GHSGazette

September, 2011

The topic for September is “New Beginnings.” Certainly this topic holds true for all of us at Geller House. For our students it’s a new school year and an opportunity to start fresh. For the staff, we return from our breaks ready to begin and meet the challenges of another school year. The arrival of our new principal certainly is a new beginning. It’s an opportunity to get a fresh look at our program. This is a great opportunity to reinvent, revitalize and, rejuvenate our program to better serve our students. On behalf of our Geller House family, we welcome you to read our newspaper and see for yourself how we welcome all the “New Beginnings” that this school year brings!

From the Desk of the Principal…………

The mission for Geller House School is simple, yet profound; each day we base our work, our studies, and our community on P.R.I.D.E. Behavior that is Positive, Respectful, Important, and shows Dedication to Excellence is desired and rewarded in our program, as this behavior is modeled by our school staff in multiple venues. I'm extremely proud of our team of Teachers, who have worked over the last few weeks to begin a redesign of our academic program - which features the skillful reinforcement of core skills and principles in English Language Arts and Mathematics. We realize that our students are typically not with us for an extended period of time, and we understand the many diverse challenges that come with this. Simultaneously, we're confident that with intensive skills-based instruction, effective test preparation strategies, and exposure to career pathways, our students move on from Geller House with the tools they need to be successful, productive young people in school and beyond. I'm looking forward to a school year of change, possibility, and progress. In short, I'm looking forward to a school year that reflects

our P.R.I.D.E. in education!

Geller House School

Hawthorne Cedar Knolls UFSD

Principal: Mr. Mathew RubensteinSchool Psychologist: Dr. Vikki Palmer Mr. Stephen McNamara Mrs. Lisa RoweMr. Gary Bonoan Ms. Lisette Rubet- RomanMrs. Kristen Doyle Ms. Carolyn SuarezMr. Leonard Grassi Ms. Melissa Morse

Mr. Pete IthierMr. Andrew Savage

GHSGazette

September, 2011

New Beginnings: The new Geller House School Student Council:

This year, for the first time, the students of the Geller House School will be represented by their own peers in the GHS Student Council. The Student Council was first discussed as an idea by a student that's recently been accepted to the Hawthorne Jr./Sr. High School; Selena. Selena has adopted Geller House P.R.I.D.E. and has taken on the responsibility of change. Selena worked on changing from repeating behaviors that were negative and harmful to herself (and her goals in life) - to positive behaviors that include helping others to improve. Selena is our first Student Council President, and was a very active contributor to designing the guidelines that will operate the Student Council for years to come. She was also very active in helping to discuss the Student Council with her peers, and prepare them for the job, should they choose to campaign in the Student Council election process. The students (represented by our Student Council) and staff of Geller House School send our best wishes to our first ever Student Council President - good luck Selena!

GHSGazette

September, 2011

Students Running for GHS Student Council:

Casia Beyes

Frankie Lopez

Teahjanae Brooks

Antonio Laboy

Jocelyn Thomas

Mary Powell

Allison Welkes

Dominique Stewart

Dytajah Watkins

Ernnes Tejeda

GHSGazette

September, 2011

More on GHS Student Council: Let’s help change our school! Are you agreeing to have fun in

school and still get a good education? Well your actions and dreams will come true by voting for me, Teahjanae Brooks, as your class candidate! Is your school work boring? Well I can help with that too! Is your smile in need of help? Well I will make it pretty! Is your school lunch gross? Well maybe I can help with that too! Let’s help change our school and make it a better environment! Did you ever think about going on different trips and not the same trips every week? Did you ever think about talent shows or dances or fun after school programs? Does our school want bake sales or more basic things that students will need? By. Teahjanae

Hello students of Geller House School.I’m not going to be like some of the other candidates, and make empty promises and tell you what I can and cannot do for you. Truthfully, I won’t know until you inform me as to what you want, and I think of what you need.The only thing I can do right now is tell you who I am, and hope that you vote for me of your own accord, not as a result of an empty promise. I am honest, very straightforward, I’m a very friendly person, I have an awesome sense of humor,I’m articulate, so I’ll be able to speak to and for you well.I am very confident in myself and what I do. I have a very good relationship with a majority of the residents in this house, girls and boys. So Geller House students, choose and choose well.By: Mari

GHSGazette

September, 2011

Q: Where did you go to school?A: Oceanside HS and St. John’s University

Q: Is this what you wanted to do as a career when you were growing up? A: Absolutely, I’ve always wanted a job where I could help others. This is why I became a volunteer firefighter when I was younger and later a teacher.

