JAN/FEB EVENTS

Ile Omode’s
In pursuit of the whole African
RHYTHM
An African-centered educational institution; serving preschool-6th since 1986
January/February 6247 (2007)
VOL 7, NO 1
JAN/FEB EVENTS
Jan
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Jan
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Feb
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Feb
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Feb
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Feb
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Feb
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Feb
•
15 (MON) School CLOSED
Observance of Dr. King‛s birthday
27 (SAT) 10-12 pm
Open House, RSVP is encouraged,
but not required (contact the
school for further information);
the next Open House is Saturday,
February 24
1 (TH)
Tuition is due
8 (TH) 5:30 pm
Family meeting
13 (TU)
Picture day! See office for details
19 (MON) PRESIDENT‛S DAY
School closed
24 (SAT) 10-12 pm
Open House, RSVP is encouraged
25 (SUN) 2 pm
Ancestor‛s Day Celebration
ANNOUNCEMENTS
•
•
•
•
•
Free adult drum class at Wo‛se
every Wed from 6 to 6:45 pm
We need volunteers to prepare
new computers in the lab as well as
laptops during the winter vacation;
contact us if you can assist
Interested in enrollment? Call the
school for an information packet
(office is available during the
vacation)
Wo‛se is now offering a meditation
DVD/CD; call (510) 632-0596 if
you have interest; see the school‛s
website for a preview
Ile Omode is now accepting
applications for the fall, 6247
(2007), including 7th grade
BIRTHDAYS
•
Khalif Pree, a 2nd grader, turns 8
on January 1st
Ile Omode
8924 Holly Street, Oakland
(510) 632-8230 http://www.ileomode.org
See the website for more updates
http://www.ileomode.org
Beginning in 6226 (1986) our school has continued to grow and educate African
children, and this year will complete its 20th year in operation! Our school was
founded by three mothers at Wo’se Community Church; Mamas Jasiri, Okanona,
and Oyin. Their love for African children, and their steadfast belief in our
responsibility to educate our own children remains a core principle of who we
are.
We’re just beginning to see the harvest from their first planting, and Ile Omode
alums are beginning to forge their own pathways. This includes Chanaka Hodge
who published her first book of poetry (see our website), Dr. Kalimah Holmes
who completed medical school just over a year ago, and is now delivering babies
at Kasier Hospital in Oakland, and Ayoka Stewart who graduated from Smith
College with the highest honors. We hope to profile these graduates and others
throughout the year, as both an inspiration to parents and our children.
We’re excited about the work we’ve done, but equally excited about the work
underway. This year our enrollment is at its highest ever, and we’re planning to
move next year towards expanding our middle school offering. So look for lots of
news in the coming months, and opportunities for you to join or continue with us
on this most wonderful journey.
“Hook” Mitchell to Teach Basketball at Ile
Omode Beginning in January, “Hook” Mitchell will teach
basketball and fitness class weekly every Tuesday morning.
His contemporaries, which included Gary Payton and Jason Kidd declared him
“one of the best basketball player to never play in the NBA”. Before an unfortunate
arrest, “Hook” was an urban legend. At only 5’9” he could literally leap over a
car to dunk a basketball. Since his release from prison he has devoted himself
to helping and encouraging youth. A DVD, “HOOKED: The Legend of Demetrius
‘Hook” Mitchell”, is available, and a book is forthcoming. The program is receiving
funding from the Jason Kidd foundation.
Words of Wisdom
“We are going to force ourselves in [modern civilization] by organized far-seeing effort - by outthinking and outflanking the owners of the world today who
are too drunk with their own arrogance and power...”
-Dr. W.E.B. DuBois
which involves teaching computer
programming to 5th and 6th grade
students. In writing the thesis, which
requires outlining and specifying the
study group, I am amazed at how close
I, and our staff stand to our students.
