16 The QUEE NS Courier • MARCH 24, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Overcrowded LIC school will not lose middle school seats next year By Angela Matua [email protected] @AngelaMatua Students attending the only middle school in the Hunters Point section of Long Island City will no longer need to scramble to find a new school as previously expected. Parents and students rallied last spring to bring awareness about the possible truncation of sixth- through eighth-grade classes at P.S./I.S. 78. The Department of Education (DOE) was considering phasing middle school seats out to make room for two new kindergarten classes and the influx of elementary school students. According to a DOE spokesperson, the proposal is no longer being considered. “There is currently no proposal to truncate P.S./I.S. 78, but the DOE continues to monitor enrollment growth in the area,” the spokesperson said. “We will continue to work with the SCA and the community at large to ensure that we meet the needs of families in Hunters Point.” The plan was scrapped partly because several new schools will be constructed in the area. Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said four new schools will be built in the Long Island City and Woodside area, including a 600-seat middle school at the Hunters Point South development. The DOE plans to add 2,700 seats to School District 30, which includes Long Island City, Astoria, Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights and East Elmhurst, in the next five years. Jennifer Theien, the cofounder of the Gantry Parent Association, said people were happy to hear the news, especially with the influx of families moving into the neighborhood. “The whole community is ecstatic that the school is staying,” Theien said. “Taking away a school when we need more schools would just be silly.” Though this news is welcomed by parents, Theien said the group’s biggest concern is the lack of pre-K seats in the area. Queens Borough President Melinda Katz announced last spring that 36 new pre-K seats would be added at Astoria’s Ravenswood Community Library in School District 30 for the upcoming school year. But Theien, who will be looking to send her daughter to pre-K next year, said more seats are needed. “There are just not enough classes,” Theien said. “We definitely just need more elementary schools, pre-K through eighth grade.” A spokesperson for the DOE said there are enough pre-K seats for every child in District 30. The number of children enrolled in pre-K programs since di Blasio took office has gone up 650 percent from 409 children enrolled in 2014 to 3,061 children enrolled in programs in 2016, according to DOE data. Theien added that parents were excited to hear that for the first time in years, no child was put on a waiting list for a kindergarten seat in the district ― including her own daughter. State Senator Michael Gianaris said the decision not to truncate the school will mean that parents in Long Island City can provide their children with a great education in their own neighborhood. “With this hurdle cleared for kindergarten admissions and the advancement of middle school students, I am pleased more parents will have the opportunity to give their kids a quality education right here in our own neighborhood,” Gianaris said. The LIC Post first reported the story. Queens junior chef competition promotes healthy eating among kids By Raisa Camargo [email protected]/@Raisa4342 Junior chefs in Flushing were able to flex their culinary skills during a healthy eats competition on Wednesday evening. The students, who are part of an after-school culinary club known as The Boys’ Club of New York (BCNY), trained once a week for six months for the Junior Battle Chef event. The Abbe Clubhouse team of Queens won the battle for the second time this year. The group of six diligently cooked up an Asian-inspired Szechuan Shrimp Hot Pot, which ended up wowing the judges. The Abbe team pored over the stove for 45 minutes while chopping garlic, cilantro and scallions. The students ended up combining a healthy mix of protein with gluten-free chocolate. “I think all children should learn how to cook, what goes into their food, not so much to be a cook, but more so that they know the importance of the ingredients that goes into what they eat,” said Queens chef George McKirdy, who was one of seven judges. “It also gives them an appreciation for eating something fresh cooked as opposed to eating something commercial, something pre-made, you know, fast food.” The Junior Battle Chef program is a cooking skill-building program to help members gain confidence in the kitchen. The program teaches techniques and instills a broader understanding of food safety, according to the Boys Club of New York. Team Abbe’s winning sichuan shrimp hot pot “Everybody did their job, everybody did what we were supposed to do,” said David, 12, who was part of the Abbe team. “It was also easier to plate the food because everybody worked together as a team.” The other two teams, from outside of Queens, presented their creative selections to the judges at the end of the competition. The young students managed to stir up a meal of shrimp jambalaya, chicken saute and a dose of fresh veggies. Helen Frank, director of communications of BCNY, said the after-school program helps boys who are growing up in single-family homes to teach them different kinds of life skills. The program expanded to the younger teens and boys. According to BCNY, the club helps young boys become “the best men they could be.” Photos courtesy Boys Club of New York Team Abbe Junior Chefs Competition P.S./I.S. 78 in Long Island City will not lose any middle school seats.
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