The Soaring Seagulls of Ralph McKee High School

Schoolars At Work Readiness Report

2012-02-17T19:08:00.000-03:00

I am ready to head home and I start receiving lovely emails. Here's one that brings a smile to my face. The following McKee students completed Work Readiness training today, Friday, February 17, 2012:

Michael Handelman
Noel Morton
Devon Williams
Lejun Williams
Kevin Foster
Noel Torres

I offer my deepest gratitude to Mary Wyciechowski who is the
Internship Coordinator of Workforce1 Industrial & Transportation Career Center

Skills USA Citywide Competition - Saturday morning

2012-02-11T12:59:00.000-03:00

It's 4 a.m. Saturday morning - February 11th, 2012. I am sure there are other people who are snug in their beds. Quickly it becomes 5:15 AM and I am heading towards Starbucks to get a vente skim latte with two equal before heading off to school to greet the students who are scheduled to take the bus from McKee to Thomas Edison High School, which is located in Queens.

That's right - 34 students showed up, in the snow, looking marvelous. Armed with my iPad, I told the Skills USA members to line up so that I could take a picture. I was mainly mumbling because I have trouble articulating without drinking coffee in the morning. The students were bright eyed and unaffected by the weather - ready to take on formidable competition in the first citywide Skills USA event in over 40 years in New York City.

Words can not begin to express my gratitude to the parents/guardians and caregivers who were outside McKee, in their cars, while I dashed in at 6:15 a.m. to open up the auditorium entrance. Words can not begin to express my gratitude to the Skills USA advisers: Mr. Reynoso and Mr. Sarno. Additionally, I want to thank Mr. Reynoso's wife (who also chaperoned), and a wonderful paraprofessional, Mr. DeSilva.

Outstanding UFT CTE Awards

2012-02-10T12:02:00.000-03:00

Dennis O'Connell, our Construction Teacher, is the recipient of the Outstanding UFT CTE Teacher of the Year from Ralph McKee CTE High School. He was joined by his colleagues. In the picture (from left to right) Dennis O'Connell, Leo Grodon; (standing) Mary Parente, and David Sarno. Also present was Elisa Baptista and yours truly.

SkillsUSA New York City Competition on February 11, 2012

2012-02-02T18:25:00.000-03:00

SkillsUSA New York City Competition will occur at Thomas Edison High School on Saturday, February 11, 2012. Click here to see the flyer. McKee High School will have several teams entered.

New York City has not had a SkillsUSA competition in many years. It is incredibly exciting. Yesterday 2 faculty advisers met with 39 students going over the rules and regulations.

Exciting times are brewing. Stay tuned!

Coverage of the 2nd Annual HBCU Fair at McKee HS

2012-01-30T21:08:00.000-03:00

Check out the coverage from the Staten Island Advance about the HBCU Fair held at McKee High School on January 28, 2012. Click here for the article.

What is a print rich environment?

2012-01-11T23:05:00.000-03:00

PRINT RICH ENVIRONMENT CHECKLIST

The Print Environment in a classroom serves as an aid to achieve a welcoming, supportive and ideal instructional environment for students. The Print Rich Environment PDP team has identified three element of a Print Rich Environment in a classroom. The elements are

• Function: Aids student with visual reminders about how to function act, behave and follow procedures in class

• Instruction: Aids students in learning academic concepts, processes, ideas strategies and standards.

• Literacy: Aids students in achieving literacy skills in all content areas and meeting standards for college and career readiness

FUNCTION:

____ Class rules and expectations for behavior are posted and written with a positive
Framework

_____ Vvgosky Model steps are posted

____ Technology: Smart Board, C.O.W is operational, well maintained and prominent.

____ The “description” of what a 9th, 10th, 11th 12th grader should “look like” (common
core standards)

____ Materials such as large paper, markers, pencils etc. are in a designated place for
Student use

_____White board is neat and clean
.

_____Flexibility in seating for small group, whole class and independent work is apparent.

_____There is no evidence of clutter. The entire room is clutter free.

INSTRUCTION:

_____ Upon entering the classroom the present unit of study is apparent. Vocabulary,
Important concepts “parking lot for ideas” and essential questions are posted.

______ Recent student work (within 10 days) is displayed

______ Learning styles are posted

______ Ways to learn for each learning style are posted.

______ The print environment is not “Print Heavy” which would distract and confuse
students.

______ Instructional Aids( based on formative assesments) generated by teacher with
With students are posted

______ Vvgosky Model is displayed clearly for students and teachers to follow during
lesson.
_______ Essential Questions themes “Big Ideas” for the present unit of study posted in the
room.
______ Parking lot for Student Questions and ideas.

LITERACY:

_______ Strategies for making inferences and reading strategies are displayed. Displayed
Literacy strategies are based on assessment( student need) and learning styles.
_______ Differences in writing for “texting” and writing for scholarship, posted in room

Vote for McKee HS in the UTI Foundation Drive To Succeed Competition

2012-01-11T21:52:00.000-03:00

McKee High School is one of only 8 schools in the nation chosen for the finals of the "UTI Foundation Drive to Succeed" competition. In fact, we are the only New York City school chosen for the contest. We need everyone to vote and get the word out. Here's how:

1. One needs a Facebook account. Click here to vote for our video.

OR

2. Tell all of your Facebook friends to vote.

Go to the UTI Foundation Facebook page,

Click on Auto Shop Video, on the left hand side of the page,

Click on our video, Ralph McKee No Tools. You must click Vote to vote for it. Click "Like" to post the action to your Facebook wall and share it with Facebook friends inviting them to vote too. Voting runs until next Tuesday, January 17th, 2012.

Thank you - - - Merci - - - Grazie - - - Mahalo - - - Obrigado in advance.

Pix from the FAFSA Workshop at McKee

2012-01-07T21:24:00.001-03:00

There was a nice turn out at the FAFSA workshop at McKee High School.
Here are a few key details:
1. The correct website for FAFSA is: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
2. Never pay to fill out a FAFSA form or a scholarship application. Beware of scam websites and scholarship sites.
3. The deadline to fill out FAFSA is February 16, 2012.
4. The parent or guardian needs to get a FAFSA pin number. The student needs to get a FAFSA pin number. Fill out your income tax form.
5. Fill out the FAFSA form online. The Help and Hints section on http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ is wonderful. Use it.

FAFSA Workshop at McKee

2012-01-05T23:54:00.000-03:00

Come to the FAFSA workshop at McKee High School this Saturday, january 7, 2012. It will be from 10 AM to 12 Noon. The FAFSA application has just opened up. If you are the parent of a junior or senior, you need to know the latest information as to how to fill out the FAFSA application.

Be there. Why? The earlier you file the FAFSA application, the earlier it is processed, which means the earlier that your child is considered for financial aid. FAFSA - a very good thing.

FIRST Robotics Kickoff

2012-01-05T23:34:00.000-03:00

Exciting times. The Robo Wizards are looking forward to seeing what challenge FIRST has devised at the FIRST Robotics kickoff which will be held on Saturday, January 7th.

History comes alive - "Red Tails" - the Movie

2011-12-30T01:03:00.002-03:00

I always enjoy opportunities where history comes alive for a new generation of students. On January 20th, 2012, hopefully many students will check out the movie "Red Tails." Initially, I hope many students will be enticed by the "action, adventure, rousing adventure angle that is currently highlighted in the trailers. Eventually, I hope that deeper conversations will evolve, and curiosity is stoked. There is also a resource laden website. Click here to see additional information about the Tuskegee Airmen.

Hopefully there will be multiple conversations, and opportunities for discussion and debate based upon the fictional representation of true events. Personally I hope there are documentaries that explore the true stories of the distinctive contributors of the Tuskegee Airmen during World War II.

Great Sites for Learning

2011-12-16T00:10:00.000-03:00

I am a strong proponent of students having many different ways to enrich, and advance their learning. Here are a number of sites that are EXTREMELY helpful, and fascinating.

1.

Click here to go to a neat site called the CIA: The World Factbook. I know - how neat is the title of that site. One can point and click to discover the history, geography, etc for over 250+ countries.

2.

Click here to go to a neat site called Project Gutenberg. This site offers FREE (what a glorious word), FREE e-books. All the books listed on the site are in the public domain.

3.

Click here to go to the site Academic Earth. It is a free online site that has lectures tailored to students in either high school, college or graduate school.

Scholarships 4 Students

2011-12-08T16:56:00.000-03:00

All students need to click here to see the wealth of resources on Scholarships 4 Students.

I must tell you I announced over the loudspeaker to all the seniors that if I see them, they have to indicate they went to the school site: mckeecths.org, and scrolled to see the Scholarships link.

As a principal in a CTE school, I hawk and stalk the students to apply. It is all about getting the child to believe in themselves, apply themselves, and work through the application process.

20 Incredible TED Talks You Should Show Your High School Students

2011-11-29T18:24:00.000-03:00

I always appreciate websites that "push" one's thinking. I really appreciate websites that parents can use to help promote conversations with their children about important issues.

One of the most delightful websites is TED.com. Click here and you will see 20 really neat talks that will help high school students not only negotiate their secondary school experience, but also provide a pathway to college and insight into the concept of "lifelong learning."

MSIT Boys Varsity football Team Wins PSAL Cup 2011

2011-11-28T01:04:00.001-03:00

To win the PSAL Cup Division Championship once is a very hard feat. MSIT is a team made up of two schools. Half the team members have to travel to the other school to practice. MSIT won the PSAL Cup Division in 2010.

