He Just Can’t Wait to be Simba! | |
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A shining star fifth grader at Ward Elementary School is about to make his debut on Broadway as Simba in Disney’s “The Lion King.” Davis Matthews will alternate performances in the role with another young actor beginning June 6 and running through December in the production at the Minskoff Theatre.
"I feel good that God gave me this opportunity and the talent. I know that I can do anything that I put my mind to with God's help. I want to let other kids know that they can do it too!"
Davis began his acting career at age six. He has appeared in “Lion King Jr.” at the White Plains Performing Arts Center, “Peter Pan Jr.” at the Sandbox Theater, and “The Addams Family,” “Mary Poppins Jr.,” and “#JustBeYou” at Random Farms Kids Theater.
In addition to being an actor, Davis also enjoys sports, having been inspired by his grandfather Gary Matthews and his uncle Gary Matthews, Jr., who were both Major League Baseball players, and his cousin Aja Evans, a 3x Bobsled Olympian. He is an all-around incredible performer who hopes to inspire others to pursue their dreams and be themselves.
"Davis is a wonderful young man. He is kind, thoughtful and a great classmate. Davis is the epitome of a Ward student. We are so proud of his accomplishments."
If you’d like to catch Davis in a performance of “The Lion King,” his performance schedule is available on his website.
Break a leg, Davis!
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Wizard Makes History at Ward | |
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A bit of history was made last Saturday when students at William B. Ward Elementary School staged the school’s first theater production, putting on two performances of “The Wizard of Oz.”
“We wanted Ward students to have a live theater performance experience, so we partnered with KJK Productions, which provides the directors, sets and costumes and production aspects of the show,” said PTA member Brittany Guzinski who was the parent coordinator for the show alongside Bryan Grossbauer.
“Parent volunteers from the PTA handle the rest. We’re fortunate to have some really dedicated PTA parents who are eager to help in any way they can: pinning costumes, writing playbill bios, assisting the directors at rehearsals and generally doing anything and everything behind the scenes,” said Mrs. Guzinski. Siobhan O’Connor was the costume leader.
The production involved 67 students in grades 3 through 5 participating in the chorus, cast, and stage crew.
Here’s what some students had to say about the experience:
Corina: “My favorite part has been getting to try out new accents, costumes, and meeting new people.”
Kenechi: “Getting to learn how a show is made and seeing how the lights work has been super fun and educational.”
Madeline: “I wanted to do the show because a lot of my friends were going to try it. I thought it would be lots of fun to perform with them and because I love Broadway.”
Noah: “Getting to perform with costumes and my friends has been my favorite. Getting to sing a solo and play a funny character has been great!”
Maevah Ceneus: “Wearing the costumes and getting to sing with my friends has been my favorite part.”
Parent volunteers worked to make the experience authentic, right down to a Broadway-caliber playbill. “We really wanted students to feel celebrated and feel the true theatre experience, so we worked with Davis parent Danielle Galvin to create merchandise for the show as well as the playbill,” said Mrs. Guzinski.
The PTA also partnered with local business Paper Bag Cookies to create beautiful custom cookies for the show.
“Dorothy may have said that ‘there’s no place like home,’ but we hope that you’ll agree there’s truly no place like Ward school, thanks to our amazing students, staff, and families,” said principal Franco Miele in a letter in the Playbill.
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Scenes from Sister Act at ALMS... | |
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Sister Act photography by Robert Gilmartin | | |
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...And Lion King at IEYMS | |
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New Rochelle High School is proud to recognize the more than 100 students who were inducted into the National Honor Society earlier this month.
In addition to achieving academic success, inductees also met a community service requirement.
“This year, students did individual service projects each month,” said advisor and chemistry teacher Gabriella Musto. “Each student chooses something that they feel passionate about and they are required to do four hours of service a month. Many end up exceeding this four-hour minimum.”
Students did two of their service projects as a group, including making sandwiches for the HOPE soup kitchen and cleaning up garbage around the lakes in front of NRHS, according to Musto.
The goal of the NHS is to elevate a culture of four different pillars: scholarship, service, leadership, and character.
Congratulations to the inductees as well as advisors Gabriella Musto and Lauren Neville.
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24 NRHS students inducted into the Business and Marketing Honor Society
The NRHS Business and Marketing Honor Society inducted 24 students on May 17– the second cohort to receive the honor.
