FirstLine Schools - Education for Life

Rapper Dee-1 Visits Clark Prep English Class!

2012-03-01T07:48:00.001-08:00

Rapper Dee-1 made a special visit to an 11th grade English class at Clark Prep, last week, to speak about his work, success and commitment to education and positivity. The rapper, who "branded himself as the politically inclined rapper who reports about the streets and offers genuine, educated insight on Black America’s ills and the solutions it needs," is currently on the rise nationwide after his single "Jay, 50 and Weezy" and "The One that Got Away" have seen national success.

During his visit, the rapper performed for the students, talked about his experience growing up in New Orleans East, and how his new album reflects his life philosophy:

“The name of the album is Mission Vision, and that’s the motto I have for how I live,” Dee explains, talking louder and faster as his ideas start pouring out. “Mission vision means focusing and keeping an eye on what’s important. Don’t worry about goliaths. Be bold and confident in your pursuit of a better life. Plan. Prepare. Pray. Work.”

A more detailed description of his visit is featured in the cover story article about him, written by David Dennis in this month's Offbeat magazine. Read more about Dee-1 and his visit to Clark Prep here!

Article Highlights FirstLine Healthy Cafeteria Food

2012-02-27T08:36:00.004-08:00

The Lens, an online investigative reporting news organization, recently wrote an article highlighting FirstLine's work in healthy cafeteria food, as well as our general belief in health and wellness. This work has been done thanks to the hard work of both ESY NOLA and FirstLine staff, with ESY NOLA taking the lead. You can find the article here.

Here's a quote from the article:

Neujean and Vliet say they’ve been one of Sodexo’s first clients to push for healthier, local food options that exceed federal requirements. For instance, FirstLine serves only hot breakfasts at its schools, even though cold cereal and milk is enough to satisfy the government. In those hot breakfasts, condiments full of high-fructose corn syrup, like sticky-sweet pancake syrup, are banned. Students instead are encouraged to eat fruit, powdered sugar or jam with their hotcakes. Their hot lunches come complete with a salad bar, and students have the opportunity of choosing fresh, Louisiana-grown satsumas, fresh plums, raisins and other fruits as sides to the lunch menu.

We're very proud of the work that we've done to bring healthier food choices to our students. We hope you enjoy this article!

First Day of Play on LHA's new KaBOOM! Playground

2012-02-24T09:16:00.001-08:00

Ashe & Dibert Students Speak at Childhood Obesity Prevention Forum

2012-02-13T12:39:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, February 9th, two students from Ashe (Don and Mariah) and one student from Dibert (Leo) spoke at the New Orleans Childhood Obesity Prevention Forum. The students spoke on behalf ofYouth Run New Orleans. We are proud of the way they were very preparedfor the event and spoke from the heart! They offered real recommendations tothe city about how to get more kids healthy. Way to go scholars!

Dan Forman

2012-02-10T07:24:00.000-08:00

Dear FirstLine Community,

Itis with great sadness and deep appreciation for a life well lived that I writeto inform you of the passing of Dan Forman this past Wednesday. Many ofyou knew Dan as “Dan the canoe man” through his work with our students over thepast 15 years – first as the founder of NORD’s Outdoor Program and then as theDirector of LOOP (Louisiana Outdoor Outreach Program). Dan worked withhundreds of students across our schools, including many of our colleagues whenthey were students in middle school and high school. For many students inNew Orleans, a trip with Dan was their first exposure to canoeing through thelocal bayous or rivers, or their first overnight camping trip. He was aneducator with a deep commitment to providing outdoor educational experiences toall students in New Orleans, and he believed that exposure to nature combinedwith experiential “adventure” learning would develop teamwork, self-awareness,an appreciation for our environment, and more grounded, centered young people.

For many years he had a vision of building a ropes course inNew Orleans so that students from our schools and other public schools in NewOrleans could have access to learning opportunities that traditionally hadrequired hours of travel to reach and whose cost was beyond our means. Last year, he finally brought this dream to fruition with building of a ropescourse on Scout Island in City Park.

Dan was a rare partner in the work we are doing – he was init for the long haul and he provided a set of valuable learning experiences wewould never have been able to offer on our own. Bob Marshall of TheTimes-Picayune, a friend of Dan’s, has written a fitting obituary that you canread at http://www.nola.com/education/index.ssf/2012/02/dan_forman_creator_of_outdoor.html

A gathering of friends to honor his life and work will beheld this Sunday at 3pm near Cabrini Bridge on Bayou St. John.

In deepest appreciation for the work you do every day,

Sincerely,

Jay

Jay Altman

Chief Executive Officer

FirstLine Schools

Thank you Verint & KaBOOM! - New Playground at LHA!

2012-02-08T06:54:00.000-08:00

Monday was a pretty incredible day over at Langston Hughes Academy (LHA). Over 200 volunteers worked for six hours and the end result was a brand new playground, sandbox, puppet theater, mini basketball court, picnic tables, benches, gameboard table tops and a brand new beautiful mural. The back of the school has been transformed!

Check out the amazing change!!

The build site, afternoon of Feb 6, 2012

The build site, morning of Feb 6, 2012

Verint Representatives with some LHA scholars
at the ribbon-cutting ceremony

This build was made possible through the amazing KaBOOM! organization and the generosity of Verint Systems. Not only did Verint donate funds, but 75 of the volunteers at the build day were Verint employees - some came all the way from India! Verint started their sales meeting the next day, here in New Orleans, but those that volunteered on the LHA KaBOOM! build flew in a day early to be able to take part. It was wonderful to get to know some of the Verint employees and to share this amazing day with them.

Dow Edwards, Co-Chair of the
NOLA180 Board of Directors, thanking
the volunteers

LHA scholars also took part in this project. Scholars were a part of the playground design day, they created thank you cards for all of the volunteers, the LHA Marching Eagles performed at the check presentation/ribbon-cutting ceremony, and some scholars were a part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony. The playground will open for the students tomorrow (Thursday, February 9, 2012) and we can't wait to see what they think of their new playground!

Volunteers at the end of the build day

FirstLine Middle School Bands march in Mardi Gras Parades!

2012-02-07T08:11:00.000-08:00

FirstLine Schools is proving again that it is on the first line this Mardi Gras season, with some of our middle school marching bands taking on the big responsibility of representing their schools musically in New Orleans' myriad Mardi Gras parades. Mr. Veneable's Marching Eagles at Langston Hughes Academy are continuing and expanding their tradition of marching in parades, but this year marks the Mardi Gras debut of the Green Giants Marching Band! Come out to the parades and support FirstLine Schools!

S. J. Green's Marching Band in the Little Rascal's parade in Metairie.

GREEN GIANTS MARCHING BAND
MARDI GRAS PARADE SCHEDULE
Feb 5 Little Rascals    Metairie   12:00pm

LANGSTON HUGHES MARCHING EAGLES
MARDI GRAS PARADE SCHEDULE
Feb 10      Oshun     Uptown           6:00 pm
Feb 11      Adonis     Westbank       11:45 am
Feb 12      Thor        Metaire          3:00 pm
Feb 16      Chaos      Uptown          6:30 pm
Feb 19      Thoth      Uptown         12:00 pm
Feb 20      Orpheus   Uptown          6:00 pm

Media Alert: VERINT AND KaBOOM! TO BUILD PLAYGROUND IN JUST ONE DAY AT LANGSTON HUGHES ACADEMY IN NEW ORLEANS

2012-02-03T07:37:00.001-08:00

FORIMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Rebekah Cain,FirstLine Schools, 504-952-1331, rcain@firstlineschools.org

Anne Patton, Verint Systems,770-754-8656, anne.patton@verint.com

Mike Vietti, KaBOOM!,785-320-2137, mvietti@kaboom.org

DESIGNED BY KIDS, BUILT BY VOLUNTEERS:

VERINTAND KaBOOM! TO BUILD PLAYGROUND IN JUST ONE DAY AT LANGSTON HUGHES ACADEMY INNEW ORLEANS

WHAT: More than 200 volunteers from Verint^®Systems, ACCENT on Arrangements, Inc., FirstLine Schools and Langston HughesAcademy Charter School, organizers from KaBOOM! and residents of the local communitywill join forces on Monday, Feb. 6 to build a new playground at the school. Thenew playground’s design is based on drawings created by children who participatedin a Design Day event in January.

WHY: Today’s kids spendless time playing outside than any previous generation in part because only1-in-5 children live within walking distance of a park or playground. This playdeficit is having profound consequences for kids physically, socially andcognitively. Children need a place to play every day in order to be active andhealthy, something KaBOOM! has been committed to since 1996.

The new playgroundwill provide more than 400 children in the community with a safe place to play.Currently, the children who attend Langston Hughes Academy Charter School donot have a playground for students to enjoy.

The playground willbe the first built by KaBOOM! and Verint and is one of more than 150 playgroundbuilds KaBOOM! will lead across the country in 2012 in an effort to fulfill itsvision of a great place to play within walking distance of every child inAmerica.

