3/1/23Beacon’s PSAT/SAT Day will see 10th and 11th grade students can take the relevant test in school if they choose (or complete classwork from home) while 9th graders and 12th graders go on field trips.
Since this is a transitional year, we are scheduling Skills classes when possible – when both the teacher and a critical mass of students are available. That is what we did last term as well. If the teacher is not available, or there are not enough students available to run a Skills class, we offer Tutoring instead.
We would like to add to the list of subcommittees we have created. It would be great to add Professional Development Research and “Lunch & Learn” events under our Education subcommittee; and create a new subcommittee for critical Fundraising.
Anyone interested, please let us know and we can begin organizing ASAP.
Co-Vice Presidents of Special Education Justine Keil (2023) & Isabel Santiago-Gordon (2025) Email us at beaconspecialeducation@gmail.com
Deb Heller and IEP/504 College Counselor Valerie Mitchell will be hosting the first of three parent coffee talks focusing on post-secondary planning for students with IEPs/504s.
Thursday, March 2nd @ 6pm on Zoom we will have a presentation on neuropsychological and educational testing: ”Everything you wanted to know about neuropsychological and educational testing” with Dr. Dominic Auciello Director of Envisage.
Tuesday, March 7th @ 6pm on Zoom – next PTA Special Education committee meeting
Tuesday, April 18th @ 5:30pm in person at Beacon screening of “The Disruptors”
STAY CONNECTED
Click here to join the Beacon IEP/504 parents & guardians Google Group.
To learn more about the Special Education Committee and see our meeting schedule, click here.
When our PTA learned before Mid-Winter Break that all clubs would be cancelled through the end of the school year unless $38K in emergency funding could be provided by the PTA, about 60 parents made time on 2/17/23 to show up, hear more and vote to support this funding request.
Our community also stepped up with more than $21K in donations to the PTA’s annual campaign since then. But we still have a ways to go.
Every donation matters—please give what you can, with our thanks, HERE.
Please donate in a way that’s meaningful for you and your family.
And if you can donate your time, including with our upcoming phone-a-thon and spring auction, please join these meetings on the Monday after Mid-Winter Break:
• Auction committee volunteers (2/27 at 6:30pm on Zoom)
• Fundraising committee volunteers (2/27 at 7pm on Zoom)
Please join this non-regular Beacon PTA general membership meeting so we can discuss and vote on an emergency funding request.
Friday, February 17, 2023 (11:30 AM) Event: Beacon PTA Executive Board Meeting – Emergency meeting and vote on school funding Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87977364733 Meeting ID: 879 7736 4733 One-tap mobile: +19294362866,,87977364733# (New York) Dial in: +1 929 436 2866 US (New York)
Details: New York City’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) is the nation’s largest youth employment program, connecting NYC youth between the ages of 14 and 24 with career exploration opportunities and paid work experience each summer.
Through SYEP, participants can explore different interests and career pathways, develop productive workplace habits, and engage in learning experiences that strengthen their social, civic, and leadership skills. By participating in structured project and work-based opportunities, NYC youth are better prepared for careers of the future.
NOTE: Visit the Beacon school website for the New York State application form and other information needed to receive a student employment certificate (working papers)—click here.
Apollo Theater Academy Arts Administration Internship
Deadline: Sunday, March 12th (10pm), 2023
Details: The Apollo Theater Academy High School Internship Program provides high school seniors with a paid opportunity for professional development as they explore administrative, programming, and production careers in the arts and entertainment industries. Through hands-on training and career development workshops, interns gain experience in a real-world work environment while connecting with industry professionals.
The High School Internship Program is highly competitive; not everyone who applies will be selected to participate.
The Shubert Organization Internship Program provides a general knowledge base of theatre administration and operations and offers hands-on project involvement as the organization prepares for the 2023-2024 theatre season.
Each paid internship will focus on a specific project(s) in their departments over a six-week period, with 20 hours per week of work, weekly MTA metrocards, development opportunities, tours of Shubert’s theatres, and access to Broadway shows and events.
Deadline: After the January 27, 2023, priority application deadline, applications received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time each Friday will be considered for course assignment the following Friday. On March 3, 2023, the center will begin considering requests for students to enroll in a second session.
Details: The Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth offers online courses and on-campus courses in the summer at colleges in seven different states on a range of topics, including Computer Science & Technology, History & Social Science, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science & Engineering, and World Languages. Scholarships are available.
AllStarCode*
Deadline: April 7, 2023
AllStarCode* offers a Summer Intensive program, which is its flagship program and a FREE six-week coding experience for High School students who are boys or young men of color who identify as male. It features both technical web development skills as well as essential career skills. In an effort to close the digital divide, All Star Code is extending technology access to qualifying students. Laptops and wifi hotspots are offered on an as needed basis.
