Hello Fresh Scholar Family,
We've just added a links section to the blog. The first link added is for "Brightstorm", a SF-based company whose mission is to bring great teaching to the world. They have agreed to partner with Berkeley Scholars to Cal II (mostly Juniors and a few Sophomores), and providing them with free SAT Prep resources. Until next time, take care and keep it scholarly...
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Athletes and Gunplay from a Scholar's Perspective
The following was written by a scholar who, in addition to maintaining a 3.8-4.0 GPA, is an avid sports fan and analyst:
"Athletes are considered by some to be “super humans.” Athletes have million-dollar contracts and are loved by adoring fans everywhere. Athletes have it all, but some athletes make stupid decisions that cost them their fame and fortune. Former NBA forward, Jayson Williams, and Washington Wizards guard, Gilbert Arenas, have both been in trouble with the law because of guns. Both were good basketball players that have made a bad name for themselves, black men, and the NBA. Jayson Williams, a decent basketball player in the 1990’s, was playing with his guns, inside his house when he accidently shot the gun and killed his limousine driver in 2002. After the shooting, he immediately tried to “cover up” the incident by making it look like a suicide. After 8 years, he was finally convicted of reckless manslaughter. Unfortunately, this tragedy could have easily been avoided if he had been more responsible.
Unlike Williams, Gilbert Arenas brought his guns from home and put them in the locker room for protection. According to witnesses, Arenas began arguing with another teammate, Javaris Crittenton, over a card game debt. The facts are still unclear; however, it seems that one player wanted to collect on the debt, and to see who was the “bigger man” guns were drawn to “settle the score.” Presently, both Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton are suspended for the remainder of the NBA season. These three men represent the worst of manhood, being irresponsible and immature. Furthermore, the three men did not take responsibility for their behavior. At the next basketball game, Arenas using his thumb and index finger as a gun, jokingly “shot” his teammates. The fact that they were gun owners was not necessarily the problem, but it was that they were completely reckless and irresponsible in regards to the guns, which now makes them poor role models."
- Marcus Vincent, 10th Grade, BSC II
"Athletes are considered by some to be “super humans.” Athletes have million-dollar contracts and are loved by adoring fans everywhere. Athletes have it all, but some athletes make stupid decisions that cost them their fame and fortune. Former NBA forward, Jayson Williams, and Washington Wizards guard, Gilbert Arenas, have both been in trouble with the law because of guns. Both were good basketball players that have made a bad name for themselves, black men, and the NBA. Jayson Williams, a decent basketball player in the 1990’s, was playing with his guns, inside his house when he accidently shot the gun and killed his limousine driver in 2002. After the shooting, he immediately tried to “cover up” the incident by making it look like a suicide. After 8 years, he was finally convicted of reckless manslaughter. Unfortunately, this tragedy could have easily been avoided if he had been more responsible.
Unlike Williams, Gilbert Arenas brought his guns from home and put them in the locker room for protection. According to witnesses, Arenas began arguing with another teammate, Javaris Crittenton, over a card game debt. The facts are still unclear; however, it seems that one player wanted to collect on the debt, and to see who was the “bigger man” guns were drawn to “settle the score.” Presently, both Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton are suspended for the remainder of the NBA season. These three men represent the worst of manhood, being irresponsible and immature. Furthermore, the three men did not take responsibility for their behavior. At the next basketball game, Arenas using his thumb and index finger as a gun, jokingly “shot” his teammates. The fact that they were gun owners was not necessarily the problem, but it was that they were completely reckless and irresponsible in regards to the guns, which now makes them poor role models."
- Marcus Vincent, 10th Grade, BSC II
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Reflection of CPA talent show
I arrived at the CPA talent show a little bit late. I sat down at one of the tables with my friends. After some food and laughs, out of nowhere, Mrs. Johnson came up to me and asked me if I wanted to host. I agreed, and then got up on stage to introduce the crowd and announce the first contestant. The first act was a group doing an Aztec dance. The next act coming up was a rap performed by my friend Dave and me.
Unfortunately, the instrumental we had on a CD didn’t play. The DJ said our CD must have been scratched or something. So we had to spit a cappella, cool. Dave forgot most of his words so he read from his note cards. His rap was good, but in one line he dissed the Raiders. So everyone got all upset. Next, it was my turn to rap. My very first two lines had everyone into rhyme. I kept going (reading something off of my arm) and by the time I was at the middle, my stage fright was completely gone. I finished with everyone clapping and cheering. I had to host the rest of the show but when I hopped off the stage everyone gave me pats on the back.
-Written by Jonah Hemphill
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The French Revolution from a Scholar's Perspective
Hello Scholar Family,
Below is an excerpt from a history essay written by Jamiah, a 10th grader in BSC II. She was one of few students to receive a 90 or above (out of 100) on the essay. take care and soak up the knowledge!
