I am appreciative of the many hours the community expends developing quality programs exposing students to new experiences. As a result, our service offering includes Spring/Winter Break programs, Summer Camp and Community Service Learning/Job Readiness programs enabling us to continue “Thinking BIG for Our Children”.

We also treasure our community partners this year: Mrs. Bartlett and P.S. 176 staff, FAA, La Guardia Community College, Queens Council on the Arts, UPS, ESOTA, York College, NY1, UniverSoul, Girls Scout, NAACP, Body By Denise, Queensborough Community College, Cambria Heights Academy, Institute for Health Professionals High School, Saint Frances Prep High School providing funding, human resources and programs that enhanced our Out of School Time Service Menu.

Senator Leroy Comrie, District 14, Councilman Daneek Miller, District 27, Congressman Gregory W. Meeks, 5th District, we look forward to your continued support!

This summer we were gifted with the opportunity of a special visit from a professional dancer named Raven Barkley, Principle Dancer of Charlotte Ballet in North Carolina. She provided knowledge to our aspiring dance students, who are members of the CYCSI Dance Program. Raven Barkley, from Bronx, NY, began dancing at the age of ten, and graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art & Performing Arts. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance degree with a minor in Math and Computer Science from The State University of New York at Purchase. A notable accomplishment was her acquisition of the lead role in the Winter section of Sasha Janes' Four Seasons, being the only female. Recently, she was listed as Dance Magazine's "25 People to Watch in 2018". She offers this advice to aspiring dancers...

"Continue to reach for your goals and appreciate all that comes with achieving those goals; both the challenges and success. Challenges are there to make you a stronger individual on your pathway to success."

The FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) sponsored a tour of the Kennedy International Airport. Students experienced the panorama of planes arriving and departing from the Control Tower. Then they tested their piloting skills via the flight simulator.

After experimenting with the flight simulator students visited the Emergency Division and saw the big yellow emergency vehicles and met a member of the Canine Unit. They witnessed a demo of the canine detection dog at work, searching and finding narcotics. The students enjoyed being exposed to careers such as Airport Traffic Controllers, Administrative positions in the Air Traffic Control Department and K9 Trainers.

The Aeronautics Program at JFK airport exposed the students to various phenomena in the world of aviation. The students were greeted and escorted to a special room by airport staff and were briefed on their activities for the day.

Flight Simulation: Students viewed simulation demonstrations by Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) in training. These simulators were based on the real scene in the control tower and could replicate many different real-world scenarios.

JFK Control Tower: Students were able to see real Air Traffic Controllers (ATC) at work when they visited the tower. They learned about ATC personnel direct aircrafts on the ground and in the air. They are essential to ensuring that aircrafts don’t get too close which could cause many problems.

K-9 Unit: The participants loved this part of the trip. The canine was able to sniff out a hidden bag of explosives. The unit’s primary job is to train their K-9’s to identify only illegal goods such as explosives or drugs. Students also saw the airport firetrucks which respond to any emergency aircraft calls.

Overall, the students enjoyed the experience and learning about the world of Aviation.

Our Adventureland trip was fun for everyone, as students enjoyed various thrill rides with their friends. Upon arrival at the park, groups were coordinated then dispersed to the rides. Some rides allowed them to enjoy the water sprinkling, while others pumped their adrenaline by rising high and dropping low. The screams were heard around the park, as their yellow shirts zipped across the sky. They were able to choose different rides until it was time for lunch. Students enjoyed either packed lunches or purchased food from the theme park. Following lunch, students went on a few more rides before heading back to the school for dismissal.

The grandest event of the summer was proven spectacular once again due to the tireless dedication and effort of our staff and students. From the music pieces to dance performances, the audience was truly stunned by the quality of our students’ work. All summer with the guidance of our talented Activity Specialists, we prepped students for the big culminating showcase. We expressed continuity with the theme “Save the Arts”, where we made our pitch to prevent further budget cuts of Art programs within schools and Arts organizations. Countless students have interest in performing arts, music, dance and art, and desire an outlet to express their creativity. Multiple performances from our show were dedicated to this cause and we hope the message was clear. Thanks to Queens Council on The Arts for supporting this Save the Arts Presentation.

Once again we were invited to perform at the 2018 UniverSoul Circus. This year the organization celebrated their 25th anniversary. We were thrilled to join the 25 years celebration of Fun Under the Big Top in Brooklyn. The theme of our performance this year was "Save the Arts", which focuses on combating and preventing future budget cuts to performing arts programs. The students who performed included Olanre Oridota, Noel Boone, Morgan Harris, Damiyah Hilton, Taylor Thompson, Zoe Henderson, Elise Silva, Peri Smith, Meghan Palmer, Huntley Swaby, Kalel Douglas, Jolie White, Ashley McClymont, and Savannah Solomon. We commend our students for working diligently to memorize their lines and routines, and give their parents a special thanks for allowing their children to perform. Kudos to the students for another great performance.

The best booth from summer’s Culminating Event hailed from the Science segment, hosted by staff members, Ms. Katrinka and Mr. Joel. The booth featured a massive, realistic planetarium which was an attention-grabber as parents filed into the room. While the exterior proved impressive, the science instructors somehow found a way to transform the interior into something more marvelous. Inside, an astronomical wonder appeared, as a map of the solar system was displayed.