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Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 13. Please advance your clocks one hour.

Board Meeting Introduces 2022-23 Budget

Superintendent Jonathan Raymond and Bill Pastore from the Business Office presented the first draft of a 2022-23 budget for the City School District of New Rochelle at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting. The presentation began a conversation about the use of funds to support the needs and wants of the school district. The proposal, which is being developed within the context of “Reimagining the Whole Child: Forging a Path Forward,” emphasizes the priorities of unfinished learning and wellness, and represents initial thinking about a spending plan. The draft includes district-wide contractual salary increases and top priorities as identified by each school principal as being critical to addressing the needs of their students and families.

Superintendent Jonathan Raymond discusses the proposed 2022-23 budget.

Priorities for the budget were informed by Superintendent Raymond’s Listening and Learning Tour and 100-Day Plan. The proposal focuses on providing equitable opportunities toward college and career; family and community engagement; organizational excellence; and fostering safe, welcoming, respectful, and rigorous learning environments.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Education asked questions and provided feedback on exploring cost savings, which is being incorporated into the next draft. On a parallel track, the school district continues to plan the development of a Strategic Roadmap, which will inform future budgets.

The March 22 Board of Education meeting will be at Barnard Elementary School. Participants may attend in-person or via Zoom; public comment is invited. All households in the school district will receive a budget newsletter in early May. The budget referendum will go before voters on May 17.

Student Liaisons Present at Board of Education Meeting

Following a recent Board of Education resolution to formally and regularly include student representation at meetings, two Student Government officers from New Rochelle High School shared remarks with Board members and attendees. Isabel Fila, Vice President of Student Government, and Vivian Serafin, Secretary, spoke about high school events and other academic and extracurricular activities.

The Board meeting was held at Jefferson Elementary School and included a presentation by Principal Kim Nieves.

New Rochelle High School Principal Dr. Dagoberto Artiles introduces Student Government officers Isabel Fila (left) and Vivian Serafin.

Huguenot Academy Helps Senior Conquer Adversity

When New Rochelle High School senior Jenniffer Avelar came to Huguenot Academy during the 2020-2021 school year, her junior year, she had only four credits.

Today, she has not only made up the credits she lacked, but also is a high-achieving student with enough credits to graduate. Her inspirational story showcases the strengths of Huguenot Academy and is a testament to her own hard work and perseverance.

Avelar was in a dark place when she arrived at Huguenot, facing many challenges in her life in and out of school. 

“I went through traumatic events that I should’ve talked about when they occurred, but instead I kept silent,” she said. “My mental health drained me little by little. On top of these situations, home wasn’t my favorite place to call, well, home.”

Avelar needed help, but said she kept quiet until one day she realized she no longer recognized herself. She said she had fallen into such a deep depression and become so solitary that she did not feel mentally stable enough to come to school.

It came to a point where Avelar had to be hospitalized. But the troubles didn’t stop—the cycle kept repeating for another year, resulting in her failing 10th grade. 

“That’s where it all hit me,” she said. “This was one of those ‘wake up!’ moments. I changed my bad habits slowly, even if it was difficult and at times I just wanted to give up, [knowing] bad habits are easier and good habits are hard to build.”

She points to arriving at Huguenot Academy as a turning point in her life.

“The drastic change I achieved in this academy not only helped me turn my life around, but also helped me see how much I have to offer,” she said.

Avelar pointed to who she referred to as her “guardian angels,” Huguenot Academy Director Andrea Schwach and guidance counselor Mariana Burgos, for the role they played in helping her feel like she was strong and capable.

“They never made me feel excluded, or as if I wasn’t able to be something,” she said. “They never made me feel like my options were little.”

She also credited her parents, saying they went from a relationship built on misunderstanding to having a much healthier relationship in which she now feels like she can more easily communicate with them.

To other students who might be in a similar situation to where Avelar was a couple years ago, she encourages them to engage in introspection and to make the hard choices, regardless of how lost or confused they might feel. 

“Remember that your story isn’t over yet,” she said.

As she reaches the end of high school, Avelar feels a lot of gratitude for the work she’s put in and those who supported her in getting to this position.

“I look a few years back and still can’t believe I am in this place academically, and in this place in general,” she said. “I can’t believe I’m alive today.”

Five at Jefferson Elementary School Receive Tenure Kudos

Congratulations to five Jefferson Elementary School teachers recognized by the Board of Education Tuesday for achieving tenure. The professionals were included in a presentation given by Principal Kim Nieves and recognized with a round of applause.

The teachers recognized were: Melissa Capossela (special education), Victoria Cooke (fifth grade), Diana Riccio (special education), Victoria Treacy (second grade), and Alex Urso (special education).

