric Overmyer to check out the set of Treme!

Kathleen Duffy is the AmeriCorps VISTA Outreach Coordinator for Clark Prep High School. 

Kathleen: Wes Moore, Xavier & Clark Prep

On the evening of Tuesday, November 27 Clark Prep sent a total of five 9^th and 10^th grade students to Xavier University.  Xavier was hosting a special event: Wes Moore, celebrated author of “The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates” spoke to the entire freshman class of Xavier, as they are required to read it as first-years and it is incorporated into their studies, and the Xavier chapter of the Alpha-Phi-Alpha fraternity as their selected shared reading for the 2012/2013 academic year. 

The trip was exciting for students and adults as well, as the book tells a story about two African American men with the same name who came from similar backgrounds in urban Baltimore but ultimately make defining and vastly different life choices, propelling one Moore into academic and professional success and plummeting the other into crime and a life sentence in jail. Clark Prep faculty members Ms. Vernessa Gipson, Mr. Will Chesson, Mrs. Dawn Goodwin and Principal Hochron accompanied the students.  

Clark Prep was also represented by Dr. Monique Cola, alumni and President of the Clark Alumni Association.  All enjoyed discussion of the themes covered in Wes Moore’s book, those themes described by Xavier as part of their mission, being “personal responsibility, social justice, the transformative power of education” and the judicial system in the U.S. All five Clark Prep students can be seen in the bottom row of the picture  – Clark Prep sweaters and the JROTC uniform help to distinguish them from the rest!



Kathleen Duffy is the AmeriCorps VISTA Outreach Coordinator for Clark Prep High School. 

Kathleen: Clark Prep Cross Country @ the Crescent City Fall Classic!

Last Saturday, November 10 Clark Prep’s Cross Country Team participated in the Crescent City Fall Classic!  The Crescent City Fall Classic started and ended at Tad Gormley Stadium in City Park. This 5K, or 3.1 mile, race started at 8:30 a.m.  When our runners finished they bested their personal goals; freshman Mariah H. even placed first in her age group! The race welcomed younger age-group turn out by offering age-specific prizes and cash grants to schools with the highest number of students competing in the race.

The Crescent City Fall Classic encourages students starting at age 12, but adult runners participate as well. Staff from Clark Prep, Green and friends of Clark Prep ran with the Cross Country team. Everyone is so proud of the team’s results and we're hoping to have our runners race in the 10K Crescent City Classic in March as well. The March race takes place on Saturday, March 30.  Says coach Darcy McKinnon, "Cross Country is about perseverance and pride.  Congratulations to the Bulldogs who showed the discipline and joy to make it through the race!"  Keep working hard and GREAT JOB, Bulldogs!

Kathleen Duffy is the Americorps Vista Community Outreach Coordinator at Clark Prep High School.

Jason: Ashe Awards Ceremony

Ashe A.C.E.S. care about more than just academics, and this year our scholars at Arthur Ashe Charter won more awards than any year prior. Some celebrated their embodiment of Achievement – Ashe’s first value – by showing high scores and great improvements in academic performance. Others were given recognition in the areas of Community, Excellence, and Self.

In addition to all 400+ scholars at Ashe, all teachers and many families were attended the award ceremony.

For the highest performers, students received more than just a certificate. Gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded to these shining stars! Parents of medal-winners took home a yard sign to show their pride.

There is no doubt that Ashe is quickly becoming one of the best primary schools in New Orleans, and we want to make sure our scholars know how special they are. So here’s a big CONGRATULATIONS to our A.C.E.S!

Jason Lacoste is the AmeriCorps VISTA K-8 Outreach Coordinator for FirstLine Schools.

Jason: Ashe Ribbon Cutting

There was laughter. There were tears. Some of the biggest names in local education and politics came out to the gleaming new campus of Arthur Ashe Charter School, on Wednesday, November 7, to celebrate a triumph for the children of New Orleans.

Ashe’s new building is possible due to a widespread collaboration between the BESE Board, OPSB, RSD, and FirstLine Schools. Thanks to their persistence and vision, we were awarded one of the early re-built schools as part of the School Facilities Master Plan and FEMA. FirstLine also partnered with the Lake Park neighborhood to ensure the design and use of the campus and park area, including an expansive edible garden, benefit the neighborhood as well as the student body.

