City School District of New Rochelle
News & updates
September 25, 2020
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Schools Open For Some Special Needs Students
Welcoming a student at Columbus Elementary School
The first students returned to City School District of New Rochelle schools this week when the District began to welcome back special needs classes.

While general classes are scheduled to remain all virtual through at least mid-October, the District made an exception for students in special class programs, whose needs are among the greatest, and who have an especially difficult time focusing on an online class.

Two classes began at Columbus Elementary School on Thursday and one at William B. Ward Elementary School today.

Having even some students return to the halls and classes for the first time since the COVID-19 crisis closed the buildings in mid-March made all the difference in the world to Columbus Principal Michael Galland.

“It was the best day in seven months,” Galland said about the Thursday opening. “It went beautifully. The kids were so thrilled. It brought our school to life again.”

He shared credit for the smooth opening to the entire team – the main office, the teachers, clinicians, custodians and so on.

Ward parent Victoria Domenici said her third-grade daughter enjoyed going back to class today.

“She was happy,” she said. “She had a good day.”

Acting Superintendent Dr. Alex Marrero also expressed his appreciation to those who ensured things proceeded efficiently.

“It is great to have students back in our school buildings,” he said. “While we all look forward to the time when all students and teachers can return to the classrooms, this is a major step toward our ‘new normal.’”

The District plans to move to a hybrid model, with most students returning to schools in phases from October 19 through November 9. In the meantime, however, the special needs students will continue to return. Next Tuesday, four classes will open at George M. Davis Jr. Elementary School.

“I couldn't be more excited that we were able to begin in-person instruction,” said Dara Joseph, Director of Special and Alternative Education. “I’m looking forward to the next phase of opening.”
Robert Halle
Barnard Student
Ranks High
In National Math Contest
Second grader Robert Halle’s favorite subject is math, because it touches everything in life – and because if you work hard, you can get the answer.

Well, he proved that second part when he excelled in a nationwide contest, the National Math Kangaroo Competition. After studying hard, the Henry Barnard Early Childhood Center student came in tenth in New York State, and 18th in the nation in his grade. (He competed last March, while in first grade, but only recently received the results.)

With 3,410 first graders competing coast to coast, Halle’s score put him well within the top one percent among his peers in the U.S.

“I was thrilled with the outcome because it made me feel good about myself, but the best part was how proud my family, friends, and teachers were of me,” the young mathematician said.

The Kangaroo Math contest is held around the world every March, promoting a “greater commitment to the study of mathematics through the use of interesting problems and positive reinforcement,” its website reads.

Halle’s stellar performance shows that District and Barnard students still enjoy an excellent education and continue to succeed even in this pandemic environment. His mother, Aline, said he has improved with the virtual learning tactics implemented when the coronavirus closed the school buildings in March. The distance learning platform allows him to focus all of his attention on the work in front of him without distractions and social interferences, she said.

That was encouraging to Barnard Principal Dr. Nicolas Cracco.

“I’m proud to know the students are excelling in their academics,” he said. “At Barnard, we use best practices and strong curriculum resources to provide students with a strong foundation in early mathematics skills and a passion for lifelong learning.”
 
Halle’s first grade teacher Alyssa Moran was proud to hear the news. “His passion for math is an inspiration for us all,” she said.
Students Begin Project SEARCH at Montefiore New Rochelle
A new group of New Rochelle High School students has begun Project SEARCH at Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital, a job-training program with success rates that have earned awards for the City School District of New Rochelle and the hospital.

“I’m getting to know what I need to know in a job,” said student Rashaad Williams, one of the eight participants, on his second day there.

The program helps students with disabilities, who are 18 to 21 years old, transition from NRHS to the workforce. The 10-year-old program is one of 600 programs internationally.

"This is a remarkable opportunity for our students to participate in educational and vocational training that is so critical for the transition into adulthood,” said CSDNR Director of Special and Alternative Education Dara Joseph.

All faculty and students adhere to the Montefiore New Rochelle COVID-19 Department of Health guidelines, including those on social distancing and personal protective equipment.

In Project SEARCH, students spend the school year at the hospital, exposed to a wide range of departments and occupations to fulfill their hopes and goals.

“I like to bake,” said student Linly Zheng. When the students toured the hospital this week, she was wowed by the large kitchen. “It’s amazing,” she said.

Student Jordan Berrios is interested in a career in technology, something he’ll get to look at in departments such as medical records. He is also outgoing and sociable enough that a job working more directly with people is also an option.

“I like to be more social, helping out people and learning to be more independent,” he said.

Students will attend the program every other day. At the end of the school year, they will seek jobs with the help of a job coach from ACCES-VR, funded by another partner organization, Ability Beyond. The District has earned awards from Project SEARCH four years in a row for job placement rates over 70 percent, even up to 100 percent last year. This year, Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital won the National Disability Employment Awareness Month’s 2020 Statewide Award for the program.

