TMLA lauds leading alumnae
North/Northeast Queens News

TMLA lauds leading alumnae

In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, The Mary Louis Academy in Jamaica Estates invited back 11 of its graduates who are trailblazers in fields such as finance, film, education, medicine, journalism and leadership. Most are seen here.

The 11 are, in alphabetical order with the briefest of bios, Anjali Aidasani ’12, a finance executive; Danielle Battista ’95, a financial advisor; Jada Gomez Lacayo ’00, a journalist; Jessica Lee de Jimenez ’78, an entrepreneur; Erin Lynch Reyes ’97, a schools administrator; Marie Menendez ’79, a financial analyst; Rosalba Messina ’79, an executive and consultant; Dr. Amy Rapkiewicz ’95, a deputy chief medical examiner; Denay Richards ’15, a candidate for a dual medical and scientific doctorate; Marissa Joyce Stamps ’17, a playwright and college instructor; and Marina Tejada ’00, a supervising veterinarian.

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TMLA celebrates culture
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

TMLA celebrates culture

The Mary Louis Academy in Jamaica Estates celebrated its annual Cultural Harmony Festival on Feb. 1, honoring the rich heritages of a diverse student body derived from more than 100 countries.A variety of foods and colorful costumes reflected…

TMLA donates for Thanksgiving
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

TMLA donates for Thanksgiving

The Mary Louis Academy prepared to celebrate Thanksgiving by giving back to the broader community with a food drive, donating canned goods and nonperishables to Faith Mission in Mineola, LI, so that others will be able to share a meal togethe…

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Halloween on the Hill at TMLA
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Halloween on the Hill at TMLA

Students, faculty and staff at The Mary Louis Academy in Jamaica Estates celebrated both “Halloween on the Hill” and the school’s 26th Annual “Walk-A-Thon” last week.On Tuesday, the school community held the walk-a-thon. Students, faculty and…

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Sen. Liu inspires future civics

Sen. Liu inspires future civics

State Sen. John Liu (D-Bayside) was the guest of honor last Tuesday morning at PS/MS 207 Rockwood Park in Howard Beach.During the visit, Liu spoke to middle school students, like Alejandro Loubriel and Joshua Vasquez, seen above, about the di…

Student innovators launch biz in QV

Student innovators launch biz in QV

The Business Technology Early College High School within the Martin Van Buren campus in Queens Village is having a fall festival on Saturday, Sept. 30, which runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.“We are one of the nine BTECH schools in New York City,” …

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St. Leo’s century of class
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

St. Leo’s century of class

St. Leo Catholic Academy of Corona celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sept. 23 with a welcome barbecue for students, their families and staff, marking the beginning of the new school year as well as the school’s historic centennial.Not even …

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TMLA engineering camp open to all girls entering grades 5 to 9
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

TMLA engineering camp open to all girls entering grades 5 to 9

Students from The Mary Louis Academy will be attending a week-long Women in Engineering camp from July 17 to 21 at Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz, Calif., as part of what TMLA calls their Summerfest activities.The program, which is for girls …

From the Earth to the stars
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

From the Earth to the stars

Earlier this month, elementary schoolchildren from the The Laurelton School, PS 156, enjoyed educational adventures at the Idlewild Park Preserve Environmental Science Center, reported Donald Clarke, a member of the Federated Blocks of Laurel…

Star-struck scientists at NYSCI
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Star-struck scientists at NYSCI

Several fifth-grade students from Marie Russell’s class at PS 174, The William Sidney Mount School in Rego Park, attended the city Department of Education’s first annual Citywide STEM Science Expo at the New York Hall of Science on June 6.The…

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Gratitude Garden at 146
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Gratitude Garden at 146

The new Gratitude Garden and outdoor Learning Center at PS 146 was budding with joy on Monday as the school and greater community came together to celebrate the addition and officially cut the ribbon on the revitalized space on the corner of …

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Community Day in Hollis
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Community Day in Hollis

Staff and faculty from IS 238 in Hollis teamed up with members of Counseling in Schools, an education wellness service, and 21st Century Community Learning Centers, a U.S. Department of Education academic enrichment program, June 1 for Commun…

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Planting kindness at PS 146 in Howard Beach

Planting kindness at PS 146 in Howard Beach

There is plenty to be grateful for at PS 146, and a new Gratitude Garden and outdoor learning center that have transformed the entrance of the Howard Beach school, cultivated by dedicated staff and the community, showcase that.Principal Danie…

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PS 62 learns trades and grades
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

PS 62 learns trades and grades

Career and College Day at PS 62 in South Richmond Hill last Thursday brought together lawyers, teachers, mechanics, web designers, librarians, police officers, Community Board 9 leaders, retired principals, nurses, college students and many m…

It all adds up at PS 144
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

It all adds up at PS 144

First-graders at PS 144 in Forest Hills won bronze medals on May 20 for their third-place finish out of 144 schools at the First in Math primary school math tournament, held on the campus of SUNY Albany.While their parents observed from a sep…

