Middle School Students

About 96 percent of middle school students - that bridge between gradeschool and highschools comprised of grades 7 8 and 9 - believe that it is very important or somewhat important to make good grades. An awkward age, these students are between childhood and adolescence, experiencing the physical, emotional and cognitive changes associated with this stage of human development. Nine in ten (90%) said they felt prepared and expected to succeed.

I remember this age well, because it was before my time as a student at Xaverian High School in
New York. You can find more information on my interests in
educational trends at http://www.roccobasile.net/, where I list many aspects of my charity work via supporting the school's Joe DiMaggio Award Gala where we raise funds for the school. Xaverian includes one of New York City's only International Baccalaureate Programs. Xaverian attracts about 1,400 students annually, and in addition to its reputation for academic excellence, the school is renowned for graduating young men of strong moral character .

According to the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Lumina Foundation for Education, Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK) and their KnowHow2Go campaign, commissioned Harris Interactive last March 2007 to conduct a poll called "Voice From the Middle." They polled 1814 seventh and eighth graders who shared their perspectives about current school experiences and expectations for high school. (Source: http://www.pdkintl.org/ms_poll/ms_poll.htm)

The middle school survey also found the following:
• 93 percent of students say there is “no chance” that they will drop out of high school and not graduate. (This is compared to the nearly 500,000 students who drop out annually as estimated by the NCES and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.)
• 83 percent of students know little or nothing about the classes they need to take to graduate from high school.
• About 32 percent say that they have “quite a bit” or “a great deal” of information about the classes they need in preparation for college.

Xaverian High school Honors Students: Rocco Basile Honored for Non-Profit Work

On June 20 Dr. Salvatore Ferrera, president of Xaverian High (Photo: Right) honored me for my community service and the non-profit work I do with the school, my alma mater, and other organizations at the President's Gala, attended by more than 300 people at the upscale Cipriani 23rd Street Restaurant in New York.

I am honored to have been able to assist this fanantastic school in its fund-raising efforts, and in particular for the school's annual Joe DiMaggio Award, which was established in 1999 by its chairman, Dr. Rock Positano '76, with the approval of the DiMaggio Estate, and in memory of the baseball legend. DiMaggio was a friend and generous supporter of the prestigious Bay Ridge college preparatory school, Xaverian High School, and was the first individual to receive Xaverian's highest honor, the Concordia Award, in 1997.

"Rocco is a great advertisement for Xaverian," said Dr. Ferrera. "Even a quick review of his high school record...as both a scholar (National Honor Society) and extracurricular activities (Intramural sports, Italian Club, hockey and soccer teams, and the Fishing Club) indicates... Rocco is a man who was comfortable with giving much time to his community as well as his school."

Here's how the Joe DiMaggio Award came about. When Joe died in 1999, Xaverian's Concordia Award was renamed the Joe DiMaggio Award to memorialize his life-long commitment to the health, education, and well being of America's youth. This award has been presented to international statesman Dr. Henry A. Kissinger, Maestro Luciano Pavarotti, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Regis Philbin, Paul Simon, James Gandolfini, John Bello, Boomer Esiason, Bob Costas,Tiki Barber.

Xaverian Higg also honors students from different eras for their outstanding achievements and dedication to their communities and country. The Exploration Honors Program at the high school is designed to cultivate the talents, interests and scholastic aptitude of its ninth and tenth grade students through an interdisciplinary approach to academic study.

Xaverian High School - President's Gala June 20, 2008

High School Students Take Advanced Courses

The good news is that a report on the state of United States education indicates that high school students are taking more advanced coursework -- especially in mathematics, science, social studies, the arts, and foreign languages. This is according to The Condition of Education 2007 report released by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a Congressionally mandated report that provides an annual statistical portrait of education in the U.S.

There are 48 indicators in this report covering all aspects of education, from student achievement to school environment and from early childhood through post secondary education.

Enrollment in U.S. public schools is becoming more and more diverse, and more individuals are enrolling in post secondary education. What's more, today there are more bachelor’s degrees being awarded than in the past.

