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December-January 2013
Inside this issue:
Principal’s Word/ Star Student 2
Student Council/ Feb. Calendar 3
BLS 5/ BLS @ Shrine 4-5
Progress Report/ ELA Regents 6
Library Re-opens/ FoBLS Fundraiser 7
OCP Updates/ College Acceptances 8-9
Inside Schools Review/ Global Explorers 10
NEWSLETTER BRONX LAB
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BRONX
LAB
SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER
Principal’s Word
Page 2
As the winter approached and the daytime grew shorter, our achievements brought us great warmth and our goals gave us much to cheer about. On January 28th, the staff gathered together to celebrate our successes since September. This newsletter will highlight those achievements not printed in previous newsletters. Read about the senior college acceptances from the Office of Col-lege Placement. Get an update on our latest Regents Reports. Read about how Bronx Lab cele-brated the start of winter. The most important news we received this December, was that Bronx Lab earned a letter “B” grade on our NYC Progress Report. This was a huge accomplishment that we all met together. Some highlights include: •Earning a B on our Progress Report –Student Progress we moved from a D to a B –School Environment we moved from a C to a B
We continue to have tons to celebrate, and none of this would have been possible without your support.
Thanks, Christopher
Every month we will hold our PARENT ASSOCIATION MEETINGS to help you stay involved, become
active at the school, and have your voice heard. If you want to get involved contact:
Congratulations to principal Christopher Lagares, whose spouse gave birth to a daughter, Beatrice Antonia Bickens La-gares born on Jan. 4th
BRONX LAB
BABY
CLAP !
Staff Recognition of Star Students
On Wednesdays the staff recognizes pupils as Star Students. These are teens who have modeled the char-acteristics of being great students. The staff has recognized the following students: Star Student…. Koyabi Nbiba Star Student………….Ashley Calderon
Page 3
Newsletter Cover Story
Student Council
Student Council Advisors Lindsey Charles and Gina Polimino helped get Student Council up and running again.
They recently met in our Library and Media Center to plan out the year. Recently, Student Council President
Jelani Dilworth visited every Advisory, introduced himself, advertised the upcoming school events, and urged
students to reach out to him with questions, concerns, or ideas. Check out the calendar below, which can also
be found in our hallways, of all the wonderful School Wide Community Events coming up.
STAY UP TO DATE WITH IMPORTANT BRONX LAB EVENTS. VISIT OUR WEBSITE www.bronxlabschool.org.
Scroll down the homepage and you will find an updated calendar.
Page 4 BRONX LAB SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Bronx Lab School 5
The purpose of the BLS 5 is to provide students, families and staff with a framework for building a successful school community. We will use these 5 simple principles to guide our words and our actions. By adhering to them we will be able to foster a common language of respect, accountabil-ity, preparedness, risk taking and support.
Bronx Lab 5
-Be Prepared-
-Be Respectful-
-Be Accountable-
-Challenge Yourself-
-Support your Community-
BLS 5 Awards for November
During the months of December & Janaury, the following students were nomi-nated:
Jason Cruz for Challenge Yourself from Rachel Apple
"Support your community" to the folks who went to Breezy Point on Sunday by John McCrann:
Joanne Singh Shiasa Garcia Albert Grant Jose Paulino Jomar Meija
Johanna Brionnes Saydia Hoosain Yesenia Cajigas Edgar Contreras
Niyasia Grant Miquel Rogers Kevin Sanchez
Visit the Bronx Lab School Music Channel
at
http://www.youtube.com/user/BRONXLABSCHOOLMUSIC
BLS Studio Jazz Ensemble
Page 5
The students performed so well that we have been invited to play once a month at one of Harlem's pre-
miere live music venues - The Shrine. CD's of their greatest hits have been delivered to every staff mem-
ber.
Improved Grade on our NYC DOE Progress Report
Page 6 BRONX LAB NEWSLETTER
As mentioned in the principal’s opening letter, Bronx Lab saw its NYC DOE Progress report grade improve from a letter C to a letter B. To the left you will see our scores in each individual category. Below are some amazing highlights: Global Regents Scores
BLS’ Global Regents scores were better than 88% of
schools in our Peer Group BLS’ Global Regents scores were better than 84% of City
schools •18 month College Enrollment rate
We had the highest enrollment in our peer group
We outperformed 96% of the schools in the City in this
category. For the full NYC Progress Report go to: http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2011-12/Progress_Report_2012_HS_X265.pdf
ELA REGENTS (First Time Scores)
2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
Class of 2009
Class of 2010
Class of 2011
Class of 2012
Class of 2013
Class of 2014
>=80 2.44 0.00 4.29 14.13 29.13 26.32
>=75 4.88 12.31 28.57 27.17 46.60 38.95
>=65 19.51 33.85 48.57 66.30 77.67 72.63
<65 78.05 64.62 52.86 32.61 22.55 27.37
Avg 50.60 59.03 62.45 67.24 71.28 69.51
ELA Regents Update
Our juniors once again and sat down to take the ELA Regents again for the first time.
From the Class of 2010 to the Class of 2013 there has been a 114% increase in the # of stu-dents scoring above a 65%.
From the Class of 2010 to Class of 2013 there has been a 18% increase in the average first time score for students.
Evander Childs Library & Media Center Reopened
Page 7 VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1
On Monday November 19th, the Evander Childs Library & Media Center held a grand re-opening ceremony.
