On Tuesday, 11 June year two of Q5 commenced. The first few days were met with high energy and enthusiasm. We are so grateful to the PA and CEF as none of this is possible without their generous financial support last year. Thank you! Also, I want to thank all the parent volunteers and members of the CCHS educational community in Boston, Carlisle, and Concord, who opened their business doors in support of Q5 and our students.
The weather was wet on the morning of day 1, but we did not let that dampen our spirits. Day 2 brought beautiful weather and lots of fun, and day 3 feels a bit like winter. Nonetheless, students and staff are working hard to make year two another successful campaign.
Below you will find a small sampling of the dozens of classes we are offering over the four days of Q5. Also, I include the Q5 Course Catalog - June 2019.
June 14, 2018 Blog Post
June 25, 2018 Blog Post
Students will take field trips to different museums and galleries each day. Destinations may include The DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), the Harvard Art Museums, the MIT Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, and various galleries on Newbury Street and in the South End. Discussions will take place in the galleries. The goal is for students to gain an appreciation for what’s happening in the art world, learn how to look at and talk about all kinds of art, and experience the many excellent museums and galleries in the Greater Boston area.
Get Out and See Art!
Course Description:Students will take field trips to different museums and galleries each day. Destinations may include The DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), the Harvard Art Museums, the MIT Museum, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, and various galleries on Newbury Street and in the South End. Discussions will take place in the galleries. The goal is for students to gain an appreciation for what’s happening in the art world, learn how to look at and talk about all kinds of art, and experience the many excellent museums and galleries in the Greater Boston area.
Learn to Machine Sew: Dress A Girl Around the World
Course Description
Students will learn to sew with a machine: parts of the machine, threading the machine, and sewing straight and zig-zag stitches. Students will cut a pattern, sew the pattern pieces together, and finish the edges to complete a garment. Students will be given the choice of making a dress for the Hope for Women International Organization "Dress a Girl Around the World. "
Cake Decorating
Course Description
Students will learn about, share ideas and tips, plan, and experiment with frosting colors to ultimately decorate cakes, cookies, and/or cupcakes. There may even be a visit with a local professional cake decorator. Students will also fill any time not needed for decorating with selections from the following: board games, card games, a movie, a walk outside, a simple, on-site community service project.... students will unplug and relax in a stress-free environment.
Pictured below are students visiting Sally Ann’s Bakery to learn from some local experts.
June Trip
Pictured below are students who are heading to Switzerland making Chinese Dumplings (aka "Peking Ravioli", aka "Pot Stickers") with Ms. Mahoney and Ms. Slocum. This is not a Q5 course.
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| Amazing Race Participants at Clarke Farm in Carlisle |
CCHS Amazing Race
Have you seen the CBS series, Amazing Race? This course is similar to the tv show except that students from CCHS will be the participants. Students will be assigned small groups and tasked to navigate surrounding cities and towns while completing various challenges and visiting checkpoints. The course will require students to utilize their problem solving and creative thinking skills to navigate around a different city each day. Along the way, students will learn a little history about each location. Students will need to navigate public transportation and other obstacles associated with maneuvering around a city.
Day 1: Amazing Race
Although the weather was a bit wet at the start of the day, we didn’t let it dampen our spirits.
We kicked off the race with students finding their teams and then competing in four challenges on campus at CC. We then met as a group to review the overall game and then they were off with half of the teams heading to Concord Center and the other half jumping on a bus to Carlisle.
In Carlisle, there were several challenges including a visit to Carlisle Middle School to do some campus beautification prior to their 8th grade graduation, a Price is Right style game at Ferns, a numbers activity at Coldwell Banker, a letter writing campaign to Veterans at the Gleason library, a push-the-car challenge at the Carlisle Police department, and farm work at Clark Farm Market.
In Concord, students also competed in many Challenges including making flower arrangements for residents at Peter Buckley, bagging snack bags at Open Table, shooting basketball shots at Hunt Gym, investigating the library with QR codes, learning more about the Community Chest, tying a tie at Blue Dry Goods, gathering food at Crosby’s and a real like financial challenge at Cambridge Savings Bank.
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| Amazing Race Students at Community Chest in Concord
Day 2: Amazing Race
The day welcomed us with sunshine and an early morning train ride. We departed Concord station at 8:11AM to head into North Station. Upon arrival, the large group split into two smaller groups.
Groups 1-8 headed for Beacon Hill to follow the Black Heritage Trail. They stopped at various locations along the route including the John Coburn House, Hayden House, and Robert Gould Memorial. Students also made a stop at the Charles Street Meeting House where one member performed a piece of a poem written by an African American poet. Additionally, students spent some time in the Commons around frog pond and singing a song on the bandstand.
Once the hunt on Beacon Hill was completed, all 40 students met at the Statehouse to had lunch with Senator Barrett, Representative Gouveia who both represent Concord and Carlisle. The previous night students wrote advocacy letters and discussed some of their points with these legislators. Following lunch, we headed up to the executive office to see Governor Baker’s office and take a glimpse (and many took a selfie) on his private balcony.
Groups 9-16 headed to the Boston Harbor to begin their hunt at the Armenian Heritage Park. Along their way to South Station, they walked by the Tea Party Museum and the Aquarium. Upon reaching Dewey Square, the teams had lunch together before walking back to North Station.
 
Rep. Tami Gouveia & Senator Michael J. Barrett
Additional Q5 CCHS Amazing Race Photos
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Service in our Communities
Course Description
Students will have an opportunity to volunteer at places like the Yawkey Club of Roxbury (Boys and Girls Club of Boston), Cradles to Crayons, Franklin Park and the Pine Street Inn for service involving local youth and various projects.
