Tech Class is Raising Funds for a Camera

Hi Friends,

I want to make sure my students have the materials they need to succeed, so I created a request for my classroom at DonorsChoose.org:  Social Responsibility: Action Through Videography

My project is halfway to being completed and needs a little love. If you chip in to help my students, you'll get awesome photos and our heartfelt thanks.

Thanks so much,  Leon Tynes

P.S. If you know anyone who may want to help my classroom, please pass this along!

International Festival of Arts & Ideas Student Fellowships

The International Festival of Arts & Ideas is excited to be recruiting for our 2015 Fellowship Program. We are looking to choose 10 New Haven students to participate in a semester long after school seminar, one day a week, up until the Festival in June where they will be immersed in Festival events. Students will write about, discuss, and experience many different types of art. They also will learn about how non-profit organizations like the IFAI put together hundreds of performances in one town for a jam packed two week experience. Fellowship Students will be able to experience 30+ Festival events for FREE. At the end of the Fellowship Program students who have fulfilled their duties as a fellow will receive a $500 stipend and will have made countless connections with the Festival’s professional staff, Board of Directors, and the many artists who grace New Haven for two weeks every year!

Students must be in 10th or 11th grade and must be eligible for free or reduced lunch.

ESUMS Chosen for NAEP Testing

NAEP 2015 PARENT/GUARDIAN NOTIFICATION LETTER

Grades 4, 8, and 12: Mathematics, reading, and science assessments

Point-In-Time Count Volunteers Needed (Regional Alliance to Prevent & End Homelessness)

Greater New Haven Opening Doors Needs Your Help!

On Wednesday, January 28, 2015 (inclement weather date is Thurs, Jan. 29th) from 5:30 to 10:30 p.m., Greater New Haven Opening Doors will be leading community volunteers from across the region in The Annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Count of the region's homeless. This count is very important because it provides needed data for federal and state funding used to house and maintain stable housing for our region's homeless. Volunteers will be assigned to a 4 person team for a 3 hour shift (7:00-10:00 pm) to walk and/or drive around in designated New Haven neighborhoods administering the PIT “Street” Count survey to individuals and families experiencing homelessness. Each volunteer team will be led by a knowledgeable homelessness service provider. All volunteers must attend a 1 hour orientation (5:30-6:30 pm the night of the PIT Count) to learn about a volunteer’s basic duties, the point-in-time count method, how to approach an individual, and how to obtain necessary information for the count. The PIT Count volunteer orientation will be held at First Presbyterian Church in New Haven in the Owens Community Building., 704 Whitney Avenue. To join us as a volunteer to administer the PIT Count survey on Wed. Jan. 28, 2015, from 5:30-10:30 pm sign-up below or contact Jan McCray at jmccray@uwgnh.org or (203) 691-4216 for more information.

CT Leadership Conference for Girls

COMING EVENTS:

Who: Sisters of Today and Tomorrow

What: Connecticut Leadership Conference for girls (inviting girls through-out the Tri-State area)

When: Tuesday, December 30, 2014, 9am-5pm.

Where: New Haven, Connecticut.

Cost: $50pp (includes: Workshop conference, workshop materials, SOT journal, lunch & snacks) .

Prior Meeting Minutes

Here are the approved minutes from the November PTO meeting.

Spring College Tour

The ESUMS High School Spring College Tour will be visiting colleges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island this year.  The trip will cost approx. $250-300, and it is scheduled for April 24.  More details will follow.

A Few More Dress-Down Days

Students who bring in a toy for the STEM Toy Drive on Friday may dress down.  Dec. 19-23 will also be $1 dress down days, with funds raised to support the esumsnh.net website.

Free Practice Testing (SAT)

C2 Education Westport will be hosting free testing events to celebrate the Holidays. Students will have the opportunity to take practice tests for the New SAT, current SAT, ACT, SSAT, ISEE, and Grade-level Test.

When: 12/1/14 - 12/24/14

 Where:  C2 Education Westport, 297 Post Road East, Westport, CT 06880

 Registration: Call (203) 226-2646 or westport@c2educate.com

 Things to bring:  Calculator and a no. 2 pencil and a snack

PTO Meeting Today!

Hope we get a good crowd!

"Coffee And" on Friday

ESUMS Holiday STEM Toy Drive

 Donate STEM Toys to The Quinnipiac Real World Math STEM School

Help Develop New Haven's "Transformation Plan"

Monday, Dec. 8, 4:30-6:30 p.m. at the City Hall of Records, 200 Orange St., lower level (Link)

NAACP Rally Sunday Dec. 7

Please join the NAACP, the Mayor, our Representatives and other community partners for the:

NAACP Rally for Peace

Journey for Justice

This Sunday, December 7^th, 3:00 pm

In Front of the New Haven City Hall

165 Church Street, New Haven, CT

MIT Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science Program

For juniors, both residential and online programs at MIT -- http://web.mit.edu/mites/About.html

PAL Basketball League

Computer Science Education Week Dec. 8

Interesting info on computer science education and employment in Connecticut: http://csedweek.org/promote/ct.

