I am legendary.

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Sarah Stevens

Around 2pm every Wednesday afternoon, the Fordham vans pull up to P.S. 73 and 10 incredible college students head off to pick up their 4th and 5th grade friends from class. Once our students see their Fordham mentors headed down the hallway, they immediately grab their stuff and run up five flights of stairs to the Change for Kids tutoring areas. They can’t wait to get to work. (Once they catch their breath of course!) For these kids, being a part of the P.S. 73 Fordham Writer’s Club is the best part of their week.

As the Director of Education, I am of course thrilled with the amount of writing that gets accomplished during their sessions. But I am even more encouraged by the bond that our kids end up forming with these college students. The Fordham mentors become teachers, role models, and friends, and the impact they make on our kids is obvious.

Each semester the group tackles a different style of writing. Last fall they worked on a school newspaper. They studied what it meant to write news briefs, feature articles (complete with proper interviews), and opinion pieces.

This winter and spring was all about creativity. First they studied poetry. They wrote touching self reflections, silly bits about their favorite food, and Melanie even wrote about how much she loves the CFK group! After everyone had tried their hand at poetry, the group moved on to short stories. There were tales of best friends at sleepovers, one super fan’s run-in with the boy band sensation “One Direction”, and many, many super heroes. We’re so proud of their work and impressed by their imaginations. Click on the images below to read the full publications!

As a cap to their amazing year together, the tables will be turned and instead of the college students traveling to PS 73, the mentors will be hosting the writers club members on the Fordham campus next week. A few of the many activities will include a concert by the college glee club, a poetry slam with one of the English professors, a tour of the football facilities, and of course a trip to the campus cafeteria. We can’t wait to share pictures from the day, and we know our students will leave inspired to work hard in school and reach for their dreams.

Excerpts from the P.S. 73 Fordham Writers Club Spring 2013 Journal:

Joel

I am smart and fast.
I wonder how people were created.
I hear fire.
I see a fire sword.
I want a Wii.
I am smart and fast.
I pretend to be a ninja.
I feel legendary.
I touch air.
I worry about school.
I cry for video games.
I am fast and smart.

I like fire
But I like the desire
To be a ninja
And pinch ya.
But I am getting tired.

Yes that’s me
Look and you’ll see
My hair is backwards
My eyes are dark brown
My arms are strong
My hands are soft
My heart is full of love.

- Joel

Josue

Joyful
Outstanding
Smart
Utterly Fun
Ecstatic

- Josue

Nook

I wanted to buy a new book
So I downloaded some on my Nook
It cost a lot of money
But the book had a bunny
When my Mom saw the price she shook

- Neichel

Chocolate

Crazy good
Hazel-y brown
Obsessively seen
Can be other colors too
Only the best food
Looks like a bar
Also can have nuts
Trapped in my stomach
Especially on Halloween

- Fadelah

Change for Kids

Change For Kids is awesome
Hey it is fun
At 2:00pm they pick us up
Now in the program we are writing poems
Going with friends to the program
Every Wednesday they come

Friends come and share their ideas
Oh it is fun to be in there
Really awesome my Caz is awesome too

Kids talk about what they are doing
I always play around in there
Do all my work there
Some times we get stuff, too.
I love Change For Kids, do you?

- Melanie

Boom!

It was a bright and shiny day. I was planning to go shopping for my sister’s birthday party. Then, I sat at the table to eat my cereal when I heard a voice. I went to check and see where it was coming from. It was coming from the news on the TV. The news reporter said an asteroid was heading to the earth. I knew I had to do something to save the world. I am the only hero in the world.

Oh, I’m sorry. Let me introduce myself. My name is Super J.L. and my sidekick is Sparrow de la Cruz.

I called my sister and told her that the party was off. Then, I called Sparrow immediately to tell him what was happening. We quickly made a plan. I would go to space using my ponytails and put a bomb on the asteroid. I would come back to earth as it exploded in space. Sparrow prepared my launching spot and I went to get the bomb. The day had come. On April 3, 2013, a Wednesday, I launched to space with my ponytails and put the bomb on the asteroid. Then I hurried back down to earth without getting hurt. As I was going down…boom!!

To be continued…

- Jessica

Learning to Love Literature at P.S. 73

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Katie C.

Click here to go directly to the video.

For the last eight weeks, 18 incredible volunteers and over 40 students in our literacy tutoring program have journeyed along the Hudson River, adventured with the heroic dog Balto, and discovered far-off parts of the globe. After these weeks of learning, our hard-working students are on spring break, with the state tests they’ve worked so hard to prepare for around the corner.

