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Greetings!
Lexington was honored this month to be included in a special NY1 news story featuring the NYPD's outreach efforts with our students. I would like to extend a special thank you to Alden Foster, Director of Community Engagement, (pictured in photo) for coordinating many special opportunities for our students during the past year.
The Lexington Alumni Association, Inc., planned our first ever Founders' Day Celebration on February 28th. The entire school attended a special ceremony to learn about and celebrate the school's rich history. The date marks the first day that school was held in the home of founders Hannah and Isaac Rosenfeld in 1864. I encourage you to continue reading to learn more about the exciting happenings at Lexington.
Sincerely,
Russell O. West
CEO/Superintendent
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NYPD & Lexington on NY1 News
Hand waves to NYPD's Community Affairs Bureau - Deputy Commissioner Mark Stewart, Director of Community Engagement Alden Foster, and PO Angel Familia -for their outreach initiatives with the Deaf community. The NYPD representatives visited Lexington on March 7th to film a special Spectrum News NY feature on the Department's work with Lexington students. A special thanks to NY1 reporter Justine Re for spending a morning at Lexington and getting to know our students and staff! Click here to view the Spectrum NY1 news feature. Closed captioning option available.
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Deputy Commissioner Stewart (center) and PO Familia (third from right) met with high school students to discuss the NYPD's outreach efforts and job opportunities through the Summer Youth Employment Program. | |
CEO/Superintendent Russell O. West being interviewed and filmed by Spectrum NY1 reporter Justine Re with ASL interpreter Dorothy Corporan-Nieves. | | |
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ROV & Drone Competition
Twelve middle school students traveled to Hartford, CT on March 1-5 to compete in underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicle) and drone competitions as part of Lexington's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) initiative. The students proudly displayed their team name, Perseverance, on their shirts to reflect how they dealt with the many challenges involved in preparing for the tournaments. Special thanks to Carol Kretschmer, Suhanthi Knower, Nour Ellakis, and Spencer Stelmach for coaching and chaperoning the teams throughout their STEM experience.
Click here to read more and see more photos from the event!
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Displaying team spirit at the tournament. | |
The REC Aerial Drone competition. | |
Learning to use power tools to construct the ROVs. | |
Founder's Day
Lexington’s Cheer Squad and Blue Jay mascot brought oodles of school spirit to our first Founder’s Day event on February 28th. Thanks to the Lexington Alumni Association, Inc. (LAA) for hosting an inspiring celebration! The opening ceremony included cheerleading routines, a Lexington history slide show, and photos with the cheerleaders. LAA officers and board members explained the role of the alumni association and its importance to the school. Other activities included preschool read alouds, a lower school Blue Jay scavenger hunt, and upper school games. Art teacher Shira Harris' classes hosted a display of Blue Jay art and everyone got into the spirit thanks to the festive blue and white decorations in the hallways!
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The Cheer Squad modeled uniforms from previous school eras. | |  |
Lexington alumni gathered for a quick photo at day's end. | | | |
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Black History Month
During Black History Month, Lexington students were involved in multiple activities celebrating Black culture, history, and achievements. All students participated in making "This Is Me" self-portraits. Their creations were combined to create a school-wide collage of self-representation and diversity. Deadra Nelson-Mason, mother of Imhotep, led middle school students in traditional African dances. The Black History Club sponsored two weeks of activities for high school students and the Multicultural Committee provided links to Black History Month resources. Thanks to everyone who led activities and provided resources for this school-wide celebration.
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Lexington parent Deadra Nelson-Mason taught an African dance. | |
High school students and staff shared messages of Black pride. | |
Students created self-portraits during free periods. | |
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ESDAA Basketball & Cheerleading
Lexington's Varsity Boys Basketball Team and Cheerleading Squad travelled to New York School for the Deaf on February 17-19 for the 2023 Eastern Schools for the Deaf Athletic Association (ESDAA) Tournament. Lexington defeated Rhode Island 53-35 in the first round and won against American School for the Deaf 38-23. They lost the Championship game, 26-30, against Ohio School for the Deaf and ended the tournament in second place. Congratulations to Cristhian, Hunter, and Sal for being selected to the All-Tournament Team. The Bluejays also won the Team 21 and Free Throw competitions. The Lexington Cheerleaders demonstrated amazing school spirit the entire weekend. Congratulations to William Mora for being selected to the All-Tournament Cheerleading team!
