Charter Chat 4/18/12
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: http://focusdc.org/join-movement. 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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ATTENTION PARENTS! It’s enrollment season for DC public charter schools. Don’t miss the open house or enrollment deadlines! We’ve included some of the open houses in this newsletter, but you can find many more here: http://focusdc.org/content/april-dc-public-charter-school-open-house-dates. You can find public charter school open house information here: http://focusdc.org/content/public-charter-school-enrollment-deadline-and-information. Follow us on Twitter for updates on the open house schedules: www.Twitter.com/FOCUSdc.
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CHARTER SCHOOL OPEN HOUSES / ENROLLMENT EVENTS
WHAT: AppleTree Early Learning PCS Open House
WHEN: Thursday, May 3 from 4 pm to 5 pm
WHERE: All campuses (visit http://www.appletreeinstitute.org/schools for specific locations)
CONTACT: Email info@appletreeinstitute.org
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Reminder
WHAT: The SEED Public Charter School of Washington, D.C. (Grades 6-12) Parent Information Sessions and Tours
WHEN: 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm on Thursday, April 26
WHERE: 4300 C St SE
DETAILS: Applications accepted for students entering the 6th grade only
CONTACT: To RSVP call 202-248-3025 or email admissions@seedschooldc.org
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UPCOMING EVENTS
WHAT: Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy - Capitol Hill Campus: Open House
WHEN: Saturday, April 21st at 11:30am
WHERE: 709 12th Street SE
DETAILS: Visit Chavez Capitol Hill on April 21 and discover everything that we have to offer! Meet the Principal and teachers, and learn about our college prep academic program and innovative Public Policy theme. You will also have a chance to tour the campus, meet current scholars and find out about student life at Capitol Hill. We hope to see you there! Please arrive promptly at 11:30am for a special presentation from Principal Keaton followed by a BBQ!
CONTACT: Email alma.manzano@chavezschools.org
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WHAT: Bum Rush the Boards Chess Tournament
WHERE: Columbia Heights Recreation Center (1480 Girard St NW)
WHEN: Saturday, April 21 from 10 am – 4 pm
DETAILS: Registration is open until April 19 for individual and team play, including workshops connecting the elements of hip-hop to Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Arts (S.T.E.M.A.) subjects, an invitational round hosting local celebrities playing chess, prizes, and lunch. Register at http://wblinc.org/bumrush/event-registration/ and check out our past tournaments at http://vimeo.com/7202806.
CONTACT: Email bumrush@wblinc.org or call 202.667.1192
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WHAT: DC Promise Neighborhood Initiative - Community Dinner
WHEN: Wednesday, April 25st from 6:30pm - 8:30 pm
WHERE: Kenilworth Elementary School (1300 44th Street NE)
DETAILS: Community dinners bring together residents, partners, stakeholders, and other supports of DCPNI to foster fellowship and share the progress of our initiative. In addition, as a collective we plan the future endeavors of DCPNI.
CONTACT: Visit www.dcpni.org
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SCHOLARSHIPS / CONTESTS / AWARDS
Reminder
WHAT: National Education Startup Challenge
WHEN: Deadline for submissions is Tuesday, May 1st
DETAILS: On February 1, 2012, ED launched a National Education Startup Challenge at http://nesc.challenge.gov. ED is inviting students to develop innovative, real-world solutions to help students to be college and career ready. Students are invited to submit a business plan and a video clip promotion for a for-profit or non-profit startup that includes an innovative strategy, product or service designed to address one of the following four topics: helping middle school students’ transition to high school and graduate; developing skills for success in postsecondary education; choosing affordable colleges that best suit student needs, consistent with their education and career goals; and increasing the likelihood students completing their college degrees on time or early. If you are in 6th grade through postsecondary or an out-of-school youth, you are eligible to participate.
CONTACT: To learn more about this and other exciting competitions, visit the Challenge.gov website at http://challenge.gov. If you have questions regarding the National Education Startup Challenge, email EDStartupChallenge@ed.gov or for assistance, please contact Scott Hess at 202-245-7772 or scott.hess@ed.gov.
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Reminder
WHAT: 2012 DC Congressional Art Competition
WHEN: The deadline for entries is April 25, 2012
DETAILS: The competition is open to all D.C. school students in Grades 8-12. If you have a talented son or daughter, or know of someone that does, this is an excellent opportunity to have their work shown and exhibited, win awards and prizes, or even get a scholarship. According to Eleanor Holmes Norton, in her capacity as Honorary Chair of the competition in the District of Columbia, the winning artwork will hang for one year in the U.S. Capitol in a national exhibit of winning artwork from the congressional district of every member of the House of Representatives.