As a Board member of the Joe DeMaggio Committee, which helps raise funds for my alma mater, Xaverian High School in New York City, it is my belief that lack of education is the root of most of the problems that we have in this country. This group raises money to help financially challenged families give their children a good education. My website RoccoBasile.org has an entire page on it.

The bad news is that many students in America cannot afford a quality education. And just as an example, approximately 10 percent of the Xaverian enrollment includes students that have learning difficulties. But the good news is, as an example, out of the Class of 2005, 25 percent ended up going to to Ivy League schools.

If you are interested in learning more about the state of education in our country, here is a place to start, showing indicators that were compiled from the 2003–2007 editions of The Condition of Education that I mentioned earlier. It lists things including: Student Attitudes and Aspirations; Student Effort; Elementary/Secondary Persistence and Progress; Transition to College, and much more. Go to http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/list/index.asp

Eight and 12th Graders Show Improvements

In an article today (04/05/08) in the Wall Street Journal, Robert Tomsho did a piece about the fact that the recent news on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results, which is a national achievement test showing that our country's eighth- and 12th-graders are making some gains in their writing skills. The bad news is that the proportion performing at the highest levels has barely budged. The NAEP tests are given periodically to a nationwide sampling of students in a variety of subjects and are overseen by the Department of Education.

This all started because educators and business leaders finally realized that that many recent year public-school graduates don't have the writing skills needed to succeed in college, let alone in jobs.

On a zero-to-300 point scale, 12th-graders had an average score of 153 points on the NAEP writing test, which is up from 148 points in 2002. The average score for eighth-graders rose to 156 points, up 153 points. The NAEP officials said both scores are significant.

Meanwhile, the proportion of 12th-graders with at least a basic grasp of writing increased to 82 percent from 74 percent; among eighth-graders, 88 percent had a score in the basic range or better, up from 85 percent.

The proportion of high-school seniors earning scores in the proficient range was 24 percent - high-school seniors earned scores that were in the proficient range, and that number was unchanged from 2002. About 33 percent of eighth-graders were deemed proficient, up just two percentage points from 2002. Now many school districts emphasize writing across their curriculums, with added focus to narrative skills in math and science classes and languages, since 2005 when a writing section was added to the SAT college-entrance test, and administered by the nonprofit College Board.

Females outscored males by 18 points or more. White students still outscored African-American and Hispanic students by an average of 20 points or more. This isn't all too surprising -- our Children of the City program in Sunset Park near Brooklyn, New York, is focusing on assisting Hispanic children.

One very successful case study is about a little girl named Liana.
Before her dad found Children of the City his daughter hated school and was doing poorly and falling behind her classmates because she was having trouble reading. At first she was reluctant to join, but within a few weeks Liana began to love learning. Her mid-year progress reports show a steady progression in her reading, phonics and math scores. Liana is no longer bringing home failing grades and now has an overall 80 average.

You can research more facts and statistics on trends in education on my Rocco Basile website provides many facts and statistics on this program.

New Educational Pilot Program for Under Performing Schools

Today U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings announced she is going to take steps to ensure that all states use the same formula to calculate how many students graduate from high school on time, and how many drop out. Apparently the data wills be made public so thatPublish Post people can compare how students of every race, background, and income level are performing nationwide.

In another recent educational trend in the news, a March press release talks about the new NCLB Differentiated Accountability Pilot program on the U.S. Department of Education website. This is a pilot program to help states differentiate between under performing schools that are in need of dramatic interventions, and part of fulfilling the "No Child Left Behind" goals.

The press release outlines a speech made by U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings who said, "Thanks to No Child Left Behind, we have collected a wealth of information about where schools are falling short, where students' needs are not being met, and where more rigor is needed. We've built an appetite for change, and we've done a good job of framing the problem. The next step is to use this knowledge to customize our efforts to improve."

