Spotlight on Kindergarten

.

This week, LACASA is shining the spotlight on the K-group! Group Leader Amanda Rodriguez, Assistant Group Leaders Cynthia Guzman and Natalya Latimore and high school intern Lauren Howard, led the class through the Hot Potato Word game, Number Scramble, Word Hop Scotch, "Pen" Pals and many more creative activities. This week we recognize the K groups' hard work, commend them on their progress and look forward to their continued success.

Ask About the City’s After-School Programs - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com

Ask About the City’s After-School Programs
By The New York Times
Lucy N. Friedman


This week, Lucy N. Friedman, the president of a nonprofit organization that provides children with after-school programs, will be answering selected readers’ questions about such programs in New York City. The first set of responses will be posted on Wednesday. Readers are encouraged to submit their questions in the comments box below.Ms. Friedman is founding president of the After-School Corporation, or TASC, which is dedicated to giving all children opportunities to grow through after-school and summer programs that support, educate and inspire them.

Ask About the City’s After-School Programs - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com

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City classrooms packed, expansion slows in Bloomberg era, says study

More then a third of the city's students - and more than half of all high school kids - are in overcrowded classrooms, a report to be released Wednesday shows.The city would have to create more than 167,000 new seats, far more than its current 63,000 target, to reach its own goals, according to the study.The report, by the Manhattan borough president's task force, Class Size Matters; the teachers union, and the Center for Arts Education also finds that more seats were added under the last six years of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's tenure than during the first six years of Mayor Bloomberg's.

City classrooms packed, expansion slows in Bloomberg era, says study

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6,000 Pre-K Slots Still Available

According to an email from City Council Speaker Quinn --

"Currently, there are about 6,000
half-day and full-day UPK seats available for children who turn four years of
age by December 31, 2008, in public schools, child care centers contracted by
ACS, and community-based organizations contracted by the
DOE.  Research clearly supports UPK as a way to cultivate the social,
emotional and academic skills of children, as well as prepare children for
kindergarten.

 

 

Families can call 311 and ask for
"UPK programs in my neighborhood"; call toll free (888) 469-5999; or log on to the City's website
at www.nyc.gov to search the City Map
for UPK programs and/or link to the DOE's website, where a list of programs can
be downloaded.

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Contracts for Excellence - Budgets and Fair Student Funding - New York City Department of Education

Contracts for Excellence

FROM THE NYC DOE WEBSITE:


The
New York City Department of Education receives a portion of its overall

budget in the form of Foundation Aid from New York State. While the

State allows some of the increase in year-over-year Foundation Aid
funding to be used for growth in general operating costs and investment
in ongoing programs, the majority is subject to the provisions of the
State’s “Contracts for Excellence.” New York City schools received
Contracts for Excellence, or C4E, funds for the first time in the
2007-08 school year. These are funds that, under State law, must be
distributed to certain schools and must be spent by those schools in
specific program areas.


In 2008-09, New York City will once
again receive funds subject to the provisions of the Contracts for
Excellence. These provisions include:

1. Funds must support specific programs areas.
   C4E dollars must be spent to support new programs and activities or to
   expand existing programs and activities in the following six program
   areas:
   
   
   • Class Size Reduction;
     
   • Time on Task;
     
   • Teacher and Principal Quality Initiatives;
     
   • Middle School and High School Restructuring;
     
   • Full-Day Pre-Kindergarten; and
     
   • Model Programs for English Language Learners (New in 2008-09).
   
   
2. Funds must go to students with the greatest need. C4E funds must be used to improve the performance of students with the greatest educational need, including:
   
   
   • English Language Learners (ELLs);
     
   • Students with disabilities;
     
   • Students in poverty; and
     
   • Students performing below State learning standards or students who are at risk of not graduating.
   
   
3. Funds must supplement, not supplant.

This site describes the City’s Contracts for Excellence plan for FY09. It includes:

2008-09 Proposed Citywide Plan (new 7.23.08): Contains details of the City’s complete proposed plan for use of FY09 Contracts funds.

