Families, Link trustees, staff and students enjoyed the first ever Link Spring Music Recital, featuring Linkers who have been taking lessons in the after school instrumental music program. The program was established in the fall of 2008 and funded by the Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation. The music The recital was a great opportunity for students to showcase what they’ve learned over the past several months. See more photos from the recital.

Students and staff thoroughly enjoyed performances by actors from Playwrights Theater of New Jersey, who staged several short one-act plays written by Link 8th grade students. Ms. Carolyn Hunt, from the Theater, taught students the art of playwriting over the past six weeks, something she has been doing at Link for over 15 years. She selected several plays from student work and arranged for them to be performed by the actors. What a thrill for the students to see their plays come alive on the stage!

To a totally enraptured audience, the Link Theatre Troupe, under the direction of Ms. Sahirah Johnson, drama teacher, performed in “A Toy’s Life,” an original musical play about what happens when toys are left alone. The cast included Jed-Joan Edziah, Taylor Holliman, Evelyn Ale, Anthony Johnson, Martina Harris, Chinedu Okorofor, Temitope Adeliyi, and Elijahda Warner who sang and danced throughout the play. Aleah Brownlee was the understudy for all parts. Jamee Adams served as stage manager, with Baheem Wise and Thomas Johnson assisting as her stagehands. Kelsey Tangel, a college student volunteering at Link, choreographed the play and assisted in directing it.
Click here for more photos.

Professional guitarists playing from several different music genres including classical, flamenco, blue grass, jazz, R&B, and reggae performed for students and staff in an assembly. In addition to their musical offerings, the guitarists spoke about the style of music they played, their education and the musician and other people who influenced their lives. Mr. Andrew Nitkin from the Judith G. Wharton Music Center in Berkeley Heights, arranged for the program, featuring (in the photo, left to right) Mr. Jerome Harris, Mr. Matthias Jacobsson, Mr. Anthony Bez, and Mr. Craig Graham.

Students who participated in the Thursday Lunch Group visited Prudential Financial a second time this spring. Their mentors, Ms. Gloria McDonald, Ms. Vernay Simmons, Ms. Maalika Hudson invited the girls and some co-workers to a three-course meal served in an executive dining room. Ms. Simmons spoke with the girls over lunch about proper dining etiquette including posture, which utensils to use and appropriate small talk. After lunch the girls attended a special presentation by Mr. Doug Davis on growing wealth and managing money. Students worked on a spending plan and learned about good and bad credit. Mr. Davis presented each girl with a gold commemorative George Washington dollar to remind to always save at least 10% of the money they receive for their future. Student Crystal Ngoge stated, “The money presentation taught me that even if I put a little bit of money away, it can turn into something big!”

Link celebrated diversity in several ways during this week. Students, alumni and volunteers – representing a variety of ethnicities - served on a panel to talk about their backgrounds and cultures. Students heard from representatives from Nigeria, Ghana, Honduras, India, Mexico, Haiti, Germany, Italy and more discussing their heritages. Also during the week, students presented an assembly featuring poems and monologues on diversity, a praise dance and hip-hop. Several staff members and students attended school in their nation’s traditional garb and brought in food from their native lands for everyone to taste.

For their Community Service project, the 8th graders partnered with Project U.S.E. and the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission to clean up the banks of the Passaic River in Newark’s Ironbound Section. Students learned about the importance of watersheds and the negative effect of littering and dumping to the environment and their health. Working in teams of 16 over four days, students hauled up over 20 huge bags of trash each day along with tires, mattresses, buckets, bicycles and countless plastic bottles. Students also had the opportunity to enjoy some canoeing on the river during their clean up effort.

Link students involved in the after school boat building program with Project U.S.E. successfully launched their wooden canoe, named Cloud 9,  in the Passaic River at Riverbank Park in the Ironbound Section of Newark.  Students built their vessel over a three month period, learning about the history of the maritime industry, the science of boats and how to use tools to construct a boat. Read the Star-Ledger article about the launch. 

