City School District of New Rochelle
News & updates
December 23, 2020
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A Wish for A Relaxing Break From Dr. Marrero
Dear New Rochelle community,

I hope you all have been enjoying a wonderful holiday season.

As we reach the winter break, it would be easy to focus on the challenges and troubles brought by the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, let it be a time to reflect on all that we have accomplished so far this year.

The uncertainty that we faced at the start of the year has abated. We have continued to develop and refine our responses to the changes in this ongoing situation.

Students continue to learn and grow under these once unimaginable circumstances thanks to the innovation and devotion of our incredible teachers. Just look at the examples in these e-newsletters. Last weekend, the New Rochelle High School TheatreWorks group held its fall play. They not only succeeded in producing the entire play virtually; they used the current limitations on gatherings as a springboard to explore human connections the way they would not have in the past.

This week, see the story about how the kindergarten teacher at Henry Barnard Early Childhood Center converted a snow storm into a fun learning opportunity. Also enjoy performances and an art show from other schools.

As we reach the winter break, and vaccines emerge, there are signs of hope. Our school nurses have been using the state-supplied rapid COVID-19 test to obtain results in just 15 minutes as they meet the New York State requirements for keeping schools open in yellow, orange and red zones.

We have navigated this pandemic because of careful planning, vast expertise, wisdom and devotion to the more than 10,000 students who have been entrusted to us for a high-quality education. Students, teachers, parents and other partners in education should be proud of how far we’ve come.

Remember that when we return on Jan. 4, 2021, grades four through eight will return to a full hybrid model, joining the lower grades. At New Rochelle High School, the Alternative Campus School will return to the hybrid model on Jan. 11, 2021, and the rest of the school will follow on Jan. 19, 2021.

No matter how you choose to spend the break, I hope you find relaxation and joy over the next week and a half. We look forward to seeing you again in the new year, rested and ready to continue conquering the challenge before us. Thank you for your investment in our students’ futures.

Respectfully,
Dr. Alex Marrero, Interim Superintendent
City School District of New Rochelle
Authors Meg Medina (left) and R.J. Palacio.
'Wonder' Author
Wows Webster Class
Daniel Webster Magnet School fourth graders recently learned about kindness, writing and more from the author of the blockbuster novel “Wonder,” about a boy who faces heartrending challenges to be accepted because he was born with facial differences.

R.J. Palacio, who published the novel in 2002, entered their class via a Zoom, talking about the book, her life and other topics with another author, Meg Medina, for close to an hour.

“Wonder” follows the difficulties and ultimate triumphs Auggie Pullman meets when he enters fifth grade, attending mainstream school for the first time. The story has spent 230 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and has sold 5 million copies. Its lessons inspired the “Choose Kind” campaign that fourth graders in the class of Webster teacher Melissa Landau are learning about.

“It made me think that you can have a second chance at something, and if you make a decision or do something that you regret, you can find ways to make it better,” said Webster student Claire Dinkin. “One way to make it better is to rewrite the story."

Landau's students are discussing the book and its main themes of family, friendship, kindness and acceptance. The teacher included her class in a Zoom session as Palacio talked to more than 500 educators and their students, about her inspiration to write the book, how she created the characters and what kept her motivated to complete the book.
Webster student Charlotte Matthews gained some perspective on what it takes to be a writer.

"I took away that anyone can be a writer, no matter where you are from or what your background is,” she said.

Palacio’s advice to aspiring authors was to write every day. She said she gets her ideas from things that happen to her and from dreams – even a dream her son had.

“We kind of mix real life in with what we wish was real life and everything in between,” she said.

For Landau’s class, the session enriched the discussion of the book. They will act on its message in a culminating project that is still in the works.

Landau hopes that Palacio’s encouraging words would help students further immerse themselves in the story and its underlying theme.

“The author spoke about the message of the book, and said, ‘kindness can't be taught, but inspired’,” Landau said. “That will be a lesson that my class will certainly discuss and come back to throughout our reading of the story, and hopefully beyond.”
Snow Adventures
Turn Assignment
Into Winter Fun
It wasn’t technically a snow day when the white fluffy stuff fell last week, but kindergartners at Henry Barnard Early Childhood Center got to carve angels in the snow with their arms and legs, and pack snowballs as part of an impromptu activity that captured the joys of winter.

The students had been reading the story book "The Snowy Day" by Ezra Jack Keats, about a boy who enjoys a day in the snow. Before the snow came here, teacher Judy Badillo gave the students a writing assignment to reflect on the book: “What do you like about a snowy day?”

“I like snow and ice!” wrote Maya Goodman.

“I like to make snowmen,” wrote Andre Raqui.

When the snowstorm closed schools and sent all students to distance learning, Badillo had students go outside, make snow angels, ride sleds and make snow balls, just like in the book.
Their families got in on the fun, too.

“Families then documented their adventures in the snow with pictures,” Badillo said.

Badillo herself made a snowman.
The result was a slide show blending the book with the euphoric exploits of the students with their parents and siblings.
County Video
Shows How Simple
COVID-19 Test Is
Are you nervous about taking the COVID-19 test?

