Run into Our School Staff

Dionne Williams, Master

Welcome to our 2020-2021 school year. I pledge to devote the love and loyalty of my heart, the wisdom and courage of my mind and the force and vigor of my body, in the service of my parents, students, community and IS 217 staff.  I hope to stand upwardly for justice and brotherhood.  I will work diligently and creatively and think generously and honestly, then that the Schoolhouse of Performing Arts will increase in dazzler, fellowship, community, and prosperity.  Nosotros will advance the welfare of every student who walks through our doors.

Bertram Knight, Assistant Principal

MR. SPIVEY

is excited to return to I.Due south. 217 – School of Performing Arts for the 2020-21 School Year! Originally from Brooklyn, NY; Sean is the son of SFC Darlene Spivey (US Army Ret.) where Armed services life made it that his family lived many places within the United States as well equally Seoul, Korea and Berlin, Germany at the end of the Cold War. Sean graduated from Menchville High Schoolhouse in Newport News, VA where he was an agile member of Menchville H.S. Show Choir and Menchville H.S. Vocal Jazz Ensemble. He holds a B.Thou. in Music Teaching from Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, VA where he majored in general, choral, and vocal music. He has served as a music educator, a choreographer for show choirs, and has been a featured jazz vocalist and dancer with Shenandoah Singers. Sean has toured the United States and Canada performing inClifford, The Large Ruby Domestic dog Live! (Male Swing) and Arthur Live! (Brain). At Fort Wayne Civic Theatre, Sean's previous credits includes:Dreamgirls (Earl, M.C. Ensemble) andThe Drowsy Chaperone (Aldolpho). Currently in his quaternary yr on staff at I.Southward. 217, Mr. Spivey has served as a Music Educator and is the Choral Manager of the I.S. 217 Choir. This is Mr. Spivey's second year as the Managing director of Performing Arts and he continues to strive for excellence through Arts Instruction and Academic Programs for each and every I.S. 217 educatee.

MR. COWIE

is a musician, composer and educator based out of Brooklyn, NY. He graduated from the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College in 2013 with a degree in Jazz Saxophone. After graduation, Andrew moved to Brooklyn where he freelanced as a musician and educator. During this time, he played throughout NYC every bit a member of many music projects which ranged in genres from pop, stone, jazz to musical theatre. In the winter of 2016, Andrew had the honor of joining the ska band The Toasters on a six calendar week tour effectually the United States. In 2019, he returned to school at Brooklyn College to obtain his pedagogy certification. He is currently pursuing his masters in Music Composition at Brooklyn College. Andrew's electric current projects include works composed for traditional concert and chamber music too equally his solo singer-songwriter project under the pseudonym, Patches.

Mr. Nuhann, Networks / Website administrator

Growing up poor in Liberia, striving for the privilege of getting an education, he graduated from the St. Francis High School in Paynesville, Jacob's Town and dreamed of coming to the U.s.a.. Once in the U.s.a., he connected to struggle for a better life, graduating with his Bachelor'due south caste from the Higher of New Rochelle in New York and embarking on his career in education. He currently work with The New York City Department of Education and besides enjoys working with and instruction children how to build games and computers during later on schoolhouse.  He also graduated with a MBA caste from Colorado Technical University and got a MS in Cyber Security, specializing into the IT expanse from Mercy College.  He's a Liberian artist and the founder of Vision for Children in Liberia, Inc. eastward  He's  besides the Executive director of Oneplace Onevoice goggle box studio & web designs, a register studio in the Bronx that serves as the voice of the African Immigrants' Commission of New York and Connecticut, Inc. where he serve as The National Vice President.  His dream is "to build schools for children in Liberia to enhance their lives for free.

KATHERINE JIMENEZ

Born in New York City, Katherine began her dance preparation at The Ailey School in the Inferior Division at a very young historic period. Soon later, she connected on scholarship at the Professional Performing Arts School and The Ailey School Pre-Professional Sectionalization.

While at Ailey, she had the opportunity to work with prominent teachers, choreographers, and dancers from effectually the globe, though never forgetting her showtime dearest, Mambo. At the tender age of 7, she began training and studying with renowned masters on NY Style Mambo. Later years of training, she began to tour around the earth performing and educational activity Mambo workshops.

With over 17 years of experience, Katherine is able to suspension down circuitous patterns so that anybody can empathise them while teaching traditional technique with contemporary style.

MS. SMYTH

is an actress, writer and educator living in the Bronx, NY. She studied English and Theater at Hunter Higher in Manhattan, holds a Master'south in English Education from St. John'due south University and is pursuing a MSEd in Educational Theater at CCNY. Serving as the educational editor for Westview News, she was granted the opportunity to share her passion and beliefs about instruction with the metropolis. Sarah has performed in a wide diversity of shows--both classical and gimmicky--in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan. Most recently, she works with a NYC theater collective focused on emerging playwrights with diverse backgrounds. With New York City theater evolving during these times, Sarah wrote a play that was accepted by the Spark Woman Writer's Festival in summer 2020. You tin can also hear her as the voice of Sheila, a talking portal to an alternate dimension, on a science fiction web series premiering weekly on IGTV.

MS. AMANDA

I am very excited to exist joining the I.Southward. 217 team. I am educational activity sixth grade math and 7th grade math this yr.  I received my Available's caste from the Academy of Rhode Island, where I studied Babyhood Education and Homo Development. I recently received my Chief'south in Special Teaching from New York University. I can't wait to spend this year learning and growing with you!