mysidewalkchalk

New Charter School in Lefferts Gardens!

2009-12-15T18:21:00.002-05:00

I just got the exciting news from Hawthorne Street that the proposed District 17 Lefferts Gardens Charter School that will be partnering with the Botanic Garden has the go ahead for fall of 2010. They are waiting on a location but the school hopes to be housed close to the park. Whether you are pro charter or not, this is another option for local families and it answers a need in the community.

"the school will feature an environmental-science program that spans across disciplines. The over-arching idea is that the learning will be "experiential"—meaning that teachers will try to connect what goes on inside the classroom (and out) to children's daily lives. The school plans on working with the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and the Prospect Park Audubon Center as part of its curriculum." - Hawthorne Street

PS 20 Has a New Website

2009-12-11T14:19:00.001-05:00

PS 20 has a new website! but no tours yet. Ms. Colon, the Parent Coordinator says that there may be some dates in a week or so.

The Mid Semester Check Up

2009-11-02T12:03:00.003-05:00

It is time for Parent/Teacher conferences again. It is tough to find out or fix everything in the 3 minutes that are scheduled at many schools. It is really just a time to touch base or make an appointment for a longer conversation. It is important to come prepared to use the time wisely and open up lines of communication with your child's teacher.

Alexandra Mayzler, Director of Thinking Caps Tutoring wrote some tips to help parents during the conference season.

The first months of school are quickly coming to an end and parent/teacher meetings are upon us. Now is a great time to take a moment to speak to your child about how far he or she has come since the beginning of school, and where he or she hopes to be in the middle of the year and at the end of the year. Rather than wait for the first report card to come and indicate your child's progress, take time to talk about what your child wanted to accomplish and evaluate how the year is going in terms of both strengths and weaknesses. Looking back at the first few months of school will help everyone gain a better perspective of the techniques used and make any necessary adjustments. Here are some ideas about how to start the conversation:

1. Parent/Student Conference - before you sign up for the parent/teacher conferences, let your child know that you'll be attending the conference. Discuss why you're attending so that your child sees your commitment to his or her education. Ask your child how school is going and what he or she believes will be discussed at the conference. Have your child make a list of comments that he thinks the teacher will address. Together, consider academic highlights and challenges that your child is experiencing.

2. Homework Check In - ask your child how he or she feels about the homework process. Is your child able to complete the assignments? Does he or she have trouble remembering assignments or materials? Does your child feel comfortable about the amount of time spent on the homework? Do you? Pin-point any trouble spots with organization and time management.

3. Multiple Choice, Bubbles, Essays: Tests - talk to your child about his or her test preparation techniques. How is your child studying for different tests? Does he or she feel prepared when sitting down for a test and is he or she often surprised by the grades? Discuss test anxiety and ways to alleviate test day stress. I f your child feels uncomfortable with the test process, evalutate whether there is trouble understanding teh concepts or if test prep strategies need some tweaking.

The conversation should help you and your child establish an understanding of strengths and weaknesses. It is important to highlight the ways that your child is making progress. Don't spend too much time worrying about the errors, but instead focus on the outlook and how to improve the weaknesses. Use the mid-semester to review the origional goals and make any adjustments for the rest of the year.

Thanks Alexandra!

Parents of NY Teens

2009-10-23T15:29:00.002-04:00

I follow the neighborhood yahoo groups of parents of young children to answer questions about nursery and elementary school, but I occasionally yearn for a group of older parents. I need friends who will talk to me about tutors and teen break ups and how to handle the coed sleepover. I have been an avid member of the yahoo group, parentsofnyteens. It is smallish and chocked full of great parents that I actually know, who are funny and generous and very, very supportive.

Just two days ago, Rachel, the moderator, did us all a wonderful service and started the Parents of NY Teens blog where she is compiling information and resources that the yahoo group members have been supplying.

Now a place for us to go! - to find about the emotions and college tours and ...(a couple of months ago there was a lively discussion on the yahoo group about how to inform your son that it was time to take a shower). I recommend that you sign up for the group, and use the information on the blog early and often!

International School of Brooklyn and Dual Language at PS 84

2009-10-09T15:18:00.006-04:00

It is a big news day for you language immersion and dual language fans!
The International School of Brooklyn which is an independent school , (currently nursery through 3rd grade) has a language immersion program in Spanish and French is moving to a big new location. They will be moving their whole school to a former Catholic School building in Carroll Gardens next year. The new location will triple their current space and allow them to launch their middle school in 2012. They anticipate almost doubling their enrollment for the 2010 school year.

Are you interested in Dual Language Spanish or Dual Language French in a public school?
Check out PS 84 in Williamsburg. Not only do they have a new principal, Jake Hobson, they have just announced that next year they will be rolling out a new dual language French program to join their Spanish program. A large number of local families have been working to organize this program over the last year.

They will have a meeting for parents on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 6pm at the school (wine and cheese courtesy of the French Embassy).

They will also be screening a French cartoon + snacks on Sat. Oct. 24 at 11am. Bring the kids and tell your friends to show local support for this great new neighborhood program. Everyone is welcome.
RSVP frenchinwillburg@gmail.com

Sunset Park HS campus

2009-09-23T11:45:00.003-04:00

I just got back from touring the Sunset Park HS building.
It is everything that you would hope it would be, spacious, light, and beautiful. Three schools are housed there right now, Sunset Park HS which will grow at capacity to 1600 students (currently with a 9th grade), Brooklyn Prospect Charter (currently with a 6th grade) which will be housed there for two years before they find their permanent home and The Lillian Rashkis School, a district 75 program. I would recommend that all parents of 5th and 8th graders make time to tour the appropriate program housed in this building. They are worth a look.

There is a community barbecue celebrating the opening of Sunset Park HS tonight, Wed. between 5-8pm
The school is located at 35th St. between 3rd and 4th Ave.
Meet the administrators, teachers and students and tour the building.

Prospect Park West Contest Winners

2009-09-18T17:25:00.004-04:00

Congratulations Amy and Roberta you won! My husband tried to enter.
His entry:
"Name of your child's current school: Peter Stuyvesant HS
Thing you love: Go Peg Legs! (that is really the name of the football team)
One challenge that the school faces: The spelling of its name...does it end in 'ant' ,'ent', 'end'?
Keep that book in the family!"
I have disqualified him and he is not allowed to read the book. He thinks that "Sex in the City" is a documentary and he would never be able to do his coop sift in peace again.
I think the new neighborhood parlor game should be who will play "you" in the movie. Heh, Sarah Jessica, I am not in the book, but I would like to be played by Laura Dern and my husband is Colin Firth. Your turn.
Thanks for all the entries.

My first impressions of Prospect Park West

2009-09-12T17:56:00.008-04:00

I had a consult in Manhattan with a lovely family who is moving to the Slope so I finally had a chance to crack open Prospect Park West by Amy Sohn for a few quick stops on the F train. I howled through the first chapter, got off the train to talk about nursery programs and when I got back on the F the first thing I read was an abridged list of the schools that I had just recommended. Of course it wasn't accompanied by the well researched data and keen insight that I provide, but if I had been drinking milk at the time, it would have come out my nose. I am going to institute a new rating system. So far Prospect Park West gets 4 out of 4 individual serving organic, antibiotic free milk boxes.

The thing is that it has tons of realistic details as well as exaggerated characters. It is like having a famous author in the family. You were at the dysfunctional Christmas reunion. You know the people and what happened. You can gleefully enjoy the embellishments safe in the knowledge that as the boring third cousin, you won't be mentioned. We all know what we love about the neighborhood. We don't need to see that in print. It would be boring. Comedy is cruel and this is comedy set in a very familiar locale.

I have one request. I would like Simon & Schuster to come out with an indexed addition, "people and places that Joyce knows". Otherwise I am going to have to go through it with a highlighter.

There are still a few days left to submit entries for the "Win the Book Contest". Email me joyce@nycschoolhelp.com with the name of your child's current school, one thing you love and one challenge that the school faces. If your child is not in school yet, tell me what grade level you most fear and why. I will be picking an entry at random on Friday, Sept. 18 at 4pm.

Win a book!

2009-09-10T13:49:00.004-04:00

I have a copy of Prospect Park West by Amy Sohn to give away. I am dying to read it. As soon as I finish updating all of my school data sheets with new progress reports (heck, they are all A's anyway!) I am going to take a "guilty pleasure afternoon" and crack it open.
Here's how to play:
drop me an email with "book" in the subject. joyce@nycschoolhelp.com
Tell me one good thing and one challenge that your child's current school is facing and tell me the name of the school. If your child isn't in school yet, let me know what grade level you are most anxious about. The deadline is Friday Oct. 18 at 4pm. I will pick an email at random and send you a book.

Thank you Simon & Schuster! I love giving things away. Feel free to send me more books anytime, and I will let you know what I think about the Prospect Park West in upcoming posts.

My kids are prepping for the SATs. Heh, Barron's or Princeton Review - they are happy to try out any test prep books that you are giving away!

Middle School: Part 3

2009-09-09T15:32:00.004-04:00

So it is the first day of middle school, congratulations! This is what every sixth grade parent wants to hear as their darling comes in the door, "thanks mom and dad, that school is great! It is everything that I dreamed it would be over those long months last year, when we were waiting to hear where I would be placed." This is what you undoubtedly will hear, "It smells funny." That is if they are being kind.

This is what parents need to remember for the next two weeks. Your darling has not been in a new school since they were 5 years old. They have been the kings and queens of their elementaries. They knew everyone. They knew exactly what to expect. They knew all the teachers and it smelled familiar. But now they have to change classes in a building that they are afraid to get lost in. Even the sweetest teacher is putting on her mean face to keep the upper hand on the first day of middle school. The kids, whether they are giant and menacing 8th graders or not, are strange. Even kids they have known all their lives are coming back from the summer with breasts and different voices. How weird is that? It can't possibly be a good day.

So here is what you need to do:
First give them a protein filled snack. They probably had lunch at 10:30. Let them zone out for a while at the mindless activity of their choice.

Don't ask them how they liked school. You won't get the answer you want.
Just ask about facts. What color was your math teacher's hair? Do you have to climb stairs? How many minutes in between class? What do you want for lunch tomorrow?
In a couple of weeks they will start to say things like, "I met a nice kid today." "The science teacher is pretty funny." and you will finally get your rewards for dragging them on a million tours the year before.

And children...
have pity on your poor parents. They only want what is best for you. When they look at you pleadingly, hungry for any detail and praying that they made the right choice, say, "Mom, Dad, I love you anyway."

Registering for Public School Sept. 2009

2009-08-31T08:57:00.004-04:00

This information is from the DOE's website.
Elementary or middle school: Register at your zoned school starting on Wednesday, Sept. 9 (the first day of school). Call 311 or try the search at the DOE website to determine your zoned school. If you don't have one, visit a Student Registration Center in your borough of residence beginning Monday August, 31.

High School: Register at a Student Registration Center in your borough of residence beginning Monday, August 31.
The Centers will be open Monday - Friday 8am - 3pm from August 31 to Sept. 18. Closed Sept. 7 for Labor Day. Translated materials and interpretation services will be available at all Centers. Check out the DOE's new student page for documents that you will be required to bring.

Brooklyn High School for the Arts
345 Dean St. between 3rd and 4th Ave.
Clara Barton High School
901 Classon Ave. east side of the Brooklyn Museum between Union and President
The Montauk
4200 16th Ave. at 42nd St. Brooklyn
Brooklyn Technical High School
29 Fort Greene Place (enter on South Elliott) between Dekalb and Fulton

PS 46 just called with a registration update for their school.
They are holding early registration Sept. 1-4, 9am to 1pm. The parent or guardian should come to school with the child's Birth Certificate, immunization records, proofs of address and their ID.
They will also be holding an evening meeting for parents of enrolled students to meet teachers on the evening of Sept. 10.

High School Shortlist Workshops

2009-08-26T09:30:00.002-04:00

Bring the DOE High School Directory and come away with a folder containing a short list of schools so you can face the fall with confidence. I lead you through the directory with a pair of scissors, information, strategies and tips on keeping your wits about you while finding a good fit school for your child. Reservations Required.

Saturday, Sept. 12, 10am - noon at Brooklyn Creative League 540 President St. 3rd Fl. (between Third and Fourth Ave.) near the M/R Train
Wednesday, Sept. 16, 7 - 9pm at Hootenanny Art House 428 15th St. Brooklyn at 8th Ave. near the Prospect Park stop on the F Train

If you would like to host a HS Short List Workshop in your home, gather at least 5 other families. As a thank you for organizing, your admission to the workshop is free. $40. for parents, $10. for students Bring your Directory and I will supply everything else.
for reservations: joyce@nycschoolhelp.com

PS 133 at St. Thomas Aquinas School

2009-08-14T12:01:00.003-04:00

The Brooklyn Paper reported back in June that PS 133 would be housed in the St. Thomas Aquinas School building while construction was done further north on 4th Ave. The school building has been underutilized for a few years now and I have watched in anticipation as the porta-potties and cranes moved in. I stopped by this morning and filled in a couple of details.
The DOE has the lease for at least 3 years. The building is very well built (as you can imagine considering its vintage) and the construction authority has been making an investment in it. A lot of good work has apparently been done to upgrade it. The work will be finished by Sept. for the first day of school. The building should also have a wireless network. I also inquired about any news on the new construction at the 133 building. I will be sorry to see the graceful old building and beautiful garden go. One new thing that I hadn't heard was that the architects where hoping to include as much of the old detail as possible in the new project. This certainly doesn't address the neighborhood's other many issues with the project.

What happens to the St. Thomas Aquinas school building in three or four years after 133 moves on? There has been talk of an art center there, which would be wonderful. I would love to see a public early childhood center that could relieve the PreK and K overcrowding that is happening all along the 4th Ave. corridor.

Preparing for Middle School: 2

2009-08-07T13:15:00.004-04:00

Are you worried that your sweet darling is going to turn on you without warning the minute puberty kicks in? I can't help you with that, but I may be able to warn you about a couple of things that may give you a slight edge in the situation.

Your 6th grader doesn't have to have instant computer communication with all of their friends. This communication does seem to be necessary when they are a bit older, but in 6th grade they need to figure out how to deal with their new life and time management. Too much unregulated access (and do you want to be the policeman?) is a giant sink hole of problems. If it is difficult for you to self regulate your time on Facebook (you know who you are), it is impossible for your child. You have the power to choose what comes into your home. I just advise that you make conscious choices at each step along the way. Consider whether it is wise to have a computer in their room. This is not necessarily a trust issue. How many times have you looked up from the computer and it was three hours later and you had no idea that time was passing (I am doing it right now!). The time will come when they will go to bed after you are long asleep, but right now they are the ones that really need the shut eye. They are so much nicer when they get it.

That brings up the fact that they look old, but in many ways they still have the same needs that they did when they were toddlers. Sleep, eat and read aloud should be your mantra. They grow when they sleep and they are growing inches every day. Studies show that US teenagers are chronically sleep deprived. I am mean when I am tired (really, don't cross me!) and they will be too. Why go there?

Feed them right away when they get home from school, something healthy with complex carbs or protein. They probably had lunch at 10:30. They are HUNGRY. Feed them before you ask about their day or they will bite your head off.

6th graders have a lot to deal with (more on that in the next "preparing..."). A funny thing happens to many of them. They occasionally take up a little baby language, they climb their giant 5' frames onto your lap, they form a sudden nostalgia for their "childhood". While they are desperately trying to be older, they are also uncomfortable with letting go of the familiar. This is why it is nice to stay friends with kids that are not going to your middle school. They have to be cool with their school friends, but they can be their old selves with their old friends. Don't get rid of all of the Legos or stuffed animals just yet.

They may not want to talk about their day when they get home. A parent can look pretty lame in the cold light of day, but at night, when they are cozy in bed and the lights are low, you look like their beloved moms and dads again. Everybody likes to be read aloud to. If you keep doing the bedtime reading (or start back up) you will be amazed at what happens. First the books just get better and better. But you may find that you don't spend much time on the books. You may end up just talking, and the longer you can keep that tradition going the better.

Happy reading!

Preparing for Middle School: 1

2009-08-07T12:16:00.005-04:00

I always waited for the first day of school to get the teacher's list of supplies. Then I would go to Target or Staples and wait in an endless line for the last of the stray, wrinkled, stepped on notebooks that nobody else wanted. I wanted to go in mid summer when the pretty notebooks were out, but NYC starts school so much later than any other district that when I was on vacation in other states, the shelves were clear by mid July. I just went to Staples yesterday and got my gross of $.19 pocket folders and you can too, before they are all gone.

Here is a shopping strategy for the parents of rising 6th graders ready for their first year of Middle School. It is a tough call because your tween will want to wait to see what everyone else has. They may also want the giant binder with pockets and subject dividers for the first time. These will not go to waste even if their teachers don't require them. They will use them all sometime unless they become plastered with Jonas Brothers stickers which will render them "gross" and outdated in 6 months.
This is what you should get:

the tried and true marble composition books one for each subject (and lots of extras)
pocket folders for each subject
spiral notebooks with perforations so that the pages can be torn out without the fringe

If you go shopping now you can find colorful (actually attractive) composition notebooks. Get them in different colors for each subject, red for ELA, blue for math, green for science etc. Then get the corresponding colored pocket folders and spiral notebooks for those subjects too. That way when the books are strewn all over the living room at 7am and your child only needs science and ELA that day, he can easily see what needs to go into the backpack. If they are all the same color or random designs imagine the horror (and notes home that he doesn't have his work in class).

pads of graph paper for math (some have 4 sq. per in. on one side and 5 on the other so that you have all bases covered)
lots of #2 pencils, a sharpener, and some mechanical lead pencils for math
colored construction paper, glue sticks, markers of all kinds (you thought the projects would stop?!)
extra poster board (white and in color) and a spare tri-fold card board display (thanks Felicity)
lots of extra printer paper and many extra ink cartridges

Middle school is when the computer becomes a part of your child's body. I have a couple things to say about this. ALWAYS HAVE AN EXTRA INK CARTRIDGE IN THE HOUSE. Oh yes, you will use the last one and think, I will reorder that in a couple of weeks like I normally do, but a week later at midnight when the giant social studies project is due, suddenly there will be no ink, because your child spent the last week printing out multiple copies of different size pictures of civil war uniforms that they didn't use. Hear me now or suffer the consequences. Always have at least one extra cartridge and ream of paper in the house. Always.

Happy shopping!

Intro to Nursery School Talk

2009-08-05T08:39:00.007-04:00

I will be talking about
* nursery school philosophies
* what to look for on a tour
* what you need to know to keep the search under control and in perspective
* Lots of Q&A.

I won't be discussing individual schools at this event
$20. for an individual /$30. for a family
RSVP to joyce@nycschoolhelp.com

Tuesday, August 11 at 7pm - 8:30pm
at NYC Explorers 388 Atlantic Ave. (between Hoyt and Bond)

Wednesday, Sept. 9 at 10am - 11:30am
at Hootenanny Art House 15th St. (@ 8th Ave. Brooklyn)

Thursday, Sept. 24 at 7pm - 8:30pm
at Still Hip 283 Grand (between Lafayette and Clinton Pl.)

My Dad; living green

2009-08-04T08:24:00.004-04:00

I just need to brag on my dad who turned 80 this year. He and my mother moved to a "community for active seniors" a couple of years ago and he joined the model sailboat club.

My father was an art teacher, librarian and school audio/visual supervisor, but mostly he has been a lifelong user of recycled materials in an effort to have more fun. He made kites out of the Sunday funnies. He once attended a costume party wrapped in bubble wrap with a hidden tape recorder that played heavy breathing sounds. His office and library were decorated with objects that he found or created and we couldn't wait to visit to just hang out in the environments that he made. Give him an afternoon, some toilet paper tubes and a solar battery and stand back. I joked when they moved to Greenspring that there would be a pile of "hall walkers" who had coronaries in front of their door when his motion sensitive, kinetic sculpture jumped out and said "HELLO!" (My mother, a minimalist, decided on a less stressful option)

His sailboat club, located a few miles from the Pentagon, is full of former Navy guys. When my father joined, he began experimenting with different sail materials, and winning races. Imagine the uproar when he showed up with the non-regulation red nylon (which helps him actually see his boat from across the pond). The ultimate triumph occurred the other day when he showed up with a sail made from the wrapper of a Costco bushel of paper towels. Needless to say, he cleaned up in his races that day.

High School Short List Workshops

2009-07-30T09:23:00.004-04:00

Bring the big DOE High School Directory and come away with a folder containing a short list of schools so you can face the fall with confidence. Joyce Szuflita leads you through the directory with a pair of scissors, information, strategies and tips on keeping it organized, helping your child engage in the process and keeping your wits about you while finding a good fit school for your child. Reservations required.

