Link Community School, Newark, NJ -- News 2008-2009

Link Community School
120 Livingston Street
Newark, NJ 07103
Tel 973-642-0529
Fax 973-642-1978
admission@linkschool.org
development@linkschool.org

News


July 1, 2010 Link's Summer Academy opens to full house Seventy students reported to Link today to begin a month-long summer program. The students are mainly the incoming 7th graders but the group also includes a few 8th graders who are new to Link. The Summer Academy is designed to help students acclimate to the school - its culture, staff and expectations - and to eachother - prior to the start of the new school year. Studies focus on reading, writing, math and study skills during the four-week session and enjoy elective classes in subjects such as fashion, karate, cooking/nutrition, yoga, poetry, math games and more.


Click images for larger views.	Saturday, June 12, 2010 Linkers compete in Sally Ride Program Toy Challenge Seven of Link’s 8th grade girls attended the Sally Ride Toy Challenge and Closing at Novartis on Saturday, June 12. The girls were participants in the year-long Sally Ride Program elective, under the guidance of Mrs. Rosana Chanco, Link’s science teacher. Thirty-four teams from 14 different schools participated in the toy competition, an event designed so that girls can learn the basics of engineering. In attendance from Link were Tyler Davis, Rayana Yarborough, Asha Fradkin, Kriska Desir, Myrna Nuarpha, Cassidy Wilson, Kieyanah Johnson and Mrs. Chanco. During the toy judging, participants explained thoroughly the rationale behind their toy creation, the toy design process, how to play their toy and how their group worked together to complete their prototype toy. They answered all the judges' questions to the best of their ability. Link’s girls impressed the judges with their toy designs for autistic and dyslexic children. Every team member received a medal and certificate of participation. Photos, top to bottom: Kieyanah Johnson explaining her toy project to judges and Myrna Nuarhpa explaining hers.


Click image for larger view.	June 7, 2010 Seventh graders “step over” to 8th grade At the annual awards ceremony for 7th graders today, student received certificates for academic achievement in the 2009-2010 school year. Additionally they performed Link’s traditional “stepping over” ceremony, signifying their promotion to the 8th grade. During the summer, many Linkers will attend camps and programs including Frost Valley YMCA Camp, Camp Border Collie, Brantwood Camp, and Camp Agawam. Students accepted into NJSEEDs and Wight Foundation will participate in summer academic enrichment programs.


	June 7, 2010 Link students to present essays at the Prudential Black Leadership Forum Two Link 8th graders, Leah Woolridge and Baheem Wise have been invited to present their original essays to the Prudential Black Leadership Forum in East Brunswick in the fall of 2010. The students participated in an essay contest conducted by the BLF after the LearnDoEarn Program that the BLF provided Link’s 8th graders this past winter. The essays were based on quotes by famous individuals speaking on topics such as success, leadership, and perseverance. Photos, left to right: Leah and Baheem.


	June 4, 2010 Link graduate wins alumni award Student Leah Woolridge was the recipient of the Link Alumni Award, entitling her to a new laptop computer. Also, her name will be engraved on a plaque in Link’s main hall. This annual award is based on an essay contest and the prizes are provided by a Link alumnus. In her essay, Leah reflected on how her perception of success and included how Link and people in her life have been helping her in her journey to reach her goals. Leah will attend University High School in the fall. Photo: Leah with La Toro Yates, director of admissions and high school placement, who presented the award to Leah.


	June 4, 2010 Two Link graduates receive top honors at commencement At Link’s graduation ceremony tonight, Erin Saunders received the Academic Achievement Award which is presented to the graduate with the highest grade point average and Kriska Desir, the Founder’s Award, given to the student who best exemplifies the academic and core value standards set for students by the founding Sisters of St. Dominic, Caldwell. In the fall, Erin will attend Morristown-Beard School in and Kriska will attend Groton School in Connecticut. Photos, left to right: Erin and Kriska.


