Ajile L. Turner Fund Donates Keyboard -
Rapper Common Delivers
Council Member Letitia James, along with Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries, and Congressman Ed Towns will join Principal Khalek Kirkland and musical artist–rapper Common at 11 am on Tuesday, March 2 - at MS 113 located at 300 Adelphi Street for donation of electronic musical keyboard to Music Director Wayne Winston.
(Brooklyn, NY) Ajile L. Turner was a young entrepreneur of thirty-eight years who died in a tragic motorcycle accident during the summer of 2009. Mr. Turner was a pillar of the Fort Greene community in Brooklyn. Ajile fostered a passion for the connection/assimilation and development of music & arts, and the youth of his community.
On Tuesday March 2, 2010, the Ronald Edmonds Learning Center (MS 113), will receive the donation of an electronic musical keyboard from the Ajile L. Turner Scholarship Fund (ALTSF), through the Common Ground Foundation. Sounds from this new keyboard will now add even more to the incredible motivation in place at MS 113, which is fostered by Principal Khalek Kirkland and Music Director Mr. Wayne Winston. The mission of the school is to inspire urban children through the arts, while also developing them as leaders of tomorrow.
The students at MS 113 are offered an accelerated curriculum of fine and performing arts, sciences, technology and foreign language. When the bell rings at MS 113 - Ronald Edmonds Learning Center, the motto that lingers in its halls is “Going from Good to Great!” This musical gift will be presented by Mattie Turner, the Mother of Ajile (Ah-Ja-Lay) L. Turner, Rashid Lynn, actor, and musical artist-rapper Common, who is Ajile’s cousin...to the school’s music department.
As a music and art non-profit the ALTSF understands the challenges that schools face in today's economy. Having worked in the NYC public school system, Ajile's life was largely surrounded by the music and entertainment industry. In the past, donations were given to the school through the Fort Greene Festival, which Ajile was also involved with.
At the untimely passing of Ajile L. Turner, his mother came to NYC from Cleveland, Ohio and felt the love and support of the community at large to keep his dream alive. Mattie Turner met with Congressman Ed Towns, Council Member Letitia James, Assemblymember Hakeem Jeffries and other community leaders, ad well as Fort Greene business owners at that time.
“As the founder of ALTSF and mother of Ajile, in recognizing his love and passion for music and education, it is only befitting that we maintain the relationship between youth, education and the arts,” said Mattie Turner. This partnership will be a continuous one, as the students of MS 113 and Common will perform at the Fort Greene Festival in late June.
Music is a universal language that connects people the world over no matter the genre. Ajile L. Turner lived his life helping artists to speak through their music, and businesses to spread that music throughout the world. His love of the arts, and selfless acts were the hallmarks of his brief life, and these gifts left a positive impact on many others.
Council Member James said: “The Ronald Edmonds Learning Center has excelled in every way, especially within the arts, and through the leadership of its principal and teachers, along with its disciplined students. The school is well-deserving of this gift.”
While the quantity of his life may have not been long, the quality was beyond measure. The vision of the Ajile L. Turner Fund is to celebrate the quality of Ajile's life by empowering young men and women with scholarships, mentoring, and support in their pursuit to make positive connections with others through the art of music, the business of music and selfless acts.
The beat was also covered by The NY Times' Fort Greene Blog.
Check it.
Also check out the featured clip on youtube:
Sometimes Greatness Comes in the Form of Tech/Math
Geekiness: ACATS Scores High
One of our students is one of the top scoring students in Tabula Digita’s DimensionM Multiplayer v3.0 in New York City. Yes, that means we're going to the 2010 Inter-Borough MegaBowl! ACAT's Mazahidul will be representing us in this year's Individual Championship; his class 706 and our very own RELC band will be there to cheer him on. We even want to hear you cheering from school on that day, Friday, March 12th at 9:30 AM. Even though we'll be at Columbia University, we'll be able to hear you. We promise!
The MegaBowl is the city-wide tournament featuring the top DimensionM Multiplayer gamers in the city, and this is their 3rd city-wide championship. For more specifics about the competition, check out their site at
http://bit.ly/NYCMegaBowl.
Journeying to Glory with Poetry
Ms. Kehn's 701, 702, and 703 students wrote poetry during their last ELA unit. The poems reflect their focus on metaphor. Students wrote poems comparing their family (or friends) and its members to an object. They wrote a poem comparing a friendship to eating a particular fruit. They wrote a poem using a metaphor for a lost friendship.
Students also wrote "Journey Poems". Each student brainstormed what the word journey made them think of and then created a poem with those ideas and feelings in mind. Enjoy!
