Gustave Whitehead of Bridgeport, First in Flight

Last year's 8th grade engineering classes studied the aviator Gustave Whitehead. There is evidence that Whitehead may have flown in 1901, before the Wright brothers.  Governor Malloy has just signed a bill honoring Whitehead.

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2013/06/27/Conn-decrees-Wright-Brothers-were-not-first-with-powered-aircraft/UPI-50341372389001/ 

New Haven Canoes and Kayaks

Participate in guided canoe and kayak tours of the Mill River, Edgewood Pond, Lighthouse Point and Fort Hale Park.  $15-25.  Equipment and instruction provided.

http://www.cityofnewhaven.com/NewsYouCanUse/readmore.asp?ID={25B08200-CCC3-40E0-A470-7944419EBB6C}

Reminder: Powerschool Training

The dates and sessions are:

July 30 or August 7

10am-12pm

3-5pm

6-8pm

The trainings will take place at Gateway Community College, and you only need to attend one session.  Please email annamaria.mauhs@new-haven.k12.ct.us if you are interested.  The group trained this summer will help the rest of the school's parents learn to use Powerschool.  

Free Math Enrichment Activity

http://www.realworldmath.org/

Students use Google Earth and SketchUp (easy to download) to puzzle out interesting practical problems using their math skills.

Board of Education Meeting Tonight (6/25)

Sounds like fun.  The meeting will be at 5:30 on the 2nd floor of 54 Meadow Street.

Agenda:

http://www.nhps.net/sites/default/files/AGENDA_062513_0.pdf

http://www.nhps.net/sites/default/files/action_items_062513_1.pdf

2013-2014 PTO Officers

The PTO voted in a new governing board yesterday.

President: Sandra McNair-Boyd
Vice President: Cathy Berni
Treasurer: Jennifer Jenkins
Secretary: Janice Wivagg

A parent volunteer is still needed to lead the Walk-a-Thon committee.  (Contact esumspto@gmail.com.)

Parent volunteers can also help paint classrooms this summer in the Leeder Hill building.  (Contact Ms. Migliore-Dest, amy.migliore@new-haven.k12.ct.us.)

Recruiting from New Haven

There are still a few spots open for the incoming ESUMS 6th grade class.  These are for New Haven students only and cannot be filled from the suburban wait list.  This is a great opportunity; spread the word to your 5th grade friends in New Haven!

Staying Connected

Did you know the ESUMS 6th grade teachers keep a terrific blog?  Click to hear Ms. Ackert explain linear regression on a graphing calculator:
http://esumsgrade6.edublogs.org/2013/04/.

The school has a new Facebook page with great photos of academic activities from the last school year:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Engineering-and-Science-University-Magnet-School/482087401868080.

You can receive email updates from this PTO blog by scrolling all the way down to the bottom and clicking on Subscribe to: Posts (Atom).

New Building

The building committee met yesterday to hear more of the architects' plans for the new ESUMS building.  This drawing shows the classrooms (all glass) with the brick gym and cafeteria/auditorium in front.  There will be a rooftop garden on the cafeteria and skylights on the gym.  The main roof will have a small solar panel system (providing about 15% of the building's power).  They plan two outdoor classrooms, a nice engineering workshop, a dedicated lab for the Cisco program, and a walking path to the UNH main campus.  

8th Grade Graduation

Congratulations to the new freshmen -- ESUMS high school class of 2017!  Thanks to the faculty, staff and parents for working hard to make it such a great year.

Happy Summer to all!

Free Tour of Yale Engineering Center

After school on Thursday, at 2:45 and 3:30, the Yale Center for Engineering Innovation and Design will hold free tours as part of the International Festival of Arts & Ideas.  Reservations required.

More info: http://artidea.org/event/2013/1484

Four More Days

Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday will be half-days (middle school dismissal at 1:45).

On Thursday, the 6th grade will take a short walking field trip that they themselves planned out in language arts and math classes.  Friday will be the 6th grade's extra field day and the 8th grade graduation.

Yearbooks are still available for $17.

Talent Show Monday

The Talent Show has been moved to Monday; please sign up with Mr. Stewart.

Two Meetings on Monday

There will be a building committee meeting Monday, June 24 at Leeder Hill at 2:30, followed by a PTO meeting to elect next year's officers at 3:30.

Backpack Drive

There will be a box in the front hall of the middle school to collect backpacks for Project Homeless Connect.

8th Grade Breakfast Postponed

The 8th Grade Breakfast has been postponed to Wednesday morning.

A Talent Show

The students will have a talent show during school hours on Thursday.  There will be no try-outs; just see Mr. Stewart to sign up.

Details of TAG program changes

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

Summary of Citywide Parent Leadership Team Meeting

(1)  District-wide Recess Policy.  This mostly doesn't affect ESUMS, since it's for elementary school students, but the policy does say K-6 and they are hoping to expand it to 7&8, so our 6th grade at least might have to comply.  The plan is to require 20 minutes outdoor daily recess, and teachers may not take away recess for bad behavior or to make up academic work.  Voluntary phase-in in the fall, with the intent to make it universal and mandatory mid-year.  

(2)  Parent-led Mayoral Debate on Education.  Parents are encouraged to attend the education-oriented mayoral debate on June 21, 6 p.m. at 242 Dixwell Ave.  If CPLT holds their own debate in August, they are looking for high school students to volunteer, perhaps as ushers, which could possibly count toward their community service requirement.  The ESUMS debate team might be interested.  

(3)  New Citywide Parent Website.  nhsdparents.wordpress.com would be a resource for parent info.  It's a brand-new work-in-progress, and they'd like feedback and help.  Contact person is Jennifer.Ricker@hotmail.com.

(4)  Parent University Business:
Brainstorming Session, June 17, 5:30 p.m. at United Way, 370 James St. (RSVP info@punh.org)
Back to School Rally, Aug. 3, 10 a.m. -- 1 p.m. at Goffe St. Park & Hillhouse Athletic Center
Citywide Kindergarten Canvass (not really for ESUMS, looking for volunteers)
Parent Resource Fair, for parents of children with special needs, Oct. 17, 5 p.m. at Wilbur Cross 
Parent University, Nov. 2 at Gateway

(5)  School Food Petition.  Cafeteria workers would like to prepare fresh food in the cafeterias instead of reheating frozen stuff.  Contact ccruzuribe217@gmail.com.

(6)  The CPLT may try to screen the documentary Forest Kindergarten which compares an outdoor kindergarten in Europe with an indoor one in New Haven. 

(7)  Big TAG Changes.  The plan is to move TAG into the individual schools and change the admission criteria somewhat. They are looking for parents to be involved in the process.  Contact Dr. Dolores Garcia-Blocker at the B.O.E.

(8)  Powerschool & Naviance.  Powerschool is the latest online grade management system.  Naviance is an online service to help students prepare for college.  Students will set goals and interests and track their progress toward them.  Parents can then view and add -- but not change or delete -- students' choices.  Parents may attend one of the following two-hour training sessions: July 30 or Aug. 7, 10 a.m., 3 p.m. or 6 p.m.  The district is trying to recruit parents to learn the system and then help out with the transition in their own school building.  Anyone interested should contact Daniel.Diaz@new-haven.k12.ct.us.

(9)  New superintendent to be announced July 22.  

Chalkville 2013

ESUMS parent Elinor Slomba is leading a community effort to break the world's record for largest pavement chalk art in West Haven this summer.

Website: http://artsinterstices.wordpress.com/ or https://www.facebook.com/Chalkville?fref=ts

Register at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15ZDcqd-EmP8D5hU9ONPSnbefAKkI5GPIND1QWscy0_k/viewform