Wednesday, August 29, 2012

The BIG Step Transitional Program

Purple&Gold offered a transitional program for incoming freshmen from Kate Collins Middle School this summer! Students were able to be exposed to what is expected of them in high school and got to meet some of they key faculty at the high school.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

2012 External Summer Programs


This summer four WHS students participated in two external summer programs! 
three of the four girls after lunch at El Puerto

Two students, Evelyn & Sandra had  the chance to be a part of the Female Institute at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA this summer .  This was a two-week residential program designed to provide intense academic & developmental experience for high school students. They had daily classes in Math, Writing, and History with top tier instructors from across the country. They were able to have a variety of experiences that has encouraged them to work hard this school year with the goal of attending a college/university. 

The other two students Ana & Ana attended the VALHEN Hispanic College Institute at Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA. A pre-college weekend program for Virginia’s high school Hispanic students designed to provide clear and practical college application and financial aid information. The program is based on research and input from Hispanic educators and community leaders. Participating Hispanic role models relate to students’ experiences and challenges, being in some cases, the first in their families to attend college. One of the students mentioned an opportunity to engage with successful Hispanic leaders and that she was informed about her educational opportunities.

We are so proud of you girls!  
P&G Staff

Saturday, August 11, 2012

New Bridges: Update on Deferred Action / Noticias Sobre AcciĆ³n Deferida


ENGLISH: On Tuesday July 10 a local group of DREAMers hosted an event at Harrisonburg High School to inform the public on the June 15 announcement by President Barack Obama regarding Deferred Action and Work Permit applications for certain eligible young persons. A group of professionals familiar with the immigration system is networking with the goal of offering information and services after more information is disclosed by CIS on August 15 (hopefully). As we stressed in our previous blog post, DO NOT fill out any immigration paperwork right now. Professor Aaron Haas, who is the Director of the Immigration Clinic at Washington and Lee University’s School of Law, kindly shared the following document with NewBridges IRC.
SPANISH: El Martes 10 de Julio un grup local de DREAMers organizĆ³ un evento al Harrisonburg High School para informar el pĆŗblico sobre el anuncio del Presidente Barack Obama el 15 de junio sobre la applicaciĆ³n para AcciĆ³n Deferida y el Permiso de Trabajo para algunos jovenes eligibles. Un grupo de profesionales que conocen del sistema de inmigraciĆ³n se estĆ” organizando con el logro de ofrecer informaciĆ³n y servicios despuĆ©s que mĆ”s informaciĆ³n estĆ© displonible de InmigraciĆ³n ojalĆ” el 15 de agosto. CĆ³mo dijĆ­mos anteriormente en ese sito web, por el momento, NO llene papeleo de inmigraciĆ³n.El Profesor Aaron Haas, el Director de la Clinica de InmigraciĆ³n de la Escuela de Ley de la Universidad Washington and Lee, proveĆ³ amablemente el documento que sigue a nuestra agencia, PuentesNuevos Centro de Recursos para Inmigrantes.

Friday, August 10, 2012

WHSV news video


Students make it on WHSV!


A A  
Reporter: Dave Byknish Email

Students Visit an African Village in Staunton

STAUNTON,Va –- Students from the Stepping to Success enrichment program had the chance to visit a real African village thanks to the Frontier Culture Museum. They were able to perform African drum rhythms the village.
It was thanks to their instructor, Jona Masiya. Masiya is from Zimbabwe and he teaches African music at Shenandoah University.
The lessons the kids learned in Staunton connected them to cultures existing throughout the community.
“I think we are living now in a global village,” said Masiya. “The kids have to care about the culture next door. They have to care about what's happening in other countries because we have a lot of traveling that's going on now.”
He said learning the drums is actually very easy. It is all about observation, listening and imitation. Masiya said he can teach you to play the African drums so well that if you ever visited the country, you would be able to jump right into a drum circle.
The students just finished up a unit on Hispanic culture. The goal is to have them learn about cultures that will help with career and life opportunities. 
Follow Dave Byknish on Twitter.

Massanutten Water Park & Lunch Celebration (Day five of week four)

Students got a behind the scene explanation of the water park before the park opened!
Students watching the WHSV video about their drum circle.
 The program finished with lunch at Cici's Pizza in Harrisonburg, VA.
This was the first year of the Summer Enrichment Program by Purple & Gold Connections!

To get involved call 540-820-2464 or send an email to purpleandgold0@gmail.com

Spoken Word & African Music/Culture at the Frontier Cultural Museum (Day four of week four)

Students working on their "Spoken Word" assignment. 
They shared their work in small groups and started getting ready to head to the Frontier Cultural Museum. 

Challenge Day & African Music/Culture (Day three of week four)

Solar Oven Smores 
The materials available for students to pick during the Marshmallow & Egg challenges 
Marshmallow Challenge- make the tallest structure out of noodles that can hold a marshmallow
Egg Challenge- Drop and egg from 5 ft without breaking it
Students watching a team test their strategy
 The winning team made this- their eggs were save! 

In the afternoon students continue learning how to play the Mbira & drums. They used the Shekere (shakers) to create a beat for students to express themselves. Watch this video....
Jona Masiya brought his family and showed students how he plays the drums with his two sons
A video of their short performance
Students also learned how to tune a drum and participated in a drum circle. 
Drumming is a group learning experience.
Students got better and learned to follow directions within the drumming circle.
Students learned to play musical chairs to a different beat.
This concludes their last day of learning & practicing before going to the Frontier Cultural Museum to perform at the African Village!

African Music/Culture (Day two of week four)

Watch the students practice! 
At the end of this lesson they cooled down by doing some breathing exercises...
Students got to put beads on their jugs to make Shekere (shakers)