D27 Second Annual AAPI PLAYBILL

PLAYBILL Community School District 27

Community Superintendent Jennifer Carreón www.District27nyc.org https://twitter.com/District27NYC

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Community Superintendent Jennifer Carreón

Community Superintendent of District 27 Jennifer Carreón was born in Quezon City, Philippines. Her mother, Thelma Carreón, is Filipina with Mexican ancestry and her father, Alberto Cortes Carreón, was Filipino with Spanish ancestry. As an AAPI student with Mexican/Spanish ancestry (aka “Brown Asian”) in the New York City public school system, cultural identity and self-awareness had to happen immediately upon arriving to New York with her siblings and parents in 1980. Ever since then, Superintendent Carreón has been a proponent of fostering an anti-racist mindset throughout her educational and professional career. She has spearheaded a yearlong focus in District 27 of implementing Culturally Relevant/Responsive Sustaining Education (CR-SE) teaching and learning practices, ensuring that we encourage the same spirit among all school leaders and school-based staff in District 27 so that our students become passionate, proactive, empathetic and respectful members of society. These sentiments encompass the D27 vision of #SCEWP, trademarked by Superintendent Carreon.

Superintendent Carreón has been the Community Superintendent for Community School District 27 since September 2018, overseeing 49 schools and six stand-alone 3-K/Pre-K Centers, for a total of 55 sites, and approximately 30,000 students. Prior to becoming Superintendent, she held the roles of Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning at Queens South Borough Office, Director of New Principal Support for the NYCDOE, and was an award-winning principal for 8 years at PS/IS 178Q. She also held the titles of Assistant Principal, staff developer and began her teaching career in our very own District 27. Superintendent Carreón possesses a B.A. in English and Master’s Degrees in Early Childhood, Elementary Education and Educational Leadership. She is a graduate of the New York City Leadership Academy and the Cahn Fellows Program for Distinguished Principals at Teachers College, Columbia University. In 2020, Superintendent Carreón began an aspiring leaders program for District 27 at Hunter College of the City University of New York (CUNY).

Superintendent Carreón has two of her own children, who are the light of her life and who identify as Filipino and Puerto Rican, and she is a proud product of the New York City public school system from grades K to 12, attending schools in District 1, District 2 and graduating from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music, Art and Performing Arts.

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Master of Ceremonies Kuljit (Victor) Singh, Principal of 27Q210

Principal Singh was born into a Punjabi, Sikh family on January 13, 1966, in Shahdara (Shah-the-rah), India.

He lived in India for the first 8 years of his life, with his mother and

younger brother, while his father pioneered to the USA in 1972 to get settled before calling his family over. The remainder of the family immigrated to America in 1974 and settled in Jackson Heights, Queens.

He graduated from PS69, and IS145, both in Queens.

While he was

accepted into Brooklyn Technical High School, he was unable to attend due to relocating to Long Island. After graduating from Floral Park Memorial High School, Mr. Singh attended and graduated from SUNY @ Stony Brook with a BA in English Literature and Political Science. He later graduated from CUNY @ Queens College with an MS in Education/English Literature, as well as an SBL Degree from Queens College. He taught ELA at MS202Q for 7 years before becoming a Dean and ultimately an Assistant Principal at MS202Q. This proved to be a great training ground to the position he currently holds today as the proud Principal of MS210Q. His brother is also a teacher, as is his sister-in-law. Mr. Singh has 4 children(2 boys/2 girls), ranging from the ages of 10 to 17 years old. His wife is an RN Clinician. The entire Singh family loves to vacation together and is looking forward to traveling once again when the COVID restrictions are further eased, and greater numbers are fully vaccinated.

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Kristen Meehan, Music Teacher, M.S. 202

Korean-American, Kristen Meehan, is the chorus teacher at Robert H. Goddard Middle School 202. She is the product of New York City’s Queens public education system. Mrs. Meehan went on to study organ performance at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester and received her master’s degree in Music Education at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. Prior to pursuing a music degree, Mrs. Meehan received her Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from SUNY Stony Brook.

