​Borough President James S. Oddo is pleased to announce his initiatives regarding his work to improve school nutrition and wellness.
 
“Policies matter. Leadership matters. Outcomes can change. Problems can be resolved. Science, data, empathy, creativity – all play a role. Our team at Borough Hall leaves no stone unturned when it comes to finding ways to better the lives of Staten Islanders, and food policy and the role of nutrition and education in schools is no exception,” said Borough President Oddo. “Thank you to the Staten Island Child Wellness Initiative for your fight working to overcome childhood obesity on Staten Island, and thank you to our community partners for working with us on these vital initiatives to improve the lives of Staten Island students.”
 
Below is list of school nutrition and wellness initiative partnerships Borough President Oddo is working on that were announced at today’s 4th Annual Staten Island School Garden Summit:
 
Our office has partnered with the Department of Education’s Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) for a Staten Island Fresh Fruit and Vegetable of the Month Island-wide Pilot. This pilot, which will be run on Staten Island in Prek-8 Lunch Menus at participating schools, will feature a highlighted fruit or vegetable of the month from September 2019 – June 2020. Additionally, student advocates will be chosen by their school principal to represent the fruit or vegetable of the month item during their lunch period. They will circulate a card featuring a plant-based recipe including the highlighted fruit or vegetable of the month. Peer to peer has proven to be one of the best ways to deliver the nutritional education message. We are working to expand this pilot program.
 
Our office has partnered with United Activities Unlimited (UAU) to create a solution to the lack of maintenance for school gardens over the summer months. Our offices are working together to enable the Summer Youth Employment Program children to maintain the gardens while the schools are out of session. We have also facilitated communication between Brian Licata of UAU and the Snug Harbor farmers to involve their expertise in order to keep these produce gardens alive over the summer.
 
Our office has partnered with City Harvest and Staten Island Performing Provider System (SI PPS) to work together to expand Cooking Matters at School, a 6-week hands-on cooking and nutrition program integrated into the school day curriculum. City Harvest and SI PPS have come together to fund a nutritionist and are working directly with our office to bring this course back to the classrooms with a plant-based twist on it.
 
While speaking on the Borough Presidents on NYC Food Policy panel that took place in April at Hunter College, Borough President Oddo was introduced to the company Beetbox. Beetbox fills teaching gaps in Early Education by using food as a vehicle to teach STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) and eliminates the need for teachers to prepare and plan. Teachers receive monthly learning kits which include detailed lesson plans, required materials, and fresh ingredients. Every Beetbox includes science experiments, planting, cooking, art and engineering projects, literacy, dramatic play, decomposition studies, and songs. Our office is working to fund Beetboxes for a number of schools in the 2019-2020 school-year.
 
Garden to Café is a DOE program that connects school and community gardens with school lunch meals through seasonal harvest events and educational activities. Currently the program is active in 200 schools within NYC, about 12 of which are on Staten Island. However, procurement of fresh fruits and vegetables is most difficult within this program. Our office is working with OFNS and Snug Harbor Cultural Center to see if it is possible to buy local by using Snug’s produce in the Garden to Café program and ease the burden of procurement.

On Tuesday, May 14th, Borough President James S. Oddo and members of the Petrides family and scholarship committee presented the Michael J. Petrides Student Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science to Kasey Shashaty, a student at St. Joseph Hill Academy High School.
 
The annual award is given to a graduating high school senior who excels in math and science. Each Staten Island high school is asked to submit a single nominee, from which the honoree and runner-up are selected. The award is named for Michael J. Petrides, a legendary Staten Island educator, who died in 1994.
 