Director ’s Corner
Baba Jahi Awakoaiye
Taking the leadership of this school has
been a truly joyous task but not without
its moments of frustration. To come into
this community, in this time, and given
these circumstances requires passion
and vision. In this era of diversity and
multiculturalism; where hip hop culture
has “crossed over” and 50 Cent is more
popular in Marin than Oakland; where
prison dress (exposed underwear
and pressed white
shirts)
influences
young people as well
as seemingly grown
men – what does it
mean to be African? I
enjoyed watching Ice
Cube’s
“Barbershop
2” because he pitted his character’s
neighborhood barbershop, not against
a monolithic white “they”, but against
a national barbershop chain, whose
franchise was owned by a brother. His
work finely expressed our challenge,
which will lie in continuing to filter
through the noise produced by this
society towards crafting a uniquely
African vision.
When sharing my project with other
graduate students I have to remind
them that these are not mere study
subjects, but these are my children.
I’ve literally known most of our
students for years, and some I’ve
known since days after they learned to
walk. I’ve been present at the birth of
some, and even sat in a home while a
mother was in labor. My children share
a neighborhood with other children at
our school, who on any given Saturday
may knock at my door with bikes in
tow. Baba Abubakar (the 5th/6th grade
teacher) was asked by one of our
vocation. You can not occupy a space
in this place without loving these
children.
Look at your children, and the hugs and
love they give to staff and (sometimes
not often enough) to each other. Is
this your vision? Maybe it’s not your
completed vision: Your vision fully
grown. But if it were fully realized, it
wouldn’t be a vision.
We are a community, but not because
our visions are identical. They should
be as different as the reflections of
divinity, but it is in the work that we
are engaged that our visions, not static
and fixed, but living organism, begin to
grow and be reshaped and take forms
in ways that we didn’t envision.
We have enormous work ahead as
we celebrate
the
20th
anniversary of
this institution
begun
by
three sisters
in a home. We
are
making
recent graduates to accompany her on plans to move to a larger facility and
the first day of middle school. These are offer 7th grade next year, as we move
not casual relationships.
towards a full middle school offering by
2008.
While taking nothing away from you,
I walk through the halls of our school I ask you to join us, celebrate with us,
and feel that these are my children. I and grow with us. There are no closed
am humbled by your desire to place doors in this space, only open windows
your children in our care every day, slung as wide as possible to let our
but our relationship extends in ways collective vision of what it means to
that sometimes you might not fully be an African find a home, and find
appreciate.
companions who walk along a shared
path. Through all of our challenges
On any given day we can be found in this land we have continued to
playing
the
djembe
together, survive and find victory only when we
pouring libation, playing football and crossed divides and sought unity over
foursquare, or singing in the hall. separation and isolation.
Teachers sit and eat with your children,
sharing conversations about nothing In this 20th school year I ask each of
and everything. One child wept at the you to join us on a walk to greatness. If
lunch table because a conversation you shudder or are staggered by your
about dreams somehow turned into a own frustrations, look into the eyes
discussion about babas, and not having of our children, touch their heart and
seen her baba in years, she couldn’t know our tomorrows lie in the work we
understand why he didn’t love her.
collectively embrace today.
“we struggle seemingly against each other,
while not realizing it is the passion of our
voices that are at odds, not our heart ...”
We’re not equally blessed to articulate
our visions, but whether articulated or
just felt in a place so deep that its voice
is muffled, we are bound by a vision
that drives against the limitations of
this society. Sometimes our inability
to articulate the vision, even to see
our own vision clearly places us in
circumstances where we struggle
seemingly against each other; while
not realizing it is the passion of our
voices that are at odds, not our heart
and most certainly not our commitment
to each other, our institution, and our
children.