Columbia University Science Honors Program
Deadline: April 15, 2023
The Science Honors Program is a selective program for high school students who have a strong interest in science and mathematics. The program runs for 12 weeks during the academic year with Saturdays classes in the spring and fall semesters. Courses are offered in the physical, chemical, biological, behavioral, and computing sciences, as well as materials science and other topics. During the past few years, some of the courses offered were:
Organic Chemistry
Computer Visualization in Chemistry
Principles of Immunology
Neurobiology of Development and Disease
Calculus in the Complex Plane
Chaos and Fractals
Optics and Lasers
Electronics and Circuit Theory
Introduction to Astrophysics
Stars, Galaxies, and Cosmology
ARTSLIFE
Deadline: April 23, 2023
The application for the Museum of Art and Design’s (MAD) Artslife 2023 internship programis now open! Applications must be submitted by April 23, 2023 at 11:59 pm. Artslife will be held July 11 to August 18, 2023 from 10 am–3 pm, Tuesdays through Fridays.
Artslife is a paid summer internship program for rising sophomores and juniors enrolled in New York City public and charter high schools that combines art and design with leadership training, museum studies, and community engagement. Participants are introduced to careers in all sectors of the museum: Curatorial, Education, Development, Communications and Marketing, Visitor Services, Security, and Registrar. The first week of Artslife is dedicated to team bonding and introducing the interns to the Museum. During the remaining five weeks, participants work on collaborative projects with Museum staff, local designers, and arts professionals who act as mentors. Artslife interns enjoy firsthand experience and the broadest possible exposure to ongoing museum activities, both public facing and behind the scenes.
Library of Congress – High School Summer Internship (virtual and/or on-site) – Unpaid
Deadline: April 28, 2023 at 11:59 PM EST (apply here)
Note: Remote options are available for those that can’t travel to Washington DC.
Details: This program is designed for individuals interested in working with primary sources. Participants are expected to have strong research and writing skills. This year’s program is currently offered in a with students attending virtually and in-person. This is an intensive 4-week unpaid summer internship opportunity, during which you will learn about the Library and help the Center for Learning, Literacy and Engagement develop and create content to support the new participatory learning space for youth and families in the Library of Congress.
The Library does not provide academic credit, but you may arrange with your school in advance to receive community service credit hours or to fulfill internship requirements. The Library can confirm up to 60 hours of service or internship hours for completing the intensive.
Opportunities include contributing content for a new participatory learning space for youth and families, researching and recommending LOC collection items for use with children and families and advising on program models for teens at the Library.
DNA Barcoding Project
The Urban Barcode Project (UBP) is a science program spanning the five boroughs of New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area. The UBP is the first large-scale effort to engage high school students using DNA technology to explore biodiversity in NYC.
Projects can use DNA barcodes to examine any aspect of the environment, such as:
Sampling biodiversity in a park, garden, office, or school;
Checking for invasive plant or animal species;
Monitoring disease vectors;
Identifying exotic or endangered food products in markets; and
Recanati-Kaplan Program for Excellence in the Arts at the 92Y offers 100% full-tuition, merit-based scholarships for exceptional students in NYC to develop their creative potential as artists, dancers, and musicians. Students are immersed in a broad range of advanced classes as well as personalized private instruction. Programs in visual arts, dance, music, and musical theater. Visit the website for details and deadlines.
Financial Literacy, Job Readiness & College Admissions
Believe & Inspire After School Programsempower underserved youths to successfully enter the workforce through financial literacy, career and internship preparation. With a vision that every youth deserves access to the resources they need to fulfill their potential, Believe & Inspire advises youths with expert-led workshops on topics like financial literacy, job searching and college applications.
ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY
The ACE Mentor Program of Greater NY is a free after-school mentorship program to introduce high school students to careers in architecture, engineering and construction management.
Students are mentored by professionals in the design and construction industry who meet as a team weekly during the school year after school; Teams meet from late October through May.
Registration is open for the 2022-23 season! Click here to register!
New York City Public Service
NYC Youth Leadership Councilsare the place to make real change happen in your school, neighborhood, or community. Students ages 14-21 currently enrolled in high school or an equivalency program can join a YLC to partner with peer leaders and adult allies and take action on the issues that matter to you most.
In recognition of Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month 2023, Beacon’s RAPP and Respect for All teams presented an interactive and engaging way for students to become better aware of this issue. Grateful for the support of Senior Zoe Davies, who did a great job co-facilitating this event!
Fentanyl Awareness: An Overview for Families
It’s an unpleasant topic but unfortunately drug abuse and accidental overdose is a serious problem. And deaths involving illicitly manufactured fentanyl are on the rise.
Overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids in 2020 were 18 times over the number in 2013. Rates of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids other than methadone, which includes fentanyl and fentanyl analogs, increased over 56% from 2019 to 2020. The number of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids in 2020 was more than 18 times the number in 2013. More than 56,000 people died from overdoses involving synthetic opioids in 2020. The latest provisional drug overdose death counts through June 2021 suggest an acceleration of overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. (CDC website, 12/22/22)
To address the rise in accidental overdoses due to Fentanyl, on December 9th, Dr. Beth Weinstock of BirdieLight presented to Beacon students during Advisory. BirdieLight is a non-profit whose mission is to raise awareness around the dangers of Fentanyl in drugs and to distribute tools to prevent overdoses.
