Dear Families,

SKATING TRIP: Thanks to everyone at school—kids, teachers, parents and friends—for making Monday’s ice skating trip such a blast. It was wonderful to be all together, outside, moving our bodies in the sun, and having fun. Now we’re hearing all kinds of great ideas from kids and families for all-school outings in the future. I’ll keep you posted. In the meantime, check out this link to see Jayne Wexler’s terrific photos of our day: http://gallery.me.com/jaynewexler#101554.

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES: Be sure to sign up for a meeting next week with your child’s teacher, Monday from 5 to 8 p.m., Tuesday from 1 p.m. onward, or another day you arrange with your teacher. And remember:

TUESDAY, MARCH 16, IS A HALF-DAY FOR STUDENTS; 11:30 AM DISMISSAL Make sure you arrange to have your child picked up early that day.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE FROM VELDA: “Our Jump for Heart activity days went very well.  The students had fun and know some activities to keep their hearts and strong.  They really felt they were helping save lives.  There are some pictures on Elaine's Class web page.  Many students have brought in their donations to the American Heart Association.  If you have been collecting, please return the envelope by Monday, March 15th.  There have been many causes worthy of our donations lately.  This one has hit "close to home" in our school community for a couple of families.  If you cannot find the original envelope, any envelope will do.  Any student who brings in $5.00 will get a thank you prize.  Thanks, Velda (Healthy Movements)

BAKE SALE BAN PROTEST AT CITY HALL: Thursday, March 18, from 4 to 6 p.m. join hundreds of other parents in protesting the new Chancellor’s regulations that prohibit families selling home-baked goods or even organic popcorn (!) to raise money for schools while permitting the sale of such processed foods as Doritos and Pop-Tarts. Learn a lot more about these and other school food issues by visiting www.nycgreenschools.org. And check out the NY Times blog from Monday quoting yours truly mouthing off on said topic: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/popcorn-fridays-meet-trayless-tuesdays/

SCHOOL SPIRIT WEEK: The EVCS Student Government is very pleased to be hosting the Third Annual EVCS School Spirit Week, March 22 through March 26. Watch for posters and flyers describing the week’s themes and activities (e.g. Monday is Pajama Day, as in everyone wears their pajamas to school that day; Friday is dress as your favorite character (real or imagined). It’s the kids’ favorite week of the year and always filled with fun—and distractions!

THE EVCS GALA! We have a date and a place for our annual, fabulous, fundraising gala—it will take place on Saturday, May 15, in the evening at the Chelsea Piers Sunset Lounge, a big beautiful space with knock-out views of the harbor. There will be phenomenal live music, djs, dancing, a silent auction and—best of all—childcare! And remember, Chelsea Piers is just a short ride across town on the M14D! When’s the last time you wore your sequins and dancing shoes on the city bus?

We will need lots of help with collecting items for the auction, selling tickets and organizing. Please, please let me know if you are interested in being on the Gala Committee, or if you can donate to the auction. With yet another set of looming budget cuts aimed at schools, we need to be ready to fund our enrichment programs for next year.

Finally, some very good news for this week: Valerie Preston, our wonderful PreK (and more) social worker has returned from medical leave. Come by and welcome her back! She is in our building on Thursdays and Fridays.

As always, please call, email or stop by with questions and thoughts. My very best to all of you,

Mary

Dear Families,

Just a few days stand between winter vacation and us; this will be short and sweet.

PA MEETING: First of all, this Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 5:30 p.m. is the month’s full Parent Association meeting! Teachers will be in attendance. We’ll talk about the latest round of budget cuts, the nearly completed EVCS international children’s music CD (featuring our students and their families), the Spring Gala fundraiser, the state of school lunch, and much more. Please come with your ideas and questions! Food and childcare will be provided.

VALENTINE’S BAKE SALE: Be sure to bake for and buy at the annual EVCS Valentine’s bake sale, which will offer delicious homemade goodies and hand-made V-day cards. This Thursday, Feb. 11, at drop-off and dismissal.

