VIVE
TIMES
The “School of Life” Newsletter
Volume I, Issue III – Winter 2010
Beating the Winter Blues!
Neither cold, nor rain, nor blizzards, nor
enormous drifts of snow can keep our
students away. Despite the nasty weather
there’s been plenty of activity here at the
VIVE School/Pathways to Success since
the onset of the new year.
Fermin Jimenez: NYACCE
Student of the Year
The Great American Success Story, that
of the poor immigrant coming to this
country, working hard and achieving his
goals, is alive and well here at VIVE. We
are proud to announce that GED student
Fermin Jimenez has been honored as a
“New York Association for Continuing/
Community Education (NYACCE) Student
of the Year.”
A native of Cuautla, Mexico, Fermin
relocated to Yonkers in 2001, due to the
lack of work in his country. Without
speaking a word of English, he landed a
job as a dishwasher at the La Pietra
Restaurant in New York City. Although he
returned briefly to Mexico, he came back
to Yonkers, and since then has worked as
a busboy, waiter and bartender at such
restaurants as Otto’s in Bronxville and
Gina Marie’s in Eastchester. Currently he
is working as a waiter at Reno’s Trattoria,
right here in Yonkers, and his ultimate
goal is to open his own restaurant.
In October of 2008 Fermin enrolled in
ESOL classes at VIVE, and rapidly worked
his way through the educational programs
offered by Pathways to Success. He
completed all of his ESOL classes and,
more importantly, improved his reading
ability from NRS Level Two to Four.
Fermin also took advantage of VIVE’s
Employment Services Program (ESP),
undergoing a communication skills/mock
job interview, and having his resume
professionally prepared.
Although he has been described by his
teachers as “a perfectionist,” “a leader,”
“enthusiastic” and “ambitious,” Fermin’s
accomplishments speak for themselves;
they demonstrate the dedication and
commitment of someone who still believes
he can attain the American Dream. All of
us here at VIVE congratulate Fermin on
his NYACCE award, and all of his
achievements.
Congratulations!
In addition to Fermin, there have been
other success stories here at VIVE during
the 2009-2010 school year. To begin with,
23 students earned their GED (General
Educational Development). In addition,
another 12 students earned their External
Diploma through the External Diploma
Program, or EDP. On the employment
front, 80 students obtained new jobs, no
small feat given the current state of the
economy.
Congratulations to all of these students,
and thank you to all the staff members
who helped them achieve their goals. We
look forward to many more success
stories this year.
Pathways to Success
Expands its Offerings
In an effort to further service the
educational needs of Literacy Zone
residents, Pathways to Success now
offers satellite classes at several area
schools, as well as other locations.
Daytime classes in ESOL have been
expanded at the Enrico Fermi School for
the Performing Arts.
Daytime ESOL
classes are also offered at the Cedar
Place School, Eugenia Maria de Hostos
Microsociety School and School #23.
ESOL classes are conducted at Hostos on
Saturdays as well, for parents of students
in the SIFE (Students with Interrupted
Formal Education) Program. Evening
classes in ESOL and GED are conducted
at the PEARLS Hawthorne School, Fermi,
the Cottage Gardens Network Center and
the Grinton I. Will branch of the Yonkers
Public Library. At the Mary J. Blige Center
for Women, classes are offered in diverse
areas such as Parenting Skills, Financial
Literacy, and Exercise & Meditation.
PEARLS Hawthorne also offers the
Culinary Arts Program, which provides
“hands-on” instruction in all aspects of
food preparation and service. Students
are trained on state-of-the-art equipment
located in the school’s own kitchen. Upon
successful completion of the program,
students receive a Yonkers Public School
Food Service Certification, and are wellprepared to obtain a job in the highly
competitive culinary field.
If you or your family are interested in any
of these program offerings, please see
one of the counselors at the Family
Welcome Center, Room 104.
The Security Guard
Training Program
As conducted by former New York City
(and current VIVE teacher) Joseph
Capalbo, the Eight Hour Pre-Assignment
Training Course For Security Guards
assists students in establishing a career in
security. Specific topics include Legal
Powers, Emergency Situations, Public
Relations and Access Control.