Mrs. Meehan’s chorus program has flourished since its inauguration in 2014, with some groups numbering over 150 students. More recently, piano and percussion classes have come to spotlight (due to our current learning situation), creating fledgling, young pianists and percussionists.

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Keynote Speaker

Jenifer Rajkumar District 38 Assembly Member

Jenifer Rajkumar made history as the first South Asian-American woman ever to be elected to a state office in New York. Jenifer is a civil rights attorney and a former District Leader with a background working in government. She served as the State’s Director of Immigration Affairs and as Special Counsel from 2017 to 2019. She is on the board of Represent Women, on the Legal Advisory Council for Sanctuary for Families, and a member of a number of other organizations for social change. She also taught as a Professor at CUNY’s Lehman College.

Jenifer was born and raised in New York; the first generation American in her family. Her parents immigrated to the United States with just $300 and a suitcase, settling in Queens where they got their start. With early roots in public service and giving back, Jenifer graduated from Stanford Law School with distinction for her pro bono legal work on behalf of vulnerable individuals. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa where she received the Alice Paul Award for exemplary service to women and families.

As a civil rights lawyer, Jenifer stood up for the vulnerable and the disenfranchised throughout her career. She litigated class action cases on behalf of workers, tenants, and women at Sanford Heisler Sharp LLP, a national public interest law firm. She collaborated with the U.S. Department of Justice on several qui tam cases combating corporate fraud and excess. The resulting settlements saved millions in taxpayer dollars. Jenifer was also part of the legal team of Velez v. Novartis, ranked by the United Nations as one of the top 10 cases in the world advancing women’s equality.

The largest gender discrimination case ever to go to trial, the case took on big pharma on behalf of a class of 5,600 women for their gender pay and pregnancy discrimination claims. Jenifer was also originating counsel on an amicus curiae brief filed in the United States Supreme Court presenting arguments in favor of equality for women in nontraditional fields of employment such as firefighting, construction and law enforcement.

In 2015 and 2016, she was selected to Super Lawyers’ New York-Metro Rising Stars List, a recognition given to no more than 2.5% of the lawyers in New York. Just before being elected to the State Assembly, Jenifer served as Director of Immigration Affairs & Special Counsel for New York State. Jenifer led and built the Liberty Defense Project, a first-in-the-nation, multi-million-dollar state led project to assist immigrants in obtaining legal services. Jenifer also represented New York State in litigation before Administrative Law Judges. She served as an ethics officer; handling ethics matters for the State. She was a state-wide surrogate on the State’s signature policy items. She traveled from the farms of upstate New York to her home in Queens to help New York’s communities. Inspired by the people of New York, she is now more motivated than ever to dedicate herself to public service as a proud member of the New York State Assembly.

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New York City Department of Education Community School District 27

Community Superintendent Jennifer Carreón

District 27 Superintendent’s Team

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Program Students of District 27…………………………………………………….Students of 27Q104, 27Q210, 27Q232 Welcome and Introduction of the Master of Ceremonies………………….Principal Kuljit Singh, 27Q210 Roll Call and Guest Book………………………………………………Student Government Representatives National Anthem, "Star Spangled Banner”........................................... Kristen Meehan, Teacher 27Q202 Greetings………………………………………...... District 27 Community Superintendent Jennifer Carreón Student Presentation…...……………………………………………………......Students Of 27Q056 & 27Q062 Student Presentation………………………………………………..…………..…Students Of 27Q63 & 27Q316 Keynote Speaker: ………………………………………………………….Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar What does AAPI mean to me?……………………………………………………………...Students of 27Q137 Remarks from CEC Student Representative………………………………………………..Amanda Prashad AAPI Show & Tell .………..…….……………………….………………………………….……Students of 27Q323 Hearing Our Voices.................................................................................................................................Guests "Get Up, Stand Up"...................................................................................Kristen Meehan, Teacher, 27Q202

