City School District of New Rochelle
News & updates
December 11, 2020
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TheatreWorks' Virtual Play
Eyes Connections
In the COVID Era
A marriage counseling session goes awry in You Have to Turn On Your Mic: A New Way of Coming Together.
Click photo to view a show promo
The TheatreWorks players from New Rochelle High School are preparing a show like none they’ve ever done, but one that’s perfect for the COVID-19 era and the challenges it imposes on relationships.

With an in-person stage production out of the question, Faculty Director Alyssa DiPanfilo has put together a show of seven short plays adapted for a Zoom audience. Called You Have to Turn Your Mic On: A New Way of Coming Together, the show will be presented via videoconference Friday, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Purchase tickets at the following link ($10 general, $7 for students and seniors) and you will be emailed a link to access the show: https://theatreworksnrhs.ludus.com/index.php. (If you do not have the ability to donate, but would still like to view the show and support our students please email newrotheatreworks@gmail.com.) After watching the pre-recorded show, remain for a live talk-back session with the cast members following the performance.

The show explores the awkwardness and the possibilities for connection when relationships play out among people who are not physically together.

“Some of them are very warm with bittersweet moments,” said senior Stephanie Herrera, who directs one of the plays. “A lot of them are about making connections and understanding one another. In other scenes there are misunderstandings, and characters have to talk with one another in order to understand one another. It looks at how we can work on it to get in a better place in a relationship – or not.”

Herrera directs “Kat and Eliza,” the one segment that takes place before the pandemic era. Fellow senior Brett Bernstein directs “The Price” about a first date held via Zoom. DiPanfilo directs the other five.

“It just shows how awkward relationships can be when they’re online,” said sophomore Skye Hill, who plays one half of the first-date couple in “The Price.”

The plays were taken from several years of best-play volumes from the Actors Theatre of Louisville’s National Ten-Minute Play Contest. DiPanfilo adapted them to the new medium without hindering the
(Please see TheatreWorks below.)
Pre-K Through Grade 3 Students Return
Students in pre-kindergarten through third grade returned to most elementary schools yesterday as the City School District of New Rochelle ramps back up to a hybrid educational model. This follows a period of all remote learning that began Nov. 20, after New York State designated much of the District as a yellow zone last month.

Trinity Elementary School continues on remote learning until Monday, when kindergarten through third grade returns. Students returned to the other six elementary schools. Henry Barnard Early Childhood Center, which educates students in pre-kindergarten through second grade, is up to a full hybrid schedule.

“It feels wonderful to have the teachers here and the students in school learning,” said Barnard Principal Nicolas Cracco.

The other elementary schools include fourth and fifth grades. They will return to full hybrid – and will be joined by the middle schools – when fourth through eighth grades return to a hybrid model on Jan. 4, 2021. New Rochelle High School remains all remote until further notice.
Clockwise from left: Columbus Principal Michael Galland greets students; second grade at Barnard; arriving at Davis; kindergarten class at Webster; starting the day at Ward.
A Look a NR Fund's
Latest Activities
Dear New Rochelle community,


The New Rochelle Fund is a cherished partner to the City School District of New Rochelle. Over the years, the activities and programs in our schools supported by the Fund have enriched the educational experiences of innumerable students throughout the District.
This year more than ever, as we face new challenges in providing a high-quality, engaging education to all students, partners such as the NR Fund are invaluable for the activities and programs they support to continue nurturing a love of learning and the joy of discovery.

Please take a moment to read the news of the Fund’s latest activities here, and join me in thanking the organization’s Board and members for all that they do.

Thank you,
Dr. Alex Marrero
Interim Superintendent
City School District of New Rochelle
Fall Student Athletes Excel on the Field,
And in Academics
Like everything else this year, the fall high school sports season was unusual, with COVID-era restrictions limiting the numbers of fans able to cheer teams live. Still, New Rochelle High School athletes excelled, both on the field and in their classwork.

Here are the post-season honors they have received:

Boys Soccer
Gerardo Oliveros - All-League
Alejandro Amezcua - All-League
Sean Benko - All-League
Tyler Manley - All-League, All-Section Honorable Mention
Manuel Sosa - All-League, All-Section

Girls Soccer
Teresa Deda - All-League, League Player of the Year, All-Section
Amalia Cardo - All-League
Barbara Meda - All-League, All-Section Honorable Mention
Leyla Selman - All-League
Hailey Young - All-League
Ariana Narain - All-League Honorable Mention
Ella Hyland - All-League Honorable Mention
Mia Fear - All-League Honorable Mention
Ella Bamberger - All-League Honorable Mention

Teresa Deda was named by The Journal News as the Putnam/Westchester Girls Soccer Player of the Year. This was the first time a New Rochelle player received this honor.

Also - the girls’ soccer, girls’ tennis and girls’ cross country teams earned Scholar-Athlete Team recognition by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. This award is given to any team that maintained an overall grade point average (GPA) of 90 or higher for the first marking period.