10th & 11th Grade Girls Who Code

The organization Girls Who Code runs a great free summer program in New York City. They will hold information sessions at the locations on this map (sign up through link corresponding to most convenient location). https://mapsengine.google.com/map/viewer?hl=en&authuser=0&mid=zCc87BRZDxIA.kpFvMZQjyz70

Reminder: Coffee And . . .

Tomorrow (Friday) morning, 8-9 a.m.

Wow! Junior Hana Bidon Wins Sikorsky Helicopter Design Competition

http://wtnh.com/2014/11/18/west-haven-teen-wins-sikorsky-innovator-award/

Yale Student Tutors Available!

www.yaleuic.org

A Slightly Different College Trip

For students grades 7 - 12, sponsored by Village Initiative Project.  The tour will visit colleges in the mid-Atlantic states.  Flyer.

Shark Shield Students in the News

Of course you are reading the news at esumsnh.net, but in case you missed it, here is a great article including a video of the ESUMS Shark Shield Expo Team interviewed on a new program.

Arduino Workshop in Meriden

Nesit is a hackerspace in Meriden.  They have a great list of events, including an upcoming Arduino workshop in December (for which you must pre-order the device -- it's $40).

HPREP Program (Health Professionals Recruitment and Exposure Program)

Hello 10th grade and 11th grade parents and students:

Below please find information regarding the HPREP program.

• Health Professionals Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP)

  HPREP is a nationwide high school science enrichment program aimed at recruiting African-American, Native American, and Latino high school students into careers in the sciences and health professions. Each year over 30 New Haven high school students attend eight Saturday sessions run by Yale University minority medical students. Students participate in small group discussions on various health topics within medicine and public health. A special emphasis is placed on health issues disproportionately affecting minority communities.
  Click to view full program information
• http://onhsa.yale.edu/science-programs-k-12-students
• Application deadline 11/24/14.  Student may need a letter of recommendation which they should ask for now. The more time they give their teachers, the better!
• Past parent reports that there were students who traveled from Greenwich, Easton, Danbury, Farmington etc. They had difficulties finding local kids to attend.

Don't Forget Today's PTO Meeting

at 4:30, right before Report Card Conferences -- see you there!

New Haven Public Schools Newsletter

A Message from Superintendent Garth Harries

Amazon Smile

The ESUMS PTO has now registered for Amazon Smile.  If you go to this link:

http://smile.amazon.com/ch/01-0932039

and sign up to support "esums pto" then Amazon will automatically donate 0.5% of all of your purchases to the PTO, whether you remember to use the link in the right-hand margin of this page or not.  (If you do use that link, we will receive 4-6%.)

Thanks and see you at the PTO meeting on Thursday!

Video about NASA Mathematician Katherine Johnson

http://www.makers.com/katherine-g-johnson

Teach Yourself to Code

List of online resources.

Great Science Writing on the History of Race and Medicine

This very long article on the surgeon Vivien Thomas is well worth the time it takes to read.

Did You Get Your Tickets for the Middle School Fall Dance??

Nov. 7 -- It's going to be a great time!!  Ask for tickets in the Main Office or from Mrs. Nap.

A Nice Explanation of the ESUMS--UNH Partnership

Please visit: http://www.newhaven.edu/engineering/ESUMS/

Middle School Vocabulary Practice Program

The middle school language arts classes are using Membean (membean.com), a nifty program to improve student vocabulary.  Take a look at the website, try it out, and encourage your student to use it.

Black Girls Code Website

Sorry to have missed these great NY events in October; watch this website for future programs.

Hip Hip Hooray! ESUMS Has the Best Community Ever!

The Walkathon has brought in $9,866.26 -- $133.13 short of our $10,000 goal!
Winners will be announced soon . . . .

image credit: Hyperbole and a Half   

ESUMS Students at the All American High School Film Festival in New York

Free Workshop On Stress in Children

"Coping with Childhood Stress and Anxiety"
Talk by Dr. Eli Lebowitz, Yale Child Study Center
This Sunday, Oct. 26, 10 am - 12:30 pm
JCC Community Room, 360 Amity Rd., Woodbridge

Talk, brunch, babysitting -- and it's FREE.
RSVP requested: wisemangerber@gmail.com

Eli Lebowitz is assistant professor at the Yale Child Study Center for Anxiety Disorders. He is author of the book "Treating Childhood and Adolescent Anxiety: A Guide for Caregivers" and has published numerous chapters and articles on anxiety and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Sponsored by Ezra Academy and Gan Hayeled.

Peabody Gardening Workshop

		Propagating Woody Plants for the Home Gardener Tuesday, November 4, 6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. At the Yale Peabody Museum Learn how to increase the biodiversity of your yard by propagating woody plants from both seed and cuttings, and bring back some gifts from the course! Instructor Adam Wheeler manages plant propagation and the development of new plants at Broken Arrow Nursery. Bring pruners.  Fee: $45 members; $55 non-members; materials fee is included  Pre-registration is necessary by emailing peabody.education@yale.edu

Yale Splash Nov. 8

All-day program for grades 7-12.   https://yale.learningu.org/learn/splash.html

New Haven Parent University Nov. 1

Click for list of workshops and registration information.

