BSAC Sports Soccer and
volleyball have already begun. Swimming has their first meet today,
September 27 here at Grover Cleveland High School at 5pm. Volleyball just
won their first league match on Friday against Newcomers High school. In
addition, they also won first place in our annual Volleyball Tournament here
at Grover Cleveland, as well. This is their second year winning! The soccer
team is currently 3 and 3. Freshmen Orientation Our annual Freshmen Orientation Event, held on Thursday, September 1, 2011 in the GCHS Auditorium was a great success. The incoming freshmen portion, which ran in the morning, saw over 120 students in attendance while the nighttime portion held for the parents garnered 70 attendees. The freshmen and their parents were very excited about the upcoming school year and we look forward to seeing them flourish in our school. After the Freshmen Orientation event, parents could visit the Gym Uniform Stand. In total, we accumulated over $450 in sales that one night, which will be incorporated into the SA fund to benefit the entire student body. Greater Ridgewood Property Owners Association We are now officially involved in the Greater Ridgewood Property Owners Association, which is providing our Grover Cleveland High School Key Club members with paid opportunities to help Senior Citizens. Students will be responsible for visiting private houses around Ridgewood to do yard work, including shoveling snow, raking leaves, moving lawns, watering plants, etc. Students will make approximately $12 per hour. Great way to make money and help the community! October 2011
JDRF Grover Cleveland Key Club attended the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 5K Walk this past Sunday, October 23rd, 2011 at Flushing Meadows Corona Park and raised $900 towards finding a cure. Thank you everyone for your great support! City-Wide High School Fair For Grover Cleveland High School, the City-Wide High School Fair was very successful. We definitely convinced a lot of students that Grover Cleveland is the place to be in the fall. Many of these students had a pre-conceived notion of the school and were very shocked to learn how great it actually is. Students were especially interested in the newly formed academies that our school has to offer and were interested in seeing how the different specialized career pathways would take shape. Queens-Wide High School Fair This month we participated in the Queens-Wide High School Fair. Over 200 parents came to our table requesting information about our school with well-over 100 of them signing our Sign-In Sheet, indicating that their children were very much interested in attending our school in the fall. Many of the parents and students had questions about what programs our school had to offer, the types of sports and clubs that were available, as well as the Ninth and Tenth Grade Academies, both of which offer small class sizes and better teacher to student ratios. Making Strides Against Breast Cancer This month, the Student Association collected money for Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. We were fortunate enough to reach our goal of $500 thanks to the generous support of students and staff alike. On October 16th, the Student Council and the Key Club attended the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk located at Central Park in New York City. We had a total of 30 students who attended this event. Kaplan SAT Courses We have been granted free SAT courses through Kaplan! These classes, which run for $700, will run from October 19, 2011 to November 21st. Students who are interested in attending do not even have to go very far, as the classes are being held within the school. Seats are limited to the first 20 interested students. November 2011 Honor Roll This year’s Honor Roll Ceremony was held on Friday, November 18, 2011 in the school auditorium. The ceremony included sophomores, juniors and seniors, who achieved between an 85 to 94.99% for Honor Roll status and 95% or higher for High Honor status during the Spring 2011 semester. Out of 279 recipients, 144 students attended with a total of 42 parents showing their support. This year, Honor Roll recipients were separated by current guidance counselor so that they could call out the names of their students and congratulate them personally. As always, Ms.Taskova and Clover Chorus put an extraordinary performance, regaling the audience with their rendition of Francis Scott Key’s “The Star Spangled Banner” and György Orbán’s “Daemon Irrepit Callidus .” Penny Harvest and the 9/11 Memorial Fund Every year, Grover Cleveland High School collects money for the Penny Harvest, a national organization that puts the power of charity directly in the hands of the students by allowing them to hand select the charities to which they wish to donate. This year, the Penny Harvest is teaming up with the 9/11 Memorial Fund in an effort to build a tribute museum to the victims of that tragic event 10 years ago. So far, through the generous donations of both students and staff, we have 311 dollars, only 689 dollars away from our $1000 goal. Unlike the Penny Harvest last year, which concluded at the end of November, this year we will be collecting until the third week of December. BSAC The Grover Cleveland High School BSAC representatives, Geline Canayon and Vashtee Ragoonanan, have been to three Borough Student Advisory Council meetings thus far. During each event, they have shared ideas and thoughts with other schools around Queens about how best to improve Grover Cleveland High School, as well as all public schools throughout the City. They have addressed such pressing issues as overpopulation, budget cuts, lack of school spirit, and limited extra-curricular activities due to limited school funds. Fundraising ideas were also shared between schools from bake sales to holiday gift wrapping. In the most recent meeting, Fred Jones from 21st Century held a short Grant Writing Workshop, offering insight into an upcoming grant called the Citizens Committee for New York City, which might be used to address some of the issues mentioned above. Grover Cleveland High School definitely plans on submitting a grant proposal in order to make this school an asset in which all student may partake. I.S. 93 High School Fair On Election Day, November 8, 2011, a group of student leaders from the Grover Cleveland High School Student Association visited I.S. 93 for their annual high school fair. Parents and potential incoming freshmen were informed about the many benefits of the Tiger academy, which offers a smaller learning environment best suited for incoming students, as well as the various clubs and sports that we offer. Although this was a smaller event than the City-Wide and Borough-Wide High School Fairs, approximately 25 parents came to our table seeking information with 15 of those parents signing our Sign-In Sheet, pledging an initial commitment to have their children attend our school in the fall. November Since the month of October is dedicated to breast cancer, our very own Mr. Colbert (History Department teacher and lead teacher in the Ninth Grade Academy) decided to start the November campaign, which is dedicated to prostate cancer, one of the leading causes of fatal cancers suffered by men. Movember, the moustache-touting month of goodwill, successfully raised $1345.45 towards the cause! Thanks to all who donated and especially to the group of men who all grew a “do” above their lips for this great cause: Mr. Ambrosini, Mr. Bartee, Mr. Catalano, Mr. Doty, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Garcia, Mr. Green, Mr. Irizarry, Mr. Lo Castro, Mr. Melendez, Mr. Merced, Mr. Morsi, Mr. Nitchman, Mr. Pachecho, Mr. Parkinson, Mr. Pritchard, Mr. Qualls, Mr. Rains, Mr. Sternlieb and, of course, the brains behind this operation, Mr. Colbert. Sports The Volleyball Varsity girls made it to quarter finals and even made it in the newspaper! Click on the link below to see just how great our Volleyball Varsity Girls team did this year! Active Teams Basketball Boys Varsity 0-2 Basketball Girls Varsity 2-1 Swimming Boys Varsity 1-0 Wrestling Boys Varsity 0-2 Season Over Bowling Boys Varsity 6-6 Bowling Girls Varsity 4-8 Soccer Boys Varsity 9-3 Swimming Girls Varsity 6-6 Volleyball Girls Varsity 10-0 Volleyball Girls Jr. Volleyball 4-2 Relay for Life Relay for Life is a life-changing event that helps communities across the globe celebrate the lives of people of lives who have battled cancer, remember loved one lost, and fight back against the disease. The event raised an impressive $350. Blood Drive At this year’s Blood Drive, we had 65 registrants and 58 units of blood total collected. Eleven students braved the automated red cell machine, which helped the Blood Drive Center collect 22 units alone. With the 58 units of blood collected, 174 lives can be saved! Arista National Honor Society The Arista National Honor Society is well underway, having meetings every other Wednesday. During this past Parent Teacher Conference, they collected 78 dollars through their semi-annual bake sale, which will be donated to a charity of their choosing. Stay tuned for the name of the organization that will benefit from their hard work! Halloween Festival The Halloween Festival took place on Friday, October 28th. It was one of most successful productions Grover Cleveland High School has put on yet. An estimated 500 children attended from various local elementary schools. Besides handing out candy, Mrs. Jakab’s drama class produced a scary “Haunted House,” providing a tame and scary version so that all could partake. Special guests Congresswoman Catherine Nolan and Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley were also in attendance. We hope to put on an even better show for the community on December 9th, which is our Second Annual Winter Wonderland. Home Coming Game On November 18, 2011 the Boys’ Varsity Basketball team, led by Tri-Captains Daryl Vega, Kasean Jackson, and Sabiel Vargas, played against High School of Arts and Design Bull Dogs. The Tigers led throughout the whole game, winning with a final score of 69-60. The team had the full support of the students, teachers, staff, and alumni. Congratulations to the team and here’s to a successful upcoming season!
