Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

It's been a busy start to the school year. We hope your family is settling into a peaceful fall routine.

There is still time to register for the 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

• Friday, Sept. 23: Come to a free screening of Barbershop: The Next Cut at Brevoort Playground in Brooklyn at 7 p.m. This movie screening is one of many free community events that happen in NYC parks all the time. For a full listing of events in Brooklyn parks, visit the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation website »

• Wednesday, Sept. 28: District 22 families of sixth-grade students are invited to a District 22 middle school fair from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Shellbank Junior High School, 2424 Batchelder St. in Brooklyn. Get to know the middle schools in your district, meet with school staff and get your questions answered.

• Friday, Oct. 7: Come to a free ladies' night event with conversations about wellness and beauty from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at 220 Marlborough Road in Brooklyn. Dr. Sophia Lubin and Public Advocate Letitia James. Cocktails will be served. For more details, see the flier »

Education news

• Guidance on high school admissions: For families of students in the eighth grade, high school admissions can be overwhelming. If you're looking for important dates to remember, information about standardized testing for specialized high schools, open houses and more, check out the Department of Education high school admissions web page »
  
  You can also use a new online tool to find the right high school for your child. Chancellor Fariña has released a new NYC school finder tool this year in time for high school admissions. The tool allows you to search New York City’s hundreds of high school choices by school name, keyword, location, size, and more. It works on phones, tablets and computers. Check out the NYC school finder »

• Middle school directory: Families of students entering middle school in 2017-18 should download this year's middle school directory »

• Free homework help hotline from the UFT started on Sept. 19: The UFT's Dial-A-Teacher homework help hotline accepts calls from students every Monday through Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. The number is 212-777-3380. Find out more on the UFT website »

• Guide to assistive technology: Check out the Department of Education's guide to assistive technology in NYC schools »

• Gifted and Talented testing will be available in mid-October: Students applying for Gifted and Talented programs in the 2017-18 school year should fill out a Request for Testing form when it becomes available in mid-October. The deadline to submit a Request for Testing will be Nov. 14. For more information, visit the Gifted and Talented page on the DOE website »