In the end, we are able to provide a high quality education in what Karen Parsons, the President of Oak Park Civic Association, called “a hidden gem” in the neighborhood. Since its founding in 2007, scholars at Arthur Ashe Charter have been boasting some of the most impressive performance scoreimprovements in the city. The school is now a national leader in computer-assisted instruction thanks to FirstLine’s Personalized LearningProject, and offers a rich portfolio of after-school programming.

Ashe’s dedication to excellence is embodied in the design of its new 95,000 sq ft building, thanks to the hard work by the architects at Howard Performance Architecture. The esteemed guests attending last week’s ribbon cutting – including Patrick Dobard, RSD Superintendent, and a number of our elected officials – could not have been more impressed.

Then again, it only gets better from here.

Jason Lacoste is the AmeriCorps VISTA K-8 Outreach Coordinator for FirstLine Schools.

Jason: Coach Across America

Thank you, Coach Across America!

Marcus Allen Speaking at the Press Conference

This great organization reaches 50,000 children across the nation, supporting member organizations to train and host highly effective coaches in sports and youth development. Now, Green, Ashe and LHA are benefiting from a coalition between CAA, The Laureus Sport For Good Foundation, and Mercedes-Benz USA.

Thanks to these organizations, we can gladly welcome our new coach to Green, Coach Dwight! He’ll be working hard this year, teaching our kids about perseverance, self-improvement, and success through sports education.

As usual, FirstLine celebrated in style.

On Monday, Coach Across America brought along four athletic superstars: Dr. Edwin Moses, Marcus Allen, Robby Naish, and Monica Seles. Each of them represents absolute success in their sport, and now they want to give back. They spoke at a press conference in Green’s library about their personal journeys and their appreciation for education and great coaches. Mr. Allen inspired our scholars with a memory from his childhood: “When I was young,” he said. “I made the decision about which side of the TV I wanted to be on. You can make the same decision and be a person who does more than watch.”

Monica Seles and an A's & Aces Coach play
with a couple students at Green

After the press conference, everyone headed downstairs for playtime with the stars. In typical New Orleans fashion, an incoming storm threatened to end the sports planned for outside, but the students refused to let a little rain stop their fun. They broke up into groups, either going long for a pass with the football, running rugby drills, or lining up for free throws on the basketball court. When the shower really set in, everybody moved inside.

A makeshift tennis court was set up on one side of the cafeteria. Two girls faced off against one of the A’s and Aces coaches and Monica Seles for a quick lesson. In the middle of the room, a small group kicked around a soccer ball. On the stage end, Green’s dance troupe showed off their moves.

Thanks to Mercedes-Benz USA for funding this initiative and to our Wellness Committee – especially Chef April and Alisha – for organizing the grant that made this possible. We at FirstLine know that parents care deeply about their children’s academic performance, but that’s only part of the formula that makes our schools such a success. Good coaches and physical education is an important part of character development, so here’s a shout-out to all the hardworking coaches giving 100% at FirstLine Schools!

Check out pictures and info from the story on nola.com.


Jason Lacoste is the AmeriCorps VISTA K-8 Outreach Coordinator for FirstLine Schools.  

Choose Your Own Adventure: Open Garden Days THIS Saturday

Looking for something fun to do this Saturday? 

Come on out and join us at Open Garden Day from 10:00-1:00. 

And since we are doing two schools in one day (we're so crazy!) - you can choose which school campus you'd like to go to:

SJ Green Charter School      (2319 Valence St. NOLA 70115)  OR  Arthur Ashe Charter School   (1456 Gardena Dr. NOLA 70122).

Choose your own adventure this Saturday and come on out to help make these gardens beautiful!

Remember to wear clothes that you do not mind getting dirty and bring a water bottle. 

If this Saturday does not work for you, don't you worry! We have an Open Garden Day NEXT Saturday, November 10th at another school campus, Langston Hughes Academy (3519 Trafalgar St. NOLA 70119). 

We are still in need of more volunteers and groups for this Saturday and next, so spread the word! Please RSVP to Kelly Miranda. 

Jason: Food Day!

Healthy Food at Green Charter School

Food. We eat it everyday, but many young people have little understanding about where it comes from or how it came to be. We at FirstLine Schools believe you are what you eat, so let’s eat smart!

