Large Meeting Crowd for Hebrew Language School in Marine Park Junior High
You may or may not be aware that the City is planning on placing a charter secondary high school within Marine Park Junior High by September 2011. Since Marine Park Junior High is our zoned school, this could have a significant impact on future education. While this might be considered to be a good thing, because it would provide our children with another potential high school option. That is not the initial plan, it appears to involve starting the school with 300+ students from undisclosed locations which mightl change the delicate dynamics of the middle school’s population and administrative philosophy.
An alternative program was proposed by local parents to open up spaces for a specialized program that would educate high performing, middle school aged autistic children, which is apparently in great need. It is imperative that our voices be heard before a plan is forced upon us without our input.
A District 22 Education Council meeting is scheduled for Thursday, December 2nd at 7:00 at P.S. 312, 7103 Avenue T. Please make every effort to attend to hear the City’s plan and to insure that we have our say in determining the option that will best meet the needs of our community.
Does this mean that instead of the buses that come from the otherside of Brooklyn going to Ave X they will only bring those wonderful high schoolers to Filmore Ave
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Mixing 18 year olds with 13 year olds is never a good idea.
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Why does district 22 need a charter school? It’s one of the highest performing districts in Brooklyn. 5th grade parents are now in the process of deciding where to send their kids for middle school and I know the band has been making the rounds to elementary schools trying to encourage 5th graders to attend the school as 6th graders. I would think a parent would be somewhat reluctant to send their 11 and 12 year olds to a school that houses “300+ high school age students from undisclosed locations”. This only makes the out of neighborhood schools that much more attractive and further decreases the enrollment in a school that should really be looking to attract more neighborhood middle schoolers from GB and MP.
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Dear “Are you kidding Me?”
A quick response to some of your points:
1) You cannot compare a small middle school like 207, with its hand picked students to that of a large middle school with just under 1,000 students — a school, I may add that serves EVERYONE, not just those hand-selected by the powers that be!
2) The band is not the only claim to fame that the principal is proud of… many of the children there (mine included) score exceptionally well on state-wide exams as well as on their report cards… all this, while being at school at 7:05 a.m. to practice for the “claim to fame band.” Core subjects are incredibly well taught at this school!
3) It is not a charter school… it is yet to be named and the DOE has yet to inform the community of their intentions with regard to the student population.
4) I have no idea what your 2nd sentence means… and where were you educated that you do not know when to properly use “there” and “their?” (2nd to last paragraph)
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1) How are the kids hand selected? My child can go to either school.
2)Look at the test school results. Under preforming as a school. Exception might be your childs but the school as a whole isn’t. Report cards mean nothing except PR. Know education and how the system works prior to using this as a ground to stand on.
3) Core subjects are so well taught that test school have declines and the school continues to under preform.
4) I was eudcated at Marine Park JHS… I know how poor the school was and continues to be.
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There were exactly 10 seats available for CIG classes only at Fillmore Academy which means that if your child didn’t already have a seat at PS 207, you had virtually no chance of a seat at FA. Cunningham receives thousands of applications, screens applicants and takes only the highest performing students. If your child is an average student you have little chance of a seat there. If you looked at the standardized test scores of only the top classes at Marine Park, you’d have similar results to Fillmore Academy & Cunningham. The difference is that Marine Park educates everyone who attends there.
You may know how Marine Park used to be but you have no idea what’s going on there now.
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District 22 and it’s representatives clearly have no clout. Why are they busing in outsiders forever? What did District 22 do that required the DOE to ship in a bunch of kids 1 hour and longer from the far reaches of Brooklyn?
Charter schools are a mirage. May be in the inner city, they make sense. here we have involved parents. But some genius down at the Tweed Courthouse has long decided to keep busing us disruptive outsiders.
278 as a great school could be a magnet for the neighborhood and would probably shut down Good Shepherd altogether, good or bad. Instead if your child is not an Eagle it’s a dumping ground for misfit toys. But as above better idea would be to make 278 and 222 K to 8 like 207. Alas, the DOE continues to treat us and our children like garbage and ship the dregs into the school.
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I would go out on a limb and say that those band members who continue on to a performing arts high school and who hone their musical skills can very likely land a college scholarship. I would bet that they are also strong, motivated students who use their involvement with band to strenthen their college applications and to standout as students who were dedicated enough to attend practice at 7 in the morning, every morning. They also make commitments to attend performances and to represent their school in the best light possible. So, I’m sure that many of them are able to parlay that Marine Pk JHS band experience into money for college.
