Eleanor Roosevelt High School PTA
Monthly Newsletter
March 2012
In This Issue
PTA & SLT Elections
Life After ELRO
Auctioneer: Erin Ward
Raffles, Balloons, Etc.
Extracurricular Activities
Performing Arts Tickets
Article Headline
2012 Gala Invitation
Upcoming Events
 
Thursday 3/1 @ 6:00p
PTA Executive Meeting
(open to all parents)

Wednesday 3/7 @ 6:30p
Auction Committee Meeting
(at home of Leslie Philips)
RSVP to Mary Beth Walsh 

 

Thursday 3/15
Art Gallery Opening 
@ 3:30p 
PTA General Meeting
@ 6:00p 
"AP Curriculum and
Course Selection"

Parent Teacher Conferences
Thursday 3/29 @ 5:30p
Friday 3/30 @ 12:30p 
Supplies Needed!

The school needs copy paper and dry erase (white board) markers. If you find yourself in a stationery store, please pick up an extra ream of paper or package of markers and drop them in the main office. Thanks!
Quick Links

 

 

Eleanor Roosevelt in NYC

"I shall always remember someone, it may have been Theodore Roosevelt, saying in my hearing when I was young that when you were afraid to do a thing, that was the time to go and do it. Every time we shirk making up our minds or standing up for a cause in which we believe, we weaken our character and our ability to be fearless." Eleanor Roosevelt, Keepers of Democracy, Virginia Q. Rev. (Jan. 1939), quoted by The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers Project of GW University. 

PTA Meeting:

Dr. Fred Kaeser on Teen Relationships 
and Adolescent Sexuality

 

Fred Kaeser

At the PTA meeting on Feb. 16, Dr. Fred Kaeser talked with parents about teen relationships and adolescent sexuality. Dr. Kaeser is former director of health for NYCDOE, a blogger for Psychology Today for parents on child and adolescent sexuality, and author of What Your Child Needs to Know About Sex (and When).

Highlights are below:
  • Teenagers want to hear more from parents and guardians about sex.
  • Youth Risk Behavior Survey (by CDC) looks at health risk behaviors: tobacco, alcohol/substance abuse, lack of exercise, poor nutrition, accidental injury (#1 cause of death of children), violence (homicide is #2 cause of death, suicide is #3 cause of death), sexual behavior.
  • Intercourse in NYC (2009 statistics): 65% of 17-year-olds, 33% of 9th graders, 10% of kids before age 13. NYC does not have the highest percentages nationwide.
  • Parents tend to underestimate what their kids are thinking and doing.
  • Parents have many reasons for not talking to kids about sex: (1) "I'm not comfortable talking to my children about sex"; (2) "I feel better if somebody else talks to my kids about sex"; (3) "If I talk about it, my kids will want to do it." There are several parenting styles: permissive, authoritarian, authoritative (best style).
  • Teen sexual abuse is a big problem and very under-reported. One of four girls, and one of six boys, will be sexually abused. There's a range of sexual bullying behavior, and bullying is in the eye of the recipient. (Many popular books and movies are extremely violent.)
  • Risk of harm is reduced when sex occurs in a relationship of love, respect and trust. Sex is more dangerous when drugs and alcohol are involved.
  • You don't have to be honest with your kids at all times about your own behavior; you can always tell them the truth later. It's a personal choice. The most important thing is consistency; kids respect (and want) that.
  • Parents or guardians of both genders should talk to kids about sex; it's important for children to have both perspectives and role models. Some kids may need to speak with (safe) adults other than their parents.
  • Peer groups are important. Parental influence is reduced when kids are hanging out with deviant peers.
  • It's hard for parents to stop on top of their kids' behavior in today's world when much of their socializing is online. Make your home comfortable for your children and their friends. Spend private time with your children. Remember that you pay the bills for Internet and cell phones.
  • Students at ERHS discuss these issues in health class and advisory, but parents have to fill in the gaps.
Join Our Mailing List
Go Huskies! 
Credit: www.mydogbreed.com
Credit: mydogbreed.com
 
Auction Items

Horizon Cruise
Horizon Sunset Cruise

Original Ink Drawing by Billur Olgay-Akipek
 
Gold Crown Beachside Resort in Cancun, Mexico
(Click image to bid now!)


Hunter Mt Lift Tickets
(Click image to bid now!)

Countdown to the PTA's Gala Auction Fundraiser on
Friday, March 30th

 

Countdown! After many months of planning, we're four weeks away from the 10th Anniversary Live & Silent Auction Gala on Friday, March 30th at Millesime in the Hotel Carlton. Our many volunteers have been working diligently, bringing in some great donations and planning what will be a fabulous evening of friends, entertainment, libations and bidding, all in celebration of Eleanor Roosevelt High School's 10th Anniversary! You can donate to the auction using this form.

