Charter Chat 5/16/12
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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UPCOMING EVENTS
WHAT: Teach Plus Washington, D.C. Event: How Do We Measure School Quality?
WHEN: Wednesday, May 30, 2012. 5:30-7:30pm
WHERE: Pew DC Conference Center (901 E St NW)
DETAILS: The Deputy Mayor’s office, DC Public Schools, and the Public Charter School Board are examining how we report school quality, and they want teacher feedback about what really matters. Learn more and RSVP at http://bit.ly/phPT49.
CONTACT: Contact Tammy Whyte at twhyte@teachplus.org or 202.266.7859.
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WHAT: The Inspired Teaching School Family Fun Day
WHEN: Saturday, May 19th from 10 am to 2 pm
WHERE: 4401 8th Street NE
DETAILS: You don't want to miss the student-led fresh squeezed lemonade, healthy(!) snow cone and popcorn stands, teacher showcases, the moon bounce, a "make-and-take" flower pot decorating station and accompanying flower/herb sale, face painting, story time, dance and music sessions, and a writing workshop with 826DC. Revolution Foods and Springboard Aftercare will be on site to share how they contribute to Inspired Teaching. You'll also find a team of current families eager to talk about why they love Inspired Teaching as well as newly accepted ones who cannot wait to join us in the fall. Lunch can be purchased on site.
CONTACT: Visit http://www.inspiredteachingschool.org/calendar/
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WHAT: Washington Yu Ying PCS Annual Gala and Auction
WHEN: Saturday, June 2 from 4 pm to 8:30 pm
WHERE: 220 Taylor Street NE
DETAILS: The Washington Yu Ying Parent Association is pleased to announce the third annual Dragon Festival Gala featuring silent and live auctions in support of our school. Review the auction catalog, budget accordingly and bid generously! Support the businesses who have donated items!
Silent Auction • 4:00 to 6:45 pm
Live Auction • 7:15 to 7:45 pm
Dessert and Check out • 7:45 to 8:30 pm
Complimentary beer, wine and hors d’oeuvres; specialty cocktails available for purchase.
COST: $75 per ticket
CONTACT: For more information please contact YuYingGala@yuyingpa.org or visit yuyingpcs.schoolauction.net/dragongala2012
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Reminder
WHAT: Cesar Chavez Public Charter Schools for Public Policy - MEGA Enrollment Days
WHEN: Monday May 21- Thursday May 31 - See website for campus specific dates and times: www.ChavezSchools.org
WHERE: Chavez Capitol Hill, Chavez Parkside, Chavez Prep
DETAILS: Onsite application and registration onsite for new students. Re-enrollment (Phase I &II) for returning students.
CONTACT: Visit www.ChavezSchools.org
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Reminder
WHAT: Meridian’s 3rd Annual Life and Family Fiesta
WHEN: Saturday, May 26 from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm
DETAILS: The celebration will take place at Harrison field (right across from our new school building that is currently being renovated for the next school year). We will take this opportunity to celebrate the importance of life and family with our Meridian community. This year, our theme will be health and wellness. We will have various community organizations such as LAYC, PNC bank, CrossFit Praxis, WIC, MindStreams that will provide us with free resources. We will also have food, music, entertainment, and workout stations. So make sure you wear comfortable shoes and be ready to have fun!!
CONTACT: Email lhassell@meridian-dc.org
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Reminder
WHAT: Elsie Whitlow Stokes School's Gala Celebrating Excellence in Education
WHEN: Thursday, May 17 from 6:30 to 9:30 pm
WHERE: Meridian International Center (1630 Crescent Pl NW)
DETAILS: On May 17, Elsie Whitlow Stokes School will host its annual gala, Celebrating Excellence in Education. Part social event, part awards ceremony, and part fundraiser, the annual gala has come to be a much-anticipated springtime event at Stokes. This spring, the gala is honoring two incredible forces in D.C. education: Katherine Brittain Bradley of CityBridge Foundation and Malcolm "Mike" E. Peabody of Friends of Choice in Urban Schools.
