The Voice Of I.S. 303

IS 303 Celebrates Red Ribbon Week With A Drug Free World Assembly Sofia Elsherif, 8-317

On Tuesday, October 23rd, IS 303 celebrated Red Ribbon Week with a special presentation from The Organization for a Drug Free World. Red Ribbon Week is a week to educate students against drugs. This year’s assembly was extra special as we had a visit from Ms. New York, Rahmeka Cox.

We were honored to have her here to speak about her career and what she has become. The mission of The Organization for a Drug Free World is to educate people around the world about the dangerous effects of drugs. The foundation honored Ms. Amador this past year with their prestigious Hero award. Through IS 303’s partnership with the organization, we were able to have this wonderful presentation come to IS 303 to educate all of our students on the harmful effects that drugs can have on us.

The event was a huge success. The event concluded with Ms. New York taking pictures, signing autographs, and doing a live Instagram post from the assembly. We thank The Organization for a Drug Free World for attending and we look

Our New Student Government is Elected Nelly Levin, 7-226

Student government is a group where all selected representatives from each grade come together to make our school great. Recently we had an election to see who will represent each grade as well as an overall leader. For 6th grade representatives, the winners were Angelica Jordan and Anastasia Ababiy. These two girls did a fantastic job with their speeches and overall ideas. Next up are 7th grade representatives which are Nelly Levin and Merline Barreau.

I believe these two can make a real change in our school. The last representatives are the 8th graders, Sofia Elsherif and Diana Reyes. They will do a great job helping out the President and Vice President. Now, on to the Secretary of the school, Utkir Mukhamedjanov. I think that this guy will make an amazing secretary. Last, but not least, the President and Vice President, Haseeb Qamar (Vice President) and Leo Mordkovich (President). I’m sure representing all of the students in.

IS 303 Hosts Its Annual Halloween Dance By: Diana Reyes, 8-317

On Monday, October 29th, 2018, IS 303 held its Annual Halloween Dance party. The party was attended by General Organization (GO) members from each grade. The top tunes in music were played by DJ Vic Spataro of Victory Music and Jimmy’s Famous Hero Shop. Teachers were there to chaperone the dance. There was plenty of good music, good fun and good food. The dance gets better and better each year. This was my third year attending and my friends and I had an amazing time. The costumes were also a sight to be seen. We had everything from Big Foot to Wonder Woman. The night ended with a costume contest. Students from each grade lined up and were judged on the creativity and uniqueness of their costumes.

Should American Public School Students Be Required To Learn Art and Music? Arianna Cruz, 6-122

I strongly believe that learning art and music is vital to a child’s education. Without learning the arts, children will not be able to be creative and think outside of the box.

Art involves being creative. Being creative is essential because fostering a creative environment helps children engage in analytical and abstract thinking. Being creative is being able to think out of the box and it should be a required part of a child’s education.

I think that learning art can be very beneficial, even for students who aren’t particularly artsy. According to a two year study, students in under performing schools had higher grades after participating in an art program. Also, it has been proven that students in schools with art programs have higher grades. To conclude, art can be beneficial not only creatively but academically.

Did you know that art can help relieve stress, boost self-esteem and provides a sense of self accomplishment?  Studies show that coloring, painting, and drawing can minimize anxiety and combat a pessimistic mood. One reason drawing and coloring may be helpful for stress is that the act itself brings us to the present —it can be an exercise in mindfulness. As you can see, art can be beneficial for children of all ages.

Music is another crucial part to a child’s education. Music has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety. Also, many tests have proven that music can enhance memory and academic skills.

Did you know, music can improve mood? Recent studies have shown that music can also benefit overall well-being, help regulate emotions and create relaxation in everyday life.