a few service reflections

The following are some service reflections students wrote. They wrote cards, painted pots for the nursing home, visited food banks and other activities that helped the community.

Donovon:
It felt good cause I am helping the community. Why wouldn't it feel good because you are helping? When I was volunteering, I was doing touch ups on the mural. Also we were doing Veterans Day cards. We are sending the cards to the veterans in the hospital that are hurt right now. So that is cool you know it feels good to do all that good stuff, even when the things seem small at first.

Isaac:
Well I have to adimit that I thought that this was boring and just another assginment.But apperantly I was wrong. It was actually more than that. The thought alone was prettty much a powerful message. But to know the way how I helped my community, that was reward enough. Who knows maybe later on I will volunteer on my own outside of school.

helping at the food bank

Students on Saturday, September 20th, students in Social Voice volunteered at the West Side Food Bank.

To imagine my mom hugging me as shiver with hunger. To imagine us begging for food on the side of the street. It's a terror screaming nightmare. Yet everyday around the world it's happening. I give my best wishes and hopes to those who are going through such a vast rough patch. I couldn't put myself in their shoes.

When Mr.Spencer announced that we were going to be doing community service at the St. Marys Food Bank, I couldn't wait to join. Two of my teachers and a couple of my peers and myself, got to the Food Bank bright and early at 8:00am to start work immediately. Once there, one lady gave us a brief history about St.Marys Food Bank then put us right to work. We started off Packing 'Bonus Boxes' where there had to be two things of bread, one pastry, and veggies. Things were going slow with that, but some of my peers were working hard in the chilling freezer where they had to unpack dairy, meat, and ice cream then pack them into boxes in limited time. Then in the last 2 hours or so, work picked up and I was moving.

It felt incredibly warm to know that I was working hard for those who are less fortunate then me. Not only did we work hard and do something good, we also had a great time. That's the best part. This experience was one of a lifetime and I would gladly do it again.

-Antonese

It Takes a Village

There is great symbolism in this. The path represents the pathway of education that lasts for a lifetime. In the distant is the city skyline of Phoenix, a reminder that the whole community has contributed to our education. Each of the boxes will include pictures of people who help contribute to a child's education.

The following pictures are from when it was still a work in progress. It took us a little over one quarter to finish it.

In addition to the mural, we had specific projects connected to the "It Takes a Village" concept. These included:
-A thank you barbecue where IMPACT students served the support staff at Borman
-A thank you blog where students shared their educational goals and mentioned how people helped contribute to their education
-Thank you letters written by students and given to people who have helped make their education possible

Paper Border Project

This project is still a work in progress. It's not really a mural, so much as a three-dimensional art project. On the front side (here) we still need to add detail work to the statue of liberty and to the scenes on the left and right. The statue of liberty represents immigration and the scene on the left is Ellis Island. The scene on the right is the dessert and represents immigration now. On the back, we have created a mock border and we'll have one hand print to represent each person who has died crossing the border in the last year.

We chose to create the border entirely out of paper (with starch to create paper machet and with a little duct tape to make it work.) We chose this, becuase it is often the legal barrier (the papers) that creates the biggest barrier for immigrants. By far this is the most controversial of all the visual arts projects we have created. It's still a work in progress and we're still trying to figure out how to improve the structural aspects of it.

flower power

One of the most popular projects we did included community service and creativity. Students painted flower pots for residents in an assisted living nursing home. Each student added a creative element to make every pot one of a kind. The residents seemed excited about their new gifts as well! Next year, we will be giving these to a different nursing home, where can have students interview residents for our Living History podcasts.

service hours

We ended up having over 2,000 service hours! One of the projects (which was led by the Social Awareness Club) was baking good and creating baskets for Mother's Day at a domestic violence shelter. Here are a few pictures of IMPACT students who participated:

What We Accomplished

This was just one of the many projects we have accomplished.

The following is a letter from a student explaining some of the ways the IMPACT Program has made a difference:

March 27, 2008

Dear Arizona Republic:

I'm a student at Frank Borman Middle School here in Phoenix. This school has a really bad reputation. People think we are all gangsters and taggers who terrorize the neighborhood. They see that we are poor and they think we are ghetto.

The reality is that we are actually doing a lot of projects that are helping local, national and international charities. We have what we call the Impact Program. This program teaches students many valuable skills and lessons. This program also teaches you the value of community service and how good it feels to help others. It teaches you valuable technology skills and it enables us to use our creativity to do things we never thought possible.