Twenty young girls from Link participated in a program connecting female collegiate athletes with female middle school students hosted by The Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center in Montclair, NJ. The goal of the program, a community service project for the finalist teams in the Division III Softball Championship at Montclair State University, was to inspire the younger girls to consider high school and college sports.For more story and a  larger image, click here.

Mr. Matthew Krone, from the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission spoke to students about the environmental issues of water conservation and river pollution. He also explained the efforts that have been made to clean up the Passaic River, New Jersey’s longest river at 82 miles, and the riverbanks of years and years of pollution and dumping. He stated that the efforts have resulted in changes – water samplings are better and people are starting to use the river for boating. The Mayor’s Cup Canoe Race will be held on the river on May 16. Mr. Krone’s message, while delivered to all students, particularly helped prepare Link’s 8th graders for their community service project this month – cleaning up the banks of the Passaic River.

Approximately 30 students and their fathers or the father-figure in their lives participated in a lively game of basketball—playing five-on-five for a couple hours! A fun, if tiring, evening for all!

The Link Thursday Girls’ Group visited Prudential Financial for a special day with their mentors, Ms. Gloria McDonald, Ms. Vernay Simmons, Ms. Maalika Hudson and other female professionals who are co-workers of the mentors. Students participated in a diversity training with an exercise that simulated living with disabilities. The second part of the day’s program was on communications during which they discussed the importance of both verbal and non-verbal communications, including the image one projects to others. To illustrate this, the girls made collages of appropriate outfits for different situations including school and job interviews, weddings, a day out, etc.

Jed-Joan Edziah and Quinn Saffold, Link 8th graders, along with Principal Marnie G. McKoy attended an invitation-only reception for former President William Jefferson Clinton and the Clinton Foundation at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City.  Mr.Clinton spoke about the work of his non-profit foundation which, through the Clinton Global Initiative, addresses the issues of poverty alleviation, global health  - particularly AIDS/HIV and malaria, childhood obesity, clean water, economic empowerment, and education. Ms. McKoy and the students were invited by the reception host and friend of Link, Mr. Charles Myers.  Jed-Joan said meeting the President was "amazing". Quinn said this was "the highlight of my life ." For more photos, click here.

Tanajah Baldwin and Mojoanna Pierre, both 7th graders, entered a regional poetry contest earlier this year, and their poems have been chosen by Creative Communication to be published in an anthology entitled A Celebration of Poets.  The anthology will be published in about three months. Creative Communication is a company devoted to the promotion of writing, teaching and appreciation of studnt writing. Link is proud of this wonderful achievement by our young poets.

The Honorable Jose Linares, District Court Judge for the State of New Jersey and his law clerk, Stephanie Reger visited Link today. The connection to Link is through Ms. Reger’s friendship with a former Link teacher. Judge Linares, a Cuban-American who immigrated to the U.S. twelve years ago, lived in Newark and attended Immaculate Conception High School in Montclair where many Link students have attended over the years.Click on image for a larger view.

April 29, 2009
Girl-to Girl Talk visits Eileen Fisher store
Store manager Robbie Feeney invited the Girl-to-Girl group of Link and Kent Place girls to meet at the Westfield Eileen Fisher store. Discussions centered around self image and self esteem. Earlier this year, the Eileen Fisher store had raised the funds to help support the program, initiated by Geena De Rose, daughter of Link trustee Alan De Rose, which brings girls of various ethnic and socio-economic groups together to discuss issues relating to them. 8th grader Temitope Adeliyi stated, “The event was great! I have really enjoyed meeting with the girls from Kent Place. We have learned that while we are all different, we have many similarities too.”

8th grader Nixon Provillon, Jr. placed third in the Youth Boys' 200-meter hurdles in a track meet today in the Greenstreakers & Supersonics Track Clubs Developmental Series at Memorial Stadium in New Brunswick. Competing as a member of the Jersey Heat Track Club, a non-profit organization based in Irvington, Nixon also was cited, in an article in the Irvington Herald, for his "personal best" in the Youth Boys' 400-meter and 200-meter dashes.