“We’re proud of all the fall student athletes as they gave it their best effort during the fall season, both academically and athletically,” said Director of Athletics Steve Young. “We look forward to more success when the winter season begins after the holiday break.”

The winter season is scheduled to begin January 4.
Aracely Jimenez, Cynthia Horton
MBK Essay Program Goes on, Virtually
For the past two years, My Brother’s Keeper New Rochelle has offered a free 20-session College Essay Assistance Program each fall to New Rochelle High School seniors, matching a total of 120 students with 20 trained volunteers.

When the fall of 2020 came, the high school had temporarily moved to remote learning due to the coronavirus pandemic. MBK adapted by creating a shortened virtual format of its essay program.

“It’s been an adjustment, but the magical interaction between a caring volunteer and a student trying to create a memorable essay is still there,” said Colleen Gardephe, Managing Director of MBKNewRo.

Senior Aracely Jimenez was grateful for the help she received on her essay focusing on why she identifies with the important yet often overlooked role the pawn plays in chess, a game she learned to play at Columbus Elementary School.

“I definitely find the MBK College Essay Program helpful,” said Jimenez, who has set her sights on Boston University. “It’s nice to bounce ideas off of your tutor and get their input on what you’ve written.”

Jimenez’s tutor, fifth-grade teacher Cynthia Horton at Daniel Webster Magnet School, loved the creativity in her mentee’s piece.

“I am truly grateful for the opportunity to provide assistance to ambitious high school students like Aracely, who are on the brink of transitioning to college,” said Horton. “Each student we work with deserves all the time and attention we can provide to them.”

NRHS Interim Principal Steve Goldberg expressed his appreciation for the MBK program.

"We welcome the partnership of MBK,” he said. “Despite the complexities the pandemic presents, MBK has helped our young people stay focused and on track to think about their future. We look forward to the day when the students can return to the high school building, but in the meantime, MBK continues to connect with our students and assist them in these critical life-changing moments."

The Program runs from 3:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through Dec. 22. Students can sign up for a free session here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d45afa829a5f5c25-mbkcollege
Sessions Will
Teach Parents Chromebook Basics
The District will offer free workshops next week in the basics of using a student Chromebook. Lessons will cover connecting to Wi-Fi, logging in, updating and troubleshooting common problems families are experiencing at home. Lessons will also include basic inquiries about connecting to Zoom and using Google Classroom and a Q&A session. These sessions will be offered in English and Spanish.
WestCOP Holiday Party Dec. 21
WestCOP and the New Rochelle Community Action Partnership invites boys and girls ages 1 to 12 to the annual Holiday Celebration, Dec. 21. The party takes place from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Register before Dec. 21 in person at 95 Lincoln Ave.
Please bring your child’s identification (birth certificate, report card, passport, etc.)

There will be gifts for children, light refreshments, food and more. For more information, call (914) 636-3050.
Hayden Roberge and Fatima Gonzalez
Students Explore Telehealth and Addiction, Understanding Epilepsy
The students in New Rochelle High School’s Science Research Program explore a dazzling range of topics under the mentorship of professional scientists from some of the top institutions of learning and exploration. Each week in this column, we’ll learn about two students’ activities. In January, researchers in grades 4 through 8, many of them mentored by the high school students, will present their research in the second annual Research Fair.

Hayden Roberge, Senior
Mentor: Dr. Kathlene Tracy and Leah Wachtel at the Tracy Laboratory of Psychosocial Processes in Addiction, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
The COVID-19 pandemic has helped spotlight online health resources such as telehealth appointments and virtual counseling. But, as Hayden Roberge has found, web-based clinical treatment isn’t new. Roberge and her mentors identified key information such as the role demographics play in the success of such treatments, as well as the particular drugs that were found to have the most positive impact as a result.
Roberge has spent the past few months working alongside her mentors, Dr. Kathlene Tracy and Leah Wachtel, at the Tracy Laboratory of Psychosocial Processes in Addiction. She analyzed data from a 2003 clinical trial that tested the effectiveness of a web-based psychosocial treatment on substance-use disorders.

The study focused on web-based treatments, including individual therapy sessions, group therapy sessions and mindful-meditation practices for opioid abusers. The latter was found to be extremely important in helping trial participants with chronic pain, Roberge noted.

“We isolated patients who identified with opioid-use disorders and chronic pain to determine baseline differences within the population, and observed the effects of the behavioral treatment on the opioid use of the subset,” said Roberge.

The data analyzed by Roberge and her team were taken prior to the spread of COVID-19, which has exacerbated the opioid epidemic in the United States. Her findings have long-term implications.

“From this study, we learned that there are demographic differences between drug users regarding recreational drug use and psychiatric symptoms that need to be addressed in substance-abuse treatments in the future,” she said.

In addition to demographic differences such as race and age, Roberge found that when a drug called Benzodiazepines was used by trial participants, drug use significantly decreased after a period of virtual counseling.

