end of the year celtics celebration

The Celtics and City Year have partnered up to help motivate students to improve their behavior, coursework and/or attendance.  At the beginning of the  year, students were selected who needed to improve in one of these areas.  Throughout the year, their progress was checked and prizes (Celtics tickets, bowling with Rondo, etc.) were given out based on improvement.  Today was the end of the year celebration to reward the students who made the most improvement overall. 

Two of my girls from morning reading were chosen, as well as JR from Course Coaching, so I was super excited when Danielle asked me to go. The actual event was kind of a disappointment, but I think the kids had fun.  It was supposed to be a party with food and the Celtics dancers and ten of the City Year schools got to invite ten students each.  Instead, there were a few cookies and Lucky the mascot (who was still a big hit) and still a ton of kids.  It was at the Museum of Science, so we watched a movie on the huge screen they have, but the movie was kind of boring.  The only exciting part was the awards ceremony.  They gave out sweatshirts with each student's name on it, along with bracelets and two tickets to the science museum for each student.  The best though, was the prize they gave to the student who had improved the most from each school.  JR was the most improved from our school and I was such a proud corps member. She got a signed basketball from all of the Celtics players and they read a little blurb about how she went from failing ELA to getting a B (I'd like to take a little bit of credit for that one, thank you very much!). She is so shy, she didn't want to go and stand up in front of everyone, but I told her I would take the ball for myself if she didn't go up and get it. In the end, she went up, but she was so embarrassed. The championship trophy and ring were there, so we all took a bunch of pictures with them and the people running the event had them printed out and framed by the time everything was done. In the end, it wasn't the best event and for all of the students who didn't get a signed ball, it kind of sucked, but I think they just get excited to do something other students don't.  Because there wasn't food like we promised them, we took them out for pizza afterwards, which was probably their favorite part.  

I always think things like this are a ton of fun because it gives me a chance to hang out with my students outside of school.  I don't have to be the mean guy or be the one forcing them to study.  I can just hang out with them and hopefully earn some cool points along the way. JR might not have shown her excitement because she's a girl of few words and hardly ever raises her voice, but I know she was smiling inside.  I'm so proud of her and all of her hard work.  It made the entire afternoon worth it. 

Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough; we must do.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe