City School District of New Rochelle
News & updates
February 28, 2020
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National Expert On Facilities, Equity
To Visit
Mary Filardo, a nationally renowned authority on the importance of modern, high-quality school facilities in providing equity in education, will visit the City School District of New Rochelle, tour the school buildings and address the community in a Town Hall meeting next month.

Filardo, Executive Director of The 21st Century School Fund, will arrive on March 10. After she has examined the sites with District Director of Facilities Carl Thurnau, she will address the community as part of a panel on March 11 at 7 p.m. in the District’s Central Administration on the second floor of City Hall, 515 North Ave.

Also joining the panel will be Dr. Rick Timbs, the executive director of the Statewide School Finance Consortium in Syracuse, N.Y. The talk will be called, “Educational Equity and Public Infrastructure.”

“A lot of research shows that the quality of a school building impacts student achievement, teacher retention and the opportunities available to students in the school,” Filardo said.

In New Rochelle, she will examine improvements made across the District by the $106.5 million construction bond approved by voters in 2016. That work is being carried out in four phases that bring renovations and enhancements to all 10 school buildings in the District.

In 1994, Filardo founded The 21 st Century School Fund “to provide the District of Columbia and other urban communities with leadership, innovative financing solutions, research, and public policy analysis of school facility issues,” according to the organization’s website. The fund, the website reads, “is dedicated to building the public will and capacity to modernize public school facilities so they support high quality education and community revitalization.”

“We are lucky to have someone of Mary Filardo’s caliber take the time to offer her insight and expertise on how the improvements benefit students, and what further work is needed,” Thurnau said. “The panel discussion will be a great opportunity to hear from recognized experts on the importance of continued efforts to revitalize our schools and community through public school facility improvements.”
Akshara Koottala presents her research.
Research Students Practice Presentations to Prepare for WESEF

The House IV cafeteria in New Rochelle High School was buzzing last night with Science Research Students expounding on topics from genetics to dark matter to the (very low) amount of lead found in honey made in New York City.

The students came out for the second annual Practice Night, presenting their research and findings to dozens of volunteers from the New Rochelle community – doctors and other scientists – who quizzed them and offered advice. The event helps the students prepare for the Westchester Science & Engineering Fair (WESEF) on March 21.

“It definitely is nerve-wracking, but it’s helpful; it’s just like the real competition,” said Chi Nwankwoala, a junior who researched the effect that the use of cell phones and other technology has on sleep quality. “You can never get enough practice.”

The first Practice Night proved to be a great success. The year before last, the research program’s students took home four WESEF awards. After last year’s Practice Night, they won 17.

Last night, volunteers listened to the presentations armed with Program Director Jeff Wuebber’s instruction – “Be polite, but be tough with them. Tell them what they need to fix.” They probed with questions and suggestions to delve deeper into topics, add information to charts and bring more life to their presentations.

“They’re asking some really interesting questions,” said Akshara Koottalla, a junior who studied the link between epilepsy and genetics. “It’s making me realize that I have to look into a lot more stuff.”

Spread throughout the cafeteria, the students’ three-sided poster boards displayed research and findings on many topics, such as delaying the progress of kidney disease, the impact of biocide treatment on frac water, and that study of New York City honey, gathered from rooftop hives.

“My favorite sample was from the roof of the 104 th  Police Precinct, where they have a beekeeper officer,” said Yaffa Segal, the junior who studied the Big Apple’s nectar and found it much cleaner than she expected.

Their presentations benefited from the input, and impressed the judges.

“I think our students are going to do very well at WESEF,” said Dr. David Fox, a vascular surgeon who was judging. “We’re identifying their knowledge deficits and they’ve all promised to fill in the holes.”
NBA Veteran Cleamons Offers Advice to NRHS Team in Playoffs

The New Rochelle varsity boys basketball team is got an extra boost in the playoffs from a title-winning former NBA player and coach. Jim Cleamons, who holds 10 NBA titles – one as a player and nine as assistant coach – brought his decades of experience to offer the athletes some tips over the past week.

“I’m talking to them and giving them a listening ear and encouraging them,” Cleamons said Wednesday at a volunteer event with the team. “I’ve been fortunate to have some experience in basketball. I have been where they want to be. I’ve taken that journey that they’re on, so I can talk to them from a personal perspective.”

