Sponsored Post - Roosevelt Island Parents & Students Invited To Garden School Open House Saturday December 9 - Open To All Grades, Nursery To Grade 12

The Garden School, located in Jackson Heights Queens, is hosting a December 9 Open House and invites Roosevelt Island parents and students to attend.

According to the Garden School:

December 9th Open House Information (Open to all grades)

Garden School is hosting an Open House on Saturday, December 9th from 9:00 to 11:30 AM for all families interested in all grades of the school. No RSVP is necessary, children are welcome and light refreshments will be served.

We encourage families from all grades interested in Garden School’s core program (not UPK/PK For All) to attend a presentation at 9:00 AM on the school and its educational and enrichment programs. You will hear perspectives from school administration, faculty, parents and alumni. A Q & A period will be followed by a tour of the campus and facilities.

December 9th Merit Scholarship Exam Information (Open to grades 5-9)

The same morning as the Open House, we will be offering the annual Merit Scholarship Exam on Saturday, December 9th. The Merit Exam and the scholarships are eligible to both new incoming and current Garden students presently enrolled in grades 5-9 ONLY (entering 6-10 in 2018). Pre-registration either using the online form below or by downloading and faxing the form below is required by December 6th at 4:00 PM.

The Garden School adds:

Mission Statement

Garden School, in the independent tradition, affirms the primacy of learning.

We empower every student in our educationally diverse community to meet responsibly the challenges of everyday life by promoting academic achievement, personal development and social involvement.

We further believe that by recognizing each student’s individual identity, Garden School fosters the self-worth necessary to succeed.

The Garden School is located at 33-16 79th Street, Jackson Heights, NY 11372. Click here for transportation info.

Phone # is 718-335-6363

More information on the Garden School is available at their web site or contact them via email.

Application Deadline For NYC Free Universal Pre Kindergarten Seats Is February 24 - Still Time To Apply To Roosevelt Island's PS 217 & Roosevelt Island Day Nursery

There's still time to find the right #preKforAll choices before your child's application is due on Friday, Feb 24: https://t.co/uca7K4CQyZ pic.twitter.com/tZCgDGv8kd

— NYC Public Schools (@NYCSchools) February 19, 2017

3 DAYS LEFT to apply to #preKforAll → https://t.co/uca7K4CQyZ pic.twitter.com/a1Pi8fQdY4

— NYC Public Schools (@NYCSchools) February 22, 2017

Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217 PTA representative Erin Olavesen reminds

... parents of children born in 2013 have until February 24th to apply for free Universal Pre Kindergarten (UPK). Click here for more information.

I had a pretty large group of parents tour our Roosevelt Island PS 217 Pre-kindergarten last week, but because of winter break this week we won't have any other tours before the application deadline. We anticipate having 2 UPK classes this fall with 18 seats each. If parents have any questions about the UPK program at 217 they are more than welcome to email me at eolavesen@gmail.com.

PS 217 will host a few more tours in the spring once Gifted & Talented Class (G&T) scores have been released. These tours are geared towards families of prospective Kindergarten G&T students but all are welcome to attend.

We'll host an orientation for new pre-k and kindergarten families in June. Families will get more information when registering. Dates will also be posted to our PTA's website:

I don't want anyone to miss out on FREE prekindergarten right here in our neighborhood. I feel very lucky to have had my son in the UPK program at 217 last year. It was a great introduction to school for him.

Roosevelt Island UPK seats are also available at the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery. More info on Roosevelt Island UPK at this previous post and tips for selecting a kindergarten here.

UPDATE 2/24 The NYC Pre K application deadline has been extended to March 3.

‼️Great news! We are extending the #PreKforAll Application deadline – families have until March 3 to apply to pre-K: https://t.co/uca7K4CQyZ pic.twitter.com/skAMRB6TN9

— NYC Public Schools (@NYCSchools) February 24, 2017

Also, the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery adds:

RIDN has three UPK classes and the only on site extended day option (3-6pm coverage).