Saturday, August 1, 10am-noon at Brooklyn Creative League 540 President St. 3rd Floor (between Third and Fourth Ave.) near M,R train

Saturday, Sept. 12, 10am-noon at Brooklyn Creative League 540 President St. 3rd Floor (between Third and Fourth Ave.) near M,R train

Wednesday, Sept. 16, 7-9pm at Hootenanny Art House 428 15th St. Brooklyn at (8th Ave.) near the Prospect Park stop on the F train

$40. for parents, $10. for students
Bring your Directory and I will supply everything else.
for reservations: joyce@nycschoolhelp.com

New Interim Acting Principal for PS 20

2009-07-29T12:11:00.007-04:00

I just got word that a new interim acting principal has been assigned to PS 20 and by all accounts she is AMAZING. Lena Barbera has been an AP at the lovely PS 261. She had been at 261 since 1996 as a teacher and Math Coach. It sounds like the teachers working with her will have a lot of support because she worked at 261 implementing new curriculum and modeling instructional practices for new teachers. She has been an AP for 5 years. She is a graduate of of Hunter College and Brooklyn College.
For a little more information and a lovely picture (so you can say hi when you see her on the street) you can check out her bio on the PS 261 website

Update: A few people have written to ask what "interim acting" means. "Before a principal or assistant principal is permanently appointed, the DoE often appoints an Interim Acting (IA) principal or assistant principal." this is from the blog jd2718 which explains the appointment process from a UFT teacher's point of view. The interim acting principal goes through the C30 hiring process to be permanently appointed to a school. I was on a C30 committee as a parent a few years ago. A committee is collected of "parent, teacher, school staff, administrator union, and Department of Education (through Region, District etc) personnel." The job is advertised and candidates including the "interim acting principal" are interviewed and their qualifications reviewed. In my situation there was never any doubt that we wanted the interim acting principal to have the job as the best possible candidate. The jd2718 describes it as merely a rubber stamp process. I can't speak to that. I do hope that a new candidate from a strong and well respected program who has considerable skills and experience can bring the school community together.

Teen Treks

2009-07-27T12:40:00.004-04:00

My teens are all over the map this summer.
They got back from a great Teen Treks bike trip across Mass. from Albany to Provincetown on the Cape. This is the second trip for one of them and it didn't disappoint. The rain and the Berkshires didn't deter them (although now when we are sitting in a car and they see a slight incline they exclaim "oh no, a hill!") It was a fantastic small group this year and they did everything from Tanglewood to Great Adventure, lots of beaches and two days in Boston. I highly recommend this trip for giving them a real sense of accomplishment and adventure.

We hardly had time to scrape the bike grease off before we headed to the family reunion in Chicago. Chicago is a great town for kids with amazing free summer concerts and programs all over the city (and a great bike path along the lake and its own beaches). It is a little early, but we decided to tour Northwestern as long as we were in the neighborhood. There is plenty to love there and I highly recommend their tour which was "awesome!" We had a very excited tour guide who also happened to be extremely knowledgeable (good job Northwestern, my kids are now looking further west than they were a week ago).

I have to give a shout out to Daniel, junior at Stuy, who I happen to know, follows this blog religiously. He is doing a summer debate program at Northwestern that sounds interesting. It seems that I have a few fans at Stuy, Hi J.! which keeps me from writing anything really interesting about my kids.

Intro to Public School: PreK and Kindergarten Talks

2009-07-06T16:58:00.001-04:00

I am doing this popular talk again at a couple different venues in July.
I will discuss the big picture with the "big map".

what you need to know
when you need to know it
what to do when things go wrong
strategies and common practices, including "the 5 things to do to keep from turning prematurely grey"
If you are confused about the difference between Charter, Magnet and Dual Language or Unzoned programs and what is up with district-wide vs. citywide Gifted and Talented, this may be the talk for you. I don't discuss individual schools, but you will come away armed with lots of information to begin your school search with confidence. Lots of Q&A.

Thursday, July 9, 7pm-8:30pm at Hootenanny Art House 428 15th St. at 8th Ave.
(Park Slope stop on the F train)
Wednesday, July 29, 7pm-8:30pm at New York City Explorers 388 Atlantic Ave.

$25. per person/$40. for families
for reservations: joyce@nycschoolhelp.com
This talk is always available to Preschool Programs or private groups. Contact me for information.

Summer is the Season for Organizing!

2009-06-24T17:22:00.004-04:00

Eleanor Traubman, professional organizer to busy Brooklyn moms, is offering this special:

* 3 hours of professional organizing services for the price of 2 hours

* Offer runs from now until July 31

* Bonus half hour if you book your appointment by June 30

* 9 hour package honored through August
15 hour package honored through September

This is the perfect service for the mom who wants to.......................

* Sit down to a clear desk top

* Fnd any paper document in 30 seconds or less

* Clear out the clutter to start a new business or project

* Open a closet door to find the clothes you feel good in and love to wear

* Experience more serenity and focus in your daily live

To chat with Eleanor about your organizing goals, call: 917-499-7395

You can also check out Eleanor at her blog, Creative Times: creativetimes.blogspot.com

Eleanor is a wonderful organizer and has inspired me. She helped me make order out of my very cluttered workspace and gave me great advice on how to move forward with my photography business. I highly recommend her to anyone who is feeling overwhelmed by clutter and needs to clear the decks.

- Julie Markes, PS 321 parent/ children's book author / photographer.

Here's a creative tip: find some other moms, join forces, and go in on a package deal together!

Insideschools.org

2009-06-22T17:31:00.004-04:00

You all must have heard by now, that www.insideschools.org is having financial difficulties. If you are the parent of a school aged child you know how much they are worth. If you are the parent of an infant or toddler, trust me, New York City is a much tougher place without them. I like to refer to them as the "consumer reports" of NYC public schools but they are so much more; friendly reminders, an active forum, and accurate almost immediate updates on anything school related.

It is very easy to donate.
You can go to their "donate" page
or you can give through paypal.
Please send them a little something for all the good they do everyday. Many people have suggested that they charge a fee. A big part of their mission is to provide accurate, easy to use advice for all parents, including the ones that may not have the funds to pay for it. Please do what you can.

No Citywide G & T at PS 20 in Brooklyn

2009-06-17T16:57:00.005-04:00

PS 20 will no doubt weather its troubles, but it is sad news for children who tested into the citywide gifted and talented program. One less option is always a sad story. Many parents saw the placement of a citywide program, which would consist of a single class on a grade, into an existing school as a curious move on the DOE's part. Considering the three citywides in Manhattan are full schools (although petite) it enables the teachers and administrators to build school wide programs especially designed for this end of the special needs spectrum. I would imagine that the school wide staff development geared to G&T would be invaluable and help produce fine and sought after programs.

The city has for years placed single G & T classes in general ed schools and although the talented teachers that lead these classes have toiled in solitude (one on a grade) they have done a fine job. It seems to me that the citywide program is serving a different purpose. I believe that was the thinking of the many parents that left their northern Brooklyn neighborhoods in droves to seek out Brooklyn School of Inquiry. Insideschools has reported that because of the huge popularity of the school that they will be adding a third kindergarten to the school and only opening one first grade class.

So, were Principal Keaton's troubles the reason that the program has closed? Was it the fact that it looked like this program, that had been given special development and attention at other schools, a seeming afterthought at PS 20? Was it a lack of focus and expertise in gifted and talented education that put parents off? We won't know. The DOE has a challenge finding the resources, the location and the educators to pull off this kind of program. I think that they have made a great bet in Donna Taylor and Brooklyn School of Inquiry.

DOE Summer HS Info Talks are Here! Hurray!

2009-06-16T20:35:00.004-04:00

The DOE has just announced their terrific summer high school informational talks. For those of you that couldn't make my "Navigating Public High School Choice" talks this month the DOE does a great job with this series of Tuesday Night Talks at Brooklyn Tech and Stuyvesant. Check out the June 30 "First Steps: Understanding my HS Options". They have panelists and the information is snappy and targeted, just the kind I like. I wouldn't miss the July 7 "Eight Specialized Exam High Schools" or the July 14 "Performing Arts HS: Preparing your Audition/Arts Portfolio (this one is a must see for families that are planning on looking at any arts high schools.

Tuesdays at 6:30pm throughout the summer starting on June 30 at Brooklyn Tech and ending on August 11 at Stuyvesant. The complete list is on the DOE website under "choices and enrollment/high schools/calendar and events.

And then you can come to my "Public High School Short List Workshops" on July 13 at 7pm or August 1 at 10am. For more information http://nycschoolhelp.com/HSworkshop.aspx
or write to me at joyce@nycschoolhelp.com

Robobaby

2009-06-10T16:35:00.004-04:00

The words every mom of a teen is fearful to see in a text, "I got the baby!" These were not so ominous because she only had it for 24 hours, so I texted back, "awesome!" and waited for Robobaby to arrive.

My daughter, as a sophomore, has had "Health" this year instead of gym. It has been a terrific class, which the teacher gleefully describes as having one goal - making sure that none of them gets pregnant. It is much more than that. This class has been so enlightening that I think of it akin to the salad making scene in "To Sir, With Love". Ms. B. is getting them ready for the real world; they rolled the dice to get a job or career (so far, so good), they planned their weddings, wrote vows, made a yearly budget ("why do I have to pay for my husband's deodorant?!"), watched videos of real births ("like, 15 times! disgusting!") assembled their layettes, and finally she brought Robobaby home for a sleepover.

First the school had us sign a paper saying that if anything happens to Robobaby we are responsible for the cost, $350. (I imagine my husband at 2am going at Robobaby with a phillips-head, trying to disarm its crying mechanism.) The kids get the baby for a day (no raw eggs or bags of flour for Murrow!) They have a key that is attached to their wrists with the kind of unbreakable tag that you get at amusement parks so that you can't hand responsibility over to someone else. The key disarms the crying mechanism. The baby records how many times you neglect it or don't support its head. My daughter had to get special permission to delay her baby because she was in a play. For a split second she could tell, Ms. B was thinking, "well, what are you going to do if you had a REAL baby?" and she thought better of it. (Nobody crosses the Murrow Drama Dept.)

So, yesterday afternoon she arrived and was promptly placed in the darling hand painted cradle that held the stuffies and cowbaby. Of course as a new mother, my daughter checked her every 10 minutes because the baby wasn't doing anything. (She had been told it was programed "colicky"). I said, "just wait", and yes, at midnight Robobaby started to cry at irregular intervals until the three of us made my daughter and her progeny sleep on the sofa where we couldn't hear them scream. I am sure that she will get a good grade. She is a very attentive mother. Mostly, I am thankful that she can now stick to a budget, that she knows how much her cell phone costs, that she is thinking about her 401K and that she will make her husband buy his own deodorant.

Aris Parent Link

2009-06-08T14:40:00.004-04:00

I got my letter from the DOE welcoming me to the ARIS Parent Link tool, so I thought that I would try it out.
I logged in at www.ARISParentLink.org with my student's id# and the temporary password that was sent in the letter. If you don't know your child's id#, check on a report card. It is the same nine digit number that follows them all the way from kindergarten. I have a file that I keep school documents in (report cards and test results) and I write the number on the outside of the folder along with the phone numbers of the Parent Coordinator, Guidance Counselor and main school phone number. When my kids only had one teacher I would put the teacher's contact info there too for easy access. Now they have too many teachers to keep track of and I have to do an excel spreadsheet if they are inclined to give contact information.

It was easy to access the website and I didn't see anything that I didn't expect. The Regents scores were there and the days we took her out of school to visit our friends in Brazil. The 3rd - 8th grade standardized scores were there also, as well as her grades. I appreciate that I can access the information online to check that it is correct, and if I had a different child that wasn't always waving printouts of her "permanent record" in my face I would see things that might be new to me.

I am curious to hear from 4th grade parents to find out if the current ELA or Math scores are listed on their reports. It would be a helpful site if parents could have fast access to that information. I have to say that the most helpful sites have been two from my high school student's school. One is an email listserve that sends oneway messages from the school. As an incentive for signing up we recieve our student's report cards as a email a day early. I love that, because I might never see it otherwise. The other was an experimental site that a teacher set up that had accurate and timely grades listed throughout the semester; what homework was missing and how the essay or exam went. I find that often the report cards are too late to help with finding a tutor or contacting a teacher with a problem. When I knew how she did on the big test before she got home it helped me prepare - "congratulations!" or "I've cancelled soccer so that you can study" or to the teacher "is there a reason that the grades are all over the place?". For the most part, I didn't say anything. I didn't want her to think that I was tracking her every move, and I wasn't, but it was good to be prepared to help when it was needed. I am sure that it was a lot of work for the teacher to enter the many test and assignment grades, but I really appreciated it.

Dual Language Programs

2009-06-03T14:23:00.007-04:00

Thanks to Karen at www.achildgrowsinbrookyn.com for helping me to come up with interesting topics to co-post about.

Parents often want to know if an elementary school has foreign language instruction. Unfortunately, it is rare for a public elementary to have a designated foreign language teacher. Occasionally there may be songs in other languages taught through the music or social studies class, or there may be some language classes through an after-school program. A teacher who is fluent may work a little foreign language awareness into her classroom, but it is not an ongoing program. In middle school the children will be offered language classes usually beginning in the 7th grade, and some may take the proficiency test at the end of 8th grade so that they can enter a slightly more advanced HS class in 9th grade. Often in the smaller middle school programs, Spanish is the language that is offered. A few of the larger schools are able to support a French class as well as a Spanish class. When your child gets to high school depending on the size of the school, the offerings can become very diverse, including Arabic, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Mandarin, Russian and Sign Language.

The exception in elementary school is a dual language program. This is a language immersion program in which half of the class is made up of native speakers in one language and half is native speakers in another language. The day is split with language instruction in both languages for the full class (morning in one language, afternoon in the other) with the goal of creating students who are fluent in both languages. There is a great effort made to be consistent and separate the two languages (each consistently written in its own color ink or on different colored paper). In some schools the same teacher teaches the full day in both languages, in some, two teachers switch off teaching in their own language. The regular on grade curriculum content is covered using both languages. The full immersion may start in kindergarten or 1st grade depending on the school.

District 15 has several dual language programs; the Spanish/English program at PS 24; Spanish/English and Chinese/English at PS 94, and the new French/English program at PS 58. PS 1 has had a program in the past but they were not able to get back to me with current information before I filed this story. Children are assessed for their fluency to be considered for the program. Sometimes a few children from outside of the zone may be allowed to participate to fill out the class. These programs are very popular and there can be waiting lists or lotteries to gain a seat.
For more information:
PS 24
427 38 Street Brooklyn, NY 11232
Parent Coordinator: Tamara Estrella
Phone: (718) 832-9366
PS 94
5010 6 Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11220
Parent Coordinator: Diana Leon-Gonzalez
Phone: (718) 435-6034
PS 58
330 Smith Street Brooklyn, NY 11231
Parent Coordinator: Joan Bredthauer ex: 3
Phone: (718) 330-9322
There is also a lot of information on their website: www.ps58.org

The interest in and richness of these programs is getting attention in other districts as well. PS 307 in district 13 has been studying the Spanish/English and Mandarin/English programs and has been doing community outreach all year in the hopes of opening their classes in the fall of 2009. Call them and speak to Ms. Davenport, the Principal. She is a great spokesperson for the program. PS 46 is also looking into dual language and having a meeting for interested parents on Monday, June 8 at 5:30pm. A group of parents in district 14 is working with the French Embassy to find a partner school for a French/English program there.
P.S. 307 Daniel Hale Williams School
209 York Street Brooklyn, NY 11201
Principal: Ms. Roberta Davenport
Phone: (718) 834-4748
P.S. 46 Edward C. Blum School
100 Clermont Avenue Brooklyn, NY 11205
Phone: (718) 834-7694
Interest meeting, June 8, 5:30-7pm

District 14 parents (or any parents) interested in a French dual language program in Williamsburg should email frenchinwillyburg@gmail.com
and if you feel comfortable include this information:
parents’ name, child’s name, year entering K, email address, phone, zone, district, exposure to French (Anglophone, half-francophone or Francophone)

She's talking about High School again

2009-06-03T08:39:00.008-04:00

I will be giving a free talk tonight, Wednesday June 3, called "Navigating High School Choice" at the Carroll Gardens Library (Union St./Clinton St. Brooklyn) in the auditorium downstairs at 6:30.
If you can't make it tonight I will be giving it again on Tuesday June 16 in the Park Slope Library branch (6th Ave./9th St.) at 6:30.

Sometimes called, "Public High School for Private School Parents" this talk is great for all incoming 7th and 8th grade parents. Everybody who is mystified by this process will benefit from this clear and calm approach to some crazy information. Students are welcome.
For information contact joyce@nycschoolhelp.com

Public High School Short List Workshops
Bring the big DOE High School Directory and come away with a folder containing a short list of schools so you can face the fall with confidence. Joyce Szuflita leads you through the directory with a pair of scissors, information, strategies and tips on keeping it organized, helping your child engage in the process and keeping your wits about you while finding a good fit school for your child.
Monday, July 13, 7-9pm at Hootenanny Art House 426-428 15th St. Prospect Park stop on the F train
Saturday, August 1, 10am-noon at the Brooklyn Creative League 540 President St. 3rd Floor, between 3rd/4th Ave. M, R train at Union St. stop
Saturday, Sept. 12, 10am-noon at the Brooklyn Creative League 540 President St. 3rd Floor, between 3rd/4th Ave. M, R train at Union St. stop
Tuesday, Sept. 16, 7-9pm at Hootenanny Art House 426-428 15th St. Prospect Park stop on the F train

$40. for parents, $10. for students
Bring your Directory and I will supply everything else.

RSVP to joyce@nycschoolhelp.com

Ms. Yingling is Giving Away Books

2009-05-29T07:06:00.006-04:00

Ms. Yingling blogs "One Librarian's attempt to read all the Young Adult Literature in the world and shoot her mouth off about it." She wrote me to say that she is giving away some books, so I thought I pass the information on.

"Thanks to Nicole Bruce of The Book Report Network, Ms. Yingling is giving away a three book set of Patrick Carman's Atherton Trilogy. It's easy to win. You will need to do the following:

E Mail her (MsYingling@yahoo.com) a very short message about your favorite science fiction or fantasy series. What is it and why do you like it?

Deadline is 3:00 p.m. on Friday, June 5th.

Be prepared to give Ms. Yingling your actual mailing address if you win. Kids, check with a parental unit to make sure this is okay. She will need to give your address to Ms. Bruce.

That's it. Winners will be decided by Ms. Yingling and her board of student helpers!

Middle School Talk tonight

2009-05-27T11:51:00.003-04:00

I am speaking tonight about navigating middle school choice at the Carroll Gardens local branch of the Public Library (Union/Clinton). I am starting at 6:30 sharp.

This talk is designed for the parents of incoming 4th and 5th graders, but all are welcome and it would be interesting for parents who are taking a long view and interested in understanding what may be coming up in the years ahead. It is about procedure rather than specific schools, and parents have told me that it calmed some anxiety and helped them get a handle on their options. I have also been told that it was even occasionally amusing.
There will be lots of time for Q&A. Parents from all districts are welcome. There is no need to RSVP for this evening's talk.

I will be giving this talk again on June 9th at 6:30 at the Prospect Park local library branch (6th Ave./9th St.) RSVP to joyce@nycschoolhelp.com for that talk so I can have an idea of numbers.

Author/Illustrator talks to schools

2009-05-19T14:56:00.005-04:00

I just heard Melanie Hope Greenberg speak to several elementary classes this morning at the Central Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. She is the author/illustrator of many picture books including "Down in the Subway" and her current "Mermaids on Parade". She was adorable and so interesting and the room of 60 or so kids just ate it up. She describes her process in a very engaging way. She walked us through the illustration process from her plans through preliminary sketches to the finished work. She described the editing process and how it is helpful and hard sometimes. She showed us pictures and told us stories about her inspiration and gave personal details that she weaves into her work, which made us feel like real insiders. The kids were jumping out of their seats to ask questions and she spoke to them with an ease that let me know that she was with her people. Today she was speaking in conjunction with the show of her work in the youth wing of the Central Library (free to the public through June 13)
She is always available to speak to local elementaries. All you PTA's should call her to set up a program for your librarian!
Also a little shout out for the libraries. If you have a little to spare they are in dire need. You can contribute to your own local branch too. No amout too small.
They are also planning a special start to summer reading festival on June 4. Come sign up for your summer reading goodies and have fun in the plaza. That is a school holiday so come and enjoy the library! More information on that shortly.

Navigating MS and HS Choice

2009-05-15T08:26:00.005-04:00

Joyce Szuflita, NYC School Help, is giving four free talks. Anyone who is mystified by this process will benefit from this clear and calm approach to a complex system. I have given these talks at several schools to packed houses and the parents were very happy to get the information and be able to ask me unlimited questions, so I decided to take the show on the road.

I will also be holding "High School Choice: Short List Workshops" in July and September. We take the HS Directory and a pair of scissors and create a short list folder so that you can plan your tours and keep it all straight. There will be lots of discussion of specific programs, what to look for, strategies and how to be prepared for the search season. These workshops will be about 1.5 hours, $40. parent/ $10. student. I am still setting the dates and venues, but if you are interested email me and I will send you a class notice. joyce@nycschoolhelp.com

Middle School Choice
Wednesday, May 27
Carroll Gardens Public Library (Union St. and Clinton St. Brooklyn)
near the Carroll St. F stop

Tuesday, June 9
Park Slope Public Library (6th Ave. and 9th St. Brooklyn)
near the 7th Ave. F stop

High School Choice
Wednesday, June 3
Carroll Gardens Public Library (Union St. and Clinton St. Brooklyn)
near the Carroll St. F stop

Tuesday, June 16
Park Slope Public Library (6th Ave. and 9th St. Brooklyn)
near the 7th Ave. F stop

All talks are held in the downstairs meeting room at 6:30 sharp.
RSVP to joyce@nycschoolhelp.com with the date you will be attending.
For information: 718 781-1928

Gifted and Talented Letters are out

2009-05-08T09:27:00.003-04:00

Many schools are giving tours of their G&T programs this coming week. You should contact the school directly to confirm a tour and RSVP. Because of the increased number of children scoring above the 90th percentile, district programs have been added.

