Middle School IS 62, Bklyn Trains Student Leaders
By Dr. Rose Cherie Reissman
A newscaster reports on the closing of a Kensington Pizza shop. Another newscaster stands in front of a local branch of the public library which has been closed. Students work with teen students from IVDU a special needs parochial school to survey views on financial literacy. The educators from Muslim, Russian and Brooklyn backgrounds learn about Jewish culture. A team of students brainstorm questions for Daily News journalist Denis Hamill. Student designers design poster boards that will be used in a 2012 student expo. Students design model personal memoir boxes. Students practice reading aloud poems using a microphone for the Bowery Poets Club open mike reading. Student web designers analyze author sites to create fan sites. A young writer works on a chapter in an upcoming book on literacy and technology for a national society.
These are snapshots from the lives of IS 62 middle school students making a difference in their neighborhood. The school’s leader, Barry Kevorkian, ensures that the curriculum includes rigorous academic, arts, sports and law courses providing students with leadership opportunities.
Ditmas learners (ELL, Newcomers, enrichment, CTT, special education) learn to voice perspectives. They meet journalists, Holocaust survivors, and diverse residents. They work to produce the Ditmas News Network an ongoing local news around school broadcast. The students have recorded two podcasts for Teaching Financial Literacy, produced by Mark Gura.
In partnership with educators Carideo, Downes, and Liotta, students have the opportunity of meeting working journalists including: Clem Richardson, Denis Hamill and Filip Bondy of the Daily News. Student journalists mirror the hometown news style of the Daily News. Reissman’s Writing Institute program makes writing come alive as students work on digital and published books. They assume publishing roles, including editors, graphic artists, photographers, writers, illustrators, publicists and marketers.
Students learned from author Andrea Pinkney at Scholastic books. Students ran Literacy Expo with over 400 parents and guests. Writing Institute students went to the Bowery Poetry Club in Manhattan to read aloud original poetry (composed in Ms. Xavier and Ms. Rodriguez’s classes). On May 5th, over 20 student leaders went to York College for their annual presentation of leadership.
At Ditmas IS 62, civic and literacy leadership integrate rigorous Common Core learning. Middle school can be the place where students take on leadership roles and expand literacy.#
For further information about Ditmas Student leadership opportunities, contact:
Barry Kevorkian, Principal bkevork@schools.nyc.gov ; Dr. Rose Cherie Reissman ( cherie.reissman@yahoo.com)