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Workshop Shares Information, Experience & Tips On Choosing A New York City Kindergarten For Your Child - Watch Video Of The Kindergarten Workshop

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Coordinator Eva Bosbach reports:

Dear RI Parents,

Thanks to all of you who made our 6th workshop in the Parents for Parents series "Choosing a Kindergarten" possible!

Approximately 30  Roosevelt Island parents attended our Sunday October 23 workshop and 10 parents presented as speakers at the panel discussion and answered questions. The videos of the workshop are now available below.

I would like to thank all our speakers for their time and expertise in presenting about school choices available to Roosevelt Island parents:

Irena Durkovic and Chris Warsing spoke about Roosevelt Island's own PS/IS217 general education and G&T program, Michal Melamed introduced the Gifted and Talented program (G&T) as part of the NYC public school system and also informed parents about the Special Music School and the Charter schools later in the workshop.

Three parents introduced three unzoned school options for Roosevelt Island parents: Pamela Stark the Ella Baker school, Magda Orlicka-So the Tribeca Learning Center, and Jax Schott Midtown West, including information about the Individualized Education Program (IEP), which was supplemented through Nina Lublin in the audience, and through materials sent in by Sarah Birnbaum.

In addition to the G&T program at our local public school PS/IS217, two other district wide G&T programs were introduced: Aiesha Eleusizov presented about PS11 and Arshi Saeed about PS77, the Lower Lab school.

For independent schools, the thank you goes to Kristi Towey who introduced the Poly Prep Country Day school and the Garden School as well as private schools admissions in general, and to Melanie Ramjoue who presented about the United Nations International School (UNIS).

Firuza Mukhamadieva could not be present at the last minute, but she kindly offered to answer your questions via e-mail about the city-wide G&T program at the NEST+m school, the district wide G&T program at PS111, and the Hunter placement for Kindergarten and high school. Adele Ganly for the St. Stephen of Hungary school and Kippi Rai-Spraggon for the Success Academies were also not able to attend in person but kindly offered to answer your questions via e-mail. You can contact me with questions about the city-wide G&T program at PS334, the Anderson school, and also if you would like to get in touch with any of the speakers.

Thank you to all our parents speakers! :)

We would also like to thank the Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation, Main Street Sweets & Eats and the Girls Scouts of Roosevelt Island for co-hosting the workshop.

Special thank yous go to Janine Schaefer and Girl Scout Troop 3244 & 3245 for designing our flyer this year, and to Heart Sugiyama, Megumi Shinkawa and Ryan Ashley for videotaping the event so that parents who are interested but were not able to attend can watch it online later.

Thank you all and Happy Halloween weekend!

Eva

Here are the videos of Roosevelt Island Parents' Network 2016 Choosing A Kindergarten workshop courtesy of Heart Sugiyama and Megumi Shinkawa. There are 8 videos of various lengths in the playlist. Individual videos can be seen here.



Contact the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network for more information.  

UPDATE 1;40 PM - Click here for videos and more info from 2014-2016 Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Kindergarten Workshops.

Choosing A New York City Kindergarten For Your Roosevelt Island Child Workshop Hosted By Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Sunday October 23 - Please RSVP By October 20

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Coordinator Eva Bosbach reports:

Dear RI Parents,

Please find below an invitation

to the 6th workshop in the free "Parents for Parents" series by the RI Parents' Network, on the topic "Choosing a Kindergarten", this Sunday, October 23rd, 4-6pm. This is a panel from RI parents for and with RI parents about elementary school choices for RI families.

Please RSVP with the full names of everyone attending to eva.bosbach@gmail.com  until Thursday, October 20.

This event is hosted by the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network, the Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation, Main Street Sweets & Eats and the Girls Scouts of Roosevelt Island. Special thank you to Janine Schaefer and Girl Scout Troop 3244 & 3245 for designing our flyer this year!

Looking forward to seeing you on Sunday, :)

Here's video  excerpt



from the 2015 Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Kindergarten workshop.

More video from the 2015 Roosevelt Island Parents' Network kindergarten panel.

If you have a child entering kindergarten next year, this is a great workshop to attend.

Contact the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network for more information.  

UPDATE 8:30 PM - Ms. Bosbach adds:

We have a lot of interest and have extended the RSVP to the 22nd to accommodate everyone.