The Business and Marketing Honor Society was founded last year by the New York State Business Teachers Association to recognize high school students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in business and marketing education. Robert Thompson and Zachary Crisp are advisors for the group.
The induction ceremony included keynote speaker Koloniju Murray, owner and founder of tax preparation services and accounting firm TaxAssurances, LLC, located in New Rochelle. He is also the author of many books focusing on financial literacy for teens and also participates in NRHS Career Day and the WISE Senior Internship Program.
Students, parents, faculty and school administrators were on hand to celebrate the students being honored.
Congratulations to all!
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Green Schools Fair Reveals District’s Strengths and Weaknesses | |
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How green are our schools? That’s the question students all over the district were asking these past few weeks, conducting school-wide audits that they presented at the Green Inquiry and Research Fair at New Rochelle High School last week.
Early last month, green teams in each school examined the extent and success of environmental initiatives in their school building and grounds, noting areas of progress and unearthing those that could be improved. All 11 schools participated.
Not surprisingly, the audits revealed varying “shades of green,” but to their credit, the students were honest and sometimes harsh in their revelations.
At Barnard Early Childhood Center a student team of 15 first and second graders met once a week to complete the audit. Among their findings: Barnard has a greenhouse that could be used more; the school’s recycling program is in place and the student team plans to create more awareness around recycling. They also propose a school garden.
Four students at George M. Davis Jr. Elementary School took up the challenge. Alexa Lopez, Azzur'e Selby, Oumar Bamba and Melany Soto created GGCT (Go Green Clean Team) even before the audit was presented and started a trash clean-up program which they showcased at the fair, along with details of the school garden installed in 2017. Their goals to make the school greener include educating people that there is no “away” when they throw things away, and to encourage more people to bike or walk to school.
Students at Jefferson Elementary School were full of great ideas to make the school more environmentally sound, noting the importance of saving energy and fossil fuels with robust presentations. Nineteen students worked to address the school’s energy, building attributes, the school garden, and transportation. Among their recommendations: solar panels, a bike rack to encourage more students to ride bikes to school, and additional plant beds in the school garden.
The Trinity Elementary School Green Team is made up of the 20 students in the fifth grade STEAM Class and actively participate in environmental programs. They recently conducted a beach clean-up at Hudson Park, submitting data to NOAA Marine Debris Program. They have an active role in the school’s gardening program, assisting kindergarten and first graders in planting vegetable seeds and helping weed, water, and monitoring the growth of the plants. They are also piloting a school composting program with four classes this year and the Green Team helps to collect the classroom compost bins and transfer the food scraps outside to our compost tumbler.
At Daniel Webster Elementary School 14 members of the afterschool gardening program worked on the project. Their findings included expanding growing space in the school garden to share the harvest with the community through local food banks, encouraging carpooling, and improving the walking and biking areas around the school to reduce the amount of traffic.
At Albert Leonard Middle School the 14 members of the Going Green Group (who refer to themselves as G3) focused on community and energy. Among other things, they took inventory of every desktop in the building, determining that 58,904 watts were being wasted daily by leaving computers on and unused from 4pm-11pm.
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Isaac E. Young Middle School students created a 3D model of the school using recycled materials. The Green Knights presented the plants that they have been growing hydroponically (arugula, butter lettuce, basil, kale, and cilantro) and spoke about the different ways the school stays green, noting proudly that 97% of the school walks – a big plus for the environment - and showcasing the single stream recycling system which many students adhere to.
New Rochelle High School students Ashley Valencia, Emily Lopez, and Julia Polycarpe conducted the Green School Audit interviewing key school personnel such as the Secondary Plant Supervisor Richard Meyerhoff, and performed a physical inspection of the campus. The focus of the study included Environmental Awareness, Energy Efficiency, Indoor Environmental Quality through pest control, and Sustainable Sites such as the school’s greenhouse, garden, and newly established apiary established and maintained by the Garden Club. The NRHS Green Team suggests advocating for more participation from students, staff, and the community in our green areas.
A panel of judges including Director of Facilities Keith Watkins, Lauren Brois of Sustainable Westchester and energy consultant Bob Fischman reviewed all the students’ work. “The students embraced the scientific method and are already implementing their findings to improve sustainability and build community in their schools,” said Ms. Brois. “Congratulations to all the organizers and students involved.”