When we caught up with our P.S. 73 tutors after their last day, almost all of them reported that their students are feeling ready for those state exams. Even better, they told us that the students had not only improved their literacy skills, but also started to develop a lifelong love of reading and writing.

The students are just as happy with their progress as we are, and their progress has been enormous! Take Kayla, one of tutor Samantha’s students. “Kayla has made such great progress! In the beginning, she was very timid and nervous to read…Now she is reading all by herself – she even told me, ‘don’t say it, I want to say it!’ She then read the whole book!”

Kayla and her classmates aren’t only cultivating their reading skills. CFK literacy tutors are helping these children develop pride and confidence in their schoolwork and themselves. Our tutors see this development every week as they build a relationship with their students. Like tutor Jane says, “Having worked with Alisha since the fall, I have really been able to see her progress, which of course is a highlight for me. She also mentioned today that she’s really getting good at reading, which is so great!”

Our students see their own transformations too. Destiny, a fifth grader at 73, told us all about how CFK tutoring has prepared her for middle school and helped build her self-confidence.

We’re thrilled that kids like Kayla, Alisha, Destiny, and their peers are so excited about their developing reading skills. Thanks to the teachers at P.S. 73, CFK tutors, and CFK supporters like you, we’re able to help these children cultivate their reading, writing, and communication skills, while boosting their confidence as readers and students. Just look at one tutor’s story about her partner student, Angel: “He got so excited one day after he completed a book and a worksheet, he begged me to tell his teacher. It was nice to see him so proud of himself!”

The Inaugural “Holiday Wish” Coloring Contest

Posted on December 6, 2012 by RoyiviaF

P.S. 73 Winner Bernie Marte with his 4th grade teacher Ms. Reynoso

I’ve been very lucky to not only intern in the CFK office, but to oversee our Brooklyn Tech tutoring program at partner school P.S. 243 in Crown Heights. Brooklyn Tech’s Change Club travels to the Weeksville School every Thursday to provide homework help to the 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. I get the pleasure of working specifically with a vibrant bunch of 3rd graders and their tutors.

One of my favorite Thursdays was spent helping them visualize and draw their “Holiday Wish.” This season, CFK created a festival coloring contest – the winning image from each school would be featured on our inaugural holiday cards. When I told my students that they would get to draw during their tutoring session, I was met with great enthusiasm.

P.S. 243 Purple Snow-girl

I had great fun observing the students eagerly brainstorming with their tutors. I circled the tables, landing first at Angel’s table. He proudly reviewed his masterpiece with me, “This is my family at our Christmas meal, and that’s my grandpa. I have a big Dominican family.” Over at Nubia and Maya’s table, the best friends were also drawing family scenes, along with elaborate holiday presents. At Anthony and Elvin’s table, they were having their own coloring contest of who could draw the better picture. While Anthony drew a towering electric blue building, Elvin was drawing an impressive Christmas tree with Santa approaching in his sleigh. I spy an artist in the making here. Finally, my personal favorite was Elena’s drawing of a “Purple Snow-girl.” So I have to admit I’m a bit partial to purple, it’s my favorite color. But regardless, who doesn’t like a nice twist on a classic holiday character? As always, I left P.S. 243 with a smile that day.

The holiday coloring contest was an excellent way to begin the new season at our schools. I hope all the kids had as much fun participating as the office did in going through the entries. It was a great way to see quick snapshots of the students through their holiday wishes and their artistic talents. Congratulations to all the winners. Pick up your pack today!—100% of proceeds benefit our programs.

HOLIDAY CARD WINNERS

P.S. 243 Artist: Brittany Kennedy, Ms. Davis’ 4th Grade, Age 8
P.S. 15 Artist: Steven Ponce, Mr. Laliberte’s 3rd Grade, Age 8
P.S. 73 Artist: Bernie Marte, Ms. Reynoso’s 4th Grade, Age 10
P.S. 81 Artist: Rogelio Vargas, Ms. Fraser’s 2nd Grade, Age 7
P.S. 160 Artist: Sharon Sukhu, Ms. Reill’s 4th Grade, Age 10

Robots invade the Bronx!

Posted on June 25, 2012 by AliciaJ

Thanks to Variety‘s incredible support, Change for Kids’ partnership with the Bronx Museum of Art provides a unique opportunity for P.S. 73 second, third and fourth graders – a chance to discover the value of art through curated exploration of various themes and mediums. Students work in small groups to examine, analyze, and eventually create their own artwork during weekly 90-minute visits to the museum. Rather than study these themes purely academically, the children gain hands-on experience interacting with and producing art, enabling them to place their own work within a larger context. The eight-week program culminates with a student art exhibit at both the museum and P.S. 73, where parents, sponsors, school and community members celebrate the kids’ incredible work.