So far this school year a total of 17
students in two classes have graduated,
and a third class is currently underway.
Upon successful completion of the course,
and an examination, students receive a
Security Guard Training Certificate which
is recognized by the State of New York. If
you are interested in this program please
see one of the counselors at the Family
Welcome Center, Room 104.
Haiti. Bags, boxes and shopping carts
filled with food, clothing and other donated
materials filled the reception area before
being shipped off to the island nation.
Literacy Zone Spotlight:
Westchester Independent
Living Center
All of us here at VIVE are delighted to
welcome the Westchester Independent
Living Center (WILC) to VIVE. While
headquartered in White Plains, their new
satellite office will be located here in the
first floor Conference Room.
One of our partners in the Literacy Zone,
the WILC is a not-for-profit resource
center dedicated to improving the quality
of life for people with disabilities. Part of a
nationwide network of independent Living
Centers, the WILC is one of the country’s
leading advocacy organizations for
individuals with disabilities.
Westchester Independent Living Center
provides a wide spectrum of services,
including benefits advisement, referrals,
community outreach, advocacy, parent
training and much more. Their staff
members provide information, advocacy
and counseling, which allows consumers
to make more informed choices.
For
more information on the WILC, please
stop by the Conference Room.
Receptionist Iris Perez and Volunteer Ana Baez
coordinate donations for Haiti.
The Career Closet needs your help!
Due to an overwhelming response from
students, the Career Closet’s inventory of
new or slightly used business attire has
become dangerously low. If you have
clothing accessories or shoes to donate,
please see Marie Riccio in Room #110B
or Thomas Stefanchik in Room #113.
Marybeth Kendrick, from the Yonkers
Public Library, reads to children in Pre-K
and Kindergarten, and assists parents with
“How to Choose the Right Book for You
and Your Child.”
Recent and Ongoing Events
Students and staff members from VIVE,
PEARLS and Fermi opened their hearts to
the victims of the recent earthquakes in
Marybeth Kendrick reads to VIVE students.
Children in Pre-K and Kindergarten
enjoyed an entertaining and educational
visit to the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk,
CT on Thursday, February 25th. The visit
focused on the aquarium’s “Underwater
African Animals” exhibit.
The Family Service Society of Yonkers
has established the “Community for All
Ages” initiative at VIVE and other area
schools. This innovative push-in program
uses the talents of community volunteers
over the age of 55 to assist teachers with
classroom activities. As it provides the
opportunity for meaningful interaction
across the ages, the program is a perfect
fit here at our intergenerational school.
Westchester County Department of Health
representative Beth Lorenzen conducted
an informative presentation on the
hazards of lead poisoning.
The “School’s Out, Stars Are In” program
provides creative activities for students on
school break, and is offered FREE with
museum admission. “Weekend Family
Workshops” engage families in arts &
crafts activities, such as Bracelet
Bonanza, Colorful Collage, Fluttering
Fans, and Experiments in Printmaking.
You can even design your own postcard
with scenes from Yonkers.
Located within the museum, the Andrus
Planetarium offers a variety of programs
for all ages,
Child-friendly programs
include “Solar System Safari,” “The
Friendly Stars” and “El Cielo En La
Noche,” a program narrated in Spanish.
And best of all, Friday night programs are
FREE! (511 Warburton Avenue, 914- 9634550, www.hrm.org)
Several celebrations were held during the
month of February. Adult students created
and sent beautiful Valentine’s Day cards
to our dedicated troops overseas. Pre-K
and Kindergarten students created
informative displays celebrating Black
History Month. And everyone enjoyed a
well-deserved week off, despite the
weather. Speaking of weather …
Family-Friendly Activities:
The Hudson River Museum
Winter can be a really difficult time for
families. With week-long school breaks,
snow-induced closings and miserable
weather, entertaining children becomes a
time-consuming, and costly, occupation.
But if you think you need to travel far or
spend a lot of money to spend quality time
together, think again. The Hudson River
Museum, located right here in Yonkers,
offers a wide variety of activities for adults
and children of all ages.
That’s all for now. See you in two months!
VIVE Times Writer/Editor: Thomas J. Stefanchik
Contributors: Dr. Joan O’Gorman, Susan Naber