Interesting Article on Taking AP Courses

washington post

Mark Your Calendars for January!

A few important parent events will be going on in January, so please save the dates!

On January 28, time TBD, the school building project will again have to go before the West Haven Planning and Zoning Board.  Apparently last year's affirmative decision is void because it had the wrong address.  While this should be just a technicality for the Board, there have been elections and new members in the past year, so approval is not guaranteed.   The school would like about 80 supporters to attend.  West Haven residents are strongly encouraged to participate.

On January 22, two events will be held.

From 6-8, our annual Nonviolent Communication Workshop will be held.  You might be thinking, "I don't hit people when I talk; I don't need to learn nonviolent communication."  But, there is a lot more to effective, empathic communication than that.  You can learn more here.  (This interesting and useful workshop will not involve hand puppets, I promise.)

At 6:30 will be our January Town Hall meeting, at which New Haven's new Superintendent, Garth Harries, will answer your tough questions about ESUMS and the New Haven Public School System.  If you have a concern -- transportation, budget, academics, equity, policies -- this is your chance to get it heard and discussed.  We will also strategize for the West Haven meeting, so don't miss it!

Montreal Trip

The French department is planning a 4-day field trip to Montreal this spring.  Please visit their fundraising site, ESUMS Montreal GoFundMe, and consider making a contribution.

Another Blue News!

Dec. 13 Blue News

High School Dance -- Save the Date!

February 28 is the tentative date for the high school's semi-formal "Winter Wonderland" dance.  PTO parents will be asked to provide food.

Spirit Week

Next week will be a Spirit Week with a number of themed dress-down days.

Coffee And . . .

There will be a Coffee And meeting on Friday morning, Dec. 13, from 8-9 a.m.  Plans for the new ESUMS school building in West Haven will be discussed.  See you there!

Cold Turkeys

NHPS Policy: School Closings, Delays, Transportation

School Closing + Delay Policies

INTERDISTRICT SCHOOL CLOSING / DELAY 

Come Slam Some Poetry!

Tonight, Dec. 10, 6:30 pm, weather permitting, there will be a Poetry Slam at The Space in Hamden featuring the poetry of the ESUMS poetry club and artwork by ESUMS art classes.

84 Hour Film Challenge

Several teams of ESUMS high school students spent the entire weekend at school working on the CT Film Festival's 84-hour challenge.  You can watch a few of the final films at (click on Recent Posts by Others).

Take a Look at ESUMS's New Website

http://www.esumsnewhaven.com/index.html

A few things are not quite working yet, but it is a good start!

New Haven Video

This video lists New Haven's strength's as Yale sees them.  A challenge: our digital media classes ("ESUMS <> Productions") can take this theme and make some very different films!  

STEM Saturday Open House

Another STEM Saturday Open House for prospective students will be held at the school this Saturday, Dec. 7, 9-12.  It's not too late to RSVP to Ms. Jenkins.

A Few Local Programs of Interest

Nhv.org is a new "social media" site with some great photos and information on the Elm City, similar to ILoveNewHaven.org, but with a slightly different focus.

healthyclimatechallenge.org is a local effort to address climate change issues.

www.newhavenleon.org is the website of New Haven/Leon Sister City Project.  They are now selling carbon offsets that benefit the people of Leon, Nicaragua.

CPLT Summary 12/6/13

The Citywide Parent Leadership Team met tonight and sends the following information back to our PTO.

(1)  Free coats will be available for any student who needs one at the Hillhouse Field House, Saturday, Dec. 7, at 2 pm.
(2)  The parent advocacy group Teach Our Children will hold a Listening and Learning Tour session on Saturday, Dec. 7, 12:30-2:30, at 370 James Street.  Teach Our Children has a very active parent transportation committee, and ESUMS parents with transportation issues are strongly encouraged to become involved.

9th Grade Engineering Class on TV

 Mr. Pilliner is Teacher of the Year.

Board of Aldermen Finally Approve New ESUMS Building

Secant! Tangent! Cosine! Sine!

Three-point-one-four-one-five-nine!

Hooray for ESUMS!

Title One Parent Involvement Meeting

December 12th, 9:30 a.m. at Career High School, brunch will be served.  It would be good if ESUMS could send one or two parent volunteers to this meeting.

“PARTNERING TO MAKE PARENT INVOLVEMENT A SUCCESS IN EVERY SCHOOL”

TITLE I--IMPROVING THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF THE DISADVANTAGED
SEC. 1001. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.
The purpose of this title is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.  

New PISA Results: US Students are Mediocre in Math & Science

compared to the rest of the world. 

Another Blue News!

Blue News Dec. 2, 2013

Dec.3 -- that is Tuesday!

December is sneaking up on us!

On Tuesday, the 3rd, there will be several evening events at the school.  Our monthly PTO meeting will be at 5, followed by a holiday concert, followed by a meeting for 8th grade parents.  

