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The Talented and Gifted School for Young Scholars (TAG) is one of New York City’s five public citywide gifted and talented (G&T) schools. Founded in 1989, TAG is located in the vibrant neighborhood of East Harlem and serves grades K-8.
TAG has the most diverse student body of the five citywide G&T schools. Our students are exceptional, with incoming kindergartners scoring in the 99th percentile on a national test used to determine admissions to gifted programs in NYC. In general, TAG students work at least one year above their grade level. TAG consistently ranks as one of the top performing schools in NYC and received an overall grade of “A” in its most recent progress report. TAG was also the recipient of the Blackboard Award for Outstanding Elementary and Middle School in 2013. Mayor Bloomberg recognized TAG as one of the top 22 schools in NY State in 2013.  We need to vote in the CEC elections. Although there are other candidates, here’s the list of Candidates from TAG (04M012): Anna Burns Kasha Cacy Rafaela Gittens Nian Liu Scott Pactor Click for a full list of all D4 CEC candidates. Click to view recording of the D4 CEC Candidates’ forum. Reminder, you have one vote per child, each vote has 3 selections. Only ONE parent per school will be selected, please choose wisely. Do not hesitate to contact me, Rasheedah Harris D4 President for D4 Presidents’ Council, if you have any questions or require support through this process. Rasheedah Harris (rasheedahBharris@gmail.com, 917 767 6624). Please share below message far and wide: It's time to vote for the CEC members. Please spread the word. Please forward this on and post all over social media, if you can. Translations in all 9 languages are below. Please ensure our ESL families receive the translated. Connect with your parents and legal guardians to assist them in participating in this process, however you can. History begins today! On Saturday May 1, for the first-time parents will have the ability to make a direct impact in our school community by voting in the Education Council Elections. To vote, you will need a NYC Schools Account with at least one student registered. If you do not have an account, click here to sign up . If you need help signing up for an account, please reply to this email and I will guide you through the process. Visit schools.nyc.gov/Elections2021 to get to know the candidates and vote from your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone before May 11. Questions? Call 311. Community and Citywide Education Councils give parents a strong voice in NYC education. Voting in these elections gives you the opportunity to help determine how that voice is used.
شاهد مقطع فيديو قصيرًا عبر الإنترنت لمزيد من هناالمعلومات
Gade yon videyo kout sou entènèt pou plis enfòmasyon Isit la Regardez une courte vidéo en ligne pour plus d'informations Ici আরও তথ্যের জন্য অনলাইনে একটি ছোট ভিডিও দেখুন এখানে 在线观看简短视频以获取更多信息 这里 자세한 내용은 온라인으로 짧은 비디오를보십시오. 여기 посмотрите короткое видео онлайн для получения дополнительной информации Здесь Vea un video corto en línea para obtener más información AQUI مزید معلومات کے لئے ایک مختصر ویڈیو آن لائن یہاںدیکھیں A strong PTA is vital to our school community. By participating in the PTA Executive board you will have an opportunity to develop and expand on the tradition of academic excellence, social and academic enrichment and community building that help make TAG a place where all of our children can thrive.
Please consider nominating yourself or someone else for the election.  For a recent update from the Office of Family and Community Empowerment, click the FACE logo above.
 “Evergreens might not mind winter, but for all the other trees, spring is a great re-leaf.”