WHEN: Monday, February 6

8:30a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Kick-off ceremonyand volunteer deployment

11:00a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Best viewing ofplayground construction

1:00p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Finalconstruction phase and adjustments

2:30p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Ribbon-cuttingceremony/check presentation to dedicate new play area

(Note: all times approximate)

WHERE: Langston Hughes AcademyCharter School
3519 Trafalgar St.
New Orleans, LA 70119

WHO: New Orleans City Councilmember Susan Guidry;

Hundreds of volunteersfrom the community

VISUALS: Before and after shotsof the site

Volunteersassembling brightly colored playground equipment

Volunteersmoving 45,360 square feet of safety surfacing by hand

Ribbon-cuttingceremony to dedicate the playground

LangstonHughes Academy

Themission of Langston Hughes Academy Charter School is to provide students withthe knowledge, skills and character traits necessary to succeed in high school,college and the world beyond. Our goal is to send every student to college bypreparing them for the best public and private high schools in the New Orleansarea. Learn more at http://www.langstonhughesacademy.org.

FirstLine Schools

Themission of FirstLine Schools is to create and inspire great public schools inNew Orleans. FirstLine currently operates Samuel J. Green Charter School,Arthur Ashe Charter School, John Dibert Community School, Langston HughesAcademy, and Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School.

VerintSystems Inc.

Verint^®(NASDAQ: VRNT) is the global leader in Actionable Intelligence^®solutions and value-added services. Its extensive portfolio of EnterpriseIntelligence Solutions^™ andSecurity Intelligence Solutions^™helps worldwide organizations capture and analyze complex, underusedinformation sources—such as voice, video and unstructured text—to enable moretimely, effective decisions. More than 10,000 organizations in 150 countries,including over 85 percent of the Fortune 100, use Verint solutions to improveenterprise performance and make the world a safer place. Headquartered in N.Y.and a member of the Russell 3000 Index, Verint has offices worldwide and anextensive global partner network. Learn more at www.verint.com.

ACCENT onArrangements, Inc., a DMC Network Company

Founded in 1991 byDiane B. Lyons, ACCENT on Arrangements, Inc. is a privately held corporation withthe primary interest of planning, managing and supervising group activities toinclude spouse/guest programs, team building activities, special events,entertainment and décor, transportation services, speaker programs, hospitalitystaff and VIP services as well as children’s programs and events. Headquarteredin New Orleans, ACCENT has a management team with more than 90 years ofcombined destination management experience. It is a proud member of the DMCNetwork, an LLC of the top performing, wholly owned DMCs through North America.

KaBOOM!

KaBOOM!is the national non-profit dedicated to saving play. Children today spend lesstime playing outdoors than any previous generation, a fact that is havingdisastrous consequences on their health, achievement levels, and overallwell-being. To fight this play deficit, social entrepreneur Darell Hammondfounded non-profit KaBOOM! in 1996 in Washington, D.C. with a vision ofcreating a great place to play within walking distance of every child inAmerica. Since then, KaBOOM! has mapped over 89,000 places to play, built morethan 2,000 playgrounds, and successfully advocated for play policies inhundreds of cities across the country. KaBOOM! also provides communities withonline tools to self-organize and take action to support play on both a localand national level. Hammond chronicles the founding of the organization and theimportance of the cause of play in his TheNew York Times Best Seller KaBOOM!: How One ManBuilt a Movement to Save Play. The book details how businesses andcommunities can work together to save play for children across the country. Allauthor proceeds support KaBOOM!. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM!also has offices in Chicago and San Mateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

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Supt. Dobard's Visit to Clark Prep

2012-02-01T07:05:00.000-08:00

Supt. Dobard at Clark Prep

Yesterday (Tuesday, January 31, 2012), Supt. Patrick Dobard spoke to the 9th grade class at Clark Prep. This was his first of many school visits he plans to make in the upcoming weeks. As you may remember, Supt. Dobard was announced as the new RSD Supt at Clark Prep on January 11th. Supt. Dobard grew up just a few blocks from Clark and had three siblings (he's the youngest of seven) attend Clark in the 1970s.

Students listening to Supt.
Dobard

Supt. Dobard addressed the 9th grade in the gym, speaking to them about adversity and self-determination. One of his main points was that all of the students have faced adversity and are likely to continue doing so, but that they could decide how that adversity effected their lives. Supt. Dobard shared some of the adversity that he went through as a young person including the loss of his mother to cancer. He also spoke of the power of making choices - comparing the choices he made to persevere and go to college to that of his best friend growing up, who was murdered when Dobard was in his early 20s.

Supt. Dobard continued to come back to the theme of dealing with adversity. He urged students to not just store it all inside, but to seek out others to talk to about any adversity they are dealing with in their life. He said he did not do this and it took him years to deal with things he had gone through. Dobard stated that he wants the students to learn from his mistakes.

The students, faculty and staff of Clark Prep enjoyed Supt. Dobard's visit and hope to welcome him back again, sometime in the future.

Supt. Dobard with the 9th Grade class at Clark Prep

Media Advisory: Superintendent Dobard to Speak with Clark Prep 9th Graders

2012-01-30T09:35:00.001-08:00

MEDIA ADVISORY

January 30, 2012

RSD Contact: Kizzy Payton

Cell: (504) 920-6887

Kizzy.payton@rsdla.net

FirstLine Contact: Rebekah Cain

cell: 504-952-1331

rcain@firstlineschools.org

Superintendent Dobard to Speak with
Clark Prep 9^th Graders

NEW ORLEANS – On Tuesday, January 31, Recovery School District (RSD)Superintendant Patrick Dobard will visit Joseph S. Clark Preparatory HighSchool (Clark Prep) and speak with the 9^th grade students. Dobard is a native of Tremé and had three brothers attend Clark in the 1980sand his father still lives just a few blocks from the school.

Dobard will speak about what ittakes to overcome adversity and the power of self-determination. JoeDavis Jr., 9^th grade student at Clark Prep is looking forward toSupt. Dobard’s visit, “I think it’s a positive thing for us toexperience because he’s from here in New Orleans and he’s successful and doeswell by the community. I can learn a lot from him.”

This speaking engagement is the first one that Supt. Dobardwill give in the upcoming weeks as he plans schools visits throughout theDistrict.

WHEN: Tuesday, January 31
12:30 pm

WHERE: Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School Gym
1301 N. Derbigny Street
New Orleans, La. 70116

FirstLine Schools

The mission of FirstLine Schools is to create and inspiregreat open enrollment public schools in New Orleans. FirstLine currentlyoperates Samuel J. Green Charter School, Arthur Ashe Charter School, JohnDibert Community School, Langston Hughes Academy, and Joseph S. ClarkPreparatory High School.

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Dibert Students "Walk with a Purpose" to Farmer's Market!

2012-01-27T09:54:00.000-08:00

Coach Schuitt, Ms. Eversmeyer and a select group of DibertCommunity School students have become a familiar sight this year at the Mid-CityCrescent City Farmer’s market. Once a month, this group “walks with a purpose” to the market, as a wayof developing healthy lifestyles, practicing social skills and buildingrelationships with the community.

This Thursday the group had an even more special purpose, asthey were representing Dibert at the market with a very special guest inattendance, the Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern, who was filming a segment forhis new show, Appetite for Life! Zimmern met local food activist and host of Louisiana Eats (also a friend of FirstLine and the Edible Schoolyard NOLA) Poppy Tooker, to tour themarket and film a cooking segment.

Dibert students enjoyed the filming, a few talked with Mr.Zimmern, and all students had a wonderful time interacting with the vendors atthe market and trying fresh strawberries, chocolate milk, artisanal cookies andred pepper soup! The vendors atthe market have always shown a great enthusiasm for Dibert students, and thefeeling is mutual. Thanks to theCrescent City Farmer’s Market and all their vendors for showing Dibert studentsthat healthy, local eating is a great time for all!

LAPCS Videos Feature FirstLine Teachers, Board Member & School

2012-01-25T07:23:00.000-08:00

The Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools is launching a series of videos (Straight A's: Charter School Autonomy, Accountability & Access) this week and they feature some familiar FirstLine faces!

The videos are intended to answer some common questions about Charter Schools:

How do community members get involved inside the classroom?
In what ways do charter school teachers use innovative approaches?
What is the most rewarding part of being a charter school board member?

You will see quite a few shots of Samuel J. Green Charter School throughout all of the videos, you'll meet a couple of our awesome teachers (in two of the videos), see some great info about Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (in the Community video), and meet our Board Chair (in the Board video).

Check them out here:

LAPCS for Parents from FatHappy Media on Vimeo.

LAPCS for Teachers from FatHappy Media on Vimeo.

LAPCS for Communities from FatHappy Media on Vimeo.

LAPCS for Board Members from FatHappy Media on Vimeo.

LAPCS for Legislators from FatHappy Media on Vimeo.

Clark Prep and Grow Dat Youth Farm

2012-01-23T07:07:00.000-08:00

In February,three Clark Prep seniors and four students from the NET @ Clark will begin a 20-weekprogram at Grow Dat Youth Farms. GrowDat provides job and leadership experience to New Orleans high school students throughthe work of growing food. The sevenClark Prep students will join their peers from De La Salle, New Orleans Charterand Mathematics High School and Warren Easton High School to grow fruits andvegetables at Grow Dat’s four-acre plot in City Park. The students will donatea portion of the produce to local food pantries, and they will sell the rest atlocal farmer’s markets.

Grow Datwill help prepare Clark Prep students for college, careers and life by improvingtheir teamwork, public speaking, and problem solving skills. The participants will also benefit from regular workshops from Tulane faculty about sustainableagriculture, economics and food systems.

