Share thoughts about district overcrowding

City councilwoman and finance committee chair Julissa Ferreras-Copeland along with councilman and education committee chair Daniel Dromm have formed a work group to address issues of school planning, siting and overcrowding.

And they want your input.

The committee will document the school planning processes and develop a set of recommendations to address how to accommodate a growing student body. The group plans to speak with education advocates as well as experts in school planning, development and real estate.

During the 2015-16 school year, approximately 59 percent of elementary schools, 22 percent of middle schools and 36 percent of high schools were overcrowded. With the additional increase in housing and the population citywide, it has the potential to make overcrowding even more pronounced, according to the city council website.

The education department’s five-year capital plan estimates a need for more than 80,000 new seats for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. However, only 54 percent of the seats are funded, according to the website.

Want to share your comments? The city council is collecting them until June 15 at tinyurl.com/OvercrowdNYC.

Mount grad a Point of Light winner
Kylee McGrane, a 2017 graduate of the College of Mount Saint Vincent, was recently named the 6,000th recipient of the Daily Point of Light Award for her work at the nonprofit A Moment of Magic.

Points of Light is the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, mobilizing millions around the world to give back and donate their time, according to its website. Former President George H.W. Bush tweeted a message of congratulations to McGrane on her achievement.

In 1983, Bush submitted a report to the nation on his efforts to engage Americans in volunteer service, calling volunteers “points of light.”

McGrane, along with Mount classmate Margaret McAndrew, founded A Moment of Magic, visiting terminally or long-term ill children in the hospital or at home dressed as characters from popular children’s films like “Frozen” and “Snow White.” They also take part in book readings and singalongs.

“You kind of walk in the room and it’s kind of like a collective gasp,” McGrane said last fall. “There might be that one kid (who says) I know you’re not her, but when they believe, and you believe in what everything stands for, it’s just the best feeling.”

Intern at Wave Hill
Wave Hill is looking for interns for its Family Art Project. Some of the duties include setting up and preparing for the weekend programs.

High school sophomores to college juniors are eligible to apply for the position. The stipend for the year-long internship is $9 per hour with interns working an average of 28 hours per month, according to Wave Hill’s website.
Wave Hill is a public garden and culture center. For more information, visit WaveHill.org.