Each One, Teach One: Mentorship at Sankofa

UC Berkeley sophomore Anna Fretz and Sankofa Academy 4th-grader Imani’s high-five echoes in the school’s otherwise quiet second-floor hallway. It’s the sound of success: The duo has worked together weekly since September as part of Berkeley’s Sage Mentorship Project, and Imani just posted a Math score in the 95th percentile. “I’m so proud of you!” Anna tells Imani.

“Anna helps me improve in both English and Math,” Imani says. “What was that problem you helped me with? Oh, I was working on denominators and numerators – we had to make the denominators equal. Anna helped me with that and then I got it.”

“I love doing this,” Anna says. “It’s a really direct form of support, and I get to see how much Imani improves.”

Beyond academic milestones, the Sage Project has built lasting bonds among the college mentors and their 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-grade mentees. “We’ve developed such a close connection that it’s become a genuine friendship,” says Anna. Imani agrees, describing their rapport as “natural. Anna’s nice and we have a good understanding of each other.”

4th-grader Le Asia, who’s been paired with Berkeley’s Andrew Spencley since September 2009, notes the unique dynamic this one-on-one mentoring creates. “Andrew helps me by explaining things in a different type of way. If you’re behind in class, the mentors help you catch up.”

“The coolest thing is seeing the progression,” Andrew reflects. “I’ve worked with her in 3rd grade and now in 4th, and you see the huge impact a couple hours a week can make. I feel like it’s the highlight of both of our weeks!”

“I don’t see Sage as something that’s just beneficial for our kids,” says 5th-grade teacher China Byon. “It’s mutually beneficial for mentor and mentee, and I’ve noticed that the best pairings occur when they both understand that. They’re here forming new bonds, and it’s about making connections and being part of the larger community.”

“I want to go to Cal…”

For Sankofa’s kids, connecting with Berkeley students makes college a relatable, tangible goal. While several mentees’ siblings are in college, “weekly contact with a college student may not be something they have,” says Byon.

“It gives them the idea that they can go to college,” explains sophomore Vachel Samuels, Jr., who mentors 5th-grader Premier. “If we come back and give back, they see they can be successful, that they can have the opportunities that I do.”

Premier has clearly taken the experience to heart. “I want to go to college, I want to go to Cal,” he says.

Berkeley senior Cina wants to take the college connection even further. “You should come on a tour of Cal with me,” he tells 5th-grader Jailynn.

It’s all about the connection,” says Cina. “Whatever she’s doing, I help her with. Sometimes we talk about stuff outside of school. I’ll give her my two cents on whatever’s going on, even if she doesn’t want to hear it…” Jailynn starts to laugh, sensing where this running joke is going. “Like what I think about Justin Bieber!”

“Some people don’t have mentors or people to help them out in life,” reflects Jailynn. “I think having a mentor is a privilege, so you have to think and learn and put a lot into it.”

“I never had anything like this when I was in elementary school,” says Berkeley senior Montoya Mayo, who mentors 5th-grader Amya. “It’s just a great experience, getting to build a new relationship. We talk about any and everything. I know Amya’s favorite food is mac and cheese and ribs, and she really likes Silly Bandz.”

Amya is grateful for the academic boost as well. She recently made the semifinals of Oakland Unified’s Spelling Bee Championship, where she was proud to represent her school. “I felt like everybody wanted me to win, for Sankofa.”

“Montoya gives me extra help in all of [my schoolwork]. One on one, you get more attention than [during regular class time],” she explains. “Montoya says she got a scholarship to Cal. That makes me want to have a scholarship, too. I’m thinking about going to Harvard, Yale, Georgetown, or Stanford!”

Listening to Amya, it seems a safe bet that the mentorship experience will have a lasting impact. Not only has it put a picture of college clearly in her mind, but she also hopes to be a mentor one day herself, “so I can meet new people and help younger kids with their work, like Montoya does with me.”

The Sage Mentorship program is creating lasting relationships between Sankofa scholars and college students, but another organization, Experience Corps, is extending inter-generational connections even further. Our next Sankofa Reflections will chronicle this partnership, which is building bridges across generations. (Experience Corps’ volunteers are all 55 years of age and older.)

Support Bridges Academy at Melrose

Before a recent Oakland Unified School District Board Meeting where Bridges staff hoped to speak out on looming budget cuts, 4th-grade teacher Pat Kaplan waited outside the school to offer rides to Bridges families. When no one showed up, she headed off to the meeting, unsure about what kind of turnout there would be.

