Students Celebrate Earth Hour

On March 18, students at Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy and representatives from ComEd and Exelon corporations joined together for an Earth Hour 2009 Rally.  The event informed and energized the student body about Earth Hour, a world-wide event that encouraged every home and business to turn off all electricity from 8:30-9:30pm on March 28. 

Exelon Vice-President Helen Howes worked with the Future Problem Solvers student group and Rowe-Clark's Multi-cultural Literature teacher, Ms. Davis, before the rally to create a dynamic presentation for the event.  The campus's student rock band provided musical entertainment; they played John Mayer's "Waiting for the World to Change" to energize the participants.  Exelon Vice-President Carl Segneri spoke to students about the signifant role that energy plays in today's world and on future generations. Members of the Future Problem Solvers were also invited to attend ComEd's official City of Chicago Earth Hour press conference on March 28.  Rowe-Clark student David Rangel spoke at the city's Earth Hour Rally.  He and fellow classmate Ana Boror were later interviewed by NBC Channel 5 news at the press event- watch the excerpt here.

Gary Comer College Prep Students Win Award for Short Film

Four Gary Comer College Prep students earned second place in the McCormick Freedom Museum's national student expression contest.  This year's contest theme was "Seen and Heard".  Over twenty entries were submitted in the film category, and the Comer students were among the youngest winners overall.  The students' short documentary is about the right to privacy in high schools.   View their winning film here. Their work will be part of a one month exhibit at the Freedom Museum, and highlighted on the Museum's website.  The students created the film via their participation in an after school program sponsored by Free Spirit Media.

Noble Students Act Out 7 Habits

Students enrolled at Noble Network campuses participate in character education based upon Sean Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.  Students read the text as freshmen and practice the habits throughout their time at Noble.  Students are currently busy preparing for the third annual Network-wide production of the 7 Habits.  Students act out seven skits that exemplify the habits of the book.  The entire production is student-run including the writing, acting, directing and the creation of publication materials to publicize the play.  Read about one student's experience, below, as a 7 Habits Show alumna.

My name is Lisette Garcia and I am currently a sophomore at Noble Street College Prep and a 7 Habits Show alumna.  The 7 Habits Show is a student-led production based on a bestselling book by Sean Covey, which all students read their freshman year.  In fact, the basis for the book is for all teenagers to develop and demonstrate seven habits: be proactive, begin with the end in mind, seek first to understand and then to be understood, sharpen the saw, think win-win, put first things first, and most  importantly, synergize.  Our production is important because it gives students, especially freshmen representing all campuses within the Noble Network, a chance to demonstrate what they learned from the text, and from each other.  Any freshman would benefit from this experience because it gives them a chance to break out of their shell. This year I share the role as a director for the 2008-2009 7 Habits production with other Noble Street College Prep and Golder College Prep alumni.  Since 7 Habits is written by the cast, acted out by the cast, and produced by the cast, alumni directors are needed to provide focus and constructive criticism in the process to ensure the play runs smoothly.

The 7 Habits helped me succeed in high school so far in many ways: I have gained more confidence in myself, learned more leadership skills and gained patience. Those three concepts are what continue to help me flourish in other areas such as my sports teams, debate team, and other extracurricular activities. Also, it has helped me become more organized in what I do.  I strongly encourage staff, community members and supporters to come and support the third annual show. By doing so, you not only support the freshmen but you support a new generation of Noble students.  We all strive for excellence at Noble and uphold the key values that our school was built on. The 7 Habits Show reinforces the three characteristics Noble students bear everyday: honor, discipline, and scholarship. Every teenager wants to feel the love from not only their advisor but from teachers and friends as well.  They have struggled and put their heart into this production; the least we can do is support them. Be noble.  We look forward to seeing you in the audience on Friday, April 24th!

Noble Students Shadow Professionals

On March 20, five Noble Street College Prep students were given the opportunity to shadow a professional for the day.  Noble students visited the University of Chicago and McMaster Carr to experience a professional work setting alongside two of Noble's Auxiliary Board members, Emily Dean and Drew Maurer.  The board members talked about the path from college diploma to career, and how their degrees and skill-sets helped them earn jobs.  Students prepared questions for the professionals and were given a tour of each facility.  Valuable experiences like job shadowing lend students insight as to how various sectors of the workforce operate. If you are interested in hosting students for a partial or full day of job shadowing, please contact Rachel Kramer.

Cooking at Noble

As part of Noble Street College Prep's 21st Century After School Learning Center, students can sign-up for a semester-long cooking class.  They earn academic enrichment credit and learn about basic culinary techniques.  The class is taught by a Kendall College upperclassmen who has over five years of experience in the field.  As part of the course students learn about kitchen safety, knife skills, cooking methods, culinary history and renown chefs.  The course reinforces math and science skills learned through their core academic classes, as they scale recipes, perform cost-analysis formulas and learn about the chemistry of food.  The class culimates in an "Iron Chef" competition in which students each select a dish to cook for a panel of mystery judges.  

Noble Auxiliary Board Spotlight: Sunita Monhanty

Sunita Mohanty has been a member of the Noble Auxiliary Board since 2008.  She works for the Chicago Public Education Fund, a venture philanthropy partner of Chicago Public Schools that works to fund initiatives to strengthen human capital within the district.  Sunita joined the board because she wanted to get more involved in education on a school-level and admired Noble's approach to education and the strong culture of the Network.  Sunita's favorite board event is the annual Bowling for Books event book because of its relaxed atmosphere and because it easily allows for mingling among Noble alumni, staff, board members and other guests.  Through her involvement on the auxiliary board, Sunita hopes to "support Noble's mission of providing quality secondary education and helping students to become successful members of society."  She hopes the board's fundraising and service activities contribute to students' success at Noble and beyond.  When asked what she hopes to personally gain as a board members she said, "I am learning a lot about factors that have contributed to Noble's success. I hope to continue to learn about what challenges students at Noble face, and how Noble helps address these challenges and prepare students for a successful future. I also hope to continue to meet more like-minded individuals through the board who are dedicated to this great cause."  If you or someone you know is interested in joining the Noble Auxiliary Board, please contact Shea Coughlin.

Network Wide Community Service Highlights

Across the Network, Noble students will perform over 26,000 hours of service during the 2008-09 academic year.  Community service plays a significant role in students' success, and service occurs at the campus level on a weekly basis.  Over time, strong partnerships have been developed between Noble and community organizations like The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Northwestern University Settlement Association, Hermosa Community Center and the Franciscan House.  See students volunteering in various capacities in the photographs below.

Above: Noble students sort, package and weigh food at the Greater Chicago Food Depository at a March community service trip.

Above: Students pose with Noble Street College Prep Community Service Director, David Biele, at the Hustle Up the Hancock event, where they volunteered at the gear check and snack tables.

Abov: A Noble student clears fallen tree limbs at the Cook County Forest Preserve.