June 4, 2010 GRADUATION! A wonderful celebration! Sixty-six Linkers graduated tonight in front of families, friends, faculty and trustees at the Emmanuel Church of Christ sanctuary in Newark. The commencement exercises began with a welcome by student Erin Saunders after which students publicly expressed their appreciation to their parents for providing them with support and a fine education. Oscar Gomez, student body president, gave the student speech and Shavar D. Jeffries, Esq., professor at Seton Hall University and current president of the Newark Board of Education, presented the keynote message. Students sang Bill Withers’ Lean on Me accompanied by Oscar on the piano. Diplomas were conferred upon students by Head of School Maria Pilar Paradiso and Link’s Board of Trustees Chair, Mrs. Wendy Lacey. After academic awards were distributed, Ms. Paradiso bid farewell to the Class of 2010 and students executed the Link “Call and Response”. The Link African Dancers, with Jerome Hunter on drum, performed and then led the procession of faculty, students and guests out of the church. Students and their families convened at Link for refreshments and to say some final farewells!


	June 2, 2010 Graduating Linkers celebrate their achievements The annual Ring Ceremony and Awards Presentation honoring the achievements of the 8th graders who will graduate on June 4th was held tonight. A group of students shared reflections they prepared, describing the impact that their Link years had upon them. Advisors presented students with their school rings and Mrs. Paradiso, head of school, presented the awards for academic effort, core values and perfect attendance. Afterward students and their families shared a meal and continued celebrating the great success of the Class of 2010. Photo: Oscar Gomez '10 receives his school ring from advisor La Toro Yates. Adonis Blue, dean of students, in the background. Click here to view the event program with student reflections.


Click image for larger view.	June 2, 2010 Professional actors “read” plays written by Link 8th graders Four young actors from the Playwright’s Theater of NJ in Madison, NJ acted out plays written by eighth graders during a month-long Artist-in-Residency Program provided by the theater. Mrs. Carolyn Hunt from the theater spent the month of May working with students one period a week in Mrs. Toes’ English class to learn the art of playwriting. Several were selected for the actors to read in front of the entire student body. Photo, left to right: front row, Kriska Desir, Rayana Yarborough, Walter Rodriguez (actor), Michelle Morgan (actor),Mia Johnson (actor), Asha Fradkin, Joyelle Gaines, Baheem Wise and Leah Woolridge. Back row, Mojoanna Pierre and Artem Yatsunov (actor).


June 1, 2010 Link Class of 2010 earns over $2.0 million in scholarships Link's High School Placement Director La Toro Yates announced today that the graduating class of 2010 has earned over $2.0 milion in scholarships to prestigious day and boarding schools, including Morristown-Beard School, Pingry School, Groton School, Gill- St. Bernard School, Newark Academy, The Hudson School, Kent Place School, Mount Saint Mary Academy and others. This is the second largest amount garnered by students in the school’s history, with last year’s graduates earning a total of 2.7 million.


	May 25, 2010 Link honors volunteers and partners At the annual Volunteer and Partner Breakfast, Link honored a number of individuals who have helped to enhance the lives of Link students in various ways. Link is so grateful to people and organizations providing new exposures and experiences to Link’s students to enhance their education and to help them grow and develop. Photo, left to right: Ms .Patricia Johnson from The SMART Program at UMDNJ and Ms. Angel Rich from Prudential share volunteer experiences at Link.


May 25, 2010 Students to enter NJSEEDS Scholars Program Link 7th graders Dominique Smith, Taylar Clark and Tianna Butcher were selected to enter the first phase of the NJ SEEDS Scholars Program. The Scholars Program is an enrichment program designed to help students better prepare for high school.


	May 22, 2010 Link teachers honored for “best practices” Keva Berutti (art), Nancy Toes (English) and Dan Raffety (history) were honored as Master Teachers at the Teachers Best Practices Conference hosted by the SCHOOLS THAT CAN forum today. Nominated by Link’s Head of School Maria Pilar Paradiso, the teachers presented on their collaborative efforts, combining art, English and history to foster understanding of subject area content and to engage students more fully in the learning process. Photo: Ms. Toes presenting to conference participants.


Click on image for larger view.	May 21, 2010 Link African dancers perform at nation urban education forum A group of Link’s African dancers performed at the Schools That Can Forum held at the Hilton Newark Penn Station today. With Jerome Hunter drumming, the girls entertained forum attendees with several lively numbers. Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker was on hand for their performance. Photo, left to right: Toun Shoyoye, Kylah Colbert-Ross, Fakrat Alapa, Mosezetta Williams, Angela Phillips, Tiana Butcher.


