Virtual Project Fair

Some background:

For the past three years, the CCSR has hosted project fairs towards the end of the year at Medford High School, showcasing all the student-led projects the CCSR has sponsored and what impact they have had on our community. It is a wonderful event where CCSR members are able to proudly show off the hard work they have accomplished throughout the year. These fairs have attracted many people, ranging from other students, faculty members, members of the school committee, the superintendent, the mayor, and other community members. Due to the circumstances with the COVID-19 pandemic however, the CCSR is unable to host such a fair for the 2019-2020 school year. As a result, we have created a virtual project fair that can still allow students to present their own projects.

Students that wanted to participate in the virtual fair sent us short videos describing their project and what it accomplished, much like what they would have presented if the fair had been held in-person. All these videos can be watched in a YouTube playlist linked here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiBQ52YJQEDa9QJNO6q179AHKjGQBNseV
The McGlynn Middle School CCSR also made a virtual recap of their projects which can be viewed here: https://ccsrmedford.org/index.php/2020/06/03/mcglynn-middle-school-ccsr-virtual-project-fair/

The videos are also linked on the individual project pages. Projects that have accompanying videos with them are listed below.

Goals Against Cancer

Goals Against Cancer was a fundraiser started by Tenzin Ganchentsang, Jacob Randazzo, and John Falco. The purpose of this was to have businesses from around the Greater Boston Area either ‘pledge’ or make a donation that we collected. Each goal scored by the boys’ lacrosse team during the month of March generated $1.00. They donated the funds they generated to The Cam Neely Foundation which provides care for cancer patients.

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Medford Electronic Clean-Up

The Medford Electronic Clean-up is a bi-annual event to help reduce the amount of harmful e-waste that is disposed of incorrectly. We worked with the Mayor’s office to set up these cleanup days as a district-wide event. We accepted electronics such as old computers or computer parts, gaming consoles, phones, monitors, and many others. We then recycled most of the gathered technology to a local electronics recycling plant and reused other gathered technology for fun projects. The goal of the Medford Electronic Clean-up is to reduce toxic materials like mercury, lead, or cadmium, from poisoning the Earth.

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Link-Up

Every building has a strong structure of support, and without that support buildings come tumbling down. A parent or guardian is that structure of support for students and communication shouldn’t be a factor that prevents a student from having that support. Many students at Medford High have parents whose primary language isn’t English. “Link-Up” is a project aimed at providing parents of Medford students access to school information in their language without any language limitations. Our goal is to translate documents and information in all the languages present at Medford Public Schools.

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Canary

Our world is in a crisis. Climate change is coming whether you like it or not and it must be faced head on. Canary is a brand made to help protect the environment. We made a stylish and comfortable clothing line with an environmental outlook. Canary included reusable products such as tote bags, QR-code stickers, etc, to further our environmental focus and promote sustainability in Medford. All profits went to several charities focused on fighting/lobbying for climate justice and disaster relief caused by global warming. We believe the fight for our futures is a long journey that will far overshadow Canary, but hope to spread the message, urgency, and power of the movement.

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Haitian Flag Day Assembly and Celebration

Every year, on May 18, Haitian flag day brings out pride and joy, not only throughout the Haitian Community, but everywhere. In order to celebrate their diversity and inform on the significance of this day, Medford High students organize an educational assembly, portraying aspects of the Haitian culture. The celebration is not limited to Medford High School but extends throughout the entire district. The High School students attend the Middle and Elementary schools, interacting and teaching other students the inspiring aspects of their culture. To conclude the festivities, the students host a party sharing food and music reflecting Haitian culture and heritage.

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Gum Be-Gone!

While thinking of ideas to help our school and community, it was brought to our attention numerous times the amount of gum stuck under the desks and tables. Our project is revolving around this unpleasant problem every student has encountered, but doesn’t get enough attention to be dealt with. The goal of our project is to rid as many desks of gum as possible. We stayed after school whenever we could to help teachers who want their classrooms to be cleaner.

