Christmas in New York

For my final weekend, Michelle took me to the Big Apple, as I'd expressed a desire to see it at Christmas-time. A native of Long Island, we stayed with Michelle's friend, Kim, travelling up on the Friday after school.

We stopped briefly to explore the Yale campus and grab a coffee (it was a bitterly cold weekend) before entering New York state. My first glimpse of the city was across the water from our bridge: it looked beautiful.

I instantly liked Long Island; the streets and houses are more reminiscent of those in the UK. We ate in a fab diner on the Friday evening and picked up some rather tasty bagels to take into the city the next morning.

Heading in via train, we arrived at Penn Station to a rather surreal sight: multiple Santas - everywhere! To this day, I'm not quite sure why there were so many but I did capture some of them on film.

We began our day at Central Park, which is impossibly huge. From there we checked out the large piano, as featured in 'BIG,' in FAO Schwarz and drooled over diamonds in Tiffanys. We then made our way to 34th to gaze at the infamous Macy's Christmas window displays before heading down Broadway to Times Square. From here we passed the Saks' light and music display on 5th before meeting friends for dinner.

It was then time to brave the crowds (think sardine tin - crazy busy) surrounding the Rockefeller Centre, where we witnessed a proposal under a tree adorned with sparkly lights. The ice rink wasn't at all like I'd imagined but the tree was suitably impressive.

We then headed to, and up, the Empire State Building for panoramic views of the city at night. Incredible! A NYPD helicopter even entertained the tourists by hovering at balcony level before looping the skyscrapers.

After a leisurely brunch in another fab diner, we headed back to Massachusetts. New York wasn't at all what I'd expected (noisy, dirty, packed) and I'll savour my bite of the Big Apple for many years to come. Thanks Michelle :)

Winter Wonderland

On the 9th December, at approximately 5.30am, a magical thing happened: the phone rang.

Ok, so phones ringing aren't usually especially magical but this particular call signalled a snow day and thus bonus snoozing time!

After a few extra hours in bed, I ventured out to explore the picture-perfect landscape: New England is particularly magnficent in the snow!A fair few inches had fallen and my walk through the forest was particularly peaceful - there weren't even any other tracks in sight.

As most houses are already decorated for Christmas, the sparkly white stuff served to infuse the day with a festive air and was a welcome addition to my experience. Sadly, my colleagues weren't quite so happy as days are added to the end of the school year when a school has to close during term time. That's a cultural difference I don't think I'll be taking back!

A new bathroom duty record was set today: 32 students!

Super Bowl Saturday

Last Saturday was the Super Bowl game between NHS and David Prouty High School. As a self-confessed sports-phobic, please excuse me if I get any of the following details wrong, but 'super bowl', is essentially an American football final and the name comes from the Championship game of the National Football League, which traditionally takes place on a Sunday.

The game was scheduled to take place at a larger stadium on a college campus some distance away from Northbridge. Fans could be bussed there, but we opted for a car. School games are popular, high profile events here and generally generate a huge turnout. Entry to the game costs $10 and talent scouts are often present.

Not deterred by the driving blizzard or bitter cold (it snowed the whole time - sitting on cold, wet metal benches in the open air wasn't exactly pleasant), both sides had a decent representation in the stands - mainly fellow students and family members. Each side is supported by the school band and a cheerleading squad and it's clear who's sitting where as everyone wears the school colours and merchandise (I didn't disappoint on that score, although it wasn't obvious under my hat, coat, scarf and gloves!). NHS's colours are maroon and white and the school has the ram mascot (a student dressed in a ram suit accompanies the cheerleaders and generates school spirit). The fans are a passionate bunch, too - cheering, shouting and stamping their feet throughout the match.

The match itself was confusing to me, as despite the best efforts of my colleagues, I just can't get my head around the rules - but then I don't really understand the rules of football/soccer, either! I know the game is divided into four quarters and that the time for each section can be stopped and re-started and that teams can call 'time out' to discuss strategy, but I still haven't really got to grips with what's actually happening on the field - the teams will assemble, go into a sort of rugby scrum (which I believe is called a 'fumble') and then stop. This process is repeated until one team gets the ball to the end of the pitch (which I think here is called the 'field'). I used the crowd's reaction to judge whether what was happening was good or not and responded accordingly!

Sadly Northbridge didn't win on this occasion (the final score was 11 - 7) but they did, I think, play a fine game. Watching my students play, cheer and dance in a ram suit was, in itself, rewarding. Go Rams!

Pastures New

On Friday, I ventured to Shepherd Hill Regional High School, which is a larger school in a different district, as I'd been asked to present to a class of students who have been following my exchange. Situated outside of a town and serving several, Shepherd Hill has a very different demographic to Northbridge and so I took the opportunity to observe some lessons whilst I was there, including a Science lesson, as one of the teachers I'd been scheduled to observe was absent. It's a rare opportunity for a teacher to observe in a cross-curricular capacity and I found this lesson just as interesting and useful as the English lessons I've sat in upon.

In some schools in the US, Drama doesn't really have much of a profile and Drama as an elective subject has only recently been introduced at Shepherd Hill, though they couldn't have a more enthusiastic or able teacher. We engaged in a lengthy discussion about the subject - he was surprised at how our Key Stage three students are given a Drama allocation as part of their normal timetable and are taught the skills that we teach them at that age - and I was treated to a tour of the theatre. Mrs Williams will be pleased to note that the Drama teacher and I will be remaining in contact, sharing resources and collaborating upon my return to the UK!

My presentation was well received; the students had prepared many questions for me and I enjoyed sharing my culture with them.

It's an interesting school, filled with magnificent murals all along the corridors, which create a welcoming atmosphere, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of being there. Thank you, Miss Ganger for inviting me :)

Rachel's Challenge

'I have this theory that if one person can go out of their way to show compassion, then it will start a chain reaction of the same. People will never know how far a little kindness can go.'

Rachel Joy Scott


Last Thursday, a change took place at Northbridge High School. Students and staff alike were profoundly affected by a presentation given by Craig Scott, a survivor of the Columbine school shootings and brother of the first victim, Rachel Scott. Having seen the presentation at Hyannis last year, members of the School Council raised the money for it to be brought to Northbridge with the aim of creating a permanent positive culture change and it certainly was a powerful experience; one I will never forget.

On Tuesday, April 20th, 1999, two students at Columbine High School launched an attack which resulted in thirteen fatalities and twenty one injuries. Most of the killings took place in the school library, where Craig Scott was located, and that was also the location where the killers took their own lives. Scott led the survivors out of the library, only to later discover that his sister had been the first to be killed.

Rachel Scott had been the kind of person who sought out isolated students and befriended them. She wrote an essay detailing her vision of creating a 'chain reaction' of compassion, through doing kind deeds for others, and on a drawing of her hands wrote that one day those hands would touch millions of people's hearts. Her family have made this vision a reality. The organisation tours schools and businesses internationally, promoting Rachel's ideals.

The presentations last an hour and are targeted to the given audience (we had different presentations according to age during the school day and a community presentation in the evening). The events at Columbine are only touched upon; the focus is very much upon Rachel's life and her vision. The message is clear: life is short and should be lived to the full. The audience are left with five challenges to accept, these being:

1. Choose positive influences.
2. Dare to Dream (and write down your goals/ keep a journal)
3. Engage in Kind Words and Acts.
4. Look For The Best.
5. Start A Chain Reaction.

Both students and staff can then sign a huge banner to show that they accept the challenges and this banner will be left permanently on display in the foyer, as a reminder to all.

The presentation is followed by a workshop for a select group of students, who will then found a Friends Of Rachel club. These students will be responsibile for implementing the wider cultural changes within the school and will become ambassadors for the Rachel's Challenge message; they are asked to model kindness and compassion in all that they do. Initiatives such as a programme to befriend new students and write letters of thanks to auxiliary staff will be implemented in addition to projects to raise money for charity and make links with less fortunate children globally. Ultimately, the aim is to foster an 'atmosphere of kindness' and ensure that students are provided with character-building opportunities in addition to a standard education whilst at school.

At the workshop, students were asked to say what impact the presentation had had on them. Responses included: "It made me realise I've been mean to people who really didn't deserve it and I'm going to try and change that", "It made me realise it's time to act" and "it made me want to be a better person." I was struck by just how profoundly students were impacted; at the end of each presentation the audience - even the stereotypical 'Jocks' - were openly in tears and the desire to change was audible for the rest of the day. Although Scott lightened the dark content of his presentation with comic moments, he spoke of how the last words his friend heard before being shot that day were words of racial abuse and the last words he spoke were, "I want my Mom." He asked the audience to close their eyes and imagine being on the opposite side of a room to all the people that you care about in the world...and that it is the last time you will ever see them. It was these moments that were the most powerful and which had the most impact on the audience. If the Friends of Rachel group can successfully maintain that mindset then Rachel will not only have succeeded in touching millions of people's hearts, she'll have changed them for the better.

Find out more about what you can do here

A Night To Remember

His name has, in recent years, become synonymous with horror films, such as The Devil's Rejects and the 2006 remake of Halloween and it is this inherent showmanship that makes Rob Zombie one of the best live rock/ metal acts there is. Massachusetts born, Zombie is currently touring the US to promote his forthcoming album, Hellbilly Deluxe 2. Having last seen him perform in London on the original Hellbilly Deluxe tour, eleven years ago (he's not performed in the UK since), it was with eager anticipation that I headed to Boston last Wednesday to see him play at the infamous House of Blues.

Security for gigs is much tighter in the US than the UK - perhaps due to incidents like the shooting that killed Dimebag Darrell five years ago - and before entering the venue we had to show ID (my Welsh driving licence required the verification of 'The Expert' - a fellow Brit), remove all items from our pockets and be patted down. Cameras were strictly forebidden. Once the gauntlet had been run, I (quite literally) bounced my way into the venue, only to discover that our tickets were for the mezzanine level on the second floor (I hadn't booked them). This was disappointing as that level offered limited views of the stage; indeed, aside from Scott, who's six foot three, we couldn't see a thing. I was, however, accompanied by no less than two Scotts that night, the other of which discovered we could get down to the ground floor level by expressing the desire to purchase merchandise. So that's exactly what we did.

We were then able to procure ourselves a prime spot near enough the front to have both a good view of the stage and elbow room. The atmosphere was super-charged, despite the lack-lustre performances by the support acts; the fictional (they featured in Zombie's Halloween II) Captain Clegg & The Night Creatures and Necromantix.

The headline act opened with a clip from Zombie's recently-released animated film The Haunted World of El Superbeasto. The band took to the stage to the rather eerie What Lurks on Channel X? and then launched straight into Superbeast, which sent the crowd into a frenzy. Zombie worked the crowd, playing on the rivalry Boston has with New York (Sox vs Yankees), as he'd played there earlier in the week. We were treated to a veritable aural banquet, including Living Dead Girl, Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy), American Witch and Demon Speeding, along with White Zombie classics, such as Super-Charger Heaven and More Human Than Human (at which point a giant robot with glowing eyes took to the stage). To ensure that our eyes were equally happy, immense screens projected a plethora of horror-related images from old films and manga cartoons.

Half way through his set, Zombie left the stage to focus the audience on Tommy Clufetos' impressive drum solo and during a rendition of ThunderKiss '65 (which he made the audience beg him to play), he walked right through the crowd, from the back of the venue to the stage, accompanied by John 5's epic guitar solo. Sadly, he turned to head back to the ailse two people away from Scott and I, so I didn't get to high five him but I did get closer than I ever thought I would!

Only two songs from the forthcoming album found their way into the set and Zombie cleverly ensured that these were well received. "This isn't a gig, it's a party," he told the crowd, "and nobody likes a party when they don't know what's going on." Dividing the crowd by gender, he allocated key words from the chorus to Sick Bubble-Gum and engineered a competition (females got the word with the most syllables!); thus the crowd were able to sing this yet-to-be-released song along with the band. For the second number, What?, Zombie ordered all males to vacate the mosh pit to allow an all-girl - 'safe' - mosh pit to ensue.

Despite two encores, ninety minutes of Zombie-action just wasn't enough: the crowd lingered long after plecrums and drumsticks had been scattered amongst us (I was lucky enough to procure myself one of the former). Despite having to be up incredibly early the next morning, Scott and I lingered too - it was a phenomenal show. For me, seeing Rob Zombie play on home turf was the experience of a lifetime and is a definite highlight of this exchange.