There is also a background Fact Sheet that provides the basics on Spellings' Building On Results Blueprint -- a blueprint for strengthening the "No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)" designed to provide additional resources and flexibility to our schools and educators to help achieve NCLB’s goal of every student reading and doing math at or above grade level by 2014. The Department called for differentiated accountability as part of this blueprint - to allow states to distinguish between those schools in improvement that are just missing the mark and those that need significant reform.

Once the states had developed the framework to capture the student skills each year, as required by law, they combined those stats to demonstrate progress over time. This method proved viable, and then all eligible states were invited to adopt the more sophisticated measurement system. Specifically states were helped in developing better ways to measure progress for students with disabilities and limited English skills

Damatic action is needed to help states improve underperforming schools, and Spellings believes this new "differentiated accountability" program will help -- then 10 states will be invited to create more nuanced ways of distinguishing between schools in need of dramatic intervention, and those that are closer to meeting goals. Spellings feels confident that this process will help educators nationwide learn more about helping the children acquire grade-level knowledge.

I am all for this kind of intervention. My website http://www.roccobasile.org/ talks about all my charities focusing on education and assisting kids in need, including Children of the City and Xaverian, where I went to school. Aside from working with my family at the Basile Builders Group, I spend time working on organizing The Joe DiMaggio Award Gala, a major fundraiser for Xaverian.

The funds raised at our last gala in January honoring Tiki Barber will go towards programs for Xaverian students with learning disabilities, and young men from disadvantaged backgrounds who are in financial need. If it were not for the generosity of alumni, parents and friends, many of these students would not be able to afford a quality, college-preparatory education.

Tyree Deserves the Children of the City Award

There was an amazing article about David Tyree back on February 11 in a New York Times story written by that talks about why and how he decided that he needed to change his life after his arrest for drug possession in 2004. Now he is planning to write a book about the changes in his life after he was arrested, which he believes could have been the best thing that ever happened to him.

David Tyree with his wife, Leilah, and sons, Teyon, left, and Josiah. He and his wife run a nonprofit group that counsels teenagers. (Photo by Suzanne DeChillo/The New York Times)

He is also involved with a variety of charities, including Children of the City, which helps children and their families overcome poverty in Southwest Brooklyn. The work he does offers such hope to the kids in this program, because they can relate to his real experiences as a teenager, when he was addicted to alcohol. Based in Sunset Park, the program has offered help and services to thousands of underprivileged inner-city children and their families to achieve success in education, social relationships, at home, in finances and careers through the dedication of many volunteers like David.

When I read the article, it reminded me that I too had some issues to overcome in my past, and thanks to the work I do with my charities, including being on the Board of Children of the City and the Joe DiMaggio Committee for Xaverian High School, my Alma Mater, life is so much more fulfilled.

The Times article said Tyree was a moonlighting drug dealer who became a born-again Christian ... a child who drank alcohol and smoked marijuana with his family who turned into a sober father and husband . Just like many of the families and kids at Children of the City, transformation is the key word here.

Tyree also made this statement in another article, "Since learning about Children of the City, I have admired the aggressive approach it has taken in helping our young people. I only seek to do my best in community service with an organization that operates in excellence."

One success story there is about Erica, who never goes anywhere without a book since joining Children of the City’s Create Success Program.

“I tell other kids how nice it is to get help with your homework and reading at Children of the City”, comments the soft spoken fifth grader," she said. After just a few months, her grades improved dramatically and she learned to love reading.

It is stories like this that is the reason David Tyree will be getting that award tonight at our annual fundraiser and gala. Here's yet another brief blurb Tuesday in the NY Daily News about it that appeared about the event yesterday, which I am truly honored to be part of.

"New York Giants Super Bowl hero David Tyree and local businessman and Bay Ridge resident Rocco Basile will be honored Thursday at the Children of the City's Night of Champions Benefit Gala." Currently Children of the City reaches over 2,000 children and youth in Sunset Park every year, but also serves 900 children monthly through home visits from volunteers.