Stunningly, MSIT has won the PSAL Cup Division football title - again - in 2011. I was there on Sunday, November 27, 2011 and witnessed a team perform magic. Click here to see the details from the Staten Island Advance. Click here to see the details in the New York Daily News.

It was joyous to see the young men and the coaching staff exuberant in their victory and also gracious in their displays of sportsmanship to South Shore. South Shore's football team played hard, smart, and swift.

Post game - I feel like I am walking on a cloud. My voice now sounds like a fog horn. I will be drinking lots of tea with agave and lemon to soothe my throat. What a weekend! I'll probably wake up tomorrow just to look at the newspapers to see if what I witnessed on a gloriously warm November day actually occurred.

Need to Understand Physics? Check out Khan Academy

2011-11-25T00:55:00.000-03:00

Need to get a handle on Physics. Click here to check out Khan Academy. Mr. Salmon Khan gives clear visual descriptions of the topics within Physics that will help any student prepare for their classwork and for the Physics Regents.
Khan Academy is free. Let me write that again. Khan Academy is free, online learning that is extremely user-friendly. Click here and then scroll down to Physics. The site also provides an opportunity for one to practice, gain points and see one's progress.

Need Help with SAT Math - Check out Khan Academy

2011-11-25T00:17:00.000-03:00

Salmon Khan is a brilliant man with a knack for explaining key ideas on the SAT Math. In fact he goes through the entire range of math on the SAT. Don't believe me. Check it out by clicking here you will see what I mean. Scroll down and you will see a range of subjects that Mr. Khan talks about. If you don't understand, play the videos again. Mr. Khan provides clear, simple visuals.
You can even gain points if you log in using a GMAIL account. It appeals to those who like to gain points to show that you understand what Mr. Khan is showing you on the video. By the way, it is FREE. It is fun, user-friendly, online learning.

Need help in Math - Try Khan Academy

2011-11-24T23:55:00.000-03:00

For clear, concise explanations about math, click here to check out Khan Academy.
Salmon Khan is a former banking executive who has created short clips that clearly explains math.
In fact it's visual outline and dictionary with examples of any subject. You can jump ahead to any topic that you want. The clips are short and sweet. Click here and check out the video that will broaden your horizons.

McKee High School Partners with Scholars At Work

2011-11-03T18:36:00.000-03:00

For the first time, Scholars at Work will partner with McKee High School. It is great to see that the mayor's focus on career and technical education has significantly enhanced the willingness of organizations and companies to establish links with career and technical educational schools.

It is a win-win situation. The students get to experience a job shadowing, or possibly an internship situation afterschool that reflects their career interests or it might provoke an interest in an aspect of a career they had formerly not considered. The first meeting will be on Monday, November 7th. Stay tuned for updates.

McKee High School Hosts Cluster 4 Parent Engagement Conference

2011-11-03T18:29:00.000-03:00

On November 10th, 5:30-7:30 PM, McKee High School will host Cluster 4's Parent Engagement Conference. Yours truly will be the keynote speaker. The evening will focus of the evening will be
1. Dealing with the DOE from elementary to high school
2. What's this about common core curriculum standards?
3. My child's in high school. How does he or her get to college?

Then there will be a panel discussion. This is the cool part because this is where we get students to talk about what it took for them to negotiate the school system. In the final analysis. After everything is said and done, after the nurturing, the talking, the prodding, and the pushing, it comes down to the student reaching his or her potential and reaching for the next rung on the educational ladder.

CBS Highlights the Role of Students Getting a CTE education

2011-10-15T23:05:00.000-03:00

Click on the title, or the picture or here to see a small clip that was on Thursday, 10/13/11 on CBS news regarding CTE. The CBS Evening News story on CTE featured Air Products and John McGlade, the New York State SkillsUSA CEO Champion of the Year.

The three-minute segment does a great job of highlighting the role of CTE in preparing a skilled workforce. Among the points made: CTE leads to well-paid careers; it's needed by employers; it involves academic rigor and results in postsecondary credentials. And, there are references to cutbacks in federal funding.

Thanks go to John McGlade, and Air Products as well as to the National Association of State Directors of Career Technical Education consortium and the Association of Career and Technical Education for helping CTE demonstrate its value to America.

Click here to see the news clip.

This is something to celebrate.
Check it out.

McKee Alumni Hall of Fame Ceremony - Oct. 12, 2011

2011-10-14T23:16:00.001-03:00

Each year the McKee Alumni Association pays tribute to McKee graduates who have led a distinguished life. This year the two recipients were Anthony R. Gaeta and Jerry DeLuca. A subcommittee of the McKee Alumni Association reviews the nominations, and after a thoughtful, detailed process, celebrates the honorees at the Spring luncheon at the Old Bermuda Inn. The second part of the ceremony involves an installation ceremony that occurs at McKee High School on the 3rd floor in the fall in which both pictures and plaques are placed on the commemorative wall. The speeches, and sharing of stories, and hearing good music occurred in the Black Box Theater on October 12, 2011, .

The family of the first recipient is pictured below, Olga Gaeta, daughter, Susan Demkin, and the president of the Alumni Association, Ken McIntyre.

Anthony Gaeta graduated from McKee High School in 1945. Before 2000, the school was called McKee Vocational and Technical High School. Mr. Gaeta accomplished many distinguished milestones. He worked on creating the Staten Island Greenbelt Environmental Program. He served as Borough President of Staten Island from 1977 to 1984. Mr. Gaeta passed away on Dec. 26, 1988.

The gentleman in the middle is the son of Jerry DeLuca. Jerry DeLuca graduated from McKee in 1949. Mr. DeLuca also accomplished several milestones. He was President of Jerry DeLuca Complete Auto Diagnostic and Repair Center, which he founded in 1957. His business provided and continues to provide quality workmanship performed with honesty and integrity. Mr. Deluca was known for his community service. He was a recipient of the Paul Harris Fellow Award, the Rotary Clubs most prestigious award and also the rotary Giant award for exemplary service to the club and to the Staten Island community.

Musical interludes were provided by the syncopated sounds of the McKee ensemble, conducted by Mr. Guarnieri (left).

I just also think it is so neat that the students got to hear the stories of the honorees. It's also neat that the students in the ensemble performed, after taking the PSAT.

Skills USA is at McKee High School

2011-10-05T15:35:00.000-03:00

These talented students have been selected by their peers to represent the Skills USA chapter.
From left to right:
President - Damiano Mastrandrea
Vice President - Krystian Sidorski
Treasurer - Greta Schaller
Secretary - Alkaya Massaly

College Fair at McKee HS

2011-10-04T22:22:00.000-03:00

McKee High School successfully staged its first College Fair on Tuesday, October 4, 2011. The efforts of Ms. Londa Marsigliano and Ms. Eberlein were instrumental in organizing tghe event. Over 20 colleges and career technical institutions set up tables, offered sound advice about scholarships, the application process, and tours.

The key to success, as a small school, it was important that our students had access to seeing a range of schools from liberal arts, technical schools, to career and technical institutes. We also invited parents to the college fair. 47 parents visited the school to see the range of post-secondary options.

Kaplan K12 Learning Services Hosting 3 Free Workshops

2011-10-04T21:51:00.000-03:00

Kaplan will be hosting three FREE workshops:
ACT vs. SAT
Paying for College
How to Impress College Admissions Officers

In addition to the free Kaplan workshops, there will be:
Over 75 colleges and universities
Live entertainment
Special celebrity appearances

Knicks Poetry Slam Contest and College Fair:
Monday, October 10th, 2011
10AM—2PM
Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street (between 5th Ave & 6th Ave)
New York, NY 10011

For more information, go to www.KnicksPoetrySlam.com or email info@kaplan12.com.

Skills USA is at McKee High School

2011-10-04T18:49:00.000-03:00

McKee High School is now part of the international organization called Skills USA. This is a wonderful organization that promotes excellence in career and technical areas.

For those in the know Skills USA used to be called WICA.

Right now we have two advisors: Mr. J. Reynoso and Mr. D. Sarno.
We have student officers elected by their peers in the CTE programs.
Skills USA Officers 2011-2012:
President- Damiano Mastrandrea
VP - Krystian Sidorski
Treasurer - Greta Schaller
Secretary - Alkaya Massaly

Now we need help to support our students. Click here to "chip in" to help McKee send our students to regional conference in November 2011 and to nationals in April 2012.
"Every "chip in" helps.

Scholarships Are Rolling In

2011-10-02T21:36:00.000-03:00

Scholarships are rolling in fast and furious.
Click here to go to McKee's blog for scholarship information.
Click here to go to McKee's website for scholarship information.

To quote Teddy Roosevelt: "The credit belongs to the man that is actually in the arena."

I'll add to it: "To get a scholarship, the credit belongs to the man or woman that is actually in the arena, filling out and turning in the application."

GET READY TO SUCCEED!

Step 2 - Common Core Curriculum Standards in the Classroom

2011-09-19T23:28:00.000-03:00

Step 2 of implementing Common Core Curriculum Learning Standards into the school culture is to have subject area meetings. In the subject area meetings, teachers had a chance to look and develop a mechanism that could be rolled out to all of the students. The first step was using the time designations that are currently used in high schools: marking periods. There are state assessments which occur in January and June of each year. There are 6 marking periods. There are 6 weeks in each marking period. There are finals given at the end of each marking period. The essential question: How do you get the students in your class to perform for the final for the marking period.

At first the cabinet and the teachers looked at the unit bundles. That provided very intensive discussions about how positively overwhelming the unit bundles were. It almost seemed like a torrential downpour of words. In the subject meetings the departments deconstructed the central elements of the sections within a unit. Using the Vygosky model, the assistant principals modeled how they would create a unit.