Twelve Link students attended a week-long corporate mentoring program at Novartis Corporation in East Hanover, NJ. Over the week, students shadowed executives and participated in a health care policy debate and other experiential activities. The students, selected by Link's science teachers, Mrs. Rosana Chanco and Mr. Errol LaGuerre, were: Alexis Flowers, Anthony Hyatt, Chinedu Okorofor, Jamee Adams, Jed-Joan Edziah, Justin Eke, Kamalpreet Singh, Quinn Saffold, Evelyn Ale, Yasmine Perry, Kriska Desir and Tamara Johnson. Novartis Corporation, a long-time Link supporter, is a world leader in the research and development of products to promote good health, including pharmaceuticals, vaccines, eye care and more.

While relaxing after work with friends at Johnny Utah’s in midtown Manhattan, Link trustee Andrew Lacey accepted a dare to ride a mechanical bull - as long as his friends were willing to donate to Link. Mr. Lacey’s ride on the bucking bull resulted in donations of over $3,000. Link thanks Mr. Lacey for his leadership on the Board of Trustees and his generosity to Link – and for the creative ways he finds to encourage others to donate to the school.

Link Community School was the beneficiary of a one-day sale at the Eileen Fisher store in Westfield, NJ today. The connection to the store was made by Geena De Rose, daughter of Link trustee Alan De Rose. Geena, a junior at Kent Place School in Summit, founded a program as her Girl Scout Gold Project, bringing together girls of diverse socio-economic backgrounds – from Kent Place and Link – to dialog on a variety of topics. The donation to Link will be used in part to fund Geena’s program. Thanks to store managers Ms. Robbie Feeney and Ms. Charlene Edmundson for their support of Link.

Twenty female adult role models spent the afternoon at Link to share their success stories and advice with Link’s young ladies. The day, arrangned by Link trustee Margo Walter,  included a special lunch, a panel, moderated by Ms. Paula Tuffin, a lawyer at Sills, Cummis in Newark, of professional women who shared their success stories and advice with the girls and workshops on ways to help one toward success, including poise and presence, nutrition, skin care and interview do’s and don’t. Read the full press release here.

Link boys hit the field with the NY Giants for skills and values lessons
The NY Giants and Athletes in Action, Inc. hosted the Link boys to an afternoon of skill drills and values lessons at the Practice Dome at the Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands. Several Giants football players worked with the boys to help them hone their football skills with a series of six practice drills including tackling, passing, and tackle avoidance while instilling the values of goal setting, sportsmanship, positive peer relationships, and perseverance.

Link stunned Lady Liberty CS in the Charter School Athletic League Championship for Boys' Basketball. The final score was 50 to 28.  Coach Mike Wilson led the Link Panthers, in a season in which the team lost only one game.  8th grader William Joyce, effective on both offense and defense, was named MVP for the game.

Link students received the gift of books from Mr. John Langan, president of Townsend Press and the non-profit Townsend Foundation in West Berlin, NJ. Each student was presented today with a boxed set of 15 young adult novels from Townsend Press' Bluford Series, to read and share at home as well as use in the classroom. Mr. Langan was motivated to donate a "mini-library" to each of Link's 130 students after seeing Principal Marnie G. McKoy on the recent MSNBC speacial documentary, A Father's Promise, in Feburary.  To learn more about the donation, read the full press release here.

March 9, 2009
Project P.R.I.D.E. visits Link
Four young adult inmates from the New Jersey Department of Corrections Project P.R.I.D.E. visited Link today, under guard, to speak with Linkers about how the poor choices they made - drugs and alcohol - landed them in prison and impacted their lives forever. Students had the opportunity to ask questions of the inmates at the end of the presentation.

Students had a great time today learning about several summer camp and program opportunities to which they are encouraged to apply for this coming summer so they can broaden their knowledge and skills as well as develop personally over the summer months. Each camp or prgoram offers scholarships to Link students. See some photos from the fair here.