	May 21, 2010 Link drama Club presents second annual musical production Under the guidance of Sahirah Johnson, Link’s drama teacher, thirty Link students performed an adaptation of the musical, Once on This Island, a one-act musical with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. The musical is based on Rosa Guy’s novel My Love, My Love which is in turn based on Hans Christian Anderson’s story, The Little Mermaid. Photo: Kiyair Lambert and Joyelle Gaines.


	May 20, 2010 Link head of school co-hosts national education forum Maria Pilar Paradiso, Link’s head of school, along with Father Edwin Leahy, headmaster of St. Benedict’s Preparatory School, hosted the SCHOOLS THAT CAN Forum 2010 in Newark from May 20 – 22 at the Hilton Newark Penn Station hotel. The forum brought educators and administrators from urban charter, independent, and faith-based schools from around the U.S. to share best practices and ideas, to discuss trends in urban education and to hear from leading urban education professionals and “thought-leaders”. Photo: Ms. Paradiso with Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, luncheon keynote speaker at the Forum.


	May 16, 2010 Link student wins first place in prep school art show Sa’id Daniel, seventh grader, won First Place in Collage at the St. Peter’s Preparatory School Inaugural Art Contest this month. A letter addressed to Sa’id from St. Peter’s stated, “Ms. Megan Klim, Art Department Chair, and Mr. Nyugen Smith, Art Department, loved your work and commend both you and your teacher on this beautiful piece of art. …the piece showed enormous energy and movement.” Besides a gift for being the winner, Sa’id is entitled to a one-time $500 scholarship if he attends Saint Peter’s in the 2010-2012 school year.


	May 10, 2010 Link 7th graders selected by Wight Foundation Fakrat Alapa, Oluwaberimo (Toun) Shoyoye, Dominque Smith and Taylar Clark were accepted into the Scholars Training & Enrichment Program, an eleven month academic program that is part of the foundation’s application process. The Wight Foundation provides scholarship support, based on family income, to attend boarding schools in New England and the Mid Atlantic regions. Photo (left to right): Taylar Clark, Dominque Smith, Mr. La Toro Yates (Link's Director of Admission and High School Placement), Fakrat Alapa and Toun Shoyoye.


	May 2, 2010 8th graders headed to NJLEEP’s Summer Law Institute Linkers Alana Hunter, Matthew Johnson, Ifeanyi Nwabor and Alvina Johnson were selected for the NJLEEP 2010 Summer Law Institute. The institute is a five week, five days per week criminal law course culminating in a mock trial competition in front of sitting NJ judges. After completing the summer session, students are invited to apply for NJLEEP’s four year college bound mentoring and tutoring program. Photo: Matthew, Alana and Ifeanyi.


	April 22, 2010 7th graders learn importance of good nutrition Ms. Dorothy Mullens, nutritionist, visited Link’s seventh grade science classes to talk about the importance of making wise food choices and the connection between nutrition and brain function. She provided healthy alternatives to foods which can cause serious negative effects on blood sugar leading to poor health, including diabetes. Photo: Ms. Mullens


	April 19, 2010 Link Panthers honored at banquet Members of the Link athletic and cheerleading teams and their coaches were honored at a celebratory dinner and awards presentation led by Ms. Carolyn Wise, Link’s athletic director. Students and their families enjoyed a wonderful meal and cheered for all of the year’s teams and their coaches. Go, Panthers!!!!


	April 15, 2010 Link Law elective students receive awards Adedire Fakorede ’10 received the award for the Most Outstanding Student in the Criminal Law elective class held at Link during the third quarter and David Shamburger ’10 for Most Diligent Student. The law elective was taught by Mr. Matthew Feinstein from NJ LEEP (New Jersey Law and Education Empowerment Program). In the first quarter Constitutional Law elective class, Ifeani Nwabor ‘10 was presented with the Most Outstanding Student award and Adedire, the Most Diligent. Photos: Top - David Shamburger with Mr. Feinstein. Bottom - Adedire Fakorede with Mr. Feinstein.


