Oh, Marcus! He’s always crushing or dropping his cell phone, and now he’s broken another one. His parents won’t buy him a new one, unless he can convince them he will keep it safe.
Renae Hackley, sixth grade science teacher at Godwin Heights Middle School, asked her students to help the fictitious Marcus, and over the last several weeks they’ve been hard at work designing protective gear for his phone.
“We’re trying to make a cell phone case that makes it easy for the phone to come out, and it won’t break from dropping it from 70 centimeters or be crushed with seven books on top,” explained Higinio Rolon-Rosado who, along with partner Juan Granados, demonstrated how their foam and fabric design met the challenge.
Renae Hackley, sixth grade science teacher at Godwin Heights Middle School, asked students to design a phone case as part of a recent physics unit
Tinkering Thinkers
The activity was part of the class’ eight-week physics unit using Mi-STAR, a science curriculum that incorporates real world challenges into every unit. It introduced force and motion, and then let students get their hands dirty — dropping raw eggs on different materials to see if they’d break, for example — before designing the case.
Experimentation involved dropping, crushing and trying to understand the effects of forces on different objects. Weeks of tinkering and observation led to the final challenge of creating the case.
During the experimentation period, Higinio said, his team noticed that an egg did not crack when dropped on a sponge, so they looked for sponge-like materials to use in their design.
For more stories on area schools, visit the School News Network website, schoolnewsnetwork.org.
Higinio Rolan-Rosado and Juan Granados show off the cell phone case and poster they made as part of a physics unit on force and motion. (School News Network)
Rose are red, Violets are blue, These students didn’t like poetry, But now, they do.
Until recently, this kind of rhyming verse was what most eighth graders in Betsy Berry’s Language Arts class at Godwin Heights Middle School thought of when they heard the word “poetry.” Now, they are seeing poetry in a whole new light — and sharing their original poems — after their teacher took a new approach to teaching the unit this year.
For Travis Reister, poetry has become an outlet for grief following the death of his mother to cancer. For Nazaria Spears, it’s a way to articulate the pain of a tumultuous family situation. Kierra Stimoff’s poetry with a beat addresses social injustice, and Julian Maysonet shares how racial profiling has impacted his family.
Only a month ago, Travis thought poetry was boring. Kierra thought it was “sad and depressing – it didn’t feel like a good vibe,” she said.
To get students interested in poetry, Berry found culturally-responsive writers who she knew would resonate with students.
“We pulled Langston Hughes, Sandra Cisneros, Jason Reynolds. And we did ‘The Rose that Grew from Concrete’ by Tupac [Shakur]. That was the shift,” said Berry. “They were liking the unit up to that point and I felt like I had a high level of engagement. But we did that poem … and all of a sudden they were so moved, because it was relatable.”
Seeing how the poem moved them, Berry assigned her students to write their own version of “The Rose that Grew from Concrete.” They results were raw and powerful.
“They talked about themselves, they shared their stories, they talked about their trauma. It was beautiful,” said Berry. “Then we had an opportunity to present — even more healing. It was just very, very powerful for them to have an opportunity to express themselves.
Kim Urbanski’s art students created pieces based on poetry from Betsy Berry’s English class
“A lot of them told me, ‘I’ve gone to therapy before. This feels like therapy.’”
Julian said he had been grappling with feelings of injustice after his father was racially profiled by police. He didn’t have words to express this before delving into poetry.
“It’s a way to express how you feel without being judged, and it’s just a good outlet. I probably never would have wrote this poem if I wasn’t in this class,” said Julian.
Grand Slam Finale
At the end of the unit, Berry held a poetry slam in each class of about 25 students. She showed her classes YouTube clips of spoken word performances, and gave them plenty of leeway: They could perform a poem that was three lines or 30 lines. It could be one they wrote, one they had studied, or something else.
“That’s when they blew the roof off,” said Berry. “They performed their poems, they performed Tupac’s poems, some did their haiku. For many, it was their first time performing.”
The synergy around poetry in the middle school has continued, Berry said. Recently, performing artists The Diatribe held a student assembly in the school, and many of her students are now participating in a workshop with the group. Kim Urbanski, who teaches art at the school, worked with students to create artwork based on “The Rose that Grew From Concrete” and students’ poems.