On Thursday, the 5th, there will be a CPLT meeting at Wilbur Cross High School at 5pm.  The Citywide Parent Leadership Team is a town-wide PTO and a place to work to influence things like transportation or testing, where city policies and practices influence our students directly.  ESUMS should be sending more parents to this group, so please consider attending.  They always serve a nice dinner, and it is good to be informed about the issues being discussed.  You don't really need to RSVP, but if you'd like to be on the mailing list, please contact Danny Diaz.

Kids & Computers: Using vs. Programming

"Specifically, he was very comfortable with using something, but alienated from the idea of building something . . .  The overwhelming quantity and user-friendliness of today’s apps and web-based services isn’t stretching users. It’s not confronting people with the need to understand computing, or to be creative in building solutions."

http://www.forbes.com/sites/netapp/2013/11/14/kids-cant-compute-problem/

(PS -- this is why students should join Coding Club, Mondays after school in Ms. Warner's room!)

Yale Tech Internship

http://its.yale.edu/news/its-welcomes-new-haven-student-interns

Yale's IT department has a new program that takes summer interns.  No application material for 2014 is yet posted, but it might be worth your student's attention.

West Haven Approves 50% Reduction in Building Fees

Thanks to the West Haven City Council for approving a 50% reduction in the fees due to the Building Department.  And many thanks to UNH for picking up the other 50%.

Nothing should now stand in the way of the New Haven Board of Alders' approval of the project . . . .

Alert! West Haven Parents!

Time to contact your local representatives!  The New Haven Board of Aldermen has decided to wait to vote on approving the school building until they find out whether West Haven will waive the permit fee!  You can call or write more than one council member and urge that they vote to waive the fee.

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/esums_vote_delayed/

Here are their names and numbers:

Special PTO Coffee And . . . Monday, Nov. 25

Rocket Launch Tuesday 7:30 pm

Should be visible from Connecticut:

http://www.space.com/23627-rocket-launch-visible-east-coast-tuesday.html

Superintendent Inaugural Reception Thursday

Dear Parent Leaders,

Thank you for the work you do every day helping to make New Haven Public Schools places where all kids can rise! Parents are so important to New Haven Public Schools and our mission of helping all kids achieve success in college, career and life.  As we embark on a new journey as a city and school district, we invite you to join us for an Inaugural Reception for Superintendent Garth Harries.

Please join us for this community reception to celebrate New Haven Public Schools and Superintendent Harries! Below are the details:

Open House for Volunteers at Beardsley Zoo

"Are you between the ages of 14 and 18, love animals & wonder about animal related careers? Or love animals & conservation & want to help spread the word to our visitors? Come to our teen volunteer open house on Tuesday from 6:30-8pm & learn about the Zoo's Explorer Post & Conservation Discovery Corp programs."

New Book by ESUMS Freshman

9th grader Daniel Molster has written an engineering book: Introduction to Lines and Sketching.  You can order it from the school for $3.50.  The school will get part of the proceeds from the sale.

Coffee And . . . Dress-Down Fundraiser

There will be a Coffee And meeting for parents on Monday, November 25.  If enough PTO members (10) can make it, we will hold some votes.

To support an 11th grade student who has just lost a parent, the Junior Class will hold a $1 dress-down fundraiser.  11th graders may dress down all week; lower grades only on Friday the 22nd.  Of course, students may contribute more than $1 if they wish.

Bullying Workshop Volunteers

Thank you to the parents who signed up to chaperone this week's bullying workshops.  The school decided to stagger the scheduling, so chaperones were not needed, but thank you so much for your willingness to help out!

3 Cheers for Mr. Pilliner, New Haven Teacher of the Year!

http://www.nhregister.com/general-news/20131114/new-haven-teacher-of-year-humbled-by-honor

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/teacher_of_the_year/

(Great student photos in the NHI article!)

Middle School Dance Photos

Click on this Link to Photos.

Report Cards Tonight

Don't forget you must pick up your child's report card in person at the school between 4:30 and 6:30.  While you are there, stay and meet a few of the teachers.  The student council will be selling pizza slices, so you will not even miss dinner!

College Fair in NYC Nov. 16

Saturday, November 16, 2013, 11:00 am - 3:30 pm, Riverbank State Park

679 Riverside Drive at 145th Street New York, NY 10031

Speak to over 50 Historically Black Colleges and Universities campus representatives with The Malcolm Bernard HBCU College Fair providing: application fee waivers, scholarship awards, and on-site admissions. The Fair will also host college prep and financial aid workshops for students, parents, teachers, counselors and anyone interested in higher education. This is a great opportunity. Space is limited! Pre-Register today! 