Q: Have you had experience in other schools prior to this one?A: Yes, one high school in Brooklyn, a middle school in Queens and a middle school/ high school in Hawthorne.

Q: Is this job anything you expected it to be? A: Absolutely, and a whole lot more. There are many challenges and amazing rewards that are part of working at a small school like Geller House.

Q: Are you planning on staying with us at Geller House, or do you plan on moving on?A: Staying for a long time, this is home.

Q: Were you excited coming on to this job?A: Very excited, still excited. Being able to work with students individually is amazing.

Q: Were your colleagues inviting/ welcoming?A: Very much so, staff is very supportive and positive.

Q: Is there anything you dislike about this job?A: Absolutely nothing.

Hobbies: Read, write, Origami, photography, Scrabble, sports.Happiest Moment: Getting my first job at a Brooklyn high school

Special Skills: Very Creative problem solver, Compassionate, Athletic Favorite Team: Jets

Favorite Movie: Rocky

Interview of GHS Principal - Mr. Rubenstein Reporter : Antonio

Profile

Corner …

GHSGazette

September, 2011

Daily Scoop

Recently, Geller House School had elections for the Student Council. Originally, there were to be three members of the council. After casting the ballots, we had our members: Teahjanae, Allison, Antonio, Ernie, and yours truly. There was a tie in the B & C group, so Mr. Rubenstein decided to have 5 Council members instead of 3. Out of those 5 members, the one with the most votes would be Student Council President. That person ended up being Ernie. But seeing as Ernie is leaving us soon, he couldn’t be the president. That would mean the runner up would take up that position, and that runner up was Antonio! (I happen to be extremely proud of him). I had a couple of questions to ask Antonio, regarding his Student Council win:

Did you think that you would be elected into Student Council at all, or were you just taking a leap of faith? No I did not think that I would be elected, I was just going with the flow.

How did you feel when you found out so many people had voted for you?Astonished, really.

When Mr. Rubenstein announced that you had won the title of President, you had a shocked look on your face. Can you describe how you were feeling?I was surprised that so many people voted for me.

Now that you are Student Council President, what do you plan on doing for the Geller House School? Have you come up with any ideas to pitch? Well I can give you one of my ideas:Instead of us having free time after lunch, we can have an organized that gets everybody involved, instead of having some sitting on the benches and some on the court.

If you could talk to the future Geller School Student Council, and give them any advice, what would it be?Um, it’s not that hard, but, you know, you have to be very gifted at leading, I guess.

Interview of Student Council President -Antonio Reporter: Mari

GHSGazette

September, 2011Creative Writing…

Missing You!By Teahjanae No words can ever say how much I miss you everyday. As time goes by the loneliness grows, how I miss you… nobody knows. I think of you in silence, I often speak your name. But all I have are memories, and a picture in my brain. No one knows my sorrow. No one sees me weep. But the love I have for you is in my heart and mine to keep. I never stopped loving you; I don’t think I ever will. Deep inside my heart, you are with me still. Heartaches in this world are many, but mine is worst than any. My heart still aches as I whisper low, “I need you… and I miss you so”. The things we feel so deeply are often the hardest things to say. But I just can’t keep quiet anymore, so I’ll tell you anyway. There’s a place in my heart that no one else can fill.

By AllisionLuce woke up on Monday morning moaning. She did in no way want to start school today. Her summer had been a mess. She had moved from Alaska to the San Fernando Valley, in California. For the past month she had been here complaining of the tremendous heat. WAKE UP NOW her mother yelled. “If you want to miss the school bus then go ahead and sleep, but I am not driving you forty blocks to school” she said. Luce moaned and sat up on her bed. She looked around her box full room, for her box of clothes. After she was dressed she ran down to breakfast. Right when she got down she heard the bus honking.