This video from the Westchester County Department of Health shows you just how easy and non-intrusive the Abbott Labs BINAX Card test is. New York State is supplying districts with the test to accomplish the surveillance testing required for those schools in areas designated as yellow, orange or red zones for purposes of stopping the spread of COVID-19.

These are the rapid antigen tests that students, teachers and staff in the City School District of New Rochelle are taking.

The video is hosted by Dr. Sherlita Amler, Commissioner of Health for Westchester County.

“I want to thank everyone for their collaboration and cooperation as we work to ensure that the mandated testing in our schools can be done in an easy, safe and appropriate manner,” she says in the video.
Researchers Sameen Choudhary and Isabella Beneti with a pollution-collecting card at Davenport Park.
Students Explore Pollution, Meteors & More
For Upcoming Fair
This week, we look at the students preparing for the Second Annual Research Fair.

While the New Rochelle High School students in the Science Research Program continue their projects, a younger crop of scientists is preparing for their entry to the competitive circuit.

Students in grades 4 through 8 are investigating topics such as meteors, air pollution and antibiotic-resistant bacteria for New Rochelle’s Second Annual Research Fair.

Justin Craig, a seventh grader at Albert Leonard Middle School, tapped his interest in physics – and his curiosity about the extinction of the dinosaurs – to devise an experiment concerning meteors. He created a model meteor the size of a tennis ball out of clay. Filling it with different substances, such as copper, aluminum or silver, he drops it from a height of 12 feet to see which version makes the biggest impact in a container of sand.

“Silver makes the biggest impact so far, but I’m still analyzing my data,” he said.

Craig has gotten help from NRHS senior Rachel Rivera, his mentor. She has helped him decide which materials to try. Rivera is one of the organizers of NR-USE, a group of high school students who are helping the students. In all, about 50 students are involved, including researchers and mentors.

The competition was formed last year by the Foundation for Science Research in New Rochelle with a seed grant from the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence. This year, the fair will be conducted virtually, with a final ceremony scheduled for Jan. 23, 2021.

The fair is a crucial district-level qualifying step for students to advance to local, state and national competitions such as the TriCounty Science and Technology Fair.

Sameen Choudhary and Isabella Beneti, seventh graders at Isaac E. Young Middle School, are studying pollution. Around New Rochelle, they hung cards cut from an orange juice container and coated with Vaseline to catch particulate matter.

With advice from their mentor, NRHS senior Sarah Athir, they placed the cards in three diverse areas – Davenport Park, North Avenue a little south of New Rochelle City Hall and Nature Study Woods near the high school.

“It turned out better than I thought,” Choudhary said. “As I predicted, the more public area had more pollutants on the card.”

Athir is enjoying serving as the mentor for the partners as well as for a fourth grader at William Ward Elementary School.

“It's incredible to see the kids go above and beyond for their projects due to their passion for science,” she said. “I'm excited to see how well everyone is going to perform in the upcoming science fair in January and the science fairs after. More importantly, I'm excited to see how far they'll get in the future given how great they're doing in the present.”

Rivera added; "Their projects are advanced and well thought out. These are some of the brightest students we’ve met. By participating in the program the students can be ready to continue their STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) path in high school and delve into more complex topics!"

ALMS eighth grader Joseph Francois grew his research in 15 petri dishes in an incubator. He added the antibiotic ciprofloxacin to observe the growth of two classes of bacteria – gram negative and gram positive – which affects the bacterium’s ability to develop resistance to the antibiotics.

“I first came up with my idea because my dad is a doctor,” he said. “My dream is to become a surgeon. I want to follow in my dad’s profession.”

Jeff Wuebber, the head of the Science Research Program at NRHS, said he was proud of the students in the program who volunteered to help the younger students.

“I stand in awe at the commitment of our mentor students in their desire to engender the joys of scientific pursuit and discovery in the next generation,” he said. “The fruits of their endeavors will endure long after they graduate, and ensure that New Rochelle becomes a nexus of future STEM leaders.”
Student scientist Justin Craig with his model meteor.
NRHS Band Presents Holiday Songs Virtually
The musicians in the New Rochelle High School band couldn’t come together physically to play their winter concert, but director Mark Cooper brought them together digitally for a brief holiday concert.

The symphonic band, 31 musicians, play a medley of songs in the concert. In a second video, 20 students in the concert band play “First Winter Sleigh Ride.”

Here’s how it was done. Cooper sent each musician a recording of metronome. They start by clapping to it, then play their piece using the recording to keep their timing precise. You can witness the clapping at the start of the concert; Cooper left it in because he liked the way it sounded. Once the videos were in, Cooper blended them together.

They did not have all the official instruments on hand; in once case a piano substitutes for tall orchestral chimes, for instance.

“We had to be resourceful in some cases,” Cooper said. “Even if we didn’t have every instrument we would have had if we had been together in school, what was most important was to capture the spirit of the season.”
More Holiday Showcases...
Enjoy these holiday showcases. Click above for Albert Leonard Middle School's holiday arts; below for Daniel Webster Magnet School holiday concert.
City School District of New Rochelle | http://www.nred.org/