April 30: Arbor Day

April 30 is Arbor Day.

"Arbor Day is a nationally-celebrated observance that encourages tree planting and care. Founded by J. Sterling Morton in 1872, it's celebrated on the last Friday in April."

How to celebrate Arbor Day.

EVENT: International Day of Action, May 2

International Day of Action – Sunday, May 2
Join people from around the world for a day of action!

The Day’s Events at a Glance
12:00 p.m. › Interfaith Convocation (Church Center for the United Nations)
1:30 p.m. › Assembly (7th Ave South of 41st St)
2:00 – 3:30 p.m. › Rally
3:30 p.m. › March across 42nd Street to the United Nations
4:00 – 6:00 p.m. › International Peace & Music Festival in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza

http://peaceandjusticenow.org/

Spring SPA Sessions

The Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy would like to invite you and your school community to the Spring SPA.

SPA offers sessions on a variety of topics to support parent leaders in various volunteer positions in our schools. Topics include PA/PTA Roles & Responsibilities, Parliamentary Procedures, Title I, and Teen Dating Violence. Parents can register for two workshops at each SPA session.

To register please have parents complete the attached form or call the Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy at (212) 374-4118. Registration forms can also be found on the OFEA site at http://schools.nyc.gov/Offices/OFEA/default.htm

WORKSHOP: Preparing for High School in NYC, FREE!

Brooklyn's Children's Day Parade

Brooklyn's Children's Day Parade

Saturday, May 15th, 10am - 1pm
The New York Aquarium
Surf Avenue at West 8th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11224

The Children's Day Parade is a collaboration between all the schools, parents and administration in each borough to celebrate our students and our achievements. We have a parade of students from participating schools either marching, cheering, playing music, dancing, etc announcing their love of NYC Public Schools. We invite our local elected officials, Borough Presidents, Community Superintendents and community organizations to partner with us as well. If you never attended the event or this will be your first time it has always been a very fun filled day for families.

Benefit for the Honorable Assemblywoman Annette M. Robinson

April 28: Africa Networking Panel

Wednesday, April 28

District 13 Family Advocacy Day has Community Outreach Opportunities

District 13 Family Day will be a family fun day with educational opportunities centering on the subjects of Health, Financial Literacy, and Continued Education. This community outreach event will take place at Von King Park on Saturday, May 22, 2010. We expect to have approximately 400 participants.

As you know our community has numerous resources available to its residents. Yet many people who live in this area are unaware of how close to home these services actually are. We invite you (your organization) to participate in this event and share in our outreach efforts to improve the lives of the families in the District 13 community.

There are several ways your organization can be a part of this day. You can:
1- Use this opportunity to do community outreach.
2- Present a workshop on one of our key topics.
3- Be a sponsoring partner and provide material support, in kind services or giveaways for this event.

Please contact Lorrie Ayers, Layers2@schools.nyc.gov (347-563-5331) or Precious Jones-Walker, pjoneswalker@schools.nyc.gov (718-636-3234) to let us know how you would like to support us. We are looking forward to working with your organization on this important community endeavor.

April 28: Africa Networking Panel

Wednesday, April 28

2010 Big Apple Job Fair

2010 Big Apple Job Fair

http://www.cuny.edu/news/features/bigapplejobfair.html

Date: Friday, April 23, 2010

Time: 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM: Breakfast Reception for Recruiters
11:00 AM - 4:30 PM: Job Fair (No entry after 4:00 PM)

Place:
River Pavilion & Galleria
The Jacob Javits Center
11th Avenue @ 34th Street
Manhattan

If you are an employer searching for a diverse, competitive, college-educated applicant pool, register now for the April 23, 2010 CUNY Big Apple Job Fair. Recruit for full- or part-time positions and internships.

This major university-wide recruitment event provides private and public sector employers with the unparalleled opportunity to source from the largest public urban university in the nation. Throughout its 21 year history, the Big Apple's rating among organizations remains exemplary:

Over 92% consistently report meeting all of their recruitment objectives.
In any given year, at least 70% are return participants. The most telling of all statistics, this attests to the fair's established reliability as a quality recruitment source.

Act now to reserve a space for your organization by registering on line. This is an event you won't want to miss.