Free Movie on the History of the Universe

Journey of the Universe (free film) and potluck

Sponsored by: New Haven Friends Meeting (Quakers)
Admission: free
Quaker Meetinghouse, 225 East Grand Avenue, New Haven
This award-winning documentary is 60 minutes long and makes vivid the evolving story of the universe.  Challenges presented by climate change are noted.  There will be an optional discussion afterward.
Sat Oct 25, 2014 7:00pm

New Haven Lego Club -- Meeting Today

Lego Club  

Lego Club at Mitchell Library,
Meets Monthly! We’ve got the Legos, you bring the creativity! All ages welcome.
203-946-8117  Admission: Free  
Mitchell Library, 37 Harrison Street, New Haven
Wed Oct 22, 2014 5:00pm

A Couple of Recent Parent-Link Messages

In case you missed them --
Time to Use Technology, Water Issue at School Resolved, Resource Fair

Computational Linguistics Olympiad

"The North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad is a contest for high school and older middle school students involving linguistic puzzles.  Students will apply their skills in logical analysis, learn about the diversity and consistency of language, and have fun."

Open Round: January 29, 2015
Training Sessions: Nov. 16, Dec. 7 and Jan. 25

Details here.

Get Your Official New Haven Ebola Information Here!

Click to view:
Superintendent's Letter English
La Carta del Superintendente en Español
Mayor's Letter English
La Carta del Alcalde en Español
Ebola Facts in English
Hechos Ébola en Español

Walkathon Donations -- TODAY is the Last Day!

Oh no!! In order for your donation to be counted toward this year's Walkathon (and your student to be considered for a prize), go right now -- before you forget -- to ESUMS Store and make your donation online!

(Also remember that students who raised no donations whatsoever may later be asked to pay for free school events like field day.)

Free Computer Development Workshops

Have you always wanted to learn to develop in iOS, Android, Google App Engine, or Google Sites?  Yale Student Developers is offering a series of free, open-to-the-public workshops.  Different levels of programming experience are required for different workshops (e.g., no background is needed for Google Sites).

Register here.

Interesting Local Exhibits

From Clocks to Lollipops, Made in New Haven, at the New Haven Museum

Hidden Life of Ants, at the Peabody Museum

Upcoming Science Events at Yale -- Science Saturday This Weekend

"Searching for Other Earths" Prof. Debra Fischer (Astronomy) at SCIENCE ON SATURDAYS

10/18/2014:

Where: Sterling Chemistry Lab at 225 Prospect St.

Math Mornings on Sundays with Prof. Raphael Coifman: Networks and Mathematics

10/19/2014:

Where: Davies Auditorium, 10 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven

Yale Synapse Resonance

11/02/2014: A Full Day of Science at Yale!

Where: Yale Science Hill

See Chemistry in Action! A Night of Colorful and Explosive Experiments with Bassam Shakhashiri

11/04/2014:

Where: Room 110, Sterling Chemistry Lab, 225 Prospect Street.

Yale Splash Fall 2014

11/08/2014: Yale Splash: Take classes taught by Yale students! A large range of topics are covered over four weekends!

Where: Woolsey Hall Rotunda (168 Grove St.) 

Yale Global Scholar Program -- Applications Now Open

Applications are now online for the 2015 Yale Global Scholar Program.  The tuition is $5250, but financial aid is available, and local students can get a discount for living at home rather than in the dorms.

Minds in Motion Program

There is still time to apply for the CT Association for the Gifted's Minds in Motion Program.  The October 25th event in Madison is open to all students and costs $35.  Details here.

Video from Last Spring's Arabic Festival

To view the video, click here.

ESUMS High School Student Vanessa Kuhlor's Article in Huffington Post

What Fashion Taught Me About Feminism

And here is her author page.  Congratulations, Vanessa!

New Haven Public Schools Statement on Ebola

Dear New Haven Public Schools Parent:

You probably have heard about the Ebola epidemic affecting some West African countries and you may have questions or concerns about how the epidemic affects your child in school. Please know that we are following all local, state and federally recommended precautions around Ebola and we want to assure you that your student is not in danger of exposure to this virus at New Haven Public Schools.

Here are some important things to know about Ebola:

MathCounts Today

Today, 2-3pm, is the first meeting of the middle school MathCounts team in Mrs. Nap's room.

Time to Apply for Yale's PIER Language Program

Details and application at this link.

"Arabic, German, Italian, Japanese, KiSwahili, Polish, Portuguese, and Russian will be taught using Yale’s extensive language and international resources. The classes meet for an hour and a half one day a week on the Yale campus and run from October to May."

The classes cost $375, but that cost can be waived for New Haven students.  Students must also buy textbooks.

