Free Tickets to TEDxYale

TEDxYale 2015: Moment of Impact 

"Connecting the world’s brightest minds with the world’s best ideas.”

Info on the conference: http://tedxyale.com/2015

TEDxYale’s fourth annual conference has as its theme “Moment of Impact.” The conference, an independently student-organized event licensed by TED, will be held at the Shubert Theater, 247 College St., on Saturday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

This year’s conference will feature speakers from campus and beyond. Yale faculty participants include Willie Ruff of the School of Music, Teresa Berger of the Divinity School and the Institute of Sacred Music, Michael Pantalon of the School of Medicine, Phil Bernstein of the School of Architecture, and LuAnn Etcher of the School of Nursing. There will also be presentations by Yale alumni, students, and guest speakers coming to New Haven for the conference. 

To reserve free your free tickets follow the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1eEBFN9L4ehh1AnEVzuXHwfuMh77FBSSZ86ajpXbFcrw/viewform

The New Haven Budget Affects Students and Schools

School nurses, library hours, food.  Call or write your Alder to voice your opinions.  

Math is Important -- the Literacy Council Agrees

Join the Literacy Council of Greater New Haven, on Wednesday, April 29 as they hold a Public Forum on "Why is Math Important?" The forum will take place at Gateway Community College (21 Church Street), and will begin at 5:00PM!

Math Camps!

Mostly for high school students; some are costly but most have scholarships.

• PROMYS (Programs in Math for Young Scientists) - PROMYS is a six-week summer program at Boston University designed to encourage motivated high school students to explore the creative world of mathematics in a supportive community of peers, counselors, research mathematicians, and visiting scientists.
• SUMaC (Stanford University Math Camp) - bringing mathematically talented and motivated high-school students from across the United States, and from around the world, to Stanford University for four weeks of serious mathematical pursuits.
• MathCamp - A joint venture between the USA and Canada, this 5-week summer program rotates to a different college campus each year.
• Ross Mathematics Program - an intensive summer experience designed to encourage motivated pre-college students to explore mathematics. During those eight weeks, students are immersed in a world of mathematical discovery.
• HCSSiM (Hampshire College Summer Studies in Mathematics) - an intensive six-week residential program for enthusiastic students. Working in small classes and individually, participants will actively engage in the process of mathematical thought.
• SWIM (Summer Workshop in Mathematics) - a two week summer program at Princeton University for rising senior girls interested in mathematics.
• MathILy (serious Mathematics Infused with Levity) - Do you want to explore and create mathematics? Consider MathILy, an intensive residential summer program that emphasizes mathematics that is pure but applicable and has a core curriculum of discrete mathematics. 
• HSMC (Mathworks Honors Summer Math Camp) -  It is a six-week immersive residential program held at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas.

To find more summer opportunities, check the AMS list of Math Summer Camps or the AWM list of Other Programs.

A Couple of NHPS Budget Meetings Next Week

There is a public hearing on Monday, March 30 at 6:00 p.m. at Career High School to discuss the NHPS budget.  This is an important meeting as Superintendent Garth Harries will be making the case for the district's budget request.

In addition, Mayor Harp has added 4 new nursing positions to the Budget for this coming fiscal year.  Currently, there are 31 full-time nursing positions for 53 school sites serving New Haven district school students.  The city of New Haven provides funding for nurses in schools not NHPS.

The four positions will increase the nursing coverage in schools that now have a nurse less than full time.  Many New Haven schools have a nurse on site for just 2 or 3 days during the week.  It is imperative NHPS parents attend Monday's meeting to show support for the additional nurse positions and to support the school district's budget.

Change in Dates of Spirit Week!!

Dear Parents,

Our apologies for the inconvenience. Please note that there has been a change to the previously published dress down calendar. Note changes to ESUMS website: www.esumsnh.comand earlier communication.

Due to scheduling conflicts, we will hold a School Wide Spirit Week for school funds during the week of Monday, March 30  through Thursday, April 2. Also, note that there is no School on Friday April 3. THERE WILL BE NO DRESS DOWN DAYS ON APRIL 6th, 7th, 8th NOR 9th. The 5th dress down day will be on Friday April 10th, the last day before break. This is a half day.