Town Hall Meeting Tuesday: A Conversation with New Rochelle High School Principal

Dr. Dagoberto Artiles

Please set aside next Tuesday evening, March 15, to attend Superintendent Jonathan Raymond's next Community Town Hall at 7 p.m. 

You're invited to offer thoughts, comments, and insights, and will receive responses in real time. 

The Town Hall will include a conversation with New Rochelle High School Principal Dr. Dagoberto Artiles.

Dr. Artiles will share information and updates on events, programs, and projects students currently are working on. You’ll also learn more about his background, experience, and education. 

Dr. Artiles joined the City School District of New Rochelle in August 2021. He previously worked as High School Assistant Principal at Jericho Union Free School District in Jericho for nearly nine years. 

The Town Hall will last about an hour and will be held at the New Rochelle Public Library, 1 Library Plaza.

Participation is also welcomed and encouraged via Zoom; the Zoom link will come via e-mail next week.

The students in New Rochelle High School’s Science Research Program explore a dazzling range of topics under the mentorship of experts from some of the top institutions of learning and exploration. Students’ projects will regularly be featured in this Newsletter.

Student: Ella Harshman, senior

Mentor: Dr. Carolyn Salafia, board certified in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology with a subspecialty in Pediatric Pathology

Diagnosing and starting interventions for autism before a child turns 2 years old can yield the most significant, long-term benefits. However, the average age for an autism diagnosis in America is 4 years old or older. This led New Rochelle High School senior Ella Harshman to consider the possibility of earlier autism detection through examination of the placenta.

“My research explores the relationship between villus packing density (VPD) in the placenta and autism spectrum disorder (ASD),” said Harshman. The villus packing density measures the amount of villus in a certain area. Villus, which is the plural term for villi, are tiny, slender structures that increase a membrane’s surface area. 

The project involved examining different placental tissue samples from children both with and without ASD. Harshman looked at multiple regions of the placenta with a microscope and examined villus quantity before capturing images of particularly interesting regions. 

“For each image, I captured three regions of interest (ROIs) that best represented VPD in that placenta,” she said.

Harshman then used MATLAB, a computer programming language used for data analysis, to convert her findings into an easy-to-read numerical value. “These ROIs were exported into MATLAB, where VPD was computed as the percentage of an image that contained villi and converted into a numerical value,” she said.

Her research yielded some eye-opening results, particularly when it came to the gender of the subjects. While the difference in VPD distributions among males was minimal, females with ASD showed an uneven distribution of VPD throughout the placenta.

Harshman has always had an interest in neurodevelopmental disorders. This particular subject hit close to home; she knows people who’ve experienced severe pregnancy complications. 

She plans to continue this research throughout the year with help from her mentor, Dr. Carolyn Salafia. 

“The foundation I have built in perinatal pathology, as well as the communication and problem-solving skills I have developed through this program, will benefit me as I move towards conducting research in college and beyond,” said Harshman. 

Moreover, the Science Research Program allowed her to work alongside talented people with a shared interest in science.

“I am very grateful to the Science Research Program for introducing me to a group of people who have been a valued source of guidance, inspiration, and knowledge over the past three years,” she said.



The City School District of New Rochelle has launched a webpage with a variety of resources for community members considering seeking election to the Board of Education. The webpage can be viewed at nred.org/page/candidate-resources.

The Annual School Board Election and Budget Vote takes place this year on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. Two seats on the Board of Education, each for a five-year term running from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2027, will be available. Candidates are encouraged to step forward. Candidates receiving the highest and second-highest number of votes shall be elected.

The webpage contains an array of documents, directions, and forms in English and Spanish. These include information regarding steps to run for the Board of Education, a timetable of events and deadlines, and how the election process takes place.

A New Rochelle Board of Education member takes on an important responsibility: Overseeing the education of our community’s youth. The Board of Education is composed of nine members, elected at-large by individuals registered to vote in the City School District of New Rochelle. Members receive no salary or other compensation for their services.

The primary job of the Board of Education is to establish policies regarding the educational programs and management of the school district.

For additional information, please contact Millie Bonilla, District Clerk & Secretary to the Board of Education, at (914) 576-4219 or mbonilla@nredlearn.org.

Reminder: Latest Mask Guidance from New York State

The City School District of New Rochelle last week received additional guidance from New York State regarding

masking requirements. To learn more about “mask-optional” protocol as it relates to classrooms, buses, and

common spaces, and revised visitor policies for our schools, please read an email from Superintendent

Jonathan Raymond here.

