Ideas/suggestions for students activity

I teach American History to at-risk students in an alternative program in a suburban Milwaukee High School. Simply put, this is not a group of students who are eager to learn on a normal basis. In fact, they usually resist.

However, I am in the process of showing them Spike Lee%26#39;s documentary, ';When the Levees Broke.'; Simply put, the students are enthralled. What had been intended as a couple day break in our regular curriculum has now turned into a hugely teachable moment w/ these kids.

That%26#39;s where are need ideas/suggestions from you all. I would like to extend their involvement by doing something like writing letters to school kids in New Orleans, working on a charity thing for recovery efforts, etc.

I would like to capitalize on their rare keen interest by making them develop a personal investment of some sort.

Any ideas out there??

Ideas/suggestions for students activity

Sounds like a good initiative. Suggest contacting the local United Way Chapter. They may have programs for direct involvement, or should at least be able to provide options.

Best of luck.

Brett

Ideas/suggestions for students activity

I do volunteer work with some of the Lower Ninth Ward organizations, so you might want to contact some of these directly and set something up. They should be more than happy to participate! www.makeitrightnola.org/mir_SUB.php…

Here are some schools we work with that you could partner:

New Orleans Charter Science and Math High (SciAcademy) - (504)324-7061

Recovery School District - http://www.rsdla.net/Home.aspx

Thanks for the info!

I think we%26#39;ll try starting out with some email pen-pals from one of the schools this week.

worldtraveler...thanks to the link you gave me, I came across George Washington Carver High School in the 9th Ward. They are in the midst of a fundraising campaign to build a new football field since what they had was destroyed. So it looks like my students are interested in doing some fundraising here at my school to help out with the efforts.

http://www.9thwardfieldofdreams.com/

Taking a 1st Timer to NOLA! What to do? What to do?

I%26#39;m so so so very excited to take a good family friend to NOLA for the first time! I%26#39;m hoping you all can offer your input to help make this a fantastic trip!!!

deets:

I attended Undergrad in NOLA a few years back.

1st timer is only 19 (female).

Arriving first week in June for Wed, Thurs %26amp; Friday (I%26#39;m staying thru the weekend for a bach party).

So far this is what I have planned out:

Wedn:

We arrive in the early afternoon and have a room at the Royal Sonesta with a Bourbon Balacony (already reserved).

...Then off to the French Market, Moonwalk and touring the FQ by carriage.

Lunch at Port-of-Call (cause I heart it!).

... French Quarter night including Laftitte%26#39;s, Pat O%26#39;s...????

Dinner at ??? (nothing stuffy)

Late night Cafe Du Monte!

Thurs:

Breakfast- Brennan%26#39;s? Court of 2 Sisters? or Windsor Cort for Afternoon Tea?

Street Car up St. Charles to view houses.

Check in to The Columns ( or???? somewhere else on St Charles).

Head to see my old school, walk thru Audubon Park to the Levee (maybe grab a Daq for the walk (; )

Shop down Magazine Street (keepsake at Mignon/Peril)

Dinner at Jacquimo%26#39;s

Music at Maple Leaf.

Friday

Breakfast at Camellia Grill (Chocolate Ice Cream on a Pecan Waffle and a cherry chocolate freeze)

Airport.

In case it rains:

Aqaurium, MG World %26amp; NOLA Cooking class.

... What do you think???? What would you add???

THANK YOU!!!!!

Taking a 1st Timer to NOLA! What to do? What to do?

Kindly disregard all of my misspelling.

=)

Taking a 1st Timer to NOLA! What to do? What to do?

If you can, Preservation Hall for old time jazz. Everybody%26#39;s got to experience it at least once.

Agreed! Thanks Porelly.

What about a good walking tour? A 19 year old would enjoy the exciting history of New Orleans.

Any suggestions for a good walking tour???

Maybe a Cemetery or a Voodoo Tour....

Try Bloody Mary%26#39;s tours for an outstanding walking tour! She does a really good job! http://www.bloodymarystours.com/

The Voodoo %26amp; Cemetary tour is entertaining. They take you to an authentic voodoo temple which is a little laughable(no offense to anyone) but the entire tour was a lot of fun.

