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.

Don't forget to register for the UFT Staten Island parent conference on Saturday, Oct. 22 at the Staten Island Hilton Garden Inn.

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 22
• Time: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Location: Staten Island Hilton Garden Inn, 1100 South Ave. Directions »

You’ll have the opportunity to attend two workshops from 10 offerings on topics ranging from the transition into high school to stress management and so much more!

Download the brochure in English »
Download the brochure in Spanish »

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

Sincerely,

Joan McKeever-Thomas
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Friday, Sept. 29: Boys and girls are invited to instructional flag football from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Ocean Breeze Athletic Complex in Staten Island. This is one of many free community events that happen in NYC parks all the time. For a full listing of events in Staten Island parks, visit the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation website »

• Monday, Oct. 24: The Richmond County Domestic Violence Committee will hold its annual conference for service providers about human trafficking from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Staten Island University Hospital, 475 Seaview Ave. RSVP by emailing mbigelow@urbanjustice.org. 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: 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 »