Check out this glowing blog post by the American Forest Foundation about our Green Team leaders!
http://www.forestfoundation.org/blog-plt-next-generation-conservation-leaders
 
We had so much fun making this video! It was another creative collaboration on the part of my 7/8 grade students! What do you get when you put together the Harlem Shake and Shakespeare? The Harlem Shake(speare)! We were feeling very smart and creative, until we searched it on You Tube and found out a few thousand other people thought of it first! Still, it is an awesome video and great idea! :) 
 
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It is a bit difficult to see the signs, but students created this "our trip in 3 words" video to thank Calleva for another awesome service learning experience! The first clip is at the eco mural we painted 3 years ago.  The signs say, "We give hope." We chose this phrasing and to shoot in front of the mural because when we did this mural project many members of the community told us we gave them hope, knowing that the younger generation cared about the environment and their community.  At Calleva, we did a service learning project and worked hard to tend to its lovely garden.  The second message says, "Digging our dreams." We chose to shoot this near the pollinator garden we just created during Earth Day 2013 because we had a dream and made it happen.  Likewise at Calleva, on the zip line, we had to dig deep down inside of ourselves to conquer or fear and try something new.  The final clip is at the raised bed garden we have maintained for the past 3 years.  The signs read, "Together we grow." On the rails course at Calleva we worked on our communication and problem solving skills with each other.  Thank you Calleva for this wonderful experience!!!

 
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We had a FANTASTIC 
time at Calleva today! It was the perfect way to spend our last field trip of the year together after so many wonderful memories.  Calleva staff were so welcoming, leading us in a service learning project, rails challenge, and zip line experience.  Some of our best qualities came out including team work, problem solving, communication, positivity, and determination. We wish that everyone at our school could share in such an incredible experience.  This is definitely a trip we will never forget! 

 
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What a beautiful day! We had perfect weather to lead a Green Schools/
Project Learning Tree tour for representatives from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, American Forest Foundation, Nature Watch Program, and many other government organizations and NGOs. Everyone was impressed by the students' work throughout the years serving as a Green Team for Paul PCS.  Initiatives included our raised bed blacktop garden, huge eco mural, recycling program, pollinator garden, greenhouse, and outdoor classroom.  Student docents were able to interact with government officials and prepare a lunch with our bounty from the garden, under the guidance of world renowned chef, Mark Haskell.  Thank you Roxana, Pedro, Karen, Vanessa, Eleni, Nanci, and Maati for being such positive Paul PCS representatives for these government environmental leaders.  They were very impressed and inspired by the work that you and your peers have done!


 
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After creating tableaux statues of the main scenes from Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and comparing the characters and plot to A Midsummer Night's Dream, it was great to see all of the action play out on the stage at the Folger, where we not so long ago performed! Favorites included the opening scene where the lights and sound effects simulated a storm and sinking ship, Feste's music and hat tricks, Malvolio's yellow stockings, and Viola's strength of character.  The cast did a great job interacting with the audience, and we learned a lot by the talk back after the show.  

 
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I am so proud of this video! When presented with the option of a video project, 7th and 8th graders chose to make a music video using Paramore's "Now" as a guide.  In the video, a young woman walks through a battlefield, only to hug her nemesis at the end and bring a close to the conflict with peace.  We decided the battlefield was a metaphor so we set our video at school with the main protagonist walking through the school grounds witnessing the "battles" an average teen might encounter on a daily basis. Themes include: fighting, weapons/bag checks, drugs, gossip, theft, pregnancy, and bullying. 
We presented our video to 6th grade scholars who are currently studying bullying.  Students led a seminar for the 6th graders which included: an introduction, a discussion of the battlefield metaphor, a brainstorming session of challenges teens face, and a scenario problem/solution protocol.  The 6th graders loved having the chance to act and work with the older students (who were great role models for them)! Check out the original Paramore video and then our remake in order to fully understand our concept.