Education Trends

I was poking around on the Internet and found this interesting National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities article entitled, Educational Trends Shaping School Planning and Design 2007 by Kenneth R. Stevenson, Department of Educational Leadership and Policies, College of Education, at the University of South Carolina. He originally wrote the article in 2002 and had ten points, but this is the latest version with 12 points. The trends that he has identified came about by reviewing the latest research along with the school facilities and student outcomes; current issues, problems, and initiatives in the educational field. It also takes into account any emerging demographics. Below are the top five trends...

Trend 1 - School Choice. Parents and policymakers around the country are unhappy with public education, so they have attempted to dismantle what they consider to be a public monopoly over the delivery of K–12 schooling. They have pushed for vouchers and tax credits that permit parental choice and offer alternatives to the local public school. In response, school districts are embracing the idea that parents and their children should have choices. So they have started offering parents options ranging from magnet schools to charters (Shostak, 2004), and by 2005 there were approximately 3,400 charter schools in the United States serving about 800,000 students (Carpenter, 2005).
Trend 2 - Small May Be Better. Over the next 25 years we may see elementary schools housing an average of 200 students, middle schools with no more than 400 to 500 students, and high schools with 500 to 750 students. Supporters argue that small schools are particularly good at improving the academic achievement for students who have not done well in traditional settings. They believe small schools have higher graduation rates and improved behavior among students(Wasley, 2002; et. al.).
Trend 3: Reduced Class Sizes. Significant research demonstrates that smaller-class benefits not only include enhanced academic performance but improved student behavior and teacher morale (Finn & Pannozzo, 2003). A few studies further suggest that such classes particularly benefit students whoare at risk (Nye, Hedges, & Konstantopoulos, 2004).
Trend 4: Technology in Education. School districts will need to develop effective methods to control costs caused by more-numerous neighborhood schools, lower teacher-pupil ratios, higher energy costs, and reduced tax revenues. One solution would be by means of virtual education, or “e-schooling” (Berge & Clark, 2005). Students seeking more specialized or advanced courses could take classes via closed circuit television or through Internet e-learning.
Trend 5: The Mission. School buildings must accommodate a change in mission. For example, schools attempting to maximize standardized achievement test scores may need to modify their curricula (Dillon, 2006). Students with academic difficulties may be required to take additional courses in their problem areas. To enhance scores on state or national tests, students may be required to sign up for a second course in math rather than taking art as an elective. And those students doing well in math or science may be encouraged to take more math and science, rather than non-academic electives. This will raise their school’s academic profile. As schools increase the focus on traditional academic subjects, demand for music, art, and vocational courses may diminish.

I find it fascinating that our own Children of the City (COC) charity in Brooklyn, NY is already proving some of these kinds of trends. You can read more about Children of the City on my own personal Rocco Basile website. As a Board member, I know that our programs such as Create Success work. It is an after school and summer program for a student’s academic success. Click here to learn more about this program.

What Happens When a Society Does not Invest in Education?

For years, educators have struggled with all the reasons why education is one of our essential rights of a democracy. Reasons include equal opportunities for everyone, productivity among citizens, participation among members of that democracy, and more. Often forgotten is the importance of education in terms of its benefit to our country’s economic strength. Education is the engine that drives a healthy economy, and without it we would lose many of the benefits of a democracy.

That’s why I believe education is so important and not only has such far-reaching effects on a person’s life, but also on our communities. In fact, the National Education Association (NEA) has some interesting statistics on the topic including what happens to a society that does not invest in education. Does this affect the economy?

William Schweke, a researcher, says that “prevention is almost always cheaper than treatment. If we do not invest now, we most certainly will pay later.”

Author of a book called Smart Money: Education and Economic Development, he discusses the costs, socially, of inadequate educational and preparation for the workforce. Schweke believes that by increasing earnings, education can lower social costs. Following are some interesting facts:

There is a strong relationship between low basic skills and welfare dependency—60 percent of out-of-wedlock births among 19- to 23-year-olds are to those who score in the lowest 20 percent on basic skills tests.

