SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

Pictured In Photo: Annetta Lee, Natasha Naveed, Noel Aly, Lisa La Spina, Selma Albin, Janet Kennedy, Assistant Principal, Jeanne Fish, Principal, Cherie Lang, Hillary Stackpole, Dell Coe (Photo Courtesy of Hillary Stackpole)

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz awarded a special commendation to the staff of Gerritsen Beach’s P.S. 277 (2529 Gerritsen Avenue) in a ceremony last week.

According to a press release, the school’s Parent’s Association wanted to recognize the staff for their efforts in providing relief to the children and community of Gerritsen Beach following Superstorm Sandy. So they reached out to the beep and asked him to surprise the school’s team at a morning assembly, and he honored them for their terrific work providing comfort to the community kids.

Sheepshead Bites would also like to extend a salute and warm-hearted congratulations to the staff of P.S. 277 for all their excellent work throughout the trying days of Superstorm Sandy.

Peruggi (Source: KCC Digest)

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: After nine years of serving as the first female leader of Kingsborough Community College, Dr. Regina Peruggi will retire at the end of the summer.

Peruggi, 65, announced her retirement in an April 5 letter to the school’s staff and faculty, in which she reflected on her time at the Manhattan Beach-based institution.

“These past nine years have been extraordinary ones for me. They have been challenging, creative, exciting, productive, and a great deal of fun,” Peruggi wrote in the letter. “I have met incredible individuals who have taught me a great deal and whose memory will be with me for years to come. Kingsborough faculty, staff, and students are the best in the country, and it has been a true privilege to work with each of you.”

Peruggi is expected to hand over the reigns to the school in August, although the school’s press office could not provide an exact date. The school’s spokespeople declined to comment on Peruggi’s retirement, as there has not yet been a public announcement.

Keep reading and see the farewell letter Peruggi sent to staff and faculty.

Murrow High School (Photo: Erica Sherman)

Edward R. Murrow High School is continuing to mold an army of Garry Kasparovs with its latest victory, their eighth win at the National High School Chess Championship on Sunday, according to a report in the Daily News.

The tournament was held in Nashville, Tennessee, and had over 5,000 competitors from high schools across the nation going against one another from Friday to Sunday.

The team qualified for the tournament when they won the state championships for the 16th time in February. They also won the state championships last year, and took home the national title in 1992, 1993, 1994, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. The school’s team counts Olympic chess players and world title holders among its alumni, and an award-winning book has been written about the team’s formation.

Azeez Alade, a member of the current team who hails from Nigeria, told the Daily News that now that they have secured their victory – yet again – it’s time to declare check-and-mate on some burgers and video games.

“We’re all going to go to Dave and Busters! No more chess! We’re done with that — we’re celebrating,” said Alade.

Congrats to the Murrow team! We look forward to more victories in the future.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

The Panel for Educational Policy, which has the final say on closing schools in New York City, voted last night to approve plans to phase out and ultimately shutter Sheepshead Bay High School and 21 other schools at the end of this semester.

Much like the closure hearing held earlier this month at Sheepshead Bay High School, opposition at last night’s meeting was thin compared to previous years.

The New York Post notes:

While hundreds of parents and teachers came to protest the move, the meeting wasn’t nearly as volatile as in past years, when thousands packed the auditorium and raucously taunted education officials.

… Before last night’s vote, far fewer elected officials spoke out than usual, the crowd thinned within hours, and even the head of the UFT sent his No. 2.

NY 1 reports that some of that scale down in opposition is because the UFT has “given up” on challenging Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s policies, and is now looking ahead to the new mayor. NY 1 reports:

This is the fourth year since a state law was revised to require that the panel votes on school closures, but since the majority of the panel is appointed by the mayor, the panel has approved every single one of the DOE’s proposals to date.

Of all of the DOE’s controversial policies, closing schools consistently generates the most vocal push back. Even if the outcome of the final vote is almost certainly assured, thousands of people show up to the meeting every year. Most are teachers, students or parents at the schools that are being closed, but the teachers’ union has also traditionally brought in hundreds of other members to speak out against the policy.

