P.S. 242- The Young Diplomats Magnet Academy

Coffee/ Tea Break with Mrs. D & Mrs. Ellman 

Date: December 9, 2021 

Time: 9:30am 

Topic:  MyON - We will go over the MyON website! 

  

 

Superintendent Chat with Superintendent Loughlin

Date: December 13, 2021 

Time: 5:30pm-6:30pm 

Flyer:  D3 November Cafe Update Notice.pdf 

PTA/ TITLE 1 PAC MEETING: 

DATE: DECEMBER 14, 2021

TIME: 6:00 PM

  PTA letter Agenda 12-14-21 docx 1.pdf 

 

Hello everyone, 

Please see below our family event calendar for the first half of the year! We look forward to having you join us. 

 Young Diplomats Magnet Academy 1st half of the year.pdf 

NYCDOE UPDATE: CHANCELLOR MEISHA PORTER SHARES MESSAGE OF GRATITUDE, ANNOUNCES NEW ROLE

New York City Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter today announced that she will conclude her role as Chancellor at the end of the year. As a lifelong public servant, Chancellor Porter will continue her dedication to New York City families and serve as the inaugural Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Bronx Community Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to supporting The Bronx, beginning in the new year.

Chancellor Porter is a New York City public school graduate who has led at every level of the Department of Education system over her decades-long career. She stepped into the role as Chancellor during one of the most pivotal moments in City and schools’ history as COVID-19 upended our schools, classrooms, daily lives, and the academic and social well-being of students.

Under her direction, New York City led the nation with every single school welcoming back their students to in-person learning this year that was supportive, rigorous and most of all, safe. Thanks to the vision and dedication of Chancellor Porter and her leadership team, New York City’s school reopening has been nationally lauded and set the gold standard in meeting the needs of children, families and staff. Read the press release for details!

NYCDOE UPDATE: LANGUAGE ACCESS FOR ALL

Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter and City Council announced the launch of “Language Access for All,” an historic $4 million investment in improving outreach, engagement and communication with multilingual families across New York City. Approximately 40 percent of New York City Department of Education families speak a language other than English at home, and this initiative will strengthen the NYCDOE’s ability to deliver resources to all families in a language that’s accessible for them.

This unprecedented investment stresses four critical areas of focus: 

1. Citywide multi-lingual “know your rights” campaigns
2. Expanding communications outlets and tools to reach more families
3. Building language access capacity of school staff
4. Partnering with community-based organizations to provide multilingual family workshops and language support

In addition to the language access investment by the City Council, the NYCDOE is expanding its central Translation and Interpretation Unit. This expansion will allow us to translate Individualized Education Program (IEP) to any family in their preferred language upon request. To request a translated IEP, families should contact their school, call 718-935-2013 or visit schools.nyc.gov/hello. Read the complete press release here.

NYCDOE UPDATE: VACCINES FOR EVERYONE AGES 5 AND UP

Dr. Easterling, First Deputy Commissioner and Chief Equity Officer at the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene joined NYCDOE Senior Deputy Chancellor Marisol Rosales for a discussion on COVID-19 vaccination. Frequently asked questions from parents provide the basis for this discussion.

Click to view on Parent University or on the DOE’s website under “Health and Wellness” (scroll down to view) 

Vaccine Details for Children Ages 5 -11

People of all ages can get COVID-19. While COVID-19 is more dangerous for adults, children are still vulnerable. With more contagious variants of the virus, more young people are getting COVID-19 and being hospitalized. Some people also have long-lasting health problems after having COVID-19, such as difficulty breathing, muscle and joint pain, headaches and tiredness.

 Getting children vaccinated also helps protect others, such as grandparents and relatives who have a medical condition that increases their risk for severe COVID-19. It even helps people in your community, since being vaccinated helps stop the spread of the virus. 

The Pfizer vaccine is now approved and available for children 5-11 years old in NYC

• Children aged 5-17 must get Pfizer. It is the only FDA/CDC vaccine approved for children.  
• The Pfizer vaccine is 2 doses, given 21 days apart, to be fully vaccinated 
• The vaccine went through rigorous research, trials, and evaluation and is safe, free, and easily accessible in NYC.  
• Everyone aged 5+ should get vaccinated against COVID-19 as soon as possible 
• Even if a child (or their parent) had COVID-19, they should still get the vaccine because it helps protect them against infection, severe illness, or death from COVID-19.  
• For more information about vaccines and children, families can go to nyc.gov/covidvaccine and see this FAQ.
• Parents or guardians can call 212-COVID19 (212-268-4319) with questions about the vaccine  

• People should also talk to their health care provider with concerns or questions specific to their own medical situation.  

