September 21, 2010

WELCOME BACK
We wish to welcome Kristy Benenati and Jenna McGowan to our staff. May they have long and successful careers.

Welcome back, Merri Erlich.

Congratulations to Erin Reese and Daisy Lopez on the birth of their babies.

Congratulations to Juan Zevallos and Cindy Pena on their marriage.

Congratulations to Daniella Costanzo on her marriage.

Good luck to our friends who have retired or transferred.

We wish to express our sadness at the passing of Dolores Candella, a former teacher and chapter leader at P.S. 123.

SBOs
The lunch period SBO passed with 40 out of 64 (62.5%) voting “Yes.” Lunch will now be 45 minutes long. Friday’s dismissal and work day will end at 2:32.5PM for the 2010-2011 school year.

The extended time SBO passed with 63 out of 68 (92.5%) voting “Yes.” Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s extended time of 8AM-8:37.5AM will be with the children doing small-group tutoring, test prep, etc. Thursday’s extended time will be devoted to inquiry team work, and data-related work, and will be without the children present.

CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
If you are required to attend a certain amount of hours of PD in order to keep your certification, keep track of what you are required to take, and don’t delay doing what is required. For certification questions, call Elizabeth Perez at the Brooklyn UFT office.

PARA REPRESENTATIVE NEEDED
We need a para representative to complete the term expiring in June, 2012. Please let me know by Friday if you are interested. Only a para can be a para rep.

SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM
We need two UFT members to represent the staff on the School Leadership Team (SLT). Any UFT member may serve. Meetings may be before and/or after school. If you wish to nominate someone, or wish to nominate yourself, please submit your nomination in writing to Bonnie Skibins by Thursday, September 23.

CHAPTER MEETING
Our first chapter meeting will be on Wednesday, Sept. 29, during the lunch hours. If an election for the SLT is necessary, it will be held at the end of the meeting.

PEER INTERVENTION PROGRAM
The Peer Intervention Program (PIP) helps tenured teachers and guidance counselors who are struggling in their program and who volunteer to participate. Teachers/guidance counselors who meet these criteria get help from experienced and specially selected colleagues. All assistance is given on a voluntary, confidential basis and is tailored to the participating member's strengths and weaknesses in their program.

If you have switched grades, or have returned to the classroom after being out of the classroom, and would like assistance, the PIP may be able to assist you.

You may enroll online at:

http://uft.wufoo.com/forms/request-for-assistance/http/true

For more information, call (212) 844-0600.

PREPS AND LUNCH
By contract you are entitled to a daily duty-free lunch and five unassigned preps a week (first-year teachers may have two preps assigned per week). We SBOd having only one staff conference a month during a lunch period and only one grade conference a month during a prep period.

There may be meetings or PD during common preps or during lunch periods. While you may attend some of these if you wish to, you can not be compelled to do so, or penalized for not attending. If you want a copy of any handouts from these meetings, you are entitled to receive them.

Your lunch period is yours to do what you wish. You may not be told where to eat and who to eat with.

LEAVES
Before taking a leave of any kind, call John Settle at the Brooklyn UFT office.


CONTACT INFO
You can e-mail me at 123uft@optonline.net

Chapter Blog: http://uft123k.blogspot.com/

Brooklyn UFT Office: (718) 852-4900

CHANGE OF STATUS
If you moved or need to add a dependent to your UFT Welfare Fund benefits, you need to fill out a change of status form.