Yonkers MBK in the Schools Newsletter Premiere Edition
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NEWS IN THE SCHOOLS YEAR 1 • SINCE SEPTEMBER SEPTEM MBK Closet Bursts at the Seams CE B N Yonkers Public E I Schools joined the national R S My Brother’s Keeper movement on September 21, 2016, after Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano accepted President Obama’s Community Challenge to “improve the life outcomes of boys and young men of color.” Upon enthusiastically accepting the challenge, Mayor Spano tapped Yonkers Schools Superintendent Dr. Edwin M. Quezada and the Executive Director of the Nepperhan Community Center, Rev. Dr. Jim Bostic, as co-chairs of Yonkers MBK. They lead Yonkers MBK Yonkers students and families who face economic challenges, in collaboration with Yonkers Thrives. including losing their homes to fire, find comfort and much- Here is what has been happening with My needed clothing in Yonkers Schools’ Donation Closet. The Brother’s Keeper in Yonkers Public “closet” has been around for years. Schools Since September. Since Yonkers joined the My Brother’s Keeper movement nine months ago, the amount of clothing donations has increased tenfold. The closet is now a hub where students suit up for HOW TO HELP interviews, prom-goers pick up dresses and families continue to find support. Who manages the closet? “Word-of-mouth publicity through MBK has helped. It’s Eileen Torres taken on a life of its own,” said Eileen Torres a longtime What is needed? Roosevelt High School social worker who runs the operation • New dress socks, undershirts out of the school. • New or gently used dress shoes Yonkers MBK seeks to improve life opportunities for boys • Gently used clean clothing, including suits, skirts, blouses and young men of color through mentoring and many and dresses for interviews other means of support. For older students, job readiness -- Where do I drop off donations? including dressing appropriately for interviews -- is part of the Roosevelt High School, 631 Tuckahoe Road,Yonkers, NY 10710 program. Now known as the Yonkers MBK Dress for Success Closet, When? the operation occupies a vast art room packed with racks, Between 8am and 3pm. If you cannot drop off during these shelves and tables full of donated garments. It has a private hours, call the school at (914) 376-8118 and ask for Eileen changing area for those who need it. Since becoming part Torres to arrange a different time. of Yonkers MBK, the selection of suits, ties and dresses has How? expanded dramatically. Retailers such as Epstein’s in Tuckahoe Just walk up to the main entrance and say that you have and Bari Jay in New York City have donated new shirts and donations for the closet. Please bring your photo ID. continued on page 6 Why? You’ll be helping college-bound and job-seeking students, as well as Yonkers Yonkers students created the tagline “Innovating the Youth” families in need of a helping hand. to capture the spirit of the MBK movement which seeks to transform the realities of all young people. Roosevelt MBK Reaches Beyond Yonkers By Sony Grandoit, Assistant Principal and Christopher Lopez, Teacher Just weeks after Yonkers joined the 12-pound turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, Four members Roosevelt High School’s national My Brother’s Keeper movement in green beans, bread and gravy, and could My Brother’s Keeper leadership team September, Roosevelt High School held its serve up to 10 people. imbued the school’s Black History Month first MBK event - a visit to Baruch College in The Roosevelt MBK brothers dove right Assembly with poise and passion. Manhattan. into packing, handing out and transporting They performed a moving spoken word About 18 Roosevelt MBK students packages to feed and bring support to reading of Daniel Beaty’s poem “Knock visited New York City’s Expanded Success families in need. Knock” which reflects the author’s Initiative, an educational branch of New The brothers also shared a few words with childhood experience of temporarily York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio’s Young Rev. Dr. Jim Bostic, Nepperhan’s Executive losing his father to incarceration. The Men’s Initiative which “uses new ideas and Director, state Senator Andrea Stewart- four students, Barry Rowe, Aaron creative solutions to tackle the educational Cousins and other Yonkers officials. McCovey, Justin Patterson and Helio achievement gap and increase the number Carrillo “knocked down the house,” of Black and Latino young men who DECEMBER 2016 bringing the crowd of about 400 to graduate high school prepared to succeed Roosevelt MBK held a canned food their feet with applause. in college and careers.” drive during the month of December Other groups of Roosevelt students Students watched the Marc Silver called “Lunch for the Cause.” performed during the assembly. The documentary “3 ½ Minutes, 10 Bullets” Brothers who brought in more than student woodwind band entertained about the murder trial of Michael Dunn, 20 cans were rewarded