New Principal, John Tonero Retires As Faheem Ellis, is a 1996 WHS Principal Weequahic Indian Faheem Ellis realized early on in his career that school culture was the foundation of academic achievement. Passionate, dedicated, caring, intelligent and fearless come to mind when you think about Mr. Ellis. He has never met a chal- lenge he did not embrace. He realized in high school the im- John Tonero, a Newark portance of a quality education educator for 41 years, retired in and made a vow to be a bridge June as the Principal of Weequa- builder for urban youth. hic High School after five re- Now at age 36, he has become the new Principal at his alma warding years. He also taught mater, Weequahic High School. He is only the second mathematics at the high school Weequahic Principal to have graduated from the high school; for eight years. 1965 grad, Claude Scott Bey, was the first in 1980. Mr. Tonero previously Faheem Ellis was born and raised in Newark. He attended served as the Chair of the Math Maple Avenue elementary school and annex, lived on 801 Department and Vice Principal Elizabeth Avenue and 117 Grumman Avenue, and graduated at West Side High School. Ear- from Weequahic in 1996 where he excelled in football and lier in his career, he taught at basketball. His mother, Cheryl Smith, graduated WHS in Vailsburg High and Barringer 1973 and his father, Keith Ellis, attended WHS for two years. Prep. As a result of his love of athletics, he went on to obtain a BS In addition to academics, he degree in Health and Physical Education K-12 from Florida coached cross-country and in- Memorial University, a historic Black college located in door and outdoor track where his Miami. teams won 13 state champion- Mr. Ellis returned to Weequahic in 2002 where he taught ships and numerous county and Physical Education and Health for six years and was assistant city titles. coach in football and basketball, winning the state titles in both sports. Continued on page 2 Continued on page 2 Read about our five new college grads who received alumni scholarships MING’S The historic The ON More WHS 2013 Chinese WHS murals once great THE Restaurant NEWARK Honors SCHOLARSHIP Son of a EVENING To WHS INSIDE Recipients PALS Newark NEWS Alumni articles on CABIN butcher ELLIS continued from page 1 ALUMNI ASSOCIATION NEWS He also led the Hawthorne Avenue Ele- ALUMNI CALUMET mentary boys basketball team to a city ANNUAL MEETING: At our is a publication of the championship in 2005. While working Annual Organization meeting in WHS ALUMNI ASSOCIATION full time and coaching, he earned a MA September, Hal Braff (1952) and Editor, Layout & Design: degree in Educational Leadership at Mary Dawkins (1971) were re-elected Kean University. 1964 as co-presidents, Art Lutzke (1963) Phil Yourish, Mr. Ellis’ first administrative position as treasurer, and Ruby Baskerville Proofreading: was as Athletic Director at Malcolm X (1961) as secretary. Re-elected to two- Dave Lieberfarb, 1965 Shabazz High School. Under his leader- year terms as trustees were Karim Hal Braff, 1952 ship, athletes showed improvement in Arnold (1984), Ruby Baskerville, Judy attendance and academic performance - Our thanks for articles and photos and a higher percentage went to college. Bennett (1972), Hal Braff, Mary Dawkins, from The Star-Ledger, NJ.com, Adilah Quddus (1971), Gerald Russell NJ Jewish News, oldnewark.com, The highlight of his tenure was winning (1974), and Pamela Scott Threets (1966). and our WHS alumni and friends. four state basketball championships in three years. In 2010, the high school APPRECIATION: The Alumni was the first in the history of Newark to CONTACT US win both girls and boys state champion- Association wants to thank Sheldon ships in the same year. Bross (1955), co-founder and WHS Alumni Association treasurer, and Myrna Jelling P.O. Box 494, In 2011, he was promoted to Vice Prin- Weissman (1953), secretary and Newark, NJ 07101 cipal at Shabazz. Mr. Ellis took on the treasurer, for their many years of (973) 923-3133 mission of reforming the culture at the (973) 303-5294 high school as the administrator in distinguished and dedicated service [email protected] charge of discipline. as members of the Board of Trustees. www.weequahicalumni.org In his first month at Weequahic with a MOVING ON: Phil Yourish (1964) Our office is at Weequahic High high level of enthusiasm and energy, Mr. has announced that he will be stepping School, 279 Chancellor Avenue in Ellis has introduced new policies that are Newark in the Library/Media Cen- down after 13 years as the founding proving to be effective. ter on the 3rd floor. Executive Director at the end of the The Alumni Association welcomes 1996 school term. COME and VISIT! Tours of the WHS grad Faheem Ellis as the new Prin- high school and neighborhood cipal of the high school. We look for- can be