If your child is eligible for the Brooklyn School of Inquiry, they are having an Open House at the Brooklyn Historical Society on Tuesday, May 19 at 6pm. I know it is late, but definitely worth the time. If you find you need help with information or an objective perspective I am happy to help.
Call Joyce at 718 781-1928.

Lots more boys born in 2004?

2009-04-07T15:12:00.003-04:00

There is an interesting thread on the Park Slope Parents list serve musing about the number of boys born in 2004. There are reports that some kindergarten classes around the slope have twice the number of boys than girls. Several popular nursery schools have also been advertising that they are looking for girls and I heard of a threes program that is normally completely full of siblings was offering seats to girls. Is this all just an interesting anecdotal interlude or are there really way more boys under 5 in the neighborhood?

When I was a diaper changing mother of twins we saw cycles. All of the moms that had twins around the same age as my girls had girls, with the occasional fraternal boy/girl in there. A couple of years after that ALL of the moms had boys. It would be interesting to track. Is there a Phd thesis out there that needs to be written? Please get right on it.

Brooklyn Prospect Charter has its location!

2009-04-03T11:48:00.006-04:00

Brooklyn Prospect Charter has announced that they will be located within the Sunset Park High School building in the fall of '09. Sunset Park HS will be in a brand new building on 35th St. and 4th Ave. in Sunset Park. The high school will be accepting 400 students next fall in their first year growing to 1600. So for the first couple of years there will be room in the building. Brooklyn Prospect was planning on accepting about 88 6th graders in their first year.

The Brooklyn Prospect Charter says, "We are grateful to Principal Corinne Vinal, Council Member Sara Gonzalez, the Center for Family Life Co-director, Julie Stein-Brockway, Community Board 7 and the Sunset Park High School Task Force who have worked tremendously hard in the creation of Sunset Park High School. We look forward to working closely with them to ensure a seamless collaboration and strong foundation for both schools."

You still have a couple of days to sign up for the Brooklyn Prospect Charter School's lottery. They are extending the deadline to April 5. If you can't do the registration on line call (718) 289-3174. This is an extension of the deadline. Go to their website to register. www.brooklynprospect.org This does not effect the regular middle school application. It is an extra option. You have nothing to loose, and another option to gain.

High School Choice, Supplemental Round

2009-03-28T08:07:00.004-04:00

If your child didn't receive a placement in the first high school choice round or you want to appeal a high school placement you should use the insideschools report as your guide. It is thorough and has some good suggestions for schools in every borough. If you don't like the school to which your child was assigned you may appeal, but it is very rare to have an appeal granted. Sometimes the numbers just don't work out and some very good schools still have spots. Sometimes really promising new schools need some help getting their numbers the first couple of years. Just because schools have spots left over doesn't necessarily make them undesirable programs, the same way that there are terrific students out there that didn't get placements. You just need to find each other.
These are some schools that I think may be attractive to Brooklyn parents:
Bedford Academy: This small selective school has a 4 year graduation rate of almost 95%.
Brooklyn High School for the Arts: This school has a focused student body that produces beautiful work. It is centrally located at the transportation hub by Atlantic Center.
City Polytechnic High School of Engineering, Architecture and Technology (City Poly High): This brand new school has a dynamic principal and a great partnership with Poly Tech. It is located right downtown and is poised to be a very strong program.
Science, Technology and Research (STAR) at the Erasmus Campus: This early college program is rigorous and successful.
Sunset Park High School: This brand new school is in a brand new building. A very experienced and talented principal and tons of community support make this school a good bet.
Global Learning Collaborative: This Manhattan school has a partnership with the Asia Society. The students will participate in project based, experiential learning.
High School for Language and Diplomacy: This new program also has the Asia Society as a partner. The principal is a former diplomat and Chinese will be integrated into the whole curriculum. I was very interested in this program at the New HS Fair.

Brooklyn School of Inquiry

2009-03-23T12:04:00.006-04:00

This is information from the Brooklyn School of Inquiry's brochure.
"Within our self-contained classes, you'll find enrichment and a variety of accelerated teaching styles geared toward children with superior intellectual potential."

Their Philosophy: "Brooklyn School of Inquiry believes gifted and talented students require a curriculum of diverse content and great depth to realize their full potential. We are committed to the whole child: our goal is to balance the social, emotional and academic development of our students in an environment that nurtures creativity and fosters divergent thinking. We believe parents play a crucial role in the daily life and long-term growth of their children's school. It is through this vital home/school connection that we will partner with parents to build a sense of responsibility in children about the importance of attendance, punctuality and homework. Together, we will create a community that values sensitivity and respect for others. We support the development of self expression through dance, theatre, music, painting and drawing. Collaboration with many New York City cultural institutions enables us to promote the arts both in and outside of our classrooms."
The Academic Curriculum: "differentiated integrated curriculum, infusing Science, Social Studies and Literacy into thematic studies shaped by the New York State Framework for Grades K-8. The studies will include independent and group hands-on projects to foster questioning and the development of critical thinking skills. Math inquiry will involve interpreting, organizing, and constructing meaning of situations using mathematical models to develop number sense. Homework is a logical extension of the school day and serves to reinforce the skills, techniques, and information learned during school hours."
Language Arts: reading in all genres, and "writing projects including poetry, realistic and historical fiction, feature articles, comic books, interviews, persuasive essays and literary analysis and criticism." Readers and Writers Workshop.
Mathematics: "The curriculum is aligned with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards. The goal is to help students learn to apply mathematics to everyday life and the world around them and to become confident by communicating and reasoning mathematically, both verbally and in writing." City College Math in the City Contextual Investigations.
Social Studies: "Students explore their communities and study world and American history and culture, within thematic interdisciplinary units that integrate language arts, music and the arts."
Science: "Our hands-on discovery approach invites students to theorize, hypothesize, observe and draw conclusions using the F.O.S.S. differentiated kits."
Social and Emotional Curriculum: "our counseling program is designed to be preventative an developmental. Guidance counselors will see students on an individual basis as well as during classroom lessons where they'll teach skills and share information in small-group settings.
The program will also include:
Preventive and Developmental Social and Emotional Counseling Program, SENG Model (Gifted Parent Group), Technology Education, Chess Instruction, Arts Integration, Academic Intervention and Enrichment Program.

The description of the different subject areas is similar to the regular citywide curriculum, and programs that are present in many quality general ed schools in Brooklyn. The difference will probably come in the level of support (including developmental and emotional) and the method and rate of acceleration within these programs. If I get any more specifics I will pass them on.

New Brooklyn Citywide G and T schools

2009-03-19T15:12:00.010-04:00

According to insideschools blog the new citywide gifted and talented schools that we have been waiting for since last fall have been announced. Two of them will be located in Brooklyn. The Brooklyn School of Inquiry in Bay Ridge (correction: Bensonhurst) will be able to accommodate two kindergartens and two 1st grades next year. The TIER program at PS 20 will have space for one kindergarten and one 1st grade next year. If the citywide G&T policy remains the same the number of students attending likely depends on the number of children who score at the 97th percentile and above whose parents decide to send them to this program.

The Brooklyn School of Inquiry will be housed in a brand new building at 50 Ave. P in Bay Ridge (correction: Bensonhurst). It will open with kindergarten and 1st grade students in the fall and eventually go through 8th grade. The school will incorporate "looping" where a teacher follows a class for two years. According to Pamela Wheaton from insideschools.org Donna Taylor will be the principal. "She is an experienced teacher of gifted classes (she taught in the G&T class at PS 230 in Brooklyn) and is now doing a residency at the Anderson School." It sounds very promising.

The Technology, Inquiry, Enrichment and Research (TIER) program will be housed in PS 20 in the same building as Arts and Letters Middle School in Ft. Greene. It will also enroll kindergarten and 1st grade next fall and is planned to grow to 5th grade. A site is being sought for eventual middle school expansion (correction: "The Department of Education is working to identify nearby middle schools where students in these programs can continue after fifth grade.") The TIER program will be a part of PS 20 with Mr. Keaton as its Principal.

It looks like there will be another school located in the Ave. P building. Rather than being a G&T program, it is a CTT model school. The Academy of Talented Scholars will accept children into kindergarten and 1st grade next year and grow to 5th grade. They will develop skills through inquiry and project based learning, schoolwide enrichment for all students and differentiated instruction through Technology and Arts. Families interested in applying to the school should contact the Brooklyn Borough Enrollment Office.

NUTS again

2009-03-13T08:25:00.005-04:00

This was one of my earliest posts, but I went to parent/teacher conferences last night and I think that it is still relevant.

I invented a new sport in my mind tonight. “In my mind” is my favorite kind of sport because I always win. I went to Parent/Teacher conferences at Murrow. We are blessed with a “Type A” perfectionist. I have nothing to complain to her teachers about and it is usually a 3-minute love fest. (Hey, I like my compliments cheap and often) The trick is to see all of the teachers in the 2 hours allotted. I need my teacher face time.

Let me explain the rules. You wait with hundreds of other parents in a giant shivering mass outside the school doors like it’s a Who concert with festival seating. (Imagine how those teachers feel, trapped inside with only an endless line of “issues” before them) If you are an “elite” NUTS player like myself, you have a list of teachers and room numbers coded by location. In a school the size of Murrow, this is key. You race to the farthest room, sign your name on the list outside the door and repeat on all lists in the near vicinity. Then you send your husband who is having trouble reading the map to sign up on other floors. (This may be a tactical error) If you are positioned outside the door when your name comes up on the list, you may go in and have your 3 minutes. If you arrive back to the classroom after your name has already been called you go to the end of the now endless list. The art of it is to fit in a couple of the less popular teachers between the majors. The team who finishes all their conferences in the least amount of time gets to go home and have a stiff drink.

10pts off for brow beating the poor student organizing the list outside the door.
5pts for doing the quick switch with the team right behind you on the list when you arrive just a minute too late.
2pts off for getting cornered by the candy sellers
10pts for giving them a $5 and not taking any candy
5pts for snagging a chair
10pts off for erasing names ahead of you on the list
10pts for visiting the phys ed. Teacher
Good Luck and may the GAMES BEGIN!

"What's up with School Choice?"

2009-03-10T19:36:00.006-04:00

Hey Brooklyn District 13, 14, 15 PTAs!
I am offering a free talk to Elementary Schools this spring called "What's up with Middle School Choice?" I just finished the first one at PS 154 to a very positive response - "funny graphics", "can you do it again?... every year?... twice a year?" In just 20 short minutes a painless intro to the process your guidance counselor will go into detail about next fall.

Hi Middle Schools, do you want one too? I am happy to come to your PTA meeting and describe the High School Choice Process. It is a little longer, about 30 minutes, but it is in color! No power point - I go old school with real hand made visual aids. (I painted Broadway scenery for two decades, who needs new tricks?)

These talks are designed to calm and enlighten. Knowledge is power and understanding is the best way to chill. Then you can spend your summer at the beach reading the DOE HS Directory and not freaking out, because you "get it". write joyce@nycschoolhelp.com to book a date.

Numbers

2009-03-06T10:37:00.005-05:00

I was just running some numbers from the DOE's PreK directory.
The totals that I list here are not the number of applications or first choices. They are the total number of choices made on all of the applications. We don't have enough information to know definitively how difficult it is to get a spot in your zoned PreK, but comparing the differences in the various districts is interesting. When you compare the numbers of available PreK seats to the number of Kindergarten seats there is a wide discrepancy in many schools.

3403 applicants for preK seats in District 15 (Carrol Gardens, Cobble Hill, Red Hook, Boerum Hill, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Sunset Park to Park Slope South) according to the DOE. This doesn't include the numbers for the Brooklyn New School and the Childrens school which we can safely assume are in the hundreds.

Total number of full time seats available are 743, this number DOES include the New School and the Childrens school.
Total number of part time seats available are 360 part time seats (2.5 hours) which are not popular with the majority of parents who work.

2350 applicants for preK seats in District 20 (Bay Ridge)
Total number of full time seats available are 242
Total number of part time seats available are 576

839 applicants for preK seats in District 13 (Brooklyn Heights, Dumbo, Ft. Greene, Clinton Hill, Western Bed-Stuy)
Total number of full time seats available are 642
Total number of part time seats available are NONE

1003 applicants for preK seats in District 14 (Williamsburg/Greenpoint)
Total number of full time seats available are 588
Total number of part time seats available are 108

Some of the total number of seats and the breakdowns are off because occasionally information for a program is listed as N/A. Not sure why.

Pre-K Registration

2009-03-03T23:28:00.006-05:00

This is my report on the Public PreK Information Session
There is a session Wednesday March 4 at 6:30 at Brooklyn Tech HS. All sessions will cover similar material but it is a good forum to get your questions answered.

The directories and applications for Public PreK will be available on Friday, March 6 at your local Elementary School, online and at the District Enrollment Offices. The DOE is holding information sessions all over the city for the next 2 weeks. All the sessions will give the same info. Thank you to Kim Cobb and her great crew for really trying to make this process better and for giving props to the parents who worked so hard over the year to fix the system. After you read this and go to an info session and pour over your directory on Friday, if you have questions, the best way to get them answered is to write: ES_Enrollment@schools.nyc.gov While you are at it, say hi to Michael, who will probably be answering your question. You can call 212 374-4948 but it will take much longer. Remember, there are a lot of you and not a lot of them.

I went to the first information session last night and here are the main things that are different from last year.
You can apply for the PreK lottery online.
They have tried to make the application more user friendly.
You can apply to more schools.
There is a new column in the Directory that tells you how many families put each school as 1st choice last year to give you an idea of your chances (it doesn't tell you how many are in-zone families, or how many siblings were accepted) correction: it lists the number of families that applied for the school in round one (no matter what choice that they placed it as) as well as the number of seats in the preK program.
None of the paperwork is going to Pa. this year.

If your child turns 4 in the calendar year 2009 (their 4 year birthday is Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 2009) and you live in NYC, your child is eligible for Public PreK in Sept. 2009. This doesn't mean that there are enough seats to go around.

This is NOT a first come first served process. You have a little time to weigh your choices. The application deadline is April 3. All applications are treated the same whether they are returned March 7 or April 2.

1. You need to get your hands on a Directory. You can pick one up on Friday March 6 at your local PS, find it online or at a DOE office. The application is included in the Directory or online. The Directory includes programs at local Public Schools. These are the schools that you try for in the lottery. It also includes a list of CBO's (Community Based Organizations) You need to go to those programs individually and talk to them about their individual application processes. They are not included in the lottery.

2. You need to know what school zone and District that you live in. The zones are your immediate neighborhood and the District is the larger area. The zones have weird shapes and the school that is closest may not always be your zoned school. It has nothing to do with your zip code. You can find that out by calling 311 and telling the operator your exact street address. (This is easy and fast to do)

3. This process is a lottery, but there are priorities. If you have an older child attending the school you get first priority. To make things complicated (and fair) there is priority within the sibling group (first zoned sibs, then sibs with no zone or no preK at their zoned school, then out of zone in district, etc.) If you are in the zone you get second priority. If you are living outside the zone but inside the District you get third priority. If you live outside the District you have fourth priority. Essentially, if you want the priority you need to place that choice first. Because of the new Kindergarten pre-application process, children who will be attending K in fall 09 will be technically considered sibs in a school. There is a special place to list them on the application because they are not currently in the school.
You can list as many choices as you like, but the likelihood of getting a spot if you live outside the zone of a popular school is small. Keep in mind that PM half day classes are often the least sought after spots even in popular schools. The column in the directory that shows how many families placed a school as a choice and how many actual seats it has will be very telling in making your decision.

4. The application deadline is April 3. It seems like a really good idea to do the online application. They have done a lot to make it user friendly and to help you to avoid mistakes that might be made filling out the paper app. When you send it online they immediately send an email receipt and you can receive the result the week of May 18 as an email and a paper letter. If you want to make changes to your online app. after you have sent it you can log on again, change the info and resubmit it before the deadline. The last one you send is the one that counts. You can list multiple programs in the same school as different choices (eg. "AM" program is one choice, "Full time" is a second choice and "PM" could be a third choice). If you decide to fill out the paper application BE VERY NEAT. NO ABBREVIATIONS IN THE ADDRESS. Double check your code numbers. Mail it in the envelop provided (don't use any fancy envelops or return receipt or Fed Ex). Make copies of your application before you send it. You must wait for your receipt about 3 weeks. The placement decisions will arrive the week of May 18. When you receive your placement bring your child and 2 proofs of address, child's immunization record and Birth Certificate to register at the school according to the instructions you will receive. There will be no waiting lists, but there will be a second round if there are unfilled seats. Placement in a PreK program does not guarantee placement in that school for Kindergarten.

Heh Parents of Twins! Siblings who are the same age (twins, step siblings, foster children etc.) are considered together. There is a special place on the application to indicate that two siblings are filling out two applications at the same time. If one gets a seat the other will get one too as long as there is another seat available. If one gets a seat and the other one doesn't let them know at Enrollment and they will do their best to help. I really believe that they will.

Williamsburg Northside Grows Up

2009-02-26T10:21:00.006-05:00

Williamsburg Northside's Director, Amy Warden, just wrote to tell me that the school is going to open a K through 5th grade school called Williamsburg Northside School. in the fall of 09. They will start with a Kindergarten of 20 students. It will be located at 70 Havermeyer St. They are anticipating one class on a grade of 20 students each.

I am touring the raw space with Amy next week and I will blog about all the details then.

Ethical Community Charter School

2009-02-25T22:29:00.003-05:00

Hurray! another new school for Brooklyn! I just spoke to Dr. Susan Stengel the Director of the Ethical Community Charter School. Their location should be announced shortly, but since their lottery is coming up soon (the first week in April) you should put in your application now. Registering for their lottery doesn't keep you from any of your other choice schools, it just gives you one more choice, and who knows it may be right around the corner.

They are ultimately going to be K to 12, but next year they will be accepting 60 Kindergarteners and 60 first graders for 3 classes on a grade. Ethics, service and social justice are the principles that will inform the school life. Their educational model is progressive, inquiry and active learning, with an interdisciplinary subject matter. They are dedicated to creating a vital home and school connection with an "open door" policy for parents. Integrated arts and differentiated instruction are part of the school's vision.
Use this link for more admissions information.
Their website is www.teccs-ny.org

More about the Park Slope Schoolhouse from Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn.

The Coop School

2009-02-24T16:45:00.004-05:00

Brownstoner brought us great news that the Coop School has a new home. It will be located at 87 Irving Place between Putnam Ave. and Fulton St. in Clinton Hill. I just got done talking with them and I have a few more details.

They are expanding to 5 classrooms, starting age 2 and exiting age 5 in September. They will be able to let in 50-60 families as opposed to 10-15 in their existing space. They also have a space available to rent. The ideal tenant would offer other programs that would benefit the community at large such as an after school, child/family therapy, or regular events.

Park Slope School House and PreK

2009-02-20T14:13:00.009-05:00

Thanks to the Park Slope Parents Listserve and Gowanus Lounge for bringing us news of the Park Slope School House (formerly the Berkeley Carroll Child Care Center). There are ongoing tours. Call Natasha Corlette at (718) 768-4873 to schedule a tour. They will stay in their location on 6th St. until they are able to move to their new location, anticipated to be in the South Slope on 5th Ave.
The Director will be Ashley Davis who is the current Director of the Berkeley Carroll Child Care Center. They are hoping to keep all of the teachers and staff of BCCCC in their respective roles at the new school.

For those of you that are looking for a Public PreK program. You should sign the petition for an Early Childhood Center in District 15. There is some talk about the 14th St. Armory as a possible location. I have heard Brad Lander's name associated with interest in this project several times. I would contact him as well as all of the candidates coming up for City Council election if you are feeling strongly about this issue. Contact Jim Brennan's office as well.

Finally, some PreK news

2009-02-13T20:37:00.005-05:00

The DOE has announced PreK application dates for the 09-10 school year, and information sessions around the city.
Friday, March 6 Application period begins (the Directories and applications will be available)
Friday, April 3 Application deadline
Week of May 18 Families notified regarding assignment offers
May 18-May 29 Families pre-register at schools

All of the info sessions will have the same information and will be at 6:30-8pm. I am listing the Brooklyn sessions for info on other boroughs check out the DOE website.
3/3 Andries Hudde 2500 Nostrand Ave.
3/4 Brooklyn Tech HS 29 Ft. Greene Place
3/10 Seth Low - IS 96 99 Ave. P
3/12 JHS 291 Roland Hayes 231 Palmetto St.

Live and In Person!

2009-01-15T14:22:00.011-05:00

I am giving some talks at the end of the month.

"Public Schools 101: Intro to the NYC School System, Registering for PreK and Kindergarten"

I will be giving lots of practical information about what to know and how to proceed and I will bring my "big map" but I won't be discussing individual schools. It is a lot of information in a small amount of time, so I am afraid, no children please. There will be a Q & A.

$25. per person or $40. per couple

You must RSVP to me (not the venue) for a specific date and location, space is limited and just in case of changes, I would like to be able to contact you.