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You’re absolutely right here, bagels. The band kids do go on to some of the most prestigious high schools because, in addition to being talented, they are highly motivated and conscientious students. Many get scholarships to private high schools based both on their academic and musical skills.
Anyone who makes remarks like those of “are you kidding me” has no real understanding of the system. A few weeks ago, a Daily News article identified a middle school in Queens where teachers were being physically & sexually assaulted and students were having sex in the stairwells. *That* school earned a C on their school report card. The DOE has no clue what *real* accountability means.
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I personally know two children who got music scholarships, one to Xaverian High School. The band competes at Hershey Park winning gold medals every year. Last year they won First Prize at Disney World competing against bands from around the country. If you think traveling with a gaggle of middle school students is a vacation, you’ve never done it. It’s neither cheap nor easy but the students and staff are committed to excellence and it shows.
If you have the attention span to watch 9 minutes of classical music, watch this all the while remembering that the oldest of these kids is 14 years old. If you don’t think these kids are going places, you’re a fool.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUU61aRxnkc
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Louise, you are in the school frequently and obviously know what you are talking about. I have worked there for over 10 years and can attest to the fact that it is a great school. It was a dump 10 years ago when I started there and have watched it morph into not only a great school for the arts, not only the bands but Drama as well. But there is so much more. People who think there is nothing going on there academically are dead wrong. As a casual observer, I have seen it change from the same old ‘stuff’ to challenging and engaging assignments that kids get excited about. And if anyone thinks that getting middle school kids excited about learning is easy-think again. It takes a caring and dedicated staff and an administration that really cares about the success of their students. Kids are happy there and feel safe and ARE safe. When my kids were going to middle school, that was the most important thing to me. What will it be like to have 12 year olds sharing the building with HS students? Will they still feel safe? The mayor has everyone so focused on test scores that they can’t see the forest for the trees. MP scoring a ‘D’ was a sham, a way for them to execute the plan to add a charter. Plain and simple and obviously there are those that are falling for it but anyone who is there every day knows that it is ridiculous. And to ‘Forward March’, lol that you think a school trip is a vacation for the staff that chaparone! It’s a huge responsibility and they need vacations when they return. But they continue to volunteer to do it, year after year, because it is great experiences for the kids and that’s what it is all about.
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Teachers are compensated for after school activities and clubs. Why shouldn’t they be? Do you work for free? But trips are different. They are allowed a free adult for every so many children to supervise them. What is wrong with that? I’m sure that their enjoyment of the trips is more based on pride in the performances of the kids and not the kind of enjoyment they would have vacationing with their own families. They have to keep a large group of 11-14 year olds safe and accounted for. Do you really think thats easy?
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Thanks for making my point, no one works for free, the teachers are compnsated and now your saying they are even compnsated more by getting the trip for free. I wonder if they claim the free bees. I wonder if the school executives declare it on their yearly statements / disclosurers to the city. The City says they have no money, these long distance activities, not just in this school but everywhere really need to end. If parents want to take their kids to Disney or Hershey so be it thats their right, but the City doesn’t need to be taking anyone
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You don’t seem to understand how this works. The DOE doesn’t pay for the teachers. Each child and (parent) chaperone pays a certain amount for the trip. There is a free trip every X number of participants. The teacher chaperones (who do NOT receive compensation for the time spent on the trip) travel free. The trips to Hershey and Disney cost the city NOTHING.
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Was your kid thrown out of public school? Has your kid ever been in a gifted program? I guess not, I bet your kid has always read below grade level because you low lives were too busy getting drunk or high. Get a life and learn how to spell while your at it!
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Thanks Louise, I didn’t realize that Forward March actually thought that the city was footing the bill to Hershey and Disney competitions! It’s amazing what some people come up with! Free trips to Disney World! Can you imagine?
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when did Xavarian become a college? Read what was writen if you’re going to TRY and trash it. The comments regarding scholarships were about college scholarships.
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It would be exceptionally difficult to track the students’ careers post high school but a Xaverian scholarship is worth approximately $40,000 these days. Don’t you think that a student who gets one and attends there will be offered college scholarships? My son was offered over $250,000 worth of scholarships as a Xaverian graduate. A family who might otherwise be unable to afford that tuition may get a leg up thanks to a music scholarship.
