About 50 junior and senior high school students presented their art portfolios to representatives of colleges, universities and art schools during an Art Portfolio Review Day hosted by the Art Department at New Rochelle High School on Friday, November 13. During a preliminary moderated assembly program, representatives each gave an overview of their institution, which was followed by a discussion of the commonalities and specialities of various art education programs. After the presentations and discussions, representatives met with students for individual portfolio reviews, giving students advice. Several students' art portfolios were accepted at the Portfolio Review event.

Senior citizens from the Hugh Doyle Center in New Rochelle joined Mrs. Mary Monteleone's "Young Readers' Group at the Isaac E. Young Middle School as students participated in a video conference in conjunction with the Cleveland Museum of Art on the topic of the Mexican observance of the Day of the Dead. As a prelude, students visited the Hugh Doyle Center on November 2 to read their original poems, or calavera, to seniors at the Hugh Doyle Center.

On Friday, October 23, 2009, the New Rochelle High School English Department celebrated of “The Life and Works of Edgar Allen Poe” The annual event is sponsored by the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence. The festival, now in its tenth year, celebrates the life and works of noted authors, with a day of educational and engaging activities created by the NRHS English Department under the direction of Department Chairman Leslie Altschul. Students participated in the festival have studied each of the authors as well as the times in which they lived and wrote. There were various events including a seminar by renowned scholars. The symposium began with an honors seminar in the Kelly Theater with presentations by distinguished guests, including Barbara Cantalupo, who is Associate Professor of English at Penn State, Lehigh Valley. Professor Cantalupo spoke about “The Poe You Might Not Know.” Also presenting was David S. Reynolds, who is a Distinguished Professor of English, at CUNY who lectured on “Poe in His Times.” Returning to moderate and lecture for the tenth consecutive year was Richard Kopley, a graduate of the NRHS Class of ’67. Mr. Kopley is Professor of English at Penn State University, who lectured on “The Secrets of The Purloined Letter.” Following the honors lectures was a unique game show, “What Do You Know About Edgar Allan Poe?” Students in the PAVE (Performing and Visual Arts Education) program presented a skit based on Edgar Allen Poe. Students in English classes also participated in a computer-based multi-media scavenger hunt based on the Life and Works of Edgar Allen Poe.

On a fine Fall day on October 8, art students were out of doors by New Rochelle High School creating work "En Plein Air." Students were drawing and painting scenes by the lake, while others were firing ceramics and sculpture in kilns outside employing the Raku method.

Four NRHS Science Research students were selected to present at the Westchester Rockland Sub-regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium at Purchase College in February. The students have set their sights for the Upstate New York Junior Science and Humanities Symposium (JSHS), one of the most prestigious forums for young scientists in the country. Students in the competitive presentation section represent the High School in the competitive poster session.

A unique Life Skills Culinary Arts Program was recently recognized by FOX Broadcasting Teen News as a newsworthy feature, and was highlight in a broadcast by Teen News in March. Since the 2005-2006 school year, through a unique collaboration with Chefworks, the City School District of New Rochelle has offered a program using a modified curriculum of Life Skills Culinary Arts instruction tailored specifically for students with Special Needs. The program is remarkably successful. Outcomes include increased job readiness, increased kitchen skills, and improved social functioning. This exemplary program meets the needs of students with moderate to severe disabilities, providing the environment for them to gain vocational skills, life skills and through the shared friendship of the community, a better quality of life. In order to continue offering Life Skills Culinary Arts instructional program next Fall, the District plans to issue Requests For Proposals to develop a comparable community-based program in collaboration with a educational facility and business partnership.

Seven members of the NRHS Jazz Band have been selected to perform with one of the two All-County Jazz Bands in March in Mamaroneck. In addition, eleven members of the Symphonic Band were selected to participate in the Area All-State Music Festival last fall. More students were selected from New Rochelle High School for both events than from any other Westchester area high school, noted Band Director Robert Freeberg.

New Rochelle High School is selected to be a test center for the ACT, which will be administered June 13. The ACT is a curriculum-based, college admissions test similar to the SAT, and is part of the college admissions application. The ACT is comprised of multiple choice questions that cover four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science. The ACT Plus Writing is another ACT assessment option that includes a 30-minute essay test measuring students’ writing skills. Students should take the Writing Test based on the requirements of the colleges they are applying to. The deadline for the ACT registration is May 8. For more information about the ACT or to register for the test, visit www.act.org.

