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HSMSE PTA Newsletter
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APRIL 2017
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Donate to the
HSMSE PTA
Family Fund
Your tax-deductible donations to HSMSE PTA help support sports teams, clubs and student enrichment and purchase needed materials for classrooms. Make a secure online donation through PayPal. HSMSE PTA FAMILY FUND |
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Matching Gifts
If your company matches Gifts, it can help HSMSE. Ask your employer for a matching gift form and mail it to the PTA:
PTA @HSMSE
240 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031
Matching gifts can make a huge huge difference in the lives of our children. All you have to do is ask.
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- Student Talent Show - Friday April 21
- Earth Day - Saturday, April 22
- Principal's Breakfast - Friday, April 28, 9:30 to 10:00
- Student Game Night - Friday, April 28, 4:30 to 7:30
MAY
- Prom Boutique for Seniors, Tuesday, 2:00 to 6:00
- Measure of Student Learning Exam (MOSL) - Wed, May 10
- Student Leadership Team Meeting - Thur, May 11, 4:30 to 6:30
- PTA Meeting - Thursday, May 11, 6:30 to 8:00
- Parent Workshop - Friday, May 12, 9:30 to 10:30
- Student Multicultural Night - Friday May 12, 5:00 to 7:00
- Principal's Breakfast - Friday, May 19
- Belgian Beer Night, PTA Fundraiser, Saturday, May 20
- Memorial Day - NO SCHOOL, Monday, May 29
JUNE
- MOLE Day - Friday, June 2
- Student Leadership Team Meeting - Tue, June 6, 4:30 to 6:30
- PTA Meeting - Tue, June 6, 6:30 to 8:00
- New Freshman Orientation - Thursday, June 8.
- New Freshman Parent Orientation - Monday, June 12, 6-7:30
- End of Third Marking Period - Tuesday, June 13
- Senior Graduation - Thursday, June 22
- Regents Rating Day - NO SCHOOL - Friday, June 23
- Eid al-Fitr - NO SCHOOL - Monday June 26
- Academic Awards & National Honor Society Awards - Tuesday June 27.
- Last Day For All Students, Wednesday, June 28.
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE JUNE 14 - JUNE 21
- Wednesday, June 14 - US History, Government, Physical, Setting, Physics.
- Thursday, June 15 - Global History, Geography, Algebra I.
- Friday June 16 - Living Environment, English Language Arts
- Tuesday, June 20 - Algebra II, Geometry
- Wednesday, June 21 - Physical Setting, Chemistry, Physics
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AUCTION A BIG SUCCESS!
The HSMSE Auction Co-Chairs, Susan Townes and Leslie Vosshall would like to thank everyone who supported the PTA Spring Online Auction which ended on April 3rd.
I have not finished distributing all of the winning bid items but I am working hard to complete all distributions by the end of the week. I have not figured out exactly how much we raised after expense but the Online Auction just made over $10,000 our final result will be between $8,000 and $9,000. Every donation and bid made a huge difference and we are very grateful!
We will also be announcing a raffle winner for a $50 Shake Shack gift card for all of the families that donated to the Auction. Your child will get an entry for every donation made. We will make that announcement in the upcoming weeks and announce in May's newsletter. Thanks again to everyone for making this our biggest fundraiser of the year!
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Hi,
We hope you and your family had a great spring break and you're ready for the last two months of the school year!
We have two more PTA meetings on tap. The first, on May 11
th, will include a guest speaker from Columbia Admissions. We will also hold our annual PTA elections at that meeting. The second, on June 6
th, will include 12
th grade parents talking about their experiences going through the college application process. We will also hold the SLT (School Leadership Team) elections. All parents are welcome and we hope to see many of you at these meetings.
The PTA is happy that we could organize a movie outing for the entire school. On May 10
th
everyone will be going to the AMC Magic Johnson Theaters on 125th
street to see
Hidden Figures
. This movie tells the real life story of a team of African-American women mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the US space program. Starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe, it received strong reviews and plenty of Oscar buzz. As a school steeped in math, science, and engineering, we can also add a nice history element by seeing this acclaimed movie.
Finally, we want to remind you that we have all kinds of cool HSMSE apparel, umbrellas, grocery bags, and other fun items for sale at the school. Our store is located across from room 106 and the Wellness Center.
