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星期二, 1月 07, 2014

新市長馬丁華殊就職 籲市民努力共創“一個波士頓”

現年46歲,正值壯年的馬丁華殊(Martin Walsh),昨(六)日一早在波士頓學院,馬友友拉大提琴的祝賀中,宣誓就職成為波士頓市第54任市長,強調他會“聽,學,領導”,帶領波士頓跨入平等,多元的美好新紀元。
 波士頓第54任市長馬丁華殊(Martin J. Walsh)
(右一起)在母親持聖經,女友蘿莉(中)
注視中,宣誓就任。(菊子攝)
馬丁華殊指出,這場就職典禮的舉行地點是籃球場,也是個“合作才能贏”的地方,他希望就職後能帶領全波士頓人通力合作,把波士頓變成一個沒有種族、性別,年齡或宗教歧視,人人平等,安全,充滿工作機會的地方。
他強調波士頓是個有大夢,向移民打開大門的城市,是推動革命,創造了美國的城市,是第一個支持同性戀者享有法律保障的城市,有包容性,擁護希望,關愛,肯給人第二次機會的城市。他以自己為例,指波士頓是個有夢就能實現的地方,只要全波士頓人一起努力,就能達到“一個波士頓(One Boston)”這理想。
馬丁華殊表示,他就任後的優先要務很清楚,要加強經濟,創造就業機會,改善公共安全,制止冷感的槍枝暴力,確保學校幫助每名學童成功,增加市政府的透明度與可信度。
他說,這些都是大目標,但就像林肯總統的名言,“未來的美好處在於它是一天一天的來(The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time)“,表示他將一天一點的下功夫,來實現他對波士頓所抱的理想。
他要做的第一件事,是要召開會議,因應市區暴力問題。波士頓警察局最近公佈,波市去年發生的兇殺案不到40宗,但即使只發生了一宗兇殺案,只有一名家長悲傷,也都是太多了。他上任後將尋求方法,加倍努力的降低槍枝暴力,保障民眾安全。(昨日下午,他宣布了指派 John Hasson 擔任消防局的代理局長。)
今(七)日,他將和學校委員會開會,展開全國性搜尋,找最適當的下一任波士頓公校總監,帶動波市公校為每一名學童提供良好教育,奠定他們他日成功的基礎。就像洛士百利的麥迪遜高中,經由和洛士百利社區學院的合作, 已經改造成世界級的職業及技術學校。
他也誓言要重振主街項目,推出“鄰里商區”,改革許可及牌照申請手續,採取行動來讓未充份利用的鄰里資產發揮經濟效益,重整波士頓重建局架構,要成立一個市府道德委員會,要求市內民意代表,市府資深員工揭露更多資訊。
波市府將公佈一份新的波士頓耆英完整報告,以瞭解耆英們都住在哪兒,就業及收入情況,營養及健康情況,行動及語言能力等。二月份,波士頓房屋局將開始一項新的調查,以了解市內耆英及殘障人士的需求。
他將讓波士頓參加“阿爾茨海默氏症的早期檢測聯盟(Alzheimer’s Early Detection Alliance)”。對他來說,這具有個人重要性,因為他祖母,以及他家人就受苦於老年失智這疾病。
這場就職典禮,有大波士頓天主教樞機主教奧馬利( Sean P. O’Malley祝禱,麻州州長派區克(Deval Patrick),聯邦參議員伊莉莎白沃倫(Elizabeth Warren)致辭,麻州最高法院大法官艾爾蘭(Roderick L. Ireland)主持宣誓。波士頓傳奇人物梅爾金(Mel King)還率領文藝復興特許學校學生合唱“和諧曲(One Harmony)
聯邦及州市政要幾乎全員到齊。派區克,沃倫,奧馬利等人和馬丁華殊及其母親,女友蘿莉(Lorrie Higgins)等人坐在舞台左邊,包括吳弭在內的十三名波士頓市新一屆市議員坐在舞台右邊。聯邦參議員馬基(Ed Marky),麻州參眾議會議長狄樂歐,泰瑞莎,兩名已宣佈參選麻州州長的現任麻州財政廳廳長葛羅斯曼(Steve Grossman),麻州總檢察長柯克莉(Martha Coakley),以及馬丁華殊的角逐市長對手約翰康納利(John Connolly),聯邦眾議員卡普阿諾(Mike Capuano),林奇(Steven Lynch)等人,坐在觀眾席的第一排。麻州州務卿威廉蓋文,麻州眾議員黃子安等人也都在座。
馬丁華殊交接團隊中的唯一的亞裔共同主席保羅渡邊(Paul Watanabe),就職典禮委員會中唯一的華裔共同主席司徒福柱坐在正中第一段的觀眾席。
就職典禮後,市長和市議員們回到波士頓市政府大樓。波市議員們舉行議長選舉投票,轄區包括華埠的林乃肯(Bill Linehan)ㄧ如早前傳言,以八比五票,當選為波士頓市議會議長。 
圖片說明:

