Closing Ceremony

While this blog cannot adequately describe the hard work done by the Brazil group during their time at Notre Dame, their dedication should be understated. They attended workshops and presentations for six weeks, producing lesson plans, projects, and activities that they would be able to take back to their classrooms in Brazil. They worked to understand the culture of the United States on a new level, and they connected with the South Bend community through their host schools.

To honor the work and participation of the Brazilian teachers, Notre Dame held a ceremony celebrating their accomplishments. Joined by so many friends they had met along the way, the teachers received certificates of their achievements and enjoyed a night of fellowship and fun.

 

We would like to give one more HUGE thank you to everyone who made the group's time at Notre Dame so special. Thank you to the South Bend Community School Corporation and all the teachers who welcomed the Brazilian teachers into their classrooms. Special thanks to Karla Lee for making that partnership happen. Thank you to the Brazil Club of Notre Dame and to Sandra Teixiera for her support to the teachers. Thank you to the numerous departments at Notre Dame that helped us with problem solving before and during the program to make sure everything went smoothly. Thank you to Stew Markel and Anne Bolster for their classes. Thank you to the language coaches for your hard work and friendship. Thank you to Katy Lichon, Clare Roach, Jenny Dees, and Joyce Johnstone for making this program possible. And thank you to everyone else who did so much to help us out along the way. We will be forever grateful.

Penn High School

In addition to the incredible welcome we received from the South Bend Community School Corporation, we were also invited to visit Penn High School in Mishawaka. The size alone of Penn High School is enough to leave an impression, and the Brazil group was able to take a tour of the school and meet some of the students who attend it.  

The technology available to students at Penn High School left the group wanting to see more of what the school had to offer. Below you will find links to some of their student activity groups and the work that they produce. 

For more information about the Penn HS robotics team, the Black Knights, visit their website at: http://robotics.phmschools.org/

They also have a rockin' YouTube Channel! 
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=UUaKS4EYNThuMYrY1gk_I9Xw

Also, the Penn HS news network, PNN, has loads of stuff for you to check out:

• Their main YouTube Channel where they post their show
• https://www.youtube.com/user/PennNewsNetwork
• Their main news website where they post stories written by students - 
• http://massmediastudies.net/
• Their Twitter profile -
• https://twitter.com/pennnewsnetwork

Bonding and School Boards

On Super Bowl Sunday, we watched the game and the advertisements at Notre Dame's sports bar, Legends. We were joined by some of our partner teachers from the South Bend Community School Corporation. The school community has been so kind and welcoming during this experience, and it has been a pleasure getting to know them.

The next day, we visited the SBCSC School Board meeting, where we introduced ourselves, explained our experience in the schools, and expressed our gratitude for the opportunity to enter the schools. 

Clay High School

Clay High School

Clay High School was one of the two high schools where some of the Brazilian teachers had the privilege to co-teach. Clay's vision statement to prepare students to face life and its challenges is deeply imbedded in the way in which the school runs. Our teachers had the chance to see the day-to-day happenings of the school and become part of that lifestyle in some small way. The entire group was even invited to watch a basketball game at the school, a great cultural experience for the Brazilian teachers. Thank  you so much to the students, faculty, and administration of Clay High School for provided such a rich experience!

Some of the Brazilian teachers showing their school spirit:

Washington High School

Washington High School

Two groups of Brazilian teachers co-taught at high schools within the South Bend Community School Corporation. One of those was Washington High School. Washington's mission is to provide its students with the skills, knowledge and behaviors necessary to be productive citizens in a rapidly changing society. The Brazil group had the amazing opportunity to get to know United States classrooms and how language learning happens in all classrooms, regardless of the subject matter. We would like to give a huge thank you to the students, faculty, and administration of Washington High School for provided us with this incredible opportunity!

Some photos of the group who co-taught at Washington and some of their co-teachers:

Brown Intermediate Center

Brown Intermediate Center

It's hard to think of a group of teachers more dedicated to getting to know all of the Brazilians than the group of teachers at Brown Intermediate Center. Their work both inside and outside of the classroom contributed greatly to the success of the Brazil Program at Notre Dame. The bonds made between the Brazilian teachers and the students, faculty, and administration of the South Bend Community School Corporation speak mountains of all the people involved in making this program successful. Thank you to Brown Intermediate Center for being a part of our program!

 The Brazilian teachers with some of the teachers from Brown Intermediate Center. 

Jackson Intermediate Center

Jackson Intermediate Center

Six of the Brazilian teachers had the privilege of co-teaching at Jackson Intermediate Center. The school mascot is a tiger, and you can bet that the students, faculty, and administration at this school have a lot of pride! The Brazil group is so grateful for the warm welcome they received at Jackson and for the incredible experience they had there. From observing to getting a ton of student interaction, the Brazilian teachers learned so much visiting the South Bend Community School Corporation schools! Not only were the co-teachers for Jackson great sources of information, but also they became great friends during the the course of the Brazil Program.

Some pictures of taken at Jackson Intermediate Center

Dickinson Fine Arts Academy

Dickinson Fine Arts Academy and our Brazilian Teachers

During their stay at Notre Dame, the Brazilian teachers had the great pleasure to co-teach at five of the South Bend Community School Corporation's schools. Six of the Brazilian teachers worked at Dickinson, which is an amazing Fine Arts magnet school that has made INCREDIBLE strides the last few years. Thank you Dickinson students, teachers, and administration for making us feel so welcome and letting us be a part of your amazing school!

The school mascot is the bear and we took pictures with their once living stuffed bear!

South Bend Schools

On Sunday evening, the Brazilian teachers attended an opening dinner to begin their experience working with the South Bend Community School Corporation. Starting this week the Brazil group will split up and visit five schools throughout South Bend. With six teachers each at Clay and Washington high schools, as well as Jackson, Dickinson, and Brown intermediate schools, the Brazil Program hopes to provide its participants an authentic experience to work with students and schools in the United States.

The dinner served as an opportunity to meet some of the teachers with whom the Brazil group will be working over the next five weeks. 

Members and staff for the Brazil Program are particularly thankful to Karla Lee and the administrators, faculty and board members of the South Bend Community School Corporation for being so welcoming and accommodating.