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.

Celebration of Learning Details

PTO & Town Hall Meeting will precede the main event at 3 pm in the cafeteria.

ESUMS Film Festival

The students running the Film Festival have now put more detailed information into a website: http://esumsstudentfilmfestival.com.  Not only will it be a great event showing all of the digital media students' hard work, the website is pretty impressive, too!

Field Day Rescheduled to Friday Due to Weather

Due to a very iffy weather forecast for overnight tonight and tomorrow morning, Field Day has been rescheduled for Friday, June 6...same location and same time.  We'll still need the same donated items (gallons of water, cups, jugs, ice, coolers, healthy snacks) and the same number of volunteers...that hasn't changed.  Unfortunately, I am unavailable Friday.  So please respond to Jeanne Pennella and Cathy Berni regarding your availability to help out on Friday.  Thanks, Bob Ennis (field day chair)

Bumper Stickers are Here!

Show your school spirit!

Stickers are 4"x5" (10.16 x 12.7 cm^2) with a black background.  

$3 each, available from the PTO at the Celebration of Learning on June 9.

ESUMS Film Festival -- An Invitation from the Students

"Come join us at all ESUMS Film Festival and have fun! It will be on June 24 and tickets are being sold for 5$! Anyone is welcome. Please tell your friends and family. We promise an AWESOME night of amazing sound effects and super dramatic motion pictures. If ticket needed contact Nima Mansouri at nimamnsr@gmail.com or inbox any of our outstanding students on Facebook, and we will give you all the info needed. Hope to see you all!" 

Summer Meals Awareness

ALL children and teens in Connecticut are welcome to free summer meals (breakfast and lunch).   If you have time and interest on Saturday, June 14, please come out to the Summer Meal Blitz, spreading awareness of this great program.

Details about the event: http://www.nhps.net/node/3332
Details about the Summer Meals Program: http://www.ctsummerfood.org/

Oratory Finalists

Congratulations to 8th Graders Morgan Cobbs and Pranav Kandarpa for their excellent (finalist) performances in OneWorld’s Middle School Oratory Competition Final.

Blue News, May 20

The latest Blue News.

Orientation for New Students on Thursday

Welcome, new families, to the ESUMS PTO Announcements Blog!  

From the letter you should have received:

"We are holding our annual mandatory orientation for all ESUMS 2014-15 families at our next Parent Town Meeting, which will be on Thursday, May 22nd, 5:30 p.m. at the University of New Haven.  . . . Please bring your child to the meeting.  We will be administering an algebra readiness exam to all incoming middle school students.  We will also give a math placement exam to all incoming high school students.  . . . When preparing for the orientation on May 22nd please bring your child’s most recent CMT scores and report card so that we may have a copy for review in planning for the most successful school year possible. Bring a pencil, and of course bring your enthusiasm for math and science and STEM education." 

See you at the Orientation!  

Middle School Oratory Competition TODAY

Tue May 20, 2014 3:59pm – 5:59pm

Middle School Oratory Competition Final

ESUMS 8th graders will be participating.   Come cheer them on! The event is free and open to the public, at Worthington Hooker Middle School, 691 Whitney Ave.

Three ESUMS Teams Won Awards at CT Innovation Expo

ESUMS teams Shark Shield, Roadways and the Sound of Preservation have won awards.  Congratulations on the hard work and terrific projects of all who participated!

Another ESUMS Expo Team in the News!

The New Haven Independent reports on Paint-Away Termites (aka Termite Terminators).

photo: NHI

ESUMS New Haven Science Fair Results

Congratulations to:

6th graders Daniel Majkut and James Rodrigues (Honorable Mention)
7th graders Jacob Feuerstein (2nd) and Prastik Mohanraj (1st)
8th graders Whitney Davis and Caitlin Lemar (Honorable Mention)
9th graders Lauren Low (3rd, plus awards from American Chemical Society, Biophysical Society and the Bob Apfel Award) and Shyam Patel (Honorable Mention, plus American Society of Metals Award)

and to all of their teachers, mentors and parents as well!

(photo: Yale University)

Field Day

Hi Everyone,

The middle school field day event will be taking place during the school day on Wednesday, June 4th, at the University of New Haven.  We are looking for parents to:

1.  Volunteer the day of the event - please let us know when you would be available (i.e., setup, during, cleanup).

2.  Donate snacks or beverages for the day off - we are looking for individually wrapped snacks or fruit such as apples, oranges, etc. that will not be "touched" by everyone.  Also, the PTO has three large jugs for water and whatever but if you have one that we could use, it would be helpful.  Just please put your name on it.  Lastly, if anyone is willing to donate water or another beverage (think healthy so no soda or anything that will spoil outside), please let us know.  We plan to offer the students pizza for lunch.

3.  Anything else you can think of - just let us know.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at esumspto@gmail.com.

Thanks,

Cathy Berni, PTO President

Poetry Slam Tomorrow (Wednesday) Night

The ESUMS Poetry Club will host a Poetry Slam at The Space, on Treadwell St. in Hamden at 6 pm, Wed. May 14.  The event is free, but donations requested.

Another ESUMS Expo Team in the News

Video of Tara Minaee, Precious Szostek, and Mr. Tynes talking about the Shark Shield project.

May 14 Middle School Movie

The Middle School will be showing Frozen right after school on Wed. May 14 in the art room.  Admission $1, snacks extra.

Field Day T-Shirt Money & Order Form Due Wednesday, May 14!

Field Day T-shirts are $7 or $9, depending on size.  They come in yellow, navy, or royal blue.  But, you must order by Wednesday!

Expo is Saturday!

EXPO time is coming up this weekend. Please talk to your student to find out if he/she is on the roster to attend EXPO this year.  

