2012
A Look Back on the Summer
08-2012
Summer by the Numbers:
Alumni Sakora Miller and Mithun Das assumed the role of Junior Coaches this summer at the “Mantua-in-Action” pilot program co-facilitated by SquashSmarts and Drexel University. 120 middle school students from West Philadelphia got out of their homes and were engaged in and exposed to the benefits of sports, including squash! Sakora and Mithun were responsible for managing curriculum, assessing skill, organizing practices and mentoring kids while receiving a free seven-week coaching certification workshop through Drexel’s Sports Management Program. On their own, the two co-created a powerful video tribute (watch it on YouTube) that was featured during the Mantua-In-Action closing celebration attended by Councilwoman Blackwell, Recreation Commissioner Slawson and Drexel University’s Vice President for Community Relations Dr. Lucy Kerman along with parents and kids.
Gear Up for Fall Programming
Fall program begins September 10th!
Mondays/Wednesdays Squash/Academic Practice at Lenfest Center from 4:15pm to 6:15pm:
9-12th Grade Students from North Philadelphia, New 5-7th Grade Students from North Philadelphia
Tuesdays/Thursdays Squash/Academic Practice at the Lenfest Center from 4:15pm to 6:15pm:
6-8th Grade Returning Students from North Philadelphia
Tuesdays/Thursdays Squash Practice at Drexel University from 4pm-6pm:
6-12th Grade Returning and New Students from West Philadelphia
Saturdays Squash/Community Service Practice at the Lenfest Center from 10am to 1pm:
5-12th Grade Returning and New Students from North and West Philadelphia
To sign-up as a volunteer or to stay informed of upcoming volunteer events, please contact Katie at [email protected]. We look forward to working with you!
Welcome New Staff Members
SquashSmarts welcomes new staff members, Chris Wert and Steve Brown. Chris joins us as our Squash Director after graduating from Kenyon College where he earned a degree in Music and played #3 for the squash team. Steve joins us as our Middle School Academic Director after earning his Master's degree in Education at University of Pennsylvania and serving as an AmeriCorps Member for Playworks Philadelphia.
Today marks the end of a special week at SquashSmarts.
07-2012
SquashSmarts’ Embrace Camp entered its final stages this morning. Now in its 9th season, the 2012 Embrace Camp featured squash, service, and leadership activities with Philadelphia Outward Bound, trips to the National Constitution Center and Reading Terminal Market and a private tour of the Philadelphia Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park (thanks Dan Goroff!) not to mention countless hours of squash! We’re proud to partner for the 3rd straight year with NUSEA to enable 14 children from Harlem, The Bronx, Chicago, New Haven, Baltimore and Denver to attend the week-long camp. Embrace combines the best elements of urban squash and education: diversity, camaraderie, quality instruction and lasting memories.
Today continues a special tradition at SquashSmarts: The Ford Williams Scholarship.
Senior Captains Shenae Walters and Justin Roebuck walked into SquashSmarts at 8:00am today with bags packed and ready for a ten-day journey to England. Justin and Shenae were selected as this year’s Ford Williams Scholarship (FWS) winners. FWS, established in 2006 through the generosity of the family and friends of Ford Williams, enables two SquashSmarts students to travel, train and stay with a host family for ten days in England. The scholarship is co-sponsored by Bryan Patterson’s Universal Squash Camps and The Philadelphia Squash Racquets Association.
And, finally, FLOTUS has left the building.
First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama’s visit to the Lenfest Center Wednesday certainly made this week more memorable than most. Our staff, students and volunteers were honored to play a supporting role in Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! promotional event to raise awareness of childhood obesity. In case you missed it:
NBC10 Philadelphia’s coverage of the First Lady’s visit:
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/People-Line-Up-for-First-Lady-Visit/162880336
Each of you makes weeks like these possible for our students.
Thank you all for your wonderful support of SquashSmarts.
May Updates
05-2012
A Look Back on April
76ers Outing with Chase: A dozen eager basketball fans and students of SquashSmarts got the chance to see a 76ers game from both a luxury box and the front row of the floor thanks to Chase Lenfest, long-time support of our prorgam. Our students had an amazing experience, one that they'll remember for a lifetime!
