MS 40 teacher, Maureen Connors, assists a student duringthe Hour of Code event. Also pictured, far back, is teacher

Aimee Rodriguez.

DECEMBER 18, 2014 VOLUME 18/ISSUE 4_____________________________________________________________________________

DR. MARCIA V. LYLES, SUPERINTENDENTSANGEETA RANADE, BOARD OF EDUCATION PRESIDENT | VIDYA GANGADIN, VICE PRESIDENT

BOARD MEMBERS: MICHELINE AMY, JESSICA ROSERO DAYE, CAROL HARRISON-ARNOLD,DR. BERTRAM OKPOKWASILI, MARILYN ROMAN, ELLEN SIMON, ANGEL L. VALENTIN

"HOUR OF CODE" TAKES OVERMIDDLE SCHOOLSOpen JC partners with district The Jersey City Public Schools, in partnership withOpen JC, widened opportunities for over 1,700 JerseyCity middle school students through the Hour of Code.The Hour of Code, which was celebrated in Jersey Cityon December 12, is an event held around the worldempowering tens of millions of students in over 180countries by introducing them to computer coding.Middle school students at MS 4, MS 7, MS 40,Academy I and Infinity, over 1,700 in all, participated inHour of Code activities. They were supported by closeto fifty Open JC volunteers with professional technicalskills who facilitated the programs and helped studentsdevelop new skills and awareness. The district held a ceremony to mark the importance of the Hour of Code at Ezra L. Nolan Middle School 40.Speakers included Council President Rolando Lavarro, Council members Joyce Watterman and CandiceOsborne, as well as representatives from Jersey On and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marcia V. Lyles. Dr.Lyles emphasized the importance of students being not merely consumers of digital media, but beingproducers of it, and the Hour of Code helps students make that transition. MS 40 Principal Francine Luceannounced that her students had all just received their laptops as part of the school's One-to-One initiativefunded by a Federal SIG grant and that this event helps underscore why the students need their ownmachines. Afterwards, visitors joined sixth graders in the school's Blended Learning Labs as they engaged ingames that introduced them to computer coding.

PS 11 STUDENT WINS PATHPOSTER CONTEST

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marcia V. Lyles, flanked bywinners in the PATH poster contest, addresses the public at

the Journal Square PATH Transportation Hub.

Ivonne Ovalles

Bhaamati Borkhetaria

This year marks the 25th anniversary of our partnershipwith the Port Authority's PATH system in sponsoring theannual district Holiday Poster Contest. Three winnersreceived prizes: Felix Tinio (K -2), D'Kyri Kelly (3-5),and Tiffany Fahmy (7-8). One of the three, createdby Tiffany Fahmy from Ms. Linda Fiore's eighth gradeclass at Martin Luther King, Jr. PS 11, was chosen asthis year's winning poster and will be featuredthroughout the PATH system this holiday season.Tiffany was both surprised and shocked to learn of herwin. "I was like, 'It's my poster, I'm the one who madethis!'" Each of the 3 winners received 4 tickets to the "RadioCity Christmas Spectacular" in New York City andcomplimentary 10-trip PATH SmartLink cards, providedby the Port Authority, to get the winners and theirfamilies to and from the show. The Port Authority also gave the winners $50 American Express gift cards,and the Jersey City Visual and Performing Arts Department and Jersey City Board of Education providedthem with art supplies. Through a partnership between PATH and the Jersey City Board of Education's Visual and Performing ArtsDepartment, students submitted approximately five hundred (500) holiday posters to PATH for judging thisyear.

PS 5 STUDENT ATTENDS NJIT SCIENCE CAMPIvonne Ovalles, a seventh grader at Dr. Michael Conti PS 5, was one of a fewstudents selected to participate in the Exxon Mobil Bernard Harris Summer ScienceCamp held at the NJ Institute of Technology (NJIT). This program was founded byBernard Harris - the first African-American astronaut to walk in space. Studentswho actually lived at NJIT for the full two weeks were broken up into groups of fouron a daily basis and were given the opportunity to create a toy that could function inspace for NASA, using the scientific engineering process, or STEM. In the future,NASA hopes to begin sending families to the International Space Station (ISS), andIvonne was able to be a part of this process. Ivonne happily stated, "We learned inso many ways I didn't even think were possible. This program was truly theopportunity of a lifetime." Learn More about the NJIT Summer Science Camp.

MCNAIR SENIOR ATTENDS PRINCETONSYMPOSIUMMcNair Academic senior Bhaamati Borkhetaria attended an Arts andHumanities Symposium at Princeton University where she was given theopportunity to sit in on a seminar led by Princeton Professor Christy Wampoleand a poetry workshop facilitated by Princeton Professor Tracy Smith.Bhaamati also had the incredible experience of hearing Eliza Griswold, aPrinceton alumnus and published author, speak about her projectin Afghanistan collecting local poems called "landays." The symposium was agreat opportunity for Bhaamati to understand what it means to pursue the artsand humanities in a college setting complete with fascinating discussions,experienced professors, famous guest speakers, and roundtable seminars.

PS 12 THANKFUL FOR THEIR

From left: JC Columbus Day Parade Committee PresidentNicholas Grillo, PS 12 Principal Annie Graham and Assistant

Principal Thomas Macagnano.

Copernicus PS 25 is the grand prize winner in the 2014 LibertyHouse Tree Decorating contest.

Students - Eileen Sanchez, Victoria Johnston, Dezyre Wilkerson-Anderson (Treasurer), Mirna Allsayed (President), Nicole Pagan(Vice-president), Litzy Gaspar (Secretary), Victoria Adams, OliviaAyad, Ashly Rivas, and Career and Technical Education Advisor,

Ms. Karen Hunter-Gathers

COMMUNITYSchool receives special donations

Julia A. Barnes PS 12 is thankful for its many caringcommunity members that help school familiesduring the holiday season. Anthony Catanio,President of the Dante Alighieri Society, presentedPS 12 with $250 worth of Shop-Rite gift cards forfamilies. Jersey City Columbus Day ParadeCommittee President Nicholas Grillo, and VicePresident Thomas Macagnano, presented PS 12with $300 worth of Shop-Rite gift cards. Phi DeltaKappa Xinos Junior Sorority members provided twoJulia A. Barnes families with Thanksgiving foodbaskets and turkeys. The Unknown Bikers of ConeyIsland Motorcycle Club donated and distributed 70turkeys to Julia A. Barnes families.

PS 25 WINS LIBERTY HOUSEDECORATING CONTEST

Liberty House Restaurant held its annual"Snowflake Contest" at its Liberty State Parklocation on November 25. Students in grades 1through 4 participated in decorating a tree with atheme that reflected their school, community, and/orspecial interests. Ms. Toy's fourth grade class atNicolaus Copernicus PS 25 won First Place in theannual Christmas tree decorating contest. The treewas a testament to the "Healthy Eating" motto thatthe school has adopted over the past few years.Students created clay salmon, string beans, handblown eggs, and strawberry ornaments. PS 25received a check in the amount of $250.

PS 17 WINS MEDALS INSTATEWIDE CONFERENCEStudents compete at FCCLA

Nine students from Joseph H. Brensinger PS 17,along with their Career and Technical EducationAdvisor Ms. Karen Hunter-Gathers, had theopportunity to compete at the Family, Career andCommunity Leaders of America (FCCLA) StatewideLeadership Conference at the PInes Manor inEdison, NJ. The students competed against othermiddle schools in the State and won medals inthree categories: Gold Medal in CupcakeChallenge, Silver Medal in Fashion For Passion,and Bronze Medal in the Banner Competition. Thisexciting, informative, and motivational, one-dayconference was an amazing opportunity forstudents to develop leadership skills, learn aboutNational Programs, and network with other Family Consumer Sciences' students and teachers.

Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Gregory's first-grade class

PS 22 Mayor Amirah Calamito

PS 12 RECEIVES WELCOMERESOURCES

Mrs. Williams and Mrs. Gregory's first-grade class isenjoying their new Yoobi supplies given by theCommunity Food Bank of NJ. They were excited tobe adopted by the school's service broker. TheCommunity Food Bank offers excellent resources toteachers and families. Teachers sign up on the Internetto get school supplies for their classrooms. TheCommunity Food Bank also offers food to students andtheir siblings for weekends through their Food BackpackProgram. This program will be up and running again thiscoming winter.

PS 22 ELECTS SCHOOL MAYOR WITH HELPFROM CITY HALLPS 22 students and JA BizTown united for an amazing educationalexperience. JA BizTown helps students connect the dots between what theylearn in school and the real world. Fifth-grade students held primary electionsin their respective homerooms and then held a real election for 5th grademayor. Teachers and students from each classroom were joined by mentorsfrom the Jersey City Mayor's Office. Jeremy Farrell, Corporation Counsel forJersey City; Muhammed Akil; and Brian Platt, Aide to Jersey City Mayor, eachmentored Christopher Gonzalez, Amirah Calamito, and Darrell McCants,respectively. In the end, Ms. Amirah Calamito won the election. She will serveas mayor of BizTown when the 5th grade takes a day-long visit to the simulated town and will operate thebanks, manage the restaurants, and learn how to write checks.

From left: PS 38 Assistant Principal Hani Ileya; Community Aide Yvonne Ellis; Student Life & Services Director Paula Christen;Board of Education Vice President Vidya Gangadin; PS 38 Principal Sandra Jones; Student Life & Services Associate

Superintendent Franklin Walker; and Division A Schools Director Dr. Michael A. Winds.

PS 38 WINS HIGHEST ATTENDANCE FOR OCTOBERThe school boasted a 97.3% attendance rate.

LIBERTY LINES IS AN IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION OF THE JERSEY CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.THE JERSEY CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

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