Luis Muñoz Marin

Luis Muñoz Marin Hosts Production of Disney’s “The Lion King”

Luis Muñoz Marin School for Social Justice is pleased host a production of Disney’s The Lion King. A team of teachers and students in grades 3-5 have been working on all aspects of the production since October and are proud to invite family, friends, and members of the community to our wonderful production of The Lion King on March 8th and 10th at 6:30pm. Each night of the show is already sold out, and over 500 guests are expected to attend.

Luis Muñoz Marin was one of five schools in the State of New Jersey selected by NJPAC to have the rights to produce a Disney Kids musical. The school has been working with Disney teaching artists throughout the process who have provided ongoing guidance and support. Luis Muñoz Marin’s partnership with Disney will last for three years, with two more Disney productions on the way.

The entire experience has been transformative for the students, staff, and families involved, and we are excited to host our very own production of The Lion King on Broadway!



Newark Public Schools’ Elementary Students Perform A Disney Kids Musical at NJPAC

Five schools in Greater Newark area participated in Disney Musicals in Schools as part $100,000 Disney grant awarded to NJPAC

[Newark NJ – February 9, 2016] – Newark Public Schools (NPS) elementary students, along with students from the greater Newark area, performed at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) today on the world-class Prudential Hall stage. The students performed selections from The Lion King and Aladdin. The students’ performance was part of “Disney Musicals in Schools”, a national initiative developed by Disney Theatrical Group to create ongoing theater programs in under-resourced public elementary schools. Disney awarded the Arts Center a $100,000 grant last year to bring the program to Newark area public elementary schools.

“I was delighted to watch so many talented young children from Newark Public Schools and the greater Newark area perform on stage in front of their peers, family and friends,” said NPS Superintendent Christopher D. Cerf. “Thanks to NJPAC and the Disney Musicals in Schools program, our kids had the extraordinary opportunity to participate in this fantastic program and we are grateful our schools were selected to participate in the program’s inaugural year.”

NJPAC chose five Newark area public elementary schools including Branch Brook School, Luis Muñoz Marin School and Mount Vernon School from NPS for the pilot year of the program. Each school participated in a 17-week musical theater residency that began in September 2015, and concluded with students performing a 30-minute “Disney KIDS” musical based on a classic Disney film at each school. During the residency, students worked collaboratively, developing self-confidence and strengthening communication skills, all while learning and discovering the joy of creating a musical theater production.

The $100,000 grant awarded to NJPAC supports two years of programming and another five schools will be announced later this year for the 2016-2017 school year.

About Disney Musicals in Schools
Disney Musicals in Schools is a free outreach program offered to a limited number of public elementary schools each year. Through the program schools receive free performance rights and ShowKit materials to a 30-minute Disney musical written for elementary school performers. Over the course of a semester, professional Teaching Artists guide school teachers through the process of mounting a musical with student performers. The goal is to provide the training necessary for teachers to continue a tradition of theater education for years to come. For more information visit: disneymusicalsinschools.com

About New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC)
New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located in downtown Newark, New Jersey, is among the largest performing arts centers in the United States and is the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 9 million visitors (including over 1.5 million children) since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents. Visit njpac.org or call 1-888-GO-NJPAC for more information.

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My Brother’s Keeper Newark Tour Comes to Luis Muñoz Marin

MBK-logoLuis Muñoz Marin School for Social Justice was the first middle school selected to participate in the My Brother’s Keeper of Newark (MBKN) initiative. MBKN is an affiliate of President Barack Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper platform, a mentoring alliance for boys of color. On Tuesday, October 20, 2015, Mayor Ras Baraka, visited the school to meet with the 6th, 7th and 8th grade male students. Mayor Baraka along with The Street Doctor: Earl Best, and Pastor Pablo Pizarro of the Light House Assembly of God, addressed social-economic barriers with the young audience. They all encouraged the young men in the making to reach their full potential. The Marin School Community looks forward to a continued partnership with the MBKN movement and other private entities.

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.

Holocaust Survivors Share Personal Stories with Luis Muñoz Marin Students, Enhancing Genocide Studies Curriculum

The Newark Public School 7th grade Social Studies curriculum focuses on World History. At Luis Muñoz Marin, the Social Studies teachers, Ms. Quetzy Rivera and Ms. Mimi Rosenbaum, showed students how past history affects the present and how each action causes a reaction. They were shown how the human experience can determine political, geographic, economic and social issues, linking all to the greater global community. The section on Africa coincided with the twentieth anniversary of the Rwanda Genocide and the Day of Remembrance for the European Holocaust where over ten million people were killed. Students in Ms. Rivera and Ms. Rosenbaum’s classes were asked to define the term ‘Genocide’, a term invented for the Jewish Holocaust, and how, even though the cry after World War II was “Never Again”, there have been attempts at genocide in countries like Rwanda, Bosnia, the Sudan, Cambodia. Students worked in teams of two and were asked, based on the eight stages of genocide, to pick one country that showed signs of genocide and research the causes and effect. They submitted research papers and had to present a power point explaining why they chose that particular country.

On June 12th, two Holocaust speakers came to Marin to talk to the students about their experiences. Both Ms. Goldstein and Mr. Obermeyer were children during the Holocaust and survived through horrible conditions.

Ms. Goldstein was eight years old when her father was taken away (her mother had previously died of natural causes) and she and her older sister were forced to care for each other. They survived with the help of a Catholic nun who did not differentiate that these were Jewish children; merely that they were children. Ms. Goldstein explained to the students that we are morally obligated to care for each other and repeated what the nun had said, “ Today they come for the Jews; tomorrow they will come for me if we do not stop them.” This Catholic nun put herself in harm’s way to protect Ms. Goldstein and her sister. Had she been discovered, the Nazis would have killed them all.

Mr. Obermeyer told his story as well. His family had lived in Germany for over two hundred years. Suddenly, they were told they were no longer citizens, were not allowed to attend school and were treated differently by friends and neighbors. His parents realized that things would only get worse after “Kristalnacht”, (the Night of Broken Glass), when Jewish businesses, homes and temples were vandalized. Britain agreed to give visas to 10,000 children including Germany if they had the funds to support themselves and to be schooled. He was accepted as one of the children to go on the Kindertransport and so survived the War. His mother couldn’t bear the thought of parting from her child and did not go to the station. He never saw either parent again. When asked by a Marin student, Mr. Obermeyer told them his biggest regret was not being ‘better’, that he had been a difficult child and that was how his mother remembered him. Students asked questions and wrote reflections on the two Holocaust speakers.