Friends
My friends and I are a building.
Jamal is the window because he has good eyesight
Kym is the stairs because he has mixed emotions
Kahlil is the rail because we lean on him for help
And I am the foundation that holds the building together.
Torre, 701
My Long Journey
It’s been days since I’ve actually been free
Whatever I feel, I have faith that I will reach my destination
Whenever I get to a crossroad
I will always know that there will be a blinking light pointing to the right direction
Wherever I stop, there will be a drink for my thirst that’s everlasting.
Whoever I come across, I know they will make a change in my future
Why ever would I stop on my journey to glory?
Taylor, 701
Afternoon Parent-Teacher Conferences Rescheduled to March 23
Due to the cancellation of the citywide afternoon parent-teacher conferences in intermediate and junior high schools on February 25, the conferences have been re-scheduled for March 23. The revised calendar is available at
http://schools.nyc.gov/Calendar. If you have questions please e-mail
calendars@schools.nyc.gov.
Get on the Bus: Young Men and Young Women's College Tour '10
Education is the Passport to the future,
for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.
-- Malcolm X
The 2010 annual R.E.L.C. Young Men and Young Women's College tour is approaching quickly, and we're preparing to send 75 students. We're still trying to secure sponsorship for some of them. We'd also like to provide each student with copies of Hill Harper's
Letter to a Young Brother and Letters to a Young Sister.
Please help us by donating and sponsoring a student. We've made it easy. Just
go to Paypal and give a little. Plus, help spread the word!
Today students received bright green envelopes with a Department of Education Survey for parents inside. It is very important every parent completes the survey and returns it. You can also
take it online. If for some reason you did not get a survey, please let Ms. Evans know immediately by calling 718-834-6734.
Be the Change You Want to See:
Get Involved in the Newly Forming Service Learning Committee
Dear Parents, Administrators, Teachers, Staff, Colleagues, and Friends,
Fall 2009 RELC added Service Learning to its curriculum. Students were encouraged to think beyond themselves and their personal needs to the needs of others in their community and around the world. Continuing the pedagogy of Service Learning, a Service Learning Committee is forming this spring.
The goal of the Committee will be to identify service learning opportunities for our students, such as AIDS Walk NYC, The Food Bank of NYC, Coat Drives, Meals on Wheels, etc. Parents, faculty and students would volunteer their time to develop each subsequent year’s Service Learning agenda.
So far this year, service learning has raised 818 lbs of food for the Food Bank of NYC, $300 in pennies for Penny Harvest of NYC (our first year participating) and over $1,400 for Haitian Relief.
Recognizing our efforts in service learning, Penny Harvest has awarded our school a grant of $300. The Committee would form a philanthropic round table with students to identify a charity or charities of their choice to award the money to.
Friday, March 5, 2010, will be the first meeting of the Committee. We'll meet for about an hour and there will be refreshments. The goal of our first meeting would be to nominate students for the Penny Harvest Round table award and to take initial planning steps for the AIDS Walk NYC.
Your volunteer participation would be greatly appreciated. Learning for a service generation = Service, Community, Compassion, and Caring.
Thank you,
Mr. Prince
Teacher, ACATS
Service Learning Coordinator
Falcon Robotic All Stars Place First
The ACATS' Falcon Robotic All Stars place first in Research at Brooklyn Borough First Lego League qualifier. Now the team moves on to the city wide competition at Jacob Javits Center, Sunday, March 14, 2010. Please save the date and come out and support the team. Many expenses are associated with the team participating in the citywide competition -- currently we are raising funds by selling team t-shirts for $10.00 -- and accepting donations. If you'd like to support the team contact Mr. Prince, 917-446-3024, for details.
Go Falcon Robotic Allstars!
A Message from the PTA President
Dear Parents/Guardians,
Happy New Year to you and your family.
We are half way through the school year and we still need your support to reach our goal of purchasing the much-needed Computer Mobiles for our children. In keeping with this goal in mind, we are launching the $113 For 113 Appeal to all RELC MS113 Parents and Guardians. You can make a full donation of $113 or you can spread the donation over the remaining five months of the school year ($25 + $25 + $25 + $25 + $13). We are a non-profit organization with a 501(c)(3). All donations are tax deductible. Please give generously, however any donation will be greatly appreciated.
Please fill in the attached form and make your check or money order to RELC MS 113 PTA (please note that we charge a fee of $30.00 for returned checks). Return the donation to your child’s ELA Teacher or mail it to: PTA Treasurer at RELC MS113, 300 Adelphi Street, Brooklyn, NY 11205.
