Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

As we wind down toward the end of the school year, there is still so much going on.

Remember to sign up for UFT text messaging by texting the word "parent" to the number 30644 and answering the questions that follow. We'll alert you about, political campaigns, breaking news and school cancellations due to weather. We'll even send a text message that links to a copy of your newsletter you can easily read on your mobile phone.

Check out more events, news and resources below.

Sincerely,

Joan McKeever-Thomas
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Thursday, May 19: Come to a free viewing of Breakfast at Tiffany's at Greenbelt Recreation Center in Staten Island at 1 p.m. This is one of many free movie showings in NYC parks throughout the city that will be offered all summer. For a full list, see the parks department website »

• Friday, May 20: Youth between the ages of 13 and 18 are invited to teen night at the Met from 5 to 8 p.m. There will be art making, performances, gallery activities and more. This is a free event. See the event listing »

• Saturday, May 21: The Open Arms Center of Hope will kick off its women's empowerment circle from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mount Sinai Center for Community Enrichment, 382 Jersey St. in Staten Island. This is a space for women from all backgrounds to discuss self care, health, finances, entrepreneurship and more. Lunch and refreshments will be served. To RSVP, text 718-928-4939 or email drmaxine@ylprep.org. See the flier »

• Saturday, May 21: The Staten Island Community Partnership Program invites you to a family learn and play day at the Staten Island Mental Health Society, 669 Castleton Ave. This free event will feature resources and workshops for parents, activities for children, food and giveaways. RSVP by emailing SIUH_ECDC@northwell.edu. See the flier in English and Spanish »

• Monday, May 23: Legal Services of New York City invites you to a know your rights training on special education law at 5:30 p.m. at 36 Richmond Terrace, Suite 205 in Staten Island. Learn about your rights for special education services and how to navigate the Department of Education. Refreshments will be served. To RSVP, call 718-233-6480. See the flier »

• Wednesday, May 25: There will be a workshop about parent education advocacy for children with disabilities from 6 to 8 p.m. at 83 Maiden Lane in downtown Manhattan. For more details and to register, see the event listing »

• Friday, May 27: Fidelis Care NY and other sponsors invite Staten Island families to a community fun day in recognition of mental health month from 3 to 6 p.m. at Tappen Park near Canal, Water and Bay Streets. There will be live music, food, face painting, community resources and more. See the flier »

• Monday, June 6: The Department of Education will hold a special education family conference for parents of children with disabilities from 4 to 8 p.m. at Michael J. Petrides School, 715 Ocean Terrace in Staten Island. Register online now »

• Tuesday, June 7: The DOE invites parents to a citywide conference for parents of English language learners and former English language learners from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at El Museo de Barrio at 1230 5th Ave. in Manhattan. Parents will learn about bilingual programs, how to support their children academically and more. For more information and to register, see the DOE website »

• Friday, June 10: The Staten Island Community Partnership Program invites fathers to a fatherhood empowerment and well-being forum from 6 to 8 p.m. at Olivet Presbyterian Church at 97 Myrtle Ave. in Staten Island. Learn about men's health and wellness and get resources for employment, health care, budgeting and child support. Refreshments will be served. To RSVP, email patriciaw@roots-wings.org. See the flier in English and Spanish »

• Saturday, June 11: The Staten Island Community Partnership Program invites families to its 6th annual fatherhood resource fair and family fun day from noon to 4 p.m. at the baseball field at Clove Lakes Park, 1150 Clove Road in Staten Island. There will be food, a bouncy house, music, a magic show and local resources for fathers and families. See the flier in English and Spanish »

Opportunities and resources

• Free fruits and vegetables every Friday for Staten Island families: The Staten Island Mental Health Society will distribute fresh fruits and vegetables at 514 Bay St. every Friday morning until June 17 between 9 and 11 a.m. Stop by with your own bags to collect healthy food for your family.

