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Bronx Parent Newsletter - May 23, 2016

News Stories

Some of the community members who participaed in the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Pageant on May 22 pose in their colorful dresses.

Alberta Martin, the UFT chapter leader at the Bronx Writing Academy, hands out snacks at the school's community fair on Saturday, May 14.

Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

As we wind down toward the end of the school year, there is still so much going on.

Over 350 Bronx community members joined us for the Bronx Puerto Rican Day Pageant on Sunday, May 22. Thank you to those of you who joined us in celebrating Puerto Rican heritage.

We also had a very successful community fair at the Bronx Writing Academy, one of the UFT's Community Learning Schools, on Saturday, May 14. Over 300 parents, students and teachers came out to enjoy family activities and learn about resources. Sandra Perez, the resource coordinator at the Bronx Writing Academy, and Haydee Carrasquillo, the school's parent coordinator, worked tirelessly to coordinate this wonderful day. It was a true community event.

The Community Learning Schools initiative is a program aimed at making schools a hub for community resources. The community fair was a testament to this initiative's ability to bring people together. Thank you to all who joined us.

Remember to sign up for UFT text messaging by texting the word "parent" to the number 30644 and answering the questions that follow. We'll alert you about, political campaigns, breaking news and school cancellations due to weather. We'll even send a text message that links to a copy of your newsletter you can easily read on your mobile phone.

Check out more events, news and resources below.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Cruz
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

  • Wednesday, May 25: There will be a Mitchell-Lama public hearing from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Bronx Library Center at 310 Kingsbridge Road. This free event is a great chance for Mitchell-Lama housing residents to share their concerns and find out about opportunities to help improve Mitchell-Lama developments. If you have any questions, you can email blake79districtbx@gmail.com.
  • Thursday, May 26: Come to a free viewing of Jurassic World at 7:30 p.m. at Williamsbridge Oval in the Bronx. This is one of many free movie showings in NYC parks throughout the city that will be offered all summer. For a full list, see the parks department website »
  • Wednesday, June 1 and Wednesday, June 15: The DOE will host parent conferences in Mandarin and Spanish this June in order to improve access for families who speak little or no English. The Mandarin conference will be on June 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Queens Library in Flushing. See the event listing » And the Spanish conference will be on June 15 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Brooklyn Public Library. See the event listing »
  • Saturday, June 4 and Saturday, June 25: The Children's Museum of the Arts in Manhattan has an art class for children with autism and their families from 9:30 to 10:45 a.m. This class uses tactile experiences to build creativity, independence and communication skills. To register, email mlopez@cmany.org. See the flier »
  • Wednesday, May 25: There will be a workshop about parent education advocacy for children with disabilities from 6 to 8 p.m. at 83 Maiden Lane in downtown Manhattan. For more details and to register, see the event listing »
  • Saturday, June 4: Come to a Relay for Life fundraising event at 6 p.m. at Dewitt Clinton High School in the Bronx and help raise money for the American Cancer Society. To learn more and register, visit the website »
  • Tuesday, June 7: The DOE invites parents to a citywide conference for parents of English language learners and former English language learners from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at El Museo de Barrio at 1230 5th Ave. in Manhattan. Parents will learn about bilingual programs, how to support their children academically and more. For more information and to register, see the DOE website »
  • Saturday, June 11: Save the date for a UFT and Community Learning Schools community fair at PS 18 in the Bronx, 502 Morris Ave. More details will be forthcoming, but in the meantime, you can contact Mia Martinez at 646-630-0065 or mmartinez@uft.org for more information or to get involved. See the flier in English and Spanish »
  • Thursday, June 23: Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. invites you to a Caribbean Heritage Month celebration at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse at E. 165th St. from noon to 1:30 p.m. There will be refreshments and an awards ceremony honoring accomplished Caribbean elected officials and community organizers. To RSVP, call 718-590-3522. See the flier »

Summer camps and programs

  • Sports classes for kids in NYC parks this summer: The City Parks Foundation offers free sports classes in soccer, track and field, golf, tennis and more. Register online now »
  • Leadership program for immigrant high school students: The New York Immigration Coalition invites immigrant high school students to apply for its second cohort of the New American Youth Leadership Corps. The program will meet weekly this summer for leadership workshops, community service projects and more. The application deadline is June 9. Apply online now »
  • Dual-enrollment and college-readiness programs: High school students are invited to enroll in College Now summer programs. These are dual-enrollment (both college and high school credit) classes and college-readiness classes offered by CUNY. They span many disciplines and are offered in all boroughs. For more information, visit the website »
  • Free summer tutoring for rising fourth-grade students: Everyone Reading will offer free tutoring this summer to children born in 2007 and entering fourth grade next school year. This program most benefits students with dyslexia or who need support with phonics. The program will begin on June 30 and run from July 5 to 29, Mondays through Fridays, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Museum of the City of New York on 5th Ave and 103rd St. in Manhattan. The program involves an hour of one-on-one tutoring in reading skills, then two hours of hands-on museum education activities such as photography, map making and model building. To apply, contact Lavinia Mancuso at lmancuso@everyonereading.org or 917-903-2648. See the flier »

Opportunities and resources

  • Two-minute warnings make turning off the TV harder: New research shows that giving children warnings before they must turn off the TV or put down their video games in order to make it easier for them to step away from the technology may have the opposite effect. Find out more »
  • Parent Teacher Association election posters: Your school should have received an election poster in order to display the date, time and location of your Parent Teacher Association election. For more information about these elections, see the DOE website »
  • Video contest to win prizes for your school: The UFT and other sponsors invite NYC high school, middle school and elementary school students to submit a three-minute video explaining why their school is in need and the project they would undertake to make it better — if they had the money. Winners will receive grants for their schools, and submissions will be accepted until June 15. See the flier »
  • Cooling support for New Yorkers with heat-related health issues: If you have a medical condition that is aggravated by heat but lack the funds for an air conditioner, help is available. Gov. Cuomo has allocated $3 million for New Yorkers who need air conditioning to install it. Find out more »
  • Free, one-on-one college admissions help: Low-income high school students are invited to apply for Bottom Line, a free support program for college admission. For more information, see the flier »
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