            波士頓第54任市長馬丁華殊(Martin J. Walsh)(右一起)在母親持聖經,女友蘿莉中,宣誓就任。(菊子攝)

            大提琴家馬友友(前右)應邀為波士頓新任市長馬丁華殊(左三)就職演奏。(菊子攝)

            波士頓傳奇人物梅爾金(Mel King)(前)率領文藝復興特許學校學生合唱“和諧曲(One Harmony)(菊子攝)

馬丁華殊就職慶典中唯一的華裔共同主席司徒福柱(中)
也坐在就職典禮前排。(菊子攝)
大波士頓天主教樞機主教奧馬利( Sean P. O’Malley)(左起) 聯邦參議員伊莉莎白沃倫(Elizabeth Warren),麻州州長派區克(Deval Patrick)昨日在波士頓新市長就職典禮台上。 (菊子攝)

            波士頓新一屆市議員也同時就職。左起,普斯莉,吳弭,林乃肯(左四)等人。林乃肯當選了本屆波市議會議長。(菊子攝)

            就職典禮時唱美國國歌,波士頓新市長馬丁華殊(右三)等人撫心示敬。(菊子攝)

 今年將競選麻州州長的葛羅斯曼(左一),柯克莉(右二),
和卸任波市議員約翰康納利(右一),坐在同一排,一起出席馬丁華殊
就職禮。(菊子攝)
           

            

            

波士頓新市長馬丁華殊在典禮結束後,向他的工會夥伴們高舉拳頭,
表示我們成功了。(菊子攝)
         

鳳倫公所新届主席司徒宗達、司徒焯榮


紐英崙鳳倫公所於128在波士頓華埠乞臣(Hudson)街會址,舉行新舊職員交接典禮,在元老司徒彥鏗(左一)監交下,卸任主席司徒慶羨(右一起)把主席印信交給連任主席司徒宗達,新任主席司徒焯榮。儀式簡單隆重。(圖由鳳倫公所提供)

Chinese Teacher Professional Development Workshop 2/8

Chinese Teacher Professional Development Workshop Session 1
When
Feb. 8, 2014 (9:00am-2:00pm)
Add to Calendar
  

Where
240 Mt. Vernon Street, Boston, MA 02125(This is the DoubleTree Hotel address. Upon your arrival, please follow the sign for the conference room.)
 



Language Aims & Classroom Games

It's winter, and it's the mid-year blue.  If you are looking for new ways to energize your classes, or need a pick-me-up for your regular lessons, or feeling overwhelmed with the demands of being a teacher during the age of "standards",then this is the workshop for you.  This light-hearted workshop is packed with practical, easy-to-use rhymes, games, activities and projects that not only engage both students' minds and their bodies, but also simplify and awaken your Chinese curriculum. The presenter will modal how she uses every minute in the classroom to keep students actively involved in learning and practicing the language.  Participants will walk away with valuable strategies to use the very next day.  Please join us for some fun and meaningful professional development!  Also, please be ready to share your classroom-proven activities with other teachers during Share & Show. This workshop is for teachers who teach k16 Chinese at an American institution. 