The Student Innovation Expo is an annual highlight for the Center for 21st Century Skills and affiliated organizations. This event is the culminating experience for a year’s worth of hard work and innovation by high school students from across the state of Connecticut.ESUMS’ high school students participating in Center for 21st Century Skills & CT Career Choices programs will be celebrating a year's work of innovation, creativity, and imagination on May 17, 2014, at the Governor William A. O’Neill State Armory in Hartford, Conn.

Students are expected to wear dark shoes (brown or black) with khaki pants or skirts (no cargo pants) along with their polo shirt with their embroidered logo. All attire must be clean, pressed and wrinkle free. Students will be on their feet for most of the day, so heels aren’t recommended. Students must arrive at ESUMS by 6am to assist with the loading of team materials on the busses. The busses will depart the school promptly at 6:15 am. Students are expected to attend the event in its entirety from the setup phase, opening and awards ceremonies. The students’ participation represents a significant grade in their Chemistry, Biology and/or technology classes. 

If you would like additional information about EXPO, please use the following link:
http://innovationexpo.skills21.org

Tech Programs in New Milford, CT

Robotics and Beyond

These programs are far away, up near Danbury, but they are interesting and reasonably priced.

Board of Alders Meeting Tonight (re: Budget for School Nurses)

The Finance Committee will hold a workshop on Monday, May 12, 2014, at 7:30 P.M, in the Aldermanic Chambers, 165 Church St., New Haven, to discuss with selected city departments (Board of Education, Health Department) concerning portions of the Annual City Budgets proposed for the fiscal year commencing on July 1, 2014.  

These meetings are open to the public; not sure whether there will be opportunity for public comment, but it will certainly be worthwhile to observe the debate.  

Education budget issues explained here.

Science Fair this Week

20th New Haven Science Fair, public viewing of projects.
1 pm - 6 pm, Tuesday May 13th
8 am - 8 pm, Wednesday May 14th 
Yale Commons, Grove Street
Awards ceremony at Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall 6:30 pm Wednesday.  
Admission: Free
Over 600 students present 240 projects from PreK-Grade 12 .

A Few Deadlines and Events

Student Council Elections will be held on June 2nd.  All applications must be submitted to Mr. Erazo (for middle school) or Ms. Meetze (for high school) by Wednesday, May 14th.  The positions available will be:

President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, PTA Liaison,

and one Representative for each grade.

Pathways to Science applications are due by May 30th.  High school students can obtain forms from Mr. Davila, fill out the student contact information, ask their science teacher to fill out the recommendation and teacher contact info, and return the form to Mr. Davila, who will submit it to Maria Parente.  Alternatively, recommendations can be filled out separately online.  Middle school students wishing to apply to the program must contact their science teacher.

The CT Student Innovation Expo will be held on May 17th in Hartford, CT.  The event is open to public and everyone is welcome to come and support the school.

Mrs. Zenait is looking for parent volunteers to help out at this year's Arabic Carnival in late May.

ESUMS Students in the News (WTNH Interview)

WTNH conducted an interview with Valeria Rodriguez, Dominik Majkut and Mr. Tynes about the "Roadways" app they developed for CT Innovation Expo.

Update on the Website Fundraiser

Bring in all your loose change!  If possible, consider donating $100 for the Principal's Matching Gift.

"Manage Your Future" Youth Program

Manage Your Future provides multiple training workshops for youths including: Financial Literacy, Social Development, Job Readiness, Employment by Design.  Youths participate in two sessions per week and participate in one field trip per month.

We place eligible students in meaningful summer employment for a period of 5 weeks at 25-hours per work week. These are paid summer employment opportunities.

Between the ages of 14-18.

 Citizen of the United States.

 Residing in households eligible for or receiving Temporary Family Assistance (TFA).

 Residing in households eligible for or receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

MYF Information Brochure

It's Educator Appreciation Week and Thank a Teacher Day

Take a moment to thank the dedicated, hard-working teachers and staff members who make ESUMS fantastic.  The PTO will co-sponsor a breakfast for the faculty and staff on Thursday morning.

THANK YOU!

Important: Board of Alders to Vote on School Nurse Budget

Please read this article from the New Haven Independent on the school nursing issue.  As many of you know, the ESUMS PTO sent a petition with 50 parent signatures to the Board of Education and New Haven Health Department requesting a full-time nurse in our building.  There will be a budget hearing of the Board of Alders on May 12 to discuss the hiring budget for school nurses.  The Health Department currently employs 31 nurses for 53 schools.  They have requested only 4 more full-time positions.

(1)  If you are a New Haven resident, please call or write your alder to support hiring more nurses.  You can find your alder's contact information here: http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/Aldermen/.  There is even a search tool to enter your address and find out who your representative is.  It is so important that they hear from parents.

(2)  All parents who care about this issue are encouraged to attend the May 12 hearing.  Details on time and place will follow, but it will most likely be in the evening at the BoA Chamber, 2nd floor, City Hall, 165 Church Street.

(3)  Parents who wish to become even more involved and advocate for full-time nurses in all the schools (or seek creative alternatives like using nursing student assistants) can join the CPLT health services taskforce.

Today: Creative Minds Exhibit, Art of New Haven Youth

Opening Reception for the NHPS Arts Department's exhibit -- TODAY (May 1), 5 pm, Arte, Inc., 19 Grand Avenue.

Exhibits: May 1-30, Arte, Inc.
May 7 - June 14, BOE, 54 Meadow St.
May 14, June 14, City Hall Atrium

ESUMS student work will be a part of this display.  Artwork is FOR SALE, details available from lisa.davisrucinski@new-haven.k12.ct.us.