WHIN 2019-2020 Annual Report

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Annual Report

Annual Report WHIN MUSIC COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL

LEADERSHIP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Charlie Ortiz

PRINCIPAL

Annie Huynh

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Dacia Sigler

DIRECTOR OF STUDENT CULTURE

Dioffre Cruceta

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Ivelisse Sosa

BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIR

Gregory David

TREASURER

Bob Green

SECRETARY

Ivonne Norman

MEMBER

Arnold Adlin

MEMBER

Kenneth Grover

MEMBER

Cynthia Ivanick

MEMBER

Josh Bederman

contents

4- LETTER FROM LEADERSHIP 5- MISSION/VISION 6- EL SISTEMA HISTORY 8- IMPACT

9- REPONSE TO COVID-19 11- SUCCESS STORIES 13- FINANCES 14- DONORS/SPONORSHIP 15- FUTURE AT WHIN

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Letter from leadership The end of the 2019-2020 school year marked the successful conclusion of WHIN Music Community Charter School's third year in operation. Throughout the year we witnessed the perseverance and fortitude of our staff, families, and students in the face of the global pandemic and I am happy to share that despite the challenges- WHIN is thriving.

Throughout this year we witnessed significant growth in our students' musical, academic, and performance skills, and watched, albeit virtually, our students become increasingly more committed to their own learning and to each other’s success.

Two major milestones of the 2019-2020 year were WHIN's second consecutive Letter of Good Standing from the State Education Department of New York, and being awarded one of NAMM's Best Communities for Music Education. Both are testaments to the quality and rigor of our school and its curriculum.

We are grateful to our donors and supporters, whose generosity has reached into the hearts of our students and teachers. Each and every contribution helps pave the way for all of our students, and on behalf of our entire community, thank you!

Charlie Ortiz

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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Mission/Vision

Mission: The Washington Heights and Inwood Music Community Charter School (“WHIN Music Charter School” or “WHIN”) will provide our diverse student population with rigorous academic instruction, intensive music education and a positive learning environment so that every student can thrive academically and personally.

Vision: With a uniquely challenging educational program that incorporates intensive daily music instruction, WHIN fosters innovative teaching methods, imbues students with a love of learning, and facilitates the development of our community through music, academic, and social inclusion.

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El Sistema History History Founded in Venezuela in 1975 by Dr. José Antonio Abreu, El Sistema is a model of intensive music training and social development that engenders social change for economically disadvantaged communities. Having reached over 500,000 of Venezuela’s most vulnerable children, El Sistema is now being emulated all around the globe, with the goal of nurturing the development of children so they and their community can escape the effects of intergenerational poverty.

El Sistema at WHIN El Sistema at WHIN seeks to create citizen artists who have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to impact their world in a positive way. By using the ensemble as a laboratory, students have the ability to develop a love of achievement and excellence while experiencing what it means to be a valued member of their musical community. These learnings are then extended beyond the classroom and into the larger WHIN community, or nucleo. As students experience the impact they have on themselves and their community they apply what is learned in school to their whole self and grow into talented, thoughtful, and caring individuals; citizen artists ready to tackle the challenges of the 21st Century.

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El Sistema History Four Main Principles of El Sistema at WHIN

1. Mission of Social Change. Focused on how to create social change through music, WHIN has implemented our own WHIN Ways of Being focused on how we guide our practices to create Citizen Artists who use their knowledge and skills to make the world a better place. These ways of being are: Lifelong and Lifewide effective learners- How we learn together Empathic, compassionate community members- How we treat each other Agents of Social Change- How we impact our community 2. Access and Excellence. Located in Washington Heights, WHIN enrolls from all of NYC but is primarily composed of our immediate neighbors in Washington Heights, Inwood, and the South Bronx. WHIN is a fully inclusive school that celebrates all learners and works to ensure every child can access our progressive curriculum and achieve excellence.

3. The Nucleo Environment. At the heart of the WHIN is our nucleo, a home where immersive work takes place in a safe and joyful atmosphere, supported by teachers and friends. The nucleo reaches out to embrace parents, extended families, and neighbors and creates an ethos of positivity that helps strengthen our community and uplifts its potential.