CONTACT: To get a full copy of the application form and read additional details, visit https://parkviewdc.wordpress.com/2012/03/27/2012-d-c-congressional-art-competition-call-for-entries/
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YOUTH PROGRAMS / WORKSHOPS / CLASSES / CAMPS
WHAT: Health Fair and Open House
WHEN: Wednesday, May 2, 2012 from 12pm-3pm
WHERE: Maya Angelou Public Charter School, Middle School Campus Gymnasium
DETAILS: DC families are invited to receive free information from local health professionals while meeting star MAPCS students and staff at our annual Health Fair/Open House Extravaganza. This is an excellent two-in-one opportunity to focus on the health and education of the children you love. Over a dozen health professionals will be on site, and the Who’s Who of MAPCS students and staff will be available to answer questions about the academics, programs and extracurricular activities that make our middle school the very best the District of Columbia has to offer. We look forward to seeing you there!
CONTACT: For more information on the Health Fair, please contact Gregory Hill at ghill@seeforever.org. For information on the Open House, please contact Melanie Holmes at mholmes@seeforever.org
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WHAT: Punk Rope for Kids Demo Class and Certification Workshop
WHEN: Demo class: Saturday, May 12 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am; Certification workshop: Saturday, May 12 from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm
WHERE: Washington DC JCC (1529 16th Street NW)
DETAILS: Punk Rope is like a cross between recess and boot camp. It's the most
popular rope jumping class in the US. RJMax is our newest class, which blends rope jumping with high-intensity, interval training. Punk Rope for Kids is our rope-jumping program for children of all ages, which blends rope jumping with a variety of fun and creative fitness games. Teachers around the country give it a big thumbs up.
At the certification workshop, you’ll learn how to teach rope jumping to anybody in 4 easy steps; how to troubleshoot the most common jumping errors; jumps to improve agility, coordination, power, and speed; tips on how to jump faster, longer, and with less impact; sweat and smile-inducing fitness games and partner drills; and how to make run-of-the-mill calisthenics exciting and fun. The workshop includes lifetime certification to teach RJMax and Punk Rope, a PDF Instructor’s Manual, an adjustable jump rope, and CECs (ACE, AFAA, ACSM, NASM, and ISSA).
COST: The Demo class is free and the Certification workshop is $169. Save $40 on the workshop registration fee by using the discount code FOCUSDC when checking out from this link: http://punkrope.myshopify.com/products/51212. If you register by April 29 with the code, you can bring a friend for free!
CONTACT: Details about the demo class and workshop are below plus more
information can be found at www.punkrope.com. To attend the demo class, simply RSVP to tim@punkrope.com and let us know your height. We'll bring a rope for you to borrow.
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COMMUNITY EVENTS
Reminder
WHAT: Great Events for DC Area Educators
WHEN: Ongoing
WHERE: Busboys and Poets bookstore (14th and V)
DETAILS: Teaching for Change operates the bookstore at Busboys and Poets and coordinates the Zinn Education Project. Teaching for Change has scheduled a series of author events geared toward educators, where we will be giving away free books to teachers. The organization has also planned an educator appreciation weekend with discounts for K-12 educators in our bookstore.
CONTACT: The details of these items and more education-themed events can be found at http://teachingforchange.org/educatorevents
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Reminder
WHAT: 13th Annual Bethesda Literary Festival
WHEN: Friday, April 20 to Sunday, April 22
WHERE: Throughout Downtown Bethesda
DETAILS: The 13th annual Bethesda Literary Festival will host an array of local and national authors, journalists and poets, as well as writing contests and poetry contests. Featured literary guests include Thomas Friedman, Marvin & Deborah Kalb, Joby Warrick and Walter Isaacson. In a weekend that includes more than 20 entertaining events, the Bethesda Literary Festival will present fascinating literary personalities who will read their work, talk about their craft and take part in discussions with other writers and audience members. All of the events are free and are held throughout downtown Bethesda.
CONTACT: Call 301 215-6660
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Reminder
WHAT: “Imaging the Cellular and Microbial World,” a presentation by Steven Becker of NIAID/NIH
WHEN: Tuesday, April 24, 2012 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
WHERE: Silver Spring Civic Building, Fenton Room (One Veterans Place, Silver Spring, MD)
DETAILS: What are the challenges of biological imaging? How can we visualize infection and what can it tell us about disease? Join Steven Becker, Ph.D., of the biological imaging department of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health, to learn about the different imaging techniques researchers use to understand how cells of the immune system coordinate an immune response. He will also describe the microscopes he uses and bring a confocal microscope that is cut in half to show its inner workings.
CONTACT: For more information, call 301-319-3303 or visit http://nmhm.washingtondc.museum.
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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