Kasey Shashaty is a curious and determined student who has a deep commitment to her faith and family as the second eldest of four children. Nominated as the outstanding scholar-athlete for St. Joseph Hill for the Varsity Club Award, she also dedicates time to community service endeavors, including cooking and serving food at Project Hospitality and volunteering with the Special Olympics Club. As a member of the Hill Varsity Swim Team she placed 1st in the New York Archdiocesan championship for the past three years, in addition to being named second team All-Star for Cross Country and holding the Indoor Track school record for the 4x800 relay as a member of the Hill Varsity Track Team. Kasey, who is passionate about science and math, is a National Merit Finalist, an AP Scholar with Honors, and a member of the National Honor and the Foreign Language (French) Honor Societies. Ranked at the top of her class, Kasey maintained a full academic scholarship throughout her time at St. Joseph Hill Academy after having taken the most demanding schedule available to her. Kasey has also sought science research opportunities outside of Hill, partaking in an internship last summer at the Institute for Basic Research where she observed laboratory techniques on a wide range of disciplines and learned how to genetically engineer recombinant DNA. Kasey plans to major in biomedical engineering in college.
 
“The Petrides Award has been given to many remarkable students over the years, and this year is no exception. Congratulations to our winner and to all the impressive nominees for being the best and brightest in our community,” noted Borough President Oddo.
 
Luna Wang from Staten Island Academy was named first runner up. Adam Goudjil from CSI High School for International Studies was named second runner up.
 
A full list of nominees is below:
Adam Goudjil, CSI High School for International Studies
Allison Kahy, Curtis High School
Nicholas Thompson, Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School
Louis Lopez, Michael J. Petrides School
Erik Kaiser, Monsignor Farrell High School
Jenna Moley, Moore Catholic High School
Jessica Wallace, New Dorp High School
Julianna Meyer, Notre Dame Academy
Juan Barba, Ralph R. McKee Career & Technical High School
Sabrina Oriz, St. Joseph by the Sea High School
Kasey Shashaty, St. Joseph Hill Academy
Daniel Elkik, St. Peter’s Boys High School
Minzhi (Luna) Wang, Staten Island Academy
James Tonrey, Staten Island Technical High School
Alexis Crescitelli, Susan E. Wagner High School
Amanda Mavricos, Tottenville High School

Staten Island Borough President James S. Oddo joined with author Dr. Warren Farrell to discuss the revelations in his new book, ‘The Boy Crisis,’ how this crisis affects our entire population, and how creating a Staten Island Borough Hall Council on Boys and Men will work to address it.
 
At the press conference, Borough President Oddo announced the creation of a Staten Island Borough Hall Council on Boys and Men. This signifies the first-ever government agency attending to the ways we can prevent the boy crisis. According to Dr. Farrell, “the boy crisis resides where dads do not reside,” and that it was dad-deprived boys behind the vast majority of mass shootings, crimes, and ISIS recruits.
 
“We’re beginning to do something about it with your efforts on Staten Island,” said Dr. Farrell.
 
Borough President Oddo announced that Sen. Diane Savino has agreed to serve as his co-chair on the council. They are currently seeking members who wish to join the council.
 
The ultimate goal of this council is to create a White House Council on Boys and Men. Borough President Oddo and City Councilman Joe Borelli sent a joint letter to Lynn Patton, head of Region II of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, to ask her support in creating a national council. Anthony C. Ferreri, regional director of United States Department of Health & Human Services, has agreed to work with the Staten Island Borough Hall Council on Boys and Men to push for a White House Council on Boys and Men.
 
“This is the crossroads and the culmination of what has been 27 years of work in both our Council team and in our Borough Hall team. If you look at the common denominator throughout that work, it has been about young people,” said Borough President Oddo. “When I reached out to Dr. Warren after reading his book ‘The Boy Crisis,’ we set up a time to talk and he said to me, ‘two things, Jim, if you want to do good work on this: Would you be willing to create a Staten Island Council on Boys and Men and would you be willing to help us convince the White House to create a Council on Boys and Men?’ That is what we are doing. This is about boys and men, but this is (also) about girls and women. The sooner we get to identifying and working on the ways to help our young boys, they will grow into men who help other young boys who will grow into men who do not abuse women, but into men who lift women.”
 
“In talking to James, it makes it apparent that this is a man who doesn’t just read, I think he translates into action,” said Dr. Farrell.
 
