Coming up



The Rites of Passage

Program

“As One Learns History,

Pass it On”



RITES OF PASSAGE

c/o TURN OF RIVER MIDDLE SCHOOL

117 VINE ROAD

STAMFORD, CT 06905

203-977-4735

January 2016

Can you imagine growing up without understanding your roots or ancestral history? I want to tell you about an exciting program with which we are involved, The Rites of Passage Program. The Rites of Passage Program is a District supported program, designed to assist primarily, but not exclusively African-American students in accurately learning about and integrating the significance of their African and American heritages.

The coursework requires a fourteen-week literature review of African and African-American history replete with guest speakers and instructors, mandatory readings, journal writing, Power Point presentations, and a BEST Practice or Common Core style final exam. We are excited to report that over the past nine years, over one hundred and twenty five students, parents and teachers have participated in educational trips to Africa visiting Senegal, the Gambia, Ghana and Egypt.

In Senegal and Ghana the students visit slaves houses and castles where thousands of Africans were kept in dungeons and passed through the “Door of No Return” before their perilous journey to the new world. The students invalidate the legacy of slavery and reconnect with the ancestral heritage, linking their past to their present. In Egypt the students reaffirmed and tied together the ancient history of Egypt (KMT) which is part of their academic instruction. The students visited the Egyptian Museum along with one of the 7th Wonders of the Ancient World, the Giza Pyramids, Great Sphinx and the Ruins of Memphis.

We call our students “educated travelers” which translates in the Swahili language to fundishwa wasafiri.

We the educators, hypothesized that we can help produce healthier young people who now understand slavery was not their beginning, nor the principal means of defining the African-American experience, but instead a real, limited part of a legacy of faith, pride, and endurance that spans millennia.

On Thursday, January 21st at 6:30pm at Stamford High School, there will be an informational meeting, which will include application submissions and interviews. Please complete the application in its entirety prior to this meeting, and include references and all necessary requirements.

We will begin our eleventh year of formal academic instruction on Saturday, February 7th at Stamford High School in the Media Center, front entrance.

For additional information about our program please contact either myself via email at bassmaann@ or Sharon Wade our Communications Coordinator at 203-977-4735 or by email at swade@. We also encourage you to visit our website at for an on line application.

We look forward to meeting you on Thursday, January 21st.

Sincerely,

Rodney Bass

Community Liaison

Rites of Passage Program

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE

The Rites of Passage Program is a District-supported middle school program, designed to assist primarily, but not exclusively, African-American students in accurately learning about and integrating the significance of their African and American heritages.

In October, 2004, 18 students were selected from over 200 middle school applicants to participate in this maiden voyage. The coursework requires a fourteen-week literature review of African and African-American history replete with guest speakers and instructors, mandatory readings, journal writing, Power Point presentations, and a BEST Practice or Common Core style final exam.

The Stamford Public Schools priority school grant had provided the seed money to purchase basic instructional supplies to support the academic focus of the Rites of Passage program. Students have used a vast array of books, writing materials, and videotapes depicting many important events and concepts leading to a more balanced, nuanced understanding of history.

GOALS

To identify and examine cultural, economic, political, and social patterns of West African nations/social groupings in the first and second millennia.

To increase awareness of the heritage of African-American people prior to the Atlantic slave trade in an effort to disavow two (2) colloquial misconceptions:

(1) Africans/African-Americans have made insignificant contributions to global American history; and

(2) Success (however defined) is anomalous for the African-American

1. To heighten awareness of educational opportunities beyond the classroom

2. To promote practice of literature reviews, effective oral articulation, analytical reflection, and cooperative decision-making

3. To re-direct patterns of underachievement that often result in illiteracy and incarceration

4. To address the “achievement” gap between standardized test performance of American minorities and their white counterparts

STUDENT PROFILE

Selection Criteria (Please note: Special circumstances will be given consideration.)