About the presenter:
Jian Gao has been actively involved in education for over 30 years as a classroom teacher, consultant, and author. She built one of the most successful Chinese programs in the nation at Belmont Hill School of Massachusetts, where students won numerous top prizes at the international and national "Chinese Bridge" Chinese Proficiency Competition for High School Students held annually in China and in America. Many of her students placed out of the foreign language requirement at their universities, such as Harvard, Yale, Brown, Tufts just to name a few.

Teachers and administrators came from all over the nation to observe Jian Gao's teaching, and walked away feeling inspired, excited, energized, and most of all, with a vision for creating a learning environment where teachers love to teach and students love to learn. A dynamic presenter at professional conferences, Jian Gao is frequently invited to share her systematically developed materials and her innovative and effective teaching methods - all proven successful in her own teaching.

Jian Gao is an author of five books.  Chinese Breeze - Learn with Ease is an innovative two-level course for junior high or high school students. The combined Chinese Breeze 1 & 2 provide a sequential curriculum that takes students from beginning to intermediate level of fluency.  The other three books are supplementary books for teachers of Chinese.
Currently, Jian Gao works as the Program Specialist at the Confucius Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston. She is designing the Effective Teacher Workshop Series, working with classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, and administrators to create a comprehensive Chinese curriculum that keeps the proficiency standards, instruction, and assessment tightly focused and connected.
  
Agenda

9:00 a.m.: Register
9:30 - 11:30 a.m.: Presentation
11:30 - 1:00 p.m.: Lunch & Social
1:00 - 2:00.p.m.: Share & Show 
Get more information
Register Now!
I can't make it
  
Michelle Wang
Confucius Institute at The University of Massachusetts Boston
919-638-8856

星期一, 1月 06, 2014

UMass Boston MTEL Training Course for Chinese Language Teachers



We are offering an MTEL Training Course for Chinese Language Teachers in March-April 2014. This course will focus on the particular needs of Chinese native speakers as it prepares you for the Communication and Literacy Skills portion of the MTEL.

The faculty are: 
Chuck Zucco, President of the Educational Teaching Institute and Test Preparation expert for MTEL.

Kathy Lobo, Licensed Massachusetts Administrator, Certified in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) with a degree in Cross-Cultural, Multicultural and Global Education. 

Chuck and Kathy taught this course successfully in 2011 so we have brought it back!

The dates are SaturdaysMarch 1, 15, 29 and April 12 with an At-Home Pre-Test in February to identify grammar needs and interim assignments during the off-weeks. All classes will take place on the UMASS Boston Campus, with parking and lunch provided.

The course provides 22 hours of instruction with trained experts, many templates and rubrics for developing writing skills as well as feedback and self-assessments tools for individual improvement. Cost: $400

It is unlike any general MTEL course that you may have seen advertised in other places, because it focuses on what Chinese Native Speakers need to prepare for the Communication and Literacy portion of the MTEL.

Please SAVE the DATES above and registration will be announced soon.

Sincerely,
Renee Covalucci

Associate Director
The China Program Center
College of Advancing and Professional Studies
617-908-1486

馬丁華殊(Martin J. Walsh)就職講稿


INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF MAYOR MARTIN J. WALSH

Good Morning.
Chief Justice Ireland, President of Boston College, Father Leahy, Cardinal Sean O’Malley and the other Reverend Clergy attending; Governor Patrick, Senators Warren and Markey; Congressmen Capuano and Lynch and Congresswoman Clark; Speaker DeLeo, Senate President Murray and all my former colleagues in the legislature, good morning to you all.
To the current members of the City Council, congratulations. I look forward to working with you for the people of Boston.
To the former members of the City Council, thank you for your service, and good luck in your new endeavors.
To the Mayors who have led this city before me, and provide me powerful inspiration, and to their families joining us today: Ambassador and Mrs. Ray Flynn; members of the Menino, White, Collins, Hynes, and Fitzgerald families, thank you for being here.
To all the people of Boston, and especially to the first responders who keep us safe, your heroism is what keeps Boston Strong.
We are a city of courage and champions ... of hope and heart.
We are city of second chances and redemption ... a place where hard times have forged character throughout our history.
We are a city of proud families, and neighborhoods with big hearts and welcoming arms that make everyone feel like family.
We are a city of high achievement and creative genius. Our educators, scientists, doctors, and artists are changing the world.
We are city of big dreams, and we have what it takes to make dreams come true.
And if you doubt any of that, look at this kid from Taft Street in Dorchester who’s now your Mayor. I know my mother’s not the only one surprised.

