PA Meeting on April 7 -- Hands-On Computer Night

Have you ever used the MCSM Parents’ Information Center blog, or taken advantage of the many links it provides to other education-related sites?

Have you ever used the new MCSM.net site or taken advantage of its many useful links?

Would you like to know more about how to make effective use of the Internet to assist with your child’s education? (For example, have you ever heard of the Jefferson Map Project?)

Do you know anything about your child’s use of the Internet, such as MySpace or Facebook?

Do you have other questions about the Internet: how to use it, how to search (there are better ways than Google!!!), how to control it and protect yourself from problems?

Then come to our PA meeting on Tuesday, April 7 at 6:00 PM. We’ll have a full set of Internet-connected laptops available. We’ll put every person in attendance on their own computer and show you how to make better use of the Internet!

Call for Nominations

Nominations are now open and sought for all officer positions in the MCSM Parents’ Association for the 2009/2010 school year (July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010). Open positions are PA President, Co-Vice President (2), Secretary, and Treasurer.

Nominations are also being sought for all Parent Representative positions on the MCSM School Leadership Team (SLT) for the 2009/2010 school year (July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010).

All current members of the MCSM Parents’ Association who will be continuing as members during 2009/2010 are eligible for any PA officer or SLT position.

PA officers are responsible for guiding and administering the Parents’ Association’s activities and finances. They are expected to attend regular monthly PA meetings plus one PA Executive Board (planning) meeting each month.

Parent Representatives to the SLT meet once each month with the Principal and teacher, staff, and student representatives to discuss school policy and direction and to help formulate the school’s annual Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP).

PARENTS!!! AN ACTIVE AND INVOLVED PARENTS' ASSOCIATION AND PARENT INVOLVEMENT ON THE SLT ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO THE SUCCESS OF YOUR CHILDREN'S SCHOOL!!!

WE NEED MORE PARENTS TO GET INVOLVED!!

COMMIT YOURSELF TO YOUR CHILDREN'S SCHOOL, REPRESENT ALL MCSM PARENTS, AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!!

IT'S TIME TO STEP UP!!!!

GREAT JOB OPPORTUNITIES!!

Wanted: Parent Leaders.

Positions: Parents’ Association Officer (President, Co-Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer) and/or Parent Representative on the School Leadership Team (SLT)

Qualifications: Must be a parent or guardian of an MCSM student.

Position Requirements: Desire to help with the education of your child and all his or her classmates at MCSM. Willingness to give a small portion of your time (one or two early evening meetings per month) to make MCSM a shining educational star among New York City’s high schools.

Compensation: The personal satisfaction that comes from being an active and involved parent in your child’s school and education – priceless.

How to Apply: Come to the regular Parents’ Association meeting at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, April 7 or Tuesday, May 12. You can nominate yourself or another MCSM parent/guardian for any position, or you can ask another MCSM parent to nominate you.

Selection: Elections for PA Officer positions and four of the six SLT parent representative positions will take place at the PA meeting at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, June 9.

Tried MCSM.net Yet???

MCSM has begun implementation of a full-fledged school website: www.mcsm.net. Over time, it is hoped that this site will help improve communication with parents about school programs and events. As more teachers come onto the system, you will also be able to monitor your child’s homework and project assignments and communicate more actively with your child’s teachers.

If you haven’t visited MCSM.net yet, please do so (just click on this: MCSM.net). Try it out! Click on the different links, see what’s there, and then let Principal Jimenez know what you think and what you’d like to see!

Parent Commission Report on School governance and Mayoral Control

As you may know, the law that created the current version of mayoral control over the NYC public schools is scheduled to “sunset” in June 2009. Soon, the State Legislature will be considering legislation to extend, modify, or end the Mayor’s control of our schools.

Many aspects of the current mayoral control arrangement have unsatisfactory to large numbers of parents and numerous public officials, including Borough Presidents, the NYC Public Advocate, and members of the New York City Council. A group of VERY dedicated parents have been working for months to solicit a wide range of parent input and develop recommendations for changes and improvements in the current system of school control.

If you have children in the NYC public school system at ANY level from Kindergarten to the end of high school, these matters have a direct impact on your family and your community. You have a responsibility as a parent to know what’s going on, and you have the right to be involved and have your voice heard.

If you’d like to know more about the Parent Commission’s or read of copy of their final report, go to www.parentcommission.org or click on this link: Parent Commision on School Governance and Mayoral Control.

DOE Parent Survey

PARENTS!!!

Exercise your voice!
Help your school!
Have a chance to win a laptop computer or other prizes!!

All you have to do is complete and mail the DOE’s Learning Environment Survey, then fill out the tear-off raffle eligibility form you received in a separate mailing from MCSM. Your survey response provides the DOE and your child’s school with valuable input about how you believe the school is performing on your child’s behalf. In addition, these survey responses make up a part of the “report card” the DOE issues for our school every year.

If you have not yet received your Learning Environment Survey in the mail (it should have come in a bright green envelope), please call the DOE at 1-800-690-8603. They will ask you a few simple questions to verify your identity as an MCSM parent, then give you an eight-digit Reference Number. You can then go online at www.nyc.gov/schools/surveys, choose the language you want, and complete the survey. You will need the Reference Number you received on the phone in order to submit your finished survey.