1. Students who maintain at least a 2.5 GP A *

2. Students who have achieved goal or reached proficiency on the CMT/or Common Core Standards Exams

3. Students who are reading at or above grade level *

4. Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch

5. Students who have fewer than 3 significant disciplinary referrals and no district suspensions or exclusions in the current school year *

*Required criteria

AUDIENCE:

· Students grades 6 through 10

FORMAT:

· Facilitated by competent educators, twelve to fourteen Saturday mornings, five-hour sessions encompassing mini-lectures, community service initiatives, field trips, multi-media stimuli, literature reviews, film viewings, and discussions will culminate in a pilgrimage to West Africa

· Whole group and individualized homework assignments will be provided to reinforce concepts explored

PRINT/MEDIA:

· Age-appropriate literature and primary source materials (e.g., songs, speeches, personal accounts on audiotape) will accompany invitations for community/parental involvement

RESEARCH:

· Formative evaluation (both during the development of curricula and concomitant with Saturday sessions) will be designed to ensure educators’ and students’ effectiveness at meeting the programs’ objectives

· Summative evaluation will assess the intended and unintended effects of the programs

PRODUCTION SCHEDULE:

· 14-week Saturday academic instructional sessions (Spring or Autumn) preceding a trip to West Africa

ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES:

· Completion of Rites of Passage application form

· Two recommendations: 1 personal, 1 civic

AUDIENCE:

The curricular offerings of a given school are usually considered set-in-stone. Because of the transient nature of its clientele, however-namely, teachers, students, and administrators- course offerings should be understood as perpetual, "living" negotiations: that is to say, in order to design and instruct the mandates of a curriculum, teachers must remain abreast not only of current trends in pedagogy but also of sound and relevant theories regarding modem interpretation of content; students must make demands for personally meaningful objectives; and administrators must maintain the link between school and home while facilitating the implementation of a school's chosen educational philosophy. In regard to this three- fold dynamic, it is often noted that children from African-American, African-Caribbean, and Latin communities perform poorly on standardized tests (when compared with their white counterparts) and are disproportionately over-represented in "average" and "below average” groupings.

In order to address this concern, the Rites of Passage Program targets children who, by virtue of their age, are becoming increasingly familiar with the task of taking multiple perspectives, the interplay between cause and effect, the art of self-.reflection, and the relative influence of variables. By exploring historical themes of cultural relevance, introducing a variety of perspectives on diversity, offering a cross-disciplinary approach for the acquisition and reinforcement of chosen historical and economic themes, and utilizing instructors adept at empathetic facilitation, the Rites of Passage Program will reach an audience fertile for self- discovery, collaborative inquiry, and collective achievement.

NEED:

Inherent within the effort for curriculum reform is the premise that many schools' curricula fail to meet the educational expectations and/or needs of all of its adherents. Because this effort is often a politically arduous, infinitely debatable prospect, an out-of-school program that both reinforces students' skills and connects them to community personnel/sites is ideal. Not only will Program participants experience a greater degree of control over the content of their instruction, they will also benefit from the experience of applying oral and written skills in their of diverse themes As it relates specifically to African-American children, the Rites of Passage Program will address the legacy of slavery: the perpetuation of the myth that Africans civilized beginnings were rooted in the Middle Passage (the Maafa); the legal definition of Black people as non- nor partially human; the robbery of an accurate and articulated historical heritage; the systematic devaluing of culturally indigenous African artifacts in place of majority culture icons; and, through Reconstruction, the idea that dependence (and not self-reliance) should define a people.

According to Yale Professor Emeritus David Davis, slavery is a complex component of American history, the truth of which has often been ignored in an effort to create a singular, racially reconciled America; as he otherwise states, "The terrible price of reconciliation was marginalizing slavery and race' as necessary subjects of study and reflection, a grave error this Program seeks to correct.

GOALS, PURPOSES, AND OBJECTIVES:The underachievement of African-American students in specific curricular disciplines coincides with these students' lack of information regarding a) their historical heritage and economic power and b) their underutilization of school-based and other educational opportunities. One of the goals of the Rites of Passage Program is to take a weekly, thematic approach that places students' present cultural and social understandings within a continuous context-a context that began not as an enslaved people without a definable past or even a self-determined name but as a past with a clearly defined beginning, a tumultuous transport, and a malleable future. The encouragement of skills in comparing, classifying, searching for patterns, applying generalizations, and analyzing specific data is crucial for the development of children in the middle/high school age group. The series will be designed to be sequential as it explores current theories on economics, ethnicity/race, and the legal and social history of African-Americans in the United States.

