Thursday Poem of the Week!

After a short hiatus due to our reporting of ASNE's end of season spring events, Poem Thursday is back! Please read on to enjoy "Fall Tree of Love" by ASNE poet-athlete Hoang Kong N:

Fall Tree of Love

A hot tree like the sun
Bursting light of sunshine
Cars passing that loving tree
Driving through the hearted tree
Earth like fire
Fire in life but no more
Giving life to all
To life of hearts all in one

ASNE Elementary School Program Closes Out Spring Season with Annual Jamboree

The 12^th Annual America SCORES New England Jamboree took place this past Saturday, bringing together over 300 elementary school SCORES participants from all over the city of Boston. In addition to soccer games, SCORES students decorated their own hacky sacks, made beaded bracelets, had their faces painted, and participated in a variety of fun games. Each team brought a display board to showcase at the event that documented their spring service projects and the impact these projects had on their communities. A group of enthusiastic volunteers came from the Boston Thomson Reuters office, bringing with them all of the craft supplies and a team of talented face-painters. A generous donation from Sodexo provided lunch, popcorn, and ice cream to everyone at the Jamboree. The Jamboree marks the conclusion of another fantastic school year of SCORES programming. Thanks to everyone who helped make the event a success!

Facebook Photo Album

US Soccer Legend, Alexi Lalas, Featured at America SCORES New England's 'SCORES Celebration' on Wednesday, May 12th

Former US Soccer and New England Revolution defender, Alexi Lalas, was featured as the guest speaker on Wednesday evening at the 2010 SCORES Celebration, a silent auction & reception benefiting America SCORES New England. The annual event drew over a hundred professionals from Boston’s financial district in support of SCORES programming and to hear Lalas speak.

Lalas, no stranger to either Boston or the America SCORES mission, became a fan favorite with attendees offering predictions and opinions about the upcoming World Cup, for which he is an analyst at ESPN, going so far as to field questions at the conclusion of his presentation.

However, the night was about much more than what will be happening in South Africa over the coming weeks. As he spoke about the America SCORES program, Lalas reiterated the importance of team sports for youth development, detailing what a vital opportunity they are for kids to learn the power of teamwork and also the value of both commitment and dedication. Lalas explained that these are all traits that transcend the soccer field and have an incredible effect both in the classroom and community.

“Growing up, my parents never imagined their son would be a professional soccer player. In fact, in the beginning they didn’t know very much about sports at all. What they did know, however, was that I was passionate about the game and that I was learning lessons on the field that made me a better person off of it. Particularly in the classroom.”

Lalas currently serves on the board for America SCORES Los Angeles and has been involved with the organization at a national level since its inception eleven years ago after an introduction to the program by his mother.

 Alexi Lalas with Kelly Smith & Laura Del Rio 

of the Boston Breakers

Thursday Poem of the Week!

Alliteration Poem

She smells like a river of sugar,
Sweet then sour
She is some sort of a show,
Acting.
Her acts are all of a sweet girl
That’s all over the world
Her name is Shelly.
As sweet as can be,
She’s on every TV.
That’s Shelly,
And she’s friends with me.

by Niani Mendes, Grade 5
John Marshall Elementary School

Kids Corner: Dimitri Moore

Check out what Dimiti Moore, a 5th grader at Mattahunt Elementary, has to say about his experiences at SCORES and what advice he'd give future SCORES' student-athletes.

Thursday Poem of the Week!

In light of a recent rise in street violence in Boston, we ask that all of our readers and followers listen to the words of ASNE's poet-athletes as they convey how this violence affects their lives as children in our city, and as they propose messages of peace.

Gun Violence and Me

Blood is a word that starts with b,
I hope someone who’ll be shot will not be me.
Gun is a word
It starts with G
Gang members stop,
It hurts my community.
Violence is a word
It starts with V.
I hate that word
You can already see.

Ciara O.

Gun Violence and Me

You and me will never be free
We will never see a day without this violence
Or a day with some peace and silence
There is something we can do
And everything starts with…YOU!!

Geniya R.

Hats off to the Henry Grew Elementary School in Hyde Park!

This week’s school spotlight story goes out to the ASNE poet-athletes at the Henry Grew School in Hyde Park, who have raised over $800.00 in proceeds to benefit and promote their student-led initiative Learning Outside the Classroom! The SCORES Students at the Grew creatively raised funds for field trips, performances and other fun activities by hosting two separate “Hat Days, one for students and one for teachers. On these Hat Days, event participants were able to wear a hat during the school day if they paid the $2.00 participation fee, thus allowing students and teachers to break the school’s “no hat” policy for this very special cause.

ASNE poet-athlete Dave was especially pleased with his team’s project because he got to “wear a Rock and Roll hat all day,” and because his team made lots of money. Olive, one of ASNE’s exemplary Coaches stated that the event “was a great success,” and relayed her enthusiasm by telling teachers at other schools to follow her team’s lead. In addition to raising money through Hat Day, ASNE’s poet-athletes also sold snacks and beverages during lunch in order to reach their impressive sum of $850.00.

Both Hat Days and the student’s entrepreneurship during lunch were implemented as part of ASNE’s spring season writing curriculum, Writing for the Community (WFTC). During this 10-week spring session, students at all of ASNE’s schools learn to use writing to affect social change. After studying the power of writing forms such as political poetry, letters for a cause, newspaper articles, petitions, and comics, our poet-athletes use these forms to write on behalf of their own causes. For ASNE’s poet-athletes at the Henry Grew School, where America SCORES is the only afterschool program in operation, this cause was to ensure that all Grew students were able to participate in fun activities both during school and afterschool, designating the SCORES students as both leaders and advocates for their peers.