	April 15, 2010 Linkers participate in Community Law Day About 20 Link students attended Community Law Day 2010, a program hosted by NJ LEEP and its partners in the Community Law and Education Project and held at Seton Hall School of Law in Newark. After an inspirational keynote speech by The Honorable Esther Salas, federal magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court for the district of New Jersey, students participated in a mock trial before The Honorable Torkwase Sekou, judge of the Superior Court for Essex County who gave the students feedback at the close of their trial. The students prepared for the mock trial in their 3rd quarter criminal law elective class. Photos, left: Top - Judge Esther Salas with Link students and Mr. Adonis Bluem Dean of Students. Bottom - David Shamburger '10 interrogates Lamar Baker '10 in mock trial with Judge Sekou looking on.


	April 13, 2010 Link boys take the field with the NYGiants NFL players from the NYGiants gave lessons in football skills and values to the young men at Link. At the Giants’ Field House in the Meadowlands, the boys worked through a series of drills including passing, tackling, and more as they heard from the players about importance personal characteristics for success in life. Link thanks Athletes in Action, Inc. and the NYGiants for hosting this great event! Photo: NYGiants defensive back Gartrell Johnson speaks to boys.


April 13. 2010 Link girls become “empowered” in special program The young ladies at Link had the opportunity to work on their personal development during the second annual “Empowering Women” program. Students heard from Mrs. Rose Cali, who shared her inspirational story and words of advice. After a special luncheon, the girls participated in workshops designed to provide them with tools for personal development. The workshops included: skin care by Kim Harrison and Waltaya Culmer from the Bobbie Brown Studio in Montclair; image and presentation by Ms. Gloria McDonald, Ms. Maalika Hudson, Ms. Monique Grier and Ms. Margarita Irazzy-Mendez from Prudential; yoga by instructors from Lotus Yoga in Montclair/Newark; and nutrition by Ms. Jeanne Molloy from Sodexco, Ms. Karen Hill from Be Healthy As Can Be, and Chef Nikko of Rustic Caterers.


	March 29 - April 1, 2010 Novartis mentors Link students Eighteen Link students traveled to Novartis Pharaceutical Corporation in East Hanover, NJ for the annual week-long Multicultural Teen Corporate Mentoring Program. While there, students had the opportunity to shadow experts in various professional fields, attend and particiate in panel discussions, and even create their own marketing campaign for "made up" products. By exposing students to successful muticultural role models and careers fields, Novartis hopes to help students set high personal, academic and career goals.


	March 13, 2010 Link lady cagers place in basketbal tournament The Link girls' basketball team earned second place in the NJ Charter School Athletic League tonight at the New Communty Recreation Center on Hayes Street in Newark. In a hard fought game - close right up until the end, Pride Academy in East Orange just managed to eke out a win (24-22) over the Link Lady Panthers. Link is proud of the effort of our team of only 6 girls who managed to end this year's basketball season in second place in the league. For photos, click here. To view the photos as a slide show, click here.


	Friday, February 19, 2010 Link’s African dancers perform at City Hall At the invitation of The African Commission of the City of Newark, a group of Link’s African dancers, led by drummer and teacher Jerome Hunter, performed at a special program at City Hall, called “Dismantling the Imaginary Borderline Among Africans.” Dancers had the opportunity to meet the Honorable Donald Payne, U.S. Congressman, who was the keynote speaker at the event. (Photo left: Dances and Mr. Hunter with Congressman Payne.)


	Friday, February 19, 2010 8th graders go to Prudential for a special program The Black Leadership Forum, a volunteer group at Prudential Financial, presented LearnDoEarn – a program on goal setting and the importance of academics and good decision making to Link 8th graders at Pru’s offices on Broad Street in Newark.


	Wednesday, February 17, 2010 Link’s Board announces new head of school The Link Community School Board of Trustees announced the selection of Maria Pilar Paradiso as the new head of school. Click here for the press release about this important appointment.


Tuesday. February 9, 2010 Summer camp and program reps speak to Linkers At Link’s annual Summer Opportunities Fair today, representatives from eight summer camps and programs met with Link students to talk about the opportunities their camps/programs are offering in the summer of 2010. The camps in attendance were: Appel Farm Art Camp, Brantwood Camp, Camp Border Collie, Camp Vacamas, Project U.S.E. Summer Trek, Frost Valley YMCA Camp, NJ Playwrights Summer Creative Academy, and NJIT summer and pre-college programs. All of the camps offer full or partial scholarships for students to attend.