These are not scripted moments and
I’m writing a thesis for a study they are not the garden for professional
I’m implementing at our school, “teachers”, but rather for those who
A Taste of Africa Fundraiser
Friends of Ile Omode
A Special
Asante
We‛ll kick off our 2007 Friends campaign, and
we look forward to your contribution as we
complete our 20th year! Contact the school
or complete the enclosed brochure to become
a “Friend” of our school. Asante to our 2006
contributors:
A LIST OF OUR 2006 FRIENDS
PLATINUM ($2000+)
Konata Khalfani
Nannette & Rahim Barrie
GOLD ($500+)
Jeanette Mebane
Alice Walker
Douglas & Arlene Coleman
Ronald Wilson
SILVER ($250+)
Milicent Hodge
Margaret Dixon
Falope Fatunmise
Shule Mandela
Tyrone Thornton
Aaron Jones
Gary and Tangie Jones
Hope Jones
Pamela Williams
ZINC ($100+)
Ekundayo Azibo
Jacob Holmes
Mildred Rose
Roni Crichton and Brian Estwi
Ajamu and Paula Stewart
Ron and Kelly Ellis
Rebecca Ann Dawson
Nzingha & Achebe Hoskins-Dugas
Tanya Boyce
Destination Zion
Donald Lee
Rhonda and Ako Odoi
Angela Smith
Lamont and Latronda Lumpkins
Pan African City Alive!
Manu Ampim
Monifa Azibo
James and Chalee Bilbo
Merlin Bossett
Claude and Joyce Cooper
Immouna Ephrem
Lynda Harris
Mehib and Okanona Holmes
Malik Kafele
Marcus Book Stores
Christine Nyanda
Phyllis Purvis
Ribbit International
Eric P. Ross
Roban Sanmiguel
Iilonga Thandiwe
Francine Trisby
Zerita Sharp
STEWARDS
Chesi Brown
Bernard and Norma Fox
Taffany and Amudu Davis
James Brooks
Brande Brown
Rufus Cole
Dr. Lydia P. Gans
Shawn and Nedra Ginwright
Jeanne Marie Hundley
Brenda Jones
Phillip Nesbitt
Paulette Sims
Roger Warrick Jr.
Theresa L Lewis
Rashad Andrews
Jacquelyn Ann Jackson
Joyce Burchett
Shellie Patterson-Smith
Dyanne Hammerquist
Aset Bonor
David Jackson
Previously named “Gumbo Night”, our winter fundraiser continued in a slightly
modified form, but with the usual energy and great fun. Taking place on the
first Friday in December, the school has hosted the event for 5 years. Mama
Mildred Rose has been a one-woman army over the last four years, as she
prepared EVERYTHING, including the gumbo! Since she has been preparing food
in the cafeteria everyday, we decided to change the format, while providing an
opportunity to showcase some of the wonderful restaurants in our area - and thus
“A Taste of Africa” was born.
We received tremendous support from restaurants. With parents, such as Mama
Leslie, Mama Sharita, Mama Tanya, Mama Fatima, Mama Meghan and
others driving the solicitation we received sponsorship from nearly a dozen
restaurants and bakeries (see the full list of sponsors and their addressed on the
back page). The food included such dishes as jerk chicken from the Jamaica
Place Jerk Chicken Express, clam chowder from Crab Shack, gumbo from
Jesso’s, hamli and brisen from Red Sea. We had the pleasure of dessert from
Sweet Marita’s Sweet Potato Pie Company and Your Black Muslim
Bakery. We also dined on red stew and East African peanut noodle salad from
one of our own parents, Mama Joy, who owns, Modupe’s Restaurant and
Cultural Center.
Not to be outdone by the professionals a number of parents volunteered their
own specialities. Mama Nannette, Grandma Willie Mae Adcock, and Mama
Sellena came bearing pots.
Several businesses also contributed
to our auction. African by the Bay
donated several weaved baskets;
Maxwell’s Lounge donated a gift
certificate; Scott’s Restaurant
donated a gift basket; Essence
Universal
donated
several
children’s shirts; and we received
a massage package from Natural
Rhythm Healing Hut.
Lead singers for “As” by
Stevie Wonder
Our
children
provided
the
entertainment, singing some of
our standards, such as “I Love
Ile Omode” , “Young Gifted and
Black”, and “Nkosi si’ Keleli”. The
3rd-6th graders have been working
on Stevie Wonder’s “As”, and
brought down the house with lead
performance from Bayli, Ammar, Ray’ah, Iman, and Reetah. Baba Achebe
quickly organized the “Ile Omode Dancers” for a Ghanian rhythm that made some
folks want to get up and dance.
