ACC Graduating Seniors Head to College

On June 8 at Boston University's Morse Auditorium, ACC said goodbye to a phenomenal senior class. Our graduation ceremonies are unique in that we speak about each student individually, sharing teacher and peer impressions of every graduating senior. As acceptance to college is a graduation requirement, we are so proud that all of the young people who crossed the stage have exciting post-secondary plans. Some will attend four-year colleges such as Boston University, Mount Holyoke, Virginia State, Regis, and Northeastern. Others will begin at two-year programs such as Bunker Hill, Mass Bay, and Roxbury Community College. One of our seniors will commit to public service through the City Year Program. We are confident that all of our students have exited Another Course to College with the skills necessary to excel at the college level and beyond. Congratulations to the Class of 2009!

Poetry Out Loud

This is our second year participating in the Poetry Out Loud competition, a recitation contest sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.  Students memorize two poems by prominent writers and recite them at a school-wide competition.  The winner moves to a semi-final round sponsored by the Huntington Theatre Company, facing students from all over the Boston area.  At the state finals, a representative for Massachusetts is chosen to compete at the national event in Washington, DC.  Visit www.poetryoutloud.org for more information.

We are so pleased that ACC's student representative, Fabienne Casseus, was selected as one of the five Boston area semi-finalists to compete in the state finals next week.  Fabienne, pictured second from left in above photo, is an eleventh grader and spoken word poet.  We are wishing her the best of luck as she continues in the competition, and we will be sure to keep you posted.

ACC and the Arts

All students at Another Course to College take art for at least one semester, where they learn not only about artistic movements throughout history, but they also nurture their critical thinking skills through the analysis of significant works. The art department is led by Ms. Connie Thibaut, who teaches both introductory level courses for our ninth graders, and advanced level seminars for students with serious interest in visual art. Pictured at right is senior Linda Kim, displaying her product from their portraiture unit.

Right now, Boston Public Schools are facing a massive financial deficit for the 2009-2010 school year, which forced individual schools to cut their budgets by as much as 15%. Because of this, we will lose our art program if additional funds are not restored in time for September. A loss of such a valuable discipline and a talented teacher would leave a huge hole in the ACC community. Please visit www.bostonpublicschools.org for the latest information around community budget meetings. Families from all over the city are speaking out on behalf of Boston's students.

UPDATE: ACC was able to secure restoration funds that will allow a half time position in Art next year. We all know that there is no true replacement for Ms. Thibaut, but we are pleased that Visual Arts will still be offered to ACC students. We are also actively working to bring performance arts experiences to our young people; some of our students are now members of Boston Public School's City-Wide Choir.