TAPCo. Times #15
December 9, 2019

Birthdays of the Week 

Maria Pia Marrella 12/11
Rebecca Rebecca 12/13
Demetri Nicolopoulos 12/15

Guidance on Holiday Displays and Celebrations

​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. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that schools are culturally responsive to the many faiths, backgrounds, and traditions in our communities, and to affirm learners’ identities as we celebrate. Please adhere to these values as you recognize the holidays in your classrooms, and ensure that holiday displays, celebrations, and activities embrace diversity and do not reinforce harmful stereotypes or make families feel unwelcome. 
 
Please also be mindful that public schools may not endorse or promote a particular religion or belief system. Therefore, please ensure that you follow the guidelines below regarding the display of cultural and holiday symbols:
 

• 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.

Pics Of The Week

Professional Development and Student Opportunities

​​All professional learning opportunities are posted on the I Teach NYC website and linked below. This week’s highlights include:

All Teachers: 

• Register by: December 10: Attend the Screening of Documentary Microplastic Madness 
• Register by December 11: Workshop -- Copyright For Content Creators 
• Register by December 11: Pizza & PD -- Women and Settler Colonialism 
• Register by December 13: Novice Librarian Institute- Day 1 (Cohort 2) 
• Register by December 14: Saturday Session -- The Great Migration and Black Citizenship 
• Register by December 16: Critically Reviewing Claims Using Logical Fallacies 
• Ongoing: Explore School Quality Report Results 
• Ongoing through January: Bring Solar Energy to Your Classroom 
• Ongoing through February: Express Interest in Teacher Leader Roles 
• Ongoing through January 12: Teacher’s Choice – Get Up to $250 Back When You Purchase Teaching Materials 

High Schools: 
§  Register by December 6: Explore Fluency and Great Leaps 

Grant Opportunities

​Grant opportunities are posted on the Grants website. This week’s highlights include:
 

• ALDI Smart Kids

Student Opportunities

​Student opportunities are posted on the Student Opportunities page on the NYC DOE website. This week’s highlights include:
 
All Schools:
§  Ongoing: Guided Programs and Arts Workshops
 
Middle and High Schools:
§  Register by January 2: Register for National History Day Q&A Conference Calls with the Jackie Robinson Museum
 
High Schools:
§  Ongoing: Register to Participate in the Hamilton Education Program