TAPCo. Times #14
December 5, 2016

Birthdays of the Week

Oi Ling Sin 12/8

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:
 

• Neighborhood Grants
• Direct Start TV Teacher Grants
• Extended Deadline - Studio in a School –Grant Opportunity for Title I Pre-K-6 Schools

Ensure You Comply With Conflict of Interest Laws

All NYCDOE employees are required to comply with the City's Conflicts of Interest Laws and with Chancellor's Regulation C-110. You will receive the annual email regarding holiday gifts and conflicts of interest from mynyc@nyc.gov in the next couple of weeks. Please note the following highlights for rules on giving and receiving gifts that are covered in the email, in addition to rules on carpooling:
 
Gifts:

• Employees may not accept gifts or tips for doing their jobs.
• Supervisors may not accept holiday gifts from their subordinates, except gifts of negligible monetary value, i.e., under $10. Supervisors may give holiday gifts to their subordinates, as long as the gift is not unusually extravagant.
• Employees may not accept offers of free attendance at holiday parties or events  sponsored by outside entities, such as those doing business with the city, unless they are given permission to do so in writing by their agency head that their attendance would further a  legitimate city purpose related to their job. Employees do not need permission to attend if they pay for the ticket.

 
Carpooling: The City’s Conflicts of Interest Laws prohibit supervisors from receiving rides from subordinates, regardless of whether the subordinate is reimbursed or compensated for the gas and tolls. If the supervisor receives the rides for free, it is a misuse of position. If the supervisor pays his or her subordinate for gas and tolls, it constitutes an impermissible financial relationship between a supervisor and a subordinate. A Conflicts of Interest waiver from the New York City Conflicts of Interest Board is needed if supervisors and subordinates want to carpool.
 
For questions, contact Samantha M. Biletsky at sbiletsky@schools.nyc.gov or 212-374-3438.  

Pics Of The Week

Professional Development and Student Opportunities

Professional development and student opportunities are posted on the PD and Student Opportunities page. This week’s highlights include:
 
All Schools:

• Register by December 18: Global Competence Certificate Program for Educators
• Register by December 23: Celebrate Black History Month at Symphony Space

  
Middle Schools:

• Register by December 8: Teacher Professional Learning Institute – Developing Science Literacy Performance Tasks for 6th Grade Weather Unit
• Register by December 15: Billion Oyster Project Teacher Fellowship

 
High Schools:

• Register by December 15: Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Program

Guidance on Holiday Displays

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. 

Review FAQ on Transition Timeline for Regents Exam in Global History and Geography

​The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is developing a new Transition Regents Examination in global history and geography to replace its current global history and geography exam, which will be administered for the first time in June 2018. In preparation for the new examination, you and your staff should review this transition timeline FAQ.
 
For questions, email regents@schools.nyc.gov.

Guidance on Class Trips for Students with Medical Orders

Guidance on the process for addressing the needs of students who require medication while on school trips that take place during the school day, during extended-day, or on overnight trips can be found here. The guidance includes information on how and by whom medication can be administered, as well as when nurses are required to accompany students on school trips. 
 
For questions, contact your nursing director or nursing supervisor.