Program Options: Describes the program areas in which Contracts dollars may be spent.

Class Size Reduction: Describes the City’s class size reduction plan and ongoing class size reduction efforts.

Approved 2007-08 Plan: Presents New York City’s Year One Contracts plan.

Public Comment (updated
9.11.08): Provides transcripts of all public hearings held in
conjunction with the 2008-09 C4E plan as well as an assessment of the
public engagement process.

Contracts for Excellence - Budgets and Fair Student Funding - New York City Department of Education

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ONE NEW YORK: FIGHTING FOR FAIRNESS

ONE NEW YORK: FIGHTING FOR FAIRNESS

Citywide Budget Coalition

 

PRESS CONFERENCE: STEPS OF CITY HALL

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 10th AT 12 NOON SHARP

(ARRIVE EARLY)  

Spread the Word!

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District Three Grades

District Three Grades - Get more Business Documents

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Department of Education bus cuts hit special education kids hardest

Department of Education bus cuts hit special education kids hardest

BY MEREDITH KOLODNER
DAILY NEWS WRITER

Saturday, September 13th 2008, 7:26 PMDelMundo for NewsMahnoor, Mujahid, 5, sits outside her home in Queens. School bus cuts make her trip to school harder.Logan King Bascom, a 6-year-old wheelchair-bound autistic girl from Manhattan, was assigned to the wrong school bus last week, and ended up lost.Jacob Hicks, a 6-year-old speech-impaired autistic boy from the Bronx, missed his speech therapy class because his bus made so many stops he arrived 45 minutes late.And Mahnoor Mujahid, a 5-year-old Queens girl who suffers from a degenerative neuromuscular disease, was left without any school bus at all.The three are among scores of horror stories that have poured in since the Daily News first reported last week that bus cuts have hit special needs children hard."For budgetary reasons," said Maggie Moroff, director of special education for Advocates for Children, "routes have been consolidated. They are taking longer paths, and they are picking up at more than one school."Cost cuts at the Department of Education have resulted in 200 fewer special education buses, with those remaining packed to capacity and some kids shut out entirely.

Department of Education bus cuts hit special education kids hardest

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FROM: Insideschools.org -- The High School Search Begins.....

High school search process begins for 8th grade students

This weekend the high school admissions process officially commences with the citywide high school fair. Even though the school year recently begun, 8th grade students and their families should start to consider which among the 400-plus high schools in the city they will apply to for the fall of 2009.

Follow the link to continue readying

Insideschools.org :: Article and Advice Archives

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Fifth Annual Children’s Sports & Fitness Expo

5th Annual Sports Expo

Fifth Annual Children’s Sports & Fitness Expo at the Harlem PAL Armory Center on Saturday, September 27^th. This year Nike is providing 2,000 sneakers to be distributed at the Expo. The first 1500 children to pre-register online at www.bodysculpt.org are eligible to receive these sneakers. Each child must complete 3 sports clinics and a health screening before they pick up their sneakers.

If you have any questions please contact Vince Ferguson of Body Sculpt at 718-346-5852.

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LACASA After School Program @ PS 84 Starts September 15th!

We have many exciting activities planned for the after school program this year.

Thanks to a grant from City Council Member Gale Brewer, PS 84 is the recipient of a cultural grant that will support theater arts activities through a partnership with Lincoln Center. We are very excited about this partnership and are looking forward to working with the staff of Lincoln Center to bring theater arts to the families of PS 84.

Martial Arts, Creative Arts, Salsa are all coming back this year with new and exciting activities planned. We will also offer a photography club and science club as "pilot" groups this year to see if there is enough interest  to include them as permanent club offerings.

If parents have other ideas for clubs they would like to see offered, please feel free to speak with the program's director. If there is enough interest we may be able to incorporate it.