As a result of participating in the Rites of Passage Program, students will be able to

1)explain aspects of West African ethnic diversity, political structures, and social history;

2) define the Atlantic slave trade and the Middle Passage as well as articulate these events, origin and economic, moral, and social long- and short-term effects/implications;

3)identify the legal and social experiences of a variety of enslaved people in the Americas and their relationships to non-people of color;

4) articulate the economic and political antecedents of the Civil War/War Between the States and the effect of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th, 14th, and 15th

Amendments on the lives of all Americans:

5) understand the impact of the Civil Rights movement; Reconstruction; the Great Migration; the Harlem Renaissance; mid-20th century legal battles, and contemporary arguments regarding using economic strategies as tools for upward mobility.

FORMAT: Twelve to Fourteen concurrent Saturday sessions. Each session will last from 9:00am until 2:00pm and will be a collaboration among the following: mini-lectures facilitated by competent instructors; video and audio presentations; literature reviews; discussions and recitations; and field trips. A lesson may resemble the following:

Objectives:

1) Students will utilize a timetable to coincide with the historic events beginning with the affects of slavery on the cultures of West Africa through the contributions of African Americans in contemporary times.

3) Rites of Passage students will participate in a local community service project.

4) Students that participate in the travel portion of the program to West Africa will be required to participate in journal writing, reflections and an in-country service project.

EVALUATION: In order to ensure the accuracy and validity of the information to be presented, plans for student goals in economics, language arts, and social studies teacher-directed surveys will be designed to ascertain ways in which the series may be curricula-compatible. Formative comprehensibility and age-appropriateness; its level of interest and engagement; and its general/specific levels of appeal Summative evaluation will be designed to measure the extent to which the series met its objectives, noting intended and unintended effects of the series.

BUDGET: The yearly travel cost to West Africa is based on the recommended itinerary provided by Consolidated Tours. Monetary cost for the trip will be assessed to each Rites of Passage participant desiring to travel to West Africa.

A number of preparatory, production, and post-production expenses can be incurred. Production expenses include those for texts, videotapes, audiotapes, CD-ROM's, various art supplies, consultants' fees, honoraria for guest lecturers, travel/dietary costs associated with field trips, and airfare/lodging/meals for the trip to West Africa. Text and materials are provided to all program participants.

ENROLLMENT PROCEDURES: Students must submit a Rites of Passage Program application, which includes the submission of two letters of recommendation, and a 3-paragraph letter of introduction stating the applicants' purpose for applying and anticipated outcomes (See application)

Texts:

African American History: A Journey of Liberation ISBN: 1562566016

The African American Experience ISBN: 0835904105

Invisible Man ISBN: 0679732764

Lest We Forget ISBN: 0609600303

Middle Passage ISBN: 0684855887

Native Son ISBN: 0060929804

Harlem Renaissance ISBN: 0789154552

Teacher's Version: ISBN:

l(800) 831-4190/fax:l(800) 543-2745

A Multicultural Reader Item number (Collection 2; soft cover): ZD3859201 Item number (Teacher's edition): ZD79240

Write in Style Item number: ZD77869

Better Test Scores: Open Ended Items (Reading, Math, Language Arts) Item numbers (Grade 8 and Teacher guide)

Better Test Scores: Standardized Tests (Reading, Math, Language Arts) Item numbers (Grade 8 and Teacher guide)

Better Test Scores: Writing Item number (Grade 8. High School Exam. Teacher guide)

RESOURCES

Videotapes:

Amistad

ASIN:O783227272 newsreel. org

Ethnic Notions, Black Is…Black Am 't, Color Adjustment, Many Steps,

Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property, Race: The Power of an Illusion, The Road to Brown, The Essential Blue-eyed

Eyes on the Prize

ASIN: 6302502667

Glory

ASIN: 6301777867

Mississippi Burning

ASIN: 0792841859

Roots

ASIN:6302571251

Sankofa

ASTN.1910097220

Audiotapes/CD 's/Books:

" Remembering Jim Crow" (Hardcover and CD) ISBN: 1565846974

" Remembering Slavery" (Hardcover and audiotapes) ISBN: 156844254

Rites of Passage

Program Initiation

The induction ceremony for Rites of Passage will serve the following purposes:

o Affirm the candidates accepted into the program

o Establish a public commitment for diligent study in the program

o Create a vision for the use of history as a vehicle for thinking about the future problem and solving for achievement and community building

The following steps are suggested for initiation:

Step 1 – Candidates will enter a room with African artifacts displayed. Each will be asked to select one.

