Bed-Stuy First Grader Nabs First Place in Success Academy Spelling Bee
Contact: Pat Wechsler
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646-894-6407
The 23 best first-grade spellers from Success Academy, New York City’s highest-performing charter school network, competed yesterday to determine who among them was best speller in the world — or at least in the network. The answer? Xzavier Stokes from Success Academy Bedford-Stuyvesant 1, who walked away with first place after successfully spelling the word “exchange.”
The second place winner was Marissa Ramsundar from Success Academy Rosedale, and third place went to Hayley Thomas from Success Academy Bensonhurst.
The audience — composed of teachers, parents and siblings — cheered their scholars on to victory with colorful signs, but the placards weren’t the only distraction. With only four competitors left standing, the spelling bee took a dramatic turn when the school’s fire alarm was triggered. After a brief pause to ensure there was no real emergency, the final four contestants began spelling words over the blare of the alarm. Fortunately, the auditorium fell silent in time for the final two scholars to spell their last words.
The spelling bee was held at Success Academy’s school in Hell’s Kitchen at 439 W. 49th St.
About Success Academy
Founded in 2006, Success Academy is a free public charter school network with the dual mission of building world-class public schools across New York City and advancing education reform across the country. Success Academy operates 32 schools in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. Admission is open to all New York City families. Students are admitted by random lottery, held each April. Across the Success Academy network of K-12 schools, 76% of students are from low-income households; 8.5% are English Language Learners, and 12% are special needs students. About 94% of students are children of color.
For more information about Success Academy, go to Successacademies.org.
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We are pleased to invite you to the Success Academy Spring Benefit on Monday, April 7, 6:30 p.m. at Cipriani 42nd Street. This will be a very special evening, as we celebrate our Success Academy alumni – their work ethic, their achievements, and their aspirations. We hope you will join us to hear their stories!
Nearly 20 years ago, we launched a revolution in schooling. We promised students, families, and educators that there is a better way – that they didn’t have to settle for failing district schools. Today, Success is one of the nation’s highest-achieving school districts, educating 22,000 K-12 scholars across 57 schools in New York City. Ninety-five percent of our scholars are children of color and three-quarters live at or below the poverty line, but they consistently outperform their affluent suburban peers across the wide range of external exams from New York State tests to APs and SATs. All our scholars – 100% – have been admitted to 4-year colleges, most of them with the financial aid that makes higher education possible for their families.
After two decades, we have demonstrated that we can reverse, not just close, the achievement gap. Our alumni are proof that exceptional outcomes are possible for all children, and that great schooling can be achieved at scale. As they graduate from college, they are paving the way for those who follow, serving as campus leaders, earning advanced degrees, and launching careers in STEM, finance, and education, among many other fields. We could not be more proud of them and all that they stand for.
We remain steadfast in our belief that every kid deserves a great public school. And we are more ambitious than ever, expanding as quickly as we can to serve more kids and more families. You have been so generous in your support for our schools and our scholars. We hope to count on you once again on April 7 as we show what kids can do given the opportunity to work hard and dream big.
Warmly,
Eva Moskowitz, Founder & CEO Success Academy Charter Schools
Daniel S. Loeb, Trustee Success Academy Charter Schools