	Thursday, February 4, 2010 Young female engineer inspires Link ladies Kari Brown, national secretary of the National Society of Black Engineers and PhD candidate (mechanical engineering) at Michigan Technological University spoke to a group of 15 female students today. She came to Link through Mr. Tony Howell, Executive Director of Education Opportunities Program at NJIT. Ms. Brown cleverly convinced the girls they are all “engineers” and could very well move into that male-dominated field as she is and she also spoke with them regarding the importance of conveying a good image at all times.


	Wednesday, January 27, 2010 Girls’ Mentoring Group visits Montclair business and university A group of ten 8th grade girls, members of the Wednesday Girls’ Lunch Mentoring Group, had the opportunity to visit a business and a college in Montclair as part of their ongoing theme of exploring careers. Mrs. Margo Walter, Link trustee and the girls’ mentor, arranged the trip itinerary and activities. Photo: Dr. Susan Cole of Montclair State Univerosty speaks with students. Click here to read more about the trip.


Tuesday, January 26, 2010 Link alumni edged out students in an exciting basketball game At the annual Alumni-Student basketball game, alumni managed one more basket to win an exciting, closely played game. The game is part of the annual Homecoming Week activities, when alumni are encouraged to visit Link.


	December 10, 2009 8th graders visit Montclair Art Museum All of the 8th graders and their teachers, led by Mrs .Keva Berutti, art teacher, visited the Montclair Art Museum to view an exhibit on the influence of Cezanne’s painting in American Modern Art. The trip was possible through the generosity of Margo and Frank Walter. Click here to read more about the trip.


	November 17, 2009 SmartBoard technology draws visitors to Link The Assistive Technology Support Team of the Department of Children and Families of the NJ Office of Education visited Link today to see the application of SmartBoard technology in the classroom. Karen Guilmartin, Rosemarie Fitzpatrick and Norman Rothstein visited math, science and history classrooms where teachers and students were actively using the SmartBoards for their lessons. The team will be installing Smartboards and curriculum in over 30 locations in NJ. to assist in special needs/altenrative education instruction using technology. Link is a showcase school for Smart Technology.


	November 12, 2009 A Taste of Newark is a great success! Link Community School held its major fundraiser, A Taste of Newark 2009, on Thursday, November 12, 2009, at NJPAC. With the generosity of donors supporting the event – individuals, corporations, and foundations – the event raised over $700,000, which comprises about one-quarter of the school’s operating budget. Over 500 guests shared in the festivities celebrating the school as well as honoring a long-time Link friend and trustee, Margo Walter of Montclair. Read more...


October 30, 2009 Link staff announces new student award Adonis Blue, Link’s dean of students, announced the establishment of a new student award – the Panther Award. Each month staff will select one 7th and one 8th grade students as the recipient of this award. They will choose students who are maintain good grades, live the Core Values consistently, and are an excellent role model for their peers. Congratulations to this first month’s recipients, Fakrat Alapa ’11 and Oscar Gomez ‘10.


	October 30, 2009 Pingry students spend day in service at Link Thirty students and staff from The Pingry School in Martinsville, NJ visited Link as part of their Community Service Day. Several students assisted Technology Director Pryce Mandel in the computer lab setting up computers and organizing cables. Others worked on sorting books and still others assembled packets of admissions materials. Link is grateful for the time and effort our friends from Pingry!


October 21, 2009 Board chair updates Link community on head of school search Wendy Lacey, on behalf of the Link Board of Trustees, has announced in a letter to staff and parents that the board is conducting a national search for Link's next head of school. Read Mrs. Lacey's entire letter here.


	October 8, 2009 Link hosts High School Night for students and parents Over forty high schools participated in Link's High School Night, where students and their parents had the opportunity to meet with representatives to learn about the schools' programs. Also in attendance were reps from enrichment programs, including Wight Foundation, NJ SEEDS and A Better Chance (ABC). At left, student Oscar Gomez and his father speak with a rep from St. Peter's Prep in Jersey City.