Good News C5 Meeting Parents, students, residents from the community, as well as politicians and their representatives met at Christ the King High School on Wednesday, April 7, 2011 in order to discuss the future of public schools facing possible closure or restructuring in the Fall. Several Council Members attended the event and Karolina Zajac, Brandon Santos, Geline Canayon and PA President, Kathleen Carlson, spoke out in defense of Grover Cleveland High School and the great strides we are making each and every day. This event was followed up by a rally on April 27, 2011 in which students, parents and teachers spoke up about impending changes to public schools. Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley The Student Council met with Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley Wednesday morning in order to discuss how she can help to guide the school towards a model, ultimately chosen by the Department of Education, that will best help our student body achieve high academic achievements and graduation within four years. As in years past, Councilwoman Crowley pledged full support to our school and promised to do everything in her power to help the school reach its full potential. We thank Councilwoman Crowley for taking the time out of her very busy schedule to meet with the council and give thanks to her especially for all the support she has shown us throughout the years! Spring Fling The Spring Fling was a success, having over 80 students in attendance and making $150 in profits. The event ran from 6pm to 9pm, Honor Roll Based on grades received in January 2011, 282 students were recognized with Honor Roll status, garnering an 85% to a 94.99% grade point average, while 47 students received High Honor Roll status, having received 95% or greater. Students were given both a Certificate of Recognition, as well as letters commending them for their great work! Daffodil Days During the first week of April, the Student Council kicked off its annual Daffodil Days campaign, selling potted daffodil plants for $10 each. The school reached its goal of $500, which will benefit the American Cancer Society. Queens Centers for Progress This year, the Student Council decided to partake in the Queens Centers for Progress campaign, which benefits children afflicted with the debilitating disease, Cerebral Palsy. Several students from the council attended the April 9, 2011 Cerebral Palsy Walk in Kissena Park. The council with the generous donations from both students and staff members were able to raise $200 towards the cause. Anti-Defamation League For our second activity for the Anti-Defamation League, the Student Council asks students from the Tiger Freshmen Academy to think of ways to promote their own anti-bullying initiative. Students were asked to create a skit, story or video that expressed the ill-effects that bullying has on its victims. The entries will be showcased during one of the Tiger Academies monthly auditorium events. The Student Association in conjunction with Ms. Jakab’s Drama class plans on presents students with various skits created by the Drama students to further the message that there is No Place for Hate© at our school. For the school’s fourth and final project, students from Ms. Levine’s Poetry class submitted a plethora of poems, all exploring prejudice, bias and bullying and the effects such things had on them personally or on others that they know. In recognition of all of our great work, Ms. Jakab and 13 students will be visiting Hunter College on Monday, June 6, 2011 for the annual Anti-Defamation League Ceremony. During this event, Grover Cleveland High School will be presented with the ADL banner, which we may proudly hang in our school to show that we remain a school that will always process “Unity in Diversity”! ARISTA Arista Members graduating this year will for the first time ever be proudly wearing black and gold cords over their graduation gowns to show all those in attendance their exceptional academic achievements throughout the year. Additionally, Arista will have thirty new inductees for next year and the numbers will obviously grow. KEY CLUB The new Key Club officers have been announced. The new Key Club President is Stephanie Ramirez. The Vice President is Jackeline Balarezo. The Key Club Secretary is Abraham Hoyos. The Key Club Treasurer is Sylwia Tuzinowska. The Web Master is Christopher Santiago. Congratulations to all of the new Key Club members and we look forward to seeing all of the great things that you have planned for our school and our community! Sports Boys’ Outdoor and Girls’ Outdoor Track teams have already started practicing at the field on Seneca Avenue. Collectively, both teams have attended nine meets, and already show signs of improving individual times. Ultimately, they are making the push for City Finals. The Boys’ Handball team has a record of 0-12, after losing to Richmond Hill on May 7th, which ended their season. The Girls’ Handball team is 3-7, after losing to Hillcrest on May 3rd, which ended their season. The Boys’ Tennis team is 8-2, after losing to Hillcrest H.S on May 3rd,, but are still making the push to make playoffs. The Girls’ Tennis team is 6-4, after beating Hillcrest on May 3rd, and is also making the push to make playoffs. Boys’ Volleyball has been playing hard this year, ending their season as the 2nd place division with a record of 9-2 after beating Edison. To their credit, they made playoffs, making it past the first round after beating East Transit Tech High School on May 9th.
March 2011 Science Olympiad Last month, our school hosted the annual Science Olympiad competition for the 9th consecutive year. High school students from all around New York City, together with their coaches, arrived as early as 6:00 am to prepare for a long a day. Our school’s teams (A and B) garnered a total of five medals as follows: 3rd place: Mousetrap Vehicle (Team A: Dumitru Grigorean and Adrian Grigorean) 4th place: Fossils (Team A: Christine Irizarry and Tenzin Pema) 5th place: Mousetrap Vehicle (Team B: Felix Maldonado and Steven Torres) 6th place: Astronomy (Team A: Kelly Rivera and Gloria Yuen), Sumobot (Team B: Stan Karamihaylov and Bevnote Gerges) All in all, Grover Cleveland Team A placed 23rd while Team B placed 30th out of forty participating schools. SA Membership As of March 15, 2011 there are 500 SA members school-wide and 79% of sports members are SA members. Valentine’s Day Sales This year the SA made $1100 from Valentine’s Day sales. Pre-orders were taken two weeks before and on the day of Valentine’s Day. The orders were delivered throughout the day between periods 1 through 8. Anti-Defamation League For our second activity for the ADL (the Anti-Defamation League), we held a contest in the Tiger Freshmen Academy to promote anti-bullying. Students were asked to create a skit, story or video that expressed the ill-effects of bullying has on its victims. First prize will receive a $50 BestBuy gift card while second and third will receive a $10 Barnes and Nobles gift cards. We have received many entries and are in the process of determining the winners. March of Dimes For the month of March the SA has been collecting for the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes raises money to prevent birth defects in babies. Our Goal is $500 and so far we have collected $200.00. Key Club We are now involved with the Greater Ridgewood Property Owners Association, which is providing paid opportunities to our Key Club members to help senior citizens. Students will be responsible for visiting private houses around Ridgewood and do yard work, including the raking of leaves, the mowing of lawns, the watering of plants, etc. Students will make approximately $12 dollars an hour. Sports The Boys Varsity Basketball team is 9-5 after beating Franklin K Lane in their last game. That game was dedicated to the Grover Cleveland High School seniors who were on the team and will be graduating this June. The team also made 17th seed for the playoffs. Their first playoff game was against the High School of Finance and Economics, a game which they won; unfortunately, they lost the second round of playoffs to South Bronx High School. The Girls J.V. Basketball team is 1-8 after losing to John Adams on Feb 18th. Girls Varsity Basketball is 5-9 after losing to Townsend Harris on Friday, March 11. During this game, Ciano paid tribute to the seniors on his team by giving flowers to them. Boys Jr. Varsity Basketball is 3-11 after losing to Newtown on March 3. The Boys Indoor Track team has not received any medals since their second meet, during which Steven Tavares won a medal, but nearly everyone improved their individual times. The Boys Swim team has a 9-3 record after beating Queens H.S of Teaching on Jan 19th. The Winter Season has concluded and the Spring Season has begun. Both the Boys and Girls Outdoor Track teams have already started practicing at the field. Both teams have their first meet on Saturday, March 19. Both the Boys and Girls Handball teams have begun practicing at the handball courts at the field. The boys’ first game is on March 23 against Queens HS for Science at York College. The Girls Handball team will have its first game on March 22 against John Adams. Boys and Girls Tennis have both started practicing, as well. The boys’ first game will be held on March 24 against Newtown High School, and the girls’ first game will take place on March 24 against Campus Magnet. The Boy’s Volleyball team has been practicing hard and won their first two scrimmage games against Richmond Hill High School and John Adams High School. They are definitely looking to makeGood News-November 2010 Honor Roll: Grover Cleveland High Schools’ Fall Honor Roll Ceremony was held on Friday, November 5, 2010. A total of 49 students received a High Honor Roll medal for having a 95% or higher average in June 2010 while 207 students received an Honor Roll medal for having between an 85 to a 94.99% average.
SA Memberships: As of November 17, there are 322 current SA members. Our goal is to have 1000 members by June. Student Council: The Student Council for the 2010-2011 school year is: SA President: Karolina Zajac SA Vice President: Stephanie Morales SA Secretary: Kayde Cox SA Treasurer: Alma Hasanbegovic SA Representative: Kaylene Troche SA Representative: Kristine Inamac Senior President: Alexandra Morman Senior Vice President: Grace Lee Senior Secretary: Grazia Curatolo Senior Treasurer: Brandon Santos Senior Representative: Yisaury Santos Senior Representative: Kelly Rivera Junior President: Geline Canayon Junior Vice President: Jennifer Navarro Sophomore President: Camelia Abu Khazaleh Sophomore Vice President: Eni Sejdini Freshmen President: Jane Lee Freshmen Vice President: Dianndra Sookwah Freshmen Representative: Yesenia Nieves Freshmen Representative: Johnathan Coffie
Current Sports SA Memberships: 13 out of 17 Boys Varsity Basketball team 7 out of 9 Girls Basketball varsity 12 out of 17 for Boys Bowling 11 out of 12 Girls Bowling 26 out of 27 Boys Cross Country About 1/2 Girls Cross Country ALL Boys Varsity Soccer ALL Girls Varsity Swimming 10 out of 12 Girls Volleyball Varsity
