Day 12 - 5/23/23

 I continued to work on my presentation for express fest as well as my paper today. I was thinking it was going to be harder to write my paper, but I actually did a lot of the work with all of my daily blogs. It also helped that I was descriptive in my daily blogs so when looking back at them I could easily remember that day in my mind and what it was like for me. I am very excited for express fest tomorrow and to be able to show the community all of the things I have been up to in the past couple weeks! 

Hours 2 

Day 11 - 5/22/23

 Today I worked for a few hours on both my presentation and my reflective paper that summed up my whole project. I drove up to New Hampshire today, that way I would have all day Tuesday and Wednesday to continue to work on last minute things for my project. It was really good to see everyone again and get back into a routine here at Proctor for the last week!

Hours 2

Week 2 Reflection - 5/21/23

Week 2 at OSS was even better than the first. I was able to start the week knowing what the general schedule would be each day. I also had started building great connections with everyone. This week also felt much longer than the first, as there were more things to do to fill my time, especially getting ready for FAA. 

FAA turned out to be absolutely amazing. It was so good to see numerous founders, board members, trustees, parents, other family members and friends all gather in the outdoor classroom and throughout the hallways to celebrate these talented, gifted, smart, and amazing girls. The music performances all sounded really good. The walls were filled with paintings, drawings, poems, digital art, and reflections. I was amazed at the talent, there was a lot of it! 

Towards the end of Fridays event, I started to realize how grateful I was for these new friendships and bonds that I had made both with the staff and students at OSS. The girls looked up to me and learned from me, and I was also able to learn a lot from them. As I said goodbye, I gave everyone a hug and congratulated them on all their accomplishments. All the students at OSS should be very proud of themselves. 

Tenth Day at OSS - 5/19/23

 Today was quite a day to finish out my senior project on. It was the day for FAA (Festival for Arts and Achievements). While the girls were in Friday classes, I helped to set up art exhibits, tables and chairs, sweeping and cleaning floors and other surfaces, stowing shelves and other work that was not related, and many other small tasks. After lunch, everyone, both students and staff helped with other last minute tasks such as setting up the outdoor classroom stage, and making sure the hallways were clear and accessible for everyone. The event started at 4:30, with lots of speeches from the head of school, board members, and trustees. After the introduction, the some girls from all grades put on a lovely poem/song accompanied by the New Bedford Orchestra, and it was absolutely beautiful. I had heard them practicing all week, but had no idea what to expect. After that, I watched the fifth graders perform their music piece which I had seen them do multiple times throughout the 2 weeks. It ended up going pretty smoothly, with lots of smiles and giggles. I started touring the halls of the school, there was SO much to look at and listen too. I was extremely proud of each and everyone of the students at OSS, their hard work really shone through. 

Hours: 8

Ninth Day at OSS - 5/18/23

 The second to last day of my senior project went really well. I showed up at 9 am as I have been every morning, and got right to work with the fifth grade in art class. They were working on a continuation of a project that was started by the sixth grade yesterday, which was a mural made of green and blue tape throughout the stairwell. It was a "garden" theme, so most of the girls were working on flowers, butterflies, trees, leaves, vines, and other plants, all crafted out of tape. I hope to get a picture of the finished product tomorrow. I then continued to help with sixth grade art, as a big part of FAA is showcasing all of the art by the students. I helped to organize the art classroom and miscellaneous supplies, as well as supervising the sixth grade as they finished up the mural. I finished my day after lunch by helping outside and adding lots of composted soil to all of the lillies around the parking lot. 

Hours: 5.5

Eighth Day at OSS - 5/17/23

Today was full of organizing!! I organized shelves in classrooms, art supplies, as well as the back stock room in the STEAM lab. As we are getting closer to FAA, the teachers have asked me as well as the students to help organize and clean up after themselves more regularly. Later in the afternoon while the fifth graders were in geography, I was asked to help a seventh grader prepare for her exam the following day one on one. The math that she was working on (PEMDAS, and negative and positive numbers) was pretty familiar to me, so I was able to give her a lot of guidance. At the end of the day every Wednesday, the fifth graders have time to organize themselves and their designated spaces. The teacher who usually supervises them during that time was absent, so I took on that job by myself. It was a really fun experience, as I have never been able to supervise alone. Although it was the end of the day and there was a lot of energy in the room, I am really glad I was able to do this alone and set boundaries when necessary. 

Hours: 7

Seventh Day at OSS - 5/16/23

 Today I was at the school for a shorter period of time, as I was not feeling well in the morning. Once I went in, I enjoyed playing gaga ball with the girls and organizing some things during their silent reading after recess. I also checked in with multiple teachers to set up times to help them organize and prepare for FAA throughout the rest of the week. 

Hours: 3