Lincoln Center Comes to LACASA!

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Originally uploaded by Strycker's Bay.

Through improvisation, storytelling and acting, students from the LACASA Lincoln Center Drama Team put together different renditions of "The Frog Bride.' LACASA's Lincoln Center drama team is broken down into two groups; K-2nd grade led by Barbara Tirrell and 3rd-5th grade led by April Armstrong. The two groups met weekly every Wednesday. The weekly workshops consisted of drama excercises, reading, writing, drawing and acting. Students from the drama team were also treated to two performaces of the "The Frog Bride" by David Gonzalez. Throughout their 14 week session, the students learned to bring forth their inner dramatic sides. With intense analyzation of the "The Frog Bride", students created, illustrated, and acted out their own versions of the "The Frog Bride". Through intensive organization and preparation, the K-2nd grade group led by Ms.Tirrell, created a DVD with the cast of the entire class, depicting the original version of the 'The Frog Bride'. Their efforts were recognized and greatly acknowledged by parents and staff during the final day of Lincoln Center. April Armstrong's 3rd-5th grade students used improvisation and created their own verisons of the 'The Frog Bride'. The students picked out scenes from the story and modified them to fit their interest. Some students even went to the length of changing the entire story line and only keeping the characters names. April Armstrong's team performed for parents and staff on the final day of Lincoln Center. Their performances were very much enjoyed.

Parents Sue Department of Education for Violating State Law By Closing Schools Without Community Input | NYCLU

Parents Sue Department of Education for Violating State Law By Closing Schools Without Community Input | NYCLU

Public school parents, guardians and community leaders filed suit
against the city Department of Education today for violating state
education law by making zoning changes that affect neighborhood schools
without approval from Community Education Councils, effectively denying
parents and children access to neighborhood schools without a voice in
the process.

NYCLU's Link to PDF Lawsuit Document

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Musical Books

Musical Books
Originally uploaded by Strycker's Bay.

First graders at the LACASA program sit together to play musical books. The entire theory behind 'musical books' is derived from musical chairs itself. Students rotate around the chairs to the sound of music until it is stopped and they are prompted to sit and read a book.

Soccer Stars Coming to LACASA.....

Soccer Stars Coming to LACASA.....
Originally uploaded by Strycker's Bay.

LACASA is anticipating the arrival of soccer stars this spring. We are currently enrolling students to participate. Due to overwhelming interest, there are limited slots available. Reserve your slot today!

LACASA's High School Interns

LACASA's High School Interns
Originally uploaded by Strycker's Bay.

Led by Jason Acosta, LACASA's High School Internship program is home to 15 high school students who reside within the five boroughs of the city. The interns work alongside LACASA's staff to engage students and stimulate their interest while promoting academic and recreational enrichment activites. Through their work at LACASA, the interns are given the opportunity to build leadership skills. We look forward to extending this program through the years to come. For more information, please contact LACASA at (212)874-3098.

Spotlight on Kindergarten

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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

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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!