Also, there are still a few opportunities in November to attend the Financial Aid Workshops: 

ESUMS Computer Coding Club

Application Form

First meeting: Monday, Nov. 25

CPLT Meeting Summary

Thursday's CPLT meeting was rather uneventful.  Sue Weisselberg debriefed us on Parent University and took feedback from participants.  She also reminded parents that the Wellness Manual has now been published and can be viewed here http://www.nhps.net/node/3179.

A representative from New Haven Parks&Rec summarized some of the free winter activities they provide.  Those are listed at http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/parks/.

I brought up the transportation issues raised by a group of our PTO parents.  A parent from Daniels School concurred.  Together, we wrote up a list of complaints, which Sue Weisselberg will look into.  If issues persist, CPLT may form a transportation committee, if anyone from ESUMS wishes to join it.

Superintendent Harries said his Meet-the-Superintendent nights have been going well.  He also gave a cursory summary of how he believes the BOE can cut $9 million from the budget without seriously affecting student education.

Members of the CPLT steering committee ran through the list of taskforces and committees for the benefit of new members.  They also explained how one joins the steering committee.

Picture Day

Thursday the 7th for the Middle School; Friday the 8th for the High School.  Students may dress up (not down) or wear uniforms.

Nov. 4 Blue News

link to Blue News

Short Notice: Program this Afternoon

SORRY ABOUT THE LATE NOTICE!!!!!!

Yale is offering a nationwide High School enrichment program aimed at recruiting mi ority students into careers in the fields of Health and Science.  Please visit http://onhsa.yale.edu/health-professionals-recruitment-and-exposure-program-hprep for more information. An open house will be held today from 4:30 to 6:30 PM at Yale School of Medicine, Hope BLDG, Room 216, 315 Cedar Street. 

You must RSVP through the website.

Important: Report Card Conferences

A Message from the School:

"Good afternoon.  Marking Period 1 Report Card Conference is Wednesday, November 13th from 4:30-6:30 pm.  In order to address individual needs in an orderly fashion, we will be scheduling 5 minute parent/teacher conferences.  Please contact Teresa Flowers 203-946-5882 to schedule an appointment with an individual teacher.  We appreciate you cooperating in advance with this system to ensure that all are provided the same time.  Thank you."

How will you know which teachers you need to speak with?  Check your student's grades on powerschool.    

Get those kids coding!

New Haven Needs Programmers

Register for Nov. 9 Yale Splash

https://yale.learningu.org/learn/splash.html

(bonus: Splash's web page has a rather stretched-out photo of student council president Lauren Low.)

A Spooky & Scientific Way to Spend Halloween

http://news.yale.edu/2013/10/28/bones-uprooted-last-halloween-eve-give-flesh-bygone-era-new-haven

Remember when the winds from Hurricane Sandy revealed bones under a tree on the New Haven Green last year?  The anthropologists studying the bones will present their findings to the public at the New Haven Museum, 114 Whitney Ave., at 5:30 pm on Halloween.


image: http://www.persblog.be/?page_id=18106

Getting Ideas: West Haven AP Bio Students Do Environmental Study

http://www.nhregister.com/science/20131025/west-haven-high-ap-biology-students-assist-city-in-environmental-study

Great (free!) Science & Engineering Event in Washington DC April 2014

http://www.usasciencefestival.org/

(thanks to Maureen Lucas for the tip)

Marking Period Closes Friday Nov. 1

Remember to check powerschool to make sure your child is not missing any work from the first term.

Parent University is Saturday, Nov. 2

http://punh.org/

Parent University includes workshops on choosing a college, paying for college, Common Core, and other teen/pre-teen issues.  Free workshops, meals, transportation, parking, child care, but you must register now.

ESUMS Teacher Contact Info (up-to-date)

Faculty Email Addresses 2013-14

Editorial by Mayor DeStefano on School Construction Costs & Benefits

New Haven Register

Some Blog Housekeeping and Gentle Nags

If you are enjoying the posts at ESUMS PTO Announcements, consider subscribing to receive them in your email.  Scroll all . . . the . . . way . . .  down to the bottom of this page and click on Subscribe to: Posts (Atom).  

If you'd like to support the school without it costing you anything but a few clicks:

(1)  Do all of your Amazon shopping by clicking through the link (search box) in the right-hand margin.  ----look ------- over there --------somewhere --------------->

(2) During October, if you decide to sign up for this free 30-day Amazon Prime trial thing, do so by clicking this link.  Amazon will donate $6 per sign-up to the school.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/prime/signup/videos?tag=esptan-20

(3)  Keep sending in your boxtops to the school office.  

(4)  Use the link www.btfe.com.  It will connect you to stores like Macy's, Walmart, Walgreen's, Apple, Oriental Trading, and many others.  The school will get boxtop money just because you clicked through that site.    

Blue News Oct. 25

The Blue News

Mr. Pinsker doesn't have his own song . . .

