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Humans of bhs

Working Towards a Diverse Future

HUMANS OF BURLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL AT A GLANCE

A Bit of Background

Here at Humans of Burlington High School, we are driven by a single goal; to do our part in making the world a better place for all. We are a club at BHS and work with many students and other clubs to promote diversity and voice of people. On a weekly basis, we interview students and teachers from our school community in order to spread ideas and voices because they all matter. In addition, we volunteer at different places to make a positive impact in our community. We strive to build productive relationships and make a positive impact with all of our pursuits.

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Interviews

Julie Weller

BHS Choral Director

Mrs. Weller was asked two questions, “What does diversity mean to you and how is it impacting your life” and “How do you adapt your teaching/instruction to meet the different cultures and diverse backgrounds of your students” by Vaishnavi Gudala (BHS Sophomore).

 

In this Podcast, Mrs.Weller talks about how she’s always trying to be mindful of diverse backgrounds, whether that be different religions, ethnicities, and sexual orientation. She also gives an example of incorporating diversity through her very diverse song selection. 

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    Shannon Janovitz

    BHS English Dept. Head

    In this podcast, Mrs. Janovitz, English Dept. Head, and Sara Shaikh, BHS sophomore, discuss the importance of increasing BPS’s outreach to teachers of color and how it benefits the student population. This was part of the proposal that the IDEAS Committee presented to the School Committee last month.

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    In this second podcast, Mrs. Janovitz (English Head Dept.) and Sara Shaikh (BHS Sophomore) discuss their views on having religious holidays in BPS. Should there be a religious holiday if a large student population celebrates it? Leave your thoughts in the chat box.

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    Sara Shaikh and Aayna Khalifa

    BHS Sophomores

    In this podcast, Aayna Khalifa and Sara Shaikh, both sophomores at BHS, discuss multiple aspects of their school life. 

    The questions that they discuss are:


    - What is your favorite thing about high school?
    - What is a piece of advice you have for the incoming freshmen?

    - What is the most valuable lesson you learned at BHS?
    - What does diversity mean to you?

     

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      Joyce Carey

      BHS History Teacher

      What does diversity mean to you and how is it impacting your life?

       

      "In all of my classes I am trying to put up photos and posters of women especially in my feminism class. I am also trying to not only talk about white women in my feminism class, I am striving to talk about all women of all races in my classes."

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        Rebecca Thomas

        Senior at BHS

        “Senior year has been going well, however some days are more stressful than others, especially with the whole college process. I’m most exited about starting a new chapter in my life, as well as meeting people in a new environment. I’m going to miss my friends most of all, as well as everything about high school. Being in this comfort zone is definitely something I’m going to miss, high school in general, is something I’m going to miss a ton.”

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          Robert Whitten

          BHS History Teacher

          How do you adapt your teaching to meet the different culture and learning styles of your students?

           

          In this Podcast, he touches upon the different aspects of culture and learning methods of students. His goal is for students to show his/her own knowledge rather then following the “stay in the box” idea. Also, he tries to find better activities that suits the students and make them comfortable/happy. 

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          What is your opinion of Diversity as a teacher and how do you think it affects our school?

           

          He talks about how diversity is an essential part of the school environment as it helps human interaction and the growth of students. He also says how either people embrace Diversity with open arms or hold it in with fear. 

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          Robert Parkin

           BHS History Teacher

          Which part of your teaching job is the most challenging? and why?

           

          He touches upon the topics of motivation for students and how to implement grit.

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          Do you believe that diversity is essential in any school community? Why or why not?.

           

          He discusses the importance of diversities relating to race, ethnicity, socio-economic backgrounds and many more in schools.

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          Sarah Pottle

          Sophomore at BHS

          What is the motivation that keeps you going everyday?

           

          "The motivation that keeps me going every day is remembering that all my hard work will pay off and when it does, it’ll feel amazing."

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            Zubair Mian

            Junior at BHS

            “I was assigned a project about creating a self portrait through the program Adobe Illustrator which is the program we were using in class. The project was to create a self portrait about the “Power of One”, which is basically trying to convey what the “Power of One” means. For the project we basically just had to pose and then create ourselves using the image that we took. I had no idea what I was gonna do for my quote or any sort of thing in the beginning but then realized I had arabic on my shirt. I used that to inspire me about the quote, “Seek Knowledge and Understanding”. Since most people don’t understand arabic I thought it would be good because they would have to learn what it says. My thought about the quote is that everyone should be inspired to learn things that they don’t already know. The graphic design class itself is really enjoyable and I love to be in there because I have a really good friend with me and we always help each other. I have also made a lot of new friends this year. Mr. Ratkevich, who is my teacher, always puts in good input and it really helps to make my work better.”

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              Heather Hornicek

              Junior at BHS

              “I took photography this year because it has always interested me. Seeing the pictures printed and hung up were always amazing to look at. In photo this year we have done project after project. One of my favorite ones was, portrait, because we got to photograph people with different angles, lighting, and props. My favorite thing about being in photo so far has to be shooting pictures for a project and the challenge of getting the "perfect" shot. This has helped me a lot with my patience because finding the right lighting, angle, and setting up the camera the right way takes time and you can't be impatient... trust me. I have learned many skills in photography this year from learning that taking a picture is not just by holding down the button but instead it is so much more. In my everyday life, what I have learned in photography can help me because the skills I have learned throughout this course can help me capture a moment even better than before.”

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                Cynara Ferrao

                Junior at BHS

                “School is a priority, no messing this semester, keeping it 💯. My favorite clases are Photography, Spanish, History, and English. I would describe BHS as a diverse school. :)”

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                  Dhruv Patel

                  Senior at BHS

                  Where are u applying to college?


                  "Umass Amherst, Dartmouth, MCPHS"


                  What are you hoping to study?


                  “I would like to do premed and go to med school.”


                  What is one thing you will miss the most at BHS?

                   

                  “The thing I will miss the most are my friends.”

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