UNDER SUGARLOAF- ON A GORGEOUS DAY!

Our team learns to 'pose like a Brazilian'. Way to go, Allen & Becca, we see you!

We have the BEST Classrooms!

Class meeting at Praia Vermelha. Gorgeous location on the beach, across from Sugarloaf. The top of Sugarloaf was in the clouds, as we were a bit later when we took the gondola ride to the top!

Brazil Team's Unofficial Meeting Place

Our neighborhood hangout- for a snack, cold drink or accessing Orozco's wireless internet! Just across the street from our official meeting place. What were they thinking when they named this place?

Brazil Team 2012 Meets Corcovado

View from the Favela-vator

School administrators are inventive! Thanks, Jana, for the photo and the new word, 'FAVELA-VATOR'. I am sure Websters Dictionary will be adding it soon!

THE GANG'S ALL HERE....

After 3 days of work by the 'first wave' of administrators, the 'second wave' of our wonderful team joined us in Rio. After months of work, conference calls, and details- we are ALL here, on the ground, in gorgeous Rio. Finally we matched real people to the pictures on our team page and voices on the conference calls. Yes, Linda O. is almost as tall as Allen (in her mind). And Jana is smaller than her pic would lead us to believe; and her mom, Susan, is just as delightful. Mark's finally hit the waves, surfing Linda's board in Ipanema. And Becca, Gail and Glenda opened their lovely apartment for the larger team meeting. Carmelita's our bravest, bringing her 2-year old & husband, Jeff, too. While Lucy appears to be an old-pro, with husband and her two children traveling like veterans. Lydia's turned into our team photographer, capturing the sights and sharing on DropBox. While Wadean taught Linda O. the difference between Subway sandwich shop and the actual subway stop in Ipanema. Jackie has a ready smile, and her retired attitude are the envy of the group. Linda K. was last but not least to arrive-- but made it only 20 mins. late, considering she thought she might not make it at all! It's hard to believe we get any work done in this gorgeous environment with all these great people, but nose's to grindstone, we do!

Rio thru Lydia's Lens

WORK SESSION AT PARQUE LAGE

By Lydia Ramos

If it’s good enough for Snoop Dog, it’s good enough for the early birds of Team 2012. Taking a page out of the rapper’s video, “Beautiful,” the team spent the morning at Parque Lage discussing personnel issues and budget cut ramifications for administrators. The group then discussed hiring practices within LAUSD and debated the merits of the current system while seated at café in Jardim Botanico.

WORK SESSION AT PARQUE LAGE

TEAM'WORK' ON THE BEACH

Blog by Jana Davenport

Starting bright and early at 8:30 in the morning, the team got right to work reviewing their administrative achievements to fine tune their CAPSEL assignments. They enjoyed a lunch break at an outdoor cafe and had a little time to explore the streets of Ipanema.

The afternoon session began at a kiosk near Posto 8 where they discussed their mentor relationships, life balance assessments, and the feedback given to them by fellow administrators. The team made its way down the beach to the Arpoador before turning back and calling it a day!

Bem-vindo ao Brasil!

Blog post by Jackie Armstrong:

The first four members of Team 2012 have arrived in Ipanema and hit the ground running, or to be more precise, walking…the streets of Ipanema. Lydia Ramos, Jana Davenport, (both pictured above listening intently to details of the day’s agenda) Lucy Lee and Jackie Armstrong were given a simultaneous overview of Ipanema and the International Leadership Program

Walking from site to site, the four reviewed and gave feedback on each other’s assignments before breaking for lunch at a Brazilian smorgasbord. Wanting to expose her students to all “elements” of Rio life, Dr. Orozco arranged for an afternoon shower. The group ran between the raindrops to reach home base where they completed their day’s work and previewed what they would accomplish in the next "oito" days.

Assignment #23: CAPSEL's Final Report

Let's work together to make your work EASIER for the CAPSEL's Final Report. Please post some of YOUR top leadership activities. All we need to start is a draft of the activity in only 1-2 sentences. And I'll join in with editing ideas and help you polish them up. :)
Remember to add NUMBERS/STATISTICS that support your activity.

Here's an example:
Your Draft: I developed a discipline policy which reduced suspensions at my school.
Polished version: I led a school committee (15 staff/parents) for 3 months to develop at 6-page schoolwide discipline policy for my middle school (1300 students). Student suspensions dropped by 35% within the first year of policy implementation.

Ok, now you try one.
Your activity should be stated in 2-3 sentences ONLY. PUT YOUR NAME IN ALL CAPS AT TOP OF YOUR COMMENT. [below the comment box, you will be asked to "Comment as". Select 'anonymous', because your name is already listed at the top of your comment in all CAPS, right?]