In November 2010, Congress designated October as National Farm to School Month as a means to improve child nutrition, support local economies and educate children about the origins of food.  Food Day – held on October 24 – was created by the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest to advocate for a healthier and more sustainable food system.

Edible Schoolyard NOLA targeted middle and high school students, staff, and families at all five FirstLine campuses to teach them about important issues like:

•  Promoting safer, healthier diets
• Supporting sustainable and organic farms
• Reducing hunger
• Reforming factory farms to protect the environment and animals
• Supporting fair working conditions for food and farm workers

Learning about composting at Dibert

Green Charter School held the event in their café with over 10 activity stations, starring a variety of community partners, such as: Tulane’s Center for Culinary Medicine, Market Umbrella, and The New Orleans Food Co-op. There were food samples, including a highly popular African Peanut Stew served by ESY NOLA’s Budding Entrepreneurs team.

Students from grades 6-8 toured the room with their families. There were games, demonstrations, mini-lectures, and even prizes. Kelly Miranda – ESYNOLA’s Volunteer, Family, and Community Partnerships Coordinator – leapt onto a table partway through the event and excitedly held a raffle for one brand new 5-piece spice jar set and a couple very useful looking garden tool pouches.

John Dibert Community School set up their tables outside for the school’s 8^th graders, perfect for a sunny fall day. Each station explained one step of the food cycle: growing, distributing, and waste management. As an introduction, Jess Bloomer – Lead Garden Teacher at Green – taught participants about pollinators by offering a taste sampler of local honey. Elsewhere, scholars tried to pinpoint the origins of the produce in front of them by attaching stickers to a map, showing them how far some of our food travels to arrive on our plate. Some wrinkled their noses at the mini-compost pile and live worms set up by ESY’s Program Manager, Rahn Broady.

Blubber burgers at Ashe

Over at Arthur Ashe Charter School, Ruth Korsten – one of ESY’s Volunteer Coordinators through the LA Delta Service Corps – gave her account: 

Kate McDonald from Second Harvest was showing Ms. Sivi Domango – Ashe’s Director – and Ashe 5th graders how much fat (using real lard... ugh) was in their favorite burger chain's product.  It made quite an impact, and one boy I asked said it was his favorite station. That's saying a lot because the parfait stops are always the biggest crowd pleasers.

With the odds very much in her favor, one mother won the raffle prize and she was super excited to take home a pressure cooker!  Several teachers and school support staff also stopped by to see what all the excitement was about.

Enjoying Food Day at LHA

Amy Zelwegger, the Lead Garden Teacher for ESY at Langston Hughes Academy, had the following to say: 

With over 100 participants, Food Day was a smashing success here at LHA! Our 6th graders were eager and ready to learn about where our food comes from, sample some tasty treats, and share take-home info with parents and family. Food Day at LHA consisted of 8 tables, with four tables provided with help of our community partners Hollygrove Farm and Market, New Orleans Children’s Museum, Sankofa Farmer’s Market, School Health Connection and Rethink New Orleans. We learned about the production rows at LHA and the FSA program that will be rolling out in December. We learned about the importance of hydration, eating fruits, and why it's vitally important to support our local farmers. Food Day was a great reminder at how our scholars LOVE to learn about FOOD!!!

Learning about Plant Starts at Clark Prep

 The scholars at Clark Prep High School also participated. Kathleen Duffy, the VISTA Outreach Coordinator placed there, gave this report: 

FOOD DAY!!! Loved it. The turnout was fantastic at Clark, including students, faculty and staff. Students tried the smoothies and breakfast at both ESY tables. They loved Grow Dat, where many are now applying for a Spring/Summer 2013 program. Donnica Conway got some love at her Cooking Up Literacy At Home table, which offered scholars a great recipe book (a favorite was Green Eggs and Ham). Food Day was a very successful health and wellness initiative that will hopefully spark a consistently strong turnout at similar future events. ESYNOLA did a fantastic job coordinating community partners to attend, and Clark loved it! Students talked to me about it today, showed me the plants they won, and we discussed working at Grow Dat.

Whether participants walked away with a snack, a prize, or just a fun learning experience, there was no shortage of smiles throughout the day.