At this year’s opening reception on Tuesday, June 5^th, the museum walls were lined with everything from crayon-colored family portraits to models of local landmarks to large scale robots made from recycled cardboard boxes. Each masterpiece singularly integrated the different artistic concepts and mediums discussed throughout the residency. During the event, the students presented their artwork to doting parents and fellow classmates; sharing their creative process, the trials and tribulations of group work and the significance of the art they created. By incorporating elements of their own neighborhood into their projects (including a remarkable model of “Mets” Stadium – “The Yankees have a stadium named after them! Why shouldn’t the Mets?”), the kids were able to establish a personal connection with their work – pouring a bit of themselves into each piece. With parents looking proudly over their child’s work, and the students equipped with newly discovered artistic knowledge as evidenced by the phenomenal body of work, the residency was nothing short of a tremendous success.

P.S. 73 CFK Violin Performance

Posted on June 19, 2012 by AliciaJ

Think back to elementary school, to your first time on stage. Whether it was a chorus or band concert, a dance recital or theatrical debut, think back to the moment right before you went on: the nerves, the excitement… the utter dread (eek!).

Eon and his father, Allistair

For the kids in our violin program at P.S. 73, these emotions hit hard Monday morning as they tuned up for their end-of-year performance. Eight-year-old Eon, who has been involved in the program for almost two years, experienced the pre-stage jitters despite it being his second time around. His father, Allistair, tried to help by giving him some sage advice: “I told him to take a deep breath and just let it out. I told him, ‘You’ll do great.’”

And great he certainly did. Eon, along with 44 of his schoolmates ranging from first to fifth grade, wowed us with renditions of “Twinkle, Twinkle,” “Old MacDonald,” and the William Tell Overture. Dressed to impress in ties and flowered headbands, the students performed alongside their teacher, Julliard-trained Majid Khaliq, for the entire P.S. 73 community. Their successful show was a testament to their hard work, dedication, and practice throughout the past year.

All smiles w/ Mr. Majid!

Not to say there weren’t the occasional moments of distraction; basketball and video games sure are fun. Allistair was quick to share an adorable story of Eon’s five-year-old sister encouraging her big brother to play. “There was one time I could tell he was growing tired of practicing,” recounts Allistair, “But before I could say anything, I see my daughter put the violin in front of Eon and tell him, ‘Play something for me. Play something for ME now.’” And with that kind of support as well as the lessons of commitment and perseverance learned, we’re not the least bit nervous about Eon’s future success — in school or with bow in hand.

Congrats to all of our performers at P.S. 73 on Monday! Be sure to press ‘Play’ below to watch them in action.

Face painting, All-you-can-eat hot dogs, and a Justin Bieber dance off? Sign us up!

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Sarah Stevens

Last Saturday 25 fifth grade students from P.S. 73 loaded a bus in the Bronx and landed 35 minutes later at the Variety Boys and Girls Club in Long Island City. As a reward for their hard work and excellent participation all semester in our Bronx Museum of Art and Story Pirates programs, these students were treated to a fun-filled day hosted entirely by our amazing friends at the Variety Children’s Charity.* Every year Variety throws an all day bash for all of the organizations who they work with throughout the city to celebrate the holidays, and this year we were incredibly proud and honored to join in the festivities.
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Volunteer Magic: Fresh Spaces, New Computers

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Kristin Black

For the last ten years, P.S. 243′s computer lab has been “under construction” – a full decade of hoping they could get together the resources to provide their students the technology education they’d need to be successful throughout school.

Baruch College volunteers in the new J.P. Morgan computer lab

Finally this summer we met the folks at nPower, a national nonprofit that brings information technology services and training to other nonprofits. When they heard about the situation at our Bedford-Stuyvesant school, they brought in long-time sponsor J.P. Morgan for a little financial muscle. JPM generously donated enough machines to stock up the entire lab, thus ending the agony of yet another year minus computer education. Last but not least, muralist Caitlin Everett and a team of Baruch College volunteers joined nPower to get things set up and pretty in the brand-spanking new lab. You heard right: nonprofit + business + education + individual volunteers = solutions. That’s just how CFK rolls. Meanwhile…

Our favorite South Bronx school was facing a dilemma. CFK’s violin instructor, Mr. Majid, could probably work miracles wherever you put his classes. But this year, the increased student population at P.S. 73 (otherwise great news) pushed Mr. Majid’s violin class into an old locker/shower room (bad news).
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Meet Jean Mirvil: P.S. 73′s Superman

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Kristin Black

We’ll just say upfront that it’s hard not to gush about Principal Jean Mirvil. Even before we heard the great news that P.S. 73 had been awarded A’s in this year’s school progress report, we were well on our way to an almost embarrassing crush on the man. Let’s start with the basics.

