City School District of New Rochelle
News & updates
September 4, 2020
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Geared up and Ready
For the 2020-21 School Year
The transition is about to begin. On Tuesday morning, the day after Labor Day, teachers will arrive for work at City School District of New Rochelle schools for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic forced everyone to work from home in March. Although they’ll check in and return home to begin the school year on a total distance-learning platform, it’s expected they’ll be back in their classrooms in a matter of weeks.

The following day, September 9, the 2020-21 school year will get underway. Students will go through three days of virtual orientation using their district-owned Chrome Books or home computers. On Monday, September 14, the formal class schedules will begin. Attendance is mandatory; students must be in front of their devices at the assigned times for synchronous learning.

We expect to physically welcome students back to school on a staggered schedule. Self-contained special education scholars will be brought in during the next two weeks. The, during October elementary and middle school students will be welcomed in cohorts as the in-person element of our hybrid learning model takes effect. New Rochelle High School students will return to their building, the crown jewel of the district, in early November.

See the schedule below.

As with everything that has happened during this pandemic, we will adjust to new information as it develops. Check our website, www.nred.org, for the latest updates.
Dr. Alex Marrero
Dr. Marrero Named
Acting Superintendent
Dr. Alex Marrero, the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, has been named Acting Superintendent of the City School District of New Rochelle while Superintendent Dr. Laura Feijóo takes time off for a medical procedure.

To assist Dr. Marrero, Peter Scordo, the Human Resources Executive Assistant to the Superintendent, has been named to the newly created, temporary position of Deputy Superintendent. The appointments were made Tuesday and took effect yesterday.

It is anticipated that Dr. Feijóo will not be able to perform her duties as Superintendent for approximately two weeks.
Community Circles
Offer Forums to Discuss
COVID Concerns
A new series of Community Circles offer New Rochelle community members opportunities to share their concerns and fears about the COVID-19 pandemic in an open, supportive forum.

The virtual meetings are organized by the City School District of New Rochelle. The third session will be held Thursday, Sept. 10, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

“Many community members have participated in our circles already, and we hope that even more continue to join,” said Dr. Anthony Bongo, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Support Services. “Our vision is to allow community members to express their thoughts and feelings in response to the COVID crisis in an atmosphere of safety, decorum and equality.”

Participants may talk about their feelings on the start of the school year, their own health and wellbeing and any other ways in which the pandemic has impacted them.

Interested community members should send their names to abongo@nredlearn.org to join. A link to join the meeting will be sent in return. Spanish speakers may send emails to abongo@nredlearn.org or hcastro@nredlearn.org.
Carlos Leal
Elementary Education Director Takes Post
The City School District of New Rochelle has hired a veteran educator to fill the new position of Director of Elementary Education
Carlos X. Leal, started in the post on August 14, bringing 23 years of experience as a teacher, principal and districtwide administrator.
Leal’s experience included running an award-winning magnet school in Connecticut, and districtwide positions in the Rochester, New York school system.

“This position will allow us to implement systemic improvement in our curriculum and instruction, social emotional development and other aspects of the education we provide across all seven elementary schools in all sections of the District,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero.

Leal will also be instrumental in providing professional development to the elementary faculty, principals, assistant principals and others. He will focus on closing the achievement and opportunity gaps for traditionally underserved students and cultivating diversity in leadership positions.

“I was drawn to New Rochelle because of the well-known diversity in the District and the opportunity to contribute to what I believe is a community that shares my values – high-quality education, equity in opportunity and above all, exposure to the possibilities that an education provides.”

For five years, he served as the Principal of the Nathan Hall Arts Magnet School in New London, Connecticut. With Leal at the helm, the Nathan Hall earned the Magnet Schools of America’s Magnet School of Excellence Award and Magnet School of Distinction Award.
Reminder: Vaccines Needed to Enter
Specific Grades
The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a sharp decrease in childhood vaccinations, a development that carries dangers of its own, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Immunizing infants, children and adolescents is important and should not be delayed,” the AAP says.

Children who miss vaccinations are at risk for serious illness, the organization cautions. Other concerns include missed physical exams and developmental and mental health screenings.

“If you haven’t done so yet, please contact your pediatrician to be sure your student is up to date on vaccinations and physicals,” said City School District of New Rochelle Medical Director Dr. Brooke Balchan.

There are specific requirements for students entering sixth, seventh and twelfth grades. They are as follows:

Rising sixth graders:
Students entering the sixth grade are required to receive a Tdap
vaccination when turning 11 years old. Proof of vaccination or proof of an appointment to be
vaccinated is required within 30 days of school starting, or within 30 days of your child’s 1th
birthday, to avoid exclusion from school.

Rising seventh graders:
Students entering the seventh grade are required to receive the first dose of the
meningococcal vaccine within two weeks of school starting in September. Proof of vaccination
is required within 14 days of school starting to avoid exclusion from school.

Rising twelfth graders:
Students entering the twelfth grade are required to receive the second dose of the meningococcal vaccine. Proof of vaccination or proof of an appointment to be vaccinated
is required within 30 days of school starting to avoid exclusion from school.

New students, including those entering kindergarten, may be required to meet additional requirements, which will be communicated to parents after the nurse reviews the student’s immunization records.
Filters, Floors, Windows Help Clean Air, Surfaces
Across the City School District of New Rochelle, crews of custodians and technicians are busily creating more sanitary environments in the schools, top to bottom.

From rooftop ventilation units with advanced filtration, to floor coatings that hinder the spread of microbes, the 10 schools are becoming healthier spaces for educators’ and students’ eventual return. Even the windows are being enlisted as cleaning agents with a clear treatment that purifies air when it reacts with sunlight.