MIT Inspire Competition

http://getinspired.mit.edu

STUDENTS

Enjoyed writing that paper in your Literature class? Couldn't stop thinking about that new government policy and how it affects us? Curious about the geopolitics or culture of another country? Aiming to be the next Noam Chomsky, or a future world leader, influential lawyer, Nobel Laureate, famous author or journalist? Or are you just simply passionate about a favorite topic in the broad fields of the social sciences, humanities or arts, and looking for an outlet to demonstrate it?

Then you'll love MIT INSPIRE! The first-ever national competition by MIT students for YOU to showcase your cool work and research in these and related fields, and have the chance to WIN PRIZES, and more!  LEARN MORE

What's a "Coffee And"?

Tomorrow morning will be the first "Coffee And" of the year.   Coffee And is coffee with a light breakfast (usually just doughnuts) and conversation.  Parents whose schedules conflict with evening PTO meetings have a morning opportunity to catch up on PTO business and chat with faculty members or administrators in search of doughnuts.  It's less structured than a PTO meeting, so more casual and interesting conversations are possible.

8 o'clock tomorrow morning in the meeting room just behind the school office.  See you there!

School Pictures

The middle school will have their photos taken on Wednesday, Oct. 29, and the high school on Thursday, Oct. 30.   Senior pictures will be November 12 & 13.  All students grades 6-11 will get a photo I.D. card, which will cost $2.  Forms are available in the front hall of the school and due Oct. 24.

Free Geology Talk Tomorrow in Milford

Wed Oct 8, 2014 6:30pm – 8:00pm

INTRODUCTION TO GEOLOGY AND MINERALS OF CONNECTICUT

Sponsored by: New Haven Mineral Club

230 million years ago Connecticut was connected to Africa and early dinosaurs roamed our state.  Volcanic activity was forming West Rock,  East Rock, Sleeping Giant and the Higby Mountain range.  The discussion will include examples of mineral specimens and fossils which can be found in various localities throughout Connecticut.
For more information contact Bob Daniels at (203) 876-1192 or earth06461@gmail.comor
visit newhavenmineralclub.org

Admission: free, Milford Public library, 57 New Haven Avenue, Milford CT

Brown University Engineering Day

A rather tipsy flyer, but a good opportunity:

Online Resource for A.P. Students

MIT OpenCourseware has started a program to help high school students prepare for the A.P. exams in Chemistry, Physics, Calculus and Biology.

Free lectures, course materials and exam practice questions can be found at: http://ocw.mit.edu/high-school/mathematics/exam-prep/limits-of-functions/calculating-limits-using-algebra/.

International Potluck

It's short notice, but the new Multicultural Club would like to add an International Potluck Dinner to the PTO meeting and Town Hall scheduled for Tuesday, October 7.  Please make the effort to participate -- you'll get a great dinner on a busy evening!

Walkathon Thank You (But It's Not Over Yet)

The first round of Walkathon donations has been tallied and the result so far is good: more than last year, but we still aren't near the $10,000 fundraising goal.

The school has agreed to extend the donation deadline to October 17 and will make online donation an option via the school webpage (esumsnh.net) in a few days.

Please keep raising contributions so we can fund great activities at ESUMS this year.  Thank you so much for all you have raised so far!

Walkathon Rain Date!!

Looks like we need to use our rain date: Friday, October 3.  See you then!

Walkathon Excitement

Let's Walk!

Walkathon Logistics

"Hello ESUMS walkathon volunteer parents!

We would like to remind everyone of our students' walkathon on October 2, 2014 at Rochford Park in Hamden.   So the way the walkathon goes -- there will be two waves.  HighSchool students will participate in the first wave, approximately 8am-10am.   They will return for lunch served at the school.    The Middleschool students will participate from 10a-1230pm which will allow for a 30 minutes lunch break.  

For those who pledged to donate snacks and gallons of water,  please bring them to the office tomorrow or on October 2 at the field.  

We have listed below the stations we need a volunteer parent/s:

Walkathon Contributions

"We are excited that we will have a beautiful day for our annual walkathon Thursday, October 2.  We are aiming for a successful event and are asking for the following:

Coding Club Informational Meeting Monday

The Coding Club will hold an informational meeting on Monday, Oct. 6, 2-3 pm in Ms. Manzione's Mr. Pinsker's room, and will meet regularly on Mondays thereafter.  Please join us!

My Child Didn't Receive a Walkathon Form!

Don't panic -- print this!

Public Speaking Afterschool Program

(Sorry for the late notice; there may still be openings.)

The middle school Public Speaking program directed by Mrs. Hopes-McFadden will be meeting Wednesdays, 2:15 - 3:45.  There is an application for the program which can be requested from Mrs. Hopes or Mrs. Neary.

Schedule of $1 Dress-Down Days (Club Fundraisers)

September 26           Debate Club
October 10               Poetry Club
October 24               Yearbook
November 7             Gay/Straight Alliance
November 21           Robotics
December 5             Science Clubs
December 19-23      Website Week
January 2                 College Tour
January 16                High School International Trip
January 30                Make Up Day
February 27              Middle School International Trip
March 13                  Digital Media
March 27                  Math Clubs
April 6-10                Website Week
May 8                       Student Council
May 22                     Website
June 5                       Free Day

Order Your Yearbook!