We have done some pretty amazing projects.I will give you a total recap on our greatest projects that helped many people or helped make some wonderful memories. We have done many projects and fundraisers that help charities all over the world and locally. We have held dances, sold candy, worked with Rollero and organized a car wash all to raise money for Life Straws in Africa. These straws can help people in Africa so that they don't have to walk so far to get clean water they can drink water through the straw and it purifies it. These straws will help save lives. So far we have raised over $1,000! We as students volunteered at the food bank after we had donated 800 cans of food. We went to the Andre House. We painted over the graffiti in our neighborhood for two straight weekends. So far, the students in our team have volunteered over 1,500 hours. Many of our projects include the Social Awareness Club and they have done over 500 hours.

It's more than just community service, though. I'm really proud of the murals that we have painted in our school. We're already on our second mural this year. It is a thank you mural to all the people who have helped make our education happen. We are also doing a memorial art project for all the people who have died crossing the border. I'm one of the many students who give up our lunch time and our before and after school time to do the book clubs, tutoring, leadership classes, newscast and other projects that we have worked on. We have designed websites, created documentaries, recorded podcasts and so many things that you don't expect a bunch of junior high kids to do.

So the reason I am writing this is that I think that the teachers and students have done some amazing things. You should check out our website at thesocialvoice.com/impact or even just check out our online magazine at thesocialvoice.com. And if you think that what we have done is cool, you should do a story about us. I want the community to see that there are many students who care and who want to change things in our city and in our world.

Sincerely:

Andromeda Student

Service Reflections

Post Service Reflections Here

List of Projects - 4th Quarter

SERVICE LEARNING
School-wide recycling program
Food Drive - FINISHED - over 800 cans of food!
Life Straws - We have raised over $1,000 so far!
Andre House - FINISHED
Grafitti Busting -FINISHED
Project Social Voice
Flower Power
The “Thank You” Project
Community Garage Sale
Weekend Projects – Every Saturday
Crochet Blankets – Daily
Individual Community Service Hours - OVER 1,500 HOURS SO FAR!
Advocacy - Letters to Politicians - 200 DONE SO FAR!

MULTIMEDIA / TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS
Modern History Museum
Podcasts
Social Voice Newscast
Social Voice Website and Blog
Maintaining the Borman website
Technology-Integrated Social Studies
Face the Issues – video and podcast
Face the Issues - Election Guide Website – FINISHED
Voices of the Border Blog
My Life Website and Portfolio – FINISHED
Video: Our Social Voice
Documentary #1 - September 11th (Untitled)
Documentary #2 - In Coke We Trust
Short Film – Untitled
Short Film - Borders

ACADEMIC PROJECTS
Anonymous Voice – a new issue twice a month
Book Club - reading Night
Social Voice articles
After-School Peer Math Tutoring
Student Leadership Team - plans the events

CREATIVE PROJECTS
Mural #1 - Astronaut - FINISHED
Mural #2 - It Takes a Village
Photography / Photodocumentaries
Paper Border Project

EVENTS
Thank you event - a breakfast for classified staff
End of the Year
Andromeda Team Night
Garage Sale
Career Day
Movie Nights

Weekly Schedule - 4th Quarter

Monday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Photography Team
After: Painting the Mural

Tuesday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Book Club
After: Painting the Mural

Wednesday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Flower Power
After: Painting the Mural

Thursday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Book Club

Friday
Before: Paper Border
During: Soldier Boxes, media projects (podcasts, social voice online, documentaries)
Lunch: Leadership Team
After: Painting the Mural

Saturday
Service Project each weekend
Ideas Include:
Second car wash
Garage Sale
Taping the “Borders” movie
Campus Beautification
Visiting the VA hospital

Quarterly Update

Wow! We have done some amazing this so far!

We painted over graffiti. We visited the Andre House. We have begun the mural and it is adding beauty to our school. We'll be posting pictures of it really soon. One feature we will add to this blog is a weekly update written by one of the students. Great job students!

By The Numbers

• Service Hours: over 1,500 hours
• Cans of Food: 800
• Articles Written: over 200
• Letters Writte to Congressmen: over 200
• Money Raised for Life Straws: over $1,000

Service Hour Totals

We have now surpassed the year-long goal of
1,000 community service hours!

Keep up the great work! We are living up to our name of IMPACT.

List of Events and Activities

SERVICE LEARNING
School-wide recycling program
Campus Beautification / Garden
Life Straws - We have raised over $1,000 so far!
Care Packages to Soldiers
Graffiti Busting - March 1 - sponsored by Social Awareness Club
Andre House - FINISHED
Community Garage Sale
Weekend Projects – Every Saturday
Crochet Blankets - Daily
Individual Community Service Hours - OVER 1,500 HOURS SO FAR!
Advocacy - Letters to Politicians - 100 DONE SO FAR!