Maybe we can get this song played at the Middle School Dance?

"Mr. Lee" by the Bobbettes

Middle School Dance

The Middle School Dance will be held next Friday, Nov. 1 from 6:30-8:30 in the school cafeteria.  Tickets are $5 and can be purchased from Mrs. Napoletano before school all next week.  Wearing a costume is optional.

This is the time for volunteers to sign up to bring food or supplies, and to make plans to set up, chaperone, and/or clean up.  We hope parents can lend some fall decorations for the evening.

A sign-up sheet is posted here:  dance sign up sheet.  If you don't see your email, just add it at the bottom.



image: http://www.fanpop.com/clubs/calvin-and-hobbes/images/318448/title/dancing-photo

Change of PTO Officers

We are sorry to report that our PTO president, Sandra McNair-Boyd has had to resign for personal reasons.  We sincerely thank Sandra for her efforts so far this year, and we hope she can stay involved in PTO activities.  Vice-president Cathy Berni will become president.  Anyone who would like to step in as vice-president would be most welcome!

Hooray!

Unanimous YES from the Board of Aldermen!

new haven independent

Oh rats.  That was only the Finance & Education Committees.  The entire board votes November 18.

new haven register

Day of the Dead Parade & Drop-in Art Workshops

Are you ready for the third annual Day of the Dead Parade?? Join Unidad Latina en Accion to make giant puppets & art.

Puppet & Art Workshops at Bregamos Theater, 491 Blatchley Ave.

Come make giant paper mache puppets and more for the Day of the Dead Parade. On Sundays, all ages are welcome, but those under 18 should be accompanied by a parent. Wednesdays & Thursdays older kids only.

Make Haven, the Maker Movement in New Haven

http://www.makehaven.org/

They have open houses on Tuesdays; this evening (10/21 at 6:30) is "Microprocessor Monday."

18 & under needs parent or guardian present.

No STEM Saturday Tomorrow

The STEM Saturday that had been planned for tomorrow has been canceled.  The next one is Nov. 16.

This is an event for students interested in coming to ESUMS next year.  Please RSVP to the school office, so they can plan for the right number of students.

STEM/STEAM Saturday Flyer

It's Time for Parent University: November 2

All New Haven Public School parents are invited to participate in this year’s Parent University New Haven.  You can go to www.punh.org to register or call 203.497.7051.

This year they will be offering over 25 workshops in the areas of Early Childhood, Grades K-12, College Prep and Family & Community.  The event will be held at Gateway Community College in downtown New Haven.  

Wow! Data Haven!

Data Haven is a great resource for all kinds of data about New Haven.  Students can find data for science projects, and parents and teachers can get real data to support "local reporting, grant writing, evaluation and grassroots action."

Here is the link to all of the education data.

Public Meeting of the Board of Aldermen Tuesday

"The Joint Education-Finance Committee will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, October 22, 2013, at 6:00 P.M, in the Aldermanic Chambers, 165 Church St., New Haven, to act upon the following item;
ORDER OF THE NEW HAVEN BOARD OF ALDERMEN AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE OF PROPERTIES FOR THE ENGINEERING AND SCIENCE UNIVERSITY MAGNET SCHOOL (ESUMS) CONSTRUCTION PROJECT"

The PTO has not yet organized any formal presence at this meeting, but it is open to the public, if you want to attend to see how it goes.     

Oh, Those Early Mornings! (Get to Bed Early)

"Yale sleep expert Meir Kryger, MD, talks about school start times, and the impact of sleep or lack of sleep on the academic performance of children and teenagers."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aje7Q2_Pr-k

Two NHPS Events

Two important parent engagement events are coming up. First up this Thursday, Oct. 17, from 5-7 p.m. at Wilbur Cross High School is the Resource Fair for parents and teachers of children with disabilities. The fair is put on by the NHPS Student Services Department and Parent Partnership Council. The following links will provide you with a PDF flyer for the Resource Fair in English and Spanish. 

Bad News for the 9th Grade

Friday's field trip to the National Oceanic & Atmospheric lab in Milford has been canceled because of the Government Shutdown.

Book Fair

Don't forget the Scholastic Book Fair at the school this week!

Yale Robotics Lab Taking High School Interns

The Yale Social Robotics Lab is taking applications from high school students interested in becoming interns.  Social Robotics explores the applications of robotics in more human areas: psychology, sociology, anthropology and neuroscience, along with all the computation and engineering found in other robotics labs.

Application forms can be found here: scazlab

News: Toni Harp in Favor of Funding ESUMS Building

State Senator Toni Harp, who is running for Mayor, said today that she is unambiguously in favor of funding the planned ESUMS building.  She has arranged for the state to cover the cost of some related improvements (such as the roads) in addition to the 95% the state has already promised to pay.  

