Peninsula Bridge

Emotions have been stirring up in anticipation of the upcoming graduation. The Staff has been finalizing the details for next week while students are still engaging in activities outside and inside the classroom. Students have become more aware of the opportunities provided by the Bridge program and have grown thirsty for the sweet taste of change - change that can only be brought on by their own individual efforts and desire to prosper. Much of their desire to change has developed from having the Teacher Assistants as positive role models. 

This week we started the process of making key chains! The kids were given a 10 Dollar loan (fake money) and they purchased an assortment of neon, sparkly, and metallic beads. The purpose of purchasing these beads is to sell them for real money in order to pay back their loans and teach them about saving and profiting. However, more importantly, it serves as a way to teach them about teamwork and how to make business decisions since each team chooses an organization to donate a portion of their proceeds.

There has been considerable build up for Thursday night since it will be the first major event for this program this year. Some of the preparations in the office have included making newsletters to inform the students' parents of the upcoming events, organizing groups to cycle through classrooms, and synchronizing all staff members. Future events include the final assessment test, Field Day, a Mystery Field Trip, and Graduation.

It's hard to believe that three weeks of Peninsula Bridge have already gone by. As a returning TA, I've had a ton of fun reuniting with past students, as well as meeting all of the new students. These three weeks have been a whirlwind of class chants (Stanford vs. Cal), advisory dances, University Day, Back-to-Bridge Night, bridge building with DPR, and Career Day. The event I'd like to focus on for this blog entry is the bridge building with DPR Construction, a tradition that all of the eighth graders participated in on Wednesday and Thursday. Armed with just Popsicle sticks and hot-glue guns, the eighth graders divided into groups and set off on building the best bridges they could. The challenge was to build a bridge that could withstand forty pounds!

This week the girls had fun on field trips and enjoyed other fun activities! We started off the week with our field trip to the Tech Museum. This was a special field trip because it was a joint trip between the Castilleja and Saint Joseph's Bridge sites. It was an absolute blast! At the tech the girls participated in fun engineering activities, explored the museum, and watched Born to be Wild in the IMAX. It was an amazing day and by the time we got home the girls were tired and ready to go home.

The week got more exciting with the DPR engineering bridge building activities. For two days the girls were challenged to construct bridges out of popsicle sticks and glue. After the bridges were built we tested them with water weights to see which bridges were successful and which needed more help. Amazingly the majority of the girls' bridges survived!

We had some strange weather here during this second week. It was completely cloudy on Tuesday and just after snack time some of the TAs and I pushed all the tables inside. Just before lunchtime it started to pour! Of course, the students did not see the rain as hindering their playtime but as something else to play with. For most of the students however, we turned on a movie at lunch and they all gathered around at the rare event.

My favorite lunchtime activity by far is sitting with my family group: talking, laughing, joking and of course eating. It is so wonderful to hear them talk so excitedly about their classes, to see them run up to me with a question, a secret, or just a 'hello.' It was so hard to get them to talk the first few days because they were quiet and needed some time to adjust. Although it is only the second week, they are already bursting with conversation and enthusiasm about their favorite classes.

As I write this blog entry, I'm sitting in the bleachers of the Crystal Springs gym, trying in vain to focus over the deafening roar of the seventh and eighth graders; they're playing a heated game of Bridge Ball (our version of dodgeball), and class spirit is running high. Indeed, this past week has witnessed a remarkable increase in class enthusiasm. They cheer wildly during rock, paper, scissors tournaments. They chant during capture the flag. They even compete during the bizarre game known as twist-turn-twizzle. In short, both the seventh and eighth graders have been brimming with passion and a friendly competitive spirit. The energy is contagious, and as I write this, I'm itching to get into the game to help my class triumph!

It has been said that change is natural, making it the only certainty. That certainly held true for the second week of Bridge at Woodside Priory. The weather surprised us all, as the sunshine that surpassed 90 degrees became rain showers similar to those typical during March. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm of the students flourished as the group's unity expanded and solidified.

After completing their first week, the students showed greater harmony not only among themselves, but also with the teachers and assistants. Their bond is being bolted together by the lessons learned in their classrooms. Mr. Nelson's "lemon drop" exercise serves as an excellent example. In this activity students were given a lemon to carefully examine. They then had to identify their lemon when it was combined with the rest of the students' lemon.  After being tested and succeeding at identifying their respective lemon, they were then instructed to peel it and identify it once more. The lesson was that although lemons appear different on the outside, the insides are fairly similar. The recognition of each other's similarities has been embedded within the minds of the students allowing them be enthused about the time spent together.

