Chart Chat 09/07/11
Charter Chat 09/07/11
Welcome old and new subscribers! Charter Chat is published weekly by Friends of Choice in Urban Schools, better known as FOCUS, a nonprofit organization that supports quality public charter schools in the District of Columbia. We hope that you find the resources and information in this e-newsletter useful.
Feel free to forward this email to other parents and community members who might benefit from the information and wish to subscribe directly. If for any reason you don’t receive an edition of Charter Chat, please visit our website and sign up to subscribe. It’s quick and easy: www.FOCUSdc.org/get-involved Of course, should you decide that this newsletter is not beneficial, you may opt out at any time. See the bottom of this message for links to subscribe, forward, and unsubscribe.
Submission Instructions: The more submissions we have, the more useful this e-newsletter will be! Email us at charterchat@focusdc.org to submit youth-oriented and family-friendly events and resources to include in future newsletters with “for charter chat” in the subject line. Please submit entries in the format found in the newsletter below. Entries must be received by COB Monday to be included in the Wednesday edition that week. We generally include entries three weeks in advance of the event date, deadline, or activity start date. We may provide more lead-time for contests, scholarships, competitions, etc. where time for preparation is required.
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Get Involved with FOCUS!
The stakes for education reform have never been greater in DC. Our time is now and we need YOU to get involved. Sign up today to join the movement at FOCUS. www.FOCUSdc.org/Join-Movement
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CHARTER SCHOOL EVENTS & OPEN HOUSES
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WHAT: DC Prep PCS Back to School Bash!
When: Friday, September 23rd from 7-10 PM (with school tours beginning at 6:30)
Where: At DC Prep’s Edgewood Elementary Campus, 707 Edgewood St. NE
DETAILS: Does September make you yearn for a new notebook, pencil box, and fantastic first-day-of-school outfit? If so, then join the fun at DC Prep’s Back to School Bash! There will be drinks of all varieties, delicious food, and dancing. DC Prep has a great track record and an exciting future ahead. We are ready to celebrate!
COST: $100 per person (The whole cost of the event will be underwritten, so every penny will go to the school!).
CONTACT: Buy tickets online at http://www.dcprep.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=news.welcome&newsid=302 or call 202.635.4590 with any questions
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WHAT: KIPP DC Shaw Campus Beautification Day
WHEN: Saturday, September 10th; 10:00am-12:00pm
WHERE: 421 P. Street NW, Washington, DC
DETAILS: Help us create a beautiful mural and plant four raised garden beds at our Shaw campus!
CONTACT: www.kippdc.org or call 202-265-KIPP (5477) with any questions
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WHAT: KIPP DC Douglass Campus Open House
WHEN: Wednesday, September 14th, 9:30am-11:00am
WHERE: 2600 Douglass Road SE, Washington, DC
DETAILS: Learn more about the 4 schools serving students in grades preK3-12 at KIPP DC’s Douglass campus.
CONTACT: To attend our open house, please contact Rachel Wandell, rachel.wandell@kippdc.org
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WHAT: Volunteer to help kids be active and healthy at school
Action for Healthy Kids http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/get-in-the-action/ invites you to Get in the Action in Washington, DC!
WHEN: On September 16-17
DETAILS: Volunteers will work in four DC public schools to build indoor and outdoor PE spaces and school gardens, as well as lead recess activities and conduct taste tests of healthy foods. Community Academy PCS is one of the participating schools. Volunteers of all skill levels are needed to help out for a full day or half day.
REGISTER: to volunteer here
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UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS
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WHAT: "One City…One World: Peace, Tolerance, Service and Remembrance”
You are cordially invited by Mayor Vincent C. Gray, the DC Center for Global Education and Leadership, and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to the “Global DC Initiative” Launch Event. The city honors lives lost on 9-11 by teaching peace, appreciation for diversity, and global understanding to a new generation of DC schoolchildren. This event will announce the “Global DC Initiative,” a public-private partnership to engage city educators, students, parents, community partners, and the city’s international community in building a vision for how DC schools can better prepare PK-12 students for knowledgeable and responsible global citizenship in the 21st century, drawing on the unique international resources of our city.
WHEN: Friday, September 9, 2011- 11:00am to 12:30pm
WHERE: Cardozo Senior High School, 13th and Clifton Streets, NW (Closest Metro: U Street/Cardozo-Green Line (street parking limited)
DETAILS: Keynote Speaker: Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, Director, Smithsonian National Museum of African Art. DC educators and high school student groups are especially welcomed. We encourage all DCPS and DC public charter schools to send representatives to learn about the Global DC initiative.