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Cool Culture Family Passes

The entry fees at many cultural institutions are often prohibitively
expensive for low-income families. Most families with whom Cool Culture
works fall under federal poverty guidelines. Though many institutions
offer free or reduced-fee time periods, these are often during weekdays
or evenings when families are unable to attend. Additionally,
"pay-what-you-wish" or suggested admission policies can be difficult to
negotiate, especially for families who are not used to visiting
museums.To address these issues and through its partnerships with
cultural institutions, Cool Culture is able to give each family a Cool
Culture Family Pass that provides free entry at any time to over 71
museums, botanical gardens, and zoos.

Cool Culture

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Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling :

Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling

Saturday, September 13, 2008

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.

"Jataka Tales" told by Rafe Martin (origin: Buddhist) and "To Life" told by Diane Wolkstein (origin: Jewish).

Storytelling is held rain or shine. The stories are appropriate for children six years and up. Parents or guardians are asked to sit with their children.

Location Pilgrim Hill & Conservatory Water72nd Street & 5th Avenue in Central Park, at the statue of Hans Christian Andersen (west side of Conservatory Water) Manhattan

Hans Christian Andersen Storytelling : Upcoming Events : New York City Department of Parks & Recreation

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MDRC - Fast Fact: Does Education Increase Economic Mobility?

Fast Fact

Does Education Increase Economic Mobility?It is an article of faith in the United States that more education leads to greater earnings, and the data back it up. In 2005, for instance, college graduates earned $25,000 more on average than high school graduates. A two-year associate’s degree brought an average annual premium of $8,500 over a high school diploma.However, family background also plays an important role in determining one’s educational trajectory and economic success as an adult, according to a new Brookings Institution report, Getting Ahead or Losing Ground: Economic Mobility in America, by Ron Haskins, Julia B. Isaacs, and Isabel Sawhill. Not only are the children of relatively well-off parents more likely to earn more as adults, but they are more likely to get a college degree than children of parents with lower incomes (as the figure below demonstrates). The policy challenge is to make it possible for more young people from the bottom quintiles of the family income distribution to access higher education and succeed in college.

MDRC - Fast Fact: Does Education Increase Economic Mobility?

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Doris Rosenblum Youth Leadership Award Recipients

Thnx 2007 069
Originally uploaded by Strycker's Bay.

Jason Acosta, Alyssia George and Evette Fares were the recipients of the First Annual Doris Rosenblum Youth Leadership Awards.

Jason has been part of LACASA since age 10 when he joined our summer camp. He is now a group leaders and an Education Major at City College.

Alyssia has been with LACASA since age 7. She has just graduated High School and will be attending John Jay College. Alyssia is a group leader and a great mentor to the children she works with.

Evette joined LACASA 4 years ago and has been a rising star in the program. She will be graduating high school next year. Evette is also a counselor with LACASA and has brought much energy to the program.

Congratulations all!

Strycker's Bay Is Hiring Youth Program Counselors

We're Looking For Talented Committed Youth Program Counselors

If you are a High School Senior or College Student
that has a passion for working with and mentoring youth
you should consider applying for one of the 10 positions we have available

Click Here for Job Description

It's Going To Be A Really Big Show

Join Us!

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

LACASA AFTER SCHOOL @ PS 84

YEAR END PERFORMANCE AND CELEBRATION

PS 84
32 WEST 92ND STREET -- BTWN COLUMBUS AVENUE AND CENTRAL PARK WEST

COME SEE ALL THE WONDERFUL WORK THE LACASA KIDS HAVE DONE ALL YEAR

SINGING...MARTIAL ARTS...DRAMA...ART...AND MORE

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CALL LACASA AT 212-874-3098

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Grading NYC Public Schools

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

6:30 to 8:30 pm

Please note that the street address was wrong in an earlier email invitation.
The correct address is: Hunter College of Social Work, CUNY
129 East 79th Street at Lexington Avenue

