School administrators will tell everyone that at PS 94 Kings College School it’s all about ensuring the success and happiness of the kids. The ambitious school is hosting a spelling bee next week all while it participates in LeAP’s Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs program. But the students really showed off last week when they celebrated two major successes — on the same day!

While the school rejoiced in their raising of over $4,700 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Pennies for Patients campaign (making the school the top fundraiser in the Bronx for three consecutive years), parent coordinator Miriam Seminario welcomed parents, volunteers and students into the school’s lovely library for their TIGER Day festivities.

TIGER Day — Together in Getting Everyone Reading — is an annual celebratory day notable for its all-day reading schedule. (Volunteers are welcome to read to students in their classrooms). It began in 2003 and has since been a hit with students and families alike. It is an effort to get students to view reading as not only fun, but an essential part of their education and future careers. This year it was coupled with college readiness aspirations.

Jadalyn Beverly, 8, realized she wanted to be a veterinarian when one of her dogs became sick and was taken to see one.

“My dog needed a shot, and I said, ‘You know what? I wanna be a vet when I grow up,’” shesaid.

Library Media Specialist Joanne Clarke-Condon put together a packet that asked students to reflect on their work habits, research their family’s career paths, and explore college and career preparations and selections. Clarke-Condon, the creator of the self-reflective packet, found that many students said they needed to use their time more wisely and that they often follow their parents’ successes. These findings suggest that students need to see what they will become in order to become it. LeAp’s Tomorrow’s Entrepreneur program opened doors to students by connecting them with business professionals.

But it’s not just about exposing students to the idea of college; it’s also about establishing a sense of community in their minds. School counselor Angela Martinez who led the three-week Pennies for Patients campaign said that hosting such events allows students to give back to their communities. It also fundamentally takes part in setting up these students to become caring, charitable individuals.

“Some kids, every morning they’ll go to a store because the store knows to save coins for them. It’s really become a community thing. Everybody looks forward to it,” Martinez said. “We have kids who have been doing it since kindergarten and who are now in the fifth grade, so they’ve grown with this fundraiser, and it’s become a part of the culture in our school,” she said.

Seminario said events like TIGER Day “motivates them (the students) to have goals in life,” and with TIGER Day, the LeAp program, the upcoming spelling bee, and the Pennies for Patients campaign under their belt, the students are learning to ensure the success of not only themselves, but the community who supports them.

CAP: PS 94 students and staff celebrate TIGER Day, one of the many innovative and exciting programs happening at the school.
Photo by Sara Regalado.

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