Donation to East Side High School “Academicos”

Two 1967 graduating students, Antoinette DiPiazza and Manny Rosa, handed out a cash donation of $3,300 to the Portuguese Language Club ‘Os Académicos’ at Newark’s East Side High School.

The ceremony, which took place at the Media Center, was also attended by Mário Santos, the principal of the East Side High; Jorge Duarte, the widower of Isabel Lobato Duarte, founder of ‘Os Académicos’; Lúcia Antunes and Carla Nunes, the Portuguese teachers and José Carlos Adão, Assistant Coordinator for teaching Portuguese in the USA.

Antoinette DiPiazza hands over to teacher Carla Nunes the $3,300 check which she and Manny Rosa donated to the “Académicos” language club of East Side High School

As guests of Manny Rosa, there were also present Cláudia Garzesi, from the office of councilman Augusto Amador; Victor Machado, East Side High teacher; Michael J. Silva, candidate for East Ward and former student Jack Ferreira and high school patron. When addressing those present, Prof. Carla Nunes recalled the memory of Isabel Lobato Duarte, who, for more than 40 years, in addition to being a Portuguese teacher, also made her contribution to keeping alive the literary magazine of “Os Académicos”.

Principal Mário Santos, former teacher Antoinette DiPiazza, Manuel Rosa, Michael J. Silva and Jack Ferreira later intervened. “In addition to being a student here, she taught at this high school for 35 years and this ceremony was really emotional for me”, said Antoinette DiPiazza.