*Nobody* gets a college scholarship based on their middle school record whether academic or musical but the tenacity and discipline exercised by the band will generally translate to a successful high school career. They are also among the finest Marine Park students academically because of their high standards.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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No its not
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“Finest Marine Park students academically”… did someone miss the test scores and school’s ratings. Come on lets be real people, has anyone been by there at dismissal time, barriers set up to pen them in. How about the lunch room riots.
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You obviously have no idea how those statistics are gathered or what they mean. The dismissal routine is probably the smoothest in the city because it is perfectly organized. If you’d like to see mayhem, go down Ave. N at Roy Mann’s dismissal time when shopkeepers lock their doors and roll down their gates. What lunch room riots? I’m in the building several hours a week and there haven’t been lunch room riots in over ten years. Stop spreading rumors about ancient history.
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How about the Marine Park JHS “student” who was just on the news for being arrested for having a gun in his bookbag? And you’re worried about HS?
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You have misinformation about your so called lunch room riots, safety at Marine Park is the staffs number one priority and the deans as well as the entire staff do a fabulous job each and every day!!!!
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There is no mis information about a riot or a very large dispute at the school, in fact 8 kids were treated by EMS with a few being taken to the hospital. Obsviously those at the school play it down but do some public research or ask a few kids you’ll LEARN. And what about the kid arrested for having a gun inside the school last week, the gun was in the school all day, I heard that adminstrators knew but didn’t want the kid approached inside the school and waited until the end of the day to report it. Yes a very smart idea, make it appear that nothing ocurred inside the school so not to get bad rap but instead put the safety of hundreds of children at risk inside the school.
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I’m really not sure what you’re getting at here. I know more than “one minority,” as you say, who play in the band. Most of the videos posted on Youtube are of competitions, either at Hershey or Orlando. If band members don’t choose to go on those trips, you won’t see them represented here. Some students join chorus or drama rather than band because the distance to travel to school precludes a lot of early morning or late afternoon practice. It’s easier for kids who live nearby to participate. Every student has an opportunity to audition for the band and even younger siblings of current band members are not guaranteed a spot.
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Anonymous,
1) Yes, the video is “wonderful” as you state.
2) You saw “one minority?”….. do you possess special super powers that allow you to make this distinction from watching a youtube video? You MUST be kidding me!
3) Why not use your real name, as opposed to hiding behind the anonymous title while sitting at your computer? What have YOU done to help OUR community recently???? You seem to have plenty of time on your hands… how about volunteering somewhere and making better use of your time!
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Look at the video from Disney, close ups of the band, there’s actually 2.
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Rev,
Can you TRULY identify people’s backgrounds/ethnicity by LOOKING at them???? Impressive! I dare say, not in all cases… although several of you here seem to think you can!
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There are PLENTY of minorities who attend this school. Why don’t you have the audacity to call their parents and ask why they are sending their kids the such a great music school and have no commitment to their academic or musical endeavors? What excuse will you make for them and try to sell us, the hard working non-minortiy folks who do make sure our kids are given the opportunity. Your comment just clarifies that you do not know the school at all.
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There are clearly some people posting here that have never been inside of Marine Park Junior High School and just want to see their owns words in print…I have worked there and in many other schools in District 22 and can attest that their Music, Drama and most of the English Department is unmatched by any other schools, of any peer group as well.
As for the college scholarship nonsense, you obviously have no idea on the varied interests, talents and motivations for chidren who show up to school and do well in many areas, because they want to be there. I might add that all of the schools in our district have different styles and employees and that it would be hard to compare any of them in all areas across the board. All educators already know this.
I agree with the post that if the parents and students don’t have anything less than a rebellion, that the Mayor will continiue to use our schools and buildings to fulfill his own legacy of closing the gap between parents who are not committed and those of us who are. Why exactly, is he ignoring the voices of District 22? Do we represent something undesirable to him? It is time for a new language to define the discrimination that he holds towards many of his communities. This is a Mayor who will be remembered for dismembering and dividing the middle class.
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District 22 lost their powerful Superintendant when the reorg went through.
Hasn’t anyone noticed that the District has been on a decline since then?
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who really cares theyre all gonna drop out anyway, do wut u want with teh schooling for all juvenile deliquents..
Hot debate. What do you think?
