網頁

星期三, 4月 18, 2018

Nellie Mae Foundation Awards Two $275,000 Grants to Boston Public Schools

Nellie Mae Foundation Awards Two $275,000 Grants to Boston Public Schools
For Innovative Approaches to Redesigning Teaching and Learning Environments
BOSTON — Wednesday, April 18, 2018 — The Nellie Mae Education Foundation has awarded the Boston Public Schools (BPS) two grants of $275,000 each to help expand innovative, student-centered learning practices.

“I would like to thank the Nellie Mae Education Foundation for supporting our teachers and school leaders as they discover the best and most effective learning models to reach our students,” said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “It is important that our educators continue to improve their techniques to make sure our students are ready for the careers of tomorrow.”

The first grant will fund the design of the BPS Innovation Incubator, which helps promote one of the district’s core values, innovation, by growing the capacity of teams at schools to redesign and problem-solve. Over the next 18 months, the Innovation Incubator will engage School Retool, a design-thinking fellowship developed at Stanford University’s Design School and Ideo, the world’s premier design-thinking firm. Twenty-one teams from BPS schools serving grades 6-12 will, in essence, become innovation engines creating student-centered learning models in their schools.

The second grant, a collaboration between BPS and the Boston Teachers Union (BTU), will help facilitate professional development for teachers and school leaders on expanding and improving student-centered learning. Funds will be used to improve and personalize professional learning for high school teachers, with the goal of empowering teacher voice in the design and implementation of professional development.

This effort will be led by a “networker,” an innovative new teacher leadership role. The networker connects teachers with shared learning interests to one another for teacher-led professional learning.

"This is a great example of two sustainable models for meaningful and teacher-led professional development,” said Boston School Committee Chairperson Michael Loconto. “This would not be possible without the collaborative work between the Boston Public Schools and the Boston Teachers Union.”

Student-centered learning is a crucial catalyst for the new BPS “College, Career, and Life” definition, which promotes the redesign of our schools to enable students to set a vision, choose a course, change course, build competence, and work with others. These are the capabilities our students need to succeed in the ever-changing global economy.

"In the Boston Public Schools, we are committed to growing innovation, which we define as creating a culture of change that can generate new solutions in the classroom,” BPS Superintendent Tommy Chang said. “Both of these grants grow our innovation capacity in a rapidly changing, technology-driven world of work.”

“We are proud to have been awarded the ‘Building Teacher Leadership’ grant from Nellie Mae and to collaborate on this important project,” said BTU President Jessica Tang. “Teachers and students in Boston do innovative work every day, and we believe that including teacher voice, experience, and expertise in important district decisions like the design of professional learning represents an opportunity to make learning even more relevant and impactful for students and teachers in our high schools.”

盛曉玫音樂會(圖片)










星期二, 4月 17, 2018

元極舞海外研習營圖片 - 謝開明專輯

謝開明專輯

https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipO_PkxyHK4UPTHLMletVOx5JII379M7j1PX4Ct37U8RFLY98rjkTRHbAvdzJcpx8Q?key=SWVIZDBqSDFwb0RHdjlpc0w2b3U4blRFNTVKYnF3

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES NEW STATE GRANT TO BOOST FORECLOSURE PREVENTION PROGRAMS

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES NEW STATE GRANT TO BOOST FORECLOSURE PREVENTION PROGRAMS
Funding will expand programs; cites drop in foreclosure petitions in Boston
BOSTON - Tuesday, April 17, 2018 -  Mayor Martin J. Walsh today announced the Boston Home Center (BHC) has been awarded a $190,000 grant for its work on foreclosure prevention. The grant, from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Division of Banks, is part of $1.5 million in statewide grants from the Division of Banks that will fund first-time homeownership counseling programs and foreclosure prevention education centers throughout the Commonwealth. The City's grant funding will be applied to its foreclosure prevention and home preservation counseling programs.

"I am proud of the progress we've made on preventing foreclosures, and this grant will help the Boston Home Center continue its important work, making sure homeowners are able to stay in their homes," said Mayor Walsh. "I want to thank the Commonwealth for their partnership and the important progress we have made creating stable housing for families in Boston. Boston will continue to be a city that works to strengthen and support its middle class."

The announcement of the new funding award comes as the City's Department of Neighborhood Development (DND), which tracks foreclosure data, released its latest Foreclosure Trends Report. The released report notes that from 2016 to 2017, foreclosure petitions -- the first step in the foreclosure process -- decreased by 22 percent, while completed foreclosures decreased by 15 percent.

