Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Timothy Ramirez Is Golden


Big congratulations are in order to junior Timothy Ramirez, but not for a reason you would typically expect for an MCSM student. The reason? On Thursday, April 18th, young Mr. Ramirez became a Golden Gloves boxing champion in the 106-pound novice division with a 3-2 decision over his 20-year-old opponent, Jordan Rodriguez. Amazingly, Timothy has only been boxing for about one year. His background in martial arts helps explain his sudden success, and as he told the New York Daily News, he's a quick learner.

Two days earlier, the Daily News ran a fascinating profile of Timothy. His path to the Golden Gloves championship, and even his path into and through MCSM, has not been an easy one. He readily admits to being a troubled youngster in the past, involved in fights, skipping school, arguing with his family, getting suspended or having to change schools, and generally heading in the wrong direction. Now he's a student in good standing at MCSM with an 84 grade point average.

What turned him around? In part, MCSM. In part, boxing. But to hear Timothy tell his story, the biggest part of his about face has been his girlfriend, Kayla Colon. As he told the Daily News, "I'm like, 'Wow, if I had known that I could have met someone like her, then maybe I would have started going to school earlier. I've completely changed," he went on. "I really love her. I'm into her. We understand each other. I don't fight anymore or argue anymore because of her."

Look for more on Timothy Ramirez in the next Parent Newsletter. We'll be doing our own story on him. In the meantime, if you want to read the Daily News profile story, just click on this: "A kinder, gentler Timothy Ramirez chases Golden Gloves title on Thursday."

Monday, April 28, 2008

Greening MCSM's Greenhouse?

Did you know MCSM had a greenhouse? If you didn't, it's probably because you've never seen it, and you've probably never seen it because you've never been on the school's fourth floor roof.

Well, it turns out that MCSM does have a fairly spacious greenhouse, but it hasn't been in use for several years. The tables and some equipment are still there, but nothing has grown during that time except perhaps for some cobwebs.

Thanks to new teacher Peter Mulroy (Environmental Science) and Assistant Principal for Science Irma Garceau, our greenhouse may soon start becoming green again. Mr. Mulroy and Ms. Garceau are exploring the creation of a Greenhouse Club, and a number of students have reportedly already expressed interest. Mr. Mulroy is even considering ways to tie the greenhouse into his Environmental Science course.

To get things started, the PTA has agreed to donate $400 "seed money" (get it? SEED money??) so the Science Department can purchase needed equipment or supplies to get the Greenhouse Club going and bring the greenhouse back into operation.

Who knows? Maybe one of these days, students will be sampling MCSM greenhouse tomatoes in the cafeteria, or maybe Mr. MonteLeon's office will be decorated with some plants first grown on our rooftop. In addition, the greenhouse may one day be part of the school tour for prospective students, giving them one more reason to make MCSM their first choice!

Friday, April 25, 2008

PTA RECEIVES $5,000 GRANT FROM NY STATE SENATOR JOSE SERRANO!!

On April 9, we learned the happy news that NY Lawyers for the Public Interest(NYLPI) -- requesting on behalf of the MCSM PTA -- has received a $5,000 legislative grant from the office of New York State Senator Jose Serrano. The purpose of this grant is to provide funds through which NYLPI can engage an independent environmental consultant to review air and soil test results taken by Con Edison and the NY State Departments of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and Health (DOH). Additionally, these funds will allow MCSM parents to have the consultant review Con Edison and DEC's plans for site remediation and offer independent, object advice to parents as to the merits and possible deficiencies or unresolved questions in those plans.

Our original request (submitted by NYLPI on our behalf) was $20,000, but this amount was estimated to cover the cost of an independent consultant through the end of the site remediation and development of the ongoing maintenance and monitoring plan. Regardless, Senator Serrano's grant of $5,000 will enable MCSM parents to access a qualified independent consultant for the next stage of this project, after which we can re-assess our needs and seek an additional grant to cover later stages of the remediation.

We are anticipating that Con Edison and DEC/DOH will be releasing their formal written plans in September, once school has resumed. They will be available to present and discuss those plans with parents at a PTA meeting and will provide a 30-day period for public comment. With NYLPI's assistance, the PTA Executive Board will look to engage an environmental consultant to help us through these next steps.

MCSM parents should know that Senator Serrano's office has monitored this issue closely since it first arose last October and November. Senator Serrano has been represented for every Con Edison presentation at MCSM by his staff, either Ms. Yvonne Przybyla or Mr. Brian Levinson. We are grateful for their continued involvement.

Senator Serrano represents the 28th Senate District, which includes Roosevelt Island, East Harlem, Randall's Island, and (in the Bronx) Mott Haven, Port Morris, High Bridge, Mount Eden, and Morris Heights.

Con Edison Previews Toxic Remediation Plans for MCSM


As part of their presentation at the Isaac Newton MS PTA meeting on April 16, representatives from Con Edison, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and NYS Department of Health (DOH) previewed their plans for remediation of the toxic contaminants left buried under our school building from the manufactured gas plant that used to operate on our site.

