Public Benefits Program

Public Benefits Program
156 West 164th St.
Bronx, New York 10452

The Bridge Builders/CPI Access NY Public Benefits Program is offering screening for more than 35 different programs that are available to you in your community, such as Cash Assistance, Child Care Subsidy, Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), etc.

For more information or to make an appointment, please call Dora Morillo, Zoe Flores, or Shelby Harris at (718) 293-4352 or fax (718) 588-1965.

Manhattan Parent Center without Walls

Manhattan BP Scott M. Stringer
and
Advocates for Children of New York
Present

Manhattan Parent Center without Walls

-- Is your child struggling in school?

-- Has your child been suspended and you want more information about the process?

-- Would you like to learn more about your rights to participate in your child's education?

Join Advocates for Children and the Office of Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer for a 3-part training series for parents.

Thursday, May 7: Special Education Process

Thursday, May 14: Suspensions

Tuesday, May 19: Know Your Rights in NYC Public Schools for Parents and Students

Time (all meetings): 6:30 - 7:30 PM

Location: Manhattan Borough President's Office

1 Centre Street, 19th Floor

Please RSVP to events@manhattanbp.org or call 212-669-4465 and specify which session(s) you wish to attend.

For more information about Parent Centers without Walls and other services of RCSN, please click on the following: RCSN Services.

Parents’ Association (PA) Meeting Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 6:00 PM



Con Edison Presentation of Recommendations for Dealing with the Toxic Contaminants Beneath Our School Building and Grounds

At the MCSM PA’s regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, May 12 at 6:00 PM, representatives from Con Edison, NY State Departments of Health (DOH) and Environmental Conservation (DEC), and the NYC DOE will hold a public comments meeting and present their recommendations concerning cleanup of the toxic contaminants located under our school building and grounds. In addition, the Parents' Association's own independent consultants, Peter Strauss and Lenny Siegel, will be there to speak on our behalf and present their views of the proposed solutions.

This is a public meeting, open to Isaac Newton parents and staff as well as members of the East Harlem (and Pleasant Avenue) community. All parents and community members will have the opportunity to ask questions, express their concerns, and otherwise reassure themselves that their children’s (and the community’s) health and safety are well-protected and being given the highest priority.

After roughly 30 days, Con Edison’s plans will be finalized, and they will begin moving forward to implement the accepted recommendations. Whatever happens as a result of these meetings will be the "solution" at MCSM for the next 20-30 years or more, so this is our one and only chance to SPEAK UP for the future health of our children and their teachers.

This is a VERY important meeting, critical to the future of your children’s school. We encourage all MCSM parents to attend, ask your questions, and make sure you understand what is being planned.

Con Edison Recommendations for MCSM Building Site Released

A new report detailing Con Edison’s analysis and recommendations for dealing with the toxic contaminants buried beneath our school building and grounds has just been released, along with a preliminary plan for long-term management of our site. You can now obtain copies of these documents for yourself from the Internet -- see the information at the end of this posting.

The new Analysis of Alternatives Report (AAR) contains six major recommendations for dealing with the contaminants left over from a former manufactured gas plant (MGP) that used to operate on our school building site from the late 1800s to the late 1930s:

1. Do not remove any of the coal tar from the holding tank or soil beneath the school building, since no cleanup technology exists that will remove most of the contaminants without suspending school operations for up to two years or demolishing the school building.

2. Since all indoor air tests to date have shown no harmful vapors entering the school from the contaminated soil beneath, install a sub-slab depressurization (vacuum) system underneath the basement floor to vent any harmful vapors rising through the soil to the outside air. The school’s concrete basement floor has already proven to be an effective barrier; this new vacuum-style system provides an extra level of protection for the children and their teachers.

3. Build an impermeable barrier along the eastern edge of the school property, alongside the FDR Drive, to prevent the contaminants that have migrated below ground in that direction from moving any farther toward the Harlem River. The barrier will prevent the contaminants from passing through, and a series of collection wells will trap and hold them for periodic removal.

4. Excavate and remove the toxic soil from the southeastern corner of the school yard (next to the FDR Drive and the basketball courts)and replace it with clean fill.

5. Leave the contaminants that have already migrated under the Harlem River bed in place and monitor them. At present, they do not appear to pose any threat to the fish or other biological entities in the river since they are 15-25 feet below the river bottom.

6. Implement management control and monitoring plans to ensure these systems operate correctly and effectively and that future excavation does not take place without proper precautions and controls.

These documents are available for downloading in both summary and detailed form by going to Con Edison’s website, www.coned.com/mgp, or you can click on the following: Con Edison AAR and CSMP Reports. MCSM’s reports are listed under “115th Street Site” (the first address tab on the left). The summary documents (Fact Sheet and Draft Decision Document are available in both English and Spanish). The Analysis of Alternatives (AAR) and Conceptual Site Management Plan (CSMP) are lengthy, detailed documents explaining the results of Con Edison's analysis (AAR) and their preliminary site management plans (CSMP) once their recommendations have been implemented.

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.