The Column

Freshmen in high school find themselves in brand new environments that are often overwhelming and intimidating. Meeting new peers, navigating a new environment, and gaining more advanced knowledge are not easy tasks. However, at WHSAD there are many opportunities for freshmen to gain a solid foothold that will assist and inspire them over the course of their four years. One such opportunity is visiting the different architecture firms with which the school is in partnership. Through such excursions, students not only get a chance to interact in a more relaxed setting but also enjoy exposure to experiences that could inspire their future decisions when it comes to study and career. In the following narratives, two WHSAD freshmen offer … [Read more...]

Thank you to artist Mr. Milosz Koziej Ms. Maja Steczkowska, Deputy Director of the Polish Cultural Institute New York for providing WHSAD students with this opportunity. We would also like to thank Heather Butts and HEALTH for Youths for donating the supplies that were used during the workshops.  The Polish Cultural Institute New York came to WHSAD for a workshop on Venetian Plaster, an ancient technique commonly used to mimic marble. This was part of a series titled “Dare to be Copernicus”, made to inspire students to go against the status quo and follow their passions. Nicolaus Copernicus was a man of many hats, being secretary, doctor, diplomat, law maker, economist and a translator; however, he is most famous for his hobby of … [Read more...]

We would like to thank Karen Lerman, Mrs. Lichtenstein, and Project Witness for making this happen.  On December 14, 2023 our students took part in Project Witness: A Better Tomorrow Program. The goal of the program is to have young people spend time with Holocaust survivors and learn more about their experiences and learn from their examples of resiliency and hope for a better tomorrow.Jack Tavin, Toby Levy, Hadassah Carlebach, and Sarah Chaikin spent some time discussing their experiences, but most of the afternoon was spent with the young people chatting with the survivors about the holiday season. Students learned about Hanukkah traditions and shared with the survivors their future goals in academics and career. The time together … [Read more...]

Freshman, Alison Sanchez, wrote this article with contributions from freshman classmates and Freshman English teacher, Ms. Ortiz-Feliciano. On December 4, freshman students of WHSAD traveled to Park Avenue Armory to view two performances:  The Rite of Spring and common ground[s].  Before the performance began students were taken into the Veterans’ Room where they were introduced to teaching artist, Marsh Swiney, who provided students with a brief introduction to both performances, as well as a set of guidelines they would follow as audience members. Students would then remain in the Veterans’ Room waiting to be seated for the performance. It was during this time that students were then asked to share any questions they had … [Read more...]

Freshman, Alison Sanchez, wrote the introduction to this story. On November 16th, a select group of 9th grade students were chosen to participate on a trip to the Tenement museum as a part of their ELA unit’s essential question- “What does it it means to be ‘American?’” Students were also encouraged to gather insight on the lives of immigrant families which opened a window to the American story.  The tenement museum is located on 103 Orchard Street in the Lower East Side neighborhood of Manhattan. This museum allows visitors to explore the historically recreated homes of immigrant, migrant, and refugee families who lived in the city tenements between the years of 1863 and 1935.  The tenements were once home to an … [Read more...]

Throughout last school year a group of WHSAD students worked with the Pilsudski Institute of America, a non-profit Polish-American organization, to write and illustrate a children's book. The goal was to base it off their knowledge of Polish castles, so Laura Migas-Puch, representative from the institute and project facilitator, taught the students all about these historical castles, which they took notes on, read about, and eventually made into their book. The story follows these two children and a Polish hero, Tadeusz Kościuszko, who go on adventures to castles all over Poland learning about the historical and architectural importance of each one. They meet ghosts, run from attacks, and admire their surroundings. The illustrations are … [Read more...]

Writing and photographs by Jaiyana Wiley Since I was young I’ve always loved dance. It became a hobby of mine and proceeded into me performing in front of large audiences from the ages of 8 until I was 11. So imagine my excitement when I was able to participate in a club for it! At age 13 and in my freshman year of high school, I began rekindling my relationship with dance, joining the club and meeting new people with my same interest. Recently,I interviewed Some of the people who are a part of the Dance Club, including our Coach, Captain and a couple of dancers. This Is Ms. Erneste, Coach and Founder of the DanceClub/Team. Ms Erneste began the team in October of 2021, and prior to that Ms Soto oversaw the Dance Club for 3 … [Read more...]

By Amina Clyde Photo captions by Linda Foster On October 6th, a group of students and I had the opportunity to enter the Makerspace studio at Brooklyn Army Terminal. We were taken to Studio B, the general area for those who create small projects or want to take classes.  But what exactly is Makerspace?  Makerspace NYC is a nonprofit community for artists, welders, and more. It was founded in 2013 by husband and wife Scott Van Campen and DB Lampman. The very first location was out of Staten Island, branching out to Brooklyn in 2019. The beauty of Makerspace is the access to high quality equipment and classes with little to no background skill needed. In addition to this, Makerspace is actively paving the way for … [Read more...]

This week a number of sophomores learned more about one of the most tragic events in United States' history. A trip to the 9/11 Memorial Museum is an emotional experience, and students gained insights regarding some of the individuals who performed selflessly in order to save lives. The following are a few student narratives about what they saw, heard, and learned from their time at the museum. Alonzo Jones The 9/11 terrorists attacks were a very pivotal moment in American history. As a kid, not being born to witness the attacks, I was always gravitated towards that moment. But yesterday, October 12th, I learned a lot more than I thought I would. I somewhat thought I was an expert until I went to the museum. I learned more about the … [Read more...]

With the start of a new school year, WHSAD students take on new projects, one of these being Freshkills Park. Similar to prior work with the Greenbelt Conservancy Corps, students enter this new site, also located in Staten Island, with the goals of promoting sustainable design and land use through hands-on learning. However, unlike the established Greenbelt, Freshkills is a new park, and the task assigned to students places emphasis on fundamentals and proposals, with WHSAD having the opportunity to shape the future of this park. WHSAD's first visit to Freshkills occurred on September 13th. With informative talks led by Program Coordinator for NYC Parks Department of Parks and Recreation, Chris Ricker, Freshkills Park Alliance Education … [Read more...]