The students had a special seminar course in American Sign Language taught by Peggy Lashbrook. Peggy started the course with an explanation of how she came to learn sign language and her lifetime of work in the deaf community. The students concentrated on learning the alphabet and 100 common words. All of the students enjoyed the class. The school is considering American Sign Language to be on the course list next year....
Learning about the adaptations and experiences of a person who lost his sight was a theme of today's conversation with Tommy Gibson. Facing imminent death from AIDS, Tommy survived and rebounded because he was fortunate to find a doctor who conducted one of the early medicine trials for the time before the current life saving drugs were available. In this same period he lost sight in both eyes. This life changing experience brought him from a successful career in computer engineering at Smith-Barney through a journey that led him to his current work as a massage therapist. Tommy was accompanied by his service dog, Argo. "I have a new understanding for completely blind people and how they get things done," said student Spencer Erdossy....
The school was honored by a visit from teacher and author Nonieqa Ramos on the same day that her book The Disturbed Girl's Dictionary was released to the public. Noni shared insights into her book and the writing process. The school was able to get an early release of the book and the students have been reading it all week both in class and at home. This young adult novel has the universal endorsement of every student in our school. Student Daj'a White said, "I really feel like this is a great book because It speaks the truth and also makes me think about myself." Noni share her time generously encouraging the students to share their writing and commenting on each one. She also took the time to talk with each student individually. Thanks also go to Martha Marani and The Ivy Bookshop for arranging this memorable visit. The book is available locally at The Ivy Bookshop and also through Amazon....
Students welcomed Northern District Police Commander Major Richard Gibson as part of the "Conversation with...
"Another Remington Boy Makes Good" could have been the headline for today's seminar with Ken Bancroft. His presentation was part of our ongoing series entitled "Conversation with...
We welcomed the Community School Initiative - CSI back as they held their first science lab of 2017 today at the school. This lab is part of a semester long biodiversity project that the students will maintain, observe, and use for experiments for the rest of the term. CSI is a student group formed by Johns Hopkins University students nearly 10 years ago to enhance science education at The Community School. It is supported through the JHU Center for Social Concern. They conduct labs for both the Physical Science class and the Biology class each week....
"Bryan is living proof that anyone can accomplish great things if you put your mind and skills to it." These sentiments from student Donald Lacy convey some of the inspiration gained from Bryan Ward today. Bryan has Usher's syndrome that caused him to be born deaf and to progressively lose much of his sight. Despite this, he has earned his master's degree in Human Resources. Bryan shared his experiences growing up and managing life while overcoming the limitations of his condition. He advised the students on picking a college and the importance of balancing campus social and academic life. The students were fascinated and thankful for the thoughtful interpreting by Kathleen Riley who also made the trip down from Delaware at the invitation of Peggy Lashbrook. Kathi and Peggy have worked with deaf-blind students for their entire careers "His story was really powerful and he let nothing get in his way," exclaimed student Jordan Leon. The value of Bryan's counsel and insights as well as his determination left a strong impression on the students. Daj'a White commented, "I know if he can get a college degree, I can do it also. He also showed me that deaf and people who can hear are just alike." We appreciate Bryan's time and ability to expand the awareness and possibilities of our students....
There was excitement in the air at the school today as Baltimore Raven's Defensive End Lawrence Guy and his wife Andrea came by. They brought complete turkey dinners for each of the student's families to enjoy on Thanksgiving as well as a gourmet pizza lunch for everyone. Lawrence shared stories about overcoming challenges with learning disabilities and adversity from those who sought to discourage him. The students and Lawrence discussed their common views about the habits needed for success as he reaffirmed for them how character, good habits, and determination have been keys to his career. Lawrence has been in the NFL for 6 years and with the Ravens for 3 years. We all deeply appreciate the kindness and generosity of Lawrence and Andrea and for leaving us with full bellies, some great stories, lessons to remember and inspiration to reach for our dreams....
The founder of the Show Your Soft Side anti-animal abuse campaign, Sande Riesett, visited the school today for a conversation with the students. Sande talked about the origins of the campaign five years ago as a response to combat animal abuse in Baltimore. Its goal was to change the mindset of young people who too often viewed the maiming and torturing of defenseless animals as a sign of “toughness” or “manhood." The group's work can be seen around town (and now in many cities around the country) with photographs of professional athletes and recording artists along with their pets. The tag line is "Only a punk would hurt a cat or dog." Sande has been a long time friend of the school and in addition to lending her considerable talent to the school over the years, her husband is Mr. Don, our long time creative writing teacher and mentor. The students were inspired by her story and several shared their visions for organizations that they would like to start....
We were all honored today to have Wendel Patrick come to our school to share his art and work as well as stories about his life. Mr. Patrick teaches at the famed Peabody Music Conservatory and has performed and lectured around the world. Students were able to experience his work on the renowned "Out of the Block" series from public radio as well as his music and a special video he produced with jazz saxophonist Scott Paddock. Mr. Patrick encouraged the students to think about themselves and how they spend their time with this challenging quote, "Whatever you spend your time doing, that's what you are." Everyone was so engaged with this conversation that it went well beyond the time set aside, so Mr. Patrick is coming in again on Monday morning for a wrap up where the students get to speak about the impact of his presentation. Wendell was invited to the school by TCS Trustee Fleesie Hubbard who also attended the seminar. You can check out Mr. Patrick's website by clicking this link WendelPatrick.com...