TEAM Charter Schools

It always seems that traveling to a new place brings more interesting things. You will see the most different things; different in the sense that the places and people are new.

Las personas de Costa Rica son muy diferentes que las personas de los Estados Unidos. Hay tiendas como en los Estados Unidos, como Wendy’s, Burger King, Taco Bell, y Papa John’s. En Costa Rica, los Ticos (personas de Costa Rica) viven en casas mas pequenas de las casas en Nueve Jersey.

My advice for traveling to a new place is to always expect something different. Different isn’t always bad. Everyone is different. No one is alike. But being different is variety, and variety is the rainbow of colors that make up our world.

-Breann Burrell and Adella Pierre, Class of 2014

Dear blog,

Today in Costa Rica I worked really hard. I worked hard to provide the Costa Rican kids with a better school. Most importantly, my classmates were a big help in lots of things such as playing with the students, building a school,and helping each other out when needed. After working our butts off, we all came back to the hotel to take a dive in the pool(which was very refreshing).Everyone had a good time in the pool and it seems to me everyone is enjoying the trip. After the pool everyone went to dinner and afterwords will be coming back to tell about their day.So,that’s about it for tonight but there is alot more from where that came from. Night,Night.

-Crystal Hayes, Class of 2014

When Crystal says she worked “really,” hard, she literally worked really hard. We went to the Puerto Viejo school and are working along with many other schools to help them build a new classroom for their 1st graders! Even the 4th graders pitched in to help, straight in their school uniforms when their school day ended. So Crystal spent the morning mixing concrete; Christopher shoveled dirt into wheelbarrows; Ayanna, Inayah and Aliyaah A. painted signs to put around the school, and still others painted chairs, sanded walls, poured concrete, and dug trenches for water lines. But our hard work definitely paid off, and we made many new friends. All of the students worked to their limits, even though it was unbearably hot and sunny today! We were thankful to be able to pay (some of) our rent for our time on this Earth. I’m truly impressed by the grit our kids showed today, by the energy they sent, and by the compassion they demonstrated in all of their interactions and their willingness to do for others.

-Ms. Whittington, Spanish Teacher

Watch all of the program from TEAM Charter Schools’ fourth annual “Be the Change” celebration. Start with the surprise opening speech by Newark Mayor Cory Booker.

Watch all Be the Change 2010 videos >

On Wednesday, May 26, TEAM Charter Schools will be hosting it’s fourth annual Be the Change Celebration. We hope to see you there.

Click here to learn more >

Please enjoy these resources available for classroom instructors:

Community Building and Character Education
Learn how to proactively build classroom culture by focusing on building a classroom community centered around values.
Useful for:  Kindergarten – 5th grade
Click to download >

Reaching All Learners
Learn how to differentiate your instruction to reach all learners
Useful for: All Grades
Click to download >

Over the past two weeks, TEAM Schools teachers and students have been featured on two national newscasts. The first was ABC’s World News Tonight, which featured Rise Academy teacher Mariel Elguero as one of ABC’s “Persons of the Week.” Ms. Elguero, who teaches fifth grade English Language Arts, is featured in the new book describing Teach For America’s findings on what makes a great teacher (article here).

You can watch the ABC segment, titled “Secrets of America’s Greatest Teachers,” by clicking here.

And this past weekend, the CBS Evening News ran a segment on KIPP, featuring students and parents from TEAM Academy. The segment features one TEAM family and a handful of our students speaking to the commitment that is required in climbing the mountain to and through college.

Share this video by emailing the link:  http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=6276217n&tag=api

Watch this incredible video on ABC World News featuring Ms. Elguero and her students at Rise Academy.

Watch now >

Hello TEAM and Family, here’s the official word on school tomorrow (February 27):

SPARK Saturday school is cancelled
TEAM 8th grade Saturday trip is cancelled
Rise Saturday school is cancelled
NCA Saturday school is cancelled

Enjoy the snow, everyone!

Please enjoy this inspiring video about our schools, just released by Plum TV. This is one of the more comprehensive pieces that’s been done on TEAM Charter Schools. Congratulations to Ms. Nuñez, Mr. Reagans, Mr. Hill, and several hard working students like Avery for some great quotes.

Watch now >

Georgetown Teaches For America
Dane Petersen | January 17, 2010

“Joanna Belcher (C’03) taught fourth grade at O.S. Hubbard Elementary School in Alum Rock, a school district in East San Jose, Calif., during her time with Teach For America.

Her interest in teaching started at Georgetown, when she taught at an elementary school in southeast Washington during her first year. That led to her having the same group of children from second to fifth grade as part of the Heads Up/AmeriCorps program during her four years at the university. Her commitment didn’t waver after final exams.

“During the summers I lived in the neighborhood where my kids lived, which gave me the opportunity to get to know my students’ families,” she says. “… I still think of my students. My frustration and the demeaning and inequitable education they received at a school that stood within view of the Capitol building propelled me to join Teach For America and remains my motive.”

Belcher notes how her professors, including Porterfield, supported her throughout her Georgetown career.”

Read More >