Regards,
Ken Katzman
PTA Vice-President
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SIX QUESTIONS FOR MR. SEAN DOLCY!
Assistant Principal for STEM!
1. How long have you been at HSMSE, what subjects do you teach, and what responsibilities do you have as Assistant Principal?
I have been working at HSMSE for the last three school years. I teach Calculus and I also teach Environmental Sustainability & Engineering. I supervise the Math, Science, Engineering, Guidance, Wellness and Technology departments and work on projects and administrative duties such as school programming, internship coordination, schedules and college credit and planning.
2. Where are you from and where did you go to school?
I am from the Jersey Shore and went to school at The University of Pittsburgh for my engineering degree and Pace University for my masters in education.
3. What did you do before coming to HSMSE?
I worked as a teacher for a middle school and high school for 9 years and as a data specialist in Brooklyn. I also worked part time and summers for a test prep company focusing on SAT math, PSAT math and SHSAT prep. I was an engineer prior to beginning a career in education. From internships to full time jobs I worked for the US Navy, AK Steel, Koppel Steel and Beaver Valley Power plant mostly all in Pittsburgh, PA working on materials science aspects of steel production and managing internal audits of the factories as a quality control engineer. I have also been a track coach, tutor, Night School Teacher for Bronx Works teaching GED and Medical Math content as well as spending a majority of my 20's working in restaurants.
4. What is your favorite part of being at HSMSE?
I have always enjoyed working with students in all of my years teaching but the students here have such an exceptional interest in education it is a pleasure still having the time in my schedule to teach classes.
5. What is your philosophy of teaching?
You have to be flexible to accept changes, proactive to see individual needs and mindful to reflect on your practices to own your classroom and cultivate an effective learning environment. Children thrive off of acceptance and yearn for positive attention. If you feel comfortable or balanced for too long, something needs work.
6. What do you do outside of school?
I like to travel, go to restaurants, and love Marvel and DC movies.
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SENIOR DUES and PROM
Senior dues of $180 cover graduation costs, yearbook, and senior photos. The prom is separate and the entire cost for one ticket is $150. However, many students paid the $50 deposit earlier in the year; therefore they have an outstanding balance of $100. If, however, a student would like to purchase a ticket and has not yet paid a deposit, he/she can certainly still buy a ticket for the $150. These options are available to purchase online.
Senior parents need to check Engrade for any outstanding balance and pay by end of April so that prom plans can proceed.
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SENIOR YEARBOOK ADS
April 28th Deadline
For submission of fully completed ad in jpeg
April 21st Deadline for Yearbook staff to design the ad
Cost is $30 and a
ll photos and text must be submitted by Friday April 21st.
$100 for FULL page
$50 for HALF page
$25 for QUARTER PAGE
All the money raised
will help the Class of 2017 to cover costs for:
Yearbook
Prom
Financial Aid for Senior Dues
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GERMAN AWARDS! AATG STUDENT FOR 2017
Congratulations to Gabriel Reichler! He has been selected as a recipient of the AATG/Pädagogischer Austauschdienst Study Trip Award to Germany! His application stood out among the many strong applications from across the nation. The selection committee found his achievements quite outstanding and was particularly impressed with his enthusiasm for German. As part of this award, he will receive round-trip air transportation from the international departure airport (JFK or Newark) to Germany, live in a home, attend classes at a Gymnasium, and participate in excursions to places of cultural and historical significance. Tentative travel dates are June 21 - July 15, 2017.
PASCH STUDENTS FOR 2017
Congratulations to junior student Zarif Choudhury and sophomore student Aidan Lewis who have been selected to attend a three week summer study at the Goethe Institut in Castle Varenholz near Hannover. The students will take German classes, meet students from all over the world and participate in a wide variety of leisure activities.The all expense paid trip is sponsored by the Federal Republic of Germany through the Goethe Institut and the school partnership program. Students were selected through an application, essay and interview process by Goethe Institut.
~ Ms. Eva Malikova
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FROM LEADERSHIP
Friday the 21st of April will be the world famous HSMSE TALENT SHOW! Students will be performing many acts showing off their remarkable talents singing, dancing, magic and others!
Friday, April 28th is GAME NIGHT where there will be Board Games, Console Video Games, and Escape the Room!
The end of the year is on the horizon, but we have these to look forward to and on May 12th will be MULTICULTURAL NIGHT, and June 5th to the 9th is Oasis Week.
