Chart Chat 11/2/11
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. The time is now for 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
WHAT: Public Charter School Soccer Championship Game:Washington Latin vs. Capital City
WHO: Four public charter schools: Cesar Chavez, Capital
City, E.L. Haynes, and Washington Latin are vying for the first DC
Charter Cup starting this week.
WHEN: Saturday, November 5 at 3PM.
WHERE: The Championship game is
going to be played on the DC United practice facility next to RFK. DC
United graciously donated the use of the field for our game. Please visit the DC United website for more field details: http://www.dcunited.com/matchday/directions-parking/directions-to-training-complex
DETAILS: This will become an annual tradition with the winning school hoisting the Cup
and keeping it on display at their school until the next year's winner
is decided. We hope this will be the foundation that will organize and
energize the Charter School soccer community.
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UPCOMING LOCAL EVENTS
WHAT: TONIGHT! Youth Education Professionals, The Flamboyan Foundation and Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) present “Family Engagement: Bridging the Classroom-to-Living Room Divide”
WHERE: Russell Senate Office Building, Room 325 (Accessible via Union Station Metro)
WHEN: Wednesday, November 2, 2011, 6:00pm-8:30pm
RSVP: http://bit.ly/YEPDCFamilyEngagement
DETAILS: The research is clear: family engagement is critical to the success of our education system – from implementing large-scale reform to improving individual student achievement levels. Across the board, there is agreement among education leaders and stakeholders that parents and family members are central to the success of a school, a teacher, and a student. There is less agreement and less clarity around what family engagement is, what family engagement is supposed to look like, and what effective, replicable models of family engagement exist. Please join YEP-DC, the Flamboyan Foundation, and Senator Michael Bennet at the panel event “Family Engagement: Bridging the Classroom-to-Living Room Divide” where we will explore the role of educators, schools, districts, and the federal government in developing, identifying, and scaling up best practices in effectively engaging parents, families, and community members in a child's education.
Sponsored by Senator Michael Bennet, with support from the Flamboyan Foundation
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WHAT: PUBLIC OVERSIGHT HEARING BY THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE
“Youth Perspectives on Middle Grades Education in the District”
WHEN: SATURDAY, NOVMBER 5, 2011, AT 10:00 A.M.
WHERE: THE JOHN A. WILSON BUILDING, COUNCIL CHAMBER 500
1350 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE, N.W. WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004
DETAILS: Council Chairman Kwame R. Brown announces a public oversight hearing by the Committee of the Whole to hear views on middle grades education from District students. The hearing will occur on Saturday, November 5, 2011, at 10:00 a.m., in the Council Chamber Room (500) of the John A. Wilson Building, which is located at 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20004. The purpose of this public oversight hearing is to hear public testimony from District of Columbia youth regarding issues that impact their lives.
REGISTER: Youth, aged 21 and younger, who wish to testify at this hearing should contact the Council’s Office of Youth Programs at (202) 724-8161 to register or by email at youthprograms@dccouncil.us. Witnesses may also register online by visiting www.dccouncil.us/youthhearings. Witnesses must be registered by the close of business on Thursday, November 3, 2011. When registering to testify, persons should leave their name, telephone number, email and mailing addresses, and organizations they are representing, if any. Each person presenting oral testimony may be limited to THREE (3) minutes in order to permit each witness an opportunity to be heard.
OTHER: Written testimonies are strongly encouraged and will be made a part of the Council’s official record. Witnesses interested in submitting written testimony are requested to either provide 20 copies of their testimony on the day of this hearing or submit one copy by Thursday, November 3, 2011. Written testimony should be submitted to the Council’s Office of Youth Programs, located at the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 11, Washington, D.C. 20004, emailed to youthprograms@dccouncil.us.
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WHAT: You’re Invited—Become Part of the School Leaders Network!
WHO: D.C. Public Charter School Principals
DETAILS: New Leaders is excited to continue our partnership with the School Leaders Network (SLN) to offer a transformative leadership development experience for DC charter school principals! The DC New Leaders Charter School Network will be facilitated by Dr. Sheila C. Gray, a former school and district leader, with extensive experience and training in facilitation. The network will meet once a month (November through June) for a dinner meeting to explore issues that directly impact your work as educational leaders.
WHEN: The first network meeting will take place on Monday, November 14, 2011, from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm
WHERE: Embassy Suites-Washington, D.C., 1250 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20037.
MORE INFO and RSVP: Interested principals should contact Dr. Sheila Gray at drsc_gray@yahoo.com by Wednesday, November 9, 2011. For more information about the School Leaders Network, visit www.nslnetwork.org.
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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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