More NYC Universal Pre Kindergarten Seats Coming To Roosevelt Island For September 2016 Class Says Council Member Ben Kallos - Roosevelt Island Day Nursery Offering At Least 50 New Pre K Seats, Sign Up Now To Take School Tour And Learn More

Image From NYC Department Of Education Pre-K

Roosevelt Island's NYC Council Member Ben Kallos announced today that the NYC Department Of Education has added 90 new Universal Pre Kindergarten seats for Roosevelt Island and the Upper East Side.

Release: 90 New Pre-K Seats Announced for Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island by Council Member Kallos and ... - https://t.co/HTWc6yYqKp

— Ben Kallos (@BenKallos) May 2, 2016

Approximately 50-51 of those new Universal Pre Kindergarten seats will be at the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery (RIDN).

 mage From Roosevelt Island Day Nursery

RIDN Executive Director Pamela Stark reports:

Roosevelt Island Day Nursery, Inc. (RIDN) is thrilled to be able to further meet the needs of the community by offering new full day UPK classes starting September 2016. We thank Council Member Kallos's office and the Department of Education for their support during the approval process.

Dear Families:

Roosevelt Island Day Nursery (RIDN) will be a full day UPK provider next year. Children with a 2012 date of birth would be eligible to attend school at RIDN 8:40 am-3 pm Monday-Friday for free during the 2016-2017 school year!

The next round of UPK choice is open to families from Monday May 2 through Friday May 20. We expect that as of Monday May 2 the Roosevelt Island UPK offerings in the Department of Educations online registration system will include both RIDN and PS 217.

Please note All current RIDN families with age eligible children who choose RIDN as their first choice UPK program in the DOE’s online registration system will be given priority enrollment to RIDN’s Pre-K Program.

For those of you who have a child with a 2012 birth date and have not yet visited RIDN, to learn more about our school we are pleased to offer three morning tours in May:

Friday May 6, 8:30- 9:30 am
Wednesday May 11, 8:30-9:30 am
Tuesday May 17, 8:30-9:30 am.

Please RSVP for a Q + A tour by emailing office@ridn.org

Due to space limitations, tours will be limited to ten adults, and filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

The NYC Department of Education has more information on the Universal Pre Kindergarten Program.



Below is Press Release announcing the new Roosevelt Island and Upper East Side Universal Pre Kindergarten seats from NYC Council Member Ben Kallos:

Ninety more 4-year-olds will have free pre-kindergarten seats on the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island thanks to the efforts of Council Member Ben Kallos who organized parents and children to identify new providers to which parents pledged to send children.

Of the 90 new seats, 54 will be at the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery and 36 seats will be at the Manhattan Schoolhouse in the Upper East Side. This is an increase over the 425 seats previously offered on the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island for the school year starting in September of 2016 to 515.

Parents can apply for Round 2 of Universal Pre-Kindergarten starting on May 2, 2016, including families who already applied, accepted an offer, or have not yet applied.

“Universal Pre-Kindergarten means having a seat for every four year old in their neighborhood where children can get an education and parents get the help they need in order to afford to live, work and raise a family in the city,” said Council Member Ben Kallos. “Thank you to Eva Bosbach of the Roosevelt Island Parents’ Network as well as Ariel Chesler and Jack Moran of P.S. 183 for working with me, parents, children, providers, and the Department of Education to bring Universal Pre-Kindergarten to the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island.”

Following reporting by WNYC in 2014 that Yorkville, Lenox Hill and Roosevelt Island had 2,118 four-year-olds and only 123 Pre-Kindergarten seats Council Member Ben Kallos has worked to bring new seats to the district. This included identifying parents with four year olds who pledged to send their children to Universal Pre-Kindergarten, working with schools and providers to become UPK locations, and working with the Department of Education through the application process to open more seats in the 5th Council District on the Upper East Side and Roosevelt Island.