Sponsored by The City University of New York Office of University Relations and
the CUNY Career Services Association.

MEETING: Fort Greene Peace, April 22

THE NEXT MEETING OF FORT GREENE PEACE WILL BE ON
THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 7:30PM
AT TILLIES
(Vanderbilt & DeKalb)

ALL WELCOME
We hope you can make it.
(If you plan on attending, please let us know so we kn ow how many
chairs to commandeer.)

Tentative agenda:

1. Participation in the International Conference, Peace Rally and
Festival in NYC May 2 (See link below.)
http://peaceandjusticenow.org/wordpress/
View the Brooklyn For Peace Flyer for this event:
http://www.brooklynpeace.org/may2/flyers/pdfs/may2_bfp_flyer.pdf

2. Consider joining with FUREE in several of their planned activities
coming up in the next few weeks.

3. The Brooklyn For Peace annual Peace Fair (May 15.)

4. Summing up our recent work and planning for the spring and summer.

--

4/16: Career Workshops in Bed Stuy

Bed Stuy: Career Workshops for Parents 4/16
Career Workshop:

This week's topic will cover how to conduct an informational interview to help get your foot in the door and how to respond to tough interview questions. This will be an interactive discussion that will be helpful to anyone who is returning to work after a break or is currently in the job search process.

Career Workshops for Parents: Networking and Interviewing
Location: Brooklyn Public Library, Marcy Branch
617 Dekalb Avenue (near Nostrand)
Date: Friday, April 16, 2010
Time: 12:00-1:30pm

For more info, email satyachheda@yahoo.com

CHANCELLOR KLEIN LAUNCHES NYC INNOVATION ZONE

CHANCELLOR KLEIN LAUNCHES NYC INNOVATION ZONE

Schools Expand on Traditional Learning Models, Further Personalize Instruction and Give Teachers New Tools

iZone Will Grow from 10 to 81 Schools, Creating New Models for Districts Nationwide

Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today announced the launch of the New York City Innovation Zone (iZone), a group of schools with innovative, cutting-edge approaches to personalizing instruction for every child. In all, 81 public schools will pilot new classroom models and instructional technologies that will accelerate learning and transform how content is taught. The iZone schools will challenge longstanding assumptions about education, departing from a traditional classroom model by providing teachers with new tools to individualize learning for every child.

Schools in the iZone will adopt new approaches to instruction, using online courses, adaptive technologies, and real-time data to help teachers create more targeted lessons. They will make better use of time, allowing for more flexible approaches to scheduling that extend learning throughout the school day and year. And a smaller number of schools will modify teacher roles, increasing the flexibility of staffing.

“Our iZone schools will innovate a model for educating children that has remained largely unchanged for more than a hundred years,” Chancellor Klein said. “We are giving teachers new tools that allow them to customize education more thoughtfully for every child, continuing a tradition of innovation in New York City public schools.”

“To be effective, our public schools need to update old practices and tools” Deputy Chancellor for Strategy and Innovation John White said. “With innovations involving time in school, teachers, and technology, we move closer to meeting the needs of all our students.”

“A new generation of learning tools enables us to think differently about instruction, time, progress, and staffing,” said Tom Vander Ark of Revolution Learning. “Some of the most innovative new school models in the world are emerging in New York City. The iZone will bring new practices and strategies to scale in a collaborative knowledge sharing network.”

In January, the Department of Education requested applications for schools to participate in the 2010-11 launch of the iZone, which began as a pilot program with 10 schools last year. Schools recommended by network leaders applied to participate in the iZone and 81 were selected through a process that included interviews and site visits.

Roughly half of iZone schools will pilot a “Virtual School” model, with some using online instruction for credit recovery and Advanced Placement courses, and others adopting a blended model that integrates online education with face-to-face learning. Another six schools will introduce “Time and Staffing” innovations, developing nimbler approaches to scheduling and staffing that increase learning time and foster greater teacher collaboration. Finally, 35 elementary schools will use “Adaptive Learning Technologies” that tailor instruction to each student’s knowledge and interests. These technologies provide real-time reports on student progress so that teachers focus their efforts on lessons students find most challenging.

