Charter Chat 5/23/2012

Charter Chat 5/23/12
 

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.

________________________________________

CALLING ALL MEMBERS OF THE D.C. PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL COMMUNITY! Once again this year Mayor Gray’s proposed budget underfunds the public charter school facilities allowance. This underfunding will play havoc with charter school budgets and make it harder for charters to get bank loans to acquire and renovate school space. The D.C. Council can fix this problem by coming up $3.2 million by June 5 to include in the Fiscal Year 2013 budget.

Show your support for D.C. public charter schools by calling and emailing your school's ward councilmember and each of the at-large councilmembers, starting with Kwame Brown. Tell them that the council should fully fund the charter school facilities allowance.

Also, tell them that the Council should fix the school funding law by including amendments in the Budget Support Act requiring that all funding for public charter school and DCPS operations should flow through the Uniform Per Student Funding Formula.

Finally, we ask that you join FOCUS at the Wilson Building next Wednesday morning at 10:30 for a show of force. We need a minimum of 100 people to make an impression; 200 would be far better. We will visit every councilmember and the mayor and deputy mayor for education to urge full funding of the facilities allowance.

UPCOMING EVENTS

WHAT: Sally Mugabe Lives Forever: A Children’s Play Written by Obi Egbuna Jr.
WHEN: Thursday, May 31, 2012 at 1:30 pm
WHERE: Roots Public Charter School (15 Kennedy St NW)
DETAILS: Join Roots Public Charter School and the Sankofa Home School Community as they present a post-African Liberation Day Celebration.
CONTACT: Email rootspcs@rootspcs.org.
---------------

WHAT: The Inaugural Chavez Public Policy Symposium
WHEN: Wednesday, June 6, 2012 from 2 pm - 4 pm
WHERE: US Department of Labor - Cesar Chavez Auditorium (200 Constitution Ave. NW)
DETAILS: Join us at the historic Cesar Chavez Auditorium on Wednesday June 6, 2012. Our top student public policy analysts present their findings on issues relevant to young people. Topics include Mandatory Minimum Sentencing, Same-Sex Marriage, Human Trafficking, and more!
CONTACT: Visit http://chavezpublicpolicysymposium.eventbrite.com
---------------

Reminder
WHAT: Teach Plus Washington, D.C. Event: How Do We Measure School Quality?
WHEN: Wednesday, May 30, 2012 from 5:30 pm -7:30 pm
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.
---------------

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
---------------

Reminder
WHAT: Meridian’s 3rd Annual Life and Family Fiesta
WHEN: Saturday, May 26, from 12 pm to 4 pm
WHERE: 1330 V Street NW
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

---------------

SCHOLARSHIPS / CONTESTS / AWARDS

WHAT: Express Yourself! A Juried Exhibition of Teen Art
WHEN: Submissions can be dropped off on Friday, June 8 from 10 am to 7 pm and Saturday, June 9 from 10 am to 4 pm
WHERE: Submissions should be dropped off at the Brentwood Arts Exchange, 3901 Rhode Island Ave., Brentwood, MD 20722
DETAILS: The Brentwood Arts Exchange announces a call for entries for its first show of youth artists, Express Yourself!, on display in the gallery from June 25 - August 10, 2012. Open to young artists ages 13-18 with a passion for creating visual art, the Brentwood Arts Exchange invites teens living or attending school in Prince George's County, Montgomery County, Fairfax County, Fairfax City, the City of Alexandria, the City of Arlington and the District of Columbia to submit one original artwork in any media, including drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, digital media and/or video. A first place award of $500, and a second place award of $300, and a third place award of $100 will be handed out. Materials should be delivered in person to the Brentwood Arts Exchange, located on the first floor of the Gateway Arts Center. Artists are responsible for transporting work to and from the gallery. Artwork must be delivered ready to hang and appropriately presented. For digital media, please submit a CD/DVD containing image or video, no longer than five minutes in duration. Artwork not ready for gallery installation may be rejected. Along with your artwork, please provide:
• Your name and contact information, including address, telephone number, and email.
• Title of artwork, media, dimensions, and sales price.
• *Optional: An artist's statement