7th Grade Field Trip: The 7th Grade Students of SquashSmarts spent the April 24th school holiday educating themselves at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Students showed genuine interest and excitement to learn about mummies, symbols of Africa and much more. After a few hours in the museum, students continued the college experience at a local pizza hangout.
Ladies Empowerment Lunch: On April 28th, all the ladies of SquashSmarts gathered around for our 4th Annual Ladies Empowerment Lunch. After a potluck lunch provided by our generous volunteers, students gathered in small rotations to talk about self esteem, body image, famous women in history, and what empowerment means to them.
Keeping Fit Despite April Showers: The rain didn't hold our students back for the month of April! Congratulations to our students for winning home and away matches against Episcopal Academy. Students also braved the rain as they explored the Wissahickon Trail getting a chance to run in nature.
Students Look Forward to Summer Camps
As reward for their hard work this school year, every SquashSmarts student will attend a summer experience this summer! Thank you so much to our partners who have provided free or reduced cost spots for our children:
Universal Squash Camp in London, UK
Philadelphia Outward Bound
College Settlement Camp in Horsham, PA
Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Program at the US Naval Academy
Squash Camp at the US Naval Academy
Scoozie Academy at Mercersburg Academy
International Squash Camp at Trinity
Holleran Squash Camp at Lawrenceville
Squash Camp at the Cynwyd Club
Squash Camp at the Germantown Cricket Club
Squash Camp at the Philadelphia Cricket Club
Squash Camp at Princeton University
Squash Camp at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia
Squash and Beyond at Williams
NUSEA Summer Camp in Harlem, NY
NUSEA Summer Camp in Philadelphia, PA
Philly Spring Clean-Up a SquashSmarts Success
04-12
More than 60 SquashSmarts students and volunteers heeded Mayor Nutter’s call to clean up our city by making a difference in Hunting Park. Special thanks to our partner groups City Year and Temple Alpha Phi Omega as well as Citizens Bank for rewarding twenty of our SquashSmarts team members with tickets to the Phillies-Mets game!
Participants: Jane Affleck, Ameera Alexander, Simone Alexander, Charles Ashford, Shanyan Blanchard, Andra Bonilla, Natalie Bonilla, Markus Bowie, Benny Chan, Morioh Clifton, Monisha Das, Joyce Davenport, Cameron Ellis, Belkis Garcia, Andrew Holliman, Justin Hunter, Jessica Kaszycki, Bill Lalli, Bianca Marrero, Najee Melton, Raphael Mercado, Oscar Merino, Chris Moore, Jaquan Morris, Iverson Ortiz, Pedro Ortiz, Jamil Owens, Maria Perez, Stephan Riley, Sabrina Rivera, Tiffany Roberts, Foyah Royster, Aisha Sanchez, Desiree Sanchez, Kayla Sanchez, Kwadir Scott, Jeanie Shanahan, Charles Stehle, Lisa Stokes, Monica Supple, Christopher Tejada, Domingo Tejada, Alana Tender, Davir Tyler, Samuel Warner, Amanda Wilde, and Colesto Williams.
April Updates
04-2012
A Look Back on March
Highlights for the month of March include:
High School Acceptances: Congratulations to the following 8th grade students who are officially accepted and enrolled in high schools for the fall:
Students Make Amazing Ambassadors: Based on their exceptional behavior and attitude, twelve students were selected to represent SquashSmarts for the Philadelphia Squash Racquets Association Doubles Championship and Awards Dinner at the Germantown Cricket Club on March 22nd. They worked together to sell an astounding $4000 worth of raffle tickets to benefit their trip to Williamstown, MA in June.
Start of New Partnership with Nutritional Development Services:
This March we started a wonderful new partnership with Nutritional Development Services who is generously providing a healthy snack for every student in the program at every practice. From carrots to pb&j, our students have loved the variety and are learning that there are healthy alternatives available for them.
