Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

We hope you had a restful holiday with your family.

We at the UFT are showcasing all the wonderful schools and educators in New York City public schools.

Read four great stories »

We're always looking for stories about wonderful things happening in our public schools. If you know of an outstanding school or educator that we should celebrate, tell the UFT about it using our online form »

Join other UFT parent activists on Tuesday, Dec. 8 for a workshop about understanding school budget cuts and how they affect your child's education from pre-K to college. This event will be at UFT headquarters at 52 Broadway in Manhattan at 6 p.m. RSVP by emailing Betty or Fran at bzohar@uft.org or fstreich@uft.org.

Learn about education activism and the impact of race and racism on education policy at a parent power school training on Saturday, Dec. 12 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 62 Broadway in Manhattan. This training is being offered by the Coalition for Educational Justice. Lunch, child care and Spanish translation will all be available. RSVP by emailing ncapers@nyccej.org or calling 1-212-328-9254. See the flier »

Save the date for a "Beautiful Me" workshop about building confidence in girls on Wednesday, Jan. 13 in the evening and Thursday, Jan. 14 in the morning at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. We will let you know exact start times and more details as they become available.

Have a great winter break. Enjoy the upcoming events, resources and news items below.

Sincerely,

Betty Zohar
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Friday, Dec. 11: The American Italian Cancer Foundation will offer free digital mammograms and clinical breast exams to women ages 40 and older who are current New York City residents. Exams will be offered from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at 360 Keap St. in Brooklyn. For an appointment, call 1-347-563-4233 or 1-718-963-0393. See the flier in English and Spanish »

• Tuesday, Dec. 15: The Volunteer Management Group invites you to a holiday open house to learn about nonprofit and philanthropy careers at University Settlement at the Houston Street Center, 273 Bowery in Manhattan. There will be refreshments, training sessions about nonprofit management and more. See the event listing »

Take Action

• A historic chance to fix federal education law: The House of Representatives on Dec. 2 passed the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, a bill that will fix the problems created by the No Child Left Behind Act, which turned our classrooms into test-prep factories. The U.S. Senate will vote on the bill next week. Email your Senators now to say vote “YES” »

News you can use

• Advocate for art education in your child's school: The Center for Arts Education has created a tool kit for parents who want to advocate for more and better arts education in their child's school. Read and download the tool kit online »

• DOE's Division of Family and Community Engagement: The Department of Education is reorganizing its structure to improve the relationship between families and educators. Read about the new Division of Family and Community Engagement »

• Contact your district's family leadership coordinator: If you are having trouble resolving issues in your school or your Parent Association/Parent-Teacher Association needs support or resources, you can contact your DOE district family leadership coordinator. Download contact information for family leadership coordinators »

• Free parenting support in Brooklyn: If you are the parent or primary caregiver of a child between the ages of 6 months and two years and you live in Brownsville or East New York, you are eligible for free visits from a parenting expert to coach you on child care. Call 1-718-4611 or email info@powerof2.nyc to learn how to register. See the flier »

• Find a pre-K site near you: Pre-Kindergarten programs are now available to all New York City children. See the DOE directory of pre-K sites »

• Job openings at IncludeNYC: IncludeNYC, a non-profit that supports children with disabilities and their families, is hiring a communications design specialist, youth program manager, bilingual intake specialist and family and community educator. For more details and to apply, see the job descriptions »

• Nominate a teacher for a Big Apple award: The Department of Education is accepting nominations for Big Apple awards for outstanding teachers in NYC. Nominate a teacher online now »

• Free SAT tests in all NYC high schools: All public high schools in the city will offer free SAT tests to juniors starting in the 2016-17 school year as part of a new College Access for All initiative. Read the press release from the Department of Education »

• Get support with middle school admissions: Picking the right middle school for your child and navigating the admission process can be tricky. SchoolBook has a resource for parents that can remind you about key dates, highlight materials and help you search for schools. Sign up for SchoolBook's resource »

• Dial-A-Teacher workshops for parents: The UFT Dial-A-Teacher program offers homework help for New York City families. Now, it also offers workshops for Parent Associations, Parent-Teacher Associations and other parent organizations about everything from test-taking tips to at-home activities. Find out more »

• The importance of recess: Research shows that play and physical activity are important for childhood development, but too many schools do not make recess a priority. Read the article from the Huffington Post »