The cost for these 5 days is $5. Money will be paid to Homeroom/ First Period Teachers.

Monday March 30th – Sports Team Day – Represent your favorite team of whatever sport you want!
Tuesday March 31st – Decade Day – Go through your old clothes and show off your style!
Wednesday April 1st – Wacky Tacky Day – Too colorful? Mismatch? PERFECT!
Thursday April 2nd – Twin Day – Pair up with another teacher or student and be TWINS!!

We look forward to seeing that sprit!

UCONN Summer Program

UCONN MENTOR CONNECTION:  A REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE FOR TALENTED TEENS 

Get a glimpse of college life this summer and immerse yourself in a research or creative project with peers with similar interests at UCONN Mentor Connection July 12 – August 7. If you are a current 10th or 11th grade student, you have until March 27^th to apply. Program cost is $5800.

Newhallville Community Cleanup, 4 Saturdays in April & May

Great opportunity to get student volunteer hours.  Read more on this Newhallville Blog.

A Few Recent Independent Articles on Education in New Haven

RAND Study for New Haven Promise
Restorative Justice
State Policy on Charter Schools

Another Free Science Lecture, April 4

Hello fellow science enthusiast!  We would like to invite you to the first public lecture of 2015. Yale Professor Judy Cha will be presenting: "Watching Atoms Dance". The lecture will be followed by hands-on science demos and lab tours.

Computer Science Career Fair at Gateway, April 7

http://www.cttalent.org

Science Saturday This Week

Science on Saturdays: Nu Frontiers in Neutrino Physics

Saturday, March 28^th, 10am-12pm.

Sterling Chemistry Laboratory, 225 Prospect St. New Haven.

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED.

ALL AGES WELCOME!

Science Saturdays is a special science demonstration and lecture series that brings the excitement of research and the passion of scientists to the community.  Each event involves a lecture by a Yale professor and engaging science demonstrations run by Yale college students. This weekend, come hear Prof. Bonnie Fleming (Physics, Girls Science Investigations) talk about neutrinos.

Parent Meeting on School Choice and Charters

Sign up here.

High School Dance Moved to Friday, March 27, at ESUMS

Everything is still the same: they still need refreshments, parent help, etc., but perhaps it will be a bit easier at the school.

Movie Night (Afternoon) to Benefit the Drama Club, Wednesday

You Really Can Have It All

Working mathematician is also a successful NFL lineman -- Article.

How Did ESUMS Do at the State Science Olympiad This Weekend?

Great!  5th place team overall, Jacob Feuerstein and Tess Berni placed 3rd for meteorology, and Jacob Feuerstein and Adrian Joseph placed 1st for disease detectives!  (These are the only results I've heard so far -- please send more or comment if you know them.)  

Dance Postponed Due to Snow; New Date TBA

New Haven Promise & School Change Study

The New Haven Promise Board of Directors invites you to attend a study briefing focused on the early progress of New Haven Promise and the New Haven School Change initiative, designed to improve student educational outcomes in the City. The study — conducted by the RAND Corporation and sponsored by The Peter & Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation — will be presented by RAND sociologist Dr. Gabriella C. Gonzalez.

Delivering remarks will be Yale President Peter Salovey, New Haven Mayor Toni N. Harp, New Haven Promise Executive Director Patricia Melton and New Haven Public Schools Superintendent Garth Harries. There will be a question-and-answer session following the presentation and remarks. 

Tuesday, March 24, 2015
10:30 am to Noon
Cooperative Arts & Humanities High School
Seminary Room (4th Floor) 177 College Street New Haven
To RSVP, please contact Patricia Melton at (203) 776-6473 or patricia@newhavenpromise.org 

Call for Volunteers!

9 Ways You Can Help ESUMS This Spring!

(1)  High School Dance:  will be happening this Friday, the 20th!  Donations of baked good, drinks and other snacks can be dropped off at the school on Friday or brought in the evening directly to “the parish hall in front of Betsy Ross School” which is 150 Kimberley Ave. New Haven.  Please contact the student government (esumsstudentgov@gmail.com) with questions.