Life Skills Curriculum Starts with a Bang: Our first life skills theme of Etiquette was a success! Students drilled the basics of hand shakes, the importance of please and thank yous, eye contact and much more. We're seeing a huge difference in overall manners and are thrilled that students see the importance of good etiquette!
Lenfest Junior Bronze
Shamrock Scrimmage, and Tri-Match with SquashAces and SquashWise:March was another busy month for our squash players! Congratulations to the following students for their outstanding squash accomplishments this month:
Oscar Merino - 2nd Place, B17 Lenfest Junior Bronze, Gopal Mondol - 4th Place, B17 Lenfest Junior Bronze, Rabbi Awsan - Consolation Winner, B17 Lenfest Junior Bronze, and Dewon Flythe - Winner of Shamrock Scrimmage. Keep up the great work!
Students Look Forward to April Events
We look forward to another great month at SquashSmarts! Please save the dates in the Save the Date Box to the left. We encourage supporters at all of our events, and especially want to invite you to the Philly Spring Clean-Up on Saturday, April 14th. Please email Katie at [email protected] if you're interested in spending the morning beautifying our streets with the kids!
March Updates
03-12
A Look Back on February
This February brought us unseasonably nice weather, a leap day, and a month full of special events for our students! Highlights of the month include:
Young Friends Practice:
On February 11, the students hosted a squash practice for 17 members of the Young Friends Group, a network of SquashSmarts supporters ages 21-35. In addition to squash and fitness, the volunteers led a team-building session to see who could build the highest tower using only spaghetti and marshmallows. Thank you to Jake and Shira Greenbaum for organizing a wonderful event!
5/6th Grade Field Trip:
On February 20, Presidents Day, our 5th and 6th grade students were delighted to travel downtown to tour the National Constitution Center and eat lunch at the Reading Terminal Market. Divided into small groups named after presidents, the JFK and Lincoln groups tied to win celebratory cookies by completing a scavenger hunt at the museum.
Rutgers Alternative Break Visits:
On February 25, a group of students from Rutgers University visited SquashSmarts for the day as part of their Alternative Break program. Seven members of the college community taught students about their majors ranging from Spanish to Biology. Afterwards, the students taught the adults how to play squash and received positive praise on their teaching skills and patience! We are thrilled that this is the 3rd time Rutgers has made SquashSmarts a priority of their volunteer time.
A Busy Month for Squash:
SquashSmarts was thrilled to host the College Squash Association Championships and the Philadelphia Squash Racquets Association Championships February 17-19. Results for CSA Mens and Womens can be found online. Congratulations to PSRA winners Peter Lubowitz (Mens A), Dewon Flythe (Mens B), Fahim Ali (Mens C) and Colesto Williams (Womens). In addition, our students had a busy month of matches including Shipley, Germantown Friends School and St. Joe's. Finally, thanks to Chris O'Connell of the Young Friends Committee, the Wharton Open at Penn was also a huge success raising over $2000 for SquashSmarts!
Students Look Forward to March
We look forward to another great month at SquashSmarts! Please save the dates in the Save the Date Box to the left. We encourage supporters at all of our events, and especially want to invite you to the PSRA Raffle on March 22nd from 5pm to 8pm at the Germantown Cricket Club. Raffle tickets for an array of prizes are available through our staff, board and students.
In addition, March starts our official Life Skills Curriculum with the first monthly theme of Etiquette! Students will learn basic lessons including the manners needed to be treated like an adult, how to shake hands properly, table manners, and etiquette around the world.
Summer Internship and Volunteer Opportunities
Be an Intern or Volunteer:
SquashSmarts is currently accepting applications for Summer Interns and Student Volunteers. If you are a high school or college student and are interested in a meaningful opportunity working with our youth, please contact Katie at
[email protected] / 215.221.6860. Those with and without squash experience will be considered. We look forward to meeting you!
January Updates
02-2012
SquashSmarts Travels to NYC for Urban Teams
On Martin Luther King Weekend, 30 SquashSmarts Students, 3 staff and 2 dedicated volunteers embarked on a journey to New York City for the National Urban Squash and Education Association Urban Team Championships. Highlights from the event include:
-The best sportsmanship our staff has seen from students on the squash courts. Whether winning or losing, our students carried themselves with grace and we are so proud of them!