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Painting The Playgrounds

Lucas Ruocco, Isabella DeSouza, and Amer Shah decided to expand the same concepts of an interactive playground painting that educated the students while also providing an easy way to learn at the Roberts Elementary School in Medford. They met with Mr. Johnson to exchange ideas for what to paint on their playground. After a fun discussion with Mr. Johnson, they decided that the school and their students would benefit most from a playground game centered around sports and interaction. The group was told by Mr. Johnson that the little kids love playing games and that although they are fenced to a certain area, painting some games that are suitable for the younger kids would be best. The group decided that having multiple games that are smaller would be more beneficial to the little kids. For the older kids they decided to turn one of the two foursquare spaces into a checkerboard game where the kids can play. In a way to get the students more involved, the student council voted on which designs should be painted on the playgrounds, which truly demonstrates the essence of community in CCSR.

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The Basketball Game for Betterment

Our CCSR project for this year is the Basketball Game for Betterment. One thing that all three of us have in common is a want for inclusion in Medford High School. Inclusion is when you invite someone into a group or gathering who does not usually have the opportunity to. We’re focusing on the Special Education program, and the students of the Access Program. We want to make new friends, and learn more about the people in our high school who we don’t normally speak to often. After getting to know some students from these programs, we learned that they enjoy sports and doing activities with others, with one specific sport being basketball. That is why we have created the Basketball Game for Betterment; to raise awareness for inclusion, to have fun while doing it, and maybe even make a few friends along the way!

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Pine Street Packages

For Haley O’Rourke and Lily Loren’s project, they collected donation items to bring to an organization called Pine Street Inn, located in Boston. At Pine Street Inn there are several different lists of things you can collect and donate posted on their website, and each list is designated to a certain type of package that the donated items will be a part of. The two main types of ‘kits’ assembled with the donations are “Welcome Home Kits” and Toiletry Kits. Welcome Home Kits include daily items that are hard for Pine Street Inn guests to acquire on their own as they’re settling into a permanent home for the first time in a while. Some of the things that are put into these baskets are sheets and blanket sets for full and twin-sized beds, towels and toiletries, kitchen items such as plates, silverware, paper towels, and sponges, reusable bags, a $50 gift card for Stop n’ Shop (or other grocery stores) or Target, as well as many other things. The Toiletry Kits include all of the necessary items you need to maintain good day-to-day hygiene, as well as other necessities such as toilet paper, cleaning supplies, multicolored Band-Aids, unscented lotions and soaps, and other simple items you may find in your bathroom. They collected donation items to assemble many of both types of kits. https://www.pinestreetinn.org/ 

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Song of the CCSR

Song of the CCSR is a project to create an official song for the CCSR. The lyrics reference important social issues and highlight specific CCSR projects. The song not only functions as a moral booster for the CCSR and its members, but spreads the message of the CCSR to people who may never hear about it. Our goal was to make a fun, interesting advertisement to help inspire students to make their community a better place. The song was written, played, and performed by CCSR members. Our CCSR project was focused on the inclusion of students in Medford High School with disabilities. Inclusion deals with joining students with disabilities and simply talking and getting to know them better from both an academic and personal viewpoint. During these class periods, we went to their classroom, came up with activity plans, and used those activity plans to get to know our new friends better. We gained an understanding of those around us, and by doing this project, we hope people will recognize that these students are just as nice, funny, and smart as your friends. We hope everyone will be able to greet these students on a first name basis, and not have fear of what they might say in return, because even a simple “hello” can go a long way! Our CCSR project was focused on the inclusion of students in Medford High School with disabilities. Inclusion deals with joining students with disabilities and simply talking and getting to know them better from both an academic and personal viewpoint. During these class periods, we went to their classroom, came up with activity plans, and used those activity plans to get to know our new friends better. We gained an understanding of those around us, and by doing this project, we hope people will recognize that these students are just as nice, funny, and smart as your friends. We hope everyone will be able to greet these students on a first name basis, and not have fear of what they might say in return, because even a simple “hello” can go a long way!