BAD BEEF: Our cafeteria committee has been circulating a very interesting article from the NY Times about the sub-horrible quality of the "meat" that is in our school food hamburgers. Please take the time to read it, or part of it (it's rather long). In addition to being essentially a waste product that pet food producers won't use (pet owners won't buy it), this "food product" is injected with large amounts of ammonia to kill salmonella and e-coli that commonly occur in it. The only consumers of this "meat" are public schools and the prison system. Nice.

Anyway, the cafeteria committee is hoping to have this ground meat banned from our school’s lunch menu, and the Student Government has voted unanimously to support the effort. I think you'll agree after reading this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/31/us/31meat.html. If you are interested in getting involved with the food committee, please let me know, or email Helen at hhccgg@aol.com or Anisa at anisa.romero@gmail.com.

THE NEXT FAMILY FRIDAY WILL TAKE PLACE ON FEBRUARY 26.

EVCS THROUGH THE YEARS, MARCH 26: For the past few years, our staff has hosted an evening event for parents called "EVCS Through the Years," an informal forecast of the curriculum in the upper grades to give parents of younger kids an idea of what goes on after PreK and K. We are planning this year’s “EVCS Through the Years” for Wednesday evening, March 24 from 5 to 7 p.m. Look for flyers in your email or child’s backpack. You must RSVP for childcare for the event.

ARTICLE ON TALENTED AND GIFTED TESTING: I am including a link to a New York magazine article about the current emphasis in our culture on early IQ testing and the recent round of gifted and talented testing. Food for thought: http://nymag.com/news/features/63427

REMEMBER HAITI! T-SHIRTS STILL ON SALE! If you haven’t bought a hand-printed Haiti t-shirt, it’s not too late. See me in the office, or look for the table at dismissal in the yard. The earthquake may have passed, but the real work of rebuilding Haiti has not even begun. On the education front, NINE THOUSAND elementary schools and the country’s three main universities were destroyed or severely damaged. Our help is needed now more than ever—and will be needed for years to come. All t-shirts are $20.

That’s all for now. Wishing you a good week this week, and a great week with your children next week,

Dear Families,

Another frigid week in store, but at least the sun is shining. Be sure to send your children to school in layers so they can shed clothes in our overheated building! Here’s what’s up at school:

First, my cell phone is not working and I haven’t yet gotten a replacement. If you need to reach me, please call the main school number: 212-982-0682. If you have something you need to talk about before or after hours, the best means is email (mtalbot@schools.nyc.gov) and I will call you back.

ART/GYM SWITCH: Today our gym/art schedule switched, as it does each quarter. Now, first through fifth graders go to art Monday through Wednesday and have gym on Thursday and Friday. PreK, K and K/1 classes have gym Monday through Wednesday and gym on Thursday and Friday. We will have one more quarterly cycle after this one before school ends.

INFLIGHT THEATER PROGRAM WITH KELLI: One of my favorite components of our school life is the theater program brought to us through InFlight, The Phoenix Theater Ensemble and our teaching artist Kelli Holsopple. Kelli will begin work with the K and first grade classes today and will join them in their exploration of trees and farms. She will send out an email to families to direct you to the blog for the program. Before the end of the year, Kelli will work with each of our 10 classes to build a production from the ground up.

THIS WEEK’S TOWN MEETING/HAITI T-SHIRTS: Town Meeting on Wednesday is being hosted by the fifth grade, whose member will make some special announcements about the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti. As I mentioned in last week’s letter, the school will sell beautiful hand-screened t-shirts bearing the Kreole words “Ansanm Nou Kapab” which mean “Together We Can” and all proceeds will go to Haiti relief efforts. Be sure to get one before they sell out!