ClarkPrep’s partnership with Grow Dat continues FirstLine Schools’ commitment toimproving the well being of students and the community through its partnershipwith EdibleSchoolyard New Orleans.

NEWS RELEASE: Workshop for Students today to help cope with and stop violence in New Orleans

2012-01-20T08:24:00.001-08:00

Workshop for John Dibert Community School Studentstoday to help cope with and stop violence in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, LA, Friday, January 20, 2012 – Today Dancingman504 is doingtwo Heal2Toe (http://heal-2-toe.com/)dance workshops with students at John Dibert Community School. Heal2Toe is a form of traditional dance andmusic, based on the New Orleans culture of ‘2nd Line’ parades. The workshop, part of the “Move to Move On”approach, is taking place to give students an outlet in response to the recentand ongoing violence in the city.

TheWorkshops will focus on:

The power that students have to be safe and have a future full of options
Having pride in their city, New Orleans
Why the world is attracted to New Orleans culture
How and why movement is important – inviting students to take part in movements that can calm the body and mind
What students can do to stop the violence

Theworkshops will take place from 2:30-4:30pm at John Dibert Community School,4217 Orleans Avenue. For moreinformation, or to attend one of the workshops, please contact Rebekah Cain at504-952-1331 or rcain@firstlineschools.org.

John Dibert Community School

AtJohn Dibert Community School, we will prepare all our students to attend acollege-preparatory high school, graduate from a selective college andcontribute positively to their community and environment.

FirstLine Schools

The missionof FirstLine Schools is to create and inspire great public schools in NewOrleans. FirstLine currently operatesSamuel J. Green Charter School, Arthur Ashe Charter School, John DibertCommunity School, Langston Hughes Academy, and Joseph S. Clark Preparatory HighSchool.

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NEWS RELEASE: Volunteers Needed to Build Playground

2012-01-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

FORIMMEDIATERELEASE

CONTACT: Rebekah Cain, FirstLine Schools,504-952-1331, rcain@firstlineschools.org

Anne Patton, VerintSystems, 770-754-8656, anne.patton@verint.com

Mike Vietti, KaBOOM!, 785-320-2137, mvietti@kaboom.org

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO HELP BUILDPLAYGROUND

WHAT: Volunteers are needed to help build a playground in one day for children atLangston Hughes Academy Charter School (3519Trafalgar St .) in New Orleans. On Monday, Feb. 6, more than 200 volunteersfrom Verint^® Systems, ACCENT on Arrangements, Inc., FirstLineSchools and Langston Hughes Academy Charter School, organizers from KaBOOM! andresidents of the local community will join forces build a new playground at theschool. The new playground’s design is based on drawings created by childrenwho participated in a Design Day event in January.

No experience is necessary, and there are jobs for people of all ages andabilities. Volunteers must pre-register by contacting lhakaboom@gmail.com or 504-307-2383.

WHY: Thenew playground will provide nearly 300 children in the community with a safeplace to play. Currently, the children who attend Langston Hughes AcademyCharter School do not have a playground for students to enjoy.

The playground will be the first built by KaBOOM! and Verint and is one of morethan 150 playground builds KaBOOM! will lead across the country in 2012 in aneffort to fulfill its vision of a great place to play within walking distanceof every child in America.

LangstonHughes Academy

The mission of LangstonHughes Academy Charter School is to provide students with the knowledge, skillsand character traits necessary to succeed in high school, college and the worldbeyond. Our goal is to send every student to college by preparing them for thebest public and private high schools in the New Orleans area. Learn more at http://www.langstonhughesacademy.org.

FirstLineSchools

Verint Systems Inc.

ACCENT onArrangements, Inc., a DMC Network Company

Founded in 1991 byDiane B. Lyons, ACCENT on Arrangements, Inc. is a privately held corporationwith the primary interest of planning, managing and supervising groupactivities to include spouse/guest programs, team building activities, specialevents, entertainment and décor, transportation services, speaker programs,hospitality staff and VIP services as well as children’s programs and events.Headquartered in New Orleans, ACCENT has a management team with more than 90years of combined destination management experience. It is a proud member ofthe DMC Network, an LLC of the top performing, wholly owned DMCs through NorthAmerica.

KaBOOM!

KaBOOM!is the national non-profit dedicated to saving play. Children today spend lesstime playing outdoors than any previous generation, a fact that is havingdisastrous consequences on their health, achievement levels, and overallwell-being. To fight this play deficit, social entrepreneur Darell Hammondfounded non-profit KaBOOM! in 1996 in Washington, D.C. with a vision ofcreating a great place to play within walking distance of every child inAmerica. Since then, KaBOOM! has mapped over 89,000 places to play, built morethan 2,000 playgrounds, and successfully advocated for play policies inhundreds of cities across the country. KaBOOM! also provides communities withonline tools to self-organize and take action to support play on both a localand national level. Hammond chronicles the founding of the organization and theimportance of the cause of play in his The New York Times BestSeller KaBOOM!: How One Man Built a Movement to SavePlay.The book details how businesses and communities can work together to save playfor children across the country. All author proceeds support KaBOOM!.Headquartered in Washington, D.C., KaBOOM! also has offices in Chicago and SanMateo, Calif. For more information, visit www.kaboom.org.

# # #

NEWS RELEASE: Claudia Barker New Executive Director of Edible Schoolyard New Orleans

2012-01-17T07:07:00.001-08:00

NEW ORLEANS, LA, Tuesday, January 17,2012 – Today Claudia Barker starts as the new Executive Director of the EdibleSchoolyard New Orleans, a signature program of FirstLine Schools.

A nativeNew Orleanian, Claudia Barker has enjoyed serving the non-profit community forthe past 30 years both as an executive and as an independent consultant From2004 through 2011 Claudia served as the Executive Director of New OrleansOutreach, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of publiceducation in New Orleans by bringing community resources and volunteers intothe schools. Before this she served as Directorof Young Aspirations/Young Artists (YA/YA), Inc., an arts and social serviceorganization that trains urban youth to become professional artists. While there she authored YA/YA! Young New Orleans Artists and TheirStorytelling Chairs (and How to YA/YA in Your Neighborhood), publishedby LSU Press in 1996. Claudia alsoserved as Assistant Director of the Arts Council of New Orleans, Development Directorof the Contemporary Arts Center, and as a development associate at WYES. Claudia completed an M.A. in history at theUniversity of New Orleans in 1981.

FirstLineSchools and Edible Schoolyard New Orleans are pleased to welcome Claudia to theteam.

Edible Schoolyard NOLA

EdibleSchoolyard NOLA is a comprehensive seed to table food education program thataims to change the way kids eat, learn and live at (5) FirstLine public charterschools. The program offers hands-ongardening and kitchen classes that are integrated into the curriculum, culture,and cafeteria programs at the schools it serve. Founded in 2006, ESY NOLA is in its sixth yearof operation and serves 2,400 students in grades pre K through 12th across theFirstLine Schools network.

FirstLine Schools

The missionof FirstLine Schools is to create and inspire great public schools in NewOrleans. FirstLine currently operatesSamuel J. Green Charter School, Arthur Ashe Charter School, John DibertCommunity School, Langston Hughes Academy, and Joseph S. Clark Preparatory HighSchool.

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Culinary Corps takes ESYNOLA by storm!

2011-12-06T07:34:00.001-08:00

On November 10, FirstLine was proud to welcome CulinaryCorps back to New Orleans as they teamed up with ESY NOLA for a day of food-focused events at Firstline Schools. Culinary Corps is agroup of chefs from all over North America that enable culinary students andprofessionals to volunteer their skills for the benefit of communities in need.

The winners!

Early in the day, Culinary Corps teamed up with GreenCharter’s 7^th grade class for our 6^th annual Iron ChefCompetition! The heat was on as chefs and their 7^th gradersdetermined what dishes to make for this breakfast edition competition. Thesecret ingredient, Creole Cream Cheese, turned out to be an easy-to-incorporate,delicious addition to all dishes. Though all dishes were fantastic, only 1cuisine could reign supreme and this was ESY NOLA Chef’s Katie Bingham andLauren Coroy, along with their skilled group of 7^th graders! The winning dish had a very fittingname – Green Eggs and Ham – and consisted of grits, greens, boiled eggs andbacon, alongside pecan-crusted French toast with a banana Creole cream cheesesauce.

During the afternoon, Culinary Corps traveled to LangstonHughes where they led a knife skills and food beautification workshop for ourfoodservice staff. This was afirst for FirstLine foodservice, and in partnership with Sodexo, cafeteriachefs from school around the city, including KIPP and Holy Cross, were able toparticipate in foodservice professional development! The group tested new recipes and created new presentationsof hot line food to make nutritious and appealing dishes for our students.

In the evening, Culinary Corps helped run John DibertCommunity School’s first-ever Family Food Night! Dibert students and parentshelped find out what exactly happened to the Food Pyramid. As they traveledfrom station to station, families picked up pieces to the puzzle along withtasty snacks, recipes they could make at home and participated in funactivities along the way! After collecting all of their puzzle pieces, we putit all together to show them the Food Pyramid is now MyPlate. This new foodicon is a great way to teach students and their parents about the food groupsand how to create a healthy plate.