Jason Lacoste is the AmeriCorps VISTA K-8 Outreach Coordinator for FirstLine Schools.  

Kathleen: Grow Dat's Plant Sale

I have some exciting news: in a little over one week on Saturday, November 3 our friends at Grow Dat Youth Farm in City Park are having a fundraiser! Starting at 10 a.m. Grow Dat will have a Plant Sale selling winter garden essentials and ornamental plants. From 12-5 p.m. the Party starts! There will be food, drinks, music, a tour of their new eco-campus and games, all organized by Grow Dat staff and youth interns. Food trucks and sponsors like La Cocinita, Frencheeze and Old New Orleans Rum Distillery have all signed up for the fun.

All proceeds go to Grow Dat’s mission to “nurture a diverse group of young leaders through the meaningful work of growing food” – Jeanne Firth, Grow Dat Program Specialist. This benefits US as Clark Prep students participate in Grow Dat’s program with applications due in mid-November for the next Spring/Summer 2013 session.

Team Grow Dat and I hope you can make it to this special event!

Check out this event's page on Facebook.

Plant Sale: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Party: 12 p.m.-5 p.m.

Location: 150 Zachary Taylor Drive, City Park

Kathleen Duffy is the AmeriCorps VISTA Outreach Coordinator for Clark Prep High School. 

Press Release: NATIONAL CONFERENCE FEATURES INNOVATIONS OF LOCAL CHARTER SCHOOLS

NEW ORLEANS, LA, Monday, October 22, 2012 – This week’s iNACOL's Virtual School Symposium (VSS), held here in New Orleans, is the premier K-12 online and blended learning conference.  Over 2,000 representatives from national, state, district, private, and other virtual school programs are attending.  Two New Orleans charter schools, Arthur Ashe Charter School and Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School, both part of the FirstLine Schools network, are featured in this week’s events. 

Based on their successful blended learning pilots over the past year and a half, FirstLine school leaders, teachers, and students will be presenters in multiple conference sessions.  Highlights include a tour of Arthur Ashe Charter School with approximately 50 conference attendees, a session discussing how to integrate a blended learning model into an existing school, and sessions detailing best practices. 

“This is a great opportunity to share the lessons we’ve learned in the past year and a half as we integrated more computer-assisted learning into our schools,” stated Chris Liang-Vergara, Director of Instructional Technology for FirstLine Schools.  “I am especially excited that our students have an opportunity to engage with educators from across the country to discuss their ideas and lessons learned from our personalized learning project.”

“Ashe and Clark Prep showed some of the largest student achievement gains in the city in 2012.  Our Personalized (Blended) Learning Project contributed significantly to those gains,” said Jay Altman, Chief Executive Officer of FirstLine Schools.  “Since its inception, FirstLine Schools has been committed to leveraging charter school independence to incubate innovative projects that improve school effectiveness.  We aim to give our teachers as many tools as possible to ensure our students have access to the best opportunities.”

The Virtual School Symposium is taking place at the Hyatt Regency New Orleans through Wednesday, October 24^th. 

For more information on FirstLine Schools’ Personalized Learning Project, please visit http://www.firstlineschools.org/blended-learning-project.html. 

FirstLine Schools

The mission of FirstLine Schools is to create and inspire great open enrollment public schools in New Orleans.  FirstLine currently operates Samuel J. Green Charter School, Arthur Ashe Charter School, John Dibert Community School, Langston Hughes Academy, and Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School.  For more information please visit www.firstlineschools.org. 

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Kathleen: Clark Prep's College Fair

Ms. James, College Coordinator for Clark Preparatory High School, has a clearly defined role: get students ready for college! Sounds easy, right? Yea, didn’t think so. Ms. James’ most recent event was the College Fair on Monday October 8, for 9-12 grade students, immediately following Homecoming weekend. Next week, the week of October 22, will be Graduate Exit exam testing, and right now we’re discussing when to have Career Fair (so many fairs!) – the week after Thanksgiving or settle for a date in January? Decisions, decisions. I got Ms. James in a moment of free time to discuss the College Fair.

               

There were a number of At A Glance sessions organized for the students at College Fair. One example was Dress for Success, which aimed at demonstrating what it means to dress professionally. Prima Donna’s Closet on St. Charles sponsored apparel such as: shoes, purses and accessories.

