Bronx Parents Can Ask Questions of NYC Schools Chancellor During Live Broadcast

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Health and safety, fall 2021 reopening, and the allocation of government funds for education in New York City are some of the current topics of focus for the New York City Department of Education (DOE). BronxNet viewers will have the opportunity to hear directly from New York City Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter as well as their own Bronx neighbors, about ideas, needs and plans concerning these and other educational issues during an upcoming DOE special forum to be broadcast live on BronxNet. The Bronx-specific forum, part of the DOE’s five-borough conversation series, will be broadcast live on June 9,

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Dear Readers, In 2020, in acknowledgement of the diverse composition of the local communities the Norwood News serves, we updated our website, www.norwoodnews.org, to allow users to read our site in Spanish, Bengali, Arabic, Chinese and French, using a Google Translate function. Readers can translate the site from English into each of these languages by selecting the relevant language from the drop-down menu located in the top, right-hand corner of the home page. As a nonprofit news organization, with limited resources, we decided to include this translation function on our site to help you, our community of readers, access local

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Parents who missed the April 19 enrollment deadline to enter their child in the “Pre-K for All” program can still apply, according to the New York City Department of Education (DOE). NYC Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter announced on Friday, May 28, a record ninety-one percent of families received an offer to one of their top three choices for free, full-day, high-quality Pre-K education. Seventy-seven percent of families received an offer to their top choice program, consistent with 2020. There are 57,511 families receiving Pre-K for All offers as of May 29, including all families who applied by the April

By MEISHA PORTER

This year has demanded that all New York City families and students do so many things differently—they’ve had to think differently, learn differently, and connect differently with teachers, peers, and the whole school community. At the Department of Education, we know we also have to think differently as we look towards the summer. For the first time ever, we are inviting all students to join us for a free, fun-filled, enriching summer program: Summer Rising. This year, we will serve any student in grades K-12 in July and August who wants to participate, and I am excited to be

By PS/MS 95 Staff

Members of the PS/MS 95, The Sheila Mencher Van Cortlandt School community in Van Cortlandt Village, held a socially distanced, outdoor remembrance event on April 21 in tribute to our colleague, Omara Flores, beloved, long-time assistant principal at the school who died tragically and unexpectedly on April 6, 2020 of COVID-19. She left behind a husband and two adult children, both graduates of PS/MS 95. The event which was attended by about 35 people was filled with sweet remembrances of an esteemed and admired colleague, with the participants immersed in a collective sea of sorrow. Under the leadership of

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 SÍLE MOLONEY

The New York City Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance identifying the individual seen in the attached video and photos in the context of an assault that occurred in the 52nd precinct. It was reported to police that on Monday, April 12, 2021 at approximately 11.30 p.m., inside a deli located at 2650 Briggs Avenue, located in the Fordham Manor section of the Bronx, the victim and the unidentified suspect engaged in a verbal dispute that escalated into a physical confrontation. The suspect stabbed the victim once in the back with a knife before fleeing the scene in

By SÍLE MOLONEY

Editor’s Note: The Montefiore survey which aims to better understand vaccine hesitancy is still open for Bronxites to participate in, and a link to the survey is provided further below. On the other hand, please note that the vaccination statistics and some other COVID-19 related information about vaccine services reported in the story may now be outdated. Check our most recent stories for the latest updates in this regard. As the Bronx ranks lowest, at 35 percent, in terms of COVID-19 vaccination rates out of all five boroughs, Bronxites are being invited to take part in a research study

By SÍLE MOLONEY

The NYPD has confirmed that they are searching for Michelle Martin, 10, of 2767 Morris Avenue in the Kingsbridge Heights section of the Bronx, who was reported missing on April 12 in the 52nd precinct. Michelle is described as 4 feet, 10 inches tall, weighs 80 pounds, and was last seen wearing a black coat, light blue jeans, black boots, and purple eyeglasses. She was carrying a bright pink backpack and was wearing her hair in two braids. The incident was initially reported on the Citizen’s App on Monday, April 12, at 1.56 p.m. Police confirm that Michelle was