Friday, August 28, 2009
LUNCH DELI BAR TO BEGIN FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL
Thursday, August 27, 2009
UNICEF & United Nations Provide Students with Opportuntiy to Participate in Secretary General High Level Summit on Climate Change
Journey Into Journalism
As our journalism class is made up of students in three grades, the curriculum and reading selections must be differentiated to meet the needs of the students in those grades. Seniors, who have been in the journalism class for a year or more, need new literature that will challenge and engage them, while expanding their knowledge of the field of journalism.
The Elements of Journalism is a classic nonfiction piece about the responsibility reporters have to their audience. In addition, this book will provide insight into all aspects of the journalism profession. Since it is written by journalists, it is a valuable source for our students who are eager to learn and improve as high school reporters and who may be interested in careers in journalism.
Your help will ensure that our senior students continue to be challenged and engaged in this course. As the mentors in the class, this book will help them move closer to becoming effective mentors who practice professional high school reporting.
Any donation that you can afford, as well as your passing this proposal on to others who may be interested in helping enhance our Journalism Program is appreciated. Click here to donate to this worthwhile project: http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=304546&verify=1958088204
Friday, August 21, 2009
NYC Marathon 2009
I have spent a lot of the summer traveling, and training & racing triathlons - in downtown from reading novels & planning technology curriculum of course! I have been getting ready for an October 4th Half-Ironman. Its a 70.3 mile race that covers 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles on a bike, and a 13.1 mile run. Fun, fun, fun! I am doing that race for the I-Will Foundation. I have raised money without the help of my hardworking advisory because of the summer months so I am eager to return to Advisory and hear all the wonderful ideas they will have for their next service learning project - as I am sure my advisory has been thinking and writing down their ideas all summer, right?
I am running the 2009 NYC Marathon for the Boomer Esiason Foundation Team. This is a charity that raises money for Cystic Fibrosis. Like we did for the Wellness Community, I am sure that the Miano Advisory and our school community will do all we can to help a great cause! Since the marathon is the first weekend in November we'll be working hard from the start of the year.
Can't believe it is August already!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Share Your Summer Experiences With the CSIHSIS Community!
I was fortunate to participate in Alan November's Building Learning Communities Conference in Boston this summer. The conference focused on using technology in classes to enage students in active learning and to build student and professional learning communities. Hopefully we will be trying screencasting and digital story telling in addition to having students collaborate through the use of google docs. We are also considering having students develop digital portfolios through the use of blogs. As I participated in the conference, I had the opportunity to practice using some of the tools we hope to incorporate into learning this year. We twittered and tweeted to share our learning, we took notes simultaneously sharing our product using google docs, and had opportunties to experience new ways to engage learners using technology. Tlo read a little about what I learned, and to learn more about why it is imperative to engage students using technology read Alan November's article "Students as Contributors: The Digital Learning Farm" http://novemberlearning.com/resources/archive-of-articles/digital-learning-farm/
Now I am off to Puerto Rico to learn how to relax and to enjoy some time with my family.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Help Us Build a Multi-Media Component for The International Insider
Our newspaper has grown from a 4 page to 16 to 20 page layout with a staff of 50 students from all grades. As we are an international studies school with reporters in schools around the globe, we need to move forward technologically to become a multimedia online newspaper. A multimedia newsroom will allow for differentiation in that students who are technologically savvy will play an integral role in publishing a live online newspaper complete with podcasts and video segments.
In order to move forward technologically, our news room needs the proper software. Creative Suite 4 Design Premium, Student Edition is a program that combines Indesign, Photoshop CS4 Extended, Illustrator CS4, Flash CS4, Dreamweaver CS4, and more. Such a program will allow all students to benefit both in the newsroom, school and international community, as everyone will have access to our newspaper.
Your help will ensure that my students are able to move our school publications, our newspaper and literary magazine to a new level by adding 21st Century technology, while also providing them with additional opportunities to grow in achieving 21st century learning skills as this software will afford them the opportunities to work as news reporters with cutting edge technology.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
College Trip October '09
Seats are still available for the College Trip!!
October 15th - 16th
University of Delaware
University of Maryland
American University
George Washington University
$100 per person includes charter bus, hotel room, and all meals
See Ms. Mammaro in Room 240D on September 8th for a permission slip!!!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Support the CSI McCown Varsity Basketball Team!
Earth Science Practical Today!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
CSI High School Institutes International Journalism Blog
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Help Us Get Started with AP English Language & Composition
Please click on the link:
http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=297082&verify=1637043071&more=true to learn how you can help our students build their writing skills and earn college credit.
Read Ms. Kaplan's proposal!
I teach in a New York City public school. My students are selected for our school based on a lottery, and all classes are heterogeneously mixed. Furthermore, my journalism class is a bridge class of students in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade. Our newspaper, which we publish 6-8 times a year, is international in that our articles have a global focus, students collaborate with students in other countries to write articles together, and we have a network of schools from around the globe with students who report for our newspaper.
In my bridge journalism class, I have students who are interested in sitting for the AP Language and Composition exam in May of 2010. I have the curriculum available for the students, but we do not have funds for the necessary books that are required. My students have scored in the 95th and 96th percentile on the New York State English Regent exam in the last two years; thus, they are quite capable of taking the AP Language and Composition exam, and should be challenged to do so. In order to succeed, they need the necessary textbooks and literature.
Adding the the AP Language and Composition course to the journalism curriculum will provide the challenge many of my high achieving students need and, since much of the AP curriculum will be infused into the class, all the journalism students will benefit from the lessons on critical reading and writing. My hope is that over time, more students will elect to take on the AP component of the journalism course. Further, students taking the AP course will have the benefit of earning college credit while in high school. Finally, the lessons on critical reading and writing will enhance our news reporting and lead to the further improvement of our newspaper.
Your help in acquiring the needed literature for the AP Language and Composition exam will make it possible for my students to succeed in becoming skilled readers and writers as well as help them begin reaching their college goals. Likewise, you will be an integral part of allowing our newspaper to expand, as the literature will provide challenging reading and writing activities.
Click here to help support this project: http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=297082&verify=1637043071&more=true
CSI High School Inaugarates Dragon Dance Team
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
August 2009 Regents Exam Schedule
Wednesday, August 12
12:15 pm
Regents Examination in Global History & Geography
Regents Examination in United States History & Government
Thursday, August 13
8:15 am
Integrated Algebra
Geometry
12:15 pm
Living Environment
Earth Science (Note: Students scheduled for Earth Science must take the Practical Portion of the exam on August 10th at their appointed time).
Please note that these exams are New York State exams and are given only the dates and times listed above. If you miss the exam you will not be able to retake the exam until the next adminstration in January, 2010.
We encourage all students taking exam to participate in the review sessions being offered at our school this week and to study independently using classnotes, Regents Review books, and www.regentsprep.org
Please make sure that on the day of your exam you arrive to school on time, prepared with pens, pencils, and highlighters having had a good night's sleep and eaten a good breakfast.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Photos from Freshmen Summer Academy
Learning about each other!