It should also be noted that Mr. Nitchman recently held a sale of winter squash, which was sold at a dollar for three. Mr. Nitchman’s plant science class raised about $300 worth of squash. All of the profit are used to bolster the school’s plant science program. Senior trip: This year’s Senior Class will be going to Honors Haven Resort and Spa in Ellensville, NY from Friday, January 14, 2011 to Sunday, January 16, 2011. The price of the trip is $280 with a $50 deposit due by the end of the month. Mr. Colbert, Mr. Cipolla, Mr. Parkinson, Mr. Suen,Mr. Zigler, Ms. Rosario, Ms. Ventura, Ms. Crespo, Ms. Baker, Ms. Robertson and Ms. Kendall have all signed up to be chaperones. Science Olympiad Update: Members of the Science Olympiad has been working on letters that are being sent out to local politicians in order drum up support and funding for this year’s Science Olympiad. Students last year received support from Council Woman Elizabeth Crowley. City Harvest: This year the Freshman Academy is conducting a competition in order to raise cans for this year’s City Harvest Food Drive. The team that brings in the most amount of cans and other non-perishable food items will receive a pizza party. Donations will be accepted until the 29th of November. The SA is also collecting cans in lieu of money for this year’s first annual Home Coming Dance on Friday, November 19. The Freshmen Academy has so far collected over 300 cans while the SA has collected over 100 cans from the rest of the school for a grand total of 450 cans donated. All of these cans will help to feed needy families during this holiday season. Key Club: Key Club has been having their usual
weekly meetings, which are beginning to attract more members. There are now
35 Key Club members. Key Club continues to raise money that will be used to
provide members with shirts. Good News-October 2010 College Night: College Night was held on October 12 and proved a huge success! Ms. Mastropietro, the College Advisor, worked with Arista and Key Club so that food and drinks would be available for sale during the event. The money raised will help Key Club to pay for dues, as well as the purchase of t-shirts for Key Club members. The remaining snacks and drinks will be sold during Parent Teacher Conferences later this month. Cheesecake Cabaret: The Drama class is working with Ms. Jakab to perform Jane Anderson’s Defying Gravity during this year’s Cheesecake Cabaret, which will be held on Thursday, January 6th at 4:45pm and on Friday, January 7 at 6:45pm. There is the possibility of an additional performance being added, as tickets sold out for both nights last year when the Drama class staged a production of Signed in Blood. Defying Gravity is based on a true story when the space shuttle challenger shuttle broke apart in 73 seconds which lead to 7 deaths. Tickets will be sold for $5, and will include a piece of cake and beverage for the attendees. Freshmen SA Membership Competition: Team Titan won last month’s SA Competition with 24 new SA members signed up. Team Pride came in second with 14 members, Pride has 13 new members, Cats have 12 new members and Team Dragon has 7 new members. SA Memberships: Overall, there are 242 new members in the SA. Numbers are higher than last year, as many students are signing up early in order to join clubs and teams. Currently, all of Girls’ Bowling has joined. All but 2 members of Boys’ Cross Country have joined. Nine out of 14 members of Boys’ Bowling have joined. Four members of Girls’ Cross Country have joined. Seventeen out of 22 members of Boys’ Soccer have joined. Almost all of Girl's Swimming and Girls’ JV Volleyball have joined and all but 1 member of Girls’ JV Volleyball have joined. Arista: During Arista’s second meeting on October 20th Arista dues, S.A Membership, College Essays, Recommendations, Scholarships and the upcoming Parent Teacher Conferences were all discussed. Arista plans to do a "Goodie Sale" on the third floor during Parent Teacher Conferences. During this meeting, nominations were also conducted for Junior Representatives. Jennifer Navaro, Philip Zeese and Vashtee Ragoonanan all gave short speeches indicating why they deserve to be a Junior Representative. Arista Juniors will vote during the next meeting on November 3rd. JDRF: The Student Council in conjunction with Key Club raised a total of $340 for the Juvenile Diabetes research fund! Thank you to everybody who contributed! Student from both organizations participated in the annual JDRF Walk, which was held at Flushing Meadow Park on Sunday, October 24, 2010. Introduction of Freshmen and Sophomore SA Officers: We have now officially-elected presidents and vice presidents for the Freshman and Sophomore Councils. For the freshman council, we have Jane Lee as President, and Dianndra Sookwah as Vice President. We also have Yesenia Nieves and Jonathan Coffie as Freshmen Reprsentatives. For the Sophomore Council, Camelia Abu-Ghazaleh was as president and Eni Sejdini as vice president. Love 146: Love 146 is an organization that raises money to save children from sex-trafficking in Asia and the Pacific Islands. We raised $500, which is enough to save the life of one child. The SA attended the Love 146 Walk, which took place on October 3, 2010 in Brooklyn. Halloween “Trick or Treat” Sales: In October,
the SA sold one hundred and forty-four candy-filled Halloween bags. The SA
ordered the goods from Oriental Trading and packed them in small bags that
were sold for a dollar each. The SA made a total profit of $66.00, and will
be used to buy supplies for our next charitable event, Feeding America.
More news on Feeding America when it becomes available. Good
News-September 2010 BSAC: Grace Lee, Jennifer Navarro and Geline Canayon will be representing our school at the Borough Student Advisory Council for the 2010-2011 school year. The 1st meeting was held September 16th in Jamaica, Queens. During this meeting, different problems were discussed around the area, as well as in different schools. CSAC: Geline Canayon was one of five students who were elected to go to the Chancellor’s Student Advisory Council. Students we will be discussing various issues of great importance, such as budget, oversized schools, reconstruction, and school security affecting all schools in the City. Sports: All sports teams for the fall term have already started practicing. The boys’ soccer team is currently 3 and 0. Freshmen are being recruited to the swim team for the winter season, and boys’ cross country have been practicing hard for their first meet, which is next Tuesday. Girls’ cross country started practicing, as well. Freshmen/Sophomore Student Council: So far, we have had about 28 freshmen and sophomores apply for various student council positions. They all seemed very enthused and responsible enough to follow all the guidelines set forth by the council. Tiger Academy: The Tiger Academy started in September and is contained on the 2nd floor near exits 8/9. According to Ms. Fiteni and Mr. Colbert, everything is fine and well-organized. They also added, "The students are just getting used to the new environment." Freshmen seem to be enjoying their first year in GCHS! School Spirit Shirts: Mr. Irizarry has ordered shirts that say, “Cleveland Athletics” with a picture of a set of tiger’s eyes. He asked a group of students to wear the new shirts on Tuesday, September 14th so as to advertise them to student and staff. That same day, some students and staff went to Mr. Irizarry in order to purchase them. He is planning to order polo shirts, and is allowing students and staff to have anything stitched onto the back of it, such as a team or club name that the student might be in. Clubs: Clubs are being setup and organized as the school year begins. Science Olympiad has started the 2nd week of September and is attempting to gather enough kids to send in three teams this year. Mr. Mahabir has been asking teachers to assist students with their events for support and encouragement. Key Club: Key Club officials are meeting up Friday, September 17, 2010 in order to decide on activities for the year. The Key Club officials are also trying to figure out new ways to promote students to join in the hopes of increasing membership. Several students from this year’s Student Council are also Key Club officials. SA Membership Competition: The Student Council has been promoting the SA to the freshmen, and stressed the importance of joining before they join a club or sport. Mr. Colbert is holding a competition to see which freshmen team has the most SA members. The team that wins will receive 1 snack and 1 drink for each member of the team. Freshmen Orientation: During the Freshmen Orientation in the beginning of September, 30 incoming freshmen became SA members, bolstering the SA Dues account by $150. Twenty gym uniforms were also sold, the SA earning $80 for those sales.
Good News- June 2010 Awards Night: This year’s Awards Night Ceremony was held on Tuesday, May 25, 2010. Over 150 students were in attendance receiving various sports and academic awards, as their parents looked on with pride. Over 200 people were in the audience. Prom: This year’s prom was held at Jericho Terrace on Wednesday, June 9, 2010. Over 100 students were in attendance and danced the night away! Penny Harvest: After raising $500 in the fall,
the SA sent out $300 of it to the ASPCA in order to benefit animals that
were either abused or abandoned by their owners. $100 was sent to DKMS
Americas, which helps children diagnosed with leukemia and $100 was sent to
the Ridgewood Older Adult Center and Services. Good News- May 2010 Alex—Sports Girl’s handball-
4-2
Alex-Cancer
Walk Karla Guerra- Council Campaign To start the 2011 Council Campaign, the candidates must fill out an application that must be accompanied by recommendations from their guidance counselor and at least one teacher. They will then be interviewed by Mr. Parkinson, during which time they will receive an addendum of the contract that is being jointly created by Mr. Parkinson and Ms. Garcia. The contract will indicate their specific responsibilities and steps taken if the individual council member does not fulfill their obligations or incurs a dean’s record during their tenure. This year’s Council Members will then interview their prospective replacements. Once the candidates are finalized they can begin campaigning throughout the school until the June 7th elections being held in all History classes
Audris- Blood Drive This Spring's Blood Drive will be taking place late next month on Tuesday, May 25th from 8:00am to 1:30pm The campaign is beginning tomorrow, April 21, 2010 which is when we will receive the box of posters, permission slips, and banners from our Blood Drive representative, Inez Quetant. November's Drive achieved 105 pints, which was the best fall turnout we ever had, due to aggressive advertising. We will continue to do the same this semester in order to get students and teachers to donate. This season's goal is 100 pints. We expect a great turnout again, because the Social Security number requirement has been lifted and many of our students will be of age to donate blood. All of the medical safety requirements remain the same for weight, foreign travel, tattoos, and piercing, as listed below: BASIC REQUIREMENTS Be in generally good health and feeling well. Be between the ages of 17 years of age and 75 with a doctor’s note. Students 16 years of age can donate with parental permission DO NOT DONATE BLOOD IF: You You have ever tested positive for HIV. · You have ever injected yourself with drugs or other substances not prescribed by a physician. · You have hemophilia or another Blood clotting disorder and received clotting factor concentrate.