 

Tickets are on sale now! Invitations were mailed this week -you can beat the crowd and get the pre-event price of $75 by returning your RSVP to school or buying online. Tickets go for $90 at the door.

 

Also, please purchase your raffle tickets! We have two great raffles this year and the odds are in your favor:

 

iPad2 raffle - $5 per ticket, 6 for $20

50/50 Raffle: $50 tickets: one lucky winner will take half the proceeds

 

You don't need to be present to win, but we hope to see you at this fabulous event.

 

Don't wait - you can purchase admission and raffle tickets online NOW on the Auction website here:

 

Our preview catalog is online and ready for viewing! Check out the absolutely great items we've gotten in and plan your bidding strategy! We have great live & silent items and here is a sample of some of the live auction items:

 

-       Major League Baseball tickets - Any stadium, any regular season game

-       Wine Tasting for Ten

-       Mets & Yankees Tickets

-       One-on-One tutoring with Tutor Associates 

-       SAT prep course with Test Takers

-       A sunset cruise on a private sailboat

-       VIP Tickets to Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

-       One Night Stay for Two at the Spa at Woodloch Pines

-       VIP Tickets to the Daily Show and Dinner

-       And more great items are still coming in!

 

Expect more great items - and plan to enjoy our games, balloons, or our fabulous Fashion Boutique!

 

It's not too late to get your donations in! Donate online, or download a form on our auction website here.

 

See you on March 30th for our Gala Event!

Homecoming 2012 

Upcoming Elections for PTA Executive Board and School Leadership Team

Elections for the PTA Executive Board and School Leadership Team will be held at the PTA meeting on Wednesday, June 6. Nominations will be accepted by the Nominating Committee until the close of the PTA meeting on Thursday, May 17. The duties of the officers of the PTA are set forth in the PTA Bylaws, available here and in the main office. The nomination form is available here and in the main office. If you would like to nominate yourself or somebody else, please return the form to the Nominating Committee in the main office. 
  Life After ELRO: Anna Kramer '10
Anna Kramer
In senior year, I challenged myself to take Sr. Molina's AP Spanish Literature class. Even though it was a very difficult class, it gave me the skills to go to a very small town in Nicaragua and teach English in an elementary school for one month. There were very few people in the town but because we only spoke Spanish in Sr. Molina's class, I had a foundation for conversational skills and was able to learn a lot more Spanish in my time there.  

 

PTA: Please tell us when you graduated from Elro, where you are now studying and describe your academic focus.

Kramer: I graduated from Elro in 2010 and I am now studying civil engineering at the Cooper Union.  

 

PTA: How did Elro shape the educational direction you've chosen?

Kramer: The math and science teachers at Elro definitely sparked my interest in the sciences. I was able to take math classes and science electives that helped me realize that civil engineering was a field that I was interested in. 

 

PTA: How do you feel your high school education prepared you for college? Focus on areas in which you feel you maybe gained a leg up on your college classmates based on what/how you were taught at Elro.

Kramer: I liked that I was able to take more advanced math and science classes at Elro and I believe that definitely helped my studies in college. During high school, I figured out study methods that helped me better succeed at Cooper Union, but college is a big challenge. I wish that more advanced classes were offered to me at Elro because going into civil engineering at the Cooper Union is definitely not easy. 

 

PTA: How did the Elro college placement process help you in your school selection?

Kramer: Elro's college placement process was definitely a big help. Having all the necessary documents organized and sent for me was a huge asset and the meetings in the college office were critical in identifying what I wanted in a school and what school was a good fit for me. 

 

PTA: Are there specific things about your high school education that you look back on with particular fondness?

Kramer: I really loved being surrounded by a group of individuals that were so motivated to do well in school. And though my classmates all wanted to do well, it always remained a very constructive and "non cut-throat" environment. I was driven by my peers to do my best in my classes and they definitely helped me get into the college of my choice.

 

PTA: What advice might you have for current students?

Kramer: Don't be afraid of science! Yes, it gets harder in college, but it's where the jobs are! And don't be tempted to take the easy route in college by shying away from hard classes. If you're a student at ElRo, you definitely have what it takes to challenge yourself and take classes that won't be an easy A.

