Monday, November 21, 2016
News The Spoke is published seven times per year at Bartash Printing. It consistently receives a Gold rating from PSPA and COSPA, and it is a National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker award-winning publication. The Spoke serves as a public forum for student expression.
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2 The Spoke
iArtsy raises money one kandil at a time
By Brooke Deasy Staff Reporter
A group of �ive freshmen use art to preserve culture and tradition in their nonpro�it organi ation, iArtsy. The program raises money for local organizations by donating proceeds from the sale of handmade lanterns. The students, Mihir Dhamanker, Shiva Dahagam, Sanjana Sanghani, Rohit Raja and Rahul Raja, focus on two main projects. They raise funds for Bhutanese refugees in South Philly by constructing multi-colored lanterns and selling them in bulk or individually. They also held events at Tredyffrin/ Easttown Middle School, where they taught students how to make ceramic oil lamps. These lamps were sold on Oct. 15 at the Tredyffrin Public Library. The students raised $220 for the Foundation for Learning in Tredyffrin/Easttown. (FLITE). After working on the Bhutanese refugee project for two years, constructing and selling lanterns with his father, Dhamanker founded iArtsy last summer. His father came to know of the Bhutanese Organization in Philadelphia and told Dhamanker, who was
instantly committed to helping the refugees. The Bhutanese refugees “weren’t really generating money and it would be good for them to have additional income (other than minimal support). It was
Dhamanker realized that he wanted to create an organization uniting people in his effort to raise money and awareness for the refugees. “I reached out to some of my friends and they said ‘yes, we
Courtesy Mihir Dhamanker
Carving Culture and Shaping Lives: Students sold jewelry, scarves, batik, Indian food and handmade kandils at Wilson Farm Park’s Party in the Park. All proceeds were donated to local organizations. near the end of the Diwali at that are willing to help,’” Dhamanker time, and my dad showed me said. “That’s why last summer, how to make a ‘kandil,’ or lan- we formed the group.” tern,” Dhamanker said. “Then, I The lanterns were made in said that we can make these to celebration of a four-day feshelp and support (the Bhuta- tivity in India called Diwali, or nese refugees).” Festival of the Lights. It is the
biggest and brightest of all Hindu festivals, held from the end of October into November, and commemorates life. Originally, Dhamanker built lanterns of a traditional design, created around a custom framework. Since they could not be folded for worldwide shipping, iArtsy created a lantern suitable for shipment. “Some big things were that in Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Chicago, there was some big orders,” Dhamanker said. “We reached out to friends in those cities and they coordinated locally. The majority of sales happen by shipment.” Over the past two years, the students have donated over $1,500 a year to refugee aid. The organi ation is unaf�iliated with Conestoga, with the students meeting during weekends to discuss upcoming events and new ideas. They hope to expand iArtsy by providing fundraising for other local organizations. Dahagam said that creating the projects is like spreading the love. “I feel like people in the Main Line are so blessed to have such good families and such a good community. For me, it’s giving back to the world,” Dahagam said.
MIT teachers implement Pioneer Pointers
By Maddie Lamonica Staff Reporter
The Multi-Tiered Intervention (MIT) program was implemented at both the middle and high school levels last year. Its goal is to provide support to students who do not fall into the category of special education but would bene�it from extra assistance with organization and time management. “When we looked at the district holistically, it became evident that we needed a bridge between special education and regular education. This prompted the creation of the Multi-Tiered Intervention program,” MIT teacher Danielle Sculley-Ellett said. Sculley-Ellett and the other MIT teacher, Jordan McCain, have a combined total of 40 students. During these classes, students are able to work on their assignments without any distractions and learn time management for long-term projects and general organizational skills. “ IT is all about �inding the appropriate level of support for each student. Some kids need
help catching up on work after being absent due to an illness or concussion, while others need help transitioning from other schools,” McCain said.
Senior Dante Gathers has been a part of the MIT program for over a year. “I had very bad studying habits, but (the teachers) taught me
Maddie Lamonica/The SPOKE
Preparing for Success: Multi-Tiered Intervention (MIT) teachers Jordan McCain and Danielle Sculley-Ellett promote the new Pioneer Pointers program. MIT was implemented last year. Since the formation of the MIT program, the feedback from students has been positive. “Last year’s MIT students told us that it was extremely bene�icial and helped them to become the best student they can be,” Principal Dr. Amy Meisinger said.
how to be motivated to do my work and how to get it done effectively. Through MIT, I’ve grown as a person, as well as a student,” Gathers said. Pioneer Pointers is a new extension of the MIT program, which allows any student to drop
in on the third Friday of every month to receive guidance and organizational tips. “Pioneer Pointers is aimed to capture more students that may need some support in a different way,” Meisinger said. The �irst session was Oct. 21 and the turnout was less than anticipated. Both Sculley-Ellett and McCain have plans to increase the numbers of students attending in coming months. “In the future, we plan to ask freshman teachers to refer students who they believe would bene�it from the program. In addition, we will also look at the (sports team) eligibility list and contact those athletes to potentially help them to improve their grades,” Sculley-Ellett said. Both McCain and Sculley-Ellett hope that Pioneer Pointers becomes an outlet for any ’Stoga student who needs assistance with his or her workload. “MIT is not negative. It’s very much a positive environment,” Sculley-Ellett said. “The whole idea is to engulf the child in support and allow them to �lourish here at Conestoga.”