The Boston Home Center's foreclosure prevention and intervention services have been extremely effective. Among the top ten most populous Massachusetts cities, Boston ranks ninth in the rate of foreclosure petitions and foreclosure deeds per 1,000 residential parcels, while Boston's foreclosure petition rate and foreclosure deed rates are 30 percent lower than the statewide rate for petitions and less than half the statewide rate of foreclosures, respectively.

Working with community partners, the Boston Home Center identifies and proactively reaches out to homeowners early in the foreclosure process, before homeowners are either petitioned or foreclosed upon. As a result, the Boston Home Center and its partners in the non-profit community were able to successfully prevent 262 homeowners from being foreclosed upon in 2017.

The BHC will use these new funds to:
  • Maintain and expand the foreclosure prevention and intervention work of the Boston Home Center and its nonprofit counseling partners;
  • Expand marketing and outreach for the Boston Home Center's foreclosure program;
  • Establish new partnerships with key organizations assisting homeowners; and
  • Create programs serving linguistic minority groups in all Boston neighborhoods.
The new grant will also help fund partner non-profit agencies who provide regional foreclosure prevention counseling services, and help those agencies better market their prevention programs. Non-profit partners provide free confidential foreclosure counseling to Boston homeowners.    

Helping homeowners make sound financial decisions has proven to be the most effective way of keeping foreclosures in check and stabilizing Boston's housing market. To that end, Boston Home Center serves as a one-stop resource for Boston residents, providing them with the tools they need to purchase a new home, helping homeowners with needed repairs, and counseling homeowners who are facing credit or financial problems.

Building on his commitment to make housing more accessible to all, and to assist those experiencing housing crisis, last week Mayor Walsh proposed additional housing investments in the Fiscal Year 2019 budget proposal. Through the Office of Housing Stability, which aims to support renters in housing crisis, preserve tenancy and prevent displacement, Mayor Walsh is proposing investments to expand the capacity and effectiveness, including:
  • $150,000 for flexible financial assistance for low and moderate income households facing a housing crisis who are not eligible for existing programs;
  • $125,000 for expanded legal representation and stabilization services for renters facing eviction in Housing Court and District Court;
  • $35,000 increase for the Emergency Housing Assistance Program to assist residents displaced by fire, condemnation, natural disaster and other events;
  • Funding for an additional case manager to support renters facing housing crisis; and additional staff at the Elderly Commission to support tenant or home-owning seniors with their housing needs.
To date, the Walsh Administration has committed more than $100 million in funding to the creation and preservation of affordable housing. Today's announcement builds on the City's preservation and anti-displacement goals, outlined in Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030, Mayor Walsh's housing plan, and the housing goals laid out in Imagine Boston 2030, Boston's first citywide plan in 50 years. As part of both plans, Boston has prioritized increasing the overall housing supply, with a focus on creating and preserving affordable housing.

