Features

Hidden Gem: John F. Collins Park

June 5, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Rifa Islam, staff writer

The last thing you’d expect to find in the middle of the shopping life at Rittenhouse Square is a small and serene little park, but that’s exactly what’s there. If you blink you’ll miss John F Collins park, so keep your eyes open! Located on 1707 Chestnut Street, right between a little bagel shop and Buffalo Exchange, the park seems a bit out of place. While everyone is rushing to get to work, window shopping, or just having a laugh with friends, this park stays still and offers a place for people to take a second to unwind from their hectic lives.

There are lime green tables with matching chairs, electric against the dark leaves spread out against the walls. It’s perfect for a cup of coffee and a snack with a friend after school or even for some alone time. Additionally, there are small wooden benches, protected by the canopy of trees above. Though the park is quite small, it doesn’t feel congested. There’s always plenty of space to walk through without bumping into anyone. Mr. Collins, the original designer of the park, definitely thought his plans through.

My favorite part of the park, hands down, is the big fountain. It brings all the elements of the park together like the centerpiece of a jigsaw puzzle. The sounds of water bring a sense of peace and relaxation, something we all need every now and then. You can always sit on the steps in front of the fountain for a closer view, or throw in a penny for good luck.

When you’re sitting in the park, it truly feels like you’re no longer in the city. It completely transports you to a different world, one where it’s okay to take a break. Living in a bustling city like Philadelphia can get a bit crazy at times. Sometimes the workload, deadlines, and even our personal lives can get to be too much to handle. This park is a perfect place to take a second off or to actually complete that assignment you keep forgetting to turn in. Wherever you are in life, this park can at least provide a pretty place to experience it.

New Teachers Of Next Year

June 2, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Staff Writer: Dylan McKeon

e2912298-9595-4ae4-ab42-659d68f7176b — Mr. Symonds, one of the new teachers coming to SLA next year

This year SLA is saying goodbye to not only the senior class, but several teachers as well, including Ms. Thompson and Mr. Miles. As a result of their leaving, two new teachers have been brought in to fill in for Math and Computer Science along with history teacher, Mr. Symonds.

Mr. Symonds will be teaching 9th grade African American History and 10th grade World History. A graduate from Swarthmore College, he has been a teacher for three years and is very excited to come to SLA.

“I feel very, very positive about SLA and its different approach to learning,” he said. “I deeply appreciate that SLA zigs when so many schools zag.”

His favorite lesson he taught was a unit on justice and mercy were his students corresponded with a death row inmate in Georgia named Kelly Gissendaner, who became an ordained priest while serving time. “Our work with her helped to illustrate for my students that good people can make mistakes. I was proud that the project prompted my most reluctant learners to write, and that it surfaced many students’ sentiments about their incarcerated family members.”

What will he bring to SLA? “I can guarantee lots of passion, creativity, sometimes-funny jokes, and an enthusiasm for making the life of our school fulfilling, difficult, fun and memorable. I am eager to leave the classroom with students and to explore the world together. On a more practical note, I want to support student events, clubs, and other goings-on.”

Mr. Hernandez will be teaching Math and Computer Science, taking over the program started by Mr. Miles. He previously taught math at Esperanza Academy in North Philly after working as a software engineer for Apple for 12 years.

He is very excited to teach at SLA and teach using the project based method that SLA runs on.

“I was always fascinated learning new math concepts in the classroom,” he said. “But it became fascinating and rewarding when I got to apply those concepts to projects as an engineer. To get to do both while still in the classroom is a great combination that I want to participate in.”

His favorite lesson he taught was an Algebra II lesson on credit cards.

“I feel great pleasure every year when my students not only understand how credit cards/loans work, but also can calculate (using a real credit card bill) just how bad an idea it is to pay only the minimum monthly payment.”

What will he bring to SLA? “I’ll bring a passion for the subjects I teach and a unique worldview based on my experiences as a Latino, an immigrant who has resided in a variety of countries, a father, an engineer, a big fan of independent music, and a cinema enthusiast.”

Ms. Burnstein was scheduled to teach Statistics in Mr. Miles’s place, however despite being initially thrilled she ended up backing out due to the lack of a contract between the school district and the PFT making it too risky.

The new staff will be rounded out by a new Statistics teacher, who SLAMedia will interview in the future.

Spotlight: Student Drug Use at SLA

May 23, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

By Michaela Peterson, Chuckie Copeland, and Aaron Watson-Sharer

As most people know, drugs are an ongoing issue in American with a lot of angles. . On one hand, drug use continues to cause major disruption in our society. For example, 46.6% of inmates in federal prisons are there because of drug related offenses (Source). On the other hand, certain states are seeking to decriminalize or even legalize the use of certain substances. What do these trends mean at the high school level?

