4-H Public Presentations Kickoff Workshop
SPRING 2009

What: An opportunity for new or experienced presenters to learn more about the 4-H Public Presentations program.

When: Wednesday, January 7, 5:30-7:30 p.m. (light dinner provided)

Where: Tompkins County Cooperative Extension Education Center, 615 Willow Avenue, Ithaca NY

Who: New and experienced presenters are invited to a fun, hands-on, 3-part workshop. Open to any youth age 5-18.

Sessions for Experienced Presenters:

Skills Room 1-with Anna Susmann & Donna Stauffer (45 mins.)

Covers: Summaries & introductions; Expressing Enthusiasm; Poise & Postures; Note cards & posters.

Skills Room 2- with Diane Beckwith & Sherron Brown (45 mins.)
Covers: Eye contact; Volume & rate; Sources; Gestures.

Sessions for New Presenters:

What Is a 4-H Presentation?-Room 3-with Dianne Walter & Megan Tifft
Covers: Posters & note cards; Introduction, body & summary; Event & program information; Fielding questions; Sources; Appearance; Q & A

Produced in NY Contest (a new way to present) -with members of the 4-H Consumer and Family Science Committee. Learn how to give a silent foods presentation, gain confidence and skills in presenting to the public, develop your knowledge and skills in food prep and presentation. PiNY presentations do not move on to District level competition, however, participation in this contest qualifies for participation at the 4-H Youth Fair and NYS Fair.

All workshops will be fun and hands-on. We will start the night with a light dinner and an overview of the program.

FREE workshop. Please RSVP by 1/4/09 by contacting Megan Tifft at met38@cornell.edu, or 607-272-2292. 

Help Youth:
· Prepare for teen years
· Avoid problems with drugs and alcohol
· Strengthen family communications
Parents/Caregivers discuss:
· What youth this age are like
· Rules and consequences
· How to solve problems with youth
· Ways to show love and support
Families:
· Have fun in activities and games
· Discuss what makes your family strong
· Solve problems together
Youth learn ways to:
· Handle frustration
· Resist peer pressure
· Appreciate parent/caregivers
· Get along with others

Dates: Wednesdays, Feb. 25, March 4, 11, 18, 25, April 1, 8  (Snow Date April 22)
Time : 6:00˜8:00 p.m.
        6:00 -7:00 parent group, 6:00 ˆ7:00 youth group,
        7:00 -8:00 family group
Where: Dryden Middle School, Dryden
To sign up of for more information:
       Dryden students / families call: Kate Benas 844-8694 ext. 9204# or Mary Hicks 844-8694 ext.9444#
        All others call Tompkins County CCE 272-2292
        For FREE childcare call by Friday, February 12.

This program is sponsored by:
Family and Community Development of Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County
Co-sponsors include: Dryden Central School, Dryden PTA, Tompkins County Department of Social
Services, Tompkins County Mental Health, & Tompkins County Department Probation Department
Join us because parenting can be better together! 

Girls in the Initiation program receive lessons in skating and hockey skills and play games at the beginner level on Mondays at 6:00 p.m. at The RINK and/or Thursdays at 5:15 p.m. at Cass Park Rink.  Girls may choose to attend the program one day per week, or for both sessions each week.  Coaches emphasize having fun while safely learning the fundamentals of the game of ice hockey. The Initiation program is open to girls ages 4 and up.  Girls can advance to TGHA’s House program whenever they are deemed ready by the trained coaching staff. The season ends in early March; half season fees are available.

Girls who are interested in finding out more about Initiation hockey are invited to attend TGHA’s “Bring a Friend to Practice Night” on January 5, 2008 from 6:00 to 7:00 pm at The Rink (1767 East Shore Drive, north of Ithaca).

For more information about registration, used equipment loans, and scholarships, call 280-4380 or email TGHA0809@yahoo.com.  Further details about these programs as well as registration with USA Hockey can also be found at www.ithacagirlshockey.com

Funds are raised through Fine Arts Booster Group performance booklet ad sales. The boosters produce performance booklets for middle and high school concerts and plays throughout the school year, totaling over thirty events each year.  

 The next mini-grant deadline will be February 1, 2009 and applications are available by calling 277-4631 or emailing fabg_president@yahoo.com.

The Fine Arts Boosters support all the arts for all the kids.  FABG strives to foster appreciation for the arts, advocate for the arts, and improve learning opportunities for all.  To reach these goals, the boosters fundraise, communicate, form partnerships and give grants.  The boosters invite everyone to celebrate and support the fine and performing arts in the Ithaca City School District.  

FABG is an affiliate of Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI).  IPEI is a community-based, not-for-profit organization that works to develop supportive community and private sector relationships with the Ithaca City School District.