Though they have finished their work with ESY NOLA andFirstline Schools for this trip, we wish them luck on the second portion oftheir trip as they travel to Mississippi to participate in an after-schoolcooking club program for the Boys and Girls Club of the Gulf Coast.

Check out Culinary Corps’ video of their visit to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast here!

Saturday, November 12^th, was also Green Charter’s2^nd Open Garden Day this year! Volunteers assisted in various tasks,such as seeding, composting, feeding trees, sign making and even a fun recycledpaper activity.

It takes the generosity and kindness of many people andorganizations to make all of these events fantastic events happen. In FirstlineSchool's tradition, I would like to give a shout –out to all of theorganizations that helped make these events possible: Culinary Corps,Hollygrove Market & Farm, Whole Foods, Langenstein’s, Junior League of NewOrleans and all of ourvolunteers! We couldn’t do this without all of you!

FirstLine & ESY NOLA in the News

2011-11-18T05:38:00.001-08:00

Here are a couple recent articles focused on a new food tasting in the Langston Hughes Cafeteria, and an article on ESY NOLA:

Students give thumbs up for local products in school taste test

NEW ORLEANS, La. – About 40 students gathered in the lunch room at Langston Hughes Academy charter school recently (Nov. 8) to sample and rate potential menu items made from local products. (Click the link above to read the rest of the article.)

Changing the way kids “eat, learn, and live” at the Edible Schoolyard New Orleans

(InthekNOwla) -- NEW ORLEANS | If you went to school in Orleans parish, then we’re sure you remember lunchtime. The rectangle-shaped sausage pizza, hamburgers and “Cajun” fries, mashed potatoes and perfectly square chicken nuggets, yellow rice and baked chicken, and something that kind of resembles the McRib from McDonald's. Mix in the regulatory fruit cocktail, spinach (if the grass had recently been cut), bread, and white milk (though it was like finding a $20 bill when a rare chocolate milk was spotted). (Click the link above to read the rest of the article.)

Clark Prep Homecoming!

2011-11-11T06:11:00.000-08:00

Because Clark Prep is FirstLine's first high school, this year was FirstLine's first homecoming! Thanks to all the support we received from the Clark alumni who know how it's done, the week was a success!

Crimson and Gray Ball

Clark Prep Teacher Flash Mob!

The week started with Spirit Week at Clark, with dress up days including Nerd Day and Clark Pride day. On Thursday, the girls' volleyball team faced off against the faculty, and on Friday Coach Hess hosted the Clark Pride Pep Rally, featuring the presentation of the marching band, the football team, and a flash mob of teachers dancing!

Pep Rally

Nerd Day!

Saturday was clear skies and crisp, cool weather, with the Bulldogs facing off against Riverside Academy. Though the Bulldogs weren't victorious, the day was filled with spirit and cheer as alumni, family and friends cheered the Bulldogs through their game. In addition, many alumni took the opportunity to donate uniforms to help our scholars meet high expectations for professional dress.

Saturday night was the Clark Prep Crimson and Gray Ball, with the gym transformed into a sparkling dance floor. The homecoming court was sparkling, and students had a wonderful time!

Thanks to all the FirstLine Staff, Clark Staff, students, friends, family and alumni for making this year's homecoming a smashing success!

Food and Fun Events at Firstline Schools

2011-11-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

2010 Iron Chef Winners!

It’sbeen a while since you’ve heard from us and I bet you’re wondering why! We havebeen busy preparing for some great events coming up in November!

OnThursday, November 10^th, ESY NOLA and Culinary Corps have a day-long food and fun extravaganza planned! Itwill kick off with Green Charter’s 6th Annual Iron Chef Competition! Thiscompetition will feature 60 of our 7^th graders along with local NewOrleans chefs and chefs from all over the U.S.

Alsoon November 10^th is our FIRST Family Food Night at John Dibert! TheCurious Case of the Missing Food Pyramid is the theme for the night and will feature interactive cooking stations,recipe samples and games to introduce everyone to the new MyPlate icon.

Theweek of Nov. 7^th will be evenmore exciting because we will have our second set of Tulane University DieteticInterns. They will be collecting data about our salad bars and also doing someplate waste studies at each of the Firstline School locations. Also, make sure you stop by for GreenCharter’s second Open Garden Day of the year on Saturday, Nov. 12^th!

Comingup is our first Family Food Night for this school year at Green Charter and will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 15^thwith a focus on healthy holiday recipes! Check back to see the results of ourIron Chef Competition and all of our other great events!

PRESS RELEASE: Edible Schoolyard New Orleans Receives $5,000 Birds Eye Grant to Help Local Communities Discover the Wonder of Vegetables

2011-10-17T10:12:00.000-07:00

Pinnacle Foods’ Birds Eye® Brand Rewards Five LocalOrganizations Including Edible Schoolyard New Orleans to Inspire and Enable NewOrleans Residents to Enjoy Their Vegetables and to Help Feed Kids Better

MOUNTAIN LAKES, NJ (October 17, 2011) – Announced today, Edible Schoolyard New Orleans will receive a $5,000 Birds Eye® “Share the Wonder” grant to change the way New Orleans public school children eat, learn and live through a comprehensive, hands-on food education program that integrates gardening and cooking into the curriculum, culture and cafeteria food programs. Pinnacle Foods’ Birds Eye® brand kicked off the first-ever “Share the Wonder” grant program to provide financial rewards to nonprofit organizations that inspire communities and their children to discover the wonder of vegetables.

“On behalf of Edible Schoolyard New Orleans, we are so honored to have been awarded $5,000 from Birds Eye,” said Donna Cavato, Executive Director of Edible Schoolyard New Orleans. “With this Birds Eye grant, we will continue to nourish the minds of New Orleans children, through hands-on gardening and cooking classes, which educate and engage 2,400 FirstLine Schools students in growing, cooking and sharing the wonder of vegetables.”

Edible Schoolyard New Orleans was nominated for a “Share the Wonder” grant at www.facebook.com/BirdsEyeVegetables and was chosen as a finalist because of originality, the quality of the organization’s vegetable-focused efforts, and its passion for vegetables. Edible Schoolyard New Orleans then rallied its own fans and followers to vote based on a video about its cause.

“At Birds Eye, we believe that everyone has the right to enjoy vegetables any time, any place, and we celebrate the organizations that make vegetables more enjoyable and accessible for their local communities and children,” said Rodrigo Troni, vice president of marketing for Birds Eye. “We had an overwhelming response to the ‘Share the Wonder’ grant program. That’s why we’re thrilled to give Edible Schoolyard New Orleans this grant as one of nearly 100 organizations that applied to support its efforts to share the wonder of vegetables in its local community and to help Feed Kids Better.”

Vegetables Anytime, Anywhere
Birds Eye helps people “Discover the Wonder of Vegetables™” by making them easy, delicious and accessible for everyone. With more than 40 unique vegetables offered and countless ways to enjoy them, from pure and simple vegetables and steamed varieties, to veggie powered recipes and complete vegetable rich meals, Birds Eye gives consumers limitless possibilities to get vegetables on their plates every day.

Visit www.facebook.com/birdseyevegetables for serving ideas, tips and tools to help make vegetables the star of the plate.

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About Birds Eye
Birds Eye® unlocks the wonder of vegetables and makes them accessible and enjoyable to everyone, everyday. Using vegetables picked and frozen at their peak of freshness, Birds Eye® helps Americans make vegetables a meaningful part of everyday life. Providing a range of tasty and exciting solutions that make eating vegetables a memorable taste experience, Birds Eye® has something for everyone: with pure and simple vegetables under the Birds Eye®, C&W®, Freshlike® and McKenzie’s® brand names; Birds Eye Steamfresh® vegetables and vegetable rich blends; and Birds Eye Voila!® complete frozen meals. For more information on Birds Eye® visit www.birdseye.com or www.facebook.com/BirdsEyeVegetables.

About Pinnacle Foods Group LLC
Millions of times a day in more than 85% of American households, consumers reach for Pinnacle Foods brands. We are a leading producer, marketer and distributor of high-quality branded food products, which have been trusted household names for decades. Headquartered in Mountain Lakes, NJ, our business employs more than 4,500 people in North America. We are a leader in the shelf stable and frozen foods segments and our brands hold the #1 or #2 market position in 8 out of 12 major category segments in which they compete. Our Duncan Hines Grocery Division manages brands such as Duncan Hines® baking mixes and frostings, Vlasic® pickles, peppers, and relish, Mrs. Butterworth’s® and Log Cabin® syrups, Armour® canned meats, Nalley® and Brooks® chili and chili ingredients, and Open Pit® barbecue sauces. Our Birds Eye Frozen Division manages brands such as Birds Eye® vegetables, Birds Eye Steamfresh®, C&W®, McKenzie’s® and Freshlike® vegetables, Birds Eye Voila!® meals, Aunt Jemima® frozen breakfasts, Swanson® and Hungry-Man® dinners and entrees, Van de Kamp’s® and Mrs. Paul’s® seafood, Lender’s® bagels and Celeste® frozen pizza. Our Specialty Food group manages Tim’s Cascade Snacks®, Hawaiian™ Kettle Style Potato Chips Snyder of Berlin® and Husman’s® in addition to our food service and private label businesses. Further information is available at www.pinnaclefoods.com.