But as she approached the steps of the district office, she discovered dozens of Bridges community members were already there, many with signs protesting the cuts. By the time the meeting began, more than 100 Bridges students, families, and staff had turned out to represent the school. During the public comment period, several (including students) spoke out on the impact cuts would have. "It was very powerful for us to feel that support and know our kids can be that articulate," says Kaplan.

"It was really emotional," recalls 4th-grade teacher Stephanie Pool. "It showed that people really care and that this is really important to our community."

Nothing left to cut

Why, specifically, is the budget situation so important? The dollar amount itself is startling: Bridges Academy's budget will be cut by more than $200,000 next year. But more disturbing are the very tangible resources at stake. At risk are several positions, including virtually every member of Bridges' essential support staff: library teacher, interventionist, physical education teacher, counselor, psychologist, and even daytime teachers.

This is especially painful, says 4th-grade teacher Soo Hyun Han, given Bridges' encouraging achievement gains: Our Academic Performance Index (API) score rose 37 points to 767, a milestone highlighted in the media this fall. "How," Han asks, "can we continue making this progress when these cuts are going to completely disrupt our school next year?"

"A lot of people might not understand why support staff is so necessary," says 4th-grade teacher Stephanie Pool. "Our intervention specialists are so important for kids who are struggling with reading, and our [outreach coordinator] does things [like frequent home visits] that are impossible for daytime teachers to do."

The repercussions ripple across the entire campus. To name just a few of the consequences: Fewer teachers mean larger class sizes and possibly split-grade classes. Cuts to after-school programs mean losing partners like Playworks, which runs Bridges' sports teams and overall physical fitness program. Experiential learning may very well take a hit too, as staff figures out which, if any, formative field trips (like Camp Arroyo) the school can afford next year.

Bleak as the outlook seems, the Bridges community's response has been a testament to the school's proactive spirit and unity. "Everyone has been talking about how we're all in this together," says Kaplan. On the March 15 Day of Action, they proved that again – this time by taking a bus all the way to Sacramento. (See our Day of Action banner, left.) Close to 20 parents made the trip, along with half of the school's teaching staff. "Parents were very proud to carry the banner and make a lot of noise," she says. "It was very positive."

"We then followed that up with a rally at Oakland High School," says 4th-grade teacher Rosa Kurshan, "to let even more people in our community know what is happening."

Students also took up the cause, writing four-page letters to the School Board. In one, 5th-grader Sabrina laid out the ramifications of losing the school librarian. "In library we don't just read, we get to learn how to use the Internet in preparation for middle school. We also get to explore new books. If we didn't have a library, we would go to middle school unprepared. We need our library!"

You can help! Contributions of any amount will help us continue offering our young scholars and artists the resources they deserve. Below are just a few of the ways your donation can have an impact.

• $50 helps us pay for art supplies – paints, pastels, paper, and more – that our future Picassos need for their projects
• $100 sends one student on the ever-popular three-day outdoor education trip to Camp Arroyo in Livermore.
• $250 funds one class's bus to Camp Arroyo.
• $500 supports our Playworks after-school fitness and wellness program

You can donate online here
or by check to "OSF/Bridges," PO Box 20238, Oakland, CA 94620.

Thank you for your support!

Environmental Awareness Expands as Composting Comes to Campus

A year ago we reported on Bridges Academy students’ newfound respect for the “Four Rs” upon returning from their three-day outdoor education trip at Camp Arroyo. Hearing reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot all rolling off the kids’ tongues, Bridges staff resolved to build on that environmental enthusiasm in 2010-11.

“This year,” says 4th-grade teacher Soo Hyun Han, “we really wanted a post-trip project that was more far-reaching than projects in the past, one that would definitely affect everyone on campus.”

Conveniently, there was already movement in that direction, from Bridges’ garden program. “Our after-school coordinator Alia, who is in charge of the garden, already wanted to start a composting project here,” says 4th-grade teacher Pat Kaplan. “So it worked out that we were wanting the same thing.”

“One of the great things has been seeing the older kids learn about it and then train the younger kids,” reflects Kaplan, who says student leaders made up the posters pictured here, and went from classroom to classroom presenting the composting process. “They’ve shown a lot of leadership.”

