City School District of New Rochelle
News & updates
February 14, 2020
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Dr. Feijóo Marks 100 Days as Superintendent
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Laura Feijóo marked her first 100 days at the helm of the City School District of New Rochelle last Saturday, concluding an initial period in which she has set the groundwork to move the District forward in almost every area.

In a little more than three months, she has begun a transformation of the District that will be based on solid research, vast experience and a superb staff of educators. She has:

  • Implemented a two-phase Entry Plan that uses solid data to assess the state of the schools and aims for success with SMART – strategic, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound – goals.
  • Hired Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Alex Marrero.
  • Begun a search for an administrator to fill the newly created position of Director of Diversity, Inclusivity and Innovation, who will help build and maintain a diverse staff while ensuring that what is taught in the schools is relevant to all in a widely diverse district.
  • Proposed a preliminary 2020-21 budget with a $2 million equity fund that apportions money to schools in a manner that supports District priorities.
  • Implemented safety and security recommendations from Altaris Consulting Group.

“New Rochelle is a wonderful community with many strengths to draw on,” Dr. Feijóo said. “I have found incredibly innovative teachers who work really hard on improving curriculum and students who are truly excited to be in school and to be with their teachers. In class after class, in every school, you see the excitement. These are all vital aspects of a District that shows amazing achievements, and that is capable of even more.”

Dr. Feijóo’s approach centers on setting the goals after assessing the data in Phase I of the entry plan, in which each school presented a report on demographics and student performance. Those reports helped the District set priorities that will determine how the equity fund in the 2020-21 budget will be distributed: reducing the success gaps and supporting English language learners, special education students and those who are economically disadvantaged.

“We are thrilled with the progress Dr. Feijóo is making in moving the District forward,” said Board of Education President Amy Moselhi. “The school-to-home partnership is key to any district’s success. An example of community engagement is Dr. Fiejóo’s initiative to engage the community around the priorities expressed in the Phase I data. This is important to celebrate.”

The New Rochelle PTA Council joined in congratulating Dr. Feijóo on the milestone.

“The PTA Council of New Rochelle is delighted to wish Dr. Feijóo, our Superintendent of Schools, Congratulations on her one hundredth day in the New Rochelle School District!” the PTA Council announced in a message to Dr. Feijóo. “We wish you continued success and we look forward to our continued PTA Council partnership as you continue to improve, promote and implement programs that will provide our children with an invaluable educational experience.”

The PTA is just one of the many organizations Dr. Feijóo has built relationships with.

“I want to thank the staff members, parents, students and community leaders who have welcomed me to New Rochelle,” Dr. Feijóo said . “I’m eager to continue meeting with those willing to work with the District to provide the world-class educational experience our students deserve.”

Watch a video about Dr. Feijóo's first 100 days by clicking on the photo to the right.
Six NRHS Seniors Named
Merit Scholar Finalists

All six New Rochelle High School seniors who were named National Merit Semifinalists in September have advanced to the Finalist round.

Nationally, more than 15,000 of the 16,000 Semifinalists met requirements to reach Finalist standing in the annual academic competition run by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. All Finalists will be considered for National Merit Scholarships offered in 2020.

New Rochelle’s Finalists, pictured above, from left: Stephen A. Bartell, Martina R. Freed, Maya S. Schloss, Kate M. Spillane and Aaron M. Cohen. Not pictured is Abigail Kazakov, who is also the 2020 valedictorian.
NRHS Athletes Excel
On Court, Track, Lanes

New Rochelle High School athletes exceled on the track, the court and bowling lanes in recent days, while two varsity football players received prestigious honors. Here are some highlights:

Bowling
The girls Bowling Team defeated White Plains to win New Rochelle’s first league title for girls bowling in recent years. Congratulations to first-year coach Adam Capellan. The girls competed in the Section One tournament on Feb. 10 at Schneider's Fishkill Bowl finishing sixth overall. 
 
Basketball
Four members of the varsity basketball team were named to the All-League team, three players were named to the All-Conference team, and two to the All-Section team. They were:
  •  Jayson McGhee: All-League, All-Conference, All-Section
  • Promise Opurum: All-League, All-Conference, All-Section
  • Prakash Ketterhagen: All-League, All-Conference
  • Che Stephens: All-League
 
Head coach Rasaun Young earned League Coach of the Year honors.

The team will have the home court advantage for the first round of the Section One tournament on Feb. 22.
 
The basketball team also honored its senior players on Senior Night this week. Click here to see a video made by the basketball parents in part with photos from lohud.com.
 
Indoor Track
At the Class A Section One Indoor Track Championships at the Armory, the boys and girls teams both took second place.

Top performers included:
  • Shane Cass, second place in the boys 3200 meter (9:40.89).
  • Chiamake Odenigbo, first place in the girls high jump (5' 2") and second place in the 55-meter high hurdles (8.56).
  • Kaitlyn Casas, third place in the 3000 meter (10:26.14).
 