Karolina Zajac- Relay for Life: The American Cancer Society Relay for Life is being held in Middle Village, Juniper Park on June 26, 2010 at 4:00 pm. Relay for Life celebrates the lives of people who have battled cancer. People camp out at the park and take turns running or walking around the track for 24 hours. As a council we are forming our own group and are in need of an adult who is 21 years of age or older. It is not just a fundraisers, but a life changing experience. Our goal to reach is $600. We plan to raise money by selling necklaces with various charms for $2.00 each. Alex plans to start a bake sale at her church to also help the cause. Further details will be announced. Participation in Graduation Ceremonies All schools Only students who have completed all the requirements for graduation prior to commencement exercises are allowed to participate in them. Students who complete the requirements for graduation during the summer session should have the opportunity to participate in a commencement ceremony once requirements have been met. Students who are already on suspension at the time of the ceremony also may be prohibited from attending these events, but the exclusion must be proportionate to the infraction committed, as indicated in the April 27 issue of Principals’ Weekly. If you have questions about this policy, please contact guidance@schools.nyc.gov. March 2010 Haiti Relief Fund—Liza We have reached our goal of $500 for the Haiti Relief Fund, in fact collecting $535 in total. After the Spring Break, we are going to start collecting items so that the school can create Gifts from the Heart care packages that will contain hygiene, school, baby, and cleaning items. Juvenile Diabetes—Karla As an update to November’s Juvenile Diabetes charity drive, Grover Cleveland has received the honor of the third largest contributor in Queens. College Acceptances–Luisa Karla Guerra, Luisa Nunez and Kimberlee Cruz received acceptance letter to St. John’s University, Liza Roggiero received an acceptance letter to Queens College University of New York, Ahmed Abdel-Rehim received acceptance letters to Hunter College and Cornell Unversity. We are awaiting even more good news for the rest of the Senior Class. Career Night—Kimberlee Career Night was held on Tuesday, March 6, 2010. It was held in the Student Cafeteria from 6-10pm. Approximately 30 representatives attended from various professional careers, and well over 300 students were present. Sports--Alex Boys’ Volleyball They had a tournament at Queens College called “Creole Invitation Volleyball”. They beat 12 other teams and were placed in 2nd place. They beat the top 10 teams in the city including Hunter college/High School Boys and Girls track Our first meet was on Saturday March 20th, and we did pretty well as a start. Boys’ tennis 1st game March 25th Girls Tennis 1st game March 23, 2010 Girls Handball 1st game March 25th Boys Handball Unfortunately, there weren’t enough players so they are still recruiting. Boys Varsity Baseball They are 1-2 for their pre-season games. Girls Softball Girls are attending practice daily and are doing well. February-2010 Science Olympiad- Karolina Zajac The Science Olympiad was held on February 6th, 2010 at Grover Cleveland High School. We had two teams in the events, Teams A and B. Team A won a total of three medals and Team B won one medal. In total, 4 medals were received. We won 3rd place in Anatomy and Physiology, 1st and 3rd place in Astronomy, and 2nd place in the Mouse Trap Event. As a school, we ranked 13th place out of 48 teams. Overall, in most events, our students were in the top 20, but unfortunately we got penalized for not placing students in some events. The Grover Cleveland’s Science Olympiad Team is looking forward to next year’s event, and we are hoping to have more students to participate and to win more medals. Sports- Alex Morman Spring sports for both boys and girls are outdoor track, tennis, and handball. There is Girls’ Softball, Boys’ Varsity, Boys’ Varsity Baseball, and Boys’ Volleyball. Girls Varsity- Seed 13 out of 40 and we have a game Thursday, March 25th. Boys Varsity- Seed 29 out of 40. Girls Junior Varsity also made the playoffs, and their first game is March 12th. Patricia Kolakowski was the NY1 Scholar Athlete of the year. Life guarding class has now begun. Jessica Bustamante- NY!’S Scholar Athlete A student from our school was chosen as NY1’s Scholar Athlete of the Week amongst many that applied. From Grover Cleveland, there were two students nominated, Patricia Kolakowski and Bobby Rivera. Patricia got chosen because of the fact that she has been in three sports during the school year and has grades that were above average for every semester. She was interviewed by NY1, appearing on both NY1’s news station and website during the week of her interview. She also won a scholarship. Luisa Nunez- Scholarships The following students are all Scholarship Winners: Alejandra Cordero Luisa Nunez They will all receive a $2000 renewable award and are being given the honor of going to Washington DC for a five-day College Orientation during our spring break!
Junior Spirit Day “Wacky tacky”- Alex Morman Sports- Alex
Student News October , November Club List 08-09
December 2009 Blood Drive –Kimberlee Cruz The Blood Drive was held on
November 23, 2009, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30pm in the school's auditorium.
Although 95 people signed up to donate, 103 students and staff members
actually donated. Approximately 84 pints of blood was collected, which
exceeded our goal amount. It was very busy throughout the day, but the
nurses from the NY Blood Center and all of the Student Council did a great
job maintaining order. Hopefully, more people will donate next year in order
to save even more lives! Trip to the old Bethpage Restoration Village – Grace Lee The Trip to the Old Bethpage Restoration Village was a success! Mr. Guerra, Mr. Campbell, students, and chaperones learned how people lived in the 19th century. We left school approximately 8:30 am and arrived to the village at around 9:45 am. We had a tour of the area for about three hours and learned how children went to school, how people ran businesses, and even made things like wool, sweaters, and hats. Lunch was served at 1 pm and we left at around 2pm and returned back to school by 3:15pm. The students and I had a lot of fun, and some of us even bought souvenirs. Open House- Geline
Boo
Bash- Kimberlee Cruz
Sports- Alexandra Girls Cross Country: the girls C.C. team finished 21st out of 22 in the city champs as a team. Boys Cross Country: Vymal, Gabriel, and Jacksil medaled in their individual championships. Girls Track: this is the first time that they have had over 30 Girls to join. Many of them are also freshmen. Girls Varsity: We had a Very good team and our 1st game is tomorrow. We are hoping to become division champs again Boys Varsity: they had their 1st scrimmage and won. It was a blow out! Boys swimming: many boys joined and others have returned and continue to swim. High School Fair- Karolina Civic Luncheon – Elizabeth Lituma REACH – Luisa Nunez REACH STRETCH MATCH hopes to support about 80 REACH scholars from which six are from Grover Cleveland High School:
They contribute by encouraging them to apply to top colleges and universities, and matching them with professionals who can provide some extra guidance and support with their applications to “STRETCH SCHOOLS” -- the 30 highest ranked colleges and universities in the nation.
Many of these mentors have attended these top schools, such as Amherst, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Columbia Law School, Duke, Harvard, Harvard Business School, NYU Law School, Penn, Princeton, Yale, and other institutions. All have volunteered their valuable time to help REACH Scholars with editing college essays and ensuring that students are applying to top schools.
Scholarships- Patryk Volkert
We have one finalist for The Posse Scholarship, Ahmed Abdel-Rehim. Ahmed was selected for Brandeis University, which is an extremely selective Pre-Medical School. We also have one finalist for the Questbridge scholarship, Markous Hanna. Posse is a program that identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential who may be over-looked by traditional college selection processes. Questbridge is a national college match maker that connects high-achieving, low-income students with admission to twenty–six partner colleges.
IS 93 High School Fair --Audris
Grover Cleveland was invited by Intermediate School 93 to attend their personally hosted high school fair. The fair took place on Tuesday, November 7th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Mr. Parkinson, Ms.Collazo, Student Council members, as well as some Senior Representatives arrived on the Election Day event to provide I.S.93’s junior high school students with critical information about courses and activities that would be offered to them as incoming freshmen. The event even offered translation for Spanish speaking students and parents in attendance.
Clubs- Karolina Zajac
Science Walk-Elizabeth Lituma
High School Fair- Saturday, September 24th 2009 and Sunday September 25th 2009. Due to the support of Ms. Rosario and Ms.Ventura,we were able to collect about 7 sign-up pages on Saturday and 9 sign-up pages on Sunday, which totaled about 220 students that were interested in learning more about our school.
Freshmen Orientation –Kimberlee Cruz There was also an evening session for the parents of incoming freshmen, which took place at 6:45 on September 2, 2009. About 135 families attended, and each was very appreciative for the information they obtained. They were also thankful for the “Question and Answer” session that took place at the end.
Juvenile Diabetes Research
Foundation- Geline
Daffodil Days March
of Dimes
The annual GCHS career night organized by Mr. Nitchman was held on March 11,
2009. There was excitement in the faces of almost 300 students who attended
this wonderful event. The night was filled with 30 to 35 presenters from a
wide array of profession who were very excited to answer questions from the
students in attendance. Some of the careers represented were the military,
firefighters, aeromechanics, US Customs, Coast Guard, as well as
representatives from SUNY and CUNY. Overall, the night was successful, as
students were exposed to the many possible careers out there. As an
added bonus, students who completed the survey were given extra credit. Waiting to hear from colleges is the most frustrating feeling. Everyone is anxious to see who accepted or rejected them. It's the time of the year when most of the seniors get either excited or disappointed. The officers of the Student Council are among those waiting patiently in anticipation. As March rolled on, however, the letters started pouring in. Melisa Bardhi learned that she was accepted to NYU, Syracuse University, and Lehman College; Deven Bhatt learned that he was accepted to NYU and Baruch College; Richard Bohan discovered that he accepted to Baruch College, York College, Adelphi University and Hunter College; Claudia Santana also learned that she was accepted to Adelphi University and Hunter College. Finally, Angela Palma, Jessica Estevez and Angeline Palma were all accepted to York College. Of course, acceptance season is still young and the council members have yet to hear from many other colleges and universities. Scholarship update- Several GCHS students have managed to become finalists for two prestigious full-ride scholarship, Gates Millennium and JP Chase Smart Start Scholarship. For Gates Millennium scholarship, the three lucky finalists are Deven Bhatt, Amy Zhao, and Denisse Saldarriaga. As for JP Morgan Chase, the finalists were Melisa Bardhi, Deven Bhatt, Somaya Beig, and Maxiel Dela Rosa. All thanked the very hardworking college advisor, Ms. Sternlieb, as well as Mr. Thorsen, an English teacher who selflessly devoted his time helping them with their essays. They are also grateful to those who recommended them.
On March 11, 2009, in collaboration with Live Out Loud and the Anti-Defamation League, Emanuel Xavier, a former student of Grover Cleveland High School performed a Poetry Slam for a group of no less than 85 students. The group contained students from the Student Council, Ms. Levine’s poetry class, as well as Mrs. Jakub and Mr. Parkinson’s sophomore classes. During the event, Mr. Xavier proudly presented some of his famous poems such as "Americano," "A Simple Poem,” and "Outside," poems which mostly describe his experience growing up as a gay Latino in the late 1980’s. The students in attendance were very receptive to his poems, because of the great enthusiasm he put into reading them. Throughout the session, Mr. Xavier conducted a Q & A, and students were eager to participate . Overall, Mr. Xavier’s “homecoming” visit to Grover Cleveland was a great success because, according to him, his goal is to give voice to those in the gay community, as well as to all Latinos.
--
Honors English Play
Database Oracle January 9, 2009,
The Spring Musical (May 1st, May 2nd 2008)
SA Membership & Store
Ready, Get Set, Run!!