With Spring around the corner, it’s a time for renewal and for a refresh. What better time to relaunch the iPledge initiative. Donating both finances and time is more important than ever. The suggested donation is $1,250 per scholar, however, any amount you can contribute directly benefits our scholars and our TAG community, whether blended or remote. Our fundraising efforts allow us to support critical programs/initiatives such as:
Whereas progress has been made, we still have a distance to go to be able to continue these vital programs. These programs do so much to enhance our scholars' TAG experience. Please visit the iPledge page on the PTA website to pledge your support for our community. We will be awarding the class that raises the most through iPledge a special treat. TAG PTA is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization and your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Message from the NYC Department of Education Elementary Admissions Team:
Join us for a virtual Gifted & Talented Information Session! At each event, we’ll share an admissions presentation and answer your questions. Sessions will be held on the following dates and times—please use the links and information below to join the session best suited to you and your family’s language preferences: Thursday, March 18 from 6-7pm | Interpretation provided in Arabic, Urdu, and Haitian Creole
Tuesday, March 23 from 6-7pm | Interpretation provided in Russian, Korean, and French
Thursday, March 25 from 6-7pm | Interpretation provided in Bangla, Mandarin, and Spanish
We are here to support you throughout the admissions process! If you have questions, you can:
 The NYCDOE has provided some resources to remind us this month that Black history is American history:
The Morning Bell commemorates Black History Month Center for Racial Justice in Education, Black History Month Resource Guide for Educators and Families and Black History Month Resources #2 Two collections including dozens of resources organized into categories to support the integration of Black history and experiences in school curricula and at home. NYCDOE School Library System, Black History Month: Remembering the Past Shaping the Future Collection A collection of 333 ebooks and 112 audiobooks for young people relating to the Black experience in the US and beyond. Available to NYCDOE students and teachers by logging into the Sora app with their NYCDOE credentials. New York Times, Honor and Learn This Black History Month List of cultural and historical events occurring in February to honor Black History Month with registration links. New York Public Library, Black History Month at NYPL The New York Public Library celebrates Black History Month throughout February with live online events and programs, blog posts, recommended reading, and a wide array of digital resources available to anyone with a library card. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Black Liberation List for Teens and Black Liberation Reading List for Kids For 95 years, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture has preserved, protected, and fostered a greater understanding of the Black experience through its collections, exhibitions, programs, and scholarship. In response to the uprisings across the globe demanding justice for Black lives, the Schomburg Center has created a Black Liberation Reading List. The titles on the list represent books we and the public turn to regularly as activists, students, archivists, and curators, with a particular focus on books by Black authors and those whose papers we steward. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Public Programming A listing of the public events hosted by the Schomburg Center for the month of February. National Geographic Kids, Black History Month A short reading about the history of Black History Month for elementary school readers. Focus Question for Black History Month: What is Black History Month and how did it develop? Discussion Questions:
USA Today, Why Is Black History Month In February? How Do You Celebrate? Everything You Need To Know Article with a short history of Black History Month and a discussion about how to expand the teaching of Black history beyond the month of February. Focus Question for Why Is Black History Month In February?: Why is Black History Month important? DIscussion Questions:
NYC Parks and Recreation: Black History Month: Black History in Queens Bailsey Boulevard and 177th Street February 6, 2021, from 12:00 p.m.–1:00 p.m. Celebrate Black History Month in Parks with the Urban Park Rangers. This program highlights the significance of Queens for notable and impactful Black historical figures throughout history. The YMCA has launched a Gift card give away, if you refer a parent to the program, both receive a gift card. The YMCA after school program is operating (in-person and virtually) and are still accepting new applications for elementary and middle school students to join. Please consider joining if you’re able. We hope to all be back to working abs full time in-person schooling one day soon and we’d like to still have the ymca after-school program as an option for us. To help sustain this program, we can enroll our children now, in-person or virtually as a way to support. Elementary Section / Grades K-5: Due to COVID-19 Vanderbilt YMCA/COMPASS operates Monday -Friday in person service 2:00pm to 5:00 pm. Remote service from 2:30pm-4:30 pm. Children in the Y receive a cold snack , homework help, expressive arts, SEL and elective classes that supports STEM, ELA, Math, Social Studies, that aligned with the Common Core Standards. In addition, the Y provides Holiday Camp when school is closed (selected Holidays) & Summer Camp. To register click link for online enrollment HERE For additional information, please contact Ms. Andrea Scott at (917) 575-4021 or email ascott@ymcanyc.org Middle School Section / Grades 6-8: Due to COVID_19 The Vanderbilt YMCA / SONYC operates Monday -Friday in person 2:00pm to 5:00 pm and Remote service from 2:30pm-4:30pm. We offer, cold snack, a club-based activities that provides engaging and enriching activities based on the current Common Core, Math Club, STEM, and literacy standards in education. Students select clubs based on their interests, and pick 4 different elective periods over the span of the school year. To register click link for online enrollment HERE Please contact Mr. Kenneth Melendez for additional information at 347-514-4318 or email kmelendez@ymcanyc.org   The next General PTA meeting will be a video conference held on