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It’s obvious you have no care for education, you, yourself must have been a “juvenile deliquent drop out”, just by the incorrect grammar and spelling. If you need suggestions on how to obtain a GED, I would be more than happy to help you.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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I know, you live in Gerritsen Beach, let me take a stab in the dark on this, you are a professor, no…uhhh Doctor…uh didnt think so, uhhhh politician…possibly since theyre all corrupt and full of shit but since youre still in the “Hood” I’d say no to that, uhhhh whats left in that place, construction worker maybe, uhhh nah your entirely to lazy, a lawman ahhhh they’re all so honost, a firefighter…doubt it…I got it, your typical computer shit talker..wahhhh and for your info I actually have a degree in detecting losers, the education I received was effective..stay home watch another soap opera drink a bottle of whiskey and hate your neighbor..Gotta go dirty Beach Rat…
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We need to fight until this does not happen in the same manner that our POS mayor cries, pouts and changes stats and information to get what he wants for himself and for his dirty partners in crime ex:. this new transvestite chancellor! They already ship in so much garbage that this definitely would only makes things alot worse. Do we forget that these POS work for us and are not our owners????? We put them there….they should work for us!!! Anarchy sounds pretty good now here in NYC!!!!
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Charter schools usually have inexperienced teachers and a high turnover among the faculty. Why would an experienced teacher want to be in a non-union environment without having the basic rights that regular public school teachers enjoy? It would be better for the neighborhood to have a new public high school that would attract proven teachers who want to work in a small, community-minded setting.
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As far as we know now, this is not a charter school. It is expected to be a 300 seat school operating separately from the existing middle school. The focus of the school and where the students will be recruited from are as yet unknown. Keep in mind that the eighth graders at Marine Park are out of the equation having already submitted their high school applications last week.
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Sl Selecting a school based on a band is like selecting school that has a great baseball team. Math and Reading is what school’s about. Marine Park JHS doesn’t have the grades in math and reading. Do your research and realize the school has been under preforming for years.
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You obviously are deficient in reading comprehension. There are only so many ways to explain this to you. You have no idea what the standardized test scores mean or what goes on in that building. I’ve wasted enough time trying to help you understand.
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The reply button is missing from the comment by Cagney above but it’s too important to let it stay there unchallenged until it’s fixed.
Stop accepting what what you “heard” as gospel. The situation with the gun was handled as soon as a teacher was notified. No one can be responsible for what a student brings to the school. What’s important is how it is handled and this was taken care of in the safest, most professional way possible as are all incidents at Marine Park.
I don’t know where you get your information but as the mother of an 8th Grader and a member of the School Leadership Team, I’m very well-informed about the school and what goes on there.
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dont yout have a life u dont get paid for this and this is going to get you no where in life so stop publishing bullshit or im going to start reporting on you and your family and see how u like it wit my camera so get a life o0o0o and i remember my uncle tellin me you use to do crack so ur no a saint either have a nice day loser
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Marine Park JHS does provide its band students with the foundation to earn college music scholarships. But there is a lot that can affect that pathway after middle school. Many students end up in high schools which do not have a band program that is strong enough to build on the Marine Park foundation. If a student is singularly focused on music then they will choose a high school with a strong music program, but at that stage many students are exploring options and weighing many factors besides musical program in their high school choices. When students accept music scholarships at colleges, they have to be willing to commit a tremendous amount time and focus into performances, but not every kid wants to devote themselves to that level. But the band program at Marine Park is more than capable of producing students who are eligible for acceptance at LaGuardia H.S (yes, it has happened), and from there to music scholarships at colleges. My own child had that potential but was not motivated to go that route, and also ended up subsequently discouraged by the mediocre band instruction at Madison HS. But she most certainly was provided with top notch musical instruction that could have led to college music scholarships, even though she came into the school with almost no musical background. Of course now that Mr. M is gone, I don’t know if current musical instruction is of equal caliber (perhaps). Many of the kids in the top performing Marine Park bands are academically oriented, as well.
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I’m glad that you mentioned that many of the kids in the bands are academically oriented. It really doesn’t matter if they go on to pursue music or not, it is a proven fact that students that study music learn more easily, especially Math. There have been many studies done and there is a definite connection. It seems that music opens up their little, incomplete brains to learning. It’s a shame that this is lost on the DOE and the first thing to be cut in many schools is the music programs. And it’s a shame that there aren’t really good programs from 1st grade all the way through HS. It should be a no-brainer!
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The truth is many of the children attending Marine Park JHS are bused in. If you don’t believe me go there on dismissal and see the many city buses and yellow buses arriving to pick up the children from other neighborhoods. Why doesn’t the DOE get funding and fix their schools? Why are neighborhood children feeling displaced in their own school. DOE needs to address this and come up with a solution. How come the neighborhood children are they minority at this school?