 Vaccine Access:  

• Find a vaccine site near you at nyc.gov/vaccinefinder or by calling 877-VAX4-NYC 
  • You can search “Pfizer 5-11” under vaccine type for a site that administers to this age group 
• City-run vaccine sites will offer vaccines for children aged 5+ starting November 3, and there will be temporary sites in over 1,000 schools starting on Monday, November 8, 2021. Sites at schools can be found on the DOE website. 
  • For City-run sites, including H+H hospitals, appointments and walk-ins will be honored. 
• The City is working to ensure that health care providers, including pediatricians and pharmacies, across the City have access to vaccine supply for children. These providers will likely start coming online over the course of this week, check with your doctor, local pharmacy or nyc.gov/vaccinefinder.

 Consent: 

• Children must have a parent or guardian's consent to get the vaccine. Children 5-15 y/o must be accompanied by an adult when they receive the vaccine, and if the child is accompanied by an adult who is not the parent or guardian, written consent or verbal consent by phone from the parent or guardian must be obtained at the time of vaccination.
  • For specific questions about school vaccinations, please discuss with your child's school

Incentives: 

• The $100 individual incentive is available to children who get vaccinated. Children may use a parent's email address to redeem their visa gift card.
• Organizations participating in the $100 Vaccine Referral Bonus program (including PAs/PTAs) are also able to get the $100 incentive per child they refer to get vaccinated. See more information at nyc.gov/vaccineincentive 

Resources:

• YouTube: Videos from NYC Health in ten languages
• Parent University: Live and pre-recorded classes on Covid-19 Vaccines. The courses are taught by experts from the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), and include updates about COVID-19 vaccines, as well as live question-and-answer sessions. 
• NYCDOE website: Health and Safety in Our Schools

 NYCDOE UPDATE: Inclusion Summit and Inclusive Schools Week

Next week is Inclusive Schools Week! Monday-Thursday we encourage schools to participate in daily inclusive lessons and activities. Next Friday, we hope you can join us at the virtual Inclusion Summit, “Understanding and Ending Ableism.” Learn more and register here! 

The Summit will take place virtually during National Inclusive Schools Week (December 6-10). Monday-Thursday join schools across the country who are committing to rebuilding inclusive communities. We’re providing NYC schools with themes, lessons, and activities that focus on current disability and inclusion topics. Click here for activities. 

On Friday, NYC students will come together at a virtual event to explore the concept of ableism and hear from guest speaker, Peter Trojic. Peter is an inclusive dancer, actor, accessibility consultant, and NYC schools graduate. He will share his personal stories and lessons learned with disability, inclusion, and ableism. Register here! 

• Monday:  Importance of Inclusion
• Tuesday:  Disability Language
• Wednesday:  Accessibility and UDL
• Thursday:  Inclusion Advocacy
• Friday: Ableism Virtual Event Featuring Peter Trojic

The Summit is hosted by the DOE and Parents for Inclusive Education (PIE).  

Any questions? Email InclusionSummit@schools.nyc.gov. 

NYCDOE UPDATE: Seeking Administrative Assistants to the CCECs

Citywide and Community Education Councils are hiring!

Under the direct supervision of an Education Council President or designee, the Administrative Assistant to the Education Council supports Citywide and Community Education Councils (CCECs) in a manner that is consistent with New York State laws, Chancellor's Regulations governing the Council and DOE Standard Operating Procedures.

Please apply here or share this job description with your networks:

Administrative Assistant to the Community & Citywide Education Council (Citywide) - 12411

NYCDOE UPDATE: Upcoming Community Education Council Town Halls with Chancellor Meisha Porter

Chancellor Town Hall with Community Education Council 11 

Community Education Council 11  

Wednesday, December 8, 2021 from 6:30 p.m.–7:30 p.m. 

All District 11 parents are encouraged to attend! Please see our flyers in English, Spanish, Arabic, and Bangla.

Register for this event at the following link https://learndoe.org/cec/ 

 NYCDOE UPDATE: Literacy Summit - Reaching Every Reader

Thursday, December 9, 2021

10:00 AM – 3:30 PM EST

Register Here

The New York City Department of Education (DOE), in collaboration with Advocates for Children of New York and the ARISE Coalition, is hosting a virtual Literacy Summit on December 9, 2021 at 10:00 am, EST. Building on existing initiatives, the Summit brings diverse stakeholders, both within and outside the DOE together to strengthen our commitment and joint efforts towards advancing equitable literacy outcomes for all of our students. 

The Summit will feature keynote addresses from Lacey Robinson and Chancellor Porter, as well as three panels: 

• Evidence-Based and Culturally Relevant Practices: Working at the Intersection for Equity 
• All means ALL: Diversifying Literacy to Meet the Needs of Every Student 
• How do We Move Forward? Understanding the Shared Responsibility Around Literacy 

We invite you to join us as we engage with some of today’s respected thought leaders to explore current challenges in literacy and share implications for how we can together plan for the future.

