Lafayette Street

Around Town: Lafayette Street School in Newark to get a playground

Barry Carter | The Star-Ledger | Email the author | Follow on Twitter

The Lafayette Street School playground in Newark is finally going to get the work it needs.

The Trust For Public Land and Newark Public Schools recently announced a campaign to raise $250,000 to create a new playground for the students and the larger community in the Ironbound.

“The Trust for Public Land’s Parks for People Program has a long history of working with community partners to develop safe, inviting, learning-rich schoolyards throughout Newark,” said said Scott Dvorak, director of The Trust for Public Land’s Parks for People-Newark Program.

“We now have an opportunity to bring our community-driven design and development process to the Ironbound neighborhood in Newark’s East Ward.”

Right now, the playground has deteriorating black top with a few basketball hoops. It’s better than nothing, but the kids didn’t even have that a few years ago when teachers parked their cars on the playground. The effort driving this renovation began when parents complained about their children not having a place to play.

“When something beautiful gets done on behalf of a neighborhood on behalf of children, it’s really a moment to celebrate,” said Newark’s Superintendent of Schools Christopher Cerf. “If students don’t have a place to play and jump and yell, it’s so much harder to achieve academic objectives.”

The playground campaign has raised $85,000. When it’s completed, East Ward Councilman Augusto Amador says the playground will give the Ironbound community a strong presence for having green space.

The Trust For Public Land, which creates parks and open space in cities, has developed 12 parks and schoolyards in Newark since 1995. In January, it will begin the design process with students at Lafayette Street School.

View the story on nj.com.

NPS Teachers Awarded for Excellence

Governor’s Recognition Award

These eight individuals stand out as top staff members in their schools based on their ability to inspire students of all backgrounds; foster a strong student learning environment, demonstrate leadership in educational activities; and are dedicated to the school and community. These are not just teachers but also our education service professionals who work closely with our children.

  • Jessica Allen a teacher from Quitman Elementary
  • Glenda Capers a teacher from BRICK Avon
  • Josephine Cooper – a Social Worker from Quitman
  • Lucinda Lopez – a teacher from First Avenue
  • Melissa Milara (Ramirez) a teacher from Miller Street
  • Alberta Shiavo a teacher from John F. Kennedy school
  • Deborah Sims a Behavioral Specialist from John F. Kennedy school
  • Hilda Soto-Yao a teacher from New Jersey Regional Day

School Teacher of the Year Award

These teachers were nominated as the top teacher in their school based on their individual accomplishments and contributions in the classroom as well as for their leadership. Not only do these teachers consistently exhibit preparedness and instructional excellence, but they also take on formal and informal mentoring and leadership roles to broadly improve the quality of education at their school.

  • Marisa Alves, from Lafayette Street School
  • Andrea Arguello from South Street
  • Tammy Chavez from Ann Street
  • Nicole Coppola from Park Elementary
  • Deirdre Corley from Hawthorne Avenue
  • Whitney Farrand from Mount Vernon
  • Lisa Fischman from Harriet Tubman
  • Angelisa Guilford from Lincoln Elementary
  • Michelle Gutierrez from Abington Avenue
  • Stacy Guzman from McKinley
  • Stephanie Hairston from Chancellor
  • Nicole Harris from Hawkins Street
  • Sadiqua Harvard from George Washington Carver
  • Natasha Javed from Camden Street School
  • Celia Laricchia from East Side High
  • Cristano Liborio from Science Park High
  • Matthew Lichten from Ridge Street
  • Susan Lopes Oliveira from Wilson Avenue
  • Melissa McSweeney from Elliott Street
  • Jessica Morais from Oliver Street
  • Kariema Muhammad from Belmont Runyon
  • Sean Nally from Barringer Arts and Humanities
  • Teresa Oliveira from BRICK Avon
  • Marcela Palma from Miller Street
  • Anany Rodriguez from Luis Munoz Marin
  • Kimberly Rubenstein from Rafael Hernandez

Special congratulations to District Teacher of the Year recipient, Edith Battle. She is a teacher who exemplifies the highest level of excellence and is a true example for all other teachers in the district.

Lafayette Street School Presents When Life Gives You Lemons… Make Lemonade

Third Graders Raise $6,000 for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital

Newark, NJ, February 20, 2014 – The Newark Public Schools’ Lafayette Street School third graders will showcase what they have learned about tolerance and choosing to do good, and most importantly, how they acted upon it by making and selling lemonade to raise funds for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. The total funds raised- $6,000 – will be marked on a giant check made out to St. Jude’s as part of the presentation.

The curriculum-related presentation, titled When Life Gives You Lemons… Make Lemonade, will include what they learned when they measured the ingredients to make lemonade, promoted and advertised their lemonade stands, sold the product and gathered the money. This is the fourth year third graders at the school have raised money for St. Jude’s, the latest amount bringing the total to $21,000.
“We are very proud of our students’ accomplishments, both as young learners and responsible citizens,” said Lafayette Street School Principal Maria Merlo. “The hands-on experience of learning enables students to remember, build upon their knowledge and progress to higher levels.”

WHO: Assistant Superintendent Mitchell Center, Principal Maria Merlo, 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students, teachers, parents and community members and representatives.

WHAT: Lafayette Street School third graders will showcase what they learned from their project, When Life Gives You Lemons… Make Lemonade, which ties the school curriculum to everyday tolerance, doing good and acting upon it, the culmination of which will be a donation of $6,000 to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

WHEN: Thursday, February 27, 2014, 9:25 a.m.

WHERE: Lafayette Street School, 205 Lafayette Street, Newark, NJ 07105

PRESS COVERAGE