Dear parents, grandparents, guardians and education activists,

I hope you're having a low-stress start to the school year.

Save the date for our UFT Queens parent conference on Saturday, Nov. 18, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UFT Queens borough office, 97-77 Queens Blvd. There will be workshops, exhibitors, food, giveaways and the chance to meet and network with fellow parents. Registration will be available soon. In the meantime, download and distribute the flier in English, Spanish and Mandarin.

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

Sincerely,

Delci Rodriguez
UFT Queens Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Friday, Oct. 6 — Sunday, Oct. 8: Come to the Hispanic/Latino Book Fair at Renaissance Charter School, 35-59 81st St. in Queens. There will be books for sale, exhibitions, concerts, speakers and other events all weekend. All events will be held in Spanish. See the flier »

• Tuesday, Oct. 17: Students of all ages are invited to a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Career Fair from 6 to 8 p.m. at the New York Hall of Science, 47-01 111th St. in Corona, Queens. Learn about companies, schools and programs that can help you pursue a STEM career. To RSVP, email crowley.events@mail.house.gov. See the flier »

• Saturday, Oct. 28: Community Learning School PS 19 will hold "A Snapshot of Corona," a community resource fair, from noon to 3 p.m. at 98-02 Roosevelt Ave. There will be information about community resources, games, music, raffles and performances. This event is open to the public. To find out more, email sdavis@uft.org. See the flier »

News you can use

• Help public schools in Puerto Rico: The UFT Disaster Relief Fund is accepting donations to support public schools and public school educators recovering from the devastating effects of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico. Make a donation »

• Writing internship for teens: YCTeen Magazine is accepting applications until this Friday, Sept. 29, for its fall internship program. New York City high school students between the ages of 15 and 20 are eligible. Interns will write articles for the magazine. Learn more and apply »

• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) fact sheet: Many families are rightfully worried about changes in policy that will affect undocumented immigrants. If you're concerned about how changes to DACA could affect you or your loved ones, check out this fact sheet in English » and in Spanish »
  
  The American Federation of Teachers also published a DACA update for educators »

• Universal free lunch being offered this year: Thanks to the hard work and activism of parents, students, educators and organizations like the UFT, New York City public schools are offering free lunch to all students this school year. Read the New York Teacher article »

• How to talk to your kids about race and racism: Border Crossers, an organization that supports educators in teaching K-12 students about race and racism, has free resources for parents on the same topic. Visit the website »