The event drew a full house of parents and students, with the high school cafeteria packed to capacity. “This shows how important this issue is to our students,” said parent Nicole Forman who helped organize the event.
“I feel that the fair was a huge success because it allowed the kids to exercise their voices and showing what is important to them,” she said.
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Science Research Profiles | |
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Life Skills Learned in Science Research Program
Among the many skills New Rochelle High School senior Dylan Sadow has learned in the school’s three-year science research program, organizational skills have to be the one she’s most benefited from.
The award-winning student managed to conduct research over two summers while holding a job (teaching tennis), and fitting in a family trip to Italy. She plays varsity tennis and lacrosse and is also the co-president of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions), co-president of CODA (Co-Occurring Disorders Awareness), and the Secretary for the Spanish Honor Society.
That’s not to diminish the value of the other skills the program taught her. She learned to be concise in her writing and speaking, has acquired confidence in public speaking, and her writing has improved. And she now knows how to work with a mentor and can read complex journal articles.
“I’ve loved it,” she says of the program. “I think it has given me skills I will benefit from for the rest of my life even if I don’t do research.”
Dylan’s research examined the impact of exercise on cognition among people with stimulant disorders. She was able to analyze existing data provided by her mentor, Dr. Kathlene Tracy, director of the Psycho-social Division of the Mount Sinai Addiction Institute.
Her work garnered Dylan a second place Clinical Psychology award at the TriCounty Science Fair and the Naval Science Award at WESEF (Westchester Science and Engineering Fair) last year and a fourth place in Behavioral Science at WESEF this year.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed conducting research for the past two years. It’s amazing because you get to zero in on what you are interested in – there are all different types of subjects to focus on which makes it such a unique class.”
Plus, there’s a lot of support. “It’s a very big community where everyone has your back and everyone is rooting for you to succeed,” she said.
Dylan will be attending Vanderbilt University this upcoming fall to major in Medicine, Health and Society and plans to pursue a pre-medical track. As if that wasn’t enough, she is considering a double minor in Spanish and business.
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Sea, Sun and Science
Family trips to the beach can be much more than enjoying the sun and surf. For Aviva Segal, it was about exploring the critters on the beach; adventures that ultimately led to her science research project.
“When my family and I would go to the beach over the summer, I was fascinated by the horseshoe crabs sitting along the shore. She discovered that horseshoe crabs have more than ecological value: their blood is used in the pharmaceutical industry as an ingredient in vaccines.
She also learned that the horseshoe crab population is in decline. “I wanted to develop a project that would aid in their conservation,” the New Rochelle High School senior said.
Upon discovering that manganese toxicity impacts the viability of horseshoe crab eggs in beach habitats, Aviva set about evaluating the toxicity threshold at which horseshoe crab eggs fail to thrive.
“Manganese is seen in increasing amounts in the environment,” she said. “It’s in a lot of cleaning products, batteries and pesticides, and incineration of these products results in its spread along beach habitats.”
After conducting her research over two summers, Aviva’s project has added some important
statistics to the science of horseshoe crabs. Working with a mentor from Hofsta University’s Department of Ecology, Dr. Nicholas Santangelo, Aviva determined the level at which manganese toxicity adversely impacts horseshoe crab populations. “One part per million appears to be the limit,” she said.
Last summer, she further developed her project working in the field to see how environmental factors such as temperature and duration of exposure to manganese impacts the horseshoe crab eggs. (Yes, it made them even more vulnerable.)
“It is depressing, but at least we know now,” she said.
Aviva’s work has earned her top awards in competition, notably a second place at the regional JSHS and advancement to the state level contest earlier this year.
But the experience is much more than that. She valued being part of the science research community. “There’s an instant bond among students in the program. You see someone wearing science research merch and you instantly feel that you ‘get them’,” she said. “There’s a big emphasis on cooperation and teamwork – a lot of the skills I developed I gained from upperclassmen.”
Skills such as emailing, public speaking, and organization will last her a lifetime, she says.
“I feel I can collect my thoughts under pressure more easily and I’m definitely a lot less scared of speaking in front of crowds.”
Aviva will attend Tufts University next fall where she plans to study environmental science.
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Personal Experience Gives Direction for Science Research Project
Even prior to high school, Aislynn Pineda was fascinated by the human brain.
