Performance Artist Maria Elena Ramirez visits CCHS

Maria Elena Ramirez proudly presented Chicana "Her-Story", a multi-media presentation of Oral History, including teatro, music, rap and storytelling. Maria Elena presented a feminine perspective of what has transpired over these last 500+ years since 1492, when Columbus invaded the Americas, including her poems "Time to De-colonize Your Mind" and "Don't call me a `Ho`, No Mo." Students responded very positively to Maria Elena's performance, commenting that they have "never heard history told like this" and that they would like to learn more about what is not always taught in school.

To read more about Maria Elena's presentations visit her website at http://chicanaherstory.com/poetrywebpage.htm

Tommie Lindsey visits CCHS

On November 13th Tommie Lindsey visited CCHS. He spoke to several students about the importance of writing and recording their own stories, learning from every experience and especially about being proud of who they are. Mr. Lindsey also shared with the students that he began his very successful career at CCHS when it was El Rancho Verde. He began his Forensics Program at El Rancho with a small group of students. Mr. Lindsey's Forensics Program is now nationally recognized.

Author Tommie Lindsey to visit Conley

The dynamic and motivating forensics teacher and writer Tommie Lindsey will be visiting Conley on Thursday November 13th.


• In 2002, Lindsey was featured in the PBS documentary Accidental Hero, a story about students from a multi-racial high school gaining life- changing inspiration from their coach — Lindsey — through the art of public speaking and debate.

• In 2003, Lindsey was awarded Oprah Winfrey's Angel Award, and was among the recipients of One Hundred Black Men Excellence in Education Awards. He received one of 23 Genius Grants from the MacArthur Foundation in 2004. The prestigious grant is given for an individual's creativity and contribution to society.

• Lindsey co-authored the book It Doesn't Take A Genius: Five Truths to Inspire Success in Every Student.

Teatro Chicana author visit

Our visit with the authors and editors of Teatro Chicana: A Collective Memoir and Selected plays was a success. The women shared stories from their book speaking about their adventures and life experiences while in Teatro Chicana as well as how they came to be involved in Teatro. They spoke about the collective feeling of discontent amongst the youth of the late 1960’s and 1970’s and how Teatro allowed them to address the many issues faced by women and people of color during this time. Twenty-five students and staff attended the session. They had the opportunity to ask questions, talk with the authors and have books and posters signed.

Author visits begin October 31st.

This school year Conley-Caraballo will be hosting author visits. Students will be reading from the author's books before the visit so that they are able to actively engage in mature and intelligent conversation with the authors.

The first author visit will be with the author's of Teatro Chicana: A Collective Memoir and Selected Plays edited by Laura E. Garcia, Sandra M. Gutierrez, and Felicitas Nuñez, foreword by Yolanda Broyles-Gonzalez.




The 1970s and 1980s saw the awakening of social awareness and political activism in Mexican-American communities. In San Diego, a group of Chicana women participated in a political theatre group whose plays addressed social, gender, and political issues of the working class and the Chicano Movement. In this collective memoir, seventeen women who were a part of Teatro de las Chicanas (later known as Teatro Laboral and Teatro Raíces) come together to share why they joined the theatre and how it transformed their lives. Teatro Chicana tells the story of this troupe through chapters featuring the history and present-day story of each of the main actors and writers, as well as excerpts from the group's materials and seven of their original short scripts.

08/09 school year

After months and months of being blocked by the filter our blog is finally unfiltered. Hurrah! I am now planning the first CLC meeting of the 08/09 school year. I have already been approached by several students asking when the circle would be starting up again and what our first book is going to be. I'm planning on having our first meeting November 11th @ 12:30 in the library. If you have suggestions please send them to me by simply commenting on this post. It's always nice to have a wide selection to choose from.

Why "Lovely Bones" is so popular

Many people who read "Lovely Bones" may not know that the story stemmed from the real-life rape that Alice Sebold survived as a freshman in college. Without being sentimental or mushy she manages to tell this tragic story in a way that captures and holds the readers attention from beginning to end. In brief conversations that I've had with students reading the book, many of them are finding it difficult to read for many different reasons. Some have a difficult time with Suzie's rape and murder while others are having a difficult time understanding how Suzie's family and friends are dealing with their grief.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

Our current book selection "The Lovely Bones" is the winner of the American Bookseller Association's "Book of Year" Award.

"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue without her - her friends trading rumors about her disappearance, her killer trying to cover his tracks, her grief-stricken family unraveling. Out of unspeakable tragedy and loss, "The Lovey Bones" succeeds, miraculously, in building a tale filled with hope, humor, suspense, even joy.

CLC meeting March 31st

The CLC will meet March 31st to discuss "Always Running" by Luis Rodriguez.

Harsh yet realistic

Not everyone who reads Always Running will have an understanding of the complexities of gang life and Chicano culture. Many young people, however, will relate in some way to many of the issues that Luis Rodriguez addresses: identity, violence, drug use, police harassment, dysfunctional families, sex, teen parenthood, challenging authority, inadequate education, oppression, etc… What is especially notable about this book is that while addressing these issues in a harsh yet realistic way Rodriguez also provides important and empowering information about the Chicano movement of the 1960’s and 1970’s which brought about many important social changes.

Glass, an astounding book

I just finished reading Glass. I couldn't put it down as a read it. Ellen Hopkins' blank verse is compelling and the subject matter grueling. I found myself hoping that Kristina's positive outlook at the end brings her into a drug-free future with her family and child.

LibLongLearn

Always Running by Luis Rodriguez

Our next book selection is Always Running by Luis Rodriguez. In Always Running, Luis Rodriguez describes how by age twelve, he was a veteran of East L.A. gang warfare. Lured by a seemingly invincible gang culture, he witnessed countless shootings, beatings, and arrests, then watched with increasing fear as drugs, murder, suicide, and senseless acts of street crime claimed friends and family members. Before long Rodríguez saw a way out of the barrio through education and the power of words, and successfully broke free from years of violence and desperation. Achieving success as an award-winning Chicano poet, he was sure the streets would haunt him no more--until his young son joined a gang. Rodríguez fought for his child by telling his own story in Always Running, a vivid memoir that explores the motivations of gang life and cautions against the death and destruction that inevitably claim its participants. At times heartbreakingly sad and brutal, Always Running is ultimately an uplifting true story, filled with hope, insight and a hard-earned lesson for the next generation.

CLC February 1st meeting

THE CLC met on Friday, February 1st to discuss Glass by Ellen Hopkins. The group had a very mature, engaged and lengthy discussion about Bre and the consequences of her decisions. We discussed why this particular series is so popular right now and how the use of crank and glass has reached epidemic proportions and that this epidemic in one way or another is affecting so many families.

CLC will meet friday, February 1st @ lunch

I think we've all had a chance to get a copy of Glass and that everyone has finished reading. We will be meeting on friday, February 1st to discuss the book and enjoy some goodies.

The CLC with the $500.00 New Haven Schools Foundation Grant check

The New Haven Schools Foundation surprised me on wednesday, January 16th with a big check for $500. I was one of the lucky recipients of this years mini-grants. The grant will be used to purchase books for the Conley Literary Circle and to fund CLC activities. HURRAH CLC!!!