There are 70 different metrics which demonstrate the undeniable truth that a boy crisis exists in America. A few of them include the following:

• Between the ages of 10 and 14, boys commit suicide at almost twice the rate as girls.
• Between the ages of 15 and 19, boys commit suicide at four times the rate of girls.
• Between the ages of 22 and 24, male suicide is five and six times that of females.
• More black boys between the ages of 10 and 20 are killed by homicide than by the next nine leading causes of death combined.
• While the rate of obesity amongst adolescent girls has stabilized, the rate for boys is increasing.
• Young men have gone from 61 percent obtaining a college degree to a projected 39 percent.
• Our sons are twice as likely as our daughters to be killed by accident.
• We are less likely to read to our sons.
• Women constitute 75 percent of those who seek professional help to prevent suicide; men constitute 75 percent of those who actually do commit suicide.
• Worldwide, boys are 50 percent less likely than girls to meet basic proficiency in reading, math, and science. 
• A third of boys are raised in father-absent homes. 
• In 1920, American males lived on average only one year less than females; today it is five years less.

 
Dr. Farrell is a former board member of the National Organization for Women, and who in 2009 was invited by President Barack Obama to be a leading adviser of what was planned to be a White House Council on Girls and Women.
 
To arrange an interview with Dr. Farrell, please contact Kevin McVicker at Shirley & Banister Public Affairs at (703) 739-5920 or kmcvicker@sbpublicaffairs.com.  

On Wednesday, May 8th, Borough President James S. Oddo presented awards to this year’s “Readers Are Leaders” Exceptional Readers at the Bernikow JCC. BP Oddo was joined by author and magician Mike Lane, who performed a magic show and gave out awards to students who read books from his Magic Shop series.
 
“Readers are Leaders” challenged 4th grade classes in Staten Island’s public, parochial and private schools to read a minimum of six books at grade level or above during the five-week period of February 18th – March 25th. Students then submitted a report on their favorite book that they read during the period. Each school picked one Exceptional Reader, who received an award from the Borough President.
 
Since the program was started by then-Councilman Vito Fossella in 1996, 4th graders have read more than 660,000 books for the annual challenge.
 
“As I continue to benefit from books and reading, I carry on the mission of proselytizing to kids and adults alike about the fun, power, and importance of reading,” noted BP Oddo. “I’m grateful to continue the ‘Readers Are Leaders’ tradition that has helped foster Staten Island children’s love of reading for more than 20 years. I want to congratulate all of this year’s participants and hope they continue to read and enjoy learning.”
 
This year as a partner program and expansion of the successful Readers Are Leaders, Borough President Oddo challenged 1st graders with a “Readers Are Leaders Jr.” program. The first grade was challenged to read “Mikey and the Dragons” by NYT bestselling author and former Navy SEAL Jocko Willink, along with one book of their choice. Those who chose to participate received a certificate of recognition.
 
“Readers Are Leaders” is sponsored by CTV, Barnes and Noble, and the Staten Island Yankees.
 
A full list of winners is below:
Osbaldo Gutierrez, PS 1  
Georgina Pradines, PS 3
Sarah Bahnasy, PS 4
Lily Helfman, PS 6
Alexandra E. Young, PS 8
Marc Haddad, PS 11
Engie Basouny, PS 16
Frank Grimaldi, PS 23
Amanda Howley, PS 26
Bryan Fu, PS 29
Emma Chiusano, PS 30
Natalie Kutrzuba, PS 32
Brooke Payson, PS 35
Juliet DeTeresa, PS 38
Amela Perovic, PS 39
Sienna Tornquist, PS 42
Zaina Mahmood, PS 50
Eva Li, PS 52
Kirolos Dimian, PS 53
Christopher Schafer, PS 55
Leah Valenti, PS 56
Camila Neri, PS 57
Jinan Mualla, PS 69
Amberly Espinosa, PS 80
Leandra Brown, PS 861
Sophia Turpin, Gateway Academy
Brandon Medina, Holy Rosary  
Evia Lika, Notre Dame 
Mackenzie Schaming, Our Lady of Good Counsel 
Charley Errigo, Our Lady Help of Christians 
Olivia Marie Hanratty, Our Lady Queen of Peace
Valentina Bianchi, Our Lady Star of the Sea 
Ava Jichetti, Sacred Heart 
Brianna Campbell, St. Adalbert 
Christina Spagnola, St. Ann
Ronald Raiola, St. Charles 
Ava Quigley, St. Christopher
Emma Burke, St. Clare
Gabriella Romanello, St. Dorothy Academy
Alivia Schifter, St. Joseph St. Thomas   
Alexis Testaverde, St. Patrick
Bryanna Santiago Jack, St. Rita
Olivier Montas, St. Theresa
 