Williamsburg/Greenpoint

Monday, Jan. 26, 7-8:30 pm

Mamalu 232 North 12th St. (718) 486-6312

Cobble Hill/Boerum Hill

Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7-8:30 pm

NY City Explorers 388 Atlantic Ave. between Hoyt and Bond (718) 625-6923

Clinton Hill

Thursday, Jan. 29, 7-8:30 pm

Still Hip 283 Grand Ave. between Lafayette and Clifton Pl. (718) 398-0008

Dumbo

Saturday, Jan, 31, 1:30-3 pm

Pomme 81 Washington St. at York St. (718) 855-0623

Prospect Heights

Tuesday, Feb. 3, 7-8:30 pm

NY City Explorers 186 Underhill Ave. between St. John's/Sterling Pl. (718) 399-6923

South Slope

Wednesday, Feb. 4, 7-8:30 pm

Hootenanny Art House 426 15th St. at 8th Ave. (718) 369-0528

Make a Difference on MLK Day

2009-01-15T13:44:00.001-05:00

Residents of Park Slope, with the support of Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, will be collecting
books and school supplies for an under-served school, P.S. 41, The Francis White School in Brownsville, Brooklyn.
You can help the effort by donating any of the items listed below to one of the following collection points on Monday, January 19th between 10am-4pm:

Park Slope Food Co-op, Union St. bet. 6th-7th Ave.
Community Bookstore, 7th Ave. bet. Carroll and Garfield St.
7th Ave. Copy, 7th Ave, bet. 8th-9th St.
Dizzy's Restaurant, 8th Ave and 9th St.
Connecticut Muffin, 15th St and PPW

Requested School Supplies and Books
New Purchases: pencils, crayons, glue, glue sticks, notebooks, loose-leaf binders and paper, writable CD/DVDs, soft sports equipment such as jump ropes, hand balls, basketballs etc., puzzles, blocks, Legos for kindergarten, things that don’t break, inexpensive small plastic individual CD players, reams of copy paper for the teachers to use
New or Used Books: books by current popular childrens authors that can be read aloud, Bank Street readers, Step into Reading titles, Other childrens books.

Any questions. Contact the Park Slope Bridge to Change
tsb4change@gmail.com

Elementary School Book Giveaway

2009-01-14T16:53:00.003-05:00

Fabulous Parenting Blogger, Karen, over at A Child Grows in Brooklyn is doing some great giveaways. In return for your personal mini reviews of whatever service she is highlighting, she gives you a chance at a wonderful prize.

So if you love your Elementary School and want them to win $100. in free books from Usborne Books. Nominate the school you love. Give the neighborhood and PS number (the DOE recycles and uses numbers over again in different boroughs) It must be a NYC school. Tell why they deserve such a windfall. All entries must be submitted by Jan. 19, 2009. She picks the entry out of a hat. Good luck to all, and may the emailng begin!

Kindergarten Admissions for Families in Brooklyn

2008-12-27T17:24:00.003-05:00

In an effort to keep us all on our toes the DOE has announced a new process and timetable for Kindergarten registration. We don’t know exactly how this process will shake out. It is good for parents that the process is standardized and that it is still being handled at the school level. A child who turns 5 by Dec. 31, 2009 and is a resident of NYC at the time of pre-registration is eligible for this process. You can find your zoned school by calling 311 and giving your address.

Families may apply directly to schools beginning on Jan. 12, 2009 and continuing through March 2, 2009. It seems that if you apply in a timely manner within this time frame that you will have an equal chance for placement in the school according to the priorities set below.

You may apply individually to multiple schools. You should make sure to apply to your zoned school as a safety even if you are more interested in another school. It doesn’t appear to adversely affect your chances of getting in, as the process is being handled at the school level rather than centrally. The process and timetable have been standardized but the individual schools will be responsible for administering their own applications.

All students currently enrolled in public preK MUST reapply for Kindergarten. There is no guarantee that they will continue in their current school unless they have sibling or zoning priorities and apply before March 2.

To apply bring proof of your child’s birth, two proofs of residence, and the name, date of birth and school registration number (OSIS) of any sibling who will be attending the school in 09-10 (K-5). This establishes your student’s admissions priority.

Pre-Registration priority:
1. Zoned students with a sibling enrolled in the school in Sept. 2009.
2. Zoned students without a sibling in the school.
3. Unzoned students who have siblings in the school in Sept. 2009 (first to students in the District, then to students outside of the District)
4. Students who are not zoned for the school (prioity to students in the District then to students outside of the District)

If more students apply than there are spaces, a lottery will be held and a waiting list will be created.

The schools will notify families whether or not they have been accepted on March 16. They will have until April 13 to accept the seat and pre-register at school. On April 20 schools can pre-register other students from the waiting list.

Families who haven’t applied or move to the city or a new zone after March 2 can apply to their zoned school although there is no guarantee that they will be admitted. They can be added to the waitlist.

This process is separate from the Gifted and Talented process. The letters about testing dates should be out shortly. Testing begins in January. Notification about whether your child qualifies is sometime in April and placement offers will be in May. Undoubtedly there will be movement by some families who opt for the G&T programs.

Mural art by PS 29 students.

13 is the new 18

2008-12-26T11:31:00.005-05:00

My friend, Beth Harpaz has just written a great new book called, "13 is the new 18, and other things my children taught me while I was having a nervous breakdown being their mother".
She is doing a reading at Barnes and Noble in Park Slope on Feb. 5 at 7:30. It is sure to be very funny, judging from her youtube videos.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFvSIQZYAMA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR7NduwSTiY

Parents and kids at my house gathered around the computer laughing at how funny (and true) her commentary was. It did bring up an issue for us. I friended my kids when they got their Facebook pages. We are not unhappy with the things that we occasionally see, but the unintended complication comes from their looking at OUR pages. Our friends' status shows up on our kids' homepages. Beth, the fact that you are addicted to cheese is the funniest thing that my kids extended network has heard in a long time. Apparently, it is SO "park slope mom" - I am addicted to cheese as well. The fact that Beth - someone we know - could youtube a song about her teen's behavior sent a chill around the neighborhood. Don't push your mom too far or she could go public. Good job Beth!

Calling All School Auctions

2008-12-13T08:32:00.004-05:00

Eleanor Traubman, professional organizer to busy Brooklyn families, is looking for 10 schools - public or private - to which to donate her services for school auctions.

Eleanor helps parents de-clutter and set up user-friendly organizing systems for home offices, filing cabinets,
closets, children's rooms and more. Her motto: less clutter equals more room for you and your family!

Each donation will consist of 3 hours of Eleanor's services.

To contact Eleanor about her offer, please email ETraubman@aol.com and also visit her blog at
creativetimes.blogspot.com

Please note: Eleanor will only be able to select 10 schools; after your initial email to her, she will contact you only if you fall within that 10.

Mark Twain Open House

2008-11-25T15:04:00.006-05:00

Mark Twain Intermediate School 239, the shining star of Gifted and Talented middle school education in Brooklyn, held their second of four open houses last night. On display were the kind of intensely talented, focused, well spoken children who drive nervous 5th grade parents into death spirals of stress and covetousness. What flaming ring of fire do you have to jump through to send your little darling to this paragon of education on Neptune Ave? Well, as it turns out we don't really know yet. Thanks DOE!

What the charming and helpful staff and parents said last night was that the process has been centralized; we think that it has possibly been simplified for out of District families and that things have changed a bit but we don't know the repercussions.
This is what we do know: call the Admissions phone number 718 449-6697 after Dec. 8 for more detailed instructions, and keep checking the website http://is239.schoolwires.com
The process has been centralized.
There is no pre application for out of District parents.
There will be an application to pick up and deliver (get this info Dec. 8)
There will be tests given in Feb. and/or March.
Your child may test in two talents. The tests will be 1 1/2 hours long each and both be given on the same day.
The tests will contain a writing portion. It will designed and graded by Twain, but the children will be ranked and placed by the DOE.
The whole thing with the pre-application in previous years had to do with accessing your child's standardized test scores out of District. It appears that the children will be placed only on the strength of their talent test, but maybe since the DOE has access to all students scores that will be a factor. We just don't know.

The last two open houses will be held on Thursday Dec. 11, at 1-3pm and at 6:30 to 8:30pm.
Good luck, one and all.

Details on the Gifted and Talented Program

2008-10-31T07:10:00.003-04:00

The Gifted and Talented information is out.
You can pick up Instruction Booklets that contain a portion of a sample test, instructions and a "Request for Testing" application at your local elementary school or any DOE Enrollment Office. (There is an Enrollment Office in Brooklyn Tech High School on South Elliott between DeKalb and Lafayette. Go to the door with the handicap ramp and the office is downstairs) You can also download the instructions and Request for Testing (but not the sample test) online.
http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/GiftedandTalented/EligibilityApplications/default.htm
Make sure that you get the appropriate booklet for your child's age.

The Request for Testing form is due Nov. 19 and must be hand delivered. If your child is currently enrolled in a public school, deliver it to the school. The DOE has suggested to the schools that they have a book to sign as proof that you delivered the form. Your school may or may not follow their suggestion, but it doesn't hurt to ask. If your child is not currently enrolled in a PS, hand deliver the form to the Enrollment Office and make sure that you get a receipt.

The testing will take place in Jan. and Feb. The children already enrolled in a public school will take the test during the school day at their school, but not necessarily with their teacher. All other children will be tested on a Saturday or Sunday. The test is made up of two parts, the OLSAT and BRSA. The sample test that is included in the booklet is the OLSAT portion which counts for 75% of the grade. The OLSAT is not like the ERB or Stanford Binet. The student can do very well without talking at all. It is all about listening and managing concepts, not verbal expression. The other part of the test is comprised of a colorful flip book that deals with things like color, shapes and sizes. The test for K has fewer questions than the test for 1st grade and takes about 25 - 40 minutes depending on the child. A child that is testing into K is seen on a one on one basis and there is no need for the child to fill in their own bubbles (let the test taker do it. It tires the kids out) Children applying for 1st Grade are seen in groups of 5 and need to fill in their own bubbles. Children are graded by small age increments, e.g. 4yrs 0 months and 4yrs 2 months are graded together.

You should take the opportunity to tour the schools that have G & T programs in your District now, even though you won't have to decide which schools you would like until you receive your child's results in the spring. If your child scores in the 90th percentile or higher they will be offered a seat in one of the programs within your school District. If they score at the 97th percentile or higher they may be offered a seat in a citywide G &T school. The city is opening a citywide G & T school in Brooklyn next fall, but the location is not decided yet.

More Middle School Information

2008-10-10T12:05:00.005-04:00

Bay Academy has closed admissions to students outside of District 21 for 2009.
Mark Twain is still open to students from all over Brooklyn.

There were rumors about MS 447, The Math and Science Exploratory School in District 15. Everything is the same there. If you live in District 15 you may apply. If you attend a District 15 elementary and live outside of the District, you are entitled to an application (in District 15 or your home District, but not both) If you attend private school and live in District 15 you may apply.
They are having their first open house on Sat. Nov. 8 at 9am. Daytime tour schedules will be announced later.

There is also the new 6-12 Brooklyn Prospect Charter School that is open to 88 students who reside in District 15 only.

Middle School in Brooklyn

2008-10-09T11:53:00.013-04:00

I have received worried emails from parents that the public middle school process may be changing. I am investigating, but so far there is no sign that anything is changing in the middle school process. There is a new Charter School in District 15 for new 6th graders, but there is no sign at this point that Bay Academy and Mark Twain are changing their admissions policies. The general process was horribly late last year in part because OSEPO was overloaded by the change in G&T and PreK admissions earlier in the year.

Here is the current public school Middle School Calendar:
Nov. 24, Dec. 11 - Mark Twain open houses 1-3pm or 6:30-8:30pm, check their website.
Early Dec. - MS Directories and applications distributed to families.
Dec. 2-11 - MS Fairs.
Jan. 9 - MS applications due to elementary schools.
Early May - Decision letters distributed to families.
May 15 - Appeals due to elementary schools.
Mid June - Appeal decisions distributed to families.

The Bay Academy information is not on line yet. More information about Twain will be available shortly at the Admissions page of their website.

Independent middle school application and admissions do not correspond with the public middle school admissions. You will need to make your decisions about Independent School placements long before the public placements come in.
Bay Ridge Prep MS open houses - Oct. 23, Nov. 13, Nov. 15, RSVP online

Berkeley Carroll open houses:
Tues. Oct. 21 and Nov. 5, reserve your spot

Brooklyn Friends MS open house is full.
6th grade application deadline is Dec. 12, 4pm.

Packer Collegiate accepts middle schoolers at Grade 5

Poly Prep accepts middle schoolers at Grades 5 and 6.
Applications received after Dec. 1 may not be considered in the first round of admissions.

St. Ann's
Middle School is not a regular point of entry.

Brooklyn Prospect Charter School

2008-10-07T20:30:00.009-04:00

Okay 5th graders, check this out. It is another public middle school option for students who live in District 15.
Brooklyn Prospect Charter School will be choosing students from District 15 in a true lottery (no special provisions made for gender balance or diversity, although they are hoping for it-it should happen organically) They will pick students who live in District 15 (it seems that those of you who live outside the district and go to elementary within the district will probably be out of luck because of priorities set by state regulations for Charter schools) They will start with a 6th grade of 88 students (4 classes of 22) and add a grade each year through 12th grade. There will be a waiting list and that list will probably have some movement. The lottery will take place on April 7 and you will hear about placements in mid April. Signing up for the lottery doesn't impact your choice list for the rest of the district middle schools. This is a separate process. You can sign up for the lottery right now online under the student section.

What this means is that there is another option, outside of the regular middle school process. You can essentially get two local placements in the spring and be able to choose between them, as well as any placements outside the district that you are pursuing.

They will follow the International Baccalaureate program and hope to be certified within 5 years. There is a big emphasis placed on a holistic approach to learning and integrating disiplines. A 30 minute a day Advisory with a faculty mentor will be an important component to help students work on their literacy and study skills. They aspire to provide PE daily. Visual Art will be part of the core curriculum with other artistic disiplines introduced through a partnership with BAM. The Board is recruiting experienced teachers with at least three years experience and Masters Degrees. There is an Executive Director (who lives in the neighborhood) who comes to the job with an impressive track record of teaching as well as working in school administration. He will act as a general manager. The Principal of the Middle School has longtime experience teaching and leading programs as well as being trained in the IB program. The Board of the school is made up of educators and business leaders and will have a parent member.

There will be no uniforms. The calendar will follow the regular DOE schedule with additional afterschool tutoring and a Summer Academy. The language taught will be Spanish. The jury is still out on whether they will have captive lunch or not. Because the program will be academically rigorous, homework will be a factor, but because teachers will work closely together, it shouldn' t be overwhelming. The location is not finalized yet. The location will be made public before students chosen in the lottery will have to accept their seats. The Board is hoping for a location close to BAM to make it easy to participate in their arts programs.

Sign This Now!

2008-09-29T12:24:00.005-04:00

This is what Brooklyn is about! Grassroots community activism. Brand new neighbor, Melissa Morgenlander, wants to know if you want a Public PreK Early Childhood Center in the northern part of District 15 (Sunset Park already has the terrific Magnet School for Early Childhood)

I did some very fast numbers based on the Accountability reports from last year. The schools I listed were ones that are not within range of the Magnet School for Early Childhood and they didn't seem to be breaking even on their preK/ K populations. Check out 107, 146, 261 and 321 in particular. As the buildings on 4th Ave. fill up 321 will need it's preK classrooms for K and the population at 124 and 295 will most certainly increase.
PS 10, prek 54 seats, K 87 seats
PS 15, prek 29 seats, K 50 seats
PS 29, prek 54 seats, K 79 seats
PS 39, prek 36 seats, K 61 seats
PS 58, prek 70 seats, K84 seats
PS 107, prek 18 seats, K 84 seats
PS 124, prek 35 seats, K 39 seats
PS 130, prek 52 seats (but none of them is full day) K 83 seats
PS 146, prek 36 seats, K 81 seats
PS 261, prek 36 seats, K 108 seats
PS 295, prek 36 seats, K 52 seats
PS 321, prek 52 seats(but only 18 are full day) K 191 seats

Even if your children are too old for preK, I urge you to take a look at Melissa's petition. Help your neighbors!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ECCforBROOKLYN/

For People Who Love to Hate the Progress Reports

2008-09-25T12:31:00.004-04:00

Okay, I did this quiz and I thought it was fun. Its just shows you where I'm at these days.
Celia Oyler's second NYC Progress Report Quiz

New 6-12 Grade Schools for District 15

2008-09-25T08:57:00.009-04:00

New 6-12 school for District 15: Brooklyn Prospect Charter School

A new public charter school is opening to 6th grade students in September 2009 to Community School District 15 students. For fifth grade families, they will be hosting several Student/Family information sessions throughout the district over the next several months. Students will be admitted through lottery. The school will follow an International Baccalaureate Program.

Info Sessions for parents and students:

October 6th and October 27th, 2008
6:00 to 8:00PM,
New York Methodist Hospital's East Pavilion Auditorium in Park Slope
Come and meet the team and learn about this new school. RSVP is required; www.brooklynprospect.org

Additionally the Brooklyn Prospect Team is happy to visit your elementary school. Speak with your parent coordinator or guidance counselor and contact Brooklyn Prospect Charter School for a visit.

But it doesn't stop there!

The "SPEAC School" Sunset Park Education in Action Community School's proposal to open has been favorably reviewed by the DOE but they won't be given full approval until they locate a space. They will be a very intimate 6-12 school that focuses on personal and community wellness, community based projects and interest driven learning.

This school is the little engine that could. Help make this dream a reality and help them find a location or partner. 718-851-3936, info@speaschool.org

All Hail Sunset Park Parents!

2008-09-25T07:42:00.008-04:00

The parents in Sunset Park are awesome. I attended a town hall meeting last night in celebration of their 40 year effort (supported by hundreds of parent activists and community organizers, yes!) The auditorium was packed to capacity with standing room spilling out into the halls.

Sunset Park has schools! A brand spanking new state of the art, 1650 seat HS building is going up on 34th St. and 4th Ave. to open Sept. 09. The construction authority was there to give progress reports (not grades.) It is on schedule.
This school that has already chosen it’s Principal, Corrine Vinal (a longtime educator and experienced administrator). It will have three learning communities within the school: Performing and Visual Arts, Health and Human Services, Business and Entrepreneurship. The themes were chosen by the community, as was the currently unprecedented model of having one principal to oversee the school. It is not a screened program. They are focused on college prep and there is priority for Brooklyn students.

8th graders, if you want to place this school on your list of 12, this is how you do it. It sounds weird, but it IS the procedure straight from the DOE. This school will not be listed in the directory. Don’t panic. Fill out your application. Don’t list Sunset Park HS yet. Hand in your registration on or before the appointed day in the fall. File a NEW FORM during the February 2009 application period for new schools. This form overrides the previous form. Rank Sunset Park High School along with your other schools in the order you want them. If you have questions about admission call OSEPO (212) 374-2363. If you have questions about the high school call the Sunset Park Task Force (718) 788-3500.

But wait there is more…for you preschoolers. There is a brand new public Early Childhood Center being built on 4th Ave. and 64th St. (on the 4th Ave. subway line) The first green designed school in Brooklyn. It will house 18 classrooms PreK through 2nd grade. It opens in 2010. This is a trend that local principals endorse. As the Elementary Schools become more crowded and PreK programs lose their spots, it makes more sense to group the PreKs into a centralized site. More on that later.

...heh Park Slope Parents, that sounds like a good idea! What is the Diocese doing with the St. Thomas Aquinas school building on 4th Ave. and 9th St? Would it be enough PreK seats for everybody who wants one, and relieve the overcrowding in all of our Kindergarten classes? You guys need to start making some calls.

Is This Public School Any Good?

2008-09-19T12:51:00.004-04:00

This is an essay that I wrote for the new issue of the most excellent blogazine Hipslopemama. Check out the new issue this weekend, and come to the Family Fair they are sponsoring with BAX on Sat. Sept. 27 from 11:30-4:30.

When you google your zoned elementary school, a lot of different sites will pop up; www.greatschools.com, www.insideschools.org, maybe the school’s website or the DOE’s website. Who do you believe and how do you decide whether to trust your darling to a school that gets a 4 out of 10 or a “D” and is considered a “noteworthy” school elsewhere?

Everyone is always asking me how I feel about “Great Schools”. Any information is a valuable resource as long as you really understand what it is telling you. “Great Schools” score is tabulated from the standardized test scores released by the DOE and the State. There needs to be some standard by which to measure a school, but if they live and die by teaching to the test will they give your child the type of quality education that she deserves? We could argue all day about the validity of test scores. The reality is that even a parent that is skeptical of their value has a hard time ignoring them when they are so seemingly irrefutable. Parents that write into the site can also use a star rating system for other aspects of the school’s environment and they can list comments. Sometimes parents are specific enough to give me a picture of the school, and sometimes it is just too vague. In many cases the “Great Schools” rating is low and the parents comments rate the school very high. That is just a good indication that you need to dig deeper.

