Announcing the 2014-2015 Blackboard Awards For NYC Schools And Principals

The 2014-2015 Blackboard Award honorees for Schools and Principals were celebrated in a joyous ceremony at Scholastic headquarters in SoHo on Tuesday, December 9, emceed by HuffPost Live host Nancy Redd and New York Family editor Eric Messinger. The honorees were comprised of a distinguished and diverse group of local schools from all five boroughs.

For profiles of all the honorees, click here or visit www.newyorkfamily.com.

Click here for a slideshow of photos from last night’s awards.

The complete list of honorees, with the special citations, is also at the bottom of this press release.

Now in its 12th year, the Blackboard Awards celebrates excellence in education in every school sector (public, private, charter, and parochial), and at every grade level (nursery school to high school).

Beyond the ceremony itself, the Awards are a resource for parents interested in researching their best education options for their children.

The Blackboard Awards are produced by New York Family magazine, which is part of Manhattan Media, and the honorees are selected by the magazine’s editors, who cull through thousands of nominations from parents, and are also guided by recommendations from local education experts.

The majority of the honorees were schools celebrated in the category of “Outstanding,” with a few additional schools cited in the categories of “Rising Star” or “New & Noteworthy.” There were also awards honoring their principals for their outstanding contributions to their schools.

In addition to New York Family and Manhattan Media, the Blackboard Awards are sponsored by the City University Of New York (CUNY), the New School, School Search Solutions, the United Federation Of Teachers, and the Yorkville Youth Athletic Association.

Please note: The Blackboard Awards welcomes and encourages parent nominations all year long; to nominate a school, principal or teacher, visit blackboardawards.com.

For more information, please contact Emanuelle Block, at eblock@manhattanmedia.com, or 212-894-5441

And now the honorees:

OUTSTANDING SCHOOL:

Children’s All Day School
Director: Susan Birnbaum
childrensallday.org

Corlears School
David Egolf, Head of School
corlearsschool.org

PS 51: The Elias Howe School
Principal Nancy Sing-Bock
ps51manhattan.com

PS 89: Liberty School
Principal Veronica Najjar
ps89.org

PS 126: Manhattan Academy of Technology
Principal Jacqui Getz
ps126mat.com

PS 166: The Richard Rodgers School of Arts and Technology
Principal Debra Mastriano
ps166.org

Success Academy Bronx 2
Principal Vanessa Bangser
successacademies.org

Tompkins Square Middle School
Principal Sonhando Estwick
tsmsonline.org

Staten Island Technical High School
Principal Mark Erlenwein
siths.org

NEW & NOTEWORTHY

BASIS Independent Brooklyn
Principal Rosalind Thompson
basisindependentbrooklyn.com

RISING STAR

Central Queens Academy Charter School
Executive Director Suyin So
centralqueensacademy.org

Millennium Brooklyn High School
Principal Dr. Lisa Gioe
millenniumbrooklynhs.org

OUTSTANDING SCHOOL LEADERS

Principal David Getz
East Side Middle School
esms.org

Headmaster Dr. Richard J. Soghoian
Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School
cgps.org

Director of Education and Early Childhood, Sharon Shorofsky Mack
Jewish Community Project
jcpdowntown.org

The French American Academy

We believe that learning a second language at an early age is a life-long advantage which will benefit our children both academically and cognitively. Our goal is to create a safe, supportive, nurturing, international learning environment where students can develop fully in both French and English.

Ready Set Grow Preschool

<a href="https://www.readysetgrownassau.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.readysetgrownassau.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692384562653000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3H4vbx-RdPPdKc5YnYYhnS">Ready Set Grow Preschool&nbsp;</a>(RSG), located in New Hyde Park believes that lifelong learning begins with a well-rounded, comprehensive and compassionate early childhood education.&nbsp; Ready Set Grow, the treasured preschool attached to the Progressive Athletic Center, serves as an educational hub for children 2 to 4 years of age. The educational team at RSG have created an enriching environment that hones in on children&rsquo;s natural curiosity about the world around them in order to promote socialization, creativity, and critical thinking. Student&rsquo;s delve into thematic daily play-based lessons in science, mathematics, art, literary enrichment, and physical education that serve as building blocks for the child's academic future. Preschoolers at RSG have the unique opportunity to develop their gross motor skills at the attached, fully equipped gymnastics facility where they engage in climbing, movement-based games and gymnastics.&nbsp; Ready Set Grow preschool offers 4 age-based classes taught by certified teachers. Each thoughtfully curated class is an excellent nursery to grade school transition. The warm and welcoming environment of the school allows children to feel confident in their new-found independence. As a first-time mom, N.S,&nbsp; was relieved when her son felt immediately comfortable at the preschool relaying to the director that, &ldquo;From the first day of school, my son's teachers have shown such warmth, compassion and professionalism. We are greeted each day with genuine smiles and excitement. My son looks forward to drop off each day and often mentions teachers and classmates at dinner. It's so cool to know that he&rsquo;s making such good memories&rdquo;. The professional and fun-loving staff helps their students cultivate social and academic skill sets that will be utilized throughout their school career. As a mom of two now-grade schooler&rsquo;s, Cheryl L. thanks RSG for &ldquo;...making her children's pre-school experience so special and helping to prepare them for Pre-K. Cherryl continues by stating, &ldquo; RSG staff creates an educational atmosphere combined with caring, creativity and fun.&rdquo; <a href="https://www.readysetgrownassau.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.readysetgrownassau.org/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1692384562653000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3H4vbx-RdPPdKc5YnYYhnS">Ready Set Grow Preschool</a>&nbsp;is now accepting Fall new-student applications for 2&rsquo;s, 3&rsquo;s and 4&rsquo;s. Visit their website or email RSG&rsquo;s head director, Louiza at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:rsgpreschool@aol.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rsgpreschool@aol.com</a>&nbsp;for information on classes and registration.&nbsp;

Brooklyn Waldorf School

The Brooklyn Waldorf School engages students in learning with their whole selves - &ldquo;hands, hearts and heads&rdquo; &ndash; from preschool through 8th grade. BWS is serving the future through critical thinking, emotional intelligence and practical arts with a hands-on curriculum that takes a developmentally appropriate approach to technology. Take a tour and see how Brooklyn Waldorf School cultivates a new generation of independent thinkers as vibrant and diverse as our surrounding city.