No offense to Priestess Miriam, but that%26#39;s why I prefer Bloody Mary%26#39;s tours. You actually get a better appreciation for voodoo and can take it more seriously than other cemetery/voodoo tours around town.

dinner at Coop%26#39;s...mmmm, my favourite!!! I don%26#39;t know if you have to be 21 to get in though, maybe some other posters can help me out on that one....but if she%26#39;s 19, maybe she won%26#39;t be carded. I%26#39;ve heard that some places don%26#39;t allow people under age into their restaurant because of slot machines, and this may be one of them.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

I%26#39;m def going to add a walking tour into our itinerary for Wednesday. BM looks great but operates Thurs-Monday or by private tour... so we%26#39;re going to have to find an alternative. Hopefully I can find a good Wedn night one!

21st b-day in New Orleans

Hey everyone,

My boyfriend and I are going to New Orleans Thursday-Sunday for my 21st birthday. We are staying in the Marriott. I haven%26#39;t been to N.O. since I was 18 or so, and I would love some ideas of things to do. I know I want to go to the zoo, and I am going on a graveyard tour, and of course I know about cafe du monde, but what are some really fun places to go? I know I want to hit up Napoleons and Pat O Brians, but other than that I%26#39;m not sure. Any help would be excellent thank you so much! :-)

21st b-day in New Orleans

Well there%26#39;s the French Market for cheap shopping, a carriage ride, the voodoo %26amp; cemetary tour is a lot of fun, The Funky Pirate bar to watch Big Al is great, the aquarium is within walking distance and a lot of fun, Harrah%26#39;s casino, etc. So a search on this forum for lots more options. When you get to your hotel there will be a hundred brochures of places and things to do. Trust me, you%26#39;ll be pressed for time to do everything that you want to do.

21st b-day in New Orleans

Also, stop by the Monteleone%26#39;s revolving Carousel Bar for a drink. For dancing, the Goldmine is small and divey, but worth a go! And definitely check out Frenchmen St in the Marigny (walking distance to the Quarter). A great selection of live music venues and bars!

Molly, a 21st in New Orleans is awesome!

Cats Meow can be really fun later in the evening (it%26#39;s a Karaoke Bar on Bourbon) even if only to watch.

In the same vein, Bourbon Cowboy has a mechanical bull. It%26#39;s sometimes fun just to watch the people get tossed off it.

Great shopping and some wonderful restaurants can be found on Magazine St. (I love Juans Flying Burrito, myself). The Bulldog (on Magazine) has a beer garden and hundreds of beers on tap. It%26#39;s a nice way to spend the early afternoon.

Lafittes Blacksmith Shop (really a bar) has IMO, the best Hurricane%26#39;s (but of course, you do HAVE to try Pat O%26#39;s too). It also has the distinction of being the %26#39;oldest operating bar in the country%26#39; They are entirely candlelit, which lends a romantic/spooky vibe to the place.

I hope you do the Bloody Mary Moonlight Cemetary tour. She%26#39;s an excellent storyteller and one of a kind. Her haunted FQ tour is also excellent and she%26#39;ll introduce you to some of the most famously haunted sites and the stories surrounding them.

have a very happy birthday!

-kel

The Funky Pirate bar sounds really cool! I think I would really like to do that. Do you think Thursday night is a good night to go there or should I wait until Friday?

Thanks for the info!! What day of the week and what time owuld you say is best to visist Monteleone%26#39;s revolving Carousel Bar

All of the nights you are here will be pretty lively, especially Friday and Saturday nights. I%26#39;d save the Carousel Bar for a more chill evening or an after dinner treat before you hit Bourbon St, even Thursday night will be fine!

The Funky Pirate is a little bar on Bourbon. Big Al plays there 5 nights of the week at 8pm till ?. No cover, just have buy buy one drink. At least catch a set of his-he%26#39;s good. Thursday night is a good night to see him.

Thurs night I would hit up either Zydeco music night at mid city rock and bowl or see kermit ruffins live at Vaughn%26#39;s.....both are a short cab ride out of the FQ but definitely worth it!