Five Linkers, Erin Saunders, Mojanna Pierre, Taylor Holliman, Jamee Adams, and Kamalpreet Singh, accompanied by Link’s Director of Admission La Toro Yates, visited the Apostle House in Newark to read books to preschoolers. The Apostle House, under the umbrella of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, provides social services to homeless and at-risk families and individuals in Newark.

Dr. Jenkins, of the Three Doctors Foundation, inspired the young men of Link Community School today with his story and advice for the future. He told the boys to dream and prepare for the future, to believe in themselves, surround themselves with positive people and stay focused on their goals. Dr. Jenkins is one of three friends, who as teens bonded together to rise above their environment to focus on school, career and success. Dr. Jenkins' story, along with those of his friends Dr. Sampson Davis and Dr. Rameck Hunt, is chronicled their book,  The Pact, Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream.

The Link family gathered to honor students' grandparents and the achievements of African-Americans past and present at the annual Grandparents' Day and Black History Month celebration. After an inspiring performance by students - music, dance and drama, all joined in a meal prepared by parents. To learn about the school's special Black History Month activities, click here. 

Dr. Jeffrey L. Robinson inspired students and staff today with his talk on excellence. Citing the examples of several individuals who have achieved excellence, he asserted that they did so by following a concept he terms “A Diamond of Excellence”. They were able to combine their passions (“the things you are naturally drawn to”) and gifts (“natural abilities”) with discipline and belief in themselves to ensure their success. All four items are the pieces that come together like a puzzle to result in excellence. But, Dr. Robinson said, “It’s not enough to be excellent, for excellence is just the precursor to significance. Don’t just be great. Be significant. Make a difference.”

Link is the recipient of a $1 million gift, the largest single donation the school has ever received, from an anonymous donor. The gift will provide endowment and capital support for the school. “The timing of this generous gift is so fitting as we celebrate our 40th year serving Newark’s youth and look forward to securing the future of the school for the next generation,” said Marnie G. McKoy, Link Community School Principal. Read the entire press release.

Twenty-Eight Link eighth graders participated in a character education program at the Yogi Berra Museum &  Learning Center on the campus of Montclair State University. Students toured the museum and then spoke with a scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates about the importance of character in recruiting and life. Representative  Donald Payne and Yogi Berra, baseball great,  joined former Negro Leasgue player Bob Scott of the New York Black Yankees, to discuss the history of the Negro League and the sacrifice those players made. (Photo of Bob Scott to the left.)

Ms. Lauren Jones admits right up front that her education in business and finance, great as it was, was boring. While shopping for greeting cards to send to her African–American friends and not finding ones that truly represented African-Americans, Ms.Jones had an inspiration: to use the doodles that she drew while suffering through some of those dull classes, she could design her own cards! Thus was born her line of greeting cards featuring a family called The Braided Bunch. Working from her home, Ms. Jones’ online and trade show business has blossomed. She encouraged students to follow their instincts and passions and be creative about their future endeavors.

Link 7th grader Heru Kirkland and Principal Marnie McKoy were featured in the MSNBC documentary titled "A Father's Promise" which aired on Sunday, February 8th. The documentary was a follow-up to one called "Labor Day" which ran on NBC's Dateline 12 years ago. The fathers of three children born at University Hospital in Newark on one day were interviewed and promised - in the documentary - to remain active in their childrens' lives. The 2009 documentary re-visits the fathers and their children to see if those promises were kept. Heru and his dad are interviewed and Link Principal Marnie McKoy participated in the film in a roundtable discussion of the important role of fathers. See more at MSNBC's site...the original documentary and clips from the new one.

Thanks to the United Way of Essex and West Hudson and the Microsoft Corporation, 30 Linkers visited Microsoft’s Technology Center in New York City. During a day long program, students learned about Microsoft, careers in technology, and the technology behind some of the latest and greatest MS products.

Link 7th grader Oscar Gomez received a scholarship from the Presidential Youth Inaugural Conference (PYIC) to attend their conference, along with 2000 other students from across the country, and witness first-hand the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama. The PYIC, a youth leadership program sponsored by the non profit, non partisan Congressional Youth Leadership Council Foundation, is designed to “educate, motivate and inspire students by giving then a deeper understanding of the electoral history of the United States, as well as their role in democracy.” Oscar received the scholarship to attend based on his achievement and leadership potential. Read more about what Oscar states was a "marvelous" experience.