The iZone is another example of how New York City is among the nation’s leading incubators of innovation in education. Last September, Chancellor Klein announced the creation of Quest to Learn, which uses computer gaming technology to frame learning for students in grades six through twelve. In March, the Department of Education opened as an afterschool program the “School of One”—a model that combines traditional teaching with cutting-edge instructional software, flexible classroom grouping and varying teacher assignments. School of One will expand to be part of the school day in three schools next fall.

The Innovation Zone is supported by a combination of local capital funds, stimulus funds, generous grants to The Fund for Public Schools from Cisco Global Education and the Ford Foundation, and research support from Harvard’s EdLabs.

Please visit http://schools.nyc.gov/community/innovation/izone/default.htm for more information on the innovations, links to schools, and videos about new tools for teachers offered in the iZone.

###

Contact: David Cantor / Matthew Mittenthal (212) 374-5141

Teen Dating Violence Forum

FACT #I

"In a NYC report, among students with a dating history, more than half [56%] reported experiencing physical dating violence"



FACT #2

"Thirty-two percent of students, both males and females, reported perpetrating one or more episodes of physical violence against their partners in the past year"



TEEN DATING VIOLENCE

"A COLLOQUIUM FOR CREATING BEST PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES FOR MOVING AHEAD"

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz

And Kings County District Attorney Charles J. Hynes

Invite you to attend

CREATING BEST PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES FOR MOVING AHEAD

Tuesday, April 27, 2010, 8:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Brooklyn Borough Hall Courtroom



Moderator:

Stephanie Nilva, Esq.
Executive Director, Day One


Panelists:

Catherine Stayton, DrPH, MPH
Director, Injury Epidemiology Unit
Bureau of Epidemiology Services

Naomi R. Shatz
Staff Attorney & Skadden Fellow
New York Civil Liberties Union

Kirsten M. deFur, MPH
Director of Research & Prevention Programs
Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence

Farahnaz Rodriquez
Teen Dating Violence Program Coordinator Victim Services Unit
Office Of District Attorney, Kings County


Light Breakfast Provided

Sponsored by:
Brooklyn Borough President's Task Force on Teen Violence, Women Against Violence

Send RSVP's to xrose@brooklynbp.nyc.gov or call 718-802-3761

Youth Opportunities Program

Appalachian Mountain Club's (AMC) Youth Opportunities Program (YOP) in New York and New Jersey. YOP offers outdoor leadership and skills training to youth workers so that they may in turn lead the youth they serve outdoors.

Scholarships are available. Download an application at www.outdoors.org/yop/apply

Open House:
April 15, 8 - 11 am
May 4 , 10 am - 1 pm
June 24, 1 - 3 pm & 5 - 7 pm
Attached Open House flyer

Questions concerning the Youth Opportunities Program, contact:
Sebastien Venuat
NY/NJ Youth Opportunities Program Coordinator
Appalachian Mountain Club
c/o Strive International
240 East 123rd Street
New York, NY 10035-2038
Phone: 917-364-0056
Fax: 908-362-5678
svenuat@outdoors.org
www.outdoors.org

Bed Stuy: Career Workshops for Parents 4/16

Career Workshop:

This week's topic will cover how to conduct an informational interview to help get your foot in the door and how to respond to tough interview questions. This will be an interactive discussion that will be helpful to anyone who is returning to work after a break or is currently in the job search process.

Career Workshops for Parents: Networking and Interviewing
Location: Brooklyn Public Library, Marcy Branch
617 Dekalb Avenue (near Nostrand)
Date: Friday, April 16, 2010
Time: 12:00-1:30pm

For more info, email satyachheda@yahoo.com

World of Money program

World of Money empowers youth with a sound financial foundation based on 5 tenets for a financially responsible life: learn, earn, save, invest and donate.

Learn more at: http://www.worldofmoney.org/

Youth will take a day trip to Washington DC
Open or close the NASDAQ
Participate in a day of service
Attend a week of classes for 1 week

The last chance to register and attend an orientation is this week Tuesday, April 13th. If you can't make the orientation please contact WOM office.

VDAY HARLEM 2010

V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery.

