04/29/2009 "BANCROFT - A STUDENT SURPRISED ME"

Yesterday was Tuesday and I went to Bancroft. The normal routine happened, I got there, the students were eating lunch in the classroom and then I walked them to gym with the teachers. We played a really fun game in Gym Class and my team, the green team, won! After Gym class was over we went back to the classroom and worked on Mathematics and Individualized work. One of the students, who can't talk too well, absolutely surprised me yesterday when she was working with one of the teachers. She knew ALL 10 of the presidents that the teacher showed her, she's a HUGE Barack Obama fan haha, everytime the teacher said Barack Obama, she would pick up the picture and rub it all over her body haha! She even learned about 3 new women to add to her collection. One of them being Rosa Parks. The only women I knew of was Rosa Parks, but this student knew the other two women also and I've never even heard of them! Hearing the student say the names of these two women put a huge smile on my face and I'm glad I was there to witness such a wonderful time during my experience.

04/29/2009 " CRAZY SUV FOLLOWED ME TO Bancroft Yesterday"

So yesterday, I went to Bancroft and had a really great time like usual. However, I was a little scared on my way there because this car was following me from the Paint Works turning onto 561 to Bancroft. Every time I switched my lane this SUV behind me would too and I was absolutely freakin out! Finally I was about two minutes from Bancroft and the SUV was still behind me, I didn't know what to do. I put on my blinker to turn into Bancroft and bamn what do you know.. the SUV was also turning into Bancroft. I was so scared! I pulled into one of the parking lots and the SUV turned into the lot before, whether or not that SUV was truly following me and trying to scare me to my destination or whether they actually were going there I will never know, but it was an expericence I never want to encounter again.

04/29/2009 "DICTIONARY GAME"

Jab/Jabber! That's the fasinating word that I had to talk about for a minute and half in the wonderful dictionary game. I talked about different situations such as jabbing with sharp objects and how I once saw a Lifetime Movie about a daughter who jabbed her mother with a knife because she wouldn't let her go out for the night. Crazy much!? Uhh yess absolutely! Well anyways the dictionary game, I believe is a great game because it helps people work out their public speaking skills, something that many high school students fear. I believe this game, has helped many people in my class prepare for our final presentations for Senior Project!

04/29/2009 "BANCROFT'S PLAY"

Last Friday, I went to Bancroft because they had their Spring Production at Haddonfield High School. Each class had a different theme, based on a certain month. The class that I usually visit at Bancroft had the month of June, so they did a 4th of July theme and it was absolutely adorable. They marched out to independence music and showed how proud they were that the United States of America was finally free! In the background of their skit they had a banner that was painted on a white, felt sheet, with the White House drew out. The students took so much time making this, so I was glad to see that it looked great when it was displayed behind their skit. I brought Natalie with me and I hope she had a fun time. I was planning on introducing her to the Occupational Therapist at Bancroft, but every time I wanted to call out her name someone else had gotten to her before me. I also wanted to introduce her to my class, but they got to the production right as it was starting so I didn't get to do that unfortunately. However, as soon as my class started to perform, I shouted out every one's name and started to clap, I even started to shed a few tears!

04/23/2009 "BANCROFT YESTERDAY"

Yesterday, I went to Bancroft, it was a bit different because I usually go on Tuesdays. Every Tuesday the students have Gym Class, but on Wednesdays the students have Art Class. It was really cool going there yesterday, because every Tuesday it's the same routine over and over again, but Wednesday was a complete change for me. Normally when I go to their class on Tuesday there eating lunch in their classroom, but on Wednesdays they ate lunch in the Cafeteria. It's nothing too big of a thrill, but it was just cool to have a change at Bancroft. Also it was one of the teacher's birthday so when we got into the Art Room, the students surprised her with cake and ice cream! And also since it was Earth Day yesterday the students cut out pictures of the Earth and cut out pictures of people to stretch out across the Earth. It was a really neat project! :)

04/22/2009 "MR. VICK AND MR. PAUL COME TO LINDENWOLD"

Yesterday Mr. Vick and Mr. Paul came to Lindenwold High School during 7th and 8th period. During those periods they discussed the importance of making your final presentation as exciting as possible. The actual presentation needs to be Atlas 40 minutes, so if your talking for 40 minutes and not engaging your audience they will fall asleep or look extremely bored/dead in their seat. There are a few good ways to keep an audience involved and if you follow those ways you will turn into a great presentator. The first, NEVER play a video clip of more than 40 seconds (you can however, do more than one video clip), and next ENGAGE THE AUDIENCE, I can't stress that anymore!

04/17/2009 "Last Official Day Of Spring Break"

So today is Friday, the last official day of Spring break and I haven't done anything too productive this whole week. I did a few things here and there, but nothing exciting, unfortunately. However, I did think about Senior Project, I think for sure I'm going to make a brochure advertising what a great non-profit organization Bancroft is! In completing that, I can also use my Public Relations skills to advertise my brochure and make Bancroft a better known school for people who don't really know about it.