Thank you for all your help and support.
Janice Batchasingh
PTA President
113 APPEAL 2010(2)-1.doc
Mystery Tea in Room 223
Shout out to Ms. Edwards and her sixth grade classes for hosting a Mystery Tea Party this week. The Tea Party based around several mystery books read by the students and oral presentations, by classes 604, 608 and 612.
RELC Raises 818 pounds of food for
Food Bank For New York City
October 1, 2009 to December 14, 2009 Students, Parents, Faculty, Staff, and friends of Ronald Edmonds Learning Center donated 818 pounds of food for the Food Bank For New York City. The Food Bank For New York City has a network of over 1,000 community feeding programs in New York City, including soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and low-income day care centers, Kids Cafes, senior, youth and rehabilitative centers. These programs compromise the safety net that helps feed hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, including families with young children, the elderly and the working poor.
Our donation of 818 pounds of food for the FOOD BANK FOR NEW YORK CITY will provide New Yorkers in need with over 627 meals.
Students Participate in Spelling B
In this photo we see sixth grader Preston Isolani competing in the Brooklyn borough spelling bee championship. Preston tied for eleventh and Shanel Bryant tied for third. Shanel will be moving on to the city championship in March. If you see her in the hallway try to stump her with a clever word. Good luck!
Students vs. Faculty
Students faced off with faculty at an after school game (and there was a lot of game!). For more pictures, click
here.
A Day in the Life of An Artist
Students demonstrate their tremendous artistic talent at the A Day in the Life of an Artist show!
To see more amazing pictures, click
here.
A Festive Platform
There is no better way to brighten the holiday commute than by blowing some horns with spirit! Students gave a little spring to the straphanger's step before we went on break.
To see more pictures of the artists who play in the cold, click
here.
The Wind, Your Hair, A bike: Freedom!
The bike club officially ended on December 5, 2009. They met Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 3:15-5:30 PM, beginning October 13, 2009. They rode their bikes in Fort Greene Park. The objective of the cycling club is to teach cyclists how to ride in groups or packs. The secondary goal was to develop cardiovascular fitness from riding bikes. Along the way, club members engaged in teamwork, sportsmanship, and discipline for the sport. They were also able to teach three club members how to ride a bike!
It's so much fun! Check out what a parent wrote into to say: This pass Tuesday I had to pull my son out of school early because I had something to do. I couldn't believe it when he literally cried and said, "But mom, I don't want to miss school". I smiled inside. He's on the cycling team and they were supposed to go to Prospect Park that day. Keep up the good work and thanks for all of the extra curricular activities. Our kids need to experience a variety of things that may not necessarily have the opportunity to capitalize on in their respective neighborhood.
The bike club will be starting back up in the spring (around March of next year). We look forward to seeing you there. Will you pedal? Will you be free?
Celebrating Cultural Awareness
We celebrated Cultural Awareness Day on Wednesday, November 25. We were very thankful to students and their families who brought in delicious dishes to share. We were definitely well fed and very grateful.
ACATS also celebrated by attending a presentation by a student's father who worked as a consultant for Fela!, currently on Broadway! They also watched a special video where students shared who they are and what culture means to them.
Let's continue giving thanks by brining in more canned foods to donate to a local food pantry. We are very close to our goals and every can makes a difference!
Click
here to see more pictures.
So You Think You Can Spell?
After a close competition, the following students made it to the finals:
1st Place: Sabrina Dionisi, 703
2nd Place: Shanel Bryant, 807
3rd Place: Preston Isolani, 606
Marieme Diagne,703, said, "It must have been scary for the competitors to compete against each, especially for the sixth graders who had to compete against eighth graders. All the spellers looked really nervous and were shaking. I would be too scared to do it!"
We Want More Color!
Please help us finish our first floor murals, paint the girls' and boys' locker rooms and more on Saturday, November 7 from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM. Thanks to NY Cares and CitiGroup we'll be here another Saturday painting our walls in beautiful colors and we need you to finish! If you're interested in participating, please let Ms. Evans, our Parent Coordinator, know at 718-834-6734. If you've signed up in advance, lunch will be provided. (There's nothing better than doing good on a full tummy!).
Getting Deep with the Classics
Ms. Kehn's classes (703/701/702) just finished reading The Narrative of Frederick Douglass. She had her students write reflections on how the narrative changed the way they think about slavery, obstacles in their lives, and education. Read their wisdom and we know you'll be just as inspired as we are!