St. Ann Marie Antoinette Hotel???

has anyone stayed there?

St. Ann Marie Antoinette Hotel???

Check the trip advisor search function for postings on this hotel. I was not impressed and felt they had let maintenance on all levels slip and personnel training.

St. Ann Marie Antoinette Hotel???

I haven%26#39;t but was seriously thinking about it because of they VERY low rates on bookit.com. However when I looked into the hotel more I discovered that they charge you more than the stated rate. They add on two fees which add an extra $12 per night to your stay. An amenity fee and an energy surcharge. That%26#39;s nuts. So the low rate of $49/night which looks amazing for any hotel in the quarter is really $61/night. I ended up picking the Dauphine for $73/night if you pay in advance.

I%26#39;m staying there this weekend. And yes they do rip you on the amenity fees. I believe they have already charged this amount to my credit card. Cause my total cost to stay seams a little higher then the qouted amount. Oh well! YOu can%26#39;t beat the price and location though. So we%26#39;ll see how the room is. I%26#39;ll let you know, when I get back.

If price is a driving factor when it comes to a hotel choice in the quarter I would reccomend the Villa Convento. They have $59 rooms which is cheaper than the St. Ann Marie Antoinette at $61 and the Villa is a MUCH better hotel with good service. Plus you can%26#39;t beat Croissant d%26#39;Or right across the street.

my brother stayed there (St Ann Marie Antoinette) in Dec and said it wasn%26#39;t bad, and that if the price was right, he%26#39;d stay there again. He didn%26#39;t exactly say he loved the hotel, but it was good enough for what they needed it for...a decent night sleep. The location is great too. I once had a reservation at their sister hotel the St. Louis, and cancelled my reservation due to poor reviews, but I am still curious what others think of these properties. Petitelion, I can%26#39;t wait to hear what you thought of the hotel, please let us know after you%26#39;ve returned. Thanks :)

I%26#39;ve stayed at the SAMA several times, based on the price and location.

But...

The amenity surcharge -- which goes right to the hotel and your booking service gets no part of -- finally drove me from this place. The continental breakfast -- if you can find it -- is a joke. Other ';amenities'; routinely include limited/blocked internet access (You can%26#39;t even watch U Tube!) NO clock radio, a TV remote that%26#39;s useless and NO hot water depending on the time of day.

Avoid the ripoff and figure that $$ into the cost of a stay at a truthful hotel.

If you find a price under $100 (except during extremely low season), the hotel isn%26#39;t going to be great. Hopefully it will be clean and comfortable, at best. I sometimes find that expectations aren%26#39;t realistic and you have to factor in ';value vs. price paid.';

Yes, while you can%26#39;t get a GREAT hotel room for under $100 I think you can find very nice hotel rooms under $100 in times other than the extremely low season. You just have to do a lot of research and realize that you%26#39;re not going to get the Monteleone. Go to the hotel%26#39;s direct site and sites such as bookit %26amp; sidestep. Realize that some hotels like the Inn on Bourbon have better rates on their hotel website rather that booking through Ramada(I saved $50/night in doing this). Do your homework and you can find the deals.

I think you also need to look at ';price expected vs. charged to your credit card'; here.

What I mean is that for what the SAMA costs with the amenity charge figured in, it costs more than places like the Prince Conti or St. Marie which have the nearly the same package price on Expedia or Travelocity.

Loved the new Mid-City Rock and Bowl!

Just returned from my first time to JazzFest (loved it), and one of the highlights was going to the new location for Mid City Rock and Bowl. What an amazing job John has done! A little bit bigger dance floor, bowling lanes still right near the action. Great, great sound system for the live music and a nice big circular bar for when it gets crowded. Keep this place in mind if you%26#39;re heading to NOLA and want to see some of the best bands in the state!!!! Also go to the website for calander and the new address.....on two trips there this week the cabs all seemed to know about the move.

Sunday Brunch with Jazz

Any recommendations for a Sunday Jazz Brunch?

