Live Blogging at Boston Celtics Game

What is a cool "duty" night for an LA faculty member?  Riding a school bus into Boston on a frigid cold Wednesday evening with about 150 students to watch a Celtics game. I'm here (Mrs. Poulin) and thought I would try to actually write a post using the iPad Blogger app, while watching the men in green (well actually white since it's a home game) get beaten by the Golden State Warriors. At 2:33 left in the third it's an even 30 point spread- 52 to 82.  The students are still enjoying themselves, some sleeping, others eating, and a few trying to get on the Jumbotron like Tupac (yes, the famous rapper is in the TD Garden tonight- at least his look-alike is). So, spending a night on duty as an LA faculty member does have its perks - in addition to the obvious - that we get to connect with and watch our students connect with each other in a very unique environment - the TD Garden!

Update: By the time I finished this post, had it edited, and figured out how to upload a photo with this app, it is now the fourth period. Celtics are still losing 66 to 91.

The Secret to Healthy Living

Today in Yoga Beyond the Mat, Sarah Brassard came to lead the students in their afternoon yoga exercises. Sarah is the founder of Access Shuniya, which is a company that focuses on happiness and awareness that we can see within ourselves and we can tap into through yoga. This exercise is designed to help people get through traumatic experiences and difficult times in their life. Sarah brought along her friend, Laura, who talked about the difficult times she has been through in her life and how yoga has helped her get through those times.

Throughout the week, the students have learned the basics of yoga and the importance of living healthily and how living healthily can strengthen the body and the mind. In the coming days, these students plan on attending lectures on nutrition and wellness. Next Thursday, they plan on going for a hike and eating an organic meal at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health.

Ciao! Almost Ready to Dig!

Students in the Can You Dig It? Winterim arrived in Rome, Italy today (Wednesday) at noon. They used the beginning of this week to research Italian history and the sites that they will be visiting during their time in Italy. After they arrived in Rome, they started traveling to Tolfa, where they will be staying. Everyday these students will travel to Monte Piantangeli, where they will spend most days excavating sites, learning more about Italian history, and even learning some Italian.

Today, Mr. Greene sent us an update on how the students faired in their international travel and what they will be up to tomorrow and the coming days:

Ciao!

Using planes, trains and automobiles (both buses and Fiats), the "Can You Dig It?" Winterim is officially underway in Italy. The students and faculty leaders survived a gauntlet of Italian public transit obstacles after a long flight to safely arrive at their dormitory in Allumiere, Italy. Our group used this long travel experience as an opportunity to get to know one another (and our guide Susanna), while maintaining a terrific overall attitude towards the interesting ups and downs of international travel. We are looking forward to our first day at the dig site tomorrow and getting our hands dirty as we learn from some expert archaeologists about how we can maintain the wonderful history that Italy has to offer. Attached are pictures of the group enjoying their 2 hour layover in Amsterdam and enjoying their first true Italian pizza in Civitavecchia! 

Stained Glass Enters Another Dimension

 During the first few days of Winterim, students in Stained Glass Creations have cut pieces of colored glass, ground pieces of glass down and fitted pieces together as they have worked on their projects. The Winterim has been led by Randy Gagne, who works with stained glass professionally and who is the owner of The Glass Menagerie.

The students started off today (Wednesday) by working on creating a three-dimensional hummingbird made entirely of stained glass. To make the hummingbirds, students took pieces of glass that they cut during the previous two days and ground them down until they matched the pattern for the bird's wings, tail and body.

While doing this, students had to grind each piece of glass down carefully and accurately so that once the bird's pieces are finally assembled and combined, they will fit snugly against each other.

For more updates on the projects from the Stained Glass Creations Winterim, continue to check the LA Winterim Blog, Twitter and Facebook Page.

Work Flies By for the Mariposa Foundation

On Tuesday the Domincan Service Project group worked hard building stands for the Mariposa Foundation. Today Ms. MacMeekin gave another update about the group's progress on their projects and the work ahead of them:

Yesterday (Tuesday) was a great day of hard work and learning some of the history of the Dominican Republican and Las Mariposas.  We made great progress on our projects but our goal for today is to be even better!  The Mariposa Foundation has a ton of work they are hoping to get done and our group's goal is to check as many things off their list as possible.

This morning began with a beautiful sunrise and another delicious breakfast before we loaded up the bus and headed to the Foundation.  We immediately got to work and everyone is currently immersed in their project.  Todo esta bien!

