Special Invitation: A Parents Panel On Gifted Education

On
Tuesday, November 15, from 6:30 to 8pm,
New York Family Editor Eric Messinger will be moderating a “parents
panel” in which elementary school parents at many top “Gifted & Talented”
programs in the city (i.e. Hunter, Andersen, Nest, Lab, Speyer, etc.) will
offer their perspectives on district-wide, city-wide, public and private
options as well as the approaches to G&T Education in NYC. —

For
interested parents, this is an essential panel, and it only costs $10 per
person. The panel, which is called, “What’s Right For My
Child? What Are The Options (Public and Private) in the Gifted Arena?” will
explore all pertinent “G & T” issues along with some unobvious ones like
“What options are there for the twice exceptional, or gifted children with learning
differences like ADHD or Aspergers?”

To
directly Pre-Register, click here. Space is limited. Best to secure your
spot ahead of time!

DATE:
Tuesday, November 15 from 6:30-8pm

LOCATION:
The Downtown Community Center
120 Warren Street (TriBeCa)
1 block south of Chambers between Greenwich Street
and West Street

The event is part of workshop series sponsored by P.A.L. (Parents of
Accelerated Learners).

Topics
will include:

•
What’s all the hoopla about Hunter?

•
How is a citywide school program different than a district-wide?

•
Do all private schools accommodate advanced learners and what are the right
questions to ask?

•
Is a ‘really good’ NYC public school the right fit for your G&T child?

•
What options are there for twice exceptional, or gifted children with learning
differences like ADHD or Aspergers, etc?

•
What are the pros and cons of a self-contained program? And other than Hunter
and citywide, what are the other options?

PANELISTS INCLUDE:

Jennifer Selendy is a litigation partner at the firm of
Kirland & Ellis LLP, where she tries commercial cases for clients such as IBM,
Samsung, Verizon and Discover. She has a long history of educational
philanthropy and pro bono work with New Leaders for New
Schools, College Summit,
Hunter College
Elementary School
and, most recently, The Speyer
Legacy School.
She also chairs the board of the National Center for Law and Economic
Justice, a national legal services organization focused on the civil and
economic rights of those living in poverty, and co-chairs the board of The
Speyer Legacy School. Her children have attended Hunter
College Elementary
and Speyer Legacy
School.

Pamela
French, director and producer of “Getting In… Kindergarten,” a
documentary that followed three families for over a year struggling through the
subculture of the NYC kindergarten admissions process, is a native New
Yorker and mother of two Anderson School/PS334 students. Presently, Pamela
is in the production stages of “Green Is The Word”; a comprehensive,
educational film to inform and inspire New York City
school communities about how to make their schools more environmentally
sustainable.

Theseus
Roche is the Director of After-School Programs for Manhattan Youth, which
serves children from several downtown schools. A longtime downtown resident, he
recently moved his child from a local public school to a districtwide G&T
program. He has been working with children in the neighborhood for more than
ten years.

Christa
Acampora is associate professor of philosophy at Hunter
College and The Graduate Center.
She is the parent of a highly gifted child who also has learning differences.
Her child has attended both public and private schools in New
York City and abroad, and is currently enrolled at The
Lang School. She chairs the Lang board of directors, and volunteers as an
advocate for families navigating public school systems.

The
P.A.L. Workshops Series is a collaboration of Jade’s
ToyBox, NYC Private Schools
Blog, NYC Gifted & Talented Blog, TestingMom.com and the Downtown Community Center in partnership with Hunter College Center for Gifted Studies and
Education, Advocacy for Gifted
and Talented Education (AGATE),
Twice Exceptional Children’s Advocacy
(TECA), Rutgers Gifted Education Certificate Program and the National Association for Gifted Children
(NAGC).

For
more information contact Angelique LeDoux at 212.343.8881, or email [email protected]

Join the conversation at the new P.A.L.
Listserv.

Share resources and get additional G&T
news, tips and event information here.

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.

Super Soccer Stars

Soccer Stars is New York&rsquo;s most popular youth educational soccer program! With 24 years of experience under our cleats, we have positively impacted over one million kids in our local community by putting the FUN in FUNdamentals in our weekly classes and camps. At Soccer Stars, we use the soccer ball as a vehicle to help children not only improve their soccer skills, but develop self-confidence and physical literacy, improve gross motor skills, build teamwork, and hone socialization skills. Our highly trained coaches and early childhood experts lead an age-specific curriculum with a low kid-to-coach ratio so every child gets individual attention and can grow at their own pace. Kids ages 1-12+ can join our seasonal programs, including Parent &amp; Me, FUNdamentals, Development Training, and Travel Soccer. Join us at one of over 80 locations in neighborhoods across across Westchester County, Connecticut and New York, available 7 days-a-week: Connecticut: <ul> <li>Cos Cob</li> <li>Greenwich</li> <li>Port Chester</li> </ul> &nbsp; Westchester: <ul> <li>Briarcliff</li> <li>Eastchester</li> <li>Mt. Kisco</li> <li>New Rochelle</li> <li>Ridgefield</li> <li>Scarsdale</li> <li>White Plains</li> </ul> &nbsp; New York City: <ul> <li>Bronx</li> <li>Inwood</li> <li>Upper West Side</li> <li>Upper East Side</li> </ul> &nbsp; Can&rsquo;t find a class or location that fits your schedule? Soccer Stars also offers private classes for small groups or individual training. Let our coaches come to you with a completely customizable program, anytime, anywhere. Birthday parties are also available!&nbsp;

Brooklyn Robot Foundry - Virtual Classes

Brooklyn Robot Foundry offers super fun online robot-building classes for children 2-13 years old!&nbsp;&nbsp;Each week, students are introduced to new engineering concepts and components while building that day&rsquo;s robot in their own &ldquo;workshop&rdquo;.&nbsp;&nbsp;All classes maintain a very low student-to-teacher ratio, allowing for plenty of individualized instruction and socializing. The supplies are shipped in advance and classes are led by amazing instructors, taking all the pressure off parents.&nbsp;&nbsp;The Foundry&rsquo;s main focus however, is that kids have fun, get creative, and enjoy being part of this STEAM-loving community!&nbsp;