Today, we are sworn in together.
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Together, we are committing to do all we can for the city we love. Together, we can move our great city forward.
This past weekend – even in the face of a blizzard ‐‐ we came together in community service. We painted our children’s schools, served meals to the homeless, shoveled out some of our neighbors. In the cold of winter, we demonstrated that every season is for service.
We brought our young people together and were energized by their hopes and dreams. On Saturday, I met a young man, formerly troubled, who is now an honor student, and spoke of young people standing up.
We shared a Sunday morning with our seniors, inspired by their experience and the lessons of their lives. I met again the 101yearold woman who went out and voted for me on Election Day. She invited me to her hundred and second birthday in May. I will be there.
And, at Old South Church yesterday afternoon, we prayed – bringing together across different faiths and traditions, our shared hopes for our city.
Since Election Day, and during our transition, we have invited, welcomed, and applauded thousands of people as they have stepped up and spoken out. And we listened.
More than one thousand people came out on a snowy day to share their ideas at our town hall meeting at Roxbury Community College. More than one thousand people. And we listened.
At our town halls and community meetings; through letters, email and phone calls, you are making your voices heard. I am listening – and I always will.
I will listen. I will learn. I will lead.
The people of Boston aren’t shy about saying what they think – about everything from politics to the Patriots.
But I know you’re just as ready to back up the talk with action. I have seen it every day I’ve lived in this city. And that is every day of my life.
It is the fabric of this city, woven throughout our history.
Boston earned its reputation. This is the city that started the revolution that gave us a nation.
We fought tyranny.
We stood up to slavery.
We opened our doors to immigrants.
And when our gay and lesbian neighbors reminded us of the rights they were being denied, we backed their fight, and helped our Commonwealth become the first to protect those rights in law.
Boston has been called, a “City upon a Hill.” I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone use that phrase to make a lofty point.
But let me tell you what I think about when I hear it, with apologies to John Winthrop, the Puritan settler who said it first.
We are a City Upon a Hill, but it’s not just the shining light of Beacon Hill.
It’s Savin Hill, where I live. It’s Bunker Hill, Bellevue Hill and Fort Hill. It’s Pope’s Hill, Jones Hill, and Telegraph Hill. It’s Copp’s Hill, Mission Hill and Eagle Hill.
So when I say we are sworn in together, it means we’re in this together.
We are in this together – every neighborhood.
We are in this together – every race and religion.
We are in this together, every man, woman and child. For our seniors and our students, for rich and poor, and everyone in between.
We will expand opportunity so it reaches every person in every corner of our city. We cannot tolerate a city divided by privilege and poverty.
We will protect and grow our sense of community. For it is Boston’s greatest source of strength.
And we will ensure equality for all: No matter your age, race, religion, sexual orientation. No matter what.
Together, we can create ONE Boston ... one Boston, a hub of opportunity, community, and equality for all.
The work starts now.
My priorities are clear:
Strengthening our economy and creating jobs,
Improving public safety and stopping senseless gun violence;
Ensuring our schools help every child to succeed, and,
Increasing trust and transparency in city government.
These are big goals, but as President Lincoln said, “The best thing about the future is that it comes ONE DAY AT A TIME.”
On Day One, today, I will convene a meeting to begin to address senseless violence that scars our city.
I will bring together mothers of children killed by that violence, with members of the law enforcement community who work hard to stop it. Members of the recovery community, who know too well the hard road back from drug and alcohol abuse, and how such abuse contributes to the violence and crime. And people who know what it takes to move away from a life of violence to become productive, contributing neighbors in a safe community.
There were fewer murders last year – 40 homicides in our city. And while that lower number is good news, and a testament to the hard work that has been done, we know, as Acting Police Commissioner Evans said the other day, 40 homicides still represents 40 grieving mothers too many. And I agree.
We know what works. We know there are steps we can take now. We must redouble our efforts, and recommit ourselves to the safety of every citizen in our city. We will do that today and every day I am Mayor.
