Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

I hope you are having a pleasant, if chilly, start to 2016.

Please join us for our UFT Queens parenting workshop next Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m.

• Date: Tuesday, Jan. 19
• Time: 6–8 p.m.
• Location: UFT Queens borough office at 97-77 Queens Blvd. Directions »

We'll learn about how to manage stress and balance priorities in our families. As always, refreshments will be served, and child care will be provided. RSVP by calling Karen Hernandez at 1-718-275-4400.

See the flier »

Enjoy the upcoming events, resources and news items below.

Sincerely,

Rose Walker-Yates
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Tuesday, Jan. 19: Aware Prepare of New York State invites you to a free natural-disaster preparedness training at Queens Gateway to Health Sciences Secondary School, 160-20 Goethals Ave. at 6 p.m. Learn about how to prepare for any type of disaster and get a free emergency-preparedness kit. Register online now »

• Thursday, Jan. 21: There will be a workshop about the transition from preschool special education to kindergarten from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 160 Lawrence Ave. in Brooklyn.
  
  As part of this same series, there will be another workshop on Thursday, Jan. 28 about sensory integration for special education children at 1770 Stillwell Ave. in the Bronx.
  
  See the flier »

• Wednesday, Jan. 21: Come to a Citywide Education Council for District 75 meeting from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Tweed Courthouse, 52 Chambers St. in Manhattan for updates on special education issues in New York City. See the flier »

• Wednesday, Jan. 27: Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth between the ages of 13 and 20 are invited to a "Big Gay Social" open house at the Latino Pride Center, 1767 Park Ave., 4th floor in East Harlem, from 4 to 7 p.m. There will be food, new people to meet and information about an upcoming after-school program called Open Colors. See the flier »

• Saturday, Jan. 30: Come to a free UFT men in education symposium featuring workshops on mentoring, fatherhood and more. This event will run from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. Breakfast and lunch will be served. RSVP online or by faxing or mailing the flier. See the event listing »

• Wednesday, Feb. 3: There will be a workshop about services for people with developmental disabilities geared toward people with disabilities and their families from 6 to 8 p.m. at 83 Maiden Lane in downtown Manhattan. Register online now »

• Tuesday, March 15: Save the date for the UFT season for nonviolence event at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. This is an exciting chance for students, parents, educators and community activists to learn about nonviolent activism and history. See the flier »

News you can use

• No Child Left Behind overhauled, paves way for better state standards: Thanks to the work of parents, education activists and teachers unions, President Obama signed into law the Every Student Succeeds Act on Dec. 10 to roll back high-stakes testing and shift power back to the states. A New York task force is revamping the Common Core standards, with input from educators, to better serve all students including English language learners and students with disabilities. Read an op-ed from UFT President Michael Mulgrew »

• UFT scholarship fund: Students who plan on going to college starting in September 2016 may apply for the UFT Albert Shanker Scholarship Fund. The deadline is coming up on Sunday, Jan. 31. For more information and to apply, visit the UFT website »

• Nominate an outstanding teacher for a Big Apple Award by Jan. 18: The fourth annual Big Apple Awards, overseen by the Department of Education and the Fund for Public Schools, is accepting nominations for outstanding teachers until Monday, Jan. 18. Nominate a teacher now »

• Register medical equipment with your utilities company: If you or someone in your family uses any electric medical equipment, such as a respirator, dialysis machine or apnea monitor, you should register with your utilities provider to be notified in the case of a power outage or other emergency. Find out more »

• Auditions for the 2016 New York State Summer School of the Arts: Auditions for the New York State Summer School of the Arts will run through January. If your child is a dancer, actor, singer or musician, he or she may be interested in studying with other artists from around the state this summer. For more information, see the website »

• Adolescence is a great life stage for learning: Although conventional wisdom says that parents will struggle during their children's teenage years, scientists are learning how parents can support their adolescent children in taking advantage of this unique stage in brain development. Learn more »

Free resources and opportunities

• Apply for affordable housing online: NYC Housing Connect is a free and easy online tool to search and apply for affordable housing in the city. Visit NYC Housing Connect now »

• Free webinars for families of children with disabilities: Parent to Parent of New York State is offering a series of webinars this January about everything from assistive technology to housing options. For more information, see the website »

• Free professional development for nonprofit careers: The Volunteer Management Group will offer free trainings in grant writing, volunteer management and fundraising starting on Jan. 25 for eight Mondays from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at Houston Street Center, 273 Bowery. For more details and to register, see the website »

• Free short-term housing for young women in crisis: If you know a homeless female youth between the ages of 16 and 20, the Inwood House Maya's Place Crisis Residence might be able to help. They are currently accepting referrals to take on clients who will receive 30 days of housing, case management, counseling and other services. If you have questions, you can call Maya's Place directly at 1-718-824-2250. Download the referral form »