The first week at Peninsula Bridge I did not know what to expect. I do not have any younger siblings since I am the youngest in my family. My idea of dealing with younger kids has been shaped by babysitting my 6-year-old nephew and my niece who just turned 1.  All I had left to offer as a student myself was to incorporate that and be able to meet their needs as a TA. This has worked out well and the students have been respectful whenever I need their attention, but also know that I can play with them and have fun. They have grown as individuals in and out of the classroom and have helped me grow as well. For this reason, I've realized that this summer my goal is to have the kids acknowledge that they too can be role models themselves because throughout the week that is the way I see them- as my role models. 

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 called So 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.

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.

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!

It has been a great summer working with the students at the Crystal Springs site for Peninsula Bridge. We have had a lot of fun. The students got to improve their math and language arts skills, while also getting experience fun electives and field trips. One of the most exciting moments this year was going to Raging Waters and Great America with the students last week. The 7th grade students had fun slipping and sliding at Raging Waters, while the 8th grade students were screaming their heads off on the roller coasters at Great America. Both grades enjoyed the field trips, as well as the TAs.

This is the final week of Peninsula Summer Bridge 2010 at Menlo School and it has been filled with activities of all sorts. On Wednesday, we had a 'Celebration of Learning' event, during which parents were invited and there was a slideshow and, most notably, a talent show. A large majority of the students participated and everyone had fun.

Instead of reviewing the activities of the final week of Peninsula Bridge, I am compelled to reflect on the entire last 5 weeks. From the first day of staff training, I was immediately struck by the enthusiasm, motivation, and passion of my fellow TAs. Site Director, Brendan Gummerson, set the bar high from the moment we walked in the room. However, what has truly separated Peninsula Bridge from other programs and summer camps I have worked for in the past are the kids themselves.

I cannot believe that Peninsula Bridge is almost over! We've had such a jam-packed week here at Castilleja that I did not even remember that it was our last week until the TA's began to discuss our family & friends day, which occurs on the final day of the program. Now, on Friday morning, the reality of the end is blunt and sad, yet sprinkled with a sense of accomplishment. I know that the other TA's and I, as well as our wonderful teachers, have given our 31 girls a great summer and a strong foundation for 5th grade!

Peninsula Bridge is one big production and the kids are the entertainers. Every day I come to Peninsula Bridge as an excited audience member encouraging the children to do their best.

In English class, I watch them write and perform their very own skits and help them in the process by making props. They are writing these skits to show their understanding of the reading and to address the problems with bullying and name calling.  Seeing them perform their finished products was amazing. I am their biggest fan, cheering every chance I get.

We have reached the last week of Peninsula Bride at Woodside Priory, and everyone can feel things coming to a close. The kids took their post tests on Thursday, which will be used to show the kids progress over the summer. These tests marked the final academic event of the summer, and the kids seem very proud of it.

We have reached the fourth week of Peninsula Bridge at the Woodside Priory campus, and people are beginning to look towards the end with mingled sadness and pride.  The Construction and Design class finished its course this week with the final project of testing the bridges that the students made. They tied a bucket full of water to the center of the bridge and placed weights in the bucket until it reached maximum weight.  All the bridges that the students constructed passed the test and the students were very proud of their creations.  The class as a whole learned a lot about what goes into the construction of a bridge and how important they really are in our every day life.  A big thank you to DPR construction for their magnificent work.

Bridge ball, bridge ball, bridge ball. There are so many things to say about this wonderful sport. Bridge ball is dodge ball, except it is cranked up to a whole new level. It is more intense, more exhilarating, and just plain old more fun. The rules are the same as dodge ball- hit the person they are out and catch the ball and a teammate can come back into the game- but for some reason playing it at Peninsula Bridge just makes the game so much different.

Monday, July 12, marked the beginning of our 4th week of Peninsula Bridge here at Crystal Springs. The energy is great, and the students are excited for their upcoming field trips and their performances at Celebration. The day began with our weekly Morning Meeting. Jose began the meeting with announcements concerning the week's events and plans for celebration. Our Word of the Day was "Narcissist," which means "one who loves or admires themselves excessively."

It is the end of the fourth week already here at Peninsula Bridge! I cannot believe it is almost done. On Friday, July 16 we had guests from the Marine Institute visit with the 5th graders from St. Joseph's and the 7th graders from Sacred Heart. In the past, we have gone on field trips on boats in the bay with the Marine Institute, but now we have them come to our campus.

The fourth week here at the Castilleja Peninsula Bridge site has been full of excitement and wonder. We started off the week with our field trip to S.L.A.C. (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center). Our site director, Mary H, gave the girls a brief background to S.L.A.C. as well as a short vocabulary lesson on some of the words that the scientists would use there.