Tuesday January 19th, 6:00 PM Meeting Agenda Includes: New Principal Search with Dr. Kristi de la Cruz, our District 4 Superintendent Please join us and have your voice heard! Watch your email for the Zoom link! The following is an update from the Office of Family and Community Empowerment:  A Year in Review
This has been one of the strangest, longest, and most challenging years that many of us have encountered. We’ve learned to live virtually and have experienced the thrills and defeats of remote learning and working. We have missed weddings, parties, live sports, concerts, and singing in our choirs. And yet, even faced with the ever-changing circumstances of the pandemic, we have much to be grateful for. We came together as a community to support the families and children of New York City and accomplished wonderful things together. FACELab Thank you to our parents, teachers, principals and superintendents from Districts 7, 16, and 29, for all of your amazing work with FACELab. FACE, our partners, Makeosity, Inc., Robofun and ReLearning Curve were able to create a curriculum that allows students and parent volunteers to be introduced to electrical engineering while working from home. During the 12-week program, over 75 students created electrical circuits and a model airport with a runway, control tower, hanger, and airplane by using electrical components and real engineering tools with the assistance from our mentors and trained parent volunteers. We are grateful for our partners, Karen Kaun of Makeosity Inc, Laura Hart and her team at Robofun and Josephine Imbimbo of ReLearning Curve. Thank you to the students, staff, and parents of PS 156 (29Q156), Concourse Village (07X359), Brooklyn Brownstone (16K628), Brighter Choice (16K627), PS 26 (16K026). Special thanks to Karen Hymes of the Office of Family and Community Engagement at the New York State Education Department for her support and mentorship of the My Brother’s Keeper (MBK) grant that funded our program. Please check out our students’ AMAZING work at the Make Everything Possible Website. Parent University FACE launched Parent University in November of 2020. Parent University is a course registration and management system where NYC families can find free trainings on a wide range of topics. Parent University serves all families, from early childho-od through adulthood, and seeks to educate and empower them as partners and advocates through free courses, resources, events, and activities. As of this date, there are 158 courses on Parent University, with 23,000+ users and 78,000 views. Public Meetings and Parent Leader Supports FACE, in close collaboration with DOE partners has hosted, managed, or supported: · 17 Citywide listening tours, information sessions and office hours to an audience of over 100,000 · 1110+ weekly check ins with Citywide and Community Education members · 1140+ weekly check ins with President’s Council members · 400+ CCEC Business and Calendar meetings · 300+ Presidents’ Council Meetings · 13 CEC Town Halls with the Chancellor · 30+ weekly briefings with Adrienne Austin and ECC’s steering committee and CPAC’s executive board · 30+ FACE End of Week Wrap Up Newsletters to 6,000+ family facing DOE staff and elected parent leaders Provided Professional Development and Training: · 10 CEC Trainings for Citywide, Community Education members and Administrative Assistants · 36 Trainings for PA/PTA/SLT members · 38 Staff Professional Development sessions, ranging from technology supports at home to mental health supports for families We did all this with you as partners every step of the way, and we know that you have also done so much as well! A huge thank you to all our parent teacher and parent association members and officers, Presidents Councils members, Chancellor’s Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) members, community and citywide education council members, Education Council Consortium (ECC) members, administrative assistants, advocates, parent coordinators, family leadership coordinators, family support coordinators and educators who have kept our schools and city running. Your care and compassion for our children and their families as been the shining light in dark times. We are so grateful for all that you do! NEW POLICY Screened Middle Schools and High School Enrollment September 2021 Today, the Mayor and Chancellor announced the elimination of the academic screens in Middle School admissions and the elimination of geographic screens/priorities in High School admissions. Thank you to all of our parent leaders and community partners who provided ideas and recommendations on how to ensure a fairer and more equitable admissions process for next year. We will be following-up with more details in the coming weeks: Middle School: · All middle school screens will be paused for this year. This includes academic screens, school-based assessments, composite scores, and auditions. Students will be admitted through a lottery-based system. · District and geographic priorities, as well as Diversity in Admissions priorities, will still apply for those middle schools that have them. · The middle school application will open the week of January 11. High Schools: · Geographic priority for admissions will be eliminated over a 2-year period, beginning with the immediate elimination of district priority, followed by other geographic priorities in the next admissions cycle. · In consultation with their school communities, screened high schools can choose to remove their screens, utilize the Educational Option admissions method, or maintain academic screening. For those that maintain academic screening, we encourage schools to implement a Diversity in Admissions priority. · Schools that choose to maintain academic screening will be able to use a combination of students’ 2018-2019 state tests and grades, and the grades from the first part of last year for their screening criteria. Schools that have used their own assessments may continue to do so as long as those