About Edible Schoolyard New Orleans
Founded in 2006, Edible Schoolyard NOLA changes the way children eat, learn and live at FirstLine Schools in New Orleans. Our hands-on food education program integrates gardening and cooking into the curriculum, culture and cafeteria menus of five (5) open-admissions, public charter schools. Our goal is to improve the long-term well being of our students, families, and school community, and we currently serve about 2,400 pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade students. Through Exposure, Engagement and Access, ESY NOLA reinforces seasonal cooking and local growing and investment through special events and community outreach programs including: Family Food Nights (parents join their children in the Teaching Kitchen to cook heart-healthy recipes); Budding Entrepreneurs/Growing Leaders (5th-8th graders sell their produce, garden-based crafts, and value-added products at local farmers markets); and Open Garden Days (community comes to the school garden to work, harvest and share meals created with produce grown by the children). For more information, please visit www.esynola.org. You can also “Like” us at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Edible-Schoolyard-New-Orleans and follow us on Twitter @esynola.

PRIME TIME at Green

2011-10-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

Students are enthralled bythe storytelling.

This fall, we’re excited to bejoined by 27 families coming together for Prime Time with the mission oftransforming Green Charter School students into life-long readers. In case youhaven’t heard, PRIME TIME is a free, state-sponsored, six-week program ofreading, discussion, and storytelling. For each workshop at Green, after adelicious meal provided by a local restaurant, our facilitators NatalieWilliams and Freddi Evans conduct readings for children ages 6 to 10 and theirparents. The goal is not to just tell great stories -- but to encourageparents to ask their children critical questions about the texts. After eachreading, we talk about major themes, analyze the characters, and debate themessage of each book. The award-winning children’s books introduce fairy andfolk tales from around the world. They are stories that deal with questions anddilemmas children commonly encounter. For children from 3-5, we also offerpre-literacy activities and crafts.

Natalie Williams reading "Who's In Rabbit'sHouse?".

We are fortunate for our weeklydiscussions to be facilitated by local author Freddi Evans and storytellerNatalie Williams. For our first session, we read the South African folk tale, Abiyoyo.Afterward, children and parents deliberated the idea of judging good peoplewith bad habits. For our second session, after we dined on some authentic,freshly prepared Mexican food donated by Sarita’s Grill, our friend Sharon fromthe Children’s Resource Center came to talk about the New Orleans PublicLibrary System and shared information about their children’s programs andevents. Last week, we had red beans, rice, and jambalaya from Liberty’sKitchen, and read the classic tale of The Wren and the Eagle. Afterdebating the merits of brains over brawn and the significance of ambition,several lucky students walked away with books and Walmart gift-cards from ourweekly raffle!

This week,we’re going to be reading Odd Velvet, eating more locally-sourced food,and giving away more prizes to promote family literacy!

Paul Kramer is the Community Initiatives Coordinator at Samuel J. Green Charter School. Check back regularly to hear more updates about his work at Green.

Clark Prep hosts College Fair

2011-10-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, September 29, Clark Prep, FirstLine Schools' new high school, hosted its first ever College Fair day. Over 20 regional universities were represented, as well as the military and other support service programs. Students were able to talk directly with admissions counselors from LSU, Vanderbilt, Southern University and more about what they offer and what they can gain from attending those universities. The event also featured the debut of the 2011-12 Clark Prep cheerleaders and musical performances.

The cheerleaders' debut!

Clark's gym was transformed.

Signing up for more information

Joey the bulldog showed off for the marines.

Principal Coleman helps seniors make a decision.

Denise loves Southern U!

Learning more about program offerings.

PRESS RELEASE: Arthur Ashe Charter School Featured in National Report on High-Performing, Expanded-Time Schools

2011-09-30T06:18:00.001-07:00

ReportShows How Effective Use of Expanded Learning Time Boosts Student Achievement

NEW ORLEANS, LA, Friday, September 30, 2011– Arthur Ashe CharterSchool is earning national recognition for its success in using expanded learningtime to boost student achievement. It isone of 30 schools from across the country featured in a new national reportthat examines effective practices for improving teaching and learning atexpanded-time schools. The report is setto be released at an event with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan inWashington, D.C. today.

"Weare proud to have been nationally recognized as a successful model for expandedlearning time,” said Sabrina Pence, School Director of Arthur Ashe CharterSchool.

Thereport, Time Well Spent: Eight PowerfulPractices of Successful, Expanded-Time Schools, from the National Center onTime & Learning (NCTL), outlines how high-performing, expanded-time schoolsimplement one or more of eight different practices to help improve studentachievement, including allocating time towards focused goals; individualizinglearning time and instruction based on student needs; and using time to assessstudent data in order to continuously strengthen instruction.

Arthur Ashe Charter School

Themission of Arthur Ashe Charter School is to prepare all students academicallywhile developing their character so they will excel at a high school withrigorous academics and graduate from a four-year college.

FirstLine Schools

The missionof FirstLine Schools is to create and inspire great public schools in NewOrleans. We do this by directlyoperating open admissions public schools and by developing training programsfor teacher and school leaders across New Orleans. FirstLine operates four K-8 schools and onehigh school in New Orleans: Arthur Ashe Charter School, John Dibert CommunitySchool, Langston Hughes Academy (through a management contract with NOLA180),Samuel J. Green Charter School, and Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School.

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LHA hosts its first Open Garden Day!

2011-09-28T14:14:00.001-07:00

You are invited to the very first
Open Garden Day
at The Dreamkeeper Garden of Langston Hughes Academy
3519 Trafalgar St.
New Orleans, LA 70119

THIS Saturday October 1, 2011
10:00-1:00pm

Edible Fun for the Whole Family!

Please join us for a day of weeding, planting, bed building, and more as we prepare The Dreamkeeper Garden for the fall!

All volunteers are welcome and asked to bring a water bottle and wear comfortable gardening clothes.

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

Special October Garden Guests:

Junior League of New Orleans
ReLeaf of Tulane School of Medicine
TIDES of Tulane University
New Orleans Outreach

Interested in volunteering at The Dreamkeeper Garden of Langston Hughes Academy on a regular basis?
Please contact Kelly Regan kelly@esynola.org to learn more about our volunteer opportunities.

Clark Prep Freshman Academy goes to the Ivy League!

2011-09-23T08:52:00.000-07:00

Jude, Sada, Jattir and Jules ask questions of the Stanford Dean of Admissions.

This Wednesday, Clark Prep Freshmen had a unique opportunity: in conjunction with the National Association of College Admissions Counselors conference being held in New Orleans, ABAFAOILSS, the Association of Black Admissions and Financial Aid Officers of the Ivy League and Sister Schools hosted a mini college fair for minority students at Lake Area New Tech Early College High School in Gentilly.

Milena learns more about what Princeton can offer.

College Counselor Ms. Landreneau brought 8 freshmen as part of the Early College Scholars program. Freshmen got to have an intimate conversation with admissions directors from Dartmouth and Cal Tech about what they should do in 9th grade to prepare for an Ivy League career, then got to speak with admissions counselors from esteemed universities including Princeton, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, Penn, Mount Holyoke, Wesleyan and more! The attending freshmen will prepare a presentation for the rest of the Clark Prep Freshman Academy as part of CPFA's program of intensive college preparation.

Say Goodbye to the Food Pyramid; Say Hello to MyPlate!

2011-09-20T21:05:00.000-07:00

Eat to Learn, Learn to Eat

You may not know, but MyPlate replaced MyPyramid this past June as the USDA’s new food icon. First Lady Michelle Obama, whose Let’s Move campaign is aimed at fighting obesity, helped unveil the new design. As you may notice from the picture, it’s an easy to understand tool that shows how to build a healthy meal based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines. It utilizes the plate to show 5 components of a healthy meal - fruits, vegetables, grains, protein and dairy, in sizes proportional to how much you should eat in each meal. We all know that what we eat matters and this is a great tool to help make healthy choices. Check out this short video for a brief overview of MyPlate or visit http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ for more information. Some key points to remember from MyPlate are to make at least half your grains whole grains, make half your plate fruits and vegetables, get calcium rich foods, go lean with protein, focus on fruits and vary your veggies. Other key points to remember are to find your balance between food and physical activity as well as keep your food safe!

Excited to learn about MyPlate!

The past couple weeks in the Edible Teaching Kitchen at Green Charter, our 3^rd and 4^th graders have been learning more about the new MyPlate icon. They’ve written poems, created MyPlate collages, and even made a MyPlate snack of crackers, peppers, pears, hummus and almond milk. Not only are these children learning about MyPlate and healthy habits in the Teaching Kitchen, but these lessons translate into our Cafeteria where a variety of options are offered in accordance with the new MyPlate recommendations. As I’ve noted before, all of the Firstline School Cafeteria’s offer a daily salad bar with fresh vegetables and fruits. More than half of the grains served during mealtimes are whole grains, which include brown rice and whole-wheat dinner rolls. We’ve cut out red meats, offering a variety of leaner protein options in place such as chicken, turkey, and a variety of bean dishes. We believe that through the integration of education, such as the MyPlate lessons, and real life application of these principles in the classroom and cafeteria, we can change our children’s habits. By creating demand from the ground up, our school-based food and snack programs now incorporate our food values of “wholesome, nutritious and delicious” as well as the USDA recommendations from MyPlate – fueling our children in the mind, body and spirit towards healthy lifestyles.

