So Sweet (and Smart) at CSK Young Women’s Leadership Academy!

Last week, my back-to-school drop in visit with the ladies of Coretta Scott King Young Women’s Leadership Academy (CSKYWLA) was so much fun! At the helm of the recently merged, all girls’ middle and high school is new principal Erin Barksdale.

She and her team gifted me with a super smart looking t-shirt that was too cute and oh-so stylish! Outlined with the words “Smart is the New Pretty,” it captures the playful and positive, yet academic vibe at CSKYWLA.

Once I was decked out in my new tee, it was time for the tour. Joined by Board members Cynthia Briscoe Brown and Eshe’ Collins, I entered a chemistry lab where students were engaged in a lesson on the chemistry behind making ice cream.  I loved science when I was in school and this type of engaging lesson is right up my alley because it is hands-on and it involves food.  Who doesn’t love ice cream? The lesson provided opportunities for the students to explore the properties of salt, ice, chemical reactions and the changing states of matter, all while working towards the goal of tasting the dessert. At the conclusion of the lesson, it was evident that the students had not only learned a lot about the chemical process, but were challenged while having fun.  We all had the opportunity to sample the ice cream and the girls even had the opportunity to customize their work with pink sugar and candy sprinkles. CLICK HERE to try a similar experiment at home!

Next up was the Army ROTC classroom where students had just received their SAT word list. I decided to help the students learn their vocabulary words by creating a “game” out of their guessing the meaning of the word. Cynthia Briscoe Brown and Eshe’ Collins helped give the students hints and I let them know when they had gotten the correct definition of the word.   We were having so much fun that we didn’t want to leave but it was time for the next stop on our back-to-school visits.

I don’t remember words like anachronistic, querulous and surreptitious being on my SAT, but they are all fair game now days and I want our students to be well prepared!

For those of you with students who will take the SAT this year, I’m including a few important links below:

CLICK HERE to register for upcoming SAT exams.

CLICK HERE to view the SAT ‘Question of the Day.’

CLICK HERE to obtain a fee waiver for the SAT exam.

CLICK HERE to learn more about FREE SAT online practice with Khan Academy.

Thanks CSKYWLA for giving me such a sweet start to my school year!