My Love By Maria

I told you don't cry when you close your eyesThink of me as your survival guide

Think of me as your trust worthy key keep me in your heart so the enemies cant get to me lock me away for today

and every day 

GHSGazette

September, 2011

September 11th

Geller House Remembers 9/11

By Antonio 9-9-11

Dear Journal,Today I watched videos in regards to the September 11th, 2001 attacks. The videos varied from live streaming of the plane attacks, to the fire fighters

who responded to the attacks, and also to the rebuilding of the center. When I think of the attacks and its victims, I feel grief. It makes me sad that that many people can die from just one thing, in just one day. My belief is that God placed them in the building that morning for a reason, and I am thankful that as far as

I know, I didn’t lose anyone that day but I feel sorry for those that did. I’m going to pray for them tonight.

Dear Family of Victim,I can’t say that I feel your pain or that I even comprehend it, just that I acknowledge it. I went buy regarding 9/11 as just another unfortunate event.

But as of today, I understand that it is more than just an unfortunate event. I want you to understand that it is not your fault. You couldn’t have known that that was going to happen and you couldn’t have prevented them going to work that morning. I believe that God blessed you, not because he took away your loved ones, but because he saw your pain, and that it was genuine. And I know thousands and millions prayed for you that day, and tonight I join them in prayers.

Dear Police,I believe that you are very brave to be able to direct those crowds to leave an area that you knew wasn’t safe. I don’t think I could’ve done that. Your

job requires you to be on top of emergency situations, and require you to remain calm and assertive when all you want to do is run with the crowd.

On September 11th 2001 four airplanes were hijacked by 19 al Qaeda terrorists. Two or the airplanes that the Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked crashed into The World Trade Center located in New York City. The third airplane that was hijacked crashed in to the Pentagon located in Washington, DC. While the last airplane crashed in a field in rural Pennsylvania. The government says that more than 2,900 people were killed in this terrorist attack on American soil. When the terrorist were finally done attacking the United States our president at the time president George W Bush launched a “war on terror”. Basically that meant that the United States was cracking down on Islamist militants as well as US-led invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Ten years after 9-11 United States troops’ withdrawals have begun and Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, the mastermind of the attacks has been killed. The site of the World Trade Center, or Ground Zero, is still under construction till this day, but the 10th anniversary of the attacks could mark the beginning of a new era. By Jordan

I don’t know but that is the most horrible thing I’ve ever heard and 9/11 is the direst of days ever.--R.I.P 9/11 victims you will always be remembered and never forgotten.By Frankie

September 11th

GHSGazette

Geller House Remembers 9/11

September 11th

GHSGazette

Geller House Remembers 9/11

By Dominique

Today I am going to be talking about 9/11. The Twin Towers fell down from a terrorist attack. There were 300 firefighters that were in the north twin tower. And there were 76 police missing inside the north twin tower. The first twin tower that fell down was the north Twin Tower. a plane crash inside building the people from another country was mad because they did not like what America was doing to there country. So they killed 96 passengers on the plane.By: Dytajah

I can not really remember what happened that day, so I went on the computer to see what happened. What I learned is the Twin towers were destroyed by to airplanes. I also know that a lot of people died that day. My dads friend was killed in the towers. All the people who died were firefighters, police, and the people who worked there.By: Chance

Dear Families of 9/11 Victims,I would like to tell you that my deepest

sympathy goes out to you. I can’t even begin to imagine how you feel or felt on September 11th 2001. I to have lost people close to me and it is hard to get pass it. Losing someone in a tragic way can cause you to be down and depressed. This is the time you must look to God to help you through your times of trouble. Just know that your loved ones are in a better place and are looking down upon you. In time of trouble look to the lord and say this scripture… Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint”

With love and Compassion, Dominique

GHSGazette

September, 2011Creative Writing…

Geller House

I remember when I first got to Geller House. I was scared and confused. I was upset with my parents for having permitted me being sent to this place. I gave in to a great depression and was awoling everyday more than one time. I started smoking and drinking more than ever. It was very hard to break these habits but with the help of the staff here and my social worker I was able to succeed. I never thought that being at Geller House would have changed me for good. Now I am moving on from here and working on keeping myself stable because of course I still have my moments. I will miss this place so much for I have built a family here. I will never forget the people here who always supported me, for doing good. I will miss you all so very much. THANK YOU!!!!

Featured Student: Selena