The final week of instruction brought CELC students to Trap Rock Ridge camp for a two-night overnight. Cooking outdoors, sleeping under the stars, clamming in Long Island Sound, touring the Yale Art Gallery’s ancient art exhibit, and traveling to circus class filled the days.

Each night Rob told a story, each historically real and connected to the local land with characters such as the famed Leatherman.  This year he shared a story originally written by Arlo Guthrie about humongous giant million-year old clams as big as a house.  Oh, the laughter and wonder.  This story came alive and allowed an appearance by R Clamso … who entertained us all with a clam shanty. Standing tall with clampoon in hand, Reuben belted the verses aloud while the audience responded in call-and-response style “clamso me boys, clamso.  Oh, what a celebration!

In recognition of our first year as CELC, and for the hard work, perseverance, and individual and group accomplishment, CELC students, families, and friends gathered at Branford Point Park for a potluck supper and honoring ceremony.

Students read aloud their wishes for each other and acknowledgements of their own growth and achievements during the year of learning experiences.

No wonder middle-schoolers thrive at CELC

Connecticut’s Experiential Learning Center (CELC) offers the most desirable aspects of  a middle school education:

For parents, the assurance that their children will succeed in a full range of academic subjects, because they receive individual attention designed to maximize their abilities.

For students, CELC is where learning is an adventure, because  math, literature, history, science, music and art are hands-on, speak-out experiences connected to them.

They thrive because:

Their teachers truly care about each one of them, building their skills, increasing their confidence, fulfilling and often surpassing what they’ll need to be ready for high school.

Melinda Alcosser and Maria Mortali have been middle school specialists for over 15 years.  They give each CELC student individual attention and group skills.

CELC makes middle school a happy transition to high school, with hands-on learning, outside-the-classroom fieldwork, encouragement to speak out, question and be heard.  It’s a better way to learn and love learning.

Find out for yourself!  Thursday, 1 July from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., 10 Spring Street in Chester, CT.  Meet the teachers, view a slideshow, enjoy student-prepared, gourmet refreshments.

RSVP 203-215-2317 or email mandm@CTExperiential.org

Each interactive project contained a variety of informational items, including a timeline specifying dates of the civilization, listing important events that occurred within that time period; hand-drawn maps of ancient compared to modern geographical locations and place names of the region studied; a research report; and a plethora of visuals, dioramas, models, and more.

Students dressed in costume to portray an invented persona representing the civilization studied, creating an authentic historical fiction account of their persona’s family, occupation, lifestyle etc., and eloquently shared this story as visitors came to see the display.

Visitors asked questions, listened, and learned. From cuneiform to hieroglyphics, from the story of Alexander the Great to the invention of the wheel, the day was a great success. Students, family, and visitors felt that for these two hours, the civilizations of the Sumerians, Persians, Egyptians, Celts, Greeks, and Huns all sprang to life once again!

Connecticut Experiential Learning Center students and George Penniman Architects team up to conquer hunger at CANstruction 2010.  Raising $1,115 in donations, CELC purchased over 1900 cans to construct the little blue train engine in storybook The Little Engine That Could.  After the exhibition and awards ceremony to be held on Wednesday, 19 May at the CT Science Center in Hartford, all cans will be donated to the CT Food Bank. Thank you to all our many sponsors, especially to the Guilford Big Y for giving us 33% off the purchase of over 1000 of our cans.

CELC students will create a “living museum” presentation and display, sharing their ancient civilizations research and study work.

Students will bring forth their learning in an interactive way, as they each invent and become a persona within a mini-environment created to represent their civilization.

As if you are traveling back in time, visit Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Celts, the Huns, and the Greeks.

This Friday, 28 May from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

We hope to see you there!

After reading the recipes, students discuss what they now know about what is needed.  As students share their understanding of the recipes they are about to produce, a lot of discussion related to cooking chemistry takes place, such as what happens when the fat of the butter meets up with the granulated sugar, what color changes to look for, proper aerating of egg whites, and why it is helpful to separate eggs when they are cold but bring them to room-temperature to maximize their volume.