Parent Activism

School Bus Issues:

There will be a conference call on sunday oct 13 at 6 pm.  If you are interested, please call in
dial: 2134930700
access code: 838775#

School Nurse Issues:

There will be a public forum held by the CT Dept. of Public Health this evening, 10/10, 6-7 at Career High School.  

Student Activity Announcements

Student Council Elections will be held tomorrow.  The first Student Council meeting will be Thursday, Oct. 17, 2:15-3:15, location TBD.

Science Club meets Tuesdays, 2:15-3:15, in Ms. Toothaker's room.

Spoken Word Poetry Club meets Thursdays, 2:15-3:15, in Ms. Robinson's room.

Engineering Tutoring is Tuesdays, 2:15-3:15, in Mr. Lee's room.  Students can come to receive or offer tutoring in engineering and math.  Contact Ms. Jenkins for more information.

The ESUMS Robotics Team is selling snacks at the end of the school day as a fundraiser for their activities.

ESUMS CMT/CAPT Report

[link to Slides for CMT/CAPT Presentation]

October 9 Blue News

[link to October 9 Blue News]

Note: Coffee And . . . will be Friday morning 8-9 a.m.  Please RSVP to the school office if you can attend.

School Bus Issues

A PTO parent has suggested that a letter-writing campaign about the bus problems -- especially the infamous Bus K route -- might be an effective strategy for change.

Letters can be directed to the Coordinator of Transportation, teddi.barra@new-haven.k12.ct.us, with a CC to the Superintendent's Office, care of Parent Advocate Daniel Diaz, daniel.diaz@new-haven.k12.ct.us.

Volunteers for Upcoming Events

If you have not already signed up to volunteer for the Book Fair (10/11-10/19) or the Middle School Dance (11/1), please contact:

Bookfair: Darlene Pacelli or Damiana Runbox

Dance:  Darcy Cobbs-Lomax

Boxtops and Amazon Online Fundraisers

ESUMS is participating in the online version of Boxtops for Education.  Of course, you can still send in your usual paper boxtops, but you can also use any of the businesses listed here (stores) by clicking through boxtops4education.com, and the school will receive a contribution.

Or, you can shop on Amazon by clicking through the box in the right margin of this page, and the school will receive a percentage of your purchase price.

October Town Hall Agenda

[link to Town Hall Agenda]

Please note: There was some discussion at the Town Hall of reaching out to the Board of Aldermen about the budget for the ESUMS building.  The PTO will organize this activism soon; please wait for more information, so that we can present coherent arguments informed by up-to-date facts.  Send feedback, questions, discussion, and suggestions to pto.blog.esums@gmail.com.

Department of Public Health To Hold Community Health Forums

[[note: This would be an opportunity to raise the issue of the school nursing shortage.]]

(from the Hartford Courant)

September 09, 2013 -- William Gerrish, Connecticut Department of Public Health, Statewide

NEW HAVEN COUNTY: Oct. 10, 5:30 pm
Hill Regional Career High School, Auditorium, 140 Legion Ave., New Haven 

Rate Our School

If three parents post reviews this month, ESUMS will be entered in a drawing to win $5000.  Good reviews will also confirm the school's excellent reputation and attract more students into the lottery.

http://www.greatschools.org/connecticut/new-haven/3154-Engineering---Science-University-Magnet-School/?tab=reviews

Link to Oct.2 Blue News

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B-Ql-zpEgmcZeVE0dWVfWDNuN0k/edit?usp=sharing

Half-day on Monday, Town Hall / PTO on Tuesday

School will be dismissed Monday at 11:30 a.m. [edit: error corrected]

Tuesday evening will be a Town Hall and PTO meeting.  Representatives from the Board of Ed will answer questions about the building plans and the curriculum.  A more complete agenda is in this week's  Blue News.  The meeting will begin at 5 pm.

CPLT Meeting Summary

Here is a summary of tonight's Citywide Parent Leadership Team meeting.

The evening began with an appearance by the two candidates for Mayor of New Haven: Toni Harp and Justin Elicker.  Garth Harries introduced them, and announced that four new magnet elementary schools have been approved.  He also announced the completion of a new "School Wellness Manual."

Elicker spoke first.  He praised many of the district's existing plans and policies for school reform.  He endorsed evidence-based policy, early childhood education, and character education, such as conflict management.  He acknowledged the financial straits of the district and implied that teamwork, such as parent-teacher teamwork, could make up for some funding deficits.  He spoke of the need to balance stability and change: he approves of the turn-around school model, and as Mayor, he would vote on the School Board to re-appoint Harries as permanent, long-term superintendent.  When asked how he would address the $3 million deficit in the education budget without cutting educational quality, he replied that we could cut down on the use of outside contractors, dismiss ineffective administrators, and make "tough choices."