(2)  Arabic Carnival:  Ms. Zenait will need parent volunteers for the Arabic Carnival, April 28 at Career High School.  She will be sending out details soon, but mark your calendars.

(3)  Snacks for Testing:  Please donate snacks to make the standardized testing more pleasant for the students.  Gum is especially welome, but anything without nuts would be terrific.  Please drop your snack donations off or send them in with your student on May 1.

     Ideally we would like to have one snack and one piece of gum per child for each of 4 testing days.  That is a lot!  Organizations like Costco will make "in kind" merchandise donations to non-profits like the PTO, if you'd like to approach their managers and fill out some forms.

(4)  Middle School Dance:  We would like to recruit parent chaperones and ask for refreshment donations for the dance on May 1.  Volunteers can contact Darcey Cobbs-Lomax or Mila McKeown to sign up.  A sign-up sheet for refreshments will be posted in April.

(5)  Costumes for Drama Club:  The drama club will hold its production of Alice vs. Wonderland on May 7 & 8.  The kids are looking for costumes -- costumes you may already have at home, financial donations, or sewing skills.   Contact Ms. Robinson for details.

(6)  Donate School Uniforms:  The school uniform exchange has far too many small 6th-grade-size uniform pieces and no large high-school-size ones.  Donations of clean, gently used or new, large clothing, even adult clothing that complies with the school dress code, would be very helpful.  

(7) Welcome New Families:  Parent volunteers can also help out at the new student orientation on May 21, 6-8 pm, at the University of New Haven. 

(8)  Help out at Field Day:  Please mark your calendar for this year's middle school field day which will be held June 3, weather permitting.  We will need parent volunteers and food contributions; more details will follow as the event draws closer.   

(9)  Practice:  Remind your child to use Membean and IXL to practice their vocabulary and math skills.  If your child can't remember his or her password, please contact Ms. Corcoran.  You and your child can also preview or practice the new standardized tests (Smarter Balanced/Common Core) using their online practice tests. 

(10)  No-Cost Fundraising:  Keep sending in those boxtops and using our Amazon fundraising link.  We've collected 550 boxtops and raised $138 from Amazon so far this year. 

Thank you so much for all your help!

How Did ESUMS Do at the TSA TEAMS Science & Engineering Competition?

The 9th & 10th grade team placed 3rd in the state, with a possibility of attending the national contest.  Congratulations to all!

How Did ESUMS Do at History Day?

8th grader Melina Joseph's essay will go on to the State level competition.  Congratulations, Melina!

How Did ESUMS Do at the State MathCounts Competition Today?

Amazing!  2nd Place Team in the State!  Prastik Mohanraj won 1st Place Individual Student, and Hizami Anuar won 2nd Place Individual Student.  They will both go on to the National Competition! Congratulations to Prastik, Hizami, Jacob & Owen!

How Did ESUMS Do at the State Science Fair This Year?

Pretty terrific!  Congratulations to Jacob, Sumi, Lauren, and Prastik!

(Click on image to read it more easily.)

Hooray! Blasting Begins for the New ESUMS Building!

Subject: ESUMS Blasting - 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Next Four (4) Weeks

Dear Campus Students, Faculty and Staff,

 Please be aware that the blasting phase of construction for the Engineering and Science University Magnet School (ESUMS) will begin next week.

 Blasting  will continue with two events per day  (mornings after 9:00 a.m. and afternoons before 5:00 p.m.).  This activity will continue for approximately four (4) weeks.

 Many of you may have experienced the vibration of the initial test and early blasts both yesterday and today.  These were conducted to validate that the activities are within permitted safe seismic limits.

 This is very similar to the blasting conducted for Westside Hall using the same safeguards and safety protocols.  These safeguards include and are not limited to, notification to city and university safety/emergency personnel, perimeter security and seismic monitoring.

 Should you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact the Office of Facilities or the Office of Campus Safety & Security.

