Issue #39

June 14, 2020

13th Remote Learning Issue

HELLO TO OUR LAGUARDIA COMMUNITY

A   R A I N B O W   OF   D I V E RS I T Y

This week's Town Hall, hosted by Principal Yeou-Jey Vasconcelos, focused on anti-racism and the effects of trauma and stress on young people during this time.  Many thanks to  Dr. Michelle Morancie , alumna and retired school psychologist for NYC DOE, more specifically, a trauma specialist psychologist, who discussed the impact of COVID-19 pandemic and racial unrest on young people.  Many thanks also to  Juan Ortiz , a community activitst whose artistic practice brings community together to tackle issues of race, racism, issues of social justice and racial equity.  Mr. Ortiz discussed what is racism, and what does it mean to be anti-racist and to fight racism.  Great many thanks to our very own student leaders -  Senior Vocal Student Arielle Clarke who is President of the LaGuardia Activitsts Club, Senior Drama Student Jonathan Greene  who is President of SGO, and  Senior Vocal Student Jerett Benjamin  who is the LaGuardia Student Equity Leader.  They discussed how we can move individuals who view themselves as allies to becoming anti-racist, how people can educate themselves on the issues, and what are some practical suggestions and actions individuals can take.   Here is the link to the video recording of the Town Hall.

Return to School 2020 Survey for Families

The NYC Department of Education is working on plans for re-opening school buildings in the 2020-21 school year and is currently exploring various options based on available guidance from public health experts.   They want your feedback to understand what is most important to you!  Click here for survey.

Lincoln Center at Home has curated works by Black artists in music, dance, and theater.  The theme across all these art forms is a focus on the issues of racial justice and the Black experience.  Lincoln Center at Home is an initiative to provide families with access to live performing arts, pop-up classrooms, and archival performances while quarantined due to to the COVID-19 crisis.  All events are FREE.   To learn more, click here .

They worked hard all year under the guidance of the amazing Robert Apostle... WOW and HOLY COW did they get to make a huge statement last Friday evening!!  We are absolutely proud of them and all their collaborators from the the current Art Studio and Art Alumni.   It was such a wonderful, heartfelt production, a great send -off for our graduating class, especially with so many New Music Ensemble Alumni stopping in to both perform and send out much love admiration and best wishes to the Class of 2020.  Follow  @newmusiclag

funds raised will go to NYC Health and Hospitals, we are more concerned about raising money for this great organization, so everyone can buy a shirt!  

The shirts will be mailed to the address of your choosing.    Click here to order.

PA Executive Board Positions, 

CURRENT EVENTS - DISCUSSING RACE

Check out the below educational resources on racism, adjusting to COVID-19 quarantine, and bystander intervention.  They were curated by our neighbor across the street, Michelle Lee,Young Adult Libraian at New York Public Library - Riverside Branch: 

• Teaching Tolerance:  www.tolerance.org/

• Teaching Tolerance educational resources on racism and police violence:  www.tolerance.org/moment/racism-and-police-violence

• Teaching Tolerance educational resources on hate incidents at schools:  www.tolerance.org/magazine/publications/responding-to-hate-and-bias-at-school

• Teaching Tolerance COVID-19 support resources for students:  www.tolerance.org/supporting-students-through-coronavirus

• Hollaback infographic guide to bystander intervention:  www.ihollaback.org/app/uploads/2016/11/Show-Up_CUPxHollaback.pdf

Brooklyn Public Library's "Black Lives Matter book list" located here. 

Constructive White Conversations

A gathering in which those who identify as white can speak freely and openly about race, racism, oppression, isolation, and all related issues.  Constructive White Conversations is a place for white people who want to understand and dismantle racism, build and maintain white anti-racist community, and explore the nature of white identity. Learn more.

75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice

A wide variety of ideas to get you thinking. If you're a POC, please, share this with a friend - hopefully they'll thank you...

ARTICLES

Schools Should Open in Full This Fall: They Serve too Vital a Function to Stay Closed, and Remote Learning is a Disaster , Bloomberg Opinion, June 10, 2020

How to Do Anti-Racist Work with NYC School Communities:  5 Experts Weight in , Chalkbeat, June 8, 2020

ART STUDIO UPDATE

Start your shopping from this link  https://www.amazon.com/?&tag=laghspa-20

and the LaGuardia Parents Association will receive anywhere from  3% to 10% of qualifying purchases.

EVERYTHING COLLEGE

FOR ALL STUDENTS

Mark your Calendars for LaGuardia's "Let's Talk College" Series

Open to students and parents

Thursday, June 18, ,2020 - 3:00 - 4:30 PM
Meeting link here:  Click Here To Join

JUNIOR FAMILIES!!!

Now is a great time to get started on Parent Raves! For those of you who missed this info at College Night, parents are encouraged to fill out Parent Raves.  This is your chance to share with your child's guidance counselor what you think makes your child special.  This is not a time to be humble - brag away!  To find the Parent Rave form :

1. Sign-In to Naviance Account (the Parent Account, not the child account. If you don't have a Naviance parent account, please email your guidance counselor)
2. Click on the "About Me" Tab located at the top right of home page
3. Scroll down and select "My Surveys"
4. Then select "Surveys Not Started"

VIRTUAL COLLEGE TOURS!

