On February 16, 2018 we hosted our annual Black History and Valentine's Day Celebration. We focused on acknowledging Black History Month and the "hidden figures" who make the month so special, in addition to observing the day for spreading love. The kids enjoyed eating food and socializing with their friends. We were proud of our students' amazing performances that highlighted the importance of the theme of the event. Students also displayed knowledge about Black History, and answered trivial questions to open the show. After viewing the performances, with various dances including a tribute to the late Bob Marley, the students danced for the rest of the event before heading home.

The students stayed productive this Winter Break, as they spent their vacation working on assignments given to them by their teachers, and enjoyed participating in club activities. Our staff members assisted students with their projects, so they could complete everything efficiently. After having lunch and engaging in science classes, the students were able to pick clubs and work with the designated activity specialists. We concluded our program on Friday with an ice party where the students socialized and danced.

In support of Engineering Week, our Engineering Club Activity Specialist, Christele Felix, organized a project for the students. Here is her description of the activity:

"Pneumatics is a branch of engineering that uses compressed air or other inert gases. Pneumatic machines are powered by compressed air. As their winter break project and in honor of Engineering week, students built a simple pneumatic lever. The machine was made using wooden craft sticks and cubes, and the pneumatic system was built of two syringes connected by a tube we used a long, bendable straw."

CYCSI sends a special shout out to all the students whose birthdays are in the spring months. Happy Birthday and we wish you many more!!!!

The Spring Break Program was very beneficial for the students as they had the opportunity to complete school assignments with the help of our staff members. We kept the students busy with a full schedule consisting of Academics and Clubs. After working on their Academics in the mornings students enjoyed a full schedule of recreational activities in the afternoons. They also completed fun science experiments with the staff before eating lunch and enjoying recess. Their day was finalized with participation in Clubs of their choice and a snack break. The staff shared their expertise in each Club ensuring that each child would be more informed at the end of the program.

"The Spring Break Program is fun because they allowed us to have clubs. If I had the opportunity to change something, I would allow us to have more recess time. I appreciated the staff helping us with our homework." -Huntley Swaby

"I enjoyed the Spring Break Program for many reasons. One reason is because we have fun Clubs. Another reason is because we get to spend the week with our friends and socialize." -Kal-el Dogulas

"My Spring Break was fun at CYCSI. I had good breakfast, lunch and snack, My Clubs were engineering and sports which were both enjoyable. The staff were very helpful and treated us nicely." -Noah Saloman

From the flowers starting to bloom to the animals coming out of hibernation, springtime is known as the season that brings life. What events take place during the three months of this season? How can we celebrate them?
March is the first month of spring. The flower of March is the daffodil.
Dr. Seuss’ birthday on March 2nd. Also called Read Across America day. You can celebrate this day by picking up a good book and immersing yourself in the world of literature.
Saint Patrick's Day on March 17. Saint Patrick was a Christian missionary and patron saint in the fifth century who helped bring Christianity to Ireland. He's known as the apostle of Ireland. You can celebrate this holiday by honoring Irish culture and heritage, and wearing green attire.

April is the second month of spring. The flowers of April are the daisy and the sweet pea.
April Fool’s Day on April 1. While not technically a holiday, April Fool's Day is a fun day to play light-hearted and harmless pranks on your friends.
Autism Awareness Day on April 2. Autism is a disorder that affects brain development by impairing communication and socialization skills. Scientists are developing ways to determine causes of autism and treatments for people that have it. You can help by donating your time and money to this research, and educating yourself on autism.
Earth Day on April 22. Earth Day is about making more efforts to decrease pollution and protect the environment. You can help by reducing the amount of waste you produce, reusing things that can be used again instead of throwing them away, and recycling things made of aluminum, paper, plastic, metal, and glass.

May is the last month of spring. The flowers of May are the lily of the valley and the hawthorn.
Cinco de mayo, May 5. This holiday celebrates the outnumbered Mexican army's unlikely triumph over the better supplied French in 1862, at the Battle of Puebla. You can celebrate this holiday by honoring Mexican culture and heritage, and wearing green, white, & red attire (the Mexican flag’s colors) or clothes inspired by Mexican traditions.
Memorial Day on the last Monday in May. Memorial Day is about the commemoration of the people who died serving in the armed forces of the United States. You can pay respect to those who have died in military service by visiting cemeteries and memorials and placing flowers and/ or flags on the graves of fallen soldiers.

Mothers Day on the second Sunday of May. Mother’s day is about showing appreciation and gratitude for your mom. You can celebrate this day by buying or making something heartfelt for your mother, or any mother figures in your life.

Students from P.S. 176 Afterschool Program returned to perform at UPS North Atlantic African-American Business Resource Group’s Black History Celebration. This organization provides opportunity for African Americans to develop and grow both independently and collaboratively. This year, the guest speakers included Gregory P. Alerte, Chief Financial Planner of Premier Heritage, Don Chretien, East Region Finance Manager of UPS, and Dionis Cochrane, District Finance Manager of UPS. The students performed a dance as a tribute to the late Bob Marley which was organized and choreographed by Jasmine Warren, the CYCSI dance instructor.