Next up for ASNE’s poet-athletes at the Grew is ASNE’s Jamboree! year-end festival, where all of ASNE’s elementary school participants will display poster boards that document the impact they had on their respective communities as a testament to the combined impact of each SCORES team’s work. This years Jamboree! will take place on Saturday, June 5th at the Franklin Park Playstead.

Thursday Poem of the Week!

My Puzzle

I’m a puzzle
Because my pieces are different
There’s purple, yellow,
Hard working, funny,
Smart, El Salvadorian,
Penguin, American.
But that’s not all
I say that because
Its true.
I’m a puzzle
For someone to solve
Like an ocean
With deep,
Dark,
Secrets.

Jocelyn M.

Meet Lisa Rubin, an Elementary Writing Coach at The Jackson Mann and Our Coach of the Month!

How long have you been involved with SCORES?

I think this is my fourth season

And how long have you been teaching?

13 years

How did you decide to get into teaching?

I always knew I was going to be a teacher. I always felt kind of lucky when I was in college; all of my friends tried different majors but it was always a clear path for me

And what grade are you teaching?

I teach in a 4^th and 5^th grade combination SEI class, so that means it is a Sheltered English Immersion class. All of my kids are learning English and they are at incredibly varied levels of English acquisition, most of my kids are from Brazil but I’ve also got Angola represented, Cape Verdean, Portugal, Honduras, and Eritrea.

Did you decide that you wanted to get into bi-lingual education initially?

My first year of teaching, was a standard 4^th grade class and then after that, I was teaching in a school that was predominantly Puerto Rican and Mexican kids. I taught in a bilingual transitional class, because that was the only opening, and I just really really loved it. And then I got accepted into a fellowship program for bi-lingual ed., so that meant that it was free and that was my decision, it was either going to be reading certification or bi-lingual ed. And the free is what did it. But I love it, these kids are really unique, their parents are incredibly appreciative and warm and I love seeing the progression of English. It’s amazing how the kids pick it up and how they use the language.

How did you decide to get into SCORES?

Wow, it feels like a long time ago. I love the idea of community and team and I think a lot of times, at least in this school, which is so big and where the kids live all over the city, you loose something when you are not in a neighborhood school or affiliated with some sport or team activity. and I just know the enthusiasm for SCORES in the school was so big that when I had a chance to get involved, I jumped in on it. I just think it is such a good opportunity for these kids.

What is your favorite memory of SCORES in the last couple of years?

I have two:

So one of my current students was on SCORES last year and he is a great little soccer player and his family used to come and watch all of the games. It was great, we had tons of parents coming that year. I remember when he scored a goal and his dad ran out onto the field and picked him up and spun him around. His dad was so happy and everyone’s eyes welled up, it was beautiful. So that was great, I loved that!

We had a parent/teacher vs. kids game and at that time a lot of our parents were Brazilian, so big big soccer country. So, they came to this game decked out in their team jerseys, and shorts, shin guards, and cleats. They are out there and they took it so seriously. It was like a FIFA match out there, the kids were just watching the ball. I had to take a couple of parents aside and be like, “you’ve got to take it down a notch, relax.” So that was really fun!

Any last thoughts or words about SCORES?

I just think it’s great when the kids get to be part of the team and I love that that team is cross-grade, we do it with boys and girls together at this school and I really like that. I like that on game days they wear their jerseys and everyone knows that they are part of SCORES. I was talking to one little guy two days ago when I came into school, he’s at the bottom of the ramp at the school and he just looks really, the best word I can use is, glum.

I was like, “What’s wrong?”

He answered, “I don’t have any friends.”

I was like “Oh hun, have you been thinking this a long time or is this a new thought?” He was like, “for a long time, Ms. Rubin.”

And I was like, “well I know that sometimes when it feels like we have no friends, it is the worst feeling in the world,” and then I said, “let’s talk about some times you feel like you do have friends. What about SCORES?”

He was like, “yeah, those kids are my friends.” It just had never occurred to him. He was just in a different setting, he was in the cafeteria and he had no one to sit with at that moment. It’s like the end of the world and it is just very dramatic and depressing. Then he realized, those kids are on my team but they are also my friends.  That was cool to see!

 Hear from Lisa directly in her interview below from the 2009 SCORES National Poetry Slam - 

BOSTON MUSICIANS STAND UP FOR AMERICA SCORES NEW ENGLAND AND THE CITY’S AT-RISK YOUTH

On Sunday evening, May 2^nd, an intimate crowd gathered last night Upstairs at the Middle East in Cambridge for America SCORES New England’s STAND UP FOR SCORES Benefit Concert, which featured over 16 Boston-area musicians playing an eclectic mix of hip-hop, reggae, and rock.  America SCORES New England’s Education Director, Dwayne Simmons, also known as veteran rapper Dagha, headlined the event with Project Tree. Together, Dagha & Project Tree are known for their smooth reggae beats, “pure hip-hop wit, and concise lyricism.” Other performers included DJ IN N’ OUT, Sir Dilla, MC Moe Pope, and the internationally-acclaimed Agari Crew.

More than anything else, the event showcased a group of inspiring local talent who are using their art as a means to benefit the Boston community, both through their positive hip-hop narratives and their commitment to America SCORES New England’s mission. An example of this dedication was Agari Crew member Mark Merren’s response after being thanked for his participation in the event, a gesture he kindly rebuffed by stating “C’mon, now. We’ll do anything for the kids.”

These 16 performers epitomize the under-lying theme of the STAND UP FOR SCORES Benefit Concert and the creative writing curricula taught to all of SCORES’ 660 Boston public school student participants—that the voice is a powerful tool for change. Though the art of hip-hop often suffers on the academic front, where it is largely ignored as an accredited form of expression, these musicians stand as a clear reversal of negative rap stereotypes. Through their devotion to utilizing hip-hop as a means to inspire the younger generation, the STAND UP FOR SCORES musicians prove that hip-hop is a positive forum where creativity can be freely expressed and thus a vital tool for the empowerment of all youth. 