NYCDOE UPDATE: Happy 1st Birthday, Parent University!

Happy 1st birthday, Parent University! A year after its launch, Parent University now offers more than 600 courses on topics like reading strategies for students with disabilities, Google Classroom, and how to cope with conflict at home. 

Over the past year, Parent University has helped thousands of City caregivers take more of an active and collaborative role in their children's education. Learn more about this learning platform at parentu.schools.nyc and check out some of our upcoming course offerings.

Read all about it on The Morning Bell blog and amNY!

NYCDOE UPDATE: “Understanding the Role of the CCEC Administrative Assistant” WEBINAR

The Office of Family and Community Empowerment (FACE) invites CCEC members to attend our upcoming webinar called “Understanding the Roles and Responsibilities of your Administrative Assistant”. Community Education Council 29 Administrative Assistant Nakida Chambers-Camille, along with FACE Liaison Bibi Matadin, will present and explain the roles & responsibilities of the Administrative Assistant to the Community & Citywide Education Councils (CCECs). 

Date: Monday, December 13, 2021 

Time: 6pm - 8pm

Click to register on Parent University (or search under “Parent Leadership” category)

NYCDOE UPDATE: “Advocacy and Support for Families” WEBINAR

Join the Manhattan Transition and College Access Center for a family workshop on advocacy and support! This workshop will feature presentations and resources from IncludeNYC and Sinergia.

Date: Wednesday, December 15, 2021 

Time: 6pm - 7pm

Click to register on Parent University (or search under “Special Education” category)

NYCDOE UPDATE: “Self-Advocacy and Self-Determination” WEBINAR

The Manhattan Transition and College Access Center (TCAC) welcomes families of students with disabilities to a workshop on self-advocacy and self-determination. This workshop allows families to develop a robust understanding of the importance of self-advocacy and self-determination and how to use those skills to help their children with postsecondary life.

Date: Thursday, December 16, 2021 

Time: 5:30pm - 7pm

Click to register on Parent University (or search under “Special Education” category)

NYCDOE UPDATE: “How to Manage Contentious Meetings” WEBINAR

Are you a CCEC Member or a CCEC Administrative Assistant? Join us for a virtual training called ”How to Manage Contentious Meetings”. In this webinar we will help you better understand issues such as: 

• The First Amendment and public commentary 
• How to structure the public comment period 
• What rules to put in place and still meet the requirements of the Open Meetings Law 
• How to set expectations for decorum at meetings 
• How to turn down the heat when things start to boil over 
• How to build community consensus around an issue

Date: Monday, December 20, 2021

Time: 6pm - 8pm

Click to register on Parent University (or search under “Parent Leadership” category

NYCDOE UPDATE: “Job Retention and Self-Advocacy in the Workplace” WEBINAR

The Manhattan Transition and College Access Center (TCAC) welcomes families of students with disabilities to a workshop on job retention and self-advocacy in the workplace. This workshop allows families to develop a robust understanding of the importance of job retention and how self-advocacy plays a crucial role in retaining jobs.

Date: Tuesday, December 21, 2021 

Time: 5:30pm - 7pm

Click to register on Parent University (or search under “Special Education” category)

NYCDOE UPDATE: Mindfulness Classes on Parent University!

Mindfulness is emerging in public education based on 60 years of teachers, parents, and families discovering and utilizing these strategies of stress management, attentional focus, awareness, acceptance, and self-regulation to: 

• Stay with & realize solutions to personal and public challenges and changes 
• Increase one's capacity to notice and appreciate life in ways that support resilience 
• Support joyful learning and growth 
• Develop critical thinking skills

Join us each Tuesday and Thursday at 7:30pm as we build community and harness the power of self-care and self-healing through the discovery of the conscious breath, meditation, and movement.

View this flyer and click to register on Parent University.(or search under “Health & Wellness” category

NYCDOE UPDATE: Proposed Chancellor’s Regulation D-210 for Vote by Panel for Educational Policy in December 2021

Chancellor’s Regulation D-210 is a new proposed regulation. It sets forth the New York City Department of Education’s anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policy governing the conduct of the elected and appointed members of the Community and Citywide Education Councils and establishes a procedure for the filing and resolution of complaints of violation of this regulation. 

The full text of this regulation can be found on the main page of the website of the Panel for Educational Policy. You can read the Public Notice and D-210 here.

Written comments may be submitted via email to RegulationD-210@schools.nyc.gov. Oral comments may be submitted via phone call to 929-552-7386.

The Panel for Education Policy will meet on December 21, 2021. This meeting will be held via teleconference, and will begin promptly at 6:00 PM. Additional guidance on how to access the meeting will be published prior to the meeting.

