Link students adopted and painted four catch basins (aka sewer or storm drains) in the area around the school as part of a citywide program to protect Newark’s waterways and make it more beautiful initiated by the City of Newark Office of Sustainability, Newark Riverfront Revival, Newark Department of Public Works, and the EPA’s Urban Waterways Federal Partnership. The students who participated were enrolled in the Environmental Activism Through Art Elective, under the guidance of Ms. Howard, Link’s fine arts teacher. They studied the art of Berlin-based Raubdruckerin to understand environmental art, and then created their own street mural designs intended to raise awareness about the importance of catch basins and the need for clean waterways. They painted the murals over a three-week period and engaged our neighbors – Newark School of the Arts and Integrity House – in the project. The project will continue with ensuring that the catch basins remain clear of litter and debris. As part of the elective, students were invited to participate in the Science and Leadership Academy at the Newark Watershed in West Milford, NJ learning how water from the reservoirs is cleaned and makes its way into Newark’s faucets.
Link’s Class of ’19 earns record-breaking $6.5m in scholarships and aid for high school
Link Community Charter School is pleased to announce that the graduates in the Class of 2019 have been awarded over $6.5 million in academic scholarships and financial aid for competitive private high schools. This amount is the largest granted in the school’s history.
The graduates received acceptance into, and scholarships to attend, prestigious boarding schools in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern U.S., including St. Mark’s School, George School, Purnell School, St. Paul’s School, Stoneleigh-Burnham School, The Darrow School, and more. In addition, students were accepted into and received scholarship and financial aid from private day schools in NJ, including Montclair-Kimberly Academy, Newark Academy, Kent Place School, Morristown Beard School, The Hudson School, Seton Hall Prep, St. Vincent Academy, St. Benedict’s Prep, Marist, Immaculate Conception, and others.
Link’s Head of School Maria Pilar Paradiso states, “We are very proud of the achievements of the Class of 2019. Our scholars’ commitment to their education and their perseverance paid off with a record amount in academic scholarships and financial aid to attend great high schools where they will be able to continue their educational journey on the foundation they received at Link. Independent boarding and day schools, as well as scholarship programs, are generously providing a wonderful opportunity for our scholars, clearly recognizing the quality of a Link student. We are grateful to the schools for ensuring the continuance of an excellent education for our graduates and for supporting our work to bridge the opportunity gap and work towards educational equity.”
Click here to see the list of high schools to which this class was accepted.
Link’s Head of School honored with RFK Urban Education Award for School Leader
Link is proud to announce that Maria Pilar Paradiso, Link’s head of school, was honored with the Robert F. Kennedy Urban Education Award for School Leaders at the Schools That Can 14th Annual Forum 2019 Luncheon in Newark. The award, presented by Schools That Can (STC) in partnership with Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, is awarded to a school leader who has displayed “moral courage” and who has worked toward the betterment of their school environment and communities. Cara Kennedy Cuomo, granddaughter of Robert F. Kennedy, presented the award to Mrs. Paradiso.
Mrs. Paradiso was nominated for the award by Link staff for her commitment to “equity, justice, and instilling these values in others” and for her moral courage in leading Link’s conversion from an independent school to a public charter school. She spearheaded the expansion of the school to reach more students at an earlier age and, after the conversion, her vision and leadership resulted in very positive results for the under-served youth of Newark. With Mrs. Paradiso at the helm, Link has become a leader in urban education, and Link’s best practices have been shared with both public and independent schools. She arrived at Link in 2002 and was appointed head of school in 2010.
Schools That Can (STC) is the country’s largest cross-sector network of urban schools serving low-income communities. It reaches more than 200 schools across 15 cities, serving more than 80,000 students. STC works with students, teachers, and school leaders to re-imagine education through real-world learning that closes the opportunity and skills gap. By connecting leaders to powerful practices and models, developing teachers and engaging students, STC has, and continues to make, an important difference in the lives of American urban youth. Link has been a proud member of STC since its founding in the early 2000s. In 2010, Link co-hosted the STC Annual Forum, then also in Newark, with St. Benedict’s Prep.
Link’s musical talent shines at Jazz House Kids’ Newark Showcase
Link’s Choir, Percussion Elective Class, and female music ensemble, Her Voice, performed at the annual Jazz House Kids Annual Student Showcase in Newark recently. Students were directed by Ms. Lisette Santiago, teaching artist, who comes to Link through JHK. By all accounts, the students were amazing!
Link students perform at STC Forum
Students from Link’s Spoken Word Troupe, under the direction of Ms. Erica Bradshaw, teaching artist, performed original pieces for the participants of the Schools That Can 2019 Forum at the Robert Treat Hotel. The pieces focused on self-awareness and self -confidence. Students spent several months in after school sessions perfecting their performance. Kudos, scholars!
Link has been a member of Schools That Can since the late 90’s. It is a national network of urban schools that shares best practices to foster equity in education. The Forum brings educators from all over the country together.
Link students display art in Essex County Youth Art Month Exhibit
The art of six Link scholars was on exhibit during March at the Art Educators of NJ (AENJ), Essex County Youth Art Month Exhibit at the Newark Hall of Records. Link students’ art was displayed, along with that of students from 16 other schools in the county – public, charter, and private schools. Students, accompanied by Mrs. Gwen Howard, art teacher and member of AENJ member, were honored at a reception for the student artists last week.
Art Educators of New Jersey is a non-profit association created in 1939 by art educators interested in advocating for the visual arts education in the state. Their purpose is to promote and maintain the highest degree of quality Visual Arts instruction in New Jersey’s schools. The Youth Art Month Program emphasizes the value of art education for all children, encourages support for quality school art programs, and promotes art material safety. Youth Art Month also provides a forum for recognizing skills developed through visual arts experiences that are not possible in other curriculum subjects.