Tompkins County Department of Health now has FREE seasonal flu vaccines available (not the H1N1 vaccine) for children under the age of 19 years.

Two modes of delivery are available:
Flu Mist
Flu Shot

PLEASE CONTACT THE HEALTH DEPT DIRECTLY AT 274-6616 WITH QUESTIONS OR TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

The following programs/lab hours are available at Southside Community Center:

Unity Music Studio Programs
MONDAYS - 4:30pm-6pm - ProTools Classes for Middle School Students
6pm-7pm - Group Voice Classes

TUESDAYS - 4:30pm-6pm - Girls Only work group
6pm-7:30pm - Lyric Writing forum

WEDNESDAYS - 4:30pm-6pm - ProTools Classes for High School Students
6pm-8pm - Jam Session

THURSDAYS & FRIDAYS are designated as days where the studio is open for public use, it is recommended that those interested in using the Unity Studio reserve a time in advance between the hours of 3pm - 8pm on either of these days.

For more information on any of Unity Studio’s programs please contact Dani DiCiaccio at ddiciaccio@sscc-ithaca.org

Southside Computer Lab Programs
MONDAYS - 5pm-6pm - Meeting “305 Live” Online Radio Station (open to all middle/high school students)

TUESDAYS - 2pm-3pm - Adult Computing Classes

WEDNESDAYS - 5pm-6pm - Meeting “305 Live” Online Radio Station (open to all middle/high school students)

THURSDAYS - 2pm-3pm - Adult Computing Classes
3pm-8pm - “Free-For-All” Video Games and Computer Challenges
FRIDAYS - 5pm - 6pm - Live Online Broadcast “305 Live” Online Radio Station (open to all middle/high school students)

For information about any of the Computer Lab Programs please contact Vincente (Vinnie) Siera at vsierra@sscc-ithaca.org

General Center Programs
MONDAY - FRIDAY - 3pm-5pm - Afterschool w/ Southside (Homework help, tutoring, etc)

TUESDAYS - 4:30pm-6:30pm - African Drumming
6:30pm-7:30pm - Latin Dance Class

WEDNESDAYS - 5pm-7pm - Youth Basketball League (open to youth 11-13)

THURSDAYS - 5:30pm-6:30pm - Capoeira
6:30pm-7:30pm - Hip Hop Dance

FRIDAYS - 5pm-6:30pm - Young Womens Book Club
5:30pm-7pm - Basketball Clinic

For information about any of the General Center Programs please contact Kirtrina Baxter at kbaxter@sscc-ithaca.org

A calendar for all of our weekly activities as well as any special events can also be found on the Southside Community Center website http://www.sscc-ithaca.org or you can also visit the Southside Community Center 305 S. Plain St., Ithaca, NY

ITHACA–The Tompkins County Public Library will host “Teens Write!,” a creative writing workshop for teens led by Irene Zahava, each Wednesday from October 7 through October 28 in the Thaler/Howell Programming Room.
Irene (Zee) Zahava is the director of Emma’s Writing Center and has been leading writing circles since l994. She is a former bookstore owner, the editor of numerous short story anthologies and haiku journals, and the co-publisher of 2 Turtles Press. She is also affiliated with the Durland Alternatives Library at Cornell University, a project of the CRESP Center for Transformative Action.

“Teens Write!” is most appropriate for tweens and teens ages 11 through 17. The program will provide a safe and supportive environment for creative writing and group sharing. There is no charge for the program; however, advanced registration is required. To register, or for more information, contact Zahava at 607- 273-4675 or zee@twcny.rr.com

The 2009 Teens Write program is made possible by gifts from Carrie Shearer and Suzanne Spitz to the Tompkins County Public Library Foundation.

Membership - Consider becoming a member. Go to www.fabgithaca.org and check the join tab. We have some a special incentive - see the wine, dine and stay post on the home page.

Fall Meeting - Our fall meeting is set for Nov 3, 6:15-8:00 p.m. in the Boynton Middle School Cafeteria. Join us to discuss the arts and hear from guest Sofia Villenas, Associate Professor of Education and Latino/a Studies and Program Leader, Learning, Teaching and Social Policy. Pizza dinner will be provided.

Questions? Email us at fabg_president@yahoo.com or president@fabgithaca.org.

The College of Human Ecology, Cornell University, presents:

Michelle Rhee, Chancellor
Washington, D.C. Public Schools
“Reforming Public Education: How to Change the Conversation”
Monday, October 5, 2009
7:30 – 8:30 PM
Bailey Hall, Cornell University
This event is free and open to the public, but advance tickets are required. Tickets are available at the Willard Straight ticket office and the Ticket Center in Center Ithaca on the Commons.

Michelle Rhee ’92, chancellor of Washington, D.C. public schools, will return to the Cornell campus on October 5th as the 2009 Iscol Fellow. The lecture, sponsored by the Iscol Family Program for Leadership Development in Public Service, is supported by a generous endowment established by Ken ’60 and Jill Iscol, who have close ties to Cornell and broad philanthropic interests.