Be a Leader S.A. Spirit February 08
New Semester
Winter Festival
Fall Concert S.A. Spirit November 07
Clubs S.A. Spirit October 07
Lee National Denim Day
Pennies for Patients
Time Span
Sports
SA Membership & Store
Balloons
October Quote S.A. Spirit September 07
Welcome Back
Alicia Antonio, Student Association President S.A. Spirit June 07
Farewell Students
Student Council 2007-2008 S.A. Spirit May 07
Congratulations Students and Staff S. A. Spirit April 07
Ready, Get set, Run!!
Auto Show
National Poetry Month
Homework Help
Photo Club
Balloons
Thank You S. A. Spirit March 07
Be a Leader S. A. Spirit February 07
American Red Cross S. A. Spirit January 07
Winter Festival
January Regents
Don’t Wait...
Blood Drive Thanks
Photo Club
Balloons
SA Membership & Store
January Quote S. A. Spirit December 06
Fall Concert Blood Drive Please help to save a life. The Blood Drive will be held on Friday, December 15th. You must weight 110 lbs. and be 16 or older with parental consent. Forms can be found in the SA or from Student Council members. Carefully read the form to see if you are eligible because at the last blood drive many students were rejected for traveling to certain foreign countries. Also, many girls were rejected for low iron;eat plenty of green vegetables and raisins. Donating blood is a precious and free gift of life. Sign up now!!
You and Your Electronics
Clubs
Arista/Key Club Toy and Coat Drive
SA Membership & Store
December Quote S. A. Spirit November 06 Clubs
National Runaway Prevention Month
Arista/ Key Club Food Drive
Happy Birthday!!!
Balloons SA Membership & Store November Quote S. A. Spirit October 06
Lee National Denim Day
Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk
Debate Team
Sports SA
Membership & Store
Seeker’s Club
Balloons
October Quote S. A. Spirit September 06 Welcome Back
SA Membership & Store
Balloons
Planet Green Student Council 2006-2007
***All Student Council members have mailboxes in the SA, room 236 for you to
contact them with your suggestions. Only you can make a difference with your
involvement. Also, students who wish to do service during lunch or before or
after school, stop by the SA office during your free period. Service is
recorded on your permanent record for all to see, and you get a grade!
September Quote S. A. Spirit June 06 Farewell Students
Farewell Seniors It has been an honor to serve as the Senior Class President of the class of 2006, as well as to serve alongside such a dedicated staff. I would also like to say thank you to those who made this year a memorable one-Mr. Scarola, Mrs. Altomarino, Mrs.Smith, Mrs.Sternlieb, Mrs.Garcia, Ms. Adams, Mr.Santaga, along with many other teachers who have helped. I wish all of the seniors great success in all of our future endeavors and remember, Class of 2006, to keep on reaching for the stars. -Annie Montes
Spring Concert
Student Council 2006-2007
SENIOR PRESIDENT- Natalie Vasquez
JUNIOR PRESIDENT- Alicia Antonio RSAC REP.-Arslan Khan FROSH/SOPH PRES. & VICE PRES.- Since there were no candidates, the SA is looking for interested freshmen to be reps. Stop by the SA, 236, to speak with Mr. Santaga.
June Quote S. A. Spirit May 06 Last Chance
Blood Drive Donating blood is a precious free gift of life!
Cookies! Pippin
Work for the NBA
Homework Help
May Quote S. A. Spirit April 06 Spring Fling Be a Leader Positions needed to be filled are: Student Association President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer; Senior President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer; Junior President, Vice President, Soph/Frosh President, and Vice President. If you need more information, come to the SA office to speak with present Student Council members or to speak with Mr. Santaga, and you can pick up an application while you’re there. Don’t delay; run for a Student Council office in the SA, room 236.
Auto Show National Poetry Month
Homework Help
Photo Club
April Quote Thank you students, faculty, and staff for collecting 73lbs. of money and raising a total of $372.23 for Pennies for Patients- Leukemia Research. S. A. Spirit March 06 Be a Leader Positions needed to be filled are: Student Association President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer; Senior President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer; Junior President, Vice President, Soph/Frosh President, and Vice President. If you need more information, come to the SA office to speak with present Student Council members or to speak with Mr. Santaga, and you can pick up an application while you’re there. Don’t delay; run for a Student Council office in the SA, room 236.
Clubs & Sports Pennies for Patients Month Photo Club
March Quote S. A. Spirit Feb 06 New Semester
Winter Festival
Valentine’s Day
SA Membership & Store Planet Green
Don’t Wait...
Balloons
February Quote S. A. Spirit Jan 06 January Regents
Winter Festival
Photo Club
Poetry Club
SA Membership & Store Planet Green
Don’t Wait...
Balloons
January Quote S. A. Spirit Dec 05 Fall Concerts
Blood Drive
Poetry Club
SA Membership & Store
Planet Green
Clubs to Join
December Quote MERRY CHRISTMAS HAPPY HANUKKAH HAPPY KWANZAA HAPPY NEW YEAR! S. A. Spirit Nov 05 Happy Birthday
Art Club a.k.a Clay Club
Debate Team
Mural Club
We are finalizing the club list for this year. So far we have 34 clubs. Many of them have started; look for announcements on the bulletin boards. Soon, a club list will be delivered to you in your 6th period class. Poetry Club
Balloons
Planet Green
SA Membership & Store November Quote S. A. Spirit Oct 05 Sports
Seeker’s Club
Debate Team
Thank You Balloons
Planet Green
SA Membership & Store October Quote S. A. Spirit Sep 05 Welcome Back Anisa Teodori, Student Association President
SA Membership & Store
Balloons Planet Green Student Council 2005-2006 JUNIOR PRESIDENT - Natalie Vasquez
RSAC REP.- Indrit Greca, Nick Zulick ***All Student Council members have mailboxes in the SA Office, 236 for you to contact them with your suggestions. Only you can make a difference with your involvement. Also, students who wish to do service during lunch or before or after school, stop by the SA office during your free period. Service is recorded on your permanent record for all to see! September Quote - Chinese proverb
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November 2007:: Good News
Grover Cleveland Honor Roll- In our traditional Grover Cleveland
Honor Roll there was a total of 190 students that arrived out of 284 students
that qualified. The honor roll was a success and had exceptional performances
from our school’s Clover. Everyone enjoyed the wonderful food which was provided
by our cafeteria. Aside from all of the delicious food, a new medal was
presented that was engraved with Grover Cleveland High School’s name and the
year the honor roll was achieved.
Saint Lawrence Trip- On Sunday November 4, our college advisor, Mrs.
Sternlieb, and 15 students juniors and seniors, headed to Canton, New York to St
Lawrence University. The students stayed in dorms with hosts for three days to
accomplish the goal of experiencing college life. They also attended college
classes including Japanese Language, Psychology, American History, and some
others. The high school students experienced the everyday life of a college
student.
Girls’ Varsity Volleyball- The Girls’ Varsity Volleyball Team had a very
good season overall. They finished the season with 6 wins and 2 losses. Their
efforts paid off in that they made it to the playoffs. Unfortunately, they lost
to Susan Wagner High School on November 10, 2007. This did not defeat their
strong will to succeed.
POSSE- The POSSE Foundation is a full tuition scholarship program for
students who have shown great leadership and good grades throughout their high
school career. This year, a total of four students were chosen for semi
finalists for the “Science Posse”: Jennifer Rodriguez, Steve Ramirez, Kulvinder
Singh, and Janaki Patel. Kulvinder is no longer in the running, but the rest of
the semi-finalists will receive word on acceptance in January.
Penny Harvest- For the Penny Harvest this year, the Mid-Harvest amount
totaled $73 and two half filled bags of pennies. The Student Association members
went around classrooms periods five, seven and eight asking students to donate.
They also decorated cans and assigned these cans to specific teachers in
classrooms. The Penny Harvest is a distinct program in which the final donations
are allocated according to the Student Council’s decision; they can decide to
donate too many different types of organizations, but the funds cannot be
reallocated for the school.
Anti-Defamation League- The ADL program is dedicated to making students
aware of prejudices, biases and hatred; by helping create committees in
elementary and secondary schools that will find solutions to stop the hate. The
specific program we have initiated this month is called the “No Place for Hate”.
About 300 students, through the Social Studies and English Department, have
helped create posters that make students aware and force them to find a
resolution against hate. The Resolution has been posted all throughout the
school.
Cheesecake Cabaret- On November 29th and November 30th, Grover Cleveland
High School hosted the annual Cheese Cake Cabaret. The pleasant mood was
alleviated by the candles on each table. Cheesecake was served to the tables by
volunteer waiters, who included Key Club members. Cheesecake flavors included:
strawberry, regular, and chocolate. The audience enjoyed a comedic performance
by the Grover Cleveland students and left with a satisfied stomach.
October 2007:: Good News
Juvenile Diabetes Walk – The Juvenile Diabetes Walk was held at Flushing
Meadow Park. Student Council members and service monitors showed up and
supported the walk along with many Key Club members, and many Social Studies
teachers. The money we raised was $1,189.
College Night – (October 16) College Night was held in our school
cafeteria. Many students and parents came to this event. Students looked very
enthusiastic and went to talk to many college representatives.
JV Girls’ Volleyball – The girls of the Junior Varsity Volleyball Team
finished off their wonderful season with a 6-0 record, making them the Queens I
Division Champions, and Coach Tracy’s 2nd undefeated team. Their last game was
October 23rd.
Parent Teacher Conference – (October 25-26) During these two days, the
Student Council sold gym sweats, shorts, and shirts. On Thursday, snacks were
sold, and on Friday were pretzels. By selling these items helped our SA budget.
We raised around $800.