To mark the occasion of the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America, Barack Obama, students at Link staged a very special assembly with guidance from Vice Principal Keisha Cleveland-Baptiste. The program lifted up the historic moment - the election of the first African American as president - in light of the founding fathers' promise of justice, liberty and equality for all.  Click here for more about the assembly.

During Morning Circle on the Friday, January 16, a group of students honored the occasion of Dr. Martin Luther King's birthday, reading excerpts from his speeches. 8th grader Jamee Adams wrote an original poem embracing and extending the dream of Dr. King. Read Jamee's poem here.

Suzy Digby, executive director of PlaySmart, Inc. visited Link and addressed the girls’ basketball team. She spoke of her experience playing the game – through high school in North Carolina and in college for Washington University in St Louis. She stressed the importance of teamwork as the key to a successful season. PlaySmart, Inc. was been a partner of Link’s for many years now, with summer programming and the Junior Golf Academy.

Eaton Charitable Foundation, represented by Ms. Cynthia Beresh-Bryant, Division Human Resources Manager, Filtration Division and Mr. Bruce Henderson, Leadership Development Program Participant, Human Resources, Fluid Power Group presented Principal Marnie McKoy with a check for a grant of $10,000 for the school’s operating budget for the 2008-2009 school year. This is the third year of support from the foundation, the philanthropic arm of Eaton Corporation, a diversified power management company with headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio.

A new instrumental music program was recently launched at Link. Currently 20 students are taking lessons on various instruments including the flute, violin, cello, guitar, piano, clarinet, drums, trumpet and trombone, taught by classically trained musicians. The program is funded by a grant from the Frank and Lydia Bergen Foundation and was established at Link by Lenore Davis, professional classical pianist and friend of the school, in collaboration with Derek Mithaug of the Judith G. Wharton Music Center in Berkeley Heights. Read the entire press release.  (Photo: Bill Ash on trumpet and trombone, Lenore Davis; Ngozi Emenyeonu, director oof Annual Fund; Judy Kang on violin; Jeremy Eig on clarinet; Julietta Curenton on flute; Marnie McKoy, principal.)

Students and their families participated in the annual Link Holiday Celebration. Ms. Sahirah Johnson's drama class performed a play, compiled from several monologues with the addition of some original writing, celebrating family, friends and their different cultures and religions. Read more and view photos.

An excited and eager group of alumni and current students gathered in Link's gym to preview the new film commissioned for Link's 40th anniversary, A Matter of Justice. A discussion was held after the film aired.  Marvin Wagstaff, Class of '07, remarked that he  "appreciated the efforts of the founders to make certain there was a safe and nurturing middle school  in Newark, one where I was able to grow and develop." Click here to view the film.

Link Community School held its annual fundraising gala, A Taste of Newark, on Wednesday, November 12, 2008, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Over 400 guests, including Newark’s Mayor Cory Booker, shared in the festivities commemorating a special milestone in the school’s history -- Link’s 40th anniversary, while also honoring its long-time partner -- Prudential Financial, which has provided support to Link over many years. Photo (left to right): Ron Temple, Link trustee and event so-chair; Lenore Davis, Link trustee and event co-chair; Marnie McKoy, Link principal and Mayor Cory Booker. Read more and view slideshow.  View a list of the participating restaurants and the  major donors to the event.

On the WBGO Journal, Doug Doyle, news director at WBGO 88.3 FM, engaged Marnie McKoy and Lenore Davis, Link trustee and benefit co-chair in a discussion of the school's upcoming
gala event, A Taste of Newark.  Listen to the entire interview! 

On October 24, the Greater Essex County Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc. hosted its bi-annual Harvest Ball which benefits three non-profits organizations in Newark.  This year, Link Principal Marnie G. McKoy was honored for Leadership in Education, and Link was selected as one of the beneficiaries of the evening's proceeds.  The black tie ball was held at the Newark Club. Click here for larger image and caption.

