Schools

Shabazz Rides Momentum From Historic Season Into State Tourney

By: Richard Greco | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Shabazz baseball team poses for a photo following its last regular season game.
(Photo Courtesy of Ryan Cordero)

As an eighth grader, Ronaldo Espinal remembers watching a struggling Shabazz team getting 10-run ruled on a consistent basis. Now as a senior, Espinal has been a crucial piece in the program’s turnaround and helped bring the Newark public school its most successful season to date.

Shabazz won the Independence Division title, the program’s first divisional championship. It went 12-1 against divisional opponents and finished the regular season with a 17-9 record. Shabazz also advanced to the second round of the 85th Greater Newark Tournament, which is the furthest the program has made it.

“It was really important,” Espinal said. “In the summertime, I play for teams with kids from Barringer and Bloomfield Tech, but they always looked down on me just because of the fact that I played for Shabazz. Now we are on the same level.”

The program has blossomed under Shabazz coach Ryan Cordero, assistant coach Dan Barcia and former assistant coach Kevin Arroyo. For Cordero, who is a social studies teacher at the school and has been with the program the past eight years, seeing Shabazz reach this milestone is a testament of all the hard work that his staff and players put in through the years.

“There was a lot of hard work that came in this program,” he said. “It comes down to the kids first and foremost. We have to believe in them. At the end, they believe in you too and start to earn your respect as crazy as things may get.”

Most of Cordero’s seniors have been on the varsity squad for the past three years. In a neighborhood where baseball isn’t the dominate sport, fielding a quality team is no easy task.

“In the South Ward, there’s a good baseball player that’s in the streets or doesn’t make it to his 12th grade year because he’ll drop out or just doesn’t want to play baseball anymore,” Espinal said. “Every year, the rate of baseball players in the South Ward goes down. For us to gather enough players that are talented and take the conference that’s good enough for me.”

Making fielding a team even more difficult is the fact that Shabazz isn’t know for its baseball program. Instead it is a football and basketball school. It’s women’s basketball program flourished under legendary coach Vanessa Watson and its football team advanced to the North 2, Group 1 final this past year.

Getting its baseball program on the map is something that Shabazz alum Odanis Rodriguez, who graduated in 2012, is very proud of.

“This program has come a long, long way,” Rodriguez said. “I give a lot of props to coach Cordero. He brought this team from nothing. We were always on a losing streak and always in a slump. He made it happen with this team. They look really good. It’s a different ball game they’re playing now.”

Sparking this season’s success has been Espinal, Al Shakir Evans, Genaro Falcon, Ashad Garat, Shamont Mercer, Lamont Oliver and Tahji Smith.

Shabazz hopes to continue look good when the state tournament gets under. Shabazz received the fifth seed in the North 2, Group 1 tournament and will host 12th-seeded Weehawken in the first round on Monday.

View the story on nj.com.

Technology High School 2nd Annual International Day

On Wednesday, May 17, Technology High School hosted its second annual International Night. Over 700 participants enjoyed 13 performances of music and dancing representing countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Portugal, France, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, and Egypt. Students and caregivers provided cultural food for the taste testing that followed the presentations. All left-over food was donated to the Covenant House in Newark.

Newark surprises its 2017 Teacher of the Year

NEWARK — Walk into Brian Klasner’s classroom and odds are, you won’t find him sitting at his desk or lecturing at the front — he’ll be among his students.

On Tuesday, when a dozen school administrators, members of the media and fellow colleagues surprised Klasner to crown him Newark’s Teacher of the Year, he was sitting near the back of the room with a group of students.

“These are my parents guys,” Klasner, 29, said as he stood up to greet Schools Superintendent Christopher Cerf and his parents, Lisa and Joe Klasner.

“It’s validation of years of people telling me ‘No, you can’t do this,’ ‘No, that doesn’t work, use a textbook, don’t break the mold,'” said Klasner, a social studies teacher at East Side High. “I’ve always had these ideas and I’ve pushed as much as I could.”

Students sit in groups peering over iPads and talk about the internships they’ve landed at the East Orange Animal Hospital or as a physical education instructor. Their business cards are displayed along a wall.

“Coming from elementary school for me, it was difficult to adjust to high school,” said junior Romaine Johnson, 16. “He was always there for me and making sure I was on the right track … if it looks like if you have a bad day, he’ll say a pointed joke and just brighten your day.”

