Latest News

7th Grade Dance

The 7th Grade Dance will be held tonight, Friday, May 18th, from 4:30 – 6:30pm.

Tickets are on sale in Room 126.

BOOKER T. TEAM FOR MAY 20 AIDS WALK NEW YORK

This year's Booker T. team for AIDS Walk New York is #5126 (Delta/Core). MS 54's Howard Chirlin has organized the team and hopes to beat last year's team total of over $2,000!

Registration forms are now available for students and teachers to pick up in the main office. You can also sign up online at the Delta / Core Team Page.

If you have any questions, you may reach Mr. Chirlin at Booker T: 212-678-2861, ext. 1088; cell: 347-740-3638; email: hchirlin@schools.nyc.gov.

AIDS Walk New York benefits GMHC and 40 other AIDS service organizations in the tri-state area.

SIGN UP FOR THE TEAM NOW -- OR SPONSOR A DELTA / CORE WALKER!
Just click on the Aids Walk icon at the right.

On the day of the event, the Delta/Core team will meet starting at 8:00am near the entrance to Central Park at 59th St. & 5th Ave, with registration at 8:30. Opening ceremonies start at 9:15am. Adults are encouraged to bring children to/from the walk or have them buddy up with other students.

FREE Computer and Electronics Recycling Event

Also Textile Recycling, Document Shredding

Sunday, May 20, 2012 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Rain or Shine!)
Amsterdam Avenue & 110th Street (south side)

The following electronic items will be accepted:

Working and non-working computers (laptops, desktops, servers)
Peripherals: monitors, printers, faxes, scanners, keyboards, mice, cables
TVs, stereo equipment, VCRs, DVD players, cable receivers, video games
Cell phones and wall phones
Small appliances: toasters, microwaves, coffee makers, etc.
Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) - no long bulbs, please
Flashlight-type batteries (AA, C, D, etc.)

Not accepted:

Air conditioners, large appliances like refrigerators

The following textiles will be accepted:

Clothing (wearable or unwearable), shoes, blankets, sheets, towels, etc.

Not accepted: Carpeting

For more information download the flyer.

2012-2013 SLT and PTA BOARD ELECTIONS – NOMINATE YOURSELF TODAY!

Please consider serving our school by running for a seat on the SLT or PTA Board – both are great ways to get involved at the school, and each gives parents opportunities to work closely with the our administration and teachers.

The School Leadership Team (SLT) is a collaborative body comprised of teachers, staff and parents, and is the primary vehicle for developing school-based educational policies with resources aligned to implement them. In June, we need to elect 4 parents to two-year terms. The SLT meets every second Friday of the month at 7:20am in the Library, Rm. 333. Its responsibilities are to develop and review the school's Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) - including annual goals and objectives - and to consult with the principal in developing a school-based budget and staffing plan aligned with the CEP. A copy of the current CEP is available in the library and online.

Our PTA Board oversees community involvement, communication and fundraising efforts to support the school. Descriptions of all Board positions and a nomination form were sent home with report cards and are also available online. All positions are open and are for one year terms. IMPORTANT NOTE: We are still looking for a nominee for Assistant Treasurer, a very important role on the Board; next year is our current Treasurer's last at MS 54, and she would like to work with an Assistant Treasurer during the year to get up to speed.

You may notify the Nominating Committee of your desire to run by submitting your name at the May 15th PTA meeting or by sending an e-mail to Nominating Committee Chair Ellen Dubin. You can submit a this information form with your email or hand it in to the office.

Nominations must be made by Friday May 25th. Elections will be held at the PTA meeting on June 12th.

If you have any questions about any of the positions, please Contact Ellen Dubin or Lorie Coulombe.

Spend a Summer Learning Chinese!

Hunter College is pleased to announce the 2012 Chinese Language and Culture Summer Camp for Middle School Students. The camp runs from July 23 – August 2 (Mon–Thurs), 9:00AM – 3:00PM, at the Hunter College Campus on 68th St. This program is free and is open to rising 7th and 8th grader with no prior Chinese learning experience.

Applications must be submitted by May 31st.

For more information, click here.

2012 World Science Festival

The 2012 World Science Festival returns to New York City from May 30 to June 3, with more than 50 extraordinary events and performances designed to make the esoteric understandable and the familiar fascinating. Now in its fifth year, the 2012 Festival brings together many of the world's leading scientific minds with renowned artists and influential thinkers for a five-day celebration that, through discourse and debate, conversation and performance, the arts and exhibitions, allows everyone – young and mature, novice and enthusiast – to experience science in a unique and thrilling way.