COST: Free
CONTACT: RSVP requested to sally@dc-cgel.org or 202-251-1692.
WHAT: Eat at Chipotle and support farm to school
WHEN: September 14 from 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
DETAILS: Chipotle, the popular burrito restaurant chain, will hold a fundraiser for the D.C. Farm to School Network at Arcadia. That evening, 50% of all sales at all metro-Washington, DC Chipotle restaurants, up to $15,000, will be donated to us for farm to school programs. So enjoy a burrito on your way home from work, and support a good cause!
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WHAT: Free Family-Friendly events during the run of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!
WHERE: Mead Center (1101 Sixth Street SW)
WHEN: Saturday afternoons during the run of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!from 12:30-1:30 p.m., prior to the 2:00 p.m. matinee.
DETAILS: Come enjoy a petting zoo on the Sixth Street sidewalk with the return of Pony To Go. Pony To Go has a wide variety of animals including ponies, snakes, sheep, ducks, guinea pigs, turtles, pigs, rabbits and goats. Pony To Go will be present every Saturday through October 1st, excluding dates when other special events are scheduled (7/30, 8/13 and 9/24). This is fun for the whole family. For more information please go to www.arenastage.org or call 202-488-3300.
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YOUTH PROGRAMS / CLASSES / CAMPS
WHAT: The American Youth Chorus is Seeking New Voices
DETAILS: The American Youth Chorus, the youth outreach of the famed Congressional Chorus of Washington, is seeking new voices and fresh faces for its Junior and Senior Divisions for the upcoming season!
Children ages 8-14 from DC, MD and VA are encouraged to audition for the chorus, which consists of approximately 65 students from across the Washington DC metro region. No preparation or experience is necessary, a simple session with the Artistic Director will take about 15 minutes. Potential singers need not prepare a song in advance. The artistic director will run some scales and warm-ups with your child and have him or her sing something familiar such as “Happy Birthday.”
WHEN: Rehearsals are held on Tuesdays (ages 8-10) and Thursdays (ages 11-14) from 4:30 – 6 pm WHERE: Atlas Performing Arts Center, 1333 H St NE, Washington DC.
Past performances have taken place at the Kennedy Center, the US Capitol Building, an Inaugural Children’s Ball, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival with the Welsh National Opera, and for the Kennedy Center Honorees awards dinner. The chorus has been featured on CBS, CNN and C-SPAN.
TO SCHEDULE AN AUDITION: please email Debby_McConnell@congressionalchorus.org
or call 202-399-7993, x182.
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WHAT: The Children's Chorus of Washington (CCW) – a great local organization -- is
holding auditions for the 2011-2012 season that begins next month.
DETAILS: The more advanced groups participate in domestic and international tours
and in performances with the National Symphony Orchestra and adult professional
choruses at venues like the Kennedy Center and Strathmore Hall.
Girls and boys with unchanged voices, ages 9-16 can try out for placement in
CCW's Treble, Bel Canto and Concert Choruses. Boys with changed voices can try
out for the new Young Men's Ensemble. Tuition scholarships are provided to all
students with demonstrated financial needs.
TO SCHEDULE AN AUDITION: no preparation or experience is necessary; just call (202)
237-1005 to schedule an appointment for a simple individual hearing with
Artistic Director, Ms. Joan Gregory.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: please visit www.childrenschorus.com or call Sophie Maupoil at (202)
237-1005.
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WHAT: Words Beats & Life, Inc. Enrollment Day for the DC Urban Arts Academy
WHERE: St. Stephen's Church, 1525 Newton Street NW, WDC
WHEN: Tuesday, September 6, 2011; 6pm-9pm.
DETAILS: Words Beats & Life, Inc. is a hip-hop non-profit that aims to transform individual lives and whole communities through the presentation & teaching of the elements of hip-hop culture. Our FREE Academy classes, serve students ages 5-23 who are interested in learning DJing, beat production, bboying, emceeing, graffiti, photography, spoken word, and chess. All of our instructors are working artists who actively are practicing their craft professionally. Students who regularly attend classes & engage in our program have the opportunity to be matched with a one-on-one mentor, build their resumes/artistic portfolios, perform at various events throughout the year, showcase their talent, get community service hours, and network with other artists in the DC metropolitan area. Our programming typically runs in 3-to-4month sessions from 6-9pm at three different locations in the District, and continues throughout the entire year. Enroll your young person for our next session!
