Our Stories
Andrea Gaines, Student
My name is Andrea Gaines and I am a fourth grade student at Girls Prep. I would like to thank the CEC for allowing me to speak today.
I’ve been coming to Girls Prep since I was in kindergarten. I like Girls Prep because there are no boys here to annoy you. I know my brother distracts me at home, and it’s nice not to have any boys like him at school.
One of my favorite things about Girls Prep is art class. In art class, I’m able to express my feelings. I also like yoga class because I am able to let out my negative energy. At Girls Prep, I can really be myself.
At school, I’ve always had trouble with reading and math. I’m lucky because there are two teachers in my classroom to help me. My teachers help me to improve my reading by reading stories with me and telling me how I can improve. My fluency in reading has improved, and now I know not to read stories too fast or too slow. My math has improved because my teachers taught me how to take notes that I take home and study at night.
I want to continue to go to Girls Prep in Middle School because it’s a really good school, and I will learn a lot that I never knew before. When I am finished with Girls Prep, I will be able to get into a really good high school and go to college to become a teacher. I hope one day I get to teach at a school as good as Girls Prep.
Shacrisha Armstead, Parent
My name is Shacrisha Armstead, and I am a parent of Aziana Collado, a second grade student at Girls Prep. I would like to thank Lisa Donlan and all members of the Community Education Council for letting me speak to you today.
Our family lives in District 1, and Girls Prep was the best choice for my daughter. I’m so grateful a school like Girls Prep exists in this community. When it came time to enroll my daughter in school three years ago, I knew that many schools were not going to provide her with the education that she and every other child deserves. Girls Prep holds students and teachers to high expectations. These are the expectations that we should hold all children and all teachers to. Unfortunately, many schools in New York City do not, and therefore do not provide the education that every child deserves. I want my daughter to continue to be able to receive the high quality education she receives at Girls Prep when she’s in Middle School, and I want this opportunity to be available to more children in my community.
Latrina Miley, Parent
My name is Latrina Miley, and I am a parent of Nakala, a kindergarten student at Girls Prep. I would like to thank Lisa Donlan and all members of the Community Education Council for letting me speak to you today. I live in Community School District 1, and I am here tonight to advocate for a school that’s working for my daughter and her sisters. I care about all students in this district, and I think they deserve the opportunity to attend Girls Prep Middle School. Even though my daughter is only in kindergarten, I am already worried about her future and the future of her friends in other grades.
Nakala is coming to Girls Prep from a day care with inadequate services. When Nakala first started kindergarten, she would kick and scream and had to be dragged to class. The School Social Worker and the Director of Student and Family Affairs at Girls Prep have worked with my daughter to develop her self control, and now she is proud to be a Girls Prep student. They’ve also worked with me to give me strategies to use at home with Nakala. Now, every morning, Nakala comes to school eager to learn and comes home happy, too. The sad reality is that research proves students in most schools lose their love of learning in the upper elementary school grades. In addition to waning interest in school, Middle School is also a challenging time for young girls socially and emotionally. Girls Prep has structures in place to keep our daughters interested in school and feeling safe and secure. I wish I’d had the opportunity to attend a smaller school or a single-sex school.
As someone who comes from an impoverished background living in a shelter, I am so grateful to have found a school in District 1 that provides such exceptional services to students and families and caters to each child’s needs. Nakala did not have to pass entrance exams to come here, nor did I have to pay tuition. I’m also grateful that Girls Prep has a uniform policy, so I don’t need to worry about dressing Nakala in the latest fashions, and both of us can focus on her studies. Girls Prep is a great fit for Nakala because of the structure it provides.