04/13/2009 ......

I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GRRREEEAAATTT EASTER (:
ENJOY SPRING BREAKK ENGLISH CLASSS! HAHA.

04/09/2009 "SET IN MOTION FOR PROJECT"

I am very stoked to begin this wonderful project portion of Senior Project. I feel as if I’ve been waiting all year for this and this moment has finally arrived. I have decided to create a brochure to show awareness of autism and the affects it has on people today. Since I am doing my Senior Project at Bancroft I plan to add them to my brochure and talk about what a great non-profit organization they are. I plan to have my brochure catch the eye of the reader. I hope to incorporate bright, colorful colors so the reader will be like “wow, what’s this brochure!?” This project is unique and creative because autism is an ongoing issue all over the world and there is NO cure for it. People need to know what autism is because it seems like more and more people are getting diagnosed with it everyday. This project will fit into my presentation because my whole experience for Senior Project took place at Bancroft School in Haddonfield, New Jersey so I would love for people to learn about what a great school Bancroft is.

After volunteering and observing at Bancroft, I’m not too sure if I want to get into Special Education anymore. I’m thinking about getting into Public Relations. Public Relations can pretty much fit into anything. By creating this brochure I will be telling about my experiences at Bancroft and creating it on a Public Relations aspect, by presenting it to many people to raise awareness for such an ongoing issue across the world. It will help me speak in front of large groups of people for whatever I decide to do in my future. It will help get rid of my stage fright and my stutter. I think the only person who can help me with this project is myself. I started this project on my own so I believe I must finish it on my own. An obstacle that I know I will face through this project is timing myself at a good pace. I am a huge procrastinator and I hope this project will help me manage my time a little bit better.

04/08/2009 "BANCROFT YESTERDAY; BREAK A LEG!"

Yesterday I went to Bancroft and the whole arrangement that usually happens when I went there happened. However, Friday April 24, 2009 all of the Bancroft students attending Bancroft are going to perform a school play at a local high school. The class that I always work with are doing a 4th of July play and I'm so happy for them. The teachers in the classroom yesterday asked me to come on Friday and it truly did mean a lot to me. I wish all of the students in the whole school the best of luck and to "break a leg!" I will let you know how it went once I see it!

04/09/2009 "SPRING BREAK SENIOR PROJECT"

Who is SUPER EXCITED for Spring Break!? I know I am! Over Spring Break I don't plan on just being lazy and totally forgetting about Senior Project. I was planning on going to Bancroft on Tuesday, but they have off too. So during my break I hope to gather some more ideas for what exactly I plan to do for my Final Presentation. I got a lot of ideas from classmates yesterday, but over the week break I plan to have something set and stone on what exactly I plan and want to do. As soon as I know I will keep everyone informed. Also tomorrow I will be meeting with my mentor so I will discuss some ideas with her.

04/06/2009 "ROOMMATE for WVU :)"

So yesterday I applied for housing for WVU and I found out who my roommate is. I took a survey and my top 20 results came back and this girl, Molly, came back with 100%. She threw me a friend request on facebook and we've been chatting so I'm pretty excited to have her as a roommate. I'm glad that I'm getting a chance to meet my roommate in advance, so I don't have some crazy roommate who I absolutely hate and don't get along with. Finding a roommate definitely is getting me more stoked to start my future :)

04/03/2009 "PROJECT aspect of Senior Project" hollaaaa!

I think for the PROJECT aspect of Senior Project I want to go to a meeting or convention of some sort and listen to people talk about Autism. While I'm there I hope to take tons of pictures, even videos! I have to find out where I can get this take done at though because I haven't been looking. I think I want to now major in Public Relations, so if I could go to this meeting and discuss what I've been doing that would definitely get me a head start in that department! I'm super excited and this is just an idea that I would like to do for Senior Project, so when I know for sure what I want to do I'll keep you posted :)

04/02/2009 "First Track Meet Today"

Today is the Girls First Track Team Meet! So I'm pretty excited, I'm not on the Track team itself, but I'm on the Field Team, but the fielders run like we're on the track team. We run so much and I hate it, but I guess it's good because I will be getting in shape, and I'm not in shape whatsoever haha. I needed a fourth blog so I decided to blog about the track meet today and I will let you know how it went!

04/02/2009 "School #4 Yesterday"

Yesterday, I went to School #4 and sat in on a preschool classroom. The kids are so adorable, three of them were sleeping when I got there. I got there around 1ish, which I guess was lunch time because most of them were eating. The teacher asked me to pick a book for each of the students to take home and read so I did that and I enjoyed doing it. It was a little difficult though because I wasn't sure if the student already read that book or if they'd even like it. After I put all the books in the students book bags, I helped clean up the room a little bit, by picking up the blue mats that were laying on the floor and putting them to the side.

After the other two students woke up, we had circle time, and I read about three books to the students. I had such a fun time!! The one book so was.. "If your happy and you know it" so we all sang along to that.. I had a great time and I hope to go back soon!