Charter Chat 06/20/12
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: YEP-DC’s Inaugural Research to Practice & Practice to Policy Conference
WHEN: Saturday, June 23 from 10 am to 4 pm
WHERE: 5335 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, MD
METRO: Friendship Heights (Red Line)
DETAILS: The YEP-DC Research to Practice & Practice to Policy Conference is designed to help young education professionals throughout the greater Washington, DC area explore ways to better organize, coordinate, and leverage the “Big 3” in education: Research, Policy and Practice. This conference is designed to give YEP-DC members the opportunity to roll up their sleeves and engage in collaborative, cross-sector problem solving to break down the divide between education policy and practice—to the benefit of our education system. This is not your typical conference where you are talked at, but rather a conference where your voice is critical.
COST: $15 (plus eventbrite fees; cost includes lunch)
CONTACT: Register at http://yepdcpolicyandpractice.eventbrite.com/.
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SCHOLARSHIPS / CONTESTS / AWARDS
Reminder
WHAT: America’s Best Blogging Scholarship
WHEN: Deadline for submissions is Friday, June 30
DETAILS: Last semester we asked students to tell us the most important issue facing the United States in the upcoming 2012 election. This semester we're asking students to pick their favorite presidential candidate, and in 300 words or more, tell us why that candidate has your vote. Applicant must have a cumulative high school grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4-point scale, have taken either the ACT or SAT test and must be a high school or home school senior graduating or earning a GED between August 1, 2011 and July 31, 2012 who will enroll for fall 2012 as a freshman at a two-year or four-year college or university. Any applicants already in college must be enrolled full-time at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university between the August 01, 2011 and July 31, 2012.
CONTACT: Visit http://yourlocalsecurity.com/scholarship.
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YOUTH PROGRAMS / WORKSHOPS / CLASSES / CAMPS
Reminder
WHAT: Summer 2012 with the DC Youth Orchestra Program
WHEN: The summer semester runs from Monday, July 16- August 3, 2012 class times vary between 5:30pm-7:30pm on Mondays and Thursdays.
WHERE: Eastern High School (1700 E. Capitol St. SE)
DETAILS: DCYOP offers beginner and intermediate classes in violin, viola, cello, string bass, flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, percussion, guitar, and recorder for students from ages 4½ to 19. Register online at www.dcyop.org!
COST: $235 for DC residents; $310 for MD and VA residents. Financial aid is available!
CONTACT: Contact Claudia Nash at Claudine@dcyop.org or the DCYOP via email at info.dcyop.org or by phone at 202 698-0123
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COMMUNITY EVENTS
WHAT: Join the National Museum of Health and Medicine’s Organ of the Month Club! June 2012: The Lungs
WHEN: Friday, June 22, 2012 from 10 am to 11:30 am
WHERE: The National Museum of Health and Medicine (2500 Linden Lane, Silver Spring, MD)
DETAILS: Your body is an amazing work of art! Each month, the National Museum of Health and Medicine will focus on a different organ. In June, learn about basic lung function and diseases that affect the lungs. Explore anatomy, medical imaging techniques used to examine the lungs, and pathology. After a brief lesson, attendees will create their own visual representation of the lungs. All participants will receive a wearable button featuring the Organ of the Month after each program. Attend each program and collect them all! This even is open to the public. Recommended for students in third through eighth grade. Reservations required; limited to 20 participants.
COST: Free!
CONTACT: For reservations and more information, call 301-319-3325 or email medicalmuseum@amedd.army.mil.
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Reminder
WHAT: Smithsonian Folklife Festival
WHEN: June 27 – July 1 and July 4 – 8
WHERE: Between Smithsonian museums on the National Mall
DETAILS: Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with special events taking place most evenings.
COST: Free!
CONTACT: Visit http://si.edu/Events/Calendar/?trumbaEmbed=date%3D20120623#/?i=1.
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Reminder
WHAT: Native Festival: Choctaw Days
WHEN: Saturday, June 23, 2012 from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm
WHERE: American Indian Museum
DETAILS: The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma celebrates its tribal history and heritage with four days of food, workshops, and performances. The tribe's rich military tradition, from "Little Brother of War” (stickball) warriors and Code Talkers during World War I to modern-day soldiers, is also honored. Other activities include Native dance and singing performances, storytelling programs, and booths showcasing beadwork, pottery, flutes, the Choctaw language, and tribal cooking.
COST: Free!
CONTACT: Visit http://si.edu/Events/Calendar/?trumbaEmbed=date%3D20120623#/?i=1.
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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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