Interview with Kinyette on Student Assembly: What I Did (While Others Were on Summer Vacation)

Hello! I am a founding student and graduate of TEAM Academy Charter School, a KIPP School, in Newark, New Jersey. This summer I attended St.George's School, in Newport, Rhode Island, for a summer enrichment program. St.George's is also the school I will be attending for high school. I am eager to answer any questions you may have about my summer experience at a boarding school or my years at TEAM Academy and how well they prepared me for the transition to boarding school. Also, if you have any questions about my process through the Wight Foundation, I would be happy to answer them.

So to answer your first question, summers at TEAM Academy were very beneficial to the students because it helped prepare us for the school year. It gave us time to get back into the daily routines at TEAM. For example, by having summer school it got most of the students back into waking up early and being mentally prepared for the day. Also, in public schools when you come back to school you usually forget the concepts you covered the previous year, but during the summer at TEAM its a good time to review old concepts and to get a feel for the next topic being covered in the Fall.

Hello my name is Kinyette and yes I spent the first half of my education at a Newark public school. Being in a charter school is very different than being in a public school. To start off, charter schools focus more on academics and having goals. For example, the first day at TEAM you have a goal to attend college. At my public school, the first day was basically no different than a normal disfunctional day. For the students that even showed up, their goal was to just finish the year with a satisfactory attendance rate. In contrast, at TEAm you are always pushed and supported by the staff to do your best and to strive for excellence and success in all that we do.

Hello I am Kinyette Henderson and I think that the most important thing to know about charter schools is that they have a vision. They want to change the educational system and people need to see and understand this vision. For example, at my charter school, TEAM Academy, we have a vision of changing the world and making it a better place. You don't typically hear visions like this coming from a middle school in an area like Newark. Charter schools are trying to create a place where learning is valued and cherished. Places like Newark need such a vision to bring itself a new name.

Hello Mr. Alford! The most difficult part about attending TEAM Academy would have to be getting adjusted to the rules and regulations. For example, when the school first started in 5th grade, it was especially difficult for me to get used to writing the heading. In 5th grade, the rule was that if you didn't write your heading correctly you had to serve detention after school. I was a victim of this rule a lot because I never had to write a heading at my old public school,but writing a heading points to a bigger idea and life lesson. It teaches you to pay attention to detail, and detail is very key in boarding schools.It's also very hard getting used to the strict rules and bounadries we have. For example, disrespect and misbehavior is not tolerated at TEAM and some students who came from very low performing public schools had a problem with this rule. It took a lot of work for most of those same students who were mean and rude to get where they are now; attending a high school outside of Newark. Sometimes as a middle schooler you don't see the value in some of the rules or practices, but as you get older you realize how that small practice prepares you for future successes.

As for the Rock Band, unfortunately Mr. Nardo, our band director, left TEAM Academy and we do not have another band director yet. However we do have lower school students who continue to play the guitar and other instruments. We have a brand new Drumline and there are other musical opportunities within the school. I'm sure that we will find someone who will become the new band director soon. There is definitely enough talent among school to start a new one. Talent is definitely not the reason why there hasn't been a follow-up rock band.

Hello, my name is Kinyette and students can independently research local schools in their area and find out more about them. Students can also come to either TEAM Academy or our second middle school Rise Academy to either get an application or to find out what a charter school is and the benefits of attending one. We have had a student that came to the school, got an application, had his mom sign it, and he got his transfor from a Newark public school all on his own. As a matter of fact, several students in my founding class found out about TEAM on their own and brought the information to their families. Students just have to take the initiative to seek it if they really want it. The information is never more than a couple clicks away with the advances of computers today. Therefore all it takes is the ability to read and the true desire to know.

Hello Mr. Shaw. Actually, it's quite easy going to school during the summer because summer school is a requirement at TEAM Academy. I usually have my peers at school with me every summer so it's even fun most of the time. The only small difficulty this year was that I didn't have my friends from TEAM with me at St. George's. Surprisingly, this new situation was positive also because I was able to meet new people and develop new friendships with students from all over the world. Also, attending a boarding summer program at a place as beautiful as St. George's feels like a vacation to me anyway.