The MyPlate Snack


Placing foods in right food groups

MyPlate Bulletin Board in Green Charter Cafeteria

In other news, our first set of Tulane University Dietetic Interns started yesterday. They’ll be with us for the rest of the week and are working on some really exciting projects. To enhance our cafeteria environment, they are working on menu cards for each table, allowing the children to have a sneak-peak for the next day’s menu. They are also assisting in some studies, collecting data in the cafeteria as well as creating newsletters about MyPlate. Make sure to check back next week to find out more!

Happy Watermelon Day!

2011-09-15T15:24:00.000-07:00

Direct from farm to school.

It's that time again! At Ashe Charter School, Dibert Community School and Green Charter School, Thursday September 15 was Watermelon Day! Farmer Ben from Mississippi visited campuses with a truckload of sugarbaby watermelons, and kids at all campuses got a taste of the sweet, cool fruit that is synonymous with summers in the South. Farmer Ben has been delighting Green and Ashe with his annual watermelon visit for four years, but this is the first watermelon day for Dibert and LHA. Check out the photos of Dibert primary students enjoying their treat. Langston Hughes Academy hosts their first watermelon day tomorrow, Friday September 16.

Eat to Learn, Learn to Eat

2011-09-13T13:36:00.000-07:00

Making Life By What We Give
-Winston Churchill

This past Saturday, Samuel J. Green Charter School hosted its first Open Garden Day of the year! It was a great success, with over 100 volunteers showing up to help our edible garden grow and make our neighborhood beautiful! The new members of the Louisiana Delta Service Corps started at ESY NOLA earlier this month and made their big debut at Open Garden Day, assisting volunteers with pruning trees, composting, seed collecting, and plenty of weeding. Some volunteers also did a great job in the kitchen, chopping tomatoes and cubing feta for the watermelon salad!

In true Firstline Schools tradition, I’d like to give a shout-out to Junior League New Orleans, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Greater New Orleans and Tulane University’s Society of Young Black Public Health Professionals for their dedication to our program along with all of the families and friends that showed up to help out! We couldn’t have made this day happen without you guys! Also, I would like to give a special shout-out to Langenstein’s for partnering with ESY NOLA, sponsoring all of the ingredients for lunch and helping make this day even more special!

Today I would like to introduce you to the team that helps bring our mission to life and who will be frequently referenced in this blog. As I mentioned last week, all 5 schools serve meals made almost entirely from scratch as well as a daily salad bar. In order to make these healthy meals available and changes happen, it takes more effort, energy and a dedicated staff. As we can see with the participation at Open Garden Day, it takes a village to make our ideas come to life, from café staff members to ESY food educators, to parents and community volunteers giving their time in our café dining commons and garden.

Chris Van Vliet is Firstline Schools’ Chef/Director of Food Services, overseeing all 5 school cafeterias. He’s been at Firstline since November 2010 and has been working in school food service for about 10 years. Ernishia Calvin is our new Food Service Administrative Assistant. Chris and Ernishia are both based out of Joseph S. Clark Prep High School, the newest FirstLine school. We work with Sodexo as our food service management company, so we can utilize their buying power to provide fresh, healthy meals for our school children. Van Cao is our Sodexo General Manager who coordinates and provides good, safe food for our school cafeterias. Juan Rodriguez is our Sodexo Area Manager that works with Firstline Schools, as well as Louis Edmond who also is a Chef/Trainer at our schools. Our Kitchen Managers across the network include: Joyce Renfro at S.J . Green, Cheritta Watts at John Dibert Community School, Kathleen Bush at Langston Hughes Academy, Jaunita Blakely at Arthur Ashe, and Shemeko Johnson at Clark Prep. All of these people help make our mission to provide good, healthy school food possible.

As for ESY NOLA, our staff has grown to 20 members across all Firstline sites and new positions, such as mine as the In-house Dietetic Intern, have been added to bring more of a health and overall wellness focus to our work. Our staff is continuing to grow and bios will be up on ESYNOLA.org shortly.

Next week, find out what our third and fourth graders plates have in common with the First Lady’s plate!

Edible Schoolyard Teachers and Volunteers are WWL "Quiet Heroes"!

2011-09-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

Edible Schoolyard volunteers and staff featured on WWL's "Quiet Heroes" segment.

Leading Educators Video features FirstLine LE Alumni

2011-09-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

Check out this video from Leading Educators featuring many FirstLine educators! Leading Educators' mission is to support and develop teacher-leaders at open enrollment urban public schools to ensure high academic achievement and an aspirational culture for every student. This two year program provides management training, visits to schools that are closing the achievement gap, and assessment tools to develop the skillfulness of department chairs, vice-principals, Deans of Students, team leaders, and other teachers in mid-level leadership positions. Leading Educators was founded in New Orleans in 2008, and became an independent non-profit in 2011, thanks in part to funding from several national foundations, and is expanding to other US markets, starting with Kansas City in fall 2011.

Leading Educators Video from NOVAC on Vimeo.

PRESS RELEASE: Langenstein’s Announces Partnership with Edible Schoolyard New Orleans

2011-09-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

NewOrleans, LA, September 1, 2011 -- Langenstein’s,a 90 year old specialty foods market located in Uptown and Metairie, announcedtoday an exciting new partnership with Edible Schoolyard New Orleans, to “changethe way kids eat, learn and live” by sponsoring field trips and communitygarden visits.

EdibleSchoolyard NOLA was founded in 2006 as a way to promote a sense of pride andresponsibility among local children for fresh, seasonal foods. The programreinforces social and environmental stewardship for more than 2,000 students atfive public charter schools in the FirstLine Schools network. ESY NOLA's specialized grade-levelprogramming provides experiential learning through hands-on kitchen and gardenclasses and seasonal events that promote the food traditions of New Orleans.

“We are extremely proud of our program and havealways made enriching, hands-on experiences that are practical and educationalfor the kids a top priority,” says Edible Schoolyard NOLA ExecutiveDirector Donna Cavato. “We’re so happy to have a local, home-grown grocerysponsor to reinforce our values and to show our children the full cycle of howfood gets from the garden to the store.”

In additionto hosting field trips in their Metairie location where students will learnfrom the butcher, produce and seafood managers, Langenstein’s will providelunch for volunteers at all Open Garden Days through 2012. Open Garden Days are open to the widercommunity to learn how to garden and compost, and has helped to care for theexpansive garden at Samuel J. Green Charter School. This year, the partnership will allow ESYNOLA to expand its Open Garden Days to Langston Hughes Academy Charter Schoolfor the first time.

“Langenstein’sis known for carrying local, fresh vegetables and fruits, in addition to thehighest-quality meat and seafood in New Orleans,” says Trey Lanaux,fifth-generation of Langenstein’s. “We are also proud to support localnonprofits like Edible Schoolyard NOLA, and fully back their mission to teachkids how to live a healthier lifestyle.”

TheLangenstein’s and Edible Schoolyard partnership will kickoff on Saturday, September10, 2011 for Open Garden Day at Green Charter. Additionally, students fromGreen and Arthur Ashe Charter schools will be visiting the store later in theschool year.

AboutEdible Schoolyard New Orleans

Createdin 2006, the Edible Schoolyard New Orleans (ESY NOLA) serves more than 2,000public school students across the FirstLine Schools network, at four (4) Kindergarten-8^thgrade schools and one (1) 9th-12^th grade high school. Children learn how to grow and harvesttheir own food in ESY NOLA’s edible teaching gardens. The flagship site, an expansive 1/3-acreorganic garden at Samuel J. Green Charter School, includes composting and wormcomposting (vermiculture), outdoor classrooms, a green living roof, nativeplants, a wetlands area, a citrus grove, row crops, and a butterflygarden. The Edible Teaching Kitchen atGreen is a hands-on classroom that brings abstract concepts from the classroomto life. Grade-level cooking andseasonal food tastings incorporate ingredients from our very own garden andlocal farms. ESY NOLA is the firstreplication of the original program founded by chef and food education activistAlice Waters in Berkeley, California. ESY NOLA helps children find a place atthe table, and in the world, by nourishing their minds and bodies, buildingcommunity, and creating a beautiful environment that stimulates students’curiosity and desire to learn about the natural world, as well as the foodtraditions of New Orleans. www.esynola.org

AboutLangenstein’s

When MichaelLangenstein and his sons, George and Richard, opened Langenstein's supermarketin 1922, their goal was to carry the best meat and seafood in New Orleans.Based on the suggestions of customers, the business slowly grew into thegourmet arena. In the 1970's Langenstein's began offering prepared food usingold-fashioned family recipes. Now, almost 90 years later, Langenstein's is a5th generation owned and operated business, proudly holding true to itsoriginal ideas, while still adapting to the needs and suggestions of loyalcustomers. www.langensteins.com

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Eat to Learn, Learn to Eat

2011-08-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

Planting the Seeds for a Great School Year

Welcome to the first posting of a weekly blog about food happenings at Edible Schoolyard NOLA (ESY NOLA) and FirstLine Schools. My name is Justine Duchon and I am the In-House Dietetic Intern with ESY NOLA.

ESY NOLA is a signature program of FirstLine Schools dedicated to changing the way kids eat, learn and live. We integrate hands-on organic gardening and seasonal cooking into the school learning experience, culture and cafeteria meal programs. If you're interested in learning more, please visit our website.

