Wacky Week

Today the High School was invaded by numerous villains and heroes. To keep order among these mixed personalities the Empire sent a delegation from their Battlestar accompanied by her highness Princess Leia, Obi Wan Kanobi, Luke Skywalker and others.

Graded in the Local News

Read about Graded's Ilha do Cardoso project featured in the Veja SP, a local news online magazine. The article written by Carolina Giovanelli celebrates the volunteer work encouraged by American schools in Sao Paulo. She highlights the work done over the last twelve years by Graded students to uplift the lives of the inhabitants of Ilha do Cardoso. Great job Graded.

The Next Steps with Challenge Success: Create a more balanced and academically fulfilling life for our students.

We had a lively discussion at yesterday's High School PTA Coffee about the culture and climate at Graded. We used what we have learned from our work with Challenge Success to frame the discussion and participants were asked to take a stance on several position statements. They had to decide where they felt the Graded parent community stood on the topics of homework, future university plans for their sons/daughters, extra-curricular activities, and posting of grades on Veracross. The group also developed statements about the school culture that faculty and students will respond to. This was our first meeting after releasing the data and we are clearly moving into an action phase. The next steps include:

• Begin the dialogue with faculty and students 
• Join the Challenge Success community and begin working with them on an action plan 
• Recruit Volunteers for a team of representatives from all stakeholder groups

Below is the presentation from yesterday's meeting. We'll be sharing the parents' views after sharing with the faculty. Please feel free to add comments and/or questions using the comment feature below. We look forward to getting input from a larger group of community members.

Bricks is Back!

In association with TETO, Bricks is excited to announce that on Sep. 27th, 19 students will be going on our first trip. During the weekend, Graded students will have the opportunity to do a hands on community service, constructing houses for the families in the Native Brazilian Community of Tekoa Pyaui. Created to provide emergency dwellings for those living in poverty, TETO, active in Brazil since 2006, has constructed over 1040 homes for families in poverty in the districts of São Paulo, Osasco, Carapicuíba, Santo Andre, and Embu. 

Thanks!

Bricks

Graded's Brazilian Model United Nations (MUN) Leaders

This weekend, 5 Graded students flew to Rio de Janeiro to attend the Brazil Model United Nations (BRAMUN) Chair Training. Since BRAMUN is an entirely student-led conference, they met with other leaders from schools all over Brazil to plan and organise the event, which will take place in March 12th-15th.

Luiza Gundim - Secretary General

Maria Clara Bezerra - Political Committee Chair

Stephanie Prufer - Human Rights Chair

Pooja Singhi - Security Council Vice-Chair

Daniel Almeida - Special Committee Vice-Chair

Sandra Stoneman - Advisor

Stress in School: A dramatic look at high school life

In the US television series Boston Legal, one of the episodes included a court case where a parent was suing her daughter's school for her death. The daughter died while falling asleep while driving. This segment may seem like an advertisement for Challenge Success since they even mention Denise Pope, co-founder of Challenge Success. We will be using this clip during the High School PTA Coffee on September 25th.

Celebrating Brazilian Independence This Week

During the next 10 days there are three events planned for the high school where we will celebrate different aspects of Brazilian culture. Next week the focus will be on Bahian culture. We are certainly fortunate to have the support of so many talented and dedicated parents. This support makes the events even more special. 

Tuesday, September 3 @ the High School Assembly we have the pleasure of listening to Marina De La Riva perform the music of Bahia. (1:10 - 1:50 pm in the auditorium)


On Thursday, September 5 the PTA will present exhibits throughout the hallways. You can bet that we'll all be treated to the culinary treats of Bahia. (8:15 am - 3:10 pm)

From VisitBrazil.net

One Monday, September 9 Dr. Mailson da Nobrega will present to the High School student body on O Brasil deu certo. E agora? (Brazil has worked. And now?) (1:00 - 1:45 pm in the auditorium)

Graded MUN: "there is no winning, there is no losing--the only people losing are the ones who don't try."