Harp spoke next.  She also praised early childhood education and parent involvement.  She said that the purpose of education is to allow people to succeed in the economy.  She said we must stop making excuses for urban education.  She would extend early childhood education to even younger children and offer universal pre-K.  She said that students who fail to get certain enrichment before age 5 almost never catch up.  Harp said students must be able to read by third grade.  She then skipped to adult education, and spoke of the low reading level of many adult students who, in her words, "are never going to be able to compete."  She then addressed the need to reform high school education.  She believes that high schools should offer certificate programs (nurse's aide, e.g.) to students who are not college-bound, while other students should be taking college courses in high school.  She is not sure whether she would vote to allow Garth Harries to continue on as superintendent.  Harp stated that an important part of her education plan is budget transparency in individual schools.  She believes access to the school's budget details would allow parents to better understand the quality of their child's education.  When asked for clarification, she said that she would never trust a principal who couldn't manage a budget, but she didn't really explain how those budget numbers would reveal academic quality.  

The candidates' speeches were followed by a review of the CPLT taskforces and committees formed last month, and a call for volunteers.

Susan Weisselberg gave updates on ongoing topics: implementation of the Recess Policy, Parent University (Nov. 2), and the City Guidance Department's College Prep workshops (mostly on financial aid -- schedule is on this blog; just scroll down).  A workshop on the Title One program (which serves low-income families) will be held Oct. 16 at 6 pm in the East Rock School cafeteria.  A dedication ceremony for the new East Rock school will be held Sunday, Oct. 6 at 2 pm.  Columbus Academy will be holding an all-day event on Saturday for parents and children.  

A presentation on the Common Core Standards followed.  Anyone who is interested in the details should attend the workshop at Parent University.  Specific standards can be viewed at http://www.corestandards.org/Math.  The presentation at CPLT was oriented toward parents of elementary school students, though the representatives offered to return to future meetings to answer more specific questions.

The Walkathon is Tomorrow

Parent volunteers are still needed, welcome, and encouraged to attend.  Students should turn in their envelopes tomorrow, and they are allowed to dress down for the day.

The weather is supposed to be good.  See you there!  
image: http://blog.fidmdigitalarts.com/daily-inspiration-new-orleans-arist-creates-mosaics-using-recycled-mardi-gras-beads

Citywide Parent Leadership Team Meeting

-  Reminder -

The next Citywide Parent Leadership Team (CLPT) Meeting

will be held on:

Thursday, October 3rd, 2013

5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Wilbur Cross High School

(meeting held in the school foyer)

Dinner & childcare provided.

Free College Application Workshops for Juniors

New Haven Public School's Department of Guidance
in partnership with Parent University Present
College Prep Workshops!

Families and Parents Join us for these FREE workshops for 11th and 12th grade families!

Workshop 1 - Understanding the College Application Process from Beginning to End
In this 90 minute workshop, parents of juniors and seniors in high school will develop a deeper understanding of the college application process from start to finish. We will cover:
(1) how students can create a list of "best fit" colleges,
(2) what admissions officials look for in an applicant, and
(3) what the actual college application looks like and the information it requires.
An admissions official will be present to share their thoughts and "words of wisdom" about the application process. Parents will receive a list of critical dates in the college application and financial aid process, including information on our follow-up workshop entitled "Understanding the Financial Aid Process from Beginning to End."

Wed, Oct 2 (6pm)
Kanicka Ingram, Quinnipiac
Ross-Woodward School, Cafeteria (185 Barnes Ave.)

Tues, Oct 8 (8am)
Liz Vega, Gateway
John Martinez Magnet School, Library (100 James St.)

Thurs, Oct 10 (4pm)
Tony Carberry, CCSU
Wexler Grant School, Art Room/Rotunda (55 Foote St.)


Workshop 2 - Understanding the Financial Aid Process from Beginning to End
This 90 minute session is a follow up to "Understanding the College Application Process,"
with a focus on providing parents with critical information regarding the financial aid process from start to finish. We will cover:
(1) how families can create a college financial plan,
(2) what information is required for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and CSS Profile, and
(3) where to look for scholarships and other resources to pay for college.
A financial aid counselor will be present to offer their expertise and answer questions. Parents will receive a list of important deadlines in the financial aid process, in addition to information on getting free help filling out the FAFSA at College Goal Sunday.

Sat, Nov 9 (11am)
Gloria Lee, SCSU
John Daniels Magnet School, (569 Congress Ave.)

Wed, Nov 13 (6pm)
Michelle Cochran, Albertus
Wexler Grant School, Art Room/Rotunda (55 Foote St.)

Tues, Nov 19 (8am)
TBD
Barnard Magnet School, Cafeteria (170 Derby Ave.)

Thurs, Nov 21 (4pm)
Ciara Negron, Albertus
John Martinez Magnet School, LIbrary (100 James St.)

