Week 29: Re-energizing

Interested students crowd around the Youth Police Officer at lunch

This week was full of:  Inviting a local Youth Police Officer to visit lunch and recruit kids for their programs, playing trash can ball with the juniors, the first CY Ambassadors meeting with selected juniors (run by Ms. Serrano), our Candyland-themed VIP lunch for improved freshmen, a couple fights at school, our first orientation meeting as the future Senior Corps members next year, having Jana visit our school one day, and a much needed team dynamic discussion.

Quotes of the Week: "If I were a teacher, I'd take control.  Just say what I mean and mean what I say."  - J, a junior, on how to be an effective teacher.

"See, I can't walk in his hood, and he can't walk in my hood, because if they know you're not from around there, you're in trouble."  - V, a junior, with his best friend L
"Ms. Lewis, did you hear about the shooting last night?  Someone was killed right there... and we were just talking about that yesterday with you..."

"Let me tell you, these black people, if something starts, they're gonna get it done.  It's not a good way, but that's how it is."  - J, a junior, in class

"As a black male back then, I was told I was a failure.  And I believed it.  Do you know how much that can mess a person up?  I was labeled and put in special education.  I had teachers who told me I could never fly a plane.  Guess what's in my pocket right now - my pilot's license." - A sub at our school

"You're asking if I want to become a cop?" (boys crack up at the absurd thought) "See, you don't stay where I stay, Ms. Lewis, so you don't understand."  "There's a cop who lives on my street, and he gets in a lot of trouble with the people on our street just for being a cop."  

"Ms. Lewis, what happens when I go to get a job and I have 3 offenses on my record?"  - J, a junior

"Every day, that's my diet, a spoonful of hatred. You see? And it's just a question of when is this going to erupt. And upon whom is it going to erupt? Am I gonna attack myself? Am I gonna attack my brother?" - From the movie Crips and Bloods: Made in America (highly recommend!!)  

"Why do you want to serve?  You've all changed and grown since the last time I asked you that same question on September 1st, right in this room."   - Jewan, at our Senior Corps orientation

Ls:  Open communication with team members.  Always.

Joys:  Hugging a junior and seeing him light up when he returned from a couple weeks of recovery after a bad car crash.