Each student will receive a blank journal with a series of prompts to complete during the summer holidays. The prompts cover various topics and highlight skills that students will build upon in NEIA classes. The books are meant for writing, doodling, photos, and ephemera. Examples for references might be a scrapbook or a field journal.
For anyone wishing to complete the tasks digitally, the following template can be copied and designed to their liking. Please select "Use Template for New Design" and rename the file with your name.
Students are encouraged to channel their creativity and make the books/digital templates unique. Books will be distributed during the last week of school, and incoming students will receive their physical copy in the mail. When students return to school in the fall, they will share their experiences in various activities at both orientation and Advocacy.
Prompts:
Be a Strong Communicator: Teach a family member or friend about something you love.
Focus on Collaboration: Organize an event or outing with friends and family. (Plan a meal with grocery list; organize a gathering for the 4th of July, etc).
Demonstrate Good Citizenship: Give back to the community in some way (pick up trash, volunteer at a soup kitchen, etc).
Build Resilience: Pick up a new habit or skill, and try to work at it each day of summer break (learning a new language, baking, expressing gratitude to someone new, mindful moments every day, tending to a garden)
Celebrate Creativity and Critical Thinking: Read a book of your choice and provide a review for NEIA Picks.
Practice Wellbeing: Take some time for your health and wellness. What does this look like for you? Mediation? Expressing Gratitude? Drawing?
One of NEIA’s pillars, Belong and Togetherness, will be the focus of this year’s summer reading.
Upper School students are asked to choose one of the titles from the following list, considering the idea of community through the lens of identity, entrepreneurship, innovation, social justice, and future-focused thinking presented in the different titles. Upon returning to school in the fall, students will complete activities in orientation and Advocacy groups utilizing the titles.
Looking for something to do? Check out the Middle School tasks for inspiration!
Information on how to find library copies, or ebooks and audiobooks, can be found at the bottom of the page.
The MA Teen Choice Book Awards list of nominees has been curated by a committee of public librarians, school library media specialists and educators. Kaitlin, as well as Rachel the Teen Librarian from the Marlborough Public Library, are members of the committee!
Teens across the state, as well as NEIA students, are invited to read the titles this summer and vote for their favorite books in September! The slides below include descriptions of all the nominees!
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Check out ebooks and audiobooks for free using the Sora app. Select our school, then log in with your NEIA email address. Browse and select books to enjoy! Loans are for 20 days.
All residents of and students who attend school in MA can acquire an e-card through the Boston Public Library, where a number of the upper school summer reading titles are available as ebooks and audiobooks.
Additionally, you can check your local library! In MA, there are several consortiums including CWMARS, CLAMS, SAILS with both print and digital access to a number of titles.