Magic Shop Readers
First Place: Stella Wilton, PS 56
Second Place: Brandon Medina, Holy Rosary
Third Place: Michael Bruno, PS 29, Isabella Cortes, St. Clare, and Alyssa Sheehy, St. Clare
Honorable Mention: Vincent Geller, PS 42, Amanda Howley, PS 26, and Jay Jay Luciano, St. Clare

​Borough President James S. Oddo is pleased to announce that he will host another round of free thyroid cancer screenings at Borough Hall. The screenings will take place on Wednesday, May 29th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Conference Room 125. The screenings are sponsored by HeartScan Services.
 
The rate of diagnosis of thyroid cancer has increased in recent years due to improvements to technology. In many cases, physicians cannot feel a nodule, but cancer can be detected through ultrasound screenings. The survival rate of thyroid cancer is very high when the cancer is found in early stages.
 
 “I am grateful to once again partner with HeartScan Services to provide this important service for Staten Islanders. I understand the importance of engaging in preventative measures and taking charge of your health, which is why I encourage all Staten Islanders to take advantage of these free screenings. The earlier cancer is found, the easier it is to treat,” said Borough Presdient Oddo.
 
An appointment must be made to be screened. Contact Renee Sarno at 718-816-2133 to reserve your appointment or register below.

Borough President James Oddo is pleased to announce a partnership with NYC Department of Parks to hold a beach cleanup event in honor of World Oceans Day 2019.
 
We all know Staten Island has a litter problem, and we are working to make it better, but we can’t do it alone! Borough President Oddo and NYC Parks are issuing a call to action for Staten Islanders – civic groups, community organizations, and individuals – who are interested in cleaning up our beaches to join us at Conference House Park for a cleanup of the 3.5 miles of shoreline. This event will take place June 8, from 10am to 1 pm, rain or shine. Cooling stations and restrooms will be available.
 
“The fight to reclaim our Island from those who litter continues. We ask the public to help us, not only by not littering, but also by joining with us to help clean up the shoreline at Conference House Park on June 8th,” said Borough President Oddo. “We hope that by having a call to action for one weekend, we can enlist more Staten Islanders in this battle. I know the majority of Staten Islanders are not engaging in it, but we need the majority to help us with the litter solution in order to protect our community and our beaches.”
 
The Borough President’s Office and NYC Department of Parks will donate supplies for the cleanup efforts at Conference House Park for volunteers to safely cleanup the shoreline. In order to ensure there are enough supplies for the cleanup, please RSVP below or call Irene Maiello at (718) 816-2239.
 
The cleanup at Conference House Park will also feature tables with information from different environmental education groups and City agencies. There will also be a guided historic tour of the area available.
 
“We count on New Yorkers to help us keep our public spaces clean and green, and that includes our waterbodies and beaches,” said NYC Parks Staten Island Borough Commissioner Lynda Ricciardone. “We are proud to partner with Borough President Oddo in an effort to reduce litter across the Staten Island shoreline. Together, we can all chip in to maintain and enjoy a healthy, beautiful environment.”
 
In the event that any illicit drug paraphernalia is found, NYC Parks will have trained crew members on site to properly and safely dispose of it.