Yearbooks will cost $30 if ordered before December 1, $35 thereafter.  They can be "personalized" for an extra $5.  For seniors, the cost of the yearbook is included in their senior dues.  Yearbook order forms are available in the paper-rack inside the front doors of the school.

Open House Wednesday

Mrs. Anna writes:

We are holding our all school open house this Wednesday, September 24 from 5-7p.m. We hope everyone can come out to meet the teachers and staff and visit the school. This is an opportunity to see your childs school environment. Parents and Staff will not have the opportunity to discuss grades due to the time constraints. Familes who cannot attend due to religious obligations will have an opportunity at a later date to meet the teachers and see the school.

Hope to see you there!

Get Ready for the Walkathon!

The Walkathon will be held on October 2 (with a rain date of October 3).  It is the PTO's major annual fundraiser.  The money raised at the Walkathon allows us to help fund important activities at ESUMS.  Last year, we raised about $7000 and were able to contribute to field trips, field day, after school clubs, the college tour, school dances, and teacher appreciation, but many requests for funding had to be turned away.  This year, let's raise even more!

Event details;  donation form.  We hope to award prizes to the top fundraisers, but to do that, we need prizes!  If you work somewhere that can offer a gift certificate or other prize, please contact the PTO.

More Groundbreaking News

Story in the Register.

Free Workshops on Computer Programming (Coding)

NewHaven.IO holds frequent workshops and other meet-ups to help you develop skills and network with local tech professionals.

Ground Has Been Broken . . .

. . . for the new building.  Photos and story here.

Scholarships for Students Under-Represented in STEM

The article is a few years out-of-date, but all of these terrific scholarships for African-Americans, Latino-Americans, and women are still offered each year.  Some are available to high school students; other require you to already be in college.

Project Lead The Way

Want to learn more about the PLTW engineering program offered at ESUMS?  This link has all the details, including which colleges accept PLTW credits and under what circumstances.

Boxtops and Store Rewards Cards

The PTO is still collecting Boxtops for Education in the main office.

Please make sure to send your Stop & Shop and Shop Rite store card numbers to Rose Rodrigues.  You do need to sign up again every year, but you can also sign yourself up online at Stop&Shop.  Please collect store card numbers from friends and relatives.

While you are at it, don't forget to use Amazon through the link in the right margin of this page.

If you find yourself forgetting to use it, do this:

(1) Find and erase your current bookmark to Amazon.
(2) Bookmark this page instead: http://www.amazon.com/?tag=esptan-20

Please remind your friends and family to do the same.  This is an easy and free way for the PTO to raise money.

Mr. Tynes Has a Website

Here is the link.

Book Fair's Off; New Fundraiser Proposed

Don't be sad!  The consensus at yesterday's PTO meeting was that the book fair was scheduled too soon for a new Chairperson to organize in time.  Instead, two new Co-chairs will research holding a Barnes & Noble fundraiser in the spring.

Urgent Call for Parent Volunteers: Book Fair Chair

The Scholastic Book Fair is an annual fundraiser at ESUMS.  In past years, it has raised money for activities, helped teachers get books for their classrooms, allowed students to purchase books conveniently right in school, and provided books for student prizes.

This year the Book Fair is in a crisis.  Though we have many parents signed up to work at the fair, helping to set up, sell books or clean up, we do not have a Chairperson!  Without one, we cannot hold the fair and will have to cancel!

The duties of the Book Fair Chair are not very time-consuming.  Most of the work is done ahead of time, aided by the people at Scholastic.  With so many volunteers, running the actual fair ought to be pretty easy.  Please come to today's PTO meeting and speak up if you can volunteer to save this important fundraiser!

Photo Montage of Yale SCHOLAR Program Featuring ESUMS Students

Click here: Yale SCHOLAR

"The Yale summer S.C.H.O.L.A.R. program brings 120 high school students from New Haven, West Haven, and Amity Public Schools to live and study science for two weeks on Yale campus. The goal is to prepare motivated and academically promising students for success in college and to strengthen their ability to pursue science majors and careers. SCHOLAR provides an intensive, hands-on science curriculum that emphasizes discovery, critical thinking and problem solving. The curriculum is designed by Yale University faculty, graduate and professional students, and teachers from local public schools. Yale undergraduate students serve a vital role as teaching assistants and mentors."

ESUMS Science CMT & CAPT Scores 2014

New Haven Averages:

8th Grade = 55.3% Proficient -- 35.2% Goal
10th Grade = 53.0% Proficient -- 17.3% Goal -- 47.4% Inquiry

Connecticut Averages:

8th Grade = 78.3% Proficient -- 62.5% Goal
10th Grade = 78.7% Proficient -- 46.8% Goal -- 62.9% Inquiry

ESUMS 2014:

8th Grade = 86.7% Proficient -- 77.1% Goal
10th Grade = 73.9% Proficient -- 47.8% Goal -- 59.1% Inquiry

Middle school science scores were up from 2013.  High schools scores fell a bit, but the high school "Goal" percentage is still the highest in town.  All scores are close to state averages and among the top scores in the district.  Explore more details here: http://www.nhps.net/node/3377.