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Lobby Beautification

The first thing students, teachers, and visitors see when they walk into the building is the lobby. While there are some points of interest, the lobby was missing something; it needed an eye catching piece that would draw people in. We found that the four plain white pillars in the lobby were a perfect place for some images. We also did not want something to just beautify the space, we wanted it to have meaning. Each pillar now has a theme, some being human rights, environmental appreciation, and mental health. Our CCSR project was focused on the inclusion of students in Medford High School with disabilities. Inclusion deals with joining students with disabilities and simply talking and getting to know them better from both an academic and personal viewpoint. During these class periods, we went to their classroom, came up with activity plans, and used those activity plans to get to know our new friends better. We gained an understanding of those around us, and by doing this project, we hope people will recognize that these students are just as nice, funny, and smart as your friends. We hope everyone will be able to greet these students on a first name basis, and not have fear of what they might say in return, because even a simple “hello” can go a long way! Our CCSR project was focused on the inclusion of students in Medford High School with disabilities. Inclusion deals with joining students with disabilities and simply talking and getting to know them better from both an academic and personal viewpoint. During these class periods, we went to their classroom, came up with activity plans, and used those activity plans to get to know our new friends better. We gained an understanding of those around us, and by doing this project, we hope people will recognize that these students are just as nice, funny, and smart as your friends. We hope everyone will be able to greet these students on a first name basis, and not have fear of what they might say in return, because even a simple “hello” can go a long way!

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Benches Of Dugger

This summer, we had the pleasure of working with the New England Regional Council of Carpenters, Allie Fiske and Mike Nestor. They made and donated beautiful benches to us. We painted a female empowerment bench, a LGBTQ+ bench, a diversity bench, and lastly a sports bench. We think that these themes help make our community what it is. After the benches were painted, we moved them to Dugger Park, had a ribbon cutting ceremony, and we will hopefully broadcast it for the community and towns surrounding Medford. We are excited to introduce the new benches of Dugger Park to the community! Our CCSR project was focused on the inclusion of students in Medford High School with disabilities. Inclusion deals with joining students with disabilities and simply talking and getting to know them better from both an academic and personal viewpoint. During these class periods, we went to their classroom, came up with activity plans, and used those activity plans to get to know our new friends better. We gained an understanding of those around us, and by doing this project, we hope people will recognize that these students are just as nice, funny, and smart as your friends. We hope everyone will be able to greet these students on a first name basis, and not have fear of what they might say in return, because even a simple “hello” can go a long way!

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Letters of Comfort

“Letters of Comfort” is a project by Leticya Souza and Brianna Leccese. We hand wrote letters to parents who have children in the hospital. Our goal is to reassure them that everything will be okay and to wish them the best of luck for whatever they are going through, providing comfort for stressed parents is our objective!

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CCSR x Tufts Questbridge Chapter Resource and Mentoring Program

The goal of this project was to help first generation, low-income (FGLI) high school students in professional development and the road to college by connecting them to college readiness resources and a Mentor Team composed of Tufts students of similar backgrounds. Students asked the Mentor Team questions through online communication and received compilations of resources in the form of lists, graphics, videos, and webinars. They were also given the opportunity to participate in resume building workshops and tours of the Tufts campus.

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English Learners Give Back Program

The English Learners Give Back Program, or the EL Give Back program, is currently running in its third year. The student-run project, led by Nischal, Tien, Emmauela, Hetvi, and Khushdeep, seeks to provide informational videos for incoming EL students. The videos were uploaded to the EL Give Back website and its YouTube Channel. The videos were uploaded in English, Portuguese, Spanish, Haitian-Creole, Arabic, Mandarin, Vietnamese and this year, Hindi will also be added. In addition, the project also highlighted the difficulties and problems EL students face when they first arrive in the United States. Overall, the goal of the EL Give Back Project is to provide meaningful resources for EL students on how to perform tasks and navigate Medford High School. The videos can be accessed at https://elgiveback.weebly.com/

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Common Ground

Common Ground is a reversed inclusion classroom that allows high school students to form connections within The Access Program, a program that works with Medford High School students with significant disabilities. The goal was to incorporate students in Common Ground within classrooms and activities to feel included within the MHS community. Emily McDaid, Jacqueline Madigan, and Ava Heinegg worked alongside Ms. Andre to create an environment in which the students could participate and feel welcome. By working together doing team building activities, they implemented a more inclusive environment that will outlast their time at Medford High School.