MULTIMEDIA / TECHNOLOGY PROJECTS
Modern History Museum
Podcasts
Social Voice Newscast
Social Voice Website and Blog
Maintaining the Borman website
Technology-Integrated Social Studies
Face the Issues – video and podcast
Face the Issues - Election Guide Website
Voices of the Border Blog
My Life Website and Portfolio - FINISHED
Documentary #1 - September 11th (Untitled)
Documentary #2 - In Coke We Trust
Short Film - Untitled
Short Film - Borders

ACADEMIC PROJECTS
Writing a Book - Project Social Voice
Anonymous Voice – a new issue twice a month
Book Club - reading Night
Social Voice articles
In-School Tutoring
After-School Peer Tutoring
Student Leadership Team

CREATIVE PROJECTS
Mural #2 - It Takes a Village
Photography / Photodocumentaries
Paper Border Project

EVENTS
Community Yard Sale
Movie Night - TBA
Family Night: Rollero Fundraiser Night - March 6
Field Trip #1 - State Capital
Field Trip #2 - Castles and Coasters

Weekly Schedule - Third Quarter

MONDAY

Before School
Crochet Blankets
Fundraising
During School
Soldier Boxes (every class)
Documentary
Play
Social Voice Website - video, podcast, articles
Writing a Book
Lunch
Open Computer Lab
Photography and Visual Arts
After School
Math Tutoring
Mural

TUESDAY

Before School
Crochet Blankets
Fundraising
During School
Soldier Boxes (every class)
Documentary
Play
Social Voice Website - video, podcast, articles
Writing a Book
Tutoring (6th Hour)
Lunch
Open Computer Lab
Book Club
After School
Math Tutoring
Mural

WEDNESDAY

Before School
Crochet Blankets
Fundraising
During School
Soldier Boxes (every class)
Tutoring (6th Hour)
Documentary
Play
Social Voice Website - video, podcast, articles
Writing a Book
Lunch
Open Computer Lab
Social Voice Newscast
After School
Math Tutoring
Mural

THURSDAY

Before School
Crochet Blankets
Fundraising
During School
Soldier Boxes (every class)
Tutoring (6th Hour)
Documentary
Play
Social Voice Website - video, podcast, articles
Writing a Book
Lunch
Open Computer Lab
Book Club

FRIDAY

Before School
Crochet Blankets
Fundraising
During School
Documentary
Play
Social Voice Website - video, podcast, articles
Writing a Book
Soldier Boxes (every class)
Recycling Program (all day pick-ups)
Lunch
Open Computer Lab
Student Leadership Team
After School
Math Tutoring
Mural

SATURDAY

Service Projects
Taking the Recycling

IMPACT Update

In the IMPACT program, we set high standards and stretch students to accomplish things that had never seemed possible. Students who have never participated in community service log in ten to twenty hours. Others who have a difficult time reading or writing begin creating articles for our Social Voice online magazine and participating in a challenging book club. Students who never considered themselves artists learn how to paint murals while those who have never used technology create blogs, wikis, concept maps, websites and presentations.

In the next two months, we will stretch you beyond what you first thought possible. All students will accomplish more community service, create a documentary, continue designing a website and have many opportunities to participate in meaningful experiences. Those who take up the greater challenge will write a book, join a book club, learn photography, create a play, design a newscast and several other activities.

If I have learned anything as a teacher it is that students can accomplish amazing things if they are given the opportunity and the necessary guidance. Some of our greatest ideas came from students with an idea of how they would make an impact in their community. If you are not involved in many of the activities, I challenge you to try something out that is difficult for you. As a result, you will grow as a person.

a quote

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.
-Percicles

making Borman greener

Many people are concerned about the environment. For some, the biggest issues are related to global warming, while for others, it has more to do with air quality, destruction of preserved lands and endangered species.

Businesses are realizing that, often times, they can save money by being more environmentally friendly. If that's true of businesses, it should be true of our school as well. So, that is why I pose the following questions:

What can Borman do to be more environmentally friendly?
What would a "green" school include in its design?
How would we pay for all the improvements?

ideas

IMPACT was developed by the brainstorm of students answering the questions:

• What would make education more meaningful for you?
• What would make school a better experience?
• How could we make a difference in our community and in our world?

For that reason, we encourage ideas from students regarding future IMPACT projects. Here is a place where you can brainstorm any idea. It might seem insane at first, but we could make it happen.

Make Borman More Beautiful

Next Quarter, we will work on a project to make Borman more beautiful. Don't get worried. We're not talking about improving the looks of the students or teachers. We're referring to the school itself. We'll definately work on creating a garden. We'll also be painting murals.

Besides that, what should we do to make Borman more beautiful? Be respectful, honest and realistic in your response.

Turkey Dance

On Tuesday, we will partner with the Social Awareness Club for a dance to raise money for charities. Whatever we vote for today will be our designated global charity. I need people to volunteer to sell candy and soda at the dance. If you would like to do that, simply e-mail me.

