State winners and finalists hail from literally every corner of the country. Chosen from a total of over 114,000 entries, these masterpieces represented the top doodles from this year’s contest. The State Finalists are the highest ranked doodle from each grade group from each state and the State Winners are the highest ranked doodle per state regardless of grade group. The 50 State Winners were chosen by Google employees and guest judges from the 250 State Finalists.

A national winner will be announced on May 18, 2012.

An Ancient World

David Hernandez only came to the U.S. from Medellin, Colombia four years ago, and today he is a senior ranked first in his class and voted “Most Likely to Succeed”.

NBC Latino has featured Central Falls High School senior David Hernandez in their Education Honor Roll. The high school community and district are proud of David and also congratulate him on all of his accomplishments and successes.

NBC Latino Congratulates: David Hernandez
May 10, 2012
By KRISTINA PUGA, NBC LATINO STAFF

David Hernandez only came to the U.S. from Medellin, Colombia four years ago, and today he is a senior ranked first in his class and voted “Most Likely to Succeed”. He is part of the school’s national chess team – three time chess champions – and was part of the science Olympiad team which won the state championship in anatomy and physiology last year.

His AP biology teacher, David Upegui, says few people stand out like David.

“Wherever he goes he’s going to be successful,” he says. “He has that kind of drive, patience, and intuitive nature…He is a total gentleman.”

David has also just been accepted to Brown University.

“Coming from Colombia, being able to study in the U.S. is a privilege,” he says. “I know that only 28 percent of Americans have a college degree, and the fact that i can become a part of that percentage is a privilege, and I will take advantage and do my best.”

Name: David Hernandez

Age: 18

Grade: 12

School: Central Falls High School, Central Falls, RI

Favorite subject: AP Biology is my favorite because of all the experiments we do and we learn everyday.

Favorite book: “Hope in the Unseen” by John Suskin – about an African minority student in D.C. who was in a low-performing school with gangs, and he was able to overcome all of those obstacles and he went to Brown. I see him as a role model. and I identify myself with a lot of his experiences.

Favorite activities: I enjoy everything I do. I love to play chess. I play almost everyday. I like to read and visit new places, go out with friends and to the movies.

My inspiration is: Comes from home – my parents didn’t go to college, but they have always encouraged me to do my best in school. My parents push me to my limits everyday.

In college, I would like to study: Medicine

In 10 years, I see myself: I see myself helping people. Being a successful professional, maybe as a parent with a family, with kids – educating and teaching them to be successful and to fight for what they want. I see myself as a doctor or a researcher working to improve the lives of others. In 10 years, I’d like to help others achieve their goals, because I know a lot of people have done that for me. I want to make the lives of others better.

Central Falls High School junior Edwin Africano receives the Rhode Island General Treasurer's Young Leader Award.

Central Falls High School junior Edwin Africano received the Rhode Island General Treasurer’s Young Leader Award during a ceremony on Thursday, May 3rd. The award recognizes students who have demonstrated an interest in entrepreneurship and the skills necessary to achieve their goals.

Edwin was a key member of the high school’s “We the People” class that competed in Rhode Island’s state competition on issues involving the Constitution. With his hard work as a team member and his individual effort, his unit received one of the highest scores in the competition. His academic work ethic has earned him the respect of his peers, teachers and school administrators.

The award is presented to members of the junior class who meet the following criteria:

• Outstanding achievement in math, economics, and business-related courses
• Active in his or her community
• School leader
• Embodies an entrepreneurial spirit

Two Sides to One Flag by Chayanne Escalera

U.S. Senator Jack Reed announced the top three winners of the 2012 annual High School Arts Competition. Among those winners was Central Falls High School senior Chayanne Escalera who placed third for his work in digital photography “Two Sides to One Flag”. His artwork, along with the first and second place winners, will be displayed in Senator Reed’s Cranston and Providence offices for one year. According to the announcement, this year’s statewide competition drew 47 entries from 17 different public, private, and parochial high schools.

Teen’s artwork to hang in Reed’s office
3 teens won top honors in RI art competition
By Steph Morgado, WPRI

The Central Falls High School (CFHS) chess team attended the United States Chess Federation (USCF) National High School Chess Championship from April 12-16 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The CFHS team was in the top five during most of the tournament and played against tough competition from around the country. The CFHS team placed 8 out of 53 nationwide teams.

In Central Falls, the game of chess is at every level – elementary, middle and high. It truly is a legacy that makes us all proud. Congratulations to the team and to their coaches!

The USCF is the official, not-for-profit U.S. membership organization for chess players and chess supporters of all ages and strengths, from beginners to Grandmasters. USCF has grown to over 80,000 members and over 2,000 affiliated chess clubs and organizations.

CENTRAL FALLS — While state and local officials were scrambling to figure out how to finance the city’s schools last week, the high school chess team was busy locking up an eighth-place finish in the national scholastic chess championships.

The team won its 11th state title in 12 years earlier this month, which led to a trip to the United States Chess Federation’s national championships in Minneapolis. Coach Frank DelBonis said the team had several victories in the early rounds. At one point they were tied for first place.

“But then we started getting put against the toughest players,” Del-Bonis said. The Central Falls team fell back a bit as the tournament wore on, ending with the eighth-place finish in a field of 53 high schools from across the country.

That was a role reversal from last year’s team, which had a rough time in the early rounds, ranking 14th after the first two. But then it went on a six-for-eight tear to wind up in sixth place overall.

DelBonis said he had no preference between starting fast or closing strong.

“I don’t care,” he said. “A point’s a point.”

Each team’s top four players counted toward the team’s overall score for the tournament. A win was worth a point; a draw was half a point. The competition at the top was close. Central Falls’ 16 points were good for eighth place, but 16.5 would have meant tying for fifth.

The overall winner of their class was Miami (Fla.) Senior High School with 20 points.

Yang Ming Zou led Central Falls with 4.5 points. David Hernandez and Freddy Monteiro had 4, while Sam Adofo and Christian Estrada had 3.5 points each.

The tournament team also was coached by Daniel Amadio. DelBonis handles the middle school players, Amadio the high school players, but the two groups train as a single team.

DelBonis credited an elementary-school-to-high-school pipeline created by volunteer coaches who run after-school chess sessions.

The foundation is built at the elementary school level, he said, where Gina Dufresne looks for students who show promise. The elementary school teams give prospects a place to play and, ideally, DelBonis said, the good ones stay with it as they advance to middle school.

By the time they reach Central Falls High School, they have been playing in tournaments for five or more years, he said.

April 9, 2012 - Patriots Today
Hoyer, Andruzzi hit the books

April 9, 2012 – Providence Journal
Patriots’ Hoyer, Andruzzi visit two special youngsters in Central Falls

As part of a week-long reading celebration, backup quarterback Brian Hoyer and three-time Super Bowl champion Joe Andruzzi visited Veterans Elementary School on Monday, April 9th to read to the students. The students were excited to have their guests read to them and to receive autographed copies of the book Let’s Go Patriots. 

After the assembly, the players met privately with two students. One student has been battling Leukemia while the other has been dealing with the loss of his father. Both students enjoyed and appreciated the extra time with Hoyer and Andruzzi.

Central Falls High School students join the effort to Spread the Word to End the Word.

Three years ago Special Education Teacher Katie Gomes introduced the Unified Sports program to Central Falls High School (CFHS) and it has and continues to expand and flourish. Students with intellectual disabilities are partnered in sports activities with typical students who volunteer to participate. The program helps to continue the process of removing stigmas that people with special needs have had to face.

The student volunteers say it has added purpose to their lives and given them a new perspective on students with disabilities. Student volunteers have also participated in the national campaign to eliminate the derogatory use of the
r-word and have participated in the Torch Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics. Gomes and four student volunteers, Megan Faria, Pedro Raposa, Leticia Usorio and Shariela Jimenez joined host Mary Ellen Powers of Special Olympics Rhode Island Magazine to talk about their experiences and the importance of acceptance and inclusion.

To watch the interview, which is featured in the second half of the program, please click here.

For a listing of the Unified sports that the CFHS offers click here.

On the far left Deputy Superintendent for Transformation is all business as he plunges into the cold water.

Central Falls High School  students and staff plunged into the ocean in support of Special Olympics by participating in the Torch Run Plunge on Sunday, March 11th. Ms. Katie Gomes and her Olympic Partners had set a goal of $2,000 for this year. As an incentive to raise the money, Deputy Superintendent for Transformation Victor Capellan agreed to plunge if the goal was met. They met and exceeded the goal by raising $2,500.

The picture above and video are from the East Greenwich Patch article that can be read in its entirety below. To see more pictures from the event click here.

