Classical Charter Schools plans Bronx community meal to honor slain student

Classical Charter Schools will host Mott Haven Hand in Hand on Nov. 20 at South Bronx Classical II, bringing families, neighbors and local groups together for a shared meal in the Bronx. The event will honor 15-year-old Javits Frimpong and is meant to create space for grief, remembrance and neighborhood connection.

Why it matters: - The community meal is designed to bring Mott Haven families, neighbors and local organizations together at a time of grief and concern for young people’s safety. - The gathering centers remembrance and neighborhood solidarity after the death of 15-year-old Javits Frimpong. - The event also reinforces Classical Charter Schools’ broader family-engagement work in the Bronx.

What happened: - Classical Charter Schools will host Mott Haven Hand in Hand on Friday, Nov. 20, 2026, at 4:45 p.m. - The event will take place in the cafeteria of South Bronx Classical II, at 333 East 135th Street in the Bronx. - Families from Classical Charter Schools will join neighbors and local organizations for a community meal. - The gathering will honor the memory of Javits Frimpong, a Bronx student who was fatally shot while walking to school on Oct. 29.

The details: - Families and neighbors are invited to bring a dish that represents their culture and to share the traditions behind it. - The meal is intended to celebrate Mott Haven’s diverse cultures and strengthen connections across the neighborhood. - Classical Charter Schools said the event will create a space for neighbors to stand together in grief and affirm that every young person deserves to grow up safe and supported. - Darlene Jackson, dean of family engagement at Classical Charter Schools, said families should have a place to sit together, share the food and traditions that make Mott Haven home, and care for one another. - The gathering falls during National Gratitude Month. - Classical Charter Schools is inviting community partners including East Side House Settlement, Mercy Community Center, BronxWorks, Sunshine Learning Center, Luminous Child Care, My First Steps and Bronx Thrive. - Event information is available at 718-860-4340, ext. 4137. - The school network describes itself as a K-8 public charter school network with five campuses in the Bronx. - Classical Charter Schools says its Family Engagement office works with families and community organizations to strengthen the neighborhoods its students call home.

Between the lines: - The meal blends cultural celebration with mourning, showing how schools can serve as gathering places when a neighborhood is dealing with trauma. - The invitation to bring a shared dish gives the event a participatory format, which may help draw families beyond the school community. - The partner list suggests the event is meant to function as a broader neighborhood convening, not just a school-sponsored dinner.

What's next: - Families and community members are expected to gather at SBC II on Nov. 20 for the meal and remembrance. - Classical Charter Schools is directing vendors and general inquiries to Dean Darlene Jackson at 718-860-4340, ext. 4137, or djackson@classicalcharterschools.org. - Press inquiries go to Zion McMillan, Brand Strategy Manager, at zmcmillan@classicalcharterschools.org. - The school network’s social media presence includes LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.

The bottom line: - Classical Charter Schools is using a neighborhood meal to combine cultural pride, community support and collective mourning in Mott Haven.