East Williston board members recently got a chance to experience a program designed for ninth- and 10th-graders at the Wheatley School.
“What we wanted to do was to find a way for our students to spend two uninterrupted hours to decompress from taking midterm exams,” said Stephen Collier, English Chair at the Wheatley School.
Collier, along with Jo Beth Roberts, Wheatley’s English teacher and librarian, created the revamped the Midterm Experience, a two-hour program that allows students to take various workshops during the midterm examinations week.
Over the course of two hours, students participate in workshops in place of English tests.
They get the chance to work with acclaimed authors, poets, comedians, artists and in some cases, celebrities, school officials said.
“The energy as soon as she walked in to the time that she left was absolutely explosive,” said Jeehyun Kim, a 10th grader who had the chance to meet April Armstrong, an award-winning writer from the Bronx.
Kim said she was able to take what she learned in English then mesh it with what was taught on how to write stories, add value and expression to characters.
“Her teachings were invaluable,” she said. “Because it allowed us to feel free to express what we wanted to say. We such an amazing time with her.”
Another session set up by Roberts with the help of former teen magazine writer, Jen Calonita to get students to interview celebrities.
“The students conduct background research, determine what’s an appropriate or inappropriate question, follow the celebrity on Twitter before speaking with them via Skype,” Roberts said.
After the entire process, they then write up a group essay with every student contributing according to Roberts.
Roberts said the purpose of the exercises was to teach the students how to construct stories.
Kimberly Esquiling, a 10th grader at Wheatley attended a session run by Alan Semerdjian, an artist and educator.
“I enjoyed it a lot because he has different writing styles that he taught us and he played songs for us,” said Kimberly Esquilin, also a 10th-grader at the Wheatley School.
Esquilin said she learned about the different genres of music and that her presenter knew a few songs from some of her favorite artists and thought “it was very cool”
Kamberg said “the enthusiasm shown by the students demonstrates how positive the Midterm Experience really is.”
Collier said the workshop presenters come Wheatley based on the fact that the school commits resources to something that’s different.
“To be able to do this is one of the things that makes Wheatley special to me,” Collier said
The program which only caters to ninth- and 10th-graders is funded by the Parent Teachers Fund.
“I’d like the Midterm Experience to continue because of the skills I learned and benefits of the program,” Esquilin said.
Wheatley principal Sean Feeney told the board there isn’t any program like the Midterm Experience at other schools as far as he knows.
Collier, Roberts, three of their students shared their experience with the East Williston School Board on Monday night Feb. 22 at the Wheatley School.
