Embracing Technology

So I'm in my old neighborhood about to get my barber shop on typing this post on my new iPhone. This is pretty cool and very convenient. Let's see...what's going on with me? Summer school has been taking most of my time. I've been leaving Around 9 pm lately. I have to run in to the building later for something I forgot but really need to take care of before Monday. Yeah so I've been playing around with the new phone. Thanks Mr. Mareus's cousin for helping us to sync the iPhone with Outlook. What a convenience!

Last week my oldest nephew graduated from Tottenville HS in Staten Island. We are all very proud of him. A good friend from my college years is in town so we will be meeting this weekend. I also have to cook something for our brunch on Monday. The red velvet cake was gone in 2 periods last week. I'm glad everyone enjoyed it. I haven't figured out how to upload an image on this post from the iPhone so I can't include the pic of the cakes coming out of the oven.

Congratulations again to the Class of 2009! Peace...gotta go.

High School Musical at I.S. 68

What team? Wildcats!

Our production of High School Musical was a success. Although we had some technical sound issues in the first show, the students did a great job. The second and third shows were both great and went off without a hitch after a thorough sound check. Ms. Zephir was wonderful in her showstopping performance as Coach Bolton in Friday morning's show. Congratulations and thanks to all the performers for their hard work.
Leandra and Traven had great chemistry as Gabriella and Troy and their vocals were on point. Shae and Abraham shined as Sharpay and Ryan, especially in "Bop to the Top." The basketball team rocked it in "Get'cha Head in the Game." No one dropped a basketball in any of the shows! My favorite part of all three shows was "We're All in This Together."

Thanks to all staff and students who came out to see the show. We really appreciate it. Let me also say thanks very much to Ms. Piton, Ms. C. Hall, Ms. Dockery and Ms. Zephir for all of their hard work throughout this process. This was the most demanding show and cast thus far and your perseverance is appreciated. Rehearsals were trying and students dropped in and out of the cast since January but we stuck it out.

Thanks to P.S. 181, I.S. 246 and M.S. 352 for sending your students to Friday's show.

Thanks to:
Ms. Verdier for her flip camera skills
Ms. Jackson and Ms. St. Louis for helping us out right before the show
Mr. Pitkoff for all the laminating
Carlos for helping to hang the streamers in the auditorium
My fellow AP's Ms. Abdullah and Mr. McNeill for being amenable to Friday's scheduling

Paciencia y Fe!

On Wednesday, June 3rd, I took several deserving Academy II students (as well as one student each from Academies I and III) to see In The Heights, the Tony and Grammy award winning hit musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda set in New York City's Dominican-American neighborhood, Washington Heights. On Monday I found out that the celebrated author left the show in February, but I was still totally stoked to see the show. I found it to be a cross between Rent and West Side Story that worked well for the most part but that gratuitously mimiced the aforementioned classics. Yes, Rent is a classic! At the end of the day, I thought the show was great. Highlights included the title number In The Heights, 96,000, The Club, Carnaval Del Barrio, the very touching Alabanza and the reaffirming Finale.

The four leads in our upcoming production of High School Musical were in attendance. I hope all of you took a lot away from this amazing performance!

The students enjoyed the show. We were about 30 minutes in before they got accustomed to the periodic Spanish dialogue and lyrics. All in all, I highly recommend the show to Broadway buffs and occasional theater goers alike. Even if you don't speak Spanish or you've never been to Washington Heights, you'll appreciate the music and the story. I must admit that I was deeply moved by the last few minutes of the finale. I won't give anything away...I'll just urge you to go and see it. Thanks to the parents and Ms. Kinast for accompanying us.

Summer School 2009

The 8th grade schedules are subject to change.


Summer school begins Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Last day of summer school if not testing: Thursday, July 30, 2009
Summer ELA exam: Monday, August 3, 2009
Summer Mathematics exam: Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Summer ELA and Mathematics makeup exams: Wednesday, August 4, 2009

Schedule for grades 6 and 7: 8:30 - 12:30
Schedule for 8th graders taking 1 class: 8:30 - 10:30
Schedule for 8th graders taking 2 classes: 8:30 - 12:30
Schedule for 8th graders taking 3 classes: 8:30 - 2:00
Schedule for 8th graders taking 4 classes: 8:30 - 3:00