Athletes said they appreciated him taking time to talk with them, saying they benefited from his decades of experience and his approach.

“He’s very positive and he has an easygoing attitude,” said team member Prakash Ketterhagen, a senior. “It makes it easy for us to listen and pay attention to what he says.”

Cleamons served as an assistant coach under Hall of Famer Phil Jackson in Chicago and was on staff for four of the six championships won by Michael Jordan and the Bulls. When Jackson later went to Los Angeles to coach the Lakers, he brought Cleamons with him as an assistant, where he helped coach Kobe Bryant and the Lakers to five NBA championships.

On Wednesday, he came to the Boys and Girls Club of New Rochelle, Remington Unit, where the basketball team was helping out with a children’s dentistry event. The oral health company DentaQuest, with Fidelis Care, offered free dental screenings, toothbrushes and more.

Cleamons also attended an earlier practice and met with the players over the weekend to offer pointers and individualized advice.

His guidance complements the skilled leadership the athletes receive every day from head coach Rasaun Young, who was recently named league Coach of the Year, and who has led them into the playoffs. They hosted North Rockland in a quarterfinals match today.

“Our coach has really prepared us for this game,” said junior Promise Opurum on Wednesday.
Community Invited
To 'Stop Hate Symposium'
For an Evening of Hope

 All are invited to an evening of discussions and presentations next month aimed at eradicating intolerance and strengthening the diverse City School District of New Rochelle community. The “Stop Hate Symposium-An Evening of Hope” will be held Tuesday, March 24 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Whitney M. Young Jr. Auditorium of New Rochelle High School, 265 Clove Road.

Topics to be covered will include Culturally Responsive Teaching, creating a “no bullying” environment and the importance of socializing on the playground. District principals and other administrators and experts will lead the discussions.

 “This evening will be an important step in building a more nurturing and welcoming environment for all students in our District,” said Superintendent Dr. Laura Feijóo. “We have devoted ourselves to the growth and success of this community, and this symposium will provide the hope that comes with understanding, compassion and intelligently administered educational programs.”

After a panel discussion, participants will be able to attend up to two breakout sessions on the following topics: “Reinventing Inclusive Teaching,” “Being an Upstander,” “You Can’t Say, You Can’t Play,” “Mental Health and Well Being,” “Including and Embracing,” “Diverse Groups in High School,” and “Restoration and Inclusion.” Find a full schedule of the symposium here .

It is strongly recommended that you let us know if you plan to attend with the form linked here .
George M. Davis Jr. Elementary School students share a tele-visit with Leona Tate, who helped desegregate schools in the South in 1960 at the age of 6.
Black History Month Inspires Lessons Across District
Throughout the District, students and teachers have been celebrating Black History Month, creating a poster book in one school, transforming another into a museum and exploring influential African Americans from historical figures to young people making a difference today.

They spoke with a filmmaker, a woman who helped desegregate the South at 6 years old and an expert on the Harlem Renaissance. They also prepared for the culmination of the month, the Black History Month Celebration in the Whitney M. Young Jr. Auditorium of New Rochelle High School tomorrow, Feb. 29, from 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

The celebration is presented by the Westchester Alliance of Black School Educators and the New Rochelle Black History Month Committee and is sponsored by the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence and the New Rochelle Council on the Arts.

Here are some highlights:

Social studies teacher Eric Katz organized a field trip taking New Rochelle High School students to the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville to see the documentary Slavery by Another Name . Juniors and seniors from the U.S. history, African American history, social justice and law and government classes drew connections between their courses and the film’s subject matter. They also engaged in a question-and-answer session with Leola Calzolai-Stewart, producer and director of the upcoming historical documentary Changing State: Black Diplomats, Civil Rights, and the Cold War .

At the Alternative Campus High School , students read short stories and poems that explore the experiences and stories of black Americans throughout various time periods in the United States. Authors they have focused on include Phillis Wheatley and Langston Hughes. The students are about to read the August Wilson play Fences . They are using the texts to generate conversations about the complex concept of the “American Dream”.
 