Students, alumni, parents, past and present staff, trustees and friends gathered for a birthday party on September 29th to celebrate a milestone event for the school -- its 40th year of innovation and achievement in educating youth from Newark and the surrounding areas. The party, held on Link's Founder's Day, kicked off a year-long celebration of the school's anniversary and honored the founders and the legacy they created. Click here for photos from the party.

On September 29, 2008 Link Principal Marnie McKoy participated in a panel with Mayor Cory Booker, Tiki Barber, Reverend Eugene Rivers and Dr. Melissa Harris-Lacewell. The panel was moderated by TV personality Al Roker as part of a future edition of NBC's Dateline. The show is a follow-up to one that aired 12 years ago featuring fathers of several newborns at Newark's University Hospital and will explore the development of their relationships with their children. A Link family is highlighted in the piece. To read more about the taping and see a photo of the panel, view the Mayor's blog at http://blog.corybooker.com/?m=200809.

Author and motivational speaker Alan Williams spoke to Linkers this morning about humility and teamwork, drawing upon some of his experiences on the Wake Forest University's basketball team, the Demon Deacons. Mr. Williams' heartfelt message, laced with stories about his teammates and himself, awed the students. Speaking as the "worst player" on the team...a member who sat on the bench more often than not....Mr. Williams learned that being a part of something bigger (a team) was inspiring and fulfilling; that it is not important to be remembered for the "points you made, but the kind of person you are";  and that one needs to think of others(the team) and not just one's self. Mr. Williams wrote Walk-On: Life from the End of the Bench based on his experiences and faith and is currently writing another. For more, visit his website  at www.teammatesfirst.org.

Although the day was swelteringly hot, Link families and staff gathered together to begin the new school year at Link's first Back To School event. Parents met their children's advisors,mingled with each other and enjoyed a fine meal that they provided for the day. Mr. Devon Jackson, dean of students, rolled out the new Paycheck system of discipline and Mr. Pryce Mandel, IT director, explained how parents can access their children's school records through the website. The second and last Back to School event, to be held on Wednesday, October 15 from 4:30 - 7:30 pm, will give parents the opportunity to meet individual teachers and enjoy a "mini-lesson" in core subjects.

Four Linkers - Quinn Saffold, Nnamdi Nwaoduh, Justin Eke and Jamee Adams, who had participated in the NJ Goals Ahead Ice Hockey Program last spring  - were invited to attend the organization's annual fundraiser, the "More Than a Dream" Golf Event at Ballyowen Golf Club in Hamburg, NJ. They met Willie O'Ree (in photo with Linkers Jamee Adams and Quinn Saffold) , the first Black player in the National Hockey League and currently NHL's Director of Youth Development and "ambassador" for NHL Diversity. NJ Goals Ahead has partnered with Link for three years, providing weekly hockey classes along with lessons in teamwork, responsibility and character development. For more about NJ Goals Ahead, go to www.njgoalsahead.com.

130 students arrived eager and excited to start the new school year. On the opening days, students reacclimated to Link, received supplies and books and met their new teachers. In the spirit of teamwork and cooperation, each community developed its own cheer and all were presented at an assembly on Friday of the first week. In addition to the new and returning students, Link welcomed four new staff members: Mr. Dane Lewis (7th grade math), Ms. Katrina Wade (7th grade English), Mr. Kraig Obadashian (8th grade English) and Mr. Devon Jackson, dean of students.

Each year Link distributes basic school supplies that students need for the year and this summer Link received some gifts that helped accomplish just that. Mitch Cahn, owner of Unionwear/NJ Headwear Corp. in Newark, NJ generously donated backpacks displaying the purple and gold school logo for all students.  Last spring, Mr. Cahn hosted a group of Link students who were enrolled in a business entrepreneurship elective class at his factory.

