MENTORING MAKES A DIFFERENCE
Superintendent and Mayor

Join Forces Signing a Proclamation for

National Mentoring Month

(Superintendent John J. Ramos Sr. (L) Mayor Bill Finch (R) Mentors and mentees: Kannina Hampton/Bassick HS, Courtney Manns/Central HS Janiqua Foster/Longfellow School, Na'Tazia Fuller/Longfellow,

Carla Wright & Ellen Tracy/Big Brothers-Big Sisters,

Jessica Monteiro/Big Brothers-Big Sisters, Anne Gribbon, Student Volunteers pose for a photo with the official proclamation making January National Mentoring Day!

 "You grow where you are planted. Mentoring is a win, win relationship",  said Superintendent Ramos encouraging the students to share their experiences with others in hopes of recruiting friends and family members to become mentors. Mayor Finch agreed and said, "You have the power to change someone’s life through mentoring, so tell your story to everyone who will listen. All of you are the best advocates for mentoring".

(Mayor Bill Finch and Superintendent John J. Ramos Sr. discuss the importance of setting a positive example through mentoring.)

National Mentoring Month aims to raise awareness of the benefits and value of mentoring, while recruiting individuals to mentor. Kannina Hampton, of Bassick High School is proud to be a mentor and said she has recruited family members. "I just told them I like to mentor because it helps little kids and helps them feel better. I invited my God sister to a meeting and she signed up." Mentee Janiqwa Foster of Longfellow hopes to become a mentor when she goes to high school. "I like having a mentor. Just knowing someone cares makes you feel special", said Foster. 
 

(Members of Big Brothers Big Sisters and Mayor Finch

watch as Courtney Manns reads the official proclamation.)

(Students shared the experiences with the Superintendent.)

 
INAUGURATION DAY NEWS
Bridgeport Students Take Part In History

(Students from Harding & Bassick High Schools

 traveled to Washington for the inauguration of our 44th President. They are in the crowd out there some where with millions of others who made the jouney and stood in long lines to witness history. Several of the students were interviewed by CNN about their trip from the Park City to the Nation's capitol.)

THE OBAMA EUPHORIA AT BATALLA

Wall of Fame highlighting their Support For President Barack Obama 

    ("Obama gear is cool.")     ("Proud to be Americans.")

(Peter Hurst, President & CEO of Community's Bank shares his story of success and the story of President Obama with students at Beardsley School.)

Peter Hurst the President and C.E.O. of Community's Bank spent inauguration morning reading to students of Beardsley School. Community's Bank is the only minority-owned and managed bank in Connecticut, and the only bank in Connecticut that is certified by the U.S. Treasury Department as a Community Development Financial Institution, which means their primary purpose is community and economic development.

Hurst shared his story of success in the banking business with the students and read the book, "Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope. Last week, 700 classrooms received copies of the book, thanks to generous donations by Hurst, business entrepreneur Wiley Mullins with additonal support from Bridgeport Public Education Fund (Marge Hiller) and the Charter Oak Foundation.

(See full story below from the CT Post.)

BOOK TELLS CHILDREN ABOUT OBAMA'S JOURNEY

By Linda Conner Lambeck
STAFF WRITER

BRIDGEPORT -- Chances are a large number of school children around the region will get to see the presidential inauguration on television Tuesday.

In Bridgeport, elementary students will also be able to read about Barack Obama's journey to the White House, where he will be the nation's 44th president.

"Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope," a book written by Nikki Grimes and illustrated by Bryan Collier, is being donated to every first- through eighth-grade class in the city's schools through the Bridgeport Public Education Fund.

Marge Hiller, director of BPEF, said the idea for the donation came from Wiley Mullins of Easton, a food business entrepreneur. With help from the Charter Oak Foundation and the Community's Bank, Mullins pulled together the $6,000 cost for 700 copies of the 44-page book.

"A friend of mine gave me a copy of the book and I got so very excited," Mullins said. "I thought this would be something that kids in Bridgeport could really be aspiring to. His story was not that much unlike many of them, with single parents, etc. It's a beautiful book."

The plan is to distribute copies late this week so they can be read in class on Inauguration Day Tuesday.

Copies of the book were distributed late last month to members of the Board of Education as well.

The book tells Obama's story through the eyes of a boy named David and his mother. In addition to the story, there is a timeline that takes the reader from Aug. 4, 1961, when Obama was born, through last Nov. 4, Election Day.  

Mullins has a ticket to the inauguration but hasn't made up his mind if he will go. He is not sure he wants to deal with the crowds, which are expected to shatter attendance records for previous presidential inaugurations.

 
LATIN FUSION COMES TO GERALDINE JOHNSON  SCHOOL
Local Musicians Donate Their Time and Talent to Give Back To Their Community and Students Interested In Music

(Musicians and students take part in jam session.)

Students at Geraldine Johnson Elementary school are 'feeling music in the air' thanks to two professional musicians born and raised in Bridgeport . Sam Diaz and Juan "Junior" Perez are committed to their profession and to young people interested showing their creative expression through live music. 

Diaz was influenced musically at the age of five while leaving in Puerto Rico. Perez also born in Puerto Rico grow up listening to the music of Latin American artists such as, Beny More and Tito Puente.

Every Tuesday free Latin Rhythm section workshops are offered and students are engaged in learning and performing new music. Director of Performing Arts Tania Kelley thanks the musicians and is excited for the students. "This is an outstanding opportunity for our students and shows that there is a lot of talent in Bridgeport who can serve as role models for our students," said Kelley.

(Latin Music filled the air at Geraldine Johnson School. Tania Kelley, Director of Performing Arts shared in the experience as music lovers learned the art of Latin Rhythm. )

STUDENT PROVES HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY 

Tisdale Student Returns Man's Missing Wallet

(Principal William Rice of Jettie Tisdale School congratulates student Shaun Hershiser for his honesty.)

Shaun Hershiser, a sixth grade student at Jettie Tisdale School returned a wallet full of money he found near the school. The wallet was returned to its owner, a Stratford man, with its contents still intact, and Shaun became an automatic character award winner at Tisdale back in October.

WARREN HARDING HIGH SCHOOL MEDICAL CAREERS MAGNET TAKE PART IN THE 31ST ANNUAL STATE LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AND SKILLED CHAMPIONSHIP

March 28, 2008 at Vinal Technical High School

 (Mrs. Milagro M. Garcia – Advisor; Khadijat Adetona; Halimat Somotan; Miguel H. Rivera; Paul Nguyen; Pedro Gonzalez; Oluseye H. Awodele & Ms Maria Nocerino – Advisor)

The following students received Scholarships to Clemens College:

Khadijat Adetona - $2,000

Halimat Somotan $ 500.00

Miguel H. Rivera $3,000

Pedro Gonzalez $500.00

(Miguel Rivera

2nd Place - Extemporaneous Speaking )

(Khadijat Adetona & Paul Nguyen

2nd Place - CT Outstanding Chapter of the Year)