Step 2 – The artifacts will be placed on a table in assembly hall for each

candidate to publicly share their choice and reason for selection.

Step 3 – Each candidate will be given a small portion of Kente by the elder, placed around the neck. Explanation of the Kente as a “mantle” will be given by an elder. The candidates will be urged to earn the rest of the mantle through study and acts of responsibility toward self, home, and community throughout the Rites of Passage Program.

Step 4 – Libation #1 – Offered by an elder to those of Antiquity and the Diaspora who have worked for the continuity of right beliefs and strength of our people. The Elder will pour water into a plant symbolizing the nurturance of our roots.

Step 5 – Public Declaration – Each candidate personally claims one of the Nguzo Saba which they will continually examine, research and enact throughout the year. The principle chosen is printed and displayed with their name affixed.

Elder explains: Each will become a facilitator in the study group for their chosen principle.

o Umoja – Unity

o Kujichagulia – Self Determination

o Ujima – Collective Work and Responsibility

o Ujamma – Cooperative Economics (i.e. each meeting money is put in jar for the trip to Africa)

o Nia – Purpose

o Kuumba – Creativity

o Imani – Faith

Step 6 – Each candidate stands to form the circle of commitment and pledge of support to learning.

Step 7 – The candidates are surrounded by a second circle with their parents. The elder to affirm the students and to pledge support of the program.

Step 8 – The teacher’s next surround the student’s and parent’s circle to affirm their intent to teach the knowledge of our history as a means of forging their futures.

Step 9 – Elder gives brief remarks and drums end the ceremony.

Rites of Passage

Instructors and Staff

Rodney Bass, Founder and Community Liaison Kim Langenmayr, Travel & Safety Liaison

Retired Administrator Special Education Teacher, Naples, Florida

bassmaann@ kimlangenmayr1@

Sharon Wade, Communications Coordinator Dr. Wayne Holland, Co-Director

Office Support Specialist, TOR Middle School Administrator, Board of Education

swade@ci.stamford.ct.us wholland@ci.stamford.ct.us

Charmaine Tourse, Co-Director Phyllis Brown, Instructor

Administrator, Dolan Middle School Retired Administrator

ctourse@ci.stamford.ct.us Phyl1026@

Howard Jennings, Retired Administrator Mary Jennings, Administrator, Bd of Education

Trumbull, CT Board of Education

hpjct@ mjennings@ci.stamford.ct.us

Edward Singleton, Administrator Robert Brown

Norwalk Public Schools Teacher – Stamford High School

singletone@ rbrown@ci.stamford.ct.us

Robert Biko, Administrator Jennifer Judson

Turn of River Middle School Teacher, Rippowam Middle School

rsmith@ci.stamford.ct.us jjudson@ci.stamford.ct.us

Mark Nowotarski, Instructor/Alumni Parent

mark.nowotarski@

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

Introduction – Saturday, February 7th – 9:00am – 12:00pm

Week 1 African kingdoms (300 B.C. -1594) – Mr. Rodney Bass/Phyllis Brown

Focus: To make students aware of how African history/ heritage impacted world history. Students will become aware of the personalities and accomplishments of African Kings and Queens.

• Students create Powerpoint Presentations

• The present-day nations represented by the personality on a map of Africa.

• The natural and economic resources of this geographic area.

• The accomplishments of these personalities that had an impact on world history.

Week 2 The Atlantic slave trade – Dr. Wayne Holland

Focus: Exploitation and Economics Causes/effects of slave trade on participant countries/ continents

• Differences in prior forms of servitude and the Atlantic slave trade

• Connection between Europe (i.e., Portugal, Spain, Britain, the Dutch) and North Africa

• Geographic locations (i.e.) Goree Island, St. James Island, Eleminia & Cape Coast Castles

Week 3 The Atlantic slave trade cont’d – Mr. Bass

Focus: Exploitation and Economics Causes/effects of slave trade on participant countries/ continents

• Economic/social rationales for and methodology of the slave trade; use of Africans/attempted, use of Native Americans

• Effect of triangle trade system on economy and social life in Europe, Africa, and the Americas -Middle Passage (Maafa)

Weeks 4 Lives of enslaved people in No. America, S. America and the Carribean (1600’s-1800’s) – To be determined