Why do we cook?  This provides students with a lifelong ability to provide for themselves and others well-made and healthful food.  Students gain an appreciation for the detail and considerations that are involved in food preparation.  In today’s society, young people often have very little relationship with food and how it is prepared.  Attending to detail may not be the norm for young people on a regular basis – it takes encouragement …  

And even when the egg whites are carefully tended, and all of our efforts go towards combining ingredients one at a time, students still forget to add flour to the poppy seed cake.  Even then, learning happens – each one of them has an idea that adding flour after the batter is mixed will deflate the egg whites.  Yet, we wait and hope for the best, knowing that the process and our efforts were valuable, and that each time we make a new recipe, we are discovering more about the fine art of cooking.

CELC students had a practicum exam in May where they prepared, set-up, and served a full meal for 32 invited guests.  View our menu and student writing, which shares their learning and impressions of the experience.

Why Cook? Practicum Dinner

A Culinary Experience Brought to You By the Chefs of CELC

All of the following were made by students, from the mayonnaise in the chicken salad to the sauce in the lasagna … Enjoy!

Appetizers

Chicken salad sandwiches on toasted potato bread

“Yeast needs to be “alive” so the water temperature is very important, between 70 – 80 degrees.” – Henry

“Potato needs to be cut evenly so it does not burn.” – Evan

“Proper emulsion for mayonnaise is critical – patience is the secret of the oil … drop-by-drop, streaming into the whirling machine.  Oil must go in a slow steady stream.” – Maria

Roasted red pepper hummus with pita chips

“Red peppers need to be cut the same size so that they all cook evenly.” – Stefan

“Stir the tahini to mix in the oil before adding to the other ingredients.” – Hannah

Entrées

Traditional meat lasagna

“… get the dried tomato paste and burn it on the bottom of the pan so that when the sauce is added, the paste will come up off the bottom and release the flavor.” – Jared

“Cook onions first until almost caramelized to soften and bring out flavor.” – Henry

“You put the herbs on your hands and rub the herbs into the sauce – you can tell the perfect amount of herbs by the aroma as you add them into the sauce.” – Hannah

Pasta primavera with Alfredo sauce

Beef stew with noodles

“When you move the meat while cooking, be sure it has no resistance so as not to remove the browned portion.” – Hannah

“Pour the wine slowly to avoid getting any sediment from the bottle into the stew” – Henry

Desserts

Fruit salad

Chocolate mint bars

“Important that the sugar dissolves completely into the butter.” – Evan

Crème Brûlée

“Mix and strain the egg, cream, and sugar mixture well so as to remove air bubbles and avoid air pockets during baking.” – Henry

Biscotti

“You must be aware of when to stop mixing the dough – look for a color change and when ingredients are all blended together.” – Jared

Beverages

Lemonade

“Sugar must be completely dissolved in liquid before adding heat.” – Jody

“Heat slowly and be patient to avoid forming sugar crystals.” – Henry

Iced tea

“I love to cook. It was difficult getting it all done, but we did it!”                                                                          -Iron Chef Jared

“It was awesome! Red peppers were a challenge because I had to cut each piece the same size.” -Chef Stefan

“ My highlight of this experience is that I was able to try making a variety of food. I was able to also learn new techniques and see things come together. I got to cook food that I had never even known the ingredients to. I don’t cook on my own time, so this was an experience that was pretty new. I must say, it was a fantastic one.

A challenge for me was working so closely with people. It was crowded, and sometimes I wanted to do things differently than my partners. It got a little frustrating at times, but I didn’t want to get angry with people who were working as hard as I was. So I took a little time to get myself under control and got back in there. Overall, it was great experience!”

-Chef Hannah

“I liked making everything. One of my favorite things was when Hannah and I put two containers of cottage cheese into the food processor and mushed it up. Once it was done it became very smooth, and we put it in the lasagna. My biggest problem was roasting the pepper over Maria’s gas stove. It kept falling. It was good once I had Jared there to help. I had a lot of fun!”

