PLEASE READ, PASS AROUND, AND POST

January 16, 2007

TO: E-News (newsletter) team 13

Squad 1: Karen, Arlene, Jenny.

Squad 2: Maria, Susie, Brenda.

Squad 3: Cindy, Iris, Stephanie.

Squad 4: Reymond, Elida, Joe.

Squad 5: Shron, Ariana, Amanda.

Squad 6: Nicole, Steven, Jahayra.

Squad 7: Anthony, Stephanie, Jackie, Celene.

If these squad assignments do not work for you, you may swap places with somebody else. You must let me know right away.

FR: Van Ajemian, vanajemian@hotmail.com, 323.720.1022 (I work in a paralegal’s office; do not hesitate to leave voice mail)

Good morning, everyone! My goal is to provide you with a written update and instructions every week, which are to be posted in your classroom. I thank Ms. Green for helping out, because it is hard for you and me to connect, given that there is no class time available during the day for us to talk and plan. Also, it is so important that you keep a personal calendar and check your personal e-mail twice daily. I am not a teacher at MHS, and time is limited to work with a hundred students. But we can accomplish much if everyone understands and uses professional work habits all the time. This includes following instructions on time and in detail. If a team does not follow instructions, that hurts everyone.

First, have you done the reading asked on January 12?

Second, here is how we will work together.

1. You may e-mail or call me at any time and I will reply the same day, unless there be too much to do. Be clear about who you are and how I am to reply to you. Do leave a voice mail if I do not answer.

2. I am setting aside time for teams during nutrition, to meet in the school library. It is very important to have a routine, that is, for us to meet regularly; otherwise, activities would be postponed or never done, which means that that whole project would suffer, because each team’s work is important to the success of the project. Imagine that we were a club and we met at nutrition. (Of course, nutrition is short, so we must be quick to get to the school library and have our meeting.) We start next week. This does not apply during finals week, but does apply during any vacation. If there is a one-day holiday, we must make up the meeting quickly. Why? Our activities help people in need, and there is always need.

E-News (newsletter) team 5, second and fourth Mondays; team 9, second and fourth Tuesdays; team 1, first and third Tuesdays; team 13, every Wednesday; team 7, second and fourth Thursdays; other teams, second and fourth Fridays; “Montebello Oil” (money) teams 1 and 8, first and third Mondays; team 7, first and third Thursdays; other teams, first and third Fridays.

3. If you have something urgent or would like for more time to meet, as a team, a squad or individually; I am available any school day before school, first period, second period or immediately after school, in room B-5. Also, I am available at any time on the weekend; we can meet on the school’s front steps or at the main Montebello library, as we agree. Let me know one or more days in advance.

Now, please note the specific instructions for your team and squad, on the back side. Thank you.

1. Team 13, if anyone asks, you may say this about our activity:

1.1 our first goal is to improve the quality of life in Montebello by making it possible for interested young people to assume adult roles; this goal is based on the assumption that young people have abilities which adults do not recognize or utilize fully, to everyone’s detriment; as young people assume adult roles, which means new responsibilities, the young people are rewarded with new privileges; our second goal is to set an example for youth and adults in other communities, in the US and abroad;

1.2 to reach our goals, we follow certain steps:

1.2.1 we research about intergenerational relationships in different cultures, during different periods of history;

1.2.2 we summarize our findings by Monday, January 29;

1.2.3 with our goal in mind, we list responsibilities and privileges to discuss with adults in Montebello; we discuss how we might do a test in which young people would take on responsibilities and receive privileges;

1.2.4 we combine 1.2.2 and 1.2.3 into a preliminary report; this preliminary report is displayed at our Web site, www.mymontebello.com;

1.2.5 we set up and have meetings with adults; we ask them to help finalize the report;

1.2.6 we implement an activity based on the final report, in Montebello.

2. We begin with 1.2.1. Each squad is to write two to four hundred words and e-mail to me. This activity is to be done by Monday, January 29. (Your squad should choose a leader immediately, today, so that he or she help divide an activity among your squad members and ensure that the deadline be met.)

2.1 Squad 1 researches modern Western cultures and the role of youth in those cultures. How were youth viewed by adults? Why were youth viewed thus by adults? How did youth view themselves? What privileges and responsibilities did the youth have? Did adult and youth views of youth help or hurt those cultures?

2.2 Squad 2 researches modern Asian cultures and the role of youth in those cultures. Same questions.

2.3 Squad 3 researches modern African cultures and the role of youth in those cultures. Same questions.

2.4 Squad 4researches modern Middle Eastern cultures and the role of youth in those cultures. Same questions.

2.5 Squad 5 finds state laws and subcultures in America which give more privileges and /

Call or e-mail me if you have a question or difficulty. Write down the deadline in your calendar.

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