Achievement was the theme of the night at the West New York Board of Education meeting on Monday. While students were honored for winning essay contests, the board also cited several staff members and a student who saved the lives of colleagues.
‘Above and beyond’
The board recognized staff members for going “above and beyond” the call of duty. Among them were teachers Sheila Culhane and Oscar Guerrero, who recently came to the aid of fellow Memorial High School teacher Lenore Murray, who was choking on a piece of grapefruit, by performing the Heimlich maneuver.
On another occasion, MHS Nurse Mary Diaz Garcia performed CPR on a student with a heart condition and pacemaker who flatlined in the school right before the holidays.
The board also recognized the initiative taken by MHS senior Shyrley Rodriguez, who helped save the life of a student who succumbed to a seizure. Rodriguez, who was CPR-trained, followed the appropriate CPR protocol until help arrived.
Last year, the school offered CPR training to students, with over 90 percent of seniors graduating CPR-certified. CPR training has since been incorporated into Memorial High School’s senior health curriculum.
The board also recognized the work of maintenance workers and custodians in the aftermath of recent snowstorms.
Award-winning essays
While families looked on in the P.S. No. 4 auditorium, five students were recognized by the board for writing award-winning essays submitted to the Knights of Columbus Essay Contest, and were called to shake hands with Knights of Columbus members and receive a certificate.
The Union City-based Spanish-speaking Santa Rosa de Lima council of the Knights of Columbus ultimately selected the following five winners to receive a $25 check: West New York Middle School seventh grade student Alessandra Carreno, Memorial High School freshman Anwar Awawdeh, sophomore Arlenis Ferreiras, junior Zoila Escobar, and senior Marvin Moreno.
Carreno, Awawdeh, Ferreiras, and Moreno were also selected as state essay contest winners, awarded a certificate of recognition from the State Council of the Knights of Columbus and a $500 EE savings bond.
Their essays will next compete with winners from other councils in the state.
Kids design taco truck
Moving forward with the school district’s healthy, green initiatives, Memorial High School Principal Scott Cannao and Sal Valenza, the food director of the district, made a PowerPoint presentation at Monday’s school board meeting introducing an idea that may become a staple of the school in the near future.
Cannao detailed tentative design and expectations for an outdoor taco truck that will redefine the on-campus eating experience.
Memorial High School was named “Healthiest School in America” by the National Alliance for a Healthier Generation, and was the only school in America to be awarded the Healthy Schools Program Gold Award for its progress in raising healthy food standards.
Seniors at Memorial High School enjoy open campus lunch privileges, but Cannao is hoping to hook them on an experience that will incorporate diverse classes within the school. Students in various classes, such as architectural design, marketing, and media, will help to conceive and design the taco truck, continuing the school’s focus on enriching learning through innovative initiatives.
Cannao hopes the cost will be zero, with the help of a grant writer who is working to secure funding.
The taco truck would also feature an off-the-grid solar panel, in keeping with the school’s commitment to the green movement that has already seen success with its Alternative Fuels Program that converted a gasoline-powered vehicle to a zero emission electric car.
On another note, in P.S. No. 2, plans will move ahead with its proposed Courtyard Reading Garden, due to a $5,000 Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Grant that it was recently awarded.