Albert Leonard Middle School students designed posters addressing questions such as “What are the specific contributions of African Americans to the United States?” Students also created a Harlem Renaissance Gallery Walk. Teacher Sarah Suplina's Art Club created African Masks to celebrate Black History Month. The ALMS Step Team will perform at the Black History Month Celebration.

Eighth graders in Isaac E. Young Middle School studying World War I learned about the African American contributions during the war, including the Harlem Hellfighters, who fought for the country even in the face of racism and segregation. Students, who have been learning about the contributions of African Americans throughout the school year, studied the poetry of Langston Hughes and Maya Angelou and are reading Hidden Figures as part of the ELA curriculum. Activities will continue into next week, when the Zuzu African Acrobats will perform for the students.

George M. Davis Jr. Elementary School students studied young people who have made changes for the better, such as Marley Dias, who started the Twitter phenomenon #1000BlackGirlBooks. One class held a Skype chat with Leona Tate, who, in 1960 at the age of 6, helped desegregate schools in the South.
She told them she only fully understood what had happened later.

“It was years down the line that I understood,” she said. “And for many years, I didn’t want to think about what we had gone through.”

The students were deeply affected by the opportunity to talk to someone who is a part of history.

“Usually we only know about them from books, but we actually got to talk to her,” said Dylan Cliette

Music Teacher Chris Stelluti at Henry Barnard Early Childhood Center worked with kindergarten students on songs for the Black History Month celebration. Interim art teacher Lori Zung worked with kindergarten students to create African inspired masks and first graders created a quilt of Adinkra symbols from the Akan people of Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. The art work will be featured in the celebration. The Bokandeye African Dance Theater performed for all students. Deatra Bailey’s second grade class significant African American contributions and presented them during morning announcements.
 
Classes in all grades at Columbus Elementary School each studied two influential African-Americans – one from the present day and one from the past. The project encouraged them to examine how these historical figures impact our lives today. They created artistic representations to be displayed throughout the school in a Museum Walk.

Jefferson Elementary School students studied African Americans who have had a positive impact on the world today, including Jesse Owens, Garrett Morgan, Jackie Robinson, Alfred L. Cralle, Mae Jemison, Bessie Coleman, George Washington Carver, Langston Hughes and Wallace Amos. They watched videos, read articles and books about the luminaries and wrote about each. The students’ work was displayed on a bulletin board for the month.

Trinity Elementary School ’s third grade chorus has been practicing a song in honor of Nelson Mandela – The Nelson Mandela Song (Sooner Than Later) – for the Black History Celebration. Third graders also made collages of geometric designs inspired by in Morocco’s tile artistry. Fourth graders used scratch art to design the symbolic colors and patterns of Ghana’s traditional kente cloth. Fifth graders worked with clay and acrylic paint to craft Nile River animals inspired by ancient Egyptian culture. K-5 Students celebrated African American biographies through the Book of the Day initiative in the Trinity Library.

Fifth-graders at William B. Ward Elementary School interpreted the poetry of Maya Angelou and Langston Hughes and learned about African American scientists. The also created artworks based on photos of Gianna and Kobe Bryant and researched reports on inspirational people for a presentation to parents. Kindergarten classes chose famous African Americans to study and created posters to hang on classroom doors and to be assembled into a book for all classes to enjoy. Renee Baron-Donatich, a parent who is a specialist in African American literature, culture and history, treated students to a presentation on the Harlem Renaissance.

Daniel Webster Magnet School first graders enjoyed a performance of African folk dance by Vanaver Caravan, an internationally acclaimed dance and music troupe. The Webster Singers have been practicing to perform at the Black History Celebration. Tonight, Webster PTA is hosting a celebration of Black History Family Night in which families will learn about the Seven Principles of Kwanzaa through interactive stations. 
MBK Fellows Attend
Leadership Workshop
In Albany

Four New Rochelle High School students, chosen as My Brother’s Keeper fellows, traveled to Albany recently to represent their school in a daylong leadership workshop.

Meeting with students from around the state in the New York State Museum on February 14 and 15, they shared personal stories, networked and heard inspirational talks from leaders. They also took part in the New York State Association of Black and Puerto Rican Legislators’ 49 th Legislative Conference.