-An amazing match by B17/19 Team Player, Andrew Holliman. After being down two games, he came back to tie and win in the 5th game!
-Reading essays about Perseverance for the annual Academic Contest. Congratulations to SquashSmarts finalists Monisha Das (U15) and Andrew Holliman (U17/19)!
-A trip to Times Square complete with NYC hot dogs, pictures with mascots and a visit to the famous M&M store.
"Teams" is one of the annual events our students most look forward to and often where it all clicks for them. Now we're getting excited for the Individual Competition in June!
Students Continue to Impress in the Classroom
Since their first day of programming this fall, our students have been diligently working in our classrooms on subjects that will prepare them for high school, college and beyond. We are so proud of our students for completing the following units with their amazing academic volunteers!
-Arithmetic
-Basic and Advanced Geometry
-Basic and Advanced Order of Operations
-Be Your Best Self with Focus on Study Skills and Goals
-College Applications-Capitalization and Punctuation
-College Basics with Focus on
Interviewing a College Student, Scholarships and Financial Aid
-College Fair
-College Research
-Essays with Peer Editing and Proofreading
-Fall Test
-Figurative Language
-Fractions
-Grammar Review
-High School Planning
-Intro to SquashSmarts
-Operation Hope Financial Literacy
-Paragraphs
-Parts of Speech
-Public Speaking
-Public Speaking with Current Events
-Ratios, Proportions and Rates
-Researching Skills
-SAT Preparation
-Study Skills
-Time Management
-Vocabulary.com
Students Thank Philadelphia Cricket Club
Thank you to the Philadelphia Cricket Club for awarding seven SquashSmarts students a spot in the PCC Bronze Tournament January 20th through 22nd. Highlights from the weekend include:
-Yassir Jackson winning 4th place in the B15 Division and Oscar Merino winning 5th place in the B17 Division.
-Seeing the amazing sportsmanship and effort of first time competitors Belkis Garcia, Joshua Morales, Alexis Ramirez, and Jose Zayas.
-Parents cheering on their children and seeing the joy and pride that squash brings to them.
-7th Grade Student, Colesto Williams, though not playing in the tournament, spending every minute of her weekend there to cheer on her teammates, especially best friend, Adjovi Yetoh.
Out staff and students are so appreciative for any opportunity for our youth. Thank you again!
Start Thinking About Summer
Be an Intern or Volunteer: SquashSmarts is currently accepting applications for Summer Interns and Student Volunteers. If you are a high school or college student and are interested in a meaningful opportunity working with our youth, please contact Katie at [email protected] / 215.221.6860. Those with and without squash experience will be considered. We look forward to meeting you!
Have Ideas for Summer Camp?: Based on their attendance and performance in the program this year, students we be rewarded with the summer camp of their choosing. Experiences have included Outward Bound, College Settlement Camp, a multitude of arts and squash camps and even a trip to the Universal Squash Camp in London sponsored by the Ford Williams Scholarship. Please let us know if you have any ideas or want to get involved in this process!
