Blended Poetry Based on One Survivor Remembers

Junior students in Ms. Emerson's advisory created blended poems by responding to several excerpts on imagination from the film One Survivor Remembers and from Gerda Weissman Kleins's memoir All But My Life. Gerda Weissmann Klein is a Holocaust survivor who has dedicated her life to fighting the problem of hunger. Klein "shows every day of her life that not even the worst of tragedy can beat the best of the human spirit."

To create their blended poems students highlighted passages from the excerpts that spoke to them. The poems consist of one line by Gerda Weissman Klein, then one line by the student, back and forth. It was incredibly moving to hear the students and their teacher share their poems so I posted a few here to share with our entire community.

Growing Up

by Devan LaBarbera and Gerda Weissman Klein

I remember it was fort of the most incredible thing that reality

of being at grandma's with the whole family for sauce.

It became very important and this is how you passes the hours and forgot the hunger.

Father and mother daughter dances brought me close to them.

I started looking through a photo album

and remembered the surprise trip to Disney.

Comfortingly the past was unwinding before me; my wonderful childhood

the times I'd play video games with by brother and my boy cousins,

remembering the past using these fragments to weave dreams for the future.

I plan to graduate college and become successful.

I lay down on my bed and looked up at the blue ceiling,

these thoughts were a wonderful escape from the present.

In My Life

by Clarisse Concepcion and Gerda Weissman Klein

Weave dreams for the future.

Live a successful life.

Across pictures that have been taken during the summer,

travel to places I've dreamed of.

No present existed.

Be accepted into the college of my choice.

The reality which I had always taken for granted.

Spending time with friends during winter break

now became a distant memory.

Attending my cousin's wedding and eating Belgian waffles with whipped cream and fruit.

You could occupy your mind and hang your thoughts on trivia of that nature;

That is how you pass the hours.

I dreamed of the future

by Raven Fakoya and Gerda Weissman Klein

I dreamed of the future

to become a sports agent.

Playing with the fragments of my dreams

being able to donate fifty thousand dollars a year to a charity.

Using these fragments to weave dreams of the future

of going to Harvard Law

But full of lovely memories from which to draw strength

Like the day I was no longer an only child

I remember it was sort of the most incredible thing that the reality which I had always taken for granted now became the most remote family,

like the very first time I went to Nigeria.

But full of lovely memories from which to draw strength

I dream of the future.

Memories from the Past, Dreams of the Future

by Breanna Pizzolo and Gerda Weissman Klein

I remember it was sort of the most incredible thing

going skiing with my family.

These thoughts were a wonderful escape from the present,

thinking about going on vacations; crusises and Disney.

Idly, I started looking through a photograph album,

seeing the photographs from Italy and Costa Rica,

playing with the fragments of my dreams;

I dream to become successful in life and in my career.

At night I dreamed of the future.

And for the future, I deramed of becoming a speech pathologist.

Using the fragments to weave dreams for the future,

I hope it is as successful and as happy as my past.

Before and After

by Meghan Emerson and Gerda Weissman Klein

I pretended just for a little bit

to live a long, happy, and healthy life with them.

The most remote fantasy,

When Allen proposed marriage in the sky

The past was unwinding before me

All the wonderful birthday parties my mom planned for me.

But full of lovely memories from which to draw strength

like playing board games with my family six months before my mom died.

I spun dreams of our reunion at home

om my wedding day.

It was a wonderful escape

to occupy my mind.

November CSI High School Happenings!

Two senior students, Aleksandra Makowska and Simit Christian, win full scholarship to participate in Students on Ice expedition to the Antarctic! They will begin their trip in Argentina, where they will board the boat to the Antarctic. We can't wait for them to be able to share their learning with the rest of our community!!!

In preparation for a service learning project in which students in Ms. Surowiec's sophomore advisory will work to educate others about a group of children in Buenos Aires, Argentina so that they can raise money to help them, students had a Skype interview and conversation with leaders of the organization in Buenos Aires.

Students in our International Journalism program recently participated in the JEA Convention held in Washington, DC. At the convention students met and interviewed Bob Woodward, had breakfast with a professional journalist, and visited the Newseum. They also learned new strategies to raise funds for our paper as well as how to improve layout. They recently shared these strategies with their fellow journalists at a press conference.

Thanks to our Principal for a Day, Matt Signore, the Chief Financial Officer of Warner Music Group, we have a newly established partnership with WMG. As part of this partnership, Matt spent a day at our school in October. He spoke with students in Economics, Journalism, Global Technology, and our College Now Communications classes about the entertainment industry and the music business as well as with a group of student representatives to learn how WMG could help our school. As a result of this conversation, twenty-five students will visit WMG to participate in a career seminar and lunch with WMG executives.

Student members of Impact Broadway will shortly be seeing their second in a series of shows. The group of about forty students has already seen In the Heights and will be seeing Memphis and participating in a post-show workshop with actors from the play.

Sophomore students in Ms. Kerwin's Living Environment class are taking a trip to Central Park to meet and work with an environmentalist.

A host of representatives from colleges throughout the country have been visiting our school to speak with interested seniors. Additionally, Ms. Pastena hosted a College Information Night for junior and senior parents and their students. The college search and application process were discussed, a financial aid expert explained the FAFSA form and how to fill out, and an expert on college admissions testing explained the differences between SATs and ACTs as well as SAT subject tests, how to prepare for these tests, when it is advisable to take them, and more.

World renowned Singaporean international lawyer and environmentalist Simon Tay will hold a press conference with CSI High School for International Studies journalism students as well as a round table with interested faculty and students.