Borough President James Oddo is pleased to announce a partnership between his office and Truth Initiative, a national public health organization that is inspiring tobacco-free lives and building a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco, to bring their evidence-based program, This is Quitting, to Staten Island.
 
This innovative text message program was created with input from teens, college students and young adults who have attempted to, or successfully quit, e-cigarettes. It is designed to help teens and young adults quit using e-cigarettes and other vaping devices, such as JUUL, with free, confidential, and non-judgmental texts consisting of tips, advice, and inspiration to quit or help a loved one quit. This is Quitting’s text messages are tailored by age group—for teens, young adults, and parents—to give appropriate recommendations about quitting and nicotine replacement therapy. To join the program (regardless of age group): text QUIT to (718) 306-6608.
 
Upon enrolling in the program, users may set a quit date by texting in the desired date. They receive one support text per day for a week prior to and 30 days after their set quit date. Users can receive on-demand support for cravings, stress, and slips in addition to their scheduled interactive messages. If someone is looking to end their relationship with e-cigarettes or vaping but is not yet ready to set a quit date, the program will still send two weeks of messages to help the user become more confident and prepared to take the next steps to quit.
 
Parents looking for support will receive up to 21 days of messages that include tips and information to help their kids quit JUUL or other e-cigarettes. Parents can also receive on-demand support for stress management in addition to the scheduled interactive messages.
 
“Despite years of efforts by many well-intentioned folks, many Staten Islanders still smoke cigarettes, and the use of e-cigarettes is alarmingly on the rise among our youth,” said Borough President Oddo. “So, while we can see vaping as a potential path to wean nicotine-addicted adults off cancer-causing cigarettes, we must do everything we can to prevent young folks from becoming addicted in the first place. I am grateful for this partnership with Truth Initiative so we can raise awareness on Staten Island of the risks of vaping and offer an easily accessible program to young people who are looking to quit.”
 
The 2018 National Youth Tobacco Survey from the FDA and the CDC showed e-cigarette use increased by 78 percent among high schoolers and increased by 48 percent among middle schoolers in just one year. According to the CDC, 14.5 percent of New York State high school students in 2017 used e-cigarettes and 4.6 percent used smokeless tobacco on at least one day in the past 30 days. Comparatively, 5.5 percent of high school students smoked cigarettes on at least one day in the past 30 days. Nationally, the rates were 13.2 percent, 5.5 percent, and 8.8 percent, respectively.
 
“More than 3.6 million youth who use e-cigarettes are now vulnerable to long-term nicotine addiction and those new young e-cigarette users, most of whom weren’t smokers in the first place, are four times more likely to go on to smoke deadly cigarettes compared to their peers who don’t vape. This new e-cigarette program provides the much-needed tools to quit vaping before it has the chance to progress into smoking,” said Robin Koval, CEO and president of Truth Initiative.
 
About Truth Initiative: Truth Initiative is a national public health organization that is inspiring tobacco-free lives and building a culture where all youth and young adults reject tobacco. The truth about tobacco and the tobacco industry are at the heart of our proven-effective and nationally recognized truth public-education campaign, our rigorous and scientific research and policy studies, and our innovative community and youth engagement programs supporting populations at high risk of using tobacco. The Washington, D.C. -based organization, formerly known as Legacy, was established and funded through the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement between attorneys general from 46 states, five U.S. territories and the tobacco industry. To learn more about how Truth Initiative speaks, seeks and spreads the truth about tobacco, visit truthinitiative.org.
 
About This is Quitting: This is Quitting (TIQ) is a mobile app designed by Truth Initiative to help young people quit with inspiration from others like them. It is one of the few publicly available resources designed specifically for young adult tobacco users. TIQ is freely available on Android and iOS to users over 17, with a companion text message program available to users ages 13 and older. It includes a variety of unique features proven to engage young adults such as “challenges” to stay smoke-free in different circumstances and user-generated content aggregated from social media platforms. Users receive daily text messages tailored to their sign-up date or quit date and learn about nicotine replacement therapy in language that speaks to them.