               

The theme of the College Fair was clear: studying and working hard is important, in fact it’s what college is all about. As Ms. James explained, “The College Day Fair was a great success.  Students in grades 9^th-12^th attended the browse session and participated the At A Glance Sessions. The browse session consisted of a brief introduction of the college application process, issuance of college brochures, college admissions and the requirements for scholarships and college admissions. We would like to extend our gratitude to the parents, faculty, staff and sponsors for loyalty and dedication with our students.  Special thanks to our sponsors; Boh Bros Construction LLC, NOLA Copy & Print, Gulf Coast Bank, M & W Display, Prima Donna’s Closet, Darcy McKinnon Graphic Design, Chap’s Party Rental, and Community Coffee House.”

Ms. James knew what needed to be at the College Fair for students to see first-hand what it means to get ready and go to college. Ms. James knows her students and they respect her; as I spoke with her a senior who recently submitted a chunk of applications tried to shake her hand to greet her. She jokingly said “I’m not shaking your hand, this isn’t a business agreement.” and she brought him in for a hug. Ms. James embraces her students and knew exactly what to do to make the College Fair a success, so thank you Ms. James! 

Kathleen Duffy is the AmeriCorps VISTA Outreach Coordinator for Clark Prep High School. 

Green celebrates National School Lunch Week!

Ms. Joyce (Green Café lead), with Sir Saint and big Milk!

This week, Green Charter School celebrated National School Lunch Week with a visit from Fuel Up to Play 60, the Dairy Council, the American Pediatric Association, and Sir Saint!  In addition, tomorrow concludes our first plate waste study at Green conducted by Tulane School of Medicine.  When it comes to healthy eating, Green Charter is ready to Rise Up!

Kathleen: Homecoming and other Clark Prep Happenings

Clark Prep scholars at the African American Museum

Homecoming is only two days away and Clark is gearing up in the best way possible. Spirit Week is in its fourth day – Thursday is Twin Day – and tomorrow is Bulldog Pride Day. This Wednesday, College Day in Spirit Week lingo, students took interims,  freshmen visited college campuses and sophomores participated in their first of four Service Learning events for the year. Freshmen ladies went to Dillard and the gentlemen went to Tulane. Sophomores went to Animal Rescue New Orleans, the African American Museum as part of the Claiborne Corridor Project, Second Harvest Food Bank and Grow Dat Youth Farm. Scholars finished the project taking pictures of the murals under the I-10 Corridor, they learned a lot!

Now that Homecoming is closer, plans for the Pep Rally are being practiced by the band, athletic teams and the Homecoming Court in the afternoons. The Homecoming Court has been  preparing their statements for Pep Rally and the Homecoming Game. Ms. Freshman, Kerrielle Eaglin, has a lot of Clark Prep pride so she loves staying after school to dance, participate in Wellness Wednesdays and help Mr. Durand, Clark’s Director of Athletic and Enrichment Programs. With this being her first year of high school, she is very happy to be on the Court – and received a lot of congratulations! Ms. Eaglin is looking forward to joining Clark Prep’s new poetry slam club called Silence is Violence and hopes to spread her love for Clark to other students so that they too participate in all that Clark offers.

The Homecoming Court will be helping set-up for the week's festivities like the Homecoming Dance, one of the many highlights on the Homecoming agenda. After the Homecoming football game on Saturday, October 6 at 2:30 p.m. at Pan American Stadium in City Park, the student dance will be held from 8:00-11:00 p.m. in the Clark Prep Gym.  Students are excited about the dance, but I think they are just as or more pumped for the big highlight – the Homecoming Game! LHA’s Band will be playing at the game to keep the motivation high and the fists pumping. A strong, loyal group of Clark Alumni will be running an Alumni Tent selling Clark swag, from shirts to hats. Are you a Clark Alum? Stop by the tent and talk to your fellow Alumni, we would love to keep in touch with you!

We hope you can join in on the fun and be a part of Clark Prep’s 2012 Homecoming!


Kathleen Duffy is the AmeriCorps VISTA Outreach Coordinator for Clark Prep High School. 

Clark Prep National Honor Society Students Serve as Tutors and Mentors

Yesterday, October 1st, 2012, was the first time that Clark Prep's National Honor Society (NHS) scholars participated in their service project of the school year.