-Chef Jody

“One of my highpoints with cooking was cracking eggs. I love cracking eggs! I also loved making and cooking all the food. It was fun! My favorite food was the crème brûlée. One of my challenges was to work with everyone. It was just a little hard to work with rushing people. I got through it by taking a break and calming down. I went back into the room, and it was better working with everyone! I had a great time. I think everyone did a great job!” -Chef Jenna

“My highlight of the Why Cook? practicum was being able to make delicious food for parents and guests. The most challenging aspect of the practicum was cooking with poison ivy and a broken arm. I overcame that challenge by wearing gloves.”

-Chef Henry

“One of the things I liked making were the chicken salad sandwiches. It was fun caramelizing the onions and chopping the carrots. The most difficult food to make was probably the mint cookie bars. It was a fun experience for me because I like cooking. It was fun watching other people cook the desserts and foods.”

-Chef Evan

Tuesday afternoon we had a professional photography shoot at the Watering Pond Yoga Studio.   There’s more to this story, you may be thinking – yes, indeed there is! Dorothy, our yoga instructor, had an inspiration back in September when we began our once/month yoga classes to ultimately photograph CELCers in their favorite poses and to perhaps send the photos to the Yoga Journal or to create a calendar, all based on the theme of exploring body language and movement.

The most pronounced memory from the photo shoot was just how strong,

comfortable, and in-tune each student was when getting into a pose and while in front of the camera, be it downward-facing dog, a headstand, or pigeon.  A picture is worth a thousand words … take a look!

Wednesday morning had students working with the team of architects from George Penniman Architects on a practice build for the upcoming CANstruction event, where students will construct their design of the train from The Little Engine That Could at the CT Science Center on 15 May. CELCers hard work at fundraising brought in $1115 and all of the cans purchased will be donated ultimately to the CT Food Bank.

Thank you to our sponsors:

Emmons & Wilson Insurance

Ben & Jerry’s, Branford

Kid Wishes

Rock Garden

Lucy Tailors

NexGen Solutions

First Connecticut Credit Union

H. Pearce Real Estate

Dumark & Lindsay

Fired Up!

Blend

Anchor Capitol Services

Guilford Coin Exchange

Branford Flower Shop

MIX Design Store

Anne Penniman Associates, LLC

George Penniman Architects, LLC

Sunny Side Up Coffee Shop

Augur’s Irish Pub

The Village Chocolatier

Trudy’s European Shoes & Accessories

Claywell Jewelers

Security Systems Incorporated

Connecticut Experiential Learning Center

Big Y World Class Market

Willoughby’s Coffee & Tea

Lois Alcosser

Stephen Fennell

Linda Forgey

Heather Yencho

Catherine Young

Peggy Sullivan

The following description written by students describes the intent of this design: The beloved children’s story The Little Engine That Could is about a little blue engine that nobody thought could make it over the hill. The little engine proved them wrong, saying to himself, “I think I can, I think I can.”  Our structure symbolizes the engine climbing over the hill of hunger.  Our engine is the Engine of Hope!

And then Thursday – the morning was spent with a parent of a CELC student who happens to be a lobbyist for the CT Business and Industry Association.  He enlightened all of us as to the inner workings of how bills get decided on and the process that takes place regarding legislation issues in Connecticut.  This was a precursor to our visit to the Capitol on Monday, where we will see the House and Senate in session and have a chance to meet with State Representative Pat Widlitz and Senator Ed Meyer.

Thursday afternoon was spent on a windy Hammonasset State Park participating in an environmental education program called Three Ecosystems, run by staff at Meig’s Point Nature Center.  While walking barefoot into the marsh, the knowledgeable staff shared with our students the vital role of the salt marsh, and later we explored rocky shore and sandy beach habitats and learned about the importance of caring for them.

Friday’s Why Cook? class had a guest chef who worked with students as they learned a secret family recipe and prepared delicious stuffed-broccoli and spinach breads.

Friday also brought the CELCers to Short Beach to their art class, where they worked with watercolors and pastels to create beautiful 3-D floral designs as gifts for Mother’s Day.

Of course, along with all of those highlights were our academic subject areas that take place throughout each day.