Dagha & Project Tree

 Moe Pope

Thursday Poem of the Week!

In honor of ASNE's upcoming benefit concert on Sunday, May 2nd, STAND UP FOR SCORES, please enjoy ASNE poet-athlete Daniel M's poem "Silence," an ode to the necessity of music and the power of voice.

Silence

Silence is something that I can’t do

It can’t be taught in words or books

Silence for me is a feeling of gloom

It is something sad about me

When I think of silence I think of black

My mind is clear my jaw snaps

I can’t image life without music

Life without a beat or two

Silence to me is like up without down

And black with out white

That is why silence is not for me

by Daniel M.

Inspiration, Transformation, & Sweat Equity: The World Cup Boston 2010 Service Learning Day

**Article Courtesy of South Africa Partners

Saturday at Grove Hall and Harambee Field in Dorchester, a team of over 200 volunteers transformed two physical landscapes into amazing, multipurpose green spaces.  Volunteers’ positive energy, hard work, and dedicated commitment to the community were all tremendous: The Boston Globe called the resulting park “a dream come true.” 

At Harambee Field, volunteers laid sod at record speed, quickly covering the soccer field goal mouth to goal mouth.  Next to this field activity, America Scores volunteers led soccer skills and drills and a small friendly tournament.  Inside the Boys & Girls Club, OrigiNation led a dance workshop, children painted birdhouses and read South African children’s stories, and more. 

At Grove Hall, some incredibly challenging physical work took place, with astounding results.  First, volunteers cleaned the vacant lot of trash, glass, rocks, and more.  Then, with shovels and pickaxes, it was time to break up the ground: boulders and broken-up concrete were under the dirt throughout the site.  This was the hardest work of the day.  Then volunteers carried and laid mulch, fine gravel, and fresh soil throughout the park, creating a seating area “The Circle of Love,” a playground area and more.  Kids painted murals to attach to the fence, and put in plantings.  The pictures below from Sunday’s Boston Globe give a real sense of what is was like at Grove Hall, where volunteers stayed long past the anticipated 3pm closing time, wrapping up the major work and leaving the site clean at around 6pm. 

It was a truly transformational day of service, for which we are so grateful to our volunteers, sponsors and friends.  On Saturday, a real difference was made in Boston’s neighborhoods.

- South Africa Partners Staff and The World Cup Boston 2010 Management Team

John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

 

 John Tlumacki/Globe Staff

A special thank-you to our WCB2010 Service Learning Partners

• City of Boston
• Center for Youth and Families
• Parks and Recreation
• MassHousing
• Abekam
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Boston
• AmeriCorps/Mass Promise Fellows
• City Year/Care Force
• WeGotSoccer
• Ripples of Hope
• Massachusetts Youth Soccer
• America Scores New England
• New England Revolution
• Boston Breakers
• ALPFA
• Univision
• Barr Foundation
• The Boston Foundation
• National Grid
• Longwood Security, Inc.
• Park Landscape
• West Roxbury Crushed Stone
• Woodchester Landscape

Mentor Appreciation Event Wraps Up A Successful First Year

"I feel like I made a difference. There was one day after school when I was practicing soccer with the team and my mentee gave me a picture he made of a very sloppy rabbit saying “don’t mess with me,” which was an allusion to when I told him he needed to have a “game face” as a goalie in soccer. It’s still hanging on my wall.”

The SCORES Mentor Appreciation was a great way to wrap up a very successful first year of the SCORES Mentorship Program. The event recognized the 17 mentors who have collectively put in over 325 hours of service between February and April. The SCORES Mentors took an hour out of their last day before finals to gather together, eat, and reflect on their experiences within the program. When asked what was most satisfying about the SCORES Mentorship Program, the Northeastern Mentors said such things as: “Making a difference in my mentee’s day,” “When they smile, it makes you feel like you are having a positive impact,” “being able to provide a friendly face and support system for my mentee each week,” and “watching the girls play soccer.” They provided great feedback and have helped tremendously in planning the way the Mentorship Program will look in the future. As Northeastern’s semester comes to an end, the Mentors should feel very accomplished at all of the amazing work that they have done for SCORES. They were an enthusiastic and dedicated group that will be hard to top. Big Thanks to the volunteer mentors for making the Mentorship Program such a success!

Thursday Poem of the Week!

Today's piece was written by Adonis M., a 5th grade student at Grew Elementary School in Hyde Park, MA. Adonis performed his poem "Baseball" at Monday's national SCORES Slam in NYC alongside representatives from each SCORES affiliate. Please read Adonis' prize-winning poem below:

BASEBALL

A Rod
Baseball all-star
Catching fly balls and grounders

Hitting homeruns and doubles
Derek Jeter
Enjoying the love of the game
Fighting to be the best
Got high fives for hitting the biggest hit of his career

Go hard or Go home
Hit the best or hit the worst
Interested in the fans
Hoping to be the best

Jump into first place
Kings of the American league and National league
Learned that they can make it all the way
Hope I make it to the MLB someday

Manny Ramirez is an inspiration for some of the things I do today
Nothing can stop me from reaching the top
Opportunities are everywhere
Taking my chances

Practice makes perfect
Quick on the baseball field
Ready to be what I’m destined to be
Exploring new places

Some way somehow I will thrive
Talking to people that can help me
Use the skill and talent I have to succeed
I’m going to make it you just wait and see.

2010 National Poetry Slam Recap

On Monday, April 19th Chereka McCants and Adonis Mejia, both 12 of Boston, joined 28 other America SCORES student-athletes from across the country to perform in the America SCORES National Poetry Slam. The annual event, now in its 4th year, was held at the New York Stock Exchange with the students performing original poems in front of each other and the event crowd. Chereka, a 5th grade student at Marshall Elementary in Dorchester, performed her poem entitled, Peace, while Adonis, also a 5th grader at Grew Elementary in Hyde Park, presented Baseball.