第122屆波士頓馬拉松賽跑速40年來最慢

2018波士頓馬拉松賽女子組冠軍Desiree Linden戴上桂冠後被記者包圍。(周菊子攝)
              (Boston Orange 周菊子綜合報導)2018年的波士頓馬拉松賽,416日在滂沱大雨,寒風吹襲,所有跑者都全身溼透的在風雨中長跑26個小時,2785人需要醫護。比賽在跑速慢至40年來最低中落幕。男女兩組奪冠者都出人意外。
麻州州長查理貝克(Charlie Baker)為女子冠軍加冕後,被記者們撂在一旁。(周菊子攝)
女子組冠軍,34歲的Desiree Linden2小時3953秒成為近33年奪得波士頓馬拉松賽冠軍的第一位美國跑者。比第二名整整快了4分鐘。上一次奪冠的美國跑者是Joan Benoit,她的1979年成績是2小時3515秒。去年的女子組冠軍成績是2小時2152秒。歷年最快紀錄是2014年埃塞俄比亞跑者Buzunesh Debo2小時1959秒。
Desiree Linden曾經兩度參加奧林匹克賽,在全美馬拉松跑者歷年最快紀錄中排名第六,今年是第五度回到波士頓參賽。2011年時,她以2秒之差飲恨,與冠軍杯擦身而過。
男子組冠軍,31歲的川內優輝(Yuki Kawauchi)是在最後一哩路中,超過了領先的肯亞跑者Geoffrey Kirui,以2小時1558秒,奪得冠軍。他的最終成績領先約2分鐘半。去年的男子組冠軍成績是2小時937秒。歷年最快紀錄是2011年肯亞跑者Geoffrey Mutai2小時32秒。
2018波士頓馬拉松賽男子組冠軍川內優輝。(周菊子攝)
川內優輝是一名自我訓練的業餘跑者,在一所高中內有全職工作,以公民跑者(Citizen Runner)”聞名,贏過30場以上的職業馬拉松賽。他是在曾贏過四次波士頓馬拉松賽的Bill Rodgers鼓勵下,才來跑今年的波士頓馬拉松賽。
今年很特別的是,女子組前10名,竟有多達7人是美國跑者。男子組的前10名,也有6名美國跑者,其中第10名的Daniel Vassallo還是麻州本地人。
開始於1987年的波士頓馬拉松賽本來就一向是絕大多數參賽者為美國本土居民的比賽,直到1950年代以後,才有越來越多其他國家跑者來參賽,今年也有22203名參賽者是美國本土居民。次多的參賽國與人數,依序為加拿大2154,英國675,中國520,墨西哥441,日本337,巴西285,德國271,法國231,澳洲229,義大利226,西班牙195,愛爾蘭221,台灣131等。其中台灣的參賽人數更是打破歷年紀錄,比去年多了一倍有餘。
由於馬拉松這種長途體力賽,似乎非洲裔跑者更有天賦,從1988年起,肯亞,埃塞俄比亞的跑者,幾乎囊括了所有的冠軍。男子組的今年冠軍竟然是日本籍的川內優輝,就讓許多人大跌眼鏡。
不過,這結果剛出來,網上,微信上就撲天蓋地的討論,指出這其實不是日本第一次奪得波士頓馬拉松冠軍。從波士頓體育會的歷年紀錄來看,日本從1951年第一次奪得波士頓馬拉松賽冠軍以來,迄今共拿過8次冠軍,上一次是1987年。川內優輝是歷年來第9名日籍波士頓馬拉松賽冠軍。
美國本地民眾則是欣喜若狂,大讚Desiree Linden在美國苦等33年後,終於又贏得一次女子組冠軍。波士頓環球報還把焦點放在奪得女子組第二名的白人女子,Sarah Sellers身上。特地撰文報導到底誰是第二名的Sarah Sellers
今年的波士頓馬拉松賽,天氣實在糟糕,3萬零87人獲准報名參賽,僅27萬零42人從起點出發,25,822人跑完全程。幾乎所有踏進賽道的跑者都覺得,能夠跑完全程,已經很幸運了。
氣溫其實不算太低,從早上9點半到10點,女子組,男子組相繼出發時,氣溫都在華氏38度左右,加風冷效應後溫度大約在華氏35度,中午氣溫還回升到大約華氏46度,可是在颳風,下雨中長跑26個小時,讓所有跑者,觀賽者備受煎熬。
波士頓體育協會(BAA)表示,截至下午4點半,共有2527人進了醫護站,其中大約95%都是因為天氣太冷。就連精英組跑者,都有25人進了醫護站。
許多跑者都是在全身發抖,顫動不停中被護送進醫護站。共有約81人從賽道直接被送往醫院。到17號早上,還有10人躺在醫院裏。
                       往年夾道歡呼,為馬拉松跑者打氣的人們,今年由於風雨交加,消失了至少三分之二。衛斯理學院附近傷心坡的著名打氣點,更是人面桃花都不見,空留加油海報頻淌淚。
根據波士頓體育協會依據參賽者國籍,居住地的資料,2018年的波士頓馬拉松賽,來自台灣的人數破紀錄,有131人,來自中國大陸的有520人。波士頓清華校友會有來自世界各地的51名校友及校友之友參賽。若從參賽者的姓氏來看,華裔參賽者總數近千。
(圖片已於4月16日發表,文稿內容17日再有更新)

以下為波士頓體育協會公佈的精英組比賽成績:

There were 30,039 registrants in the 2018 Boston Marathon. Of those, 27,048 started the r,ace.

