The doors have opened and the students are eager. The teachers and
the teacher aides are excited. Welcome to Peninsula Bridge at Crystal Springs! Here at Crystal Springs, students have the experience of
expanding their math and English knowledge as well as exploring other classes
such as science, French, and Card games. Students get the chance to expand
their learning and have fun at the same time in an old but beautiful mansion.
As a teacher's aide for the seventh grade English class, I get to
see what book they are reading. This year they are working on a novel calledSo B. It,by Susan Weeks. The story is about
a young girl named Heidi who lives with her retarded mother and agoraphobic
neighbor, Bernadette. However, Heidi does not know much about her life: her
father, her last name, or even her mother's name. Thus a quest arises for Heidi
to find out more about her past, as well as the history of her mother. This
book demonstrates how even though people have differences; it does not make
them completely different from another person.
This week was the first week of Bridge at Casti
and everyone was so excited! We got to know the girls on a personal level
through the many fun activities we offer. We started off the week by breaking
up into our advisories and getting to know the girls. We divide the girls into
7 groups of 4 or 5, and each TA advises a group for the 5 weeks of Bridge.
We immediately dove into enrichment modules such
as Health and Wellness and Gardening. The hands on activities really let the
girls explore their creativity and allow them to get to know each other even more.
As the week continued, the girls were also able to enjoy other activities such
as Drama, Art, and Science. Creating heart maps in art, learning about plants
and nature in science, and participating in fun games and activities in drama
not only brought the girls closer together, but also the TA's. During break and
game, time the girls enjoyed playing games they had learned in drama- especially
Jell-O and Charades.
Going into Bridge, I
thought I wanted to be involved in the program to help young students along the
path of their educational careers.I started by teaching new strategies in mathematics for the
soon-to-be-fifth-graders nervous about adding and subtracting fractions. It wasn't long before I realized that Bridge
is about so much more than what happens in the classroom. Every kid here looks
up to every one of his or her TAs.Whether we're playing a silly game at 8:00 am to wake us up, discussing
the philosophical weight of a novel, illustrating our own short-story
creations, or running around capturing flags under the hot afternoon sun- they
look at us with open eyes and open hearts.I expected this to some degree--that's what I thought was so
special about the TA position. However, I don't think I could say that I expected
to be looking up to these kids in the same way they look up to us.They participate in every activity with
a genuine excitement that inspires me to stretch to new levels of enthusiasm I
never thought possible.
After one week I
am exhausted. The energy never seems to run out at bridge, especially during
the first week! The fifth graders have been amazing both in and out of the
classroom. This Friday we had our annual fifth grade scavenger hunt where small
groups led by a TA ran all over the campus to take pictures of various objects.
Omar said, "It was the best day ever!" Meanwhile, the seventh graders had the
author of their summer reading books, Gary Soto, come talk to them about their
book. It was an exciting day all around the Sacred Heart site!
This week was an
incredible start to the bridge program and the best in my five years. The kids
are excited to learn and even more excited to play. The first week is always
chaotic but filled with excitement and wonder. I feel like we have already been
together for five weeks but it has only been five days and I already know every
fifth grader's name! This is huge for me because I am horrible at remembering
names!
The Bridge Program
began with an additional challenge since the sun decided to greet the students
with a mighty hello. Temperatures neared triple digits and created an unintentional
test of will, which the students proved to have despite energy depleting
conditions.
The sage and loving
aura created by the staff has led the kids to see through the tough heat and
greet new experiences with open minds. This was the case in the 5th
period elective Team Building &
Retreat. A new student joined the group by the name of Duy. Initially he
dismissed the pleas of the Teacher Assistants to participate. Students, having already
had a chance to warm up to each other, transmitted their confidence to Duy. It
wasn't long before he joined a group and began conversing with his classmates.
