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February 15, 2024

Black History Month Celebration Draws Large Crowd

The 12th Annual Westchester Association of Black School Educators (WABSE) Black History Month event last Saturday was a huge success, drawing almost 600 people and commemorating the 70th anniversary of the landmark Brown vs. BOE Supreme Court decision. The event gave students an opportunity to explore and express the struggle for school integration that continues today. 

The Westchester Alliance of Black School Educators (WABSE) partners with the CSDNR to activate the New Rochelle Black History Month Committee (NRBHMC) which produces a themed celebration each year.

The community event, hosted by New Rochelle High School, was sponsored by a consortium of community-based organizations and featured the WABSE Spoken Word and Art Show, interactive activities, and exhibits about New Rochelle history, museum and planetarium visits, and plenty of shopping and food from local Black vendors.

An evening session featured dance, drama, song, and spoken word, with musical interludes by DJ Smithyboy. Student performers were the Barnard Historians, Jefferson Tiger Tones, Columbus Players, ALMS Queens Collective, IEYMS Dance Club, NRHS PAVE Dance, Renaissance Ensemble, Jazz Band, and the NR Youth Bureau Trifecta and Elite Steppers. 

New Rochelle High School students Lydia Dawit, Delaney Jacobs, and Maya J. Opoku sang an arrangement of the Black National Anthem- Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing. Melvina Cann, Julia Polycarpe, and Harmony Hopwood, Westchester County Poet Laureate, performed original spoken word pieces.

Also honored were community member, author, and educational leader Dr. LaRuth Gray and high achieving New Rochelle students Cameron Mack and Aric Senhouse from Isaac E. Young Middle School; Nathan Hoffman and Olivia Solomon from Albert Leonard Middle School; and NRHS's Samantha Benjamin and Rashaun Grey.

Volunteers from the Black Culture Club, Higher Aims, Young Achievers, My Brother’s Keeper, and My Sister Keep Her were on hand to help out, and nearly $2,000 was raised for scholarships to support college-bound students.

“The joy in the air and on the faces of the students, parents, volunteers and attendees is always the most gratifying part,” said WABSE President Candace Pinn, who acknowledged “an army of both adult and high school student volunteers helped to create the welcoming environment and celebratory spirit that we all enjoy.”

A retrospective of the 12 years in which the NRBHMC provided opportunities for City School District of New Rochelle educators to include Black history in their classroom instruction and students to share what they have learned with the community, can be seen here.

Barnard Historians

Columbus Players

Elite and Trifecta Steppers

Jefferson Tiger Tones

Throughout February, social studies students will visit exhibits in the NRHS library. "Tracing Our Roots: New Rochelle's Black History" explores the city’s heritage through the places, people, events, and movements that shaped the lives of its African American residents.

Through compelling graphic design, photographs, primary documents, maps, early newspaper articles, and an illuminating narrative, the exhibit reveals the extraordinary heritage of New Rochelle’s Black community.

Above: The Bynum family of New Rochelle, along with NRHS Principal Dr. Artiles, visiting the New Rochelle Black History exhibits in the NRHS library during the Black History Month Celebration.

The "Late Great African Americans of New Rochelle: Individuals with National Prominence" exhibit tells the story of legendary Black New Rochelleans and details their successes and contributions to our city and beyond.

First Graders Enjoy a Day in Clay

Guided by visiting artist Cliff Mendelson of a Day in Clay, first grade students at Henry Barnard School recently dove into an exploration of African mask making and design in celebration of Black History Month. They learned about the styles and techniques of African cultures and the various symbols, patterns, and imagery associated with this tradition.

They then went on to create their own traditional African-inspired masks. 

“It was a lot of fun and truly a wonderful experience for all the children,” said art teacher Lori Zung. “They were extremely proud of their work and were eager to take their creations home to show their families.”  

Mr. Mendelson noted how “responsive and well-mannered the students were. I thought the students made some incredible masks,” he said. “The students really rose to the occasion and made some impressive pieces.” 