08-2012
Summer by the Numbers:
- 20 summer practices at the Lenfest Center which included squash and academic sessions with 38 kids participating
- 25 students together did 130 hours of community service including teaching squash to disabled kids at the Kids Sport Spectacular, leading trivia at the Veterans Hospital, beautifying the streets of North Philadelphia, and coaching younger students in squash
- 56 volunteers gave 1654 hours of service to SquashSmarts
- One SquashSmarts Alum and Penn State Student, one Temple Student, three High School Students, and one SquashSmarts 8th Grade Student dedicated their summers to the SquashSmarts Internship Program
- 34 students participated in the 9th Annual Embrace Camp which included a trip to National Constitution Center, an Outward Bound experience, a tour of Citizens Bank Park, and of course some serious squash
- 19 students participated in the One Day Outward Bound, conquering their fears on the ropes course
- 32 students participated in 20 different camp opportunities; 49 opportunities were provided for a total of 300 days of activity
- Eight special events occurred including a trip to Ocean City, a Philadelphia Soul Game, a Widener University College Visit, a Philadelphia University College Visit, two squash exhibitions at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia, and two Run Wild Wednesday Trips at the Wissahickon Park
- 12 four-hour squash and fitness sessions offered to students of Mantua In Action Program
- Five introductory squash sessions offered to students of Eighth Street Peace Makers Camp
Alumni Sakora Miller and Mithun Das assumed the role of Junior Coaches this summer at the “Mantua-in-Action” pilot program co-facilitated by SquashSmarts and Drexel University. 120 middle school students from West Philadelphia got out of their homes and were engaged in and exposed to the benefits of sports, including squash! Sakora and Mithun were responsible for managing curriculum, assessing skill, organizing practices and mentoring kids while receiving a free seven-week coaching certification workshop through Drexel’s Sports Management Program. On their own, the two co-created a powerful video tribute (watch it on YouTube) that was featured during the Mantua-In-Action closing celebration attended by Councilwoman Blackwell, Recreation Commissioner Slawson and Drexel University’s Vice President for Community Relations Dr. Lucy Kerman along with parents and kids.
Gear Up for Fall Programming
Fall program begins September 10th!
Mondays/Wednesdays Squash/Academic Practice at Lenfest Center from 4:15pm to 6:15pm:
9-12th Grade Students from North Philadelphia, New 5-7th Grade Students from North Philadelphia
Tuesdays/Thursdays Squash/Academic Practice at the Lenfest Center from 4:15pm to 6:15pm:
6-8th Grade Returning Students from North Philadelphia
Tuesdays/Thursdays Squash Practice at Drexel University from 4pm-6pm:
6-12th Grade Returning and New Students from West Philadelphia
Saturdays Squash/Community Service Practice at the Lenfest Center from 10am to 1pm:
5-12th Grade Returning and New Students from North and West Philadelphia
To sign-up as a volunteer or to stay informed of upcoming volunteer events, please contact Katie at [email protected]. We look forward to working with you!
Welcome New Staff Members
SquashSmarts welcomes new staff members, Chris Wert and Steve Brown. Chris joins us as our Squash Director after graduating from Kenyon College where he earned a degree in Music and played #3 for the squash team. Steve joins us as our Middle School Academic Director after earning his Master's degree in Education at University of Pennsylvania and serving as an AmeriCorps Member for Playworks Philadelphia.
Today marks the end of a special week at SquashSmarts.
07-2012
SquashSmarts’ Embrace Camp entered its final stages this morning. Now in its 9th season, the 2012 Embrace Camp featured squash, service, and leadership activities with Philadelphia Outward Bound, trips to the National Constitution Center and Reading Terminal Market and a private tour of the Philadelphia Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park (thanks Dan Goroff!) not to mention countless hours of squash! We’re proud to partner for the 3rd straight year with NUSEA to enable 14 children from Harlem, The Bronx, Chicago, New Haven, Baltimore and Denver to attend the week-long camp. Embrace combines the best elements of urban squash and education: diversity, camaraderie, quality instruction and lasting memories.
Today continues a special tradition at SquashSmarts: The Ford Williams Scholarship.
Senior Captains Shenae Walters and Justin Roebuck walked into SquashSmarts at 8:00am today with bags packed and ready for a ten-day journey to England. Justin and Shenae were selected as this year’s Ford Williams Scholarship (FWS) winners. FWS, established in 2006 through the generosity of the family and friends of Ford Williams, enables two SquashSmarts students to travel, train and stay with a host family for ten days in England. The scholarship is co-sponsored by Bryan Patterson’s Universal Squash Camps and The Philadelphia Squash Racquets Association.
And, finally, FLOTUS has left the building.
First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama’s visit to the Lenfest Center Wednesday certainly made this week more memorable than most. Our staff, students and volunteers were honored to play a supporting role in Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move! promotional event to raise awareness of childhood obesity. In case you missed it:
NBC10 Philadelphia’s coverage of the First Lady’s visit:
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/video/#!/on-air/as-seen-on/People-Line-Up-for-First-Lady-Visit/162880336
Each of you makes weeks like these possible for our students.
