Teacher Times #13
November 30, 2015

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:

• Participate on November 30 or December 7: littleBits Educator Workshops at the Brooklyn Public Library (Central Library and Williamsburg Branch)
• Register by December 6: Brooklyn Connections and the Brooklyn Navy Yard
• Register by December 10: Professional Development—Math and Mandalas
• Apply by December 13: Global Competence Certificate Spring 2016 Cohort

 
Middle and High Schools:

• Register by December 2: Facing History Workshop—the Reconstruction Era and the Fragility of Democracy
• Register by December 11: Facing History Workshop—a New Approach to Teaching To Kill a Mockingbird

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:

• 2016 Youth Garden Grant

Pics Of The Week

Guidelines for 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. As we head into the holiday season, 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 that reflect different beliefs or customs.
• All holiday displays should be temporary in nature.

For issues concerning religious observance by students, please refer to Chancellor’s Regulation A-630. For questions, contact your senior field counsel.