After analyzing several of the alternative technologies currently available for removing the coal tars beneath the building, these organizations have concluded that no technology exists that can remove enough of the contaminants to eliminate the problem. By their estimation, any effort to extract these contaminants would leave half or more of them still beneath the school and with them, the same ongoing concerns for toxic vapors to enter the school building's indoor air. Removing the coal tars would require puncturing the holding tank beneath our school building in order to attempt vacuuming out those materials. In the DEC's judgment, doing so would risk making the contamination problem worse. As they stated in their presentation, "Any complete removal would require relocating the school." Consequently, they are "currently not planning on any source removal under [the] school."

This conclusion suggests that the toxic contaminants will remain on site, under the school building, until either a new removal technology becomes available or until our school building is closed and/or demolished.

According to the DEC and DOH, recent indoor air quality tests have suggested that the school basement's concrete floor has been working as an effective barrier against chemical gases entering the school. Con Edison and NYS are therefore proposing to leave the contaminants beneath the school building for the foreseeable future. However, to strengthen the barrier against vapor intrusion, they are proposing to install a "subslab depressurization" system during the next year. This system will create a vacuum area beneath the school's concrete basement floor. Any chemical vapors in the soil would then be pulled into this vacuum and vented away from the school, into the outdoor air.

Con Edison is currently preparing an Alternatives Analysis Report describing these findings and recommendations. This document will probably be presented in the early Fall and will include presentation at a public (PTA) meeting and a public comment period. A copy of their presentation to the Isaac Newton PTA on April 16 can be found on the Con Edison web site (www.coned.com/publicissues/manufactured_gas_plants.asp) or through the link on this website entitled "Information for MCSM Parents."

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Con Edison Air Quality Testing Update


On Wednesday, April 16, representatives from Con Edison, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), and NYS Department of Health (DOH) presented the results of their air and soil tests taken during the mid-winter recess (February 18 - 23). They found potentially toxic chemical vapors in the soil beneath our school building (not a new fact) but no such chemicals in the indoor air of our school building that could be attributed to the coal tars left beneath the school following the closure of the manufactured gas plant that used to operate on our site until the late 1930s.

Air samples were taken from multiple sites around the basement and first floor of our building to evaluate the indoor, winter season air quality, while soil samples were taken at several locations through the basement's concrete floor to evaluate the level of chemicals and chemical vapors beneath our school. The air quality tests were primarily seeking the presence of certain dangerous chemicals called BTEX -- benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene -- that are often associated with manufactured gas plants. Only one location in our school building was found to have an unusually high level toluene, and that is a basement storage room where gasoline-powered equipment is kept. The DOE has already promised to add ventilation in that storage room to direct any such vapors outside the building.

Con Edison and DEC concluded therefore that "none of the detections of [chemicals] in the indoor air can be directly attributed to the contamination below." They further stated that "there is strong evidence that concrete floor is an effective barrier" to preventing chemical vapors in the soil below the school from entering the building's indoor air.
MCSM and Isaac Newton parents asked a number of questions during and after the presentation. We (MCSM PTA) anticipate having further review of these test results and their interpretation by an independent outside consultant.

MCSM Title I Program Converts to Schoolwide Program

On Monday, April 14, MCSM teachers and DC-37 support staff voted by a 69 - 25 margin (73.4%) to convert our Title I administrative approach from the current Targeted Assistance program to what is known as the Schoolwide Program option. This followed by one week the parents' unanimous, 25 - 0 vote at our regular April 8 PTA meeting in favor of the same conversion (the third consecutive year the parents have voted unanimously for the Schoolwide option). Now that both parents and teachers have approved the conversion, MCSM will implement Title I under the Schoolwide Program beginning next September. Since the legislation governing Title I states that this conversion can only take place once, no more annual votes will be required.

Under the Schoolwide option, our school's administration and teachers can now work together to apply resources and develop programs to support any student deemed to be at risk of failing. Previously, under Targeted Assistance, our Title I funds could only be used for students who entered MCSM with a 1 or a 2 on their eighth grade ELA or Math exams or who had already failed a Regents exam. These guidelines are very strict and subject to audit, and because only about 15% of our school's students have qualified for targeted assistance in past years, MCSM has been forced to return unused money to the government every year since we became a Title I school in 2004 (a total of about $750,000 returned through the end of this school year). Now that we can convert to Schoolwide Program, our Principal, Assistant Principals, and teachers will have enough flexibility to ensure that all our Title I funds are used to support our children's academic needs.

We wish to express our gratitude to the 69 teachers and staff members who voted for the Schoolwide Program, a change consistently unanimously desired by parents and one that will benefit our school and many students who need extra academic support but were not previously eligible. We parents are grateful that Title I funds can now be used to help students before they fail rather than having to wait for them to fail first, as we have had to do until now.