Many of the treatments can help block the spread of the coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Even those that may not hinder the coronavirus help create healthier indoor environments for students and staff.

While the schools are opening with a distance learning platform next week, teachers will report to the buildings on Tuesday for orientation, and the District plans to phase into a hybrid model throughout the fall.

“We are employing a thorough surfaces-and-air program that will combat the virus and other harmful microbes and pollutants on all fronts,” said Assistant Director of Facilities Keith Watkins.

The buildings already meet the requirements set by the New York State Education Department, but the Facilities Department isn’t stopping there. Crews are installing filtration, near/at HEPA grade – beyond the more common MERV 13 filtration – in the rooftop units, as well as in classrooms and other spaces.

Soon after the pandemic struck, the District increased the frequency of its disinfecting protocols at all schools, and added a second layer of protection, BioProtect, which is an antimicrobial coating that continues eradicating microbes up to 90 days.

Custodians will apply another coat of BioProtect in October. Meanwhile, the Facilities Department is stepping up the disinfecting routine again, planning to clean and disinfect each school every day it is occupied by students and educators.

Floors in hallways and classrooms are treated with Buckeye Clarion 25, a finish that includes Microban technology that inhibits the growth of microbes on floors. Arena 300, a related product designed for wooden floors, performs the same function in gymnasiums.

The window treatment, PURETi Clean & Fresh, turns photocatalytic particles to water vapor, when activated by sunlight, and continuously eradicates pollutants from indoor air.

The department has also installed COVID-19 signs and floor decals enforcing social distancing and proper hand washing, as a reminder to students, teachers and others to remain at least six feet apart.

Polycarbonate barriers have also been install throughout the entire district. Infrared temperature readers that resemble oversized cellphones on posts give an instant readout on the body temperature of any person who stands in front of it.

“These measures are part of our continued effort to prevent the entry and spread of COVID in our schools,” said Acting Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero. “They will create the healthiest spaces, blocking the spread of the disease as efficiently as possible, as we phase in students and teachers to the schools.”
Graduates Celebrated
In Summer Ceremony
Eleven members of the New Rochelle High School class of 2020 collected their diplomas and basked in the applause of family members in the second annual end-of-summer graduation ceremony.

The commencement took place August 19 in the House IV cafeteria. Purple-robed graduates processed into the venue to Pomp and Circumstance. Their seats were socially distanced for COVID-19 precautions, but arranged in groups of three so they could sit with their families during the ceremony – a unique feature for a commencement exercise.

Interim Principal Steven Goldberg told the students to appreciate and celebrate their differences with others.

“Find your voice and learn to use it, speak, express and let yourself be heard,” he said. At the same time, he added; “Take the time to listen and hear what other people are saying. Try to understand another person's point of view, especially when it's different from yours. Always be kind, and try to live with an open heart and an open mind. You can bring joy to someone with a smile or kind word, and small, everyday actions can infect those around you with positivity and optimism. Now more than ever, we need this.”

The students were also praised and encouraged by Board of Education member Amy Moselhi, Superintendent Dr. Laura Feijóo and Assistant Principal Camille Edwards-Thomas.

“Work hard and never miss the opportunity to better yourself,” Dr. Feijóo told them. “But have a little fun while you're at it. Make room for your loved ones, make a new friend, find a new passion, find a way to serve others. These are the ingredients to a satisfying life experience.”

In a tradition begun last year, the ceremony was held for 18 seniors who met the requirements for graduation but not in time for the June graduation. Eleven of the graduates were able to attend.

“It was a lovely intimate experience for the students,” said Interim Assistant Principal Rachel Cornelius, who emceed the event. “We were happy to celebrate their accomplishments after such a challenging year.”
New Rochelle Family
Grows More Close-Knit
Sewing COVID Masks
Among COVID-blocking facemasks sported by City School District of New Rochelle staffers, you may notice that some were sewn with special care and skill.

If so, there’s a good chance you’re seeing one of the many face coverings crafted by Esther Vacca and her team of five teenage daughters and stepdaughters, who attend New Rochelle High School and Albert Leonard Middle School.

Together, the family team has sewn more than 3,000 masks from colorful cloths with peace signs, polka dots and other patterns. It was one project Vacca took on when the pandemic struck New Rochelle.

“I had a skill I could use,” she said, “and when you have a skill it’s incumbent on you to help.”

 District employees doing good for others were among those who received the face coverings.

“The entire family worked together and made it a family project in order to pay it forward,” said ALMS Principal John Barnes. “It was quite a lift to see the beautiful masks and to know that there are people who appreciate the work District members were doing when passing out Chromebooks, watching the children of essential workers, and participating in food distribution throughout the city.”

Vacca first sold T-shirts emblazoned with the words “Straight outta the Hotzone,” mimicking the movie “Straight Outta Compton.” She raised $15,000, which she used to buy gift cards from local businesses for workers at Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital, as a thank you to frontline staff.

The masks came next.

“We all did different jobs,” said 16-year-old Sierra Vacca, who attends NRHS with 15-year-old twins Shelby and Olivia Sussner. “I did pressing with an iron, Shelby did cutting. We all did everything. It felt good to give back and we knew our work was going to help people.”

As the supply of masks grew; “We would e-mail teachers asking if they needed any,” said 13-year-old Skyler Vacca. She attends ALMS with Scarlett Sussner, also 13.

The sisters bonded over the experience.

“We all learned on a different level but we worked together,” Olivia Sussner said. “When you do that you get close.”

Scarlett Sussner summed up what the family has learned from the experience.

“Even though it was a difficult time,” she said, “you can see good coming out of it.”
City School District of New Rochelle | http://www.nred.org/