Ithaca Community Fine Arts Booster Group (FABG)
101 East State Street, #182,The Commons
Ithaca, NY  14850

Fall 2008 Mini-grants  requests totaling $7,754, amount available $5, 518

Fall Creek Elementary, theatre/storytelling, Sharon Ossont- $659
Books Out Loud project with fourth graders, recording books and theater training

Fall Creek Elementary, theater/storytelling, Karen Keller  - $600
Beauty and the Beast Storytellers

Northeast Elementary, music, Rich Schlenker, $175
Cd player for use in teaching lessons with recorded accompaniment

South Hill and Belle Sherman Elementary, dance, Diana Levy, $500
Movement residency with Lisa Tsetse, literary focus with pre-K

Beverly J. Martin Elementary, other,  Nicole Dauria,  $300
 Awareness through Movement with primary autism class

Lehman Alternative Community School, music, Shannon Cockbill, $500 
Support for guitar building class

Ithaca High, art/culture, Claudia Miettunen, $300
 Visiting artist to Chinese language and culture class, Jim Hardesty

Ithaca High School, art, M. Pasquale-Bowen and L. McKown, $700
Visit to the Cloisters

Ithaca High School, theater, Alexis Lord, $700
Trip to see Hamlet

Ithaca High School, art, Jocelyn Lutter Carver,  $584 
Electric pottery wheel

Ithaca High School, art, Judy Cogan, $500 
Laser jet printer and ink

Applied:

Elementary Schools 5
Middle School  1
High Schools 6

Drama Fund $750 available
Funded Ithaca High, DeWitt, Boynton and Lehman Alternative Community School.

January 15th 6 - 7:30 PM

February 12th 6 - 7:30 PM

Our 2nd cycle and 1st Semester end on January 26th. The remainder of the
week (Jan. 27-30) is officially the State�s Regents Testing week. As
explained in an earlier issue of The Vox,  LACS is one of a select number of
New York schools that has been granted a Regents testing waiver from the
State�s Department of Education�essentially allowing us to offer alternative
assessments to the battery of high school Regents exams. Our middle school
students are not exempt from any of the New York State standardized tests,
and our high school students are still required to take the ELA
(English/Language-Arts) Regents exam. Attendance for these required tests is
very important to our school, as we must demonstrate a minimum 95%
percentage of successful participation.  If we don�t reach that percentage,
regardless of how students actually perform on the tests, the State and
Federal governments could cite LACS as a school in need of improvement. With
the enrollment in each of our grades 2 students being absent would pull us
below the necessary participation required. So, again please DO NOT SCHEDULE
family trips or other events during or on these testing dates.
 
Although spared from the bulk of these high stakes tests, the school still
uses the Regents weeks in January (and June) to conduct our own
teacher-generated assessments and final projects and presentations, as well
as allowing time for portfolio presentations, as well as scheduling
conferences and to go over evaluations with students and their families to
review progress and learning goals. On a practical front, what this will
mean for our students at both the middle and high school levels will be that
they do not have a regular schedule during these weeks in January and June,
but more likely will have some work assigned to do at home, and may also be
required to come into school for a scheduled assessment or presentation�as
well as their scheduling and evaluation review conference with their
parent-caregivers and Family Group Leader. Again, While this is not a
regular week of school, we ask that families do not schedule vacations
during this time. 

On Friday, December 19th, LACS will host another installment in its series of Infusion Days for all students to participate in. Infusion days have been an essential part of the experience at our school for many years. They are designed to ‘infuse’ culturally and socially relevant ideas into an experience that students will enjoy. This Infusion Day has been coordinated by a team of seniors as part of their Senior Interdisciplinary Project and will offer students several workshops and learning opportunities from a variety of firsthand sources. Most, if not all, of the 2009 graduating class will be helping out with the running of the Infusion Day and making sure the day runs smoothly.

The focus of the Infusion Day will be on immigration issues, as well as the coming together of cultures that shape who we are as a society in the United States, and more specifically as a community in Ithaca.  Examples of workshops being offered include: Karen Weaving, Roberta Wallitt’s movie research-based movie on English Language Learners in our schools, cooking workshops with parents of LACS students (Raf Chew & Erina Azis), Chinese Acupuncture, Romani Dancing, and many more.

This Infusion Day coincides with a time-honored LACS tradition, the Solstice Lunch. Students will enjoy a festive lunch with their family groups followed by the ritual bonfire. Adding the fun will be a special musical performance by Richie Stearns & Friends.

The senior team of Bon Sam, Devin Martin, Gabbi Seidman-Zager, Nellie Gagnon, and Bela Stearns has put a lot of effort into this Infusion Day, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the combined support of so many others… so thank you to:  Jen Heise, Joe Greenberg, Meggin Rose, Sophie Huntington, Thamora Fishel, Steve Hoffman, Richie Stearns, Erina Azis, Raf Chew, the LACS senior class, and everyone else who will be helping to make this Infusion Day happen.