In math some students worked on understanding – through diagrams and models- how to add fractions, while others worked on transforming algebraic formulae, cubic functions, and scientific notation.

In Connecticut history students re-enacted, through their own improvised skit, the story of The Charter Oak and began to read The Witch of Blackbird Pond. In U.S. history students were simultaneously hard at work understanding the effects of Reconstruction on state governments in the South, debating the effectiveness of the federal government’s response, and reading Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

Spanish projects included composing and translating poetry, designing and illustrating a menu, writing letters to family members, creating a weather forecast, translating a popular song, reading Spanish newspapers, and conversing.

In science class students worked on building their Rube Goldberg machines, using pulleys, levers, ramps, catapults and more.

And if that were not enough, students also spent time in Writers’ Workshop and Literature Circle, as well as reading, researching and beginning their first draft papers about ancient civilizations.  (Please join us on 28 May at the Blackstone Memorial Library from 1 – 3 p.m., as student share their learning about Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, the Huns, the Celts, and the Greeks).

Learning and growing is alive and well.  Check back again – next week’s highlights include a visit to Connecticut’s Capitol, outdoor education at Trap Rock Ridge Camp, circus class, and a pottery workshop. All in A Week in the Life of CELC – middle school at its finest!

CELC students with Senator Ed Meyer

What a way to learn!

Connecticut Experiential Learning Center (CELC) middle-school students saw and heard first-hand how government works when they spent a day in Hartford, meeting state senators and representatives, attending legislative sessions, observing what it’s like to run the state. Receiving standing ovations from both chambers for their enthusiasm and participation, the day topped off with an ice cream social with the CT Farm Bureau.

CELC gives its students these kinds of experiences regularly, as the most effective way to learn.

Representative Pat Widlitz greets CELC students at CT Farm Bureau Ice Cream Social

Eric Brown Introduces CELC Students to Life at the Capitol

CELC Students have time with Senator Meyer inside Senate Chambers

On tour inside State Capitol building

Walking from CT State History Museum to Capitol Building

Students are encouraged to work hard and stretch themselves in all subject areas,  including Spanish, grammar, literature circle, science and more. 

We saw a matinee performance of No Child at the Long Wharf Theatre. In this one-woman show,  Nilaja Sun – in a humorous and poignant way - captured  the essence of how important the arts are in making a real difference in the lives of students.

CELCers continue to observe and track the osprey nesting pairs at Tabor Church and Center Cemetery.

During Writers’ Workshop students spent time with Rob at Trap Rock Ridge Camp, focusing on renga poetry.

While learning ecology out of a textbook is one method, CELC students were outdoors this week for outdoor education, using leaves to mulch the area where last week’s peas were planted, making compost to begin the planting of broccoli, and clearing away prickery vines to prepare new garden beds.

Working with Gritli, students used vines and grasses to weave natural sculptures.  The weaving process required focus

and patience.  

Our classroom expands as we expand ourselves each day.

Often rengas begin with a stanza about the natural world, the seasons, or a sense of place. They do not have a single theme, but each stanza, in some subtle or obvious way, relates to the preceding stanza but not the one before that. The links can be made with a connecting image or a word that has several meanings. Rengas are stingy on words but massive in “painting a picture in your mind.” Much to Maria’s chagrin, proper grammar is out the window.

Your CELCers wrote two rengas the other day – one with instruction and guidance from the workshop leader and one independently (in the bed of a pickup truck). The adults were quite impressed with the way they took hold of the form and made it their own. As you read the poems, be aware of the connections that were made from stanza to stanza while maintaining an ever-changing theme. You may want to try one at your next party!

The autumn haze

trickle of water

in the ditch

Ditched at mall

annoying friends

Chop wood

with ax;

blisters

Sun seems closer

sweating buckets

Yokes heavy with

maple sap

sticky, icky, gooey

Breakfast –

I love scrambled

Hannah’s heart completes us

CELC

Hazah!

Beautifully written Jody, Jared, Jenna, Henry, Evan, and Hannah!

by Rob Cole-Whiffen