Among those in attendance on Monday evening were US Soccer & Kraft Soccer President, Sunil Gulati, who was a 2010 honoree, and members of the local pro teams, NY Red Bulls (MLS) and NJ Sky Blue (WPS). Gulati also spent most of Monday with the poet-athletes, engaging with them in an education seminar prior to the group's attendance at the NYSE closing bell.

Aside from Monday's main event, Chereka and Adonis joined their peers for a weekend filled with poetry workshops, museum visits and sightseeing throughout NYC.

"For a lot of the students, this was their first time on a plane, first time in NYC, and the first time away from their parents. This weekend symbolized the end of a most memorable journey and the beginning of a whole new world for each poet. I couldn't think of a better way to enjoy the spring blossom than being a part of this event."

Dwayne Simmons, America SCORES New England
Education Director and 2010 Poetry Slam Master of Ceremonies


PEACE, by Chereka McCants

My name? It’s Chereka McCants.
Keep in mind, it doesn’t mean I can’t.

Well, I guess you can say,
I can’t dream without peace.
I can’t grow without peace.
I can’t live without peace.

My peace is something real.
My peace is how I feel.
My peace you don’t conceal.

My peace is the world, my friends and my family.
My peace is making a difference in my community.

My peace is me, Chereka McCants.
And keep in mind, it doesn’t mean I can’t.
I can and I will make peace. Not can’t.
I can and I will make peace.

BASEBALL, by Adonis Mejia

A Rod
Baseball all-star
Catching fly balls and grounders
Hitting homeruns and doubles

Derek Jeter
Enjoying the love of the game
Fighting to be the best
Got high fives for hitting the biggest hit of his career

Go hard or Go home
Hit the best or hit the worst
Interested in the fans
Hoping to be the best

Jump into first place
Kings of the American league and National league
Learned that they can make it all the way
Hope I make it to the MLB someday

Manny Ramirez is an inspiration for some of the things I do today
Nothing can stop me from reaching the top
Opportunities are everywhere
Taking my chances

Practice makes perfect
Quick on the baseball field
Ready to be what I’m destined to be
Exploring new places

Some way somehow I will thrive
Talking to people that can help me
Use the skill and talent I have to succeed
I’m going to make it you just wait and see.

Boston Marathon Team Raises $50,000 for America SCORES New England

On Monday April 19th, 13 runners from the SCORES Boston Marathon® Team traveled to Hopkinton, MA to conquer the 26.2 miles that comprise one of the world's most prestigious marathons - the Boston Marathon. For the past 6 months, these individuals have endured the harsh conditions of a New England winter to spend countless hours training. In addition to the physical preparation, each runner dedicated themselves to fundraise on behalf of ASNE. Collectively, the SCORES Boston Marathon Team has raised nearly $50,000 to date! This is a tremendous accomplishment and will help ASNE better serve the 660 Boston Public School elementary and middle school students engaged in SCORES programming.

Each SCORES runner successfully completed the entirety of the course with times ranging between 3:36:28 and 5:39:39. ASNE deeply appreciates each runner's dedication and commitment over the past few months - we couldn't be more proud!

Paul Baillif 4:38:01
John Bissaillon 4:53:51
Greg Everett 3:52:14
Lizette Jaco 5:00:29
Jane Long Kelly 5:29:31
Josh Kickham 5:39:39
Bernie Lord 4:41:50
Marc Mantell 3:36:28
Todd McCullough 4:01:16
Tom Miller 4:14:36
Carly Sousa 4:23:48
David Suchecki 4:27:14
Keir Walker 5:22:53


If you are interested in running the 2011 Boston Marathonas a member of the SCORES Boston Marathon Team, please contact Jessica LaMoe at jlamoe@americascores.org.

2010 SCORES College Kicks

On Wednesday, April 14th nearly 200 SCORES student-athletes from five Boston schools descended upon Harvard University’s soccer complex for an afternoon of games and activities hosted by the Crimson soccer teams. The event was part of America SCORES New England’s annual “College Kicks” day which brings SCORES middle school teams out to local campuses for an afternoon of soccer and conversations with athletes about the college process. In addition to Harvard University, Bunker Hill Community College also hosted several SCORES teams, running them through a round robin style tournament and holding a Q&A session with the men's soccer team and Athletic Director.

College Kicks continues on Thursday, April 15th when Tufts University and Bentley College visits with SCORES elementary schools in East Boston and Mattapan. For more information on the program or to get involved, email Alex Landberg at alandberg@americascores.org.

Facebook Photo Gallery

Poem Thursday: PEACE, by Chereka M.

Today's piece was written by Chereka M., a 5th grade student at Marshall Elementary School in Dorchester, MA. She will be performing her poem at Monday's national SCORES Slam in NYC alongside representatives from each SCORES affiliate. Good luck, Chereka!!


PEACE

My name? It’s Chereka McCants.
Keep in mind, it doesn’t mean I can’t.

Well, I guess you can say,
I can’t dream without peace.
I can’t grow without peace.
I can’t live without peace.

My peace is something real.
My peace is how I feel.
My peace you don’t conceal.
My peace is the world, my friends and my family.
My peace is making a difference in my community.

My peace is me, Chereka McCants.
And keep in mind, it doesn’t mean I can’t.
I can and I will make peace. Not can’t.
I can and I will make peace.

Meet the SCORES Coach of the Month—Jane Kelly Long!