No parent should worry that a bullet will stop a daughter or son from coming home. No woman should be scared on our streets. No senior should be afraid in their home. And no child should be forced to live with the trauma and the indelible scars of violence.
We must find a way to provide our families and our communities with the help they need when they need it.
Imagine if these kids, these parents had people to help them in times of trauma. Health care professionals and community members serving as volunteers, answering the call whenever a life – and with it, a family and a neighborhood – is torn by violent crime.
We have to make our communities safer to secure a future of opportunity for our kids. But that’s not all. We have to make sure every kid gets a great education.
We are known the world over for our great colleges and universities. It’s time we had a worldclass public school system too.
Every kid in every neighborhood deserves the chance for a pathway to higher education or a good career.
Every kid in Boston deserves a great education that will give them the opportunity to get ahead.
Tomorrow, I will begin conversations with our school committee to launch a nationwide search for the next Superintendent of the Boston Public Schools.
Our acting Superintendent, John McDonough, deserves our thanks for his capable, steady leadership in a tough job – he has earned mine.
I want our next superintendent to be a proven urban education leader who shares my commitment to eliminating the achievement gap, universal early education, high school reform, inclusion programs, dual language programs a new approach to school construction, and expanded, high quality career and technical training.
These are goals we can reach.
Madison Park High School in Roxbury already is being transformed into a worldclass career and technical school, by partnering with Roxbury Community College, the business community and the Building Trades. That’s the start of realizing my broader vision: I want more kids in more high schools in every neighborhood to have that kind of opportunity, that level of career and technical training.
Study after study has told us that universal early education and these other changes can be transformative. They give every child a more equal chance to thrive and succeed. Yes, these things cost money – but we must find a way.
Education spending is the biggest piece of our city budget. So we start with this principle: Every dollar we spend on education must be put to best and most effective use. That’s why I will work with the school committee and acting superintendent to commission a Performance Audit of our school department – a close look not just at where the money is going, but whether it is being spent most effectively and efficiently.
And we can change the way Boston pays for school construction, renovation, and maintenance – another major expense. As a legislator, I supported the creation of the Massachusetts School Building Authority to ensure a fair, transparent and accountable process to make quality school buildings available to every child. Now, as Mayor, I will work to make sure Boston secures its share of equitable state funding as part of a plan to rebuild its longneglected and antiquated school buildings.
We must take some kind of fresh, innovative approach when it comes to our investments in job creation and economic development.
Different pieces of the economic development puzzle are spread across city government. Too often, it’s hard to fit them together. There’s duplication and confusion. It’s difficult for the city and for the businesses and workers we’re trying to help.
I am committed to restructuring the Boston Redevelopment Authority, and to bringing together in a smart, rational and effective way all the parts of city government dealing with job creation and economic development. We can make Boston a leader in streamlined, transparent, and effective job and business growth.
We have to make clear to everyone that Boston is open for business.
That means attracting and growing new businesses and strengthening those already here – from big corporations to small startups. It means making certain that all businesses, including minority and women owned companies, have access to opportunity.
I will work to revitalize our Main Streets Program and launch Neighborhood Business Districts, which will provide wider access to city resources. We must help jobcreating small businesses plant themselves and grow in every neighborhood of our city, not just in some.
And I am committed to permitting and licensing reforms that streamline what is now a complicated maze of rules and regulations. Permitting and licensing should protect consumers without strangling our small businesses in redtape.
And we’ve got to take action to finally realize the full economic benefit of our city’s many underutilized neighborhood assets. For example, Dorchester’s Strand Theater.