The Leadership Class has been planning and organizing for these events as well as discussing how we think we can improve diversity and inclusiveness at the school.
~ Sophomore Robbie Taylor
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JUNIOR MATH TRACKS
In Junior Year there are two math tracks available. On one track Pre-Calculus is taken in the Fall Semester, and Calculus in the Spring Semester. On this track in the Senior year the student can take AP Computer Science, AP Statistics, Linear Algebra, or Introduction to Math Reasoning. This is known as the 'fast track'. In the 'regular track' Pre-Calculus is taken over the entire Junior year, and Calculus is taken over the entire the Senior year
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pproximately half the students in the Junior grade take the fast track, and half the students take the regular track. Students who have shown considerable strength in math in both the 9th and 10th grade are selected to take the fast track.
There is a common misconception that the fast track is only for math majors, and the regular track is for engineering majors. This is incorrect, th
e tracks just determine which math course the students will take for the Junior and Senior years, regardless if the major is
Math, or Engineering, or Mount Sinai. The main difference between the Math and Engineering majors is which classes are open to the student: math majors get first choice of the AP classes in Senior year, Engineering majors can still take those courses, but not as a first choice. In the Senior year engineering majors will take engineering courses that are not available to the Math and Mount Sinai majors.
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BELGIAN BEER TASTING NIGHT
Saturday May 20th
PTA FUNDRAISER
 Contact PTA President Susan Townes to reserve your spot now!
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HSMSE's Sophomore Medal Winning Relay Team
at Mayor's Cup
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THE FLYING DRAGONS - SPRING TRACK
Once winter gave way, however slowly, to spring-like conditions, the Outdoor Track team began its meets. It has already had some thrilling races and events at both our borough race site, DeWitt Clinton High School, and Icahn Stadium where city-wide events are contested. A long winter of training has already brought results: a record four boys have achieved at levels that have secured them spots in the City Championships: Owen Gao, Bryan Medina, and Brandon Fajardo in the pole vault, and Danny Gong in the high jump.
We have also had our school's first competitors in three events: the javelin throw (Nigel Slon), the shot put (Derek Huang), and the pentathlon (Matthew Lau). The girls have seen a new school record set in the 200 meter dash by Savanna Hang, and we are all looking forward to setting a few more before the season ends on
June 4.
Coach Tom Henning
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BARNARD COLLEGE PLANNING DAY
Sunday, April 30th, 2017
Open to male and female students, this has been very useful to HSMSE students in the past.
~ Lisa Gordis, Freshman parent
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 What Exactly is MOLE DAY?
Well, Mole Day is an unofficial chemistry holiday celebrated on a date that relates to Avogadro's number, which is approximately 6.02 x 10
23
.
The purpose of Mole Day is to foster an interest in chemistry.
MOLE DAY CAN BE EITHER ON 6.02 or 1023.
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Teen Health Conference at
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
A great annual conference for teens by teens!
Giveaways and lots of great information shared!
Announcing the Third Annual Teen Health Conference to be held on Saturday April 22nd, from 12:00 to 4:00 pm at the Vagelos Education Center, 104 Haven Avenue, at 171st Street.
This is a FREE health education event for teens by teens and is open to all middle and high school students in New York City.
~ Parent Donya Rhett, PhD
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DOCTOR DRAGON
Issue Number 10!
Twenty Four Pages!
Ten Articles!
Doctor Dragon Issue #10 is recently out. Fascinating articles covering the scarcity of water, smart phones, gamer theory, and many others. Find a copy and read what our students are thinking about.
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Ms. Zafonte's Finds some pretty awesome opportunities
CHINESE PLANNING COUNCIL
CPC is a great way to gain community service hours as well as some office skills, new experiences, and, of course, the opportunity to meet new people.
https://cpc-nyc.org/programs/youth-services-cpc-brooklyn-branch/summer-youth-employment-program-syep
YOUTH ABOUT BUSINESS - Summer Programming
The goal of Youth Our mission is to expose youth to the business world through our experiential learning model, fostering the development of business literacy and leadership skills necessary to be more successful in school and in life. We teach students about the world of business one merger and acquisition at a time.
GROVE SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING ~ from Mr. Henning
The Grove School is the only public school of Engineering within New York City. For the past several years HSMSE students have been hired as summer interns to pursue a variety of studies.
https://www.ccny.cuny.edu/engineering/
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THE HIGH SCHOOL OF ...