CONTACT: Contact Amy Dickson, Director of Development at Stokes School, at amyd@ewstokes.org. Purchase tickets or become an event sponsor by visiting http://ewstokes.givezooks.com/events/gala-celebrating-excellence-in-education
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Reminder
WHAT: Washington Latin Public Charter School Annual Spring Carnival
WHEN: Saturday, May 19 from 11 am to 3 pm
WHERE: 4115 16th St NW
DETAILS: We are planning to have carnival games/activities, face painting, a fortune teller, tattoo artist (fake tattoos, of course), stilt walking performance, lots of food and plenty of fun for the kids. This year we are also planning to have a 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament for students of both the Upper School and Lower School campuses.
CONTACT: Email LCampbell@aila.org
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Reminder
WHAT: Get Your Skill On Workshop Series
WHEN: Dates vary
WHERE: Healthy Families/Thriving Communities Collaborative Council (1112 11th St NW, Suite B)
METRO: Mt. Vernon Square (Green line)
DETAILS: You’re invited to “Get your skill on!”, a new series of affordable workshops. The new series includes five workshops. They are:
• Who does what in the legislative and executive branches? (May 10, 10:00 am – Noon, $40)
• Getting the word out (May 17, 10:00 am - Noon, $40)
• The basics of social media for advocacy (May 24, 10:00 am - Noon, $40)
• Making the most of public hearings (May 31, 10:00 am - Noon, $60*)
• Advocacy communications beyond testimony (June 7, 10:00 am - Noon, $60*) [*See blog for details]
Any individual registering for all five workshops receives a 15% discount!
CONTACT: Details about the workshops are on the Helping Others Better blog.
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SCHOLARSHIPS / CONTESTS / AWARDS
WHAT: James (Jim) Schalk Memorial Association of Conservation Engineers Scholarship
WHEN: Deadline for submissions is Sunday, June 3
DETAILS: ACE is an international organization of engineers and allied personnel employed by conservation and natural resource agencies and consultants with specialized interests in the areas of fish, wildlife, parks, forests, and related conservation/recreation fields. The selection shall be restricted to undergraduate sophomore, junior, senior class, and graduate level students enrolled in an accredited course of college study directed toward a degree in engineering, any of the natural or cultural sciences, or agriculture. The student shall submit a technical paper of 1250 words maximum but not less than 750 words written in essay form. The paper’s topic shall relate to the conservation, preservation, and/or restoration of natural, cultural, or renewable resources. A recommendation letter, on university letterhead, from one of the student’s instructors shall accompany the submitted technical paper stating the student’s qualifications for this scholarship. The monetary value of this scholarship shall be $1,500.00 (one thousand five hundred dollars) paid directly to the recipient.
CONTACT: Apply at http://conservationengineers.org/downloads/ACE_Scholarship_form.pdf. Submissions may be sent by email to beicher@lawson-fisher.com. The instructor should send a separate email for their recommendation using their University email address.
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Reminder
WHAT: Make Your Own Money Contest
WHEN: Deadline for submissions is Friday, June 1
DETAILS: Win $2,000 for your business idea, plus a membership and resources from the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship! All you have to do is write an essay of up to 500 words describing the type of business you want to establish, who your customer is, how you will market your products and services, and what the seed money will mean for you. Send us up to three photos of yourself and your product(s). All entries will be judged by a judging panel made up of Seventeen editors and staff members from the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) based on the following criteria: innovation (33.3%); creativity (33.4%); business-savvy (33.3%).