While standardized testing is an incomplete measure of the quality of a school, it's always nice to do well.  Congratulations students!

First PTO Meeting on Tuesday at 3:15 pm

If you have any items you would like added to the agenda, please send an email to Cathy Berni.

Hope to see you there!

Perfectly Good Graphing Calculators

On ebay.  TI 84 or better is recommended.

Free Open-to-the-Public Events at Yale

2014 Windham Campbell Prizes Literary Festival
When: Monday, September 15, 2014 5:00 PM - Thursday, September 18, 2014 9:00 PM
View the festival schedule
(Zadie Smith will be speaking)

Civil Resistance: the Study of Nonviolent Power and Organized People

When: Thursday, September 25, 2014 - Friday, September 26, 2014 (All day)
Where:  Luce Hall (LUCE), Rm. 203, 34 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven, CT 06511

CT Folk Festival & Green Expo

This weekend, for those interested in environmental engineering, the CT Green Expo in Edgerton Park will feature solar phone charging, a giant water fountain, and velomobiles.  And folk music, of course.

Details.

Hey, How's That New Building Coming Along?

The welcome letter to UNH students this fall reads, in part:

"Soon, construction will begin to the west of Bergami Hall on the Engineering and Science University Magnet School (ESUMS), an interdisciplinary school for middle and high school students. ESUMS was created in 2008 through a partnership among UNH and the cities of West Haven and New Haven. Once completed, UNH students will have access during the evening to some of the state-of-the-art lab spaces there, which will help to address a critical need on our campus."

If you get a chance, you can walk by the site and see how the work is coming along.  

Call for Parent Volunteer: School Newspaper

Any parent who might be able to volunteer an afternoon each week to moderate the school newspaper meetings should please contact Mrs. Robinson as soon as possible.

A fledgling staff has already met to begin planning, but without an adult supervisor, they cannot begin to publish a paper.  If you have a writing or journalism background -- and even if you don't! -- please consider whether you can give a couple of hours a week to help out.

Nice Article on the First Woman to Win the Fields Medal in Mathematics

http://www.simonsfoundation.org/quanta/20140812-a-tenacious-explorer-of-abstract-surfaces/

Dress Code Review

Shirt with collar in navy blue, royal blue, "goldenrod" yellow, or white;
Pants in navy or tan;
Short and skirts are acceptable if (1) long enough to touch knees and (2) worn with socks or tights in dress code colors only (or black).
No dangling jewelry, no tight "skinny" pants, no jeans, no sweats, no exposed undies, no hoodies.
Sweaters and jackets must comply with dress code if they are to be worn all day.

Middle school:
Shoes/sneakers must be single color -- all black with black soles or all brown with brown soles.  These are hard to find!
Students must have a belt and shirts must be tucked in.

High school:
Allegedly, the one-color-shoe rule has been relaxed and girls may wear shirts untucked.
High school dress code violations are taken seriously.

The school has a great selection of used uniforms; just ask in the office.

Upcoming Parent Events in New Haven

http://nhpsparents.net/

Citywide Parent Leadership Team Sept. 4, 5-7 pm, Wilbur Cross High School, 181 Mitchell Dr.

Financial Freedom Series, September 16, 2014 at 6:00 pm – 8:45 pm Bethel AME Church, 255 Goffe St.

Citizen Science

Volunteer and help the USGS (United State Geological Survey) improve its maps.  High school students can inquire in the Guidance Office whether this would count as community service hours.

National Map Editing Guide 

"Astronaut" is a STEM Career

Astronaut Michael Massimino's story about his spacewalk to repair the Hubble telescope (free download -- audio).

Dates for Yale Sprout and Splash, MIT Splash

If you've never been to a Splash event, they're fun.  College students teach short classes to middle- and high-school students on interesting topics.  The cost is low ($15 + optional lunch & t-shirt) with financial aid available.

Yale Fall Sprout will be on Saturday, October 4th, 11th, and 18th; Yale Fall Splash will be on Saturday, November 8.  Yale Splash

MIT's program is the weekend of Nov. 22.  MIT Splash

First Blue News of the Year

Blue News

Sneak Peak at the New Website

For an informal preview of the school's great new website (not yet officially launched), visit esumsnh.net.  

Back to School

Welcome back!

A quick reminder for the first day of school: parents who pick up their students at the end of the day should now use the BACK doors and park behind the building.

This request was in error: instead, pick-up students will be dismissed OUTSIDE the front doors, and parents will be able to drive up.  Sorry for the inconvenience!

Yale Science Saturdays Fall Schedule

Yale Science Outreach has published the Science Saturdays schedule for Fall 2014.  Events will be held Sept. 27 (engineering), Oct. 18 (astronomy), and Nov. 15 (biology).   Science Saturdays are free and open to the public.  They consist of a lecture and hands-on demos.  Details here.

