"Hidden Talents: The Flip Side of the NRHS Faculty"

     Four staff members at New Rochelle High School are revealing another side of themselves in a show at the Museum of Arts & Culture: “Hidden Talents: The Flip Side of the NRHS Faculty” features photography by art teacher Moira McCaul, math department chairman Ron Morris, security personnel Daniel Moxie and science teacher Scott Rubins. The exhibit will open Tuesday, May 22^nd with an artist’s reception at 7 pm that is open to the public.  

    The Museum of Arts & Culture is a program of the New Rochelle Fund for Educational Excellence and is open to the public Mondays through Fridays, 9 am to 3 pm, and Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7 to 9 pm. For details visit www.dbmac.org.  

 About the Artists:

     Moira McCaul lives in Yonkers, New York and has been an art teacher at New Rochelle High School for the past ten years. She   received her undergraduate degree in Art History from the American University and her Masters degree in Art Education from the College of New Rochelle. She is a photographer and printmaker who exhibits her work regionally, nationally, and internationally.

     Ron Morris is a product of New Rochelle public schools and a lifelong resident of the City of New Rochelle. He holds a B.A. from The University of Miami, an M.A. from The City College of New York, and his post Masters Degree from The College of Saint Rose. He worked in New Rochelle public schools as a substitute and a Teaching Assistant before working in New York City public schools for 17 years as a teacher and Assistant Principal. He has chaired the New Rochelle High School Mathematics and Engineering & Architectural Design Departments since 2002.

     “I have always been interested in photography,” says Ron. “I picked it up as a hobby about ten years ago. I often see snapshots of events throughout the day and enjoy being able to capture them. I primarily shoot liturgical dance. I am slowly expanding my repertoire. All shots are original  -- no Photoshop or touching up.”

     Daniel Moxie is a lifelong resident of New Rochelle. After graduating from New Rochelle  High School he studied art at Tuskegee University. He has been a firefighter in New Rochelle for 22 years and has been at New Rochelle High School as a general school aid for 18 years. His life-long passion for photography is reflected in his work.

      Scott Rubins has been teaching science for 18 years.  He graduated from Clark University; earned a Masters Degree from Teachers College, Columbia University and a second Masters in Administration / Supervision in 1996.  He is an Adjunct Instructor in the Department of Chemistry, Syracuse University and teaches a satellite forensic science course at New Rochelle High School.

         For the last 15 years, he has taught Forensic Science at New Rochelle High School where up to one hundred forty students fill five classes every year. This innovative class constantly challenges students to think critically about what they see and do and enables them to do the work of real forensic scientists, making what they do in class authentic. Scott has been the recipient of numerous grants and in 2003 was awarded a RadioShack National Teacher Award at the National Science Teachers Association, national convention in Philadelphia.  This award is only given to 110 teachers nation wide.  Scott also presented two sessions at this conference entitled, “Future Forensic Scientists, Where Do They Come From?” as well as The Court TV Forensics in The Classroom curriculum. 

            Scott is a member of the Dental Identification Team for the Office of The Chief Medical Examiner in New York City and worked for 9 months helping to identify victims of the World Trade Center disaster and the crash of American Airlines flight 587.  He is a member of the North Eastern Association of Forensic Scientists, The National Science Teachers Association, the New York Society of Forensic Dentists and an Applicant to The American Academy of Forensic Sciences.  Scott is the President of the Forensic Futures Education Group, a consulting firm that assists teachers and school districts in establishing forensic science courses and training. He is also a forensic science instructor and curriculum consultant for Classroom Forensics which produces and distributes professional equipment, training, and curriculum to high schools and colleges throughout the country.

    “At the age of thirteen, I received my first camera and quickly inherited an interest in photography from my father,” says Scott. “After taking classes in high school and college, working for a photographer and teaching photography, my passion for photography grew. That passion is the driving force behind my photography: Always in search of that elusive perfect picture that tells a story.  That perfect picture which is almost impossible to find but I constantly continue to seek out.”