Bronx Lab’s Jazz Band played background music and also played two songs during the actual ceremony, Ste-
vie Wonder’s Superstition and Duffy’s Mercy. Founding principal and current Deputy Chancellor, Marc Stern-
berg served as a guest speaker. Our current principal, Christopher Lagares, spoke on behalf of the six campus
principals and introduced our new school librarian, Ms. Kinkle-Ansa.
Below is an excerpt of the description of the opening, for the full Blog go to:
http://www.newvisions.org/blog/entry/library-closed-for-five-years-reopens-after-renovation
On January 17th, Friends of Bronx Lab board member, Alan Hartman and his wife Kim, opened the doors to their home and hosted a Wine Tast-ing party which raised over $15,000 for the school.
Page 8 BRONX LAB SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
Scholarships
•Javier Cabral was selected as a Posse Scholar Finalist
•Javier Cabral is also a Gates Millennium Scholarship Applicant (He is the first BLS student to complete the application)
College Applications
•75% of seniors have completed college applications (5 in progress)
•Over 750 college applications have been processed so far
College Enrollment
•Karleene Diaz enrolled in the Clarkson School's Early College Program (first ever student to participate in this type of program)
•1 student enrolled at Lehman's College Now and earned an A
•15 SUNY College Acceptances so far
Office of College Placement Updates
http://www.canton.edu/
Chavelie Cruz SUNY Canton
Kadeem Douglass SUNY Canton
Shakeem Douglass SUNY Canton
Melanie Reyes SUNY Canton
Justin Rivera SUNY Canton
http://www.sunyocc.edu/
Michael Irving SUNY Ono-
daga Community College
Christopher Lewis SUNY
Onodaga Community College
COLLEGE
ACCEP-TANCES
SO FAR
Do you have questions about college?
If so, visit the Office of Col-lege Placement in room
306.
T. Walls earned the highest SAT for the Class of 2013 and the highest Algebra score, a 97. in the history of the school.
Page 9 NEWSLETTER TITLE
COLLEGE
ACCEP-TANCES
SO FAR
Amanda Dominguez College at
Brockport
http://www.flcc.edu/
Christian Guadalupe Fingerlakes
Community College
http://www.delhi.edu/
Elian Rodriguez SUNY Delhi
http://www.alfredstate.edu/
Rushane Constable Alfred
State SUNY College of Tech-
nology
http://www2.cortland.edu/home/ http://www.cobleskill.edu/home.asp
Joshua Rivera SUNY Cobleskill & Cortland Community College
Global Explorers-Learning Afar
Page 10
Bronx Lab School was once again selected to go to Mexico to help build libraries in the Yucatan Peninsula. This grant, worth $33,000, will once again be a wonderful experience for our students. If you are interested in attending please see Mr. Noel Eaton or Ms. Bibi Hussain-Santana.
Bronx Lab Students currently grace the cover of Learning Afar's Website. Check them out:
http://www.globalexplorers.org/programs/learning_afar/
Great Review from Inside Schools
Recently, the independent organization, Inside Schools, came to Bronx Lab and gave us a great review,
below is an excerpt:
Bronx Lab School’s green walls and brightly painted murals give it a comfortable and cozy feel. Teachers go by
their first names and the small-school atmosphere keeps the students and teachers close. “Teachers actually
care about you as an individual,” said a 12th grader.
The school opened in 2004 in the Evander Childs Educational Complex, a building that has had a bad repu-tation in the past. But Principal Christopher Lagares, a former history teacher at Manhattan Village Academy, says: “This is no longer Evander Childs. We’re finally breaking the stereotype.”
The school has a senior seminar, and 9th graders take an Integrated Math and Science class that combines
algebra, geometry and physics. A select group of 10th graders participate in an internship program, working
two days a week at various sites including architectural firms, dental offices and Montefiore Medical Center.
On Wednesdays, classes end early for credit recovery classes and professional development. A mandatory
extended-day program for 9th graders offers electives and allows students to attend office hours of their teach-
ers for extra help twice a week. “We work really hard to make sure that students who don’t always come to us
high school-ready are college-ready when they leave,” explained Lagares.
Seniors participate in an annual SUNY Lock-in in October; they stay at school until evening filling out college
applications with assistance from staff. Advanced students may take College Now courses at Lehman College,
though there are no Advanced Placement classes.
After graduation, 80 percent of students plan to attend college, mostly in 2-year programs at CUNY schools.
Some enroll in 4-year programs at CUNY, SUNY and private universities like Fordham.
Special counselors from the Institute for Student Achievement and FEGS Health and Human Services set stu-
dents up with afterschool jobs.
The school also has building-wide PSAL sports and active clubs like the Gay-Straight Alliance and the Ameri-
can Appalachian Club. “We try to connect students with different programs to give them a reason to come to
school,” commented Lagares.
2nd Annual Winterfest
Page 11
If you are ever in need of free legal advice, the school has a relation-ship with one of the country’s most prominent law firms, Wilmer Hale LLP, to help families with legal problems that could disrupt the education of students. To set up a private time to meet with a lawyer, please contact your child’s advisor, or Damaris Frias ([email protected]).
Free Legal Advice
F∙E∙G∙S Health and Human Services is the non-profit organization partnered with Bronx Lab to provide counseling, support, and college and career development services to students at Bronx Lab. If you are interested in accessing F∙E∙G∙S’s myriad services for youth and families including employment and career services, behavioral health and residential services, please contact Llesenis Soto at [email protected]
.
Attention parents of all grades:
Once again, the Bronx Lab School community got into the spirit of the season by decorating their doors, participating in Winter Artsfest, and of course, Holiday Karaoke. Below you will see wonderful images from the different events in December.