With just three seconds to spare, nine fourth grade students in Trinity’s math enrichment program burst out of New Rochelle’s Hour to Exit escape room — their success coming from a combination of keen deductions, seamless collaborative teamwork, and analytical thinking.

The January escape room adventure, part of their two-month-long weekly math enrichment program, was designed to help the students make the connection between abstract math concepts and real-life problem-solving.

“The students are solid in computation. In fact, they soar above fourth grade level, but in the context of a multi-layered problem, we find that even our strongest students are challenged,” said Michael Selvaggi, Trinity’s Math Academic Intervention and Enrichment teacher who organized the escape room visit. 

“It’s a lack of problem-solving, not math.”

In the escape room, the students had to “Elude the Illusionist,” figuring out how to get through two rooms with what appeared to be random clues. The first room had photos of various magicians, a bird cage, a desk, some mirrors, and a box. From that, they had to figure out how to get into a second room and then, making deductions from more clues, escape that — all within 60 minutes. 

The experience was a big success with students using words such as “difficult, teamwork, suspense, stressful, dramatic, and fun” to describe the adventure. And they all wanted to go again.  

Importantly, they “got” the concept of collaborative problem-solving and the value of careful observation. "You have to get through the first step before you can move into the second step," said Austin.

"Every small detail can lead to something," said Nico.

The escape room triumph was followed by a debriefing session, with the class now able to look at other problems with deeper insight, and ask, “What are they actually looking for in this problem?”

Armed with their newfound appreciation for the real-world application of math and the power of collaboration, these young minds are now poised to unlock problems beyond any escape room.

The NewRo Robotics teams have been going from strength to strength since their first competition outing in early January and now aspire to compete in the state tournament in March. 

The high school fielded five teams in the VRC Spin Up event held at J.F. Kennedy High School in Somers last weekend, with one team placing second in a field of 38 and capturing the Design Award for the engineering and construction of their robot. 

The contest requires students to program robots to place acorn-shaped “balls” into goals. The match starts with a 15-second autonomous period when the robot operates independently, followed by a 1-minute 45-second driver-controlled period. Other criteria and hazards add to the challenges.

The NewRo B team, consisting of juniors Jasper Todd, Arismendy Escano, Jackson Dennin, and Lior Attia and sophomores Maxwell Smith, Scarlett Hartzman, Joseph Kurtin, and Noah Rosencrantz, ended the qualifying tournament in second place with a 6-0-0 score.

The team also won the Engineering Design Award and snagged seventh place in the Skills ranking. The team is now ranked 22nd in New York South and has a high likelihood of being invited to the NYS South competition on March 3 at The Harvey School in Katonah. 

The four other teams, whose members were all new to the games this year, also represented New Rochelle admirably.

The D team, consisting of seniors Bryan Garcia Valdez and Sebastian Diaz-Ratiz and freshmen Nick Ensuncho and Max Straussberg, placed 10th in the Skills ranking and reached the round of 16 putting them at 27th in New York State South. They are waiting to hear whether they made the cut for the State tournament. 

Competing for the very first time, the E team of seniors Zachary White and Omar Reyes, and freshmen Cesar Hernandez, David Diaz-Rios, Daniel Goncalves, Penelope Conway, Jacob Sandoval, and Amani Kaura placed 20 in the Skills ranking for the tournament and also made the round of 16.

Also making the quarter-finals was New Rochelle’s A team, seniors Saintecile Johnson, Rebecca Prassad, Donovan Vernon, and Jeila Scrivens-Taitt.

“Every time we compete, we observe different things we can improve on, which helps us understand the engineering process of trial and error,” said Saintecile Johnson.

“These contests are so valuable in building students' skills, creating familiarity with the game as well as practicing and implementing strategies for gameplay,” said physics and Intro and Advanced Robotics teacher Maria Walsh, who coaches the teams along with Zach Biondo, who teaches Regents Physics and Intro to Robotics.