Click here to see a unit developed by Ms. Noreen Mullen, Assistant Principal ELA / ELL / FL / Science for Junior English AVID class.

Click here to see a daily lesson plan by Ms. Noreen Mullen, Assistant Principal from the unit for the Junior English AVID class.

Click here to see a unit developed by Mr. James Barbieri, Assistant Principal Social Studies / Career and Technical Education for History 1.

Once the teachers saw, heard, discussed and chewed on the elements of putting a unit together, they worked in teams of three to generate units.

As the teacher goes through a unit, they select the CCLS that align with the unit. They make sure the students get a copy of the updated unit contract. The students are required to sign off on it. The purpose is to reinforce the standards to be covered for the unit, the instructional objectives, the course requirements, and the school policies.

George Tarr, McKee 2010 Graduate, Highlighted in The Daily News

2011-09-10T19:51:00.000-03:00

George Tarr (pictured on the left) graduated from McKee in 2010. Click here to check out what George has been up to in the year since he graduated from Ralph R. McKee Career and Technical High School. The take away message for me is the perseverance, endurance and courage displayed by both families that are covered in the article.

Common Core Curriculum Standards: Step 1 is Professional Development

2011-09-07T22:24:00.001-03:00

The McKee Community completed two intensive days of professional development. The key to successful professional development involves several steps. Here are just a few of those steps:

1. Brainstorming the end goal

2. Prioritizing the big ideas

3. Listening to strategies about how to impart those big ideas. For example: we listened to a consultant about what mechanism could be used by every teacher to ensure that Common Core Curriculum Learning Standards (CCCLS) was a common practice frequently referred to in every unit. The consultant was Alan Siegel. He shared a course requirement contract in which 5 standards were selected for the course. After presenting the course requirement contract to the McKee cabinet, they liked the central concept of making a course requirement contract a flexible, and living document.

4. Collaboration,

5. Discussion (sometimes heated, always respectful)

6. Creating templates; Revising the templates

7. Creating agendas. Revising Agendas

Day One, September 6, 2011, dealt with an overview of the Citywide Instructional Expectations. A powerpoint was shown along with activities based upon summer workshops presented by Jodi Siegel and Libby Gershansky from CFN 405. The teachers had a chance to chew on the central ideas, understand the basic principles of "backward planning", and comprehending the 4 standards that should be initially included in unit planning. To see resources used on September 6th PD, check out the school website: mckeecths.org. Click on THE TOOLS. Then click on September 6th PD.

For teachers to understand CCLS it required several steps. One was preparing packets in which a hard copy of the standards was prepared so that teachers could "stickie" and highlight key standards. Two was putting all resources in a folder on the school website: mckeecths.org on "THE TOOLS" tab in the folder marked September 6th PD and September 7th PD.

Day Two, September 7, 2011, dealt with having subject area meetings and grade team meetings. Protocols were established. Teachers drafted unit contracts using CCLS. Information was relayed about the growth points for the grade teams based upon comments from the Spring 2011 Peer Review.

"Twenty Tips for New Teachers'

2011-09-06T20:55:00.000-03:00

Click here to see 20 useful tips for new teachers.

McKee 5 at TFI Presentation in the Situation Room

2011-08-16T15:56:00.001-03:00

I can not begin to tell you how proud I was to see the young men of McKee participate in the presentation on the 2nd floor in the Situation Room of the JP Morgan Building on 47th Street and Park Avenue. They are (from left to right) Tracey Cooper Jr., Reggie Fredericks, Kin Chung Choo, Kenneth Alphonso, and Samuel Conteh

Thirty young men participated in the summer program. The McKee 5 all participated and gained invaluable life lessons about team work, perseverance, resilience, focus, and problem solving skills. I was there with my iPad and gave each student a huge hug. I also managed to snap a picture and (hold your hats) actually take a few clips using iMovie which I downloaded literally an hour before attending the event. I will be "editing" my first iMovie over the next few days.

As the students introduced themselves and launched into their speeches, their very demeanor, pitch and modulation of tone reflected such growth, resoluteness and maturity that my eyes welled with tears. Talk about making a principal's week. Hat's off to Ms. Kim Davis (Head of the TFI Program), Ms. Twinkle Morgan (coordinator of the TFI 2017 cohort), and the JP Morgan Foundation.

By the way - The mayor is getting huge corporations like JP Morgan to contribute to the Young Men's Initiative. JP Morgan contributed to the mayor's initiative. TFI is strictly a JP Morgan program.

As one executive mentioned, "imagine if 30 companies adopted 30 young men and instituted this type of initiative. That's 900 young men, leaders." I added, "It's a culture change."

Organizing Your Classroom

2011-08-14T21:52:00.000-03:00

1. Find out if you share the classroom or if you are in the same classroom the entire day.
Designate specific sections of the room for materials, dictionaries, textbooks, etc.

By the way, 99 cent stores are great for small storage containers where you can store magic markers that you can then distribute when there is group work.
Always work out the areas of the room and the drawers one can use with the teacher with whom you share the room.

The SMART board is your friend and a powerful tool.

Never cover the SMART board with chart paper. Start simple with using it for PowerPoints. Connect with a colleague who is comfortable with showing basic steps about using a smartboard. Download Smartnotebook 10.8 to your PC or MAC. One can get the code from Ms. Henry.

2. Folders that are labeled are your friends. For example: Put the handout on the outside of the folder and place the handouts inside the folder. Place the folders inside a file cabinet, if one is in your room, or in a portable cabinet. It makes it easier to find. Get a storage system that you can label.

3. Make sure that you have a box that you walk around to collect the homework. Put it in a storage area for that particular class period.

4. Set up a system for collecting the homework. For example: period 1 turns in homework; Tuesday - period 2 turns in homework, etc. Again, make sure it goes into a storage case.

5. Return the homework within 24 to 48 hours. GRADED. Use a rubric. The comments on the homework come from the rubric.
The easiest, no fuss site for every type of rubric possible is from teachnology.net.

Two great SMART board training workshops - Differentiation + IPad

2011-08-10T20:38:00.000-03:00

I just returned from two amazing summer courses provided by Teq Equipment for $35 each at their Lexington Avenue Address. The first workshop dealt with strategies to use with the SMART board to differentiate lessons. It truly emphasized a literacy approach.

First step is to download SMART Notebook onto my MAC. I encouraged my teachers to download onto their laptops and forgot to do it on mine.

The big key, in light of Common Core Learning Standards Initiative (CCLS) is to do the following:
--select the standards for the unit (we were given three from the DOE)
--be mindful of the assessment
--look at a lesson and make sure that the resources one exposes the students to appeal to several elements: visual, audio, and kinesthetic that directly relates to the content.
--have students come up to the SMART board to either explain an answer.
--have students generate presentations based on content covered in a series of lessons

Second step, go through my notes and practice looking at the different sites that were suggested by the very patient and coherent trainers.

In the afternoon I attended Learning with the Ipad. Very cool APPS were recommended that help to aggregate other types of files such as Evernote

and Fiipboard which collects and one is able to organize news feeds.

A great site that helps to promote literacy is DIIGO. One registers onto the DIIGO website. Browse to one's favorite website that has content one wishes the students to view and understand. Upon following the step by step directions from the DIIGO site, one is able to have students annotate text and respond to questions. Here's another great point about DIIGO, it's FREE.

I came away from the second workshop realizing I had no idea the wonderful array of activities one can access and have the students do using the iPad. The key word is practice, practice, practice so that I am able to impart some of this information to the faculty.

Small Business of the Year Award to a McKee HS Partner

2011-07-12T23:15:00.000-03:00

Kudos and congrats to Ms. Carol DiMarco for being one of 14 recipients of the Small Business of the Year Award for Staten Island. The event was co-facilitated by Roberrt W. Walsh, Commisioner of the nYC Small Business Services, and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Ms. DiMarco invited yours truly along with the Graphics Arts instructor, Mr. Gordon, to the 2011 Neighborhood Achievement Awards Ceremony held under a big white tent on the lawn of Gracie Mansion. The jazz was soothing, and there was just enough breeze that the crowd wsa able to enthusiastically support their neighborhood heros.

It was so neat to witness a Staten Island Career Coach, receive recognition and hear mention of McKee High School as Commissioner Walsh introduced Ms. DiMarco. All of the SI Career Coaches are unique in that they walk the walk of coming into a high school and interacting with students, providing them with the ABCs of how to be employable and then evaluate and revisit ways to further engage the students.

It was also really cool to sip lemonade, and knosh on hors d'oeuvres on the lawn of Gracie Mansion. Hey, when am I ever going to say those words again. It was too - too.

A Duty and Affirmation

2011-07-08T18:56:00.000-03:00

One of the saddest duties a principal has to perform is attending the wake and funeral of a student. Upon hearing about the details connected to the tragic accident to Eric Colligan's passing, I was numb. Who was Eric Colligan? An sophomore honor's student, baseball player, a Yankee's fan, enjoyed cajoling his classmates to eat celery sticks, a "mensch", an all around good guy. Upon hearing devastating news, I went on automatic function mode: it's all about getting the details and informing the members of the McKee Community. That's the easy part, getting and relaying information.

The hard part, going to the wake and the funeral. A principal is supposed to have the ability to articulate thoughts in a clear and coherent manner in most situations. Most people in the McKee Community know I am never at a loss for words. That did not happen for me on this occasion. I was rendered mute. Today I went to the wake of Eric Colligan. Looking at the coaches, the lines of students, looking into the faces of the parents, grandparents, friends of the family, was heartbreaking, but also an affirmation of a community coming together to offer soothing words, solace, warm memories and balm in the midst of an emotional storm.