ESY's work is reflected in the cafeteria where almost all of the meals are prepared from scratch.
Along with entrees representing our local food culture, each child receives 3 pieces of fresh fruit and 4 vegetables each day. All our school cafes also offer a daily salad bar option. We've also made the switch to whole grains. More than half of our grains offered are whole grains like brown rice whole wheat rolls. We're very proud of our food program, especially considering that over 90% of the children we serve are eligible to receive free lunches. Many live in neighborhoods that don't have grocery stores, making access to healthy, affordable foods a challenge. By offering these nutritious options at this school, we are also able to serve those children who are most in need.

New and exciting things are happening that I can't wait to share with you! First off, you may have noticed the title of this blog - "Eat to Learn, Learn to Eat." This motto represents FirstLine's commitment to nourishing the whole child. We know that success in the classroom starts with healthy, balanced meals in our school cafes. Our mission is to create healthy habits early in life to improve the health and well-being of our school children, and ultimately the community we serve. Food is a basic need, but we seek to teach, grow and eat good food that will nourish the body and mind and allow our students to grow up to lead healthy, successful lives.

You may already know that in the past month, all five of our schools have started classes. This includes our latest addition - Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School. All of these schools have some level of Edible Schoolyard programming which may include: daytime garden and cooking classes tied to core academics, edible gardens on campus, food and health-related special events, and/or after-school cooking and gardening clubs.

We are looking forward to the start of the first culinary after-school program at Clark Prep tomorrow! Also, make sure you mark your calendars for Open Garden Day at Green Charter on September 10th from 10am until 1pm! There's a lot more t share with you this year including our Iron Chef Competition, Family Food Nights, menu study and survey projects in our dining cafes, and so much more. Stay tuned each Tuesday!

Green featured in recent TFA Video

2011-08-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

This recent Teach For America (TFA) video was partially filmed at Green. As you watch the video, keep an eye out for Ava Lee (School Director at Green) and some of our students!

Delta SKY Magazine: Chefs Who Give Back

2011-08-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

If you are out "flying the friendly skies" in August, check out the Delta Sky Magazine, page 73-74, for a photo of world-renowned Chef Emeril Lagasse and four of our Edible Schoolyard NOLA students at a New Orleans farmers market. This classic picture leads a story by Andrew Zimmern on"3 Chefs Who Give Back," including recognition of the philanthropic work of Chef Emeril in New Orleans.

Read the full article (and see the great ESY NOLA picture) here!

The Rebirth of Clark Highlighted on WWOZ

2011-08-17T08:34:00.000-07:00

WWOZ reporter Zachary Young attending the July 9 "Rebirth of Clark Kickoff Event." Mr. Young filed a five-minute Street Talk story about the event, as well as Clark becoming a FirstLine school. Listen to that story here!

Garden Photo Essay from PhotoPhilanthropy.org!

2011-07-26T18:08:00.000-07:00

Nancy Farese is a photographer who uses her work to promote social justice. She visited Green's Edible Garden and created a blog entry as well as a video highlighting her trip. Check out her blog entries at PhotoPhilanthropy.org, and check out the video she made from her photos below!

Edible Schoolyard, New Orleans from NFarese on Vimeo.

Pictures from the Rebirth of Clark Kickoff Event

2011-07-18T06:42:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing event on July 9 at Clark - thank you to all the members of the community that came out to be a part of the event. Pictures from the event can be found here!

Edible Schoolyard Featured by PhotoPhilanthropy

2011-07-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

We were thrilled to see this beautiful blog posting by PhotoPhilanthropy's Nancy Farese, of the incredible work of our students, teachers and staff at ESY NOLA and FirstLine Schools! Nancy visited us in May, and the photo images she has captured continue to rejuvenate all of us here at FirstLine.

Be sure not to miss the photo captions - many were captured by our Edible Schoolyard teachers and staff. We find capturing our student voices to be one of the most rewarding things we do.

NEWS RELEASE: Attend the Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School’s “Rebirth of Clark” Kickoff Party

2011-07-05T07:39:00.000-07:00

Volunteer Work Day Scheduled for July 9

NEW ORLEANS, LA, Tuesday, July 5, 2011 – As of July 1, 2011 FirstLine Schools assumed operation of Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School (formerly Joseph S. Clark Senior High School). FirstLine Schools is a New Orleans-based charter school organization that started the first charter school in the city 18 years ago.

Saturday, July 9 from 10:00am to 2:00pm marks the “Rebirth of Clark” Kickoff Party at Clark. Staff, Tremé community groups, alumni, Clark families and volunteers from across the city will work together on renovations to the exterior and interior of the Clark campus.

“We are excited to partner with students, families, alumni and neighbors in the Rebirth of Clark Kickoff Party,” stated Reginald Coleman, Principal of Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School, 10 - 12th Grade.

Highlights of the day include a performance by Clark Alums, the Rebirth Brass Band, other musical entertainment and lunch. Projects will include: building flower beds, planting and landscaping, painting interior spaces and creating art projects that will improve the appearance of the campus.

“The Joseph S. Clark Community Council is excited about the "rebirth" of Clark High School. We're excited about the possibilities that the partnership with FirstLine has to offer to the students of this community and beyond,” remarked Dr. Monique Gibson Cola, Chairperson of the Joseph S. Clark Community Council and President of the Joseph S. Clark Alumni Association.

WHERE: Joseph S. Clark Preparatory High School, 1301 North Derbigny Street

WHEN: 10am, Saturday, July 9, 2011

To RSVP for yourself or a group of people, please contact David Durand at ddurand@firstlineschools.org. For parents and students interested in learning more about Clark, speaking with the Clark leadership team, or interested in enrolling, please contact Darcy McKinnon at 504-228-4247 or dmckinnon@firstlineschools.org. More information about Clark and the leadership team can be found at www.clarkprep.org.

FirstLine Schools

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Author John Berendt visits Dibert 2nd Grade

2011-06-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

Read the T-P article about the visit of Author John Berendt to Dibert's 2nd grade class!

"Sitting on a table in Anne Ohri’s second-grade class at John Dibert Community School last week, writer John Berendt read and smiled with an audience far removed from his usual fan base."

Green Staff and 3rd Grade featured in LOOP Video

2011-06-10T13:22:00.000-07:00

LOOP's video detailing the wonderful work they do features Ms. Cerda and her 3rd Grade class, as well as Mrs. Bunton. Lookin good in the woods, LOOP students.

FirstLine Staff Alum incubates charter boarding high school in Detroit

2011-06-10T13:03:00.001-07:00

Read the news article from the Detroit Metro-Times about Natasha Baker's new charter boarding school proposal for Detroit public school students. Congratulations to Natasha!

http://metrotimes.com/news/one-educator-s-dream-1.1158502

End of Year Festivities Ring in Summer!

2011-05-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

It's nearing the end of the school year, and FirstLine Schools have invited their families and community members to participate and enjoy the fruits of our students' labor. This year, GreenFest, the Green Family Picnic, AsheFest and Dibert Fest invited families to visit the school and enjoy the company of the school community.

Mama Baderinwa's dance class showed off their moves at Green Fest.

Green's photography class displayed their work.

LHA Hosts its first 8th grade Graduation!

2011-05-31T13:53:00.000-07:00

Langston Hughes Academy hosted its first ever 8th grade graduation on May 27, 2011. As LHA's founding class graduated, students, staff and parents were clearly emotional and responded vociferously to every student and staff member's heartfelt appreciations. The event featured handmade kinte cloth sashes, excellence awards in each department, a performance by the LHA band, visits from NOLA 180 board members and a guest speech from Judge Nadine Ramsey. Scholar reflections from Kamau J. and Jarelle R., as well as a valedictorian speech from D'Juanna J. brought the house down, and when the LHA Band played "Every Breath You Take", the crowd was on their feet. Look out for more special occasions as Dibert and Green graduate on June 4, and Ashe graduates on June 9! For more details on graduation ceremonies, contact the schools directly.

LHA Eagles produce i/LEAP hit!

2011-04-18T10:18:00.000-07:00

LHA's Coach Castine and some talented 6th graders (Kendell, Kentrell & Dalea) collaborated to produce the monster hit, "This Test", which wowed the LHA audiences at their pre-LEAP pep rally. Their tunes rocked the house!

Leading Educators hosts information sessions in New Orleans!

2011-01-14T06:01:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to have a transformative impact on your classroom? Your team? Your school?

Do you want meaningful professional development that will make you more effective in your role?

The mission of Leading Educators is to assist open-enrollment public schools in closing the achievement gap and providing all students with high-quality education by developing the skillfulness of school leaders such as department chairs, deans of students, master teachers, team leaders, and lead teachers.

The Leading Educators curriculum combines exposure, training, and support to build the skillfulness of mid-level teacher-leaders. This rigorous two-year professional development program aims to build the skillfulness of mid-level teacher-leaders in three key areas: Leadership and Management, School Culture, and Learning and Teaching. To date, Leading Educators has trained 46 teacher-leaders across 28 open admissions schools in the Greater New Orleans region.

Upcoming Information Sessions:

Thursday, January 20, 2011
6:00 – 7:00 PM
ARISE Academy
3819 St. Claude Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70117

Monday, January 31, 2011
6:00 – 7:00 PM
Samuel J. Green Charter School
2319 Valence St.
New Orleans, Louisiana 70115

Please RSVP by sending an email to recruitment@leadingeducators.org with your name, school and role.