Jane is a 7th Grade English/Language Arts teacher at the Edison K-8 in Brighton. When she became a teacher 5 years ago, Jane saw the perfect opportunity to share her love for sports with the students she was teaching. She began devoting her time outside of the classroom as a soccer coach for CityKicks—an after-school soccer program for BPS middle school girls. When CityKicks merged with SCORES in Fall 2009, Jane didn’t hesitate to stay on board! Jane was enthusiastic to see that SCORES not only focuses on soccer but also incorporates a creative writing aspect to its after-school programming. For Jane, the SCORES Program was a perfect fit—she has just as much love for writing as she does for soccer.

Jane is extremely passionate about the work she does as a SCORES Soccer Coach. “Having grown up in the city myself, I truly credit my sports experience with helping keep me on the right track and in making the right choices. I wanted the girls I coached to feel this as well, and see what playing sports could do for you—to be healthy, to learn teamwork and to learn goal setting!”

When asked what her most enjoyable part of being a SCORES Coach is, Jane reflected fondly of her students. “The most enjoyable part of it all is hanging with the girls, whether it’s writing or soccer practice or games-they always have something funny to say or share and are very goofy and fun-loving.”

Jane has had the pleasure of working with several girls for 6 SCORES seasons! Watching their commitment, dedication, and development over the past 3 years has been the most rewarding experience for Jane as a SCORES Coach. “They have all grown up so much. As soccer players, they went from not having hardly any stamina or skills, because many of them had never played organized soccer. They would get tired easily, would want to give up sometimes and would, at times, have a bad attitude. Today, those same girls are so skilled, can run all day long and, I’m very proud to say, have such fabulous positive attitudes! This is my last season with them, because they’re graduating, and I’m really, really going to miss them!”

Jane constantly serves as a positive role model for her students whether it’s in the classroom, on the field, or in life. Over the past six months, she has dedicated herself to train for the Boston Marathon® as a member of the SCORES Marathon Team. When asked why she chose to run, Jane shed the light on three important motivating factors. First, she has been a spectator of the marathon for many years—watching both her father and two brothers complete the race. She felt inspired by all the runners and proud of their determination and accomplishment. Second, Jane wanted to feel like an athlete again! Growing up, Jane was very active in sports. Although being a SCORES Coach brings her back to the soccer field on a weekly basis, she has missed participating in sports outside of her professional life. Marathon training has allowed her to truly feel like an athlete again! Third and most importantly, Jane decided to run the marathon to “…show my girls (on the Edison team) how anyone can set a goal, work towards achieving it and, achieve it! At the Edison K8 School and in America SCORES, we’ve done a lot of work in teaching students to set goals, and make plans to reach those goals. I wanted to ‘practice what we preach’ be setting a goal for myself.”

As a member of the SCORES Boston Marathon Team, Jane has also committed to raising money to further support ASNE’s mission and goals. If you would like to help Jane in her fundraising efforts and further ASNE’s mission, please visit her online donation page Kintera/JaneLong

Thursday Poem of the Week!

A Poem About Me

Just right to be a nice person
Ask for help when needed
Skinny like a French fry
Hairy like a black bear
Always listen to important directions
Really helpful when it’s serious
Antlers like a deer when angry
Cute as a pie
Listens very well
Author that can make books
Remembers anything
Kangaroo girl who likes to jump

by Jashara C.

Kids Corner: Redoaune Laalioui

This week, America SCORES New England is showcasing the community service work of Redouane Laalioui, a student at the Irving Middle School and member of the SCORES Leadership Team.

On March 24th, Redouane was honored with the Kennedy Library’s “Make a Difference Award”, an award that is given to students who are nominated by teachers, principals and other community leaders for contributions they have made to their neighborhood, town or community.

Redouane has been involved as a volunteer (in addition to being a student-athlete) with ASNE for approximately a year and a half. During this time, Redouane has served as a mentor for the younger participants in our elementary school program in addition to volunteering as a referee, teaching younger students the rules of soccer, and acting as a role model. Because of his ability to connect with younger players and his willingness to help the SCORES program meet its mission, Redouane was chosen to become a member of the Leadership Team, a group of selected student athletes made-up of middle school students who best embody the SCORES values of Leadership, Teamwork, and Commitment. Though community service is not a required component of the Leadership Team’s activities (which are mainly focused on the cultivation of leadership skills), this group of 15 determined students consistently works together to promote causes that they care about. Most recently, Redouane and his peers in the Leadership Team planned a “Walk for Haiti” in order to raise money for the earthquake victims in Haiti. Redouane was the Leadership Team’s top-distance runner, running a total 9 miles during the event.

Redouane is fairly new to the country, having moved from Morocco at age 10 and has made learning English a major priority. The road that Redouane has traveled to get to where he is now, both in terms of his strong academic performance and his personable social interactions, has been a challenging one. Despite the challenges of moving to a new country and learning a new language, however, Redouane has never lost his focus. In order to overcome such obstacles, Redouane persevered and stayed focused on what was important. In 7th grade, he became his SCORES’ team captain and has continued to spend his free afternoons (and there aren’t many!) giving back to our program and to his community

Thursday Poem of the Week!

Outside

Ants crawling
Puddles of water
Insects flying
Leaves on the ground
Kids wearing their jackets
And I smell the fresh rain
And cars parked on the street

by Jana W.

School Spotlight on the JFK

The JFK Elementary School in Jamaica Plain has been a true leader in piloting the SCORES Mentorship Program, which started up this winter. Six Northeastern college students have been going to the JFK every week to meet 1:1 with SCORES mentees. The mentors and mentees each meet in a different classroom in the school to spend quality time together. After helping with any homework the mentee might have, the matches have grown close by doing everything from chatting to playing cards to practicing their soccer skills in the gym. The mentors are greeted every week with hugs and excitement as the kids have anxiously awaited their arrival. The mentors seem equally excited about their experiences thus far. In their weekly check-in’s mentors have said such things as, “She's really sweet, and seems very smart,” another reported, “It seems like he’s enjoying the experience even though he hasn’t had me for long, whenever a teacher asks them what he’s up to he always brags just hanging with my mentor!" Another mentor was surprised when she reflected, “I learned a lot about my mentee and what she wants to do/ become. She reminds me of myself when I was her age.” When the JFK’s site supervisor was asked what she thought of the mentorship program so far, she said, “I think it is a great opportunity for the kids, I wish each SCORES kid could have a mentor!”