The Strand is part of my family’s history – a place I walked past countless times as a kid. And just recently, I began and ended my own campaign for Mayor within its storied walls.
Now, as the Strand approaches its 100th anniversary, it can once again be an economic engine for the neighborhood, an education resource for our teens, and a new performance and gathering spot for our entire city.
We have a responsibility to every generation.
Too many of our seniors are struggling. Too many of our seniors face difficulties they can’t overcome on their own. It’s time we really understand the problems they face so we can find solutions.
We will release and examine closely a new comprehensive report on Boston’s seniors: about where and how they live, employment and income, nutrition and health, mobility and language.
In February, we will begin a new survey by the Boston Housing Authority, to understand the needs of seniors and the disabled living in city housing.
We know we’ve got to find new options for creating more housing for seniors in the wake of deep federal budget cutbacks.
And I will commit Boston to joining the Alzheimer’s Early Detection Alliance. We will release a Blueprint for Action for the city, to raise awareness through education and outreach, and to connect those with the disease to the resources they need.
For me, this is personal. My grandmother and our family suffered from this disease.
All of this – everything we aim to accomplish, every dream we work to realize – requires the faith and trust of the people of Boston.
We must increase transparency and make clear that Boston’s interests come first. Always.
I will set tough, new ethics standards for my staff: new rules against conflicts of interest and new requirements for wider and more detailed annual personal financial disclosures.
I will work to create a new city Ethics Committee so we can establish and enforce stronger ethics rules and more disclosure for city elected officials and senior level employees.
Faith and trust are earned. We must do what it takes to earn both, from the people we serve.
Together we have much to do. And a lot of hard work ahead.
It’s appropriate that we start today here at my alma mater, at the Conte Forum, home to the Boston College basketball and hockey teams.
Whether on the hardwood or the ice, this is a place where teamwork matters and makes a difference. This is a place where you win when you work together – even when it means taking a few elbows under the basket or in front of the net.
I stand here today profoundly grateful to the team that brought me to this moment and to all the people of Boston I am honored to serve.
To my family: my mother who stands here proudly, and my father, who is in my thoughts every day, and to my brother Johnny. Your love, your unrelenting belief in me – through sickness and health, through hard times and good, helped me understand that anything is possible.
To Lorrie and her daughter, Lauren, who believed in me every step of the way – thank you for standing by me as I followed my dream, and for being part of this incredible journey. I am so proud and lucky to have you by my side. I love you.
As a citizen of Boston, I am grateful for the lifetime of outstanding civic leadership by my predecessor, Boston’s longestserving Mayor Tom Menino, and his wife Angela. As a legislative aide who started his political career in the same building where I started mine, to a district city councilor, to Mayor of our beloved Boston, his legacy is already legend and his vision is all around us. I am grateful for his support, and his advice as I go forward. Thank you, Mayor and Mrs. Menino.
To everyone who knocked on doors in blazing heat, braved cold mornings, held signs, made phone calls, voted, and convinced their friends and family to vote – even if it WASN’T for me – thank you. You made Boston a stronger city and reminded us of our shared values and aspirations.
Together, we are all taking an oath to make our beloved city even better. Because that’s what it will take – all of us, working together.
Young people working hard in school for a future they can only imagine. Entrepreneurs in small startups, with big dreams.
Parents working two and three jobs to make ends meet, because they don’t want their kids to have to do the same.
Soldiers home from war, looking for work.
My sisters and brothers in the Labor movement, who fight every day to build the middle class. Immigrants, new to our city, looking for opportunity.
Seniors hoping for a secure retirement and a safe place to live.

I am inspired every day by the people of our city – by your hopes, by your dreams, by your determination. I am listening. I will keep on listening.
We will move Boston forward together. Thank you.
God bless you.
God bless the great city of Boston!

And God bless the United States of America. Thank you.
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