CONTACT: Call 301 227-2863
---------------

Reminder
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.
---------------

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
---------------

YOUTH PROGRAMS / WORKSHOPS / CLASSES / CAMPS

Reminder
WHAT: 2012 STEM Summer Camp Classes
WHEN: Session dates vary
WHERE: The (Computer) Lab @ Uplift, Inc. (1500 D Street, SE)
DETAILS: Registration for our 2012 STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Summer Camp classes is OPEN! Students will have an amazing time in this hands-on, project-based STEM Camp. Open to DC, MD, VA residents and those visiting from other places for the summer. This summer, our camp is divided into four (4) sessions.

Session One:
June 25 – July 20
Monday-Friday
9am-5pm
Ages: 8-(early) 12
4 weeks (STEM) = 4 projects
Students are expected to bring their own lunch, snacks, and books/magazines to read.

Session Two:
June 25 – Aug 3
Monday-Friday
5pm-9pm
Ages: 16 – 21
6 weeks (Computer programming, Research) = 1 large project

Session Three:
July 23 – Aug 17
9am-5pm
Ages: (late)12 – 17
4 weeks (STEM) = 4 projects
Each week will feature a project that each team is expected to start on Monday and finish and present by the end of the camp day on Thursday. Fridays are field trip days.
Students are expected to bring their own lunch, snacks, and books/magazines to read.

Session Four (Young Builders):
All Summer Long
Saturdays ONLY
Ages: 4-7
11am Session
2pm Session
4 Weeks (4 Saturdays)

You can enroll in whichever week(s) interests you and your child(ren). No prior experience is necessary.

CONTACT: Visit http://www.studystem.com/contact-us/
---------------

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.
---------------

COMMUNITY EVENTS

WHAT: “Genetic Counseling in the Genome Era,” a presentation by Gillian Hooker, Ph.D., of the National Human Genome Research Institute
WHEN: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 from 6 pm to 7 pm
WHERE: Silver Spring Civic Building, Fenton Room (1 Veterans Place)
DETAILS: Join Gillian Hooker, Ph.D., for an in-depth look at the evolving field of genetic counseling and her work as a genetic counselor and researcher at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), of the National Institutes of Health. Hooker will also address the ways that advances in genome technology are impacting NHGRI’s work with individuals and families. The event is open to the public; no RSVP required.
COST: Free!
CONTACT: For more information, call 301-319-3303 or visit www.nmhm.washingtondc.museum.
---------------

WHAT: CycleFest 2012
WHEN: June 9, 2012 from 12 pm to 4 pm
WHERE: National Harbor, MD 20745
DETAILS: Formerly known as Bicycle Safety Day, families are invited to this free event to prepare their bicycles for a safe and fun summer. The day will include bicycle rodeos, maintenance workshops and bicycle and nameplate decorating, and we’ll be giving away helmets and offer free sizing, as well as raffling off bicycles courtesy of the Alexander Lance Booker Child Safety Foundation. Families can also enjoy face painting, live music and giveaways courtesy of our community exhibitors.
CONTACT: Make sure to visit http://www.ncm.museum/home to stay up-to-date on the latest CycleFest information!
---------------

Reminder
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 Japanse 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.
---------------

Reminder
WHAT: 29th Annual Museum Walk Weekend
WHEN: Saturday, June 2 from 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday, June 3 from 1 pm to 5 pm
DETAILS: Dupont Kalorama Museum Walk Weekend is the perfect excuse to explore D.C.'s "off-the-mall" museums. In addition to a wide variety of exhibitions, many sites are offering special programs. Enjoy period music and bring a picnic to the gardens at Dumbarton House, stop by The Textile Museum's Celebration of Textiles, take part in Jazz 'n Families Fun Days at The Phillips Collection, come tell your stories about your family circle at the National Museum of American Jewish Military History or get your picture taken in a vintage automobile at Wilson House.
COST: Free!
CONTACT: For more information, call 202 387-4062 ext 41222.
---------------
 

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
----------------