Civic Leaders Rock Out at Spring Dance

The Civic Leaders hosted a spring semi-formal dance this past Friday at Mary Ford Elementary School.  Volunteers spent the day decorating the gymnasium to fit a Rock Star motif that included black and pink banners and balloons, glittery table settings, and several guitar and record pin ups.

Students arrived dressed in a ‘semi-formal meets rock and roll’ attire, and danced to tunes provided by Metanoia Young Leaders Counselor DJ John.  Strobe lights and a fog machine helped to set the ambience, as students felt like they were in the crowd of a rock concert .  Subway donated submarine sandwiches for dinner, and sparkling grape juice was served along with a cake which read ‘No Reservations,’ the dance’s official theme, spelled out in icing letters.

Attendees lined up to have their pictures taken in front of a decorative back screen, after which they received their photo in a complimentary frame.  Said ninth grader Kerione, “The dance was a lot of fun because it gave us a chance to all get together outside of Metanoia.”  Added ninth grader Shatika, “It was a lot of fun for the girls to get dressed up and take pictures.” 

Many of the girls were able to get their dresses donated to them by attending the Cinderella Day at Seacoast Church Dream Center in North Charleston.  A makeup artist at the event also agreed to do the girls’ makeup before the dance.   Civic Leaders Co-Director, Stacy said that the dance was important because it gave the students an opportunity to socialize outside of the academic and disciplined environment where they are used to seeing each other.  Students also invited friends from their schools, so it gave them a chance to show their peers what the Civic Leaders Program does and how much fun it can be.

As we seek to build leaders at Metanoia giving them opportunities for healthy social interaction with one another is key.  Metanoia wishes to thank all the volunteers and the staff of Mary Ford Elementary School for opening their doors to our students on this special night.

      

 

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Idiom Contest Sparks Creative Competition Amongst Young Leaders

Metanoia’s Young Leaders Program has been continuing its education in the language arts by hosting a friendly Idiom Contest among the four classes.  When asked what an ‘idiom’ was, 2nd grader Davien replied that it was “something made up, a phrase that’s not real but means something else.”  Fifth grader Oshea helped to clarify by explaining it as “a figure of speech.”  The  dictionary defines and idiom as an expression, word, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is comprehended in regard to a common use of that expression that is separate from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made.

                The classrooms included visual aids to help explain their idioms.  Level 3 began the contest by coloring their thumbs green to represent a ‘green thumb.’  Their second idiom was a picture of the roof of a house burning to indicate ‘the roof is on fire.’

                Level 1 went next, displaying a poster they had made with the word ‘RULE’ decorated in gold paint and glitter, which signified ‘the golden rule:’ treat others as you’d like to be treated.

                Levels 2 and 4 worked together on a picture of a snarling dog, which was taken to mean ‘frowning like a bull dog.’  Their second idiom was a picture of a butterfly with hearts for wings, which meant ‘my heart lies like a butterfly,’ a phrase taken from one of the songs the Young Leaders sing every day.

                Level 3 won the day’s competition and was able to add 5 class points in the overall Battle of the Classes.  Each month, class points are tallied and the class with the most points wins a reward, such as a pizza party, ice cream party, or a movie day.  The Young Leaders Program staff is continually thinking of educational activities to keep the students interested and engaged in their after school learning program.

 

 

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Civic Leaders Help to Pay Own Way to Atlanta

 

Students in the Civic Leaders Program have been funding their upcoming trip to the King Center in Atlanta by selling Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.  Even as donors have been generously underwriting our students’ trip we also strive to help our students understand the value of the trip they are receiving.  In all that Metanoia does we seek to work with the community but not for them. In this instance students were given the chance to fund much of their own way to Atlanta through a Krispy Kreme Doughnut Drive.

                                                                      

                                                                          Civic Leaders Participate in a Micheax Creek cleanup earlier this month

Two boys and five girls, ages 11-15, will be in Atlanta from April 9th-11th. The trip is intended to serve as a “a rite of passage” for some of our older and higher achieving students says Civic Leader Program co-director David Hutchinson .  The drive to Atlanta itself will be a real chance for our students to build healthy relationships with their peers and mentors and the trip will be both educational and fun.  The students will visit the King Center to enrich their knowledge of the Civil Rights Movement and understand how they can make a difference today.  The group will spend one day at the King Center and the next at Six Flags over Georgia amusement park.

 

Students raised over $600 in one week for their first annual spring trip to the King Center.  In addition to selling certificates for a dozen Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, students solicited teachers in their respective schools for donations.  A $25 VISA gift card was promised to the individual who raised the highest amount, to be used on the last day of their stay when the Civic Leaders visit the Atlanta mall.  Ninth grader Dashia claimed the prize by raising $200 on her own.   Stay tuned to next month’s Enews to see how the trip well.

Metanoia's Joe Geglio holds up his Krispy Kreme Certificate