This year, the United Federation of Teachers has not organized a large protest for the first time. The union president said that he has given up trying to work with the current mayor to get anything done and is focused on the next mayor.

As many as 142 schools have been closed of phased out since Bloomberg took office in 2002.

In addition to closing Sheepshead Bay High School, the panel voted to approve the co-location of four new schools, including two charters, on the 3000 Avenue X premises. A “phase out” period in which no new ninth graders would be accepted to the school begins immediately. Current students would be allowed to graduate or transfer out over the next three years, and, beginning this September, a new public high school, two new charter high schools, and a district transfer high school would all be co-located in the same facility.

The charter high schools will both be managed by New Visions for Public Schools, a nonprofit that manages more than 70 schools across the five boroughs.

This is a paid announcement from the Hebrew Learning Academy Charter School, a public elementary school in Community District 22, 1340 East 29th Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11210.

HLA is now recruiting students for the 2013-14 Academic Year!

75 kindergarten spaces available with limited space
through fifth grade!

Hebrew Language Academy Charter School
 A Public Elementary School in Community District 22

located at 1340 East 29th Street • Brooklyn, NY 11210 • 718-377-7200

ALL ARE WELCOME!!

Apply for your child NOW!

• Open Houses Scheduled every Tuesday!
• HLA is a dual language public school with rigorous academic instruction in grades
• Grades K through 5: Hebrew and English Language Instruction, Enriched Math for High Performing Students
• Israeli Culture and History, Chess Instruction, Community Service
• Two Teachers in Each Class
• Extended School Day and School Year

IMPORTANT DATES!!

• Application is due April 1, 2013
• Lottery will be held on April 11, 2013
• Opening Day for Students will be in August 2013

Please visit our website to download an application at WWW.HLACHARTERSCHOOL.ORG

APPLY TODAY!!

Hebrew Language Academy Charter School – A Public Elementary School in Community District 22, 1340 East 29th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11210, (718) 377-7200

The above is a paid announcement by The Hebrew Language Academy Charter School. Sheepshead Bites has not verified the claims made in this advertisement. If you own a business and would like to announce a special offer to tens of thousands of locals, e-mail us at advertising [at] sheepsheadbites [dot] com.

• Eligibility: All children who turn five years old in 2013 and who live in New York City are eligible to attend kindergarten in September 2013.
• Applications: You must submit an application in order for your child to attend kindergarten. If you would like to apply to multiple schools, you must submit an application to each school. You must bring two proof of residence documents.
• Choice Districts: District 1 (Lower East Side), District 7 (South Bronx), and District 23 (Brownsville) are “choice districts.” This means there are no zoned schools in these districts. You can apply to schools in District 1, District 7, and District 23 online, by phone (at 718-935-2009), or in person at an Enrollment Office. For more information about these districts, visit the Kindergarten Admissions website.

Elementary School Directories
Don’t forget to take a look at the 2013-2014 Elementary School Directories to get a better understanding of your options. Available online, each borough’s directory contains information about the kindergarten admissions process, schools located in that borough, district maps, a list of charter schools, and a summary of all public kindergarten programs in New York City. 

From a rally to save the school when it faced closure in 2010.

The Department of Education held a required hearing to “phase out” Sheepshead Bay High School (3000 Avenue X) last week, but the event drew a smaller crowd of about 80 students and faculty, as compared to hundreds in the previous attempts to shut it down.

It’s the third year in the row the city is trying to shutter the school – this time by replacing it with two public schools and two charter schools – and some school supporters say the teachers, students and parents have simply been beaten, broken and demoralized by the process.

If the plan to close Sheepshead Bay High School is approved, a “phase out” period would begin in which no new ninth graders would be accepted to the school. Current students would be allowed to graduate or transfer out, and, beginning this September, a new public high school, two new charter high schools, and a district transfer high school would all be co-located in the same facility.

Continue Reading »

Hooray for Kindergarten! Good times… Source: SFA Union City / Flickr

We received the following announcement from the New York City Department of Education’s Elementary School Admissions Team:

Welcome to Kindergarten Admissions! If you live in New York City and your child is turning five years old in 2013, your child is eligible to attend kindergarten in September 2013. We understand the registration process can be challenging at times, so please know that we’re always here to offer a hand should you need one. To help you get started, below you will find important dates and other resources meant to guide you throughout the application period.