Two New Rochelle High School students were runners-up in the Manhattanville College Scholarship Essay Contest open to select high school students in New York City, Long Island, and Westchester and Rockland counties who meet grade point requirements. On Feb. 25, 180 students from the region also participated in the college sponsored daylong program, “Invest in Success: A Partnership for Access to Higher Education” designed to increase collaboration between community organizations and college, as well as encourage high school students to pursue a college education. Workshops included “Finding Your Fit: Choosing the Right College,” “Campus Life, Getting Involved,” and “The Importance of Service & Volunteering.”

A total of 128 students who attend New Rochelle High School recently received Advanced Placement Scholar awards. Two students received the top honor and were named National AP Award Scholars.
39 students were named AP Scholars with Distinction.
29 students are AP Scholars with Honor, and 58 New Rochelle High School students were named as AP Scholars.

Children's letters to President-Elect Barack Obama written by two students in Ms. Sabrina Watkins' third grade class at the Columbus Elementary School were published by the Daily News in a special pre-Inauguration Day edition on January 19.

Nationally recognized poet and art critic Bill Berkson critiqued recent artwork created by 15 students in the Advanced Placement (AP) Art classes at New Rochelle High School on Dec. 9. The experience was part of students' preparation for their upcoming ‘Concentration Show’ at the MAC (Museum of Art and Culture) at NRHS scheduled for early 2009. Bill Berkson has been a poet, critic, teacher, and curator, book and magazines editor, as well as professor of Liberal Arts at the San Francisco Art Institute. He is a corresponding editor for Art in America and has contributed reviews and essays to such art journals. His recent books of poetry include Gloria - in a deluxe limited edition with etchings by Alex Katz, Our Friends Will Pass Among You Silently, and Goods and Services. Berkson was the 2006 Distinguished Mellon Fellow at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and was also awarded the 2008 Goldie for Literature from the San Francisco Bay Guardian.

Universal Pre-Kindergarten students in Kim Loebel Block, Betty Ceja, Andreanna Pizzuti and Jenny Hade's classes journeyed the solar system during a planetarium trip to New Rochelle High School. Astronomy teacher Bruce Zeller guided these young students through the solar system to study the night sky, stars and planets. He taught the UPK students about constellations and their ancient stories, and showed them the planets, including Earth, and Astronauts taking their first walk on the moon. After studying about the moon and the stars in school, the classes' culminating activity was this visit to the Planetarium located within New Rochelle High School. Comments Mrs. Block, "It brought everything to life and reinforced that learning takes place in many different environments. The children and parents loved it! Special thanks to Bruce Zeller for his continued commitment to Early Childhood and the Exploration of Space."

The capstone to a month-long series of activities surrounding the "New Rochelle Reads" Literature Festival was a finale program held Dec. 4 at New Rochelle High School for students from the both Albert Leonard and Isaac Young Middle Schools and the high school. Students read either Rules by Cynthia Lord, or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. Following a November 6 kick-off event, students who were "caught reading" the selected titles became eligible for prizes awarded at the finale.  Literature Festival events ranged from a mural created by students at Isaac Young Middle School, a film series, Book Circles and Reading Lounges group book discussions, a puppet show performances of "Kids on the Block" characters.  Students delved into activities related to themes found in the books, such as a Mystery of Literature workshop, Math Challenge puzzles, use of communications board, and disabilities awareness experiential exercises. Under the musical guidance of Choral Director Derek James and with the assistance of Erica Eigenberg of the Music Conservatory of Westchester, students in Steve Pelak and Diane Freed's Life Skills High School classes performed original music and movement based on the theme of the bookThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. Shown at the dedication of the "New Rochelle Reads" mural (l to r) is Principal Anthony Bongo, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Diane Massimo, Campus School Program Administrator Joel Fridovich, Board Member David Lacher, and Superintendent of Schools Richard Organisciak.

Guest lecturer Dr. Lee Kump, co-author of "Dire Predictions - Understanding Global Warming", presented a compelling message of the fate of the planet based in science research, unless major changes have an effect before the planet's atmosphere reaches a critical tipping point. "Climate change is real," began Dr. Kump, who is a Professor in the Department of Geosciences and an associate of the Earth System Science Center and Astrobiology Research Center at the Pennsylvania State University. After showing the climate trends based in hard data, as well as the disastrous effects of climate shift upon loss of species and uninhabitable conditions, Professor Kump offered some solutions. "There are simple things you can do. Check your own carbon footprint. Conserve energy. Recycle. Reduce emissions. Act now," he urged students. Science Department Chairperson Joyce Kent introduced the Dr. Lee Kump to Science classes who attended the morning lecture on November 17. The lecture was made possible through a grant from the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence.