Daily Announcements

Welcome to a new school year!

So many changes have occurred during these summer months in preparation for the new school year. Here is a taste:

Physical Plant
· Principal’s office moved to the first floor .
· General office moved to the first floor.
· Finance and Human resource office moved across the hall.
· Two offices converted into classrooms.
· Boys and girls bathrooms in the dining hall renovated.
· New hardwood floors in four classrooms.

Instruction

· New computers purchased for the computer lab.
· All materials and resources ordered and secured for the implementation of the new literacy curriculum, Success For All.
· Over 600 new library books added to the library collection.
· Summer school session successfully completed with a special trip to Medieval Times for students with great attendance.

Enrichment
· 10 young high school students worked at Amber Charter School from the Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) of our sponsor agency, Association of Progressive Dominicans.
· Mural designed and painted by Amber Students, faculty, staff and SYEP youth under the direction of local artist, Maria Dominguez.

(Come by and see it! Southwest corner of E. 106 Street & 3rd Avenue)

Staff and Faculty
· New teachers hired for the new classes.
· Specialty teachers hired in Music and Physical Education.
· Former Amber Teacher Assistant hired as Kindergarten Teacher.
· Project Coordinator hired to oversee State ACCESS grant for professional development.

Operations
· New hand scan system implemented.
· New student data management system purchased.

As you can see it has been a very busy summer, and these are but a few of the wonderful things happening. All this work has been to prepare for our best year yet at Amber Charter School.

So we enter our new school year proclaiming that:

TOGETHER WE CAN REACH OUR GOALS !!!

See you all Monday, September 8, 2008 the FIRST DAY of school !!!
Dr. Vasthi R. Acosta, Head of School

To the Amber family,

Today (7/16/08), at a special board meeting, we accepted Rafael Ortiz's resignation as Amber's Head of School effective July 31, 2008. We also appointed Dr. Vasthi Reyes to become Interim Head of School effective August 1, 2008. I am sure you all join me to wish Rafael well on his new endeavors and thank him for his leadership during the past three years.

We also ratified the creation of a new instructional position, Lead Teacher, amending our UFT contract to include the new position. We thank our teachers for voting affirmatively in creating this new instructional role.

Hope everyone is having a pleasant summer.

--Luis Miranda, Chairperson, Board of Directors

Parents' Association Announces 2008-09 Amber Charter School
School Activities

All families are asked to hold the following dates for great events. For more information, please contact PA Co-Presidents Ms. Teresa Ingram and Ms. Tiarrah Braswellat (212) 534.9667 or PA@ambercharter.org.

September 8 First Day of School / Boo-Hoo Breakfast (incoming Kindergarteners)
October 3 2nd Floor Ice Cream Social

October 10 3rd Floor Ice Cream Social

October 17 4th Floor Ice Cream Social

October 24 5th Floor Ice Cream Social

October X PA-Sponsored K-2 Trip (Queens County Farm Musem?)
February 13, 2009 Winter Break-Dance

May 29 Olympic Day

Other activities under consideration: Mentor program for upper grades, Carnival, Saturday Program, Game Night, Movie Nights, Walk - a - Thon, Box Tops, Silent Auctions, Penny Harvest, Ice Cream Social, Father/Daughter & Mother/Son Dance, Flea Market, Grandparents Get Together, Holiday Party, Girl Scouts & Boy Scouts, Valentines Day Dance, Winter Olympics (Indoors); Volunteer Opportunities Each child in grades 4 - 6 must complete 2 community service projects in the school year.
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Jobs @ Amber Charter School [ jobs@ambercharter.org]
Wanted for Fall 2008: NYS Certified Elementary School Teachers & Teacher Assistants
More...

Amber Charter School is a "School In Good Standing" as per the New York State Department of Education for the school year 2007-08.

All members of the community should be aware that Amber has held this designation since its inception in 2000. (This message is in compliance with NYSED/Title 1 requirements to make public our status.)

Lowes Library Grant at Amber Underway

The Lowes Foundation, through a competition overseen by the National Council of La Raza, has awarded Amber a $20,000 grant towards the library. The grant will allow us to purchase new books, DVDs/tapes, equipment and do small renovation suitable for the library. Parents have participated in a workshop on library functions and have received their own guides to improving reading for their children.

Open House Schedule

For 2008 – 09
Academic Year

If you are interested in having your child attend our school,
come to one of our Open Houses.
For New Kindergarten & First Grade Students Only!*

January 2008: 23 (9:00am – 10:00am) & 30 (5:30pm – 6:30pm)

February 2008: 13 (5:30pm – 6:30pm) & 26 (9:00am – 10:00am)

March 2008: 13 (9:00am – 10:00am) & 26 (5:30pm – 6:30pm)

April 1, 2008: Lottery Day (4:15pm)

Please Call 212-534-9667, ext 101 or 102 to sign-up!
Address: 220 East 106th Street
New York, NY 10029

Open to birthdates:
January 1 - September 1, 2003 for Kindergarten
January 1 – September 1, 2002 for First Grade