Rhee’s commitment to excellence in education began in a Baltimore classroom in 1992 when she was a Teach or America teacher. The lessons she learned during that time inform her mission today: with the right teacher, students in urban classrooms can meet high expectations for achievement; a key, driving force behind that achievement is the quality of the educator.

Mic helle Rhee was appointed chancellor of the Washington, D.C. public schools in June 2007. She founded The New Teacher Project in 1997, now a nationally recognized leader in developing innovative solutions to the challenges of new teacher hiring.

A reception at The Statler Hotel will immediately follow the lecture.

Join the Village of Ithaca for a Unity Walk to precede the annual Lift Every Voice Concert!

UNITY WALK
“All of Us for All of our Children”
Saturday, September 26th
Gather between 5:30 and 6:00; Walk begins 6:00 pm
Calvary Baptist Church parking lot at 507 N. Albany, St.

We’ll walk Albany, MLK, Jr./State, and Aurora Streets to
Lift Every Voice
“Expanding the Circle of Community”
A Benefit Concert for Village at Ithaca
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th
7:00 - 9:00 pm
St. Paul’s United Methodist Church,
402 N. Aurora St., Ithaca, New York
The suggested donation for the concert is $10, with children through grade 12 free. Some of the proceeds will benefit the Mabel J. Nixon Scholarship Fund honoring the life and legacy of a woman who gave so much to children of the Ithaca City School District and community. For more info, see http://www.villageatithaca.org/

The Department of Entomology at Cornell University is sponsoring “Insectapalooza” - an exhibition about insects. The event will take place on Saturday, October 3, 2009 on the Cornell University campus from 9a-3p in Comstock Hall. This event is free and open to the public. For more info, see http://insectapalooza.ento.cornell.edu

IPEI Increases $$ for Teacher Grant Awards

The Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) has increased its maximum award ceiling for the Teacher Grant Program for the 2009-2010 school year from $1,000 to $1,500. Last year 28 district teachers had their projects funded with $24,700 allocated.

Teacher Grants are awarded on the basis of competitive proposals submitted by classroom teachers in the fall for innovative classroom projects they wish to implement in the spring semester. All Ithaca City School District teachers are eligible to apply. Criteria for proposals include the requirement to include a community partner (in keeping with IPEI’s mission of connecting school and community) and connections with applicable NYS Learning Standards.

Teacher Grant applications are available in every school’s main office, the district offices, and the Ithaca Teachers Association offices. Application deadline is Monday, Nov. 2. For more information, visit www.ipei.org

IPEI Red & Gold Opportunities Grants Prove to be a Helpful Teacher Resource

IPEI Red and Gold Opportunities Grants are designed to help educators throughout the Ithaca district solve those vexing problems or fund those neat little projects that strengthen and enrich the schools and can be covered by up to $500, but are not eligible for the Teacher Grant Program. It might be a piece of equipment or some supplies, a guest appearance, a field trip, or some instructional materials. Applications to the Red and Gold Grants Review Committee are relatively easy to fill out and can be submitted at any time between Sept. 15 and June 1.

More information and application forms are available on the IPEI website – www.ipei.org .

IPEI’S 11th Annual Adult Spelling Bee is November 15 at 2:00 p.m. at Ithaca High School’s Bliss Gym.

Many adults have success at the Bee with little or no preparation. Form a team with two other adults (parents and other community members welcome) and enter the Bee. The Tompkins Trust Company is the 2009 event sponsor and will cover all Bee expenses. Each team, however, must also have a sponsor. All Team Sponsorships directly support the Teacher Grants Programs. Last year 28 teachers received grants totaling $24,700 for innovative classroom projects.

If you don’t have time to practice but want to show your support of IPEI, then consider being a Team Sponsor. The fee for being a Team Sponsor is $375.00 and can be paid wholly by a business or single donor or can be divided by the three Spelling Bee team members. If funds are not available, IPEI can often match your team with a business or single donor that is willing to support IPEI’s efforts to enhance the education of every Ithaca district student.

For more information on the Bee, please visit IPEI at www.ipei.org . If you would like to enter a team, please email ipei@ipei.org or call Barbara Holdsworth at 280-2411.

Southside Community Center will hold an open house from 5pm - 7pm on Monday, September 14th. This is an exciting time for the center with alot of brand new programming happening. Come meet the coordinators…..

Kirtrina Baxter, Center Programming Coordinator
Dani Diciaccio, Unity Music Studio Coordinator
Vinnie Sierra, Computer Lab Coordinator

and find out more information on the various programs that will be taking place throughout the school year. Some highlights include….

Unity Music Studio Vocal classes

The Computer Lab “305 Live” online radio show

Capoeira & Rueda dance classes in the center.

For more information contact either Kirtrina Baxter (kbaxter@sscc-ithaca.org) or Vinnie Sierra (vsierra@sscc-ithaca.org) or call the Southside Community Center @ 273-4190