As for creating a high school within a junior high school are you kidding we have middle schools for a reason putting 11 year olds with 17-18 year olds is not a good combination. Who is going to protect these young children? As it is there is alot of bullying going on in IS 278 which know one seems to address children are not safe in the hallways, bathroom, classrooms, and lunchroom. On a daily basis the lunchroom is out of control with kids hustling each other for money.
Recently, a child brought a gun to school and now the school looks like a prison with it’s caged in front. Stop busing the kids into IS 278 they do not have the same morals as the children in the surrounding the area. This maybe hard to hear but I pay alot in taxes and for my home and my children and your children should be safe in their neighborhood school. And for all you bleeding heart liberals go live in those areas and come back and tell me.
A child who is afraid of going to school will not learn. They will just be in constant fear of what is going to happen to them. This is not creating a good learning atmosphere. It is not just about getting the grades we need to create a nuturing learning atmosphere free from violence. And this school is just not doing it.
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HELP I S 278 WITH IT’S MANY PROBLEMS
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statistics ARE BULL LETS GET THE TRUTH OUT THERE MARINE PARK JHS IS OUT OF CONTROL AND YES THERE ARE ALOT OF GOOD STUDENTS BUT THERE IS NO CONTROL IN THIS SCHOOL. THE TEACHERS ARE FAIRIES AND SCARED OF THERE SHADOWS.
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HAve staff stand in the hallways while kids are changing classes this would cut down on some of the problems. put more guards in the lunchroom at lunchtime. Keep monitoring the bathrooms. ask the principal to get more safety agents.
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Have the principal be able to call the parents when kids are not behaving and create a policy that if you cannot behave toss te child out of this school. dont tie the principals hands give her more control. kids that are disruptive should go to like the old days the 600 schools.
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have staffy agents walk around the three floor and looking into the classrooms to make sure the kids are not misbehaving.
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make the parents accountable for their childs actions. You break something your parents should pay for it. Get more parent involvement this not help
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What are you talking about? Sure, a large percentage of Marine Park students are bused in but you can thank your neighbors for that. If they weren’t in such a hurry to send their kids to Cunningham & Mark Twain, their kids would be sitting in those seats. Maybe you should blame the parents who lobbied for PS 207 to go K-8 so that their precious angels could stay in their exclusive environment.
My son will graduate Marine Park in June and he’s seen none of the problems you claim exist at the school. I spend several hours a week there and I haven’t seen them either. The stories that are being passed around are old news.
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Neighborhood schools are a thing of the past because of the mayor and DOE now give all parents the choice of where to send their kids to school. So, people from MP and GB who go by the past reputation of 278, want to send their kids to what they think are better schools, like Mark Twain and Cunningham. Parents of kids in East Flatbush and Canarsie see Marine Park as being alot better than the schools in their neighborhoods, so they send them there. It’s really ridiculous and a big waste of money and time sending kids all over for an education that they should all be able to get within a mile or 2 of their own homes. This policy should have never been adopted, but it was. As far as the Anonymous above stating that someone brought a gun (unloaded) to school and now it looks like a prison with the fencing, one thing has nothing to do with the other. The school is about to undergo a major exterior renovation and the fencing, bridgework and netting will go all the way around to protect everyone from accidents while the work is being done. It will go on for about 3 years. And as far as the morals of kids from the neighborhood being so much better, I’d have to say that kids are kids. Some are raised better than others. A couple of years ago, we kept finding puddles of urine in a particular stairway. When the perp was caught, with HER pants around her ankles, it turned out to be a little girl from Marine Park. Several years ago there was a terrible fire in the summertime. Those arrested were all Marine Park residents. I could give you many other examples, sometimes things that happen are by the so called bussed in kids, sometimes it’s not. Adolescents, 11-14, are a bit crazy, as anyone who has ever raised any knows! They change day to day and try on different personnas. So your perception of that all troublemakers are bussed in is wrong. Maybe stems from your own predudice? Alot of the kids who are from outside the neighborhood are immigrants and very focused on their educations. Middle school is where a lot of life lessons are learned along with academics. If your kid is being bullied, let the Dean or AP know about it. They are very responsive but need to know about it to help.
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i hate ms .maslow from dis skool she need to brush hu teeth
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im sorry i take it bakk
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