assessments can be administered equitably, fairly, and safely. · Arts high schools will move to a common virtual audition system that will allow students to submit their audition materials online. Students will only need to create one audition that can be submitted for all schools that require it. · The high school application will open the week of January 18. · Additionally, we are required by State law to administer the Specialized High School Admissions Test (SHSAT). To ensure health and safety of our staff and students, the exam will be administered in students’ own middle schools to reduce travel and different cohorts of students intermixing. Test registration will open in myschools.nyc on Monday, December 21, 2020. For more information and details about middle and high school enrollment, please visit the DOE’s website. EVENTS FOR PARENTS AND FAMILIES Parent University is ALWAYS Open Parent University is for all parents and family members and is always open! Parent University is a course registration and management system where NYC families can find free trainings on a wide range of topics. Parent University serves all families, from early childhood through adulthood, and seeks to educate and empower them as partners and advocates through free courses, resources, events, and activities. Check out some of our upcoming featured live courses: · Post Secondary Funding Options - 1/6/2021 @ 6:00 pm · Job Retention and Self Advocacy in the Workplace – 1/6/2021 @ 6:00 pm · Work Based Learning for Families – 2/3/2021 Or check out our on-demand offerings, such as Google Classroom, How to Use Text to Understand Unknown Words or Phrases, Tweens, Teens, Tech and Mental Health, and so much more! You can check out the site here: https://parentu.schools.nyc/ For more information, including flyers in different languages please visit the DOE’s Family Empowerment site. Virtual Elementary Admissions Event Learn about 3-K, pre-K, and kindergarten admissions. Find out what to expect and how to apply. All New York City families are welcome to attend. Sessions will be held on: · Wednesday, January 6 at 6pm · Thursday, January 7 at 6pm (Spanish only) · Tuesday, January 12 at 2pm Click here to register—please register for just one event. When you register, be sure to indicate your language preference; interpretation services will be provided according to demand. We are here to support you throughout the admissions process! If you have questions, you can: · Call us at 718-935-2009 or · Email us at ESEnrollment@schools.nyc.gov Celebrar & Elevar Workshop to Support Remote Learning with Spanish-Speaking Families The DOE, in partnership with Ramapo for Children, is offering “Celebrar & Elevar,” a workshop in Spanish about strategies for families to strengthen their connection when they are learning remotely. Families may attend any of the following sessions: · January 6, from 5:30-6:30PM Please share this workshop and flyer with your Spanish-speaking students and families. Participants may register for any of these sessions here: https://rb.gy/l9jzej. PA/PTA Financial Reporting Training Tuesday, January 12th, 2020 10:00 am FACE has been hosting a series of trainings for parent leaders and DOE colleagues. The next virtual training will be on PA/PTA Financial Reporting and will demonstrate how to complete financial reports for PA/PTAs. Join us at 10 am on January 12th: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83195079224?pwd=RjVLNitqQ0R0bmdyc3R5dEdtU0ZhZz09 Or Telephone: Dial 646 558 8656 Webinar ID: 831 9507 9224 Passcode: 035287 New Annual School Leadership Team (SLT) Webinar We are excited to announce the new Annual School Leadership Team (SLT) webinar! The video is kicked off by DOE, UFT, CSA, DC37, and Parent Leaders, as a united front in support of SLTs. The webinar covers topics such as SLT/DLT membership roles and responsibilities, CEP development and school-based budgeting, related requirements for Title I schools, best practices, resources, and support for effective SLT/DLT operations. Collective viewing of the pre-recorded webinar will count towards the required annual SLT training for SLT member remuneration purposes (see this Remuneration Form). This webinar must be viewed by all SLT members, as well as BCO and superintendent teams. Please support schools regarding required activities summarized below: · Principals and SLT members must view the pre-recorded webinar together and discuss these sample guiding questions during their December or January SLT meeting. See this Top 10 SLT FAQ to support the discussion. · Principals must complete this survey to confirm the date of their December or January SLT meeting and identify the SLT members who attend, by February 1. · Ongoing support for SLTs will be provided by BCO/superintendent/FACE/DLTs. For SLT resources, visit the SLT support site and reach out to the FACE school based liaison or the BCO-assigned director of state and federal program implementation (DSFP). Shelf Help at the New York Public LibraryDiscover The New York Public Library’s (NYPL) new personalized book selection service!While browsing is limited, NYPL offers a friendly, adventurous alternative. Tell them your reading interests and they’ll pick five books for you!Get Shelf Help now! The New York Public Library offers a personalized book selection service through Shelf Help. Fill out the online form, call Ask NYPL, or drop off a request form at your local branch to receive new reads handpicked for you based on your interests. Await their signal then pick up a book bundle of five recommended reads. While many branches of the Library have reopened for grab-and-go service—and have welcomed back thousands of patrons—browsing remains limited at this time. To recreate the experience of discovery that patrons love, the Library is pleased to offer Shelf Help to anyone with an NYPL Library card. Get a digital library card through NYPL's app, SimplyE.There are three ways to request Shelf Help:1. Tell us about your reading interests here. 2. Call Ask NYPL (917-ASK-NYPL or 917-275-6975) to connect with a member of our team, Monday to Friday, 12 PM to 5 PM. For TTY service (Text Telephone for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing), dial 212-930-0020. We’ll ask you about your interests and take it from there.