Pedro Noguera, NYU School of Education and
Co-Chair of the City Council’s Middle School Task Force

Diane Ravitch, Research Professor of Education at
NYU and former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education

Esmeralda Simmons, Executive Director, Center for
Law and Social Justice, Medgar Evers College,
former member of the NYC Board of Education

Philip Vaccaro, Progress Report Project Manager,
New York City Department of Education

Moderated by Jennifer Medina,
Education Reporter, The New York Times

Open to the Public

Please RSVP to 212.227.0342 x43 or info@citizensunionfoundation.org

Civic Conversations foster public dialogue about important issues
facing the citizens of New York.

1968 Revisited:

APRIL 10

1968 Revisited:

Ocean Hill Brownsville and Community Control of Schools

A Panel Discussion with Sally Lee, Roberta Harris, Jitu Weusi, Edwin Mayogra

and Stanley Aronowitz

Co-Sponsored by the Brecht Forum, NYCORE

In 1968, Ocean Hill-Brownsville Brooklyn was the site of an experiment

that gave local communities control of their public schools. The

controversy sparked from this movement still resonates throughout the

city. This panel discussion will explore the political moment that

gave rise to the community control experiment and will attempt to

compare it to today's context. How are NYC communities responding to

the current mayoral control of our public schools? How do these

contrasting forms of school governance impact classroom teaching and

learning?

The Brecht Forum

451 West Street

(Between Bank and Bethune)

212-242-4201

www.brechtforum.org

Sliding Scale $6-15

No One Turned Away

View Original Article

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NYC High Schoolers Among Slowest to Graduate

A study conducted by the non-profit group America's Promise Alliance has found that New York City has one of the nation's worst high school graduation rates, ranking 43rd among 50 other major U.S. cities and their surrounding areas. Only 45% of high school students in New York City graduate in four years, while in the surrounding suburbs, the four year graduation rate is 83%

But the study was conducted using data from 2004, and the Department of Education claims the city's graduation rate has risen six points since then. Also, each state has different educational standards, so comparisons can be a bit misleading. Still, who will be surprised that poor Detroit, which can't catch a break, would get the worst ranking, with just 25% of students graduating? At least New York students bested, in order, Dallas, Minneapolis, Columbus, Baltimore, Cleveland and Indianapolis. L.A. students managed to flirt their way past New York by 0.1% and snag the #42 slot. Number One? Mesa, AZ.

The report, which concludes that, on average, only half of the students in America’s major cities graduate, can be perused as a PDF file. And the America's Promise Alliance website is introduced by a really weird Colin Powell video, presumably because he did such a stellar job educating the U.N. about Iraq’s WMDs.

Photo of NYC students playing Boggle: Los Dragónnes

View Original Article

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Campaign for Summer Jobs -- United Neighborhood Houses - Advocacy

Since 1999, UNH has co-lead the Campaign for Summer Jobs along with the Neighborhood Family Services Coalition. The Campaign seeks to secure permanent funding for a summer employment program for youth in New York City to help them gain work experience and contribute to their communities. For the past 9 years, youth and youth workers from all over the City have joined in this effort, participating in the Campaign's Annual Youth Action Day.Even with the Campaign's past success, we must continue to work to make certain that this valuable program is adequately funded in the future. Although $56 million in government funding made it possible for nearly 42,000 young people in New York City to have a summer job in 2007, 93,000 youth applied. This year, the City budget includes a $3.2 million cut to the summer jobs program, eliminating 2,100 jobs for young people. The Campaign's goal is to see that every youth who wants a summer job will have one.

United Neighborhood Houses - Advocacy

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City Limits: News for NYC's Nonprofit, Policy and Activist World

With long summer days around the corner, it looks like tens of thousands of New York City youths who rely on public programs to help find a job may be idle while school's out.City agencies expect a shortfall in jobs provided by the city's Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP). Run by the Department of Youth and Community Development, SYEP provides subsidized entry-level jobs to young people aged 14 to 21 for seven weeks every summer. Each year tens of thousands of applicants are turned away, but last summer the number of applicants hit a record high – and the forecast for this summer is dreary.