Focus: Dehumanization process, justifications for slavery

• Use of language and the creation of racial identity --Psychology of dislocation and de-centering

• Blacks' attempts at cultural preservation: oral tradition and resistance through artistry, skill

• Legal definitions', prohibitions, and ramifications of servitude

Week 5 Lives of enslaved people in No. America, S. America and the Carribean (1600’s-1800’s) cont’d – Jennifer Judson

Focus: Dehumanization process, justifications for slavery

• Use of language and the creation of racial identity --Psychology of dislocation and de-centering

• Blacks' attempts at cultural preservation: oral tradition and resistance through artistry, skill

• Legal definitions', prohibitions, and ramifications of servitude

• Narratives of enslaved Africans (e.g., Equiano, Henson, Truth, Jacobs)

• Creation/perpetuation of social distinctions (among whites, between whites and free/enslaved Blacks, between free and enslaved Blacks, among enslaved Blacks)

• Economic reliance on slave labor

• Religious, housing, and family structures among enslaved people

Week 6 Contesting slavery (1400's -1800's) – Mr. Nowotarski

Focus: abolitionists, moralists, political hopefuls

• African resistance (as ethnic groups and individuals) to slave trade (e.g., Fante, in the Congo, the Angolans, SengbePieh, the Creole, Prosser, Vesey)

• Abolitionists in the Americas and the American Colonization Society

Weeks 7 War ideals (Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War) – Rob Brown

Focus: political, economic, legal, physical struggles

• Early writings' (Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Three-Fifths Compromise, Plessy v. Ferguson) exclusions/definitions of status of Blacks

• Efforts of free/enslaved Blacks in three wars

• Social/Economic conditions of free Blacks in America

• Fugitive slave laws' effect on the perpetuation of slavery across the United States

• Compromise of 1850, Dred Scott decision, Missouri Compromise, Emancipation Proclamation, 13th -15th Amendments

Weeks 8 War ideals cont’d (Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War) – Robert Biko

Focus: Reconstruction; political, economic, legal, physical struggles

• Black Wall Street

• Turn of the Century economics (Marcus Garvey)

• Development of the N.A.A.C.P.

• The Talented Tenth - W. E. B. Du Bois”

• Development of the Ku Klux Klan (Lynching and Murders) –

Pizza & Movie; Mississippi Burning and Birth of a Nation (PBS Special)

Week 9 Contributions of African Americans – Mary Jennings/Howard Jennings

Focus: Court decisions and leaders - Civil Rights

• Introduction of Black codes/sharecropping and the effect on social progress

• Civil rights legislation throughout the 2Oth century and the struggle to achieve agreement between law and practice

Week 10 Contributions of Africans/Americans (cont’d) – Charmaine Tourse

Focus:

• Renaissance – Birth of Harlem

• Politics

• Athletics

• Arts/entertainment

• Science

• Prose/poetry

• Invention

Week 11 Education (1800's -1900's) Focus: Establishing equality – To be Determined

• Court decisions, Civil Rights Movement/Marches and the Leaders. – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Plessy vs. Ferguson

• Establishment of schools and other black civic organizations (e.g., militancy v. nonviolence, perceptions of "Black studies," assimilation v. separately equal, affirmative action)

• Role of community organizations in education, i.e. development of fraternities and sororities.

• Role of Black political and social institutions

Week 12 –Review - Focus: Reflection on experience

Week 13 - Final Exam

Pizza and Movie Nights will occur 3 to 4 times within the academic session. They are held at Stamford High from 6:00-8:30pm. Dinner and drinks are provided.

Please be advised that all dates are subject to change due to inclement weather.

RITES OF PASSAGE APPLICATION

Last Name ___________________________ First Name: __________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________________

Date of Birth: __________ Grade: ____ Age: ____ School _________________________

Phone (home): ________________ (work) _______________ (cell) __________________

Email: ________________________Parent/Guardian’s Name: ________________________

Two (2) additional emergency contacts:

Name: ___________________ Home phone: ______________ work phone ____________

Name: ___________________ Home phone: ______________ work phone ____________

Country of Citizenship: ________________________ Valid Passport: ___ yes ___ no

Free or reduced lunch? yes___ no___ Alien Registration number: __________________

Current medication/health conditions: __________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Are you involved in school and/or extracurricular activities? If so, list them here:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

Do you maintain any memberships in clubs, civic organizations, or activities (in or out of school: e.g., clubs, community agency, volunteer activity, group)? If so, list them here:

_________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

What special skills and/or talents do you possess? (e.g., skills in acting, sports, music, oratory): __________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________

List two (2) references (other than family members). Once of these people must be a current teacher.

