Tag: Long Beach Poly CIC program

  • A Shakespearean Experience at UCI

    On December 10, CIC seniors went to UC Irvine for a campus tour and a demonstration of the Shakespeare production, Macbeth.
    CIC AP English Literature and Composition teachers Gwendolyn Larsen and James Cooperider organized the event, encouraged all of their students to attend, and chaperoned at the university.
    While there, the students were split into three groups to rotate between a tour of the campus, a presentation of different adaptations of the play, and a chance to see and handle old copies of Shakespearean scripts at the school’s library archive. Among these rare books in the archive was a copy of the First Folio, the first official written source for the scripts for Shakespeare’s plays averaging about $3-7 million US dollars in value.
    “The First Folio was probably the coolest thing I saw that day,” said Amber Payan. “I have a big appreciation for theater, so it [made] me feel more immersed in the world; it really makes me feel like this is my spot. It’s where I want to be.”
    After lunch, the students gathered again in the presentation room to sit in on an acting theory lecture from one of the college professors, as well as witness a sample of an acted scene from two of UCI’s acting majors. One Poly student, Isaac Absalom stepped up at the end and got to act as Macbeth with one of the college students. “It was fun! I like doing fun stuff,” he said. “I feel like that’s my character – extroverted.”
    Absalom was happy he was able to see the campus and get a glimpse of what college life may be like for him in the near future: “I think to pay attention to more things than just the teaching and the campus – like seeing who goes there and what the vibe is like – that and a lot of things go into choosing a college.”

  • Pac Rim, PACE, and CIC Offer Shadow Program for 8th Grade Students

    With November approaching quickly, seniors at Poly are deciding where they would like to attend college. However, seniors are not the only ones choosing their next destination for their education– eighth graders across the LBUSD district are faced with the same dilemma.

    From October 16 to December 6, PACE, CIC and Pac Rim will host eighth graders as shadow students at Poly.

    Pac Rim and CIC facilitator Jeffrey Inui said, “Shadowing is an opportunity for kids to see the school and the programs in greater detail. The way Poly does it, is that we set up individual hosts with students. The reason we do it this way is because it gives [students] a genuine experience about what the classes are and what the programs are.”

    Cindy Stuart, the PACE office assistant, went into detail about how the shadowing program goes about.

    “[Eighth graders] apply through the district, and I get a list of emails,” Stuart said. “I email the parent and the eighth graders the application and ask them about their favorite subject or sport. And then I have a list of juniors and seniors that want to have a shadow. I then go through their schedules and try to match them. We had 250 [the day when applications were open], and then I cut it off the second day at 300.”

    Inui, on the other hand, explained the shadow program for CIC and Pac Rim.

    “[Eighth graders] design the experience,” Inui said. “Eighth graders can choose anybody. Pac Rim has always done [shadowing], but it wasn’t official until last year. You couldn’t even choose Pac Rim if you wanted to shadow it. This year we have 500 to 600 requests to shadow.”

    However, smaller learning communities (SLCs), or pathways, do not have shadow days for prospective students. According to Inui, the SLCs about four years ago attempted to give eight graders the chance to shadow their programs.

    Besides Millikan and Poly, other LBUSD high schools opted out of initiating shadow programs for eighth graders because of the incessant amount of effort, work, commitment and time it takes to accomplish.

    Another upcoming event, is the Eighth Grade Choice Night on November 28.

    “The pathways will all present– not just CIC and PACE,” Inui said. “Families will be welcome to visit the campus and see projects. Student council and music groups get heavily involved. Usually I get 300 to 400 parents show up. There will be translators that the district provides.”

    Senior Gabby Gliane, alongside Student Commission and the rest of link crew, will host the event.

    “We will be joining forces to help kids to come to Poly,” Gliane said. “We are going to try and have games and a little orientation, so it can be fun.”

    The PACE representatives will present the the program through Michelle Aberle’s powerpoint presentations, which are 30 minutes in length and occur five times throughout the night.

    “Aberle also invites seniors to come and help out [during choice night],” Stuart said.