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Being Competitive and Humble

Hoop dreams come alive at Felicity! The Chicago Area Alternative Education League (CAAEL) provides a wonderful opportunity for our students to compete. First year basketball coach, Sol Luskin, knows firsthand that planning, preparation, and execution are the keys to success both on and off the court. Felicity students have been provided an extra layer of motivation to be good citizens, complete their work, and participate in a competitive setting that values leadership and sportsmanship.

After every CAAEL game, it is tradition for the student athletes to award two sportsmanship ribbons to the opposing team. Felicity students have participated in the ribbon ceremony three times now. Those that present the ribbons have gained the unique opportunity to provide specific praise to someone they have just competed against. With a record of 2-1 during the 2017-2018 season, Felicity is poised to have fun and hopefully win a few more games, all while learning how to be humble.

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Woodshop:  Finish What You Started

For the 2017-2018 school year Felicity Students can explore what they can accomplish with their hands. Working with wood is a tactile learning experience that brings together the following skills: hand-eye coordination, following procedures, being creative, and the true reward of creating something from a piece of material. Students see practical applications of their math skills and learn to “measure twice and cut once.”

The evolution of a woodworker has been recreated firsthand in the inaugural year of woodshop at Felicity. To start the year, two construction horses were built and a piece of scrap wood was laid over the top to create a necessary workbench. From there, woodshop students followed a cut list and measured and processed 2×4’s into the correct lengths to build a more defined workbench. Being the antithesis to the digital age, woodshop classes expose students to manual labor that builds confidence, strength of character, and problem-solving skills due to the unique nature of each individual piece of lumber. From exposing students to trade opportunities or developing true GRIT, woodshop is a true-life lesson experience.

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2016-17: A Look Into Our Year

The 2016-2017 school year was quite successful in Mr. Watson’s and Mr. Kostas’ classroom. This year, we introduced individual and group art therapy for our students as an additional resource for transferable skills and an outlet for creativity. Also, we read the novel Unwind, a science fiction book for young adults by Neal Shusterman. Further, we went on various field trips throughout the school year to promote social, emotional, and academic growth.
We started the school year with 5 students and grew to 9 students by the end of the year! We watched 3 of our students move on to bigger and better things in their post-high school endeavors. We are proud to have had 2 high school graduates and 1 student reintegrate into their home school full-time. Mr. Watson and Mr. Kostas are looking forward to the 2017-2018 school year and hope it will be as successful as the 2016-2017 year.

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Lightning in the Classroom

Without saying a word, a classroom sends a message to the students about relationship building, communication, and the roles of teachers and students. The first message to my students is that they are in a safe and empathetic environment. Our atmosphere is designed to foster growth in both social-emotional and academic areas. This gives students the opportunity to take chances, make mistakes, and practice being brave on a daily basis.

This year, we have seniors in our room that will transition to new and exciting opportunities. We strive to teach them to be independent while becoming intrinsically motivated. We focus on developing social skills and critical thinking through daily structured and spontaneous discussions around relevant current events. To meet individual needs, we create independent learning opportunities based on students’ interests to blend with our online curriculum. I am incredibly proud to be their teacher and a member of the Felicity team.

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Luskin’s Learning Lab

The 2016-2017 school year is in the record books! Students have continued to work hard towards earning credits and getting one step closer to graduation. While school work is a typical concern for any high school student, life outside of Felicity School has found one student navigating the Healthcare.gov website and tackling life’s demands.

On the road to independence, the allure of one’s first job can be overwhelming. Felicity School has provided one student the opportunity to bring in his work pay-stubs and earn credit towards an elective work study. Another student has the luxury of taking Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes in his neighborhood and participating in his first tournament later this month. Throughout the school year, students have been asked to journal about how they stay motivated and focused on their goals. During the summer months, both students and staff have a little bit of extra time to recharge their inner motivation and prepare to continue down the path of persistence, perseverance, and adapting to a constantly changing world.