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Academic Bowl Team
The Academic Bowl team - Michael Viera, Steven Fang, and Cristhian de la Cruz -and coaches Wade Phillips and James McGuinness, traveled to the Kentucky School for the Deaf on March 9-12 for the 2023 East Regional Competition. Based on wins and losses, Lexington tied with three other schools on the first day. ON day two, Lexington advanced to the "Round of 16." The first-year team played well, but did not advance to the quarter and semi-final games. It was a great experience for all and we congratulate our Lexington players on their efforts!
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Math & Movement
Teacher Jessica Sackman's and IA Lashawna Logan's Elementary 5 class is using the Math & Movement program to enrich math instruction. Math & Movement recognizes that students learn through different styles — so the program includes visual, auditory, and kinesthetic elements that align with NY state standards. The multi-sensory learning approach boosts retention rates, builds self-confidence, and increases test scores. Class E5 would agree that learning math is easier when it includes hopping and skipping!
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The multiplication hop map. | |
Learning to skip count by 5s. | |
Making the connection between skip counting and multiplication. | |
St. Patrick's Day Hijinks | |
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In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Ms. DiMeglio's and Ms. Chesser’s classes decided to catch a leprechaun. They read the book, How to Catch a Leprechaun, by Adam Wallace. On the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, the students set traps. They used gold coins as bait. The students also made signs saying “Free Gold” to lure the leprechaun and trap him. The next morning, teachers and students were shocked to see their classrooms ransacked and in disarray. The students were disappointed that the leprechaun escaped but are already planning better traps for next year. | | | |
Students worked in teams to plan and construct leprechaun traps as part of the STEM challenge. | |
Ms. DiMeglio helped to clean up the mess left behind by the leprechauns.
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Valentine's Day Craft
Students in teacher David Wilcox's and IA Myriam Andrade's elementary class (E8) enjoyed a special Valentine's Day crafting workshop. Ashley Pimentel, the mother of student Sophia Pimental, taught the class how to make a Valentine's Day Panda Jar. Ms. Pimentel signed parts of the lesson and led students through each step of the process. Many thanks to Ms. Pimentel for sharing her talents with the students!
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100 Days of School
Elementary 4 teacher Tara Benton, supported by IA Georgia Dubois, planned a special scavenger hunt to mark the 100th day of school. Students had to find clues, hidden throughout the classroom, and solve challenges that incorporated the number 100. The students were thrilled when the final clue led to an ice cream sundae treat.
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Yellow School Bus Advocacy | |
A huge thank you to reporter Amanda Geduld and the editorial staff at Chalkbeat NY for documenting how the lack of school bus drivers is impacting the education of special needs students throughout NYC, including students at Lexington. A special thanks to the staff and families who have been advocating for change and the Lexington families who agreed to be interviewed for this article. A special mention to NYS Senator John C. Liu, 16th Senate District and Chair of the NYC Education Committee, for his efforts to resolve the issue. Click here to read the article | | | |
FDNY Teaches CPR to Seniors | Lexington would like to thank the FDNY for providing CPR training to all graduating seniors on March 8th. Students learned when to administer CPR and practiced compression techniques on mannequins. We look forward to continuing this partnership with FDNY for future graduating classes. | |
Students Attend PrideWorks
On Wednesday, March 15th, a small group of Lexington high school students and staff attended an all-day conference at Pace University in Westchester county, sponsored by PrideWorks, for LGBTQ Youth and their Allies. The keynote speaker was Nyle DiMarco, a former Lexington student, who is well-known within the Deaf and Hearing communities for winning America's Top Model and Dancing with the Stars among his many achievements. Students attended workshops and participated in discussions and Q&As. It was an affirming day for all and an uplifting experience of diversity and comradery.
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John's Crazy Socks
John Cronin, Chief Happiness Officer of John's Crazy Socks, visited Lexington on March 6th to deliver a donation check to CEO/Superintendent Russell O. West and Lower School Principal Catrina Zowak. The check represented proceeds from the company's 12 Days of Giving program with Lexington being the beneficiary for the 8th Day of Giving. Every purchase of John's I-Love-You ASL socks benefits Lexington School! Use this link to order your pair of socks!
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Catrina Zowak, John Cronin, and Russell O. West | |
Dorm Students Attend Shubert Festival | |
Dorm students attended The Shubert Foundation’s 2023 High School Theatre Festival for NYC Public Schools on Monday, March 20. This annual theatre education experience is presented by The Shubert Foundation and the NYC Department of Education Arts Office. The festival featured performances by five NYC high schools. Presenters included Broadway actors, Adrianna Hicks and J. Harrison Ghee (Some Like It Hot), Bill Irwin (Endgame) and Tony Shaloub (The Band's Visit). Drama coach Jared Lopatin hopes the visit inspires more students to participate in Lexington's Drama Club. | | | | |