March 12, 2012
East Greenwich Patch
Special O’s Torch Run Plunge
By Elizabeth McNamara

Under sunny skies, more than 100 people took the plunge at Goddard Park to raise money for Rhode Island Special Olympics.

It wasn’t Jan. 1, but it wasn’t July 1 either on Sunday, when Special Olympics Rhode Island held its sixth annual Torch Run Plunge at Goddard Park. More than 100 people got wet, with twice that many there in support.

Donna Sawyer of East Greenwich was one of the plungers. Her grandson Charlie is a member of North Kingstown Special Olympics. After Sawyer heard about the plunge, she consulted with Charlie’s big brother Christopher, a third grader at Meadowbrook Farms, and the two of them decided they would do it together.

Students from Central Falls High School raised $2,500 for the plunge — 25 people from Central Falls took the plunge.

Participants like Scott Maranda of Warwick were not at all thrilled with getting wet, but were doing it to show support. His girlfriend’s son is a Special Olympics participant.

“I don’t go in the water in the middle of July — this is really going to hurt,” he said before the plunge. But getting out of the water afterwards, Maranda was singing a different tune: “Not bad!”

March 7, 2012
Grandview sends ‘Snacks in Sacks’ to to nearby students
By MEGHAN KAVANAUGH
CUMBERLAND – Thanks to a Snacks in Sacks program started by employees and residents of the Grandview Center nursing home, more than 100 families from the Ella Risk Elementary School in Central Falls have been able to count on some additional food this winter.

It’s a spin-off of the nationwide Blessings for Backpacks program that sends students home each week with a backpack full of food.

Social worker Pauline Imbruglia said she did not want to commit all fund-raising and charity work to the backpack program, so she worked on creating a unique program for the center.

“It just sort of unfolded,” she said.

Ella Risk Elementary School principal Maureen Azar said the collaboration started when she was at the nursing home on Chambers Street while her mother was undergoing rehabilitation.

“It came up as a fluke,” Azar said, “but it worked out perfectly.”

Imbruglia, who has worked with Grandview Center employees Linda Mayhugh and Katherine Butler, said the call for donations went out in the beginning of January, and three weeks later, employees, visitors, residents and their families had collected 118 pounds of non-perishable kid-friendly food items, which was separated into 25 different snack sacks.

They also collected gloves, hats and jackets, and cash donations that were used to purchase Stop & Shop gift cards.

The Central Falls school has 469 students in grades 1 through 4, Azar said, and many need the help.

“Each case is worse than the next,” she said. “There are homeless, needy families who have absolutely nothing.”

Imbruglia said she knows these struggles first hand, and said she can relate to the students.

“I grew up in Central Falls,” she said. “We were poor. We didn’t have a lot to eat.”

Azar said teachers divvied up the food even further to help more families, and called parents to discretely pick the bags up rather than send them home with students.

Imbruglia currently has 75 pounds of food in her office, with plans to make a delivery next week.

“The thought of someone going home hungry is pretty heartbreaking,” she said.

Mayhugh said the 72 residents of the nursing center are eager to help. Though they did not pack the bags for the last donation, they will for the next, she said.

“We’re carrying on the traditions of the residents,” Mayhugh said. “They were brought up to give back. We’re following their legacy.”

Grandview Center is accepting donations of kid-friendly non-perishable items, preferably ones that are easy to prepare, Imbruglia said, like cereal, peanut butter and juice boxes, in case children are responsible for making their own meals.

“We’re trying to keep it as healthy as we can,” she said.

Imbruglia, who will be speed-walking in the Cox Sports Marathon on May 6, has also invited anyone who makes a donation to sign her race-day shirt, which is already filling up with signatures.

Donations can be dropped off at the nursing home at 100 Chambers St. For more information, call 401-724-7500.

Nicole Johnson -- Photo by Agapao Productions

Patricia Martinez -- Photo by Reza Corinee Clifton

She Shines Magazine, which is published by YWCA Northern Rhode Island, has shined a light on some very special females in the City of Central Falls in their Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 editions. Among them are Central Falls High School student Nicole Johnson, Central Falls High School Family Coordinator Patricia Martinez, Central Falls High School teacher Alessandra Borges and Board of Trustee Member Stephanie Gonzalez.

Stephanie Gonzalez -- Photo by Reza Corinee Clifton

Alessandra Borges -- Photo by Deborah L. Perry

Click on their names above to read the individual articles. If you want to see the full issues visit She Shines Magazine.