City Limits: News for NYC's Nonprofit, Policy and Activist World

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According to the NYC Department of Education

"This year, 7,722 students – less than 10% of all students who applied – did not have a match after the main round. The DOE will conduct an information fair for these students on April 7 and April 8 at Louis D. Brandeis High School (145 West 84th St., Manhattan). Students who participate in the supplementary round will receive their high school match by April 30."

So if you were not accepted to any of your choices please make sure to attend the information fair on April 7, 2008.

Editor's note: Students selected twelve (12) schools in order of preference...well according to DOE 80% of students were accepted to one of their five top choices....is this really good news....how happy would you be if you were selected to attend your third, fourth or fifth choice?

From NY metro -- Voices: School selection process still a mess

my view by Neil de Mause

MAR 31

It’s springtime, and the streets are filled with the sound of parents of 4- and 5-year-olds freaking out. This is normal behavior for March, when city parents traditionally bum-rush the schools of their choices and try by hook or by crook (or, according to persistent urban legend, gift of cookies) to get their kids to the front of the line. This year, though, the stress level is up a notch, thanks to a new application process: Parents of pre-Ks (and next year, kindergarteners as well) must send a form off to a central office — oddly, in Pennsylvania — and will later be notified where they’re placed. As Schools Chancellor Joel Klein explained, the goal is to “replace the numerous rules and timelines with a single, simple, fair process.”Fairer it may be — if nothing else, it’s hard to fit cookies into a P.O. Box. But simple? The form says kids will be admitted by a set priority list: siblings of existing students, then kids within a school’s zone and so on, untilresidents of New Zealand make up the back of the line. Sharp-eyed parents, however, will notice that they’re also asked to rank their top five schools. At last word, city officials said they’d first pick from the list of those ranking a school No. 1 — meaning our New Zealander could actually get in ahead of someone who lives across the street, if they ranked the school higher. Asked what would happen if a student ended up getting into none of their five choices, meanwhile, a schools spokesperson said he’d have to get back to me on that, then never did.The new admission process for gifted-and-talented programs is shaping up to be similarly wacktastic: After testing kids in January — part of the new regime of standardized tests that the city is spending millions on while slashing budgets elsewhere — the Department of Education won’t decide until May where in each district the gifted and talented classes will be located. (Will there be buses? No one knows.) And that’s if they even know by then how many kids qualify for the program; last week, at least one school told parents that test results, originally due in March, now wouldn’t be in until May 16.Of course, it wouldn’t be the New York City school system without some Keystone Kops bureaucracy. But if the chancellor’s new rules mean that June rolls around with parents still in limbo, it’s likely to be a long, hot summer.

NTYNeil deMause is a Brooklyn-based journalist whose writings can be found at demause.net and fieldofschemes.com.

metro

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After-School Programs - New York Times

To the Editor:Earlier this year, education advocates celebrated a historic increase in this year’s federal financing for 21st Century Community Learning Center that gave approximately 100,000 youth the opportunity to participate in enriching after-school programs. One month later, President Bush called for Congress to cut financing for 21st C.C.L.C. from $1.1 billion to just $800 million in his 2009 budget proposal, a cut that would leave 300,000 youth without such opportunities.

After-School Programs - New York Times

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LACASAS Kids Cash In On Financial Literacy

On Friday, March 28th... 20 fifth grade students from PS 84 and other local elementary schools learned a lot about banking and writing checks from representatives of Commerce Bank. Chi and Florence from the 86th Street and Columbus Avenue branch of Commerce Bank schooled LACASA Kids on how to convert their change into dollar bills using Commerce's Penny Arcade and the benefits of opening a savings account. LACASA Kids also learned banking terms such as: endorsement, payee, deposit, credit and debit. They went on to practice check writing and maintaining a check register....