Dr. Weinstock followed up with information for resources which can help prevent accidental ingestion of Fentanyl or prevent a tragedy after ingestion. Below is an excerpt from Dr. Weinstock’s email:
Also, I have attached a list of NYC pharmacies that have contracted to pass out emergency naloxone kits for free. Unfortunately it looks like there are only two in Manhattan.
Amudim is an organization that will bring a naloxone training program to a community and then distribute resources.
FENTANYL TEST STRIPS
I am having trouble finding places in NYC that pass these out for free. Here is a link to several restaurants/bars/art galleries/coffee shops etc that hand them out for free to patrons, but this may not help high school students as a lot of them are bars. They can also be purchased on the website DanceSafe, also NextDistro, and they can get five at a time for free on our BirdieLight website.
Another resource is Dosetest which sells Fentanyl test strips.
Samilia Ghartey-Sam, LCSW She/her/hers Beacon School Social Worker and Respect for All Coordinator Email: sghartey@beaconschool.org
My name is Jin Xie (she/her), and I am the Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (RAPP) Coordinator at Beacon. I want to re-introduce myself and share some of the resources I offer to Beacon students and to the community.
I offer weekly, or drop-in, individual and group therapy that is free, confidential, and voluntary for students at Beacon. Additionally, I facilitate workshops on mental health, teen dating violence, and healthy relationships.
If you are interested in learning more about RAPP or have a student who may be interested in RAPP’s services, please reach out to me at jxie@beaconschool.org.
JinXie, LMSW (She/her) Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (RAPP) Coordinator jxie@beaconschool.org
The Harms of Vaping – A Teen-Focused Presentation for Parents & Students
Did you miss The Harms of Vaping webinar presented on November 30, 2023 by S-HEAL (Students for Health Education, Access and Literacy)? Click here to watch recording.
Beacon PTA Drug Awareness Webinar
Did you miss the drug awareness webinar on October 26th, with guest speaker Dr. Diana Martinez, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who studies addiction?
The 32 Community Education Councils and 4 Citywide Education Councils make important decisions regarding your child’s education. Learn about the councils, the election, and how to run for a seat on an Education Council by attending a virtual (Zoom) Information Session and D 75 Information Sessions, occurring throughout the application period, from January 9-February 23, 2023. Interpretation is available.
In order to run for a seat on an Education Council, you must have an NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) to which you have linked all your children attending NYC public schools. The account must be in your name.
If you do not have an NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) or need assistance in registering your children to your existing account, please contact your Parent Coordinator. For detailed instructions, visit the NYCSA Account Set Up Guide for Parents, available in multiple languages.
Raise your voice! All parents & guardians with students in New York City public schools are invited to complete a 2023 NYC School Survey, which is open from February 13 to March 31, 2023. It’s confidential, only takes a few minutes and provides invaluable feedback about the experience of students and parents. More information is HERE. (UPDATE: The deadline to submit a 2023school survey has been extended to April 20, 2023).
All are welcome to participate—Parents, Teachers, Family and Friends—and anyone can win!
All raffle tickets will be input into a computer-generated randomizing program, and a winner will be selected LIVE during the March 13, 2023 Beacon PTA General Monthly Meeting over Zoom.
All raffle tickets will be paperless and your receipt will be your proof of purchase.
Funds raised will go towards the PTA’s general fund, which supports student activities, sports, classroom needs and more.
Ticket sales will end the evening of March 12th, 2023 (unless they sell out beforehand).
ASA/BSU Spirit Week and Respect For All Week Schedule During Respect for All Week (Monday, February 13 to Friday, February 17, 2023) schools across New York City will have the opportunity to highlight and build upon ongoing programs to help students, staff and communities gain a better understanding of diversity.
Beacon’s African Student Association and Black Student Union Spirit Week have partnered to program Respect for All Week 2023 with Beacon’s Respect For All Coordinator Ms. Samilia Ghartey-Sam:
Monday, Feb. 13, 2023 Spirit Week theme: Black Icon Day • RFA theme: Celebrating Kindness/Be an Ally • Drop A Kind Word! We invite the entire Beacon Community (including parents and guardians) to join in highlighting the importance of kindness in our community by dropping a kind word here. • ART installation with your Kind Words to be displayed in the building and a Kindness Bucket for Compliments/Encouraging quotes for students to choose as they enter the building on Monday.
Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023 Spirit Week theme: Valentine’s Day • RFA theme: Anti-Bullying/Cyberbullying • #EmotionalFootprint – Does Your Behavior Harm or Uplift? • Anti-bullying/Cyberbullying event during lunch bands
Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023 Spirit Week theme: Black-out Day/HBCU Merch RFA theme: Respect for Diversity, Disability, Religious Acceptance & Racial Diversity • Represent – Wear Clothing/Accessory that represents your culture • Diversity Matters! – https://youtu.be/Rcw09YMDHuU
Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023 Spirit Week theme: 90’s/2000’s Throwback Day RFA theme: Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and LGBTQ+ & Acceptance • Wear your Pride Colors – Clothing & Accessories
Friday, Feb. 17, 2023 Spirit Week theme: Wear Your Flag Day RFA theme: No One Eats Alone Day • Let’s Break BREAD!! – Bring a snack to share to advisory and discuss its cultural/familial significance to you