NRHS devotes a full-time teacher, Kathy Barbara, to the program.

“The experience is invaluable for the students,” Barbara said. “It’s a powerful feeling for them to walk through the doors of Montefiore New Rochelle and to greet people who treat them with the respect and the expectations that they would of any employee.”
Akshara Koottala and Rachel Rivera
2 NRHS Science Students To be Published
In International Journal
Two New Rochelle High School seniors have been chosen for publication in the selective International Journal of High School Research for their explorations into the genetics of epilepsy and fatal cardiac events.

Akshara Koottala and Rachel Rivera conducted their explorations in the NRHS Science Research Program. Both were thrilled that their projects made the cut for the journal that has featured articles from Brazil, South Korea, India and other countries, as well as across the United States.

“They cover such mind-blowing topics,” Koottala said. "I was really delighted because I felt all the hard work finally paid off."

They were notified recently of their selection for the quarterly journal, which began publishing last year. Their works have not yet been slated for specific issues. The journal features five to eleven articles in each issue, exploring a wide array of scientific areas such as Alzheimer’s disease, dengue fever, economic downturns and the effects of invasive species on crocodile populations.

“IJHSR selects the highest quality of high school student research work in all areas of science, including the behavioral and social sciences, technology, engineering, and math,” the publication’s website reads. 

Koottala and Rivera conducted their research in summer 2019.

Koottala’s project was "Using Neuropeptide Y as a Marker to Track GABA Neurons in Rat Brains Prenatally Primed with Betamethasone." She looked at epilepsy in rats whose mothers had been put under stress. She found that pregnant rats who were stressed gave birth to offspring who were more likely to have lower counts of a certain protein that helps prevent seizures.

“Stress in the mother is so powerful – enough to impact the child,” she said.

A surprising secondary finding was that females were more likely to develop epilepsy earlier than males.

Her research, conducted at New York Medical College, combined a study of epilepsy recommended by her mentor, with genetics, which has long interested her.

“When I discovered that the cause of epilepsy is unknown in two out of every three people diagnosed, I felt inspired to search for a possible cause and link it to genetics,” she said. Of genetics, she said; “It’s just fascinating to me there is a whole blueprint of how our body works in these little cells.”

Rivera’s project was "Determinants of Coronary Vascular Events Responsible for Sudden Cardiac Death-Vulnerable Plaque Trial.” She researched fatal events such as heart attacks that strike suddenly because the cause of undetected buildups in the arteries called vulnerable plaque.

Rivera, who plans to be a cardiologist, conducted her research at Weill Cornell Medical Center, affiliated with New York-Presbyterian in New York City. She found that newer, dual-energy CT scans were more effective for spotting incidents of vulnerable plaque.

“These plaques are very difficult to diagnose in people because they are confused with fatty plaques,” she said. “We found that the dual energy CT scan was able to best characterize the location of each vulnerable plaque.”

Such earlier detection could save lives.

“These findings suggest a new method of vulnerable plaque identification, which was previously unknown and may assist in lessening the cardiovascular burden associated with this condition,” she explained.

Jeff Wuebber, coordinator of the Science Research Program, called their accomplishment “astoundingly remarkable and impressive.”

“Rachel and Akshara are in a league of their own,” he said. “If the future is filled with scientists like them, our world will be a greater place.”
Scene from video on COVID basics
COVID-Related Protocols, Procedures Posted
On District Homepage
The protocols and procedures the City School District of New Rochelle is implementing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 can now be found in a designated section of the District’s homepage at www.nred.org. These include the procedures to be followed as the District operates the distance learning and hybrid educational models.

Posts include the protocols for wearing masks in school buildings and for what happens if a student or staff member becomes sick with COVID-19, as well as the procedures for handing out mifi systems that create mobile internet hotspots in the homes of students who do not have internet access.

A video posted on the site, narrated by District Medical Director Dr. Brooke Balchan, offers educators and school staff the basic procedures to be followed as students are welcomed back to the school buildings.

More documents and videos will be posted as they are developed.
Vaccines Available at Montefiore New Rochelle
Health Center
Does your child still need the vaccinations required for school?

Students may receive the vaccines at the Montefiore Medical Group New Rochelle Health Center even if they are not generally patients of the health center, thanks to a partnership with the City School District of New Rochelle.

Vaccine-only appointments will be taken 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays at the health center’s Lockwood Avenue location. Call (914) 365-3160 to schedule a visit. Most insurances are accepted. Due to COVID safety protocols no walk-ins will be permitted.

Remember that vaccines are needed even for a student to participate in distance learning.
City School District of New Rochelle | http://www.nred.org/