September 2007:: Good News
Funding Factory- The Funding Factory Recycling Program was started in order
for students to help save the environment by recycling empty inkjet and laser
cartridges. The cartridges are sent to the recycling organization Funding
Factory, and the school receives finds for each one donated. With the help of
Mena Hanna, SA Vice President, the last shipment was sent on June 4th
2007 in the amount of $109.00. This was the first time the collection was so
high.
May 2007:: Good
News
Cystic Fibrosis- The Student Association sponsored a sale of Black and
White cookies in order to benefit research for Cystic Fibrosis. In the matter of
three periods, 240 cookies were sold, raising a total of $120.
Peter F. Vallone Academic Scholarship- One hundred and fifteen students
were chosen for the Peter F. Vallone Academic Scholarship. The scholarship is
available to students who enroll full-time as first-time freshmen in a CUNY
undergraduate program within one year of graduating from a public or private New
York City high school. In addition students must have an 80 average or higher
and have completed 12 regents level year long courses. Recipients will be
awarded $1,250 per academic year.
Blood Drive- On May 9th, the semi-annual blood drive was held in the
Grover Cleveland High School auditorium. Organized by Mr. Santaga, and with the
help of the Student Council and various volunteers, 62 pints of blood were
collected. In total, 78 students and staff signed up for the blood drive; 16,
however, were deferred due to low blood iron, traveling outside of the U.S., or
recent piercings or tattoos.
More Good News From the College Office- Agsah Beig and Nazish Beig will
receive $2000 scholarships from the Asian and Pacific Islander American
Scholarship Fund.***Aqsah Beig, Galyna Cyrmachervka, Anush Davitian, Carla
Pesantes, Michelle Reyes, and Jennifer Vargas are winners of the North Fork Bank
Scholarship which is worth $2,500. ***Ilir Quirko was chosen to receive $3,000
from the Rewarding Young Leaders Check Cashiers Scholarship. *** Joshua Cruz and
Natalie Vasquez have been chosen as finalists for the Broad Prize for Urban
Education Scholarship; if chosen they would receive $10,000 over four years.
April 2007:: Good News
Pennies for
Patients- The Pennies for Patients campaign is an event in which students
from all over the country collect pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters to
benefit The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Students from Leadership class,
instructed by Richard E. Santaga, collected spare change with the help of
various teachers and students. During a three-week period in March, the
collection weighed in at eighty three pounds. In total, $800.51 was raised.
Daffodils- The Student Association held the American Cancer Society
Daffodil sale on Wednesday, March 21st through Friday, March 23rd. Through the
sale of 69 plants, $690 was raised. Ten dollars in donations were collected, as
well, for a total of $700. All the proceeds were donated to the American Cancer
Society Queens Division.
Honor Roll- On Friday, April 20th at 7:30 am a breakfast ceremony,
organized by the Student Association, was held to congratulate the students who
achieved an average of 85 or higher in four majors, without any failures. 230
students out of 371 who made it on the honor roll attended the ceremony
accompanied by over 150 family members. During the first portion of the
ceremony, students received their medals as Mrs. Garcia, Assistant Principal,
read all the names of the honorees in attendance. Members of the chorus, Clover,
and the cast of Aida, led by Mr. Louis-Pierre, followed with an entertaining
performance. Then, the families and honored students enjoyed a breakfast buffet.
Gates Millennium Scholarship- Alison Cordero and Denise Urena were chosen
as Gates Millennium Scholars. As scholars of this program, Alison and Denise
will receive support for the cost of education by covering student loans and
providing work-study opportunities. They will also be able to renew their awards
by maintaining satisfactory academic progress and have a chance for graduate
school funding in the areas of education, engineering, library science,
mathematics, public health or the sciences.
New Youth Connections- Sophia Batista, a senior from Mr. Santaga’s
journalism class, received second place in the New Youth Connections essay
contest. The theme for this essay was to imagine a side of yourself that no one
else was aware of and to describe this second personality. Batista’s essay was
titled: “Flipping the Switch” and is featured in this month’s issue of the New
Youth Connections newspaper. She was awarded a $50 prize.
February 2007:: Good News
Junior Achievement-
On January 25th, members of the Arista Honor Society, advised by Mrs. Sternlieb
and Key Club, advised by Mr. Zigler, participated in the Junior Achievement
program at P.S. 71. Junior Achievement is a non-profit organization funded by
individual donors, corporate gifts, foundation grants, and special events.
Students taught lessons to elementary students ranging in grade level from
Kindergarten to fifth. The students from Grover Cleveland, as well as the
elementary school children enjoyed the experience very much.
Science Olympiad- On Saturday, February 10th, the Science Olympiad
competition, which involves students from New York City high schools, took place
at GCHS. Students competed in various Science and Engineering events. In the
category of Rocks and Minerals, Joyce Guo and Vivian Cheng won first place;
Leyla Mustafa placed second, and Christopher Torres and Felix Vasquez placed
third. Anush Davtian won first place in Astronomy; Ralph-Jason Comia and Johnne-Rio
Comia placed third in Robotics, and Christopher Torres and Felix Vasquez placed
fifth in Robotics.
JANUARY 2007:: Good News
Debate Team-
Grover Cleveland High School’s Debate Team of Alison Cordero, Michelle Reyes,
and Denise Urena took first place at the January 16, 2007 Early Bird tournament
sponsored by JP Morgan Chase at Bernard Baruch College. Some 40 Lincoln-Douglas
teams representing New York City public high schools were debating the following
resolution: that the pluralistic integration of immigrants in the United States
advances the quality of life. At the event, Urena took the first place speaker
award and Reyes ninth place. In addition to the winning seniors, Cleveland
featured two sophomore debate teams consisting of Eric Yanez, Melissa Vallejo,
and Colleen Fasone, and Melissa Barhdi, Devin Bhatt, and Richard Bohan. Fasone
earned a tenth place speaker award. The next debate tournament is scheduled for
March at Pace University, downtown campus.
New Youth Connections- Three students from Mr. Santaga’s journalism
class, who entered the New Youth Connections contest, Gustavo Castro, Audry
Ramos, and Barbie Jimenez, were runners up in an essay contest. The topic was:
“Tell us about your best or worst holiday memory.” The three articles were
published in the New Youth Connections newspaper.
Scholar Athlete- On January 26, 2007, the NY1 Scholar/Athlete of the week
was chosen. Kamil Buczanski came to the United States from Poland as a 14 year
old boy knowing very little English. Graduating in only three years from high
school, in order to graduate with his age group, Buczanski very well deserves
this reward. The Health Plus/NY1 scholar/athlete program celebrates student
athletes who successfully combine academics and athletics, and who also find
time for community service. The program, working with The Department of
Education, is open to any Senior attending a New York City public high school.
Selected students receive $2,000 scholarship to the college they choose to
attend in the fall.
DECEMBER 2006:: Good News
Blood Drive- The blood drive sponsored by the Student Association, which
took place on December 15, in the auditorium was a success. Seventy-nine donors
signed up; sixty pints of blood were collected. Everyone from the Student
Council helped make the drive a success.
Funding Factory- The Funding Factory Recycling Program was started to
help save the environment by recycling empty inkjet and laser cartridges. The
cartridges are sent to the recycling organization Funding Factory, and the
school receives funds for each one donated. With the help of Christopher Torres
and Mena Hanna, the student coordinators, the last shipment was sent out in
December, and eighty-four dollars and eighty cents was refunded to the Student
Association.
NOVEMBER 2006:: GOOD NEWS
NYC Marathon- A group of students from Key Club attended the ING New York
City Marathon on Sunday, November 5, along with Mr. Pritchard the Assistant
Principal of the Science Department. There, they were stationed at mile 14,
located in Long Island City, Queens. The students handed out Gatorade and water
to the passing marathon runners.
Saint Lawrence Trip- On Sunday November 5, the college advisor, Mrs.
Sternlieb, and 15 students, juniors and seniors, headed to Canton, New York (the
North Country), on their way to St Lawrence University. The students stayed in
dorms with hosts for three days to accomplish the goal of experiencing college
life. They also attended college classes including Caribbean History,
Philosophy, Organic Chemistry, and some others. The high school students
experienced the everyday life of a college student.
Boys’ Cross Country- For the first time in Freddie Garcia’s coaching career,
the Boys’ Cross Country Team qualified for the city championships which were
held on Saturday, November 11. Two athletes from the team, Jose Matute and Rafal
Ksepka, advanced to the state championship which took place on Saturday November
26th. Ksepka finished in first place in the 1,000 meter race, and Matute
finished first in the 3,200 meter race.
Girls’ Volleyball- The Girls’ Varsity Volleyball Team had a very good season
overall. They finished the season with 6 wins and 2 losses. Their efforts paid
off in that they made it to the quarterfinals. Unfortunately, they lost to
Francis Lewis High School on Tuesday, November 14.
POSSE – The POSSE Foundation is a full tuition scholarship program for
students who have shown great leadership and good grades throughout their high
school career. Michelle Reyes, a senior, was called back to POSSE a month after
her first group interview. She was chosen as a finalist for Middlebury College
which was her first choice. Reyes has advanced to round three which will be on
December 1st. If she succeeds in this round, she will take her application to
Middlebury on that same day. Michelle will receive a response, whether she made
it or not, by December 15. If she does, she will have an interview with both
POSSE and Middlebury College.
OCTOBER 2006:: GOOD NEWS
Flea Market Fundraising- Since October is Breast Cancer awareness month, the Student Association held a sale on October 11, 12 and, 13. They sold items including, but not limited to pink bracelets, cookies, a microwave, senior shirts and yearbooks from 2006. This was done to help raise money for Breast Cancer research. Teachers as well as students participated and helped the Student Association by purchasing items or just donating money. $407 was raised in just 3 days.
Honor Roll Ceremony- On Thursday October 19, a breakfast ceremony was held to congratulate the students who achieved an average of 85 or higher in four majors and without any failures. 176 students out of 266 who made it on the honor roll attended the ceremony accompanied by over 100 parents. The students received a medal during the first portion of the ceremony, were entertained by members of the chorus, Clover, led by Mr. Blyden, then, both parents and students shared a breakfast buffet.