Sunday Brunch with Jazz

Hands down the best in the city - jazz brunch at Commander%26#39;s Palace! Truly an experience!

Sunday Brunch with Jazz

It%26#39;s no surprise here (as I%26#39;ve said it before), but I%26#39;m a BIG fan of Jazz Brunch at Muriels in Jackson Square. Check out their menu online

www.muriels.com

I%26#39;ve also done Court of Two Sisters and found the food a bit...ehhhhhhhhhhhh. Muriels is not a buffet, like CO2S, but much better quality food and atmosphere

-kelly

I am a big Commander%26#39;s Palace fan - already going there for dinner. Any thoughts on Arnaud%26#39;s, Palace Cafe or the suggested Muriels?

Out of the rest, I would rank them 1) Arnaud%26#39;s 2) Muriel%26#39;s 3) Palace Cafe for jazz brunch in terms of ambience, food quality and service!

After Commanders Palace I%26#39;d go with 1. Arnaud%26#39;s, 2. Mr. B%26#39;s, 3. Muriel%26#39;s.

Commanders Palace is good, but I suggest Court of Two Sisters instead.....

Enjoy,

Brett

Been to Commander%26#39;s, Arnaud%26#39;s and Muriel%26#39;s for brunch a few times. Commander%26#39;s takes first place by far. Go and enjoy!!!!!

lips

Girls trip - Part II

O.K., so the first day was all about the party! Yeah, so are the rest! We were up and at em at about 9:00 and had breakfast at that venerable New Orleans classic Le Mc Donalds. (right next to our hotel) Our tour guide, C (who lived there for a year right befoe Katrina)felt badly that we hadn%26#39;t really experienced much of the city the day before walked us to the river walk, through Jackson square, including St. Louis Cathedral and past cafe du monde, which had a line about a block long, and back past Cafe Beignet, (where we finally got chickory coffee and beignets)

We originally had reservations at Commanders Palace for lunch today, but at some point during the night before, had decided that this would be a good day to go to Jazz Fest, so surrendered the CP reservations.

When we got back from our trek through the French Quarter, about noon, we got our Jazz Fest tickets from the concierge along with transportation tickets. Very convenient, especially once we saw the long ticket lines at the fest. the bus was air conditioned and very comfortable for #15 round trip.

I thought Jazz Fest was amazing. As a long time fan of outdoor music festivals, I thought it was the best yet. The food variety was amazing! We did run into a problem when we went to the Acura stage to watch Bonnie Raitt and discovered the HUGE crowd, though. We went and stood, experiencing people rudely cutting right through us. We took lemons and made lemonade when we started giving people ';Love Sandwiches'; by squishing everyone who cut between us. That was fun and funny till we had to go to the ladies room and discovered that it took us about forty minutes just to get out of the crowd. WOW! We didn%26#39;t want to get back into that scene after that. We went to the Gospel tent after that, blues tent, then some of the girls really felt they needed to get out of the crowd entirely. I totally understood, even though I personally would have liked to stay and hear sugarland.

We went back to the hotel, and went to jump in the pool. It had been a very hot day for us buckeye chicks. The only negative thing I can say about our hotel is that there is no whirlpool and the pool, well, sucks. It%26#39;s tiny and cloudy to the point of gross. We showered and ended up back on Bourbon St. Went to Pat O%26#39;Brians, loved it but couldn%26#39;t get served for dinner and went across the street to a place called Sammy%26#39;s, a steakhouse. It took a while to get served dinner here as it was almost 10:00. Ended up with a steak that was sub par for ohio, but then again, we weren%26#39;t in Ohio. We went there because I thought one of us would starve if not fed soon.

Still, it was a great day, full of wonderful music, lots of people, crawfish Monica (Yum) breadpudding at Jazzfest (double yum) and again the best girls ever. I must be the luckiest girl in the world.

Girls trip - Part II

LOL! I love the ';Love Sandwich'; idea! You%26#39;ve caught on to the old Southern adage of ';kill %26#39;em with kindness'; quickly, I see.

I%26#39;m jealous because I can%26#39;t organize my group of ya-ya%26#39;s to make a girl%26#39;s trip!!