Many students now keep journals, where they jot down new poems. Berry said they were sad to see the unit end, but she has promised them a monthly poetry slam, giving them more reasons to keep the verses flowing.
For more stories on local schools, visit the School News Network website, www.schoolnewsnetwork.org.
Eighth-graders Greg Patterson, Majer Davenport and Shahari Hunicutt made a miniature golf hole in homage to abstract artist Nestor Toro, because they like to throw paint. (School News Network)
What do artists like Banksy and Bob Ross have to do with a round of miniature golf?
Not much, unless you are in Kim Urbanski’s art class at Godwin Heights Middle School.
Recently, as part of an art history unit, Urbanski gave her seventh- and eighth-graders the assignment of creating miniature golf holes based on renowned artists and their works.
“Art history is a tough lesson to teach, and so if there’s a way to engage students, they really get into it,” she said. “Having a mini golf course was a way to get them engaged.”
The unit took about two weeks to complete and culminated in an event that invited all classes in the middle school to come to the school’s media center and take a swing (or two or three) at the student-created miniature golf stations.
Dora Velasquez, Every Lopez-Valasquez, Windy Mencho, and Gabrielle Cannon created a golf hole based on the work of Edvard Munch, The face they used to mimic the character in Munch’s painting is that of Principal Bradley Tarrance. (School News Network)
Par for the (Art) Course
Bolstered by her personal love of miniature golf, Urbanski got the inspiration for the lesson from the Art of Education website. Students spent about a week researching and becoming familiar with a dozen different artists she suggested.
After students divided into groups based on which artist most resonated with them, the fun began. They spent another week conceptualizing and creating a miniature golf hole based on their artist’s work.
“I gave them green paper and lots of cardboard, tape, cups… and this is what we get,” said Urbanski, gesturing to the different putt-putt stations in the media center.
Eighth-graders Greg Patterson, Majer Davenport, and Shahari Hunnicutt were excited to share with people who stopped by to putt the hole they created based on the work of abstract artist Nestor Toro.
“We chose him because we like to throw paint,” said Majer, who said the assignment was unlike anything he’d done before.
Eighth-grader Cody Mimes, right, and Angelina Navarro show off the miniature golf hole they created with classmates Luis Torres and Saul Rios, inspired by the work of street artist Banksy. (School News Network)
A Round of Golf on a Sculpture (in the Round)
Eighth-grader Jonny Paz-Duron and his team used cardboard to craft a miniature golf hole that involved a sculpture of a bridge that Impressionist Claude Monet depicted in one of his paintings. While flowers and water lilies may figure prominently in Monet’s works, Jonny said the architectural elements in Monet’s paintings fit well with creation of a miniature golf hole.
“We had fun making it,” Jonny said.
Nearby was a popular — and technically difficult — putting green created by eighth-graders Dora Velasquez, Evelyn Lopez-Velasquez, Windy Mencho and Gabrielle Cannon. Their hole depicted “The Scream”, an 1893 composition by Norwegian Expressionist Edvard Munch.
Gabrielle Cannon said that the background was difficult to make, as her group wanted to stay true to the colors used in the original painting. The team worked through lunch on the day of the miniature golf event to finish painting their putting green. Their hole had a twist that drew a reaction from everyone who took a swing: in their version of the composition, the male figure depicted in Munch’s painting was created using a picture of Principal Bradley Tarrance.
While the event was a fun one for Urbanski’s students and those who came to play, the golf stations did more than entertain. Each team of students wrote a statement that explained why they chose that particular artist and provided information about the artist’s style, life and works.
Eighth-grader Cody Mimes was part of a team of students who created a miniature golf hole based on the graffiti artists Banksy.
“We were inspired by his art. It’s graffiti, but often it has a deeper meaning to it,” Cody said. “This piece we made is not a copy of one of his works, but it is inspired by his style.”
The miniature golf masterpieces achieved the engagement Urbanski hoped to see.
Jason Nguyen, an eighth-grader, tries out the miniature golf hole tribute to Claude Monet that he created with classmates Duey Tran, Jonny Paz-Duron, and Gavin Bailey. (School News Network)
Bradley Tarrance is the new principal at Godwin Heights Middle School. SNN gets to know him in this edition of Meet Your Principal.
