McCourt High School Recruiting Students
February 4, 2010
With Frank McCourt High School slated to open in September, administrators are starting the recruiting and application phase to assemble the first class of freshmen.
The high school, housed on the Brandeis High School campus at 145 W. 84th St. between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, will be open to students in all five boroughs. Named after the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author who spent 29 years as a teacher, the new school will focus on communications and civic engagement. [Read more]
About Face for DOE: District 3 Needs New School
January 28, 2010
After desperate parents, elected officials and the Department of Education convened a “war room” to deal with District 3 crowding, the city has agreed to create a new school on the Upper West Side. This marks a significant turnaround for the Department of Education, and a victory for parents who have been pleading with education officials to acknowledge that the neighborhood building and baby booms have created a dire need for new elementary seats. [Read more]
Where to Get Your Art On
January 21, 2010
It’s that time of year when we feel the need to reinvent. Here’s a list of some of the art-related programs and course offerings that will help make you a mini-Matisse or at least appreciate the masters in a whole new way. [Read more]
Founding Principal
November 5, 2009
Danielle Salzberg, a veteran teacher, administrator and builder of new schools, will be taking the helm at the newly announced Frank McCourt High School next fall. The application process for new schools occurs in February, after both the specialized high school round and the main round of citywide high school admissions are over. Students who are interested in one of the city’s new schools, like Frank McCourt, can fill out a special application during this final part of the process.
[Read more]
Nursery Schools 101
October 29, 2009
1. Why Nursery School, Anyway?
Because if you don’t get into a good nursery school it’s quite likely that your child will never get into Harvard. Ok, here’s really why: because the majority of nursery school directors create comforting, fun worlds where little people learn to socialize while following their creative and intellectual urges. It’s also a chance for parents to get some informed feedback about their child while joining a community of families in which both children and parents will have a stable circle of friends. [Read more]
Helping Hands
October 29, 2009
For parents who feel overwhelmed by the city’s private school admissions process, or just need guidance in a particular area, hiring an admissions consultant is an increasing option—even for nursery school.
Nursery school is the place where parents begin to sort out the various educational options available to them, says Roxana Reid, director of Smart City Kids (smartcitykids.com), a private and public educational advising service for nursery through 12th grade. Information from friends and chatter from the park bench can sometimes confuse matters, as people tend to draw from their own perspective, which may not be applicable to every parent. [Read more]
Finally: McCourt HS
October 9, 2009
Before literary legend and longtime New York City public school teacher Frank McCourt died this past summer, efforts were underway to create a school in his honor. Now that plan has become a reality. On Oct. 6, the Department of Education announced that the Frank McCourt High School will open in fall 2010 as part of the Brandeis campus, on West 84th Street.
The small, selective school will eventually serve 432 students when all high school grades are added during the 2013-14 school year. McCourt was best known as the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Angela’s Ashes, but he also taught for 29 years, mostly at Stuyvesant High School. [Read more]
Can Your Toddler Speak Chinese?
September 23, 2009
Sharon Huang was working in New York City and living in New Jersey when she began looking around for a Mandarin immersion program for her soon-to-be born twins.
“I knew there were some out there, but I realized there wasn’t one in New Jersey,” she said. “I thought with Chinese becoming such an important language, there must be other parents who feel this way.” [Read more]
See You Around Campus, Dad
August 26, 2009
Most teenagers heading off to college look forward to getting away from their parents. Not for Isabella Tobias. The start of school will actually bring her closer to her father.
“I don’t know anyone who has gotten the gift of going to school with a parent,” she said. “College is a scary thing the first year. You are meeting people from all over the world and it will be a nice thing to have a guiding hand to help me transition from high school to college.” [Read more]
Something to Chew On
August 20, 2009
A recent study has confirmed that a healthy, Mediterranean-style diet combined with regular exercise can reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Previous studies have linked diet and exercise, independently, to reduced Alzheimer’s risk, but the recent investigation, at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University Medical Center, reveals that combining these life choices helps even more.
“We wanted to tease out which of these two behaviors may be associated with lower risk for AD, or if the combination of the two is associated with decreased risk even further,” Nikos Scarmeas, M.D., lead author of the study, said. [Read more]