Summer Activities and Sites

2011-07-06T14:45:00.000-03:00

Need a way to have children involved in neat summer activities that allow them to see the city. Below will be an ongoing list of sites and sounds to positively channel the energy of adolescent minds.

Visit the Highline:
Ted.com is an amazing website that hosts talks on a wide range of topics. Click on the word Highline or here to get an overview of the Highline as well as a view of the city that might peak interest in checking out other sites.

Vote for Robert Ruggeri

2011-07-05T11:52:00.000-03:00

See the handsome young man in the picture on the right. He is Robert Ruggeri, a 2011 graduate from McKee High School. Help us make him Staten Island newsmaker of the week by clicking here or here or here again.

Thank you.

Robert Ruggeri - Remarkable Achievement Award Winner 2011

2011-06-29T07:54:00.003-03:00

Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott hosted a reception for this year’s Remarkable Achievement Award winners at Tweed Courthouse. This year, 200 high school graduates from the Class of 2011 won this distinction.

“Our Remarkable Achievement Award winners have demonstrated tremendous strength of character and determination to persevere in the face of adversity,” said Chancellor Walcott. “These students have overcome obstacles such as violence, abandonment, homelessness, language barriers, and illness to graduate. They are an inspiration to their peers and all New Yorkers.”

Robert Ruggeri Never Let his Trauma and Grief Stand in His Way

When Robert Ruggeri was five years old, he and his family were in a terrible car accident that killed his parents, grandfather and younger brother. Only Robert and his older brother survived the accident. Robert suffered a traumatic brain injury, a punctured lung, one broken leg and his other leg was completely shattered. Over the course of a year, he recovered from his injuries with physical, occupational and speech therapy, while mourning his family.

“The car accident almost took away my life, said Robert. “I have responsibility to live fully and succeed.”

At Ralph McKee High School in Staten Island, Robert is an active member of the school community. He maintained an A+ average, and is a member of the National Honors Society and Student Council. He also has a black belt in Tae Kwan Do.

“During high school, I always gave 110%,” Robert said. “I am really looking forward to the experience of college, learning new things and meeting new people.”

Robert lives in Staten Island. He will attend Hofstra University next fall, with a $40,000 academic scholarship.

Summer Reading List for Incoming Freshment Fall 2011

2011-06-27T21:55:00.000-03:00

Click here for the summer reading list for McKee High School incoming Freshmen of Fall 2011. The due date is September 8, 2011.

McKee 2011 Graduation

2011-06-25T11:35:00.000-03:00

It was an easy, breezy, cheery graduation ceremony on Friday, June 24, 2011.
Looking at a sea of hunter green and gold was heartwarming. I must tell you that as a principal, seeing a class that saw me grow in role as a leader over the past four years was a celebratory experience. This class held students who were responsible for division championships in girl's basketball, borough wide championship in boy's basketball, and a city wide championship in the PSAL Cup for football. It also held a formidable swimmer, and pioneering students who helped the school forge relationships with new business partners because of their talent, discipline and courtesy in the workplace. On the academic front there were more full scholarships awarded to students. This reflection is probably the information I should have added to my speech at the Friday morning graduation ceremony, but my head was so full of glad tidings and emotion, that I just did not want to dissolve into a mushy ball of tears. I strongly feel such an occasion is never about my emotions but about what are the next steps that students can help learn and grow. The primary focus is to have their parents, caregivers and guardians beam at them with pride as they walk down the aisle in green and gold.

There is so much more that can, should, and will be done to help students prepare for college and career post secondary experiences. I always have a goal for what I will personally learn how to do over the summer. This year it will be to learn Naviance so that all of the students can state and track their college and professional goals. I will push for every grade to get on board. That's a non-negotiable.

Next is Snapgrades. It is easy and user-friendly. Our students, parents and caregivers must be partners in monitoring and being accountable for academic progress. That's a non-negotiable.

Internships are powerful. Right from the jump there will be an even more concerted push to look for opportunities in which students are guided to expand and deepen their proficiency in their vocational selection.

Alright. Time to rest, resuscitate, and revive. Time to further my education, and gather my strength so that I can come roaring back to life on August 29th, 2011.

Year 2 AVID Students at Freshmen Orientation

2011-06-12T00:03:00.002-03:00

AVID students, + Ms. Z (L) and Ms. M. (R) were corralled by me where I took their picture in the general office before the session about their growth in year 2 of AVID. At the session, in front of 30-35 families, powerful testimony was provided by the students about their experiences in AVID and how they have changed their perspective about school and the future.

AVID provides a method of organization, college readiness, support structure through pre-service teachers as tutors, the advisory process, and a team of teachers focusing on a cohort of students for four years. It takes work. It takes constant monitoring.

There are several ingredients that must go right in order for AVID to work. First is having teachers willing to pay the initial cost and then get a reimbursement. Once at the week long seminar, there has to be the acceptance and overview of the principles behind the program. Then it's about actually bringing it back and actually putting the pieces into place. Having a motivated supervisor, and staff that work together in their team meetings to zero in on instructional strategies, goals, expectations, outreach and intervention is a blessing - and must be maintained.

This year we became AVID certified which is a neat accomplishment. The fact that we are a CTE, AVID certified school makes it notable.

Freshman Orientation - June 8, 2011

2011-06-10T10:31:00.000-03:00

It was hot both outside and inside as the incoming freshman class with their parents entered the McKee Auditorium to receive banners, magnets, pads, along with a folder full of information about McKee High School.

Check out the school website: mckeecths.org for the latest information about back to school procedures for Fall 2011.

Alicea Ulmer - 2011 Staten Island Federation of PTAs Recipient

2011-06-06T22:38:00.001-03:00

Kudos and Congratulations to Alicea Ulmer, senior, for being the recipient from McKee of a 2011 Staten Island Federation of PTA scholarship. Pictured below from left to right: Mr. Funso Ojo, Mark Beyer, Mr. Ulmer, Alicea Ulmer.

Below are key supporters of McKee. From left to right: Jeanne Johnson (former SI Federation of PTAs), Pat Manley (PTA President), Mary McVey (Parent Coordinator), and Manny Innamorato (Vice President).

More photos from McKee Prom 2011

2011-06-05T21:09:00.000-03:00

Take a gander at a few photos of how lovely the students looked at the McKee Prom of 2011 at the Vanderbilt:

McKee Students "do" up Hungerford Girls

2011-06-03T16:15:00.000-03:00

Check out this lovely article about the McKee students who held a "spa" day for Hungerford seniors. Click here or the title for the article.

Physics Day at Great Adventures

2011-06-02T22:51:00.002-03:00

Students like roller coasters. One could think of it as an interdisciplinary method to meld Physics, terror, and fun. Check out the pictures:

Trips don't happen by themselves. One needs chaperones.

To the right is Mr. Marelli, aka Math teacher or Math - Man, behind the cape. By the way, as a principal, it is great to have energetic teachers willing to go on all the stomach churning rides. One chaperone is able to hold full, calm conversations, while other chaperones and students experience a little white-knuckled anxiety before giving into the joy of experience "Zero G."

Students take a break that refreshes before jumping on some more rides.

Jay Coppi - Outstanding Educator 2011

2011-06-02T22:45:00.001-03:00

Congratulations to Mr. Jay Coppi,

a dedicated Math teacher at Ralph R. McKee High School, for being selected to be one of 20 honorees at the Outstanding Educator Awards Ceremony of 2011, hosted by Education Update. The ceremony was held on Thursday, June 2, 2011 in the Biddle Room at the Harvard Club.

Citywide Graphic Arts Competition

2011-05-28T15:42:00.003-03:00

Did you know there is an intense citywide Graphic Arts Competition that occurs involving schools from all across New York City, particularly CTE schools? It is a four stage process. In the final competition round, the students have to produce the work of art within one of the six categories, within three hours. The categories are: student filmmakers, digital video production, PowerPoint presentation, desktop publishing and design, website design, and digital photography.

The competition has been in existence for the past 10 years. It is all involving, and requires a host of life lessons as students learn to demonstrate their talent and creativity under a deadline.

The Results:
Kudos and congratulations to the following students from McKee High School:
SECOND PLACE in Desktop Publishing and Design
Kyle Culver
Ralph Mckee High School
Teacher: Leo Gordon

SECOND PLACE in Digital Photography
Nathalie Ubaldegaray
Ralph R. McKee High School
Teacher: Leo Gordon

Radio Show Gets A New Look from McKee Graphics Students

2011-05-28T15:35:00.000-03:00

Hats off to Mr. Gordon's Graphics students for their work.
Click here

to see the details behind the poster contest.

McKee Cosmetology Students at the May 7, 2011 UFT Conference

2011-05-07T21:50:00.004-03:00

Here our young ladies from the 2011 Cosmetology class providing displaying their talent at the UFT Conference on May 7th, 2011.

Watch Olivia English as she deftly wields the tools to curl and swirl the hair into a fresh design.

Count on the students, under the guidance of Ms. Buono, the Cosmetology teacher, to provide manicures, which there were many eager customers.

Why would a team of students and two CTE teachers attend the UFT conference? To promote McKee, and provide an opportunity for community service.

McKee ESL Students Take in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

2011-05-07T20:11:00.002-03:00

Ms. Ruano and Ms. Sievers, our two intrepid English Language Learner instructors, took our students on a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Getting students from Staten Island to go into the city is always an eye opening experience. Getting students who are new to the country, grappling with a new language, English, turns into an invaluable experience.

What is always invigorating is seeing young minds get a chance to visually be awakened to appreciating different forms of art.