“I know that there is a long debate about whether the brain or heart are more important for survival, but, for me the brain is the obvious choice,” she said.
So, her choice of topic as a Science Research student came as no surprise. For her first project in the three-year program, Aislynn began to study Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis.
“The complexity and various functions that occur in the brain are fascinating, especially when it comes to how disturbances or injuries in the brain can impact the way that someone speaks, moves, or even behaves,” she said.
While she was exploring this, her grandmother experienced an aneurysm and Aislynn’s research took a new direction. Aislynn became intrigued by the work of the caregivers looking after her grandmother, and her first science research topic evolved.
“I looked into how taking care of someone that has suffered from a cerebral aneurysm rupture affects the mental health of the caregiver,” Aislynn explained, putting out an MTurk survey to explore that area.
She stuck with the topic for her final year of scientific research as a senior, expanding on her junior year work by looking into how the specific role the caretaker takes on can impact their own mental health.
“I chose to look at caregivers specifically since that is the perspective I experienced in my own life,” she explained.
A nurse practitioner at Columbia Medical School was her mentor in the early stages of this research, helping Aislynn obtain background information, and she then developed another survey to get nationwide input.
From the 156 responses, Aislynn determined that caregivers’ mental health was impacted not so much by their work, but how they felt about their work.
“If they felt obligated to be a caregiver or found it difficult to perform, then their own mental health was negatively impacted,” Aislynn determined. She further discovered that those negatively impacted also experienced a negative impact on their social life
“I really enjoyed doing the research,” she said. “And I really liked being able to take it further the second year.”
The experience has set her up for college: Aislynn will be attending Binghamton in the fall where she has been invited to participate in the college’s first year Research Immersive Program. “Basically, I’ll be doing what I did in Science Research,” she said.
She’s happy to relive the experience. “I loved doing the Science Research program,” she said. “It’s a very tight-knit, supportive community. I like working with students from other grades and really liked that I got to mentor younger students.”
While it was hard work, the benefits are tangible. “I had to get out of my comfort zone and do a lot of presentations and public speaking. It really pushes you.”
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NRHS Search for Clues at Mock Murder Scene for Forensic Science Final
More than 200 NRHS juniors and seniors scoured the Nature Study Woods this week in search of clues to solve a crime. It’s all part of the forensic science final exam, where mock crime scenes were staged in the woods and the young investigators were brought in to solve the case. As part of the exam, students were split into five groups and processed their “crime scenes” like real forensic examiners, investigators, and forensic scientists.
NRHS forensic science teacher Scott Rubins leads the final exam, now in its 23rd year. A New Rochelle Police Department officer serves as a first responder and helps teachers assess student performance in unraveling the clues left at the scene of the crime.
Students then take their evidence to a laboratory to evaluate and examine before presenting their cases, courtroom style. Students will then present their photos and defend their rationale in how they processed their scenes, requested laboratory documents, and arrived at their conclusions.
“The mock crime scene was a huge success,” Rubins said. “They got to do the real work of real crime scene investigators making what they do in class look authentic.”
Several of Mr. Rubins’ former students came back to assist with coordinating the exam, grading, and serving as “first responders.” Among them were Putnam County Sheriff’s Deputy Victoria Crimmins (NRHS ‘15) and NRPD Officer Anthony Sabatino (NRHS ‘13).
"The New Rochelle Police Department enjoyed working with Mr. Rubins and his forensic science students,” Police Commissioner Robert Gazzola said. “Our officers love to interact with the young “Crime Scene Investigators” as they work through solving each crime.”
Students of science teachers Peggy Younger and Mireille Ptak also took the exam that their teachers assisted in setting up.
Mayor Noam Bramson, Principal Dagoberto Artiles, Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Corey W. Reynolds, Science Chair Rekha Liveris, House Principal Seth Busching, Police Commissioner Robert Gazzola, Deputy Police Commissioner Neil Reynolds also attended.
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NRHS Student Essays Singled Out
Competing against students from all over Westchester County, New Rochelle High School sophomore Victoria Perez and freshman Bryan Mesajil won their respective grade categories in this year’s White Rose essay competition sponsored by the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center.
Working under the guidance of their Global History teachers Heather Manley and Richard Dower, each student conducted original research using multiple sources on the theme "Jewish Resistance in the Ghettos." Victoria wrote about "Passive Resistance during the Holocaust" and Bryan’s essay addressed "Female Couriers of the Warsaw Ghetto."
Our winning students each received a $300 cash price and a certificate of recognition at a ceremony on May 17 at the Holocaust & Human Rights Education Center in Harrison.
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2023-2024 NRHS MBK Fellows Inducted | |
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Four NRHS students have been inducted into the New York State My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) program for the next school year.
Shawndel Gilchrist, Biery Guevara, Luis Ayala, and Justin Lloyd were inducted in a May 19 ceremony at the New York State Education Department in Albany. All four will be seniors next year.
MBK fellows work with mentors to develop their professional speaking skills, civic engagement, and personal growth. They will participate in a “State and Deliver” workshop, where they share personal stories of growth; will attend the New York State Association of Black, Puerto Rican Hispanic, and Asian Legislators’ Youth Summit; will take part in a weekly Mastermind Book Read with MBK NYSED Fellows from throughout the state; and will participate in the MBK Speaker Series at NRHS.
Nate Adams, MBK Program Coordinator said, "We are really excited about the 6th senior class of MBK New Rochelle Fellows. These young men will be the voice of our MBK community and represent our NRHS community in a tremendous way."
Congratulations to the newest class of MBK fellows!
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Boys & Girls Club Youth of the Year Goes to Albany
NRHS Junior and Boys & Girls Club of New Rochelle Youth of the Year Vianney Godinez recently traveled to our state capital to meet with Assemblymember Steven Otis and Senator Nathalia Fernandez.
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L to R:
Former B&GCNR Youth of the YearJuan Ruiz Diaz, currently an intern for State Senator Fernandez; William Iannuzzi, B&GCNR Director, Clubhouse/Secondary School Programming and CSDNR BOE President; NYS Senator Nathalia Fernandez; B&GCNR Youth of the Year Vianney Godinez; CelyMaris Soto, Co-Director of the B&GCNR Mascaro Clubhouse.
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Mastercard Visits Webster
Every spring at Daniel Webster Elementary School the STEAM committee (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) puts on a ‘STEAMposium’--an event that provides opportunities for students to think and act like engineers.
This year, the focus was on fifth grade girls with a visit from Mastercard's Girls4Tech program, an interactive, hands-on curriculum that connects the foundations of the credit card business to STEM principles and shows girls that it takes all kinds of interests and skills to pursue a STEM career.
The curriculum is based on global science and math standards and was created in conjunction with Mastercard’s top engineers and technologists, showcasing the company’s payments technology.
Six stations were set up in the school gym with activities focused on data analysis, algorithms, encryption, fraud detection, digital convergence and power of our network.
“These are words that we don't think of right away when thinking about a credit card company,” said art teacher Lisa Nardini, a member of the STEAM committee. “I think this is a great way to expose our students to the career paths that are available to them in the future. The girls left the stations excited and wanted to stay and learn more.”
The students agreed. "I think it will be great for my future because I learned about problems I might deal with if I wanted to work for this type of company," said Madison Thomas
"It was a really great experience and I want a lot of other girls to try it! It could really help them in their lives to learn more about jobs they might want," said Natalie Martinez
"I wish we were able to dive deeper and learn more!" Malia Preston.
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Webster PTA Family Dance Night Brings Food, Fun, and Family Together
The Daniel Webster PTA hosted a great outdoor party on May 19 with Family Dance Night. The event featured a DJ and delicious food from local food trucks. Webster families from every grade danced, ate, and enjoyed wonderful camaraderie with the Webster community.
"Thank you to everyone who came out to the Webster PTA's Family Dance Night!” said parent Chandra Lanier. “We had a great turnout, the committee did an amazing job, the DJ was good and knew his audience, the food trucks were a hit, and most importantly, the kids had an amazing time!"
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Student Poets Take to the Stage | |
Milo Minestrini, Ward 4th grade | |
Ethan Chen, Trinity 5th grade | |
Springtime Takes Artists Outdoors | |
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"En Plein Air" has been a calendar item for the New Rochelle High School art department for more than 25 years – and it doesn’t get old.
This much-loved six-hour event is held every spring for the advanced 2D and 3D classes to create their final projects.
En Plein Air (“in the open air”) is an art form popularized by French Impressionists who were able to paint outside capturing light and its changing, ephemeral qualities thanks to the creation of transportable paint tubes and the travel easel. Earlier this month New Rochelle art students enjoyed a warm, sunny day capturing that experience, painting the campus scenery using watercolors and colored pencils. They were challenged to explore the concepts of both local and imagined color – local color as it appears in nature vs. an imagined color – one that is not based as it appears in nature.
New Rochelle High School 2017 alum, Banshee Maria, who pursued art at SUNY Purchase, was the guest artist. Banshee came to speak to the students a week before the event sharing their high school and college work and compared it to their current artistic practice. Banshee then conducted a lesson on combining watercolors and colored pencils.
The day of En Plein Air, Banshee painted alongside the students so they could see the process in real time. Halfway through the day Banshee discussed the student work and guided them with next steps.
It was an experience the students clearly relished. "It was nice being outside. Being able to have a longer time to work on an artwork as opposed to rushing every class period,” said junior Mia Lee.
"Feeling the breeze, being with nature and using the watercolors and the water from the lake puts you in a good mindset. Usually creating art is difficult, but when you are in the right environment it is peaceful to do and not stressful,” said junior Maya Swaim.
Ceramics students also participated in the day’s activities, experiencing the unique practice of Raku firing. The Japanese Raku technique dates to the 16th century when glazed ceramics are taken from the kiln while they are still glowing red hot and placed in metal garbage cans filled with sawdust or newspaper to catch fire. This technique starves the art of oxygen, which creates a myriad of colors within the glaze, resulting in unique pieces. Some students also chose to fire without glaze and make marks with horsehair melting across the hot surface.
Teachers involved this year were: 2D Scott Seaboldt, Moira McCaul, Alexi Brock; 3D Ellen Salov and Joanna Schomber.
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State Troopers Bring Sweet Treat to Jefferson | |
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Jefferson fifth graders experienced the pleasure of a pay-it-forward gesture earlier this month thanks to an Acts of Kindness tour from police troopers.
To memorize their colleague, Trooper Tamar Bucci, who passed in the line of duty, members of her 85th Recruit Training Troop in Massachusetts are performing a series of acts of kindness in each state on a trip to Washington, D.C., where her name will be added to the Police Memorial Wall.
“Trooper Tamar Bucci was a strong, kind, helpful, and determined woman who inspires us to work hard, train hard, and be kind, daily,” said Trooper Farrah Gray of the Massachusetts State Police.
About 40 troopers are making a series of stops along their route to bring a variety of acts of kindness to random groups and organizations. “We have chosen each Act of Kindness to represent the community Tamar loved working with,” said Trooper Gray.
Happily for the 85 Jefferson fifth graders, the coach bus pulled into their school along with an ice cream van earlier this month.
“I think we were chosen because we are close to I-95!” said Jefferson principal Kim Nieves.
Joining the Massachusetts troopers were representatives from the New York State Police as well as some New Rochelle police officers.
Lining the pathway outside the school, the troopers cheered the fifth graders and staff as they came out, many carrying signs thanking the troopers, as they headed for the ice cream truck.
At each stop, the troopers did a series of Burpees for Bucci – with students joining in.
“Everyone was very appreciative and moved,” said Mrs. Nieves. “I think it left a lasting impact on the students who have a renewed appreciation for police officers, the work they do and the dangers they can face.”
Photo: Jefferson principal Kim Nieves and Assistant Principal Sal Spataro with some of the fifth graders after the ice cream treat.
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NRHS Celebrates College Fair and Decision Day
NRHS recently hosted its annual College Fair to give students an opportunity to meet representatives from the more than 80 colleges, universities, and military branches that attended. Students from all grades participated.
“The NRHS College Fair is an opportunity for all students, in all grades, to begin learning about the college process and the wide variety of programs of study at different institutions of higher learning,” said Hope Herzog, College and Career Center Coordinator and Senior Class Advisor.
For students who have already made their college or career decisions, NRHS celebrated Decision Day outdoors, with students sporting clothing from their committed school or organization. Congratulations to each of our graduating seniors on your next chapter!
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Share Your Thoughts on our
Draft Graduate Profile
Last December, our school district began gathering feedback from parents, staff, students, and community members to create a Graduate Profile – a description of what we believe every New Rochelle High School graduate should know, understand, and be able to do. The Graduate Profile will define a set of college- and career-ready outcomes which encompass academic, cultural, emotional, social, leadership, life, and employability skills and competencies.