SCHOOL STORE: Thanks to Evan Hubbard’s mother, Nina, and members of the Student Government, we launched the EVCS school store last Wednesday. The children—both shoppers and shopkeepers—did a great job and enjoyed themselves. Our plan is to be open every Wednesday from 12:50 to 1:30 p.m—EXCEPT FOR THIS WEEK, when the sale will be on Friday. There are many items in the 5 to 25 cents range, as well as items for $1 or $2. Younger children are escorted to and from the store by Student Govt. members and are given help in choosing their purchases and getting change. Any profits from the school store will go to one or several charities of the students’ choosing at the end of the school year.

GOOD AND GOOD FOR YOU! Thanks to our healthy food tsarina Helen Greenberg (mother of Haddy and Maizy), we are one of seven schools in the entire city chosen to be part of a plant-based cafeteria food trial. Chefs from the uptown, “farm-to-table” restaurant Candle 79 will work with our cafeteria staff and help train them to make delicious, protein-rich vegetarian dishes that kids will get to try at lunch. The pilot is a joint project of the Coalition for Healthy School Food, the Dept of Ed’s SchoolFood, and Candle 79. Stay tuned for more details—and recipes!

I think that’s all for now. May you have a peaceful, warm-as-possible week. With all best wishes,

Mary

Dear Families,

We have finally finished giving the H1N1 vaccinations at school! But it’s still winter and cold season, so I want to remind everyone that school policy requires families to keep sick children at home until they are well enough to return to school. That means waiting 24 hours AFTER fever, vomiting or diarrhea has ended. A child’s body needs that time to recover and build up the strength to be ready for school. It is also a period when you can monitor your child to see if the illness has really passed. I know from years of personal experience how hard it can be to miss work or find childcare when your child is sick, but the alternative cost—having a relapse or infecting other children in the school—is ultimately much higher. Thank you for keeping this in mind.

A few other notes and reminders: 

• MLK, JR HOLIDAY: There is NO SCHOOL this coming Monday, January 18th, due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

• CITY EMAIL ALERT SYSTEM: The Department of Education has a new system for alerting families to school closures, emergencies or city services. By clicking on the following link, you can sign up to get automatic email notices: https://a858-nycnotify.nyc.gov/notifynyc/Home.aspx

• NARRATIVE REPORTS: All EVCS Teachers will be writing Narrative Reports on each child, which will be shared with parents at the end of January…so, as a parent recently suggested, please be extra kind to all of the teachers this month!

• CAFETERIA NEWS: The EVCS and CWS joint cafeteria committees have been working overtime to get healthier, better tasting food onto our children’s (biodegradable!) lunch trays. Please read the letter below from the committee about what’s happening in the cafeteria. Also, please be sure to pay your child’s lunch bill if you haven’t yet. See Gloria in the office if you have any questions about your bill.

Dear Families,

The nutrition committee of CWS, EVCS, and PS 94 wants to share with you some of the exciting progress we’ve made so far this year.  Working in collaboration with SchoolFood, we now have “Meatless Mondays,” “Ethnic Thursdays,” and roasted vegetables served with the pizza on Fridays (the vegetables cooked by our very own kitchen staff).  We will be posting the monthly lunch calendar on the bulletin board in the lobby, so please take a look to see how much our menu has changed in an effort to provide healthier choices for our children.

As most of you know, we were the first schools in the city to eliminate Styrofoam trays.  We now have compostable sugar cane trays.  The extra cost for these trays is paid for by Helen Greenberg’s weekly sales of organic popcorn.  In the months to come we will be trying to make our schools even more green.  Toward that effort, the kitchen is now serving sandwiches and milk in brown paper bags instead of on trays.

We’ve also sent a letter to Mayor Bloomberg asking his administration to act swiftly in getting “whole wheat” bread and buns into our schools (which food suppliers are contractually obligated to provide), in addition to eliminating foods containing corn syrup.  Right now, the bread and buns being served are not whole wheat and contain high fructose corn syrup.  The peanut butter also contains corn syrup, as does the milk.   

We welcome any ideas, questions, or comments you may have, especially about how to make our schools greener. Please feel free to contact us at anisaromero@gmail.com (Anisa, Petra’s mother) or hhccgg@aol.com (Helen, Maizy and Haddy’s mother).