Working together, the students were able to note what they appreciated about the different paintings,

as well as which ones particularly resonated with their life experience.

Comedy Point Logo Contest

2011-05-05T20:32:00.001-03:00

"Soul" Joel Richardson is having a logo contest for his radio show entitled Comedy Point.
The AMAZING designs are from McKee Career & Technical HS Graphic Design students.

I, like Ms. Sanchez, one of the Staten Island Career Coaches, am really excited about this project because it resulted from the fact that Ms. Sanchez couldn't stop talking about McKee Career & Technical High School since she first visited as a Career Coach! After seeing the school and working with Mr. Gordon, Mr. Joel Richardson was equally impressed.

Mr. Richardson and Mr. Gordon met a month and came up with a project to design a logo for the upcoming season of the Comedy Point Radio Show. The students' work is absolutely amazing. Below are the six finalists

Feel free to vote on your favorites. The winner is getting $100 prize and the 6 finalist are getting tickets to the Staten Island Comedy Festival.

http://thecomedypoint.com/2011/05/04/season5/

Staten Island Career Coaches help McKee students

2011-04-14T18:33:00.000-03:00

Click here to check out the article in the April 14th edition of the Staten Island Advance about the work the Staten Island Career Coaches did with McKee students in Spring 2011.

Interview With Coach Crabbe

2011-04-14T18:29:00.000-03:00

Click here to check out the neat coverage of the work Mr. Crabbe, McKee's Science teacher, as coach of the MSIT Track and Field team.

April is National Poetry Month

2011-04-12T10:07:00.000-03:00

Thursday, April 14 is Poem-In-Your-Pocket Day!
To celebrate, click on Staten Island OutLOUD to see their information on

thousands of FREE Poems-For-Your-Pocket, in community settings throughout the North Shore, mid-Island and South Shore.
Pick up your free poem, a gift from Staten Island OutLOUD, at all Staten Island branches of the New York Public Library, and at these sites:
1. Everything Goes Book Cafe (208 Bay St, SINY 10301)
2. Greenbelt Nature Center (700 Rockland Ave, SINY 10314)
3. Blue Heron Nature Center (222 Poillon Avenue, SINY 10312)
4. Conference House Visitors Center (7455 Hylan Blvd, SINY 10307)

OutLOUD's free poems include a medley of global classics, plus contemporary work by Island poets such as Victoria Hallerman, Marguerite Maria Rivas and Dan Icolari.

Staten Island OutLOUD's upcoming April events include:
1. A free creative writing workshop for ages 10-16 on Sat., April 16, 2pm, St George Library Center, 5 Central Avenue
2. A free Open Mic for young Islanders (18 & younger) Sat., Apr 23, 3pm, Tompkins Park, 208 Bay Street
3. Strolling Poetry & Stapleton History at Tappen Park, 2pm Sat., April 30 (630 Bay Street)

Regents Prep Center

2011-04-10T00:21:00.000-03:00

Click here to review for all of the New York State Regents. This Regents Prep website is the most user friendly because it gives a complete review of all subject areas. It also includes links to vocabulary, multiple choice questions, practice essays, exam overview, online regents, and old regents examinations.

Click here to access recent, past New York State Regents examinations. This website is powerful because students are able to practice their writing skills by looking at model answers written by students to document based questions, thematic essays, constructive responses and critical lens essays.

Click here to access resources to prepare for the New York State Regents examinations in Integrated Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2/Trigonometry. There is a wealth of worksheets, references, and online resources.

Keepers of the Dream Event - 4/6/11

2011-04-09T23:01:00.002-03:00

At noon on Friday, April 1, 2011, Ms. Jodi Siegel, CFN 405 Network Support Facilitator, received an invitation for UNSL students to attend the Keepers of the Dream Awards event to take place Wednesday evening, April 6, 2011. The event was black tie. The security procedures were extremely tight.

The event was to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the National Action Network, whose president is Al Sharpton. The event was held at the Sheraton Hotel. 3,000 attendees were present. Only, and I repeat only, 40 students were in attendance for the event. The security screening was heavy-duty.

There were many VIPs and celebrities in attendance. As you can see the students had a chance to take pictures with MIke Mulgrew, the UFT President.

Bill Cosby gave a sharp, ringing keynote speech about the duty of adults to monitor children. Click here to see more of Mr. Cosby's statements at the conference. In addition to Bill Cosby, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Muhammad Ali, and Samuel L. Jackson;
President Obama was in attendance.

Who "represented" from McKee? Ms. Starkey, our COSA, and also one of the chaperones, and two of our students attended: Michael DiMartino and Tyreek Penn.

THE CAREER COACHES COMPLETE 2nd SEASON AT McKEE TECH

2011-03-28T16:56:00.004-03:00

We just finished the 2nd annual workshop series on career development by the Staten Island Career Coaches (SICC).

You can click here or the title to find out how students at McKee are learning real world transferable skills to reach their post-secondary goals and opportunities.

By the way, the SICC was founded in 2009. Its mission is to help students as they prepare for entry into the workforce. Full biographies of its members are available at the SI Career Coaches website. For more information about the program or to schedule an interview, contact Valarie Contrino at 718-761-4846 or email valarie@contrinotravel.com.

Students as Role Models: A Principal Speaks

2011-03-22T17:09:00.002-03:00

Click here for the newsletter from "Legal Momentum". A program coordinator within the organization of Legal Momentum is Brigitte Watson, who has diligently worked with McKee High School to promote young ladies exploring and discovering careers in non-traditional fields such as in construction and technology.

The first page features a McKee student. The second page is the actual article that I wrote, and that was brilliantly edited by Ms. Watson.

What is our goal at McKee? To empower all students to acquire, reinforce and turnkey knowledge to a wide range of audiences, from youngsters to adults.

AVID at McKee

2011-03-17T23:42:00.004-03:00

I received a DVD from one of the students but I really did not have time to absorb what I was seeing, as I was multi-tasking, answering a phone, and typing an email in another window. It's Open Parent's Night and I finally get a chance between the end of school and the beginning of the event to actually focus on the video that was recently completed by a student.
Click here to check out this video created by the newly started member of McKee's Video/Film Club, Amir Ali. I think his brother even helped out.

All I can say is what a delightful surprise. I look forward to seeing more of a student's eye's view of various programs in our school. By the way, the Video/Film Club is overseen by Mr. Gordon and Ms. Kenavan.

McKee in March eChalk bulletin

2011-03-17T18:06:00.003-03:00

Click here to see McKee High School's website mentioned in the March bulletin of eChalk.
This is so cool. I must give a big "shout out" to the McKee faculty who add to their respective class pages. I particularly want to commend Ms. Judy Ligus, one of our primary site managers.

Camp G.O.A.L.S. (Greater Opportunities Advancing Leadership and Science) for Girls

2011-03-01T18:09:00.003-03:00

What Do the Intrepid Museum, Girls and Science Have in Common? Camp G.O.A.L.S. (Greater Opportunities Advancing Leadership and Science) for Girls is an application-based FREE six-week summer camp for current 8th and 9th grade girls from NYC public schools. Generously funded by the Motorola Foundation, 80-85 accepted students will build proficiency in math and science.

Through the partnership with the Rutgers School of Engineering and Science Buddies, girls will experience hands-on activities and field studies focused on aeronautics, engineering, marine science, medical science and space/astronomy. Location: Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Pier 86, West 46th Street & 12th Avenue, New York, NY 10036. Camp Hours: 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Transportation: Each camper will be given an unlimited MetroCard to be used during camp dates only. Lost Metrocards may not be replaced. Lunch Provided by donated funds. Contact Shay Saleem at 646-381-5168 or CampGOALS@intrepidmuseum.org. To Apply: Applications available online -

Click www.intrepidmuseum.org/Education/Camps/Camp-G-O-A-L-S-.aspx to download student application, teacher recommendation and other important materials.

Lumosity - Your Brain, Just Brighter

2011-02-27T23:23:00.003-03:00

I am fascinated with infusing brain based learning strategies into the classroom.

Why? Because I am looking at ways to improve how students who have different learning styles can stay engaged in a lesson and use different methods to help them acquire the skills to succeed on informal and formal assessments. More importantly, I think it is a wise investment for students to check out different exercises that tickle their brain rather than yet another pair of sneakers or jeans.

Check out Lumosity. Lumosity is a web based training program. It costs approximately $90 per year. The goal is to improve brain health through fun exercises in memory, attention, speed, flexibility, and problem solving.

Building Towers in CISCO

2011-02-18T17:36:00.009-03:00

A senior, Victoria Caldwell, descends from the 3rd floor with her flash drive saying: “I was sent to you by the Gods.” I laugh and say, “What do you mean?” She said, “Take a look at how we are building our own computers in CISCO.” I excitedly upload the pictures, click on the first one and I am treated to a positively delightful array of photos showing young ladies and young men building their own towers. A tower is the brain part of the computer. Ms. Victoria Caldwell, who also happens to be the president and founder of the McKee Big Brother and Big Sister program, explains the difference between a whole computer and a tower by saying: The tower is the brain and the monitor is the screen. We are focusing on the tower because without the tower there is no computer. The tower is the main function of the computer. One cannot access any information without the key component. When we got the tower, there was nothing in it. It was completely empty. We were responsible for putting in the motherboard, CPU, CD drive, DVD drives, the fan, wiring, RAM (a chip installed into the computer that helps the motherboard work). We installed different products to make the tower work.”

Look and enjoy. I know I did.

MSIT the SIHSL Tournament Champions

2011-02-14T22:32:00.005-03:00

The last time MSIT won the SI Championship was 35 years ago in 1976-77. Back then, the team was given a proclamation and their names were listed. In 1992, the Staten Island High School League Tournament was created in which basketball teams on Staten Island would formally compete against one another under PSAL rules.