Raising the means-tested skills of 19- to 23-year-olds by the equivalent of one grade would increase lifetime earnings by 3.6 percent and reduce the likelihood of births out of wedlock by 6.5 percent, welfare dependency by 5.3 percent, and arrests by 6.2 percent.

Did you know that 82 percent of all Americans in prison are high school dropouts?

The United States spends almost 10 times as much as Western European countries on security services, arrest, incarceration and parole. These same countries spend comparable amounts on subsidized training and employment.

About 2 percent of our nation’s gross domestic product is allotted to crime control activities, and another 2 percent is lost to crimes that occur. Inequality in earnings and wealth in the U.S. has been increasing for two decades, so growing economic disparity is hindering the nation’s ability to provide the high-value-added products and services necessary to compete globally.

Education positively affects income distribution and its effects on people’s income. By the way, this is well documented among economists, social scientists and in economics literature. helping to reach children at risk and who can be resilient if they are given the right intervention and education.

My website, http://www.roccobasile.org/, is a composite of all the latest news and information about education in the country. I believe that by helping to reach children at risk, they are resilliant and will become important people in our communities when given the right intervention and education. So you will see some case studies of success stories on my site as well. For more information about the charities where I am on the Board and volunteer -- go to Children of the City and the Joe DiMaggio Committee for Xaverian High School.

Education Helps Mitigate Crime and Drug Use

I was reading the US Department of Education (ED) tagline, which states, "Promoting educational excellence for all Americans." This organization was created in 1980 and the ED mission is "to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access."

A $71.5 billion budget and about 4,500 ED employees are dedicated to establishing policies on federal financial aid for education, as well as distributing and monitoring those funds; focusing national attention on key educational issues; disseminating research; prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal access to education; and collecting data on America's schools.

For example gang violence is just part of everyday life in places such as Brooklyn, NY. It’s amazing, but out of every three families lives below the poverty line and there are 17 thousand documented child abuse cases in this community.

Drugs, disease, gang violence, and crime contribute to about a thousand deaths annually. More and more people are realizing that the answer is education. There is a 48 percent drop out rate among high school students, so out of the 30 thousand students, 15 thousand are dropouts.

The good news is that there are a number of organizations that are bringing light and making a difference. With hundreds of people in need of intervention, kids in need of education, and families that could benefit from counseling, I truly believe in the work being done at organizations like Children of the City. It is a completely volunteer-based outreach program that connects people in need with basic services, educational as well as employment training, counseling, and even health care. I highly recommend and encourage people to go to their website and help by contributing time, resources, and donations.

My education taught me to be sympathetic to the needs of others, which has also helped me understand that I can change the world - like Gandhi said - it is important for us to be the change we want to see in the world.

Crime and Education Statistical Rates

One thing that Joe DiMaggio believed in was education. He was particularly interested in assisting learning-disabled students, along with academically gifted but financially disadvantaged kids. Proceeds from the Joe DiMaggio Award Dinner go to these students who attend Xaverian High School and the Loyola School in New York City. Located in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn , Xaverian is a private, nonsectarian boys' school with over a 98 percent graduation rate for its seniors.

One of the reasons it is so important to complete your education is to avoid becoming a government statistic. The U. S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics claims that serious violent crime levels are down since 1993. Also declining are property crime rates. Interestingly, firearm-related crime did plummet since 1993, but then slightly increased in the year 2005. However, the estimated number of arrests for adult drug abuse violations has been increasing, while the number for juveniles has stabilized.

When it comes to drop outs -- let’s take a look at private and public high school students who left high school between the beginning of one school year and the beginning of the next without earning a General Educational Development (GED) certificate, or high school diploma or its equivalent. The following rates describe the percentage of youth ages 15 through 24 in the United States who dropped out of grades 10–12 from either public or private schools in the 12 months between one October and the next (e.g., October 2004 to October 2005). The measure provides information about the rate at which U.S. high school students are leaving school without a successful outcome.