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Free Online Resources Available to ESUMS Students

Hopefully you have already heard your student mention Membean.  It's a great online vocabulary building tool that all ESUMS students can (and should!) use.  Try it out yourself and encourage your student to use it!

IXLis a similar program for math, but it has more explanation and problems.  Topics go from basic math through pre-calculus, and there is a new section for learning English grammar.  IXL is available for free to every ESUMS student -- if your child doesn't know his or her login information, please contact Bridget Corcoran for help.  

Another online resource to explore as a parent is the set of "Smarter Balanced" practice tests associated with the Common Core in Connecticut.  Please try out these tests yourself to get an idea of what your student will be asked to do on test days (in May) and encourage your child to try them out to get familiar with the interface (it is a bit tricky).  

All of these are great supplements for "no homework" nights!  

Magnet School Lottery Applications Are Due Friday the 13th

REMINDER: NHPS Enrollment Applications are due Tomorrow, Friday, March 13th. Visit: http://www.newhavenmagnetschools.com/

The School Placement Process (formerly called the lottery) will be open to the public and held at 10:00 am on March 31st @ 54 Meadow St in the 2nd floor Boardroom.

Summer Programs 2015

Have you seen this great list of high school summer programs, put together by the ESUMS Guidance Department?

Don't Forget that PTO Meeting Tomorrow!

5 pm, following the Open House.

Please feel free to come early (at 4) to participate in the open house and introduce prospective families to ESUMS.

Bring or Buy -- Send in a Pi(e)

Parents, please send in a pie or two to help the kids celebrate Pi Day on Friday!

High School Students to Attend Brownsville Song

Senior English students and students from African-American/Latino Experience will be traveling to Long Wharf Theater to see Brownsville Song in April.  Mr. Maroney and Ms. Criscuolo have taking workshops at EDLAB  through the theater's education department.  It should be a great field trip.  

Workshop for First-Generation College Students & Families

Wed Mar 11, 2015, 5:30pm – 6:30pm
“Preparing Your Child For College and What to Expect When They Get On Campus”
Sponsored by: Southern Connecticut State University

CMT & CAPT Announcement

All of the 8th, 10th and some 11th grade students will be taking either CMT Science and CAPT tests this week on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Please be sure students have a good night's rest and a healthy breakfast.  Students will be allowed to chew gum during the testing period only.  Chewing gum aids concentration.  We wish all of our students success and wish all of our families a wonderful week!  Welcome Springtime!

Get Ready for Pi Day Friday!

Coffee And . . . Wednesday!!

Please join the PTO for coffee and conversation on Wednesday morning, March 11, 8 a.m. in the meeting room behind the school office.

Mini-Expo April 2

ESUMS will host its 2^nd Annual Mini Expo on Thursday, April 2^, 2015 in the gymnasium at 130B Leeder Hill Drive from 4:30pm to 7pm. Three to five industry professionals will be assessing the student groups for each content area, and the group with the highest aggregate score in each category will move on to compete in the Connecticut Student Innovation Exposition (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Entrepreneurship and 3D Modeling). 

New Haven Public Schools' Magnet Schools Video

Video: Ms. Blue speaks at the 16-minute mark.  New Haven magnet schools are doing some great things!

A Couple of Yale Opportunities

Thursday, March 5, 4pm - 5 pm, Green Cafe at Marsh Botanical Gardens, 227 Mansfield St., for those interested in plant science, gardening, history and food.  (free event, every Thursday)

Saturday, March 7, 9 am - 12 pm, Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival, 6th - 12th grade, math activities.  Details and registration at tinyurl.com/JRMFYale2015.  $10, with fee waivers available.

Tuesday, March 17, 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm, Science in the News: Science of the Aging Brain, New Haven Free Public Library, 133 Elm St.

Saturday, March 28, 10 am - 3 pm, Green Careers for Women, Kroon Hall, 195 Prospect St.  Register at bit.ly/GCWL2015.

Saturday, March 28, 10 am - 12 pm, Science Saturday: Nu Frontiers in Neutrino Physics, Sterling Chemistry Lab, 225 Prospect St.

Get Ready for the College Tour!