Other positions you have held in education: Principal, KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program charter school), San Antonio, Texas; ELA teacher, KIPP; teacher, Flint Community Schools; teacher, Cumberland County Schools, Fayetteville, North Carolina; basketball coach, KIPP
How about jobs outside education? Manager of Buffalo Wild Wings
Spouse/children: Lindsay, married nine years; daughter, Christina, 5; son, Maxwell, 1
Bradley Tarrance
Hobbies/Interests: Basketball, reading
What kind of kid were you in middle school? I enjoyed being active and connecting with kids of all different backgrounds. I got good grades, but broke the rules many times while in school (only got caught half the time).
The biggest lesson you have learned from students is… Relationships are everything. Respecting our children first and leveraging their strengths can go a long way. Children have a great BS meter, so be yourself.
If I could go back to school I would go to grade… 8, so I could learn U.S. history again in a way that mattered
If you walked into your new school building to theme music every day, what would the song be? “Take a Minute” by K’Naan
For the past few years I have been working as the assistant principal at Godwin Heights High School. We are a small school district of just over 2,000 students. We are one of the most diverse districts in Kent County, and we believe it is our diversity that makes us special.
Degrees:
I earned my bachelor of arts in education from Cornerstone University, majoring in social studies and minoring in health. I earned my master’s in educational leadership from Western Michigan University.
Other positions you have held in education (title, school, district, state):
I have had a variety of positions in educational settings, including in-school suspension supervisor and dean of students at Grandville Public Schools. My first job here at Godwin Heights was as a youth development coordinator at the middle school. I transferred to the high school as dean of students, then became assistant principal.
How about jobs outside education (even the unexpected is welcome!)?
I am 48. In my earlier years I had a variety of jobs. I spent a few years in the restaurant business as head chef at a restaurant. After a few years of working 70 hours a week I decided to go back to school and earn my degree in education.
Besides getting to know the staff and families, what are you most looking forward to as principal here?
I am looking forward to having the chance to come to school every day and work with all of my students. I believe it is my job as principal to pour into these children, and to give my staff the support they need to help the students develop the tools they will need to achieve their goals as they grow older.
Aaron Berlin
What kind of kid were you at the age of students at this new school (your personality, interests, hobbies, activities)?
Funny, I was just talking about my experiences as a middle-school student with another staff member last week. I was a terrible student back in middle school. I was extremely smart but really struggled to find success in the classroom. I struggled because I never learned to be a good student in the classroom, to take good notes, do my homework and simply stay organized. Most importantly, I never was willing to ask the people around me for help. I had family and teachers in my corner pushing me to do better and never really lived up to those expectations.
It was not until I was much older and went to school as an adult that I figured out how to be a good student.
Spouse/children:
My wife and I have been married for going on 21 years. Linda is a teacher and has spent the last 20 years teaching at Grandville Public Schools. We have a daughter named Sierra; she is almost 14 years old and entering her first year at Grandville. Both of the women in my life are much smarter than I am.
Hobbies/Interests:
My biggest interest outside of work is spending time with my family. We love watching movies and playing golf as a family. I have spent 20 years coaching high school football. My role as a principal has taken up my time and so I am no longer coaching. My goal, when all is said and done, is to find myself coaching some seventh- and eighth-grade football, spending my time working with the younger players.
What inspires you, both in your educational role and in your own life?
My goal is to grow as a husband, a father and a friend. The older I get the more I understand how challenging that goal can be. Everyday life gives us opportunities to learn through our own experiences. My hope it to get better at those three things on a daily basis.
What makes you laugh (we bet you’ll say kids – what else?)
I love hearing the honesty that comes from student conversations. If you are having a rough day and just take a movement and spend some time with a bunch of fifth grade students during lunch, they will say some of the funniest things you will ever hear. They are 100 percent authentic at that age and it is just awesome to hear all of them laughing at the same time. It almost becomes contagious.
What would people be surprised to learn about you?
Some people would be surprised that I love to golf. I try to get out as much as possible. Being out of the course is one way that I find to relax. I am not very good, but I love to play and have fun with friends and family.
Tell us about a non-professional book you recommend and why:
In my free time I love to read mysteries, thrillers and good old-fashioned spy novels. I just finished all the books in the Mitch Rapp series written by Vince Flynn. Sometimes it is good to simply get away and shut the mind down for a bit.
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