Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

It's not too late to register for the UFT Bronx parent conference on Nov. 12.

• Date: Saturday, Nov. 12
• Time: 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Location: UFT Bronx borough office at 2500 Halsey St. Directions »

There will be workshops about understanding credit, protecting your child from bullying and more. You'll have the chance to network with other parents, learn about resources available to you and hear from great speakers including our keynote speaker, Chancellor Carmen Fariña.

Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Spanish translation will be available. I'm also excited to announce that Walgreens will be offering flu shots at the conference all day.

Register now »

Download the brochure in English and Spanish »

I want to remind you to sign up for UFT text messages by texting the word "PARENT" to 30644. We'll send you updates about things like school closings and delays. We'll also send you a copy of this newsletter that you can easily read on your mobile phone. You can also sign up for text messaging using this online form »

Finally, remember to vote on Nov. 8. Find your polling place »

Check out more upcoming events and news you can use below.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Cruz
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Friday, Nov. 4: City Council Member Andy L. King invites you to a Veterans Day event at 11 a.m. at 135 Einstein Loop in the Bronx. Join your community in honoring veterans and listen to keynote speaker Jamal Othman, the NYC Department of Veterans' Services assistant commissioner. See the flier »

• Wednesday, Nov. 9: Come to a free legal clinic for immigrants at the Walton Educational Complex, 2780 Reservoir Ave. in the Bronx from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and get free, confidential legal support. To make an appointment, call 646-589-2124. See the flier in English and Spanish »

• Saturday, Dec. 3: City Council Member Andrew Cohen invites you to get free citizenship application help from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 40 W. Mosholu Parkway S. in community room A in the Bronx. To register, call 646-664-9400. Appointments are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. See the flier »

Political action

• Sign the petition for free lunch for all students: Parents and education activists, through the Lunch 4 Learning Campaign, are calling on Mayor de Blasio to expand the free lunch program to include all public school students, regardless of income, in this year's budget. This would eliminate stigma, increase participation and feed hungry children. Sign the petition »

• Sign the petition asking the next president to support educational justice: The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools has written a powerful letter to the next president and U.S. secretary of education calling on them to increase funding for public schools, hold charter schools accountable and more. Read the letter and sign the petition »

News you can use

• Free salsa classes for adults on Fridays at PS 246: The Parks Department and PS 246 invite adults to attend free salsa classes on Fridays from 6 to 7 p.m. at PS 246, 2641 Grand Concourse in the Bronx. Classes will be held every Friday until April 28. See the flier in English and Spanish »
  
  The Parks Department and PS 246 will also offer free zumba classes on Thursdays from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at PS 246 until June 23. These classes are also for adults only. See the flier in English and Spanish »

• Nautical engineering competition for K-12 students: Makers Empire invites K-12 students to enter Garfield's Sail Away Challenge nautical engineering competition. Design a boat for Garfield the Cat to travel to an island that has the best tomatoes for his lasagna sauce. The contest deadline is Nov. 18. For guidelines and resources, visit the website »

• Museums with free and suggested admissions: Check out this list of NYC museums with free or suggested-donation admissions »

• How to organize your child's IEP binder: If your child has an Individualized Education Program, you know how helpful but challenging it can be to stay organized. Check out this article about how to organize your child's IEP binder »

• DOE announces new elementary school admissions events: Starting this November, there will be informational events about elementary school admissions in every district. These "It's Elementary!" events used to be offered in each borough and are now district-specific. They'll also offer on-site application help and information about Gifted and Talented programs. Read more and find the event near you »