• Ocean Breeze Park breaks ground on horseback riding arena: Ocean Breeze Park on Staten Island opened a new therapeutic horseback riding arena this month. The arena will be home to Helping Others Overcome Personal Handicaps, a therapeutic riding program for people with disabilities. Find out more »

• Video contest to win prizes for your school: The UFT and other sponsors invite NYC high school, middle school and elementary school students to submit a three-minute video explaining why their school is in need and the project they would undertake to make it better — if they had the money. Winners will receive grants for their schools, and submissions will be accepted until June 15. See the flier »

• Parent Teacher Association election posters: Your school should have received an election poster this week in order to display the date, time and location of your Parent Teacher Association election. For more information about these elections, see the DOE website »

• Round 2 of high school admissions results are in: If your child participated in round 2 of high school admissions, he or she should have received a results letter from the guidance counselor this week. If you have any questions, contact your guidance counselor or call 718-935-2399. For more information, see the DOE website »

• Cooling support for New Yorkers with heat-related health issues: If you have a medical condition that is aggravated by heat but lack the funds for an air conditioner, help is available. Gov. Cuomo has allocated $3 million for New Yorkers who need air conditioning to install it. Find out more »

• Free, one-on-one college admissions help: Low-income high school students are invited to apply for Bottom Line, a free support program for college admission. For more information, see the flier »

• Round 2 of pre-K admissions open until this Friday, May 20: In round 1 of pre-K admissions, 85 percent of families were assigned to one of their top three choices. If you haven't applied for next year yet, don't wait. For more information, visit the DOE website »

• Children's books that encourage kindness: Check out this list of 13 children's books that encourage kindness toward others. Read the article on Buzzfeed »

• Encourage summer learning and get free books: The Barnes and Noble summer reading program, and other summer reading programs like it, award free books and other prizes to kids for completing summer reading activities. Read the article on About.com »

Free and low-cost summer programs

• Free summer writing workshop for teens: NYC youth between the ages of 15 and 20 are invited to apply for a free summer writing workshop from July 5 to Aug. 11 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays, and get one-on-one mentoring from a professional editor, writing lessons, group activities and more. Participants will receive a MetroCard and $7 for lunch each day; and youth in foster care receive a $600 stipend. The application deadline is this Friday, May 20. Learn more and apply »

• Sports classes for kids in NYC parks this summer: The City Parks Foundation offers free sports classes in soccer, track and field, golf, tennis and more. Register online now »

• Leadership program for immigrant high school students: The New York Immigration Coalition invites immigrant high school students to apply for its second cohort of the New American Youth Leadership Corps. The program will meet weekly this summer for leadership workshops, community service projects and more. The application deadline is June 9. Apply online now »

• Three-week speech therapy camp for kids with cerebral palsy: Columbia Teacher's College invites children between the ages of 5 and 15 to register for a three-week camp held between July 5 and 20 for speech therapy in a fun, supportive environment. For more information and to register, email cpspeech@tc.columbia.edu. See the flier »

• Three-week residential math camp for rising 8th-graders: Students completing 7th grade who are gifted in math and attend a public school where at least 75% of the students receive free or reduced-price lunch may be eligible for a residential math camp. The camp runs from July 5 to 26 at Bard College and is free. Students must be recommended by their teachers. To learn more, see the website »

• Dual-enrollment and college-readiness programs: High school students are invited to enroll in College Now summer programs. These are dual-enrollment (both college and high school credit) classes and college-readiness classes offered by CUNY. They span many disciplines and are offered in all boroughs. For more information, visit the website »

• Summer programs for students attending renewal schools: The Department of Education invites students attending the 94 schools in the mayor's School Renewal Program to attend summer programs for all grade levels. There are Summer in the City enrichment programs, STEM programs and more for students in grades 2 through 11. To learn more and apply, visit the website »

• Free science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) camp: The DOE is accepting applications until this Friday, May 20 for its STEM "summer in the city" program for students in grades 2 through 10. The program runs from July 7 to Aug. 11, Monday through Thursday, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Breakfast, lunch and MetroCards are provided. Apply online now »

• Free summer tutoring for rising fourth-grade students: Everyone Reading will offer free tutoring this summer to children born in 2007 and entering fourth grade next school year. This program most benefits students with dyslexia or who need support with phonics. The program will begin on June 30 and run from July 5 to 29, Mondays through Fridays, from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Museum of the City of New York on 5th Ave and 103rd St. in Manhattan. The program involves an hour of one-on-one tutoring in reading skills, then two hours of hands-on museum education activities such as photography, map making and model building. To apply, contact Lavinia Mancuso at lmancuso@everyonereading.org or 917-903-2648. See the flier »

• Summer youth police academy: New York City children who are between the ages of 10 and 16 and attending school are welcome to apply for the New York Police Department's summer youth academy. This 6-week program, running from July 5 to Aug. 12, offers educational sessions about law, behavioral science, drug prevention and gang resistance. Students will also enjoy field trips and outdoor volunteer opportunities. There are locations in all boroughs. Lunch and transportation are included. Applications are being accepted until this Friday, May 20. To learn more and apply, visit the website »