2018 Boston Marathon Top Finishers

Men’s Open Division

Name
Time
Citizenship
1
Yuki Kawauchi
2:15:58
JPN
2
Geoffrey Kirui
2:18:23
KEN
3
Shadrack Biwott
2:18:35
USA (California)
4
Tyler Pennel
2:18:57
USA (North Carolina)
5
Andrew Bumbalough
2:19:52
USA (Oregon)
6
Scott Smith
2:21:47
USA (Arizona)
7
Abdi Nageeye
2:23:16
NED
8
Elkanah Kibet
2:23:37
USA (Colorado)
9
Reid Coolsaet
2:25:02
CAN
10
Daniel Vassallo
2:27:50
USA (Massachusetts)

Women’s Open Division

Name
Time
Citizenship
1
Desiree Linden
2:39:54
USA (Michigan)
2
Sarah Sellers
2:44:04
USA (Arizona)
3
Krista Duchene
2:44:20
CAN
4
Rachel Hyland
2:44:29
USA (Massachusetts)
5
Jessica Chichester
2:45:23
USA (New York)
6
Nicole Dimercurio
2:45:52
USA (North Carolina)
7
Shalane Flanagan
2:46:31
USA (Oregon)
8
Kimi Reed
2:46:47
USA (Missouri)
9
Edna Kiplagat
2:47:14
KEN
10
Hiroko Yoshitomi
2:48:29
JPN












Men’s Push Rim Wheelchair Division

Name
Time
Citizenship
1
Marcel Hug
1:46:26
SUI
2
Ernst Van Dyk
1:47:14
RSA
3
Daniel Romanchuk
1:50:39
USA (Illinois)
4
Masazumi Soejima
1:54:16
JPN
5
Patrick Monahan
1:54:22
IRL

Women’s Push Rim Wheelchair Division

Name
Time
Citizenship
1
Tatyana McFadden
2:04:39
USA (Maryland)
2
Susannah Scaroni
2:20:01
USA (Illinois)
3
Sandra Graf
2:26:32
SUI
4
Aline Dos Rocha
2:31:18
BRA
5
Arielle Rausin
2:32:24
USA (Illinois)

Men’s Masters Division


Name
Time
Citizenship
1
Abdi Abdirahman
2:28:18
USA (Arizona)
2
Shaun Frandsen
2:34:56
USA (Washington)
3
Charlie Brenneman
2:35:47
USA (California)
4
John Sharp
2:36:08
GBR
5
Bryan Rusche
2:37:32
CAN

Women’s Masters Division


Name
Time
Citizenship
1
Krista Duchene
2:44:20
CAN 
2
Dot McMahan
2:48:57
USA (Michigan)
3
Joanna Bourke Martignoni
2:53:19
AUS
4
Jessica Draskau Petersson
2:57:29
DEN
5
Brenda Hodge
2:58:50
USA (Pennsylvania)

2018 Boston Marathon Weather Conditions

At the Women’s Start (9:32 a.m.) Temp: 38F and with 10 mph winds out of the Southeast.
At the Men’s Start (10:00 a.m.) Temp: 38F (wind chill is 35F) with winds out of the Southeast & rain.
At the Finish (12:00 p.m.) Temp: 46F with winds out of the East & rain

以下所有圖片周菊子攝
靠近終點站前有大螢幕轉播賽況。

波克萊台灣商會前會長蘇鴻昌撐傘為台灣跑者加油。(周菊子攝)

台灣跑者加油團在蘋果店對面綁上國旗。(周菊子攝)
推輪組跑者衝往終點站。

警察也都穿上雨衣。

一大早九點就趕到現場加油的熱心民眾和經文處人員。(周菊子攝)

波克萊台灣商會前會長劉秀春也趕來加油。

波克萊台灣商會現任會長楊羅東(中)和年輕小朋友也來為台灣跑者加油。

川內優輝奪得男子組冠軍。

輪椅組的裝備,有許多不同型式。
有些跑者索性把國旗穿在身上。
波士頓馬拉松賽的終點站壟罩在霧裏
穿著華潤怡寶背心的跑者周吉祥(譯音),拿到號碼是
132,今年成績2小時48分齡4秒。
來自芝加哥的跑者,今年第一次跑波馬>
直言從沒在這種天氣中跑過馬拉松。

2018波士頓馬拉松共有2527人進了醫護站。
38歲的Wang, Juhuang。
來美十幾年,住在芝加哥的鄭彥廷,第一次跑波馬,下週將去倫敦
挑戰大滿貫。拿著國旗跑過終點線,他激動的眼中含淚,直言這一直
是他的夢想之一。


有些跑得還自在的跑者,穿過終點線後,偷空自拍留念。
小女生完成大賽事。
來自中國的跑者一身齊全裝備。

二點多時,跑者成群結隊的穿過終點站。


穿越終點線後把國旗揹在身上。

參加波士頓馬拉松的有不少華裔年輕女子。
穿過終點線了,把國旗收好。





強風把雨傘都吹翻了。