Around four of every 100 students who were enrolled in high school as of October 2004 left school before October 2005. They did not complete high school. This represents a decrease in the event dropout rate from 4.7 percent to 3.8 percent between 2004 and 2005. Overall, since 1972, event dropout rates have trended downward, from 6.1 percent in 1972 to 3.8 percent in 2005.
Between the month of October 2004 and 2005, both Black and Hispanic high school students were more likely to drop out than were students who were Whites or Asian/Pacific Islanders. Dropout rates for Blacks and Hispanics were 7.3 percent and 5.0 percent, respectively, compared with rates of 2.8 percent for Whites and 1.6 percent for Asians/Pacific Islanders.

Anyone who is interested in donating to the Joe Dimaggio Award fund can do so here. The recent awards dinner was a true example of selfless people who contributed, many of whom were friends of my family's business, The Basile Builder's Group, in Manhattan.
(http://www.joedimaggioaward.com/donate/index_donate.htm)

Tiki Barber Gets Joe DiMaggio Award at Gala Event Jan. 4

“Today Show” commentator and analyst on NBC’s “Football Night in America,” Tiki Barber was honored last Friday evening in Manhattan at Cipriani. Brooklyn’s Xaverian High School presented the recently retired Giants running back, with its coveted Joe DiMaggio Award.

Established in 1999 after the Yankee Clipper’s death, the DiMaggio Award was established to memorialize his “lifelong commitment to the health, education and well being of America’s youth.” Three-time Pro-Bowler, during an illustrious 10-year playing career, Barber set virtually every career offensive record for the Giants and is best known for team records of 10,448 rushing yards, 586 receptions and 15,631 total yards from scrimmage.

DiMaggio earned the Bay Ridge school’s highest honor, formerly called the Concordia Award, in 1997. The award has since been presented to Dr. Henry Kissinger, Maestro Luciano Pavarotti, former mayor and current presidential hopeful Rudolph Giuliani, television personality Regis Philbin, singer/songwriter Paul Simon, Sopranos star James Gandolfini , CBS Sports commentator Boomer Esiason and NBC Emmy-Award winning sports broadcaster Bob Costas.

The Joe DiMaggio Award Gala has become the preeminent education gala in the United States and this year benefits the Legacy Program, an intensive and self-contained program that runs parallel to the mainstream, designed for students with learning disabilities. The major fundraiser for Xaverian's Ryken Education Center, students with learning disabilities never had the opportunity to attend college.

Presently adopted by the New York State Regents as the model of all such endeavors, since the Ryken Program’s inception in 1994 (it was formerly known as the REACH Program), over 100 young men have graduated from this special initiative and all have gone on to four-year colleges of their choice.

Four students recently received scholarships to major New York-Metropolitan area universities. It has evolved into the preeminent educational gala in the United States. Since Xaverian is private and tuition driven, proceeds from the Gala will especially benefit its many students. Besides the dinner and awards presentation, the evening includes a silent auction of rare Joe DiMaggio memorabilia donated by the DiMaggio Estate and Morris Engelberg, Esq.

Be the Change you Want in the World

Happy New Year! There are many exciting things to be grateful for in this New Year. The charities that I am working with -- Children of the City and the Joe DiMaggio Committee for Xaverian High School, have many goals. I am looking forward to the January 4th Joe Dimaggio Award Gala and will write about it afterwards. The Joe DiMaggio Award Gala is the major fundraiser for Xaverian High (where I went to school.) Its program for students with learning disabilities, including the Ryken Program, is presently adopted by the New York State Regents as the model of all such endeavors. The Joe DiMaggio Award was established in 1999 by its chairman, Dr. Rock Positano, '76, with the approval of the DiMaggio Estate in memory of baseball legend Joe DiMaggio.

As I have said before, I feel my education allowed me to understand the adverse effects it had on my life and the life of others. Education is critical to allowing people to be sympathic to the needs of others. "Be the change you want to see in the World," said Gandhi.