Since taking office Council Member Kallos and organizers in the community have successfully doubled the number of seats at P.S./I.S. 217 on Roosevelt Island. As of 2016 the number of seats in the Upper East Side and on Roosevelt Island has more than quadrupled from 123, a was originally reported by WNYC in 2014, to more than 425 as of the March deadline and as of today 515.

“Pre-K for All is about serving the children and families of New York, and we are doing that by moving the application process up a month, planning to better match seats and family demand, and making the Round 2 admissions process simpler for families. With the partnership of CM Kallos, we've made real progress in expanding options on Roosevelt Island, and the Upper East Side,” said Deputy Chancellor Josh Wallack. “We encourage families to pre-register for their seat by May 20, and we'll continue to work tirelessly to ensure every family knows about the benefits of pre-K and is able to apply during the next round of admissions.”

“Roosevelt Island Day Nursery, Inc. (RIDN) is thrilled to be able to further meet the needs of the community by offering new full day UPK classes starting September 2016. We thank Council Member Kallos's office and the Department of Education for their support during the approval process.” said Pamela Stark, Executive Director of the Roosevelt Island Day Nursery.

“Roosevelt Island could not be more thankful for 54 additional universal Pre-K seats for our families! For more than a year members of the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network including Nisha Nihan, Danielle Goldblatt, Josie Chamla, Susy del Campo Perea and Heart Sugiyama teamed up in an effort to get more local UPK seats for our children. We collected lists of names, called and e-mailed our elected officials and requested more seats from the DOE. The mission of the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network is to serve its over 500 member families, keeping them connected through a discussion forum and various activities, and to advocate for their needs. We thank Council Member Ben Kallos and his team for working with us and bringing more local UPK seats to RI! Having a sufficient number of UPK seats on Roosevelt Island strengthens our commitment to the international, diverse, mixed income island neighborhood, a community that is welcoming to all.” said Eva Bosbach of the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network

“As an upper east side parent, I am concerned not only about the chances of my own child obtaining a pre-K spot in the neighborhood but also about the children of my friends and neighbors. That is why I have been speaking out about the insufficient number of seats in the area, spreading the word in the PS 183 Times, and working with Council Member Ben Kallos. I am glad to learn that Council Member Kallos has obtained additional seats for our neighborhood and applaud his efforts on this issue.” - said Ariel Chesler an author and parent at P.S. 183

“As parents my wife and I are thrilled to hear about more pre-k seats being announced for this area of the city we have lived for 15 years. It will mean more options for families of the Upper East Side to have their children grow and thrive in our community.”- said Jack Moran a parent at P.S. 183.

The list of locations with available in the Upper East Side and on Roosevelt Island are:

Roosevelt Island Day Nursery (RIDN) (NEW)
405 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044
4 River Road, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044
2016-17 Seats: 54 Full day

Manhattan Schoolhouse (NEW)
1608 First Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10028
2016-17 Seats: 36 Full day

P.S. / I.S. 217 Roosevelt Island
645 Main St, Roosevelt Island, NY 10044
2016-17 Seats: 36 Full day

Renanim Manhattan
336 East 61st St, Manhattan, NY 10065
2016-17 Seats: 16 Full day

East Side Elementary School, P.S. 267
213 East 63rd St, Manhattan, NY 10065
2016-17 Seats: 18 Full day

Ella Baker School
317 East 67th St, Manhattan, NY 10065
2016-17 Seats: 54 Full day

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House
331 East 70th St, Manhattan, NY 10021
2016-17 Seats: 80 Full day

P.S. 158 Bayard Taylor
1458 York Ave, Manhattan, NY 10075
2016-17 Seats: 72 Full day

Cassidy's Place
419 East 86th St, Manhattan, NY 10028
2016-17 Seats: 36 Full day and Half Day

Eisman Day Nursery
1794 First Ave, Manhattan, NY 10128
2016-17 Seats: 39 Full day

P.S. 198 Isador E Ida Straus
1700 Third Ave, Manhattan, NY 10128
2016-17 Seats: 54 Full day

Lexington Children's Center
115 East 98th St, Manhattan, NY 10029
2016-17 Seats: 20 Full day

UPDATE 12:55 PM - RIDN's Pamela Stark reports that the RIDN Pre K seats are at their 4 River Road location, not 405 Main Street as listed in the Press Release above.