Week four of Peninsula Bridge at the St. Matthew's Episcopal Day School site was filled with howls and triumph. The week started off with the 6th grade math class beginning their lesson with a run around the grass outside while howling like wolves. The math teacher Mr. Williamson likes to get the kids pumped up for learning something new by getting oxygen flowing to their brains. Meanwhile, the 5th grade has been working hard on their personal narratives in language arts, and are almost done reading Tuck Everlasting.

Since this is the last week of the program, I decided to ask some Teacher Assistants about their experience so far with the Peninsula Bridge Program.  I asked if they had any lasting realizations from working with the kids one on one, or if they had any special moments with the students.  Each and every TA had something to bring to the table.

This week at Woodside Priory we hosted another tour for the program. This group was the largest tour group the priory program has hosted this summer, and the tour guides handled the crowd admirably. Among the group were several parents of the TA's, including Katrina Wang's family who had flown in only hours before the tour from Beijing, as well as Mike Calbert, the father of this humble blog writer.

Castilleja's Peninsula Bridge site had a very eventful third week! We had a field trip to the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. The students researched Asian culture and art prior to the field trip and were able to excitedly recognize some of the artwork and statues they had researched at the museum.  One of my advisee's, Cortney C., brought me over to a statue and was able to tell me what it exactly was, what it represented, and in what country it is most seen.

My name is Halsey and I am one of the TA's at Crystal's Peninsula Bridge. It has been an exciting few weeks. Last Tuesday, we took the students to Stanford and UC Berkeley for University Day. They spent the day touring the campus and learning the history of the schools, and learning what it is like to be a student at Stanford and Berkeley.

This is my third year working at Peninsula Bridge and every year it just keeps on getting better. This year, I am a TA for the seventh grade English class and the kids are amazing. I was the TA for this group of students two years ago when they were in fifth grade at the St. Joseph's site. It is amazing to see how much these kids have grown and how much progress they have made in their studies. 

While the academics are a critical part of the program, what I enjoy most about Peninsula Bridge are the electives that each of the kids get to choose. It is a way for the kids to unwind after their classes and to try new activities and enrichment programs.

Last Friday, July 2nd we had our first family guided conversation. We wanted to address topics concerning bullying, racism and respect. I was nervous about guiding my family group at first because I feared they would struggle with the conversation, but I was pleasantly surprised when everyone participated and had very reflective, sincere and intelligent answers to group questions.

St. Matthew's Peninsula Bridge program enjoyed some wackiness this week, as we opened up our first day of spirit week with wacky hat/hair Wednesday.  The uplifting spirit of the week shed some light on the role of encouragement between students at St. Matthew's site.  While some students were willing to go all out, there were others who were less adventurous.  As a TA, I noticed the encouragement and support the students offered each other.  I heard one student say, "It's OK-you can do it. Just wear your regular pajamas to show your spirit."  The encouragement and the support the students had for one another was truly inspirational, and the TA's can see the growth that is developing each and every day they are here.

This week at the Woodside Priory Peninsula Bridge Program, our staff hosted its first tour of the campus on Thursday, July 1. Sherri Shaner, the development director, and Grainger Marburg, the Executive Director, welcomed a tour group to the Woodside Priory Campus. Our guests included parents and grandparents of students, long time sponsors of the program, and as a surprise, Paul Trudelle. Mr. Trudelle is a veteran Peninsula Bridge teacher and the father of the current algebra teacher here at the site, Laura Trudelle.

The first Monday morning as a huge yellow bus pulled into the front of the school, I realized I was a little nervous.  But now, a mere five days later, those feelings seem trivial. Neither the TA's nor the teachers can believe that it's only been a week! In this small amount of time, we have made great connections with the students, and the girls have enjoyed their classes and afternoon electives.

The time has just flown by - literally!  In the first week of Peninsula Bridge at St. Matthew's, we celebrated Space Week, in which we made rockets out of recycled 2-liter bottles and hovercrafts out of old bottle caps and CDs.  To add to the intergalactic spirit, all of the T.A.s adopted alien-like personalities, wearing antennae and Princess Lea buns, and 'space-walking' during activities. During the second week, 'Planet Earth Week', some of the kids signed up to work in our garden and plant new vegetables and learned about gardening, agriculture and the environment on our home planet. 

In addition to the academic classes we have for our students, St. Matthew's also has some exciting new afternoon electives. Students can pick from a range of activities, from yoga to game time to music class.

At Crystal Springs' Peninsula Bridge, our week started out with the TAs yelling "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!". 

It was the start of Spirit Week, and the theme was World Cup. Each advisory group of six students chose a country to represent in each of the Spirit Week competitions.  Monday's competition was World Cup football. After a series of elimination games, the 7^th grade advisory of "England" emerged victorious over the 8^th grade's "Mexico", which created lots of excitement.