The DOE (NYC Dept. of Education) has been doing school Progress Reports (the school letter grades) for two years now. You may have already heard the startling news that the highly popular PS 8 in Brooklyn Heights has received an F. Is it a case of the “Emperor’s New Clothes”? Has the wishful thinking of Brooklyn Heights parents clouded their judgment and the DOE is exposing a failing school despite the great press the principal has been getting? The grading system was put in place to help parents easily understand the progress that a school is making as well as help the DOE identify schools that are in trouble. Ever since it was instituted it has been under attack by parents and educators for being a flawed assessment and opaque to parents.

The Progress Reports group the schools into cohorts based on need (how many children get free school lunch and other demographic breakdowns) and uses these groupings to compare schools. There may be a problem in a school like PS 8 that has had a drastic shift in population in the last couple of years. The lower grades with a high population of middle and upper income children are not tested (and the DOE says they were considered when assigning its cohort) but the more challenged upper grades were the ones that were tested for proficiency. So the school is judged against other schools with high populations of school ready, upper income children, but the tests were given to the upper grades which have a much more diverse and challenged population.

The DOE uses three things to judge each school; the environment, the student’s test score performance and the progress made by the most challenged students to progress toward proficiency. The environment score is created by assessing surveys from parents, staff and students. Some experts have questioned the validity of this method as an unbiased measure. The proficiency part of the grade comes from the test scores. The third part, the progress of its most challenged students, counts for over 50% of the school’s grade. One argument made by the DOE is this measure is looking at each individual child’s progress from year to year. The problem is that the tests are on different skills and a different curriculum. It is difficult to charge change in proficiency when the test is on completely different skills. I did great in algebra but not so hot in calculus. I am not going to blame my high school principal for that one. As the weeks wear on we will hear a lot of experts weigh in. I am not being an apologist for PS 8. I just don’t like the letter grade as a helpful guide for parents, period. It seems to be an unbiased measure, but with all the DOE’s good intentions it is just too blunt an instrument for me to use.

Then there are the reviews at www.insideschools.org and Clara Hemphill’s excellent books. I am a completely unabashed supporter of the work that they are doing. The reviews are as objective and well written as a parent could hope for. You have to keep in mind though, that a school will try and put its best foot forward when Insideschools arrives to observe the program. They will undoubtedly be introducing them to the star teachers and highlighting the programs that they are proudest of. This doesn’t’ keep Insideschools from occasionally seeing troubling situations and reporting on them. The fact that there are also comments by students and parents is extremely helpful and often speaks specifically to concerns that prospective families have. Insideschools lists the test scores but within the larger picture of the school as a whole, where they should be.

I wish there were two sets of test scores every year. One set paid for by the DOE and one set paid for by the UFT (United Federation of Teachers). Now there would be some numbers that showed the true range of a school’s ability. Then parents could find the average and have a sense of how the school might really be performing. Finally, after you have scoured the Internet, the DOE and school websites for current reports, scores, reviews and parent opinions, it is your gut feelings about a school that really matter. Do you like what you see, how they treat you and answer your questions? Do you feel welcomed by the parent community as they pick up their children outside school at the end of the day? In a changing neighborhood, even a year can make a difference. The websites sometimes don’t tell the most up to date story of a school in transition. Only you can be the final judge.

Newsletter #2, 9/12/08

2008-09-14T12:57:00.007-04:00

The second newsletter is out, with information on the citywide high school fair 9/20 and 9/21, Williamsburg/Greenpoint School Fest 9/20, Dumbo's Family Fair 9/20, New York Family Brooklyn Magazine's Family Expo 9/21, BAX Family Fair on 9/27, Conferences by the UFT and parent organizations in support of families and schools and many free and paid opportunities for enrichment for your kids. I also list information on school tours and schools with spots still available for this fall.

I had some glitches in providing the newsletter through this site, but you can receive it as an email if you subscribe to joyce@nycschoolhelp.com

My 15 minutes

2008-09-09T15:09:00.002-04:00

My husband got his wish. I am the centerfold of a glossy magazine. There isn't a staple through my navel though, just my pithy comments on finding schools in Brooklyn. So run right out to turquoise New York Family-Brooklyn box on the corner and snag your free September issue and check me out.

Newsletter #1, Sept. 2, 2008

2008-08-30T17:52:00.018-04:00

To sign up for the newsletter: joyce@nycschoolhelp.com
This newsletter is meant to be a tool to supplement your school search. All dates, deadlines, times and places need to be confirmed with the sponsoring organization or school. From time to time, human error does occur despite my best efforts. If you are interested in a particular school, contact them. You don’t need to wait for me to announce them. Happy Hunting.

NYC School Help
Register for the Public High School Search Workshop. Joyce@nycschoolhelp.com
$120 for Adults 3-sessions. $60 for Students 3-sessions.
The Park Slope Workshop will be held at Sweet Melissa’s on 7th Ave. between 1st/2nd St.
Can’t make it on my dates? Gather some friends who want to join you- call me and we will set up your own private workshop.

Private or Group Consultations to help with the school search – Nursery through High School, Private and Public
Call Joyce Szuflita 718-781-1928
www.nycschoolhelp.com

Public School Calendar for Sept:
2-Tues.: school begins; early dismissal for non-district 75 kindergarten only
3-Wed.: early dismissal for non-district 75 kindergarten only
30 and Oct. 1-Tues./Wed.: Rosh Hashanah, no school

Parents - Elementary to HS Students:
Citywide Education Hotline: 212-669-7250 (sponsored by Public Advocate, Betsy Gotbaum)
Education Expo: Info about after school programs, arts enrichment, charter schools, tutoring and other programs.
FREE, Sat. Sept. 27, noon-4pm; NYU Kimmel Center, Rosenthal Pavilion 60 Washington Sq. South, 10th Floor; RSVP@linkeducation.org or www.linkeducation.org
The 11th Annual Citywide Parent Conference: Strengthening the Home-School Partnership
FREE, Sat. Nov. 8, 2008; 8am -2:30pm; Hilton New York
For more info: 212-598-9205 or www.uft.org/parentconf.pdf

PTAs:
I have heard about a free website (although I haven’t tried it yet) to coordinate volunteers for field trips, book fair etc.
www.jooners.com

New School Alert:
Green Hill School (Ft. Greene/Clinton Hill) is an independent school accepting applications for kindergarten in the 2008 school year
The Brooklyn Brownstone School (Bed-Stuy) opens in District 16 this fall with 80 kindergarten and first grade students. It is a public school open to all NYC residents. They are looking for low bookshelves, gently used early childhood books and volunteers to help decorate the school for the fall. Contact them 718-573-2307, infoTBBS@gmail.com

Nursery School Information:
Beansprouts tour schedule is online
Berkeley Carroll is taking reservations for morning open houses
718-789-6060 ext. 6608 for Pre-K
718-789-6060 ext. 6527 for middle school
718-789-6060 ext. 6527 for upper school
Call for reservations.
Brooklyn Free Space may have a spot for a Fall 2008 spot for a girl or boy aged 4-4.8 as of Sept. 2008. Contact newmembers2008@brooklynfreespace.org
Brooklyn Friends is taking reservations for a few morning tour dates in the fall
Pre-K: 718-852-1029 ext. 213
Lower, Middle, and Upper School: 718-852-1029 ext. 232
RSVP necessary, check dates online
Brooklyn Heights Montessori morning tour dates for parents only, are posted
RSVP is required 718-858-5100 ext. 120
International School of Brooklyn evening and Sat. parents only tours are posted
RSVP necessary 718-369-3023 Linden Tree Preschool has spaces available for fall 2008 for the Threes: 2-days/half day,
And Fours: 5day/pm; call 718-624-0083
Packer Collegiate Institute open house dates are posted, check the schedule online
RSVP to Yvonne Menard 718-250-0254
Poly Prep open house dates are available, check dates online
RSVP 718-663-6003

Elementary School:
To find out what school District, and within that, what elementary school you are zoned for:
Call 311 and give them your address.

Tours: Many Elementary Schools hold them throughout the year, starting in the fall. Call your school’s Parent Coordinator for more information. You can find their number on the school’s page on www.insideschools.org

Public High School Information:
Okay 8th graders, it is time to get out your DOE High School Guide and start figuring out which schools you want to tour.

For those of you interested in the Specialized High School Test (SHSAT) and want to brush up on your test taking ability. Consider Princeton Review's Intensive Fall Prep Course, or tutoring.
718 375-5591 or info.brooklyn@review.com

You might also want to contact a private tutor. There are many in the neighborhood. One to consider is Sarah Marcus sarahlaurenmarcus@gmail.com

Citywide High School Fair: 9/20 and 9/21 from 10am-3pm
at Brooklyn Tech HS, 29 Fort Greene Place
You will make the most out of this event if you have visited www.insideschools.org and know which schools you really want to talk to. This is a great opportunity to talk to principals, administrators and students from the schools. There should also be a Borough-wide HS Fair. The schools traditionally post their tours after the first HS Fair, but if you are interested in a popular school, I recommend that you monitor their website.

Thanks for reading! If you have an event to add or school info for parents (or you see an error, please be kind) and write to me at joyce@nycschoolhelp.com

Public School Help Hotline

2008-08-26T13:11:00.009-04:00

This press release was sent from the Public Advocate's Office with a phone number for help with public school issues.
For help call 212-669-7250.

"MANHATTAN – Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum today released a survey which found that Family Advocates at Community School Districts offices (CSDs) are unresponsive to calls for help. Investigators at the Office of the Public Advocate made 96 calls to District Family Advocates two weeks prior to the start of school, and found that almost 70% of the time they could not connect with staff.

Public Advocate Gotbaum also announced the annual launch of her citywide education hotline - 212.669.7250 - to help public school parents receive the answers and support they need with school-related problems. The hotline will address issues such as registration, transportation, academic enrichment, after-school programs, school safety transfers, and the needs of English language learners and special education students.

Public Advocate Gotbaum said, "The start of the school year is exciting, but it can be a stressful time for parents and students. The bad news here is DOE has not figured out an effective and consistent way for the CSD’s to interact with parents and help answer their questions. The good news is that I am once again launching my education hotline to fill the void and provide parents with a helpful resource and assistance in resolving education-related problems:”

The Office of the Public Advocate made phone calls to all 32 CSD offices between August 12 and 15^th, 2008, asking pre-determined questions. The Family Advocate at each district office was called three times; once during daytime hours, once during daytime hours in Spanish, and once between 5:00 and 6:00 for a total of 96 calls. If a message was left, the family advocate was given 5 business days (one week) to respond. If the calls were not returned within five days, the districts were marked as unresponsive.

Findings:

Of 96 calls, 64 were placed during business hours and 32 were placed during weekdays between 5-6 pm.

Of the 64 calls made during the business hours, only 21 were answered.

Of the 32 calls made during evening hours, 3 were answered.

Of 96 calls, if a live person did not answer, investigators were able to leave voicemail messages for 49

Of the 49 messages left, only 6 were returned.

About 24% of the time, however, investigators were unable to leave messages because of non-existent, non-working or full voicemail boxes.

Investigators made one call to each of the 32 districts posing as a Spanish speaking parent with a question about the child’s education. The calls were made during business hours.

Of the 32 Spanish calls:

Twelve were answered by a live person

o Of the 12 Spanish phone calls answered by a live person, only 7 were actually able to help the caller in Spanish.

Fourteen messages were left

o Of the 14 Spanish language messages left for the family advocates, not one was returned.

Six were non-existent, non-working, or full voicemail boxes.

No contact was ever made with 12 of the 32 Districts in New York City, meaning, 37.5% of the districts never answered or called back for any of the three different calls.

Public Advocate Gotbaum added, “I’m especially concerned about the lack of support for Spanish speakers, as not one voicemail message left in Spanish got a call back. The DOE must do more to ensure equal access to information and support for non-English speakers.”

The position of the District Family Advocate was started last year when two District Family Advocates were hired for every district. Contact information is available for the District Family Advocates on the DOE’s website at http://schools.nyc.gov/AboutUs/DOEOrganization/ComHSSuperintendents/DFAcontact.htm."

Specialized HS Testing

2008-08-20T13:49:00.005-04:00

8th Grade Parents - are you feeling that nagging sense of impending doom?
Ready to run the gauntlet of high school choice? What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. I am holding High School Search Workshops in Park Slope and Carroll Gardens this fall. They are three fall evenings each to help guide you through the process. Or you can put together your own group of friends and set your own days and I would be happy to meet with you. If you are interested in reserving a spot e-mail me at joyce@nycschoolhelp.com

Whether you really want to send your child to a Specialized HS or not, the test is free. If your child gets a placement to any of the 8 schools including La Guardia she will hear about it a month before the other 85,000 students in the city, and not only that, but she will also hear which of her "1-12" schools have offered her a seat. It is worth the hassle and cost of some test prep and the test, to possibly hear early and have two or three (if she is offered a seat to La Guardia) options. Believe me, when you actually have a Stuyvesant acceptance letter in hand you think twice about all the times you said, "it is not for us".

I have heard many parents feel that the fall only prep is effective. And the best preparation, aside from really understanding the specific test taking strategies of this odd-ball exam is taking practice tests. There are many good private tutors in the neighborhood and Kaplan is everywhere. I just thought I'd let you know about some SHSAT (Specialized High School Aptitude Test) classes through Princeton Review (800-2Review) that I just heard of. They are holding the fall sessions on weekend mornings at Berkeley Carroll from Aug. 8 through Oct. 19, and in at their Brooklyn Center in Midwood on weekend afternoons. They also do small group tutoring. (which was a route that we took and found very effective)

I am mentioning Princeton Review in particular because I recently attended a free college information class they held that was extremely helpful and turned our whole college search strategy around for the better. I like their approach very much. Check them out.

Guest Blogging on Hip Slope Mama

2008-08-19T14:41:00.004-04:00

I am enjoying the weekend updates on the blogazine Hip Slope Mama, and it isn't just because I am a guest blogger there. Check out my latest post, "Can You Predict What Type of Learner Your Toddler Will Be?"

Teen Treks #5

2008-07-17T21:38:00.007-04:00

She's back from Montreal. It was great. She wants to do it again. The rain coat was shredded but other than that everything came home, including the large unread book. She talked a mile a minute about every detail until she hit the couch and instantly fell asleep. She woke up long enough to whisper "pizza" and "pedicure" and then back into dreamland.

We are happy to have our darling girl home again. She can't wait to see her sister. It always amazes us that they have so much to talk to each other about even when they are with each other every minute. So up to Rhode Island this weekend to retrieve the mildewy sleeping bag and soggy twin A.

Check out www.hipslopemama.blogspot.com for my guest blog in support of summer boredom.

Teen Treks #4

2008-07-11T19:57:00.005-04:00

Twin B was sighted in Burlington Vt. (by a pre-approved, non-stalkerish friend of the family). She is tan, happy and ready to kick our lazy, non bike riding butts when she returns home in 5 days.

No word from Twin B (known as the "good phone contact twin") unlike her sister, "the good house key remembering twin". Together they make one perfect child. The first year at camp all we received were envelops full of stationary that all said, "Sendmunchies.com" Needless to say, we were more than a little put off by the lack of substantive news and declined to order the $40. brownies online. So far there is no word from Rhode Island. Silence is golden and so are the candid photos from bunk1.com

Teen Treks #3

2008-07-07T10:21:00.004-04:00

Got the call. Got the rain. But it wasn't as bad as I had imagined. It was a scheduled call, and even though hearing our voices made my daughter emotional, she did squeak out that it was fun before we lost the connection. The postcards are a different story. Because of the snail mail time lag, they were written in the first couple exhausting days, when their tent was flooded out. "...low blood sugar sucks..." I have been on google maps looking at terrain and I am quite jealous of the beautiful scenery they will be traveling through. We are quite proud of her. She said that after the first day she was going to call us to pick her up, but she pushed through it.

We just dropped off "twin A" at sleep away camp and all we had to contend with were memories of "Shark Week" and how to smuggle the rice crispy treats past the counselors.

Teen Treks #2

2008-07-03T17:09:00.004-04:00

Day 2, no rain, no call.
After checking the itinerary and studying my online maps I realize that while we visit my uncle on July 4th, we will be 10 miles from my daughter's campground. I cook up several schemes including leaving mystery cookies at the Ranger's Station. My husband suggests that we just drive by and wave, but don't stop. My other daughter wisely convinces us that this is all too "stalkerish".
Disaster averted, dignity maintained, just barely managing to be a good parent.

New Tutors

2008-07-03T11:23:00.003-04:00

I just met two new neighbors who are looking to expand their tutoring service.
Sarah Marcus (347) 432-6061
has trained in Kaplan Methods to teach SAT, ACT, Verbal, Math, ISEE/SSAT, and SAT II Subject Tests and worked for several years teaching through Kaplan in Chicago and NY. She is also fluent in Spanish and just received her MFA in Acting from DePaul University. She would also be an ideal coach for a student looking to work on their LaGuardia or Murrow audition piece.

Josh Bedell (631) 300-8876
Josh is a 3 year Math Teacher and Teaching Fellow, who is looking to help students who need support or enrichment.
They are young, energetic and very easy for your middle or high school student to connect with.

Teen Treks

2008-07-02T18:38:00.008-04:00

Yesterday we loaded up my daughter's panniers and bungeed up her bike until it looked like the Beverly Hillbillies' truck and sent her on a 400 mile bike trek with 9 other high school students and two adorably peppy adults to Montreal. In March, when I booked this trip, it seemed like an exciting adventure. Right now it seems like my first baby steps toward letting go. This whole parenting thing is not for the faint of heart.

This trip was the product of my internet search, but my daughters have always craved an outward bound type challenge. They love the pure idea of "Survivor". The problem with the show is that it is too much jumping over tiki torches and eating spiders in return for Mountain Dew and not enough foraging for roots and berries. So right this minute my baby has ridden 27 miles on a bike that weighs more than she does and is foraging for berries in Nyack. No rain today. No support van. I imagine over-sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner being thrown out along 9W. I imagine her returning bronzed and hairy, with legs like that cyclist in the "Triplets of Bellville", mouthing off in youth hostel Canadian French and preferring foreign bagels. That's if we don't get a call. What have I done!?

My husband said, "Can't you stop worrying and enjoy her trip?". I said, "Are you nuts! This trip is not for MY enjoyment! It is my penance for hovering and meddling and too many organized activities. This trip is so she can develop her executive function and get a Canadian boyfriend" (not really, she has a wonderful boyfriend to whom she will remain ever true) That is when I successfully transfered my parental dread and he woke up sweating at 4am. Mission accomplished.

Her sister is continuing on at their old faithful sleep away camp. The inmates running the asylum, I call it. She will be just as happily filthy and foul mouthed and full of contraband junk food when she returns home. So far, the beginning to a successful summer. They did a week of hard duty babysitting and found some some giant yellowed paperbacks that are sure to make them weep on the couch for a week. Those were the days.

Keep me in your thoughts and pray for no rain.
For Teen Treks:
info@teentreks.com
716 566-7908

Where have all of the "4"s gone?

2008-06-26T12:07:00.007-04:00

Check out the interesting post by Eduwokette "Are New York City Schools Shortchanging High Achieving Students? The View from 2003-2008
Savvy New York City parents have long suspected that high achieving kids are losing out in the push to boost the achievement of the lowest performing students. But those suspicions are often cast aside by public officials as helicopter parent whining or muted class warfare."

So the big question is "why?". Is it that teaching to the test is blunting the high achievers initiative? Is so much emphasis being placed on teaching the at risk kids that the high achievers are left on their own? Have the families of high achievers just voted with their feet? Or is it just the general philosophy that smart kids will do whatever it takes to achieve, so their budgets can be slashed by 6%? ( Remember to call your City Council Person and say "NO!" to the budget cuts)

What do you think?

Take Action

2008-06-23T16:34:00.007-04:00

Important from Park Slope Parents:
MONDAY EVENING ***SCHOOL BUDGET CUTS***
Tonight, Monday June 23
Martin Luther King, Jr., High School
122 Amsterdam Avenue, at 65th Street
6:00 PM

The Panel for Educational Policy, which includes Chancellor Klein, will
vote on next year's executive budget. Go to this meeting and protest
school budget cuts! There will be an opportunity for public comment.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON ***SCHOOL OVERCROWDING***
June 26, 3:30 PM, rally at City Hall to take a stand against school
overcrowding and to urge the DOE to take action in planning and building
more school seats.

Little activists and their families will meet in Battery Park City's
Teardrop Park after school to make signs.

And from me,
We don't have much time left to fight the budget cuts. Call your City Council Person TODAY and register your displeasure with the cuts. They vote on the budget this week.

I will have more on the school capacity issue in a couple of days, but this is very serious, especially if you have toddlers and preschoolers in Dumbo, Brooklyn Heights, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, Park Slope, Sunset Park and Williamsburg this is YOUR issue. It means very overcrowded classes especially in elementary school where they need to be smallest. It means that some of your children will probably have to leave your zone to find a public school, perhaps very far from your neighborhood. The DOE needs to see this issue for what it is. The Comptroller spelled it out in his "Growing Pains" report in May. The information that the DOE is working with is thoroughly flawed. There are not nearly enough seats in these neighborhoods for the incoming families. It is time to organize.

Why Do I Grind My Teeth When I Read What Joel Klein Says?