Mr. Mirvil, Principal of P.S. 73

When you speak with Mr. Mirvil at Bowl for Kids next week, the first thing you will notice is the aura of calm that seems to surround him. And whatever your topic of conversation, you will get the distinct impression that he is not only well-versed in the matter but also intensely interested in what you have to say. The man is simply unflappable, a quality clearly perfect for anyone in charge of almost 900 elementary students in what was recently recognized as the poorest congressional district in the nation. Maybe it’s the Haitian lilt that still creeps into his measured tones, but we think you’ll find Mr. Mirvil to be the most intriguing man in the room.

Don’t mistake his calm demeanor for a lack of energy, though. In the four years since Mr. Mirvil arrived at P.S. 73, he has not only reversed the school’s downward performance slide but also rallied a broad range of community support that has meant a major bump in student resources, even as city budgets have taken a dramatic tumble. When Mr. Mirvil arrived at P.S. 73 from his previous post in the Bronx, the school was in “a state of vacuum,” with a high rate of student attrition, limited parental involvement, and a recently departed principal. They were also on their way to becoming a failing school, with C’s from the city and some public relations challenges.
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Sarah Stevens Goes Medieval on Back to School Projects

Posted on October 13, 2011 by Sarah Stevens

On any given day this fall, CFK teachers, partner organizations, and volunteers are hard at work providing engaging educational programs to our students, and we couldn’t be more thrilled! Mr. Justin is teaching kindergarten through 3rd graders fun games to keep them active and healthy. Mr. Majid is quizzing his returning violin students on their scales. Ms. Kathleen is introducing the work of Emilio Sanchez to students at the Bronx Museum. And volunteers are exploring the adventures of Curious George, Arthur, and Babar with new second graders during tutoring. Every day new doors are being opened and opportunities are provided to eager kids ready to learn.

Sarah Stevens gets it done.

One of the most exciting program developments this fall has been the exponential growth of our volunteer tutoring efforts. In its third year, the one-on-one literacy tutoring program at PS 243 has tripled and we are continuing to train new volunteers. The school has come to rely on CFK tutors for their dedication to the students and invaluable classroom support. Once a week tutors meet with 2nd and 3rd grade students to work on critical writing and reading comprehension skills. With characters like the Bernstein Bears and Madeline to keep them busy, though, it doesn’t seem fair to call their studying “work.”

We have also seen our partnership with Fordham University at PS 73 more than triple since last spring. Fordham students drive their “Ram Vans” a few blocks south every Wednesday to pair up with 4th and 5th grade kids to write the PS 73 school newspaper. If last year’s paper is any indicator, those budding journalists will be prime to steal our jobs writing for the CFK newsletter and blog!

After only a few weeks, we can already tell this year us going to be even more exciting than last, and we can’t wait to share it with you!

Congrats to P.S. 73′s Valedictorian!

Posted on July 26, 2011 by Kristin Black

Yeah, we know it’s technically summer and that school’s been out for a few weeks, but we saved some of our best material for July and August this year. Below, P.S. 73′s 5th-grade valedictorian, Jeffrey, offers his thoughts on education, hard work, and the future. Be sure to also check out the video of our 11-year-old graduates processing to Katy Perry’s “Firework” (“Pomp and Circumstance” is so over).

Jeffrey, P.S. 73's Valedictorian

Mr. Mirvil, Mr. Monteverde, Teachers, parents and students, I would like to welcome you to the Class of 2011 5th Grade Graduation ceremony. My name is Jeffrey. I feel very proud to be this year’s Valedictorian and I am grateful that I was chosen to be the Valedictorian. First of all, I would like to thank my Mom, Dad and my Family. All of my teachers, Ms. Reid, Ms. Pena, Mr. Han and especially Mr. Jones because if it wasn’t for him I would not be able to give this speech today. I also want to thank Mr. Monteverde and Mr. Mirvil for keeping our school in good shape.

I am here to let you know that if you work hard you can be just like me. I am also the Vice-President of Student Council and I thank all of you that believed in me and voted for me. School is about learning, not playing around. So I bring this message to those who need to take learning more seriously. It is time to stop and listen. It is time to respect our teachers. I believe in you and your parents. Education is very important. I would like to thank ALL teachers. Please give teachers a round of applause…
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Change for Kids

The official blog of NYC education nonprofit Change for Kids

Category Archives: P.S. 73