The Dominican Service Project group will be continuing to help the Mariposa Foundation over the next two weeks. 

From the Earth to the Table

During the first two days of Winterim, students in Clay and Kiln practiced different pottery techniques by making  items such as pinch pots, mugs, boxes and jars. Helping to lead the Clay and Kiln Winterim is potter Shana Brautigam, who teaches at the Rooted in Clay pottery studio.

To the right are pictures of some of the pots and bowls that students created on the first day.

Today (Wednesday), the group traveled to a professional pottery studio in Boston in order to see the techniques of pottery creation that are used by professionals.

Throughout the next two weeks students will work on creating pieces using pottery wheels and will also fire and glaze the pieces that they created previously during the Winterim period.

For more information on the different Clay and Kiln projects, visit the Clay and Kiln Blog, where students will posting daily updates.

1...2...3...Step, Turn, Kick, Step...

It's Dance Fever in the dance studio at Lawrence Academy.

On Monday the group created a group dance which is posted on the LA Winterim YouTube Channel. On Tuesday they tried to copy these favorite music videos:

• YMCA
• Napoleon Dynamite Dance
• Hello Good Morning Remix
• Little Ms. Sunshine Dance

They are also choreographing small group dances for a quick performance on Wednesday (3/5) at 2pm. This performance is to represent what they know before any professional teachers come in to work with them. Their teachers arrive later this week. They will be taught the Capoeira dance, Hip Hop and Break Dancing.

 

Check out the Break It Down Performance #1 LIVE at 2:00 p.m. on YouTube. (Update: The performance was judged by Mrs. Margraf, Mr. David Smith, and Mrs. Poulin.  The current recording is unavailable due to a bad sound recording. Check out two videos of their group dance on the Winterim 2014 YouTube Playlist.)

A Message from Cusco, Peru

   

After landing safely in Lima, Peru on Monday and then traveling to Cusco on Tuesday for even more adventure, Ms. Cronin and Mr. Igoe sent this update on their trip:

We have arrived safe and sound in Peru! Late last night we arrived in Lima and after a few hours of sleep we set off to the airport again for our morning flight to Cusco. We have had an awesome day exploring the Inca ruins at Pisac ruins and we spent time learning the art of bartering (in Spanish!) in the Pisac marketplace. Tomorrow we start working in the elementary school, teaching English to local orphans and foster children, and completing jobs around the school.

As mentioned in the update, today (Wednesday) the group will be heading to an elementary school in Ollantaytambo, in order to help lead lessons, teach English, and participate in other activities. Later into the day, the group will help in taking the elementary students on a field trip to a ceramics gallery. On this field trip, the group will work with a ceramics artist in order to teach the elementary students about Peruvian pottery.

On Thursday and Friday, the group will continue to help at the elementary school and will eventually travel to Machu Picchu in order to hike up Huyana Picchu. The group will be returning to Cusco friday afternoon for dinner before preparing to travel again the following day.

From the Ground Up Is Finally Grounded in the DR

From the Ground Up arrived in the Dominican Republic yesterday after an extensive flight delay. They left for Logan International Airport in Boston at 2am on Tuesday and they were scheduled to arrive in the Dominican Republic around 5pm. However, because of their flight delay, they did not arrive in the Dominican Republic until after midnight. Students in this group are seen in the picture to the right on their way from the airport in the Dominican Republic to where they will be staying near the mountain village they will be helping, El Mango. During their time in the Dominican Republic, students will offer tutoring sessions, English language instruction, and will be "running" recess at the local school. When not working at the school, students will work with the townspeople to help finish the construction of a partially built community center, all with the goal in mind to improve the quality of life in the mountain village. We wish these Lawrence Academy students the best of luck with their endeavors and hopefully they will have better luck with their flight back home!

I Spy With My Little Eye

Quilting is Sew Easy Winterim has already learned how to cut, sew, and assemble a quilt by creating smaller quilts out of varying fabric with images on it. These smaller quilts will be donated to children.  Each quilt will have a homemade "I Spy Book" attached to it.

See if you can "I Spy" a dog house, butterfly, turtle, sneaker, umbrella, bumble bee, dinosaur, dog bone, dalmatian dog, and paint brush in these quilts.

     

After these "practice" quilts, which were made with exceptional quality, the students get to shop for their own fabric to create their own personal work of art. We look forward to seeing their final quilts.