It made me think that the obstacles in my life arent really
obstacles, theyre just tests that are getting me ready for the
future. --Olufunmbi
Now I know I can be whatever I want and that it doesnt matter where
you come from. Zaynah
I knew about the dark abyss of slaverys shackles but I did not know
that the masters were so ironic. Skye
I need to appreciate my family. --Kayla B.
I now think that not all whites are horrible because I found out about
the abolitionists from The Narrative. --Zakiyah
I feel overpowered with strength and bravery knowing what slaves had
to pace themselves through in order to escape to their freedom. --
Sabrina
Now I know not to be ignorant and to learn everything I can. --Shanea
FD was a slave for twenty years&so just imagine how many times he
wanted to quit. Tahzmeik
After reading The Narrative, I realize that it is a pleasure to be in
school (thank God). Ayesha
Reading The Narrative changed the way I think about slavery because
now I know how brutal it was and heartbreaking. Not having your
family with you feels like you are all alone in this cold worldthe
slaves stuck together and acted as a family. & You have to think with
perspective¬ only about your problems. --Toni
I feel humble and appreciative. Im not going to fuss when my mom
says I cant have something. --Felicia
I always thought that I have a busy life and I work hard, but The
Narrative opened my eyes and showed me that I have good life and Im
lucky. I have food on the table and I can go to school to learn. --
Kayla C
It makes me want to face my fears and be more determined. Im going
to work harder at everything I do&.It made me more aware of what was
going on in slavery time. Im now more of an abolitionist because the
future cant be like how it was back then. --Shawn-Nia
It changed me because now I really know how I felt to be a slave. --
Jahvon
It made me want to learn because just like FD learned to read and
write&I want to learn more. Look where it got him. --Jacob
I can get over anything if I have truth, love, and justice to help me
through a situation. -----Sherell D.
Reading this book educated me and let me know that slavery was cold
hearted and terrible. Any obstacle in my life that I have to go
through, FD went through things ten times harder. So I can do it with
no problem. I have learned that you have to take advantage of any
educational thing because FDs brain was starving. --Steven
This book made me stop and think. --Asata
The Narrative made me want to take full advantage of my schoolwork. --
Amira
It changed my life because now I love school because I know what an
education can get you. I know how hard they worked for me to be free
and I need to do something with it. --Shaniece
FD has inspired me to never quit and to always try something again. --
Kahlil
I shouldnt let people take over my life. I should decide what I want
instead of letting people run my life. --Demetrite
I have hatched out of my shell, just like Frederick Douglass. --
Arisbel
If I fall down, Im not going to wait for someone to pick me. I have
to get up on my own. --Chinelle
It made me think that I dont deserve it (education) because I take
education for granted like I fall asleep in class. I dont do the
homework. But for Fredhe had to risk his life and go to jail just
for education. --Eyanna
It reminded me not to let anyone dissuade me from taking the right
road to becoming successful and knowledgeable. --Alexus
FD gave really good advice by telling me I cant ever give up no
matter how many times I feel unimportant. --April
I learned that if I stay ignorant for a long time, I will stay at the
same spot. --Taylor
It has changed the way I think about educationI need to stay in
school and pay attention in class cause there were people back then
hungry for knowledge and here we are throwing it away. --Leona
Seriously, I have really been a whiney baby compared to FD. My mom
and dad got divorced, my mom is too strict and all of that nonsense.
I think Im the only person in the world this is happening to and that
no one has ever felt the same way. I need to tell myself to deal with
my problems properly and get on with my life. -- Nekele
Reading this narrative changed the way I think about my education
because now I know that not many people are getting educated like me.
I shouldnt take it for granted and complain&so I can be a better
person. -- Jamil
The next time that someone from my family gives me a dollar, I will
remember FD and how he never had a penny. The only reason FD became a
free man is because he tried very hard and never gave up. --Giselle
NY Cares Day a Colorful Affair!
Nearly 100 volunteers from accross the city joined us for NY Cares Day on Saturday, October 17 to help us make our school more colorful. After artists spent weeks drawing fabulous themed murals on our first floor, we got out the paint brushes and brought them to life. We even painted the cafeteria a happy shade of yellow and helped teachers organize and paint their classrooms. Thank you NY Cares for caring about our most important learning environment!
Click
here to see more pictures.
Cool Science with Ms. Pravasi
Eighth grade students in Ms. Pravasi science class love doing experiments. It looks like a lot of fun. Click
here to see more pictures.
Eighth Grade RELC Student Successfully
Auditions for Highly Competitive MSJA
Daniela Sandoval was accepted into the Middle School Jazz Academy at Lincoln Center after enduring two rounds of auditions. She was chosen over students auditioning from all 5 boroughs. What an incredible talent!