Questions: Contact us at (203) 497-7055 or www.punh.org

Freshman Dana Joseph in the News

http://www.newhavenindependent.org/index.php/archives/entry/yale_welcomes_future_scientists/

Photo and quotes from Yale Pathways program.

Science Saturday Tomorrow

Learn about Nanotechnology at 10 in Davies Auditorium.  Details: http://onhsa.yale.edu/crisp-nanotechnology-energy-applications.

Sunday is a Math Morning about higher dimensional space: http://onhsa.yale.edu/math-mornings-sunday-higher-dimensional-space-and-things-it

We Walk in a Week!

One week 'til the Walkathon -- this is the biggest fundraiser of the year, and all of our other activities depend on it.   Get those envelopes filled!


image: http://dailynewsdig.com/star-wars-imperial-walkers-were-inspired-by-the-largest-land-mammal/

Science Olympiad & Chess Club

ESUMS is forming a Science Olympiad team, meetings Thursdays after school.  The Chess Club will also start next week.  More details to follow.

Coffee And . . .

Don't forget Coffee And . . .  tomorrow morning from 8:30-9:30 in the school's computer lab.

High School Students: Free Language Classes at Yale

http://www.nhregister.com/social-affairs/20130924/new-haven-students-offered-free-language-program-at-yale

"Students can choose from Arabic, Chinese, German, Italian, Japanese, Kiswahili, Polish, Portuguese, Russian and Turkish."

90 minutes a week, begins Oct. 15

Schedule and more details here: http://www.yale.edu/macmillan/pier/hsclp.htm

Upcoming Events

Wednesday evening (Sept. 25, 5:30 pm) will be the Open House/Meet the Teachers night at the school.  It will be followed by a hands-on Powerschool workshop for parents who want assistance using the new online grading program (7 pm).  High school parents should bring their student's schedule to visit teachers in scheduled order.

There will be a "Coffee And" meeting for parents on Friday, Sept. 27 from 8-9 am.  This is a great way for parents to speak directly with the faculty, staff and administration.

The Walkathon is Friday, October 4.  Forms for collecting donations have been handed out, and more copies will be available at the Open House.

The first PTO and Town Hall meeting of the year will be held on October 8 at 5:30 pm.

Student Activities September 24

Consider planning for your student to stay after school tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Science Club will be meeting after school in Mrs. Toothaker's room.

Engineering Tutoring will be meeting after school in Mr. Lee's room.

Tuesday is also the due date for students who would like try for Student Council to submit their forms.

Monday's Board of Ed Meeting Has Been Postponed

Sorry for the late notice.  It will be held Sept. 30 instead.

Some Great 1-Hour Classes for Teens

https://yale.learningu.org/learn/Sprout/2013_Fall/catalog

Yale Sprout is a great way for teens to get exposure to a variety of interesting topics:

Black Holes
Juggling
Nuclear Power
Neuroscience
Nanotechnology
Spoken Japanese

Alchemy

Beekeeping

African-American Literature

Computer Architecture

International Relations

Poetry

and many many more . . . 

7th - 12th grade, $30 total for 3 Saturdays in October: 5th, 12th and 19th

(financial aid available, optional lunch for sale)

Do Not Come To School Tonight!

At the Orientation, some handouts mistakenly announced the Open House/Meet-the-Teachers Night as tonight, the 18th.  That is wrong! Please come next Wednesday, the 25th at 5:30.

Superintendent Event Today

Meet Superintendent Garth Harries at Lincoln-Bassett School at 5:15 pm.  It's part of his "listening tour."  If you miss it, there will be others, including a Board of Ed meeting this Saturday (the 21st) at East Rock School 9am - 12.

Engineering Joke

(image: Sanjay Kulkarni)

The Award-Winning ESUMS Debate Team

Please sponsor the ESUMS debate team.  Click to contribute and spread the word:

http://www.gofundme.com/ESUMSdebate2013-14

Yale Math Mornings Start Sunday 9/29

Learn about higher dimensional spaces on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 10:30 in Davies Auditorium.

Details: http://onhsa.yale.edu/math-mornings-sunday-richard-schwartz-brown-university

Report from the CPLT

Summary of yesterday's CPLT meeting:

(1) Superintendent Harries briefed us on the $3 million budget gap, the measures taken so far to fill it (cutting some middle school classes) and the expectation that more cuts will be needed.

(2)  He also introduced his "listening tour" and the schedule for that.  If you want to meet the superintendent and give him feedback and suggestions, he will be at Lincoln-Bassett school on Sept. 18 at 5:15, and then will visit a different school each Wednesday.  ESUMS isn't on the schedule yet.  There will also be an open-to-the-public board-of-ed meeting on Saturday, 9/21, from 9-1 at East Rock Magnet School.

