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Re: Teacher uses Jersey Journal to educate and enliven
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First I've heard of the Journal educating or enlightening anyone. I'm sure their grammatically incorrect headlines and rampant typographical errors do a great job of teaching effective use of English though.

Posted on: 2007/5/7 23:56
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Re: Teacher uses Jersey Journal to educate and enliven
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2 points for the teacher

Posted on: 2007/5/7 12:19
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Teacher uses Jersey Journal to educate and enliven
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HER NOSE FOR NEWS
Teacher uses Journal to educate and enliven

Monday, May 07, 2007
By ROSE DUGER
JOURNAL CORRESPONDENT

In Christina Polychronis' Snyder High School classroom, The Jersey Journal is a reward that must be earned, the carrot the veteran teacher uses to motivate students to complete classwork on time.

"Every day the kids ask for the newspaper," said Polychronis, who receives the newspaper as part of The Jersey Journal's Newspapers in Education program.

"They're always asking, 'Can I have the paper?' I'll give it to them after they do their work so they can catch up on current events and practice their daily reading skills."

A product of the Jersey City public school system herself, Polychronis also builds pride in the school by posting articles highlighting school accomplishments on a bulletin board in the classroom.

A recent photo spread the teacher pointed out to her students and fellow teachers featured students marching down Kennedy Boulevard to raise money for the fight against colon cancer in honor of several teachers - one died - who have battled the disease.

Polychronis also clips articles from newspapers for fellow teachers to help enrich the lessons they've planned.

For her creative use of The Jersey Journal in the classroom to build reading skills, community awareness and pride, Christina Polychronis of Jersey City has been selected as the 2007 Jersey Journal Everyday Hero in the Newspapers in Education category.

"With today's educational mandates, it's easy to see that teachers' plates are full," Kay O'Malley, coordinator of The Jersey Journal's NIE program said. "Yet, teachers like Christina Polychronis continue to innovate, to challenge and to inspire.

"Christina's use of the newspaper as an instructional tool brings the world into her classroom. I am proud to have Christina, and her many talented colleagues from throughout Hudson County, as participants in the NIE Program.

"I appreciate her willingness to go beyond the textbook, and I know that her students will look back on their time in her classroom as thought-provoking, real-life learning."

A graduate of Jersey City State College (now New Jersey City University) who holds a master's degree from the school as well, Polychronis started teaching in Jersey City more than 30 years ago, first at her alma mater, Dickinson High School, and then at Snyder, beginning in 1978.

Since then, she has consistently adapted her approach, making her lessons more interactive through tools such as "Jeopardy!"-like quizzes and the use of newspapers to meet the changing needs of her students.

She runs a disciplined classroom and has an "excellent rapport" with her students, said Snyder Principal Larry Odoms.

"They see her as someone they can learn from and aspire to be like," Odoms said. "She is a committed, lifelong educator who has made a tremendous impact on the lives of countless students."

Today, the 52-year-old classroom veteran teaches ninth-graders as part of the school's Freshman Academy, a program that employs experienced teachers to build a strong foundation in English.

Sometimes she uses photos from the Journal and other newspapers to prompt her students to create stories and build writing skills. In other lessons, she has them search for words to build vocabulary.

Students also get a healthy dose of the classics in Polychronis's classroom. She especially enjoys sharing her insights about Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," as well as classics from her own Greek heritage, including Homer's "Odyssey." This year she has even taught her students to write their names in Greek.

Outside of school, Polychronis is an active member of the Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church of Jersey City, which she has attended since childhood. There, she serves as the president of the Daughters of Penelope, a women's service organization that funds charitable activities such as scholarships for college-bound students and donations to a home for abused women in Alabama.

Fellow parishioner John Melos, who has known the teacher since she was a child, notes how she now shares her Greek culture with others through teaching Sunday school, mentoring youths and helping organize church events.

"She is outgoing, sociable and very helpful," Melos said. "She's always there when she's called upon. She is very devoted to her family, to her church and to her students."

Polychronis' success, both in and out of the classroom, derives partly from her creativity and vast experience, and also from her understanding of the students and what they face outside of school.

The dedicated teacher derives great pride in seeing former students succeed, whether they're juniors and seniors who run the broadcasts on Snyder's in-house TV news program, "Good Morning, Snyder," or graduates who have gone on to successful careers, including several she now counts as colleagues.

"When the show is on, I tell my students: 'Be quiet. I want to see my former students in front of the TV cameras. I want to be proud of them. You can do it, too.'

"I'm proud of my students and I like knowing they're doing good things. Having taught freshmen, I feel like I'm laying a foundation down for the future."

Posted on: 2007/5/7 12:07

Edited by GrovePath on 2007/5/7 12:26:42
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