The Streets Where We Live

Washington Heights Teen Featured on New Latina

Washington Heights and Inwood Youth Council President Othanya Garcia is featured in New Latina talking about education and academic success among Latino youth. Check it out.

Othanya (center) was recently accepted to Columbia University on a full scholarship.

“La educación es la mejor herencia…” was a phrase Othanya, a 17-year old high school senior, repeatedly heard from her Dominican immigrant parents.  Othanya was recently accepted to Columbia University, with a full 4-year scholarship — everything covered, including books and housing.

I sat down for lunch the other day with this amazing young lady.  I heard about her when my brother-in-law, the director of a youth program at a community center in northern Manhattan, text messaged me a question Othanya had asked him:  “Which college is best?  Columbia or Cornell?  I have a Dominican student here that got accepted into both, full scholarship.” I was immediately excited for this Latina student, and very impressed by her achievement.

Read "Education: “The Best Legacy” on at New Latina.

 

Yeshiva University Beats Dreidel Spinning World Record

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Students and community members celebrated the first night of Chanukah in Washington Heights by breaking the dreidel spinning world record on Tuesday.

The group spun 618 dreidels for 10 seconds straight with the sound of the Yeshiva University gym buzzer timing the spin, earning them spot in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Read more about the Dreidel Palooza event at DNAinfo.com. 

November 7: Amistad School Wine and Dessert Fundraiser

From Sue Murphy, an Amistad School (in Inwood) parent and event coordinator:

Amistad School Wine and Dessert Fundraiser

Food, drink, live music and fun people! We invite everyone in our community to
a fundraiser for Amistad's "Black Rock" program. Come mingle with
neighbors and meet Amistad parents and faculty. Just $25/person.

Saturday, Nov 7
7pm - 9pm
Georger/Murphy Apartment
447 Fort Washington Ave., Apt. 3
(at the corner of W 180th St)

Tickets are limited and must be purchased in advance. To purchase tickets,
contact Sue Murphy at georgerfam@gmail.com or 212-927-4433. (this event is for
adults only, thanks!)

Are You Satisfied? That is the question.

This weekend The New York Times tackled the question of whether New Yorkers are satisfied with their neighborhoods. The answers, which come from a NYC.gov survery of 25,000 New Yorkers, range from the happy-as-pie West Villagers to feeling-long-neglected Morrisania Heights-ers in the Bronx. The article is being criticized by many because of what seems like an unfair comparison of neighborhoods and does not have a Northern Manhattan focus, but the story does include a cool interactive multimedia map charting how different residents rated their 'hoods throughout the five boroughs. 

How did Northern Manhattan (in this case made up of Western Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood) do? Not surprisingly, Northern Manhattanites rank their quality of life lower than those living below 96th Street. Surprisingly, NMers rank education higher than their southern brethren. See the map for more comparisons.

You can also read a more detailed version of what Community Board 12 respondents had to say about Washington Heights and Inwood.

Are the Schools Really that Bad?

First there was the below mention of the schools in Inwood, then a story about students seeking out a more intellectually stimulating environment because "they were bored with the intellectual pace at Middle School 322 in Washington Heights."

THE SCHOOLS

Elementary schools include Public School 98 Shorac Kappock, on West 212th Street near 10th Avenue, for prekindergarten through Grade 4. It enrolls 618 students, 97 percent Hispanic. Last year, 45 percent of fourth-graders met state standards in English and 74 percent in math, versus 61 and 80 citywide.

Among area middle schools is Junior High School 52 Inwood, on Academy Street near Broadway, for Grades 5 through 8. Last year, 32 percent of eighth-graders met state standards in English and 45 percent in math, versus 43 and 60 citywide.

Many older students attend Gregorio Luperon High School for Science and Mathematics, on 165th Street at Amsterdam Avenue. Its student body is mostly Hispanic; it is geared toward recent arrivals in the United States. SAT averages last year were 326 in reading, 349 in math and 307 in writing, versus 438, 460, and 433 citywide.

This leaves me wondering whether the schools are really all that bad. Anyone care to weigh in?

Yoga in Northern Manhattan

Find a New York yoga, dance, pilates, or fitness center. Go to class!

I found a potentially great resource on Washington Heights & Inwood Online that maps out all of the yoga studios in NYC. Too bad Yogoer's information is a tad dated.

Perhaps you can help clean up our side of the island? To begin with, I would remove Inwood Peace Yoga since it's been gone for two plus years and add the new Bikram yoga place slated to open next month.

Any other spots I don't know about? I didn't exactly hear rave reviews about the yoga class at CUNY in the Heights.

UPDATE: Erica of Yogoer.com has updated Inwood's information. Let her know if you have more sites to include in our area.

Unity Forum Next Sunday, February 8

View from West 168th Street, via Wikipedia Commons

Assembly Member Adriano Espaillat invites you to the Unity Forum, a community-wide forum on housing, education, economic development, women's issues and the budgeting process. Come voice your concerns and support of programs that help you and your neighbors.

The meeting will be held next Sunday, February 8, from 4 to 7 pm.
Boricua College, West 155th Street and Broadway

Those planning to attend should RSVP to Aneiry Batista (Espaillat's chief of staff) at 212-544-2278 or batista@assembly.state.ny.us.

Healthy School Lunch (Used to be an oxymoron) -- Lunches Get Makeover in Washington Heights

Image from WNYC news

Great little story on WNYC about anti-obesity measures being taken in the city. Read or listen to Beth Fertig's reporting here:

"Collazo started working for the city’s newly named Department of School Food in late 2004 when Mayor Bloomberg put an emphasis on making healthier meals and kicked out the soda machines. The U.S. Department of Agriculture was already recommending that schools pick foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and drinks that aren’t too sugary, in order to curb childhood obesity and diabetes. But Collazo says his department is going a step further.

COLLAZO: Our goal is, on daily basis, is to achieve a menu day that reflects 30 percent of calories from fat, 10 percent from saturated fat, and we allow ourselves at lunch 800 mg of sodium for the entire meal - and that includes milk.

So, goodbye corned beef and egg rolls. And hello to lower sodium ravioli. The Department of Education acknowledges it costs more to be healthy so it’s sometimes difficult to find affordable products. And while some vendors were able to comply with Collazo’s standards, he says he couldn’t find a healthy version of macaroni and cheese."

2009 Muscota School Applications Due Soon

 

Muscota New School, PS 314

From the Inbox:

Muscota applications for 2009 Kindergarten admissions are due between February 23 and March 2, 2009. The official deadline is 6th, but applications submitted early have the best chance of being placed on the school's waiting list. The school's admission process is lottery based.

In order to receive an application, parents must tour the school at one of the below listed dates:

January 30th  Friday 8:45am
February 11th  Wednesday 8:45am (just added!)
February 27th  Friday  8:45am

To sign up for a tour, please call Parent Coordinator Denise Rodriguez at 212-544-0614.

An Open House is also scheduled for Wednesday, February 4th at 8:45 am. Get to know Muscota parents during the Town Meeting portion first and then meet staff and teachers. No registration required.

Muscota
4862 Broadway, between 204th and Academy streets,  3rd Floor
212-544-0614