From 1992 to 2010 - MSIT fought an uphill battle to get into the finals. On Saturday, February 12th, 2011, MSIT won over St. Peters through an intense display of artistry and team play. The final score was 57 - 54. Click here to read the details in the Staten Island Advance.

To get the details of the long wait of MSIT to becoming the Staten Island high school basketball champions, click here.

Way to go Soaring Seagulls!

McKee Students Know How To Tinker

2011-02-11T01:31:00.002-03:00

Click here to check out the neat article in the Staten Island Advance about two McKee students heading to the sate competition on February 15.

Reminders for the Beginning of the Spring Semester

2011-02-07T15:45:00.002-03:00

The goal this second week of the spring term is to reinforce rules and regulations, engage students, and practice easy to use activities tied to helping students of different abilities to learn. All of the ideas, and graphic organizers are on mckeecths.org under “The Tools.”
They are:
1. Integrating the smartboard into lessons
2. K-W-L - (really SQ3R)
3. Think-Pair - (check mckeecths.org)
4. Ball Toss – a neat way to do medial or final summaries in a lesson. Use a beach ball or small stuffed animal. Here are the rules:
• Teachers says – “Here’s the information ball. Time to review.” Start with the teacher tossing ball to individual students.
• Students can refer to their notes.
• Always toss the ball underhanded
• Take time responding to questions but only speak when one is in possession of the ball
• Build 2 small teams in which students must cite correct facts, spellings, definitions, procedures, or lists covered in the lesson.
5. Representative music/visuals/video clips of the time period (5-7 minutes at the most).

These are all strategies I used when I taught. The research to support using the activities is in Eric Jensen’s Brain Compatible Strategies.

KWL Chart That Works

2011-02-07T14:17:00.001-03:00

Go to the school website: mckeecths.org and click on THE TOOLS tab in order to see the KWL chart that helps students gather information, generate questions, find the answers to the questions, and the review.

The KWL chart will look a great deal likke SQ3R, which many teachers have found to be a more useful graphic organizer. Check it out.

4th Place for McKee Students at GNYADA Competition

2011-01-18T22:48:00.004-03:00

The two students pictured to the left, Russell Suffern and Richard Townsley, placed fourth in the automotive competition, sponsored by GNYADA (Greater New York Auto Dealer Association) on Friday, January 14, 2011. Russell and Richard will compete in the State finals and will receive $1,500.00 towards tuition at Lincoln Technical Institute.

Four students from McKee entered this year’s automotive competition with 17 teams from New York City, including Orange County. Ralph R. McKee CTE High School (RMHS) was the only team from Staten Island. Teams of note that were at the GNYADA competition were Grady High School and Automotive High School from Brooklyn. During the event the students had to find and repair multiple problems on a 2011 Toyota. They also had to demonstrate their automotive knowledge at 6 different workstations. This included tire wear, tool identification and electrical conditions as they pertain to today's 21st century cars.

Only the top four teams from New York City go to the state finals on February 15, 2011. At the State competition, McKee students will compete against teams from Long Island and Upstate New York. Two other members from McKee who participated were Josh Nieves and Alfredo Damian. It has been 46 years since McKee High School went on to the State finals in an auto competition.

In the picture below are all four students from McKee. Their names from left to right are Alfredo Damian, Russell Suffern, Richard Townsley, and Josh Nieves.

Scholarships 4 Students

2011-01-18T20:17:00.008-03:00

Click here in order to go to a great link about Scholarships 4 Students. That's right, Ms. Henry is telling all students that they must click on the link and tap their fingers on the keyboard in order to check out the hundreds of scholarships that are available. NOW! When students do NOT apply, the money goes back to the company.

A Trip to Rockefeller Center

2010-12-30T16:56:00.006-03:00

On a very crisp, clear Thursday, December 23, 2010, 16 students, with teachers Ms. Juanita Ruano and Ms. Kim Sievers, traveled to the island of Manhattan to see Rockefeller Center. The trip is part of the English Language Learner program at McKee High School to help English Language Learners (ELL) improve their skills in acquiring English. Part of the experience is immersing students in cultural events and landmarks.

One of the best ways to immerse students in NYC landmarks in the center of Manhattan is to have a "treasure hunt," which ranged from taking pictures, indulging in NYC traditional cuisine, and working in teams to gain points for reaching certain landmarks a la "Amazing Race" style from one point to the next.

The next step will be to see student reflections about their trip to several landmarks in and around Rockefeller Center in 2011. By the way, how did we pull off a trip for ELL students on December 23rd, cooperation amongst teachers within the ELA Department.

ADL training at McKee

2010-12-07T21:56:00.003-03:00

It is always so neat to see students participate in diversity awareness exercises in which they challenge their own judgments and perceptions. I had a chance to sit in the ADL session for 15 minutes (which is equal to 15 hours in human time). It was enjoyable to see the facilitator help the students draw conclusions from looking discovering and getting to know a piece of fruit is like getting to know and discover people in their community.

Pictures to come.

Big Brother-Big Sister Train To Help Underclassmen

2010-12-04T22:26:00.008-03:00

A senior looked around and reflected on all that it took to matriculate through McKee. s she talked about the idea with her peers, they urged her to follow through with creating a high school version of Big Brother - Big Sister, McKee's version of upper classmen helping underclassmen through the twists and turns of the high school social and academic experience.

Senior Victoria Caldwell approached me and said there were a number of upper classmen, willing to go beyond their comfort zone and strive to be committed, role models dedicated to community service, and more importantly, steering ninth grade students towards engaging in positive activities. Students from all of the different CTE programs as well as athletes from various sports showed up to the meetings to indicate they were willing to be their brother's or their sister's keeper.
The students developed a PowerPoint presentation, designed their business cards, practiced the speeches they would do in front of different classrooms. As in the beginning of all organizations, at the creation of any new group, the students went through forming, storming, and continue to build towards norming. Already teachers have placed recommendations of under classmen who need a big brother or big sister. Several Big Brother-Little Brother and Big Sister-Little Sister pairs have started to participate in community service activities such as turkey give-aways to food pantries, and panel discussions on education sponsored by the New York Urban League. Starting Wednesday, as the students do their presentations about the purpose of Big Brothers and Sisters to freshmen classes, we will be taking a purposeful step towards performing the central mission of the group.

2010 PSAL Cup Champions - MSIT

2010-11-28T16:46:00.005-03:00

The MSIT Varsity Football Team are the 2010 PSAL Cup Champions.
The score was 22 - 0 against Petrides High School.
The game took place on Sunday, November 28, 2010 at the Midwood HS Athletic Complex at 10 AM.
Talk about an exciting game. Petrides Panthers are worthy adversaries. Click here to see the pictures.

Ray Woolford struck first with a touchdown barely minutes into the start of the game.
When I say minutes, I mean minutes. When I arrived at 10:10, I saw 6 points on the scoreboard.
MSIT scored most of its points in the first half. In the second half
In the second half, the MSIT defense was relentless.
The effort, drive, sportmanship behavior exhibited throughout the entire proceedings was wonderful to behold.
The core element of the MSIT Team was how each element, under the guidance of the coaches, combined for a united purpose.

The day was crisp which was a blessing to the more than 200 spectators in the stands.
Each team had their rah-rah section. I must give a shout out to both the students, faculty, parents who kept the energy up throughout the game.

I have no voice left. I am sure the students will smile over how quiet, relatively speaking, I will be on Monday, November 29. Of course, I will have a huge smile on my face and there are more ways than one to indicate my expectations.

Principal For A Day

2010-10-12T13:33:00.006-03:00

So how was the Principal for A Day event on October 7th? Great. Ms. Contrino sat down with the executive board of the Student Council. Our central goal is to always upgrade our branding of the school. The term "branding" means to publicize the good works of the school so that the name of McKee generates a positive impression.
The PENCIL luncheon on October 7th was a blast. From left to right Maurice DuBois (Anchor, WCBS-TV - as if he needs identification) me, and Valarie Contrino (McKee's Principal For A Day).
I was a panelist in the afternoon session and contributed my two cents about the impact business partnerships have on the schools.
The central point was that establishing a specific, measurable goal is important along with just "being there" when promised. Students, no matter their age, hold adults to the standard of 'you said you were going to show up at the appointed time.'

ACE Mentor Program

2010-10-05T10:36:00.003-03:00

Once again students from Staten Island high schools will have the opportunity to participate with an ACE team that has its home base on Staten Island. This memo applies only to students who want to be on the team that meets on Staten Island (other students can still chose to participate with an ACE team that meets off Staten Island).

To register students should go to the ACE website, www.acementor.org, and click on the student section on the home page. That will take them to the section entitled Registration. Once there, students follow the directions to register either as a new student or as a student already registered on the ACE site.

Registration will take place at the first team meeting on Monday, Oct 25th at 4:00 PM. Students will be notified of the meeting site when they are notified about registration.

A Lovely Saturday - Breakfast and a Game

2010-10-02T20:31:00.002-03:00

What a lovely way to spend a Saturday. The morning was spent at the Welcome Back Breakfast hosted by the PTA. Ms. Manley, looked most presidential and introduced the parents to the executive board. In addition, members of the staff dropped by such as Ms. Mullen (Assistant Principal of English, English Language Learners, and Science), Mr. Velija (Assistant Principal of Organization), Mr. Guarnieri (Assistant Principal of Music). We also heard from Ms. DiMare (guidance counselor) about credits, college, and career opportunities, and myself, who showed off the school website: www.mckeecths.org. By the way, Mr. Cohen (History teacher) stopped by with his children.