Students will have an opportunity to volunteer at places like the Yawkey Club of Roxbury (Boys and Girls Club of Boston), Cradles to Crayons, Franklin Park and the Pine Street Inn for service involving local youth and various projects.
On Tuesday, students spent the day at Loaves and Fishes in Devens. I include a note from the folks who were kind enough to host students and staff from CC.
'Thank you so very much for bringing your students to Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry yesterday. The kids were fantastic and accomplished all of the tasks assigned. The gardens and grounds look so good! Please extend our thanks to the students, as well."
On Wednesday they enjoyed another excellent service experience this time at Lazarus House, a shelter in Lawrence that accommodates over 40 residents and helps serve meals to as many as 900 people per week. Students sanded and painted headboards, cleaned windows, organized food deliveries in the food pantry, spruced up landscaping by weeding and trimming overgrown brush and trees, and created Fourth of July decorations for residents.
The staff at Lazarus House complimented our students and appreciated their determination and help!
June School Trip
https://mrcoanart.com/
Keeping Yourself Safe: Practical, Effective
Self-Defense
Course Description: knowing how to keep yourself safe and defend yourself if necessary is both valuable and empowering. In this Q5 class, you will learn and practice strategies and techniques for personal safety. We will learn how to avoid dangerous situations, escape from common grabs and attacks, build power and confidence, develop a toolbox of skills, and examine what we can do to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe.
Below are CCHS students Chuck Moreau and EJ Vasiliadis
and Sarah McMorrow practicing a technique against Mr. Goldberg
Students at Stone Zoo
Pictured below, Clare, George, Tyler, and Jack explored the Stone Zoo in Stoneham today, where they were joined by our friends from Littleton High School.
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| Kate Lee-Dubon, Susan Tan, |
Writing to be Published
Pictured below, Susan Tan’06, the author of the Cilla Lee-Jenkins series, speaks to Writing to Be Published and Creative Writing Students.
In addition to working on writing your piece, we will discuss the art and business of writing with professionals in the field: authors and editors that work in a variety of genres will give you tips on how to pursue a career in writing.
Description:
There’s much more to being a writer than just writing. In this course, students will focus on writing one piece (an essay, a short story, a set of poems, a graphic novella – this will be up to the individual) that we can then work on publishing. We will discuss how to identify suitable publications that might be interested in your work, how to pitch your work to editors, how to incorporate feedback, and – perhaps most importantly – how to handle rejection without losing faith in your abilities!
In addition to working on writing your piece, we will discuss the art and business of writing with professionals in the field: authors and editors that work in a variety of genres will give you tips on how to pursue a career in writing.
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| Boston: the old, the new, and you! |
Boston: the old, the new, and you!
Course Description
Students will research the history of our beautiful city and will explore Boston, its iconic and historical sites, the old, and the new. They will gain an understanding of this city with a population that speaks more than 140 different languages and is one of the world’s most culturally diverse cities. Some highlights: several walking tours, boat trip to George's Island and Fort Warren in Boston Harbor. Students will research and share information on
sites and neighborhoods.
En Plein Air Painting and Picnics
Course Description
A studio art course based on drawing and painting the landscape from observation and direct interpretation. Techniques include impressionism, expressionism, abstraction, and experimental projects. All levels of ability are invited to participate, no studio experience required. This course will be locally based, and daily agendas will include walks to aesthetically significant sites in the area, art making, and potential visits by professional landscape artists. This course also features daily picnics organized by the members of our painting group.
Path of Thoreau's Paddle
Course Description:
Participants will explore the canoe trips of Henry David Thoreau along the Concord, Sudbury and Assabet Rivers. We will canoe daily with journals and maps. We will sketch, read, and write to compare the water and landscape of today with that of Thoreau's time. We will reference Thoreau's written work and that of other naturalists who have retraced his trips on the water.
Tuesday, the rain let up early, and we had a great time paddling up the Sudbury from the Boat House. We ate lunch on Witchhazel Island in Fairhaven Bay, one of Thoreau's favorite destinations. Wednesday we had a beautiful adventure from Route 20 in Wayland down the Sudbury River meandering through expansive flood plains to our take out at Route 117.
Tuesday, the rain let up early, and we had a great time paddling up the Sudbury from the Boat House. We ate lunch on Witchhazel Island in Fairhaven Bay, one of Thoreau's favorite destinations. Wednesday we had a beautiful adventure from Route 20 in Wayland down the Sudbury River meandering through expansive flood plains to our take out at Route 117.
Flag Football
Course Description:
This course will teach students fundamental flag football concepts as well as improve student coordination, agility, overall fitness, and spatial awareness. Each day we will perform a dynamic warmup, specific drills and compete in a 5 vs. 5 flag football game.
Day 1 @ group at Nahanton Park on Charles River.
All Things Paddleboarding
Course Description:
Standup Paddleboarding (SUP) is exploding as a sport that provides access to all different types of water, levels of activity, and an opportunity to explore the natural surroundings and wildlife. Students will learn the basics of SUP, including different strokes, working on balance, and how to be safe on the water. Students will learn and experience SUP from three different locations on the Charles and Mystic Rivers. To provide a maximum number of students access to the equipment, students will Paddleboard for half the day and kayak for the other half of the day. The 4th day will be spent on a guided kayak tour of Boston.
Outdoor Adventure
Course Description:
Join us for a Project Adventure Student Leadership Course! You will travel to the Project Adventure ropes course in Beverly Ma, where you will participate in adventure training and explore your leadership style. Adventures include; zip lines, team climbing while on belay, hiking and fun Project Adventure games. There is a leader in each of us, take the course and bring that leader to life!
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