EVENT: The Do’s and Don’ts in Planning your New Year’s Resolutions

The New York Psychotherapy and Counseling Center is having its next cafe, “The Do’s and Don’ts in Planning Your New Year’s Resolution” on Wednesday, December 8 at 3:00pm.  This timely topic will cover the best ways to make your new year’s resolution a success and focus on financial and nutritional goals as key examples.  

 While the cafe is geared towards parents, anyone can join – it’s free and Spanish interpretation is available. See the flyer for details! 

EVENT: Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) Survey

On the night of Tuesday, January 25th, 2022, the Department of Homeless Services (DHS) will conduct its annual Homeless Outreach Population Estimate (HOPE) Survey, a point-in-time survey undertaken each winter that helps the City estimate the number of unsheltered New Yorkers living on the street on one of the coldest nights of the year. The results gathered through this survey provide the City with valuable information that helps determine how best to allocate resources in support of New Yorkers in need. 

Every January, thousands of volunteers across the five boroughs participate in NYC’s annual HOPE survey. Volunteers canvass streets, subway stations, parks, and other public spaces across the city to identify individuals living unsheltered. Volunteers are needed from approximately 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. on the night of January 25th. 

Thanks to the efforts of past volunteers along with the ongoing 24/7/365 efforts of DHS outreach workers via our HOME-STAT outreach program, we have helped more than 4,200 New Yorkers come off the streets and into transitional and/or permanent housing since 2016.

Of course, the safety of everyone involved in HOPE is our highest priority and a range of COVID safety policies and procedures will be in place, including:

• Proof of vaccination is required for all volunteers, and masks will be required at all times. 
• Facilities will be set up to promote social distancing, and masks and other PPE will be provided. 
• Training for HOPE volunteers will also be conducted remotely and volunteers will be dismissed remotely and will not be required to return to their designated HOPE site after canvassing.

Please visit nyc.gov/hope to learn more and to register. Volunteer participation is essential to helping us address the challenge of homelessness and support some of our City’s most vulnerable residents as they get back on their feet.

RESOURCE: Children’s Books About Mental Health

From The Child Mind Institute: We’ve contacted publishers all over to call in books that address mental health and learning disorders and other common challenges, like dealing with painful experiences and coping with strong emotions. See the complete list of 44 books here.

We included books for kids up to 12, from picture books to be read with preschoolers to chapter books for independent reading by older children. Our clinicians read them all and picked the best in each category, based on how helpful they found them.

Direct links to books about: Abuse | ADHD | Anxiety | Autism | Bullying | Depression | Dyslexia | Feelings | Grief and Loss | Identity | Neglect | OCD | Self-Esteem | Selective Mutism | Sensory Processing | Tourette’s Syndrome | Trauma

RESOURCE: 2022 NYC Public School Admissions Guide

The 2022 NYC Public School Admissions Guide is now available! This guide helps students and families participate in the admissions process. It onboards families to admissions and using MySchools while pointing to robust digital resources and personalized support options. The guide will be available for students and families who may be applying to:

• 3-K (children born in 2019)
• Pre-K (children born in 2018)
• Kindergarten (children born in 2017)
• Middle School (current 5th graders)
• High School (current 8th graders)

The printed guides are currently being delivered to schools, shelters, and community partners. We are aiming to finalize delivery in all languages by mid-November. All languages are now available online— scroll to the bottom of the page for links.

RESOURCE: The NY Public Library Best Books of 2021

The New York Public Library is proud to present our Best Books of 2021. Our annual recommendations for kids, teens, and adults, curated by our expert librarians, encompass fiction, nonfiction, graphic novels, poetry, kids’ books in Spanish, and much more.

All of these books are in the Library’s catalog and many are available in multiple formats, including e-books, audiobooks, and accessible editions. Happy reading!

Check the website for lists or download them here:

• Best Books for Adults
• Best Books for Kids
• Best Books for Teens
• Mejores libros para pequeños

RESOURCE: District 79 Offerings and Support Available

District 79 is New York City’s Alternative Schools district. We proudly serve over 50,000 students a year from 6 weeks old to 96 years old. Our Referral Center can be found citywide and offers students and families an opportunity to explore alternative options. 

• Students interested in obtaining a High School Equivalency Diploma can enroll in Pathways to Graduation for 17-21 years old
• Adults 21 years and older can enroll in Adult Education. 
• Families and students may also be interested in learning about District 79’s other offerings such as 
  • LYFE (Early Childhood Education)
  • Co-Op Tech (Career and Technical Education)
  • Judith S. Kaye Transfer High School. 

The District 79 team is here to support NYC. If you are interested in organizing a presentation for families, please reach out to Manny Pica at mpica@schools.nyc.gov.

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Warm Regards, 

The FACE Team