The event was an enormous success, attracting over 150 guests while raising over
African Astrology Class
, and has taught on
the subject extensively. Mr.
Goodwin brings a wealth knowledge
to the course. The class met for 4
weeks before the holiday break, and
will recommence on Wednesday,
January 31. The course will meet
every Wednesday thereafter through
February 21. Each class begins at 7:
00 pm at Wo’se, and the courses are
free. Topics include: “The Zodiac &
Kemetic Symbols”, “Precession of
the Equinoxes”, “The Planets - the
music of the spheres”, and others.
The class textbook is the Complete
Guide to Astrology by Alan Oken
(available at amazon.com). Contact
Minister Greg Hodge at (510) 7508479 for additional class information.
Math Booster Program
An Enormous Success
Educational theoreticians have invested countless research hours trying to isolate the reasons for the performance difference between
African American and other children; notably
in mathematics. After exhasutively examining
performance data, Harvard fellow, Roland Fryer
and Steven Levitt of the University of Chicago
concluded, in “The Black-White Test Score Gap
Trhough Third Grade”, that, “the explanation as
to why Blacks are losing ground proves elusive.”
Perhaps they should have visited Ile Omode.
Mathematics is a gateway discipline for a number of studies, including all sciences, engineering, business, and medicine, thus in 2003 we
decided to further accelebrate our mathematics
program to ensure our students’ preparation for
the most technically demanding disciplines. It’s
not that we expect all students to become engineers, but we don’t see how dance and calculus
are mutually exclusive.
Two years prior we had worked to strenghten
and intensify our program, and knew our students were prepared for the next phase. In 2003
we moved all students in kindergarten through
2nd grade a grade ahead in math. Literally, a
2nd grader was taught 3rd grade math; and not
the test-specific lessons as is often done in public schools, but the entire California standard (at
a minimum). Not surprisingly African-American
children in Oakland often don’t even meet basic
math requirements.
The most recent data from 2006 show that while
African American students comprise 40% of the
students in Oakland’s district, they may be the
most underserved. The percentage of students
deemed proficient in math declines from 2nd
grade, falling to 7% by 8th grade. Inversely
stated, 93% of our students in Oakland public
schools are “below proficient” by the time they
complete middle school. By 11th grade, of the
few who eventually find their way into an Algebra course, 97% are deemed “below” or “far
below” California standards.
Efforts to change these conditions however
can not be haphazard, but must be the result of
concerted and thoughtful strategies. One year
the Oakalnd School Board decreed that all 9th
grade students would take an Algebra course.
However, lacking qualified teachers and thrust-
ing unprepared students into Algebra courses
was disasterous. Not surprisingly, a large percentage of the students failed.
Our ambitions were a bit loftier as we wanted all
students to complete Algebra by the 7th grade
(and geometry by the 8th), and fully expected
some to accomplish this task by the 6th grade.
Beginning with the class of 2nd graders in 2003,
we placed them on a path to complete 6th grade
math by the 5th grade, and we see that work
bearing fruit this year. Of the seven 2nd graders that year, six remain at our school today in
the 5th grade. Four students from that group
are performing at 6th grade level, and two are
studying Pre-Alegbra - fully two grades ahead!
More importantly we’ve been able to integrate
new students. We established a 6 week “boot
camp” program last year to aclimate students
to the challenges and expectations of our curriculum (this program addressed specific areas
in math and reading). Additionally, this summer
we targeted several incoming students and
prepared them during the summer program.
Studies show that many African students begin
the fall school term 3-4 months behind other
students; largely because the summer is spent
watching television.
We also introduced a pilot program to introduce
students to computer programming through
an animation program developed at CarneignMellon, and targeted initially towards freshman
college computer science students. This was
designed to provide a conceptual introduction
to math concepts.
These efforts grew from a desire to turn what
has been a traditionally weak area into a
strength. But more importantly a visit to our
math classes will find students who are excited
about math, and expect excellent results.
We expect all students to be prepared for Advanced Placement calculus by the 12th grade
(there are two calculus exams, and passing an
AP exam in high school provides college credit).