Wishing you a healthy and happy holiday season!

The Nutrition Committee

PARENT WORKSHOPS: Our social worker Valerie Preston has been out on disability since having hand surgery. We miss her and her wonderful parenting workshops. We are, however, planning some meetings on topics such as financial planning, credit and debt management, dinnertime power struggles and nutrition, divorce, separation and parenting differences. The Parent Association will be sending out a survey to see what topics are of most interest to you, and please email me with any ideas for workshops you’d like to attend.

Watch for flyers for the next parent workshop.  And in the meantime, have a peaceful long weekend and keep warm. With all best wishes,

Mary Talbot

Parent Coordinator

347.563.5102

At this Wednesday's Town Meeting, we will have a very special teaching demonstration by Alfonso Mogaburo Cid, father of Natalie and Ruben. Alfonso is an extraordinary and very accomplished flamenco flautist and singer. He will come with an ensemble to share with us the beauty, energy, complexity and history of flamenco. We hope this will the first in a series of teaching demonstrations by musicians, dancers and other performing artists from our parent body. Please join us if you can!

Remember, too, that next Thursday, Jan 14 is picture retake day. I will give out picture forms to anyone who needs them as soon as they are emailed to me by the photo company. Also, there will be no Family Friday this week. We will have out next Family Friday on January 22. Until soon, with all best wishes for a good and peaceful New Year, Mary

PS: Please find the January 2010 calendar here!

Dear Families,

For many years, I have held onto a copy of a “Parent Letter” from the Child Development Center at NYU about reducing stress during the holidays. Reading it just now, while cleaning out some files, I heard a wake up call--again. I think the ideas in the letter are so good that I wanted to share them with you, even though Hannukah has passed, the winter solstice ended last night, and Christmas is nearly upon us.

Personally, despite my values and my intentions, I end up over-spending, over-booking and generally, over-stretching myself during the holidays. And I pull my family along with me. Neither of my children really understands that Christmas isn’t just about getting a lot of stuff. I also have to admit that I have a mythic image of what the ideal holiday should look like—how we should all be happy and fulfilled and together—and when it doesn’t work out that way, as it usually doesn’t, I feel guilty and disappointed. I have the media to thank for those images of the picture-perfect holiday, but I have my mind to thank, too, for going along with it.

I don’t think it’s too late to curb my expectations and my spending, and to help Willa and Jess think about what we can do as a family to celebrate the original meaning of the season, and do service for people in our community. The Parent Letter has given me some good strategies for how to do this, such as taking my kids to help deliver food to our homebound neighbor, not beating myself up if I get out a holiday card this year, and understanding that kids react to the stress of the season, too—I can lighten up if their behavior isn’t so great. The more I act on what I really think is meaningful, the better off my family and I will be.

I believe the things we do as a community also help counter-act the stress that can build during this season. To that end, Jayne Wexler, has sent us a website filled with pictures of our kids she took at the Festival of Lights, reminding us of the blessings in our lives. Check it out at http://gallery.me.com/jaynewexler#101405&view=grid&bgcolor=black&sel=19.

Remember, we return to school on Monday, January 4. And picture retake day is Friday, January 8—that’s the day for sibling photos, too.

I hope to say this in person to many of you, but in case not, have a peaceful winter vacation, and try to take a break, decide what is most important, and say “no” to some requests. I’ll be trying, too.

With best wishes,

Mary, 347-563-5102

Dear Families,

I missed seeing you over the past two weeks—I was out with H1N1, when I should have been at school helping with the H1N1 vaccines! Anyway, my apologies if you were trying to reach me.

JUBILEE FUNDRAISER! There’s lots of great stuff coming up—first and foremost, the First Annual EVCS Winter Jubilee this Saturday, December 5! As you know, this is a cocktail party and auction to raise money for our arts programs. There will be many amazing items up for auction—works of art, clothes and shoes, jewelry, books, tableware, dinners out, services, classes and much more!