After three months of data collection, we have created a draft profile to support our school district's mission to foster high-quality education that is authentic, inclusive, and collaborative. Please review the draft Graduate Profile and add your feedback by clicking on a link below.
Parents Click on Link HERE
Staff and students Click on Link HERE
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Alumni Catch-Up
So many of our New Rochelle graduates go on to do great things. Here are just a few of them. If you know of an alum with a story to tell, email us at mmahaffey@nredlearn.org.
This week, we are featuring three LatinX graduates:
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GABE SANCHEZ, Class of 2010
It was a Latin American Studies social studies elective in high school that set Gabe Sanchez on his career path and to his current position as teacher and head of the History Department at Brearley School, a private school in Manhattan.
He was in the inaugural cohort of the class, taught by Cristian Figueroa. “We (Latino students) got to see ourselves represented in the curriculum and we were able to analyze issues that impact our families and communities,” says Gabe. “We were even able to go see the Broadway play ‘In the Heights,’ which was life changing for me and affirmed my desire to study more about Latin America and teach that to young people; exactly what I am doing right now.”
Gabe had the whole City School District of New Rochelle experience, attending Columbus Elementary School, Isaac E. Young Middle School and then New Rochelle High School.
“In high school I enjoyed being able to take advantage of the many opportunities to really customize my education and take classes that really interested me. That kind of agency over my own growth has greatly impacted decisions I have made since.”
He went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Globalization Studies and Latin American Studies at the University at Albany-SUNY–in just three years–where he also earned his master’s in Latin American Studies. While in the graduate program he was an instructor for undergraduate classes in the Department of Latin American, Caribbean, and US Latino Studies, a position he held for four years.
Gabe is currently a doctoral candidate in Latin American Studies and will be getting married this summer at Five Islands Park in New Rochelle.
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ANDRE CANDIDO, Class of 2010
Space engineer Andre Candido has no doubt in his mind that it was his exposure to chess while a student at Columbus Elementary School that got him to where he is today.
“Getting exposed to chess at an early age helped me develop a strategic and tactical mindset,” he says. He particularly credits Columbus’s chess club advisor Mark Hegenauer. “I wouldn't be where I'm at today without him.”
While at New Rochelle High School he notes that AP Calculus, with teacher Ronald Morris, and Economics with Darren Gurney were the two courses that prepared him most for college and beyond. “I still use the content today when chasing after my personal and career goals,” he says.
But it wasn’t all about academics. “Being on the rugby team, with coach Bruno Duarte, helped me develop critical teamwork and communication skills that are required to be successful in the workplace.”
Andre also valued the lifeguard training certification program at the high school. “It provided me with a job during summers throughout high school and college. “
Andre attended SUNY New Paltz, obtaining a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering in 2014, and went on to the University of Southern California where he received his master’s in Astronautical Engineering in 2017. He is currently working on a second master’s at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Computer Science: Machine Learning and Artificial intelligence.
He stayed on the West Coast after obtaining his masters, first working as a Systems Engineer at Northrop Grumman in Los Angeles. He recently took a new position in the San Francisco Bay Area as mission architect and program chief engineer at Maxar, a leading space technology and intelligence company.
Andre is getting married next month.
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ERICK MENDOZA, Class of 2008
Erick Mendoza has also made his way to California. Now a board-certified anesthesiologist at Cedars-Sinai Marina Del Rey Hospital near Los Angeles, Erick believes that both the opportunities and teachers at New Rochelle High School “set me up for success in academics and ultimately as a physician.”
A first generation American, Erick’s family is from Mexico. He attended Trinity Elementary School and was valedictorian at Isaac E. Young Middle School in 2004.
He says he was able to challenge himself in high school by taking a slew of AP courses available and notes that “Mr. Corcoran, Ms. Finkelstein, and Mr. Gurney are just a few of the many teachers who I will always remember for setting high standards, for pushing me to improve my writing and critical thinking skills, and for being extremely approachable for help and support.”
Like so many who have achieved success, Erick notes that high school wasn’t just about academics. “The academic rigor and diversity of experiences at NRHS helped me get accepted into my dream school, which ultimately provided a launching pad for the rest of my career,” he says, recalling fond memories of traveling and performing with the symphonic and marching bands, as well as competing with the track and field team.