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network 2015 Year In Review - 530 Members, Education Workshops, Crafts For Kids, Moms On The Move, Issue Advocacy, Salsa Night Out, Information Exchange & More

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Coordinator Eva Bosbach reports:

Image Of RIPN Members And Kids At Four Freedoms Park

Dear RI Parents,

As another year draws to a close, many of us reflect upon the things that matter most to us. Our families and our community are the focus of every holiday season. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to you for being part of the RI Parents' Network and making it what it has become.

We have now 530 members and look back on many events and get-togethers in 2015 that would not be possible without the dedication, kindness, volunteering efforts and community spirit of many of you. Thank you!

We met monthly for our "Crafts with Kids" workshops that included a "Valentine's Craft", "St Patrick's Craft", "Earth Day Craft", "Easter Craft", "Mother's Day Craft", "Father's Day Craft", "Summer craft - a lady bug", a "Back to school craft", a "Halloween craft", a "Lantern making workshop" a "Thanksgiving Craft", and most recently a "Holiday Craft".

Every week moms went for walks and then enjoyed exercise and chats outside or in playrooms during the RI Moms on the Move (RI MoM) events.

We went out to leave the Island! ;) for a Salsa Night Out, a Mommy-lunch, a night out with drinks and a comedy show, and met here on RI for several Potluck Family Picnics. We got together for many Playroom Share Projects during the first months of the year and for a few now that the winter is slowly turning in again.

During two "Parents for Parents" workshops we learned about "Sleep: from Newborn to Preschool age", and about the choices when "Choosing the Kindergarten for your child".

We partnered with other Island organizations for their events and are thankful to all our sponsors. I am looking forward to many exciting events in the upcoming year! Please save the date for our New Year's Brunch on January 10, from 11am to 1pm at the 475 lounge.

Another part of our activities was advocacy for the needs of Island families like the functionality of the Tram elevators or Pre-K programs on the Island. We interacted with RIOC and other Island organizations and as a member of the RI Community Coalition (RICC) added the voice of our member families to negotiations with Cornell in regards to the new campus.

Perhaps most importantly, the RI Parents' Network continued to serve as a free information exchange platform and a support network for all interested Island families.

Thank you all for your contributions within this parents' community!

I wish you all Happy Holidays as well as a healthy and joyful year 2016 with lots of energy, sleep and love.

Cheers! :)

Feel free to contact us for more information on the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network.

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Workshop Shares Information And Experience On Choosing A Kindergarten For Your Child

The Roosevelt Island Parents' Network (RIPN) hosted it's 3rd annual Choosing A Kindergarten Workshop on Sunday November 1.

Workshop panelists were parents who have recent experience with the process of choosing a Kindergarten for their child in NYC.  According to RIPN Coordinator Eva Bosbach:

Our panelists investigated different options, successfully placed their children in a variety of schools and programs including G&T and Charters, are active in parent advocacy and happy to share their knowledge....

Topics covered during the Kindergarten workshop included:

• public, charter and private schools, 
• Gifted & Talented Programs,
• prepping and testing, 
• special needs resources,
• commuting, 
• costs &
• more.

PS/IS 217 is the local Roosevelt Island elementary school. Roosevelt Island is located in the NYC Department Of Education's District 2. According to Inside Schools:

.... District 2 has some of the highest-performing and most popular schools in the city. The district covers the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city—the East Side south of 97th Street and the West Side south of 59th street (but not the Lower East Side).

Several new elementary schools have opened in recent years, easing overcrowding. Most parents are satisfied with their zoned neighborhood schools and look no further.

There are a number of schools that admit children according to the results of an entrance exam, including Hunter College Elementary School (open to children who live anywhere in Manhattan) and Lower Lab School (open only to children who live in District 2). Several neighborhood schools also have gifted programs that accept children from outside their attendance zone.

Other options: Ella Baker School is open to children citywide. Midtown West and PS 150 accept children from across District 2....

Inside Schools review of Roosevelt Island's PS/IS 217 is here.