Last Saturday, over 80 Graded students came to school to debate world issues and gain more public speaking experience in the third edition of Graded Model United Nations. This year, a system of mentors was established so that experienced MUNers were encouraged to help the new delegates. Our motto was "there is no winning, there is no losing--the only people losing are the ones who don't try." The entire conference, from choosing topics to ordering snacks, was organized and led by Graded students and it was a great success. Our delegates are now ready to start preparing for upcoming conferences, such as SPMUN, which will happen next month.

Secretary General: Luiza Gundim

Chairs: Stephanie Prufer, Maria Clara Bezerra, Daniel Almeida, and Pooja Singhi

Vice-Chairs: Alan Garcia-Ramos and Aron Chi

Chief Information Officer: Paula Soares

Secretariat: Luiza Sayão, Vaughn Gardner, Hyo Sang Kil, and Rina Fujikawa

Advisors: Ms. Stoneman, Ms. Baumgarten, Ms. Janewicz and Mr. Collins

Class of 2014 Senior Sunrise

On Thursday, members of the Senior Class arrived at school at 6:00 am to enjoy the sunrise on their first day of school. They also broke out the hoodies. We're still trying to figure out when this tradition started. Anyone know?

The Awards and Graduation Ceremonies: Collaboration at its best

This video shows the culminating event at what is arguably Graded's best event of the year. Yesterday the setting was beautiful, the student and teacher speakers' messages were profound and the music was of professional quality. It was truly a special celebration for the Graded community. 

After the ceremony a parent asked me, "Who designed the stage setup?" I had to think a bit because there were many people who were responsible for creating and building the backdrop for yesterday's event. In fact, every aspect of the event required a team effort. The Graduation Ceremony and the Senior Awards are the two main events for the seniors each year and they are excellent examples of the power of collaboration and team work. These ceremonies are meaningful because of the care and consideration that our faculty and staff devote to them. I'd like to thank all of those who contributed to these two memorable events.The list is certainly impressive.  

• David Bair - David coordinated the show with the entire team and he prepared the seniors during two rehearsals.
• Adelaide Garcia - Adelaide has been on top of ordering and making sure that everything is in place since August. She spent an entire day two weeks ago assigning seats. 
• Daisy Krell and Isabela Gasparian - Provided support whenever it was needed.
• Carmen Souza - Carmen helped with the senior awards ceremony and pre and post graduation assistance.
• Lika Kishino - Lika was involved in preparing and publishing the graduation program.
• The Maintenance Team - They built the new risers and have been working on the auditorium all week. 
• Dona Emilia and her Crew - Maybe the last time that the graduates have Dona Emilia's brownies and apple pies.
• Aleandro Oliveira - for the amazing job with the sound and lights.
• Robbie Stange and the Band - Fantastic performances today.
• Guilherme Faria - Arranging and performing in today's interlude
• Graduation Speakers - Ney Vieira, Lee Fertig, Amy Hunt, Mie Mizutani, Pollo Suarez, Julia Wu, Maggie Moraes, Sherry McClelland - Fantastic messages from each one of the speakers today.
• Senior Musicians - Alessandro Mondelli, Juri Takeda, Hyun Ho Lee, Kyeong Ho Park, Henrique Carneiro, Peter Greenwald, Caio Mello, Kyle Bissel, Pollo Suarez, and their backups Leo Oliveira and Kevin Bengtsson - Possibly the most talented group of musicians Graded has ever had in one class before.  
• Cory Miller and Todd Daniel - Planning and organizing the awards ceremony and calling out the graduates' names yesterday.
• Cleaning Staff - They were some of the last people to leave the school last night. 
• Senior Awards Presenters - Alain Youssef, Peter Klam, Mary Pfeiffer, Wayne Shackelford, Cris Matheus, Ty Stephensen, Jed Oksness, Robbie Stange, Guilherme Faria, Maggie Moraes, Adriana Silveira, Lauren Pool, RJ Jensen, Guilhermo Loyolla, Allyson Milner, Ange Molony, Guadalupe Alas, Beth Ramos, Jennifer Carpenter & Karin Gunn, Gila Fregonesi, Lee Fertig  - Each department put serious thought selecting the winners and the speeches were certainly special.
• Sherry McClelland and Neide Mussete - Playing piano at this afternoon's reception.
• Security - Rogerio and his team were ready to manage the influx of visitors on both days.
• The Student Marshals and Ushers
• The students who spoke on behalf of departing teacher - Andre Mendes, Inez Gil, Victor Lee, Alvaro Rossi, Alessandro Modelli, Eliana Keinan, Edu Ramos and Pollo Suarez, Luiza Kalil and Carolina Paulino, Julia Wu, Annie Groth
• All of you who helped the speakers with editing and crafting the perfect messages.