Thank you all for your wonderful support of SquashSmarts.
May Updates
05-2012
A Look Back on April
76ers Outing with Chase: A dozen eager basketball fans and students of SquashSmarts got the chance to see a 76ers game from both a luxury box and the front row of the floor thanks to Chase Lenfest, long-time support of our prorgam. Our students had an amazing experience, one that they'll remember for a lifetime!
7th Grade Field Trip: The 7th Grade Students of SquashSmarts spent the April 24th school holiday educating themselves at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology. Students showed genuine interest and excitement to learn about mummies, symbols of Africa and much more. After a few hours in the museum, students continued the college experience at a local pizza hangout.
Ladies Empowerment Lunch: On April 28th, all the ladies of SquashSmarts gathered around for our 4th Annual Ladies Empowerment Lunch. After a potluck lunch provided by our generous volunteers, students gathered in small rotations to talk about self esteem, body image, famous women in history, and what empowerment means to them.
Keeping Fit Despite April Showers: The rain didn't hold our students back for the month of April! Congratulations to our students for winning home and away matches against Episcopal Academy. Students also braved the rain as they explored the Wissahickon Trail getting a chance to run in nature.
Students Look Forward to Summer Camps
As reward for their hard work this school year, every SquashSmarts student will attend a summer experience this summer! Thank you so much to our partners who have provided free or reduced cost spots for our children:
Universal Squash Camp in London, UK
Philadelphia Outward Bound
College Settlement Camp in Horsham, PA
Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics Program at the US Naval Academy
Squash Camp at the US Naval Academy
Scoozie Academy at Mercersburg Academy
International Squash Camp at Trinity
Holleran Squash Camp at Lawrenceville
Squash Camp at the Cynwyd Club
Squash Camp at the Germantown Cricket Club
Squash Camp at the Philadelphia Cricket Club
Squash Camp at Princeton University
Squash Camp at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia
Squash and Beyond at Williams
NUSEA Summer Camp in Harlem, NY
NUSEA Summer Camp in Philadelphia, PA
Philly Spring Clean-Up a SquashSmarts Success
04-12
More than 60 SquashSmarts students and volunteers heeded Mayor Nutter’s call to clean up our city by making a difference in Hunting Park. Special thanks to our partner groups City Year and Temple Alpha Phi Omega as well as Citizens Bank for rewarding twenty of our SquashSmarts team members with tickets to the Phillies-Mets game!
Participants: Jane Affleck, Ameera Alexander, Simone Alexander, Charles Ashford, Shanyan Blanchard, Andra Bonilla, Natalie Bonilla, Markus Bowie, Benny Chan, Morioh Clifton, Monisha Das, Joyce Davenport, Cameron Ellis, Belkis Garcia, Andrew Holliman, Justin Hunter, Jessica Kaszycki, Bill Lalli, Bianca Marrero, Najee Melton, Raphael Mercado, Oscar Merino, Chris Moore, Jaquan Morris, Iverson Ortiz, Pedro Ortiz, Jamil Owens, Maria Perez, Stephan Riley, Sabrina Rivera, Tiffany Roberts, Foyah Royster, Aisha Sanchez, Desiree Sanchez, Kayla Sanchez, Kwadir Scott, Jeanie Shanahan, Charles Stehle, Lisa Stokes, Monica Supple, Christopher Tejada, Domingo Tejada, Alana Tender, Davir Tyler, Samuel Warner, Amanda Wilde, and Colesto Williams.
