6th Graders Go Camping in Massachusetts!

This spring, the sixth grade had the chance to take two camping trips to the Manice Education Center in Florida, Massachusetts from May 11- May 13 and May 27- May 29.

Manice Education Center gives students from New York City the chance to bring the classroom outdoors and learn about the environment and explore nature with hands-on activities and team building exercises.

Educators from Manice visited our science classroom weekly, during a 7-week exploratory program that went from February through March. At the end of the program, students were invited to go on a 3-day camping trip to learn about ecology and wilderness survival.

Students went canoeing to learn about water safety.  They also learned about food waste and gardening, went hiking and engaged in many other activities with trained counselors and CHAH teachers. 

The trip has become a favorite of the sixth grade teachers and students and we were so happy to have the majority of students participate this year.  If a tree falls in the woods, maybe a CHAH student will be there to hear it!

Wheelchairs Against Guns

On June 11, Kareem Nelson, the founder of the organization Wheelchairs Against Guns, along with a member of the organization Nyree Stevens-Credle, spoke to our current 8th graders about gun violence. Wheelchairs Against Guns is an organization of disabled men and women who bring awareness of the consequences of guns and the strong negative presence they have in our communities. 

Mr. Nelson and Ms Stevens-Credle spoke about their stories and how they ended up in wheelchairs.  Mr. Nelson was shot in 1995 in a street dispute and is paralyzed from the hips down.  Ms. Stevens-Credle, only 19 years old, was shot in the neck by a stray bullet at a party and is paralyzed from the shoulders down.  They asked questions and posed scenarios to the students to test their critical thinking skills. They urged students to stay in school and make their parents and guardians proud. They asked students to recite a pledge and took pictures with them at the end.  It was a great presentation!

To learn how your support can help save a child's life by preventing gun violence, visit the organization's website at http://wheelchairsagainstguns.org/

The UFT Spring Education Conference

On May 30th, our school social worker Ms. Kenia Jeanniton spoke at the annual UFT Spring Education Conference. The event included guest speakers such as Mayor Bill de Blasio, Chancellor Carmen Farina, and AFT President Randi Weingarten.  The gala luncheon was held at the Manhattan Hilton. 

Ms. Kenia spoke about her collaboration with interns from Columbia University's School of Social Work and Hunter College's Silberman School of Social Work and how their efforts support the social and emotional needs of our students. The UFT Community Learning Schools asked her to highlight her ground breaking approach that helps our students increase and develop their social and emotional health.

"Assembling the Future" - CHAH's New Mural!

After more than 3 months of work, the mural in front of our school was finally unveiled this week!  CHAH students worked with Groundswell, a youth development organization devoted to working with professional artists and young people to create public artworks that foster a sense of community.  Their mission with public art displays is to “link personal expression to community activism,” which is a major goal of our school. 

Groundswell’s lead artists for the mural, Crystal Bruno and Leola Bermanzohn, started by researching images in our neighborhood and nearby murals to get a sense of the surrounding community. 

Images were used from CLOTH and CHAH events to formulate the ways the student participants could identify and discuss what they thought the mural topic should be.  Students drew these images by free-hand, learning about how symbols represent different aspects of their community. 

Next, mini-projects were designed so that the students could sharpen their skills in preparation for the fabrication process. 

Lastly (and this part took several weeks) students worked outside on Wednesdays and Saturdays to paint the project for the community to enjoy.

The project is titled Assembling the Future. 

According to the lead student artist, Jhazlee Velez, "The mural represents community, unity, and providing a better future for our children."

AP Art Students Win Awards from the Met

On May 28th, 2015 three CHAH students received art awards at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for some of their work in our Advanced Placement Art class.

Jhazlee Velez received the Haney Medal which is awarded to a 9th or 10th grade student who has shown the most growth and potential in the field of Art.

Anderson Vasquez received the St. Gardens Medal, which is given to a senior who has completed an art program with an excellence in drawing.

Gianni Arroyo received the Alexander Medal, which is given to a graduating senior who has completed a major art program with greatest distinction.

Maybe one day you'll see their work hanging from the museum's walls!