Lino’s dad, actor Ned Eisenberg, will be our guest auctioneer to highlight some of the more extraordinary items. Tickets in advance are a suggested $20, and at the door, $25. As Martha said, though, the important thing is that you come, donate whatever you can, join your community and have a wonderful time supporting EVCS. Every penny earned will go to enriching our children’s experience in school. And by the way, your ticket—whether you can come or not—automatically enters you into a door prize drawing for some great loot!

FAMILY FRIDAYS: Actually, the Jubilee doesn’t come first: first comes Family Friday, this Friday, December 4. Please join your child’s class if you are able for the first 45 minutes of the day.

I want to remind you that while some classes have special events or breakfasts on some Family Fridays, the original purpose of Family Friday is for adult family members to observe and partake in the regular start of the school day. That might mean sitting in on Morning Meeting, reading a book with a small group of kids, helping with a project, or just sitting and talking with our students as they go about their work. It’s important to remember that as adults, we are present in the classroom not just for our own children’s sake, but also for all the children. Getting to know the people your child spends his/her day with is very rewarding (and enlightening!) and at the same time, your presence in the room is rewarding for other children, too.

EVCS CALENDAR! We are thrilled to offer, for the first time in many years, an EVCS 12-month calendar featuring artwork by, and photos of, our students. The calendars will be for sale at pick-up and drop-off and all proceeds will go to Parent Association projects, such as funding arts and language programming. The calendars are $15 each, or $12 each if you buy more. They make fabulous gifts for relatives! A deep bow of thanks to Maria (Aleda’s mom), Ethan (Guthrie and Violet’s dad) and Fred Valentine (our interim art teacher) who made it all happen.

PENNY HARVEST We have just two more weeks to go in the Penny Harvest. The Student Government has been doing a wonderful job reminding our students about the harvest and keeping track of the growing sacks of pennies. If we can collect 25 sacks of pennies—that’s 750 lbs! —our student leaders will be awarded $1000 to distribute to charities they research and vote on. If we collect less, they will likely be given $500, as we were last year. Let’s meet the 25 sack challenge! Bring in those pennies! Ask your co-workers for their unused pennies. Go door-to-door in your building to collect pennies.
What seems like an irritation in the bottom of your pocket or purse can really add up—and make a huge difference in the lives of others—and on the road to teaching our kids about the value of service and philanthropy.

Okay, it feels as if I’ve been doing nothing but asking you to give and do. Which you already do. Thanks for all your effort and caring, and for being a part of this community. Until Saturday, all the best,

Mary

Mary Talbot
Parent Coordinator
East Village Community School, PS 315
610 East 12th Street
New York, NY  10009
tel: 347.563.5102
fax: 212.260.4012

Link to PDF

Wednesday, October 15, at 6 pm is our first PTA meeting of the year—that is, a Parent Association meeting where we will be joined by members of the teaching staff. Every other month, at our evening meetings, teachers will attend PA meetings so you can ask your questions and hear about what is on their minds, too. Attached is the flyer, and if you need childcare, be sure to turn in the tear-off or send me an email by Tuesday morning, Oct. 14.

Lunch helpers

We still need parent volunteers for salad bar duty on Mondays (from 11:50 a.m. to 12:20 pm) and as back-ups for other days. If you have that time slot free on Mondays and would like to volunteer in the cafeteria, or if you would like to be a back-up in case someone can’t be here on any other day of the week, please contact Hilary, Guthrie and Violet’s mother, at hbrougher@gmail.com or at 646-326-2406.

Fall Ball helpers and stuff!

As Susie, Milo’s mother, has been letting you know, the Fall Ball is coming up on Saturday, October 25, and we need bodies! Please be sure to contact me or Susie (susiecunnington@hotmail.com) or sign up on the sheets outside the office. We need decorators, game attendants, food servers and chaperones, to name a few job. Susie will be sending out a list of supplies still needed on Monday—but Polaroid film for our photo booth (for Polaroid 600 camera) is high on the list!