April Updates
04-2012
A Look Back on March
Highlights for the month of March include:
High School Acceptances: Congratulations to the following 8th grade students who are officially accepted and enrolled in high schools for the fall:
- Alleisha Outlaw - Freire Charter School
- Ameera Alexander - Truebright Science Academy
- Davir Tyler - Creative and Performing Arts
- Dodanim Garcia - Philadelphia Military Academy at Leeds
- Nizja Faison - Bodine High School
- Oscar Merino - St. Andrew's School
- Regine Smith - Multicultural Academy Charter School
- Tyron Rivers - Mastery Charter School Lenfest Campus
- Zykerah Montgomery - Carver High School for Engineering and Science
Students Make Amazing Ambassadors: Based on their exceptional behavior and attitude, twelve students were selected to represent SquashSmarts for the Philadelphia Squash Racquets Association Doubles Championship and Awards Dinner at the Germantown Cricket Club on March 22nd. They worked together to sell an astounding $4000 worth of raffle tickets to benefit their trip to Williamstown, MA in June.
Start of New Partnership with Nutritional Development Services:
This March we started a wonderful new partnership with Nutritional Development Services who is generously providing a healthy snack for every student in the program at every practice. From carrots to pb&j, our students have loved the variety and are learning that there are healthy alternatives available for them.
Life Skills Curriculum Starts with a Bang: Our first life skills theme of Etiquette was a success! Students drilled the basics of hand shakes, the importance of please and thank yous, eye contact and much more. We're seeing a huge difference in overall manners and are thrilled that students see the importance of good etiquette!
Lenfest Junior Bronze
Shamrock Scrimmage, and Tri-Match with SquashAces and SquashWise:March was another busy month for our squash players! Congratulations to the following students for their outstanding squash accomplishments this month:
Oscar Merino - 2nd Place, B17 Lenfest Junior Bronze, Gopal Mondol - 4th Place, B17 Lenfest Junior Bronze, Rabbi Awsan - Consolation Winner, B17 Lenfest Junior Bronze, and Dewon Flythe - Winner of Shamrock Scrimmage. Keep up the great work!
Students Look Forward to April Events
We look forward to another great month at SquashSmarts! Please save the dates in the Save the Date Box to the left. We encourage supporters at all of our events, and especially want to invite you to the Philly Spring Clean-Up on Saturday, April 14th. Please email Katie at [email protected] if you're interested in spending the morning beautifying our streets with the kids!
March Updates
03-12
A Look Back on February
This February brought us unseasonably nice weather, a leap day, and a month full of special events for our students! Highlights of the month include:
Young Friends Practice:
On February 11, the students hosted a squash practice for 17 members of the Young Friends Group, a network of SquashSmarts supporters ages 21-35. In addition to squash and fitness, the volunteers led a team-building session to see who could build the highest tower using only spaghetti and marshmallows. Thank you to Jake and Shira Greenbaum for organizing a wonderful event!
5/6th Grade Field Trip:
On February 20, Presidents Day, our 5th and 6th grade students were delighted to travel downtown to tour the National Constitution Center and eat lunch at the Reading Terminal Market. Divided into small groups named after presidents, the JFK and Lincoln groups tied to win celebratory cookies by completing a scavenger hunt at the museum.
Rutgers Alternative Break Visits:
On February 25, a group of students from Rutgers University visited SquashSmarts for the day as part of their Alternative Break program. Seven members of the college community taught students about their majors ranging from Spanish to Biology. Afterwards, the students taught the adults how to play squash and received positive praise on their teaching skills and patience! We are thrilled that this is the 3rd time Rutgers has made SquashSmarts a priority of their volunteer time.
A Busy Month for Squash:
SquashSmarts was thrilled to host the College Squash Association Championships and the Philadelphia Squash Racquets Association Championships February 17-19. Results for CSA Mens and Womens can be found online. Congratulations to PSRA winners Peter Lubowitz (Mens A), Dewon Flythe (Mens B), Fahim Ali (Mens C) and Colesto Williams (Womens). In addition, our students had a busy month of matches including Shipley, Germantown Friends School and St. Joe's. Finally, thanks to Chris O'Connell of the Young Friends Committee, the Wharton Open at Penn was also a huge success raising over $2000 for SquashSmarts!
Students Look Forward to March
We look forward to another great month at SquashSmarts! Please save the dates in the Save the Date Box to the left. We encourage supporters at all of our events, and especially want to invite you to the PSRA Raffle on March 22nd from 5pm to 8pm at the Germantown Cricket Club. Raffle tickets for an array of prizes are available through our staff, board and students.
