Education

Sentry program works to protect students throughout district As the first lunch period at Clary Middle School approached, Aaron Wilson rose in preparation. Lunchtime is one of the biggest responsibilities for Wilson, the security officer in the building. He presides over two cafeterias of more than 50 students each. On this particular day, the school announced that the three lunch …

Mercy Works program offers students multiple opportunities Mercy Works, Inc., a non-profit organization based on the South Side, provides a plethora of programs to children, from computer literacy classes and internship placement to improving family relationships. Gina Rivers, the organization’s program director, said Mercy Works’ mission is to identify and meet the social needs of the community and to empower …

Every Tuesday, kids come to Geneva Hayden’s after-school sessions at Beauchamp Library to get homework done, find a book to read or use a computer. But in preparation for Martin Luther King Day, Hayden planned an activity to teach kids about Dr. King and his message. The literacy volunteer says she wouldn’t have it any other way. “Every time you …

Thirteen-year-old Jaclyn Turner knows what it’s like to be bullied. An aspiring poet with a love for the band Rise Against, Turner wears her curly hair cropped short. She says she can’t grow it out because of an autoimmune disease, and used to wear wigs to cover it up. “I used to get bullied all the time,” Turner said.

Program offers workshop series to parents to better support their children’s education Syracuse City School District Superintendent Sharon Contreras recently gave nearly 200 local residents a look at an expansive new program designed to help parents with their schoolchildren. The program, Parent University, is a series of workshops for parents of elementary, middle and high school students — intended to …

Gwendolyn Maturo-Grasso teaches students lessons for school and for life One recent day at 7 a.m., a classroom inside Lincoln Middle School library is already crowded with students from the STEM club. Gwendolyn Maturo-Grasso, wearing a black brace that resembles a fingerless glove, asks the students to think about how to distribute weight to make a bridge stronger. Maturo-Grasso, 51, …

Professors, teaching artists, graduate teaching fellows and community supporters connected with 98 students for the third Writing Our Lives conference held Nov. 3 at Nottingham High School. Students were led into 16 writing sessions ranging in topics from political-writing and academic writing to poetry, self-reflection and graphic novels. “What a great opportunity to have [the students] here to just write …

Andrea Taylor vows, ‘I will be here every day even if four kids show up’ After-school programs for children on the South Side are not common, but the South Side Communication Center offers one free of charge to neighborhood parents. Andrea Taylor, 40, a mother of three, and an employee of the South Side Initiative, runs the program each school …

The Expeditionary Learning Middle School has come under new administration this year as Rebecca Groat, former vice principal at Franklin Elementary School, assumed the role of principal effective July 1, 2012. Kevin Burns, who was the ELMS principal, is now principal at Lincoln Middle School. “Every year there is an evaluation of the schools and there’s a lot of shifting …

Mary Nelson and dozens of volunteers coordinated supplies and backpacks this weekend during the 11th Annual Youth Day Barbecue. Some volunteers had been onsite for as long as 12 hours with registrations totaling 21,639, according to Mary Nelson. Staff from the Mary Nelson Center and first time volunteers echoed this year’s theme of “Wake Up, Everybody” by cooking, supervising games, …