Additionally, a group of students from Washington Elementary School in Westfield, NJ raised $900 which they used to purchase books, binders, notebooks, art supplies and volleyball equipment for Link. Olivia McElheny, Evan McElheny and Jack Schlidge (left to right in the photo) were some of the students involved in the fundraising and visited the school with Mrs. Barbara McElheny (a Washington Elementary school parent/committee member) to present their gifts to Principal Marnie G. McKoy.

Teachers and administrative staff started off the new school year with a refreshing retreat at Stella Maris Retreat Center in Elberon, NJ. Under the leadership of Mr. Mike Bagley from Project U.S.E., staff explored their wide diversity of styles through initiative games and exercises, coming to the conclusion that while individuals may exhibit different styles, a variety of styles are complementary in a group and can work togetrher toward one mission - the Link mission.

Ten Linkers spent a great week at The Island School in Cape Eleuthera, The Bahamas learning about island ecosystems, sustainability and Bahamian culture while having fun exploring the island and enjoying water activities including snorkeling and SCUBA diving. After school ended in June, students prepared for the trip with lessons led by their two chaperones, Link's science teachers Rosana Chanco and Errol LaGuerre and then shared their experiences with the entire student body during the first week of school.Click here to read student Jamee Adams' essay about her experience at The Island School. 

Link is grateful to The Island School (www.islandschool.org) for providing this opportunity for students and to our donors who made it possible. Special thanks to Jeff Johnson and Divers Alert Network (www.diversalertnetwork.org) for providing insurance pro bono to our student during their stay on the island.

Five graduates of Link's Class of 2008 - Jabir Brinkley, Gilberto Aviles, Jordan Bennett-Spearman, Kyrsten Fowlkes, and Zaniyyah Ashby - have been accepted into the NJLEEP (New Jersey Law and Education Empowerment Project) year-round college-bound program. The program provides academic support, mentoring and exposure to positive role models through their four years of high school - all to help students on thier way to success. These students were selected based on their performance and accomplishments in NJLEEP's five week Summer Law Institute this past summer. To learn more about NJLEEP, visit their website at www.njleep.org.

Students new to Link ended their month-long summer session today with a closing ceremony, lifting up the accomplishments of all participants. The ceremony, attended by students and their families, provided a snapshot of the programs and activities that have prepared the students for the upcoming school year and engaged them in a meaningful summer experience.   Read more and view slideshow . . .

Over 100 golfers enjoyed the challenging course at Metedeconk National Golf Club during the 7th Annual Link Community School Golf Outing on Monday, July 28th. The event, chaired by Link Trustee Bob Bertoni, raised over $170,000 for the school�s operating budget for this school year.   View slideshow . . .

Deja Rudolph, Link 8th grader, won first place in the female/under 13 category at the US Youth Games in Oakland, California recently. Deja has been golfing since the age of 4 and has competed successfully in quite a number of tournaments including the US Youth Games through the years. For more information about the US Youth Games, go to their website at www.usyouthgames.com

Linkers gained valuable knowledge about the field of finance during a day-long Economic Empowerment Conference, a program of workshops and exercises, conducted by 14 employees of Goldman Sachs on Wednesday, July 16. The program presenters, who are part of the Goldman Sachs Community Team Works Volunteers, spent the entire day with Link sharing their expertise and experience.  Read more and view slideshow . . .

Onaje Crawford, program director, and four young high school students from NJLEEP brought the S.T.R.O.N.G. program to Link in the form of a workshop for our young men. S.T.R.O.N.G. (Striving to Reunite Our Next Generation) is a "rites of passage" type program with a focus on developing a positive "male code" and positive values as a means to better success for urban males.

Part of the culture at Link is to "give back to the community" and the students in the summer session did that in a big way by volunteering at the Community Food Bank in Hillside, NJ this summer.  Read more and view slideshow . . .

Eighty-one new Link students started their month-long summer session today -- a program designed to help students acclimate to the school, to provide assessment opportunities and, most generally, to prepare them so that on Day One in September they can hit the ground running. It's also a great time for the students, who come from many different elementary schools in and around Newark, to meet and grow comfortable with each other before school starts.  Read more and view slideshow . . .