After knoshing on bagels, coffee, and fruit with parents in the morning, next was attending the Varsity football game between MSIT and George Washington High School at the MSIT field. On the, blazingly bright sunny afternoon, the Soaring Seagulls flew to a 26 to 12 victory over a tough competitor. On top of that, MSIT Varsity Soccer team beat Susan Wagner High School 2-0.

On a more personal note, it was great to have a rare afternoon off where I was on top of my paperwork to be able to catch a high school football game. This is what comes of now starting my fourth year as a principal. Being a principal is a constant learning experience. While it is nice to see policies reinforced and implemented, it is also a part of the job to always tweak, fine tune, and incorporate changes.

The Process of Teacher Teams

2010-09-23T08:56:00.002-03:00

Wednesday is the day that the staff at McKee chooses to meet for Teacher Teams. Right now, during the month of September we are in the capacity building phase. We are asking the tougher questions - well actually we are starting with really looking at the particular question: Can you justify a decision that you made in planning today's lesson that was based on a previous experience using classroom data?

What was the strategy? Ms. Mullen (AP ELA/ELL/FL/Science) and I commandeered the computer labs and split the staff in two groups. First we had teachers indicate what they thought were some of the answers. Next we had the had teachers log onto ARIS to understand the power of grouping students.

What were the growth points

Welcome Back Breakfast is On for October 2nd

2010-09-21T10:52:00.004-03:00

Calling all Parents, Guardians and Caregivers! We cordially invite you to stop by and knosh on breakfast with members of the McKee Staff and administration.

Disney's Dreamer's Academy

2010-09-21T10:45:00.004-03:00

Everyone knows Steve Harvey as a very funny comedian, with a popular morning radio show, who has written an enormously popular book, Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man.

RIGHT NOW, you need to click here in order to nominate yourself to be considered for Disney's Dreamers Academy. It is a contest, sponsored by Steve Harvey in conjunction with the Disney Corporation to create a unique mentoring experience.

McKee High School Website

2010-09-04T19:31:00.005-03:00

For the latest information about all things McKee, click here to see the new McKee website.
For information about the start of school, the bell schedule, list of school supplies, click on the school website
To get information about each department's contract, and pedagogical strategies, check the school website.
To contact the teachers, check the school website.

This year's directive on the national, state and citywide level is to focus on teachers meeting together during the school week in order to critically look at student work. As covered in the news, NYC needs to improve the ability of the students to perform on the test results. The gauntlet has been thrown down - we must work together to help our students not only be proficient in the subject areas, but also to have the skills to matriculate through college. McKee High School's teachers voted in an SBO to have a professional development period called PDP we are going to be looking at the process of teacher teams throughout the year.

Understanding Race To The Top

2010-08-27T02:00:00.005-03:00

Let's engage in a digital think-aloud. New York State is one of the recipients from the Race to the Top (RTTT) initiative. It is also a great opportunity to look at the power of a writing style that students rarely are exposed to in secondary school: grant writing. In addition, it provides a great way for educators to engage students in understanding how to do non-fiction reading of a large document. Think college readiness when students are deluged with many texts, whether digital or hard-copy, that require they summarize, synthesize, and evaluate information. A key comprehension strategy is using the Table of Contents to skim and scan key points.

The Table of Contents lists 32 priorities.
Page 9 of RTTT lists the milestones New York hopes to achieve:
1. Teachers and principals will be evaluated using student growth data
beginning 2011-12
2. All schools will implement the new Common Core Standards by 2011-2012
3. Our assessments will be aligned to the Common Core Standards by Spring 2012
4. Our Education Data Portal will launch statewide in Fall 2012
5. There will be implementation of specific strategies to turnaround 147 of persistently lowest-achieving schools in 4 cohorts beginning September 2010.

Page 29 describes the anticipated timeline

Page 61 shows the professional development structure

Page 68 describes how New York has spent school funding in the past.

Page 246 describes the differentiated accountability measures.

Page 273 (Strategy 4: Expand Partnership Zones) describes the innovative Secondary School Model Fund also known as the IZone. 84 schools serving 13,000 students are part of iZone

Page 282 describes New York City's experience about school improvement.

Page 317 describes the approved Partnership zones: including Children First & iZone.

Page 356-448 shows the project by project budget summary, or how the $700 Million will be spent.

Learning a New Feature About PowerPoint

2010-08-15T22:26:00.003-03:00

I am now painstakingly going over the links that I've created and the files that I've placed within folders. A family member who is very comfortable with computers has a sharp eye and keeps me on my toes. Most faculty members know that she dragged me kicking and screaming from the world of pen and paper into understanding various software programs.

The latest information page that I am trying to streamline is the whole notion of a print rich environment for high school so that it does not sound like an elementary school. For most secondary school teachers it's about space and organizing who copies the exemplary work, and the system used to update the work within the classroom. Ah - the key words, organization and consistency.

Using E-Chalk for the Updated McKee Website

2010-08-14T23:49:00.007-03:00

Here I am, just learning how to upload files and links onto the E-Chalk site. I am not a natural at computers nor even at anything technical. I have to slog my way through the process. So here I am, at 10;55 PM, pushing myself to upload two of my favorite K-W-L charts onto the website. I finally did it. I also think that I am intoxicated with being able to link files to a website.

Here's a secret - it took me forever, and I mean several months before I even had the nerve to follow up placing anything onto the McKee website after the initial e-Chalk training. My brain just could not wrap around the concept. Finally, now that it is the summer, and I have enjoyed the best fruits of the summer, I decided to once and for all tackle the frontier of following the rules to input information onto the website. By the way, the new website is Welcome To The Home of the Soaring Seagulls. It's a bit long but I think it works.

2010 Young Heroes Award in Philadelphia

2010-07-11T21:28:00.010-03:00

We have an inclusion program at McKee High School in partnership with District 75s Hungerford School.

7 students: Thurman Brown, Araed Diaz, Angels Fearon, Edgar Gbor, Micheline Johnson, Diamond Starks and Jalen Warren of the P721R/Richard Hungerford School Inclusion Program at McKee High School received a Young Heroes Award from the National Liberty Museum and TD Bank.

The Young Heroes Awards Ceremony will be held on August 5, 2010 at the National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA. That's right, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Awards Ceremony begins with lunch at 11:30am, followed by a 12:30 program including the awards presentation, during which our winners will receive a medal, certificate and several mementos. Winners will also be photographed for inclusion in the National Liberty Museum's exhibit where the story of the Young Heroes' accoomplishments will be seen by over 60,000 visitors each year.

Congressman McMahon, upon hearing about the celebration in Philadelphia, felt strongly that the 7 students should be hailed on their home borough. He organized a local celebration for the 7 Staten Island students at the Hungerford School as covered here by New York 1 on Monday, October 4, 2010. Way to go.

What a delightful slice of cool news. By the way, the group of 7 students was selected for this special award as one of only 24 winners from the Delaware Valley and beyond.

McKee Graduation - June 24, 2010

2010-06-27T21:57:00.005-03:00

The students looked resplendent at the June 24th graduation ceremony at the St. George Theater. From the first strains of Pomp and Circumstance to the ending song of "Celebration" this years ceremony focused on the changes the students experienced, Click here to see the coverage of the ceremony in the Staten Island Advance.

The picture to the right captures the high spirits of Frank Festa (L) and David Canecchio (R). Graduations are part solemn tradition, and part good natured reflection on key points throughout the four years. Considering the extreme changes a cohort experiences in both the local, city, national and international stage, it definitely also includes a moment of acknowledgment of the range of issues foremost in the minds of the seniors.

The restoration of the architectural splendor of the St. George Theater is a wonder to behold. The particular photographer's shot of two seniors below, Dwight Briggs (L), and Miles Boyd (R) moments before they become seniors is symbolic. Note how the golden lighting encircling the chandelier represents the glow of peers, parents, and school family shining down on the students.OK - a bit too mushy. A high school diploma is just one rung on an educational ladder. The students will be moving on to encounter and wrestle with the next opportunity.

Presenting Mr. Domonique Jackson

2010-06-18T13:53:00.003-03:00

Look at that 1,000 watt golden glow. The delightful young man, Domonique Jackson, will be a graduate from two schools. The Richard H. Hungerford School and the Inclusion Program at Ralph R. McKee CTE High School. He received his first diploma on June 11, 2010 at Hungerford in a joyous ceremony filled with tears, smiles and moving testimonials. Dr McInerney and her talented team embody and makes sure each child experiences the core values of "respect, professsionalism, sensitivity and excellence."
Next stop, McKee High School's June 24th graduation at the St. George Theater at 1 PM.

Principal's Meeting at the APPLE Store

2010-06-16T22:26:00.005-03:00

I am still zooming from the enlightening Principal's meeting that occurred today at the 14th Street and 9th Avenue APPLE Store Headquarters.

So here are 5 key points that I learned that are way cool.

1. APPS is taking over the function of a browser. Plus there are so many APPS that are FREE.
2. ITunes has a University. This means professors are uploading their lectures and powerpoints from a wide range of colleges and universities, FOR FREE, at ITunes U.
3. Podcasts can be downloaded which is yet another way to be able to have access to stunning visual and audio material from an amazing range of shows. This is also - 95% FOR FREE.
---Audio books are a very easy way to reach a wide variety of learners.
---Set up a station with 5 -6 headsets.
4. Learning stations are the bomb-diggity. Students create products using pen and paper, or digital method - using video, pod cast, website or PowerPoint.
5. Students creating professional development about how to use technology is pithy, practical, and tickles the funny bone.