MATH
"The greatest unsolved theorem in mathematics is ... why are some people better at it than others?"
Adrian Mathesis
SCIENCE
"The air has tested positive for Spring".
Sophomore Chemistry Class
and ENGINEERING
"Engineers like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own problems".
Scott Adams
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Celebrate EARTH DAY at the Museum of Natural History!
Saturday, April 22, 2017
Beginning at 9:00 am
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PTA MEETING DATES AND TOPICS
May 11 - College Admissions
- Peter Johnson of Columbia University will speak about the College Admissions process.
- Consultant Caroline Koppelman will speak about College Essays.
June 6 - Student Panel and PTA Elections for 2017-2018
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President:
Vice-President:
Treasurer:
Recording Secretary:
Corresponding Secretary:
9th Grade Reps:
Lisa Gordis,
lisa.gordis@gmail.com
10th Grade Reps:
11th Grade Reps:
12th Grade Reps:
SLT REP:
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COLLEGE INFO AND HANDBOOK
http://www.hsmse.org/college-couseling/college-handbooks/
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READING RECOMMENDATIONS
FROM HSMSE TEACHERS, STUDENTS, AND PARENTS
Sapiens: A Brief History of Human Kind
. Author
Yuval Noah Harari. Published 2015. This #1 international bestseller is a narrative of humanity's creation and evolution that explores the ways in which biology and history have defined us and enhanced our understanding of what it means to be "human." Dr. Harari compels the reader to think differently about universally accepted ideas, such as that the advent of farming was a positive occurrence. Recommended by Regina Zafonte.
https://www.amazon.com/Sapiens-Humankind-Yuval-Noah-Harari/dp/0062316095/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492781240&sr=8-1&keywords=Sapiens%3A+A+Brief+History+of+Human+Kind+by+Yuval+Noah+Harari
This month's issue of
Poplar Mechanics
is a particularly good one. The lead article is "Smart Everything" from cars to appliances, phones homes,and asking the question "Is any of this actually making your life better?" Other articles include: "7 Women in Tech you Need to Know"; reviews of cordless tools, vinyl records and stereos; the "2017 Automotive Excellent Award", and more. Recommended by student Robbie Taylor.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/
Letters to a Young Contrarian
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Author Christopher Hitchens. Published 2001.
In
the book that he was born to write, provocateur and best-selling author Christopher Hitchens inspires future generations of radicals, gadflies, mavericks, rebels, angry young (wo)men, and dissidents. Who better to speak to that person who finds him or herself in a contrarian position than Hitchens, who has made a career of disagreeing in profound and entertaining ways.This book explores the entire range of "contrary positions"-from noble dissident to gratuitous pain in the butt. In an age of overly polite debate bending over backward to reach a happy consensus within an increasingly centrist political dialogue, Hitchens pointedly pitches himself in contrast. He bemoans the loss of the skills of dialectical thinking evident in contemporary society. He understands the importance of disagreement-to personal integrity, to informed discussion, to true progress-heck, to democracy itself. Epigrammatic, spunky, witty, in your face, timeless and timely, this book is everything you would expect from a mentoring contrarian. Recommended by parent Jim Paterson.
https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Young-Contrarian-Mentoring-Paperback/dp/0465030335/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492781360&sr=8-1-spell&keywords=letters+to+a+youg+contratian+by+hitchens
Continuing World War One recommendations to note the centenary of that conflict:
The Ice Cream War.
Author William Boyd. Published 1999.
William Boyd brilliantly evokes the private dramas of a generation upswept by the winds of war. After his German neighbor burns his crops--with an apology and a smile--Walter Smith takes up arms on behalf of Great Britain. And when Felix's brother marches off to defend British East Africa, he pursues, against his better judgment, a forbidden love affair. As the sons of the world match wits and weapons on a continent thousands of miles from home, desperation makes bedfellows of enemies and traitors of friends and family. By turns comic and quietly wise; the book
deftly renders lives capsized by violence, chance, and the irrepressible human capacity for love. Recommended by parent Randy Taylor.
https://www.amazon.com/Ice-Cream-War-Novel-William-Boyd/dp/0375705023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1492782666&sr=8-1&keywords=ice+cream+war
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For an article, link, or story to be considered for inclusion in the monthly PTA Newsletter:
Please email
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