Rebecca Turner Academy UPK scholars create gingerbread houses before the holidays

Students at Rebecca Turner Academy were recognized for their academic achievements at their award ceremony on Thursday, December 19, 2024. Students received awards such as high honor roll, honor roll, the “Credit Recovery All-Star Award,” and other distinctions marking their success in the first marking period. 

Universal preschool scholars at Rebecca Turner Academy ended their holiday celebrations with a Gingerbread Extravaganza on Friday, December 20, 2024; complete with special snacks, sing-a-long songs and group games! Katharine McGuire, Edgar Brown and Laurie Kellogg, teachers at RTA, had a very special set up for the students and their guests, making the fall VIP event an unforgettable experience.

Rebecca Turner Academy held a student luncheon to celebrate Thanksgiving on Monday, November 25, 2024. Students were served food by RTA staff and enjoyed a meal together before the holiday break.

On November 26, 2024, scholars from Rebecca Turner Academy spent the afternoon at the University of Mount Saint Vincent. As part of School Counselor Mrs. Goire-Peralta’s “Preparing for The Future” series, scholars had the opportunity to tour the entire campus, connect with professors and ask students vital questions that will help them make decisions concerning their post secondary endeavors. 

On October 23, 2024, Rebecca Turner Academy pre-K classes, parents and staff visited Lawrence Farms Orchards in Newburgh, New York. The class trip was provided by various donors throughout the community. The trip provided a hands-on sensory rich experience that allowed students to learn about the life cycles of apples, different apple varieties and the concept of harvesting. Students not only had the opportunity to walk through the orchard to pick apples, but also had the opportunity to pick a pumpkin in the pumpkin patch as well as experience a hayride. The students, staff and families culminated the trip by sitting together to have lunch out in the field as a family. Click here to view more pictures.

Students at Rebecca Turner Academy have been engaging in a series of “Preparing for Life” workshops hosted by School Counselor, Jennifer Goire-Peralta. The first workshop focused on introducing various post-secondary opportunities and pathways. Advisors from the Center for College and Careers visited students on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, to explain the intake process and how they can get started on their future by taking advantage of their trade preparation programs and multitude of services. 

Students and staff walked into school repping their favorite teams as Rebecca Turner Academy kicked off School Spirit Week with Sports Day on Monday, October 28, 2024. 

The My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) Fellows Program is continuing in the 2024-2025 school year with two students at Rebecca Turner Academy. Twelfth-grade students, Kevaughn Palmer and Mickel Williams, recently began participating in the MBK Fellows Program, which has a wide range of plans for the school year. MBK, created by President Barack Obama, began in Mount Vernon in 2016. Brother Arthur Muhammad, Youth Development Specialist, coordinates the program.