At Harlem Village Academies off East 120th Street, the second stop on Schools Chancellor Dennis M. Walcott's back-to-school tour, Mr. Walcott spent some time helping kindergartners draw and leading a ninth-grade English class in a discussion of the question, “Is man a victim or agent of his fate?â€
But many of the school's students were focused on activities that had little to do with math, English or social studies - like going to the bathroom. In a fourth-floor hallway, rows of kindergartners in green plaid jumpers squirmed and shifted as they waited for their turn in the restroom. Nearby, in a small seminar room, a handful of teenagers waited, chins in hands, for a scolding - it was the second day of school, and they had already gotten in trouble for showing up late.
Downstairs, Nolan Budgewater, a music teacher, was teaching his high school choir students how to breathe. He pressed his fingers to his belly to demonstrate how singers could feel their diaphragms - “Like I'm pregnant,†he said, prompting giggles.
“You're going to take a breath in, your shoulders are not going to go up, but your stomach goes out,†he said as his student breathed in, serious expressions on their faces. “I saw your shoulders move!†They giggled again.
Mr. Walcott's last stop at the school was at a 12th-grade history class made up of students he had met when touring schools seven years ago. “You probably don't remember,†he told them.
“I remember!†said Sophia Hernandez, sitting in the back.
“You remember?†Mr. Walcott said, pleased.
“We're graduating in 178 days,†another student piped up, though it was only the second day of class.
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