With all the exams successfully passed and gladly forgotten until the classes resume again, the Big Apple Academy opened its doors to the holiday spirit of the New Year! Our school would not live up to its title of the most unmatchable and unique school not only in New York State, but most probably nationwide, if it had not been so committed to much more than just bolstering academic zest and intellectual capacity of its students! The Big Apple Academy has become a phenomena not only in the field of educational standards, but also in its commitment to cultivate a multidimensional, creative, and artistic atmosphere within its realm!
To give a festive farewell to academic achievements of Year 2014, our classroom teachers have decided to celebrate the artistic inclinations of our students. No where in the United States, a licensed Math teacher will pick up a microphone and sing! No where in the United States, will a substitute teacher play a guitar! And no where in the Tristate area, will a Principal demonstrate his vocal gifts and warm humorous disposition! Wait a second, the phrase “nowhere” is an outright injustice, no where but at Big Apple Academy. On the other hand, our school has long ago surpassed the geographic boundaries of New York and its vicinities.
In front of their cheering classmates, right before the eyes of their enthusiastically rooting teachers, the participants sang with their passionate young spirits and unstoppable competitive vigor! It was hard to say who sang better, or who danced more impressively, or performed in a more invigorating manner; that is why the task of the judges was not the enviable one!
A holiday never measures up to its true spirit if it does not leave absolutely everyone celebrating to the full extent! And what can create a full scale children’s holiday if not a table full of sweet treats? At the end of the holiday, all of its guests and participants had pertaken in a feast generously thrown in their honor by a thoughtful school administration of Big Apple Academy!
On November 26th, 2014 all of the Big Apple Academy 8th graders had an opportunity to participate in a Relationship Abuse Prevention workshop. The workshop was led by Anna Ioffe*, a school social worker. Relationship Abuse Prevention (RAPP) workshop introduces a classroom discussion about five types of abuse: verbal, emotional, physical, sexual, and economic. Internet abuse is discussed in forms of cyber bullying, texting and sexting. Students had a chance to participate and ask questions pertaining to different scenarios that discuss how these types of abuse become evident in peer to peer interactions. The workshop also includes role play scenarios about date rape and offers safety planning tips. The main purpose of the workshop was to get students to openly discuss sensitive material and ask questions.
*Anna Ioffe is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a decades worth of experience in the public school system. Ms. Ioffe contributed to creating and implementing a middle school curriculum for Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (RAPP). She had introduced the RAPP curriculum in two public middle schools serving the psychological needs of students through individual and group counseling as well as workshops. For the last 5 years Ms Ioffe has been facilitating RAPP at Edward R. Murrow High School. In addition to her work within the public sector, Ms. Ioffe also provides counseling and assessment to pre-school as well as school age children and their families through Early Intervention Agencies. Merry Sportletics! “Merry Sportletics” was a sport event full of fun and excitement held for the students of 4th grade! With textbooks piled up in the back of the classrooms, with all the nervousness of final tests brushed aside, our 4th grade youngsters jumped head over heels into the competitive and cheerful world of athletics. The “Merry Sportletics” has become a true festival of sportsmanship and physical fitness! Loud cheers of friendship, passionate leadership, and competitive spirit along with genuine joy of cloudless childhood, ruled the event and created a wonderful relaxed atmosphere so compatible with the spirit of holiday season! This true celebration of junior physical fitness was conducted by our coaches Michael Geller and Valeriy Kokertsev.
Every 4th grade class gathered 6 of its most athletic, fastest, and physically dexterous members to participate in this championship of friendship and fun. Zig-Zag Run for Luck, was the first round of the event. It followed by Amazons v. Vikings (simply put, girls v. boys). We must recognize that despite the competitive spirit of the event, our Vikings demonstrated paramount gentlemanly demeanor and chivalry toward the ladies.
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