Our Harlem production of The Vagina Monologues will feature women of all different backgrounds and career paths organizing and performing this Phenomenal and Fierce work to raise money and awareness for the 2010 Spotlight: The Women and Girls of the Democratic Republic of Congo and our local beneficiary, Steps to End Family Violence

This year we will be having THREE shows because of the incredible outpouring of support we had last year: 4 PM, 6 PM, and an 8 PM show with a reception. Tickets will be $15 for the 4 PM and 6 PM shows, and $25 for the 8 PM show and reception.

Get your tickets at Brown Paper Tickets (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/103907). We'd especially love if you could join me at the 8pm show as there is a reception directly following with free food, beer and wine. Seating is limited, and both shows sold out completely last year, so buy your tickets fast!

For those of you who will not be able to make it, please take some time to read about the V-DAY movement against violence towards women and girls, and donate whatever you can – every little bit truly helps, whether it’s $5 or $50. DONATE (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3878579).

Thank you so much for your support!

The Cast & Crew

Organizers:
Tiffany Johnson & Sheebani Patel

Performers:
Janine Blunt
Kiku Chaudhuri
Melissa Corbett
Candice Gordon
Tiffany Johnson
Sweta Kapadia
J.J. Orgera
Sheebani Patel
Rebecca Rafelson
Sarah Schlein
Lesley Younge
Lisa Sheth

Buy your tickets at Brown Paper Tickets:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/103907

VDAY HARLEM 2010

PUBLIC NOTICE: Regulation of the Chancellor

REGULATION OF THE CHANCELLOR

Number: A-660

Category: STUDENTS

Subject: PARENT ASSOCIATIONS AND THE SCHOOLS

I. Description of the subject, purpose and substance of the proposed item under consideration and identification of all substantial revisions to the item.

Chancellor's Regulation A-660, Parent Associations and the Schools, is a revised regulation. It sets forth the governance structure of parent associations and presidents’ councils.

Following, the initial posting of the revision to A-660 on December 11, 2009, the Department of Education (“DOE”) received several comments from the public expressing concern over the following: (1) PAs conducting raffles as a fundraising activity; (2) DOE employees being eligible to serve as mandatory officers (e.g. president, secretary, and treasurer) of a PA; and (3) members of the Community and Citywide Education Councils serving on the executive board of a PA.

After a review of the public comments, the following revisions were made to the language of the proposed regulation and were posted on December 30, 2009: (1) PAs may conduct raffles in accordance the provisions of the New York State General Municipal Law and applicable regulations of the New York State Racing and Wagering Board; (2) DOE employees, who are not employed at the school which their children attend, may serve as mandatory officers of the executive board; and (3) members of the Panel for Educational Policy, Community and Citywide Education Councils may serve on a PA’s executive board.

Since the December 30, 2009 posting of the regulation, the DOE received several comments from the public that
the Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council (“CPAC”) should be included in the regulation. In response to these comments, the DOE has revised the regulation to include provisions pertaining to CPAC.


II. Summary of all public comments received following the initial public notice.

These comments are summarized as follows:

Raffles: One commenter requested clarification as to whether the law permits a PA for a new school to conduct raffles, and another requested more information about the DOE’s raffle policy. In response, the DOE is proposing a revision to the regulation that would add the following language: only PAs in existence for 3 years qualify to hold any raffling events. Additionally, to assist PAs in understanding the rules relating to raffles a Parent Association Guide to Raffles will be made available online at http://schools.nyc.gov/parentleadership.
PA Eligibility: One commenter opposed the lifting of the prohibition against DOE employees serving as a mandatory officer for any PA. Another commenter suggested that members of the Community and Citywide Education Councils not be allowed to serve on the executive board of a PA to avoid any conflict-of -interest.

Fundraising and Financial Affairs: The regulation should allow fundraising activity for humanitarian causes. In response, the DOE is proposing a revision to the regulation that would add the following language: on a case-by-case basis, the Chancellor may permit PAs to raise monies for humanitarian causes.

Other comments pertaining to fundraising and financial affairs are as follows: (1) there should be no restrictions on PA fundraising activities; (2) PAs should be permitted to hold fundraisers at schools; (3) PAs should not be required to obtain the approval of their general membership prior to initiating fundraising activities; (4) the general membership should vote on expenditures only as part of reviewing the PA’s annual budget; (5) the interim and annual financial activity reports should be optional and PAs should be permitted to submit forms that are generated by financial management software; (6) the annual report should not be due before July 15 of each school year; (7) PA financial activity reports should not be posted in a school that shares space with another school; and (8) PAs should not have to submit a check endorsed to the school to the Senior Grants Officer at the Integrated Service Center/Children First Network.

