Google Maps sent me over the Charles, Mystic, and Chelsea Rivers to East Boston High School (EBHS). It sits high on a hill and is one of the largest schools in Boston, serving nearly 1400 students! I was greeted and escorted through the school by Nina Gaeta Coletta, the Family Center Coordinator. We met many years ago when she worked for the Citywide Education Coalition (CWEC) “ a group that began giving annual “Golden Apple” awards to 15 BPS teachers every year.
Nina”s cheery welcome made me feel right at home, although it”s easy to get disoriented walking along the corridors of this huge sprawling building! I noticed a large anti-bullying display created by the EBHS Gay-Straight Alliance, an after school club led by science teacher Jamaica O”Brien. Student-signed promises covered an expansive “Wall of Allies” nearby. Signs on doors and hallway walls advertised PiDay (3.14) “ and I thought that was a clever idea! I wondered what math teachers were planning to do in their classrooms to celebrate.
I watched history teacher Barry Lawton explain the word “conduit” to his students in the context of a lesson on the Reformation. Large posters of similarly meaty vocabulary words decorated the rear wall of his classroom. Nina took me to see the ROTC program, which she credited with the development of social/emotional literacy and leadership skills. Sergeant Rigoberto Velez and his colleagues had students participate in a giant 4-way tug of war, which looked like a lot of fun and clearly took teamwork!
When I returned a week later to interview students, I met with them in the second floor office. At a small table in the corner I chatted with Carlos and Tony, two student interns available to help with errands during one period/day “ a reward for seniors who have completed most of their graduation requirements. When I asked them what they liked best about EBHS, the boys said, “The teachers!” in unison and without hesitation, explaining that they were mostly “cool” and understanding.
Many staff members (and/or their parents and/or their children) attended East Boston High, as did Nina. She exuded “Eastie Pride” as she introduced me to teachers throughout the building. Although it”s always hard to get a full picture of a school in one short visit, I was impressed by the warmth of my welcome and by the focus on learning wherever I went.
Amika Kemmler-Ernst, Ed.D.
amika45@comcast.net