Helen Barrett Montgomery School #50

❤️💚💜 SAVE THE DATE! 💜💚❤️

Helen Barrett Montgomery School No. 50 is proud to partner with Punkin's Purpose, Inc. to host the **4th Annual Health & Wellness Fair** and the inaugural **Punkin's Purpose Hoops for Hope 3-on-3 Tournament** in honor of **Barbara "Punkin" Love-Garay, the mother of HBM Principal Lakisha Taylor**.

📅 Saturday, July 18, 2026
📍 Helen Barrett Montgomery School No. 50
301 Seneca Avenue, Rochester, NY 14621

🩺 **4th Annual Health & Wellness Fair**
🕛 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
✨ FREE and indoors, rain or shine!

The fair will focus on the **mental, physical, and financial wellness** of our community and will feature community organizations, resources, health information, activities, screenings, giveaways, and opportunities to connect with agencies dedicated to helping families thrive.

🏀 **Punkin's Purpose Hoops for Hope 3-on-3 Tournament**
⏰ Team Check-In: 12:00 PM
🏀 Tournament: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Open to participants **ages 6 and up**, with **any combination of ages on a team**. Kid and Grandpa? Absolutely! Teams are encouraged to create their own uniforms and come ready to compete, have fun, and make memories together.

❤️ **100% of tournament proceeds benefit Punkin's Purpose, Inc. and will help fund small scholarships for individuals pursuing their dream of opening a restaurant or food truck.**

Last year, our Health & Wellness Fair welcomed more than **300 community members**, and we're expecting an even larger turnout this year!

Everyone is welcome. Join us as we honor Barbara "Punkin" Love-Garay's legacy by promoting wellness, strengthening community connections, and creating opportunities for others to pursue their dreams.

Thank You for an Amazing Morning!

A huge thank you to all of the incredible men and caregivers who joined us this morning for our Dudes and Donuts event at HBM. It was wonderful to see our school filled with so much positive energy, great conversation, and sweet treats as you worked on projects alongside your students.

We also want to recognize and extend our deep appreciation to all the fathers, grandpas, uncles, brothers, and mentors who were unable to attend today due to work obligations, busy schedules, or other commitments. Please know that your dedication and the vital role you play in your student's life does not go unnoticed. You are a crucial part of our school community every single day, whether you were able to break away this morning or not.

Mentors. Role Models. Making an impact.

Together, we can inspire great futures.

Thank you for your ongoing support, partnership, and for being such powerful, positive forces in our students' lives. We are incredibly grateful for our school family.

Calling All Dudes!

To all the incredible dads, grandpas, uncles, stepdads, older brothers, mentors, and father figures making a difference every single day, this morning is just for you.

We invite you to join us for Dudes and Donuts, a special event dedicated to celebrating the amazing men in our students' lives here at Helen Barrett Montgomery School No. 50. Come enjoy some delicious treats, connect with other positive role models in our community, and team up with your student for a great morning.

Event Details

Date: June 12th
Time: 8:45 AM to 9:45 AM
Location: Helen Barrett Montgomery School No. 50

What to Expect: Great conversation, sweet donuts, and a fun collaborative project!

Mentors. Role Models. Making an impact.

Together, we can inspire great futures.

Whether you are a caregiver, a guardian, or a lifelong mentor, your presence makes a massive difference. We cannot wait to celebrate you and the vital role you play in guiding our students. See you there!

Huge congratulations to HBM No,. 50 student, Miad A. Her artwork was selected as one of only 10 winners across the entire Rochester City School District to be featured on a billboard for the "Rise Up Rochester" initiative.

In recognition of this incredible achievement, Miad will also receive an award and a gift card. We are so proud of her talent and creativity representing our school community.

Our PK3 scientists are hard at work! Here is a picture of the children observing our caterpillars and watching science come to life right before their eyes. Eman was completely fascinated by their movements and kept a very close eye on our new classroom friends. We love seeing this curiosity and wonder in Ms. Morin's class every single day.

Spotlight on Farhan Yahia!

Today, over 200 brilliant minds from across the RCSD gathered for the annual Math Challenge. While the competition was fierce, we have to give a massive shoutout to our very own Farhan, who completely crushed it.

In his very first time attending the district tournament, Farhan brought his A-game, mastered the fast-paced 24 Game, and fought his way to the SEMI-FINALS!

Watching him use his mental math and logic skills under pressure was incredible. As the creator of the game, Robert Sun, told the students today, "Math is a universal language... it can take you anywhere in the world."

We know Farhan is going places. Please join us in celebrating his amazing accomplishment today!

Wishing a blessed, joyful, and peaceful Eid Al-Adha to all our students, families, staff, and community members celebrating!

May this special day bring you and your loved ones abundant happiness, unity, and reflection. Eid Mubarak!

A Night of Music, Culture, and Community at HBM No. 50

Thank you to everyone who joined us for our annual Culture Night and Spring Concert. It was a beautiful evening dedicated to celebrating the diverse traditions, academic achievements, and artistic talents that make our school community so special.

Throughout the evening, we had an incredible potluck, where families generously shared delicious cultural dishes from around the world. Parents and guests also had the opportunity to tour the building and view the amazing projects, artwork, and academic milestones our students have achieved throughout the school year.

The perfect conclusion to the evening was our spectacular spring vocal and band concert. We are incredibly proud of our talented student chorus, and we want to extend a special thank you to our chorus teacher, Mr. Behar Calzado, for his dedication and leadership in putting together such a memorable performance.

Thank you to our wonderful families, staff, and students for making this a night to remember.

Today, we celebrate National Speech Pathologist Day by honoring the incredible speech-language pathologists at Helen Barrett Montgomery School 50. These dedicated professionals do far more than teach communication skills; they provide our students with the essential tools needed to confidently lead their own classroom discussions. By fostering expressive and receptive language development, our speech team plays a vital role in driving student-led discourse and helping our scholars articulate their learning during SCEP Tuesdays and throughout the entire academic week.

Through personalized support and a commitment to a growth mindset, our speech-language pathologists guide students in monitoring their communication goals and building self-efficacy. This tailored approach empowers our children to take full ownership of their academic progress and collaborate effectively with their peers. We are incredibly grateful for our speech team and their unwavering dedication to ensuring that every student at School 50 has the foundation to become the author of their own success.

The Power of Choice in Kindergarten Math

In Mrs. Wagner's kindergarten class, students are proving that they are the primary drivers of their own learning. During a recent math session, each child used a personal math toolkit to explore the concept of addition in a way that felt most natural to them. Rather than following a single prescribed method, students selected the tools that best suited their individual learning styles. This approach fosters a sense of self-efficacy and independence from an early age, allowing our students to take full ownership of their mathematical progress.

The activity required students to roll the dice to identify two parts and then use their chosen strategies to determine the whole number. Whether they used physical counters, their fingers, or drew visual representations, every student was actively engaged in the cognitive work of solving equations and recording their results. This hands-on experience aligns with our school priorities of building a growth mindset and increasing math proficiency through student-led discovery. At School 50, we are dedicated to creating a culture where every child has the resources and the agency to succeed on their own terms.