2013 Senior/Junior Prom

This year's prom was a huge success. We had the largest turnout in recent history, a fantastic setup in the black box theater, student DJs who kept things lively, great food and lots of opportunities for photos. When the event ended at 12:30 AM we had to kick students out. I'd like to thank the members of the prom committee, the teacher chaperones and parents who helped make this a special event.

Photos can be purchased from Bernard Moss Studio. The Pin is DBV14

Prom Committee Members

Gui Maranho
Cathy Cho

Gabriella Novoa

Isabella Siciliano

Mariana Bender

Mila Lara

Laura Fiuza

Gabriella Marrufo

Giovanna Regis

Matheus Lewis

Kat Aliano - Ruiz

Parent Volunteers

Ms. Mina Lepecki

Ms. Georgia Mourad

Ms. Rita Fiuza

Teacher Chaperones

Mr. Bair and Ms. Bree

Ms. Miller

Mr. Daniel

Dr. and Mrs. Carpenter

2013 Film Festival - Tuesday, May 28

We hope to see you at the Graded Film Festival and Jazz Concert next Tuesday at 1900. You can find out more about the films by visiting the Facebook site and by watching the trailers that are listed.

Class of 2013 Graduation Week Activities

It seems like just yesterday when the seniors were celebrating the first day of school by coming to watch the sunrise on campus. The members of the Class of 2013 have less than two weeks left at Graded. The time will certainly be an emotional one with a mix of excitement and sadness. There are several events coming up that I want to share with you so that you are prepared. 

Senior/Junior Prom - May 17 from 8:30 pm - 12:30 am. A dedicated group of students and parents has been working months to plan this special event. This is the second year that the prom will take place on campus and we anticipate over 120 students in attendance. It's important to note that this is a school sponsored event and there will be faculty members serving as chaperones. This also means that all school rules are in effect. Three of the students will be DJ'ing the event and there will be plenty of food, drink (non-alcoholic beverages) and dancing throughout the night.
You can find the information that Mr. Bair has sent out to seniors here.

Senior Lock-in - May 21 from 9:00 pm - 7:00 am. A group of seniors have worked with Mr. Bair to organize this event and a field day on the following day. We look forward to having the class spend the night on campus with events planned throughout the evening. The entire group will be sleeping in the Black Box Theater. Again, this is a school event and all school rules will apply.
Senior Field Day - Wednesday, May 22 at 10:00 AM and will go until 2:00 PM. The seniors have planned to have various games, including soap soccer and food on campus throughout the day on Wednesday.
Graduation Rehearsal #1 - Thursday, May 23 at 1:00-3:00 PM. We want Saturday's ceremony to be special which means that we need to rehearse twice. Attendance is mandatory for both rehearsals. Dress is casual and we expect everyone to be on time.

Senior Breakfast - Friday, May 24 at 8:00 AM.  

A relaxed event in the morning with class mates and teachers prior to the final rehearsal and the awards ceremony.

Graduation Rehearsal #2 - Friday, May 24 at 10:00 AM. This is the final run through for the entire group as we strive to have a first class ceremony that everyone can be proud of.

Senior Awards - Friday, May 24 at 1:00 PM. The seniors process into the auditorium with gowns and crazy hats and we recognize individuals for their accomplishments in a variety of areas.

Graduation Ceremony: Saturday, May 25 at 2:00 PM  The seniors are expected to be in the gymnasium by 12:00 pm to prepare for the ceremony. The time before the ceremony is a special event. Please remember that only ticketed individuals will be able to sit in the auditorium. Tickets are also required for the live video feed that will be shown in the black box theater. Bernard Moss is the official photographer for the prom, awards and graduation ceremonies and his team of photographers will be taking photos and video during each of these events. Photo Information and the Order Form

It's Official...Graded Live is Up and Running

Graded's newest group is GradedLive and they have been testing out the live video streaming of events. The group officially kicked things off Friday at Zombie Zoo on Justin.tv. You can learn more about GradedLive by watching their promo video, Zombie Zoo recording and an interview with Chris Crutcher. The next GradedLive event will be the annual Film Festival on Tuesday, May 28th.