Calendar Confusion

If you were at orientation today, you may have received two conflicting calendars: one inside the handbook, and the other from the PTO.  The following calendar clears up the discrepancies and is the one you should use.  The dates are always subject to change later on, so please check back for updates in the months ahead.

Orientation Schedule and Sign-Up Sheet

Hi Everyone,

This is a reminder that orientation is on Friday, August 22nd:

   Grades 9 and 12 are from 8:30 to 9:30 am

   Grades 10 and 11 are from 9:30 to 10:30 am

   Grades 7 and 8 are from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm

   Grade 6 is from 1:00 to 2:00 pm

If an evening session is needed, there is one for all grades on Friday, August 22ndf from 5:30 to 6:30 pm.  If a morning session is needed, there is one for grades 6, 7 and 8 on Tuesday, August 26 from 8:30 to 9:30 am.

The first day of school is Thursday, August 28th.

You can join the PTO by filling in the attached form and bringing it to orientation.  Hope to see you there!

Regards,

Cathy Berni

ESUMS PTO President

Click HERE to volunteer.

Back to School Rally

Not to get you nervous, or rush your summer vacation, but this looks like a lot of fun with free giveaways.

Old Navy Uniform Sale

Old Navy currently has kids' uniform components for $5 and $10, a good sale:

http://esumsgrade6.edublogs.org

Old Navy does, however, use unfair labor practices in its Bangladesh garment factories (sweatshops):

http://www.globallabourrights.org/reports/gap-and-old-navy-in-bangladesh-cheating-the-poorest-workers-in-the-world

ESUMS maintains a terrific second-hand uniform swap; just inquire in the office.  Re-using school uniforms is also good for the environment.

Some Important Dates

Here are a few dates to put on your calendar.  Everything is still tentative, so write in pencil!

August 22 -- ESUMS Back-to-School Orientation (please consult your orientation letter for times)

August 28 -- first day of school

September 9 -- first PTO meeting of the year, 3:15 pm

September 24 -- Open House 6-8 pm

October 3 -- the Walkathon

October 6-10 -- the Book Fair

October 7 -- Town Hall & PTO meeting, 4:30 pm

October 10 -- Coffee And, 8:30 am

November 7 -- Middle School Dance

November 13 -- Report Card Conferences and PTO meeting, 4:30 pm

November 21 -- Coffee And, 8:30 am

December 9 -- Town Hall, Band Concert and PTO meeting, 4:30 pm

December 12 -- Coffee And, 8:30 am

January 5 -- Non-Violent Communication Parent Workshop and PTO meeting, 5 pm
January 9 -- Coffee And
February 10 -- Town Hall, Black History STEAM Event, and PTO meeting, 5 pm
February 13 -- Coffee And
March 11 -- Coffee And
March 13 -- Pi Day, High School Expo, and PTO meeting, 3:30 pm
April 2 -- Town Hall and PTO meeting, 4:30 pm
April 10 -- Coffee And
May 1 -- Middle School Dance
May 7 -- AP Meeting, 3:30 and PTO meeting, 4:30

May 21 -- New Student Orientation at UNH (PTO volunteers), 6-8 pm
June 3 -- Field Day
June 8 -- Celebration of Learning and PTO meeting, 4:30 pm

Bittersweet News: Some Favorite ESUMS Teachers are Leaving for Promotions

Mr. Pilliner and Ms. Jenkins will be leaving ESUMS to take new positions as assistant principals elsewhere in town (New Haven Independent article).  Ms. Warner will also not return in the fall.

We wish them -- and Mr. Meador who left late in the Spring -- the very best, though we are sad to lose their talent and dedication.

Thankfully, Ms. Jenkins can remain PTO treasurer because she is still an ESUMS parent!

Learn to Code for Free

Google is offering learn-to-code vouchers for people traditionally under-represented in computer fields (women, African-Americans, Latinos).  Even if you don't qualify, or if they run out of vouchers, they offer many free online courses that anyone can use.

article
application
list of free courses

ps -- there seems to be no age restriction on the awards, so both students and parents should be able to apply.

New Haven Public Library Field Trip, Monday July 7

Field Trip to Yale University’s Center for Engineering, Innovation and Design

When: Monday, July 7, 2014 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Where: Main Library

Description: Take a group visit with us to Yale’s CEID to learn about laser cutting, 3D printing, CNC machining, and more! Ages 8 to 12, call 203.946.8129 to register.

Chess Club Mondays at New Haven Public Library

Chess Club for Kids

When: Monday, June 30, 2014 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Description: Chess instruction and play for kids ages 6 to 16.
Tutoring is provided by the Yale Chess Club and Library staff. No registration necessary.
Where: Main Library

Meets every Monday.

Free Class -- Home Maintenance 101 -- Tomorrow

Tue Jul 1, 2014 5:30pm – 7:30pm

Home Maintenance 101

Sponsored by: Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven

Your first step in home repairs. Plan your short- and long-term repair, maintenance, and home improvement strategies. This class is suitable for both homeowners and homeowners-to-be. You are welcome to repeat this class as often as you wish - just remember to bring all of your home maintenance questions with you!
To register for this free class, call Norma at (203) 562-0598 ext. 26. Class will be held in our Home Improvement and Energy Conservation Lab (Building #3), located on our campus at 333 Sherman Avenue.
Admission: Free
Home Improvement and Energy Conservation Lab (Building #3)
333 Sherman Avenue
New Haven

High School End-of-Year Activities

Ms. Anna writes:

On Monday - It's a full day.  Students will go to their scheduled classes. 