Early mornings at Peninsula Bridge are filled with so much energy; the sound of running feet, the smell of soccer and rubber balls in the sun, the sight of running kids moving from corner to corner across the quad, and everyone is excited for a new day here. This is only the second Monday of the five during the program, but already things seem to be working smoothly. The teachers and teachers' assistants work well together in the classroom and the students readily play together in one huge game of volleyball. Things are flowing well and we are able to begin to see the small joys that happen everyday. On any given day, you will see teachers and TA's sitting together playing guitar with a circle of students around them, TA's passing a soccer ball with students, and students running alongside new friends on their way to class. 

Every morning when I see the excited, smiling faces of 90 Peninsula Bridge students getting off the bus, I gain a new sense of enthusiasm and energy for the day. My name is Maya C. and this is my second summer being a TA for Peninsula Bridge. The feeling that today's going to be a good day is an ongoing occurrence that I credit to the students. The students are absolutely incredible, from their fun jokes to their academic achievements to their bubbling excitement, Peninsula Bridge students always make my day.

The last week of Peninsula Bridge summer program is, not surprisingly, bittersweet. Everyone is in the "groove" of their routine, comfortable with one another, and excited for the upcoming activities that will cap -- if not define -- our experience here. Indeed the program is ending after what seems like only a short while. But this week gives the teachers and the TAs a huge opportunity to make yet another lasting imprint on these children's minds, hopefully making them want to return year after year.  

The last week of Bridge at the Priory Site simply flew by.  Beginning with exams, and ending with a field trip up to San Francisco, the "Bridge Familia" was never at rest.  The students finished with flying colors.  They showed significant improvement, especially in math, which is an area with which many of them struggled before coming into the program.  Field day was a blast.  The water slide was a favorite, and the students seemed to get a lot of enjoyment out of the various stations we had set up for them including Palm Reading, Can Knocker, Twister, and even a Cake Walk.  Meanwhile, I spent the day prepping the Performing Arts Building for Graduation, which was to happen that evening.

Even as we come into the home stretch of the Bridge program, I find myself still reveling in the many quirks of the kids. Every morning I hear some of the sixth graders playing Marco Polo in the room across the hall and clanks, from the metal puzzles Mr. Gummerson keeps at hand, as some of the other children try their luck at figuring the puzzles out.

As the end of Bridge draws near, there is much to be done here at the Priory site. On a daily basis you will find the teachers, students, and volunteers bustling around in an effort to prepare for the culminating events that take place next week.  In addition to graduation and the surprise field trip on Friday, I'm collaborating with one of our teachers, Sean S, to put together an art show that will take place next week.  This will give students the chance to show off their impressive work in Photography and Art & Leadership.

This week has been loads of fun, but Bridge is passing by too quickly! We TAs have noted we wish time would slow down a little bit!

Thursday we paid a visit to the Asian Art Museum, which was incredible. Kids were fascinated by the stone Buddhas and the intricately decorated dishes in the museum. The majority of the students declared that the Samurai section of the museum was the best part, as well as the exhibit where students could wear Samurai armor or a kimono. One student  offered facetiously  that her favorite part was the glass elevator which looked over a large portion of the museum.

On the brisk summer evening of July 9th, families gathered eagerly in the Father Egon Plaza. You could sense the anticipation and excitement on behalf of the parents as well as their children.  In between helpings of Brie, fruit, and Priory's homemade cookies, parents congregated with the Bridge Familia here at the Priory. Back to Bridge Night '09 was certainly an event to remember.

As we wrap up our third week here at St. Matthew's, I've found that I've established so many friendships here. While it has been both a challenge and a delight to teach and play with the students, I always find it quite rewarding. I suppose the other TAs and I did not quite realize the impact of the students on us--and vice versa. We have shared many laughs and growing moments thus far.

My name is Evelyn and I am in my third summer of TAing at the Sacred Heart Bridge Program. When I arrive first thing in the morning, I'm so sleepy from working my second job the night before that it's almost impossible to stay awake. Once I see a few kids stream their way to the courtyard I wake immediately.

We're already into the third week of Bridge and time has flown by. I've already made memories that will last a lifetime and hopefully friendships, too, judging by the great connections I've formed with my advisory of girls, my fellow T.A.s and the site directors. Every morning, advisories sit together and eat breakfast. We talk about everything from light topics like weekend plans and embarrassing stories to heavier subject matter with topics like bullying, verbal self-defense, and what it means to be a part of a team.  I love how my girls have told me that because of advisory, they can trust me and tell me everything. They have told me that I listen to them with all of my
heart.