	October 6, 2009 Summit Junior Fortnightly Club present check to Link from their very successful charity event The Summit Junior Fortnightly Club presented interim head of school Maria Pilar Paradiso with a check for over $14,000 tonight. The check represented the proceeds of that organization's annual Tot Trot,a community event that raises funds for nonprofits. Each year SJF Club selects a different non-profit and this year Link was their chosen recipient. Despite rain at the start of the day, many families came out to support this vibrant community service organization and have fun with the children’s races, games, petting zoo, barbeque and much more. We are so grateful to the Summit Junior Fortnightly Club and the members who organized this event, including Karen Sanyour, Cindy Schluter and Jenny Wimsatt; and to the Summit community for their support of the event.


Photo, left to right, Mr. Hantson, Mrs. Wells and Mr. Rigby	October 1, 2009 Novartis CEO and NJ Secretary of State visit Link Ludwig Hantson, CEO and head of Pharma North America, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation visited Link Community School in the Central Ward of Newark on October 1, 2009 as part of Novartis’ annual Community Partnership Day. Joining Mr. Hantson was Secretary of State Nina B. Wells, whose participation kicked off the state’s Volunteer Month initiative. Additionally several Novartis volunteers made science and career presentations to classes during the day. Read more here.


	September 25, 2009 Link celebrates its 41st year serving youth At the close of day, students, staff, faculty and alumni observed the 41st anniversary of the founding of Link Community School by the Sisters of St. Dominic today. Head of School Maria Pilar Paradsio spoke to the assembled group and then everyone sang "Happy Birthday" and enjoyed cake!


September 24, 2009 The "Young Generation" gets involved at Link The Sea Grill, at Rockefeller Plaza, served as a great venue to introduce Link Community School to some young professionals eager to begin supporting something they believe in. Brought together by a few trustees, including Ellen Cohen, Ron Temple and Andrew Lacey, on September 24th, guests had an opportunity to hear a bit about the school, talk with interim head of school Maria Pilar Paradiso, and discuss ways they can get involved to support the mission of the school. Afterwards, two groups came out to Newark , escorted by Ellen Cohen, Kathleen Boatman and Andrew Lacey, and visited the school to see firsthand the work of Link Community School. We look forward to working with this passionate group as we serve youth from Newark and the surrounding urban communities.


September 23, 2009 Link Board of Trustees hosts reception for faculty and staff To celebrate the start of the new school year, the Link Board of Trustees hosted a reception for faculty and staff. After a welcome from Board Chairperson Wendy Lacey, board members “mixed and mingled” talking about the exciting things happening at the school.


	September 22, 2009 8th Grade English class memorializes their camping trip At morning circle today, eighth grade students unveiled a “timeline” - a project to capture the essence of their recent three-day camping trip. The timeline project was created in Mrs. Toes’ English and Mrs. Berutti’s Art classes. Each student wrote three special memories from the trip and then chose one to illustrate for the timeline of the event, beginning with their departure from the school on Wednesday, September 8th through their return late on Friday, September 10th. The timeline will remain on the wall in Mrs. Toes’ classroom for the remainder of the school year. Click here to see photos of the project.


	September 8-10, 2009 8th Graders “build community” at camp The entire 8th grade class camped for three days/two nights on Wildcat Mountain in northern NJ. The purpose of the activity was for bonding and teambuilding as the students enter the new school year as well as to provide an experience – camping – that many Linkers have never had. Students participated in hiking and backpacking, challenged themselves through team initiative activities, wall climbing, high ropes, rock climbing course, zip lines and more. Students slept in tents, prepared their own meals and collected firewood in true backwoods camping style


September 17, 2009 Link Board begins search for Head of School The Link Board of Trustees has begun the process of identifying a new Head of School. To assist in this endeavor, they have engaged Educational Direction Incorporated (EDI), a national consulting firm that has experience with independent schools. Representatives from EDI will be at Link next week for discussions with parents, faculty, staff, trustees and some students about the opportunities and challenges facing Link in the future and the leadership qualities important to the school. Click here for a letter about the search from Board Chairperson Wendy Lacey.


	September 9, 2009 Opening Day! The doors at Link opened to 133 eager students this morning. Seventh graders moved directly to Morning Circle and then on to meet their teachers and learn about expectations. Eighth graders departed by bus for Project U.S.E.’s Wildcat Mountain Wilderness Center in northern NJ for their outdoor education trip. This annual event for 8th graders features a three-day overnight camping trip with team building and bonding as their focus.


