URI Equestrian Team

I know that this post might be some what late, but I just got back from Germany last night, and I am glad that I waited to write this post until now. Although I was in Germany to focus on myself and my own riding, I found myself thinking a lot about the URI Equestrian team, and how much they would have gotten out of an experience much like this one. The German system of riding is so much different then the system in the states, and so much more effective. A lot of the girls on the team only want to focus on jumping, and some think that drawing a good horse is the only way that you will be successful in riding in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association and also in the other circuits that many of the girls compete in outside of the university. In Germany riders master both Dressage and Jumping, and they believe that a good rider can not be truly great without mastering at least the basic knowledge of these equine principles. I was very happy that I had the chance to volunteer with the URI Equestrian team because it gave me a great understanding of another side of the sport that I have never been involved in, and although I do not see myself ever switching over to the hunter/jumper ring from the dressage ring, I did find a lot of respect and understanding for the riders who do choose to compete in that field. I no longer as a dressage rider see the taboo of hunter/jumpers, as so many people in the dressage world do. This experience knocked me down to the bottom rungs of knowledge, as I could not offer much help to the riders except for the universal basics, which at first was uncomfortable for me because I am used to be asked so many questions and to give my opinion because in the dressage world, I know a lot. It was humbling to work with the URI Equestrian team, as well as a learning experience that I will not forget!

Jamestown Melrose Elementary School

Hello all!

I spent the past two weeks at the Melrose School in my home town of Jamestown. It is an elementary school of pre-k through 4th grade which I also attended. My time was primarily spent as a teacher's assistant in one of the fourth grade classrooms. I helped out where ever I was needed; some of my tasks included running errands, making copies, correcting assignments, and even teaching math lessons. Overall, I found the experience to be extremely rewarding. It reminded me of my childhood, something that I am pleased to have remembered in this transitional period of my life (from everything that I have known in my childhood to adulthood in college). There is one thing, however, that had the most profound affect on me and is what I would like to share with you all.

On my first day, the students walked in giving me skeptical looks. They didn't know who I was or why I was in their classroom. Gavin, one of the boys, asked Ms. Tuttle, (their teacher who I also had in the fourth grade) "Who's that?" Her response was, "This is Ms. Rounds." Ms. Rounds. That statement set me aback a bit. To me, someone with a Ms, Mrs, or Mr and a last name attached was an adult that I was to show respect. I had never thought of myself in this light before. Even though I am eighteen, which in our country marks adulthood, I had never thought of myself as an adult. I considered myself to be a child, relating more to the fourth graders called by their first names than the teachers called by their last name. However, with the simple statement of "Ms. Rounds," I became an adult in the eyes of those students and, to them, was more alike to the mature teachers than themselves. Because of this, I had an image to uphold and had to (in an essence) embrace my status as an adult.

Throughout the whole two weeks, this was the one thing that stood out in my mind. It is funny how such a simple thing could cause me to analyze myself and who I am. It is as if I went into the Melrose School as a child and came out an adult (ironic how a place that started my childhood education was able to complete it as well). Going into the project, I hoped that I would be able to learn more about myself, but I never imagined that it would impact me enough to change the roots of who I think I am. If only because of this, my time spent at the school was truly rewarding because it helped me not only reconnect to myself, but also aid me in a life altering transition.

- Liz

D.C Service Trip

The Lincoln School Service Trip to Washington, D.C was truly a unique and personally moving experience. This trip opened my eyes to the many issues that plague our nation’s capital, and really got me thinking about possible solutions to the overwhelmingly large problem of homelessness in a capitalistic society. In just five days, I learned so much about homelessness and the thousands of individuals affected by homelessness in the D.C area.
Although it is difficult for me to admit, I was one of those people with all of the horrible preconceived notions and stereotypes about homelessness. Simply put, I was ignorant to such a large and significant issue that our society is faced with. However, while in Washington, all of my horribly generic and uninformed notions of homelessness were blasted by the individuals that I met and spoke with at various sites around the city.
One thing that really struck me was that so many homeless men and women were so optimistic about their future, despite their unfortunate circumstances. I had many moments where all of the issues in my life seemed so trivial compared to the harsh reality that homeless individuals face on a day-to-day basis.
Another thing that really surprised me was the general consensus among homeless individuals about being treated as though they are invisible. This is something that I had never really thought about. Thousands of people in D.C alone walk by homeless people trying to sell the Common Sense newspaper and people stride past and act as if the homeless don’t even exist. Fortunately, Lincoln Girls were there to offer smiles and say hello while others mindlessly walked past. What was so shocking is that these seemingly insignificant little gestures meant so much to these people, and many homeless people thanked us for our smiles and blessed us for simply saying hello!
I walked away from D.C as a changed person. I met so many individuals that had truly incredible stories and rich histories. Successful people, depressed people, people from foreign countries and children alike are affected by homelessness. I am very aware of this now. So how are we going to fix this?

Thank you Mr. Gustave, Ms. DiChiaro, and Houda for being such great chapperones!

-Sydney

Washington DC.