On the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizens:
"This [The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizens] leaves over 21 million "passive" citizens without the right of political participation; basically the right not to vote. The declaration of rights of man and citizens is supposed to create
equality. There is no such thing as half equal, it's either equal or
it's not equal. Equality is the condition of having the same rights
and privileges. How does denying the right for certain citizens to
vote, support equality? It does not! By denying the right for
certain men, it does not support natural rights that should otherwise be
given. Therefore the declaration of rights of man and citizens doesn't
show a successful example of enlightened government."
- Jamiah, BSC II, 10th Grade
Below is an excerpt from a history essay written by Jamiah, a 10th grader in BSC II. She was one of few students to receive a 90 or above (out of 100) on the essay. take care and soak up the knowledge!
On the Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizens:
"This [The Declaration of Rights of Man and Citizens] leaves over 21 million "passive" citizens without the right of political participation; basically the right not to vote. The declaration of rights of man and citizens is supposed to create
equality. There is no such thing as half equal, it's either equal or
it's not equal. Equality is the condition of having the same rights
and privileges. How does denying the right for certain citizens to
vote, support equality? It does not! By denying the right for
certain men, it does not support natural rights that should otherwise be
given. Therefore the declaration of rights of man and citizens doesn't
show a successful example of enlightened government."
- Jamiah, BSC II, 10th Grade
Monday, November 16, 2009
A Freshman's First Quarter Experience with High School Math
"High School. It has always been something that I wanted to be in. I was so excited the last week of summer unlike some of my peers who wished that the summer wasn't ending. A few weeks into the first quarter of the grading period progress reports were sent out. My Progress was pretty good except for the last grade on there. I had a D+ in IMP 2, which is the math program for my small school Community Partnership Academy. After seeing this grade my parents were a little mad but weren't furious.
The week after I had received the progress report, I went and talked to all of my teachers. They all basically said the same thing except for math. The math teacher, Mr. Goldman said " Eric, You have a lot of potential and I would like for you to come to my Tuesday and Thursday after school tutoring class." I figured I could go once a week. After going just one time after school and watching Mr. Goldman break down everything that we had learned since the first day of school, I began to understand how to work in his class. Now I am one of the 3 students passing his class. I successfully raised my grade at least by an entire letter grade. This progress makes me, Scholars [BSC II] and my family very happy.
Ending the quarter on a good note lets me start the second quarter by putting my best foot forward, and focusing on improving my grade even more. I am still excited about high school! GO Yellow Jackets!"
By Eric Saddler, 9th grade, BSC II
The week after I had received the progress report, I went and talked to all of my teachers. They all basically said the same thing except for math. The math teacher, Mr. Goldman said " Eric, You have a lot of potential and I would like for you to come to my Tuesday and Thursday after school tutoring class." I figured I could go once a week. After going just one time after school and watching Mr. Goldman break down everything that we had learned since the first day of school, I began to understand how to work in his class. Now I am one of the 3 students passing his class. I successfully raised my grade at least by an entire letter grade. This progress makes me, Scholars [BSC II] and my family very happy.
Ending the quarter on a good note lets me start the second quarter by putting my best foot forward, and focusing on improving my grade even more. I am still excited about high school! GO Yellow Jackets!"
By Eric Saddler, 9th grade, BSC II
Monday, November 9, 2009
Scholars Love Dropping Eggs!!!
The lesson is simple. We begin by discussing simple physic concepts such as:
Acceleration, gravitational pull, impact, force and absorption.
Scholars are amazed that an egg can't crack if force is concentrated evenly all around the shell (i.e. squeezing an egg with your hand) but will crack when tapped upon the edge of a bowl. The scholars engagement is captured and channeled into introduction questions, where as a group of learners we unearth the definition and examples of the above physic concepts. Then the challenge: Scholars must get in pairs and build a device that when dropped from 50 feet won't crack it's passenger (the egg). Pairs strategize, create a blueprint for their device, build then drop the device with the egg.
Check out some of our cool devices and the aftermath
Hector and Malayka's egg survived.
This egg wasn't so fortunate
Before the drop, Erick and Bryant's device is looking GOOD.
Their egg survived and these two ladies worked VERY well together all day.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Berkeley Scholars' Core Principles
Dear Scholar Family,
Last year, one of the biggest mysteries of the program was figuring out how to identify the "essence" of the Berkeley Scholars (BSC) model. In other words, what type of disposition do we want the scholars to have once they graduate high school and enter college? What qualities do we want them to use as "weapons" against any obstacles they face inside (academic) or outside (life in general) the classroom?
After thinking long and hard about these questions, and taking a closer look at what it takes to excel at a top university, Lee, Carol, and I agreed that the answers to these questions could be summarized using four principles: Integrity, Maturity, Proactivity, and Humility. Below is a brief description of how each principle applies to the BSC model.
