TAPCo. Times #14
December 3, 2018

Birthdays of the Week 

Oi Ling Sin 12/8

Guidance on Holiday Displays

This year, the holiday season begins in early December. Please be aware of and sensitive to the significance of seasonal observances and religious holidays as you work to foster mutual understanding and respect for your community’s diverse religious, racial, ethnic, and cultural heritages. Public schools may not endorse or promote a particular religion or belief system. Please share these guidelines regarding the display of cultural and holiday symbols with your staff:

• The primary purpose of any displays should be to promote understanding and respect for the rights of all individuals regarding their beliefs, values, and customs.
• The display of holiday symbol decorations with secular dimensions is permitted. Permitted symbols include, but are not limited to, Christmas trees, kinaras, dreidels, menorahs, and the star and crescent. Displays that depict images of deities, other religious figures, or religious texts are prohibited.
• Holiday displays must not appear to promote or celebrate any single religion or holiday. Therefore, any permitted symbol or decoration must be displayed simultaneously with other symbols or decorations reflecting different beliefs or customs.
• All holiday displays should be temporary in nature.

Student Opportunities

Student opportunities are posted on the Student Opportunities page on the DOE website. This week’s highlights include:

All Schools
§  Register by December 19: Astronomy Day

Middle Schools
§  Ongoing: Art History Club for Middle School Students

High Schools
§  Nominate by December 21: Nominate a High School Student for RockEDU Science Outreach's LAB Jumpstart Program

Grant Opportunities

Grant opportunities are posted on the Grants website (you can visit the page on any computer using this link). This week’s highlights include:

§  Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision

Pics Of The Week

Professional Development and Student Opportunities

Professional learning opportunities are posted on the I Teach NYC website and linked below. This week’s highlights include: 
 
Elementary and Middle Schools 

• Register by December 3: Teaching the Art of Writing with Lester Laminack 

 
Middle Schools 

• Register by November 29: Join Solar 1 For a Hands-On Exploration of Solar Energy in Three Sessions 
• Apply by November 30: Race Against Waste Program

 
Middle Schools and High Schools

• Register by November 30: Workshop with the NYC Writing Project 
• Register by December 5: Workshop – Using Fiction and Nonfiction Signposts in Secondary Grades 

 
High Schools 

• Apply by January 10: Earthwatch Project Kindle Fellowship for Science Teachers 

 
All Schools 

• Register by November 26: Workshop – Teaching Mindfulness from the Inside Out 
• Register by November 29: Workshop – Engaging Parents and Families for Student Success 
• Register by November 29: Workshop with iLearnNYC – Building Parent Community Using Technology 
• Register by November 30: We Are Still Here – Indigenous Peoples in the Caribbean at the National Museum of the American Indian 
• Register by December 3: Information Session on School Librarianship 
• Register by December 4: Free Tennis Training with New York Junior Tennis & Learning 
• Register by December 5: PD at the New York Historical Society – The American Revolution 
• Register by December 5: Workshop with iLearnNYC – Personalize Learning Using a Playlist 
• Register by December 6: Workshop – Democracy and Race in the Age of Jim Crow with Facing History and Ourselves 
• Register by December 8: Hogwarts Curriculum Workshop: Care of Magical Creatures and Herbology 
• Register by December 8: Workshop – Investigating Mechanics with Mobile Devices 
• Register by December 10: Workshop – Using Microsoft Teams to Enhance Teaching, Learning, Communication and Collaboration 
• Apply by December 11: Sustainability Project Grant 
• Register by December 11: Workshop – Using Mindfulness for Better Classroom Management 
• Register by December 12: Learning in the Digital Age with iLearnNYC – Using Tools for Storytelling 
• Register by December 12: Workshop with iLearnNYC – Using the iPad: The Right App for the Right Time 
• Apply by January 10: The 2019 Earthwatch Teach Earth Fellowship 
• Apply by January 25: NaliniKIDS Gigi Grant​