NHS students and friends have been given the opportunity to serve as tutors and mentors every Monday for elementary students in an after-school program at the S. Truth Community Center. NHS scholars will continue to dedicate their time creating an after-school program that provides a safe, fun, interactive and educational environment for students for the remainder of the school year.

Big thanks to all of the NHS students and friends who are dedicating their time in serving the community! Keep up the great work!

Jason: Arthur Ashe Community Day

The rebirth of Arthur Ashe Charter School in its new building in Gentilly has been profound. Their success was made clear at Ashe’s first Community Day this past Saturday.

The Community Day event drew in a crowd of volunteers (families, students, staff and community members), who were divided into two jobs. Half shelved nearly 3,000 books in Ashe’s gorgeous new library. Another contingent transformed the garden area from a pile of soil into a grassy lawn streaked with prepared vegetable beds and spaces for aquatic gardens. Young scholars joined the effort happily, digging with shovels and building sandcastles in their spare time.

In another part of the school, families were painting a mural – no artistic experience necessary. Christine Richtofen, Ashe’s art teacher, provided small slabs of wood and paints, and assigned each painter a swatch of the mural to complete. Soon, the squares of wood will be hung on a wall to reveal a collaboratively created portrait of Arthur Ashe. For those who wanted to be painted on, Ashe teachers decorated the faces of passing youth with whiskers and spirals and little pictures of all kinds.

When much of the work was done, the community gathered in the cafeteria for a hamburger lunch with a side of cookies. Looking through the full-length windows, we could see a determined set of landscapers finishing the garden project.

Of course, Community Day was only the beginning. The Ashe family has a lot to look forward to this year. Chef April Neujean, our Health & Wellness Manager, is busy promoting various Wellness initiatives happening at Ashe and across the FirstLine network. Make sure to attend one of the free cooking or exercise classes, or even join the Wellness Committee at your school (or network)!

Finally, every parent at Arthur Ashe Charter School should consider involvement in our parent organization, the Ashe Aces. Last night’s first meeting was a huge success with standing room only. Sivi Domango, Ashe’s co-director, gave a rousing presentation on the power of parents to impact student success. Parents, we depend on you! The Aces will meet on the third Wednesday of every month, so we look forward to seeing you all.

Jason Lacoste is the AmeriCorps VISTA K-8 Outreach Coordinator for FirstLine Schools.  

Kathleen: This Week at Clark Prep

Let's go Bulldogs!

It’s another busy, bustling week at Clark Prep! A week of new activities and familiar ones, from implementing Wellness Wednesdays to kicking the plans for Homecoming into full gear, I hardly even remember that Hurricane Isaac came at all. The Health and Wellness Committee met for the first time this Thursday to begin discussing plans for the year. One healthy and fun initiative, Wellness Wednesdays, got off to a great start with Tulane Instructor Kara who taught Hip-Hop with the students!

From 4:00-5:00 or 4:30-5:30 every Wednesday there will be an Instructor at Clark Prep working with students in the Gym. Each week is something different. This Wednesday was Hip Hop and next week is Boot Camp.  For all FirstLine employees, there will be a class following the student one, from 6:00-7:00.

All of our Athletic and Enrichment Programs have been meeting after school and have shown great talent and improvement. TODAY, 09/21 at 7:00 p.m. is our first District Football Game against Isidore Newman at Newman.  Their address is 1903 Jefferson Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70115.  Come show your Bulldog Pride and cheer on our amazing team!

From health education and athletic involvement to academic rigor, we’ve been pressing on energetically. And with academic rigor comes academic success: a big congratulations is due to Brittnay Green and Dasha Richard! They are part of the New Orleans Hornets Youth Leadership Academy, which is presented by Royal Engineering Consultants. This is an awesome, selective opportunity that integrates leadership development, promotes education with college visits and job shadow days into their program.

So many of Clark Prep’s students are involved in after-school programs and opportunities. We are excited about what we have already begun doing and what we will continue to do.  The deliberations at the first Health and Wellness Committee meeting included looking into healthy initiatives for the year, and we can’t wait to see what unfolds! 

Kathleen Duffy is the AmeriCorps VISTA Outreach Coordinator for Clark Prep High School. 