SEPTEMBER 2006:: GOOD NEWS
Funding Factory- The Funding Factory Recycling Program was started to help save the environment by recycling empty inkjet and laser cartridges. The cartridges are sent to a recycling organization, Funding Factory, and the school receives funds for each one donated. With the help of the student coordinator Chris Torres, the last shipment was sent out in June and ninety-five dollars and forty cents was refunded to the Student Association.
The Junior Statesmen Summer School- Michelle Reyes, a senior, successfully completed a program at the Junior Statesmen Summer School during the summer of 2006. This program was held at Stanford University in California. Her curriculum consisted of a class in Honors Constitutional Law in which she earned a B+, and a class in Honors Public Speaking and the Law in which she earned an A-. Students resided in the university dormitories and used campus classrooms and libraries. Admission to the summer school program was competitive. Acceptance was based on academic achievement, leadership ability and a three page personal essay describing an interest in politics and government as well as a teacher recommendation and an official high school transcript. This program has been held for sixty-six years and has academically challenged outstanding high school students all around the country.
World Vision- The Christian Club, advised by Mr. Malinowski, collected donations of $1,010 for World Vision. World Vision is a Christian relief and development program devoted to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by embarking upon the causes of poverty. World Vision’s 30 hour famine started in the U.S. 14 years ago as a way for junior high, high school and college-age students to help save, and change children’s lives. By going without food for 30 hours and collecting money to help needy children, young people expand a deeper consciousness of the needs in our world and realize that they can play a essential role in making a difference.
Global Communications- During the week of July 2006, Alicia Antonio and Jennifer Nweiji attended the Global Communications program. This was a five day program held at the New York Athletic Club, and each day the curriculum was different. The program consisted of learning basic etiquette, ethics, public speaking and listening skills, personal finance strategies, the art of diplomacy, international social customs, ballroom dancing and personal presentation. The goals were to build effective communication, social and workplace skills, to introduce strategies for managing personal finances, and to develop a network of members prepared for the challenges of succeeding in a global community. Both Alicia and Jennifer were sponsored: one by the Student Association and the other by Peter Jay Sharp Foundation. This program was part of the WISE: Working In Support of Education, a not-for-profit and has prepared nearly 15,000 students in the U.S. for the global workplace and college.
MAY/JUNE 2006:: GOOD NEWS
Boys’ Tennis featured in Newsday’s high five!- “Cleveland boys tennis may be stocked with a lot of newcomers this season but that doesn’t mean the Tigers are not working hard… Sophomore Jose Campoverde and Chris Farias were among those Cleveland players who took advantage of the free tennis lessons offered by the New York Junior Tennis League during the summer… ‘Their games have improved,’- said coach Mitchell Sternlieb, whose senior-laden team won the Queens B-II title last season… Sophomore newcomer Piotr Andraczke has taken over the top singles spot. Senior Angel Palacios will be paired with junior Dragan Jovanovic at first doubles, while sophomores Chris Cruz and Lobsang Tenzin are the second doubles team.” By Newsday reporter Ken Ryan.
Girls’ Track featured in Newsday’s highfive!- “Cleveland has its fifth outdoor coach in five years, but it appears as though new coach Felicia Wagner is on to something that could be not only stable but also successful… ‘One girl is doing the steeplechase, which is pretty exciting,’ Wagner said… So does senior Timea Rendes, who placed second in the long jump at the PSAL Season Opener. Other girls showing good promise are senior Blanca Guevera (long jump), junior Linda Akeju (sprints) and sophomore Kaina Lam (long jump/hurdles).” By Newsday reporter Gary Glancy.
Boys’ Volleyball featured in Newsday’s highfive!- “The cast is almost completely new, but Cleveland certainly has the potential to make its third consecutive trip to the PSAL semifinals. The Tigers have a super-talented freshman setter, Marcin Czarniecki, whose lethal jump serve has him leading the city in aces, while his brother, Bartosz Czarniecki, is a 5-10 senior outside hitter who jumps well…Cleveland has also plenty of height in the middle. There’s 6-3 sophomore Szymon Kolacz, 6-3 junior Pruszkowski Przemyslaw and 6-4 freshman Matas Ruscius. Kolacz - the teams only returning starter - not only has improved by leaps this season and can hit from the outside as well. The other starters are 6 foot junior outsider hitter Mateusz Dembrowski and junior Elvin Bala, who hits opposite and plays back row.” By Newsday reporter Gary Glancy.
Blood Drive
- The blood drive sponsored by the Student Association, which took place on May 10th, in the auditorium was a success. Seventy-eight donors signed up, and 62 pints of blood were collected. Everyone from the Student Council helped make the drive a success.Cystic Fibrosis Bake Sale- The Student Association held a bake sale, selling 580 Chocolate Chip and Black and White cookies to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis. Students, teachers, secretaries and guidance counselors all joined and bought cookies, or just donated to this worthy cause. Thanks to everyone who donated or purchased a cookie; a total of $202.32 was raised, and sent to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.
Boys’ Track featured in Newsday’s highfive!- “Coach Sikorsky got eight freshman from one of his science classes to join the track and field team, and now this enthusiastic group represents the Tigers’ future. Leading the way is thrower Jeff Santillan, who has ‘improved greatly’ since the beginning of the season… Sophomore Rafal Ksepka a rookie who does have a track background – could be a major force in the city for the next couple years. He set a meet record of 4 minutes, 45 seconds in the 1,600 meters at the Viking Classic – a freshman-sophomore meet – on May 6, and also run a 56-second quarter-mile, a 2:09 half mile and has long-jumped 16 feet, 7 inches. Ksepka no doubt has inspired fellow distance stand out Jose Matude, a junior who ran a 5:03 mile in the Season Opener. Leading the young, inexperienced squad are senior Nikola Kyuchukov and juniors Thomas Homza and Joshua Cruz who are ‘motivating them, pushing them, giving them technique tips,’ Sikorski said.” By Newsday reporter Gary Glancy.
USO Donation- The Student Association voted to donate 125 dollars to the United States Overseas. This money will be used to send some necessary supplies like batteries, deodorant, other toiletries and calling cards. The donation came from the profit from the Spring Fling Dance.
April 2006:: GOOD NEWS
Honor Roll Ceremony- On Friday March 31st, the Honor Roll Breakfast Ceremony, for the fall 2005 semester, was held in the newly painted auditorium. Two hundred and twenty fellow students attended this event although 354 students made the honor roll. It was one of the best ceremonies. Every semester our students are rewarded for their achievement. The students received their medals, ate breakfast and celebrated with family members and faculty in attendance.
Spring Fling- On Friday April 7th, we held our first dance in six years called “The Spring Fling.” The dance was organized by the Student Association, and one hundred and eighty students attended and danced non-stop to a variety of music spun by the DJ- Elvis Surdha, a former student. Food and refreshments were served. The Spring Fling was a huge success for everyone who attended and had a wonderful time. Many students are looking forward to another dance suggesting a fall event.
Girls’ Tennis featured in Newsday’s high five!- “Tracy Clemente is the veteran of Grover Cleveland’s defending Queens B-I girls’ tennis team, yet she entered 2006 without a single match under her belt. Clemente, who spend last season as a substitute but was never called upon to swing the racket for keeps, has assumed a leadership role for first year coach Lucy Liriano and is a big reason why the Tigers are optimistic about the second half of the campaign after winning two of their first six matches…Junior captain Christine Mangru wasn’t a member of last year’s team but that hasn’t stopped her from earning the number 1 singles spot…At second singles, junior Ola Fasho has flashed plenty of potential and picked up her first victory in just her second match. Her 10-3 triumph was the difference in Cleveland’s win over Robert F. Wagner on March 22. “She’s just starting to get into the flow of things,” Liriano said…The Tigers are rolling along just fine in doubles with junior Josephine Pullara and sophomore Jenifer Winkler thriving in the top spot (5-1) and sophomores Grissel Defrank and Ngan Li Yim both recording three victories apiece at second doubles, including one as a tandem.” By Newsday reporter Tony Bellissimo.
March 2006:: GOOD NEWS
Junior Achievement- During the month of January, thirty two Arista members participated in Junior Achievement. The students went to Elementary school P.S. 71 and taught students from kindergarten to fifth grade. They paired up and taught the children about community, local government and money. There will be another Junior Achievement on April 7th. This time, forty eight Arista members will be participating, and they will be supervised by Mrs. Sternlieb the Arista Advisor.
Pennies for Patients- During the first two weeks of March, the Student Association collected money for patients who suffer from leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma. These are cancers that originate in the bone marrow or in lymphatic tissues. We collected pennies, other coins and dollars every period for a total of 73 pounds, $372.23. All the money is going to The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Daffodils for the American Cancer Society- Every year, daffodils are sold to help raise money for the American Cancer Society. All daffodil, plants were $10 each. Five hundred dollars was raised for the American Cancer Society by the Student Association.
Debate Team- On March 21st, our school participated in a debate tournament, which was sponsored by J.P. Morgan Chase at Pace University. The debate team of Denise Urena, Alison Cordero and Michele Reyes defeated Francis Lewis and Bayside High School, and lost against Stuyvesant and Hostos- Lincoln only by two points. The debate enters the all-city “Sweet 16” play off on April 11. See Mr. Thorsen if you would like to join for the 2006-2007 season.
Boys’ Baseball featured in Newsday’s highfive!- “Mike Goldberg knows he can’t change the weather, but as a senior pitcher for the Cleveland baseball team, he can find ways to deal with it. ‘If our game gets rained out and Coach Freddie Garcia gives us the day off,’ Goldberg said, ‘I’ll go and do all my exercises that I normally do four or five days a week. I’ll go to the gym, or I’ll go to the park and do what I have to do myself.’… On days when the temperature dips into the mid-30s, Cleveland goes inside to practice in the gym and work on fundamentals such as catching and throwing, and Garcia has an artificial pitcher’s mound that Goldberg finds beneficial.” By Newsday reporter Gary Glancy.