When SLAMedia started talking about student drug use, we had the vague impression that everyone at SLA at least knows a student who regularly uses some form of illegal drugs. But was this perception real? SLA Media wanted to find out exactly how many students do what, when, and how much. We formed a group of three students — Michaela Peterson, Chuckie Copeland, and Aaron Watson-Sharer — to be our Spotlight team. These students have spent the 2 months creating and tallying school wide anonymous survey and analyzing the resulting data. In total, 290 students were surveyed from all four grades.

In this article, we will go over some of the information we have found. For the rest of the school year, we will be reporting out about various drug related issues in the school. Below we have put together an infographic of some of the basics.

We hope that this information gives the school community some hard facts which may challenge (or confirm) their assumptions about student drug and alcohol use. As always, we seek to present the facts as plainly as possible.

For the remainder of the school year, we will be publishing various articles about this issue. We will be interviewing people about their experience with drugs at SLA, and how they think it affects the school.

Locker Talk: What is Your Worst Benchmark Experience?

May 23, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Meymey Seng, Staff Writer

“EVERY SINGLE ONE, just kidding. My worst benchmark experience was my first algebra project. No one communicated nor worked together so we ended up getting a bad grade and having to do everything over again.”

–Alyssa Eastwood, 9th Grade

“My worst benchmark experience was when I got a 0 from Ms Thompson.”

–Christian M., 10th Grade

“Algebra benchmarks are always the hardest for me. I always make minor mistakes that I don’t realize until the end.”

-Chhievling Seng, 11th Grade

“Never hate a benchmark. Some are more challenging than others, that’s the fun of it.”

–Tamidul Bhuiyan, 11th Grade

“My worst benchmark experience was in junior year. The first quarter Algebra 2 benchmark was about something I forgot about, but I remember that I spent HOURS working on it and it turned out I didn’t know what I was doing. I got a 35 on that benchmark.”

–Nagee Graves, 12th Grade

Three Teachers Say Goodbye to SLA

May 19, 2016 by lpahomov Leave a Comment

Over the years, you form bonds with the people that teach you and help you grow into a better, more educated person. This year, the graduating class of 2016 is not only saying goodbye to the senior class, but a few of the much loved teachers that have helped us get where we are today.

To acknowledge them leaving, we at SLAMedia have interviewed 2016’s departing teachers, to see what they’d like to leave as a legacy, and what they’ll never forget about their time with us.

Math Teacher Caitlin Thompson

What are you doing after you leave SLA?

I’m hoping to work part time for both Inquiry Schools and Little Bellas (national mountain bike camp organization for young girls, littlebellas.com). I’m also hoping to spend more time with my daughter who will be 1 at the end of the summer.

What’s a favorite SLA memory?

I have a lot of fond memories but my favorites have all been traveling with students both to Liverpool in 2010 and on the river trip in 2011, ’12, ’13, and ’14.

What do you hope your legacy is at this school?

I hope that more students will get to travel and do Outward Bound field trips.

Math Teacher Mark Miles

What are you doing after you leave SLA?

I will be the media specialist for a private high school in Minnesota. I will help the school modernize the library into a media space, help the teachers integrate technology into their curriculum, and help the school transition to a one-to-one laptop program.

What’s a favorite SLA memory?

My favorite SLA memory was the class of 2014 graduation. I was so proud of my advisees for their accomplishment, and I was so happy to be sharing the stage with them in that moment.

What do you hope your legacy is at this school?

Having created three electives (2-day and 4-day computer science engineering and creative writing) that will live on next year is a pretty neat feeling (maybe one day Theater Arts will make a comeback). One of my favorite things about teaching at SLA has been being able to teach students the things that I loved. I’m excited to see these classes continue after I leave and see what the new teachers bring to them.

Math Teacher Mark Bey

What are you doing after you leave SLA?

I am moving to New York city to teach at a small high school in Harlem. There I will be teaching a couple Spanish classes but will also serve as a Dean of students; helping the new school grow school culture and I will be working with the 1st 12th grade class.

What’s a favorite SLA memory?

I guess my most vivid and strong memory of SLA happened in December 2010, when I found out my niece passed away. My advisee saw me devastated in the hall crying and he just gave me a big hug and support. At that moment I realized that I was more than just a teacher to my advisory but we were a family that cared about one another.

What do you hope your legacy is at this school?
I hope students remember me as a teacher who in class I was consistent, fair and supportive. Outside the classroom I hope they remember how much I enjoyed planning prom, graduation and other social events for the school that I think added to the school culture. That I was a teacher that you could talk to, laugh with and be yourself.