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13 accomplishments for the Class of 2013

February 22, 2010 by Bonnie

This year, I have had the pleasure of being the 9^th grade level chair at YES Prep Southeast. One of the biggest obstacles we face as a 6^th-12^th grade school is transitioning students from Middle to High school. Because of this, 9^th graders can be very challenging, but I love teaching freshman and think it is the best grade to teach. I might be biased, but I’d like to prove its truthfulness.

This year, the Wizards of 2013 have struggled at times; however, they have triumphed over the adversity that they had in Middle School and have accomplished many things. Thus, I would like to share the 13 accomplishments of the Class of 2013.

The 9^th graders have learned to Pay Attention, Follow Directions, and Make Good Choices. It helps that we repeat these phrases most mornings during morning meeting.
2013 has exceptional musical talent. They demonstrate it in guitar class, during morning meeting, and on stage. They are amazing!
9^th graders leave a place better than they found it, even during a class trip to the Houston Rockets. 9^th graders were seen picking up each other’s trash as well as the trash of unsuspecting Rockets fans in our section.
Members of the class of 2013 have won district championships in Basketball, Cross- Country and Volleyball. Even though they are young students participating at the Varsity and Junior Varsity levels, they have kept academics their priority, been young leaders on their respective teams, and have excelled in their spots. It is a joy to see our students on the track, court or field, competing, learning, and having fun.
Each member of the Class of 2013 is a fan of each other. At the district cross country meet, which was held at Southeast, 75% of the 9^th graders stayed to cheer on their fellow classmates. They ran with each other, made signs, screamed encouragement and rejoiced when their friends crossed the finish line.
The Freshmen class are exceptional critical thinkers, challenging each other and their teachers to consider new ideas and defend their own.
Thirteen members of the class of 2013 woke up really early on a Sunday morning in January to cheer on staff members: Jason Bernal, Brittney Barron, Geneva Rhee, and our very own James Sheridan, in the Houston Marathon. Our volunteer coordinator couldn’t say enough positive things about us.
After seeing the catastrophe that occurred in Haiti, the 9^th graders at Southeast set a goal of raising $1000 in less than two weeks. We even held a Rockband party to raise money. We exceeded our goal and raise $1026.72.
Thanks to Lynda Daniel and Jessica Davis, the Class of 2013 have tackled summer opportunities with a vengeance. They have secured numerous spots to prestigious programs like National Outdoor Leadership School and Camp Rising Sun.
Freshmen Genesis Rios’ art has been featured at the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Two 9^th graders, Adrian Gonzales and Sarah Gamblin, are co-captains of YES Prep Southeast’s Robotics team. In addition, the rest of the team is made up of mostly 9^th graders. 2013 truly leads the robotics charge for YES Prep.
The Class of 2013 grew by 25 members this year. The new students have been welcomed into the Wizard family with open arms. The 9^th graders are truly a welcoming group of people and they are growing together to face the challenges that will come in the coming years.
The class of 2013 contains 119 college bound students. As their grade level chair, I am so proud of how far they have come. Given the track record that YES Prep has with preparing students for colleges, I am confident that in the spring of 2013, we will see all 119 of these students declare a college at Senior Signing day and walk across the stage at graduation.

Bonnie Rhoden teaches 9th grade World Geography at YES Prep Southeast. Bonnie is a 2007 graduate of Baylor University on Waco, Texas where she studied Political Science and History. Bonnie is a 2007 Teach For America Houston Alumni.