4. The Use of Ensemble. The ensemble forms a model society in which each individual child feels accepted, supported, loved, and valued. At WHIN we expanded this theory to every aspect of our program. While excellence is an important aim, personal and social development are an equal focus in pursuit of creating citizen artists.

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Impact How many students did our program reach?

Total Enrollment: 185 Daily Attendance Rate: 93%

Student Demographics

How do families feel about our progress?

Surveys of WHIN families show that not only are our families satisfied with our work, but reinforce that our program is thriving!

93% of families say that the school offers a wide enough variety of programs, classes, and activities to keep their child interested in school 95% of families say that they are satisfied with the education their child has received this year

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Response to COVID-19 COVID-19 Update Given the statewide shutdown of schools on March 15th, WHIN is proud to announce that even in the face of adversity we still ended the year with: Attendance Rate: 93% Access to Technology: 100% Access to Technology Support: 100% Instruments Distributed: 100% Access to Instrument Support: 100%

TESTIMONIALS "The school has worked with me and my child in a very efficient manner. The communication has always been a priority and there is always someone available to support with any academic or administrative needs that we could have come across during this unprecedented and difficult time. My family is so thankful for the attention the school pays to us and the demonstrations of true care for our children, our families, and for us all as a community."- WHIN Parent "They have done a wonderful job, providing the right mix of live and pre-recorded instruction. We felt greatly supported during this very difficult time, but nothing takes the place of being in an environment made for learning with trusted teachers, limited distraction, and friends."- WHIN Parent

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Response to COVID-19 State Survey Results

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Success Stories Meet Kyle, one of WHIN's Fourth-Grade Violinists Kyle, one of WHIN's founding students, is starting his fourth year at WHIN. As one of our most enthusiastic, welcoming, and creative students, Kyle spent the summer in WHIN's first ever summer program hosted by the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, A Fair Shake for Youth, and WHIN. These programs focused on reading, math, and music, combating typical summer academic losses.

With lockdowns happening in March, WHIN has been actively focused on how to best help our students progress through these unprecedented times. In Kyle’s case, this took the form of a unique program, in collaboration with A Fair Shake for Youth, that had students virtually read to dogs. Helping both students and animals with virtual interactions throughout the summer.

Being an animal lover himself, Kyle thrived in this environment and continued to increase his reading level throughout the summer. Kyle truly exemplifies one of WHIN's core values, "We strive to be better each day." Even though Kyle struggled with not having interactions with his friends at school, he focused on what he could control and spent the summer being productive and hanging out virtually with some new furry friends.

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Success Stories Meet Isaac, one of WHIN’s fourth-grade cellists Isaac came to WHIN, a shy and timid first grader back in 2016. Never making much noise, Isaac quietly sat in class doing his homework, but never wanted to participate or ask any questions.

Knowing that he needed to find his own voice, our caring and hardworking staff worked consistently with Isaac to help him find his voice and speak confidently and proudly in academic and social settings.

With hard work and dedication to his own goals, we can see that Isaac exemplifies one of WHIN’s most important ways of being, “We do the right thing, and act with courage”. Isaac has persevered through his own challenges over the course of his three years at WHIN, and has been able to transform into one of our most confident and vocal students in no small part to his orchestral training. By developing his voice on the cello he has been able to transfer the same skill sets in problem-solving and conversation into every facet of his life. We are so proud of how far he has come, and cannot wait to see what lies ahead in this bright WHINner’s future.

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Finances Total Revenue: $3,839,625

Total Expenses: $3,770,878

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Donors/ Sponsors

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Moving Forward Updates New building- Anticipated to open September 2022 in Washington Heights Increased mental health and well-being services to our staff, students, and families in collaboration with New York Presbyterian Hospital

2016

Opened our doors September 2017

Chartered on June 14, 2016

2017

2018

Fully Scaled as a K-5 program beginning Fall 2021 Partnering with Juilliard Music Advancement Program for a Saturday program for our 4th year students

Awarded- Best Communities for Music Education from the NAMM Foundation

Invited to join El Sistema USA's PRESTO Program

2019

2020

Fully scaled as a K-5 program

First Summer School in collaboration with the JCC

2021

2022 Anticipated new building completion

Thank you all for your undying support as we continue to help make a difference in our communities! Here is to many more years to come!

- WHIN Music Community Charter School

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