Nationally, the AP calculus exams have been a
source of poor performance for African American students. The voluntary exams are taken
by very few African-American students, and
Some of our Pre-Algebra (top) and 6th
grade math students (bottom)
only 61 African-American students in the entire
state passed the exams! There are multiple
reasons for this discrepancy, including the lack
of AP classes offered in urban school districts.
As noted earlier, some high schools can’t find
enough Algebra teachers, let alone calculus
teachers.
Nevertheless of the African-American students
who take the exam, our children score below all
other ethnic groups; and on average don’t pass
the exam. Thus our efforts at Ile Omode are a
small salvo in a battle to win back our children’s
minds.
Bob Moses, one of SNCC’s founders, began
“the Algebra Project” in the early 1990’s to
address the absence of higher mathematics in
rural and urban areas. He outlines this efforts in
his book, Radical Equations: Civil Rights from
Mississippi to the Algebra Project. Moses writes
that “I believe that the absence of math literacy
...throughout this country is an issue as urgent
as the lack of registered Black voters in Mississippi was in 1961...math literacy - and algebra
in particularly - is the key to the future of disenfranchised communities.”
Our efforts have just begun, and we expect
even greater results as we move towards ensuring that all students are prepared for calculus
by 12th grade.
Our ambitions were a bit loftier as we wanted all students to complete Algebra by the
7th grade, and fully expected some to accomplish this task in the 6th grade.
Classroom Highlights
WEEKLY ART CLASS
Did you know that Toyota is named after a city in Japan?
Or that Target has “Target Clinics” for flu vacinations? Or
that some CEOs don’t make any money - well that’s because
they’re already rich! Or at least that’s the conclusion of some
of the Harriet Tubman (5th/6th) students.
Baba Essu, one of
our parents, and an
accomplished
artist
is now providing art
instruction twice each
week on Tuesday and
Thursday mornings.
A TREK THROUGH THE WOODS On a cool fall day, the
Ngola Nzingha class (3rd/4th grade) headed to the hills.
Their goal? Find acorns, and better understand how Native
Americans subsisted by
harnessing the land. Of
course they discovered
slugs, and other
decidely slimy creatures
that only a 3rd grader
could fully appreciate.
This is an extension of
their California history
lesson (not the slugs,
the acorns), which will see the students exploring the
history and economics of California.
UJIMA & UJAMAA FOR THE PRESCHOOLERS
For the last two months the Mama Jasiri preschoolers
have been working (literally) on the principle of Ujamaa
(cooperative economics) and Ujima (collective work and
responsibility). In November the preschoolers hosted a dinner
for their parents. The
students
prepared
and served the food
(even collecting tips!).
In
December
the
group organized their
Ujamaa store, where
the made and sold
gifts to students and
parents.
oney
So How’s Your Portfolio?
The students are participating in an investment program,
where they must research and write a company profile for
six companies in their two-person teams. The students will
purchase ficticious stock in several companies and track
their portfolios’ performance over a 6 week period. At the
project’s conclusion the team with the best performing
portfolio will be honored, and every team will receive a cash
reward based on their portfolio’s overall performance, as
well as a stock certificate (but probably not from Google or
Apple!).
The project is designed to provide financial literacy to
children, an introduction into the stock market, and to
experience how writing, mathematics, and finance are
merge seamlessly together. In the process students
understand how stock values are determined, the role of
executvies (CEO, COO, and CFO), a company’s offerings
beyond its retail outlet, how to determine a company’s
worth, evaluating its competitors, and simple techniques for
determining whether a company is a good purchase.
The program’s curriculum and material was developed by
Baba Jahi, and some excerpts are available from the school’s
website. Students use the internet to complete company
research, write their research papers in Microsoft Word, and
will track their portfolios in Microsoft Excel.
The students are free to chose any company of their liking,
but their portfolio must include at least one African-American
controlled publicly traded company (QUIZ: Can you name
one such company?). Thus far some of the favorites are
Target, Walmart, Gap, and Microsoft (once some of the boys
realized that Microsoft manufactures the XBox).
We’re seeking guest speakers from the financial industry in
January, so contact the school if you have suggestions.