With the start of season last week, the mentorship program shifted from 1:1 mentorship to mentors helping out at SCORES practices and games and finding quality time with their mentee on the side. This past week, the mentors helped run SCORES Mini Cooper, a pre and post test to see how our young poet-athletes improve on their endurance throughout season. The mentors assisted in leading a stretch with the girls and boys teams and then helped count how many 100 meter laps each youth could run in six minutes. Everyone was very excited to be out in the sunny weather and to be getting back into the soccer season. Mentors were eager to assist the teams and both teams were more than happy to have the help. This week will be the first game for The JFK against The Hennigan, another school participating in SCORES Mentorship Program. During this kick off game, there will be 12 volunteer mentors (6 from each school) cheering on their soccer-playing mentees.

For more information on the program or to get involved, email Sarah Garnitz at SGarnitz@americascores.org

Thursday Poem of the Week!

Today my Name is

Today my name is tornado

I feel mad

I pretend I am a tornado

yesterday my name was rainbow

I heard things crashing

I found hurt people

tomorrow my name will be sunshine

I will forget I was a tornado

I will remember I am sunshine

by Oscar M.

Local Poet-Athletes to Represent America SCORES NE in National Poetry Slam

America SCORES New England is proud to be represented by two of our student-athletes at this spring’s annual National Poetry Slam on April 19th in New York City. As with each year’s event, a boy and girl from each SCORES elementary school program across the country will come together to perform their work at the New York Stock Exchange during a evening gala.

Each student will head to Manhattan two days in advance of the performance to attend workshops with famed artists, visit some of NYC’s historic sites and get to know other SCORES youth from around the country.

Read on and get to know more about Adonis and Chereka as they explain, in their own words, who inspires them, why they enjoy poetry and what they are looking forward to the most about traveling to NYC next month.


Adonis M.
5th Grade, Grew Elementary
Hyde Park – Boston, MA

No one could compare to my family! We are the best because we all love & respect each other and everyone in my family inspires me. One of my favorite memories is when my family and I went to six flags together. My hobbies are playing baseball, basketball, and I like to hang out with my friends and family. I also like listening to music. They tell me that if I want to live my dream (playing in MLB), I have to study and get good grades. While in NY, I hope to see where the Yankees play and try to meet a player. I like to rhyme and I like to mix things up. I think of poetry like music.



Chereka M.
5th Grade, Marshall Elementary
Dorchester – Boston, MA

My family is unique because we all work together if there a problem and my mom inspires me because she is really smart and she is saving money so that I can go to a good college. My hobbies are soccer, dancing, lacrosse, singing and gymnastics. My favorite memory was when I made my first soccer goal. I help other people by seeing what I can do when problems arise. I hope to tour around New York while I am there. I love poetry because you can write anything that is on your mind.

Thursday Poem of the Week!

Peaceful Yellow

Yellow smells like a freshly cut banana
Yellow sounds like corn on a grill
Yellow tastes like lemons sinking through my teeth
Yellow looks like the sun set on a beautiful day
Yellow feels like a smooth new car
Yellow moves like a dress moving through the air

Cynthia P.

Students at the William Russell and Henry Grew Elementary Schools Prove Their Stardom during America SCORES New England’s Young Songwriters Program!

This winter, participants in ASNE's Young Songwriter's Program at the Henry Grew Elementary School in Hyde Park and the William Russell Elementary School in Dorchester spent 10 weeks writing, recording, and producing their own hip-hop songs and music videos. During after school sessions led by ASNE’s Education Director, Dwayne Simmons, and ASNE’s Elementary Soccer Director, Caroline Doctor, these students learned to write with a purpose and used their poetic skills to craft hip-hop lyrics that would send positive messages to their peers.

Examples of these empowering lyrics include girls from the Henry Grew School showing their team spirit with the original piece, “We’re the Cougars.” In this uplifting song, the girls spoke to their talents on the field and in the classroom with the following lyric: “We all feel good when we kick that ball/ and with poetry we have it all!” At the same time, another group of students from the Henry Grew were composing their original song, “The World”, which demands that everyone think about the children in the world before doing anything harmful. This commanding song serves as a reminder to us all that, “the world is not a toxic waste/ it’s a place with all 50 states.” Down the road in Dorchester, ASNE poet-athletes at the William Russell School summed up America SCORES’ core value of teamwork in just one, apt line from their song, “Soccer is the Best,” which states, “winning or losing, it doesn’t matter much to me/ but for winning, teamwork is the key.”

To hear these one of a kind hip-hop lyrics for yourself, visit America SCORES New England’s YouTube channel, where you can view all six of the music videos produced during ASNE’s Young Songwriters Program this winter. By clicking here you can watch poet-athlete Jayme perform her original hip-hop dedication to “The Nanny” (played by ASNE’s own Dwayne Simmons!) while she also strums on her new guitar, or watch Andrea, Anthony and Christian present “Music to Sing,” a touching tribute to their favorite performers—Shakira, Daddy Yankee, and the late Michael Jackson.

Thursday Poem of the Week!

Uncle Steve, by Adina R.

Uncle Steve is like a tree,

He’s very important to me,

He’s dark as bark,

His hands are like a branch,

He hates to eat ranch

Uncle Steve is important to me,

Uncle Steve spoils me a lot,

Uncle Steve gives me money,

Uncle Steve is really funny,

He makes me laugh,

Like a crazy bunny,

Uncle Steve is important to me.