“This study is to help to inform the discussion on web-based treatments for opioid-dependent individuals who may experience more pain-related concerns and require different treatment options to combat the complex interplay of pain and opioid use,” added Roberge.


Fatima Gonzalez, senior
Mentor: Dr. Libor Velisek, New York Medical College in Valhalla
Fatima Gonzalez’s research helped develop a better understanding of epilepsy, which afflicts one in 26 people. Over the past two summers, Gonzalez examined the brains of epileptic rats vs. non-epileptic rats looking for the presence of certain proteins to determine their impact.

In the summer of 2019, Gonzalez examined two specific regions of the brains for the presence of Interleukin 17 (IL-17). Working in a laboratory at New York Medical College in Valhalla, she sliced the rat brains and stained them with an immunohistochemistry (IHC) process to make the IL-17 identifiable.

“Once I did that, I used the microscope to take pictures of different brain regions,” she said.

She found that the prevalence of IL-17 correlated with a lack of seizures.

“That means IL-17 is a beneficial protein to have within the brain,” she said.

This past summer, unable to report to the lab in person because of COVID-19, she studied images her mentor sent, this time counting instances of IL-1beta, another protein. She continues to work with her mentor to determine what potential correlation the protein has with epilepsy.
Science has always been Gonzalez’s favorite subject. In college, she plans to major in it, likely with a medical focus. Her work in the Science Research Program adds to the collected knowledge of a condition that is difficult to control. There is no cure; medication helps suppress the seizures.
Gonzalez is glad that her research “helps our understanding a bit better,” she said.
Clockwise from top left: Laila Ross as Sojourner Truth, Abilene Wang as Annie Oakley, Indiana Twist as Wilbur Wright, Aidan Wigfall as Frederick Douglass.
Webster Fifth Graders
Become Historical Figures In Living ‘Wax Museum’
Daniel Webster Magnet School fifth graders took a walk through American history recently by stepping into the shoes of those who made it.

In a living “Wax Museum,” 21 students took on the personae of influential figures from Paul Revere to Sojourner Truth to Amelia Earhart. Each student dressed as the person he or she represented and delivered a short first-person biography on video. They have been collected for viewing by the families and the school.

“I’m not just an abolitionist,” says Sojourner Truth, as depicted by Laila Ross. “I helped women get the right to work and fought for women’s rights in the workplace.”

Founding Father Samuel Adams (student Anne DePaolo) personifies the Revolutionary Spirit, boasting,; “One of our biggest accomplishments was that we fought against the Stamp Act, because the British had put really high taxes on newspapers, stamps and other paper documents.”

The project was a unit in teacher Sarah Chickery’s fifth- grade modified Kaleidoscope class, an enriched program of study in language arts and math. For the museum, students built upon their reading and writing units by joining together in book clubs focused on influential figures in American history. (They also included a couple of international scientists, Galileo and Sir Isaac Newton, whose influences were universal.)

“Through these book clubs, students became experts on the historical figures they studied, reading supplementary material to enhance their knowledge of the person and time period,” Chickery said.
There’s Meriwether Lewis and William Clark talking about their joint expedition across the Louisiana Purchase and Pacific Northwest, as well as their other accomplishments.

“It was important to expand America because President Jefferson wanted America to have an advantage over other countries,” Lewis (student Sofia Fasolino) explains. “More land meant more resources and more power.”

They might not have gotten far without their Shoshone guide and translator Sacagawea. Just 16 years old when she joined the expedition, Sacagawea gave birth to a son.

“I had to take care of him during the expedition, which was very hard, but it didn’t slow me down,” says Sacagawea, as portrayed by student Nazly Contreras.

The Wright Brothers (Joseph Paterra as Orville, Indiana Twist as Wilbur) recount the birth of aviation. Earhart (student Clara Garcia-Gallet) follows with her accomplishments – the first woman to fly above 14,000 feet, and across the Atlantic Ocean – up to her disappearance while flying around the world on July 2, 1937.

Not all the figures are famous. Addison Kurtin portrays Anna Goldstein, who at 15 years old, survived 1911’s Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, New York City’s greatest industrial disaster. In crowded, unsafe conditions, 146 people perished, mostly women and girls.

“Many women continued to fight for our rights,” says Goldstein (Kurtin). “And our legacy still carries on.”

View several of the videos here:



TheatreWorks (continued)
stories. She also wrote short monologues for otherwise non-speaking roles to give lines to all the actors in the cast who wanted them.

An office scene becomes a group of coworkers’ first foray into teleconferencing; six friends struggle with the challenge of conducting an intervention on a seventh online; and a teleconferenced marriage counseling session goes awry.

One challenge was trying to introduce movement into scenes of actors’ Zoom grids, physically apart from each other. They can roam the room with the computer,and they can make smaller movements that can be captured in the small rectangle. A character cannot strike another, but can strike a computer.

While it’s not the way the fall play has ever been presented, it is a medium the actors have shown skill in mastering.
“The students have really taken these shows and run with them,” DiPanfilo said.
(Click photo above to view promo.)
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