Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

Welcome back to a new school year! We hope your family had a wonderful summer.

Join us at the annual UFT Brooklyn parent conference on Saturday, Oct. 22 at PS 140 at K258 in Brooklyn.

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 22
• Time: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Location: PS 140 at K258, David Ruggles Campus, 141 Macon St., Brooklyn. Directions »

You’ll have the opportunity to attend two workshops from 17 offerings on topics ranging from immigrants' rights to bullying and much more! There will also be breakfast, lunch, raffle prizes and exhibitors. Spanish translation is available. Download the brochure »

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

Sincerely,

Betty Zohar
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Thursday, Sept. 15; Thursday, Sept. 22; and Wednesday, Sept. 28: Don't miss your school's family night and parent-teacher conferences on Sept. 15 for middle schools, Sept. 22 for elementary schools and Sept. 28 for high schools. You should check with your child's school for start times. For more details and other dates of parent-teacher conferences this school year, see the flier from the Department of Education »

• Saturday, Sept. 17: Come to an open house for Sinergia, Inc.'s integrated transition program for teens with autism from 10 a.m. to noon at 2082 Lexington Ave., 4th floor, in Manhattan. This program for Bronx teens with Autism Spectrum Disorders will support participants' self-advocacy and self-determination skills. For more information, contact Paola Jordan at 212-643-2840, ext. 305 or pjordan@sinergiany.org.

• Saturday, Sept. 17: There will be a back-to-school expo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 352-358 Classon Ave. in Brooklyn. Drop in for education resources and activities like face painting, arts and crafts and more. See the flier »

• Tuesday, Sept. 20: United Cerebral Palsy of NYC will provide a workshop about advocacy skills for parents of children with disabilities from 10 a.m. to noon at 160 Lawrence Ave. in Brooklyn, room 205. Learn how to resolve disagreements and advocate for your child in the school system. Spanish translation will be available. To register, call 718-436-7979, ext. 704 or email familyconnect@ucpnyc.org. Directions »

• Wednesday, Sept. 21: The Sheepshead Bay Library invites children between the ages of six and 10, and their families, to Library Lab: Sound Science, an after-school science activity from 4 to 5 p.m. The library offers these activities every Wednesday afternoon. It is located at 2636 E. 14th St. in Brooklyn. See the event listing »

• Saturday, Sept. 24: Families of children with disabilities are invited to the Brooklyn Children's Resource Fair from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Brooklyn Central Library, 10 Grand Army Plaza. There will be resources for children and teens with disabilities, their families and service providers. See the event listing »

• Thursday, Sept. 29: The Citywide Council on Special Education will give a presentation about special education services in kindergarten and pre-K from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hunters Point Campus, 1-50 51st Ave. in Queens. Refreshments will be served. For more information or to RSVP, call 718-391-8354.

• Thursday, Oct. 6 and Wednesday, Oct. 19: High school students and their families are invited to College is Possible: An evening of answers for high school students with disabilities and their families to find out about the options available to them at the City University of New York (CUNY). This event will be on Oct. 6 in the Bronx at CUNY Hostos College and Oct. 19 in Queens at CUNY York College. Campus tours start at 5 p.m. and presentations start at 6 p.m.

Education news

• Download a free guide to New York City public schools: The Department of Education has published Achieve NYC, a handbook for New York City public schools, in ten different languages. This resource has important dates for the school year, information about who to contact in your child's school to address issues, details about transportation and more. Download Achieve NYC on the Department of Education website »

• Apply for free or reduced-price school lunch online: You can apply for free or reduced-price school lunch for your child online using MySchoolApps. Families that are new to the Department of Education should apply as soon as possible for their children to start receiving free school lunches. The families of students who received free school lunch at an NYC public school last year must submit a new application by Oct. 21. Apply online now »

• Find out your child's math and English language arts test scores: To look up your child's test scores, sign up for an NYC Schools account »

• New vaccine requirement: As of this school year, all students in 7th and 12th grade are required to have received the meningitis vaccine. For more information on vaccines and immunizations, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website »

• Parent toolkit for middle school: If your child is starting middle school this year, check out this guide to supporting your child through the middle school years »

• Ease the transition to high school: Check out this article of five tips to ease your child's transition into high school »

• Find after-school programs in your neighborhood: Use the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development's search feature to find after-school programs in your neighborhood. Search by location, category or keyword. Find out more »

• Download the HomeworkNYC app: The new HomeworkNYC app allows students to access information from their teachers and the city's public libraries right from their mobile devices to get support with their homework. Find out more »

Opportunities and other news

• Earn your High School Equivalency while learning construction and getting paid: YouthBuild of Upper Manhattan is accepting applications from youth between the ages of 17 and 24 for this school year's cohort. Earn a stipend while getting your High School Equivalency and learning about construction. For more information or to apply, call Emma at 212-453-5378 or Tia at 212-822-8353.

• Free self-defense program for Brooklyn teens: The Center for Anti-Violence Education invites girls and transgender teens to apply for its free empowerment and self-defense class. The class meets on Thursdays from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at 327 7th St. in Brooklyn starting on Sept. 19. For more information, download the application »

• Schedule free workshops from Planned Parenthood for adult role models: Planned Parenthood offers a workshop series to organizations and groups in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx about how adults can support teens' sexual health and be good role models. These workshops are available in English and Spanish and are free of charge. For more information, see the flier in English and Spanish »

• English classes on Saturdays this fall: Register now for English classes at Hunter College, 695 Park Ave., on Saturdays this fall. COPE classes for any adult cost $60 for the semester. The registration deadline is Sept. 17. Find out more »

• Guide to health care for immigrant families: The New York Immigration Coalition created a five-page, fold-out poster filled with valuable information for immigrants about their health care options. Find out more »