Schools, Offices Closed Monday
City School District of New Rochelle schools and offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 17, in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. All reopen Tuesday, Jan. 18.
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Alert on Potential Busing Issues
City School District of New Rochelle bus transportation may be impacted next week when Mount Vernon schools return to in-person learning. The bus vendor serving the school districts is experiencing staffing shortages.
For information about busing, call the New Rochelle school district's Office of Transportation at (914) 576-4230 or email [email protected]. For information on First Mile Square buses, call (914) 423-7777.
For information regarding First Student, call (914) 668-2700. Thank you for your patience.
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COVID-19 Update:
Saliva Testing and Contact Tracing Modified
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The City School District of New Rochelle has updated its COVID-19 protocols to align with the most recent guidance from public health authorities. These include changes to practices involving testing and isolation strategies. All are designed to prioritize the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff, and maintain in-person education – which is vital to students’ advancement academically, socially, and emotionally.
These advancements, outlined in an email to families today, take effect Tuesday, Jan. 18.
Click here to learn about these important changes.
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Trinity Elementary School Principal Michael Hilderbrand at the vaccination clinic. |
112 Children Vaccinated
at Trinity Clinic This Week
COVID-19 vaccinations are an essential component to protecting health, and 112 children received shots during a clinic at Trinity Elementary School this week. The event was presented by the City School District of New Rochelle, in partnership with the Westchester County Department of Health.
The school district is seeking to schedule additional clinics; details will be provided when available. Every vaccinated child represents further protection for our community.
To address inquiries about children’s vaccinations, Westchester County has created a list of Frequently Asked Questions and Answers. Please visit https://5il.co/128fk. Vaccinations for ages 5-11 also are available at Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital; (call (914) 701-1700, ext. 1, for an appointment) and Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. Appointments: Am-I-Eligible.COVID19Vaccine.Health.NY.gov.
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Superintendent’s Jan. 19 Town Hall to Debut New Format |
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Please set aside Wednesday evening, Jan. 19, to attend Superintendent Jonathan Raymond's next Community Town Hall at 7 p.m. The presentation will start with a COVID-19 safety update, including information on modifications to school district testing programs. It will be followed by a second topic, discussion on “What Divides Us and What Unites Us?”
The Town Hall will last about an hour and will be held at the New Rochelle Public Library, 1 Library Plaza. Attendance also is welcomed via Zoom at this link: https://zoom.us/j/95423063438.
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Interest in Electronics Sparks Pathway to Power Efficiency |
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The students in New Rochelle High School’s Science Research Program explore a dazzling range of topics under the mentorship of experts from some of the top institutions of learning and exploration. Students’ projects will regularly be featured in this Newsletter.
Student: Anthony D’Amato, junior
Mentor: Sendyne Corp. CEO John Milios
Anthony D’Amato always has been interested in electronics. His interest in electronic power systems (specifically lithium-ion batteries) led him to develop a project for New Rochelle High School’s Science Research program involving these batteries and current measurement systems.
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The goal of the project was to quantify factors that could cause interference in electric current measurements, especially with direct current (DC) measurements.
“DC current measurements are crucial in many applications we interact with in our daily lives, such as data centers and electric vehicles,” D’Amato explained. “DC current measurements are often inaccurate, which means many devices we rely on daily cannot operate at their full potential.”
With his project, D’Amato wanted to track factors that could result in decreased measurement accuracy so they could be corrected in future measurements, ensuring more efficient operation of DC devices.
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To do this, D’Amato focused on “shunts,” a type of DC measuring device. He aimed to quantify the Seebeck Effect, which causes a voltage difference across conductors when a temperature difference is present in a shunt, a device that creates paths for electric currents to follow.
D’Amato built a module that would heat one side of the shunt while dissipating heat from the other side. The goal was to simulate operating conditions of shunts with regard to their temperatures. The experiments achieved temperature differences of 5, 10, 20 degrees Celsius across the shunt. He measured the corresponding thermoelectric voltage for each temperature differential, and then converted the value of that voltage to a Seebeck coefficient, a way of representing the Seebeck Effect.
Based on the results of 12 tests, D’Amato created a graph that can predict Seebeck coefficients at any temperature differential across the shunt.
D’Amato views his experience as being quite influential for his future.
“Having the experience of working in a lab setting in a field that I’m passionate about will have an amazing impact on my future,” he said. “I learned a lot during the experience and I see myself utilizing that knowledge throughout university and my future career.”
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Columbus Kindergartners
Research Animal Behavior
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Kindergarteners who are animal researchers? At Columbus Elementary School – yes!
As school buildings reopened this week, Superintendent Jonathan Raymond’s ongoing Listening and Learning Tour took him to Columbus. That’s where he encountered the findings of Columbus’ young researchers, gracing a bulletin board display (shown in photo, next to Principal Michael Galland).
The “How Do Animals Prepare for the Winter?” presentation is among the products of the “information unit,” which is an information books reading and writing unit. The spelling, in some cases, is invented, an important strategy to help students develop their skills and a way for students to teach others.
While at Columbus, Raymond also greeted several classes, watched aspiring builders play with blocks, and saw a spirited Nok-Hockey game and other activities during indoor recess.
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Give it Some Steam! Ward’s #HotCocoa Survey Needs You! |
Attention hot cocoa lovers! William B. Ward Elementary School needs your help with a survey! The #HotCocoaProject teaches students about STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics education) and how to investigate and analyze data.
Students collaborated to identify what information they wanted to know and brainstormed questions to get survey respondents’ hot cocoa preferences.
Now, it’s your turn! Help these young data scientists by taking the survey at this link.