Jason: A Star-studded Day at FirstLine Schools

In the ESY NOLA Garden at Green

“Dan still has a good arm!” James “JB” Brown – host of The NFL Today on CBS – announced with a laugh. “You need that to work in the garden.” He was talking about Dan Marino, once quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, now analyst for The NFL Today.

Mr. Brown and Mr. Marino are touring the city with a bus full of volunteers, making Samuel J. Green Charter school their last of 16 stops. The volunteers come from all over the country, here for AARP’s Life@50+ National Event. This year, for the first time, the Washington, D.C. organizers decided to make community service an integral part of their convention.

Hands were shaken, weeds were pulled, and, according to Denise Richter, “The volunteers got worm castings, saved flower seeds, and helped prep production rows.”

But Green wasn’t the only FirstLine school with a visiting sports star today. Langston Hughes Academy attracted a gym full of media attention when Hornets shooting guard Eric Gordon walked in with a message of love for New Orleans.

After speaking, #10 refereed a quick 1-on-1 between one of the third graders and an eight grader. Gordon finally jumped in and set up a screen when the younger competitor found himself overwhelmed. When it was over and prizes dispensed, the scholars chanted from the stands: “Shoot! Shoot! Shoot! Shoot!” Gordon obliged with a lesson in perseverance, sinking a three pointer on his third attempt.

Enjoying the Bookmobile

And because no story is complete without a good book, the Hornets player led a line of 3rd grade scholars out of the gym and into the Bookmobile parked outside. Scholars climbed into the little painted bus in groups to receive a free paperback from the star.

While Eric Gordon didn’t help in the Dreamkeeper Garden, LHA did get an assist from Dillard University. The new partnership between Dillard and LHA, called “From Seed to Table,” kicked off today. Funded by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana Impact Grant, it creates the opportunity for Dillard University students and LHA scholars to utilize the Greenhouse located on Dillard’s campus as an educational facility twice a week. 

In Dillard's Greenhouse

As part of the project, vegetable seeds will be started in the greenhouse and then transplanted to the LHA Dreamkeeper Garden. This allows ESY NOLA at Langston Hughes Academy to move forward with its new Family Supported Agriculture (FSA) program, bringing fresh school-grown food to students and their families.

It’s been a star-studded day at FirstLine Schools, but in the end our focus remains on the health and success of the scholars who depend on us. Thanks to everyone for your support, and don’t forget to visit the new Arthur Ashe campus – at 1456 Gardena Drive – for Community Day this Saturday from 10am to 2pm! 

Jason Lacoste is the AmeriCorps VISTA K-8 Outreach Coordinator for FirstLine Schools.  

Jason: This Week at LHA

Nothing sounds so sweet as a bustling school community, and this week at Langston Hughes Academy has been busy.

In celebration of a love for reading, LHA held its annual Book Fair this week. In preparation, scholars watched a video of authors stressing the importance of books and describing the literary process. Afterwards, they shopped around the shelves looking for their favorite superhero, animal, celebrity, or just a fantastic story. If students were unable to afford a book, Ms. Sergio – who organized the Fair – encouraged them to pick their favorite and write it down as a “wish.” Who knows, maybe some generous benefactor will make a wish come true!

The week culminated at LHA’s Open House on Wednesday night.

Coinciding with the event was a Health & Wellness Fair. Ms. Carolyn Trask organized the event, bringing in seven health providers for parents to learn about. “The mission,” she explained, “was to show our parents that there are services out there for them in the community.” She intends to organize another such Fair before the holidays. Next time, scholars will be invited to receive free health services right on campus.

Wednesday night also drew much attention to the Dreamkeeper Garden, just finishing its recovery from Hurricane Isaac. Amy Zellweger, Lead Garden Teacher at LHA, shared information with attendees about the benefits of fresh, healthy food. She is also spearheading a project to provide school-grown produce to the families of Langston Hughes Academy. This Family Supported Agriculture (FSA) will offer a portion of food grown at the school to families for free. Already, seventeen families have signed up to receive the produce from 1300ft of garden space planned for this year. “Production is ramping up,” says Edible Schoolyard NOLA Network Gardener Denise Richter.