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Queens Village green thumbs
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Queens Village green thumbs

Students at PS 135, above, in Queens Village started a green team and created an indoor garden at their school five months ago. On Wednesday, May 17, the elementary school kids showed off the culmination of their work to their teachers, paren…

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A cleanup with class

A cleanup with class

Students from the Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School in Forest Hills took part in Better World Day community service projects on Friday, May 12.One group from the school made a difference almost literally in the institution’s front ya…

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PS 174 artists on display

PS 174 artists on display

Under the direction of fine arts teacher Sherry Cooper, two students at PS 174 William Sidney Mount School in Rego Park had their art work selected by the festival’s jurors for the Ninth Annual Queens Borough Art Festival, which is on display…

‘Light up the Night’ with PS 97
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

‘Light up the Night’ with PS 97

PS 97, The Forest Park School, hosted a “Light up the Night” community event in awareness for Breast Cancer month on Oct. 25.Stacie Stuart, a science teacher, headed the event with the help of staff members and the PTA. They all came together…

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Daffodils will bloom at 174
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Daffodils will bloom at 174

Started in the spring following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the Daffodil Project is now in its 21st year.Run by New Yorkers for Parks, the effort is one of the largest volunteer initiatives in city history and is a living memorial r…

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Warm welcome at JHS 185
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Warm welcome at JHS 185

First Deputy Chancellor Dan Weisberg, above left, and Deputy Chancellor Carolyne Quintana, top, visited school staff at JHS 185 in Flushing this week to celebrate their first day back.They met with teachers, participated in social-emotional l…

Keegan retires from 146
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Keegan retires from 146

Mary Keegan came to PS/MS 146, The Howard Beach School, in 2013, less than a year after Hurricane Sandy, to serve as principal for the first time.Keegan, 54, who along with her firefighter husband, Tom, has raised three children in the Rockaw…

Robotics team wins rookie award in Texas

Robotics team wins rookie award in Texas

After battling their way to the competition in Texas, fundraising $30,000 to compete in the 2022 FIRST Championships, the Redhawk Robotics team from the High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture in Ozone Park walked aw…

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St. John’s Prep Easter gift to the needy
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

St. John’s Prep Easter gift to the needy

St. John’s Prep was hopping with activity for weeks before Easter as volunteers engaged in “bunnying,” the school’s term for “acting like the Easter Bunny by sorting treats and packing baskets for children.”The Astoria school’s United Dance T…

$1 mil. donated to Prep scholarship

$1 mil. donated to Prep scholarship

Fresh Meadows-based St. Francis Preparatory School announced March 10 that it had received a $1 million, anonymous donation to go toward the Thomas J. Sheehan Memorial Scholarship Fund.“St. Francis Prep has provided generations of students a …

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Sensory program plants seed for kids

Sensory program plants seed for kids

The first cohort of a new special education program in schools throughout the city is nearing its end, and parents and therapists hope it can be continued and expanded to more students in need of the special services.As part of the Special Ed…

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Mask choice praised at PS 280
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Mask choice praised at PS 280

At PS 280 in Jackson Heights, Principal Lisa Hidalgo held assemblies to announce and celebrate the choice to wear masks following new city guidance.“It’s been difficult during Covid for the students as well as the school community, because yo…

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Celebration of Reading Week at MS 297

Celebration of Reading Week at MS 297

MS 297, The Hawtree Creek Middle School in South Ozone Park held its ninth annual Celebration of Reading Week recently, continuing its tradition since the school was opened in 2013. Despite the COVID-19 Surge and restrictions to in-person lea…

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Daffodils will bloom at 174
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Daffodils will bloom at 174

Started in the spring following 9/11, the Daffodil Project is now in its 20th year.Run by New Yorkers for Parks, the effort is one of the largest volunteer efforts in city history and is a living memorial remembering the victims of the terror…

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Jamaica Ave. lights up

Jamaica Ave. lights up

A tree now illuminates the corner of Jamaica Avenue and Forest Parkway thanks to the Woodhaven Business Improvement District.The ceremony took place on Friday night, with the chorus from PS 97, upper right, singing Christmas carols and Santa …

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Welcoming the holidays at PS/IS 87

Welcoming the holidays at PS/IS 87

PS/IS 87 in Middle Village ushered in the holidays on Nov. 23 with its annual Thanksgiving parade. Students marched around the block with banners and costumes celebrating the numerous ethnic cultures of the school’s students; along with an es…

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PS 97 helps the fight against breast cancer
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

PS 97 helps the fight against breast cancer

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and the PS 97 Forest Park School community did its part to help raise awareness of the disease — and even had a great time doing it.The effort started with a Parent Learning Experience emphasizing tha…

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Halloween is back at PS 146
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Halloween is back at PS 146

The sky was bright and the morning was cool last Friday ... but the kids were cooler; as the Halloween Parade returned to PS 146,The Howard Beach School, for the first time since 2019. Students in pre-K through fifth grade were able to show o…

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A day for dads at PS/IS 102
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

A day for dads at PS/IS 102

The Parent Association at PS/IS 102, The Bayview School in Elmhurst, hosted “Donuts with Dad,” in conjunction with New York State’s Dads Take Your Child to School Day, on Sept. 30.The day’s goal is to increase father engagement in the educati…

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PS 174 welcomes students back
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

PS 174 welcomes students back

A meet-and-greet event took place at Rego Park’s PS 174 William Sidney Mount School on Sept. 10.It was a fun, engaging and memorable event with plenty of fun, excitement and bubbles, as teachers met their students and families in person.