“Other teachers won’t take time out of their day to help you even with your personal issues,” said student Destiny Diaz, 16. “We’re learning in a different way.”

Diaz said the Klasner is always finding new ways to learn through technology. She looked around the room and said, “I don’t even know where the textbooks are.”

Klasner’s classroom is coated in posters of history icons like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., but also quirky images like a photo of a viral cat meme with the words “Mr. Klasner’s caring face.”

“I can never see myself sleeping in his class,” Johnson said — partly because Klasner will draw on your face with a dry-erase marker if you do, Diaz added.

Students say Klasner is always making jokes and showing funny pictures. The classroom Smart Board on Tuesday was projecting a picture of a baby elephant.

“If you’re singing a song, he’ll ask who sings it and say, ‘Let’s keep it that way,'” Johnson added.

Klasner was chosen from a pool of 22 other educators who were nominated by their principals. A graduate of Quinnipiac University, Klasner has taught for seven years and leads the school’s first Comic Book Club.

“This is a tremendous honor and a very well deserved one. We are incredibly impressed,” Superintendent Cerf said.

Klasner is an advisor for the school’s Big Picture Learning program, a national model that challenges traditional forms of schooling and lets students to take control of their learning through practical applications, such as internships.

The Big Picture academy enrolls 110 students at East Side and requires every student complete an internship.

“You don’t need a textbook to teach,” said Klasner who has taught at East Side for four years. “I also want to take them outside of the school, outside of class. Every one of my students has a business card, everyone has a resume, everyone has a cover letter, everyone has interviewed … there’s great traditional teachers, but I’ve been supported with every one of my crazy ideas.”

Source: By Karen Yi | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

NPS Honors East Side High School Teacher Brian Klasner as Newark Teacher of the Year

Klasner brings innovative strategies into his classroom, ensuring students develop critical 21st century skills through project-based learning

 

Brian Klasner was honored by Superintendent Christopher D. Cerf, administrators, fellow teachers, students, and family members on Tuesday, being presented with the 2017 “Newark Teacher of the Year” award at East Side Big Picture Academy.
Brian Klasner was honored by Superintendent Christopher D. Cerf, administrators, fellow teachers, students, and family members on Tuesday, being presented with the 2017 “Newark Teacher of the Year” award at East Side Big Picture Academy.

[Newark, NJ – May 09, 2017] – Newark Public Schools (NPS) honored Brian Klasner as “Newark Teacher of the Year” today at East Side High School, with a surprise visit from NPS Superintendent Christopher D. Cerf and other district leaders who presented him with an award for his exceptional teaching abilities and the impact he has made on his students. Klasner was chosen from a pool of approximately 22 finalists who were each nominated by their school principal. Each nominee was selected by their principal based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to a teacher’s effectiveness in classroom instruction, strong commitment to professional development and collaboration, and innovation and leadership across the school community.

“I’m proud to have the opportunity to present this year’s ‘Newark Teacher of the Year’ award to Mr. Klasner, a transformational classroom leader at Newark’s East Side High School,” said Superintendent Cerf. “Mr. Klasner’s classroom rigor, innovative instructional strategies, and endless commitment to each of his students exemplifies what’s necessary in every classroom to ensure a high-quality, 21st century education for all of our students.”

Mr. Klasner currently teaches world history and financial literacy to ninth and twelfth graders at East Side Big Picture Academy (ESBPA), a student-centered learning academy within East Side High School. In his classroom, he focuses on providing students with a depth of content knowledge while challenging students to showcase their subject mastery through project-based assessments. A Google Education App expert, he routinely utilizes technology in his classroom to support 21st century learning and collaboration among students. Mr. Klasner has earned a “Highly Effective Teacher” rating for two years in a row, embodying the qualities of a nurturing and rigorous 21st century educator.

“Mr. Klasner’s passion for education and dedication to our school community is having a profound impact on students, families, and teachers across East Side High School,” said Dr. Mario Santos, Principal at East Side High School. “We are incredibly grateful for his countless contributions to our students and families, as he continues to cultivate a 21st century learning environment that is providing our students with the skills necessary to be prepared for college and career success.”