Davis Elementary School has partnered with New York University’s Art Therapy in Schools Program to meet various student needs. Starting last school year, the school brought in three NYU art therapy students who were doing internships to work with students who needed support and chose to get that support through the medium of art. This year, Davis Elementary School contracted with one of the students, Amanda Hartwell, to stay on and continue the program.

Hartwell has since graduated and works part-time at Davis as an art therapist. She meets with students individually and in small groups one day each week to help them reach their goals through the use of art materials and the creative process.

“Art therapy support can help students in a multitude of ways including to express their thoughts and feelings, develop increased self-confidence, deal with difficult emotions, get along better with others, and find more appropriate solutions to conflicts,” she said.

 Hartwell works closely with Heather Cayanan, who is the school Social Worker at Davis Elementary School. Cayanan said the partnership with NYU and their clinicians has been an overwhelmingly positive experience and asset to the school community.

“Art therapy has been another amazing resource in helping to support our students’ Social Emotional Learning needs,” Cayanan said. “Art therapy is so popular that we even have a wait list for students to participate. It has given so many children new avenues to express their feelings and emotions in creative, fun, and sometimes non-verbal ways.”

Students and parents are hopeful the program will continue next school year.

"I love attending Art Therapy. It is so much fun,” said a student who has been in the program for two years. “We get to talk about our lives and connect about funny stuff and we laugh a lot. We learned to talk about our feelings and associate colors with our feelings. Like red is angry, blue is calm. It has really been a positive experience and I am so glad I got to participate in it!"

Davis Elementary School Principal Anthony Bambrola said he was grateful Hartwell was able to come back for the current school year.

“Amanda was a wonderful art therapy intern during the 2020-2021 school year, working with students along with two other interns from NYU's Steinhardt School of Education program. We were fortunate to bring Amanda back on this year, once a week, to work with students, both individually and in groups,” he said.

As for the future of the program, Bambrola said it will largely depend on scheduling and if NYU has student teachers available. Cayanan said she’s hopeful Art Therapy will expand and continue to offer support for students’ Social Emotional Learning needs.

“We are so fortunate to have this program, and I hope it is a program that can stay around for a long time, and expand into other schools,” she said.

Tutor.com Services for Students Paying Dividends

The City School District of New Rochelle’s partnership with Tutor.com is already yielding dividends. In the program’s first month, students across the district participated in 323 live tutoring sessions. We applaud the students that have taken advantage of this additional academic support being offered district-wide at no additional cost to our students or families.



All students district-wide have unlimited, round-the-clock access to live, one-to-one tutoring and homework support in English or Spanish. Tutor.com, an affiliate of the Princeton Review, is available in a range of subjects (including math, writing, science, social studies, world languages, Advanced Placement® – AP® subjects, and even SAT prep). Students receive personalized attention and can communicate with tutors via text-chat or voice.

Connecting with a tutor is quick and easy: Students can access Tutor.com by signing into their school district devices, accessing the school district’s launchpad, and simply clicking the Tutor.com icon to start a live tutoring session.

Students using a non-district-provided device must sign into launchpad (https://launchpad.classlink.com/nredlearn) first, then click the Tutor.com icon to access Tutor.com.

Watch "How to Get Started with Tutor.com" videos (English / Español):

Here is how Tutor.com’s partnership with the City School District of New Rochelle assisted one student: “Thank you for making Tutor.com available to the students of New Rochelle. My daughter… frequently attends extra help to clarify school work or just to get a head start on her homework. Having access to Tutor.com has been invaluable. Sometimes she logs on for 10 minutes for a simple clarification, and other times she may spend 30 minutes diving deeper into a subject. She has found tutors in Chemistry, Geometry, and English Language Arts. Having access to this resource has given her the freedom to ask questions and gain understanding in all subject areas. She has gained confidence in her ability to comprehend her school work, as well as to seek resources and advocate for herself.”

Additional How-To Videos:

How to Connect to a Tutor

Como usar el Tutor.com en español 

The City School District of New Rochelle is offering current New Rochelle residents from kindergarten through fifth-grade Magnet placement for the 2022-2023 school year at three Magnet Schools (Barnard Early Childhood Center, Columbus Elementary School, and Daniel Webster Elementary School). Saturday Support Center sessions are offered to help families with the Magnet lottery process.

The kindergarten through fifth-grade Magnet lottery process is now open. The lottery is being managed online to make it easier for families to register once they have accepted their seat. Families will have until March 25, 2022 to enter and rank their preferences for programs and locations. Every effort will be made to accommodate families’ choices. Starting March 30, 2022, families will be notified about next steps, including registering for a specific program. 