Tuesday - ESUMS Gives Back. Students were encouraged to do Community Service out of the building. If students come in, they should be doing community service around the school.  They should see their teachers to connect to these.

Wednesday - will be the high school field day and barbeque!  Students should bring or wear sunscreen!

For Community Service Day, here are a few local options to consider.  Some of them require pre-registration.

New Haven Farms

New Haven Land Trust Community Gardens

Volunteer Match (longer-term commitments)

Dwight Hall (a very long list, but some also might be long-term and some are out-of-date)

International Festival of Arts & Ideas (going on this week on the Green)

Lake Compounce Field Trip Will Be Late!

The field trip to Lake Compounce will now be LATER in the day, ending at 7.  For details, please read the 6th Grade Blog.

National Honor Society Induction at ESUMS

Photo by parent Theresa Stark

How to Use This Blog

Welcome new ESUMS families to the PTO blog.  We try to improve communication between the school and families by posting information here about school, city, and PTO activities.
(1)  ⇊ Always scroll down.  ⇊ There is a lot of information that doesn't show up on this first screen.

(2) Check out the Blue News in the upper right-hand corner.  It's almost always up-to-date. ↗↗

(3)  Use the Amazon box in the right-hand margin to connect to Amazon.  The school will get a small percentage of your purchases; it's one of our easiest ongoing fundraisers, and it costs you nothing but a click. ⇉

(4)  Subscribe -- You can have these blog posts come right to your email inbox: just click on feed://ptoesums.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default and enter your information.

(5)  Comment -- We really do love to hear from you.

(6) Volunteer -- This is the time to recruit additional bloggers for the next school year.

Thank you for all of the time, effort, and resources you give to support ESUMS.

Summer Program -- Learning to Learn -- Skills & Strategies For Effective Learning

Notre Dame High School, West Haven

Are you a student who has a desire to be successful in high school? Are you a student who wishes that there was a better and easier way to be more successful? Students who use effective organizational skills and learning strategies are in a position to succeed and become confident, independent learners! One of the most valuable things you can do is help yourself prepare for lifelong learning.

Come to Notre Dame High School for a five day workshop. The course is designed to help each student develop, strengthen, and master effective organizational and study skills. Topics to include: Organization of Student Planner, Binders and Lockers, Time Management, Note-Taking Strategies, Study Skills/Strategies, Test Taking Strategies, How to Prepare for Semester Exams, How to Study for Math, How to Study for Foreign Language Classes. These effective organizational and learning strategies will continue to pay off for a lifetime.

July 7-11 8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. OR August 11-15 8:00 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Tuition: $250.00 http://www.notredamehs.com/summerenrichmentprogram Students must bring the following supplies: 3- ring binder, (5 )binder divider tabs, pocket folder, highlighter, pencil

Heads Up!

Friday, June 20th, is an early dismissal as well.  

Shoe Drive for Digital Media Program

The ESUMS Digital Media program is conducting a used shoe drive.  Shoes will be sent to an organization that distributes some for re-use and recycles the rest.  Therefore, as the student posters say,

"It doesn't matter the condition just bring in any amount of shoes to help us reach our mission."

Students can get dress-down tickets for their donations.  There is a collection box right outside the main office.  No slippers, no flip-flops, no singles please.

Carpentry, Painting & Taping Class for Women

Free training for women.  Learn carpentry, painting, and taping for free.  Participate in volunteer projects and gain experience and certification.  Applications due in late July.  Must be over 18.

http://www.cwi2.com

Photos from Field Day

Click here for photos from field day.

Photos by ESUMS Parent Cathy Berni

Photos from the Celebration of Learning

Click here to see the whole album.

Photos by ESUMS parent Maureen Lucas

Free Class: Learn How to Make a Rain Garden

Friday, June 13, 9-3, at 333 Sherman Ave. New Haven, Building #3, and lots of other great programs at Neighborhood Housing Services of New Haven.

Great Summer Opportunity for High School Students

Yale Summer Sprout Program

Summer Saturdays are always too few, but if your student is inclined to spend them learning a wide variety of interesting topics, consider Yale's Sprout program.

Field Day

Thank you to all the many, many parent volunteers and teachers who made field day so successful.  PTO fundraising provided lunches from Subway.  Parents donated an amazing quantity of snacks, drinks and paper goods -- almost all of which were consumed by the hungry athletes.  Parents also set up, handed out lunches and snacks, and cleaned up.  And, of course, Mrs. Pennella and our Field Day Chairs, Bob Ennis and Stephen MacCarty, planned the whole thing.  Thanks to all!

You Never Know What You're Going to See

ESUMS High School Robotics students taking their drone out for a spin.