Kids Corner: "A Day in the Life" by SCORES Alumna Christina Arecy

A Day in the Life (of a BU Student)

Christina Arecy, age 15, SCORES alumna

      Have you ever gone on a college or university tour only to find that throughout the tour you get grumpy and bored, or think you’d rather be at home snuggling in your bed than be outside in the cold city? I have taken a couple of college tours that have the same routine. They show you the building and tell you the history of their school. Little did I know that “A Day in the Life at Boston University” would be completely different. I had the chance to go to classes, meet with the women’s soccer team, and watch them play soccer. I couldn’t let this opportunity just go down the drain. This is why I told myself don’t let this opportunity pass by; learn a thing or two.

      One thing that shocked me when I went on this tour was that I had my own personal itinerary. I was thinking what in the world is going on? What was going on was I was actually getting a chance to take a college class and learn. I mean isn’t that cool?  On the BU Experience Virtual Tour, I was taken aback by how much great history Boston University has. Also, I got to visit the infamous Student dorm, Stuvi-two, which seems more like a hotel than a regular dorm. Then I got to watch the women practicing soccer and was amazed at how wonderfully the women played, with passion and heart. I took notice that when they made a mistake they kept on trying their best to make it perfect.

     Boston University is located in the heart of a city, and is compelling, bold, unique, and diverse.  Had I not taken this opportunity, I wouldn’t have learned interesting facts in journalism class and wouldn’t know anything about Boston University and its’ history. This tour took me out of my comfort zone and put me in a real life situation that most tours wouldn’t have done. I’m confident that, later in my life, this experience will help me decide what type of university I will go to. “A Day in the Life at BU” changed my views and perspectives on living at a University. Every minute was beneficial and rewarding.

Thursday Poem of the Week!

Success, by Brittany B.

How are you successful?

Everybody asks me

I tell them I'm just mastering

The basics of these three

The first one is your mind

It might seem quite bizarre

But if you learn to use your head

You'll see how smart you are

The second one's hard work

And you will come to see

That if you work hard as you can

Success will come to thee

If you're wondering what the third one is

It's just simply study

And if you think that this is boring

Just find a study buddy

So as you can see

There's three steps to success

Follow them and I promise

You'll pass any test

Introducing Two New Programs for Boston Youth

This winter, SCORES has seen two new programs develop into successful supplements to our core offerings: The SCORES Mentorship Program and the SCORES Alumni Program. These programs are both making great strides in improving the future prospects of our SCORES student-athletes, and have helped to exponentially increase our SCORES students’ access to caring and successful college student role-models!

The SCORES Mentorship Program

The SCORES Mentorship Program provides SCORES youth with the opportunity to participate in a one-on-one mentoring relationship with a college student or professional in the Boston Community. Through the mentoring program, SCORES youth gain the valuable experience of having the focused support and guidance of a mentor.

18 SCORES elementary and middle school student-athletes are currently participating in the SCORES Mentorship Program. They are paired with 16 Northeastern students and 1 Simmons student, who have volunteered their time to serve as mentors. Over six weeks, each match has been meeting for 90 minutes after school, doing homework, playing games together, going on walks, or working together on a project.

When the SCORES Program spring season starts, each mentor will also visit their mentee while they participate in the soccer, writing, and service-learning activities of SCORES to assist, cheer on, and catch up! By the end of season, each mentor will have spent at least 20 hours with their mentee.

The SCORES Alumni Program

To encourage college readiness, 28 SCORES alumni from 12 different Boston area high schools have been meeting regularly to talk about their futures, receive college counseling and advice, go on college tours, and attend collegiate games. The alumni have gotten the chance to participate in one-on-one resume and professional skill counseling, a “Day in the Life” BU student shadowing day, and a Math Power college information panel. This year, the Alumni Program is also selected as an Opportunity To Serve host site and so the alumni participants will be restoring a soccer rink adjacent to the Mattahunt field while also facilitating a soccer tournament on the school’s field. By continuing to engage SCORES students as they continue their academic careers towards college, the SCORES Alumni Program has the power to empower Boston area kids to follow their dreams.

Nicole Ruttan, March's Coach of the Month!

Each month, SCORES will be crowning one of our outstanding Soccer and Writing Coaches the Coach of the Month! Check back here monthly as we delve into our coaches’ reasons for joining SCORES, their favorite experiences on the field and in the classroom, and what soccer, writing, and community service means to them.

March’s Coach of the Month: Nicole Ruttan, the Soccer and Writing Co-Coach for the Umana Barnes Middle School Boys and Girls Teams.

Why did you decide to become a SCORES Coach?

Accidentally. I happened to be in the room in the library, and I was asked by a guy who worked for SCORES if I wanted to be a soccer coach. I figured, “hey, I played soccer in Middle School…why not?” It was the girls team that I coached first, and then it was easy enough to add boys.

What was one of the most memorable moments you’ve had while leading your team?

Girls: Winning our first game was really cool. They were so excited, and so proud of themselves.

Boys: Winning the SCORES Sportsmanship Award last year at Blast.

Did you play soccer, or write poetry, when you were growing up?

I played soccer from 3^rd-12^th grade…not very well, but I played for a long time.

Who are your favorite writers, and why?

Right now, I’m pretty into Mercedes Lackey, the fantasy writer, and Joan Baez’s music for poetry. I like Joan Baez’s imagery, and the emotion her lyrics express in her music.

