LIBERTY LINES MAY 4, 2016 - EDITiON 1
SPECIAL OLYMPICS UNIFIED BASKETBALL TEAMS JC WARRIORS GREEN AND BLACK
Our Special Olympics Unified Basketball teams, the Jersey City Warriors Green and Black, both won GOLD medals this weekend at the Special Olympics Spring Games in Wildwood. The two teams are comprised of athletes with special needs and general education partners that practice every Saturday at M.S. #40. Coached by Jersey City public school teachers Sean Healy, Sean Doherty, Brendan Queenan and Sean Fallon, the players attend schools throughout the district including Dickinson High School, Ferris High School, McNair High School, University, M.S. #7 and Regional Day. In addition to competing at a high level, the teams displayed outstanding sportsmanship, teamwork and perseverance.
BOYS TO MEN EMPOWERMENT CONFERENCE
The Crisis Intervention Teacher, Mr. Shariff Battle accompanied a group of Ferris HS ninth-grade boys at the annual "Boys to Men Empowerment Conference" at Montclair State University. The students had an opportunity to hear about the importance of higher education, positive relationships, self-reflection, and effective leadership. An important theme throughout the day was not allowing your environment to dictate your destiny.
6TH ANNUAL SONNET SLAM
Thirty-five students from Dickinson High School's Palisade Poetry Press (led by English Teacher Ted Guzmán) and Shakespeare Club (led by English Teacher Charlotte Vroom) along with Chaperones Alexander Doyle, Sean Fallon and Greg Tyrka participated in the Sixth Annual Sonnet Slam in New York City's Central Park commemorating what would have been William Shakespeare's 452nd birthday and 400th anniversary of his death on Saturday, April 23, 2016. En route to the event, the group stopped at Strawberry Fields in honor of musical legend John Lennon. The annual event is made up of 154 Sonneteers from the entire tri-state region who recite all 154 sonnets from 1pm to 6pm.
MCNAIR BOYS RELAY TEAM WINS PENN RELAYS
The McNair boys 4x400 relay team shook off a slow start at the 2016 Penn Relays on Saturday and won their heat thanks to an incredible run from anchor Haig Rickerby. The junior grabbed the baton with his team in seventh place before running a personal-best 48.22 to blow by the rest of the field and finish in first. The Cougars posted a time of 3:29.06, just ahead of second-place finisher Calvert Hall College High School of Baltimore (3:29.13). "It felt great, one of the most exciting races I've gotten to coach," McNair head coach Matt Hogan said. "I'll admit, I jumped up and shouted a bit." Keishawn Jones got McNair back in the hunt in the race's third leg. With his team in 10th place, the sophomore ran a personal-best 52.66 to pull McNair up to seventh place by the time Rickerby took over. Seniors Rai Brathwaite and Jose Espinal started the race for the Cougars.
NJ SHARING NETWORK
Renaissance Institute's Art teacher, Kristen Marino, has come up with an amazing mural design for the mural she has the students painting on the outside wall of an art store on Newark and Cole St in Jersey City, not too far from the school. The Theme is about organ/tissue donation.
The concept for the mural stemmed from a trip students took to The Sharing Network in New Providence, NJ. Ms. Sheila Love, the Health & Physical Education teacher at Renaissance Institute, focused a series of lessons about organ donation, culminating with the trip. During the trip, student, Almira Williams, came up with the idea to incorporate organ donation awareness into the community mural. From this point art specialist, Kristen Marino, had students research symbols, imagery, and slogans related to the topic. The art classes then worked collaboratively, piecing together the images and slogans that best represented the intended message. Over the course of 1 week, students went on location to paint the mural which is on the wall at Hudson County Art Supply. It will remain up for the month of May, and possibly June.
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PS 25 PARTICIPATED IN THE GRASSROOTS PROGRAM
Nicolaus Copernicus School participated in the Grassroots Program sponsored by the National Hockey League and New Jersey Devils. The NHL provided hockey equipment as well as a start up Street Hockey Instructional Kit free of charge. The goal of the program is to build better future for today's youth through the establishment of organized athletic programs. This structured Street Hockey Program enabled Nioclaus Copernicus School to expand their recreational programs and provide the students with an opportunity to learn and participate in a new sports activity. On Tuesday, April 19, 2016, The New Jersey Devils' mascot, coach, and alumni player, Grant Marshall, visited the students and staff at P.S. #25. The students who participated in the afterschool Street Hockey Program, were able to showcase their skills by demonstrating some drills they learned. At the end of the practice, the students played a game.
THE UNITED CEREBRAL PALSY ASSOCIATION OF HUDSON COUNTY RECEIVED A $500 DONATION
On April 19, 2016, The National Junior Honor Society-Martin Luther King Jr. School Chapter donated a check in the amount of $500 to the United Cerebral Palsy Association of Hudson County. The donation was made in memory of Dr. Patricia Bryant, Associate Superintendent of The Jersey City Public Schools who recently passed away. Her dedication to early childhood development was parallel with the organization's mission statement of "Life without Limits".
CONGRESSMAN ALBIO SIRES SPEAKS TO MCNAIR ACADMIC HS STUDENTS
On April 11, Financial Literacy students at McNair Academic HS were taught by a guest instructor, Congressman Albio Sires (Democrat, New Jersey's 8th District). Speaking to Douglas Klein's class, Mr. Sires spoke about the importance of education and was very impressed to learn of the large number of McNair acceptances to leading colleges and universities. He's very concerned about the high cost of college education, but noted that there's very little that Congress can do about it because it is private institutions that establish tuition trends, which are beyond the control of legislatures. He noted that Congress needs to increase the levels of Pell Grants, which represent only a fraction of annual tuition expenses. Mr. Sires was very upbeat about the future of our country - especially Jersey City and Hudson County - and is hopeful about a strong Democratic victory in the November elections because he does not enjoy being in the minority party as much as the majority.
JACKIE ROBINSON COMMEMORATION CEREMONY
On Sunday April 17, a group of student-athletes from the Snyder baseball team participated in the Jackie Robinson Commemoration Ceremony at Bayside Park in Jersey City. After the introduction by Mr. Jim Hague from the Jersey Journal and a speech honoring Jackie Robinson's contribution to the game by Mayor Steven Fulop, our boys put on a skills and drills clinic for the youth players of Jackie Robinson Little League. The young players were taught how to properly throw, catch, run and hit. They learned some life lessons from the coaches present about how to be part of a team, hustle and always do your best. This experience was just as important to our Snyder student-athletes to give back to their community as it was for the youth of our neighborhood to look up to Snyder students.
GREAT JC CLEAN-UP
Thirty-five students in grades 8 - 12 from Infinity Institute participated in the Great Jersey City Clean-up under the supervision of National Honor Society Adviser, Lori Castiglione-Cangelosi. Students picked up trash and recycling from Greenville Ave. to Columbia Park between Old Bergen Road and Bartholdi Ave. Any Espinal, Infinity's NHS President, stated "Now seeing all the garbage in the streets on the way home makes me want to clean it all up! Thank you for this experience. I love seeing my neighborhood block clean, so to be a part of giving someone else that feeling is really nice." Infinity's NHS plans to continue cleaning up their neighborhood on a bi-weekly basis.
COME JOIN IN ON THE FUN