My education allowed me to be able to investigate, research and read a number of books about diverse cultures and religions. This inspired me to be a positive change and it gave me the intuition to see how that positive change circulates back into my life.

I want my blog to inspire someone else to understand the importance of educating our youth so it will break the cycle of poverty, crime and drugs. I truely believe that educating our youth is the foundation for prosperity.

A Dark and Stormy Night at Children of the City

Here is a great story about how sometimes things don't always go our way. The original story was also posted by another one of our Children of the City board members, Julia Masi.

"As the days grow shorter and darker, it’s wise to live by Murphy’s Law. Children of the City’s annual toy drive made a wrong turn onto an obstacle course last Monday when scheduling problems caused a benefactor to push back the delivery date on a pledge for 300 toys," said Masi.

Children of the City's Daniel Ramos had worked very hard on this year's toy drive -- securing donations and organizing a series of gift wrapping events that started last Wednesday. Most of the toys were scheduled to arrive by Thursday, so on Friday he arranged for a dozen volunteers from NYCares, along with Board Members like me, who were supposed to help contribute the toys. Daniel had everything planned so that each volunteer would have plenty to do at each event.

But Mother Nature had other plans. Grey skies and stormy clouds caused further delays on Thursday, as snow, sleet and rain hit the tri-states. Not even half of the deliveries made it to our headquarters that night. Although only a few volunteers bailed out of we had 60 willing and able gift wrappers from Volunteer NYC, Old Navy, and several high school students, who patiently waited as a few of the toys trickled in.

The organizers tried tricks like stalling and feeding the gang with a buffet of buffalo wings and all the extras. Plus they told favorite home visit anecdotes. But all said, things were looking pretty bad until I asked everyone to come outside and help.

Our Basile family car had become Santa’s sleigh with 12 Razor scooters and a number of hot toys purchased by my very generous friends, relatives and The Basile Group business associates. All the volunteers were so excited while they got busy wrapping Hannah Montana, Barbie and Bratz dolls.

In fact, I would love tho thank everyone who was generous enough to donate toys to me. You really saved the day! Sometimes you don't realize how much of an effect you have. I'm here to tell you that your generousity was a blessing for the volunteers, Children of the City and especially all of the children that were fortunate enough to receive your gifts.

To read Julia's blog post, go to: Children's Charities

Why we Should Spend Time Helping to Educate Students with Learning Disabilities

Aside from working with my family at the Basile Builders Group, I spend time working on organizing The Joe DiMaggio Award Gala, which is the major fundraiser for Xaverian. By the way, its programs for students with learning disabilities, including the Ryken Program, is presently adopted by the New York State Regents as the model of all such endeavors.

Xaverian High School offers the very best in secondary education not only in New York City, but throughout New York State. The school serves young men from disadvantaged backgrounds, boys with learning disabilities and students that are in financial need. In fact, if it were not for the generosity of alumni, parents and friends, many of these students would not be able to afford a quality, college-preparatory education.

Approximately 10 percent of the Xaverian enrollment includes students with learning difficulties, but Xaverian is one of only four schools, and the only Catholic school, to offer the prestigious International Baccalaureate (IB) Program. Created for the children of diplomats, students who graduate with an IB Diploma may be eligible to enter Ivy League schools as sophomores. Of the Class of 2005, 25 percent matriculated to Ivy League schools or the equivalent.

The Joe DiMaggio committee that I am on raises money to help financially challenged families give their children a good education. I have been part of this group of community minded individuals who donate time for eight years.

Another influential person in my life has been Deepak Chopra. I have read many of his books and enjoy the fact that Chopra talks about the Law of Dharma and how we are here to discover our higher self or spiritual self.

This prompted me to ask myself, “Who is Rocco Basile and what is his talent?” How can I serve? I decided that I can serve by sharing my experiences and showing others how to live a life of ethics, morals and a strong sense of principal. There is tranquility and happiness in a life that you can be proud of.

One of the elements that I realized is so critical to this process is that it begins with education. I firmly believe that educating our youth and being a role model gives them an understanding of this principal.