“We met new people, heard other people’s background and stories, and addressed how we can all connect,” said Leroy Johnson, one of the NRHS students.

The students began their mid-winter break with the conference, a highlight of which was an engaging talk by Dr. Alfonso Wyatt, author of Madd Truth: Lasting Lessons for Students of Life , which the students read.
“He gave us a lot of motivation on how to succeed in life, and not to listen to the ‘Mind Hustlers,’” said senior Francky Charles.

Beware the Mind Hustlers: Identifying Self-Destructive Thoughts and Distractions is another book by Dr. Wyatt, inspiring readers to live their lives without being governed by destructive people, places, and things .

Charles and Johnson are two of the four NRHS students chosen as MBK fellows, a statewide leadership program. The others are Jesus Sanchez Caceres and Diego Antequera Torrealba. All four attended the program, chaperoned by NRHS Interim Assistant Principal Rachel Cornelius, NRHS House II Principal Francis Cruz and security guard Rob Johnson.

“They were empowered by being there and meeting students who were like them,” Cornelius said. “They saw that there are students like them who also have goals and are striving to do positive things.

To build confidence and public speaking skills, each students gave an address to the others.

Caceres spoke about coming from Venezuela two years ago.

“I come from another country and here I have to opportunity to do what I want,” he said. He plans to study computer science, and is taking the advanced placement class in the subject now.

The students also heard of the importance of voting and being counted in the U.S. census. They returned with boosted confidence and positive feelings.

As Charles put it: “Everything was perfect.”
Camp Teaches Students Basketball, Academics
During Winter Break

Fourth and fifth graders from across the City School District of New Rochelle bounced basketballs and hit the books in a week-long program at Isaac E. Young Middle School during the mid-winter break.

The second annual Academic Basketball Camp was sponsored by the New Rochelle Basketball Association . In all, 71 students from all six K-5 schools joined the program, spending half the day learning basketball skills and the other half studying. In math, they focused on fractions and shooting percentages in basketball. In English, they learned reading comprehension.

They also worked on social skills such as showing empathy, helping others and considering others’ feelings.

Lunch was included with the free camp. Three New Rochelle teachers helped run the camp, with five New Rochelle High School students serving as counselors.
Sports Schedule
For upcoming New Rochelle athletic competitions, check out the Athletics Calendar.

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Dates to Remember
●           Saturday, February 29: Black History Month Celebration, Whitney Auditorium, NRHS, 3 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

●          Monday, March 2: Half Day, Elementary Schools

●         Monday, March 2: Trinity Read-a-Thong/Dr. Seuss Day

●        Monday, March 2: Davis PTA-Sponsored Teacher’s Luncheon

●         Monday, March 2: Jefferson PTA Teacher Appreciation Luncheon

●         Monday, March 2: All-County Chorus Rehearsal, Sleepy Hollow High School, 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

●         Tuesday, March 3, Barnard PTA Book Fair Begins

●         Tuesday, March 3, Davis Authors’ Day Grades K-2

●        Tuesday, March 3, Board of Education Meeting, Jefferson Elementary School. Public portion begins 7 p.m.

●         Wednesday, March 4, Progress Reports for Students Grades 6-12
●         Wednesday, March 4: All-County Chorus Rehearsal Snow Date, Sleepy Hollow High School, 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

●        Thursday, March 5: Davis Authors’ Day Grades 3-5

●        Thursday, March 5: All-County Band Rehearsal, Ann Dorner Middle School, Ossining, 3:30 p.m.– 6:30 p.m.  

●          Thursday, March 5, NRHS NAHS Induction Ceremony, 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m.

●        Thursday, March 5: All-County Orchestra Rehearsal, NRHS, 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

●          Friday, March 6: Columbus and Webster Magnet Application Deadline, 4:30 p.m.

●          Friday, March 6: Ward School Spirit Day

●          Friday, March 6: Barnard PTA Book Fair Family Night, 6:30 p.m.

●          Saturday, March 7: Area All-County Orchestra Concert, SUNY Purchase, 11 a.m.

●          Saturday, March 7: Area All-County Chorus Concert, SUNY Purchase, 4 p.m.
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