Joining hands to improve private and public school relations
The boys¹ weekly sessions, along with numerous other tutoring lessons taking place at the Woodmere elementary school, have brought public-school and yeshiva students closer together in a climate of cooperation. This environment contrasts deeply with the overall climate in District 15, which is one of divisiveness, riven by an ongoing feud between public and private school parents and anger over failed budgets and contentious school board elections. Uniting the students in this unique tutoring program was the vision of two principals who saw a way to help heal a fractured community.
In late 2005, Number Six School Principal Angelo Siconolfi proposed the idea of Hebrew Academy students walking the short distance to the elementary school in their neighborhood to tutor the youngsters as part of an after-school program, which also involves the nearby Number Five School in Cedarhurst. HALB-DRS Principal Harvey Feldman embraced the concept and made the mentoring program work logistically, fitting it into the high school students' rigorous academic schedule, which, between religious and secular studies, has no free periods.
The partnership between the schools blossomed in 2006, as the mentoring program saw an increase in the number of high school volunteers from 21 to more than 30. Feldman and Siconolfi hope the bridge they have built to bring together public-school and yeshiva students will pave the way for future collaboration between the schools, which, over time, they believe, will create a better understanding among both students and adults of their respective communities. The project could go a long way toward helping ease tensions in District 15, which have reached the boiling point in recent years in the wake of four straight defeats of the Lawrence Public Schools budget and the community¹s election of a school board with an Orthodox majority in May, which upset many public school parents.
According to Feldman and Siconolfi, the mentoring program proves that the public and private school communities can co-exist in harmony ‹ which is why the Nassau Herald has named the two principals People of the Year for 2006.
"The relationship between the kids and the high school kids is just amazing," said Siconolfi of the bond that has been forged. "I wish the entire community could see how well these schools work together."
"I think the benefits for both schools have been dramatic," said Feldman. "It's not just the learning, it's the interaction."
Both Siconolfi and Feldman arrived at their respective schools early this decade after many years of working in the New York City public schools in Brooklyn. After a few years in Lawrence's pupil and personnel services offices, Siconolfi became principal at the Number One School in July 2002. When the elementary school was closed in June 2004 as part of a consolidation plan to save the district money, he became the Number Six School principal.
Feldman worked for 33 years as a teacher and administrator in New York City before retiring. He returned to education five years ago, when he was offered the principal's post at HALB-DRS.
The original idea for the mentoring program between the two schools was hatched in October 2005, during a week in which rain deluged their Woodmere neighborhood, prompting Siconolfi to visit HALB-DRS and speak with Feldman about evacuation in the event of a weather emergency. In the course of the visit, the two men exchanged ideas on other ways the schools could work together, and the mentoring program was conceived.
Feldman said that when he first started the program, he wasn't sure it would work because of logistical challenges: The after-school program at the Number Six and Number Five schools begins at 3:15, which is in the middle of the yeshiva's lengthy day of classes, which runs from 7:55 a.m. to 6 p.m. But Feldman worked with his teachers to build some flexibility into the schedule. The high school students walk from the yeshiva, on Ibsen Street, to the elementary school, on Church Avenue, and spend 30 minutes with children from both elementary schools, from 3:15 to 3:45, helping general education students on Mondays and, on Wednesdays, tutoring children from immigrant families who are still learning English. The youngsters who take part are divided into small groups to facilitate individualized instruction.
"It feels great to be able to help someone out," Eytan Austein said while he tutored Mike Cornejo on Dec. 11.
"He tells me the meaning of words," said Mike, who added that his grades have improved since he started receiving the extra help from Eytan.
The program brings together roughly 75 students from the Number Six and Number Five schools. Students at the Number Two School in Inwood receive tutoring as well, at the Five Towns Community Center in North Lawrence, a not-for-profit agency that oversees both after-school programs. The high school students are unable to help out at the community center program due to the problems they would have with missed classes, but Feldman has said he would love to find a ways for them to contribute there in the future.
"It's always great to bring people together from different perspectives," Peter Visconti, the community center's associate director, said on Dec. 13, as he observed the HALB-DRS and Number Six and Number Five school students working together.
Grace Politano, who has helped supervise District 15's after-school program for the past 23 years, said the mentoring program has done wonders for the elementary school students, many of whom come from broken homes. She said that many of them are saddened when the HALB-DRS students have to leave to get back to their classes, because they enjoy the personal attention so much.
"This is the best thing Mr. Siconolfi ever did," Politano said. "It's the interaction that really gets me."
Heather Goorland, who teaches English as a Second Language at the Number Six School, credits both principals' "outside the box" thinking for creating a program that not only helps students in both schools but brings the community closer together. "Look what one little conversation can do," said Goorland of how the program was born. "They both took a risk in putting this together, but it's definitely a risk that has paid off."
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