2008-06-19T13:04:00.010-04:00

Read Brownstoner's interview with School's Chancellor Joel Klein with a #2 pencil in your teeth to prevent dental abrasion.
Joel says, "The current Five-Year Capital Plan, which allocates funding for school construction projects, does not currently include new building construction in district 13 because district 13 overall is enrolled below the total district-wide capacity, even taking into account additional planned residential units. That said, there are some individual district 13 schools whose enrollment is over capacity. In the next Five-Year Plan, which we will put out in November and which begins in July 2009, we plan to look at the potential need for school construction based on demographic patterns within districts and the accessibility of existing schools. This will be a first: we haven’t previously drilled down below the district level."
More teeth references! Drill Joel, DRILL. The whole story is in the demographic patterns not within the weirdly shaped District numbers as a whole. Being in a school where the DOE determined "capacity" was like watching an exercise in Alice in Wonderland logic. They go by the "Blue Book" instead of by the reality. From the Comptrollers Report, "In addition, the current Blue Book target capacity for middle schools assumes that standard classrooms (i.e., not art rooms, computer rooms, and the like) are in use for seven periods a day. However, teachers are required to teach for only five periods a day. Using each room for all seven periods thus would require an extremely complex scheduling process. It also means that teachers would have to use the teachers’ lounge for preparation, if one exists. In reality, therefore, it seems likely that many middle school classrooms are actually in use for only five periods a day, which means that the utilization figures reported in the Blue Book for middle schools are understated as a result of this factor as well. "

Joel says, "It takes about 18-24 months to build a new school, depending on the scope of work; this doesn’t include identifying a site and designing the building. The timing for construction is established by criteria in the Capital Plan. We don’t “wait” to build until schools are overcrowded, at any rate." Hello, "321"! When are the families that bought into high rises on 4th Ave. in the 321 zone going to find out whether there is room for them? I suspect it will be on the first day of kindergarten. Yes, there are seats in District 15, but not in the schools that people paid dearly to be in.
From the Comptroller, "Much of the new residential construction is on the up-zoned Fourth Avenue. Among the Fourth Avenue projects that will impact PS 39, PS 321, and PS 124:
PS 39 will serve students from the 54-unit Argyle Park Slope, now under construction between 6th and 7th Streets. Inside Schools observers wrote: “Another space challenge: there is no gym or auditorium. PS 39 was using facilities at a community center across the street, but that was in the process of being sold at the time of our visit. Gym teachers teach lessons in the classrooms. The building was constructed without a cafeteria.” PS 321 will serve children from the 68-unit Crest condominiums at 2nd Street; the 41-unit building at Carroll Street; the 151-unit Novo Park Slope at 5th Street, and the 113-unit residential building at 343 Fourth Avenue. Observers from Inside Schools called PS 321 a “large, overcrowded school.” Yet,
applying the housing unit-to-public school student ratios in the CEQR Manual for high-income
Brooklyn units, these developments can be expected to generate an additional 100 students for PS 321. PS 124 will be impacted by the completion of 500 Fourth Avenue, a 133-unit building under construction between 12th and 13th Streets, and The Vue, a 45-unit condominium at East 16th Street. Inside Schools observers noted, regarding PS 124: “While the school is pleasant and well-maintained, it has a cramped cafeteria and a small room that barely makes do as the gym and auditorium.” Given the excellent academic reputations of most Park Slope schools, these new buildings could attract a significant number of families with at least one elementary school-age child. The proposed 630-seat elementary school, which a SCA official told Comptroller staff will be sited in the “northwestern Park Slope area,” should provide some much-needed new capacity. However, design work for the new school is not
expected to start until June 2008 and the school is not expected to be completed until November 2010, according to the February 2008 proposed Capital Plan Amendment."

Joel says, "families enroll their children in charter schools entirely by choice — in other words, students are never “zoned” to attend a charter school. This means that charter schools must compete with other schools for students and must educate students well in order to continue operating." This is true, but the families that go out of their way to seek out and apply for the lottery in a Charter School are also self selecting. They have to be informed and actively invested in their children's education. If they had the option of a quality zoned school I wonder if the Charter Schools would be so popular.
Check out Brownstoners report on new Charter schools opening in Brooklyn.

NYC Comptroller, William Thompson's Policy Report "Growing Pains" is fascinating reading (No, REALLY, and not just in a Dentist's Office - to stay with the metaphor) It was actually so thrilling for me to read the truth coming from a government agency that I wanted to get it printed and hand it out on street corners. Please, please take a look at it.
"A number of rapidly expanding communities now—or in the next few years—will suffer from
overcrowded elementary and middle schools, notwithstanding the school capacity expansion projects in the 2005-09 Capital Plan. Among these communities are:
Downtown Brooklyn, DUMBO. The 2005-09 Capital Plan provides for no new capacity in Brooklyn’s CSD 13, even though over 3,000 housing units are under construction or were recently completed in the PS 287 school zone alone; PS 287 had space for only 89 additional students in October 2006. PS 8 serves DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights, where hundreds of residential units were recently completed or are under construction. According to the DOE Blue Book, PS 8 was at 118 percent of capacity in October 2006.
There are neighborhoods where, although population is growing more slowly, elementary and
middle schools are overcrowded, DOE projects that the CSD’s enrollment will increase, and the
2005-09 Capital Plan provides too few seats or none at all. Among these are:
Sunset Park. Although four Sunset Park elementary schools exceeded capacity and the fifth was at 95 percent, no new elementary school seats have been proposed for this community. Sunset Park is in CSD 15, which is one of only four CSDs that the Grier Partnership projects will gain enrollment by 2015.

I could keep quoting from it all day long. This report was issued in May and yet the Chancellor has the audacity to tell Brownstoner's readers that there are enough seats because the DOE is counting by Districts. This is fraud. Read it and then call your City Council person and Betsy Gotbaum's office and demand answers.

While you are at fight the budget cuts.

There is More Than One Path to Brilliance

2008-06-19T08:58:00.008-04:00

Whoa! Wait until you see what Eduwonkette has to say about elite colleges and what happens to kids on the high end of the scale with "No Child Left Befind". She references Yale English Professor, William Deresiewicz and his essay in The American Scholar It makes sense in light of the current administration. And for everyone who is wondering if the Gifted Class is the right class. Put this NY Magazine article into the mix "How Not to Talk to Your Kids".

From Eduwonkette:
Elite Colleges, "1) Teach students to believe that people who didn’t go to an Ivy League or equivalent school weren’t worth talking to, regardless of their class."

"2) Inculcate a false sense of self-worth ('Getting to an elite college, being at an elite college, and going on from an elite college—all involve numerical rankings: SAT, GPA, GRE. You learn to think of yourself in terms of those numbers. They come to signify not only your fate, but your identity; not only your identity, but your value.')"

"3) Initiate the winners into a club that's almost impossible to get booted out of once you're in ('Here, too, college reflects the way things work in the adult world (unless it’s the other way around). For the elite, there’s always another extension—a bailout, a pardon, a stint in rehab—always plenty of contacts and special stipends—the country club, the conference, the year-end bonus, the dividend.')."

"But if you’re afraid to fail, you’re afraid to take risks, which begins to explain the final and most damning disadvantage of an elite education: that it is profoundly anti-intellectual. This will seem counterintuitive. Aren’t kids at elite schools the smartest ones around, at least in the narrow academic sense? Don’t they work harder than anyone else—indeed, harder than any previous generation? They are. They do. But being an intellectual is not the same as being smart. Being an intellectual means more than doing your homework."

What's Up in the Park?

2008-06-18T16:09:00.008-04:00

I just got my weekend update from the Park's Department . I'm only listing the stuff I want to do, there is plenty more in all boroughs. Check out their website.

Met Summer Concert: Live in Prospect Park

Friday, Jun 20, 2008

8:00 p.m., by the ball fields in the Long Meadow

The Met's summertime tradition of free outdoor performances returns with a special one-night only event in Prospect Park. Celebrate the start of summer with two of opera's biggest stars - Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna- singing popular arias and duets. Ion Marin conducts the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus in the operatic event of the summer, sponsored by Bank of America.

River To River Festival: BPC Parks' Swedish Midsummer Festival

Friday, Jun 20, 2008

5:00 p.m.

Manhattan

Reviving its decade-old music festival, the Battery will be transformed into a musical haven, showcasing multi-genre guitar-oriented performances--from jazz, classical, and flamenco to old fashioned rhythm & blues--local guitarists will display their talents for the general public.
Price: Free
Location: Wagner Park

7th Annual Summer Solstice Celebration

Saturday, Jun 21, 2008
5:00 p.m.
Queens
Bring your friends and family to Socrates Sculpture Park to welcome the summer and celebrate the longest day of the year! Participate in art workshops with artists from Materials for the Arts, The Noguchi Museum, The Queens Museum of Art, and Socrates Sculpture Park; have fun with Free Style Arts Association; get your face painted by Agostino Arts and Transformation! Face Painting; participate in a special solstice ritual performed by Urban Shaman Mama Donna; join free103point9 and Electronic Arts Intermix for Cinema On Air; watch a performance by My Barbarian; sample foods from local restaurants; have a picnic and enjoy the view as the sun sets over the Manhattan skyline!

Location: Socrates Sculpture Park, Long Island City (32-01 Vernon Boulevard)

Explore the Marsh Hike

Sunday, Jun 22, 2008
10:00 a.m.
Brooklyn
Discover the beauty and rich diversity of this unique ecosystem as we discuss the importance of protecting the plants and wildlife that call the marsh home.

Location: Salt Marsh Nature Center, Marine Park (East 33rd Street and Avenue U)

Scandia Symphony Concerts in Fort Tryon Park

Sunday, Jun 22, 2008
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Manhattan
Bring your blanket to Billing's Lawn, overlooking the Hudson River and the New Jersey Palisades, and experience the music and culture of Scandinavia performed by the musicians of the New York Scandia Symphony and guests.
For three Sundays in June, Scandia Symphony will provide entrancing music in a spectacular setting - and all for free!

Celebrate Brooklyn: Salif Keita & Haale

Sunday, Jun 22, 2008
6:00 p.m.
Brooklyn

Celebrate Brooklyn presents Salif Keita & Haale.

Known as the “Golden Voice of Africa”, KEITA blends the traditional griot music of his own Mali with sounds from Guinea, the Ivory Coast, and Senegal, along with influences from Cuba, Spain, and Portugal. “Keita’s voice leaps out of every song with tender urgency.” (NY Times) Persian rock goddess HAALE’s enchanting vocals soar over her band’s amplified rumble, which serves “as a reminder of the extent to which rock bands like the Doors and the Velvet Underground turned to the East for their hypnotic efforts.” (NY Times)

***Celebrate Brooklyn is one of New York City's longest running, free, outdoor performing arts festivals.Location: Bandshell, Prospect Park

Astronomy Club

Sunday, Jun 22, 2008
7:30 p.m.
Queens
Join us for this monthly gathering of star gazers, as we explore the heavens with our Dobsonian telescope. All ages welcomed.

Location: Fort Totten Ranger Park. Enter the park at fort entrance, north of intersection of 212 Street and Cross Island Parkway.

Babes in Tweedland

2008-06-16T09:41:00.020-04:00

On Friday afternoon with the golden angel atop the Municipal Building shining down on 30 or so of the City's best and brightest from Stuyvesant and Edward R. Murrow High Schools, Chambers St. was an avenue of solidarity against the school budget cuts. Students read from their 100 letters in protest of the cuts. City buses, SUVs, school buses and motorcyles honked their encouragement. Bicycles bells tinkled and FDNY ambulances played their sirens as the students let out a cheer and did the wave. It was a tremendously positive experience for the protesters and the supporters who were encouraged by the optimism and energy of the crowd. If your school would like to participate in this very worthy protest contact the Kids Protest Project. The students only worry was that their letters wouldn't be read. So I have included a few more excerpts here.
Celia from Murrow ..." I am a part of the first screened theater program at Murrow and am very dedicated to the arts. Not only do I spend a period everyday in school but I also take part in our school productions. For three months, every single afternoon, from 3pm to about 6:30, I spent working on a show. We all put so much effort in to it and it came out wonderful. I made more than half my friends there and also gained a love of my school that I never thought I would.
I feel at home at Murrow and exceptional in the theater department. To lose this would be horrible for not only me but also the 200 other kids who help put our shows on."

Melissa from Murrow..."Perhaps the Department of Education can consider using money to fund classes that actually educate students, rather than giving it to them in form of cellular phones in order to entice them to pass tests. Frankly, throwing money at our city’s youth does not seem like the best way to instill within them work ethic and integrity. I can see no better use of money than to create programs and classes that might interest students (such as photography and astronomy, just to name a few that my school will no longer be able to provide), so that they have a desire to learn. Instead, this money is being used for standardized testing. It seems counterintuitive that we are losing the option to be taught subjects, so that we can be evaluated on how much we have learned."
Tamara from Murrow..."I am writing to beg you to re-think the school budget cuts. I am an 11th grade resource room student at Edward R. Murrow High School. I have held an 84 average with the help of my resource room teacher. If there are budget cuts another student may not get the same opportunity that I have gotten. Also I am in an after school program “The Jewish Heritage Club.” I am very interested in my club and therefore my friends and I are not with peer groups that hang around the streets and get into trouble."
Andrew from Stuy..."I go to Stuyvesant High School and I am an aspiring musician and journalist. I play piano for the jazz band, write for the school newspaper and am planning to take an extra writing class next year to help me become a better and more confident writer. With the proposed budget cuts looming, it is possible that all three of these things will be cut."
Elizabeth from Stuy..."I am a member of the JV Volleyball team (captain next year) and on the Varsity Fencing Team. I know that doesn't seem like a lot but that's just a start. Both of those teams were undefeated this year. Undefeated Volleyball team because we had nets and balls available to practice. Undefeated Fencing because body chords, foils, and strips were all available. Not to say that all of this was just given to us. I can easily list numerous days that I got home at 9 or 9:30 because of a late practice or a game in Bronx. I can also show anyone who asks 10 or 20 scars on my ankles, scars that I received from sliding across the gymnasium floor.
Those stories come with hundreds of others. Thousands of public school kids with a hundred stories each. The only reason that we have those stories are because our coaches were able to teach us new skills.
I don't know if you attended public school, or when you did. In all honesty, I didn't even know your name until 10 minutes ago when my friend instant messaged me and asked me to write a letter. Maybe, I shouldn't be doing this, but if I don't can I guarantee that someone else will? One thing that I can assure you I learned from the teachers at Stuy is to take action. Hopefully, you will realize how much is being taken away."
Diana from Stuy..." Getting down to a personal level, such intense budget cuts would affect my education greatly. One evening my parents and I sat down and looked over every course that is currently being offered at Stuyvesant. I am a freshman, so we literally planned out all the classes I want to take in my next three years. I have high aspirations for my future in education, and I am definitely ready and able to fulfill them. Imagine the disappointment I felt upon the realization that my hopes and ambitions are wavering in the face of a petty issue called money. I am probably not the only one who is suffering from this danger. The students who will be juniors next year would not be able to take those AP and elective classes if the budget cuts are severe enough to reduce us to an eight-period day. In addition, it is not only classes, but also extracurriculars, that are at risk.
Donna from Stuy..."Here at Stuyvesant, we take advantage of all the classes offered to us. Most students use their two free periods to take electives and AP classes to further their knowledge in an area of interest. I, for example, have taken three science electives during my two years at Stuyvesant: Genetics Research, Human Genetics, and Human Disease. Through my experiences in these electives, I have found out the subject I am best at and have discovered new career options available to me. If it weren't for these electives, I would still be confused about the direction I want my life to take. To me, taking electives in high school gives me a chance to try out everything I'm interested in, so I won't have to switch majors in college and waste both my money and my life.
High school is all about trying out new experiences and experimenting to figure out your interests. If we are not given the opportunity to try out new things, we will never be able to realize our full potential."
Kathy from Stuy..."Although taking 5% from Stuyvesant's school budget may not seem like a big deal to many people, it will truly affect our school and its community. How? you may ask. At Stuy our budget isn't used for random classes such as underwater basketweaving. It is used to sponsor over 32 varsity teams; providing funding for our own Student Union (run by a group of appointed students) that manages our clubs and publications, several literary publications to inspire our students and share unknown talent such as The Caliper (the oldest high school publications in the nation). But most importantly, our budget is used to provide a well developed curriculum and supply of teachers to educate this generation.
It is possible that with these budget cuts, students will no longer be able to many electives-those that could possibly spark interests in fields such as biology when it comes to human disease, anthropology, or history- existentialism, debate etc. Also, many teachers that are retiring or leaving Stuyvesant for whatever reason, may not be replaced due to the shortage in funding for our school."
Kenny from Stuy..."The students that have been involved in school activities will suffer the most. As a dedicated member of the Stuyvesant Math Team, I may have to face the possibility that my school may no longer be able to fund this class. The Stuyvesant Math Team has a strong and very successful legacy not only in New York City but also in the nation. To cancel such a rich and academic-promoting activity because of these budget cuts is an absolute shame and a complete atrocity on the Department of Education’s behalf."
Libby from Stuy..."Speaking with others students about the budget cuts proved that this means something different to everyone. I for instance, am interested in biology, and many of the biology elective courses are being cut next year. When we were sent to sign up for electives, all but three were in jeopardy of being cut if we loose money. This included many of the intro language courses that many sophomores wanted to take. It’s important that in the melting pot that is New York, we learn about each other’s cultures and language."

Don't let these efforts end! Go to the Hands Across NYC protest to end the school budget cuts this afternoon, Monday June 16 at City Hall Park. 4:30-6pm

Out of the Mouths of Babes

2008-06-13T09:17:00.004-04:00

I am delivering letters from High School students to the Tweed Courthouse today for the Kid’s Protest Project. They speak eloquently about the harm the $428 million budget cuts will have on their schools and their lives. Over 100 Stuyvesant and Edward R. Murrow High School students participated. We received this flood of letters in only one week, during which the students also had exams, Regents, APs and SATs as well as final projects and performances. New York City should be proud of its children. The students organized the protest themselves and communicated the need to write letters over Facebook.

Here is a sample of a couple of letters (remember these are 14 – 17 year olds):
From Julia at Stuy:
"…In reading up on these Public School Budget Cuts through a variety of sources I have heard many explanations, excuses, and possible reasons. The one thing that strikes me, again and again, is that, regardless of who needs or who deserves or who we didn't help enough in the past, the LAST thing this city needs right now is to lessen the emphasis on quality education. It should be the frontrunner, the all important, the vital key to the very continuation of our city. Children are the future - do you want an intelligent future, or the one you are creating?..."
from Jack at Stuy:
"…. I personally believe that while the first impression a school makes upon someone will always be its academic integrity, the true soul of the school is lies within what else it has available for its students; the clubs, the teams, the government, etc. By taking away a school’s funds, you are also taking away from its soul, which, no matter what their level of involvement, is felt by each and every student to pass through the halls each day…"
from Matthew at Stuy:
"… the city is planning on cutting an additional $955,000 (from Stuyvesant’s budget). Mayor Bloomberg said that this was beneficial, as schools would have to consider what to keep and what to cut. That’s actually a smart plan in a big company or business that wants to maximize profits. However, the education system is not a business. If courses and extracurricular activities are cut, then we will have a huge loss, as would be put in business terms…"
Tasfia from Stuy:
"…Please don't take away the things that make people like me want to go to school. The things that make us want to learn, to enrich our minds, and content our thirst for knowledge. The people at Stuyvesant are exceptional. We take advantage of all we possibly can. From full period days and afterschool classes, almost everyone I know will do anything to fulfill their want of more. Almost every student in our high school is in numerous clubs or teams which they manage to stay dedicated to even with their immense workload. It can be fairly easy to slack off, to not apply yourself, but everyone at our school, and probably many people in schools all around, just want to be the most intelligent us we can possibly be. Please don't take our drive to learn away from us…"
Amal at Stuy:
"… If the education level goes down, people will be leaving New York City like crazy. No one wants to live in a city where their kids cannot get the best education possible, especially in a city like New York. Budget cuts will affect not only schools but the entire state and possibly even the whole country…"
and at Murrow, Matthew writes:
"… Programs like Murrow’s drama program, as well as its great art and music programs, gives students the chance to do something besides sitting on their couch after school watching MTV. They’re able to use their free time to not only do something productive yet they are able to do things they love, things that might not even be available for them to do if their school weren’t able to offer it.
Yet with the large budget cuts that NYC schools are receiving, programs, clubs, afterschool activities, and electives will be negatively affected if not altogether cut. While one could easily shrug this off and say there are other places where students can further pursue acting, dance, art, etc, there are many students who are unable to afford the high tuition fees of an acting studio or a dancing school. That is why free classes and programs offered by schools are such a great thing. They give every student the chance to do things they love…"
Ashley at Murrow:
... I am also a member of one of the about one hundred clubs that Murrow offers. If the budget cuts occur, clubs will not be able to have funding so we could do good things, such as the environmental corps. Who had started a school-wide recycling plan in January, which has been working successfully, if the budget cuts occur, we won't be able to do good things for the world and ourselves…"
Hannah at Murrow:
"… I love Italian. I am going to Italian III next year. When I heard that you were going to cut AP Italian, my heart broke…"

and read the full letter from Vicky, a freshman at Murrow who is 14,
“I am currently a freshman at Edward R. Murrow High School, and I am one of the many students concerned about the budget cuts that will be taking a real toll on our schools next fall.
Not only are we given fewer opportunities, but also the money that is being taken away from our education is going towards giving us standardized tests and grades for our school. Growing up in this generation, “scantron” is unfortunately part of my vocabulary. I have more boxes of number two pencils in my drawer than I do art projects. During the course of my school career I have learned one thing. My amazing teachers have taught me more than any 60-question test ever could. These people work for almost no money, but take on the largest responsibility for the future of the world. If budget cuts take away teachers in order to have enough money to give us tests I feel that is the biggest mistake that can ever be made. One of the students in our country now will be the President one day. I would feel more comfortable knowing I had a president who once ran a fundraiser in their school for an after school club or one that was in a business class and in Advanced Placement History, than a president that knows “which of the following sentences is an example of personification.” A, B, C and D is not a large enough vocabulary for a UN ambassador or scientist that will find a new eco-friendly energy source. If it’s a choice between our classes and teachers or a test? I think the answer that will benefit the students and our future is most definitely answer A –give us back our classes, clubs and sports.”

