Tuesday, May 19 is the date of school board and school budget elections in nearly every community in New York State.  

Go to your local polling place and have your voice heard in local elections.  

It is essential that we, as public school employees, indicate that we care about the public schools in our neighborhoods.  

Bring every voting age member of your household with you.  

VOTE!

On Tuesday, May 19th, at 7:00 p.m., many members of the staff will give "innovation" workshops for parents, students and community members.  In addition, the K-12 visual arts faculty will host a student art show.  (Please see the attached document for details.)  
To honor the staff members who will present and participate in the workshops, the Professional Development Center and BTA will host a dinner at 5:30 p.m., on May 19th.  If you can join us for dinner, would you please register at the following website no later than Wednesday, May 13th, at 9:00 a.m., so that we can place the food order?  

Dinner Reservations:  https://goo.gl/gv7avJ

Finally, we would like to encourage middle and high school students to attend the workshop. The students on the planning committee indicated that the most effective "carrot" would be extra-credit or a homework-free evening.  If you can offer either, please let the students know.  Even if this is not possible, would you please highlight one or two of the workshops during your classes so that the students know that you are supportive of the initiative?

The May 19th workshop is an opportunity to share our aspirations for students with the school community, and to invite them to participate in some of the complexities and joys that are involved when teaching for innovation in each of our academic disciplines.  Please consider joining us for this important event.

Thank you.

Julia Brogan, the BTA's official liaison for new teachers, held a meeting this afternoon with nine of this year's new teachers to find out how the BTA has helped them in their new positions and as members of the BTA.  We got some great and useful feedback and expect that next year's BTA outreach will be even better!  Thanks, Julia, and thanks to all of those who attended this afternoon's meeting.

On Friday, May 8th,the BTA will be assembling 35 Mother’s Day Baskets for women taking refuge at Hope’s Door and My Sister's Place, local women shelters in Westchester.  The shelters have provided a “Wish List” of items to be included in the gift baskets (listed below).

       Please let Julia Brogan know if you would like to contribute any of the items (and quantity). Please keep in mind that many of these women leave in the middle of the night with only the clothes on their backs, so providing a bit of luxury to these women would be greatly appreciated, especially on Mother’s Day.

     If you would like to find out more about Hope’s Door you can look at their website:  http://hopesdoorny.org/programs-and-services/  or MySister's Place http://mspny.org/

       On Friday, May 8th in the Home Economics room (B-114), we will be assembling and decorating the gift baskets with all the donated items. That afternoon, we will also make flower pens, which will be included in the baskets.  Please let me know if you are interested in helping putting together the baskets and making flower pens on Friday, May 8th.

These are the items on the “Wish List,” please let me know if you can donate (and quantity). 
We will need a total of 35 of each of these items to fulfill the "Wish List."
Loofah Sponge
Scented Body Wash 
Hand Lotion 
Nail Files 
Nail Polish 
Journal 
Chocolates/Sweets
A copy of your favorite book
Anything special you think the women would like 

All donations can be dropped off in Julia's room B-111.  Please include your name on the clipboard, so that we know who left the items.

Really looking forward to being part of the reason why the women at Hope's Door and My Sister's Place smile on Mother's Day.

Thanks in advance for your generosity!

Thank you to Julia Brogan for organizing this event and to all of those who donated items to help make Mother's Day special.