The boys took the top three spots in the Triple Jump, with achieving personal bests:
  • First: Abdul Keshinro jumped 44' 3.75"
  • Second: Isaiah Amir-Townes jumped 44' 1"
  • Third: Jaden Crisp jumped 43'11"
 
Other results:
  •  Tristan Marine ran a personal best to win the boys 1600 with a time of 4:24.50, edging out Bryan Onody from North Rockland (4:24.53).
  • Ilenn Soto took second place in the girls weight throw (46' 9.75").
  • Arianna Crosswhite took second place in the girls 55-meter dash (7.3).

Swimming
Boys Swim team had a strong showing in the Section One Championships with the New Rochelle/Bronxville squad finished fifth out of 25 teams.

Several swimmers and relay teams qualified for the state championships. Check future e-newsletters for more.

Football
Two members of the Huguenots football team were honored at the Westchester Chapter of the National Football Foundation’s annual Golden Dozen Dinner at the Westchester Country Club. Calvin Jackson was chosen as one of the Golden Dozen, while Raymond Dixon was one of 18 honorable mentions.

At the event, Jackson spoke on behalf of all the Golden Dozen recipients. He also received one of three scholarships awarded and was named to the National Football Foundation’s Team of Distinction.

Jackson was also named to the Fourth Team All-State in addition to being an All-League and All-Section player.
Several clay artists show some of the tiles created in their class.
Jefferson 5th Grade Creates Clay Tiles
For Permanent Legacy

 Next September, the current fifth graders at Jefferson Elementary School will have moved on, but the sea-themed clay tiles they created recently will become a permanent part of the school.

No temporary art exhibit taped to the walls, these tiles will form a mural four feet high and 18 feet long along the second floor hallway, becoming part of the décor in the art deco building.

Students created the 6-inch square tiles with the organization Day in Clay.

“It was a nice experience because it looks hard, but once you do it, you’re proud of yourself,” said fifth grader Venesa Flores.

Flores created a tile with a swan in honor of one of her favorite songs, “Black Swan” by BTS. Schoolmate Gabriella Pino made a turtle because she liked the pattern on its shell. Amelie Mendez created a whale because not many others were doing it, and Daniel Mascimento created a seahorse because, he said, “they’re not like any other creature.”

Stefani Ramirez chose a swordfish for her tile just because “to me, it looks kind of cool.”

This is the third time students at the school have created the tiles.

Previous works can be found on the stairways and the second floor hallway. With the clay still setting, the latest pieces will eventually be glazed and fired in a kiln, like those before them.

“The great thing about this project is that it crosses curriculums,” said art teacher Paolo Fiorini. “It combines science, social studies and social issues. It also gives the students another form of expression while learning art techniques and studying different themes.”
Chat With Tony Winner
Leaves Cast
'Head Over Heels'
Not many high school musical casts get an opportunity like this one.

Yesterday, the cast and crew of the upcoming TheatreWorks production of Head Over Heels got to talk with Michael Mayer, the Tony-award winning director who helmed the play on Broadway in 2018.

Mayer teleconferenced in to the New Rochelle High School classroom of teacher Anthony Stirpe, who is directing New Rochelle’s staging of the show.

“The show is beautiful example of how love is love is love and there are all sorts of ways for people to love each other," Mayer told the students. Head Over Heels, following the royal family of Arcadia on a journey to keep their "beat," combines 16 th century-style language with the songs of the pop group The Go-Gos. Mayer’s advice for delivering the lines was for the actors to be certain they understood them.

“If you know what you’re saying then the audience will know what you’re saying,” he said.

The director, who won his Tony for 2006’s Broadway production of Spring Awakening , connected with TheatreWorks thanks to Melissa Panszi Riebe, President of the Albert Leonard Middle School PTA, who is a friend.

Olivia Dower, a junior who plays Pamela, asked Mayer's advice on the song “Automatic Rainy Day,” which she sings with senior Kendall Atterberry, who plays Mopsa. Is it a love song, or are they fighting? Mayer advised them to think of it as two people sniping at each other because they can’t admit their true feelings.

“Now we can channel that,” Dower said later.

Added Atterberry; “We have a really complicated relationship and he really cleared it up.”

Tyler Manley, a junior who plays Musidorus got a boost of confidence when he learned that his character was Mayer’s favorite.

 “I can do this,” he said. “And I need to do it as best as I can.”

TheatreWorks will present the show on March 19-21 in the Linda E. Kelly Theater at NRHS. The students got a jolt of inspiration from Mayer’s insights and generosity in sharing his time with them.

“I think it’s going to motivate the cast,” said Katlyn Lythcott, who plays Gynecia. “They’ll put their all into the show.”
Science Research Team Continues to Win Honors

The New Rochelle High School Science Research Program students continued their string of triumphs recently, coming home from the Junior Science and Humanities Symposium with 11 awards – more than twice as many as last year.