Maia said she was ready to help her mother write all the checks to pay the household bills!

TCRecord:State and Local Laws that Harass Undocumented Immigrants

It is time for public school educators to take a stand against state and local anti-immigration laws that are motivated by a desire to force undocumented immigrant families out of their homes and communities. Undocumented immigration is a federal issue that must be addressed comprehensively by Congress—not by state legislators and city council people who are attacking this issue in a piecemeal and often punitive fashion. Individually and through our professional organizations, let us make clear that we oppose such laws because of the harm they cause to children, and let us make our voices heard.

TCRecord: Article

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Weaning Teenagers Off Gossip, for One Hour at a Time - New York Times

It would seem an odd, perhaps even absurd, announcement to make over a high school’s public address system.But at 11:15 each morning at the Stella K. Abraham High School for Girls on Long Island, the voice of Emi Renov, a 17-year-old junior, buzzes over the intercom, gently reminding her fellow students to refrain from gossiping for the next 60 minutes.Weaning Teenagers Off Gossip, for One Hour at a Time - New York Times

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Pre-Kindergarten Directory and Public School Application 2008-2009

Pre-Kindergarten Directory provides information about the New York City
Pre-Kindergarten programs that are available for the 2008-2009 school
year. These programs are in selected public schools and contracted
Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). You will find two lists of
schools (public school programs and CBO programs), their locations and
other important information regarding the application process included
in the directory.


Pre-Kindergarten Directory and Public School Application 2008-2009

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Insideschools.org Blog: Thousands turn out for Keep the Promises rally

Thousands of people braved the cold rain today to rally against the budget cuts outside City Hall. Tomorrow we'll all have pneumonia but today we can relish the thought of parents, students, teachers, and principals united to call for sustained support for the city's schools and their children. I didn't pay much attention to the various firebrand speakers — with their presence and creative signs, members of the crowd made the strongest statements.Insideschools.org Blog: Thousands turn out for Keep the Promises rally

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A Boy the Bullies Love to Beat Up, Repeatedly - New York Times

All lank and bone, the boy stands at the corner with his younger sister, waiting for the yellow bus that takes them to their respective schools. He is Billy Wolfe, high school sophomore, struggling.Moments earlier he left the sanctuary that is his home, passing those framed photographs of himself as a carefree child, back when he was 5. And now he is at the bus stop, wearing a baseball cap, vulnerable at 15.

A Boy the Bullies Love to Beat Up, Repeatedly - New York Times

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City streamlines pre-K application

Ten years ago, New York state offered the first universally-funded pre-kindergarten classes. But the problematic registration procedure - which often left new parents in the dark - will finally be a thing of the past.

View Original Article

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Restore After-School Funding in New York State

Advocates around the state are calling for an additional $30 million in the state budget to support after-school. This $30 million increase in funding to after-school is necessary to maintain the state's commitment to after-school programs, and ensure that all kids have a safe and supervised place to go once the school day ends.

View Original Article

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Telling Kids the Whole Truth

How much do you tell your kids about drugs, death or sex? Martha Leathe believes in being honest with her children, even when it makes her uncomfortable. Being honest with them, Leathe says, leads them to be more open and truthful with her.

View Original Article

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Teachers' Good Deeds Punished By Dept. of Ed

Under a new DOE program, those who teach lower-performing students likely will earn poor marks themselves. One Jamaica High School teacher asks: What kind of incentive is that?

