Goodbye
School
, Hello Summer!
Schools Chancellor Klein greeted families at PS 57 in East Harlem on the last day of school and joined Mayor Bloomberg at a BBQ for this year’s Valedictorians and Salutatorians. Watch the video highlights.
Students Beat the Odds
Chancellor Klein and Deputy Chancellor Santiago Taveras commended seniors in the Class of 2009 who have overcome significant obstacles to graduate during the third-annual Remarkable Achievement Celebration. About 300 students and their families attended the event at the Tweed Courthouse.
“These graduates have overcome language barriers, learning disabilities, family tragedies, and other challenges that would have led many people to just give up,” Chancellor Klein said. “I praise their hard work and determination and thank the educators and family members whose support was instrumental in helping these students succeed.” Watch the video highlights.
PSAL Baseball Championship
The Norman Thomas High School Tigers (pictured) beat the Monroe Eagles 5-2 after trailing in the early innings in this year’s Public Schools Athletic League Baseball Championship Division A game at the new Yankee Stadium.
"I've been on this team for three years, and this is big," said Raul Gonzalez, a senior and the Tigers’ catcher. "We've always wanted to win a championship, and I knew this was my last chance."
Students watched the action from some of the new stadium’s best seats, cheering for their favorite teams so loudly they often drowned out the play-by-play announcer.
"This was a great game and great fun for our student athletes, and I want to thank the Yankees organization for making this possible," said PSAL Executive Director Donald Douglas.
This was the first appearance for Normal Thomas in the championship game, coming off an undefeated season. The last time Monroe won the City title was in 2006.
Check out these video highlights and photos of the game.
Where the Wild Things Were Born
Students at IS 228 in Brooklyn ended the school year by putting on an original production honoring Maurice Sendak, the author of “Where the Wild Things Are” and a graduate of the school. .
“Reader Beware: A Musical Experience Based on the Wild Imagination of Maurice Sendak” was created by some of the school’s teachers, and included a cast of more than 120 students from the school’s art, creative writing, dance, drama, and vocal magnet programs.
Seventh-grader and “Where the Wild Things Are” fan Akilah Fant said, “The musical is fun, happy, cheerful, and exciting.
“Maurice Sendak is a wonderful New York City success story,” said Principal Dominick D’Angelo. “This is a man from our Brooklyn neighborhood who worked on his drawing and writing skills in this very school and is now recognized as a great artist and writer around the world. We are tremendously proud of him and hope his success will inspire the children at IS 228 today to follow their dreams, just as he did.”
“I thought we should do a celebration of Maurice Sendak because he is such an inspirational character and made such a success of his life,” teacher and co-creator Lisa Banker said. “He had such a diverse background and he came from this neighborhood as a child.”
Walk for Clean Water
More than 600 fifth-graders from elementary schools in Districts 13, 14, 15, and 16 in Brooklyn marched over the Brooklyn Bridge to raise money for UNICEF and raise awareness about the need for clean water around the world.
The color guard and drum line from PS 257 led the marchers, followed by the nationally renowned cheerleaders from PS 307. Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz helped welcome the students with words of gratitude and encouragement.
“The walk made me think about all of the water I waste at home and throw down the drain,” said Sukanya F, a student at PS 307. “Now I see what people all over the world deal with just to get water!”
Students Meet Nelson Mandela in South Africa
Twelve New York City public school students spent four days in South Africa in early June where they met Nobel Peace Prize winner and former South African President Nelson Mandela. The middle and high school students won an essay-writing contest held by the Mandela Foundation. Students were asked to write about the leader’s life and ideals and how people can act in day-to-day life to make the world a better place.
“Meeting Nelson Mandela was the highlight of my life,” said Christina Johnson, a twelfth-grader at Renaissance High School for Musical Theater. “The entire trip was an amazing experience.”
The focus of the trip was to create a global student charter to relay Mandela’s message around the world, as well as to support the creation of an official annual Mandela Day on July 18. Watch CNN coverage of the trip.
P.S. Art
Student artwork is on display at one of the world’s most prestigious museums. P.S. Art 2009 opened at the Metropolitan Museum of Art earlier this month. Now in its seventh year, P.S. Art celebrates the visual arts and showcases the tremendous talent of public school students from across the City. This year’s exhibition includes 58 paintings, prints, sculptures, collages, and drawings created by students in every grade.
“P.S. Art is a wonderful way for the public to get a glimpse into the outstanding arts education that’s happening in our classrooms,” Chancellor Klein said. “We are committed to providing every student with an outstanding arts education and this exhibition showcases the creative and artistic talents of our students.”
“Art can open doors and create connections for our incredibly diverse public school population,” said Caroline Kennedy, Vice-Chair of The Fund for Public Schools (pictured). “In a city where more than 150 languages are spoken in the homes of our students, art is a universal language, giving all children an avenue for expression. I would like to congratulate the students whose fine artwork is on display and thank The Metropolitan Museum of Art for making this opportunity possible.”
Bank of America funds the exhibit with a grant to The Fund for Public Schools and Studio in a School supports the production costs. The exhibit will be on display through August 2 in the museum’s Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education.