with a Latino with several pieces that were composed a middle-aged white man who shot and cuisine lunch with MBK advisors, by African American musicians. killed Jordan Davis, a 17-year-old black Assistant Principal Sony Grandoit Students and teachers sang several teenager in Florida. and teacher Christopher Lopez. MBK soulful numbers to roaring applause. The Expanded Success Initiative brothers HyNeff Dunkley, Thanoon Guest speakers, Deputy Superintendent facilitated discussion after the viewing. Thabet, John Lantigua, Aaron Dr. Andrea Coddett and teacher Cristina Roosevelt’s MBK students shared their feelings and discussed issues that resonated with them. OCTOBER 2016 Eight Roosevelt High School students attended the African American Men of Westchester’s Annual Youth Business Skills Competition in October. Representing Roosevelt’s MBK leadership team, eight brothers engaged in a collaborative group task with a Morgan Stanley professional. MBK student leaders Barry Rowe, David McCorvey, David Tinajero and Micheal Doley, enlightened and encouraged the Rivera, Dwain Folkes, Sherman Bray, Ascencio all contributed enough cans to students on the continued struggles Daniel Santana, Tralen O’Banner, HyNeff enjoy lunch with two of their advisors. and progress of African Americans. Dunkley and Justin Esty represented Roosevelt. JANUARY 2017 MAY 2017 The group analyzed the Uber taxi January was “Style Education Month” Bonding, Brotherhood, and Barbecue: service and created a presentation for Roosevelt’s MBK. Brothers learned Roosevelt MBK brothers and their highlighting the pros and cons of Uber’s how to tie a tie and dress appropriately advisors enjoyed mountains of business. for a variety of events, such as job and hamburgers at a May MBK barbecue. college interviews. Brothers also shared home-cooked food NOVEMBER 2016 from a variety of countries. Ten students from Roosevelt’s MBK lent a FEBRUARY 2017 Roosevelt MBK Advisors: Assistant helping hand at the Nepperhan Community Our brothers volunteered to tutor English Center, preparing, packing and distributing Principal Sony Grandoit and teachers as a New Language students in the Yonkers Jaime Morales and Christopher Lopez. more than 100 free Thanksgiving meals to International Academy. Two brothers, Helio needy families in Yonkers in the days before Carrillo and Muneeb Baig served as after Thanksgiving. Each meal box included a school Earth Science tutors. 2 Yonkers Middle High School MBK Mother’s Day Breakfast Following this theme, the process and purpose of setting up a on April 27, the YMHS checking and saving account. brothers visited the Jason Hutchins, a 10th grader attend- Schomburg Center for ing the Mother’s Day breakfast said he Research in Black Cul- learned a lot from the visit including ture, a Harlem-based “how to start saving and how to get a branch of the New credit card under 18.” York Public Library. Jason’s mother, Marlene Hutchins, said During their visit, MBK helped her son overcome shyness. students learned about “He seems more responsible and more the life of the late willing and able to do anything.” Arthur Schomburg, Ms. Hutchins, whose job as a nurse’s the venerated histo- assistant often keeps her away from rian and collector of home, said she is grateful that her son books on Black people, has a positive group to spend time with culture and history. and learn from after school. In addition, students visited an exhibit about “They help each other out. They need Black Power. some form of guidance, especially in this society now,” she said. “We learned about Malcolm X and the Civil Rights move- During breakfast, Senator Stew- The brothers of Yonkers Middle High ment,” said Nathan Collins, who was art-Cousins walked among the brothers, School’s MBK put their hearts into every honored as YMHS MBK’s Leader of the explaining the importance of voting and detail of their May 5th Mother’s Day Year at the breakfast. sharing tales of perseverance – Senator Breakfast. Stewart-Cousins lost her first Senate run Earlier in April, Nathan organized a by 18 votes. Disappointed but unde- They invited keynote speaker State financial literacy session with two Wells terred, she ran again and won. Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins; they Fargo bank professionals who visited chose the table decorations (black table MBK brothers at YMHS. Mortgage Nearly all of the MBK brothers knew cloths with gold accents); they invited a broker Irene Aponte and Michael Waite, the origins of the My Brother’s Keeper few special women as surrogate moms a personal banker, shared with the movement – that it was launched by to sit with brothers whose mothers students the importance of creating a former President Barak Obama. couldn’t attend; and they selected the budget, saving for college and manag- Said Senator Stewart-Cousins, “Each of menu – scrambled eggs, sausage, pan- ing credit. Students created a spending you is extending the legacy of the 44th cakes and French toast. plan based on their allowance or part- President.