BUZZWORTHY aldwin-Whitehall
BALDWIN-WHITEHALL SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
BALDWIN HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES REFUGEE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT
Since 2011, Baldwin High School has been the proud recipient of a career education program for refugee and immigrant students. The program, Refugee Youth Employment( RYE), was created by the Career Development Center and the Consortium for Public Education.
Fifth grade students at Whitehall Elementary participated in The Great Kindness Challenge, along with many other students around the nation. Students watched an introductory video that explained the challenge to complete random acts of kindness for the week of January 23 – 27th. Students were then given a check sheet of suggested acts of kindness and were asked to highlight the ones completed, as well as list the acts of kindness they created.
Then, students wrote papers to share their experiences. Through discussion, the students decided that the people that benefitted most from these random acts of kindness were themselves. One student
Hera Nepal, BHS junior, sums the program up in one word:“ helpful.” The program is designed for juniors and seniors and meets two days after school in the library. The students learn about colleges, career interests, resume building, and understanding the processes involved.
“ The program gives you lots of confidence,” explains Alisha Pokwal, BHS junior. Alisha and others have learned the process of applying for financial aid, how to save money, and interviewing skills.
WHITEHALL ELEMENTARY’ S GREAT KINDNESS CHALLENGE
84 Brentwood-Baldwin-Whitehall commented,“ I never really paid attention to how good it feels to do something for someone else!”
Second graders in 133 created a Kindness Quilt with short, positive messages of ways that other students at Whitehall could spread kindness. Students were also challenged to work together as a class to complete 100 Acts of Kindness before the 100th Day of School! Students had to be recognized by a peer or family member for completing their act of kindness. Simple things like helping pick up dropped materials or setting the table at home really helped to make others feel good!
In Room 132, second-grade children also watched a video on the Great Kindness Challenge. After getting inspired by the video, they chose several ways that they could be kind from the check sheet. The kids wrote little kindness notes to each other and placed them on their desks or in their lockers. They also created posters highlighting ways to be kind. They especially enjoyed the little things like saying
These skills are paired with increasing exposure to native English speakers via field trips to Carnegie Mellon University and Google. Yamila Torres, twelfth grade, has been in the program for two years. She said she appreciates the people and how much they have helped her increase her English skills.
The program also offers a summer job. If the students complete the program during the school year, they have the opportunity to work for one month at local companies and organizations where they can put their new skills to the test.
The Guidance Department has been working for the past two years on curriculum focused on the academic, social, and career transition from one school to the next level, including college, work, and the development of skills. The Guidance Department shares a large role in this development and supports programs that offer hands-on skill learning.
RYE supports BWSD’ s Guidance Department’ s vision of making every student career-ready.
hi to their bus drivers, using their manners, complimenting each other, smiling at others, and making little gifts. By the end of the week they really understood that it doesn’ t take much to make someone else’ s day just a little bit brighter.