Juniors in Ms. Mangiero's United States History and Advanced Placement US Hisotry worked with Fullbright Scholars from Global Classrooms to understand diverse perspectives on human rights issues in South Africa and during the revolution in Egypt.

Our November PTA Meeting featured a presentation by our SPARK counselor, Hattie Slaughter along with a speaker on high school students and sexuality, how to talk to your children about sex, how to help them to protect themselves, and the rampant spread of sexually transmitted diseases on Staten Island.

Congratulations!!! You Go To An "A" School!!!

On its first report card released by the Department of Education earlier this week, College of Staten Island High School for International Studies earned a grade of "A". In fact, thanks to the hard work of our faculty and staff, the strong home-school connection we have established, and the hard work, creativity, and persistence of our students, we earned one of the top "A" grades in the city. This is something for all members of our community to celebrate and to continue to strive for. We are hopeful that the "A" grade will become a longstanding CSI High School tradition!

In explaining how the "A" grade was earned, Ms. Horowitz told The Staten Island Advance,

"The teachers in this building are really concerned about the kids and make every effort to have good relationships with kids and their parents to make sure they are doing well, and, when they're not, they intervene quickly," she said. "We also engage kids in reflecting on their own learning and what they've learned about themselves as a learner and setting goals."

To read the article in its enirety:

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1258462811324920.xml&coll=1

To read the follow up article:

http://www.silive.com/news/advance/index.ssf?/base/news/1258722909283600.xml&coll=1

Faculty, staff, students, and parents are very proud of this wonderful accomplishment and are already working hard towards earning another "A" for the 2009-2010 school year.

Kaplan & Miano World Literature Goes Socratic!

D Block World Literature class participated in a Socratic Seminar based on their reading of The Story of A Shipwrecked Sailor, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, A Socratic Seminar is a class discussion that is generated by student created analysis questions. The discussion is led by students with the teachers serving as a mere facilitator. Check out our video!

OPEN SCHOOL WEEK! VISIT YOUR CHILD'S CLASSES! SHARE IN THEIR LEARNING!

JOIN US IN CELEBRATING OPEN SCHOOL WEEK

NOVEMBER 16, 2009 - NOVEMBER 20, 2009

We invite parents/guardians to join us in celebrating open school week. This is the time to reinforce the family-school relationship that facilitates the dynamic partnership that is necessary to ensure the educational success of each student. You will have the opportunity to obtain a realistic picture of your child’s school day while experiencing the day to day activities that occur here at CSI High School for International Studies. You will have the unique opportunity of sharing in your child's learning and learning about the content and skills s/he is learning while here at school. We look forward to welcoming you and having you participate in our school according to the schedule below.

To help with the number of visitors on any given day we are assigning each grade two days to choose from during the week of November 16, 2009-November 20, 2009.

Monday, November 16 – 10th and 11th grade visitors
Tuesday, November 17 – 9th and 12th grade visitors
Wednesday, November 18 – 10th grade visitors
Thursday, November 19 – 9th and 11th grade visitors
Friday, November 20 – 11th and12th grade visitors

Please come prepared with your child's program card filled out along with the room numbers to ensure that your visit goes smoothly. Your child can help you with this. Please try to arrive for the beginning of a class so that you are not interrupting instruction. We welcome you to spend all or part of the day at school in your child's classes.

Please also have a picture ID available upon entering the school building.

CSIHSIS Student Testimony at the Secretary General's High Summit on Climate Change

Excellency,

You might have heard about global warming, melting ice and polar bears reaching extinction. However, climate change is so much more! It is about the floods that wreck homes and lives, the droughts that force farmers to abandon their heritage, the rising sea levels that make entire nations UNINHABITABLE. From personal experiences I can assure you that climate change impacts families. Mine in India has become a victim to malaria, lack of agricultural resources, and usable water.

WHO WILL BE NEXT?

MY RELATIVES? FRIENDS? PEOPLE IN YOUR NATION?

IS WANTING WATER TO DRINK, FOOD FOR SURVIVAL AND A HEALTHY LIFE TOO MUCH TO ASK?

Think about the youths around the world and your own children.
Do not consider taking action against Climate Change a sacrifice. Think of the cultures and creatures you will PRESERVE, the jobs you will CREATE, the innovations you will PROMOTE and most importantly the lives and planet you will SECURE, all by enforcing policies that reduce our footprint on the environment.
You have gathered here to talk, and you will again in Copenhagen, but WHAT HAPPENS AFTER?

Do you intend to wait for calamity or battle climate change?

Contact me and let me know of your actions to PRESERVE THE EARTH and THE PEOPLE ON IT.

Simit Christian - 17 - India

You Can Help the UN Solve Global Problems!

Did you know that everyday the United Nations works to solve global challenges?

The United Nations:

1. Provides food to 108 million people in 74 countries

2. Vaccinates over 40% of the world's children, saving 2 million lives a year

3. Assists over 34 million refugees and others fleeing war, famine, or persecution

4. Fights climate change and leads a campaign to plant 1 billion trees a year

5. Keeps the peace with 116,000 peacekeepers in 17 operations on 4 continents

6. Fights poverty and helped 300 million rural poor achieve better lives in the last 30 years

7. Monitors, promotes, protects and develops human rights worldwide

8. Mobilizes $7 billion in humanitarian aid to help people affected by emergencies

9. Leads international efforts in clearing landmines in over 30 countries

10. Promotes universal primary education reaching 88% enrolment coverage in developing

countries

To learn more, check out http://www.un.org/ and http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm

To help, during the upcoming week, participate in our Trick or Treat for UNICEF by donating your spare change. Simply place it in the box in your advisory, in the main office, or in one of your classrooms.