Jillian Beaman

                                               

NATIVITY PREPARATORY ACADEMY WELCOMES TWO NEW STAFF MEMBERS

Nativity Preparatory Academy, Rochester’s only tuition-free private middle school for underserved students in grades 5-8, is welcoming two new staff members: Alexandra Arnell as Teacher’s Assistant and Social Work Intern and Khan Smith as Teacher’s Assistant.

In her new role as Teacher’s Assistant and Social Work Intern, Arnell will provide aid and support to all faculty, along with covering classes as a substitute teacher. She will also serve as a Social Work Intern assisting the Director of Student Support Services, Anna Doerr, with social-emotional learning and any social work needs. Arnell enjoys helping adolescents by offering empathy, compassion, and understanding in crisis situations and by maximizing their potential through encouragement to build self-esteem, self-awareness, and emotional awareness. She is also an advocate for social justice, equity, and equality. In her spare time, …

St. John Fisher College Mentors partner with Nativity Preparatory Academy of Rochester Students

This fall, Nativity students partnered with St. John Fisher College student mentors on a writing project during after-school enrichments. The result was a beautiful collection of stories from Nativity students!

Monday through Thursday during the school year, from 2:30 – 4:00pm, Nativity students attend an extra-curricular activity of their choice such as basketball, writing club, step dance, music, art, and more. Many of these enrichment activities are possible because of volunteer partners and organizations who donate their time to work with Nativity’s middle school students in grades 5-8. Also, as Nativity is a donor-funded, tuition-free school, it is the financial support of generous donors that pay for the needed supplies, operational building costs, and salaries of the program directors that make it possible.

“It was so powerful …

                                                                       

Nativity Preparatory Academy, Rochester’s only tuition-free private middle school for underserved students in grades 5-8, is welcoming two new staff members: Charles Arnell as the Physical Education and Health Teacher and Tracey O’Brien as the Mathematics Teacher.

In Arnell’s new role as the Physical Education and Health Teacher, he will be providing wellness education for students in grade 5-8. In addition, he will provide interscholastic sports coaching.

“I am so blessed to join the Nativity community,” says Arnell. “The caring and committed family of students, teachers, and staff is unmatched!”

Prior to joining Nativity, Arnell served as a General Manager and Assistant Manager at many establishments, such as Applebee’s and PF Chang’s China Bistro where he managed various processes across departments. Arnell is a graduate of Williams College located in Williamstown, MA, where he earned his B.S. in Chemistry/Pre-Med. Arnell …

Nativity Preparatory Academy, Rochester’s only tuition-free private middle school for underserved students in grades 5-8, is welcoming two new staff members: Robert Bonfiglio as the new Student Activities Manager and Tatiana Colon as the Rochester Youth Year VISTA.

Bonfiglio, who also serves as Nativity Prep’s Academic Intervention Teacher for Math, is expanding his work to include his new role as Student Activities Manager. Starting his second year at the school, his new responsibilities include outreach efforts to build community partnerships and increase parent engagement.

As Rochester Youth Year VISTA, Colon will focus on projects related to after-school enrichment programs and community engagement.

“We are grateful to have Robert and Tatiana on the team! Their expertise, passion and heart for the Nativity mission will only deepen the loving programming we have in place.” says James C. Smith, President of Nativity Preparatory …

Nativity Preparatory Academy, Rochester’s only tuition-free private middle school for low-income students in grades 5-8, welcomes Anna Josephine Doerr as its Director of Student Support Services. Doerr brings her background of social work and passion for mental health advocacy to her new position.

In her most recent role as a clinical social worker at the Rochester Psychiatric Center, Doerr successfully assisted patients on the forensics and civil side of the hospital while determining their mental health status and needs through psychosocial assessments. She worked directly with patients and families in a clinical setting to support them with any additional resources and services as needed in Rochester.

Previously, she served as a relief staff counselor at East House, where she provided support to clients by keeping up with patient records, responding to emergencies, and ensuring that the environment was safe and …

On June 22nd, 2021, Nativity’s 8th grade class of Saint Oscar Romero received their diplomas! The graduation ceremony took place at St. Boniface Church with the graduates, their families, teachers, staff, Nativity Board of Trustees members, and supporters of the school in attendance. We are so proud of the accomplishments and the tremendous resilience the students displayed throughout this challenging year!

Here is where they are heading next:

Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women (7)

McQuaid Jesuit (4)

The Aquinas Institute (3)

Bishop Kearney (1)

Hope Hall (1)

Greece Central Schools (1)

Vertus Charter School (1)

Norman Howard School (1)

Special Awards:

Presidential Award for Academic Achievement (4.0 GPA):  Romina Khatri

Cheryl Speranza Leadership Institute Scholarship Award for Our Lady of Mercy School for Young Women:  Jocelyn Kirkland and Anishma Rai

Billy D’Antonio “Livin’ the Dream” Scholarship Award …