 

Life After ELRO is prepared by 9th grade parent Michael Vinocur. If you know a graduate of ERHS who would like to be featured in this column, drop us a line at [email protected]

Erin Ward of Star Benefit Auctions to Emcee Auction at 2012 Gala Benefit 

 

The Auction Committee and PTA Executive Board are thrilled to announce that this year's Emcee at our Live and Silent Auction Gala on March 30th will be Erin Ward of Star Benefit Auctions. Erin is a third-generation auctioneer, following in her mother's and grandfather's footsteps. Erin specializes in benefit auctions and has successfully raised the fund raising bar at numerous charitable auctions nationwide. PS 199's auction team said she "raised more money for our school than we've ever had in the 17 year history of our auctions. Erin made the process exciting and fun." You can expect an entertaining and fun evening of bidding - don't miss it! 



Homecoming 2012

Raffles, Balloons and More
Win an iPad2 !!!

 

The auction will again be holding a raffle for an iPad2.  Tickets for this raffle will be $5 each, 6 for $20.  We are currently selling them at the PTA meetings and will include a booklet with your mailed invitation (look for it after the February break).  You do not need to be at the auction to win.

 

Do you have a source for iPad2s?  We would like to purchase at cost or have it donated to the auction.  Contact [email protected]  

 

We have some good fun and novel games planned!  Play a game or buy a balloon and win a great item - could it be a gift card to a local store?  a bottle of wine?  a restaurant certificate?  You'll never know unless you buy a balloon!  All balloons are winners, and all items are worth more than the price of the balloon.  Don't worry - we'll pop the balloon, you don't have to carry it around with you all night long! 

 

Check the boutique area for buy it now items - great deals on items that will sell below their stated value!


Homecoming 2012

Eleanor Roosevelt Offers Students a Wide Variety of  Extracurricular Activities

 

Students at Eleanor Roosevelt High School have a lot to choose from when it comes to extracurricular activities that are made possible by generous donations from the PTA and by faculty advisers who volunteer so much of their time to work with students outside the classroom.

Athletics include baseball, girls and boys basketball, girls and boys soccer, softball, coed track, girls and boys tennis and volleyball. There is also a cheerleading squad, a dance club and a ski/snowboard club. 

 

The other after school programs cover diverse interests and hobbies among the student body.

 

Model UN, World Quest and the Law Team focus on mock trial, current event competitions and debate activity. There is also a Chess Club that meets weekly to practice chess skills. 

 

On the creative side, there are clubs for Extra Video Edit and Shoot, Jazz Ensemble, Art Gallery, Film, Newspaper and Recording Engineering. 

 

For those interested in civic, environmental, nutritional and cultural awareness, there are the Asian Appreciation Club, Green Team, Human Rights Club, Black History Month, Nutrition Club, Making a Difference Club, Student Movement Against Cancer, CANstruction, Gay-Straight Alliance and National Honor Society which is primarily devoted to scholarship, community service, mentoring and tutoring. In addition, there is Early Stages which subsidizes tickets to cultural performances.

 

There are also some school related clubs such as Senior Advisor which overseas senior activities, College Office which serves to guide students and families through the college application process and SAS (Student Assistance Services) which focuses on tech support.

 

-- Fernanda Giusti (9th grade parent) 

Homecoming 2012

Subsidized Tickets to the Performing Arts are Available to ERHS Students

 

Did you know that through our partnerships with arts organizations, ElRo students attend professional performances for $7 max and as as little as $0? These opportunities are first-come, first-serve, and are often gone within hours of announcement. Check the Subsidized Ticket section of the Music and Arts Opportunities page on erhsnyc.org for the latest tickets and other opportunities! 

Recently students enjoyed these performances:

CONCERTS Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Orchestra of St. Luke's, Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, New York Philharmonic

MUSICALS American Idiot, Godspell, Hair, Lysistrata Jones, Next to Normal, Shrek, Wicked

OPERAS Madama Butterfly, Nixon in China

PLAYS Born Yesterday, La Bete, The Royal Family, Through the Night, Wit

OTHER PRODUCTIONS Rain, Traces

-- Ms. Hsu (Arts Teacher / Music Director)
Law Team Wins First Round of Moot Court

 

Law Team

In late breaking news, the ERHS Law Team reports that the prosecution team won the first round of the Law Team's mock trial competition down at the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse on February 29 against private school Leman Prep. ERHS fielded six competitors, and 13 spectators plus the team's two attorney mentors from law firm Bryan Cave came to cheer on the team. The defense team goes up against Friends Seminary next Tuesday. Res ipsa loquitur!


-- Ms. Lewis (Social Studies Teacher and Law Team Adviser)
Homecoming 2012

Eleanor Montage - Photo by Maud M.
Photo taken by 9th grade student Maud M. at FDR Museum & Library.