View Original Article

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Harvard Promotes Public Service WithTuition Break

Harvard Law, Hoping Students Will Consider Public Service, Offers Tuition Break - New York Times

Concerned by the low numbers of law students choosing careers in public service, Harvard Law School plans to waive tuition for third-year students who pledge to spend five years

From the NY Times

A Home Remedy for Juvenile Offenders - New York Times

 

In Education News

City Wide Council on High School -- Opposes School Based Budget Cuts

Passed Unanimously, Meeting of January 13, 2008

THE CITYWIDE COUNCIL ON HIGH SCHOOLS

RESOLUTION IN OPPOSITION TO SCHOOL-BASED BUDGET CUTS AND TO JOIN THE “KEEP THE PROMISES COALITION” FIGHTING TO OPPOSE BUDGET CUTS

WHEREAS the Citywide Council on High Schools is a body of 10 elected parent members and one appointed student member created by Chancellor’s Regulation D-160 to “advise and comment on educational and instructional policy involving high schools;”

WHEREAS New York City has imposed an immediate 1.75 percent cut to schools;

WHEREAS a $100 million, mid-year cut will disrupt schools’ programs, schedules and staffing;

WHEREAS even if mid-year cuts were a last resort, opening the NYC Department of Education books would demonstrate whether the Central Administration could take these cuts, rather than imposing them on the schools;

WHEREAS the Mayor’s 2009 budget proposal cuts NYC education by $324 million;

WHEREAS the state budget proposes to give city schools nearly $200 million less than was expected in the Contract for Excellence, stalling progress in class size reduction, full-day Pre-K expansion, improving middle schools, programs for English language learners and other programs and services; and

WHEREAS the state is also proposing to cap building aid, which will slow school construction; thus be it

RESOLVED that the Citywide Council on High Schools opposes mid-year budget cuts to New York City’s public schools; and be it

RESOLVED that the Citywide Council on High Schools opposes school-based budget cuts already planned for next school year; and be it

RESOLVED that the Citywide Council on High Schools joins with other parents, community organizations, advocates, clergy, and labor in the “Keep the Promises Coalition,” in order to fight city and state education budget cuts now and in the foreseeable future.

Generation Change - Internships, Fellowships and Training

Parent Views on School Conditions and Public School System

Yesterday Class Size Matters released a report that shares the results of "..an independent parent driven-survey..," of school conditions and school system. Click image to download report.

Strycker's Bay/LACASA Vision for Schools

The vision for an ideal school would first and foremost promote a sense of community and collaboration among school administrators, teachers, parents, children and community partners.

Cooperation and collaboration among all stakeholders will promote a stimulating learning environment for students, staff, parents and community resulting in:

Teachers and Administrators working in partnership to develop and deliver stimulating and meaningful curriculum

Parents will trust school educators, administrators and community partners, insuring their cooperation and support

Community Partners will provide and coordinate year round extended and out of school learning and enrichment programs for all students

The school, as a community will work on setting high goals and expectations for children. This will help build confidence in their abilities, develop their work ethic, and fuel academic and personal growth. Furthermore, activities will be designed to help students achieve their academic potential regardless of their learning abilities. This will insure a sense of accomplishment for all students. To achieve this:

Curriculum would promote the discovery of student’s individual strengths, skills and interests

Provide a safe and nurturing environment for children to express themselves freely and without concern for criticism.

Finally our vision for the ideal school setting is…

A SCHOOL WHERE LEARNING IS ULTIMATE FUN!

Black History Month Music and Stories

Sunday, Feb 17, 2008
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Manhattan

Celebrate the African-American family experience with famed storyteller Christine Campbell and the Central Park Conservancy. This special musical storytelling performance will not only wrap you up in exciting and educational tales, it is quite interactive too! Be prepared to get up off your feet and move to live guitar music and sing-a-long songs.

This is part of the Central Park Conservancy's Black History Month programs. FREE.

ALL AGES. Pre-registration not required. For more information, please call (212) 794-4064.

Location: Central Park, Chess & Checkers House located mid-park at 65th Street.

CENTRAL PARK

More Information:
Phone number: (212) 794-4064

Manhattan School for Children's Open House

According to a post on the district3parents listserve ....

Manhattan School for Children's Open House is January 30th at 6pm in
the auditorium for the Upper Grades (6-8). We encourage families to
bring their children.