February 2006:: GOOD NEWS
Girls JV Basketball- The Girls’ Basketball Team won the Queens division. They won 11 games and lost only one. The girls’ hard work paid off. It was one of the best seasons they’ve had. PSAL has invited our school to participate in the Citywide girls JV tournament. This is the first time the PSAL is doing this tournament and only eight schools in the city are invited.
The New York Times Scholarship- The New York Times Scholarship Program is a prestigious and rewarding program offered to students in NYC. The Scholarship offers $7,500 during each year of college, an internship with The New York Times during the summer, and mentors who guide these young individuals. It chooses the future leaders of our country. This year one of our students, Nikola Kyuchukov was selected a winner. Congratulations Nikola on your victory.
January 2006:: GOOD NEWS
Annalis Rodriguez- Senior and actress, Annelis Rodriguez was accepted to New York University Tisch School of Arts. After all her hard work with the early decision process, she was elated to get accepted. She has already made her final decision and is excited to attend NYU.
POSSE Scholarship- Two of our students were selected as POSSE finalists. In order for them to be in POSSE, they had to get accepted to one of the colleges that POSSE offers. Both students were accepted to the college of their choice. Elizabeth Beltran is going to attend Colby College, and Damaris Villafana is going to attend Dickinson College. Each will receive a full four year scholarship.
Scholar Athlete NY One – One of our students, Nikola Kyuchukov was selected winner of the NY One Scholar Athlete Award. He was selected based on his academic achievement and his ability as an athlete. The scholarship offers $ 2,000 and Nikola will be seen on NY One the weekend of January 14th.
Boys’ Track featured in Newsday’s highfive!- “Coach Freddie Garcia admits it would be a formidable challenge for senior Nikola Kyuchukov and junior Thomaz Homza to achieve their ultimate goal this season by bringing their 300-meter time down to a city-qualifying 37.70 seconds…. Homza (39.54) finished right behind Kyuchukov (39.53) at the PSAL Night at the Sprints meet in early December. It still left the pair nearly two seconds off city qualifying, but it also was a full second faster for Kyuchukov and two seconds faster for Homza from their times five days earlier at the Jim McKay meet…. Cleveland’s other stand out this winter is junior Jose Matute, who made a name for himself this fall during cross country. Matute had not run what likely will be his strongest event -the 3,200- at press time, but opened the season with a 5:10 in the 1,600.” By Newsday reporter Gary Glancy.
December 2005:: GOOD NEWS
Boys’ Basketball featured in Newsday’s highfive!- “Give coach Michael Irizarry credit for his optimistic outlook. In the face of another challenging season in Queens I-A, Irizarry believes that his Cleveland team can be more competitive than in recent years…. With six players back, and one quality transfer, Cleveland figures to be at least a tough out for many teams…. The senior-dominated starting five features vocal leader Ramon Dejesus and Marcus Artis (10 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists a game last season) in the back-court, Samuel Pacheco at one forward and Homer Henriquez splitting time between the four and five positions…. Sophomore guard Brian Mero, new to the varsity, is developing into a solid player…. Senior forward Brian Reyes, known for his defensive work, will be a key contributor as well.” By Newsday reporter Ken Ryan.
The New York Times Scholarship- The New York Times Scholarship Program is a prestigious and rewarding program offered to the students of NYC. The Scholarship offers $7,500 during each year of college, an internship with The New York Times during the summer, and mentors who guide these young individuals. It chooses the future leaders of our country. This year five Grover Cleveland students made it to the semi- finalist’s round. The students are: Lidia Bardhi, Tung Hoang, Nikola Kyuchukov, Eldo Mata and Israel Nunez.
Blood Drive- The blood drive sponsored by the Student Association, which took place on December 16th, in the auditorium was a success. Eighty-four donors signed up, and 72 pints of blood were collected. Everyone from the Student Council helped make the drive a success.
Arista and Key Club - During the month of November, Arista and Key Club sponsored a food drive. The drive was a success. They collected fifteen boxes of food. All the food is going to St. Matthias Church. As of December 23rd, four boxes of toys were collected. All the toys are going to St. John's Hospital.
November 2005::
GOOD NEWS
St. Lawrence Trip- Fifteen of
our fellow students, ten seniors and five juniors, had the opportunity to visit
St. Lawrence University, which is located in Canton, New York. All of the
students were able to experience college life and how it actually feels to be in
a college class. The students were also interviewed personally by the admission
officers. All the students had a great time, as some of them want to apply to
this college. This trip was arranged and supervised by Mrs. Sternlieb, the
college advisor.
Earthquake Relief- During the first week of November, the Student
Association sponsored a fundraising drive. The Student Association sold
specialty cookies like Halloween and M&M Cookies. It was a success. We had
$725.57 profit. All the money is going to United Nations Children’s Fund.
Seven High Schools Win Finance Award- G.C.H.S. is one of seven high schools
in Queens that received Blue Star awards from the Financial Literacy Coalition
for having seniors who know how to handle money. The coalition started in 2003,
and it provides workshops and teaching materials in hopes of better educating
students about banking, saving, investing and budgeting. This year more than 75
percent of the students passed the test, and for the first time, more than half
the schools earned the Blue Star designation.
POSSE Scholarship Finals- The POSSE Foundation has selected two of our
candidates as finalists. The two candidates are: Elizabeth Beltran and Damaris
Villafana. These students, who successfully made it to the finals, will be
interviewed by the school of their choice, which is also one of the schools that
the POSSE Foundation offers. Once they are accepted to the school they are
members of the POSSE program. The scholarship pays the student’s full four year
tuition including room and board.
Grover Cleveland High School Blood Drive
Please help to save a life. The semi-annual Blood Drive will be held on Friday,
December 16th. Donors must weight 110 lbs. and be 16 or older with parental
consent. Please contact the Student Association at 718-381-9600 x236 for an
appointment. All donors must pre register in order to get an appointment and to
get security clearance to enter the building. Donating blood is a precious
and free gift of life.
October 2005:: GOOD NEWS
HSLI- Melissa Vera, a senior, was selected for the HSLI program. This is a law program that is being offered at the NYU School of Law campus. All the students in order to apply had to write an essay. Melissa’s essay was a winner. The students selected take classes every Saturday for ten weeks. Congratulations Melissa on your success.
Girls’ Swimming featured in Newsday’s highfive!- “Cleveland opened this season on Sep. 28 without its top two swimmers – junior Dorota Lewandowski and senior Aracelly Ortiz who returned for the second meet and won three individual events and competed in three winning relays. Lewandowski, who was awaiting medical clearance, was planning to join the team in mid-October. She is a multiple-sport standout who excels in 200-yard individual medley, 100 butterfly and 100 backstroke a year ago. Coach Wagner is expecting good things from senior Stephanie Ponce in the 100 freestyle, sophomore Natasha Parraga in the 50 freestyle, senior Timea Rendez in the 100 breaststroke, sophomore Christine Rivas in the 100 backstroke, senior Jennifer Benavente in the 100 freestyle and senior Blanca Guevara in the 50 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 200 freestyle relay.” By Newsday reporter Ken Ryan.
Boys’ Cross Country featured in Newsday’s highfive!- “ Cleveland junior Jose Matute has the talent. Coach Freddie Garcia saw that the first day of practice when, with no summer base training from which to draw, Matute ran a sub-6-minute mile “with no problem.” This season Garcia is trying to tap that potential with a challenging workout regimen and weight-lifting program. In his first three races, Matute won the PSAL Group Run JV Race, placed fifth at the second Queens Grand Prix race (18 minutes, 23 seconds for 3.1 miles) and then finished ninth at the Mayor’s Cup Varsity Race (14:51 for 2.5 miles). While Matute is a distance specialist, senior Nikola Kyuchukov and junior Thomas Homza – each three-year veterans –are standout sprinters gearing up for the indoor track season. The rest of the squad is comprised of a hardworking group of first year runners, and Garcia said Kyuchukov is the perfect person to lead them.” By Newsday reporter Gary Glancy.
POSSE Scholarship- The Posse Foundation has selected six of our students to return for a second round in the challenge to win a scholarship. The six candidates are: Elizabeth Beltran, Hanna Lee, Belinda Lin, Ginu Jose, Christopher Ramsammy and Damaris Villafana. Those who successfully make it to the second round will be interviewed for a third and final time. Since the scholarship is given based on leadership skills, all candidates are advised to show great confidence during their interviews. If won, the scholarship pays the student’s full four year tuition including room and board.
September 2005:: GOOD NEWS
Upward Bound Program- During the summer, 20 students from Grover Cleveland joined a program called Upward Bound Program. This is a pre-college program administrated by the U.S department of education and is designed to motivate and prepare students for college. The students went on a bus tour. They visited colleges like the University of Maryland, and also in Washington DC they visited a lot of museums like The Holocaust, The Natural History, and the Spy museum. Along with this they also did fun stuff like going to the mall twice a week and watching a dolphin show. Everything was free and the student’s stipends were $40 per month during the academic component and $60 per month during the summer.
Hurricane Relief- During the month of September, the Student Association sponsored a fundraising drive for Hurricane Katrina victims. All the money is going to an organization called National Academy Foundation, in favor of the schools devastated by Hurricane Katrina. The Student Association raised $ 2170.63, from faculty, staff and students.
Poetry Competition- Our student at Grover Cleveland high school, Natalie Vasquez current Junior President loves poetry. She submitted one of her poems titled, “A Life to Live Dreaming” to
www.poetry.com. She was chosen to be one of the semi-finalists. Her poem will also be published in the publication “Eternal Portraits.” Congratulations Natalie on your success.