Tween Town, Not Just for Girls

2008-06-04T18:32:00.004-04:00

I got a flood of questions about where to take boys. The boys probably won’t want to do a lot of the same kind of shopping, going to tea or doing their makeup before the show, but most of the suggestions were great for all tweens.
Here are a few more ideas. Madame Toussaud’s is a lot of fun and even with a pricey entry it is freaky and fun. (there are tourist pass tickets that give you discounts at lots of places, like the Empire State Building and if you are doing a lot of the regular touristic things they may be worth it) The Top of the Rock, at Rockefeller Center is supposed to be great for a view of the city if you don’t want to go all the way to 34th St. If your guests are coming from a smaller city, run them inside a couple of Buildings that are amazing spaces that you won’t see anywhere else. In Grand Central (there are good building tours, although you need to know your kid if they would enjoy it or not) there is a spot in front of the Oyster Bar where you can stand in one corner facing the corner and whisper and if someone stands facing the opposite corner they can hear you. Also the food court downstairs is pretty good if you need a snack), and the Reading Room at the Public Library makes a good stop to have a quiet moment if you have sensory overload in Times Square.
I love roaming around the tip of Manhattan. I would wait in line for Ellis Island, and that is saying something. The museum is great and if you have any information on the year that your family member entered the country, it is the biggest thrill to find their signature on the ship’s Leger. You can spend the whole day below Chambers St. I don’t spend much time at South Street Seaport unless it is to pick up tickets at TKTS (shorter lines than uptown) The National Museum of the American Indian (because it is part of the Smithsonian, it is free, your federal tax dollars at work) in the Customs House is great. They opened a beautiful museum on the Mall in DC, but 95% of the collection remains in NY. Spend a lot of time enjoying Hudson River Park, your guests will want to move to NYC. Don’t miss the Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Irish Famine Memorial (this is a particularly lovely and unusual little park north of the World Financial Center, really, it is worth looking for) Walk the whole length of Hudson River Park, it is beautifully and unusually landscaped with wonderful playgrounds for young kids and games and sports equipment at the ranger’s station for older children. When you get to the north end you can walk over the Stuyvesant pedestrian bridge and find a nice bistro in Tribeca for a bite or if you haven’t had enough walking you can completely wear out the soles of their shoes and head due east to City Hall and over The Bridge.
Once you are in Brooklyn, the Transit Museum is small and good (really great for young kids, especially on rainy days) I think that the Carousel in Prospect Park beats all others. The adorable Prospect Park Zoo (check out the Pigeon exhibit) and the southern entrance to the Botanical Garden are right across the street (Flatbush, that is). Bring your stale bagels! Maybe it sounds too low impact when there is so much to see in NY, but sitting in the Japanese Garden and feeding the giant Koi fish and turtles can be a big high-light when the kids are otherwise on overload. It is also very, very beautiful. If you are visiting the Brooklyn Museum (great kids programs and First Saturdays) have brunch at Tom’s Restaurant a couple blocks north on Washington Ave. (not open on Sundays) This neighborhood institution is very kid friendly and if you are waiting they pass out cookies. It helps your guests understand that New York is a city of neighborhoods that are really like the best small towns.

Finally the NY Times had a good article about backstage tours last weekend. I can guarantee that the backstage tour at the Met Opera is impressive, but I am interested in the Yankee Stadium tour which sounds awesome, whether you are a fan or not.

Stoop Sale Diaries #1

2008-06-01T15:14:00.006-04:00

So my husband and I are stoop sale freaks. We know all the regulars, buyers and sellers. (A shout out here to Leslie, we still have your picture frame) We have seen the demise of the taped flier, to be followed by sidewalk chalk and Craig’s listings. We can read a sale. Recent breakup – lots of the ex’s belongings going cheap and “how to buy a puppy” books. World traveler – Frommer’s, Rick Steves, Time Out wherever and lots of small wooden carvings. Out grown the quirky collection – Pez, rusty lunch boxes, ice cream scoops. Long time neighborhood resident – clothes for under a dollar, paperbacks 50 cents, haggling is a sport not an insult.

Here is the #1 rule of selling – every sale you will make is an impulse buy for your customer. It doesn’t matter that you paid too much for your item new, and then never used it. On the street it is worth $2. If you are in it for the money, you will do better on eBay. The tradition of stoop sales in my humble opinion (as a seller as well as a buyer) is to get the stuff out of your house and recycle to someone who will love it. The more you buy, the cheaper the price should be.

This is what we found on Sunday:
3 Christmas Cd's (including Paul Revere and the Raiders Christmas)
a free bottle opener/10 second digital recorder
Ultimate Outburst (in the plastic, for use at the family reunion this summer)
Glitter batons for the two little girls downstairs
A small fan for my hot head husband
A wireless router (ours just broke!)
A wooden massage roller
The Illustrated History of the British Invasion
Various necklaces
A bright pink velvet evening jacket with lots of details (great with skinny jeans and the pink ballet flats we got last spring)

Every week you will inexplicably see the same book title over and over at all of the sales. The title changes from week to week. Some randomness expert needs to write their PHD dissertation on this phenomenon. This week every sale had Time and Again by Jack Finney, a book we enjoyed and bought several copies of to give to friends. More than the usual Harry Potters were also present.

We had some great conversations too; where to camp, hitchhiking in the Pacific Northwest, the best places to eat in Sullivan County, what it is like to own an Airstream, neighborhood choirs. Whether you buy or not, it is the easiest way to make small talk with your neighbors. Stoop sales give me a reason to stroll in the beautiful weather with my sweetheart and love all my funky neighbors (except the costume jewelry guy that is at every sale 5 minutes ahead of me)
Happy shopping!

Kids Take Action Against the Budget Cuts

2008-05-31T13:48:00.004-04:00

This announcement was sent to brklynschoolsearch@yahoogroups.com

Kid Letter-Writing Campaign to Protest NYC School Budget Cuts
To protest the $450 million Department of Education budget cuts for 2008-2009,
two members of the PA at PS 87 in Manhattan are trying to implement a citywide protest project.

Modeled upon the 3rd grade letter project at PS 87 (which resulted in a very positive news piece on WABC on May 14th), the plan is to have students (accompanied by their parents) from different public schools around the city arrive at Tweed Courthouse (DOE headquarters) each afternoon in June to deliver giant envelopes filled with letters written by their classmates protesting the budget cuts.

If you are willing to sign-up on behalf of some class(es) from your school for a day in June, or able to help in some other capacity, please contact:
Paula Seefeldt: kennapj@hotmail.com
or
Cynthia Wachtell: wachtell@yu.edu

For a link to the WABC story, go to www.ps87.info and scroll down to the photo of the third graders.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
PLEASE FORWARD TO PARENTS AT OTHER NYC SCHOOLS!

Find Your Favorite HS On This List

2008-05-30T18:50:00.004-04:00

If you think that you are mad about the Pre-K situation, wait until you see a 5 or 6% cut in your Middle or High School budget. Check out this list of exceptional schools that will be taking exceptional hits, loosing teachers and classes. Sure, it is just the AP classes and electives that may be cut. Tell that to your child who is studying all weekend to take the SAT II to try and have some hope of competing with students from the suburbs for a spot in college. Come to the Rally to Speak Out Against the $450 Million in NYC Education Cuts
Stuyvesant HS
345 Chambers St.
Monday, June 2, 4pm

This list comes from the most excellent Betty Zohar, UFT Parent and Community Liaison. BZohar@uft.org

Largest Cuts in School Budgets

Manhattan Professional Performing Arts High School -6.09%
Queens Queens High School For the Sciences -5.96%
Manhattan 47 The American Sign Language School -5.92%
Brooklyn Urban Assembly Academy of Arts -5.89%
Queens York Early College Academy -5.88%
Brooklyn Lyons Community School -5.75%
Bronx Bronx Community High School -5.65%
Bronx English Language Learners and International Support Preparatory Academy -5.60%
Brooklyn The Brooklyn Latin School -5.58%
Queens Academy for Excellence Through the Arts -5.57%
Manhattan Academy for Social Action -5.56%
Bronx High School of American Studies -5.56%
Bronx Pan American International High School at Monroe -5.52%
Bronx Academy for Language And Technology -5.51%
Brooklyn Arts and Media Preparatory Academy -5.50%
Manhattan Eleanor Roosevelt High School -5.49%
Queens Pan American International High School I -5.48%
Manhattan N.Y.C. Lab School for Collaborative Studies -5.47%
Queens Baccalaureate School for Global Education -5.46%
Queens Queens Collegiate: A College Board School -5.44%
Manhattan NYCiSchool -5.42%
Staten Island P.S. 005 Huguenot -5.39%
Queens Academy for Careers in Television and Film -5.39%
Brooklyn Frederick Douglass Academy VII -5.38%
Brooklyn Life Academy High School for Film and Music -5.37%
Brooklyn Multicultural High School -5.35%
Manhattan Urban Assembly School for the Performing Arts -5.35%
Bronx Bronx High School of Science -5.34%
Manhattan Stuyvesant High School -5.32%
Staten Island Staten Island Technical High School -5.31%
Brooklyn Brighter Choice Community School -5.30%
Staten Island Gaynor McCown Expeditionary Learning School -5.30%
Staten Island Academy of Innovative Learning -5.29%
Queens The Active Learning Elementary School -5.27%
Queens Learners and Leaders -5.27%
Queens Knowledge and Power Preparatory -5.26%
Manhattan M.S. 255 Salk School of Science -5.25%
Brooklyn Urban Assembly Institute of Math and Science for Young Women -5.24%
Queens The Queens School of Inquiry -5.24%
Queens Civic Leadership Academy -5.23%
Queens Queens High School for Information, Research and Technology -5.23%
Queens Robert H. Goddard High School of Communication Arts and Technology -5.23%
Brooklyn Academy of Innovative Technology -5.23%
Brooklyn Frances Perkins Academy -5.23%
Manhattan Mott Hall II -5.23%
Manhattan N.Y.C. Museum School -5.22%
Brooklyn Brooklyn High School for Leadership and Community Service -5.22%
Brooklyn Olympus Academy -5.22%
Brooklyn Victory Collegiate High School -5.20%
Manhattan Gramercy Arts High School -5.20%
Bronx Knowledge and Power Preparatory -5.20%
Staten Island College of Staten Island High School for International Studies -5.14%
Queens J.H.S. 067 Louis Pasteur -5.14%
Queens North Queens Community High School -5.14%
Brooklyn Brooklyn Theatre Arts High School -5.13%
Brooklyn Brooklyn Bridge Academy -5.12%
Brooklyn High School for Innovation in Advertising And Media -5.12%
Bronx Bronx Haven High School -5.10%
Queens New York City Academy for Discovery -5.10%
Manhattan M.S. 260 Clinton School Writers and Artists -5.09%
Brooklyn It Takes a Village Academy -5.09%
Brooklyn Expeditionary Learning School -5.08%
Brooklyn Brooklyn Brownstone School -5.08%
Brooklyn Cultural Academy for the Arts and Sciences -5.07%
Brooklyn High School for Medical Professions -5.07%
Brooklyn Academy for Conservation and the Environment -5.07%
Brooklyn Brooklyn Lab School -5.07%
Brooklyn Urban Action Academy -5.07%
Queens Queens Preparatory Academy -5.06%
Brooklyn Brooklyn Generation School -5.05%
Bronx School for Environmental Citizenship -5.05%
Queens Bard High School Early College II -5.05%
Brooklyn Gotham Professional Arts Academy -5.02%
Brooklyn Brooklyn Community High School -5.00%

The Latest on Pre-K Registration

2008-05-29T21:21:00.007-04:00

Jenny Medina’s article in the NY Times today spelled out the basics of the Pre-K registration situation. Insideschools.blogspot.com had details about the registration discrepancies from Andy Jacob at the DOE. “What happened, Jacob told me, was that the DOE's computers compared data for the older sibling claimed on the application with the data parents entered on the application. If the address in the attendance system for the older child didn't match the address as it was entered from the application, the system treated the applicant as a non-sibling. But in some cases, Jacob said, the address-matching excluded children erroneously, sometimes because of a minor difference in the way the addresses were formulated (with a typo in the DOE's attendance system, for example) and sometimes because families have moved since entering the school system.”
Another thing that was mentioned was that the sibling preference only applied to a first choice school.

Since acceptance letters are starting to come out, it appears that occasional discrepancies are still showing up on the neighborhood groups. Zoned children without a sib in the school that receives a rejection letter from a school that you believe has an acceptance for an unzoned child without a sib should contact the people below.

The June 23 application is for families that have not received any placement, but don't be surprised if this process goes through changes as the DOE deals with the problem at hand.

The OSEPO, Office of Student Enrollment and Placement, is taking information about disputed applications.
212 347-4948

Debbie McCabe, Family Advocate for District 15, is also collecting info about all disputed posts, especially rejected sibling applicants
Send her an e-mail with this info:
Your name and contact information
Names of your children
School id for the older sib
What school is involved and your zoned school.
dmccabe@schools.nyc.gov
(sorry, I had a typo in her address in an earlier post)

Contact the Public Advocate’s Office so that they can collect their own independent information on this issue.
212 669-7250
ombudsman@pubadvocate.nyc.gov

Some schools are collecting the information for their own communities. Contact your zoned school’s Parent Coordinator to find out if they are collecting information and who you should contact.

Pre-K

2008-05-27T11:59:00.019-04:00

Yikes, the Pre-K letters are coming in and from the anecdotal evidence on the yahoo neighborhood groups there are some in-zone families with siblings that are not getting their placements. This may be an indication of errors in the system. Just in case this isn't a limited problem, I have listed a couple of contacts here to try and get answers. It would also be helpful to know when families start receiving acceptance letters.

If you need questions answered about an acceptance or rejection letter, call the DOE Central Enrollment Office (I visited the District Office this morning, Tues. 27 and they gave me this number to call)
212 374-2363
or contact,
Debbie McCabe, Family Advocate for District 15
email her at dmccabe@schools.nyc.gov
she is compiling a list of families with Pre-K rejection issues
or
Martine Guerrier, Chief Family Engagement Officer
212 374-6857
askmartine@schools.nyc.gov

If you think that there is something wrong with your rejection letter, i.e. you are an in-zone family with siblings in a school that has several Pre-K classes, or you are not getting your questions answered by the DOE's Central or District Enrollment Office call the Office of the Public Advocate. She has the clout and the will to get to the bottom of the situation.
212 669-7250
ombudsman@pubadvocate.nyc.gov

There are new unconfirmed reports from the yahoo groups. Parents that contacted the Enrollment Office this afternoon said that if you come to the Office on or after June 23 you can receive an informational booklet that will contain a list of schools with remaining available seats and a new application. The new application will have a due date to go through the process all over for the remaining open seats.

keep checking my blog www.mysidewalkchalk.blogspot.com and
www.insideschools.org for updates

How I Learned to Love Camping; Stop Packing.

2008-05-26T10:28:00.004-04:00

I used to dread camping because it took forever to pack. The trick is to have a prepacked kitchen box and some equipment ready to just get in the car and go. Years ago I got an LLBean credit card with benefits. After you have collected enough points you get a $10 credit on LLBean stuff as well as free shipping (and monogramming if you are into that) That is how I got all our camping stuff (that I didn’t get at stoop sales). I just read a post that someone sent back their 8 year old tent for repair, for free. We had the experience that if they couldn’t repair something they gave us a new one. I like them.

This is what we always take:
Tent, a plastic sheet for under (tuck the edges under the tent so the water doesn’t wick under) a couple of big tarps with grommets for a rain cover over the tents (the tent waterproofing and rain flaps will probably work well, but the thought of keeping all rain off the top of the tent makes the rain sound cozy instead of ominous)
Sleeping Bags and roll up foam pads
A shelter for the picnic table with zippered net sides
The big ball of twine
A Swiss army knife
A little shovel
A whisk broom
A large flat round grill for the fire ring
A hammock
A couple of battery operated lanterns and flashlights for everyone
A net bag or toy bucket to carry your shampoo etc. to the showers

The kitchen box:
I got the shmancy one from Bean with my coupons, but really you could just have a big plastic box from Target with a lid that you keep packed with:
A set of plastic dishes (one set for each of you)
A big plastic bowl
A couple of mugs and utensils
A couple of stoop sale pots and a pan
Paper towels with the tube taken out (better for squashing)
Some folded tin foil, and a bunch of different sized zip lock bags (they come in handy for everything including storing food that is floating around in the melted ice of the cooler)
Salt, pepper, sugar, tea, ground coffee
Plastic french press coffee maker
Some stoop sale column candles and something pretty to put wildflowers in
A pretty vinyl table cloth (these things sound excessive, but when I am smelly and dirty and sleeping on the ground, nothing makes me feel better than having a good cup of coffee at my pretty table in the woods)
A bag of fire starters (those lighter soaked sawdust sticks that can start fires with the wettest wood)
Bic Barbecue lighter (some matches too)
Some long handled barbecue tools and skewers for shish ka bab (the most delicious and easiest meal)
A large cooler with a tap to drain melted ice
A couple of collapsible camping buckets for water and dish washing
A small container of dishsoap
Batteries of all types
My most treasured item: The pie iron…
Butter two pieces of bread, put them in the cast iron sides, pour in some raw scrambled eggs and cheese, or some banana slices and peanut butter, or apple slices and cinnamon sugar, you are only limited by your own imagination. Close it, clamp it and put it in the fire for a couple of minutes. Repeat while a huge line of children forms behind you. On second thought take two pie irons. Being cast iron, they stay very hot for a long time, only experienced older children should be allowed to use them.

A word on food. I marinate meat for a couple of meals (cubes for shish ka bab, etc.) and freeze them rock hard in a couple of quart Chinese soup containers. They thaw slowly in an icy cooler and keep everything else cold as well. I don't take those frozen plastic blue cold packs they are just dead weight after they thaw.

I am sure that I have forgotten something, but when you have a prepacked kitchen box it is less likely that you need to buy it at the horribly over priced camp store.

Where We Camp

2008-05-24T10:44:00.013-04:00

We do at least one camping trip a year. We have had a lot of different experiences with campgrounds. Private campgrounds can be in beautiful locations, but some are pretty loose about alcohol and noise restrictions and that can make a beautiful spot horrible. We have gone the 5 star private campground route with relatives who like electric and water hook ups and all of the amenities. These are very well run and manicured with pools and lots of activities for kids, but you pay through the nose for a controlled experience. So far, for us the National and State campgrounds are the best combination of amenities, scenery and relative quiet.
We have been to Dingman’s and we have heard great things about North South Lake. Both of them are within an easy weekend drive of the city. We gravitate to the Delaware Water Gap for an easy weekend camp. If you are north of the Gap by Port Jervis eat at the Eagle’s Nest Restaurant (reasonable, American, family dining) for the most spectacular views of the river. 58 Eagle’s Nest Road Bloomington, NY 845 733-4561 April-Dec. W, TH, SUN 5:30-9
www.dingmanscampground.com
www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24487.html
Lake George
www.lakegeorgeescape.com
This campsite had a pool, river campsites, a DJ and bonfires in the evening, tubing on the river, arts and crafts, go carts, and you pay for it, but the experienced RV campers that work at the store knew all of the most beautiful hidden hikes around Lake George. Even with all of the “designed for family fun” activities, the day that we spent at the secluded waterfall and picnicking on the rocks by the lake was the day the kids remember. We spent a day in town at the scary wax museum, water park and para sailing, and one day in Saratoga Springs walking around all of the different springs and checking out the race track. It was a fantastic trip, but there may be a more economical option close by. You just need to find a local that will fill you in on the secluded hikes around the east side of the lake.
Bar Harbor
www.barharborcampingresorts.com
This was another fancy campground for the in-laws but it was in a good location, had a heated pool. It was located on a bay where we were able to collect pounds of mussels for our dinner at night. These private campgrounds have lots and lots of RVs so you are not exactly out in the wilderness. I am sure that you could find a more secluded spot, but it is nice to be on Mount Desert Island if you are making the park your destination. If you can plan ahead and make a reservation at the National Park, that is always the way to go.
http://www.nps.gov/acad/
Lancaster County
I won’t list the expensive campground we found here. It was a lovely week, but we found that with all of the activities and beautiful Amish farmland we couldn't get the nature fix we needed. It is all private farmland and though beautiful, we didn’t feel welcome to wander at will.

My next post will be about planning and packing.