My trip to DC was many things: humbling, rewarding, and very influential. I guess coming into the trip I was quite skeptical of a few things (that I'm embarrassed to admit now). However, by the second night I was really surprised by the people I met and the experiences that I was able to be a part of.

The first full day in DC, I traveled to Martha's Table with Gianna, Mimi, Kara, and Melia. We made over 200 PB&J sandwiches and packaged desserts. I was really impressed by this organization because they run their own after-school programs and daycare for kids. They also collect clothes and sell them to families for more affordable prices.
That night, we made dinner for a small group of guests. Most of our guests were homeless, but they had such interesting backgrounds and told us each very insightful stories. We held the dinner at the YSOP building in downtown DC. I met some incredible people at this dinner. One was named Sammy and he worked upstairs in the office for Street Sense, a newspaper published by the homeless to create awareness in the community. He told me that he was the sole survivor of a terrorist attack in Kenya (his home). He was stuck under ruble for three full days, until authorities found him and saved him. Now, he was in the United States trying to make some money for his family back home in Kenya. He told me that his life was never easy though, he always had to work very hard to make an earning, especially in the United States. He also expressed his desire to return home and see his family. What surprised me most, however, was that every person I spoke to was extremely intelligent. Sammy and I discussed the new immigration laws passed in Arizona and he told me about some books he had read (written by famous authors, who unfortunately I had never heard of). All our guests also seemed to convey the same message to me in one form or another: never give up hope, but keep fighting. That message really spoke to me and to my senior year. I had complained about so many things leading up to this trip. I had thought I was so unfortunate for so many reasons. And now, looking back, I'm ashamed of myself. People on the Washington DC trip taught me that there was hope for the future and they really taught me to appreciate what I have now. At the end of the trip, I felt privileged, but I also felt extremely honored to have met the people at YSOP and in the greater Washington DC community. Every single day they work to help people who are struggling; something that I personally dream of making a career of.

I would also like to thank Mr. Gustave, Houda, and Mrs. DiCharo for chaperoning the trip. Without your help, everything would have been impossible. Many sincere thanks!

Ruta Ziukaite

Laurel Hill

Every morning, the 2nd grade class at Room 3 begins with the greeting, "Buenos Dias!"
My class is 2nd grade bilingual class that contains a mix of regular and special-ed children. 9 out of 25 children are special-ed, and their problems include speech impairment, learning disability, and behavior problem. Despite their problems, all 25 children's eyes are glittering with joy and happiness whenever they greet to me.

The class contains two main teachers and one assistant teacher. The class is broken into different groups during math and reading in order to improve students' concentration and learning efficiency. During reading time, I worked with 3 groups with different English levels while in math I consistently worked with three children. It was interesting to see how children with different English level understand the book in different ways. Cristopher, for instance, has very low English level and he glances through pictures to assume what the story is about. Vijerpsis, on the other hand, is one of the brightest children in Room 3 and he is able to read the story in English, then tell me the summary both in Spanish and in English. It was fascinating for me to observe how each of 25 children in one classroom learns differently and how he/she affects the learning process of others.

Another great opportunity that I received in class was to teach math in Spanish. Currently the 2nd graders are learning about three digit numbers. In the first week students learned the three digit numbers that come one before, after, and in between other numbers. In the second week they moved on to the addition of three digit numbers. Working with a group of three children, Brayan, Alexandra, and Shirley, there were many times where I had to use Spanish in order to help them understand the concept. Brayan and Shirley are special-ed; Brayan has learning disability while Shirley has speech impairment, meaning that she cannot speak and read properly. Having two special-ed children in my group, I found my very low Spanish level to be helpful. (Occasionally I listed to teacher's explanation in order to learn some mathematic terms that I could use to children in my group. Not only I was amazed by my capability to explain math to bilingual children but I also realized with my heart that I must continue learning Spanish in order to help more bilingual children out there that contain great potential.

While being "Miss ChaeLin" at room 3, I also interacted with the three teachers, through which I had a chance to learn about hardship and difficulty of being a teacher. Every Tuesday, 2nd grade teachers attend a meeting with representative from Providence School in order to to report what they have taught and to plan for the next week's teaching. Through the meeting I was able to learn the rigorous structure of school as an organization. One of the main teacher, Mrs. Pazmino, informed me that teachers needs to be flexible in order to properly adapt to changes, both in academic and in terms of their position/payment, made from the executives of the school and supervisors sent from Providence School. Along with Mrs. Pazmino's helpful advice I also learned from Mrs. Cruz the importance of great organization skills. Every part of the classroom including all supplies like books, math cubes, and word cards, is perfectly organized and labeled. Therefore there was no case where teachers had to find anything. I was so grateful to learn many values from both main teachers and it was also interesting to see how the two teachers work together and fill in what each other is lacking. The great cooperation among three teachers was what really drove the class in Room 3.

It was a true bliss for me to get to know the stories about each child and also about each teacher. Each student had different personalities but Mrs. Cruz kept telling me about the great love and dedication that parents of these 25 students have. Although things would have been easier for the parents to return to their home country, (most of the parents are not able to read or write, and plus they know very little English) the parents decided to stay for the sake of their children's better education. Coming from different county and having observed hardship of my parents, I could really feel the deep love of the parents with my heart. Learning about their great love also motivated me to try to give all what I have to give at least a small help to children's learning.

