Círculo de la Hispanidad 2018 Gala Journal

The philosophy behind Evergreen Charter School is to prepare children to live in a global community, one that respects and values the dignity of all and prepares children for success in school and life. The Evergreen Middle School began operating for the FIRST TIME during the 2017-2018 school year. Last year, we were awarded a new five year charter from the New York State Department of Education and we were approved to expand the school to 675 students. We will now serve children from kindergarten to eight grade. Sadly, we have had a waiting list for many years at Evergreen. Several years ago it was 200 students, then 300, then 400. For the 2018-2019 school year, on Thursday, April 5th, we held our lottery for 560 applicants for 55 openings. It was a bittersweet evening. Some had tears of joy and other tears of sadness. For us, the Board of Trustees, it was a difficult day; we could not accommodate all those that wanted to attend Evergreen. Parents want a future for their children, like any parent, like us; they want an alternative to the education they are receiving in Hempstead, where the current graduation rate is about 40%. In other words, 60% of their children won’t graduate. This has been the history of this district for many, many years. We at Evergreen do as much as we can. Yes, there is a need to have another elementary school to meet all the applicants we have. As of now this is impossible. Our priority for the next year is building a Middle School that will meet all the new demands for the current grades, and we hope it will be “GREEN” as the one we have now. In the meantime, we are renting a former Catholic School next to Our Lady of Loretto, in Hempstead. Also we are planning for a High School; our parents and students have requested to expand Evergreen to upper grades so they can complete their entire secondary education at Evergreen. Finally, we keep working to increase the quality of education for our students who have performed very well on the State Test this year and past years. To all who are part of Evergreens family, ¡GRACIAS!

Evergreen Charter School

History of the School

E vergreen Charter School received its charter on January 13, 2009. It was first granted a five year charter by the New York State Education Department Board of Regents to operate an elementary school in Hempstead, Long Island. The school opened with a kindergarten and first grade class of 100 students in the fall of 2009. Since then, it has grown and now serves children from kindergarten to seventh grade. This coming fall, 2018, Evergreen will expand to serve students in eighth grade. The concept for Evergreen Charter School was developed by Mr. Gil Bernardino, Founder and Executive Director of Círculo de la Hispanidad and Dr. Sarah Brewster, Chief Director of Services and Operations of Círculo de la Hispanidad. With support from Círculo’s employees, Board of Trustees and friends, Evergreen took form. The Planning Board for Evergreen Charter School included: David Boone, Maritza Meyers, Luis Ras, Eliezer Reyes, Gladys Rodríguez, Rebecca Sanin, and Gerry Vázquez. Círculo also consulted with Sy Fliegel, Harvey Newman, Frank San Felice, and Linda Vergara. Círculo is thankful for those who contributed to helping the dream for Evergreen become a reality. The vision of Evergreen emerged from many conversations from parents in the community over the years. Mr. Bernardino, Founder and Executive Director of Círculo de la Hispanidad, a community based nonprofit organization serving Long Island residents and their families since 1980, wanted to create an educational institution that would meet the needs of children and their families. Dr. Sarah Brewster with her background in education and social work and her love and respect for the environment joined with Mr. Gil Bernardino to develop the vision of the charter school. What developed was a concept for a strong academic program coupled with a curriculum that emphasized the environment, the arts and knowledge of a second language (Spanish).

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