Stay tuned - I will be adding more to this entry.

SI Federation of PTA Scholarship Luncheon

2010-06-13T21:55:00.002-03:00

Check out the young man in the second row to the right. His name - Timothy Johnson. He is the recipient from McKee High School who wrote a touching essay about the impact an English teacher, Mr. Nestlebaum, had on his writing.
In fact every single student in the photo won for their respective schools because of the singular impact a teacher had on their understanding of a subject area and/or about contributing back to society.
The recipients received their scholarship award at the SI Federation of PTA Scholarship Luncheon occurred on June 7th.

McKee Student Athletes Club Throws A Car Wash

2010-06-13T21:17:00.005-03:00

Remember June 5th? It was a orgeous, hot, Saturday morning.
Here's a peak behind the scenes.
Get a bunch of eager student athletes who realize that they must be proactive in fundraising so that they will be able to work towards affording a mode of transportation to the many different practices during the upcoming school year. Throw in a brush, soap and water plus true grit. What do you get? A car wash.

Hats off to the 15 student athletes who showed up and scrub-a-dub-dubbed the automobiles. It was a many pronged enterprise that involved Mr. Sarno (the auto teacher), Mr. Thomas (the Academics In Motion Coordinator), Ms. Mullen (the AP of Physical Education/Security), Ms. Dow (the school nurse), and Ms. Manley and Ms. McVey (the PTA President and parent coordinator) - who provided cool refreshing water.
It was all business as the student athletes ran down the hill towards the cross section of Victory Boulevard or St. Marks Place to encourage the community to support the car wash, which they did.

What did the principal do? Facilitated.

McKee Student on Chancellor's "Remarkable" Graduates

2010-06-11T00:46:00.003-03:00

How cool is this -Click here to see the news story about George Tarr, a student at McKee High School.

A little side note - I always looked at the tab under Chancellor's Remarkable Graduates. In the hurly-burly of the day, I am always taken aback at how children are able to thrive in dire circumstances. It is a testament to the indomitable nature of the human spirit that reminds me that it is of paramount important that we as educators ensure that our students are in an environment in which they have a myriad number of opportunities to experience learning that contributes to their growth.

2nd NHS Induction Ceremony at McKee

2010-05-28T19:01:00.009-03:00

Here we are at the 2nd induction ceremony of the National Honor Society at McKee High School. The ceremony was at 1 PM on May 27, 2010. Carol Starkey, the new Coordinator of Student Activities (COSA). There was also assistance from Meryl Sheridan, our Forensics Science teacher who ensured that the students lined up and put their best foot forward. Darren Hoffman trained the Executive Board of the National Honor Society also served as the color guard for the event.

It is so cool when the students light the candle indicating that they now plan to uphold the principles of the National Honor Society: Scholarship, Character, Leadership, and Community Service.

Another neat point about the National Honor Society is that the students have to maintain and hopefully surpass their averages and other service aspects to stay in the organization. In my second year as principal, I thought I had an appreciation of what the words meant in the oath taken by the students, along with the rules and regulations as outlined by the National Honor Society. In my third year, I gained a new appreciation. I must say that this is a ceremony that will increase in resonance, for the students, parents, and for yours truly.

Women's Empowerment Seminar

2010-05-27T21:39:00.006-03:00

The New York Urban League organized an amazing day of seminars, and workshops in which inner city high school female students had a chance to interact with professionals in the media, the arts, education, and literature.
Yes the students got to hear "real talk" about the challenges one faces along the path to achieving one's dream job. Whether visiting a news set, seeing the inner workings of various businesses,
or asking probing and clarifying questions and receiving forthright answers at a panel discussion, each young lady was confronted with the question, what is the cost of subjugating one's personality, and academic gifts just to fit in, or to accept the treatment of a "special someone."

The panel discussion that you see on the right included very real talk in which MJB, that's right, the MJB, asked questions that caused uncomfortable, knowing responses and deep, critical reflection.

The Real World According to Patricia Alexander

2010-05-25T14:43:00.005-03:00

I am sitting at my desk - wrestling with tons of e-work when who should walk in but a 2009 graduate, Patricia Alexander. Here are her words of wisdom.:
"I am at LaGuardia Community College. I will be graduating in 2011. I will then transfer to McAllister College where I will get another degree. I will get an Associate's Degree from LaGuardia for Science and the degree from McAllister in Occupation." The career path that she is following is mortuary science.

Wait - let me add this piece, Patricia took it upon herself to line up her internship. She knows that McAllister College will give her the content, but the real world experience for her to truly understand the business aspects of managing a funeral home required that she be proactive. She investigated, researched, and interviewed. She dressed conservatively, stated what skills she can bring to the internship, answered in complete sentences, and was courteous. The result - Patricia landed the internship.

Patricia admits that she "struggled to get out of high school." What she knows for sure: "Being committed is the way to go. College life is no joke. You can't go to college and act like you did in high school. Don't go there and be lazy because if you do, then you will fail. You can't act immature."

Yes!

May 6th Career Fair

2010-05-18T19:46:00.010-03:00

One of the most powerful methods of influencing students is to have pupils see professionals visit and talk - real talk, about the many pathways to a career.

18 representatives from across a wide range of professions visited McKee High School on Thursday, May 6th, to talk to students about education and the skills needed for the various positions they currently hold within their different organizations.
The first picture shows representatives from the Royal Press sharing details about their own level of education, the skills they regularly use on the job, and the typical work day, the challenges they face.

In Mr. Pane's drafting class students heard a panel discussion about different perspectives on the career of being an engineer. In this case Ms. Tsamis (in the picture on the left) shared some of the issues related to being a structural engineer.

Another really powerful visual message is when students are able to see graduates from McKee return and share their experiences in competitive apprenticeship programs. The young lady in green is Ms. Morales. She is a member of the SVA program, which is a highly regarded, extremely selective apprenticeship. SVA stands for Success Via Apprenticeship Program. It is a five year apprenticeship program in which participants get college level coursework, classroom internships, and industrial work experience. Ms. Morales will be able to become a city and state certified teacher.

The career day was successful in that students participated in meaningful career exploration discussions. Students focused on their career options. In addition professionals come into the school to encourage students and provide an opportunity to introduce pupils to networking opportunities.

Who was responsible for organizing this event - Ms. Joyce Ippolito, the guidance counselor, and articulation coordinator. Learning valuable lessons from the first career fair in January 2010, Ms. Ippolito accessed the resources and contacts of the Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers so that the event was one closely aligned with the CTE programs offered in the school.

A Few More Pictures from the UFT Center

2010-05-14T20:50:00.005-03:00

OK, I just can't help myself. Here are just a few more pictures from the Spring Conference that was at the Hilton Hotel on Saturday, May 8, 2010.
Here is Raphael Ortiz, Jr. explaining maintenance issues to keep a car in tip top shape for the summer.

Care to see a parafin wrap. It is a soothing experience for one's hands to make them feel ever so soft.Guests had an opportunity to experience just one aspect of a day spa. What a way to tone, tighten, moisturize, and in general, feel invigorated..

McKee a Presence at UFT Spring 2010 Conference

2010-05-13T20:20:00.008-03:00

10 representatives from McKee's Cosmetology and Auto program had a booth at the UFT Spring 2010 Conference. The students were excited, attentive and a hit with the visitors, particularly the students from Fashion Institute who turned to the Cosmetologists from McKee to enhance their fashion designs with the finishing touches of makeup and hair.

The teachers, Mr. David Sarno, Auto Instructor, and Ms. Buono, Cosmetology Instructor, chaperoned and watched over the students from 8 AM to 2 PM.

It is so heartening to see students demonstrating what they know. What is even cooler - is that another school comes over and trusts their hair, their very long hairto their peers in another school. Unlike the top styling salons which are "cut happy", the teens creatively used their skills to please the client.

Top brass from the NYCDOE stopped by like Chancellor Klein. In addition, Michael Mulgrew, President of the UFT, and Sterling Roberson, Vice President of the UFT visited the booth set up by McKee. This was our first year in which we had student representation at the UFT Spring Conference. Based upon the positive reaction, the students are revved to attend next year.

Take Your Child to Work Day At McKee

2010-04-27T16:25:00.003-03:00

The pictures below reflect only a small portion of the staff members who brought their children to work. What was on the agenda you ask?
8-8:45 - Meet and greet in the principal's office + breakfast
8:47-9:33 - Pledge and tour of the building.
9:35-10:18 - Robotics demonstration
10:20-11:48 - Visitation to Junior Shops / Open Gym
11:50-12:33 - Lunch (Ah - the delights of pizza)
12:35-2:03 - Visitation to Sophomore Shops

The high school students who accompanied their parents were a bit camera shy. No matter.

The review: a good time was had by all. The students (and the parents) went home smiling and exhausted.

McKee Students to Participate In Inaugural Class of Fellows

2010-04-17T13:58:00.003-03:00

Check out the cool news I received on Thursday from Ms. Twinkle Morgan:

Dear Principal Henry and Mr. Lucci,

In the words of Frank Sinatra, “Start spreading the news!”

The Fellowship Initiative (“TFI”) is thrilled to announce that after countless hours of careful application review, insightful interview debrief, and rich debate thoroughly examining each candidate, results are finally in. TFI’s Selection Committee, its Executive Leadership, as well as its Program Partners are pleased to invite the following Ralph R. McKee Career Technology High School students to participate in the inaugural class of Fellows.

Kin Chung Choo

Kenneth Alphonso

Regina "Reggie" Fredericks

Samuel Conteh

Click here to find out more information about The Fellowship Initiative.