Even now when I close my eyes, I can picture the 25 children's beautiful faces, the faces of two dedicated teachers, and beautifully organized classroom that is teeming with love and care. I still think that I was so blessed to have this opportunity and I realized once again that I must continue to learn Spanish and other languages in order to help many other bilingual children in United States who truly deserve great education.

I believe that the service opportunity at Laurel Hill must be continued in the future year. Lincoln has already established positive relationship with Laurel Hill and many students including me were greatly inspired by their interaction with children and teachers. I can promise that it will be an eye opening experience for anyone.

I was very happy being "Miss ChaeLin" for two weeks, in Room 3 at Laurel Hill. I exchanged love and joy with 25 children and three teachers, and this love and joy that I received will stay within my heart forever and they will encourage me to continuously serve for others. I cannot express more how blessed I am for such amazing opportunity.


- ChaeLin Suh

Elementary School Art Class

I had such an amazing time at Sackett Elementary School and William D'Abate Elementary School that I forgot the two weeks were for a school project. Nina and I spent each day shadowing the art teacher through her K-5 classes. The children were so excited to have us there and we were showered with hugs daily from the little ones. Ms. Meyers, the art teacher, taught her older classes about the color wheel and mixing colors, while she taught her younger kids about drawing family and self portraits. For each class we walked around and helped with any questions the kids might have. This is easier said than done when some classes spoke entirely in spanish. I have to say my knowledge of spanish colors is getting much better though. In the bilingual classes, I was amazed at how much the kids who understood us would help the ones who had trouble understanding english.
For the most part all of the kids we met were amazing and so eager to learn, but there were a few who were known as the "troubled" kids and were very ill-behaved. I tried to talk to them a few times but often they would just completely ignore me, and most times the teachers, and I would have to give up. Disrespecting the teachers was something that really shocked me at these school. At Lincoln, I could never imagine anyone acting in the way that these kids would react to some teachers. Although I believe that both of these schools are amazing and are filled with wonderful teachers, I realized how lucky I was to have the education at Lincoln that most kids are not fortunate enough to have. I really was blessed to grow up with two families, one at Lincoln and one at home.
I learned so much from our time at these schools. The children that we met taught me about the appreciation they have for little things. They are easily excited by the small things, whether it be receiving a pencil from a teacher, or having me graffiti their name on a scrap paper (not very well). I learned that I really loved being with and teaching these young children.This project gave me a look at the different types of school systems in Providence, and their pros and cons. I hope that I will have an opportunity like this again soon.
-----Stacy

Crossroads

I not only learned so much during my experience with Crossroads, but I also had so much fun with the kids! Marie and I met with Chontell the beginning of the first week and she gave us the freedom to plan all the activities for the families in the shelter for the next two weeks. She explained to us that half the battle of putting on a great activity is getting the family’s attention and making it fun. The kids that we worked with at the shelter ranged from 2 weeks old to about 15 years old. At first, I was very nervous it was not going to be the experience I thought it was going to be because these families are in one of the worst situations they can be in. The stress that comes with being homeless and unable to provide a home for your kids is so great.
Marie and I offered 4 activities over the course of the two weeks for the families. We had a Treasure Hunt, Olympics Day, Reading and Puppet making day, and a Scrapbooking day. Everyday that we did not have an activity planned we were busy planning for the others or at the shelter helping with whatever we could. Each activity got better and better as the weeks went on. We became so much more comfortable at the shelter and with the families. We created bonds with each family and especially the kids. We got to know their names and they got to know us. The kids were so full of life and excited to see us everyday. The most rewarding thing for me about my experience was to see the huge smiles on the kids’ faces as they were having fun with us. I would always look at their mother’s and I could see that for that one hour that we were having fun with their kids all the stresses of living in a shelter would go away and they couldn’t help but smile when their kids were smiling.
Dr. Kozel came to visit us on scrapbooking day, which was our last day. One mother was very excited about making the book because she and her two kids are victims of domestic abuse and the children’s father had their baby books so she had no pictures. Another family that was there loved doing crafts together and they made beautiful memory books. That mother told us that we really were able to bring fun into living in a shelter and really make some special days for them and her kids have been saving all the prizes we had given them. To hear that made the whole two weeks so meaningful to me because I was able to step out of my comfort zone and provide families who are in an overwhelming situation an escape from it all. Marie and I made them smile and made them forget about all the stresses in their lives for a little while. Chontell will also be able to use our activities again. I am so happy to know that during these past two weeks I helped people who live in the same state as me and that the activities I created will be used to excite families for years to come.
All the women who worked at the shelter really impressed me. They truly love what they do and believe in the cause. I really enjoyed working with them and it made me feel like I really accomplished something when they wanted to keep us for the rest of the summer as our project was coming to a close. It was a very rewarding experience especially because Marie and I planned it ourselves; we made the connections and we worked everyday to make our activities so great! All the work we did was greatly appreciated, but I believe that I took away more from the experience than they will ever know.

Sarah