PA Elections: (1) when a co-officer resigns, the remaining officer should decide whether she/he wants to serve with an additional person and an expedited election should be held; and (2) the provisions limiting the distribution of campaign materials should be removed.

PA and PC Membership Meetings: (1) the bylaws should not specify the day and time of meetings because the 10 day written notice requirement is sufficient; (2) PAs should be required to survey the parent members to determine the date and time for general membership meetings to be held; (3) PAs should determine quorum requirements; and (4) PAs and PCs should meet with the general membership a minimum of four times per school year.

Additional Comments: (1) the resignation of two mandatory officers should not cause a PA to cease to function; (2) the Grievance Review Committee, rather than the Chief Family Engagement Officer, should decide grievances concerning aggressive speech; (3) the provision prohibiting the use of aggressive speech should be removed from the proposed regulation; (4) the regulation should address representation on the district and borough level for schools (grades 6-12); (5) PA designees and alternates for PC membership should be determined by vote of the PA Executive Board; (6) the term “officer” in the regulation should refer to mandatory officers (i.e. president, secretary, and treasurer), not the executive board; (7) the regulation should use the term “calendar days” instead of “school days;” (8) e-mail should be sufficient notice of meetings; (9) PC elections should be held prior to the third Friday in June; (10) the regulation’s summary of changes should reflect changes made to the February 2006 version of the regulation; (11) the changes to the regulation should not be effective until the 2010-2011 school year; (12) eligibility to vote for PC in June should be clarified; and (13) expedited elections, not succession should be used to fill vacancies.

III. Information regarding where the full text of the proposed item may be obtained.

The full text of the proposed item can be found on the main page of the PEP website: http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/leadership/PEP/default.htm


IV. The name, office, address, email and telephone number of the city district representative, knowledgeable on the item under consideration, from whom information may be obtained concerning the item and to whom written or oral comments regarding the item under consideration can be submitted.

Name: Melissa Harris
Office: Office for Family Engagement and Advocacy
Address: 52 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10007
Email: PApolicy@schools.nyc.gov
Phone: 212-374-5194

IV. Date, time and place of the PEP meeting at which the Board will vote on the proposed item under consideration.

April 20, 2010
6:00pm
Prospect Heights High School
883 Classon Avenue, Brooklyn

Bed Stuy Healthy Living Series

VDAY HARLEM 2010

V-Day is a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM) and sexual slavery.

Our Harlem production of The Vagina Monologues will feature women of all different backgrounds and career paths organizing and performing this Phenomenal and Fierce work to raise money and awareness for the 2010 Spotlight: The Women and Girls of the Democratic Republic of Congo and our local beneficiary, Steps to End Family Violence

This year we will be having THREE shows because of the incredible outpouring of support we had last year: 4 PM, 6 PM, and an 8 PM show with a reception. Tickets will be $15 for the 4 PM and 6 PM shows, and $25 for the 8 PM show and reception.

Get your tickets at Brown Paper Tickets (http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/103907). We'd especially love if you could join me at the 8pm show as there is a reception directly following with free food, beer and wine. Seating is limited, and both shows sold out completely last year, so buy your tickets fast!

For those of you who will not be able to make it, please take some time to read about the V-DAY movement against violence towards women and girls, and donate whatever you can – every little bit truly helps, whether it’s $5 or $50. DONATE (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=3878579).

Thank you so much for your support!

The Cast & Crew

Organizers:
Tiffany Johnson & Sheebani Patel

Performers:
Janine Blunt
Kiku Chaudhuri
Melissa Corbett
Candice Gordon
Tiffany Johnson
Sweta Kapadia
J.J. Orgera
Sheebani Patel
Rebecca Rafelson
Sarah Schlein
Lesley Younge
Lisa Sheth

Buy your tickets at Brown Paper Tickets:
http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/103907

APRIL 10: NYC City-Wide Parent Conference

VDAY HARLEM 2010