For more information on the 2012 World Science Festival, or to view the complete calendar of events, go to worldsciencefestival.com.

High School Application Process and Information

8th GRADE FAMILIES:

ROUND 2 ADMISSIONS PROCESS: High School Round 2 result letters were be mailed on Friday, May 4th. Students are encouraged to discuss any placement concerns with their school counselor; if they desire to appeal their placement, they must submit the High School Match Appeal Form by May 11.

For more information, read Dr. Elster's letter. Additional information is available on the DOE HS Admissions site.

New High School Opening in September 2012:
The Academy for Software Engineering (AFSE) is a new limited unscreened high school opening in September 2012. This new Career and Technical Education high school is an innovative partnership between New York City's technology and entrepreneurial community and the NYC Department of Education. Its advisory board members include individuals from Google, New York University, MakerBot, and eBay – all are committed to helping AFSE shape the next generation of inquisitive problem solvers, collaborative leaders, and innovative entrepreneurs.
For more information click here: PDF Flyer Video

For information regarding promotional requirements, graduation and senior activities and upcoming important dates, please read Dr. Elster's letter.

Questions may be directed to Anne Pejovich.

7th GRADE FAMILIES:

Letter to 7th Grade Parents: Download the letter from Dr. Elster to 7th Grade parents discussing important criteria reviewed by high schools in the application process.

Upcoming High School Open Houses and Tours:

Bronx Science is holding a Spring Open House for prospective students on Wednesday, June 6. Watch their website for details and registration information: www.bxscience.edu
NYCiSchool: Students and parents interested in learning more about the NYCiSchool can now register for one of the spring tours by going to their website, www.nycischool.org and clicking on the "Admissions" link. These tours fill up quickly but if families are unable to register now, they will be hosting a number of daytime tours and evening open houses in the fall.
Bard High School Early College will be holding open houses for prospective students and their parents in May. Interested families must register online. The Manhattan Campus open house is May 16th; the Queens Campus open house is May 17th. These fill up early, so you should register as soon as it becomes available online. Students are required to have an 85 average or above and level 3 or 4 on standardized tests to be considered for admission to Bard.
For more information: bhsec.bard.edu/admission.

Free ESL Afterschool class at MS 54

Our Afterschool program is now offering a free ESL Class to students and family members of Booker T. The class will focus on learning to read and speak English. It will meet every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:00-5:00pm in Room 326. Contact Anne Pejovich to register or with any questions.

Free Flu Shots Now Available for Students

The William F. Ryan Community Health Center's School Based Health Program is offering the seasonal influenza (flu) vaccine - at no cost - to any student who is registered with the School Based Health Center. The vaccine is recommended for all people over 6 months old. If you are interested in having your child receive the flu vaccine at school, please download and complete the screening & consent form, and have your child return it to his or her teacher now. Additional details and Ryan Center contact information are here.

School Lunch Information and Fee Schedule

All students need a lunch pass to get lunch from the cafeteria. Lunch passes are on sale during homeroom.

Students who would like to purchase food or milk from the cafeteria have several options outlined in the School Lunch Information Form

For SchoolFood lunch and other menus and information, click here.

Parent Contact Information

All current MS 54 Parents are requested to complete the online contact form so that we have an electronic version of your contact information. Please do this NOW, so that our information is as complete as possible! Click here to access the form.

Sign Up for Email Notifications & News from the Department of Education

You can get DOE school updates delivered straight to your inbox by signing up for one of their email newsletters at schools.nyc.gov/Subscribe.

Get greaking News (snow alerts and other important notifications) sent to you as soon as they're issued, or sign up for weekly or monthly newsletters with the latest DOE news, programs, and events.

You can also sign up to receive important infomation by text, Twitter, email and more at www.nyc.gov/notifynyc

Connect with District 3

Want to be connected to what is going on in District 3? Join the District 3 Yahoo Group for updates and important info. To subscribe to this group, send a blank email to district3parents-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Community Education Council (CEC): You can also stay current on education issues by attending District 3 CEC meetings. This body of elected parent representatives holds public monthly meetings at rotating D3 locations. Their calendar, duties and news are online at www.cec3.org. The CEC actively encourages community participation on its Multilingual, Middle School and Overcrowding/Charter committees.

District 3 DOE web page: csd3.nycdoe.org.

View your child's 2011 ELA and Math test results via ARIS parent link or NYC DOE website

On August 8, the NY State Dept. of Education officially released the 2011 NYS math and ELA test results. You can review District and Borough test results by all students, English Language Learners, special education status, ethnicity and gender by going to: http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/data/TestResults/ELAandMathTestResults

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