Planning Great Trips

2008-05-22T09:09:00.004-04:00

We start with the budget. The year we went to Costa Rica, we were really planning on going to California. I was just playing around on Orbitz. The plane fare to Costa Rica was cheaper. This year we were supposed to visit friends in Germany. The Euro was going to kill us. I got a tip on the soccer field. We decided on Ireland instead. We still had the Euro, but it was a much cheaper trip because it was all nature which is free. I forgot to mention our trip to Colonial Williamsburg in Feb. a couple of years ago. We go everywhere off season. We were at Mesa Verde the day after it opened for the season. Sometimes we don't see everything that you would see during the summer, but we are always the only people there and that makes it GREAT!

I have the money saved before we go. I found that a dedicated ingdirect account that I add to every month keeps the money safe from being used for other things. I love to see my spring break travel money in that account in Feb. when I am buying the tickets. This way we come home with the photos and no debt to play catch up with. It enables us to say "let's charter the boat out to seal island" without worrying about the extra hundred dollars.

I trade notes with my like-minded friends. All of my best ideas are versions of trips I borrowed from them. We visit friends when we can and some day soon we will probably start trading apt. overseas.

I also look for locations where the dollar is going to go the farthest. That isn't many places these days, but it sometimes leads us places we wouldn't normally go, including the Erie Canal.

My kids don't like museums. Even though they say they want to go to Paris, I know that they would be awful there; tired and grumpy. They will really want to go someday, but not just because it is where their friends went. When I plan, I have to be very realistic about my family's needs. My husband is unhappy if he doesn't feel he's getting a deal and he really doesn't care about the food (give him a jar of peanut butter and he is good to go in any country). He also doesn't like the same experience twice. My kids like nature and adventure travel and they have a pathological fear of being seen as tourists. We try and focus on being travelers rather than tourists for their delicate sensibilities. I am all about the food and the weirder and more original the experience the better. We ate crickets in Oaxaca. I can't remember where the car is parked, but I remember what was on the sandwich I ate when I was 10 years old driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains. To compromise we shop at local markets. I love them and I love to haggle, and my husband thinks we are getting a bargain. We like quirky experiences. The Neon Museum in Vegas and the Erie Canal going over a road were two highlights. We limit the electronics. I prefer to get lodging without TV. We have been reading aloud to each other from "All Creatures Great and Small" since Costa Rica. We laugh and do voices and read the same passages over and over because we always lose our place and fall asleep too soon. When I am older and grayer they will be the fondest memories of my life. I am not an ogre and my kids are not perfect. I will occasionally splurge on a fancy hotel (usually some great promotional deal online) and we will have the beautiful lobby, pool and huge TV. Not having it all the time really makes it a bigger deal.

I hope that I am teaching my children about the value of a dollar as I teach them about the value of the experience. They know we make a conscious effort to save to get something that we really love. They also know that we are saving for many other things as well; college, retirement, causes we believe need our support and a rainy day. It is no fun missing pizza night, but would you rather have Chinese food in Brooklyn or China?
Let me know where we should go next.

We take great trips

2008-05-09T10:13:00.011-04:00

6 years ago when my children were 8, I made a decision for my family. Our family vacation time was exclusively about visiting relatives. As a child, my parents had taken us to amazing places; camping in the sand on St. John, houseboating the Border Lakes in Minnesota, biking and exploring and generally getting off the beaten track. I wanted similar memories with my children.

We looked at our stretched finances. We had a lot of vacation time, but not an unlimited budget. We decided as a family to take action. We do not order out, and we very rarely eat out. Now we have a vacation budget that allows us to take several great trips a year.

Here are some of the things that we have done:
Car trip to Nova Scotia - this was our first trip and the car broke down so many times that when we finally made it to Maine, the girls kissed the ground. We had the most wonderful time. It is when I knew that we would always be able to travel together. Every one of us was determined to make it a hilarious comedy of errors.
Family Reunion in the villa in Oaxaca - don't eat the famous cheese (it is unpasturized) but like my mother said, "the gauzy curtains are blowing, the volcano in the background, the fusia and birds of paradise are blooming, you wander out to the terra cotta patio, throw up and go back to your shaded hammock. In spite of the intestinal distress we loved all of the crafts, the beautiful colonial town, and had a blast in Mexico City in the very fancy business hotel that cost us barely anything.
Costa Rica, Nagoya Peninsula, Cloud Forest, Arenal - this is the trip by which all others are measured. Full moon horseback riding on the beach, going from the tidal pool for the morning swim to the waterfall pool for the afternoon swim, zip line in the cloud forest and the Smithsonian lodge with a cloudless Arenal volcano steadily spitting boulders.
Camping in Bar Harbor, Maine - one word, "lobster!" (Trenton Lobster Pot) we also gathered huge buckets of mussels at low tide and did the great day hikes all over the park. We love the Beehive!
Car trip in Arizona, Utah and Colorado (don't forget Vegas) - we came for the national parks, but despite ourselves, we loved Vegas. We were the casino's worst nightmare, (half price girls at the all you can eat buffet who can eat twice their weight in sushi and prime rib) and we hit every free show from the dancing waters outside the Belaggio to Pirates and back. Don't miss the Neon Sign Graveyard. And then there was Route 66 and hiking every canyon. We gave ourselves a challenge to have a person from every continent take our picture. Mission accomplished.
Eco camping on St. John, VI - Maho Bay, it was like a dream
Camping at Lake George and Saratoga Springs - our best camping trip ever, a little history, a lot of gorgeous hiking to waterfalls, putt putt golf, grossing ourselves out drinking at the healing springs, a day at the races
Visiting friends in Rio, and Buenos Aires - we were a little afraid of this one because of the violence in Rio, but living in a residential neighborhood (Ipenema, at that) and trips to Busios and Paratyi made it a dream come true. Watching our new favorite soccer team, Botafogo win in overtime was unbelievable. A little grownup side trip to Buenos Aires for my husband's 50 birthday was perfect. "Surprise honey, I'm buying you a steak for your birthday, get back on the plane!"
Barge down the Erie Canal - slow down to 6 miles an hour and you won't believe how beautiful western NY state is from the canal. Lift bridges and locks, beautiful birds and gin and tonics under the canopy of the European canal boat that sleeps 6. My parents joined us to help with the driving. The kids road their bikes along the tow path, gave directions to the lock masters on the radio and read while lounging on the top of the barge.
Staying in a Lighthouse in Co. Clare, Ireland - We just got back from Ireland two weeks ago. We did a "self catering holiday" in an Irish Landmark Trust property. We stayed in the Loop Head Lighthouse keepers cottage (it has a real working light) on the edge of a cliff at the end of the road, literally. Beautiful drives every day, guiness and music in the pubs and back home to a peat fire.

I want more ideas. Let me know what you have done. We are going to Northern California for my 50th next spring.
Watch this blog for tips on planning.

Lice Wars

2008-05-09T08:32:00.012-04:00

I just read the great Lice post in the always great achildgrowsinbrooklyn. I felt I had to tell my story.
My girls started getting lice in kindergarten. Dress up, coats in a pile, sleepovers sharing beds and baths, and the ultimate culprit - Picture Day, all contributed to the problem. Like clockwork, every year in Oct. about a week after Picture Day we would get a visit from our newest pets. I truly believe that they weren't sharing combs, and I do not blame the school at all. The lice were just loosened up and getting around. For the most part it ended in third grade. Girls had shorter hair, and they weren't rolling around and rubbing heads together as much, maybe also they were just growing up and not playing so much dress-up anymore.

I am relatively bug squeamish and I am not at all afraid of head lice. I see them as cunning adversaries. In all of the years that we were plagued, my husband and I never got them and I was so used to them in the end that I would do the lice check on my own bed. The girls were also never reinfested from our house, it always came in direct relation to a playdate with a friend who had them or picture day. They really seem to go from head to head.

The nits are light colored on my ash blond children's hair, near the scalp. The lice stay at the scalp and don't venture far down the strands. I have heard they like secluded places like behind the ears and low at the neck, but ours always brazenly stayed within easy sight right on the top of the head, laughing at me. Full grown, the lice are light brown and flat almond shape, like a flax seed, and they are fast. You will just see them out of the corner of your eye in a lice check and they will be gone, in an instant. I have spent hours chasing one around my darling's scalp, until she developed a relationship, "don't get 'Biggie', he's my friend"?! Lice checks are when I first discovered that I needed bifocals. The "lice call" from school was always the worst. I only had to say "Lice" to my boss and she handed me my car keys and said that she would see me in the morning. Sometimes it was a false alarm, some dandruff or stray glitter glue, which is infuriating. I have to say that if you suspect that your child has lice you need to have full disclosure to family and friends. Do not send them to the party, or the sleepover - you will lose friends and nothing spoils a reputation faster than being lazy with your disclosure. I won't tell you about the time I had the girls' sweet friend sitting on the hard wood floor at 10pm with our carpets rolled up and her head swathed in olive oil and saran wrap because she had such a bad infestation that I could see them from across the room. I was alone and couldn't get to the drug store and her parents weren't answering their phone.

Let me start off by saying that after reading everything written on them and trying every remedy from the hippie dippy to DDT, I now have THE tried and true, easy, surefire solution. This method removes all lice and nits and it is kind of fun to do. You need a really good lice comb. Check out a metal lice comb at www.colonialmedical.com/product.php?productid=18574 (search for "metal lice comb" I'm not too good with my links yet) I haven't seen this one in person, but I think it is the right model. It needs to have round tongs that have no air between them. Do not use the lice combs you get free in the Rid box, they are useless. You need a roll of paper towels and a bottle of Pantene conditioner.

First squeeze a ton of conditioner all over your child's barely damp head. Rub it around so no lice can escape the goo. Then start combing. Make sure that you are combing from the scalp and do it over and over. You will be combing out great gobs of conditioner and wiping on the paper towels. The Pantene is good because it is white and you see everything that is coming off the hair. It also has enough body that no lice can get away. You will see the nits and the occasional louse, you will also see sand, glitter, pieces of old sandwich and stickers (a child's life spread out before you on that paper towel). Keep doing it until you have a full, thorough pass of the head that comes up with nothing. Do it again the next day and if you come up liceless you are home free. It is as easy as that. Last summer on vacation I had 4 children with lice and in a little over an hour they were free and their hair smelled great! Then take all bedding and towels, wash and dry them hot. If you can wash and dry the stuffies that is great, if things can't be washed put them in a sealed garbage bag for two weeks to do the trick.

These are things that I tried; olive oil and baking soda, tea tree oil and tea tree oil shampoo, all of the over the counter treatments, a heavy duty perscription treatment, vigilant lice checks that took HOURS. The Pantene and thorough combing really, really works.

Courage, lice are nothing like bed bugs, they can be dealt with easily enough, or you can call the wonderful Lice Lady.

Tween Town

2008-04-11T12:51:00.008-04:00

This is what I like to do with out of town tween girls in NYC. Here is the secret to being a great tour guide. Keep them fed at frequent intervals. Don't walk them like a regular New Yorkers; they will turn zombie on you. Jump in a cab FAST when you see it coming on. Keep the destinations varied; educational, silly, glamorous. It is hard not to make a tween trip all about the shopping, but if you sprinkle a little interesting and inexpensive shopping in between the museums, they may stay alert.
Upper East Side: If you are doing a museum (and you are taking your life in your hands to do two in a day) head further east and take a ride on the Roosevelt Island tram. Pack a deli sandwich to eat on Roosevelt Island, take a breath and look at Manhattan, stop in at Serendipity if there is no line (ha!) for a frozen hot chocolate, and top it off with a little shopping at Dylan's Candy Bar. Even though I am tired of it, Dylan's may just be the highlight of their trip.

Midtown: You could stop in at the Toys R Us to wait in line for the Ferris Wheel, but we like to ride the elevators in the Marriott Marquis for free (did I mention that they are glass elevators?). Get an "outside" elevator, one sort of in the center, ride all the way to the top floor and try for an uninterrupted trip to the ground floor. Repeat until you stop squealing. Then head across the street to the Edison Hotel restaurant for matzah ball soup, blintzes and egg creams. We also like to use the bathrooms at the Paramount or whatever fancy new boutique hotel has just been renovated. Undoubtedly, they have a Sephora at the mall at home, but you want to be glamorous when you go to Broadway. We go for makeovers before the show and put on the most fabulously outrageous peacock colored eyeshadow imaginable. It doesn't fly back home, but heh, you are having a madcap Manhattan weekend. The best lunch or dinner spot ever is the Burger Bar in the Parker Meridian in midtown. You go into this sleek, grand lobby, look for the small neon burger sign and enter another world; cardboard signs, grease stained paper bags of french fries and the occasional celebrity. The burgers aren't only great, they are the best bargain in town. You can't miss.

High tea is fun for tweens. Although I like to wear a big flowered hat, they usually don't allow it. It is great to stop for a fancy version at the Palace or some other institution, and contrast it with Tea and Sympathy in the village. There are some pretty good walking tours in the village as well. It is interesting for them to see a real speakeasy at Chumley's (even if it is only from the outside), the skinniest house, see the site of the Triangle Shirtwaist fire (which they study about in school) and the bodies buried under Washington Square Park when it was considered way out of town. You have to go to The Forbes Museum on lower 5th Ave. It is free and it is the perfect tween collection of Faberge' Eggs and Toys, beautifully displayed (I think that it closes at around 4 so don't leave it to the end of the day).

I like Sundays downtown. Dim sum at some huge Chinatown dumpling palace will blow their minds. Shopping at Pearl River, and a scoop of red bean or green tea at the Ice Cream Factory is always a hit. Then a tour at the Tenement Museum and a pickle on the lower east side. As long as you are downtown, walk across The Bridge and have some cheese cake at Juniors. Sit at the counter for the most colorful waiters.

I don't like waiting in line for things; it wastes time and drains energy. For me the Staten Island Ferry is a great view of the Statue of Liberty. The Empire State Building is open until midnight, so if you go early evening your wait isn't horrible (if you go at 11pm, it is even quieter, but there are lots of people kissing)

The best tour for out of town relatives that I ever heard was mentioned on WNYC. You get each visitor to write a country name on a slip of paper. You proceed to eat at a restaurant from each of those countries during their stay. You wake your guests at midnight, hop in a car and drive to Time Square to demonstrate that this is in fact, the city that never sleeps.

Bard High School Early College II

2008-04-07T13:04:00.007-04:00

I know an 8th grade student whose method of choosing a High School I admire. Since there are still seats at her High School of choice, Bard High School Early College II, I thought I would share a bit of what she expressed to me.

Louise is a good student, whose test scores could have gotten her into many selective schools in NYC. In fact, she found 11 schools that she very thoughtfully and deliberately placed on her list of possible 12. She felt Bard was a good fit the first time she walked in, but she chose Bard II for her first choice because she has come to love science at her Middle School, MS 447 The Math and Science Exploratory School. Bard II's new principal was a science teacher at Bard College and she felt the school would have more of a science slant considering their partnership with the National Academy of Sciences. She likes the idea of starting fresh and not having to fit a mold. She knew it would be challenging, and there is a lot of pride in being in the first graduating class in what is bound to be a strong school. She will have a long commute in freshman year to Elmhurst, Queens from Park Slope, Brooklyn. She knows what she is in for and in her sophomore year the school will move to the Frank Sinatra HS building in Long Island City.

The thing I think impressed me most was the pragmatic way that she made her choice. She knew that Bard II, as a new school, would be looking hard for students and the classes might be smaller. All the students would feel united in a school that was a new experience for everyone. She knew she had something to offer the school and she could really make a difference.

Her advice to students picking a school:
#1 look for classes that you like
#2 think about if you feel comfortable there
#3 how far do you have to go to school
#4 is the environment bright and exciting or dull

To talk to Bard High School Early College go to the supplemental HS fair held Monday April 7 and Tuesday April 8 from 5-8pm at Brandeis HS (W. 84rd between Amsterdam and Columbus)

High School Choice

2008-04-02T12:25:00.007-04:00

I hope that all you families of 8th graders had your dreams come true last week. If you didn't get a placement this is what you have to do.

Go to your guidance counselor and get a "supplemental application". You have until April 10 to make your choices. There will be two HS fairs for schools that still have spots on April 7th and 8th from 5-8pm. This fair will be held at Brandeis HS at W. 84rd between Amsterdam and Columbus. There are still some interesting schools on the list, including Bard II and nycischool. These schools will be making individual presentations at the fair so get there on time and make sure that you seek them out. Bring your students so they can have a say in the process.

A Wistful Ode to Rubber Pellet Season

2008-03-30T14:26:00.002-04:00

This may be our last spring soccer season at the Parade Ground. My girls are old enough that I still think of it as mud season, when the Parade Ground was either a rock hard pitted dust bowl or a quagmire free of grass, except for the occasional goal blocking island of weeds. But now we stand on the flat, wide green plastic expanse looking vainly for our team, "Did they say field #11 or #7?" Scanning for parents that are good for an hour long gossip and alternately trying for a spot of sunlight to warm ourselves or a foot of shade to cool ourselves. We have spent the afternoons engrossed in talk of Bat Mitzvahs and Middle School applications, lessons on how to hack into our kid's Facebook and trading SHSAT tutor stories. I remember the season they all got their periods and we all went through menopause. Remember when they could tell an opponent was too old by her eye makeup. When did they all start using black eyeliner? I will miss their coach, with the patience of a saint, trying to get them to stop texting each other long enough to explain how to stop a ball with their chest. That was never going to happen. We didn't mind the losing seasons as long as they checked to see if the injured opponent was okay while the other team scored. They never understood that you couldn't argue with the ref. The righteous indignation of a teenage girl could talk the yellow right off the card.

I will never forget the twilight. They didn't grow up on a suburban deadend street where it is safe to stay out until you heard your mom yell. Standing in the dark listening to my girls play long after they could see the ball. They laughed and ran in the dark. Rubber pellets in the car.

Envelope Day

2008-03-25T16:31:00.006-04:00

The hideous tradition of Envelope Day is here. You can almost hear 85,000 8th grade parents grinding their teeth. The lucky few who got their High School placements last month can breath easy. This process is the price we pay for choice. The question is whether it is worth it or not. I'm sure it is not worth it for the kids at the gifted middle schools who don't get offered the Specialized High School seats that seemed to be their right or the siblings that didn't get into the schools that their family members attended, the hard working achievers that chose the overly popular schools and come out of the process with nothing, or the students for whatever reason had too many absences in 7th grade. I can't comprehend the pain of a student who is baffled by the process, or the hopelessness of a hard worker whose grades or test scores don't qualify. For the children who have invested a lot in the process, who feel that their 14 year old self esteem or dignity may be dictated by that letter sent out by computer. Right now I feel sorry for the kids I know that quietly wait for the elation or despair. New York is not easy. I just hope that they don't feel that the envelope is infallible. It doesn't say who they are or what they can be. I hope they aren't sorry and they have good friends and find a teacher that will change their lives and make them love learning for it's own sake. I hope that they will know their own worth no matter what the envelope says.
In Great Britain aren't there exams that you take in middle school that determine what kind of training you will have? How do children there handle the "this test will affect the rest of my life" pressure? It seems like we are getting closer and closer to that.

Sing is sung

2008-03-25T13:03:00.005-04:00

We experienced the last "Sing" performance a couple of weeks ago and now that the all of the hubbub has died down, I can jot some musings. This is NOT a review for any "sophfrosh"s out there surfing the web.

"Sing" is an institution in many NYC High Schools. The grades (separately or as teams) write and perform an original musical sung to popular tunes and compete for artistic supremacy. It would not be an understatement to say that these events are loaded with the requisite angst of any lumbering musical comedy and the added pressure of beating the pants off of the seniors.

I had the pleasure of comparing the experience at two of the city's premiere "Sing" competitions. Murrow, Brooklyn's own little "broadWAY" and Stuyvesant, where I am told that in Tim Robbin's senior year they wrote their own music.

Both student bodies were bold and fearless, which as a Broadway professional myself, I found both horrifying and sweet. The sets were beautiful and free in a way that shocked me out of my smug professionalism. I wouldn't have attempted the giant paper mache' man-eating volcano. Really, really, I didn't think teenagers could paint like that. I am not being patronizing when I say that it had the gorgeous freedom of the best children's artwork; unself-conscious with explosive color. The really cool thing was how different the production styles of each school were. The kids at Murrow are Broadway kids. They know their power ballad and the importance of having the chorus "sing out Louise" They used their huge chorus of hundreds to fill the stage with elaborate dance numbers that were as aerobic as they were audible. Stuy on the other hand resembled the Sugar Plum Fairy's, dance of many nations from the "Nutcracker". They assembled clever stories that were a framework for the many, many multicultural vignettes. They say it isn't a Stuy "Sing" until you've seen the "Ballywood" number.

All of the productions had their good points, but I have to give special mention to the Stuy Seniors who did a classic production of a "Head vs. Heart" love story, literally... it takes place in a body... there was a guy playing the role of the Bladder. I knew that we were in for a treat during the first double helix, DNA dance number, soon to be followed by the four Hormones, in their leather jackets and da's singing doo op. My favorite character, after the aerobic pink Pair of Lungs and the Drunken Liver Ladies, was the Appendix wearing a giant "?" on his sweater. He took one for the team during the climactic Virus vs. White Blood Cell dance number. The attention to detail was impressive as my nerdy family observed, because during the dance whenever a virus attacked a cell, the cell would throw off this shirt representing the exploding of the cell wall. I didn't even know that happens, but they assured me that the biology was accurate.

Kudos to all involved. Go FRESH!