High School Career Day! - April 26th
We need your help K-12 Collegiate families!
Collegiate will be hosting our first annual Career Day on Friday, April 26th in the high school. The purpose of Career Day is to expose our high school students to a variety of jobs to jumpstart their thinking about the future. By preparing early, students will be more likely to be college and career ready after high school graduation.
We'd love to get a variety of perspectives for our students - no job is too big or too small!
We want to highlight all the amazing things our families do. We need volunteers to come in and answer questions our high school students have. To help, all you need to do is stand at a table in our gym, and as students come to the table, just answer the questions they might have for you. We will provide sample questions to students (and you) before the career day.
Details:
April 26, 2024
Collegiate Charter School of Lowell
Time: 12:00 - 2:50 pm
If you, a family member, or friend is interested in volunteering, please complete the details below by April 1st and email our high school guidance counselor, Ms. Sarah Meunier at: smeunier@collegiatelowell.org
Name:
Student Name and Grade:
Occupation:
Email Address:
Phone Number:
With your help, we look forward to having an engaging Career Day.
Kelianne Men
Kelianne joined Collegiate at the start of her freshman year and now she is about to graduate. She is excited about the recent changes this school year, mostly that she was able to have more selection in her courses for her senior year. She has been able to participate in the new Collegiate Work-Study/Internship program, allowing her to gain hands-on experience in the field she is considering pursuing.
Currently, her favorite class is the elective History of Film with Ms. Jurek. The class is enjoying watching movies and then discussing the films and the history/development behind it. Now that she's a senior, has completed most of her course classes, she can think back to her first day as a freshman and would tell herself to not worry too much, just try your best. Her best sure has gotten her far.
After graduation, Kelianne plans to attend UMass Lowell and major in Business. She is very excited about moving on to the next step in her education. Good luck, Kelianne!
Shawn Nherisson
What can one say about Shawn Nherisson? He has been a major player in his class since he came to Collegiate at the start of his sophomore year. As captain of the Varsity Basketball team, he has become a true leader to his peers. A young man of few words, when he does speak, people should listen. He may not admit it, but Collegiate has become a home for Shawn to grow and lead.
Shawn is a huge sports fanatic. He played on the inaugural football team with Lowel Catholic his senior year and basketball. He admits that he has struggled with motivation in classes but would tell his freshman self to pay attention! When Shawn sets his mind to something, he will achieve it without doubt. He is excited about his impending graduation and can't wait to feel the relief of finishing his high school career.
He is unsure where he will be attending post-graduation but plans to pursue a degree and career in computer science. Shawn, stay focused and you will achieve it all. Best of luck to you!
Itauana Alves De Brito
Itauana came to Collegiate as a sophomore and she's really enjoyed being here. This year, she is most excited about the various new elective course options, particularly the ones available online. It has allowed her to try out a bunch of new interests to help figure out what she is most interested in pursuing thanks to her favorite teacher this year, Mr. Torres, our Online Elective and History Teacher.
Her biggest struggle has been English. English is her second language but has quickly learned the language. The advice she'd give to her freshman self would be to be brave, something she has displayed since coming to the United States and Collegiate. She plans to pursue nursing post-graduation. She has applied to UMass Lowell and Worcester State University and awaits acceptance.
She is anxious but excited about graduation and her educational career afterwards. Itauana, no doubt, will succeed by staying strong and brave. She's accomplished so much already. Keep up the great work!
Rayslla Sousa
Rayslla also came to Collegiate as a freshman. She really likes the changes she's experienced her senior year. New courses have made it more exciting to learn. She's also been able to participate in the Work-Study Program, working in one of our elementary classrooms each afternoon. It has allowed her to gain experience and see if a career in teaching is what she'd like to pursue.
Ms. Ferrari, her Guidance Counselor, has been her greatest ally this year. She has helped her get on-track and make decisions. Rayslla has also enjoyed the new business classes offered this year. She's learning towards a major in business and has given her a good introduction to the field.
After graduation, Rayslla is planning to major in Business. She's applied to a number of colleges, including UMass Lowell, University of Tampa, UMass Amherst, and Rhode Island College. She has not yet decided where she will attend. regardless, she's learned that she is a lot stronger than she was which will help her succeed no matter where she goes. Good luck, Rayslla!
Irish American Hertiage Month - A Q&A with Ms. Johnson
Angelina Sam (25’) & Lyna Lam (25’)
Hello wolves! This month, March, is Irish American Heritage Month. The Golden Gazette spoke with Ms. Johnson, who teaches English for 11th and 12thgrade, on her Irish heritage.
What do you like about your Irish community in Massachusetts?
That’s a hard question to answer because Irish Americans have become so absorbed into at least the culture of Massachusetts that it often does not feel like a separate community. There are things like Irish dance studios, Irish restaurants, and Irish cultural centers, but there is not a large Irish festival-type holiday. Some Irish holidays are pagan holidays like Halloween was a Celtic holiday.
Do you feel like Irish history is often being taught?
No, I think Irish history isn't taught a lot in this country and when it is, it is only the Potato Famine. I remember when I was in high school, I learned about the Potato Famine in passing. However, when I was in college, I learned a lot about Irish history due to the large Irish Studies department.
How do you connect within your community?
A lot of Irish people are Catholic, so for those who are, they would get together at church. Lots of people listen to Irish music, like pop or traditional folk songs. There are also Irish sports, like hurling or Gaelic football. Rugby isn’t an Irish-specific sport, but it is popular in Ireland, and we went to an Irish rugby game last summer in Ireland. There are also Irish cultural centers with Irish food, dancing, and of course Gaelic football. Many of them offer lessons in the Irish language (Irish, or Irish Gaelic).
What kind of music and dance does the Irish have?
There is Irish step dancing obviously, but there are other or more specific types of Irish dance, too, like Céilí dances. There are popular modern Irish songs and pop and rock bands, like The Cranberries and U2 (even Dropkick Murphys are an Irish American band), but traditional Irish music is still popular, too. Traditional music uses instruments like the fiddle, button accordion, pipes, and of course the Celtic harp, which is the national symbol of Ireland.
What is your proudest moment of being an Irish American?
I don’t think I have ever not been proud to be an Irish American. I cannot think of a specific moment, but I will say I ate a raspberry bramble (pastry), and when I found out it was Irish, it was a proud moment. However, in all seriousness, my proudest moments as an Irish American have come from learning more about Irish history and modern Ireland. Ireland as a country has never forgotten its history and has taken many steps to try to preserve what history they can and recover aspects of Irish heritage that have been historically eliminated through oppression.
Irish heritage has been an influence in American culture for decades, due to the large population of Irish people in the U.S. Thank you to Ms. Johnson.
Having Fun With Math – Hands-on Learning and ST Math Achievements
By: Nicole Palmer, K-5 Math Curriculum Director (npalmer@collegiatelowell.org)
This year at Collegiate, specifically in grades K-5, we have been pushing our limits to how much we can learn in the math classroom. Besides using our math curriculum, teachers do an amazing job at finding supplemental projects and hands-on learning to make learning fun and engaging for our students. Enjoy the photos below of students in KGA, Samantha Bright’s class working on some fun math practice involving bugs and insects.
ST Math Stars of the Month!
Amilia Reyes, of 2C: Alice Smith’s class, has already BEAT 2nd grade on ST Math! She has now completed 2,934 puzzles out of the 2,200 needed to complete grade 2 material, so is now conquering 3rd grade math material. This is now the 2nd student in Mrs. Smith’s class, and it Grade 2 in general, who have done this. Their hard work is pushing the students around them to try their best! Keep up the great work Amilia and 2C students!