What other fundraisers should we do?

Borman Website

Students in the IMPACT program have begun the process of creating a new Borman website. Throughout the month of December, students will work on designing the student web page (which is currently blank). We need some volunteers to create the layout, coordinate on the design and begin creating the Borman website.

If you would like to participate in this, please respond to this blog or e-mail Mr. Spencer.

The current Borman website is can be found at http://www.cartwright.k12.az.us/borman/index.html

What should the student page have? What else should the webpage have?

food bank

The IMPACT program partnered with the Social Awareness Club in a trip to the St. Mary's Food Bank on Saturday. Currently, the two groups are working on many projects together. These include a Turkey Dance this upcoming Tuesday as well as an Astro Mural that we just finished. We'll be posting pictures of the mural within the next few days.

Together the two groups have donated over 1,500 items of food and have had roughly 30 volunteers particpate in our service learning trips. Great work everybody!

If you volunteered, please write a short reflection about your experience. What was it like? How did it feel before and after? Who were you able to help? Would you recommend this activity again?

Quarterly Update

It is not uncommon for adults to rant and rave about the current generation of youth. "They're so selfish," one complains. "It's such a me-focussed generation," experts suggest.

True, the current generation might enjoy portable music on mp3 players and posting pictures on myspace. Yet, this is also a generation that wants to serve, that cares about the issues in society and that wants to make a difference.

This last quarter of IMPACT was one where students really took ownership to make sure IMPACT lived up to its bold name. You can read the "Current Projects" or "Calendar" to realize that there is something happening every day, before school, during school and after school. Often, there are even weekend events.

We can quote data to suggest that things are happening: nearly 1,000 cans of food, over 500 service hours, 100 articles written, etc. We can show websites and murals to try and prove it. We can view our documentaries or listen to our podcasts.

However, ultimately, it is not in websites or cans or anything like that where we make the biggest impact. The truth is that none of that matters if lives are not changed through the learning that occurs. I am encouraged when I read the service learning reflections.

The truth is that the biggest impact we can make is often with those who are closest to us. It's in the smaller things, such as when students choose not to fight or stand up for what they believe. It's in an attitude that says, "I will do what is right, regardless of whether I get anything in return."

The students have worked hard and we, as the teachers, are really proud. Thank you for what you are teaching us in the process.

Social Voice News

Social Voice News is a five-minute newscast designed to inform students about the world in which they live.

Goals:
1. Seven newscasts created, edited and posted to the internet by the end of the second quarter
2. At some point during the quarter, have a high enough quality that we can launch SV News school-wide

Mural #1

We are currently painting a mural for the gymnasium. The subject is the Borman Astronaut.

Goal:
Finish the entire mural by December 1, 2007

Crochet Blankets

We will crochet blankets and give them away to charity. What if you don't know how to crochet? Don't worry, we will have people who will teach you. What if you can't bring any yarn? Again, don't worry, because we will supply the yarn.

Goal:
10 blankets by January

Letters to Soldiers

For the last quarter, we have been writing letters to soldiers. These letters go to soldiers in Iraq and in the Veteran's Hospital.

Goal:
500 total
250 - Iraq
250 - VA hospital

Fundraisers

During the second quarter, we will be raising money for a global charity. The charity will be researched by the seventh grade class and voted by the Leadership Team.

Goal: $1,000 total

Service Hours

On our team, we log in community service hours. Currently, we have just under 500 hours as a team.

Our goal for second quarter is to have a combined total of 1,000 hours (combining first and second quarter).

Upcoming IMPACT Activities

The following is a list of projects students for the second quarter:

Service Projects

• Food Drive - partnership with the Social Awareness Club
• Fundraisers - selling hot chocolate
• Recycling Program
• Community Garage Sale
• Service Hours - goal of reaching 1,000 hours
• Food Bank Service Trips
• Letters to soldiers
• Crochet blankets for the children's hospital
• Turkey Dance - partnership with the Social Awareness Club

Creative Projects

• Mural #1 - Borman Astro Mural
• Mural #2 - We will begin sketching and painting it

Media Projects

• Social Voice News
• Borman Website - Sports Report, Clubs Report
• IMPACT website and blog
• Social Voice website and blog
• Civil Rights Documentary
• Face the Issues Podcast
• My Life website
• PERHAPS - a return of Moco Loco

Academic Projects

• Student Leadership - Fridays
• Book Club - Tuesdays and Thursdays
• Social Voice Book
• History Day
• Social Voice Articles
• School Newspaper - one per month
• Online portfolio

Activities & Events

• Field Trip #1
• Field Trip #2
• Family Night -at Rollero this time!
• After-School Movie - Newsies
• After-School Movie - Walk-out