NRHS junior Fatima Gonzalez won first place for the entire competition in the poster division, as well as in her category. Three NRHS seniors will advance to the state competition at SUNY Albany in March: Josh Berenbaum, Jake Egelberg and Jonny Ecker.

"The Science Research Program has definitely helped me gain confidence in myself both in speaking and in my abilities," Gonzalez said.

In all, 18 NRHS students comp eted in the symposium last Saturday. Last year, the team brought home five awards.

“I am so proud of all the students,” said program Director Jeff Wuebber. “Everyone did amazingly well. The students followed every direction and made the day a huge success. They were simply perfect.”

Students compete in two categories: Posters and speaking. The posters are large triptychs crammed with information and explanations of the students’ research; speakers present their research in slide shows. Only competitors in the speaker division – open only to seniors – vie for placement in the state competition.

In the poster division, the NRHS winners were:

Fatima Gonzalez - 1st Place, Cell and Molecular Biology: “The Optimization of the IL-17 Antibody and the Role of Inflammation in Infantile Spasms”
Griffin Bates - 1st Place, Physical Science: “A Computational Examination of the Permeability of DOPC-DOPS Bilayers”
Rachel Fox - 2nd Place, Behavior: “Differences in Eczema Experience.”
Javier Hernandez - 2nd Place, Cell and Molecular Biology: “A Novel Approach to Investigating Chemical Carcinogens: Using an Alternative-to-Animal Model to Better Understand the Modes of Action of Carcinogenic Chemicals”
Aaron Cohen - 3rd Place, Astronomy: “Martian HDO Abundance and Implications for Water Cycle”
Yaffa Segal - 3rd Place, Environmental Science: “Honey as a Biomonitor: Using Honey Mass Spectrometer Analysis for Heavy Metal Detection”
Akshara Koottala - 3rd Place, Medicine & Health: “Establishing a Link Between Epilepsy and Genetics”

In the speaker division, the NRHS winners were.

Jonny Ecker - 1st Place, Medical Science: “Assessing the Effect of Combination of Dabrafenib and Pateamine A Analog MZ on Inhibiting Proliferation of the PANC-1 Cell Line”
Jake Egelberg - 2nd Place, Cell and Molecular Biology: “Flagella-Mediated Antibiotic Persistence: A Scientific Enigma”
Josh Berenbaum - 4th Place, Behavior: “The Effect of Selective Forgetting on Imagination of the Future”

Volunteer Mentors Sought

If you or someone you know works as a professional in a scientific field, we need your help!
 
The NRHS Science Research Program is looking for scientists, clinician scientists, engineers, physicians, mathematicians, computer scientists and social scientists to mentor students this summer.

Summer internships are a vital component of the program. Many students have made important contributions at prestigious laboratories in institutions such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York Medical College, Boston College, Northeastern University, Iona College and the Bronx Veterans Administration.

Contact Jeff Wuebber for information,  jwuebber@nredlearn.org .

The program also seeks volunteers in the science professions to offer feedback on students’ presentations on Practice Night, when they prepare for the upcoming Westchester Science and Engineering Fair. Practice Night begins 6:30 p.m. Feb. 27 in the Linda E. Kelly Theater of New Rochelle High School. Register at this link . 
ALMS Gets 3D Printers

At Albert Leonard Middle School, the 3D Printing Club students are assembling two 3D printers that were purchased with a grant awarded to the tech ed department by the school’s PTA. The printers are expected to be completed in time to begin operating in March. Check upcoming editions of the weekly e-newsletter for more about the use of these cutting-edge devices, which are great for hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) lessons. 
MBK New Ro Seeks
Committee Members

My Brother’s Keeper New Rochelle is looking for 12 members of the community to serve on an Advisory Committee that will guide the four-year-old organization in its mission of increasing opportunities for all youth, especially boys and young men of color.
 
MBKNewRo offers more than two dozen programs and activities each year that promote literacy and provide college and career preparation. These goals align with those of the national and NY State MBK initiative which “seeks to ‘Change the Narrative’ of boys and young men of color, and all students, by closing and eliminating the opportunity gaps they face and helping them to reach their full potential," according to the MBK site on the New York State Education Department website.
 
The Advisory Committee will be comprised of six members chosen by the City School District of New Rochelle and six by the Mayor’s office. 
 
If you are interested in serving on the Advisory Committee please email your letter of interest to the District Clerk Lisdalia Saraiva at  lsaraiva@nredlearn.org .

Emails should be no longer than 500 words and should address experience supporting and working with boys and young men of color.
 
Applications are due Feb. 26, so that the committee can be announced at the end of the month.
Sports Schedule
For upcoming New Rochelle athletic competitions, check out the Athletics Calendar.

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