The school district’s Office of Curriculum and Instruction, in partnership with the New Rochelle Public Library, will offer two Saturday Support Center sessions to provide Magnet lottery and new student registration help to families. (To be eligible to start kindergarten this fall, a child must have been born on or before Dec. 31, 2017.) School district employees and volunteers will be available to assist families in both English and Spanish on Saturday, March 12 and Saturday, March 19 from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the New Rochelle Public Library, 1 Library Plaza at Lawton Street. 

For additional information, please contact the Office of Curriculum and Instruction at (914) 576-4622 or email csdnrk5magnet@nredlearn.org.

On March 8, acting students in their first year of the Performing and Visual Arts Education Program (PAVE) at New Rochelle High School held their first table read for films they are producing to share with an audience in June.

This year’s films are based on a series of haikus. The process begins with every student being assigned a haiku. Then they write a script based on that poem, and go through a series of writes and rewrites until their final drafts are complete. Teachers then select five student-written scripts, and students are broken down into groups to work on one of those five selected scripts. Each group has a directing team that is responsible for filming the project, and students in their third year of the PAVE program star as the actors in the films. Second-year PAVE students create visual art that is used to decorate filming locations.

“It's exciting to see how the acting students collaborate with the visual art students to analyze poetry, create personal interpretations of the poetry, and ultimately create a film starring advanced acting students,” said Deepak Marwah, Director of the Performing and Visual Arts Program. “This project is a fine example of student-led, project-based learning.”

PAVE teacher Anthony Stirpe works closely with students on the project, and said while the scripts and films are impressive, the most interesting part of the project is watching students engage in Project- Based Learning.

“When teachers come down and see what the students are doing in class, they’re just blown away because the level of ownership and engagement is just amazing,” Stirpe said. “When kids create something for an audience that is real and tangible, the subject and content takes on a different meaning.”

The films typically are between five and 11 minutes long. Each team has one day before Spring Break to shoot their project. They then spend several weeks editing. During that time, PAVE students involved in the music and dance programs get involved to create original compositions for soundtracks and original dance movements for the films. The process will wrap up in the first week of June, when students will present their finished products to a live audience on Thursday, June 2.

New Rochelle High School English Department Celebrates Black History Month

Although the New Rochelle High School English Department understands the importance of regularly celebrating the contributions African Americans have made to the literary landscape, the department used the month of February to pay special attention to prolific writers, both past and present.

John Beneville taught a Black History Month-themed lesson related to the study of the character Crooks in “Of Mice and Men,” by John Steinbeck. He exposed the students to W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington, and the different pathways the two men imagined for Black empowerment and success, and encouraged students to connect their understanding of those two men and their ideas to Crooks. The students discussed and applied complex ideas to their understanding of Crooks’ character.

Alicia Lerman partnered with her yellow team Social Studies teacher, Richard Dower, on an African Culture Project called the “Taste of Africa” interdisciplinary project. Students researched an element of African culture and taught what they learned to small groups of students in the Yellow Nine English and Global Studies classes. Students were extremely engaged throughout their process of learning and teaching.

Kelsey Rogalewicz spotlighted books written by African American authors with her Black History Month Book display in her classroom.

On Friday, February 18, what would have been Toni Morrison’s 91st birthday, the English Department hosted its inaugural African American Read-In. This National Council of Teachers of English-sponsored event commemorates books written by Black authors that elevate Black experiences. During this literary celebration, students read excerpts from novels and short stories written by Nikki Giovanni, Rita Dove, Ta Nehisi Coates, and Langston Hughes. Additionally, students read original pieces written for this special occasion. It was a beautiful way to celebrate Black History Month.

Track National Championships this Weekend

Good luck to the members of the boys and girls track teams who have qualified for the national championships at the Armory this weekend:

• Kylie Griffith, Olivia Moxey, Valentina Wallin, Kaela Godfrey (4 x 200 Relay Team)
• Kaitlyn Casas, Ariel Esposito, Mia Torres, Rosie Palmer (4 x 800 Relay Team)
• Kaitlyn Casas (800M)
• Jabari Clarke (Long Jump)

Spring Sports Season Starts on Monday

The spring sports season begins for the high school teams on Monday, March 14, and will begin for the middle school teams on Monday, March 28. If your child is interested in participating, please register online at Family ID: https://www.familyid.com/organizations/city-school-district-of-new-rochelle-athletics-department

If you already have an account on FamilyID, you must go in and register for this season.

Please note: If your child has had COVID later than January 13, 2022, they will need to have a Post-COVID Clearance Form completed by their physician. The form can be found on FamilyID.

Alumni Sports News

Congratulations to New Rochelle High School alumni Martha Kemp-Neilson ('19) who has qualified for the NCAA Indoor Championships representing Ithaca College in the pole vault. Martha vaulted 12'5" for Ithaca. She is our school record holder at 11’3.