School supply giveaway at PS 63

School supply giveaway at PS 63

Just before the 2021-22 school year began on Monday, Sept. 13, Keller Williams Liberty Real Estate held a school supply drive for local students in need.KW donated the supplies to PS 63, the Old South school in Ozone Park on Friday, Sept. 10.

New engineering program at Humanities and Arts High School

New engineering program at Humanities and Arts High School

Humanities and Arts Magnet High School in Cambria Heights continues to flourish under the leadership of Principal Kayode Ayetiwa. In addition to a new Cosmetology program added last year, a new Robotics and Drones Engineering program is being…

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Super scientists
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Super scientists

PS 174, the William Sidney Mount School, in Rego Park, went virtual this year with its Science Expo, and the results indicate that science is in good hands in the future.More than 100 students in grades K-5 participated.

Assemblyman offers code camp for SD 29
SCHOOLS SPOTLIGHT

Assemblyman offers code camp for SD 29

To keep kids busy this year and prevent them from falling behind on their education, Assemblyman Clyde Vanel (D-Queens Village) has teamed up with Code Ninjas, a kids coding franchise that teaches them to build their own video games via compu…

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Whitestone student wins art competition
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Whitestone student wins art competition

A Whitestone third-grader was one of three national art competition winners.Valerie Betancourth of PS 184, the Flushing Manor School, took home first place in animal welfare group Bideawee’s “Love Your Pet Art Contest” grades 3 and 4 subsecti…

Molloy HS hosts inaugural virtual AAPI panel
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Molloy HS hosts inaugural virtual AAPI panel

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Month, Yvette Villanueva, marketing director and vice chairperson of Archbishop Molloy High School’s Council for Diversity and Inclusion, posed a question to Molloy’s school community — What doe…

NASA internship for MVB student

NASA internship for MVB student

Rynola Fraser, 16, a Jamaican immigrant and an honor student at Martin Van Buren High School in Queens Village, will take part in a six-week virtual internship for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Climate Change Research In…

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‘A’ students receive $1,000

‘A’ students receive $1,000

Two outstanding seniors from the York Early College Academy in Jamaica each received $1,000 in scholarship funds for college.Lorraine Benn, right, and Alicia Majid both graduated May 27 with an A average from the academy and have been active …

8th-grader has the write stuff

8th-grader has the write stuff

Olivia Mills, an eighth-grade student at Immaculate Conception Catholic Academy in Astoria, won third prize in the national 2021 Catholic War Veterans Patriotic Essay Contest. This year’s topic was “What does the Pledge of Allegiance mean to …

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Education through art at PS 174

Education through art at PS 174

Whether in person or remote, at PS 174 William Sidney Mount School in Rego Park, students’ artwork is celebrated!This year students participated in three exciting programs under the guidance of art teacher Shulie Cooper: the Queens Borough Ar…

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SkillsUSA virtual food drive
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

SkillsUSA virtual food drive

In order to combat hunger, the Thomas A. Edison High School SkillsUSA Chapter took the initiative to find creative alternatives to support those in need with a virtual food drive.By utilizing the Amazon platform, the chapter was able to creat…

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Easter Bunny makes early visit to St. Helen students
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Easter Bunny makes early visit to St. Helen students

A rather large friendly animal was seen around Howard Beach last Saturday, as the Easter Bunny was out and about visiting St. Helen Catholic Academy families.Since St. Helen was unable to hold its normal Easter Bunny breakfast, the school bro…

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“We Can Be Heroes” Week
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

“We Can Be Heroes” Week

PS 100, the Glen Morris Elementary School in South Ozone Park, celebrated the first virtual “Respect for All” Week in February. The theme was “We Can Be Heroes.”To honor Black History Month, the students were introduced to Amanda Gorman, whos…

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PS 174 students explore art
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

PS 174 students explore art

William Sidney Mount, PS 174 in Rego Park, hasn’t missed a beat when it comes to exploring different types of creative works recently.PS 174 has enjoyed exploring all kinds of art. These included Inside Broadway, Circle of Dance, New York Cit…

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Respect For All Week at PS 97
SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT

Respect For All Week at PS 97

PS 97, The Forest Park School, celebrated Respect For All Week Feb. 5 to 11. This tradition sees schools across the city highlight and build upon ongoing programs to help all members of their school community gain a better understanding of di…