August 10th, 2015
Dear Bronx Science Families,
We hope you’re all enjoying your summer! We want to share a look ahead to the 2015-16 school hear at Bronx Science, and we’d also like to extend a special welcome to all new parents to The Bronx HS of Science family.
Our goal this year is to increase parent engagement in the school. While we recognize that high school is a natural time for our kids to separate from us, it is also a time when our involvement in their school and interest in what they are doing play a huge role in their development into responsibleand productive young adults. So, we encourage you to come up to school when you are able – for a PA meeting, to volunteer at an Open House, or for the Phonathon or Auction, to sit in on an SLT meeting, or to attend a Breakfast with the Principal. Free bus transportation from Manhattan and Queens is provided by Vallo for all PA meetings and for the Phonathon, and food is provided at most ofour events. We really want to see you, so we try to make it easy for you to get there, and pleasant and informative once you do!
Our first Parents’ Association (PA) meeting is Thursday, September 17th at 7:00 PM at school. You will hear from our principal, Dr. Jean Donahue, and meet members of our administration.Part of the meeting will cover “Our Communication Network”, including the school website, Pupil Path and the PA website. We will also have breakout sessions by grade, to give an overview of the year ahead.
We will also take nominations at the September PA meeting for two SLT positions and for the freshman parent PA member-at-large position. One of the two vacant SLT positions will be filled by a freshman parent, and the other will be filled by a parent from either 10th, 11th or 12th grade. SLT meetings happen at 4:00pm once a month at the school. The PA Executive Board meets one hourbefore each monthly PA meeting. If you are interested in serving on the SLT or the PA Board, please consider running for election!
The schedule for the full year of PA meetings is enclosed – please post this to your bulletin board, mark your calendars and try to join us. PA meetings are a great way to stay informed, meet other parents and get to know the people who run your child’s school. If you have an idea on interesting programming you would like to hear, please let us know. And, please be sure to check bxsciencepa.org for updates to the schedule. You will also receive updates and reminders on our weekly E-blast.
Please volunteer your time and skills! There are loads of volunteer opportunities throughout the year, and we hope you will join us for one (or more)! You will hear about these opportunities via the weekly E-Blast as they come up, but the most immediate of them include Project Accepted (Sept. 26, 8:00am-3:00pm, Bronx Science alumni hold mock interviews with senior students), the Fall OpenHouse for 8th grade students (Oct. 21, 5:00pm-7:00pm), and our annual Phonathon (Nov. 9 and 10, 6:00pm-10:00pm). Whether you can spare just a few hours or take a larger role, we need you. Please sign up to volunteer by going to bxsciencepa.org and clicking the “Volunteer” tab on the home page, or by filling out the enclosed Volunteer form and mailing it to us.
Support the students of Bronx Science! The Bronx HS of Science provides our children with a unique, world-class education, but achieving this takes greater funding than the NYC DOE allocates, so we try to fill in the gaps. This year, our PA fundraising goal is $250,000. For a list of what we fund, visit bxsciencepa.org and click the Donate tab. Please consider making your annual donation now, and avoid receiving a phone call from us at our annual Phonathon in November. Our suggested annual contribution is $500 per student, but please be assured that any amount is appreciated! If $25 is what your budget allows, we will be immensely grateful. If $1,500 is what your budget allows, we will be equally as grateful. You may donate online (go to bxsciencepa.org and click the “Donate Now” button) or you may donate by mail (complete the information on the enclosed donor envelope and include your payment). The PA is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization, and all or part of your giftmay be tax deductible as a charitable contribution. Also, ask your employer if they will match your gift! If we receive your donation by November 1st, 2015, you will not be called during the Phonathon.
We look forward to seeing you at our first meeting on Thursday, September 17th in the auditorium.
Please feel free to email us with any questions or concerns. We wish you the best for the rest of your summer and for the coming school year.
Regards,Ellen Dubin & Betsy Newberry
Co-Presidents, Parents’ Association of The Bronx High School of Science
E-mail: president@bxsciencepa.org