Job Opportunity at the City Parks Foundation The Catalyst Grant Project Manager will report to the Director of the Catalyst program and track all goals and grant deliverables. The Project Manager will support a team of four Catalyst Organizers who lead Catalyst’s community engagement efforts in up to 16 high need communities and parks. The full job posting can be found here. Application must be received by December 21st.CONTACTInterested parties should email a cover letter and resume to: TEnoch@cityparksfoundation.org. Put “Catalyst Grant Project Manager” in subject header. City Parks Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Only potential candidates will be contacted. No calls, please. Students in Temporary Housing Supports Benefits Navigator We’re pleased to announce that the Office of Community Schools’ Students in Temporary Housing Team has just published their Benefits Navigator tool - a simple way for families to access a wide array of publicly available benefits and resources from the DOE and other city agency partners. UPDATES Community Meal Service There will be no food service available on the following dates. December 25th (Christmas Day) and January 1st (New Year’s Day). There will be food service available on the following dates from 12pm to 3pm only. December 24th (Christmas Eve) and December 28th-31st (Including New Year’s Eve). For more information about meals in New York City, check the Community Meals section on the DOE website. Chancellor’s Regulations Presidents' Council Election Certification Forms Presidents’ Councils are organizations of PA/PTA presidents (or designees) that represent the interests of parents within the respective district. Each community school district is required to have a Presidents' Council. Each borough is required to have a Presidents' Council for its high schools. Citywide Special Education (District 75) has a citywide Presidents' Council. Presidents' councils who have already completed their elections should send their certification form signed by the Superintendent/Designee to FACE@schools.nyc.gov. If the President will not be able to attend the Chancellor's Parent Advisory Council (CPAC) Meetings, please make sure the name of the designee who will represent the council on CPAC is indicated in the last section of the form. To support CPAC in establishing their council we ask that you send in election certification forms as soon as elections are completed. The link for certification forms can be accessed here or here. In Case You Missed It (ICYMI) It’s Our MoneyYoung people vote and decide on how to spend $100,000 to address their needs in this moment.The Civic Engagement Commission (CEC) is running a participatory budgeting process designed by youth, for youth, in partnership with the Coro New York Leadership Center PB Youth Fellowship Program. The goal of the project is to engage and empower young people to decide how to spend $100,000 of expense funding on projects that meet their needs, address their interests, and strengthen youth engagement across the city. Youth provider organizations will be invited to submit proposals that directly address the ideas and needs youth identify in the first stage of the project. Youth votes will determine the projects awarded. If you are a young person between the ages of 9-24, you are eligible to participate by submitting ideas and voting on projects that quality for an award. If you are an organization serving young people in the following communities (insert link), you can submit a proposal for up to 20K in funding. Visit https://www.participate.nyc.gov/processes/itsourmoney to learn more! Waiver to Chancellor’s Regulation A-660 On December 11, 2020, Chancellor Carranza signed a Waiver of Sections of Chancellor’s Regulation A-660. The full text is here, below is a summary of key provisions. · PA/PTAs who were unable to hold elections of their mandatory officers between 4.2.2020 and 10.31.2020 pursuant to the waiver issues on 5.5.2020 may request an extension to December 31, 2020 by submitting a request to FACE at FACE@schools.nyc.gov. · If a request to extend an extension of elections to December 31st has been granted, the terms of the PA/PTA officers can also be extended to December 31st, but no later than that date. · Presidents’ Councils who were unable to hold elections of their mandatory officers between 4.2.2020 and 10.31.2020 pursuant to the waiver issues on 5.5.2020 may request an extension to December 31, 2020 by submitting a request to FACE at FACE@schools.nyc.gov. · If a request to extend an extension of elections to December 31st has been granted, the terms of the Presidents’ Councils can also be extended to December 31st, but no later than that date. · PA/PTA meetings can be held virtually until September 2021. · PA/PTA’s deadline to submit the Annual Financial Report (extended to October 31st by the May 5th, 2020 waiver) was extended to November 16th, 2020. Chancellor’s Regulations -D-Regulations The DOE has proposed changes to Chancellor’s Regulations D-140, D-150, D-160 and D-170. These regulations address the process for the nomination and selection of the members of Community Education Councils (CR D-140), the Citywide Council on Special Education and the Citywide Council for District 75; the Citywide Council on High Schools (CR D-160) and the Citywide Council on English Language Learners (CR D-170). These proposed changes will be voted on by the Panel for Education Policy (PEP) at its January 27th, 2021 meeting. The proposed changes will be posted for public comment on the DOE’s website here: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/leadership/panel-for-education-policy The public comment period will be open until January 26 at 6:00pm. We encourage you to review them and give us your feedback. Electronic Devices for Students Whether they’re learning in-person or remote, we are committed to equipping every student with the resources they need to access a high-quality education, and we’ve delivered 62,000 new internet-enabled iPads to schools in the past four weeks. We’re working hard to get the remaining devices into the hands of students before winter break and will continue coordinating with schools to ensure their families’ device needs are met. We’re working aggressively to distribute the new batch of 100,00 internet-enabled iPads to schools, of which 62,000 have been delivered. Kindergarten Application Period Open Beginning Thursday, December 10th, children born in 2016 can apply to kindergarten for the 2021-22 school year. The application deadline is Tuesday, January 19, 2021. All families who apply by the deadline will receive a kindergarten offer in April. All families should participate in kindergarten admissions, including children currently attending pre-K, students with disabilities, English