Part 4 of Shining Women, Bright Futures

For the fourth Shining Women, Bright Futures Speaker Series, where successful professional and business women have come to talk to the SCORES girls team at the Umana Barnes middle school, the guest visitors included a doctor, an architect, and the superintendent of the Mass State Police! The girls had been begging to meet a police woman from day one, but they never expected to meet Colonel Marian McGovern, who had once been a detective, an undercover agent, and now the first woman to be the “boss” of the state police. Because several of the girls really like to draw, the girls were also really excited to meet an architect.

In addition to talking to the girls about helicopters, forensics, and crime scene investigation, Colonel McGovern stressed the importance of playing sports: “sports is important,” she said, “Its important to be part of a team.”

Dr. Peggy Ueda, a retired internist from Mass General who worked with AIDS patients, had an important message about finding your career later in life: she spent 10 years out of college working in labor relations before she decided to go to medical school, and encouraged the girls to take their time and reach for the stars.

Architect Laura Wernick, sharing her experience of failing the Architect Registration Exam three years in a row before finally passing and becoming an architect on the fourth test, emphasized the importance of pursuing your dreams even if you meet setbacks.  

After the roundtable discussions, the girls were surprised that Ms. Wernick had persevered for so long, that it takes as long as 4 months to design a building, and that Colonel McGovern didn’t even know that the governor was going to appoint her head of the state police.

Thursday Poem of the Week!

A Crazy Dream, by Brandon B.

I am going crazy!

I dreamed about zoo monsters

On an old train

With their toenails flashing!

The Leadership Team runs their own Walk for Haiti!

Dorchester, MA (February 19th)– It may be vacation week, but 8 Boston area middle schoolers from the America SCORES New England Leadership Team have been busy raising money for Haitian relief by holding their own Walk for Haiti! On Friday, February 19th at the Curtis Hall Community Center in Jamaica Plain, the Leadership Team got off the couch, ran a total of 42.82 miles, and met their fundraising goal of $500. In recognition of the Leadership Teams efforts, America SCORES New England will also donate 50 soccer balls in conjunction with the Haiti Soccer Project to the children of Haiti.

As participants in America SCORES’ combined soccer, creative writing, and community service program, the Leadership Team decided to hold a Walk for Haiti fundraiser in order to take the lessons they have learned on the field, in the classroom, and in the community to the next level. They decided a Walk for Haiti would be a great opportunity to spend their vacation time staying healthy, working together as a team, and actively helping those in need. As Irving student Redouane Laalioui explained after running 198 laps, or 9 miles, at today’s fundraiser, “I wanted to work hard and raise as much money as possible for the people of Haiti. It’s all about them.”

Since the Leadership Team students hail from different Boston Public school across the city—the Edison, Curley, Dearborn, Frederick, Irving, McCormack and Umana middle schools—they were particularly excited that their Walk for Haiti brought them together to work as a team and make a collective impact. As one Frederick student put it: “When you watch the news and see the tragedy in Haiti, you just want to help. We thought, ‘What if that were us and no one helped?’ We’re hoping to bring the schools together and do whatever we can to support Haiti.”

The Leadership Team learns to coach!

Boston, MA, February 18th—While ASNE’s poet-athletes are already very comfortable playing soccer, 10 of ASNE’s Leadership Team poet-athletes got their first taste of coaching! In order to learn how to teach fundamental soccer skills to youth, the poet-athletes on the Leadership Team have spent the last three weeks brainstorming drills, developing new soccer activities, and learning how to lead a soccer team. After three weeks, the Leadership team put their new coaching skills to use this morning, when they led a 2-hour soccer clinic at the Tobin Community Center for 30 local elementary school kids. During the clinic, they led warmup games, stretches, passing drills, dribbling drills, and even a full court scrimmage. Way to lead (and coach)!

Thursday Poem of the Week!: Third Installment

Are You a Leader? by Valerie M. and Emily C.

Are you a leader?

Everyday we need one

After school and during school

Qualities that make a leader are important

Set a good example all through the day

It will help the community

Are you a leader?

Do what is right cause it is nice to help people

And they understand you

Take action

Take action for the people’s problems

ASNE’s Leadership Team Braves the Snow!

On Tuesday, February 16th, while most Boston Public School students were spending their February vacation inside, admiring the snow falling on the city from the comfort of their homes, America SCORES New England’s Leadership Team was ice skating at Jamaica Plain’s Kelly Rink, intent on being active despite the lousy weather. With Lady Gaga and Shakira setting the mood, the Leadership Team—composed of ASNE middle school students who best embody SCORES’ values of teamwork, leadership and commitment— twirled, glided and slid their way across the snow-covered ice. Ice skating was just one of many of the Leadership Team’s February vacation events, which will culminate on Friday, February 19th with their student-organized Walk for Haiti at the Curtis Community Center in Jamaica Plain. 

On the T-ride back home, the geographic diversity of the Leadership Team became clear, as these students from varying city neighborhoods set home on the red, orange, blue and green lines. Although the main purpose of ASNE’s Leadership Team is to cultivate leadership abilities in the middle school youth that ASNE serves, the Leadership Team also functions as a means for these students to meet and forge relationships with kids across the city, an opportunity which many Boston youth do not receive until high school, if at all.

Shining Women, Bright Futures...episode three!

14 6th-8th grade girls at the Umana school met for the third time on Thursday, February 11th to talk with two successful professional and business women from the greater Boston community about their lives and careers. This time, the women who volunteered to speak with the girls were Susan Hammond, a freelance business woman, and new Boston City Councilor-at-Large Ayanna Pressley, the first woman to color to be elected to the city council. The women had some great advice for the Umana girls: Ms. Pressley encouraged the girls to try out internships in order to find out their likes and dislikes, and Ms. Hammond pointed out that you should always be open to meeting new people and trying new things because you never know where opportunity will show up.

The speaker series has been a great hit, and a wonderful opportunity for our girls at the Umana! If you would like to volunteer to come in and speak to SCORES kids about their futures and their careers, please contact astrong@americascores.org.