Seventeen Beaver students and three faculty chaperones recently returned from a French immersion and service trip to Senegal.

Beaver students work with Senegalese children

Students lived with local families in the city of St. Louis. Every morning they worked in kindergarten classes and a talibes (street children) program tutoring up to 40 children in math and French. In addition, they helped with cleanliness and medical issues. The students enjoyed playing soccer with the children and being with them as friends.

In the afternoons the group constructed bedrooms for the children in a daara (Qur’anic school). It total, Beaver students help build three bedrooms.

The Beaver contingent found the Senegalese people to be extremely hospitable and welcoming. The students had cultural adjustments to make such as eating meals on the floor from a communal bowl; shaking hands and exchanging greetings (Salaam Maleekum) with many, many people a day; hearing the sounds of goats and the call to prayer as a background to their work; and giving their western digestive systems a chance to adapt to Senegalese food.

Building a bedroom in Senegal

The students’ reflections below give a good sense of the challenges and joys they encountered.

Standing in front of a class of kids I’d grown to love made me feel so lucky to get the chance to work in a school. This experience was absolutely amazing. I did not expect it to be as mentally and emotionally demanding as it was, but by focusing on my growth as a person, the difficulties didn’t really matter. Chloe

Our group worked closely together and developed a closeness that was a huge benefit to the trip. Max

The trip was an eye opener for me. It was difficult at times, but the trip was well done. Being able to learn to feel comfortable in a totally foreign environment was a great experience. Also, building a shelter for the street kids had a lasting effect. The trip was not easy, but you could immerse yourself in a different culture, and challenge yourself. Sarah

I would recommend this a million times. My host fmily acted as if they were my family- so spectacular. Jonathan

I don’t consider myself a sheltered person, but this was so eye opening. Their lives are so different. Kasjah

I am really, really lucky to be here. Rather than looking at the talibes center as so sad, I focus on doing my little part. Maggie

We should all be proud of ourselves. We really helped; we didn’t just send money. This is an amazing experience that can’t be explained in words. Alexys

These are the most welcoming people I have ever met. I love these people. I’m so grateful to be here with the kids. Taylor

I loved living with a host family, being immersed in Senegalese culture. In 2 weeks time my French improved immensely. I will never forget my stay in Senegal. I thought I knew what the third world was like. This feels like the fourth or fifth world. Nizzy

I learned responsibility, focus, initiative taking. Izzy

I loved learning about another culture and sending time with my host family. Kirsten

See more photos from the students’ trip in our Flickr gallery.

Beaver students in Costa Rica

The group of students and three teachers who have spent the last ten days on an organic farm in Costa Rica are heading home. Here is the final update from the group:

We left the farm this morning and are staying at a hotel not far from the airport. We spent the weekend checking out a basilica, 2 national parks, and a botanical garden. We also explored several small towns and watched a movie (Home) that provided material for a discussion about our work on the farm and what lessons students can take back to Boston with them. We spent the last two days back at work on the farm, and students reluctantly said their goodbyes to the wonderful staff at the farm this morning.

Update: After returning from Costa Rica the group sent us some photos. You can see them in a Flickr photo gallery.

Over 20 Beaver students are spending their first weeks of summer vacation in Costa Rica living and working on an organic farm. In addition to working, students use this experience as an opportunity to immerse themselves in the Spanish language. Teachers Tiffany Marsh, John Schatz, and Elisha Cho are accompanying the group on this annual service trip.

Ms. Marsh sends this update from Finca la Flor, Costa Rica:

Greetings from Finca la Flor!

Everyone continues to work hard and enjoy themselves. The students are encouraged to use their Spanish throughout the time they are working on the farm. Most of the guides we are working with only speak Spanish, thus the students have to find ways to communicate other than using English. The students are on a rotating schedule with regards to the jobs they have everyday. The jobs include working with the animals, helping plant a  new botanical garden, preparing the meals, planting plants and crops, creating signage for the farm area and many other things. In the afternoon and evenings the students have been playing soccer against local teams and other group bonding games. Tonight we are taking Merengue lessons! We assure you that everyone is well and happy!

Ninth grade students in Robin Neal’s English class used video as a way to learn and teach others about grammar.

Working in groups, students were assigned a grammar topic such as mastering the colon, comma rules, and avoiding fragment and run-on sentences. Students worked to become experts on their topics and produce short videos explaining their topic to an audience of their peers.

Mr. Neal wanted students to get creative when producing the videos. Here are a couple of the guidelines he laid out:

• Audience-centered…You are creating these videos for fellow grade 9 students. DON’T BE BORING. You actually need to create something that YOU want to watch.
• “Spicy”…Lay your own special flava’ on this project. Get creative and make videos that are a bit quirky, silly, and, most importantly, original.

The video below uses skateboarding to describe comma splices. You can see all of the videos at the Grammar Video wiki.

Boston’s North End is known for its food — specifically its Italian food. But, as Beaver’s sixth grade class discovered,  the community is much more than that.

Recently the class visited the North End as part of its study of immigration, assimilation, and immersion in American culture. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the North End drew Jewish and later Italian immigrants to its streets. Both groups brought their cultures and cuisine with them, with the Italians remaining in the area to this day.

During their trip, students were assigned to a group that was tasked with researching a certain aspect of Italian life in the North End. Topics ranged from discovering the personal accounts of individuals in the community to investigating the many local eateries and markets.

After a brief tour of some of the key sites in the North End, students spent the next couple of hours on their research. After lunch students visited the ABCD North End/West End Neighborhood Community Center and the Dreams of Freedom Immigration Museum at the Skywalk of the Prudential Center.

Once back at school, students presented their North End findings with an oral presentation, visual display, and a short written paper.

Here is one group’s slide show about the neighborhood and ambiance of the North End: