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News Letter Article
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Article for Bildersee Beacon Newsletter /
Bildersee Beacon Afterschool & OST Programs
Written
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Something exciting is happening in Brooklyn.
Every afternoon Monday thru Friday, young people
from kindergarten thru high school enjoy
creative and educational enrichment activities
at the Bildersee Beacon Center. From 3 to 6pm
Beacon classes for youth ages 6-13 are
facilitated, and from 6 to 8pm OST programs for
youth ages 6 – 18 are conducted. The Beacon
After School Program & OST Programs, with
funding provided by New York City agencies,
provide a warm atmosphere and structured
educational environment where young people of
all school aged groups can learn and grow while
having fun.
Classes and workshops are facilitated by
experienced professionals. Classes range from
homework assistance, reading and math tutorials,
hip hop and step dancing, drama, arts & crafts,
youth leadership, basketball, volleyball,
soccer, martial arts, life skills, computer
skills, chess, music, drumming circle, creative
writing and journalism.
Everyday Beacon students meet for their first
activity, a healthy afternoon snack provided
free in Bildersee’s clean-scrubbed supervised
school cafeteria. Here is where the learning
begins. Children learn the art of etiquette,
good manners, respect as well as
self-discipline. Next they are escorted to their
classrooms for supervised homework assistance,
after which they may participate in further
academic enrichment, crafts activities, reading
or writing. Some students are enrolled in
dance, sports or other activities. The Youth
Leadership is creating a Beacon school
newsletter. The fifth graders are participating
in an experimental creative Friday music and
poetry program.
On Fridays, my fifth graders don’t have to be
concerned with doing their homework. Instead,
we begin the afternoon with a poetry prompt and
creative writing exercise. Students will take
turns reading and reciting the poem and then
together as a class. We discuss the poem, and
they write their responses to a handful of
related questions. Then the music is
introduced. Students use hand-held percussion
instruments, such as bongos, rainstick, egg
shakers, chimes to create spontaneous music and
rhythm while we read poetry together in various
ways. Such an experience helps the students
focus their kinetic energies in a creative
productive manner, and also demonstrates to
themselves and others their ability to create
actively as a cooperative team. They enjoy
making music and I am proud of their unified
effort. Everyone has fun. The finale is when I
play my original songs on guitar and the
students join in as a “band” with the
instruments I have provided. On a recent Friday
afternoon, we were given an opportunity to
demonstrate our wares to the third grade class.
On learning that the class was soon to come into
our room, my students and I arranged the seats
in a semi-circle and put on an unrehearsed
performance. Kayade, who has been taking
saxophone lessons, and had his instrument with
him on this fortuitous day, along with a Miles
Davis “So What” CD, became the voluntary emcee,
leading the younger class in a lesson on
different kinds of rhythms. The third graders
were delighted to experience and touch these
different instruments and repeat the rhythmic
patterns they were shown. My student then
demonstrated how to dance to these rhythms, to
peals of laughter. Bryce, Phillip and Melvin
created a rhythm section with bongos, shaker and
rainstick, while Kayade treated the younger
group to some saxophone riffs accompanying Miles
Davis on CD. As a grand finale, Kayade
introduced me as the next act. I played two
original songs on guitar and sang story and
message, as my fifth grade students played
percussion beside me on our “make-believe”
stage. The youngsters listened in rapt
attention, and then maturely applauded, some
wanting to touch or play the guitar. We
conducted a little question and answer period
and I praised my musical “group”. As students
and their teacher were leaving our room and we
were putting the desks back in order, my
students said, “Can we do this again? Can we do
another concert soon?” I said, “Absolutely.
Let’s start practicing.”
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