You can also access this site by going to www.mcsm.net and clicking on the Parent Survey link. When your finished, go to www.mcsm.net and click on the link for “Parent Environmental Survey Raffle” to enter your name, your child’s name, and your Reference Number in order to be eligible for a raffle prize.

Con Edison Update (March 2009)

Con Edison, the New York State Departments of Environmental Conservation, and the New York State Department of Health are still working to complete their Analysis of Alternatives Report (AAR) for the next phase in the toxic contaminants clean-up process at MCSM. We anticipate that the AAR will be formally released sometime in April, with the public comments meeting likely to take place at our regularly scheduled PA meeting on May 12.

When the AAR is publicly available, it will be posted in full at the Con Edison website www.coned.com/publicissues/manufactured_gas_plants.asp. Efforts will be made to publicize the report’s availability to parents and distribute a summary version by mail.

Links to the AAR on Con Edison’s website will also be provided on a future posting at this site.

Lady Rams Basketball Team Topples the Unbeatable Bergtraum!

MCSM’s Lady Rams basketball team accomplished the near-impossible on February 18 when they visited the Murry Bergtraum gym. The MCSM Girls Basketball had already lost to Bergtraum at home, back on January 7, by a score of 66 - 59. By the time their February 18 rematch had rolled around, Bertraum was on a 73-game win streak, not having lost since the 2006 NY State Class AA finals game against Christ the King. Even more intimidating for the Lady Rams, the Bergtraum basketball machine had not lost a game at home, in their own gym, since 1999. Ten consecutive years without a single home loss!

As they say, all things must come to an end. On February 18, one of those things was both Bergtraum win streaks. Led by Aziza Patterson’s 22 points, China Crosby’s 15 (on a tender ankle, badly sprained two weeks earlier against Midwood), and Nijah Lacourt’s 10, MCSM’s female David’s knocked down Bergtraum basketball Goliaths by a final score of 61 – 54.

Congratulations to the Lady Rams for making some NYC basketball history and making MCSM proud of your dedication and effort! Below is the game story as reported on ESPN.com. Click on the article title below to be directed to the online story.

Big win boosts Manhattan Center's stock

By Mindi Rice and Glenn Nelson
ESPN HoopGurlz

Coaches and players have said it before this season -- Murry Bergtraum (Manhattan) is beatable. Virginia-bound China Crosby and her Manhattan Center teammates knew it earlier this year, but weren't able to do it at home in January.

The odds certainly weren't in Manhattan Center's favor Wednesday, as the Blazers, sporting a 73-game win streak and a spotless home record since 1999, played host to their New York City public school league rivals. Add in the uncertainty of star point guard Crosby, who had injured her ankle four days prior, and it would have been hard to blame the Rams if they were overcome by nerves.

After gearing her teammates up to play with or without her come Bergtraum, Crosby readied herself on game day and came prepared to play. Once on the court, with a confident, calm Crosby running the point, the Rams upended Bergtraum, 61-54.

Manhattan Center became the first team to beat then-No. 5 Murry Bergtraum at home since 1999, when A.P. Randolph beat the Blazers. Bergtraum's last loss before the 73-game streak was to Christ the King in the 2006 state Federation Class 'AA' title game.

"We really made history," Crosby said by phone Monday. "It felt good, but it really didn't sink in as much as it did for some of the other girls. If we win it all, maybe then."

The win, Crosby's first against Bergtraum in her career, was a huge boost into the postseason for Manhattan Center, which, four days earlier, didn't know when, or if, Crosby would be able to return to the court. In Feb. 7's loss to Midwood, Crosby turned her right ankle and went down in agony in the final minutes.

"I knew it was bad," Crosby said. "I heard something crack. … But I did some physical therapy and constantly iced it, then the day of the Bergtraum game, I strapped up and started to play."

Not certain if her ankle would hold her for an entire game, and knowing Bergtraum would key in on herself and junior Aziza Patterson, Crosby and her teammates talked about sharing the ball. She made sure the other guards knew there were going to get looks -- and to take them.

Patterson led the way with 22 points, but fouled out in the final three minutes and was left to watch from the bench. Crosby added 15, while junior forward Nijah Lacourt added 10 for the Rams.

In early January, Center seemed poised to snap the Blazers' streak at 64, with a home-court advantage and no fear or intimidation from Bergtraum's history of 10 consecutive public school titles or nearly three-year winning streak. A late 15-4 run by the Blazers kept the streak alive, but the Rams were paying attention for February's rematch.

"We know Bergtraum is a fast-break, running team," Crosby said. "So we didn't pressure. If we missed a shot, we got back on defense immediately."

That took away some of Bergtraum's break-neck pace and let the Rams control, at least partially, the game's tempo. A four-point halftime lead swelled to 13 for a stretch during the second half before the final seven-point margin.

Bergtraum has plenty of time to bounce back from its first loss since 2006. The Blazers' next game is March 3 in the second round of the public school Class AA playoffs. Crosby also has plenty of time to rest her ankle, as Manhattan Center next plays the same day.