STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — It’s the second day of the 2021-2022 school year in New York City public schools, and Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter visited two Staten Island sites on Tuesday during her weeklong tour of schools across the five boroughs.
All 1 million city public school students returned to campus on Monday for full-time, in-person instruction since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shuttered schools in March 2020. All students in pre-K, elementary, middle, high school and District 75 schools are back in their classrooms, with no remote or hybrid option available.
On Tuesday, Porter began her Staten Island tour welcoming and cheering on parents and students at the Richmond Pre-K Center in Bulls Head, located at 1535 Richmond Ave. The center is one of eight across the borough offering free, full-day, high-quality 3-K and Pre-K for All programs.
Along with school staff and administrators from Staten Island’s District 31, Porter waved, said good morning, and asked how the 3- and 4-year-olds were upon entering the school building.
“I think it’s great,” said Dawn Uccio, about her 4-year-old son T.J. McMahon returning to school. “They definitely need to be back in class. I think everything will be fine, but I think the masks are absurd, the random testing of the older kids. My son hasn’t worn a mask since his last day of school [last school year].”
After arrival, the chancellor traveled to the back of the school building to the playground and garden. Students sat on the ground in the playground on socially distanced circles, singing along and waving an instrument with their teacher to the “ABC (Alphabet) Song” and “Mr. Golden Sun.”
Porter and her colleagues joined the festivities once students started to sing and dance to the “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes” song.
It was then time to garden. On her hands and knees, Porter got dirty helping pre-K student Marcell Sastre plant his flower.
“We’re going to put our plant over here,” she told him, as the pair patted down the soil surrounding the flowers and used a watering can.
Porter’s next stop was the Marsh Avenue Expeditionary Learning School (MAELS) in New Springville — a public middle school founded on the ideals of Outward Bound, an education organization that organizes its curriculum around multidisciplinary learning expeditions. Academic achievement and character development are placed together at the core of the curriculum, according to the school.
She was greeted by student ambassadors, eighth-graders Diandra Tissera and Andrew Herrera, who would lead Porter on a tour of the building.
“I’m happy to back,” said Diandra. “It’s been a really long time since I’ve been back at school, and it’s really exciting because I haven’t seen my friends in such a long time. As soon as school ended, I lost contact with everyone I knew, including Andrew, and it’s nice to see everyone again. I came back to school for seventh grade, and I was the only person on my bus the entire time. It’s nice to see other people, even at least half of their face, it’s still nice to see them.”
The pair said they were excited to come back to school because they were able to reconnect with their “crew” — which Herrera said is a small group of students that have bonded and connected throughout their three years of middle school.
Diandra and Andrew told Porter about how their first day of school went, adding they were surprised to see balloons lining the driveway.
“I want to thank you Principal [Cara] DeAngelo for your commitment and leadership throughout these trying times,” said Porter, referring to her leadership of MAELS during the pandemic. “My heart is so full, because without your work and our principals in New York City, we would not be able to open schools back up in New York City, so thank you.”
DeAngelo gifted Porter a swag bag of MAELS items — including a mask that the schools chancellor quickly used to replace her original face covering.
“This is my ninth year [as principal]. I’m loving every minute of it because of the students,” said DeAngelo.
Porter headed to the stairwell, where she admired the hand-painted murals. Some of the most recent murals on the stairwell doors were painted by students through a partnership with Illuminart Productions.
The chancellor sat down at a table next to seventh-grade students during an English language arts class, engaging in the discussion about connecting with others. Paul Pesce told Porter his connection in community is the connection with his teammates on his soccer team. He explained this is because soccer is his passion, he enjoys playing the sport with friends, and his teammates make him “feel welcomed.”
Another student said that MAELS is a good community because the students are all friendly with each other and there is no bullying among students.
Down the hallway, Porter took a quick break in the school’s Mindful Space — an area to allow students to have a quiet space to reflect and wind down. Superintendent of Staten Island Schools Dr. Marion Wilson said every school on the borough will work to make a similar space on campus. Such areas are actually a vision put forth by the schools chancellor.
Porter then visited another seventh-grade classroom, where students learned how they could be better in math.