Manhattan School for Children
154 W 93rd St
New York, NY 10025
(212) 222-1450

Links

Education News

Martin Luther King

I Have A Dream

Posted Jan 11, 2007

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s powerful oratory skills are just as impressive today as when he gave his seminal civil rights speech.

Commission on School Government

New York City's Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum has, at the request of the State Assembly, created the Commission on School Government.

Visit The Site
VOICE YOUR OPINION
GET INFORMED
ITS YOUR CITY, YOUR SCHOOLS, YOUR CHILDREN!

From the website:

Mission Statement

Anticipating the expiration of the existing school governance law for New York City in 2009 and in response to a request from the Chair of Education Committee for the State Assembly, the Public Advocate for New York City has appointed a Commission on School Governance to independently study and make recommendations pertaining to the matter at hand. The Commission will carry out its charge by gathering pertinent information and soliciting advice from a wide and diverse group of citizens, organizations, educators, and experts. A report will be presented to the Public Advocate in a timely manner in order to help inform the State Legislature in its deliberations on this important question before the people of New York City and State.

The Commissioners are:

Stephen R. Aiello Chair
Lilliam Barrios-Paoli Co-Chair
David R. Jones Co-Chair
Vivian Cassaberry-Furby Commissioner
Clara Hemphill Commissioner
Joan McKeever-Thomas Commissioner
Jeany Persaud Commissioner
Bertrand B. Pogrebin Commissioner
Kim Sweet Commissioner
Jacqueline Wayans Commissioner
Joseph P. Viteritti Executive Director

Education News

UFT Task Force Meeting for Teachers, Parents, Community

Let’s Make it Better

We can create public schools that make our communities proud.

Join us in recommending

improvements in governing

New York City Public Schools

THE UNITED FEDERATION OF TEACHERS’ TASK FORCE

ON SCHOOL GOVERNANCE NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU!

All are invited

parents, educators, community members

Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 6 p.m.
Martin Luther King Jr. Education Complex,

122 Amsterdam Avenue (corner of 65th street)

Directions: 1 train to 66th street; 2, 3 or B to 72nd street; M7 or M11 bus

For more information contact: MONIQUE MCCOY 1-212-598-6835 mmccoy@uft.org

Wall Climbing in Central Park -- Sundays!

Youth Open Indoor Wall Climbing

Sunday, Jan 13, 2008
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Manhattan

The wall includes a small roof, steep angles, and an arete. Youth who have successfully completed our climbing course receive an annual pass for indoor wall climbing during open hours.

Day pass: $5 (includes all equipment).

Location: North Meadow Recreation Center, Central Park (mid-Park at 97th Street).

NORTH MEADOW RECREATION CENTER

NORTH MEADOW

More Information:
Phone number: (212) 348-4867

LACASA's Big Buddy Program

What I like about being a Big Buddy

Hi, my name is Johanna and my last name is Young. My age is 10. I’m in the fifth grade.

When I work with my little buddy I feel like a counselor or a grown up helping my kid.

Being a role model means being a leader to your little buddy and being a good big buddy. I think this is a good idea that LACASA after school came up with, because it’s a good learning experience.

From being a big buddy I learned that it takes time and you have to have patience with your buddy.

LACASA's Big Buddy Program helps build good relationships between program participants while introducing older students to responsibility and leadership. All the Big Buddy "reflections" are posted on LACASA bulletin boards in PS 84. Make sure to check them out the next time you are in the school.

Special Camp Fair for Children and Teens

January 26, 2008 Resources for Children with Special Needs, Inc. will present its Special Camp Fair to help parents and caregivers of children and teens with disabilities plan ahead for summer, from 11 AM to 3 PM. at the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, (Entrance to Fair on Columbus Ave. near W. 60th St.) NYC. For information call (212) 677-4650 or visit www.resourcesnyc.org.

Celebration!

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