Integrity. To be a person of integrity is to be a person of your word. Therefore, it is important for scholars to follow through on their verbal and written commitments (e.g., as they pertain to schoolwork, studying, ASP and SA attendance, and so forth). In the event the scholar cannot follow through on something, we expect them to communicate with a staff member (e.g., mentor, coordinator, etc.) and let someone know.
Maturity. This principles was best summed up with Denzel's line in "The Great Debaters." Basically, scholars are expected to do what they have to do before they do what they want to do. It's weird, I've found that getting my schoolwork out of the way actually makes my "chill time" that much enjoyable!
Proactivity. To be successful in anything, scholars are going to have to be proactive with regards to seeking out help if they need it, and resources to help them navigate high school, college, and life in general. In addition, scholars are going to have to be "go-getters" with regards to making sure they achieve any personal, academic, and professional goals they set for themselves. One of the things we as a staff are becoming increasingly more concerned about is making sure we balance the amount of support and advocacy we give the scholars with encouraging them to advocate for themselves. We want the scholars to appreciate the support and advocacy they receive from their parents and BSC, without solely depending on it. Put another way, we want scholars to use the power and "know-how" they already have.
Humility. This principle really speaks to the type of impact we want BSC to have on a local and national level. We want scholars to realize that no one succeeds purely on their own. Everyone receives some kind of help and encouragement along the way. Therefore, we want the scholars to use their brilliance and the things they learn from their parents and through BSC in the service of others. Although there are only 21 scholars in the program, the goal of BSC is to show all youth who may think otherwise that it's cool to be a scholar and to handle your business in school. It's cool to be a person of positive influence amongst your peers.
Lastly, I want to emphasize that we as a staff know that how well BSC is able to help the scholars cultivate these principles depends on how well we as a staff embody them ourselves. Therefore this is not a "one-sided" thing, so to speak. We are holding our staff accountable to each of these principles as well.
So here are BSC's core principles moving forward. We are looking forward to seeing these principles manifest themselves in amazing ways, and for BSC to continue to soar to new heights! Thank you for your love and support during this process.
Last year, one of the biggest mysteries of the program was figuring out how to identify the "essence" of the Berkeley Scholars (BSC) model. In other words, what type of disposition do we want the scholars to have once they graduate high school and enter college? What qualities do we want them to use as "weapons" against any obstacles they face inside (academic) or outside (life in general) the classroom?
After thinking long and hard about these questions, and taking a closer look at what it takes to excel at a top university, Lee, Carol, and I agreed that the answers to these questions could be summarized using four principles: Integrity, Maturity, Proactivity, and Humility. Below is a brief description of how each principle applies to the BSC model.
Integrity. To be a person of integrity is to be a person of your word. Therefore, it is important for scholars to follow through on their verbal and written commitments (e.g., as they pertain to schoolwork, studying, ASP and SA attendance, and so forth). In the event the scholar cannot follow through on something, we expect them to communicate with a staff member (e.g., mentor, coordinator, etc.) and let someone know.
Maturity. This principles was best summed up with Denzel's line in "The Great Debaters." Basically, scholars are expected to do what they have to do before they do what they want to do. It's weird, I've found that getting my schoolwork out of the way actually makes my "chill time" that much enjoyable!
Proactivity. To be successful in anything, scholars are going to have to be proactive with regards to seeking out help if they need it, and resources to help them navigate high school, college, and life in general. In addition, scholars are going to have to be "go-getters" with regards to making sure they achieve any personal, academic, and professional goals they set for themselves. One of the things we as a staff are becoming increasingly more concerned about is making sure we balance the amount of support and advocacy we give the scholars with encouraging them to advocate for themselves. We want the scholars to appreciate the support and advocacy they receive from their parents and BSC, without solely depending on it. Put another way, we want scholars to use the power and "know-how" they already have.
Humility. This principle really speaks to the type of impact we want BSC to have on a local and national level. We want scholars to realize that no one succeeds purely on their own. Everyone receives some kind of help and encouragement along the way. Therefore, we want the scholars to use their brilliance and the things they learn from their parents and through BSC in the service of others. Although there are only 21 scholars in the program, the goal of BSC is to show all youth who may think otherwise that it's cool to be a scholar and to handle your business in school. It's cool to be a person of positive influence amongst your peers.
Lastly, I want to emphasize that we as a staff know that how well BSC is able to help the scholars cultivate these principles depends on how well we as a staff embody them ourselves. Therefore this is not a "one-sided" thing, so to speak. We are holding our staff accountable to each of these principles as well.
So here are BSC's core principles moving forward. We are looking forward to seeing these principles manifest themselves in amazing ways, and for BSC to continue to soar to new heights! Thank you for your love and support during this process.
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