FirstLine Leaders create their own Charters!

2010-12-10T09:52:00.000-08:00

Two FirstLine employees have recently learned that applications they made for their own charter schools have been approved. Elizabeth Ostberg, Director of Talent Development, will be leaving FirstLine next year to open an alternative school here in New Orleans. Natasha Baker, Chief Academic Officer, is starting her own charter school in Detroit and will be moving there at the New Year, staying on at FirstLine as a consultant. We wish them success as they continue the challenging work of closing the achievement gap here and around the country!

Trombone Shorty and Mayor Landrieu visit Dibert!

2010-12-10T09:43:00.000-08:00

Thursday December 9 was an exciting day at Dibert Community School. Mayor Mitch Landrieu and New Orleans trombone phenomenon Trombone Shorty visited the campus to talk about the importance of music and culture in New Orleans, and to connect that to math and language education! After the Mayor spoke, Trombone Shorty, Glen David Andrews and members of the Treme Brass Band were joined by Dibert middle schoolers Jazz, Revert and Revon in a second line out to the yard! Revert and Jazz are planning on applying to the NOCCA next year - they'll have some wonderful recommendations! Check out footage of the visit on our YouTube site at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=InpXMS_yKhA

Green and Ashe Students Spend a Day at De La Salle

2010-12-10T09:33:00.000-08:00

Green students Melvin, Kendall and Frank join Ashe student Aiko at De La Salle.

On Tuesday, December 8, four students from Ashe and Green spent the day at De La Salle High School. They sat in on classes with De La Salle students, met teachers and leaders and ate lunch. Says Aiko Burfect, "I think this is a school where I'd feel very comfortable." Frank Jorden couldn't believe the lunch; he ate two cheeseburgers, fries, a slushie and an ice cream. FLS encourages all 7th and 8th graders to visit school sites they are interested in before deciding on the high school that's right for them. For more information on how to schedule a spend-a-day, contact Darcy McKinnon.

Dibert Mural Project Unveiled!

2010-12-10T09:28:00.001-08:00

As part of Dibert's transformation this year, Outreach partner KidsmArt placed artist-in-residence Elizabeth Traina at the school to create one of her famous mural's on the school's entry. The large mural fills the front facade of the building. It is the result of a semester-long project led by KID smART artist-in-residence Elizabeth Traina that integrated arts learning into the school’s “F.I.R.S.T.” values (Focus, Integrity, Respect, Self-Determination and Teamwork). 171 students in grades 5-8 plus 34 staff members and volunteers contributed to the creation of the mural. The project was made possible in part through the support of the New Orleans Kids Partnership.

Green hosts its annual Turkey Bowl!

2010-11-22T09:59:00.000-08:00

This year's Green Charter Turkey Bowl was a resounding success! Students could hang out, listen to music, play in a prize walk, compete in football games, enjoy delicious winter harvest pizzas, or...

Students at SJ Green are daily schooled in the healthiest and most sustainable ways of eating and growing food. Their love of organic, whole grain, fresh and local food is nationally recognized. Except twice a year, at their holiday jamborees, when they engage in a food frenzy known as the Green Gobbler eating contests! This year at Green's Turkey Bowl, 12 middle schoolers faced off in a competition of sheer gluttony to see who would reign supreme at the delicate art of no-hands pie eating. And the winners are... Alexus and Josh!

Josh shows his clean plate skills.

Trisden struggles to get the last bits in, but Alexus shows the judges who's done first!

This is perseverance, guys!

Arthur Ashe breaks ground on the new Bienville Campus

2010-11-22T09:35:00.002-08:00

On November 8, FirstLine and Ashe leaders had the rare treat of seeing their future campus of Bienville school's groundbreaking. Speakers at this exciting event included Jay Altman, RSD Superintendent Paul Vallas, State Senator Ed Murray and Mayor Mitch Landrieu. This day represents the beginning of a new day for Arthur Ashe, and for the city of New Orleans, which will be building 8 new schools in 8 weeks! We will be following Ashe's Bienville campus construction closely, so stay tuned for more exciting developments.

Tulane Football visits Ashe Morning Meeting!

2010-11-22T09:19:00.000-08:00

On November 4, Tulane football players visited Arthur Ashe middle school morning meeting to share their secrets of success. They told the Ashe middle schoolers about the importance of perseverance and avoiding distractions to their goals. Go Green Wave!

Dibert Parent Org hosts Trunk or Treat!

2010-11-04T16:03:00.000-07:00

The Dibert Parent Organization hosted Trunk or Treat Wednesday, October 27, so that Dibert Students could have a safe and friendly place to trick or treat!

Fall Fest at Langston Hughes!

2010-11-04T15:51:00.000-07:00

It was part costume ball, part festival and part student-teacher showdown, but it was all fun! The LHA Fall Festival featured snacks, face painting, giant boxers, a moonwalk, and most important, a chance to pie Mr. Martin and Mr. Sullivan in the face! A great time was had by all.

FirstLine Football Showdown - This Weekend!

2010-11-02T08:46:00.000-07:00

The New Orleans Charter Football League season is almost over, and two FirstLine Schools will be facing off in the championship this weekend! The Ashe Hornets will be meeting the Green Giants in an epic battle of agility, strength and speed. Come out and support your school, or both schools, this weekend at KIPP Renaissance, at the old Douglass campus on St. Claude Avenue between Alvar and Pauline streets.

Coach is prepared to give the Hornets strategies to defeat the Giants!

Ashe Hornets are ready to put in the work, 100%, all the time, every day!

The Green Giants have relied on a deep roster and great communication to lead them to an undefeated season.

Presquile Wines donates $200K + to the Edible Schoolyard!

2010-11-02T08:33:00.000-07:00

Presquile Wines and the Murphy Family Foundation have generously donated $200,000 plus the proceeds from their wine launch events this week to FirstLine's signature program, the Edible Schoolyard. Members of the family foundation and winery staff came to New Orleans this week to donate the money and launch their new line of wines. ESY Director Donna Cavato and FirstLine President Dr. Tony Recasner thanked the donors for their generous support, which will help ESY programming at all four FirstLine sites.

Dibert Student-Teacher Game raises money for new uniforms.

2010-11-01T09:59:00.000-07:00

Dibert 8th graders Emmet and Darryl knew their team needed new uniforms - to keep them from looking "tacky" on the field and court! So they hatched a business plan, built consensus and produced an event! The Dibert teacher student game raised hundreds of dollars to buy both girls and boys teams new basketball uniforms. Way to go, young entrepreneurs! Oh, and even with college basketball star Mr. Dyste on the teacher's team, the students still won! How bout them Dibert Dawgs!!!

Happy Hallo-Green!

2010-11-01T09:54:00.000-07:00

Halloween at Green Charter School is a K-8 affair. Primary grades were treated to a trip to the pumpkin patch, 3rd and 4th graders costumed in the class, and middle schoolers were treated to the first ever student council event, this year's Halloween Sock Hop! It was a day full of treats and no tricks!

Ashe Primary Students of the Week get free trips to the Zoo!

2010-10-22T09:41:00.000-07:00

Representatives from the Urban League today surprised Ashe Primary students of the week with free tickets to the Boo and Zoo at the Audubon Zoo this weekend! When Ms. Atkinson explained that the students of the week were selected by their fulfillment of Charter Way values, the guests asked primary students what the Charter Way was. Primary responded with a rousing rendition of Kelly Regan's famous hit "We will live the Charter Way!"

Holocaust Survivor speaks to Dibert Middle School

2010-10-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 20 --Holocaust survivor Mrs. Levy tells middle schoolers at Dibert about her experiences escaping the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw during the Holocaust. Dibert students showed respect and enthusiasm with a wide array of questions and support.

ESY Update - Green Iron Chef and Cooking Class Slots Available

2010-10-18T16:02:00.000-07:00

The Edible Schoolyard has two programs coming up this week that they would like to invite FirstLine staff to attend - on Wednesday, October 20, the ESY is offering its first community cooking class. THe class will take place in the teaching kitchen at Green Charter School, and for $50 per person guests can learn to cook a seasonal meal, enjoy a glass of wine and receive a recipe packet.

And on Friday, October 22, 7th graders at Green will participate in the 3rd annual 7th grade Iron Chef! This year's episode features Iron Chefs Susan Spicer, Frank Brigtsen and chefs from Commander's Palace, all competing with a group of 7th grade sous chefs for everlasting glory! From 12-2 this Friday at Green, come experience the excitement!

Green gets a new flagpole!

2010-10-18T14:14:00.000-07:00

October 18, 2010 marked the dedication of Green Charter's new flagpole, a donation from the Octavia Foundation. Jay Altman describes the installation of the flagpole as symbolic of Green's "rebirth" as a school with high aspirations for it's students. Green students prepared and hung the flag while Walter Sandifer accompanied with a drumroll, then all attendees said the pledge of allegiance. Lookin' sharp, Green!

Welcome to the FLS blog!

2010-10-17T07:39:00.001-07:00

This blog is created to help keep all FirstLine employees connected to what's happening around the network. I, Darcy McKinnon, am creating and maintaining it, so if you have something to share, please email me at dmckinnon@firstlineschools.org.