News From LICHS...
Project Bridge Selects LICHS Senior: Christina Buliga, a senior at Long Island City H.S. (LICHS), has been selected as a member of the 2006- 2007 Project Bridge, which consists of educational workshops culminating in a 10-day study tour to Korea this month. She will travel with other students from New York and Los Angeles. The goal of Project Bridge is to foster understanding, and bridge gaps of racial and cultural misunderstanding among people of diverse backgrounds. It was launched by The Korea Society in 1992. In the last 12 years, more than 200 high school students have participated in its programs.

Buliga, in addition to her academic successes, has been very active in school activities and looks forward to the workshops and trip to Korea. LICHS Gets Parent Arts Grant: For the fifth consecutive year, Long Island City H.S. (LICHS) has been awarded a "Parents as Arts Partners" grant funded by the Center for Arts Education. Partnering with FreeStyle Arts, a local arts organization, LICHS will offer parents five Saturday, hands-on, "Make Your own Movie" video workshops, culminating with a showing of all the videos. The teaching artists from FreeStyle will be assisted by the high school's teacher Patricia O'Rourke. Parents from three ESL classes studying drama will be invited to the workshops and will make videos about life in New York City or their native countries.

In addition, parents and their children will take an escorted tour of the Museum of the Moving Image to look at professionally-made videos. Teachers, parents and students will begin the grant activities this month. LICHS Wins Arts Enrichment Grant: Long Island City H.S. (LICHS) received an "Enrichment Through the Arts" grant to enhance the arts program at the school. The funding, provided by the Office of English Language Learners (ELL) of the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), will enable LICHS to offer a variety of activities to ESL (English as a second language) students. Students in teacher Chrisa Kenny's beginning ESL classes will embark on a quiltmaking project that will feature the symbols and colors of the many ethnic groups in the class.

In addition, playwright Stephen Yaffe will teach students how to write and produce a play. He said, "It is wonderful to be able to work with students on creative projects that enhance their developing English language skills." Principal William Bassell, a strong advocate of arts education, was awarded the first Special Arts Recognition Award by Americans for the Arts in 2004.