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The BCCP @ Walt Whitman 2011 – 2012

My guiding principle for the BCCP program at Walt Whitman has always been that every student has a right to artistic expression.  It is my hope that through this expression, students develop confidence in themselves, find their voice and live creatively.   We have created an atmosphere here that invites students to explore new territories, experiment with new ideas and feel safe enough to be themselves.  When asked about the program, our students always say, “It is a place where I can be myself.”

I am deeply proud of our students and all that they have accomplished this year.  They have found their voices and produced incredible music.  They have worked collaboratively to make animations and news reports about topics that are important to them.  They have created dance ensembles and performed solo dances that express their identities.  They have learned countless new art techniques, recycled materials to make useful art objects and adorned themselves with their own designs.  They have formed teams, become captains and organized tournaments to show off their skills.  They have explored New York City, from museums and theaters to community gardens and ice skating rinks.

My sincere thanks goes out to all the BCCP staff and teaching artists who have devoted this year to serving our students. Thank you Dane, Ira, Emi, Arin, Carl, O, Sheena and Mickael for guiding the Walt Whitman students to believe in themselves and to produce such beautiful work.

I will never forget my experience here at Walt Whitman Middle School, and I will never forget the beautiful faces and smiles of all these wonderful students I have had the privilege to work with.

Best Wishes to Everyone,

Miss Jill

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BCCP Arts Festival 2012

What an extraordinary event!  On Thursday, May 31st, 2012, students from all over Brooklyn descended on the Brooklyn College campus and gathered at BCAL to share music, videos, artwork, dance, theater and good times.   We are incredibly proud of our students and staff for exhibiting their talents and for creating such a vibrant community.

Walt Whitman represents their work at the SOS Arts to End Violence Festival

The filmmakers who created “The Undercover Girls Investigate the Trayvon Martin Case” were honored to see their work at the SOS Arts Festival.  They brought their friends, had a pizza picnic in Brower Park and saw a lot of great artwork from all around Brooklyn.

Istwa Yon Fle (The Story of a Flower)

The Video Club at Walt Whitman was inspired by the street artist BLU, whose work was introduced to us by Masha, a service learner from Brooklyn College. We spent several weeks creating our own cardboard characters to animate, using stop motion, over a mural in the school courtyard. We also created a cool introduction on the blackboard in the music room. Written by Claire Danies, the story is of a lonely flower who longs to have some company. While shooting this piece, the girls of the video club were inspired to create a dance called the magical dance of the fairies.

Stay Rappin’

The latest video from the one and only, M.S.M!!!

This video was a serious group effort. Emi and our young emcees, Kimani, Darius and Malik, worked diligently in the music lab to come up with the song.  Miss Jill taught everyone how to make a storyboard and plan the video.  And the amazing Arin worked with a revolving crew of young filmmakers to produce this beautiful video.  Great work everyone!  Stay Rappin.

Revolution! An exhibit about the American, French and Haitian Revolutions

We have a special club here at Walt Whitman called, “Haitian Crew.”  It’s a space for our Haitian students to get together and talk about their shared heritage, their common challenges, and sometimes to just have fun, eat pizza and play soccer.  We recently went on a trip to the NY Historical Society to see the exhibit, “Revolution! The Atlantic World Reborn.”  The students had a great time and learned, hands-on, about their history.

Alison, Jeff, Ronald, Jeff, Kristelle, Shelsa, Wildina, Saqr, Rodley, Isaac, Medjine, Dodley, Sebastien, Claire, Berlie, and Hadja

Boy’s Club at the African Burial Ground National Monument

Kindersley Louis, Jeff Jean, Thales Norzeus, Meshac Fontus, Damar Weir, Cedric Desormeaux and Jonathan Riviere

From about the 1690s until 1794, both free and enslaved Africans were buried in a 6.6-acre burial ground in Lower Manhattan, outside the boundaries of the settlement of New Amsterdam, later known as New York. Lost to history due to landfill and development, the grounds were rediscovered in 1991 as a consequence of the planned construction of a Federal office building. Dane Peters, our athletics supervisor and boy’s club facilitator, brought the boy’s club to the museum and memorial to learn about the history of this sacred space.

 

Girl’s Club at the Tribeca Film Festival

We attended the Tribeca Film Festival’s Youth Showcase, “Our City, My Story” on April 26th at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center.  We saw student-produced films about the Dream Act, bullying, home foreclosures, sagging, teen pregnancy and what it’s like to be a gay teenager in NYC.  The young ladies from Walt Whitman Middle School were thrilled to walk the red carpet and be a part of it all (they also got a bunch of autographs and pictures with the filmmakers).

Alison Mercure, Barbara Pierre, Adia Carvey, Chianne Chariandy, Carine Nelzy, Latea Lewis, Denisia Bowen, Masha Yakovenko, Jennifer Golterman, Destinee Bowrin, Kristelle Louis, Medjine Exantus, Claire Rachel Danies

Spring in Prospect Park

Friday was such a beautiful day! We had a blast at the park, hopefully this is the first of many trips this Spring…