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Intercultural Leadership Initiative
2008-2009
Freshmen/Sophomore Activity Period # 15
5/13/09 9:46-10:04
LUHS
2008-2009
Freshmen/Sophomore Activity Period # 15
5/13/09 9:46-10:04
LUHS
ILI Students: (F) 4, (S) 12, (Jr.) 1
ILI Staff: Craig Kerr, Alice McFarlane, and Ernie St. Germaine
To begin we welcomed the students and thanked them for coming to ILI because they have a choice to be there. Craig then told them that this would be one of the last ILI activity periods for the year and asked them to choose what they would like to do with their time. The students did a great job of deciding what they would like to do and we narrowed it down to just two activities. The process happened very quickly and they worked well together to choose without any bickering.
We began the activities and the students affect lifted. One student in particular had come in to the activity period in an awful frame of mind. As the student engaged in the activities, their affect progressed to one of joy. In this short amount of time we were able to turn a student’s day around by engaging them with their peers in an active and meaningful way. I know that this student was not the only one impacted, but decided to highlight their experience.
A recently released book called Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey gives a clear picture of the benefits of exercise and it positive impact on students in the classroom. We have always felt that the active activities we do help the students be able to focus better in the classroom after our sessions and now it has been proven through the above research.
Next meeting is the All ILI session on May 27th.
2008-2009
Freshmen/Sophomore Activity Period #14
4/22/09 9:46-10:04
LUHS
ILI Students: (F) 7, (S) 15
ILI Staff: Craig Kerr, Alice McFarlane, and Matt White
The students came in with a lot of energy. Craig welcomed them and began the activities right away. They enjoyed moving around and using strategy to achieve their goal. There was a lot of laughter and smiles as well as they tried avoiding being caught and stuck. During one of the activities we did, there were three people standing next to each other wanting to be a pair. One of them left the group of three to be a partner with another student from a different background who did not have a partner. It may seem like a small event, but that is what we are trying to do through ILI. We are trying to get people to reach out to others that they do not normally interact with and begin interaction. These students are doing what we would like to happen on a community level. We are thankful for them and the leadership they are giving to us.
2008-2009
Freshman/Sophomore Activity Period #13
4/8/09 9:46-10:04
LUHS
ILI Students: (F) 7, (S) 17, (Jr.) 2
ILI Staff: Craig Kerr, Alice McFarlane, Matt White, and Ernie St. Germaine
We had a great group of students today who were showing the early signs of “Spring Fever.” We gathered them in a circle and began our activities with an activity that helps everyone to recall everyone else’s name. As we were finishing it was apparent that the students were ready for some movement, so we moved onto an activity with partners and a lot of moving around. The students enjoyed the activity and were interacting very well. The strategy that they used in this activity was fun to see unfold. There was a lot of trail and error on the part of the partners as they figured out their strategy and how to work together. Finally, we switched to an activity that allows the students the opportunity to release some energy in a positive way. The students enjoyed the opportunity to run and try to get away from their taggers. All the students left breathing hard and with smiles on their faces.
Next meeting April 22.
2008-2009
Freshman/Sophomore Activity Period #12
3/25/09 9:46-10:04
LUHS
ILI Students: (F) 10, (S) 8 (Jr.) 2
ILI Staff: Craig Kerr
Craig welcomed the students to ILI today and thanked them for coming. Due to the crazy spring-not-spring weather we decided it would be a good day to “play.” The students were all for the idea and we split up into teams by having every other person step into the circle and we had two teams. We played a version of kickball called “mat ball.” It is played the same way as kick ball except you can have more than one person on a base at one time and you do not have to stop at home. You can continue running to first. The students enjoyed the activity and we realize the importance of play as part of our lives. Research suggests that play at every stage of life is important. Before we knew it, time was up and we had to go.
Intercultural Leadership Initiative
2008-2009
Freshman/Sophomore Activity Period # 10
2/25/09 9:46-10:04
LUHS
2008-2009
Freshman/Sophomore Activity Period # 10
2/25/09 9:46-10:04
LUHS
ILI Students: (F) 8, (S) 10
ILI Staff: Craig Kerr, Alice McFarlane, and Matt White
We welcomed the students and made an announcement about the upcoming service learning overnight we will be having for 8th-12th grade students. This is an opportunity to connect 8th graders with students they will be in school with next year. We have found it helpful to connect students like this so they have a person they can go to on those early days of trying to find their way around the school.
We began our progression of activities simply using a jump rope. We asked the students to do increasingly difficult tasks as a group. The students enjoyed the challenge and the opportunity to work together. They just jumped into the activity and worked out their strategy as they went along. The students were encouraging each other and helping those who were less confident. It was good to see the students taking care of one another throughout this progression of initiative. The students left energized and with smiles on their faces.
Intercultural Leadership Initiative
2008-2009
Freshman/Sophomore Activity Period # 9
2/11/09 9:46-10:04
LUHS
ILI Students: (F) 15, (S) 11
ILI Staff: Craig Kerr, Alice McFarlane, Ernie St. Germaine, and Matt White
We welcomed the students and let them know how important they are to us, and made some announcements of upcoming events which the students may be involved.
The staff recently have questioned an assumption that the Freshman and Sophomore students knew each other. When this assumption was tested we realized it was incorrect. So the last few meetings we have constructed the time for the students to get to know one another better.
Today we started off by having the students get into pairs and rock-paper-scissor. Then the partners were split into two separate groups depending on if person the won or not. With the two smaller groups we did two activities that helped them to get to know each other’s names. The first was “Have you ever.” This is a moving activity that allows the students to get some names and information about others. The second activity was “Name-Clap-Pass.” This is another activity that involves movement and names. The students enjoyed these activities as they learned about one another in a fun and interactive way.
Next meeting Feb. 25
Intercultural Leadership Initiative
2008-2009
Freshman/Sophomore Activity Period #7
1/28/09 9:46-10:04
LUHS
ILI Students: (F) 13, (S) 9
ILI Staff: Ernie St. Germaine and Craig Kerr
The students were welcomed and came and sat in a circle. Craig explained that we as ILI staff have our beliefs of why ILI is important to them, but we also need to know the reasons the students feel that ILI is important and choose to attend ILI. The students answered the following questions: 1) List the top 3 reasons you think it is important to have ILI at LUHS (Lakeland Union High School). 2) List the top three reasons you attend ILI Activity Periods.
The students wrote down their answers anonymously and handed in their papers. As we looked through their responses we found them interesting.
The students wrote that ILI is important at LUHS:
because it helps with diversity, to prevent discrimination, because I can prepare younger kids for the high school, to make people feel welcome, to have a good influence, because it bring cultures together—just to name a few.
They also gave reasons for attending ILI Activity Period:
It’s fun, to meet people, I enjoy the time and I feel safe, learn different ways to look at things, we play games that make us work together, I can be a leader, adults listen to us, and to have fun and learn. It is a good practice to check and see if what you are trying to communicate to the students is really being communicated and understood.
After handing in their papers we did an activity to help those students who were unfamiliar with each other’s names to get to know one another. The students enjoyed the time to get to know one another in a non-threatening and fun way. Many of the students may not know each other because of they may not be able to come to ILI every time we meet because of the other activities in which they are involved. It is important to know each other’s names because that is where the beginning of friendship starts.
Next meeting Feb. 11