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Community Concert

Community Concert was a CCSR project that focused on using music to improve the community. We went to local centers that are often neglected by the community, such as facilities for the elderly and sick, to play some music and brighten someone's day. By bringing music into forgotten places, we helped make some of Medford's citizens feel special and valued. We hope that the music will bring some joy to those who hear it, and bring something special to the community.

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Spikeball Tournament Against Child Abuse

Our project was a Spikeball tournament Against Child Abuse! Spikeball is a 2 vs 2 game where the objective is to spike the ball into a small trampoline so it can ricochet to the enemy. Players had three hits to coordinate and hit the ball off of the trampoline. If your team or the enemy’s team misses the ball, you or the opposing team gets a point. This sport has a striking resemblance to volleyball, but unlike volleyball this sport has no boundaries adding an extra layer of challenge and fun. All proceeds went to help the fight against child abuse. There was a prize for the most donated and another prize for the winners.

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The No One Fights Alone Campaign

“The No One Fights Alone Campaign” is dedicated to raising awareness and money for cancer research. The inspiration behind this project is that everyone around us may be affected by cancer in some way and it is important to remember that our community is always here for each other. To show support for this project and the CCSR, purple bracelets were sold with “no one fights alone” written on them (all proceeds were donated to Dana Farber Cancer Institute). In addition, a Cancer Awareness Week was held later in the year. This was a time that students were encouraged to wear the ribbon color of a type of cancer that is recognized that day. The goal of this project is to remind our community that no one fights alone!

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Networking Workshops

As we become adults, our connections we make with people become critical to achieving our goals. Technology can sometimes be a barrier to networking and making connections essential to propelling your career. Every other half day of the month (Wednesday), we invited a panel of professionals from various fields to speak about how to use connections to achieve our goals and become better networkers.

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The Outdoor Classroom

We are juniors at Medford High School. Our goal for this project was to complete the outdoor classroom that we began creating last year and make it a lively and usable classroom space. In order for this to happen we added artwork created from recycled material and overall improving the look of the space in order to allow it to be visually appealing enough for the use of teachers to teach their classes in. We began a “trial period” in which teachers can reserve the classroom and later provided suggestions and comments on how they enjoyed using it as a learning tool for their class. We organized and maintained the classroom throughout the year. We are immensely proud of the progress we have made on our project, and we can’t wait to see the outdoor classroom being used for the future school years to come!

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School Supply Donations

This year, we noticed a big problem facing both students and teachers alike: school supply expenses. School supplies are an important investment, but they are often expensive. In addition, teachers often have to spend money from their own pockets to pay for supplies for the class. To help combat this issue, we have decided to raise funds to buy a set of supplies for every teacher and staff member in the school. Any remaining funds or supplies will be donated to the Hope Chest.

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Humans of Medford

Humans of Medford is a photography project run by senior Frances Flood but created by MHS graduate Molly Stroud in 2016. The page’s goal is to bring together the community by recognizing teachers, business owners, students, and residents by posting a photo of them on Instagram with a short excerpt from each person. It was originally inspired by Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York where he had his own photography project of photographing strangers on the streets of NY. It shares the stories and lives from Medford in each post on Instagram. Give it a follow! @humansofmedford

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Heemo’s Tree

I’m a sophomore at MHS and I recently joined the CCSR. When I was at the McGlynn elementary school in the fourth grade a classmate and friend of mine lost his life due to cancer. A tree was planted in his memory but unfortunately it never bloomed. I raised money to replace this tree and planted flowers in his memory. I purchased another tree, planted it in Medford, and dedicated it to everyone who has lost a loved one to cancer.

