2/9

am most intrested in Editorial- Newspaper opinion because I can look in the newspaper and see my writing and think of my self as a author. This is a good thing because my mom will be very proud of me.


I think this will be a good thing because I think this will help us get a better school. We really need a new school because this school we got now is a mess. If we get a new school now it will be very important to us.


I want to do this because I think that if we try hard enough we can get a new school.

2/13

Quention Curtis


Today Quention Curtis came to our class. He is the owner of SalonSENSE magazine. He is a photo shooter. He takes photo of famous people like 50cent,Alicia keys,R.Kelly and other famous people.

Today I came in late I did'nt know who he was then I got to know him. Then I start asking him question.

2/18

1.What is a petition? A petition is something someone signs.

2. Why are we having people sign our petition? We are having people to sign our petition for our school,we are trying to get a knew school.

3. I felt successful with the petition becuase I felt successful about helping our school.

4. The easiest part of the petition was asking people to sign it.


5. This was easy because I knew some of them.

6. The hardest part of the petition was having to sign the petition.

7. This was hard because I had to show them the stories and all the pictures.

8. When I was petitioning, I enjoyed itwhen they sign the petition.

9. I enjoyed it because I kept getting more.

10. When I was petitioning, I disliked when I had to walk around everywhere.

11. I dislike it because it was cold out side.

12. My next steps for petitioning are getting a knew school.

2/19

1. STATEMENT: Yesterday Mr. Schultz went to the Board Members of the Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) to present the great things Room 405 is doing.
   How does this make you feel? Why? This makes me feel great because I have someone represent us and show off our activities.
   
   2. STATEMENT: The class was successful getting many responses to our school wide survey.
   How does this make you feel? Why? This makes me feel like if we get a new school I'm a hero.
   
   3. STATEMENT: Everyone in the class was supposed to get 125 signatures on the petition to show support. Not everybody has.
   How does this make you feel? Why? It dose'nt make me feel angry because you can't get 125 signatures in one day.
   
   4. What can Room 405 students do to get more signatures on the petition?
   We can mail papers to people houses and ask them if they want help out Byrd Academy.
   5.Do you think it is important to continue getting signatures on the petition?
   Yes,because I think we can help get a new school.
   6. Now that many classes have returned their surveys, what is the next step?
   The next step is to put all the signatures together.
   7. What do you think the surveys will reveal about the feelings and thoughts about the kids and teachers at Byrd Academy?
   That they agree with us that we need a new school.
   8. What is going to be a good way to share the results of the survey? With the school? With the community? With the city? With the Board of Education?
   We can mail it to their houses.
   9. STATEMENT: Mr. Schultz combined all the students stories into a letter that was hand delivered to Rev. Jesse Jackson yesterday.
   How does this make you feel? Why? This makes me feel like I'm important.
   
   10. STATEMENT: Mr. Schultz used the same letter but changed who it was made out to and gave it to all the board members at the CRF meeting yesterday and it was very well received. Some members even want to come to our school based on the invitation from the class. How does this make you feel? Why?
   
   11. STATEMENT: One alternative solution to our class policy will be to combine Byrd Academy with another nearby school.
   How does this make you feel? Why?
   
   12. If Byrd got combined with another school, is our fight worth it? Why?
   
   13. I feel that I have been contributing to our cause because I have
   
   14. Our next steps for our action plan should be
   
   15. To make this more fun and interesting we should be

2/23

Today we interviewed some teachers on tape about what they think about our school. It was Raynard,Lamarius and I. We took turns interviewing them. We were useing Mrs. Percak's camera.

On thursday we planned it out. We could'nt do the interview on friday because we had a half of day. So we did it on monday but we had to hurry because afterwards we were going a feild trip. So we did all the teachers. Then It was our turn to get interviewed. I had to introduce the project I was very nervous.

3/24

Yesterday, I was helping video taping. We had a visiter come to our class. We took turns video taping Manuel and Zachary interviewing Therese Quinn. Then Raynard, Daviell, Lamarius and I, went down and video taped the pre-k going to gym. We did that because we wanted to show how we had to walk over to the gym.

We had a little help from Ms.Percak and Bill. Bill sometimes let us video tape. He interveiwed Mr.Billings, Then we took pictures and video taped them walking over to the gym. We went inside of the gym and video taped them playing.

After, That we took a tour around the school. First we went to the lunchroom, Then we on the fourth floor and show the broken windows and how our restrooms is messed up.

After we did that we were done. Then we played with Bill's dog. His dog name was lulu. He said she could tricks but he did'nt show us.

3/29

Dear 5th Grade Class at Byrd:

I am a Board member of the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Chicago and recently had the pleasure of meeting your teacher Mr. Schultz. He told us then of your mission to affect the decision making of the school system and the state in order to secure a better learning environment. I also read Mr. Zorn's article discussing the steps you have taken and will continue to take.

Your commitment to this project is outstanding. You are right to want to be in an environment which is more effective for your learning needs as you move through your school career. I encourage you to keep working towards your goals especially in the professional manner you have already demonstrated. In school, just as in a business environment, there will
always be issues to tackle and better solutions to seek out. The most important thing I have learned is to keep working towards what you think is the right solution. If you don't reach the "perfect" solution you had originally intended, I have learned that great things happen along the way and superb alternatives also appear.

I commend your approach to this problem and your passion for it as well. Even though I am not at school with you, I have learned a great deal simply by hearing of your actions and plans. While you seek a better environment for your education, it seems as though you have already, through your own efforts, elevated your education.

My best wishes for your continued crusade.

Renee Citera
CRFC Board Member
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Based on what Ms. Citera wrote to you, what will happen if you do not reach the "perfect" solution to your Project Citizen plans?

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If we do not reach the perfect solution I think we can still learn alot.In the letter it says, I commend your approach to this problem and your passion for it as well.Another example is through your own efforts, elevated your education.

I go to the colllabatory to write about this mostly everyday. We made an actoin plan with eleven parts. First we came up with 79 things that was wrong with our school . Then we picked out the main thing. The main thing was our school. That's how we came up with our action plan. If we do not reach the perfect solution I think we can still learn alot.