In the cafeteria, the impact is on compelling display. As students finish their lunches, they approach the middle of the room where three receptacles await their garbage, compost, and recycling. With an assist from Bridges Custodian Mr. Robinson and Cafeteria Supervisor Ms. Cross, two students monitor the compost station, helping kids sort their items.

“I’m happy we’re protecting the environment because if we don’t, the landfills get bigger,” explains 4th-grader Yajaira. Her fellow compost crew leader Janelly elaborates, explaining how landfills produce methane, a major culprit in polluting our air.

“They’re known as the experts now,” says Han. “They’re in the cafeteria every day, taking turns monitoring.” The composting bug has caught on school-wide, with all school staff in the mix, plus support from partners at Waste Management and stopwaste.org (which also sponsored the school’s Camp Arroyo scholarships this year). “It’s really been a team effort,” says Kaplan.

4th-grade teachers Stephanie Pool and Rosa Kurshan have seen the spirit extend into their classrooms. “They like to police me a lot,” says Kurshan. “I call them my eco-police, always looking around and asking, ‘Where’s the compost?’”

“They’re very aware in class,” concurs Pool, “saying, ‘Oh, could we compost this?’ It’s something they’re really trying to think about.”

If you would like to support Bridges Academy, you can donate online here (picking “Bridges Academy” in the pull-down) or by check: “OSF/Bridges,” P.O. Box 27148, Oakland, CA 94602. Thank you!

"You Could Make a Masterpiece"

Of Starry Nights, Mona Lisa's Eyes, and the Next Picasso

"Whenever you look at that painting," says Bridges Academy 5th-grader Sabrina, "it seems like her eyes are moving and always watching out."

Sabrina and her classmates Cristian, Joan, and Gemma are deep into a discussion of Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. Channeling the 16th-century masterpiece, Gemma strikes the subject's enigmatic, enduring gaze. "That's why it's famous!" says Cristian. They all nod.

"I've actually seen her move her eyes," offers Joan.

Bridges Academy's 5th-grade artists Gemma, Joan, Cristian, and Sabrina
with their portrait projects

"Well, it seems like they move because you see her looking at you," muses Gemma, momentarily breaking her Mona Lisa pose. "But that's the thing: It's all in your imagination. [The painting] really gets in your mind."

Art is clearly in the minds of Bridges students, both their own and that of legends like da Vinci, Van Gogh, and Andy Warhol. "We drew a picture that this famous guy Van Gogh painted," says Joan. "Starry Night. It's awesome. Beautiful."

"The wind," says Gemma. "He looked out his window and he painted it, that swirly wind."

Sabrina's rendering of Van Gogh's Starry Night

(Note: You can click on the images to see larger versions.)

"It's cool with all the stars," says Sabrina. "We did hatching with pastels [to recreate Van Gogh's technique]. Making art is important because you can show your feelings and express yourself. If it's your own art, then you're not copying anyone and they're going to think it's cool that you created something all by yourself, just out of your own thoughts."

"Art gives students an outlet for expressing themselves and a chance to be creative in a way they might not normally have during the school day," says the kids' teacher, Jessica Jung.

"It's fun times when you're doing art," says Gemma. "You feel excited about how it's going to turn out, and then when it's done you're proud of it."

"Some kids learn better through art or music, or social studies or science, and these all work together to create a full education," Jung says. In that spirit, she and fellow Bridges teachers connect art to standards in math, English, and other areas whenever they can. When her class studied Van Gogh's Starry Night, she tied it to an astronomy lesson, and building dioramas became an opportunity to explore history as the kids constructed scenes of different colonial regions. "It's all a way to process information in different and more entertaining ways," she explains. "They're not just writing and answering questions, but showing a real understanding by creating this scene."

"Art is important," says Cristian, "because some kids can draw their feelings on a piece of paper, and if they're happy they could draw the world, and their neighborhood, and houses, and they can inspire people."

"Art is a way of exploring the world," reflects Sabrina.

Joan agrees. "If some people see your picture of New York, they might like and want to go to New York."

"It might also make them want to do something creative like us," adds Gemma.

"Art gives students a chance to succeed in their own way," says Jung. "Particularly kids with behavior issues or who aren't as successful academically, other students can say, 'Wow, this student did a really beautiful job.' It's an opportunity for every student to feel successful in one way or another in class, and we see different parts of their character come out when they're doing certain projects."

"When I draw," explains Joan, "I think in my mind that one day I will become an artist. It's so cool. I might create the beautiful sea, a picture of New York, or my face in a self-portrait."