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Diversity Week

Diversity Week is a school-wide event where diversity and different cultures are recognized and celebrated. For each day of the week, diversity-related activities are organized and all students and faculty can take part. The aim of Diversity Week is to encourage acceptance and appreciation of different cultures through interaction, discussion, and collaboration. In past years, Diversity Week has included screenings of movies featuring other cultures, panels from the GSA and other community groups, and Diversity Dress Up day, when everyone is encouraged to wear clothing that they feel is representative of them and their background. Diversity Week has also featured the World Cafe in conjunction with Interact Club, where students can discuss world issues. In addition, Diversity Week incorporates an annual Community Fair, in which students can meet community organizations and school clubs and get more involved in the community. Hopefully, Diversity Week can help make students better community members and world citizens.

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Fine-ally Fine-Tuning the Fine Arts Building

The fine arts building has been quite shabby for some time now, and it is our mission to breathe new life into it. From the old smell and the grimy and dingy interiors, there is a lot to be desired in a place of art and creativity. We figured that due to how the arts typically gets viewed by the school administration, we had to step in and do something ourselves to make the environment welcoming and, at the very least, suitable for students. We replaced the rubber lining between the walls and floors, repainted to add some life as well as hopefully introduce some cool new art, touched up the messy door paint, and dealt with the more defective music stands so that playing on them is more bearable. We fundraised and gratefully accepted donations for the paint and supplies. We got as much help and input that we can get from students and staff members like Ms. Van Aken, Mr. Szykniej and many of the fine art teachers to create an environment that is both beautiful and enjoyable. By sprouting new life into it, perhaps we can kindle more people’s interest in the arts and more people will be able to recognize its value. Either way, we ourselves just want to show our passion, respect, and gratitude for the arts and its teachers through this project.

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Composting in MHS Cafeterias

Our project aims to benefit the community of Medford by implementing a pilot composting program in the MHS cafeterias. We developed signs and other educational materials to promote this zero waste initiative before it officially starts. We worked with Food Services, Buildings and Grounds, and other administrators to encourage the creation of a long-lasting and sustainable program in the future. We also conducted a survey on the resources of the high school (number of dishwashers, recycling bins, etc). We visited other local schools to see how composting programs have succeeded at their locations. Last year, we received a $2500 grant from the Captain Planet Foundation to pay for bins, compostable bags, signage, and curbside pickups for our pilot program. We connected with enthusiastic students and faculty to foster success at MHS. Our project not only will make the school itself more eco-friendly, but will also encourage all participants to be more environmentally aware.

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Closing the Age Gap

For our CCSR Project, we want to close the gap between the young and the elderly. This project has a close connection to us because Theodora, on the left, works and volunteers at a nursing home. Vicki, on the right, volunteers with children of special needs, and Rachell, in the middle, in her free time volunteers as well. In order to do so, we created crafts for the children to make and then the three of us delivered them to the elderly. We know that they deeply appreciated the crafts and cards, especially during the holiday season and cherished them. We also sold the crafts/cards to enrich the community. A simple gift with a little care and love cago a long way.

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Bringing Music to Elementary After-School

Music has always been a huge part of my life. Because of my love and excitement around music, I am interested in bringing to the attention of young kids that same joy. Through fun sing-along songs and activities, I got kids interested and interacting with music. Once a week, I took my music class to a different elementary after-school program, including the Brooks, Columbus, McGlynn, and Roberts. Wielding my guitar, ukulele, and a handful of egg-shakers performed for the students! The songs were mostly aimed at some of the younger grades, talking about colors and numbers. These activities lasted less than 30 minutes, and fit into the programs’ schedules as best as possible.

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Beautification of Medford High Chorus

The beautification of the Medford High School chorus is a student led project to gain an appreciation for the chorus. As members and presidents of the chorus, Lily and Cadyn wanted to beautify the room to gain new members and create a place where people would want to come sing, meet new friends, and enjoy spending time with people who had similar interests as them. They participated in this year's Activity Fair to bring new members into the chorus and held after school rehearsals on Wednesdays to bring all members together. They also spent time cleaning the chorus room to create a space where people enjoy going after school each week. Their hopes for this project are to improve the MHS chorus all together, by starting with small actions and eventually building on them.

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Problem Solving Wheel

When we were coming up with ideas for community service projects, we noticed that students at the elementary school level faced a big dilemma: they couldn’t resolve conflict. We wanted to fix this problem by painting a problem solving wheel at the McGlynn Elementary School playground. This wheel contains options and strategies that students could use to resolve their conflicts. We think that this will be a valuable resource to the children of the McGlynn Elementary School.

