Charter Chat 4/11/12
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
Reminder
WHAT: AppleTree Early Learning PCS Open House
WHEN: Tuesday, April 17 from 9:30 am to 10:30 am
WHERE: All campuses (visit http://www.appletreeinstitute.org/schools for specific locations)
CONTACT: Email info@appletreeinstitute.org
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Reminder
WHAT: Bridges PCS Information/Open House Session
WHEN: Thursday, April 12 from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
WHERE: 1250 Taylor St NW
DETAILS: Bridges PCS received approval on March 20, 2012 to expand into an elementary school program and will ultimately serve students preschool through fifth grade. The school will add a grade level each year, three classroom for each grade level, and will reach capacity with 5th grade in 2017-2018.
Bridges will be serving students in grades preschool through kindergarten for the 2012 – 2013 school year.
The application for the lottery is posted January 1st each school year. Applications received after April 17 will be put on a waiting list. Bridges' lottery will be held on Monday, April 30, 2012.
Eligibility:
Bridges will be serving students in grades preschool through kindergarten for the 2012 – 2013 school year. You are eligible to apply if:
• You reside in the District of Columbia.
• Your child is eligible to attend preschool if they will be 3 years old by September 30th.
• Your child is eligible to attend pre-Kindergarten if they will be 4 years old by September 30th.
• Your child is eligible to attend Kindergarten if they will be 5 years old by September 30th.
CONTACT: Please call the school to register for a session at (202) 545-0515. If you would like your child to attend Bridges please download the PDF of the application from the school's website (www.bridgespcs.org) from the admissions page or pick it up at the school. Complete the form, and return it to the school in person, by mail, or via fax.
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Reminder
WHAT: Mary McLeod Bethune Day Academy Open House
WHEN: Wednesday, April 18 from 10:00 to 11:00 am
WHERE: 1404 Jackson St NE
CONTACT: Should you have any questions, contact Ms. Webster at 202-459-4710 or send an email to s.webster@mmbethune.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 April 12 or April 26 (Thursdays)
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: Hospitality High School Spring Fling and Enrollment Fair
WHEN: Monday, April 16, 2012 from 12:00pm to 3:00pm
WHERE: 4301 13th Street NW (Entrance in back of the building at Iowa and Upshur Street.
DETAILS: This event for the community and prospective students and their families and will feature live broadcast from WKYS, campus tours, free BBQ for first 100 guests, games, prizes and more.
CONTACT: To RSVP and for more information, contact Ms. Haskin at (202) 737-4150 or jhaskin@hospitalityhigh.org. You can also visit www.washingtonhospitality.org
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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: The Sociology of Food, presented by the District of Columbia Sociological Society
WHEN: Thursday, April 12, 2012. A reception will begin at 6:30 pm, while the panel will be held from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
WHERE: George Washington University, Phillips Hall 411
DETAILS: Hear from three speakers, including Ivy Ken of George Washington University, whose research focuses on food service providers for DC public charter schools alongside the networks and relationships that have facilitated the implementation of the 2010 DC Healthy Schools Act, exploring the intersections of food and society.
CONTACT: Contact Steven Tuch at steven.tuch@gwu.edu for more information.
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Reminder
WHAT: Perry Street Prep PCS & the HBCU Council of Shiloh Baptist Church present a College Preparedness Workshop for students and parents
WHEN: Saturday, April 28, 2012 from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
WHERE: Perry Street Prep PCS (1800 Perry Street NE)
DETAILS: Students from any school in the DC Metro area are invited to attend, along with their parents or guardians. The Workshop is free and open to students and parents from throughout the DC Metro area. The Workshop will offer an SAT Strategy Session for students, conducted by The Princeton Review. Parents can participate in the College Preparedness Workshop, which will feature experts from HBCUs offering advice on admissions, financial aid, scholarships and other info of value to first generations going to college. An RSVP is required to attend and registration is now open.
CONTACT: Registration can be completed online at http://www.pspdc.org/collegeprepworkshop or by calling 888.210.8501, ext. 555. Light refreshments will be served.
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Reminder
WHAT: Howard Road Academy PCS Flea Market
WHEN: Saturday, April 14 from 9 am - 12 pm
WHERE: Howard Road Academy PCS - Main Campus (701 Howard Road SE)
CONTACT: Please contact Ms. James at 202.610.5780 or the PTO at howardroadpto@gmail.com
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SCHOLARSHIPS / CONTESTS / AWARDS
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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Reminder
WHAT: Family Engagement Middle and High School Teacher Fellowships
WHEN: Applications are due at 9:00 am on April 12.
DETAILS: The Flamboyan Foundation is pleased to invite middle and high school teachers in Washington, DC public and public charter schools to apply for Family Engagement Middle and High School Teacher Fellowships ($2,000). The Fellowship is designed to recognize middle and high school teachers in DCPS or Washington, D.C. public charter schools who do a good job engaging families in ways that accelerate student learning and are interested in growing the knowledge base of what works in family engagement at the secondary school level. Up to ten teachers will be chosen for this thirteen-month opportunity to strengthen their own practice and adapt tools, templates, and programs for family engagement to better fit the middle and high school context. The Family Engagement Middle and High School Teacher Fellowship application process is not time-consuming, and we urge you to consider applying and/or to share this information with other teachers who might be interested in this opportunity.
CONTACT: Email applications to Lela Spielberg at lspielberg@flamboyanfoundation.org.
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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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Reminder
WHAT: U12 Boys Travel Soccer Tryouts for CFC Diplomats
WHEN: Ongoing through Spring 2012
WHERE: Watkins Elementary School (13th and E St NE) or Marine Barracks Field (7th and Virginia Ave SE)
DETAILS: There are several openings on the Diplomats team: http://www.ncsl-soccer.com/teams/36465765/28324546-36465874/TEAM.html. Please contact us if your son or someone you know is interested. You can also request a tryout directly by completing this form: http://sites.google.com/site/capitalfutbolclub/tryouts. We practice Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm at the Barracks Field.
CONTACT: Learn more about Capital Futbol Club and its teams here: http://www.capitalfc.org/
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COMMUNITY EVENTS
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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WHAT: Want to Find a Job – Register with OneCityOne Hire.org today!
WHEN: Tuesday, April 17, 2012
WHERE: Dorothy Height Community Academy Public Charter School (1400 1st Street NW)
DETAILS: In September 2011, Mayor Vincent Gray launched the first phase of an ambitious, hiring initiative entitled One City ∙ One Hire, which asks area employers to hire one qualified unemployed District resident. The Department provides screenings, training and other services to facilitate job-seeker and employer matchings at no cost. The second phase of this initiative is designed to reach out to thousands of disconnected, unemployed District residents so that we can better match them with One City ∙ One Hire employer partners who have job openings to fill. Encourage DC residents looking for work to register at an event or online at http://onecityonehire.org. Once they register, they will also be invited to visit a One Stop Career Center near them to assist them with their job search, including career counseling, career planning, resume building assistance, unemployment insurance, and inform them of other programs or services. Visit http://onecityonehire.org/ and click on “upcoming events.”
COST: Free!
CONTACT: For more information, call Tyrone Howze, Dorothy I. Height Community Academy tyronehowze@capcs.org at (202) 445-3051.
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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.
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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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