Update: Op-Ed, Arts Flourishing at PS/MS 95, Sheila Mencher School

By Staff at PS/MS 95

Under the direction of principal, Serge Marshall Davis, the visual arts are flourishing at MS/MS 95, the Sheila Mencher School in Van Cortlandt Village. Art teacher, Stephanie Fiorino, shepherds ongoing learning and projects, and opens students’ eyes to the world of line, shape, dimension, color, texture, and form. Even during the pandemic, through blended and remote learning, Ms. Fiorino provides clear pathways to student success. The arts program challenges the students intellectually in the classroom and puts systems in place to anticipate smooth transitions to remote learning, whenever that may occur. Its success is due, in no small part,

By MICHAEL HOROWITZ

What do Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, Jim “Catfish” Hunter, and Mariano Rivera have in common? They are Hall of Famers who played for the New York Yankees, the most storied franchise in sport. The Yankees, who play their home games in The Bronx, just happen to play these games in what is the world’s most famous sports stadium. Winners of 27 World Series, The Yankees have been my team since the late-1950s. Yes, I remember watching Ryne Duren and Luis Arroyo as relief pitchers for the

By MICHAEL HOROWITZ

Passover, which started on the evening of March 27, is one of the most meaningful times of year for Jewish people throughout the world. The holiday, which will conclude on Sunday night, April 4, combines what is important for families with what is important for Jews as a distinct people. The holiday, in a more modern context, links Jews to struggles for liberation and freedom in our country and throughout the world. On a very personal level, Passover is a time for my family and other families to get together for very special Seder meals that are very rich

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers for their thoughts on the recent District 11 and District 15 City Council special elections which took place on March 23, and the use of the new Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) system. “I didn’t know about the special election and now, it’s too late. I wish I would have known because I would have voted in this City Council race. I just thank God that the coronavirus in New York is getting better. I heard about Ranked Choice Voting and I think it’s better to have more choices today.” Delphine Sanders, Norwood “Ranked

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers their thoughts on life one year on from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I just want this [expletive] to be over with, I just want to go back to school. I just want everything to go back to normal. No, I didn’t think it was that serious when this first started. I thought it would [have been] over by now and it hasn’t – that’s how serious it was, and how many people have died.” Aameenah Islam West Farms “I just came out of the nursing home, and I was with

By MEISHER PORTER

This week, I began leading the nation’s largest public school system, a school system that serves more than one million students, including, many years ago – me! I am both excited and honored to take on this role. Not only because I am a New Yorker, born and bred, but because education is in my blood. Both my mom and auntie were teachers, and between them have 40 years of changing young people’s lives. I became a New York City public school educator because of them, and the amazing teachers I had as a student, myself – like Ms. Pearlman, my

By JOSÉ A. GIRALT

On the pandemic front, the good news is that COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death rates are all decreasing statewide. In addition, the COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson has been approved by the FDA, which now provides a third immunization option beyond Pfizer and Moderna, and one which requires just one vaccination dose rather than two. The bad news, however, is that throughout the country and especially within the boundaries of Bronx Community Board 7 (CB7), vaccination rates are alarmingly low. At the latest meeting of CB7’s Health & Human Services Committee on Feb.22, committee members looked

By RENÉE BARRETT

Like many mothers, my heart broke as I watched the video footage of a grown man pummeling two young children at the Fordham Road train station in the Bronx on January 22. The video footage is enraging and their screams continue to haunt me. Child Abuse is a public health crisis. In addition, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) regards child abuse and maltreatment as economic burdens to society due to the extremely high hospitalization and treatment costs they generate (estimated at $585 billion in 2008). According to the CDC, at least one in seven children has experienced

By DAVID GREENE

This week, we asked readers their thoughts on the recent bombing by U.S. forces of Iran-backed militias in Syria. “The Biden administration’s recent decision to strike at targets in Syria by all accounts seems like a measured and proportional response to an attack on U.S. forces in Iraq. What President Biden is signaling is that while he prioritizes diplomacy, he will not be a pushover. I would have liked to see the administration consult more closely with Congress before taking such action. Congress has an important oversight role in foreign policy that I think has been overlooked the last several