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Diversity Celebration Day

Momeena Zayma, Prabidhi Rana, Dorotea Belotte, and David Mei’s mission was to create a space where everyone is welcomed and where our diversity is celebrated. The group hosted a festival in the city of Medford that featured multiple cultural performances and food vendors, local organizations, and interactive activities.

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Medford Girls’ Soccer Outreach

For our project, we recruited high-school bound female athletes to play in the Medford High School Girls’ Soccer Program. We attended U-14 soccer practices and shared our positive experiences as parts of the program. We also provided helpful information in terms of joining the program and succeeding in it. We feel we had a positive impact on the girls and we gave them insight into the program that we wish we had when we were their age. Hopefully, our efforts will increase the participation in sports among girls at Medford High.

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One Smile Away & Memory Board

The “One Smile Away” campaign was a huge success last year, through collecting over 100 compliments from students around the school. The compliments were collected via a google forum and anonymously posted on the board outside of the library. This year, Justin and Brandon also plan to add a memory board containing quotes from people’s holidays, sharing what they have done on that holiday. Together, each project helps to spread positive messages and recognize lesser known holidays.

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Black Pride Project

Our CCSR project is based on black pride. We had a Black History Month dance and an assembly. Our hope was to teach Medford High School students and faculty more than what is mainly taught in school, like racism and slavery. We focused on teaching the Medford High School community about the struggles AND triumphs.

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Symphonies for Students

Our project aimed to implement an inclusive music program for differently abled students who were beginner musicians, for which we peer mentored during 6th period music class throughout the year. New musicians learned beginner pieces on keyboard to practice and play along with peer mentors who could accompany in two or three part arrangements towards group music making.

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EMAK (Education Made Accessible for Kids)

For the past ten years, Shruti and I have had the opportunity to attend public school every day to receive an education. There are many children, however, who do not have this privilege due to various factors such as location, money, etc. By organizing a fundraiser called Kit Kat for Kids in Medford and through donations such as money, books, pencils, and other materials, we made education a little more accessible by donating their efforts to schools around the world, making sure that the children are able to receive the same opportunity as we do.

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The Mustang Way Assembly

We participated in the Mustang Way Assembly at both the Andrews and McGlynn Middle Schools. We wrote speeches about what the Mustang Way means to us and how we apply it in our everyday lives. We spoke on what it means on and off the field, in school and in extracurriculars. The Mustang Way exemplifies kindness, leadership, and ACE(attitude, concentration, excellence). Each student embodies this practice when helping a peer with homework or picking up a friend’s books when they drop them. This practice allows for a connected and sincere community where everyone feels welcome. The Mustang Way was presented to the 6th graders to demonstrate the principle set of values of both schools.

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Medford Styrofoam Ban

Styrofoam is an incredibly harmful material, not only to the workers who produce it, but it poses a danger to our students and the environment as well. It does not biodegrade, and it ends up polluting our oceans and tainting our seafood. It also poses a humanitarian crisis, by making the factory workers who produce it extremely sick, as well as posing a threat of styrene poisoning by putting hot food on it. For my project, I hope to not just ban styrofoam in Medford High, but extend my project further. Many people are unaware of styrofoam’s threats, or simply do not care to fix this issue, and I hope by raising awareness and gaining support, I will be able to implement a Medford city-wide styrofoam ban.

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Kitty Connection Treats and Drive

August Bengtson did a drive for cleaning supplies, blankets, and toys for a local animal rescue, based in Medford, called Kitty Connection. He also baked some healthy dog and cat treats for these adorable animals in need. Kitty Connection not only saves cats, as the name suggests, but also dogs. They are a non-profit and all-volunteer organization. Many people only think of food when it comes to donating to a rescue. In fact, most shelters need much more than just food, but cleaning supplies, blankets, toys, and much more. In the future, the drive will most likely be held over a week or so in order to collect an abundance of supplies to assist these wonderful volunteers!