Top photo: The Robotics B team with the Design award: Back row: Noah Rosencrantz, Jasper Todd, High School Principal Dr. Artiles with award, Arismendy Escano, and coaches Maria Walsh and Zach Biondo; Front row: Lior Attia, Scarlett Hartzman, Maxwell Smith, and Jackson Dennin.

Below: the D team with their robot. From left, back row: Bryan Garcia-Valdes, Dr Artiles, Nick Ensuncho, Maria Walsh, Zach Biondo; Front row: Sebastian Diaz-Raitz and Max Straussberg.

Eight Albert Leonard Middle School students teamed up to compete in the First Lego League Mid-Hudson Qualifier Tournament held at Mildred E. Strang Middle School in Yorktown Heights. The team competed against 14 middle school teams from around the region. 

The students are members of two ALMS Lego Robotics clubs, which draw about 40 students to after school sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with technology teachers and Lego coaches Walter Grosvenor and Stephen G. May. 

In the competition, teams of up to 10 students build and code a LEGO robot that navigates the missions of the robot game. Teams also participate in an innovation project to identify and solve a relevant real-world problem.

 “The challenges involve research, problem-solving, coding, and engineering,” said Mr. May. The ALMS team placed in the middle of the pack. “The experience was great, and we can carry our efforts with our young team members into future tournaments.”

Participation in Robotics challenges students to constantly refine their skills, working collaboratively with team members. “The program inspires young people to experiment and grow their confidence, critical thinking and design skills through hands-on learning,” said Mr. Grosvenor.

From left, Members of the ALMS Robotics team who competed in the Lego challenge. Eighth grader Chloe Chiu, coach Stephen G. May, 8th graders Juliet Rueda and Andrew Babu, (kneeling), 6th grader Charlie Heller, 8th grader Andrew Villano, 6th graders Colgate Woodley, Alex Babu and Bryce Gourley, and coach Walter Grosvenor.

“Hamilton” Experience Enriches History

There’s nothing like a Broadway show to boost interest in high school history lessons.

Some 20 Huguenot Academy juniors and seniors visited Broadway last week to see a performance of the hit musical “Hamilton,” which covers the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton and his involvement in the American Revolution and the political history of the early United States.

The experience was well earned. The students had to apply for a coveted spot in a group application process that involved completing a curriculum and preparing a performance piece that was submitted to the Hamilton Education Program, which selected the schools to receive tickets.

“These tickets are based on a lottery and many schools apply,” explained history teacher Lissette Van Voorhis, who noted that this is the second time that Huguenot Academy students have earned the Broadway tickets.  

The performance was followed by a Q and A with cast members, who talked about their experience with Hamilton.

“The show was absolutely amazing – the kids loved it,” said Ms. Van Voorhis, adding that, for most of the students, this was their first experience of Broadway. “They were not expecting to like it as much as they did and it really helped them relate to the history.”

“The Hamilton performance was very creative and organized,” said senior Steffy Barahona. “It was very inspiring and gave a twist on history."

Davis Students Bring Broadway to New Rochelle

Broadway came to New Rochelle last week, as George M. Davis, Jr. Elementary hosted two packed performances of Seussical Jr.! 

This year's performances included two separate casts totaling more than 110 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. Seussical Jr. is a fun, quirky fast-paced musical capturing favorite characters and themes of imagination and creativity from many of the classic Dr. Seuss stories.

For a little over an hour for each evening performance, the Davis auditorium was abuzz, as the energetic performances kept the audiences on the edge of their seats.  Students had the chance to shine in front of families, friends, and peers.

“It meant a lot for me to be in the show because I got closer with the kids in Davis and got to show off my singing skills," said Davis 5th grader Brooke Enis, who played Jojo in one of the casts.  "I loved every minute of being in the play and was really happy that I chose to do it!"

"I sat and enjoyed both shows with so much pride," said Davis Principal, Anthony Bambrola. "We see our students in such a different light, and they absolutely shine. Every child deserves the opportunity to be in this type of spotlight and I'm so thankful to everyone who came together to make it happen. This is yet another reason to support our PTAs."

The Davis PTA sponsored the musical, which offered an opportunity for every interested child to find a role.

