St. Paul City School (City Cool!) students met on April 18th to start planning for the summer, and with sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s, it felt like summer wasn't that far off! The rising 8th graders reviewed Breakthrough codes and brainstormed areas where they could use these codes during the summer, as well as how they could teach the codes to the new 7th graders. They also practiced the Breakthrough cheer, reviewed the summer schedule, and participated in activities that got them thinking about what it means to be a leader. City Cool 8th graders are excited for summer, and can't wait to meet their new 7th grader friends!
0 Comments
St. Paul City Cool kids spent the morning and part of the afternoon on February 21st competing in the Academic Olympics! Students rotated through a set of four stations that were designed to assess their ability to relish hard work together, persist, and stay positive. After the stations, everyone came together to compete in a final activity: College Jeopardy! It was wonderful to see everyone supporting each other and having a good time. On Saturday, January 24th, Breakthrough had its first-ever high school career fair. Held in the Library of Mounds Park Academy, twenty-four professionals representing eleven career fields gathered to share their knowledge with approximately 106 students in 9th, 11th, and 12th grade. The fair was set-up in a booth-style arrangement, with students able to move freely from table to table to converse with professionals. Many started out in groups of two or three and then branched out separately after gaining confidence. At times the Library seemed to hum with energy, bubbling with noise and excitement from both professionals and students. While the students came in prepared with sample questions, they came up with different, often more nuance questions of their own. One student was overheard to say “Ask them what an unusual day is like for them, too, that way you know that typical days are like, as well as what sort of unexpected things happen.” Some took judicious notes in their packets, while others preferred to listen only. Either way, it was clear that the students had gained something valuable when one ninth grader remarked “I wish we had had more time!” after her grade’s 45-minute session. When asked what their favorite part of the career fair was, all of the professionals answered, in one form or another, talking to the students, citing their energy, thoughtful questions, and curiosity. Thank you to all the professionals who volunteered their time and to the high school students who participated in this amazing event. We couldn’t have done it without you! The St. Paul City School "City Cool" students met on January 17th for the first Saturday Session back since Winter Break. Students spent the day working on various activities that helped prepare them for completing the Doodle4Google Scholarship. This years Doodle4Google theme is "If I could make the world a better place, I would invent..." Students came up with ideas ranging from companies that make free clothing for low-income families to a robot best friend to Breakthrough sites worldwide. City Cool kids rounded out the day with a 100% participation game of dodgeball which left many staff members sweaty and out of breath. This past Saturday, Breakthrough's City School/City Cool group spent the day learning about different aspects of healthy living, from the importance of sleep, to how to handle stress, to the difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise. Students completed a passport of all the knowledge they gained at each station, which will serve as a resource for them outside of Breakthrough. Students also brainstormed ideas for a scholarship called Letters about Literature. It was fantastic to hear all the ideas floating around and have students leave with the beginnings of a fabulous letter. (Reminder that you can send your letters to Elena for proofreading before Winter Break! [email protected]) Kudos to all the students who attended the Saturday Session for your energy and enthusiasm! It was wonderful to see your faces again and remember why we all do Breakthrough!! Giant, St.-Paul-City-School-sized kudos to the fabulous students who attended today's first ever Study Day! We had a great time doing homework, dancing to Bastille, and talking about life - we even found some time to watch the Breakthrough summer slideshow.
Hope to see more of you at the next Study Day! Fun videos from Breakthrough Summer 2014 St. Paul City School: Mounds Park Academy: Welcome to your Breakthrough Blog! This section of the website will be used for news, communication, and highlighting Breakthrough achievements.
|