"Like a Picasso," adds Sabrina. "But instead of it being a Picasso, it will be a Joan."

With art, you could do anything you want," says Cristian. "You could make a masterpiece."

A Taste of Spring: Garden Club and Farmers Market Build Health and Wellness Efforts at MCS

A welcome appearance during a rain-soaked month of March, the sun found a rare opening in the clouds on a recent Wednesday, spotlighting a scene of green unfolding on the Manzanita Community School (MCS) campus.

Garden Coordinator Louisa Hartigan and 1st-graders
studying in the garden

Out on the yard, the school garden's plants and flowers were lush after the rains, and nearby the Farmers Market – a weekly fixture every Wednesday – was loaded with fruits and vegetables and drawing a crowd.

(Note: You can click on the photos to see larger versions.)

In the MCS garden, AmeriCorps volunteer and Manzanita Garden Coordinator Louisa Hartigan was teaching 1st-graders in our "outdoor classroom." The class intently drew the garden's plants and flowers and observed the insects hovering around them while discussing pollination, seed dispersal, and other science concepts. (While this lesson featured art and science, the outdoor classroom also integrates math and English whenever possible.)

The hands-on, interactive garden learning "really challenges them to think in a way they're not always used to," says Hartigan. "It's exciting for them to learn about nature and the world around them."

Garden Club 1st-graders studying the parts of a flower

Mariah, a student in Christina Wells' 4th-grade class, has clearly absorbed the science concepts at work in the garden: "We get to learn about plants and fruits. I liked seeing the holes in the lemon leaf that the gases come in and out of -- the carbon dioxide and the oxygen."

The kids are also putting their green thumbs to practical use, in the kitchen. They recently assembled a salad of several lettuce varieties, herbs, spring onions, and edible flowers (nasturtium and calendula) – all straight from the garden. "Salad is not always a food that kids embrace," notes Hartigan, "but because they had grown the food themselves and prepared it together, they were excited about eating it."

Hartigan also introduced them to kale, a vegetable most kids were skeptical about until adding it to cheese quesadillas, a perennial favorite. "Adding an unfamiliar vegetable to a familiar and well-loved food helped de-mystify the kale," she says.

A Greener Garden!

As Hartigan puts, we have seen the garden "pull the school community together and build a sense of pride around the school grounds." In that spirit, we hosted a Comcast Cares Day on Saturday, April 30. Comcast provided breakfast and lunch and t-shirts for all volunteers. Thanks to all who made it out for this community-building event!

"What I like about the garden is that you can plant what you like to eat or see and you can cook what you like for dinner," says Juan, also in Wells' 4th-grade class.


Exposure to new foods from the garden has also led students to be more adventurous in sampling items from the salad bar at lunch. Overall, says Hartigan, the garden has been a springboard for the school's health and wellness initiatives. "By making things more familiar, we're helping them explore what makes up a healthy diet."

Support Manzanita Community School!
State cuts have put many of our wellness programs at risk, including the ever-popular Playworks fitness program (covered in our Fall 2009 newsletter). You can help! You can donate online here (be sure to choose "Manzanita Community School" in the Pick Your School pull-down) or by check to: "OSF/MCS," PO Box 20238, Oakland, CA 94620.

Students line up for fresh produce at the Farmers Market

Over at the Farmers Market, volunteer Haydee Jimenez was busy fielding orders from parents, students, and MCS neighbors. Now in its second year, the mostly-organic Market has become a regular stop for those seeking healthy, reasonably priced produce. "We have a lot of people from the outside community come in," says Jimenez. "They drive by on their way to the grocery store, and end up shopping here because we're organic and the prices are lower. We now have loyal customers who even place their orders ahead of time."

Ultimately, though, it's MCS students who benefit most from this weekly presence of produce. The school has officially become a "no-chip" campus, and Jimenez says the Market is indicative of a school-wide dedication to health and wellness, bolstered by the Garden Club and our Playworks program that promotes positive recess activity among students.

"We hear them say, 'Oh, we're eating organic, this is better than regular fruit!'" Jimenez says. "Many of them never ate organics until the Farmers Market came along. We're doing it to show kids there are healthy choices they can make."

Jimenez, who has two children attending MCS, shops for her own family at the Market. "My kids love it. They really look forward to Wednesdays."

Parents and community members shop at the Farmers Market