Parent Workshop, Monday Oct. 20

A week from next Monday, Valerie Preston, our PreK social worker, will be leading a workshop on establishing routines and setting limits for our children. Valerie works with our youngest children, I always find great value in her workshops even though my children are older—the lessons and solidarity can help us parents, no matter what the ages of our children. Hope to see you there, at 8:45 a.m. in the auditorium. Coffee and treats, too!

Clubs

On Friday, October 24, we begin our first Clubs cycle of the year. This is a time, from 1:40 p.m. until the end of school, when all of our children go to different classrooms or outside to take part in clubs that they have chosen to join for a seven-week period. This year, clubs will include theater improv, running, playdough, boxing, cardboard construction, dance and many others. Remember, the choice of club is up to your child!

Family Fridays

It was wonderful to see you all in the halls last Friday—and this is to make sure you know that there is an error on the Family Friday brochure: there will be Family Friday next Friday, October 24. We hope you can make it for the first period of school, from 8:45 to 9:30 a.m.

Class Parents

This is a final (maybe) plea for class parents. We could use extras for all the classes, but particularly for Velda’s, Beth’s, Meredith’s and Stephanie’s classes! I am hoping to have an orientation meeting for those of you who have thrown your hats into the ring, so expect to hear from me next week about that. If you have any questions about what this role entails, and you haven’t seen the Class Parent brochures, please let me know!

Family Friday, October 3: On one or two Fridays a month, you are invited to visit and take part in your child’s class from morning meeting through the end of the first period, 8:45 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. This is a wonderful opportunity, when your schedule allows, to get a taste of what daily life at EVCS is like! See that attached brochure for more info about Family Fridays. The first one will take place next week on October 3.

Half-days for Staff Professional Development: I confused many of you by noting on the September calendar that Oct. 3 would be a half-day for students. Oct. 3 will not be a half day! However, There will be 11:30 a.m. dismissal for all students on the first Friday of November (11/7), December (12/5), February (2/6/09), March (3/6/09), April (4/3/09) and May (5/1/09). Our staff will be using the time to meet and take part in professional development workshops.

Third Street Music MILES Program: On Columbus Day, Monday, October 13th, at 3:30 pm, 6- to 12-year old students from East Village Community School will be invited to the MILES Open House at Third Street Music School Settlement. This is the only afternoon during the year that students may register for a year of subsidized after-school classes at Third Street. The program is free of charge the first year and just $40 or $55 for the entire second year. There are many activities to choose from. Offerings include chorus, group percussion lessons, art workshop and ballet, to name just a few. Children list three course preferences, and wherever possible, they are placed in one of their top choices. In order to register for this free program, children must come to Third Street with a parent or guardian to the Open House on Columbus Day. The event will begin promptly at 3:30 pm with an orientation, followed by a sampling of course offerings and an individual meeting with a member of our registration staff. Working parents may come with their children at 5:30 pm.

Class Parents: I forgot to mention last night that we still need people to volunteer as class parents! I will be sending home the brochure that describes this crucial role, and if you have any questions about what it involves, please contact me. We specially need reps for Stephanie’s class!

Days of Taste: Maizy and Haddy’s mother, Helen Greenberg, is spearheading a 4th-grade nutrition and ecology program called “Days of Taste” which will take place in October. She wanted to let us know that Panificio, the restaurant around the corner from our school, at the corner of 11th and Avenue B, is underwriting the event for our students. They have the cheapest lattes in the neighborhood, so patronize them if you can and tell them you’re a parent at EVCS!

Jazz in Brooklyn: Monique Nri, our PA President and mother of Tara, and Ahmed Abdullah, the chair of our music arts committee and father of Tara, are involved in weekly performances at Sistas’ Place, a jazz club in Brooklyn. This Saturday, Sept. 27, Sistas' Place continues its 14th season with an ongoing traditional Tribute to John Coltrane. This week, Rene McLean brings in a top flight ensemble he calls "Chasin the Trane." Showtimes at 9 and 10:30pm. Check out the web site at http://www.sistasplace.org for more information or call 718 398-1766 for reservations. Admission: $25 For more information on Jazz: A Music of the Spirit, visit Ahmed’s website, http://www.ahmedian.com.