GradeLive Promo

The GradedLive crew just recently streamed Friday's Zombie Zoo and you can watch the video on JustinTV.

Check out the Zombie Zoo recording here

Watch live video from GradedLive on Justin.tv

Or, visit Justin.tv

Below are the links to Zombie Zoo (channel password: eagles): 

http://justin.tv/gradedlive/b/401803503

http://justin.tv/gradedlive/b/401852276

Finally, here is their interview with author Chris Crutcher.

Yearbooks on Sale This Week!

#TheGradedNetwork - Yearbook 2012-2013 Coming Soon!

April 22-26 - R$ 90.00 -  (Last day of Yearbook Sale Price will be during Celebration of the World)

April 29-May 3 - R$ 100.00

May 6-on - R$ 110.00

Yearbooks can be purchased at the School Store located in the HS Student Center.

HS PTA Coffee Resources

We had a fantastic discussion around Challenge for Success student survey questions where parents were asked, "How will your sons and daughters respond?"We will find out how are students think after they take the survey and we receive the results in August. Below is the presentation from the HS PTA Coffee and Challenge Success resources for you to use in your learning. Thanks to David Bair, Mike Dunlop, Lucy Andrade, Amy Flindt, Keren Soriano, Meryl Zeidenberg and Milly Pannunzio for sharing today.

Challenge Success Resources

• Tuesday Interview with Madeline Levine, Co-founder of Challenge Success, on Teaching your Child Well. from The Future of Education

Follow Challenge Success on Twitter https://twitter.com/chalsuccess Follow Challenge Success on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ChallengeSuccess Challenge Success Blog Articles, including COURAGEOUS PARENTING by Madeline Levine, Ph.D. Second-Hand Performance Anxiety: 5 Reasons Why Parents Fret Over Their Kids’ Performance Why Cheat? More Importantly, Why Not? by Stephanie Rafanelli COURAGEOUS PARENTING by Madeline Levine, Ph.D. Want to Avoid the Homework Wars? - Here’s How Homework White Paper Academic Integrity White Paper Resources that align with Challenge Success Campus Calm by Maria Pascucci “As a mentor for rising leaders and a natural overachiever, Maria Pascucci understands the first-hand effects of striving for perfection in all facets of life. She urges college women leaders, college students and young professionals to be mindful of the detriment these effects can have on their mental, emotional and physical state and believes that sometimes, it is best to just "keep calm".” “Harvard Schmarvard” by Jay Matthews "How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get into College by Standing Out (Without Burning Out)" by Cal Newport

Tackling Stress at Graded: HS PTA Coffee April 17th

If you're interested in learning more about our plans to partner with Challenge Success to study our culture then we hope that you will attend the April 17th HS PTA Coffee.

Challenge Success is a not-for-profit organization out of the Stanford University School of Education. Through a Graded Fund grant the middle and high schools will be surveying all students in the coming weeks. The organization is "Challenging this definition of success that starts with grades, GPA, and test scores..." and they assist community members with changing attitudes and behaviors that create unhealthy environments. The survey asks students about

• student engagement;
• teacher support and care; 
• academic integrity; 
• academic worry;
• parent goals and expectations; 
• homework and extra-curriculars; 
• health and well-being.

We are flipping the meeting and ask that parents who attend Wednesday's coffee preview the following videos. This will provide you with information on some of the Challenge Success ideas.

In this short video, Denise Pope, Co-Founder of Challenge Success discusses the mission of the organization. One of her key quotes is, "Reflect on a broader definition of success."



Denise Pope speaking to parents about homework, sleep, stress, extracurricular activities.


Challenge Success: Student Interviews on:

• Late start and collaboration days
• Block Scheduling
• Dialogue Nights and the Culture of Stress