Language Learners, and students with accessibility needs. MySchools.nyc includes an online directory tool that allows families to explore program choices, save programs of interest and submit their application, all on the same site. Families can apply to Kindergarten in two ways, online at MySchools and over the phone by calling 718-935-2009. Announcement on Renewed Academic Priorities On Thursday, December 10th, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Chancellor Richard A. Carranza shared their 2021 Student Achievement Plan. The key principles are: · Leveraging the innovative work educators have done over the last eight months and making the best digital curricula available to all schools · Implementing diagnostic assessments to understand where students are and help teachers target instruction and accelerate learning gains · Phasing in a learning management system that enables a one-stop shop for all digital components of learning · Increasing professional learning · Expanding Parent University to bring family support into the home through digital courses in different languages COVID-19 Testing Report for Schools The DOE’s website has been updated to include the results of COVID-19 testing at individual public schools. Mandatory in-school testing is part of the Department of Education’s comprehensive effort to keep school communities healthy and safe and ensure our school buildings remain open. You can find citywide and borough-wide testing data below, as well as information for specific schools. The DOE testing site shows results from as recent as Monday, December 7, 2020. For more information visit the DOE Website at https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-year-20-21/return-to-school-2020/health-and-safety/covid-19-testing/covid-testing-results Big Apple Awards The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) is excited to announce the nomination period for the ninth annual Big Apple Awards. We encourage you to celebrate outstanding educators in your community bynominating them for the Big Apple Awards by January 10th. We need your help to highlight some of our city’s best teachers and celebrate the dedicated educators who serve our 1.1 million students. We hope you will help spread the word—and consider making a nomination yourself! To make a nomination, visit http://schools.nyc.gov/bigappleawards. Nominations accepted through Sunday, January 10 Click here for more information. IT Help Desk and Resources for Remote Learning for Families The DOE’s IT HELP DESK AND RESOURCES FOR REMOTE LEARNING in English, Spanish and Chinese, Arabic, Bengla/Bengali, French, Russian, Urdu, Korean and Haitian-Creole are here. This document outlines resources that are available to our families to support remote learning. The following is an update from the Office of Family and Community Empowerment:  This has been a challenging week. We had to make the difficult decision to close schools given the increasing infection rate of COVID 19 in the city. No-one wants to be in this situation – we know that. But we also know that we must make difficult decisions in order to reduce transmission and keep as many New Yorkers safe and healthy as we can.
We also know so much more than we did this time in March. We are better at teaching, working, and living remotely than we were when all this first began. Many of you have developed outstanding and innovative strategies for serving and supporting families during these times from watch parties, check ins, online trainings and phone calls. We’ve all become expert at Zoom, Google, Webex, and FaceTime. We will get through this closure, and this pandemic, and hopefully, be better and stronger for the experience. Please know that during this time of reflection before the Thanksgiving holiday that we are so immensely grateful for the strength, compassion and energy that you all bring every day. EVENTS FOR PARENTS Building Relationships and Engaging your Membership for Parent Leaders December 1st, 2020 at 10:00 am Please join us as FACE host a workshop where we share best practices to help you, as parent leaders, engage with your school community. Come ready to share and grow as we learn together how to build relationships and community, develop future leaders and create partnerships to support the parents and students in your schools and districts! When: Tuesday, December 1st, 2020 @ 10am Where: Zoom Webinar - https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87592084920?pwd=aHA3THVWRFlsMWxzWEtneStOenpDUT09 Dial-in number: US: +1 646 558 8656 Webinar ID: 875 9208 4920 Passcode: 201835 Family and Student Information Session Missed the November 12th or 19th Family and Student Information Session? You can view the recording here: https://learndoe.org/face/recordings/ For MLL/ELL students and families City University of New York Admissions Events Monday November 23rd and Tuesday November 24th - 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm For all families, especially junior and senior MLLs/ELLs CUNY Application Support – 11.23 and 11.24 Receive hands-on support in starting and completing an application to CUNY colleges. Held in the afternoons on November 23-24, and offered in Spanish, Mandarin, Bengali, and Russian. Students wanting to apply to CUNY are welcome. City Harvest Food Drive For 38 years, City Harvest and the Daily News have partnered to host the city’s largest food drive, taking place this year from Tuesday, October 20, 2020 through Friday, January 22, 2021. Our goal is to collect one million pounds of nutritious food, which we will deliver, free of charge, to hundreds of soup kitchens, food pantries, and other community food programs across the five boroughs. Find out how you can get involved this year by visiting City Harvest’s website UPDATES Parent University is Here! We’re delighted to let you know that Parent University is live. Parent University is for all parents and family members. Parent University is a course registration and management system where NYC families can find free trainings on a wide range of topics. Parent University serves all families, from early childhood through adulthood, and seeks to educate and empower them as partners and advocates through free courses, resources, events, and activities. You can check out the site here: https://parentu.schools.nyc/ For more information, including flyers in different languages please visit the DOE’s Family Empowerment site. Schools Temporarily Closed All along, we have kept health and safety at the forefront of everything we do. That includes carefully monitoring COVID-19 transmission rates across the city and, when necessary in response to infections, temporarily closing our school buildings and transitioning students to fully remote learning. Given recent increases in transmission, we have reached a point in our City’s infection rate that requires all students to transition to remote learning. Beginning Thursday, November 19, all school buildings will be closed, and all learning will proceed remotely for all students, until further notice. You will hear from your principal shortly about next steps for you and your student. Please note that this is a temporary closure, and school buildings will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so. Here’s a checklist to help parents prepare for this time of remote learning, including translations. Devices for Remote LearningDo you need a device, need technical support or to fix a broken device, or are dealing with a lost or stolen device? Call DOE’s IT Help desk at 718-935-5100 and press 5 to get assistance. You can also get quick help online:
We are committed to ensuring every student is learning 5 days a week. Your child’s school will support you in remote learning if you currently don’t have a device by providing paper-based work. Contact your school for more info. Free Meals for Students and FamiliesAll families and students can continue to go to any school building between 9:00 a.m. and noon on weekdays to pick up three free grab-and-go meals. No identification or registration is necessary. Halal and kosher meals are available at some sites, which are listed at schools.nyc.gov/freemeals. From 3-5 p.m., New Yorkers of all ages can pick up free meals at 260 Community Meals sites across the city. For a list of sites, please visit schools.nyc.gov/freemeals. Learning BridgesLearning Bridges, the City’s free childcare program for children in 3-K through 8th grade, will continue to serve families enrolled in blended learning. We will continue to give priority to children of essential workers, as well as students in temporary housing or residing in NYCHA developments, children in foster care or receiving child welfare services, and students with disabilities. Families can learn more and apply at schools.nyc.gov/learningbridges, and new offers will be made to families weekly as seats are available. Early Childhood Education3-K and Pre-K classrooms in district schools and DOE Pre-K Centers will be closed. If your child attends a program in a community-based center that is not located in a public school, or attends a family childcare program that is part of a DOE network, it will remain open. If you are not sure which type of program your child attends or have questions about your child’s services, please contact your program directly. Strong supports are in place to ensure that these sites can continue operating safely. Although we are temporarily shifting to fully remote teaching and learning for all students, if you have recently elected to enroll your child in blended learning, your child will be able to begin in-person learning after we reopen. I know that for many of you, this decision to temporarily close school buildings that we recently opened up will be disappointing, and I understand. But by confronting these challenges together, we can continue to fight back against COVID-19. And I am confident that before long, we will be able to safely reopen our school buildings again. Please remember the “Core Four”: wash your hands, wear a face covering, keep six feet of distance from others, and stay home if you’re feeling sick. These are critically important steps that all of us can take every day. We will continue to provide updates, supporting you and everyone in the DOE family as this public health crisis continues to evolve. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s school with any questions or concerns. We are grateful for your partnership and all you do for our city. Citywide and Community Education Council Elections Elections for Community and Citywide Education Councils will take place between February and May 2021 and this cycle promises to be historic! Thanks to the advocacy of Education Council members, NYS law was changed to allow parents of all NYC public school students to vote in these elections. In addition, voting for the Citywide Education Councils representing Special Education and English Language Learner communities was expanded to include all families of the students in these programs. We are excited about these changes! Are you ready to Run. Serve. Lead? As NYC School Account (NYCSA) is becoming a one-stop shop for student records and communications to parents, we have leveraged it to make the application and voting process more user-friendly and encourage maximum participation. Because NYCSA is the entry point for both applying and voting, it is imperative that all parents create an account and link all their children to it. We urge all Family Leadership Coordinators and Parent Coordinators to find creative ways to increase parent NYCSA sign-ups in their school communities. The Elections Team is available to provide technical assistance and to brainstorm solutions to remove all barriers to NYCSA creation. Details on the NYCSA account and ways to activate it can be found here https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/student-journey/nyc-schools-account. Please invite the Elections Team to your parent events and Parent Coordinator meetings for more in-depth conversations about the elections. We are looking forward to partnering with our families, parent leaders and colleagues to make these elections the most successful yet! ICYMI Big Apple Awards 2020 Nominations are Now Open!We are now accepting nominations for the Big Apple Awards! Nominations for teachers and college and career counselors will be accepted through January 10, 2021. Students, families, educators, school staff, and community members can nominate teachers and counselors by visiting the Big Apple Awards website, today through January 10, 2021. Nominees must be current, full-time public school teachers or college counselors in a district school, charter school or early childhood education center in New York City who demonstrate exceptional success in the classroom. PA/PTA Roles and Responsibilities Virtual Training We would like to share the Roles and Responsibilities for PA/PTA presentation and recording for the virtual training held by FACE on November 10, 2020. We will be posting on the DOE website over the next few days. Access the recording here with Access Passcode: s99?n.gg https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/N8AmV7_Ha8DJHkXU0TWUprSkHNE0IoedqWKkvBGLFYd7yyNul_VSPAfOPaGg_egW.G1nOXkshpWmasl0m The following is the reaction by the Office of Family and Community Empowerment to the Mayor's announcement that all NYC schools are to move to remote only instruction:  Today, the Chancellor announced that schools will transition to full remote learning starting tomorrow, Thursday, November 19th. Below is a letter from our Chancellor to families.