1) Saturday September 20th, Fundraising Party: This Saturday, a number of our parents are involved in a family party and fair at St. Marks Church at 10th St. and 2nd Ave to raise funds for the treatment of a neighborhood girl who has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. Please see the end of this letter for the text of the flyer, and come if you can! There will be food, music, crafts, games and much more. The event starts at 3 p.m.

2) Curriculum Night! I hope you all got your flyers and childcare request forms for Curriculum Night, which takes place Thursday evening, Sept. 25, from 5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. This is a great opportunity to hear about what the school and year has in store for your child/ren and to ask your questions about the content and schedule of the school day. Please call me with any questions about this.

3) Fall Ball Committee Meeting—all welcome! On Tuesday morning, Sept. 23 at 9:00 a.m. in the office, we will have our first planning meeting for the annual Fall Ball, a costume party and fundraising event for our families that will be held in the lobby and auditorium on October 25, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The Fall Ball is probably our kids’ favorite event of the year, and we need your participation to pull it off!

4) First Town Hall Meeting of the Year! As many of you know, our school gathers twice a month on 'Wednesdays for Town Meeting first thing in the morning to share classroom and school news, and for a little entertainment. The first Town Meeting will be hosted by Georga and Jeanine’s class, so be sure to join us in the auditorium!

5) Music and Arts Committee Meeting: On Wednesday, Sept. 24 at 5 p.m., (room TBA) parents and staff who would like to work on bolstering our music and arts curricula will be meeting to discuss programming and fundraising for this year and beyond. Tara’s father, Ahmed Abdullah, will chair, and if you have questions about the committee and its activities, please email him at ahmedian@aol.com.

6) Salad Bar volunteers needed! We are looking for parent volunteers who can commit? once a week (or every other week) to serving at the salad bar during? lunch time. The shift this year is from 11:50 until about 12:35. It's? a great way to both help out and be a part of the EVCS school day. If? you are interested please contact Hilary (Violet and Guthrie's mom) at? hbrougher@gmail.com.

Finally, as we have so many parents who work in the arts, I’d like to be able to alert our community if and when any of you have performances or shows—so let me know, and I will try to put it out there.

Dear EVCS Families,

EVCS Relief Efforts for Haiti

            As you know, the disaster in Haiti continues to unfold and relief efforts are greatly needed.  The Department of Education has assured New York City schools that the Mayor’s Fund will direct 100% of it’s donations to emergency relief organizations directly serving victims of the earthquake in Haiti. EVCS families will have an opportunity to join many New York City schools in contributing to this worthy cause.

            On February 3, 2010, Stephanie’s class will host a Town Meeting to launch a school-wide effort to send money for the victims of this disaster.  Students will have an opportunity to help others in need.  We will accept cash donations of $20.00 or less. If you wish to contribute more, please visit this website and consider donating to the Mayor’s Fund at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/fund.

Lateness

Many students continue to arrive to school late. Teachers cannot change their plans to accommodate students who arrive late and they are missing important work.  Please make every effort to help your child arrive on time!  

Bell Rings: 8:35

Classes enter school: 8:40

School Begins: 8:45

Students who arrive after 8:45 must obtain a late pass at the security guards desk before going to class. 

Lunch Money Collection

Please pay all outstanding lunch fees promptly.  Mid-year Reports will be distributed January 29, 2010.  The school will withhold Mid-Year Reports for students with unpaid balances.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, January 18, 2010

Please remember school is closed in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” MLK, Jr.

                                                                                                            Peace, Robin

EVCS Minutes October, 2008

EVCS Minutes November, 2008

EVCS Minutes December, 2008

EVCS Minutes January, 2009

EVCS Minutes February, 2009

EVCS Minutes March, 2009

October 14, 2009 Minutes

November 18, 2009 Minutes

Minutes from the 2008 - 2009 School year