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Mobile Pantry at Young
Gives Out Over 2 Tons of Food
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The Mobile Food Pantry returned to Isaac E. Young Middle School Wednesday and distributed 4,700 pounds of food to 400 visitors. This initiative is critical to local families; a healthy, consistent diet can help students in school and with their quality of life.
Superintendent Jonathan Raymond stopped by the event to talk with volunteers and recipients as part of his district-wide Listening and Learning Tour.
The Mobile Food Pantry is sponsored by the City School District of New Rochelle’s Pupil Personnel Services Department and Feeding Westchester.
The Mobile Food Pantry returns to Isaac E. Young Middle School on Feb. 9 from 4-5 p.m. All are welcome.
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Barnard’s 'Snowy Day'
Adventures Emulate Book
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A school assignment to play in the snow? For Judy Badillo’s kindergarten class at the Barnard Early Childhood Center, such frolicking was the basis for a bigger lesson and experience, including the creation of a book.
Last Friday’s snow, which came while New Rochelle students were learning virtually, set the stage. Badillo said parents and students had a blast taking pictures making snowballs, snowmen, and snow angels outside their homes, emulating the adventures of the main character, Jack, in the classic children’s book “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats.
Badillo then compiled the photos into Barnard’s version of “The Snowy Day.” She placed the photos into an online “read aloud” lesson on Google slides, and the result is page after page of fun. Click here to see students’ adventures – and what Principal Dr. Nicolas Cracco called a “wonderful book.”
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Teachers Participate in
STEM Ambassador Program
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Fourteen City School District of New Rochelle teachers recently participated in the Westchester STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Ambassador Program, giving them beneficial new skills they can pass on to their students.
The program is part of a New York State Education Department grant called Smart Start, a program geared toward professional development of teachers in kindergarten through grade eight. The program seeks to bolster knowledge and expertise of New York State Computer Science and Digital Fluency Learning Standards launched in late 2020.
The district was one of 17 applicants to share in $6 million worth of funding for this initiative. The New Rochelle teachers who took part were:
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Davis Elementary School: David Bournas-Ney, Tara DeRubeis, Laura Sarago
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Isaac E. Young Middle School: Melissa Thomas, Scott Misner
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Jefferson Elementary School: Lucia Brea, Aimee Ferguson
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Trinity Elementary School: Rachel Collens, Denise Larkin, Antenisca Malaj, Adrienne Quinn, Meera Rajani, Maria Torres
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Daniel Webster Elementary School: Kathleen Coyne
Misner said the program offered numerous opportunities to enhance his knowledge of STEM subject matter and provide his students with more enriching experiences.
“The program introduced me to New York State’s Culturally Responsive Sustaining Standards and taught me how to integrate into the Engineering and Design Standards,” he said. “This has allowed me to more effectively reach my diverse population of students.”
Misner also mentioned that he appreciated becoming familiar with effective and engaging new technology, such as Makey Makey Kits, which the grant provided to his class. These kits are designed to give kids the opportunity to become inventors and experiment with creating their own circuits, sensors, code and more, with near-limitless possibilities.
Ferguson also said her experience with the program would be beneficial to her students as well, helping them to learn and investigate in innovative ways.
“The Smart Start Ambassador Program has allowed me to learn and explore engineering, computer science and educational technology with educators, giving me a well-rounded STEM experience,” she said.
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High School Honor Society Reactivates, Advanced Courses Draw Substantial Interest
New Rochelle High School had two important events this week.
- Congratulations to new National Honor Society inductees, representing a return to an important milestone after a COVID-related absence of a few years. These seniors were recognized for their academic excellence: Jathiya Abiff, Jacqueline Ceja, Priscilla Cervantes, Rubi Galindo, Mariana Gonzalez, Mariyam Mubarak, Amanda Silva, Francheska Solomon, Navid Torres and Ariana Tamayo Zavala.
- The Advanced Course Information Night that took place on Wednesday had more than 400 attendees. The program showcased, for students in grades 9-11, two dozen advanced-level classes, and offered information about the application process. Superintendent Jonathan Raymond highlighted the importance of student wellness and shared how advanced courses helped advance his education. Current and former students shared their experiences in the courses and answered numerous insightful questions.
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Pre-Kindergarten Lottery Open through Jan. 28; View Info Session |
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The City School District of New Rochelle, in partnership with several community agencies, is offering residents pre-kindergarten options for the 2022-2023 school year. Enter a lottery for a pre-kindergarten seat, and rank preferences or programs and locations until Jan. 28.
Parents may choose from Universal Pre-Kindergarten or Magnet Pre-Kindergarten. Entries will be processed during the first week of February, and every effort will be made to accommodate families’ choices. Families then will be notified about next steps, including how to navigate the school registration process.
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Presentations explaining the process are available for viewing:
- Click here for the English Zoom presentation.
- Click here for the Spanish Zoom presentation.
- Click here for the English slide presentation.
- Click here for the Spanish slide presentation.
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Click here for the English tutorial on how to register.
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Click here for the Spanish tutorial on how to register.
The Office of Elementary Education, in partnership with the New Rochelle Public Library, will be offering a Saturday How-To-Enter-The-Lottery Clinic. Community members may stop by to sit with a volunteer or district employee who will assist families (in English or Spanish) enter the lottery on site. The How-To-Enter-The-Lottery Clinic will be held on Saturday, Jan. 22 from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the New Rochelle Public Library, 1 Library Plaza, All visitors must wear a mask in accordance with the New York State Department of Health as indicated on the public library website.
Contact the Office of Curriculum and Instruction at (914) 576-4622 or [email protected].
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City School District of New Rochelle | nred.org
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