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March 2011 Newsletter
Greetings!
Welcome to the HSMSE PTA monthly newsletter. We welcome your submissions of short articles or announcements for future editions. Students who submit articles earn community service credits. Please submit to Corresponding Secretary May Rao. |
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A look at the calendar for the weeks ahead...
|  - March 10: Our 6th PTA Meeting at 6:30 pm.
- March 13: Daylight Savings Time begins.
- March 17-18: Parent Teacher Conferences. Thursday March 17 from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Friday March 18 from 12:00 pm to 2:30 pm.
- April 14: Our 7th PTA Meeting at 6:00 pm.
- April 18-26: No school. Spring Recess.
- May 5: Parent Teacher Conferences 5:30-8:00 pm.
- May 7: Spring Fair.
- May 30: No School. Memorial Day.
- June 1-14: Final Exams.
- June 2: PTA & SLT Elections at our 8th PTA Meeting.
- June 9: No School. Chancellor Conference Day.
- June 15-24: Regents Exams.
- June 28: Last Day of School.
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Thank You
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The PTA thanks those families who contributed to
the Kenneth Ovalles family
in their time of need.
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PTA Nominations & Elections
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Nominations for PTA and SLT positions...
will be accepted at the April and May PTA meetings. The election will be held during the June PTA meeting.
If you want to be on the nominating committee contact April Feffer at Japsmr@aol.com. You can also nominate yourself. All positions are open.
Participation in the PTA and SLT is a great way
to stay informed about HSMSE and help
our children achieve their goals.
See the descriptions of positions listed farther down in the newsletter.
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AP Examination Registration
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Students currently enrolled in an AP class are encouraged to register for the AP exam. Registration forms and fees are due to Mr. Hershinson by this Friday, March 11, 2011.
This year AP exams will not be used as components of students' course grade(s). However, taking AP exams are an important component of the college admissions process. Our AP courses are listed on the student's transcript as designated AP courses. Colleges will expect to see the exam results on the student's College Board score reports.
Please see the AP Exam Registration Form for more detailed information. Please see the College Board website for the 2011 AP Exam schedule.
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Dance! Debate! Djibouti!
That was the motto for the Johns Hopkins Model United Nations Conference (JHUMUNC) attended by the HSMSE Model UN Club, one of the two conferences the HSMSE Model UN has attended so far this year. The conference took place in downtown Baltimore over a 4 day period. We also attended a conference held on our own CCNY campus. At both conferences we received awards for our ability to represent Algeria and the United States of America, respectively, with topics ranging from Globalization to the Situation in Afghanistan and from the use of napalm in 1973 to dealing with world health in 2035. We, as delegates, learned about different countries and their stance on these various topics. We worked together with other delegates to create a resolution that would address the issues. With two conferences down, we have one more conference to go for this year's HSMSE Model UN, and it takes place in May at the United Nations and the Grand Hyatt in midtown. Our delegates will have the opportunity to sit in the seats that the actual representatives of the United Nations sit in when making history. It's a lot of hard work, but it's also a lot of fun and an incredible learning experience.
By Zac Elvove
HSMSE Junior
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Cross-Country Team Faces Another Hurdle,
But Keeps On Moving
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The Flying Dragons, the school's Cross-Country team, has once again been denied the chance to compete against other schools in the Public School Athletic League. This is the third year that we have applied, and the third year that we have demonstrated student interest, committed coaching, and parental support. The reason given was budgetary. Distance running is the least expensive of all PSAL sports as it requires no playing fields, no referees, no equipment, and the fewest number of coaching hours.
Running remains very popular at HSMSE and continues unabated. The spring Running Club will start again April 1st, and students of all abilities are encouraged to join! Tryouts for the competitive fall Cross-Country team will occur in June.
If parental concern, student interest, and continued lobbying do not alter the PSAL's recent decision, the Flying Dragons will do for its devoted runners what it has done for the past two years: offer solid training and a good mix of competitive opportunities through Invitational meets, community races, and direct competitions with other schools, called dual meets.
And, we will apply to the PSAL again next year.
Thomas Henning
Physics and Engineering Teacher
Cross-Country Coach
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Photography Club comes to HSMSE
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Two students, and a couple of dozen of their friends, have banded together to start a Photography Club. Nadyli Nunez, a senior, and Benny Yan, a junior, have recruited Mr. Henning as faculty advisor. He's been an avid photographer for over thirty years, and in the past has taught a class in the subject at HSMSE.
The students in the club would like to improve their image-taking skills and get a better understanding of the many complex features of modern digital cameras. Some have sophisticated SLR cameras, and others have the more basic point-and-shoot variety. Some have no cameras at all!
The club is look for donations of digital cameras, in particular those with at least 3 megapixel sensors and some manual adjustments for aperture and shutter speed. Mr. Henning has agreed to maintain any donated cameras, and has himself donated two SLRs to the cause. All club cameras would be lent to students and used again each year. Contact Mr. Henning at thenning@hsmse.org if you have a possible donation.
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HSMSE's PTA Auction Needs You!
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It's almost Spring, which means it's almost time for the PTA's major fundraising event of the year, the online auction.
This one is not to be missed! We already have some great auction items, but we still need more. Auction proceeds will be used to fund student clubs, sports teams and other extracurricular activities that our kids need.
Now is your chance to help make this THE BEST auction ever by helping us fill our catalog with a vast array of donated items. If you have a vacation home we can auction for a week's stay or if your favorite restaurant will give us a gift certificate or if you have tickets to a favorite sports team or to the opera or you can provide a service such as catering or photography - you get the idea. Just think of items that you would like to bid on and help us get them for the auction. The auction donation form can be downloaded at this link to auction letter and form. Please have your donations in by April 4. For more information please contact Jane Marlowe at 917-362-4997.
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Description of PTA Officer Duties
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PTA Officer Duties
President
The President (or Co-Presidents) shall preside at all meetings of the PTA and shall be an ex-officio member(s) of all committees except the Nominating Committee. The President shall provide leadership for its members. The President shall appoint Committee Chairs of the PTA after discussion with the Executive Board and the approval of the General Membership. The President shall delegate responsibilities to other PTA members and encourage meaningful participation in all Member activities. The President shall automatically become a core member of the School Leadership Team ("SLT") and attend all regular meetings. The President shall meet regularly with the Executive Board Members in accordance with these bylaws to plan agendas for the General Membership meetings. The President shall be one of the signatories on all checks. The President or his/her designee shall represent the PTA at district committee meetings. The president shall attend OFEA professional development seminars relating to association leadership. The President shall assist in the June transfer of records to the incoming Executive Board.
Vice President
The Vice President will assist the President in conducting the business of the PTA. The Vice President will assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President or at the President's request. The Vice President shall assist in the June transfer of records to the incoming Executive Board.
Recording Secretary
The Recording Secretary will keep an accurate and permanent record of all minutes, proceedings and actions of general membership and Executive Board meetings. This will include notices, agendas, sign-in sheets, and distributed materials. The Recording Secretary will prepare minutes of each PTA meeting in time for review and adoption at the following membership meeting. All permanent records will be available to Members upon request and current records will be posted on the PTA web site. The Recording Secretary shall maintain custody of the records and reports pertaining to the PTA on school premises, except those of the Treasurer. The Recording Secretary shall maintain a log of all amendments to the bylaws and shall ensure that a copy of each is on file in the principal's office. The Recording Secretary shall assist in the June transfer of records to the incoming Executive Board.
Corresponding Secretary
The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for recording any mail including e-mail, received by the PTA and for preparing responses or correspondence at the request of the President on behalf of the PTA. He/she shall be responsible for preparing and distributing notices of all PTA and Executive Board meetings. The Corresponding Secretary is the primary contact person for e-mail received by the PTA, through its web site or otherwise. The Corresponding Secretary is responsible for publishing and issuing the dates of all General Meetings, Special Meetings, and Executive Board Meetings to the Members, either by written notice to the membership or any other means as expressed in the bylaws.
Treasurer
The Treasurer is responsible for all financial affairs and funds of the PTA and will maintain a full and accurate account of receipts and disbursements on school premises. The Treasurer shall be prepared to provide financial reports at all PTA meetings and prepare and provide the January 31st interim report and the June annual accounting report. The Treasurer shall chair the Budget Committee. He/she shall make available all books or financial records for viewing by Members upon request and for audit. The Treasurer shall be one of the signatories on all checks. The treasurer shall attend OFEA professional development seminars relating to financial affairs. The Treasurer shall prepare financial records, file financial forms and assist with the June transfer of all PTA records to the incoming Executive Board.
Senior Parent Delegate
Parent delegate is responsible for the representation of their class parents and their students to the PTA. Duties include getting to know parents and students via e-mail, phone calls, social gatherings, or whatever seems appropriate, polling them for views, for soliciting Parent Membership and participation in the PTA, being a member of the Membership and Fundraising Committees as representative of their grade, and being a coordinator of their Parent Peer Groups.
Junior Parent Delegate
(Same as above for the 11th grade)
Sophomore Parent Delegate
(Same as above for the 10th grade)
Freshman Parent Delegate
(Same as above for the 9th grade)
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Scholarships, Paid Internships, and Summer Opportunities
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- The School Construction Authority is offering all-summer paid internships. The jobs include information and guidance on resume writing and college applications. Interested students should see Mr. Hesse to request an application. The deadline for applications is March 10, 2011.
- The Smithsonian Latino Center is accepting applications for the 2011 Young Ambassadors Program being held June 19 through July 29. The deadline for all applications is Friday, April 8, before 5 p.m. EDT. For information on the application process, visit www.latino.si.edu/education. The Young Ambassadors Program is a national, interdisciplinary leadership development program for graduating high school seniors aimed at fostering pride in Latino culture and promoting higher education while exposing students to the arts, sciences and humanities via the Smithsonian Institution and its resources. FAQ sheet.
- The 2011 Questbridge College Prep Scholarship for High School Juniors provides scholarships, excellence awards, counseling, all-expenses-paid college campus visits, and other opportunities. The free application is due on March 29, 2011.
- The Google Science Fair is a new global science competition open to students aged 13 to 18 from around the world working on their own or in teams of two or three. The deadline for project submissions is April 4, 2011. Watch the video for more information.
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CCNY Theatre Productions
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The Department of Theatre and Speech at City College invites the community to the following upcoming productions: |
TWELFTH NIGHT
By William Shakespeare
Directed by
David Willinger
Aaron Davis Hall,
Marian Anderson Theatre
March 17 - 19
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WOYZECK
By Georg Buchner
Directed by
Ben Hawthorne
Aaron Davis Hall,
Theatre B
April 7 - 9
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ELECTRICIDAD
By Luis Alfaro
Directed by
Rob Barron
Aaron Davis Hall,
Theatre B
May 5 - 7
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All major shows perform: Thursday-Saturdays at 7 pm; Thursday at 12:15 pm; and Saturday at 2:00 pm Faculty-directed non-musicals admission charge: $2.00 Faculty-directed musicals admission charge: $4.00 All student directed performances are free of charge or by suggested donation. For more information call (212) 650-6666.
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PTA of HSMSE
tel: 212-281-6490 fax: 212-281-6918
2009-2010 PTA Officers  |
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