Dear Families, I hope you and your loved ones are safe and healthy. All of us at the Department of Education have been so proud to witness the joy of students and educators reuniting and learning together this year. We have been the only major school district in the nation to reopen our buildings. The benefit to hundreds of thousands of students is incredible, as school communities have reconnected in person for learning, growing, and supporting one another. All along, we have kept health and safety at the forefront of everything we do. That includes carefully monitoring COVID-19 transmission rates across the city and, when necessary in response to infections, temporarily closing our school buildings and transitioning students to fully remote learning. Given recent increases in transmission, we have reached a point in our City’s infection rate that requires all students to transition to remote learning. Beginning Thursday, November 19, all school buildings will be closed, and all learning will proceed remotely for all students, until further notice. You will hear from your principal shortly about next steps for you and your student. Please note that this is a temporary closure, and school buildings will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so. I am sure you have many questions, and below you can find some important guidance to provide some answers. As always, we are committed to academic excellence, community-building, and social-emotional support for your child—no matter where they are learning. Devices for Remote Learning Do you need a device, need technical support or to fix a broken device, or are dealing with a lost or stolen device? Call DOE’s IT Help desk at 718-935-5100 and press 5 to get assistance. You can also get quick help online:
We are committed to ensuring every student is learning 5 days a week. Your child’s school will support you in remote learning if you currently don’t have a device by providing paper-based work. Contact your school for more info. Free Meals for Students and Families All families and students can continue to go to any school building between 9:00 a.m. and noon on weekdays to pick up three free grab-and-go meals. No identification or registration is necessary. Halal and kosher meals are available at some sites, which are listed at schools.nyc.gov/freemeals. From 3-5 p.m., New Yorkers of all ages can pick up free meals at 260 Community Meals sites across the city. For a list of sites, please visit schools.nyc.gov/freemeals. Learning Bridges Learning Bridges, the City’s free childcare program for children in 3-K through 8th grade, will continue to serve families enrolled in blended learning. We will continue to give priority to children of essential workers, as well as students in temporary housing or residing in NYCHA developments, children in foster care or receiving child welfare services, and students with disabilities. Families can learn more and apply at http://schools.nyc.gov/learningbridges and new offers will be made to families weekly as seats are available. Early Childhood Education 3-K and Pre-K classrooms in district schools and DOE Pre-K Centers will be closed. If your child attends a program in a community-based center that is not located in a public school, or attends a family childcare program that is part of a DOE network, it will remain open. If you are not sure which type of program your child attends or have questions about your child’s services, please contact your program directly. Strong supports are in place to ensure that these sites can continue operating safely. Although we are temporarily shifting to fully remote teaching and learning for all students, if you have recently elected to enroll your child in blended learning, your child will be able to begin in-person learning after we reopen. I know that for many of you, this decision to temporarily close school buildings that we recently opened up will be disappointing, and I understand. But by confronting these challenges together, we can continue to fight back against COVID-19. And I am confident that before long, we will be able to safely reopen our school buildings again. Please remember the “Core Four”: wash your hands, wear a face covering, keep six feet of distance from others, and stay home if you’re feeling sick. These are critically important steps that all of us can take every day. We will continue to provide updates, supporting you and everyone in the DOE family as this public health crisis continues to evolve. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s school with any questions or concerns. We are grateful for your partnership and all you do for our city. Sincerely, Richard A. Carranza Chancellor New York City Department of Education |
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