At ESBPA, which enrolls approximately 100 students from grades 9 to 12, students are required to complete an internship over the course of the school year. Students work with their advisor to find an internship that lines up with their interests and develop an interdisciplinary project that they will complete at their individual internship site. This year, Mr. Klasner secured 15 internships for his advisees at a wide-range of companies and organizations, such as NBC Studios, Mount Sinai Hospital, Oliver Street and NJ Regional Day Schools, Trenton Planetarium, East Orange Animal Shelter, and My Brother’s Keeper Program, among others, while also helping other advisors find internship opportunities for their students. Every week, Mr. Klasner travels to his students’ internship locations to support them on their personalized interdisciplinary projects.

In addition to his strong performance in the classroom, Mr. Klasner dedicates his time to expanding access to extra-curricular activities for his students, leading the ESHS 1st Comic Book Club. He also routinely leads workshops for his colleagues at ESHS Professional Development days.

A graduate of the School of Education at Quinnipiac University and a Teach for America alumnus, Mr. Klasner is in his seventh year of teaching and has taught at ESBPA for the past four years. He was inspired to enter the field of education by his mother, who was a career educator, and has made it his life’s mission to make a difference in children’s lives.

“I am very honored to receive the Teacher of the Year Award,” said Brian Klasner. “The method I use for teaching can be done by any teacher – it works because it engages students in a way that encourages them to push boundaries, use innovation, push the big picture, focus on projects, and interest-based and real world learning.”

Each of the 22 NPS teachers nominated by their respective principal for the 2016-2017 “Newark Teacher of the Year” award will be recognized for their impact at the 2017 Breakfast Celebration for Teachers of The Year at Robert Treat Hotel on Friday, June 2.

Students from Ann Street and Wilson Avenue Schools Named Winners of 15th Annual Ironbound Anti-Litter Poster Contest

By Vince Baglivo (Patch Contributor) | April 25, 2017 4:02 pm ET

Artwork will be featured on postcards providing information about trash pick-up, recycling and waste disposal regulations.


Local street signs as pathways to a cleaner community inspired Jacelyn Quezada’s creative concept for the Ironbound Business Improvement District’s (IBID) 15th Annual Anti-Litter Poster Contest. The contest was sponsored by Newark-based Panasonic.

Quezada, joined by Wilson Avenue School classmates Raquel Goncalves, Adan Franco and Nicole Vallejos, submitted the winning entry in the 5th to 8th grade student category. The team of students Erick Botelho De Souza, Ayden Tapia and Brandon Santos from Ann Street School were the winners in the 1st to 4th grade category.

Dozens of posters were entered by students from all of the Ironbound’s elementary and middle schools participating in the contest which draws attention to the IBID’s “Let’s Work Together to Keep the Ironbound Clean” quality of life initiative. Leysly Roldan, IBID Office Manager, coordinated the contest with the schools.

The Wilson Avenue School students were supported in their efforts by art teacher Randi Wolfman and Principal Margarita Hernandez. Art teacher Marilyn Richardson and Principal Linda J. Richardson supported the students from Ann Street School.

IBID Treasurer Renato Baptista was joined by David Thompson, Panasonic’s Director, Corporate Environmental Department, for the presentation of trophies and medals; both commended the winning students for their efforts, working together in support of a cleaner Ironbound community. All students submitting entries to the contest receive commemorative certificates.

Thompson noted that Panasonic was pleased to work with the IBID and the schools to promote a cleaner city because the goals of the contest align well with the direction of the company. “Panasonic is using technology to contribute to a better environment, including building batteries for electric cars and solar panels for producing electricity,” he added.

Seth A. Grossman, IBID Executive Director, noted that thousands of postcards will be printed featuring the work of the winning students for distribution in Ironbound schools and display in the storefront windows of merchants and restaurants throughout the Ironbound District. The postcards provide information about the Ironbound District’s trash pick-up and recycling schedules as well as rules and regulations regarding waste disposal.

For more information about programs and services provided by the Ironbound Business Improvement District visit goironbound.com or follow news from the district at Facebook.com/goironbound.

View the story on patch.com.

West Side High School Track Teams bring Home the Gold at the Prestigious Penn Relays

West Side Penn Relays
The boys from left to right: James Bell, Jarrett Gentle, Jakai Coker, Shaquan Williams. Girls: Aminah Muhammad, Fatima Sannor, Tiyauna Evans, Jahne Slocum.

West Side High School Track Teams bring home the Gold at the Prestigious Penn Relays in the boys and girls 4×400 meter relays.

Every team that won their race received a winning plaque.