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District 27 Student Government Advisors and Officers School

Student Government Advisor

Student Government President/Designees/Officers

27Q042

L. Galloway PhD, Director

Ashley Beckford

27Q043

Sharon Sessing

Zion Gardner

27Q045

Sasihana McIntosh

Richard Boykin/ Jocelyn Saquicary

27Q047

Heather Lorenz, Principal

Elizabeth Bode

27Q051

Erica Worrell

Ayana James

27Q053

Kamellia Hill

Reyaad Mohamed

27Q056

Lisa Chetram

Rania Aboussalham

27Q062

Leanne Evelyn

Sophia Ngo

27Q060

Ms. Fabiana Ismile

Sham Goswami & Sanya Kabir

27Q063

Matthew Barone

Kathleen Cavanagh

27Q064

Churanie Appiah

Samir Ahmed

27Q066

Kenisha Smalls

Hubert Opiola

27Q090

Lisa Parente

Adrita Ansar

27Q096

Joy-Ann Anderson

Maya Tillackram

27Q097

Cynthia Rodriguez

Tristen Luna

27Q100

Elizabeth Paradise

Chloe Lloyd

27Q104

Gilda Quijije

Jonathan Dominguez

27Q105

Viviana Fitzgerald

Tyanna Winslow

27Q106

Nicole Rose

Denise Evans

27Q108

Christina Esposito

Devi Ramnauth

27Q114

Gina Machado

Domenica Giamona

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School

Student Government Advisor

Student Government President/Designees/Officers

27Q123

Michelle Kahan

Flourish Enabulele

27Q124

Amy Warchola

Samara Joy Small

27Q137

Barbara Lukenovich

Ashia Phang

27Q146

James Volkland

Emmaus Howley

27Q155

Tasha Kurs

Mahdia Rayhan

27Q197

Nechama Lax

Ian Feliz

27Q202

Kye Weaver

Sabriha Safa

27Q207

Melissa Meric

Logan Asik & Jack Tomeo

27Q210

Amarilis Torello

Kadeza Ahmed

27Q223

Samantha Belkin

Jace Johnson

27Q226

Sharon Stamile

Azeem Zaman

27Q232

Cheryl Rizzo

Seher Samuel

27Q254

Ivette McCarthy

Angelise Santana

27Q273

Jennifer Rodriguez

Justin Jimenez

27Q282

Roseanne Honan-Delgado

Lydia Appau

27Q297

Dr. Maureen Hussey

Aliyah Adekoya

27Q306

Katherine Bonilla

Tea Magsaysay

27Q316

Jessica Finnerty

Vipaasha Sookraj

27Q317

Dana Gerendasi

Jessica Sautner & Saige Cassell

27Q319

Louis Renda

Tyler Hodges & Derinmola Inumo

27Q323

Mr. Ragoobeer

Amanda Prashad

27Q333

Ruthann Watson

Myasia Panell

27Q362

Gemma Ferguson

Kimora Burrell

27Q377

Katherine Henry

Ayden Paradis

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Contributions From Our Schools Performances, Writing and Artwork

27Q056 Megan Gitli 27Q062 Jordan Vitta 27Q063 Denise DeJesus 27Q104 Deirdre McShane 27Q105 Jason Koo 27Q210 Kuljit Singh 27Q232 Lisa Josephson 27Q316 Nicole Grant

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AAPI Month Resources ● Library of Congress A web portal that is a collaborative project of the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

This site includes a section for teachers with lesson plans, student activities, collection guides, and research aids related to Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. ● National Park Service Detailed guide to places that play an important role in Asian American and Pacific Islander history, such as Hawaii's Huilua Fishpond, the Rohwer Relocation Center Memorial, the Hakone Historic District in California, the sailing ship Balclutha, and more. As the nation’s storyteller, the National Park Service strives to tell the stories of ordinary and extraordinary Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders preserved in our nation’s parks, memorials, and historic sites. ● George Takei, They Called Us Enemy Available to NYCDOE students through Sora, actor, author, and activist George Takei’s graphic memoir of his time spent imprisoned in the Japanese American internment camps of World War II, developed with co-writers Justin Eisinger and Steven Scott and illustrator Harmony Becker.