"We are so proud of all the hard work of our performers! Both casts really came together and gave us two nights of theatre magic and fun," said Davis PTA Co-President, Marissa Riotto. "It's so important to provide our children with opportunities to find their place and shine, and I'm so proud that our PTA has continued to make this a free performing experience for any child that is interested and willing to put in the time. For some of our students, this might be their first chance to tap into and nourish hidden talents... an unexpected pathway to PAVE that they might have otherwise missed out on."

Photo: High school junior Eva Singletary (right) receives her award from judge Janet Malone.

Honor student, peer leader, and competitive dancer Eva Singletary can add another accomplishment to her growing list of achievements: Spirit of Love Award recipient.

The New Rochelle High School junior received the award at the 23rd Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Legacy Youth Awards at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel in Tarrytown last month. 

Described as “the ultimate mentor,” Eva is a member of the high school’s Ignite Mentoring program, which helps middle school students and freshmen transition to high school. She also nurtures several young ballerinas at The Dance Gallery in Tuckahoe and mentors neighborhood students in math. 

The Spirit of Love Award, granted by the African American Men of Westchester, is awarded to a young person who engages in activities or events to provide respite or relief to others.

“I honestly felt very honored and humbled by the whole experience,” Eva said after receiving the award. “It’s gratifying to know that the little things that I am doing don’t go unnoticed; frankly, it just makes me feel good to know I’m making an impact,” she added. 

Eva, who has been dancing since she was three years old, says dance, particularly ballet, can be “lonely and isolating,” and feels she can help younger dancers, especially underrepresented ballerinas, “so that they don’t hit the obstacles that I did, and they can find their place in the ballet world. I truly love helping all younger people and being there as a safety net for them.”

At the high school, Eva is the junior class president, a member of the Science and Spanish Honor societies, and participates in the HOSA club. She plans to pursue a career in medicine. 

The 23rd Annual New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence drew nearly 300 supporters of City School District of New Rochelle students for an evening of fun and celebration at the Surf Club on the Sound in New Rochelle on February 1. 

The NR Fund supports important enrichment programs for students, including SAT and ACT preparation courses, the annual Poetry Out Loud celebration of student poetry, the Black History Month celebration, grants to schools, field trips, youth conferences, the Museum of Art and Culture, and much more. This year, the NR Fund announced a new chess program for elementary schools beginning this spring. 

Among this year’s gala honorees was NRHS Alumnus Josiah “JoJo” Gray from the class of 2015, who is now a pitcher with the Washington Nationals baseball team. He is the son of CSDNR Human Resources team member Monica Gray (both pictured).

In addition to JoJo Gray, Jill Ostrager Cohen, MD, of Band of Parents and Westmed in New Rochelle; and John Reverol of Cafetero Coffee Company were also honored.  

The following NRHS students were awarded $1,000 each for their excellence: Ariel Esposito, Jocelyn Jimenez, Micaela Waterston, and Veronica Yu (pictured below). 

"The NR Fund is the icing on the cake that is our wonderful school district,” said NR Fund Board co-chair Laurie Forkas. “We are grateful to our wonderful supporters, and we invite all parents to get involved to help support our programs."

Athletics

Middle School Girls Basketball

IEYMS girls finished their season with a 21-18 win over Ursuline. Amber Pineda scored 10 points shooting three three-pointers. Yulissa Maricel had 8 points and 6 blocked shots. The girls finished their season with 4 and 3 record.

ALMS 33, Mount Vernon 11

ALMS 53, Mamaroneck 31

Varsity Girls Basketball

New Rochelle 61, Mamaroneck 46

Varsity Hockey

New Rochelle 4, ETBE 3

Registration for spring 2024 athletics at New Rochelle High School began Monday on Arbiter Sports for High School students only. The official start date for spring athletics at New Rochelle High School is Monday, March 11, 2024. The registration period for high school athletics will conclude on Friday, March 15, 2024. Please register on Arbiter Sports at https://students.arbitersports.com/organizations/8088/programs

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