I.S. 187 Students Celebrate International Women’s Day

March 29, 2012 Brooklyn Eagle Staff

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By Paula Katinas
Brooklyn Eagle

Dyker Heights — Students at Intermediate School 187 found a unique way to celebrate history and raised money for their school at the same time.

The school, formally called the Christa McAuliffe Intermediate School, recently held a Penny Auction. The theme of the event, which took place on March 9 at the school at 1171 65th St., was International Women’s Day.

I.S. 187 has held a Penny Auction for the past 17 years to raise funds for student programs, as well as program run by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). The money raised by the Penny Auction goes toward education programs, after-school events, parent workshops, and other programs that normally do not receive funding, school officials said.

“The programs and resources that are important to our students are also important to their development and their middle school experience,” Principal Justin Berman said. “Our Penny Auction is the critical fundraiser for these efforts. The chance to involve and cater to the community for one evening is a wonderful opportunity to bring us together to support our kids.”

PTA President Yolanda Cartusciello said she was pleased that the theme for the Penny Auction was a celebration of women.

“By choosing International Women’s Day as our theme, we are celebrating the wonderful mosaic of heritage and backgrounds represented in our student population,” she said.

The auction featured more than 100 prizes, including tickets to the Broadway musical Godspell, a Nook reader, a professional cooking class, an iPad, and a twilight cruise for two.

The prizes also included prep courses for admissions tests to specialized high schools, such as Stuyvesant High School, Brooklyn Technical High School, and the Bronx High School of Science.

Speaking of specialized high schools, hundreds of I.S. 187 eighth graders won acceptance into elite high schools, according to school officials. Of the school’s 361 eighth graders, 257 received offers from specialized high schools, officials said. That means that 76.8 percent of the students from I.S. 187 who applied were accepted.

The results included: 82 students accepted into Stuyvesant High School; 145 students accepted to Brooklyn Tech; 7 students accepted to the Bronx High School of Science; 21 students accepted to Staten Island Technical High School; and 4 students accepted to Brooklyn Latin High School.

“We want to applaud all of our talented students for the hard work and effort they have put into their studies,” Berman said. “We congratulate the parents who have done such a wonderful job with their children.”
Parents are grateful to the teachers, according to Cartusciello.

“We would like to thank the truly dedicated teachers, administration, and staff who have worked tirelessly for the benefit of our children to help them achieve their goals,”she said.