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AAPI Month Resources ● NYC Department of Education School Library System A collection of 429 ebooks and 93 audiobooks for young people that honors and reflects on the significant contributions Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans have made to the lives and culture of the United States. Available to NYCDOE students and teachers by logging into the Sora app with their NYCDOE credentials. ● Time, 11 Moments from Asian American History That You Should Know This article provides a collection of eleven events from the long history of Asians and Asian Americans in the land that is now known as the United States of America, illustrating how Asians and Asian Americans have shaped the history of this country from the time before the signing of the Declaration of Independence. ● Asia Society, Spotlight on Asian Pacific Americans: A Biography Series for Children and Families As part of Asia Society's Asian Americans Building America, The Center for Global Education has created a collection of mini-lessons to spark the curiosity of young learners by helping them to build a more inclusive understanding of American history by spotlighting inspiring Asian Pacific Americans and exploring their specific contributions to life in America.

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AAPI Month Resources ● National Archives A collection of primary and secondary sources from the National Archives and Records Administration documenting the Asian American and Pacific Islander experience. ● PBS, Asian Americans A three-part video series telling the history of identity, contributions, and challenges experienced by Asian Americans. Additional resources connected to the documentary are available on the #DOCUHISTORY: Asian Americans page. ● WNET, Mission US: Prisoner in My Homeland An immersive history simulation game that allows students to explore the challenges faced by a Japanese American teenager forced to move to a prison camp during World War II. Yuri, a group dedicated to producing educational materials through an Asian American lens, created supporting educational resources to use in conjunction with the game, available here.

● Smithsonian Institute, Asian American Artists and Selected Work American artists of Asian heritage bring a combined legacy to their work, and varieties of Asian thought and spiritual practice have had a profound lasting influence on a remarkable number of Western artists. Influence has been a two-way street between contemporary American art practice and Asian cultures, past and present.

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Acknowledgements & Gratitude Superintendent Jennifer Carreón and the District 27 Superintendent’s Team would like to sincerely thank everyone who contributed and participated in this AAPI Heritage Month Celebration. We appreciate all of the artwork, poetry readings, dance and music performances, speeches and leadership profiles that were shared with our community. It is so important that we share with each other the vibrant cultural heritage and stories within our Community. #D27BetterTogether On behalf of Superintendent Carreón and the entire District 27 Superintendent’s Team, we would like to thank our outgoing CEC Student representative, Amanda Prashad, for her services to our community and the wonderful students who represent their schools as Student Government Officers, as well as our Student Government Advisors, School Staff, Assistant Principals and Principals for their support of our multiple district-sponsored Culturally Responsive Sustaining Education (CR-SE) initiatives.

Thank you to all of our performers, artists, our Keynote Speaker, Assembly Member

Jenifer Rajkumar and our MCs, Kuljit (Victor) Singh, Principal of 27Q210 and Dr. Will Cooper.

Thank you to all of our invited guests, Elected Officials, Community and School Leaders, School Staff, District 27 Leadership Team (DLT) Members, and SPECIAL THANKS TO our Student Government Officers and our Student Government Advisors, who have joined us today!

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Community School District 27 Community Superintendent Jennifer Carreón

District 27 Website: www.district27nyc.org For Students Page: http://www.district27nyc.org/students.html For Families Page: http://www.district27nyc.org/families.html

District Email: District27@schools.nyc.gov District Twitter:

https://twitter.com/District27NYC

2021 First District 27-Sponsored AAPI Heritage Month Celebration

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