In addition, March starts our official Life Skills Curriculum with the first monthly theme of Etiquette! Students will learn basic lessons including the manners needed to be treated like an adult, how to shake hands properly, table manners, and etiquette around the world.
Summer Internship and Volunteer Opportunities
Be an Intern or Volunteer:
SquashSmarts is currently accepting applications for Summer Interns and Student Volunteers. If you are a high school or college student and are interested in a meaningful opportunity working with our youth, please contact Katie at
[email protected] / 215.221.6860. Those with and without squash experience will be considered. We look forward to meeting you!
January Updates
02-2012
SquashSmarts Travels to NYC for Urban Teams
On Martin Luther King Weekend, 30 SquashSmarts Students, 3 staff and 2 dedicated volunteers embarked on a journey to New York City for the National Urban Squash and Education Association Urban Team Championships. Highlights from the event include:
-The best sportsmanship our staff has seen from students on the squash courts. Whether winning or losing, our students carried themselves with grace and we are so proud of them!
-An amazing match by B17/19 Team Player, Andrew Holliman. After being down two games, he came back to tie and win in the 5th game!
-Reading essays about Perseverance for the annual Academic Contest. Congratulations to SquashSmarts finalists Monisha Das (U15) and Andrew Holliman (U17/19)!
-A trip to Times Square complete with NYC hot dogs, pictures with mascots and a visit to the famous M&M store.
"Teams" is one of the annual events our students most look forward to and often where it all clicks for them. Now we're getting excited for the Individual Competition in June!
Students Continue to Impress in the Classroom
Since their first day of programming this fall, our students have been diligently working in our classrooms on subjects that will prepare them for high school, college and beyond. We are so proud of our students for completing the following units with their amazing academic volunteers!
-Arithmetic
-Basic and Advanced Geometry
-Basic and Advanced Order of Operations
-Be Your Best Self with Focus on Study Skills and Goals
-College Applications-Capitalization and Punctuation
-College Basics with Focus on
Interviewing a College Student, Scholarships and Financial Aid
-College Fair
-College Research
-Essays with Peer Editing and Proofreading
-Fall Test
-Figurative Language
-Fractions
-Grammar Review
-High School Planning
-Intro to SquashSmarts
-Operation Hope Financial Literacy
-Paragraphs
-Parts of Speech
-Public Speaking
-Public Speaking with Current Events
-Ratios, Proportions and Rates
-Researching Skills
-SAT Preparation
-Study Skills
-Time Management
-Vocabulary.com
Students Thank Philadelphia Cricket Club
Thank you to the Philadelphia Cricket Club for awarding seven SquashSmarts students a spot in the PCC Bronze Tournament January 20th through 22nd. Highlights from the weekend include:
-Yassir Jackson winning 4th place in the B15 Division and Oscar Merino winning 5th place in the B17 Division.
-Seeing the amazing sportsmanship and effort of first time competitors Belkis Garcia, Joshua Morales, Alexis Ramirez, and Jose Zayas.
-Parents cheering on their children and seeing the joy and pride that squash brings to them.
-7th Grade Student, Colesto Williams, though not playing in the tournament, spending every minute of her weekend there to cheer on her teammates, especially best friend, Adjovi Yetoh.
Out staff and students are so appreciative for any opportunity for our youth. Thank you again!
Start Thinking About Summer
Be an Intern or Volunteer: SquashSmarts is currently accepting applications for Summer Interns and Student Volunteers. If you are a high school or college student and are interested in a meaningful opportunity working with our youth, please contact Katie at [email protected] / 215.221.6860. Those with and without squash experience will be considered. We look forward to meeting you!
Have Ideas for Summer Camp?: Based on their attendance and performance in the program this year, students we be rewarded with the summer camp of their choosing. Experiences have included Outward Bound, College Settlement Camp, a multitude of arts and squash camps and even a trip to the Universal Squash Camp in London sponsored by the Ford Williams Scholarship. Please let us know if you have any ideas or want to get involved in this process!