arranged. ward to continuing our successful part- SCHOOL ACTIVITIES: In nership with the high school as we work addition to scholarships, the Alumni together to provide more opportunity for Association sponsored the following DONATIONS: Weequahic students. student activities: Men’s Day, Women’s West Coast Reunion; Class of 1963 Day, National Honor Society Induction David & Lenore Beckerman, 1943/49; Ceremony, girls basketball team sum- TONERO continued from page 1 Marilyn Bobrow mer camp, football team summer camp, Steven Bogner, 1966 He currently serves as the meet director and the WHS recruiting fair. It also pur- Steven Dinetz, 1965 for Essex County, the Essex County chased jackets for both the girls and Joseph Dombrowski, 1962 Super Conference, and the state section- boys championship track teams and David Fink, 1966 al championships. He is on the Execu- Dena Gittleman Greenstein, 1964 equipment for the boys basketball and tive Board of the Essex County Track Gloria Shapiro Hastreiter, 1940 Association and a member of the state football teams. Judy Herr, 1964 NJSIAA outdoor track committee. David Horace, 1987 WEB SITE: A new web site is being Arnold Keller, 1952 During his tenure as Principal, Mr. built for the Alumni Association. It will Sherry Ortner, 1958 Tonero created a caring environment at have a centralized database to look up Victor Parsonnet, 1941 the high school, improved attendance, classmates and friends; e-commerce to Leonard Robinowitz, 1954 raised test scores every year, and in- Stuart Rosenblatt, 1957 pay for membership, make contribu- creased graduation rates. Marvin Schlanger, 1965 tions, and purchase merchandise; slide Nancy Small, 1962 Principal Tonero also was a member shows and videos; an updated picture Lawrence Sosnow, 1953 of the Board of Trustees of the WHS gallery; and the latest alumni news. David Steiner, 1947 Alumni Association and we thank him Michael Weissman, 1957 for his valuable support, ongoing assis- Soon you will be able to access Benjamin Wolfe, 1955 tance, and good counsel. www.weequahicalumni.org once again. 2 32 students awarded $1,500 scholarships totaling $48,000 2013 Alumni Scholarship Recipients Yvonne Archer Kaheam Baker Aeriyahna Beeks Faye Boadi Portia Boakye Dasia Boykin Pearl Fund Attles Fund Attles Fund Alumni Fund Litzky Fund O’Connor Fund Kadarius Bullock Christian Byrd Na’syia Drayton Nazaarah Evans Norwin Felix Tasmeya Hall Attles Fund Attles Fund Greenstein Fund Attles Fund Small Fund Kalfus Fund Rolene Herod Nyota Howell-Massey Adrian Hunt Salaam Jones Shellaisia Leitch Owura Jackson Manhoff Fund Alumni Fund 1963 Fund Alumni Fund McLucas Fund Mason Fund Levester Price Carla Reynolds Shauntel Lucius Shawn McFadden Jarell McKnight Israel Olaywola Alumni Fund Attles Fund Stone Fund Bobrow Fund Roberts Fund 1964 Fund Continued on page 4 3 Kudos to our new college grads SCHOLARSHIPS continued from page 4 I realized that I really enjoyed how the mind works so I took a few psycholo- Mariame Sannor Omar Scott Appiffanny gy courses as electives and fell in love Boston with them. I went on to graduate with WHS 2008 a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psycholo- gy in May of 2013. In the fall of Montclair State 2013, I will be pursuing a Masters University degree in Social Work once again at Kean University. I would like to thank Weequahic High I am a proud alumna of Montclair School for preparing me with the right Boatwright Fund Rous Fund State University (MSU) Class of pre-college experience to start on my Spring 2012, with a Bachelor's degree path, along with great support I re- in Business Administration with ceived while I was in school, and the concentrations in Management and funding given to me by the Alumni Salhudine Simmons Association. Khayri Wilkerson Hospitality Management. People continuously ask where I’m from and are often surprised when I say that I’m a product of Newark and went to Barbara Weequahic High School, class of Crenstil 2008. WHS 2008 After graduating in the top five of my Dickinson class from WHS, for my four years at College Alumni Fund MSU I was awarded an annual schol- Hample Fund arship from the WHS Alumni Associ- ation which helped me graduate col- lege debt free. I am proud to say that I I graduated from Dickinson College in Zakiyyah Williams am and will continue to be a flower May 2012 and I can humbly say that that has sprouted from the seed of my numerous experiences - from par- WHS. ticipating in a 200-mile Coast-to- Coast Walk across Northern England Graduating cum laude at MSU, I am to generate awareness of environmen- the first generation to graduate col- tal sustainability to witnessing first lege, and coming from a single-parent hand the Egyptian Revolution - has home, I believe I represent myself, my made me a better and engaged citizen home and my community to its best of the world.