The whipping winds of March finally gave way to a gentler wind, which blew in April showers. This month promises to be busy with all of the upcoming religious holidays, Easter, daffodils and tulips.
A car pulled up in front of the Goodwill store and while I was standing nearby waiting for the bus, I couldn’t help but notice the car’s occupant unload several huge bags of clothing that were obviously for donation. Seems as though somebody has been doing some serious spring cleaning. What an inspiration.
Hostess with the mostess Deidre Tate, the lovely daughter of Bob Tate, celebrated her own birthday with a bash at Gran Piatto D’oro. D.J. Frank “Birthday Boy” Nitti celebrated his, hers and theirs as he rocked the box as Allen George, Cytia Fontenette, Derrick Dover, Ebony Graham, Glenn Gilliam, Joby Smith, Kenny Ferracho, Nicole Brock, Sally Stewart and the legendary Chris Washington were also celebrating. There was a special live performance by Chris Turner with a late night performance by Robbie “Base” Tate-Brickle and Foe Boyz, and they partied. A happy birthday shout-out also goes to Sophonia Dickens Carter and Paula Battle, even though they weren’t at the party.
Having his own party is Hugh Masekela, who will celebrate his 75th with a retrospective extravaganza. The noted South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer and lyricist, who is well-known across several continents, will perform at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 4-5. Bassist Fana Zulu, keyboardist Randal Skippers, bass guitarist Abednigo Sibongiseni Zulu, guitarist Cameron John Ward, drummer Lee-Roy Sauls and long-time percussionist Francis Fuster will join Masekela onstage to play songs from various stages of his illustrious career. Paul Simon will be a special guest for the April 4 performance only.
Masekela’s unique style combines his passion for American jazz with his deep roots in the Zulu folklore. The Mbaqanga Township Dance Band, who will also be performing with Masekela, is part of a musical tribute to his homeland, from which he was exiled for 30 years, between 1960 and 1990. The U.S. tour is dedicated to the memory of his dear friend Nelson Mandela. For more interesting Masekela information, visit hughmasekela.co.za.
This just in: Orchestra and front mezzanine seats for “Motown the Musical” are just $89 when you use code ABC123 for performances now through May 22. Restrictions may apply, so visit www.motownthemusical.com, call 877–250–2929 or go to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre box office (205 W. 46th St.) for ticket information. Speaking of the website, it’s a fun site with facts, figures and what else 7music. Log on to sign up for the “Motown” newsletter and enjoy.
The Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel was all aglow as the New York City Mission Society hosted its annual Champions for Children Gala this year and all of the stars came out. In attendance was former New York City Mayor David Dinkins, Maria Orango, Matthew Mamak and Lloyd Brown, just to name a few.
Goldman, Sachs & Co. Partner Valentino D. Carlotti was honored with the Champions for Children Award for his leadership and support of youth organizations. Also honored were esteemed philanthropist and humanitarian Jean Shafiroff with the Dina Merrill Hartley Public Service Award, as well as the founders and leaders of the Sisulu-Walker Charter School of Harlem for being the first charter school to open in the state of New York.
Carlotti should have also received the “it” man of the year award, as he is seen everywhere, where one of his stature should be, and he’s always looking good.
If that wasn’t enough, members of the Junior Society of the New York City Mission Society hosted the Champions for Children After Party at New York City’s very upscale Doubles Club. It was a fun evening of cocktails and desserts all in celebration and acknowledgment of the 2014 honorees and the endless accomplishments of the New York City Mission Society.
This year, the New York City Mission Society will provide services to more than 7,000 youth and families in Harlem, the Bronx and Brooklyn. Keep an eye out for their summer in the Hamptons events; this should definitely add a few shingles to their coffers.
Now that it is April, it is also Common Core time for all third-graders attending public schools. Yikes! There has been a tremendous outcry about the Common Core testing from parents all across the country as the standards, testing procedures and results are unrealistic. Standardized testing is always an anxiety-ridden experience no matter who is taking the test, but the pressure forced upon 8- and 9-year-olds to take the test borders on cruel and unusual punishment.
Tests are important for a variety of reasons. We can’t expect to go through life without challenges. Learning the discipline it takes to meet the challenges and overcome them are best accomplished by learning how to take a test. The joy one feels when you learn that you’ve passed a test rates pretty high, no doubt. While the low you feel when you fail a test can be pretty depressing, it can be rationalized by learning what it is you don’t know and what you can do better or improve upon.
As I understand it, the problem with Common Core testing is that it is not testing the children on the level with which they are learning on a day-to-day basis. Instead, within a very short period of time prior to the test date, the children are required to learn concepts they have never been exposed to, with the majority of teachers learning right along with them. Pressure!
We were very fortunate to have enrolled Julia in kindergarten at St. Benedict’s, located on 124th Street and Fifth Avenue, across from Marcus Garvey Park. There, the curriculum consisted of arithmetic, spelling tests on Fridays and homework every night. With the assistance of the very able Ms. Petit, who also operates an after-school and Saturday program at St. Aloysius, at 5 years old, Julia learned how to read; and she was already a year behind the other children who had been at St. Benedicts since pre-K. This, of course, was taught by the traditional method, and all of the children performed beautifully. Members of Julia’s class included Alexander, one of the sons of Shola Olatoye, the new chairman of the New York City Housing Authority, along with the son of Frank Perry.
As a side note, it has come to my attention that this is the last year for St. Benedicts. Quelle dommage! Currently, Julia attends a progressive public school. By “progressive,” I mean the children are taught by what I call the “touchy-feely” method. They learn by exploring, engaging and analyzing. This is good, but when it comes to adding, subtracting and multiplying, we go back to the traditional method to get the right answer. Does Common Core test on that? We will see next year.
Until next week … kisses