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Homeless Helpline

We hoped to be an outlet to the homeless by providing them with basic necessities that they cannot afford on their own. In order to help the homeless we made care packages that contained most items that we take for granted in our lives. We hosted a bake sale with cookies that were handmade by us to gain the money to buy the items. We sold hot chocolate along side the cookies. Once we had a sufficient amount of money we got all the items the homeless required. By then we had already been in contact with a homeless shelter that sought out donations. We wanted to make Medford’s Homeless people’s situation feel more comfortable and welcome.

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Jazzing Up Café Electra

For Marya Abulfaraj, Cadee Stefani, Kieran Adams, Gus Tringale, Nick Hollings, Ebyan Abshir, and Rachel Dakermanji’s project, thier group came together to paint Café Electra. Ever since the opening of Bistro 489, Café Electra has mostly been forgotten about. They livened up the room by painting a mural on all four walls with the guiding theme of street art. The finished room’s main purpose was to provide a quiet space for students during lunch who may feel overwhelmed in the cafeterias. With a vibrant mural, they hope to beautify this space to create a relaxed environment for all MHS students who want to take a break from the stress of school.

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Mural Me This, Mural Me That

For Juliana Melo’s CCSR project, she painted a mural based on the riddles and parables in famous literature. She took all of these riddles and tried to imagine them as paintings. She loves art and this is an accomplishment she has wanted to achieve for a while. The mural is located in Ms. Giordano’s room, C223.

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Helping out at the McGlynn CCSR

For their CCSR project this year, Josh Klein and Matteo D'Aveta helped out at the McGlynn Elementary CCSR. They attended meetings every Tuesday and helped the instructors keep the students on task and focused on their projects. They also helped the students to figure out what they wanted to do for their projects and then assisted them in achieving their goals for their projects. The students’ projects this year included making pet beds for local animal shelters, writing jokes to give to other students, and making and selling pencil toppers to raise money for charity.

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Inspirational Quotes Project

In a word overwhelmed with measuring talent and expertise, we often fail to observe the significance behind the role of inspiration. Inspiration awakens us to new beginnings by granting us the possibility to rise above our standard experiences and limitations. Inspiration sets in motion a person from lack of interest to great potential, and over the course of time it changes the way we perceive our own capabilities. Many may fail to notice inspiration because of its evasive nature. However, throughout the existence of humanity, many have looked forward to that breeze of inspiration as something to grasp and hold onto, such as the likes of Michael Jordan, Oprah Winfrey, J.K. Rowling, and countless more. Whether it's in the sense of an inspiring story or simply just someone saying two straightforward words, these celebrities used inspiration to push them in the midst of their darkest times, and came out stronger. Hence, to continue the everlasting idea of inspiration, and urge others to keep pushing, Anderson Prince and Nishant Saini created inspirational quotes. These quotes would ultimately be displayed around the school to encourage many to not just simply be inspired, but to also be a source of inspiration.

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Medford Porch Jam

For Colin Bailey’s Act of Kindness, he worked with Mr. Skorker and Ms. Fard to create “The Medford Porch Jam.” They worked together to create a musical event that featured musicians playing the song “Imagine” by John Lennon from their own homes. Each person who was a part of the event joined a Zoom call that was created to promote a sense of unity and musical welcoming. CCSR singers (students and faculty members alike) sang individual verses while playing their instruments. The goal of this project was to spread musical positivity while singing a song of hope for the future, and a song of unity that spanned across each corner of the city of Medford!

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NPR Student Podcast Challenge

Stefan Langshur’s CCSR Project was entering the NPR Student Podcast Challenge. He created a podcast about defining personal success, working toward it, and eventually achieving an end goal. His aim with this project was to help others define a goal for themselves and learn to work toward that goal every day.

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A Veteran s Perspective

Emma McGlynn created a video titled “A Veteran’s Perspective.” She interviewed five veterans from within the Medford community, each from a different branch of the military. Each veteran told their personal story about their experience in the United States Military, returning home, what they did after serving, and the overall impact of their experience on themselves and the community. Emma then complied their stories into a video to share with the community that honors local veterans and shares their experiences of serving.

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