Tonight is the first of many Family Connection meetings, a space for the parents of LHA to become involved in their children’s education and to learn about available opportunities. This year will bring with it many adult education initiatives, designed to improve the lives of our community members and to strengthen the parent organization throughout FirstLine Schools. Make sure to be there for the next meeting!  

Questions?  Leave them in the comments and we'll get back to you!

Jason Lacoste is the AmeriCorps VISTA K-8 Outreach Coordinator for FirstLine Schools.  

ESY NOLA and Arthur Ashe Charter School

The new Arthur Ashe Charter School

Over 200 Lutheran teen volunteers from across the country gathered at the new Arthur Ashe Charter School site, 1456 Gardena Drive, on July 18 to help transform the facade with a colorful array of florals, sunflowers and cypress trees, in anticipation of the first day of school, August 6.  Ashe officially moved  over the summer, from its temporary Uptown location, to its permanent, newly constructed building on the Bienville Elementary site in the Lake Park neighborhood of Gentilly. The new site includes a garden-science classroom, a teaching kitchen, a fully-equipped cafeteria kitchen, and plans for several themed gardens, arches and pathways,  and a one-acre production garden. 

Volunteers on July 18, 2012

ESY NOLA will continue to provide school-wide tastings, Food ABC's with the Kindergarten classes, as well as these new programs:

• Daytime parent cooking classes
• Student kitchen classes 
• Student garden classes
• Open garden days
• Junior kitchen and garden apprentice classes
• Junior service learners 
• Family Food Nights

Keep checking back here for more information on these great new programs at Ashe!

Press Release: FIRSTLINE SCHOOLS BLENDED LEARNING CASE STUDY RELEASED TODAY

NEW ORLEANS, LA, Tuesday, September 11, 2012 – The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation is releasing a series of case studies that examine five school and charter management operators’ implementation of blended learning.

As the education reform landscape evolves, blended learning is becoming more and more relevant to schools across the country. “Blending learning has the potential to support teachers in delivering individualized instruction to students by combining traditional face-to-face classroom methods with computer-based activities,” according to Cheryl Niehaus, program officer at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. “These case studies can serve as an information source for schools that are interested in learning more about this type of blended learning model.”

Five charter management organizations across the nation participated in the case studies: Alliance for College-Ready Public Schools, Firstline Schools, KIPP LA, Rocketship Education, and Summit Public Schools. The studies examine each organization's instructional and operational approaches to blended learning, and offer a high-level overview of each model's potential financial implications. They also look at a number of other factors, including how each school chose its method of blended learning, and the major success factors and lessons learned from each implementation.

There are many different approaches to blended learning, and it can take on many shapes or forms, depending on the teachers and students involved. The schools that participated in these studies each utilize what is known as a “classroom rotation” or “station rotation” model of blended learning.

In the coming months, the foundation will also release a quantitative impact evaluation of the schools’ impact on students. “As there is still much to learn about the potential for blended learning models to improve outcomes for students,” said Niehaus, “I am also excited for the second part of this project, which includes an impact evaluation of these same schools during the 2011-12 school year.”

The foundation commissioned SRI International to conduct a one-year, quasi-experimental evaluation of these schools’ impact on students' learning. After the evaluation period, the foundation retained FSG to prepare the case studies about each of their models so that the learnings could be shared with the public.

The case study introduction, along with the case study on KIPP Empower Academy, is now available at www.msdf.org/blendedlearning. In addition, a series of blog posts from the five operators and the authors has begun on the foundation’s blog, www.blog.msdf.org. To be notified when the other four case studies are released and when the related blogs are posted, please follow the foundation on Twitter at @msdf_foundation. 

About the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation (www.msdf.org) is dedicated to improving the lives of children living in urban poverty around the world. With offices in Austin, TX and New Delhi, India, and Cape Town, South Africa, the Dell family foundation funds programs that foster high-quality public education and childhood health, and improve the economic stability of families living in poverty. The foundation has committed more than $825 million to global children’s issues and community initiatives to date.

FirstLine Schools

The mission of FirstLine Schools is to create and inspire great open enrollment public schools in New Orleans.  FirstLine currently operates Samuel J. Green Charter School, Arthur Ashe Charter School, John Dibert Community School, Langston Hughes Academy, and Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School.  For more information please visit www.firstlineschools.org. 

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