After graduating high school, Erick attended Columbia University, majoring in Neuroscience and Behavior with a minor in chemistry. He matriculated into medical school at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in 2013 and began a four-year anesthesiology residency program at Mount Sinai Hospital in 2017. He completed an extra year of subspecialty training in Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
He is married to another anesthesiologist, Shradha Khadge, who he met in medical school.
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Coach Harris Holds Basketball Clinic
Coach Nat Harris hosted a free basketball clinic at Albert Leonard Middle School on May 19. Varsity players from the high school teams volunteered as assistant coaches in working with younger players on shooting, passing, dribbling, and drills.
“It was nice seeing the New Rochelle triangle of kids, coaches, and parents all interacting. Parents took notes on the drills to practice at home. The most special moment was at the end of each segment of the clinic,” said Coach Harris. “Parents watched me do breathing and stretching with the kids to relax the mind and body.”
Coach Harris expressed gratitude to the school district security and facilities staff for helping to make the event a success.
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NRHS Freshman and Varsity tennis player Alex Suhanitski advanced to the semifinals in the Sectional tournament earlier this month. | |
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NRHS Students Place with Rowing Team
NRHS senior Aditya Singh (far left) and freshman Ian McCloskey (4th from the left) are part of the Pelham Community Rowing Association 2V team that took 3rd place two weeks ago at the New York State High School Rowing Championship. The win qualifies the team to attend the High School National Championship in Florida next month.
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Spring Scholar Athletes Named
Congratulations to the boys Varsity Tennis, Varsity Golf, and Track and Field teams, and to the girls Track and Field, Varsity Softball, and Varsity Lacrosse teams for being named to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association's Scholar-Athlete Team.
To achieve the honor, 75 percent of each team's roster has a grade average of 90 or higher.
Our Spring Season Scholar Athletes are:
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Varsity Baseball
Daniel Almonte
Zach Berenbaum
Ben Cave
Robbie Glusker
Marcello Magazzu
Boys’ Varsity Golf
Michael Arteaga
Isabella Balchan
Juan Barajas
Luke Caiano
Jake Fish
Brandon Maddox
Seidi Magana
Michael Margotta
Sebastian Politano
Daniel Renzin
Ryan Topol
Taylor Pace
Devin Riebe
Boys’ Varsity Lacrosse
Ben Deutsch
Ryan Conroy
Joe Napolitano
DeAndre Woods
Girls’ Varsity Lacrosse
Ella Bamberger
Amelia Bevilaqua
Olivia Fosina
Piper Genkin
Grace Gocman
Lexi Gocmen
Emma Paterra
Sophia Rende
Dylan Sadow
Ella Schwarkopf
Olivia Vigue
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Varsity Softball
Olivia Alperin
Avery Jackson
Julia Klonsky
Gabrielle Roberge
Nasrin Saleh
Eileen Weisner
Boys’ Varsity Tennis
Fynn Bowman
Thomas Cox
Savio Francis
Caleb Frey
Miles Genkin
Jordan Hartstein
Lorenzo Martelli
Alex Mei
Benjamin Patlis
Zachary White
Girls’ Track and Field
Jessenia Abrego
Chelsie Banton
Lincey Bazile
Lola Bernstein
Sandra Botensten
Sophia Casimir
Lola Cordaro
Donna Djalo
Ariel Esposito
Linda Flores
Jaelee Hewitt
Delaney Jacobs
Malaya Lathan
Carina Tomas Lopez
Areli Morgado
Sophia Ochoa
Leliamar Osman
Hannah Petenkemani
Nyah Rosado
Emily Saglibene
Alexis Smith
Alivia Smith
Olivia Solomon
Shakeira Stupart
Sharon Yang
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Boys’ Track and Field
Gabe Cannistraci
Deven Coulanges
Isaac Evans
Louis Fernandez
James Fraker
Rashaun Grey
Oscar Jackson
Anderson Krasner
Karun Kulamavalavan
Kevin Lopez
Isaac Maiese
Obinna Njoku
Evan O’Hare
Jackson O’Rourke
Riley O’Rourke
Alex Park
Max Pirson
Finn Stoff
Noah Yairi
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The City School District of New Rochelle is pleased to distribute this Newsletter during the academic year to highlight news, our students, teachers, staff, programs, innovations, services, and activities. | |
City School District of New Rochelle | nred.org | |
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