(3)  He assured us that he is working actively on getting the new ESUMS building approved by the Board of Aldermen.  He said the Sept. 16 meeting would NOT be the meeting where the building and budget are discussed, but that they would address the issue before the state deadline passes.

(4)  The CPLT then broke into committees and taskforces to address: school nursing, college prep issues, after-school programs, school websites, calendar issues, enrollment issues, and TAG.

(5)  A speaker from New Haven Promise presented some graphs to show how the program is growing. Only 200 students actually qualified and received Promise money last year, but the program is still quite new.  Parents should carefully read the requirements posted at http://newhavenpromise.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/NHP_2012v2.pdf and then try to track down that elusive "Rule Book."

(6) Stephanie Kilburne spoke about Powerschool.  ** If you are having difficulty accessing your child's records, she advises the following: (1) On the login page, it is not enough to use the password that shows on your powerschool letter.  You actually must click on "Create Account," use that temporary password to help you create the account, but then you must set your own password.  (2)  In the screen where you list your children's names, make sure that you fill in YOUR id and passcodes from the letter, not theirs.  (3) We will try to have some one-on-one help available at the ESUMS Open House.

(7)  Several speakers then addressed the district-wide recess policy.  By October 1st, schools should have formed a parent-teacher-staff recess committee who will submit a recess plan by Nov. 1st.  All children K-6 will get recess starting in January.

(8)  A speaker from Hillhouse High School raised the issue of the new and terribly burdensome procedure the school district is enforcing on parent volunteers.  No parents are supposed to be in a school building without fingerprints, background checks, DCF checks, and various paperwork.  She argued, correctly, that this will kill off all parent involvement and needs to be changed urgently.

(9)  The parent pursuing a CPLT mayoral debate reported that one of the candidates is not interested.  He is still hoping to find the other candidate interested, which perhaps will encourage the uninterested party.

(10)  The following activities were announced:
Parent Resource Fair, Thursday 10/17
Parent University, Saturday 11/2
Family Portraits at East Rock Magnet School, 11/21 ($10 sitting fee, packages for sale)
Diaper Bank needs donations (diaperbanknetwork.org)

PhoneBloks = Lego-style Smart Phone

http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/phonebloks-video/

Yale Science Saturdays

CRISP Nanotechnology Lecture, Demos & Lab Tour:

Prof. Andre Taylor: Nanotechnology Energy Applications:

How Small things make a big difference in our world

Saturday, September 28, 2013

10:00am-12:00pm

Davies Auditorium, 10 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT

FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

For more information: www.crisp.yale.edu, www.yale.edu/scienceoutreach

Over the past few decades, scientists and engineers have been seeking to develop new and improved types of energy technologies that have the capability of improving life all over the world. In order to make the next leap forward from the current generation of technology, developing energy applications of nanotechnology are imperative. On September 28th, Yale Professor André Taylor, Director of the Transformative Materials and Devices Lab, will talk about how he uses nanotechnology to dope, arrange, & assemble carbon nanotubes into energy devices (electrocatalysts, batteries, & solar cells). He will also describe his work with bulk metallic glass alloys, an amorphous metal that can be molded like plastic into a micro fuel cell. Following the talk, you may explore hands-on science demonstrations and take a tour of Professor Taylor’s laboratory to see how these devices are created and why nanotechnology is so amazing. Refreshments will be served.

Science on Saturdays Lecture & Demonstrations Series:

Sept. 21, Dave Bercovici (Geology) The Science of Natural Disasters.

Oct. 12, Brian Scassellati (Comp Sci) Robots Helping Kids

Oct. 19, Karsten Heeger (Physics) Neutrinos: Ghost Particles in Our Universe

10:00am-12:00pm

Sterling Chemistry Lab, 225 Prospect St.

FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

For more information: www.yale.edu/scienceoutreach

Science Saturdays is a special lecture series designed for families that brings the excitement of research and the passion of scientists to school-age children.  Each event involves a lecture by a Yale professor and engaging science demonstrations run by Yale college students. The lectures occur 3 times per semester, are free and open to the public and the topics explored are for “kids” in 7th grade and above. 

Girls’ Science Investigations

Oct. 5, 2013: The Invisible World

Nov. 16, 2013: The Material World

9am-2pm

Sloan Physics Laboratory, 217 Prospect St.

FREE and OPEN TO ALL GIRLS IN THE 6^th – 8^th GRADE

For more information and to register: http://gsi.sites.yale.edu

Girls' Science Investigations is for girls in 6-8th grade who are interested in learning more about science. Each theme-based Saturday program has two morning sessions with a snack in between, followed by a pizza lunch and a short afternoon session. Students will have the opportunity to observe Yale faculty, run demonstrations, and participate in hands-on experiments. The mission of Girls' Science Investigations is to motivate, empower, and interest girls in developing the skills they need to pursue careers in science.