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Brooklyn Parent Newsletter - March 4, 2016

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Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

You're invited to a UFT special education parent committee meeting on Wednesday, March 23 at the UFT Brooklyn borough office.

  • Date: Wednesday, March 23
  • Time: 6 p.m.
  • Location: UFT Brooklyn borough office at 335 Adams St. Directions »

We will discuss safety and busing issues, Individualized Education Programs and more. Refreshments will be served, and children are welcome. To RSVP, email bzohar@uft.org or fstreich@uft.org. See the flier »

Also save the date for the 9th annual Sista-2-Sista youth summit for high school girls of Pan-African descent on March 18 and 19 at St. Francis College, 180 Remsen St. in Brooklyn. For more details and to register, see the event listing »

As we approach state budget season, it's critical that we lobby our state Senate and Assembly representatives to allocate more than the $2 billion the state still owes to New York City public schools as part of the 2006 settlement of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity funding lawsuit.

Sign the petition calling on Albany to fully fund city schools »

For those of you joining us at the lobby day in Albany on Wednesday, March 9, I look forward to seeing you on the bus bright and early. Email bzohar@uft.org if you have any questions.

For those of you who won't be at the lobby day, please call your legislators and ask them to make sure our schools get the funds they so desperately need. The state budget will be finalized on Friday, April 1, so don't wait.

Look up your state Assembly member »

Look up your state senator »

Enjoy the events, resources and news below.

Sincerely,

Betty Zohar
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

  • Monday, March 7: Come to an expressive arts workshop at the Baltic Street Resource and Wellness Center, 882 3rd Ave. in Brooklyn, at 1 p.m. The Baltic Street center offers art, meditation, movie nights and more activities for adults coping with emotional difficulties or trauma. See the March calendar »
  • Tuesday, March 8–Thursday, March 31: District 57 Leader Olanike Alabi, the UFT and partner organizations will host a series of public safety and crime prevention briefings in locations throughout Brooklyn over the course of the month. For details, see the flier »
  • Tuesday, March 8: The City Council's Education Committee invites you to a preliminary hearing on the education budget at 1 p.m. in the Committee Room in City Hall. For more details, see the announcement »
  • Thursday, March 10: United Cerebral Palsy of New York City will hold its annual summit for people with disabilities and their families from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the New York Academy of Medicine, 1216 5th Ave. at 103rd St. Lunch and MetroCards will be provided, but child care will not be available. There will be workshops about assistive technology, financial planning and more. For more information and to register, see the brochure in English and Spanish »
  • Thursday, March 10: Come to a workshop about teaching social skills to children with autism from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at PS 199, 1100 Elm Ave. in Brooklyn. RSVP online now »
  • Thursday, March 10: The New York City Housing Authority invites New Yorkers between the ages of 18 and 24 to an information session about technology career programs that are open to those without college or high school diplomas. The information session will discuss three training programs for technical careers. It will be at 10 a.m. at Hostos Community College, 335 E. 111th St. RSVP online now »
  • Friday, March 11: The Brooklyn Public Library will host a workshop about meeting the needs of immigrant children with special needs from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Brooklyn Heights Library, 280 Camden Plaza West. Refreshments will be served. Spanish interpretation will be available. See the flier in English and Spanish »
  • Saturday, March 12: The Caribbean Equality Project, along with partners, invites you to Breaking Silences: A Caribbean LGBT People of Color Symposium from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 61 Claremont Ave. in Manhattan. Presentations will discuss immigration issues, HIV, mental health and more. Registration is free, and breakfast and lunch will be served. To register and find out more, see the event listing »
  • Wednesday, March 16: The New York City Office of Library Services will hold an information session for aspiring librarians from 5 to 7 p.m. in the 7th floor conference room at 333 7th Ave. in Manhattan. Register online now »
  • Wednesday, March 23: Come to a parent workshop about Common Core foundational skills in reading for grades K–5 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at PS 721Q, 57-12 95th St. in Queens. Spanish interpretation will be available, and a light breakfast will be served. See the flier in English and Spanish »
  • Thursday, March 31: Parents of adolescents with disabilities are invited to a workshop about teaching students with special needs appropriate behaviors in various environments from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at PS 721Q, 57-12 94th St. in Queens. Refreshments will be served, and Spanish interpretation will be available. See the flier in English and Spanish »

News and resources

  • Reminder to school leadership team members: If you are the parent representative on your school leadership team, make sure your team meets to review the midpoint benchmarks in your comprehensive educational plan. Any updates or revisions to the plan must be made to the iPlan portal by Tuesday, March 15. If your team needs support, feel free to contact your school or district improvement liaison. Look up your school/district improvement liaison using the DOE portal »
  • Learn about career and technical education programs: New York public schools offer career and technical education programs for high school students — hands-on, skills-based learning in fields like health science, mechanics, culinary arts and cosmetology. These offer real work experience and produce graduates ready for the work force. Find out more »
  • Support for people in crisis via text messaging: Crisis Text Line offers free emotional support for people in crisis 24/7 via text messaging. To find out how to get support, or to learn about how you can volunteer, visit the website »
  • Get notified about emergency events and NYC services: Notify NYC, New York City's official emergency information service, keeps New Yorkers up-to-date about crises and services in the case of emergencies. To start receiving notifications, enroll online now »
  • Information about college for immigrant parents: The New York Immigration Coalition has published a guide for immigrant parents about how to find resources on higher education for your kids. The guide is available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, Bengali and Hatian-Creole. Download the resource for free »
  • Free e-books for low-income children: Adults working in libraries, schools, preschools, community after-school programs and other programs that serve low-income children can register children for the Open eBooks app, which offers thousands of best-selling books to low-income children to read for free. Find out more »
  • Tax preparation services: Food Bank for New York City offers free tax preparation services for low-income New Yorkers at its financial service center on 114th St. in Manhattan and at over 16 other tax preparation sites. For more information, see the website »
  • Directory of NYC resources: On NYC.gov, find a directory of public resources on everything from culture and education to how to start a business. See the directory »
  • Mayor de Blasio announces free municipal wireless internet: In February, Mayor de Blasio announced the launch of LinkNYC kiosks which provide wireless internet, domestic phone calls, USB charging ports, a tablet for web browsing and emergency services — all for free. With over 7,500 kiosks being installed throughout the five boroughs, this will be the largest WiFi network in the world. Read the story on NYC.gov »

Jobs and internships

  • Job opportunities for Bed-Stuy youth: MYBASE Youth Opportunity Center at 456A Nostrand Ave invites youth between the ages of 16 and 24 who are not employed or in school to apply for its employment program. Job placement fields include child care, auto mechanics, cosmetology, hospitality and more. To apply, stop by the office on a week day between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. with your picture I.D., birth certificate, Social Security card and proof of address. For more information, call 1-718-636-7596, ext. 223 or email oholloway@bsdcorp.org.
  • Summer internships and seasonal jobs: New York City Council Member Fernando Cabrera's blog has assembled a list of summer internships and seasonal jobs that are accepting applications. Find out more »
  • Job openings for NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: The city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene is launching a huge mental health initiative called ThriveNYC and has job openings in community engagement, nursing, research and more. Explore the job listings online »
  • Summer judicial internship program for high school students: 10th- and 11th-graders are invited to apply for the Sonia and Celina Sotamayor judicial internship program. The internship runs from July 5 to 29 and includes workshops and mentorship with a state or federal judge. The application deadline is Friday, March 18. For more information and to download an application, see the website »
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