Feature stories

A select group of 8th-graders at MS 217 in Queens knows exactly how to get to the heart of the matter. Working in teams of two, the young scientists search for the upper great vein of their sheep’s hearts and begin to cut. With scalpels, probes and scissors at hand, students in the Briarwood school’s after-school Heart Surgery Program begin the exacting work of dissecting hearts.

Students from Manhattan’s HS of Hospitality Management used their culinary, event-planning and hospitality-management skills to host a fundraiser at the New York Marriott Marquis hotel on the evening of April 20, working “side by side with professionals from the Marriot to make the event a success,” said Chapter Leader Wayne Berning.

It started years ago, a case of love at first sight. Eileen Winslow went to visit her sister-in-law, a paraprofessional, in her classroom one day. “I fell in love with the kids and went to the Board of Education and filled out all the paperwork,” Winslow said. So began her career as a para 22 years ago; now she is the matriarch of her school community and her large family clan.

The UFT on March 30 hosted a debut screening of Lee Hirsch’s documentary “Bully,” to draw attention to the film and the important topic it brings to gut-wrenching life. “Bullying is a serious problem in our schools,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew during the Q-and-A with Hirsch following the screening. “We want more people to see this film because it can drive people to change.”

Would-be entrepreneurs need to pitch detailed business plans to funders and investors. Learning to do that is part of schooling, too, as the annual Virtual Enterprise International’s Youth Business Summit competition attested. In round one, held at union headquarters on March 27, 19 student teams from high schools nationwide competed.

Gold stars for jobs well done may thrill the little ones, but for middle school students, stars don’t cut it. That’s been the experience of Chapter Leader Jeffrey Williams of PS/MS 37 in the Bronx. But one imaginative teacher, Helena Itak, has come up with a solution that has kids so engaged that there are no serious behavior incidents in her classroom.

The Metropolitan Opera's HD Live in Schools Program is enriching learning across the curriculum -- and creating a new generation of opera buffs.

Teacher Frank Mazza’s million-dollar dream has finally come true and he’s ready to share it with everyone. Staten Island Technical HS’s $1.25 million television studio, fully equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, is open for business — everyone’s business.

Bravos rang out in East New York as PS 158 students took their bows following their performance of “You Go Madam CJ!!” The original play — written and directed by Unika Munawwar, a social studies teacher at the Brooklyn school — marked the observance of Black History Month at the evening performance for parents and community on Feb. 10.