In Memory of Martin Luther King, Jr

The third Monday of every year is not just a no-school day, but it is a day to remember the powerful leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At ImpACT, we spent two weekends discussing with the students about what civil rights is and shared about all the ways we are thankful for Dr. King. The teachers and team lead had never seen these students so calm as when we were watching the “I Have a Dream” speech. Afterwards, the students talked about all their different friends and all the ways they were living in the world Dr. King dreamed about.

Each student picked a few of their favorite lines and created a collage to put the words of the speech into pictures. Using pictures ranging from children playing together, real red hills of Georgia, to portraits of our nation’s current president, the students illustrated their favorite lines. The students went through hundreds of magazines to find the perfect pictures that inspired and reminded them of the speech. Afterwards, in groups, the students shared what their collages meant and why they chose the pictures they chose—everyone’s was unique and personal.

The following weekend, one of the tutors read aloud from a book written by Dr. King’s older sister, Christine King Farris. All the students learned that Dr. King as a child was very much like themselves—full of energy and curiosity to learn more. One picture in particular showed us all the importance of hard work; it was a picture of Dr. King staying up all night to go through his speech for the twentieth time.

The teachers also asked some tough questions to  help the students as they wrote personal  responses to all they had heard. As we helped the students understand how Dr. King’s March on Washington has affected all our lives, we also hoped that these students will be the next leaders to create positive change in their generations.

Christmas Recap

It is hard to believe it’s been two months since JCC (JOYland Christmas Celebration) happened. It was the event we were all waiting for nearly two months before it actually occurred. Every year, ImpACT partners with JOYland, the children’s department at Gracepoint Church, to put on the biggest event of the year, JCC! All of us were excited to take part of not just any theatrical production, but one representing the true Christmas story! Long before the day of the performance, JOYland teachers were working tirelessly to perfect the various scripts, song lyrics, and dance choreography. Most of the ImpACT students and staff were involved in the “Case of the Missing Manger” skit.

In this skit, two clueless detectives – Mr. Rhee and Mr. Blister – and their smart side kick, Sammy – try to retrieve the missing manger that Jesus Christ was born in and catch the culprit who dared to steal it. We followed these sleuths as they interview sheep, dance with shepherds, and sing with the Magi – anyone who might have a clue. In the end we discover that the manger was actually stolen by the inn keeper’s own daughter. She did this because she didn’t think it was right that the manger was used as a money-making attraction. As we listened to her explanation, all of us – students and team leads alike – were reminded of how special the birth of Jesus Christ was and it should be treated with respect and awe.

JCC was a wonderful way for all us to celebrate and experience the true story of Christmas. For the ImpACT staff, it was hard  work to build all the props, search for the special music, make the costumes, and figure out the stage and lighting. But it paid off when we experienced the students bonding with us and with each other during the day-long extended practice sessions; when we saw the proud friends and family pour into the auditorium on the performance day; when we saw the cheesy faces and bright smiles of the students; and it was certainly worth it when we heard the students exclaim, “That was so cool! I love JCC!”

Just on the heels of JCC, ImpACT went to watch “Christmas Carol” at the A.C.T. (American Conservatory Theatre). It was a live performance with professional actors and amazing sound, stage, and lighting—plus larger than life props. For many of the students, it was their first time ever to see a live theatrical performance and they had many favorite effects and scenes to point out through the performance. Early in the show, we saw ceiling high city walls shifting back and forth to signify Ebenezer Scrooge’s lonely path home through England’s streets. The students’ heads were  turning excitedly left and right as they try to follow all the animated buildings and walls. Then we saw the tragic ghost of Jacob Marley, his chains, disheveled hair, and tattered clothes glowing ghastly fluorescent green as he rose up through a thick cloud of smoke to deliver his warning message to Scrooge. The most dramatic moment happened when the Ghost of Christmas Future appeared: not as a man but as a phantom – a menacing black curtain that filled the entire stage, floated in the air, with wings that opened and closed to reveal images of how tragic Scrooge’s future would be if he does not change his greedy heartless ways. Most of the students were speechless, but a few managed to whisper, “How cool!”

It was a sight to see: forty children and adults in the theatre sitting together, taking up four rows of orchestra seats. At intermission a neighbor commented that they were pleasantly surprised at how well behaved and attentive our students were during the performance. After the play the students had many questions, which showed us that they were very attentive to the story. Who was Jacob Marley and why was he in chains? Why is the third ghost not a person, but a giant black curtain? Before we left, we took a photo in front of A.C.T. to remember this special outing.

Magnetic attraction on ImpACT Sunday!

This month at Impact we got to learn about magnets.  Magnets are cool and kind of mysterious, but we got to play with them and see for ourselves how they work.  Did you know that all magnets have two poles?  They have a north pole and a south pole, just like the earth!  And that’s no coincidence, because the earth has a giant magnet inside it.  We discovered that a compass is made out of a magnet, too.  You might think that a magnet sticks to all kinds of metals, but we performed some experiments with them, and guess what?  They only stick to few different metals – iron and nickel, to be exact.  Watch out!  We were given magnets of our own so we can keep on investigating at home.

It’s a zoo out there

Impact went to the San Francisco zoo on a field trip recently. Everyone had a hilarious time at the monkey exhibit watching the various monkeys climb up poles and howl through the fence. The Impact kids also got to witness a penguin feeding. The kids watched in fascination as the penguins fought over the fish. Sometimes a penguin would fall on its face or fall right into the water which caused the students great delight.

A favorite for the students was the petting zoo. However intimidating the goats were with their horns and hooves, the students enjoyed combing, and feeding them. But the favorite part for the team leads was how well some students behaved. At each exhibit, some students took turns to read the animal descriptions and then shared their new found knowledge with the rest of their team. The students have obviously gotten closer to each other since they first met two months ago at Summerfest. Watching the students grow in trust and fondness was what brought great delight to the team leads.

The Science Behind Everyday

For the past two weeks, we have enjoyed learning from a new set of classes! Most of us like to eat candy, but watch out for those cavities! Teacher Gordon, who is a dentist in real life, taught us the importance of maintaining clean and healthy teeth. We got to see what tooth decay looks like when we don’t brush and floss regularly. Hmm…not a pretty sight. “Brush twice a day, for at least 2 minutes, and floss once a day.” We will try our best to take care of our teeth Teacher Gordon! Now…how do we get from here to there? Teacher Cindy and teacher Victoria taught us about how maps give us important information about many things, and not just directions! For example, did you know that certain maps can show us what the weather is like in different parts of the country? And there are maps that can show us what parts of the entire world children are most able to read? Wow, maps can teach us so many things! Vroom!! Vrooom!! Turn on the ignition and get ready to go! How many of us have wondered just what goes on underneath the hood of a car? How does a car work so we can accelerate with just a turn of the key and a press of the gas pedal? Teacher Jackson, through a transparent model, demonstrated how the engine inside a car works and what each part is designed to do. Amazing! These lessons have taught us how important science is in our daily life. Next time, we will have better understanding of the way things work when we brush our teeth, look at a map, or ride in a car.