It will be used in the 5th/6th
grade classroom beginning in
January. The 3rd/4th grade
students used excerpts from
the book for a recent research
essay on chicken nuggets and their
chicken disection science experiment.
aker
We recently evaluated and added a
new book to our curriculum. Students
will read Chew On This, Eric Schlosser’s
teen adaptation of his best-selling
book, Fast Food Nation. Staff were
impressed with the well researched
book’s thoroughness and applicability to
various subjects, including economics,
history, geography, science, and math.
Some interesting facts from the book
include:
• The Chicken McNugget was created
by scientist at the urgings of
McDonald’s CEO to meet the growing
interest in chicken
amongst
American
consumers
• Until recently fries
were cooked in beef
fat. After replacing the
beef fat with vegetable
oils, beef extract was
added to maintain McDonald’s unique
frie flavor.
• The weapon of choice on the
slaughtering floor: A chainsaw ouch!
“A Taste of Africa” Sponsors
Africa by the Bay 3840 MacArthur
Blvd, Oakland, (510) 763-8000
Martia’s Sweet Potato Pie
Company 600 Dutton Avenue, San
Berkeley Bowl Marketplace 2020 Leandro, (510) 562-3844
Oregon Street, Berkeley, (510) 8436929
Maxwell’s Restaurant & Lounge
341 13th Street, Oakland, (510) 8396169
Chef Edwards Bar-B-Que 1915
San Pablo Avenue, Oakland, (510)
834-9516
Modupe’s Restaurant and
Cultural Center 484 Park Avenue,
#385, Oakland, (510) 435-2521
Crab Shack 4031 Broadway,
Piedmont, (510) 654-2864
Natural Rhythm Healing Hut
FoodMax 10970 International Blvd, 438 Estudillo Avenue, San Leandro,
(510) 352-9819
San Leandro
Grocery Outlet 2900 Broadway,
Oakland, (510) 465-5649
Red Sea 5200 Claremont Avenue,
Oakland, (510) 655-3757
It’s All Good Bakery 5622 Martin Pak ‘N Save 3889 San Pablo
Luther King, Jr. Way, Oakland, (510) Avenue, Emeryville, (510) 450-1200
597-9700
Scott’s Seafood Restaurant 2
Broadway, Oakland, (510) 444-3456
Jamaica Place Jerk Chicken
Express 5959 Shellmound Street,
Emeryville, (510) 654-0199
Whole Foods 3000 Telegraph,
Berkeley, (510) 649-1333
Jesso’s Seafood 901 Washington
St. Oakland, (510) 451-1561
Your Black Muslim Bakery 5832
San Pablo Avenue, Oakland, (510)
Lake Merritt Pizza 300 E 18th
658-7080
Street, Oakland, (510) 839-9999
CP
CalPrem iere
Realty and M ortgage
230 G rand Avenue,Suite 301A
O akland,CA 94610
http://www.calprem iere.com
"building com m unities
one hom e at a tim e"
Residential Com m ercial Incom eProperty
Rehabs First-Tim eBuyersProgram s
(510 452-9890
Sia Aw akoaiye/Broker
I
npursui
tofthewhol
eAfri
can
stAcademicStandards
-Beforeandafterschoolprograms
1 yearahead in core subjects;
language atevery grade
Accepting paym entfrom Bananas,4Cs,
and otheragencies
w w w .ileom ode.org
-African-centeredcurriculum
-Dailylibationandmeditation
A respectforancestors,elders,and Divine
Notsim ply Black history,buta curriculum
w hich m irrors oursoul
-Asupportivecommunityofparentsandstaff
-Californialicensedpreschool
Notjusta school,buta com m unity
Separate preschooland prekindergarten
-Integratedcomputerinstructionateverygrade
Com puters in every classroom and a fulllab
http://w w w .ileom ode.org
6th
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lling - Presch
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n
e
o
N ow
Fullmusicprogram
Theory,song,and instrum ents
(clarinets,piano,djem be,etc.)
IleOmode
8924HollyStreet
Oakland,CA
(510)632-8230
Preschool-6th