CONTACT: Visit www.seventeen.com/makeyourownmoney to complete and submit the entry form and to review the official contest rules
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YOUTH PROGRAMS / WORKSHOPS / CLASSES / CAMPS
Reminder
WHAT: Ancient Greeks/Modern Lives: A National Conversation
WHERE: Locations and dates vary
DETAILS: The DC Public Library is proud to host Ancient Greeks/Modern Lives, a major national initiative bringing humanities-based public programming to 100 public libraries, arts centers, theaters and museums across America. Ancient Greeks/Modern Lives aims to inspire people to come together to read, see and think about classical literature and how it continues to influence and invigorate American cultural life. Over five weeks, we will host six public events in libraries around the city, each on a different theme. We invite you to come and be a part of the conversation.
CONTACT: Call or visit DC Public Library online at (202) 727-1288 or http://www.dclibrary.org/ancientgreeks for information on specific event details or if you have any questions.
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Reminder
WHAT: Children's Defense Fund - Freedom Schools Program
WHEN: Starting June 18, 2012-Ending August 3, 2012
WHERE: Maya Angelou Public Charter School, Middle School Campus (5600 East Capitol St. NE)
DETAILS: A free summer enrichment program operating Monday-Friday from 8:30 am to 3 pm, Freedom Schools offers students a program which boost student motivation to read and generates a more positive attitude towards learning and connects the needs of children and families to the resources of their communities. Students will receive free books to add to their personal libraries, free breakfast and lunch, free weekly field trips, exposure to social justice projects and high engagement for all participants.
CONTACT: For more information on the Freedom Schools, please contact Atlantis Browder at abrowder@seeforever.org or 202-232-2885.
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COMMUNITY EVENTS
WHAT: FREE chapter book (1 per teacher) for upper elementary on Japanese-American internment and a pre-Brown v. Board case
WHEN: Monday, May 21, 2012 from 6:30 pm to 8 pm
WHERE: Teaching for Change's Busboys and Poets Bookstore, 2012 14th St. NW, Washington DC 20009
DETAILS: In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and the anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision (May 17, 1954), we are pleased to host Winifred Conkling at Busboys and Poets (14 & V) to discuss her book of historical fiction: "Sylvia and Aki." A middle school book based on the true stories of Sylvia Mendez and Aki Munemitsu Nakauchi, two 3rd graders whose lives are connected by history. When Munemitsu’s family is forced to leave their home in Westminster, California to a Japanese American internment camp in Arizona, the Mendez’s move into their home. Sylvia Mendez looks forward to her first day of school, only to be told she and her siblings cannot enroll, whereas her lighter skinned cousins can. This leads to the ground-breaking Mendez vs. Westminster desegregation lawsuit which preceded Brown v. Board. Munemitsu worries everyday about her father who is interned separately for most of WWII. This book of historical fiction alternates chapters between the experiences of Sylvia and Aki, introducing the reader to the daily injustices of internment and school segregation.
**The first 15 classroom teachers to arrive will receive a FREE copy of the featured book, thanks to the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities!!
Purchase the book at Teaching for Change's bookstore at Busboys and Poets or order online here:
http://bbpbooks.teachingforchange.org/book/9781582463377
Co-sponsors:
Teaching for Change
Busboys and Poets
Center for Inspired Teaching
NCSS (National Council for the Social Studies)
Author events are free and open to the public. Full dining service is available during the event in the Langston Room at Busboys and Poets.
CONTACT: Don Allen, dallen@teachingforchange.org, 202-588-7204 ext. 24.
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Reminder
WHAT: National Museum of Health and Medicine 150th Anniversary Celebration Open House
WHEN: Monday, May 21, 2012 from 2:00 pm to 8:00 pm
WHERE: National Museum of Health and Medicine (2500 Linden Lane)
DETAILS: Please join the National Museum of Health and Medicine for its 150th anniversary celebration and grand opening open house! During this special free event, take a tour of the Museum's new exhibits on the evolution of military medicine, the wonders of the brain, Civil War medicine, biomedical engineering and so much more. No RSVP required.
COST: Free!
CONTACT: For more information, visit http://nmhm.washingtondc.museum/news/grandopeninginvite.html, call 301-319-3300, or e-mail medicalmuseum@gmail.com.
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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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