Name___________________Address_______________Telephone_______Relationship

1._____________________________________________________________________

2._____________________________________________________________________

It is understood that the Rites of Passage Program Staff will verify the information provided herein; inaccurate responses will render an applicant ineligible for participation. This program is made available through the Priority School Grant designed to benefit students in the Stamford Public Schools; out of district applicants will pay tuition costs. No student will be rejected because of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, ancestry, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, or political persuasion.

_________________________ __________________________________

Date Signature of Applicant

_________________________ __________________________________

Date Signature of Parent/Guardian

___ I have reviewed this application

___ I will be responsible for transporting my child to/from the program site

___ I will be responsible for my child’s attendance at every session

Checklist: Have you??

___ Completed application

___ Copy of current report card (enclosed)

___ Copy of most recent CMT/CAPT Scores or Common Core Standards Exams (enclosed)

___ Two letters of recommendation (sealed, enclosed)

Applicant Interview

Written Response

Please respond to the following question. Responses to the following should be neatly handwritten or typed on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Think of a current issue that concerns your community. Describe the issue/problem. Explain how you would address this situation within your community.

Choose one of the following questions and respond

1. What is one book/piece of literature, performance, movie, song, scientific discovery, or work of art (visual) that has had an impact on your life? Briefly describe the impact.

2. In your opinion, what is a rite of passage? Briefly describe a rite of passage with which you are familiar.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please attach additional paper as necessary

Please read, sign and return this letter of commitment

along with the completed application

Dear Prospective Rites of Passage Parent/Guardian and Student,

We are pleased that you and your child have demonstrated an interest in the Rites of Passage Program. The success of the program is contingent upon the steadfast commitment of every student and parent. We would like to inform you of the commitment needed to participate.

1. The Rites of Passage staff members will ensure your child’s academic achievement and will guide and assist in fundraising efforts.

2. Students must commit to participating in all academic sessions which may include two or three movie viewings. All academic sessions will be held on Saturdays at Stamford High School from 8:45am-2:00pm. Please arrive 10 minutes prior to start time.

3. One of our community gatherings and annual fundraisers is our Cultural Food Festival. Planning and participation in this event by staff, students and parents is mandatory.

4. An important value in the Rites of Passage Program is the sense of family and unity. We encourage parents to participate in fundraising activities along with their children.

5. Parental attendance at our parent meetings is required. At these meetings we will plan our fundraisers. These meetings are normally held on Saturdays at Stamford High School.

6. The commitment to the Rites of Passage continues after the completion of the academic year. Students are required to return the following year to induct the next class and will be called upon to volunteer at future events and community service projects. This year our staff, alumni and current students will assist in planning and participate in the Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.

By signing this letter you acknowledge, accept and embrace the commitment needed for the success of your child and the Rites of Passage Program. We will contact you shortly in response to your child’s application submission and look forward to the possibility of beginning this journey with your family and ours. If you have any additional questions please contact me at 203-912-9799.

Sincerely,

Rodney Bass

Rodney Bass

Founder and Community Liaison

Rites of Passage Program

________________________________ ______________________________

Student Name and Signature Parent Name and Signature

Selection Committee Applicant Summary and Rating Sheet

Checklist:

___ Completed application (with signature)

___ Copy of current report card (enclosed)

___ Copy of most recent CMT/CAPT Scores or Common Core Standards Exams (enclosed)

___ Two letters of recommendation (sealed and enclosed)

Interview: Oral Responses

1. Why do you want to be a part of this program? 1 2 3 4

2. What do you expect to learn/gain from this experience? 1 2 3 4

3. Tell this committee about one of the extra-curricular

activities you listed on your application 1 2 3 4

4. Reflect on your special skills and areas of competence.

How would you use these to make a contribution to the

Rites of Passage community? 1 2 3 4

5. Open question-school performance (if necessary) 1 2 3 4

6. Applicants interview essay 1 2 3 4

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“It Takes a Village

to Raise a Child”

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