NYC Council and InsideSchools Partner Up to Organize Education Forum

There is a free informational event to educate parents on NYC public school options. The forum and website could be helpful if you have children on the NYC Public School system. If you are interested in attending please note the RSVP deadline.

Gregory

******

January 27, 2012

Dear New Yorker,

Here at the NYC Council, we realize how important it is to give our city's kids a strong start in life. A vital part of gaining that advantage is finding a great elementary school for your child, beginning with kindergarten.

That's why we would like to invite you to an important event that we're co-sponsoring with Insideschools.org that will provide parents with information about the elementary school enrollment process. Please see further details below:

Public Elementary School: How to Apply

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Theresa Lang Community & Student Center

55 West 13th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues), 2nd Floor, Manhattan

Admission is FREE but you must RSVP to centernyc@newschool.edu.

If you or someone you know is planning to enroll a child in elementary school, this will be a great opportunity to learn more about the enrollment process from the experts at Insideschools.org and to have your questions answered by a panel of experts. We will also have a brief "buzz" session afterwards, where parents will be able to further discuss any additional concerns that they have with Insideschools.org's freelancers and staff members.

This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about how to give your child the education he or she deserves. We hope you can make it!

Sincerely,

Christine C. Quinn

Speaker

NYC Council

Robert Jackson

Chair, Education Committee

NYC Council

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Here is information taken from the "Inside Schools" website defining who makes up the organization and what their purpose is.

Who we are

We are journalists, public school parents, and public school advocates dedicated to providing the best independent information about New York City's public schools. We want to tell you what's really going on, because test scores don't tell the whole story. We visit hundreds of schools each year and interview thousands of people--principals, teachers, students and parents. We observe what’s happening in the classrooms, cafeterias, hallways and even the bathrooms.

Our paid staff is small. We welcome volunteers. Write us at info@insideschools.org if you would like to help.

Founded by the nonprofit organization Advocates for Children in 2002, Insideschools moved to theCenter for New York City Affairs at The New School in November 2010. The move was made possible by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. We receive no money from the Department of Education.

Boogiedowner Education Update: Registering your Child for Kindergarten

Here is information sent by Speaker Quinn and Education Chair Robert Jackson related to the procedure to register your child in a NYC kindergarten program. The information was sent in Spanish as well as English. Please note there is a March 2, deadline.

Gregory

**********

January 9, 2012

Dear New Yorker,

Was your child born in 2007? If so, give your child the healthy start she deserves by enrolling her in kindergarten for the 2011-2012 school year. Children who attend kindergarten are more successful throughout their school careers. Not only are they more likely to graduate school and go on to college, but they are also more likely to be academically successful throughout their entire educational career.

PARENTS MUST SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR KINDERGARTEN ADMISSION EVEN IF THEY ARE APPLYING TO THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL.

To apply for kindergarten:

• Find out where your zoned school is by calling 311.
• Find out about your child's eligibility for other kindergarten programs, such as gifted and talented programs or schools that you are not zoned for. See the admissions priorities section on the NYC Department of Education's (DOE) website.
• To enroll in the programs that you are interested in, visit your zoned school (meaning the school that you are assigned to based on the neighborhood where you live) and any other schools you are interested in sending your child to between January 9, 2012, and March 2, 2012.
• Make sure to bring your child's birth certificate or passport, proof of immunization, AND two documents which provide proof of residence. A list of acceptable documents for this purpose and information on how to access these documents can be found on the DOE Registration Information page. Please note that your child is eligible to register for kindergarten even if he or she is not a citizen.

Important dates in the kindergarten admissions process for the 2012–2013 school year can be found on the DOE's Calendar and Events page:

• January 9 – March 2, 2012: Kindergarten admissions period.
• March 19 – March 23, 2012: Assignment notification period.
• March 26 – April 20, 2012: Pre-registration period.

All applications received by the March 2, 2012, deadline will be treated the same – it is NOT first-come, first-served.

District 1 Admissions

If a family resides in District 1, the admissions process is centralized. The District 1 Elementary School Directory, which includes information about the District 1 process, school options, and application instructions, is available online now.

Families can get more information about kindergarten admissions by visiting the DOE website, emailing the Elementary School Enrollment Team at ES_Enrollment@schools.nyc.gov, or calling (718) 935-2009.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Christine C. Quinn

Speaker

NYC Council

Robert Jackson

Chair, Education Committee

NYC Council

Estimado neoyorquino,

?Su hijo nació en el año 2007? Si es así, su hijo merece un comienzo saludable en su inscripción al Kindergarten para el año escolar 2012-2013. Los niños que asisten Kindergarten tienen más éxito a lo largo de su carrera escolar: son menos propensos a abandonar la escuela secundaria, más probabilidades de ir a la universidad, y más probabilidades de tener éxito académico.

DEBE PRESENTAR UNA SOLICITUD DE ADMISION PARA KINDERGARTEN INCLUSO SI ESTA SOLICITANDO A UNA ESCUELA EN SU COMUNIDAD.

Para aplicar para el Kindergarten:

• Averiguar cuál es su zona escolar llamando al 311.
• Averiguar sobre la elegibilidad para otros programas de Kindergarten, tales como programas para estudiantes Dotados y Talentosos o escuelas que no están zonificadas para usted, consulte la sección de prioridades para admisión en la página electrónica del DOE.
• Para inscribirse en los programas que usted está interesado, visite su zona escolar (es decir, la escuela que se le asigna en la comunidad donde usted vive) y otras escuelas que usted esta interesado en enviar a su hijo durante el 9 de enero de 2012 y el 2 de marzo de 2012.
• Asegúrese de traer el certificado de nacimiento o pasaporte, comprobante de vacunación para su hijo Y dos documentos que acrediten su prueba de domicilio. Una lista de documentos aceptables para este fin e información sobre como aceder a estos documentos, se pueden encontrar en la página electrónica de Información de Registro del DOE. Tenga en cuenta que su hijo es elegible para inscribirse en Kindergarten, incluso si el o ella no es ciudadano.

Fechas importantes en el proceso de admisión para Kindergarten en el año escolar 2012-2013 pueden ser encontrado en la página electrónica de Calendario y Eventos del DOE:

• Entre el 9 de enero hasta el 2 de marzo de 2012: Periodo de admisión para Kindergarten
• Entre el 19 de marzo hasta el 23 de marzo de 2012: Periodo de notificación y Asignación.
• Entre el 26 de marzo hasta el 20 de abril de 2012: Periodo de Pre-Registro.

Todas las solicitudes recibidas dentro la fecha límite del 2 de marzo de 2012 será tratado igual – no es el primero en tiempo, primero en derecho.

Distrito 1

Si la familia reside en el Distrito 1, el proceso de admisión está centralizado. El Distrito 1-Directorio de Escuelas Primarias, que incluye información sobre el proceso para el Distrito 1, las opciones escolares, e instrucciones para la aplicación, está disponible en línea ahora.

Las familias pueden obtener más información sobre admisiones para kindergarten al visitar la red electrónica del DOE, o enviando un correo electrónico al equipo de Inscripción para la Escuela Primaria al ES_Enrollment@schools.nyc.gov, o llamando al (718) 935-2009

Gracias.

Atentamente,

Christine C. Quinn

Portavoz

Robert Jackson

Presidente, Comité de Educación