LIVE, ONLINE GROUP SAT PREPARATION COURSE - 
IDEAL FOR SOPHOMORES (& FRESHMEN TOO)!

COLLEGE FINANCIAL AID

 

A WESTSIDE EXPERIMENT: YOUNG ACTORS LABORATORY - REMOTE

Dates: July 6-10, 13-18, 2020, 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Fully accessible and FREE for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing students.
Since 2007, IRT Theater has served the downtown theater community by providing space, support and community for independent artists through its 3B Development Series.  The progressive Young Actors Laboratory program still covers all the theater essentials, like physical-acting technique, improvisation & script writing, but with a decidedly downtown twist.  This year's unique summer experience will include a fusion of sign language, spoken word, mime, storytelling, dance and music.  This is a great choice for students, hearing, Deaf, and Hard-of Hearing, who are interested in theater but eager to try something more offbeat than, say, Oklahoma.  No prior acting experience necessary.  Artists of all disciplines encouraged to apply.  Bring an open mind, and have it blown away!  For more information and to register.

SUMMER REMOTE PLAYWRITING CLASS

Join a remote, biweekly class for the summer for teens ages 14-16 broken up into two four-week sessions.  The first four weeks we will have two classes a week.  During one, we will write scenes on a prompt given each week and begin to discuss the basics of playwriting, such as dramatic structure, character construction, and dialogue.  The other meeting we will read a play a week and discuss what it can teach us about playwriting, concerning the variations of form and styles in different dramatic movements.  For the second four-weeks, the play reading class will remain the same, but the writing class will be focusing on developing and writing short one act plays.  The class will culminate in a Zoom reading of the completed plays with actors reading the students' writing.  The fee for the class is $160 for all 8 weeks.  For more information - [email protected] or 347-853-0171. 

THE COOPER UNION PRE-COLLEGE SUMMER COURSES

The Cooper Union is committed to academic excellence in all of our pursuits; the current circumstances offer a unique opportunity to advance our thinking and creativity. We are therefore now offering our Pre-college Summer Courses online with the same high standards for intellectual engagement and collaboration as in any Cooper classroom. 

Please review the links below and register now!
Introduction to Architecture with The Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture
Summer Art Intensive with the School of Art
Summer STEM with the Albert Nerken School of Engineering
Summer Writing Program

FIT HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS - REMOTE LEARNING

Summer Classes

Experience the cultural vibrancy of FIT and NYC while choosing from over 130 long and short-term courses in art, fashion, merchandising, international marketing, photography, interior design, film, and media and more...  Learn more

COLLEGE NOW ONLINE CLASSES - SUMMER

College Now online courses offered during the summer semester are open to NYC public high school students meeting academic eligibility requirements and entering 11th or 12th grade in September 2020.   Participation is free . Learn more !

A CALL TO ACTION! STUDENTS WE NEED YOU TO...

1. Be well-informed (i.e., developing a nuanced understanding of our history, government, civil society institutions and current affairs); 
2. Be productively engaged in working for the common good (i.e., being active in their communities and able to work with all kinds of people without fear or contempt to craft solutions to their common problems); and 
3. Be hopeful about our democracy

THE MET INTRODUCES VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING FOR TEENS

BREAKTHROUGH JUNIOR CHALLENGE - WIN  $250,000

Application Deadline: Thursday, June 25, 2020

Here's a fun idea for remote learning. Is your child great at explaining math or science concepts? They could create a video for a chance to win a $250,000 scholarship. Students ages 13 through 18 are invited to create a short- under three minutes- video explaining a challenging concept in physics, mathematics, or the life sciences in an engaging, illuminating, and creative way. This year, there is an additional COVID-19 category, and students are encouraged to help educate the world about this global health crisis by sharing the science or math behind the causes, impacts and potential solutions.

In addition to awarding a $250,000 college scholarship to the winner, the Breakthrough Junior Challenge will give the winner's teacher a $50,000 prize and the winner's school a new $100,000 science lab.  For more details, check out the website

YOUNG AMBASSADOR SCHOLARSHIP IN MEMORY OF CHRISTOPHER NORDQUIST

Application Deadline: Saturday, August 15th

The Eye-Bank recognizes outstanding students with the Young Ambassador Scholarship in Memory of Christopher Nordquist. The annual $3,000 award to an eligible student is made possible through private contributions given to The Eye-Bank in memory of Christopher, who was two when he died and left the gift of sight.  The Scholarship in his memory is intended to encourage young people to pursue learning and to help spread the message about the priceless gift almost anyone can leave after death - the gift of sight through eye donation.  https://www.eyedonation.org/scholarship/

Wednesday, June 17, at 7:30 PM

LAST ART STUDIO MEETING

     Monday, June 22, at 8:00 PM

LAST DRAMA STUDIO MEETING

Tuesday, June 23,  at 7:30 PM

PA Meeting -  General Meeting and  Elections

Wednesday, June 24, Time  TBA

LAST TECH STUDIO MEETING

Fill out all of the information needed and make sure you click the LaGuardia Families list and your student's studio list. Fill out all of the information requested for LaGuardia Families (put in the studio and graduation year of the student or you will NOT get emails from your studio or for your student's specific year - for example, college news for seniors)