VOCAB TEST TWO
ameri-life is full of rules and slogans to help you remember those rules...
throw a punch, home by lunch: nccc has a no-tolerance policy for violence.
if you think you're hot, you're not: federal regulation mandates that anyone who fails their random drug testing will be immediately dismissed from the program, no exceptions.
green on gray is not okay: team leaders wear green uniforms. corps members wear gray. fraternizing is a serious no-no. you get the picture.
WHEN I FIRST MET YOU...
an adolescent girl at the boys and girls club informed me the other day: "when i first met you, i thought you were a grandpa!"
INSIDE THE NCCC
nccc = national civilian community corps = an americorps program that accounts for 1% of participants = 10-month, residential, team-based national service program for 18-24 year olds = what i've been up to for the past 6 weeks
nccc consists of:
a) training;
b) 4 "rounds" of projects;
c) "transition weeks", graduation, independent service hours, etc.
each "round" runs 6-9 weeks, and involves working full time with a single sponsor. each round has a transition week in between for service learning activities, transportation from project to project, and repacking for new climate. in addition to the 1700 hours each corps member must complete to graduate from nccc, we are each responsible for arranging 80 "independent service hours", that is service hours not organized by the program directors. most of these are completed on weeknights and weekends, and involve at least one team of corps members. i just completed training and transition week, and started my round 1 project.
it is local (havre de grace, md) working with a title 1 elementary school and at the adjacent boys and girls club. i just finished my second day and already my head is full of names, faces, quotes, personal goals, and ideas for improvement within the project. there are only 40 people (4 teams) staying at perry point for the first round so it is a bit of an adjustment from the previous 300. i am living with my team (boys in one house, girls in another, team leader chris all by his lonesome) and so far...great!
THE LATEST IN LUNCHROOM NEWS
today lacey and i had lunch duty from 11:45am - 1:30pm. technically, it consisted of making sure students did not get too rowdy, and providing utensils, napkins, and conflict resolution for students who were already seated. in reality it meant an excellent opportunity to get in the know on havre de grace elementary social life.
- jeremy in the 3rd grade totally has a crush on the teacher who was wearing royal blue today.
- chris' "girlfriend" is actually jeremy's baby sister, and she only "comes up to here" on him
- the entire 5th grade CANNOT WAIT to start middle school so they can have their own lockers
- several girls were swooning over an ameriboy who worked at the school last fall despite the fact that he said "10-second rule" before eating food off the cafeteria floor
- the "silent seat" is punishment for students who talk more than they eat and is a super "awkward" place to sit
- victoria started wearing a training bra this year
- diamond and katarina have everything in common EXCEPT that diamond is way better at gymnastics
- katie is singing "it's the start of something new" from high school musical for the talent show later this month
- 1/3 of the student body spotted me at the boys and girls club last night
MORE PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE
courtesy of felicia, at the chocolate festival a few weeks ago.
wolf 5, in the "a", outside our amerivan. left to right - last row: geoff, felicia, danny, lacey, danielle; front row: stacyee, yours truly, jess; front and center: lance.
running the cookie tower contest at the kids' table
considering how to begin my own work of art after an intense verbal sparring match (e.g. trash talking) during which i might have asserted to a few adolescents that i could build "the best tower ever!"
crazy things happen in the "a". for example, doing the macarena in front of a few thousand people (see exhibit "a" above).
1 comment:
You are so cute. I miss you.
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