Key Dates

March 1, 2013: Deadline to submit application

Early April, 2013: Placement offers distributed to families

April 8 – April 26, 2013: Pre-registration at schools

Application Process

You must submit an application in order for your child to attend kindergarten. If you would like to apply to multiple schools, you must submit an application to each school.

Elementary School Directories

The 2013-14 Elementary School Directories are available on the Elementary School Publications website. Directories will be available at all public elementary schools later this month.

Each borough’s Directory contains information about the kindergarten admissions process, schools located in that borough, district maps, a list of charter schools, and a chart that provides a summary of all public kindergarten programs in the city. Use the Directories as a resource to help you decide where you would like to submit a kindergarten application.

Districts 1, 7, and 23 are choice districts

There are no zoned schools in District 1 (Lower East Side), District 7 (South Bronx) and District 23 (Brownsville). You can apply to schools in these districts online, by phone, and in person at an Enrollment Office. For more information about these districts, visit the Kindergarten Admissions website.

Questions?

For more information, visit the Kindergarten Admissions website. If you have questions or concerns as you prepare your application, contact ES_Enrollment@schools.nyc.gov or call (718) 935-2009.

Yesterday was Martin Luther King Day, and while many people stayed home and enjoyed their day off, others rolled up their sleeves and answered Dr. King’s Call for Service. Over 600 volunteers came to Sheepshead Bay High School to paint, cobble and clean for the 10th annual MLK Day of Service.

“The students and teachers that work here and attend school here, live in communities that were most affected [by Superstorm Sandy],” said Erica Hamilton, executive director of City Year New York, to CBS 2 News.

Among the good deeds performed by the volunteers, which culled together students and community members, were the painting of murals designed by students and the building of benches and bookshelves to help spruce up the Sheepshead Bay High School. They also painted handbags and made cards for special needs students.

The murals, all painted by students, reflected different themes including careers, performing arts and literature.

View the photos from the event.

Sheepshead Bay High School students protesting the city’s closure attempts in the last school year. (Photo: Robert Fernandez)

We reported in November that the New York Department of Education was once again looking to close Sheepshead Bay High School, including it on an “early engagement” list. This week, the school popped up on yet another list of low performing schools targeted for closure, according to an article in School Book.

The planned closing of Sheepshead Bay High has been fought for some time, and teachers and administrators have thus far been successful at keeping the school open despite mounting pressure from city officials. This time around, though, the DOE doesn’t appear to be pushing an immediate closure at the end of this school year, but “phasing out,” meaning no new students can enroll at the school.

According to School Book, the High School’s closing hasn’t shocked its staff:

Robin Kovat, a social studies and law teacher at Sheepshead Bay High School, said the announcement Monday did not surprise her.

“The D.O.E. has been trying to close us for nine years. They are finally succeeding. Even though we knew it was coming, it is still so sad,” Kovat said.

Sheepshead Bay was one of the high schools the city wanted to “turn around” this year. Despite a new principal and additional support systems, Kovat said one year was not enough time to demonstrate results.

“A lot of us put our hearts and souls into the school and into the kids and really know that we made a difference in their lives. You know, maybe the numbers aren’t reflecting that,” she said. “At the same time as our statistics are going down, we have rising stars. Seriously.”

Despite the disappointment from teachers and administrators, Deputy Chancellor Marc Sternberg and the DOE are taking a hard stance against struggling schools.

“We expect success,” he said in a statement. “After a rigorous review of academic performance, we’re proposing to phase out a select number of low-performing schools. We’ve listened to the community and provided comprehensive support services to these schools based on their needs. Ultimately, we know we can better serve our students and families with new options and a new start.”

UFT President Michael Mulgrew, though, called shenanigans on the idea that DOE provided comprehensive report, noting to School Book, “Large comprehensive schools like Lehman and Sheepshead Bay have been further undermined by DOE policies that led to increased concentrations of high-needs students, but with no increase in the services such students need.”