	August 31, 2009 Staff ready for the new school year In keeping with tradition, Link faculty and staff began the new school year at a retreat on August 31st at Morristown-Beard School in Morristown where they explored, with the guidance of Mike Bagley and Bob Goger from Project U.S.E., ways to enrich the educational experience for our students. The day, full of fun initiative games and deep discussions, is always a great bonding experience for new and veteran staffers alike…a wonderful, inspiring way to start off the new school year!


	July 30, 2009 Closing ceremony celebrates student achievements The Closing Ceremony for Link’s Summer Academy 2009 provided a glimpse into the summer program for families and celebrated the accomplishments of students. After welcoming comments by Ms. Ngozi Emenyeonu, Link’s director of Annual Fund, and Mr. Tony Hill, director of the Summer Academy 2009, deserving students received certificates of achievement in the academic subjects - writing, math, reading, study skills/technology and dramatic literature as well as for Core Values, perfect attendance and leadership from staff. Students performed based on the elective classes they took over the month: Chorus, Poet’s Period, Fashion, African Dance, Spoken Word, Karate and Dramatic Lit.



	July 30, 2009 Summer Academy students donate food to those in need Students were slated to work for a day at the Community Foodbank of New Jersey in Hillside today, but unfortunately torrential rains flooded the basement of the food bank’s building, closing it for a day. Students still had the opportunity to help the bank; they brought in donations of canned goods and boxed food to be delivered at a later date. The picture at the left shows a few Linkers with just some of the many items donated, thanks to the generosity of the students’ families.



July 28, 2009 Interim Head of School named by Link's Board The Link Board of Trustees has appointed Maria Pilar Paradiso as the Interim Head of School after Marnie McKoy's resignation this summer. Ms. Paradiso has been employed at Link for the past eight years, serving as Vice Principal, Director of Institutional Advancement. Read the letter here from Board Chariperson Wendy Lacey about this transition.


	July 28, 2009 Guests share their powerful stories with Linkers On July 28th, Ms. Janeen T. Uzzell, director of Service Operations at General Electric Healthcare, and Mr. Alex Ellis, author, speaker, entrepreneur and president of a non-profit organization called “Tied to Greatness” TM, spoke to the girls and boys respectively about leadership and success. Sharing their stories and experiences, the guests gave tremendous advice and counsel to young people about determination and commitment as keys to success.


	July 27, 2009 Link golf outing raises funds for scholarships After torrential rains during much of June and July, sunny skies welcomed the 129 golfers who attended the 8th Annual Link Community School’s Golf Outing, held on July 27th, at the prominent Metedeconk National Golf Club in Jackson, New Jersey. This annual summer event raises critical funds for Link students, all of whom are dependent on scholarships to enable them to attend the school. Thanks to the Benefit Committee, chaired by Link trustee Bob Bertoni, and all of the event supporters, $212,000 was raised at this year’s event. Click here to view photos of the day. Click here for a list of the event sponsors.


	July 24, 2009 Vaughn McKoy inspires boys to leadership Vaugh McKoy, Esq., director of Customer Service and Community Development at PSE&G in Newark, met with the young men of the Summer Academy 2009 to talk about leadership. Mr. McKoy explained to the boys that “everyone is a leader because everyone influences others in many ways” and that it is important to make certain that “your leadership has a positive effect on others.”


	July 1, 2009 New students acclimate to Link during the Summer Academy 2009 Seventy-one students began preparing for the upcoming school year during the Link Summer Academy 2009. Required for all students new to Link – both 7th and 8th graders – the Academy introduces students to Link’s culture and traditions so their entry into the school in the fall is seamless and they are able to focus immediately on their academics. It’s also a great time for students, coming from many different elementary schools to meet and become a community and for staff to assess students’ skills levels. Students attend the academy four and a half hours per day during the month of July and participate in classes in writing, math, study skills/technology, reading and literature as well as elective courses such as karate, African dance, poetry and more. Thanks to The Prudential Foundation 2009 Summer Grants for Youth Initiative and PlaySmart, Inc. for providing funding for Link's summer session.