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News

[embed]https://youtu.be/1H3VAVBABLc[/embed] The lead story this week focuses on the condition of women in Afghanistan. TCS News includes a Conversation with Joe Manko, Program Officer at The Abell Foundation and Eryn Lessard, Director of Development and External Affairs at the KIPP School. The students also enjoyed and learned a lot from Lee Blinder, policy chair for the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs. This week's Spotlight is on musician Antonio Eyez who works with the students through the theatre program at The Lyric. All of this and much more are covered in this packed edition of TCS Student News produced by Kennedy Lewis and Khori Mitchell with production assistance by Rhys Guilfoyle....

For Holocaust Remembrance Day, also known as Yom HaShoah, we had a Conversation with longtime friend of TCS, Larry Gross.  Larry is the Founder and Head of the Coalition for Economic Survival in Los Angeles. He is also the son of a Holocaust Survivor. His Mom, Alice Sylvester, was taken as a teenager along with her Jewish family by Nazi soldiers from their home to Auschwitz in 1944. When she disembarked from the railcar, she was examined by the infamous so called angel of death, Dr. Mengele. Larry read his mothers own account of her story at the camp including the horrifying experience of his mom being stripped and in the gas chamber. The chamber malfunctioned and she was sent back.  As the liberating troops were getting closer to Auschwitz, the prisoners were rounded up into a death march to flee the camp.  Surviving all of this, Ms. Alice eventually was liberated. Her father and other relatives did not survive. Larry spoke about his own experience retracing his mom's journey.  He and his wife Mimi went back to the house in Mukachevo where the Nazi soldiers rounded up his mother and family.  Larry toured the city and saw the brick factory where his family was held before being taken by rail to the work and death camps. He then went to Auschwitz and saw the platform where his mom disembarked and then witnessed the barracks and ash pits in the vastness of this camp.  One of the most difficult parts of this retracing was when he arrived...

The students had a very informative and engaging Conversation with Lee Blinder.  Lee was recently honored by Governor Moore and is the policy chair for the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs as well as the founding Executive Director of Trans Maryland. The students were able to learn first hand about the issues that trans individuals face especially as they have become a target for a lot of hatred during this time. We appreciate Lee's open and honest sharing with us and look forward to a return visit because the students had so many questions left to ask....

Long term friend of TCS, Joe Manko, came in for a Conversation with the students. Joe is the Program Officer for Education at The Abell Foundation but has also been a teacher and the former Principal at Liberty Elementary School in Baltimore City. He comes in every year to talk with the students, sharing his experiences and perspective while also learning more about the students and what's important to them. Joe is always eager to learn about what's new at the school and check in with our community. Joe brought his friend Eryn Lessard with him to the Conversation. Eryn is the Director of Development and External Affairs at the KIPP school here in Baltimore. It was her first time visiting the school and she added a lot to the conversation sharing her experience as a teacher, librarian and school administrator. It was a lively discussion especially when it came to education policy and practices. Thank you Joe and Eryn for sharing your time with us. We also want to express our deepest gratitude to The Abell Foundation for their consistent support since Foundation President Bob Embry visited us nearly two decades ago....

[embed]https://youtu.be/2Zo69KbStH8[/embed] Tariffs are on everyone's minds across the world and the lead story on this week's edition of TCS Student News. Stories covered around TCS include the play Akeelah and the Bee and a Conversation with actor Dwayne Thomas who played two parts in the performance. Joining the Conversation was Center Stage staff Hope Hynson who also was this week's Spotlight on. Check out all of this and more produced by Danny Buck and Mohamed Cisse with production assistance by Rhys Guilfoyle....

Costumes were in abundance  at our last seminar at The Lyric for the year!  The students broke into groups and then each group went through the ample costume selection at The Lyric.  From there each group developed a theme and skit to perform. They also worked with musician Antonio Eyez to score their performance. The skits were all very entertaining and had meaning as well. The students will miss this chance to unleash their creativity and collaborate with their classmates.  it's been an amazing year full of activities. Our deepest thanks goes to the education team at The Lyric - Denise Gantt and Ebony Evans - for inviting us into The Lyric and planning these monthly seminars.  We also appreciate all of folks who make The Lyric possible - staff, management and the Board.  ...

We were excited to have Dwayne Alistar Thomas, actor in Akeelah and the Bee, and Baltimore Center Stage Education Artistic Associate Hope Hynson join us for a Conversation. Much of the conversation was about the play that we had just attended - both the performance and behind the scenes. Dwayne shared his background and how he approached he two characters he portrays in the play. Hope worked with many of the young actors in the play as part of her ongoing work incorporating youth in Center Stage. They both talked about how the play took shape. The students were also interested in their views on issues of the day and so a wide ranging discussion ensued. After the Conversation, Kendall, Madison and Ethan took Dwayne on a tour of the school including the studio and the greenhouse. He was particularly interested since his wife runs a charter school in Southern Maryland. We are so grateful for the overwhelming kindness of Baltimore Center Stage. It was a pleasure to get to know Dwayne and to have Hope join us once again....

The Trump administration's policies toward immigrants are on the minds ot students and is the lead story in this edition of TCS Student's News. Stories around TCS include a Conversation with Michelle Williams, a virtual field trip to learn about Baltimore's role in the struggle against segregation, Rhys's achievement of earning the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts and a special Spotlight on physical education teacher Eduardo Viana. This week's edition of TCS Student News was produced by Madison Hansel and Hector Rivas with production assistance by Rhys Guilfoyle....

If you haven't been to Baltimore Center Stage to see the play Akeelah and the Bee, then hurry to get your tickets now! We saw this most amazing performance today and were captivated by it. This local production included actors from the Baltimore School for the Arts whose abilities seemed to far exceed their age and limited professional experience. Zipporah, a former TCS Young Playwrights teacher also was outstanding in the play. The play centers around a young girl with exceptional spelling abilities from an urban community with deeply rich characters. It traces her challenges and journey on the way to becoming a national champion. The production is so deep, creative and active that it grabs your imagination and interest and doesn't let you go. The students all enjoyed the performance, and we look forward to talking with folks from Center Stage in our Friday Conversation. We extend our deepest appreciation to Hope, Erin, Stevie, Adam and all of our friends from Center Stage for making these experiences for our students possible. Baltimore Center Stage is a treasure that we all should appreciate with our attendance and financial support....

Rhys Guilfoyle, a senior at TCS, was awarded his Eagle rank tonight. This is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts. It was a heartwarming ceremony where Rhys was also given multiple awards of recognition for his dedication, service and leadership. Rhys gave a wonderful speech full of gratitude for his fellow scouts and the leaders who had invested in him with a special recognition to his mom. Jenae has been a volunteer andwith the Scouts leader since Rhys was a young child. His Eagle project was to help restore a section in Druid Park that was set aside to honor fallen military heroes. Rhys was instrumental in an effort to replant trees there and add plaques honoring those who had given their lives in service. We are all so proud of Rhys and his accomplishments. It was an honor for us to be there at this memorable moment in his life....