CONTACT: Lauren Schreiber, Assistant Academy Director at lauren@wblinc.org or 202-667-1192
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WHAT: College Bound - Academic Mentoring Program
WHEN: September 2011 – May 2011
WHERE: Gonzaga College High School, Chavez Public Charter School on Capitol Hill, Sherwood Recreation Center, Beacon House Recreation Center or Black Entertainment Television
DETAILS: At site students are matched in a one-to-one relationship with a college educated mentor who implements our college prep curriculum focused on vocabulary, writing, reading and math skills. The program commitment is one night a week for two hours. Students also participate in mentoring activities monthly and enrichment activities throughout the year.
COST: FREE
CONTACT: Toronto Alsbrooks at (202)8420858 or toronto@collegebound.org
Application available at www.collegebound.org
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WHAT: Prata Creative “Spanish Playshops” Fall 2011 Session – Registration OPEN
WHEN: Every Saturday, Sept 10 - Nov 5 in Columbia Heights and Capitol Hill.
WHERE: Josephine Butler Parks Center, 2437 15th St. NW, WDC 20009 OR 1325 Maryland Ave. NE, WDC 20002 (Free parking behind both locations)
DETAILS: A “Fun+Learn” immersion experience for young children to learn Spanish naturally through conversation and play! Parents and Tots 1 & 2 yrs, 9:30 – 10:20am; Just Kids 3 – 4 yrs. 10:30-11:20am; Cost $190+tax/child
CONTACT: Register online, www.pratacreative.com or call, 202.656.0044
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WHAT: Edison Electric Institute Safety Fair Art Contest
DEADLINE: September 15, 2011; 5:00pm
DETAILS: Each student in the 2nd grade is invited to participate in the Safety Fair Art Contest by Edison Electric Institute. Students are allowed to create one entry. The artwork can be done using: paints, markers, and/or pens. Collages are welcomed too. The entry should communicate the importance of being prepared for emergencies. Students are encouraged to discuss the project with their parents and teachers. Please refer to the attached information as a guide. However, all artwork must be completed by the students. Teachers will collect the entries and send them to Edison Electric Institute (address below). Entries will be judged by EEI staff based on artwork content, originality, and relevance to emergency preparedness. All student participants will receive a certificate of recognition from EEI. The winning entrant will receive a $100 gift card and his/or her artwork posted at EEI offices. The 2nd prize entrants will receive a $50 gift card and the 3rd prize entrant will receive $25 gift card.
CONTACT: 701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW , Washington, DC 20004, Attention: Jennifer McKinney
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JOBS /INTERNSHIPS /VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
WHAT: Communications Internship for High School Student Fall 2011
WHEN: No more than 5 hours per week beginning in September 2011. The Teen Toolbox internship opportunity begins in the fall 2011 semester.
Flexible internship opportunity will combine journalism, marketing, networking, and social media. REQUIREMENTS: Intern must be motivated and able to work independently. (Virtual internship opportunity available for high school student outside of the Washington metropolitan area.) • Unpaid internship for high school student.
DETAILS: Flexible internship opportunity will combine journalism, marketing, networking, and social media. TO APPLY: send an email with the subject “Internship” to theteentoolbox@yahoo.com.
A complete email application should include:
1.Name
2.Age/Grade
3.Hometown
4.One paragraph summary on how social media can be used to empower teens.
5.One paragraph summary on your favorite media/marketing story this year and why.
6.Reason why you are applying for the internship and previous communications experience.
Creativity welcomed. Do not be afraid to express your skills, talents and interests in your writing.
DEADLINE: We are accepting applications for a high school Communications intern through August 31, 2011.
WHAT: 8th Biennial US-Africa Business Summit
WHEN: October 5, 2011 – October 7, 2011
WHERE: The Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
2660 Woodley Park Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
DETAILS: The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), whose members represent 85 percent of total American private sector investment in Africa, will convene the 8th Biennial U.S.-Africa Business Summit on October 5-7, 2011 at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. The U.S.-Africa Business Summit is regarded as essential for anyone looking to do business in Africa. It provides a unique opportunity for companies seeking to develop and strengthen relationships with senior government and corporate leaders charged with enhancing and increasing business operations on the continent. The Summit will address the latest trade and investment opportunities in Africa’s most promising sectors including agribusiness, power and energy, financing, health, infrastructure, and goods and services, with as many as 2,000 key African and U.S. private sector and government representatives in attendance. For more information please visit www.africacncl.org.
CONTACT: Please e-mail resume and shift availability to summit@africacncl.org with the subject line: Volunteer Recruitment.
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NETWORKING ONLINE
FOCUS is online and awaiting to further connect with you and the charter school community. Find and follow us on the following links.
Official Website| www.focusdc.org
Facebook| www.facebook.com/focusdc
Twitter| www.twitter.com/focusdc
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