Below is video of the RIPN Choosing A Kindergarten Workshop.

Part 1 - RIPN Coordinator Eva Bosbach introduces the panel and subject.



Part 2 - Success Academy NYC Charter School



Part 3 - Ella Baker NYC Progressive Public School.



Part 4 - NYC Gifted & Talented Programs (Application deadline to request testing is November 9)



Part 5 - Local Roosevelt Island NYC PS/IS 217 ("Mommy, I don't want to commute any more")



Part 6 - Private Schools



Part 7 -Special Needs & recommended Kindergarten Resources Information.



Ms Bosbach adds:

Thank you to all parents who participated in our annual Choosing a Kindergarten workshop. Thank you to the attendees and especially to all speakers for volunteering their time and for their willingness to share their knowledge and experience with the exciting but sometimes also overwhelming process of searching for a Kindergarten that is a good match for your child. Another thank you goes to our co-hosts: the Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation and Main Street Sweets. Last but not least special thanks to Jen Reyes for designing our flyer again this year. Good luck to all in the process!

The 2016 NYC Department of Education Manhattan  Kindergarten Directory is here.

More info available at NYC DOE Kindergarten and Gifted & Talented web sites as well as Inside Schools.

You can contact the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network for more kindergarten info too as well as a general resource for Roosevelt Island parents.

Choosing A New York City Kindergarten For Your Roosevelt Island Child - What You Need To Know From The Roosevelt Island Parents' Network November 1 Workshop

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network (RIPN) Coordinator Eva Bosbach reports:

Dear RI Parents,

Please save the date for the 4th workshop in the "Parents for Parents" series by the RI Parents' Network: "Choosing a Kindergarten", on Sunday, November 1, 4-6pm.

This will be our annual free panel discussion with Roosevelt Island parents who have a recent experience with the process of choosing a Kindergarten for their child in NYC. Our panelists investigated different options, successfully placed their children in a variety of schools and programs including G&T and Charters, are active in parent advocacy and happy to share their knowledge. All participants are welcome to contribute to the discussion and ask questions. Our topics will cover public vs. private schools, prepping and testing, things to consider like commute and finances etc. Details to follow.

Please RSVP by Saturday October 31 via e-mail to eva.bosbach@gmail.com

The location of the event will be provided upon RSVP.

Here is a link to our panel to this topic last year, including videos with the speaker contributions and here is our panel from the year before, including notes from one participant, Q&A etc.

This event is hosted by the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network, the Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation and Main Street Sweets. Special thank you to Jen Reyes for designing our flyer again this year.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Halloween Spider Crafts For Kids Tuesday October 27 - Please Register By Tuesday October 20

 Image From Craft Halloween Pinterest

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Coordinator (RIPN) Eva Bosbach reports:

Dear all,

I hope everyone had a smooth school start and is getting settled into the daily routines. You and your little (and bigger! :) ones are invited to the next event in the free "Crafts with Kids" series by the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network!

"Halloween craft" will take place on Tuesday, October 27th, 5-6pm at the Senior Center, 546 Main Street. We are planning to make a Spider Headband with the children.  First we can read some fun facts about spiders with the kids and include those in our crafts, like the fact that spiders have eight legs and (most of them) eight eyes. Each headband will be measured by the kids head size and each spider will have four legs on each side. The children can decorate their spiders as they wish. We can also sing Little miss muffet and Itsy bitsy spider nursery rhymes for our little ones.

A special thank you to Neha Sharma for taking over from Hara as our Craft with Kids organizer! Also thank you to Dolores Green, Barbara Parker, Wendy Hersh and Marylin Atkins from the Senior Center for letting us use their space for the event.

Please RSVP to eva.bosbach@gmail.com by Tuesday, October 20. Please let us know if you can bring books about spiders or Halloween for the story time or for our little kids book shelf during the event.

Also you are welcome to mark your calendar for our upcoming

Thanksgiving Craft on Tuesday, November 24th 5-6pm and our

Holiday Crafts on Tuesday, December 15th 5-6pm.

Last but not least: If you have craft event ideas you would like us to include in the "Craft with Kids" series, or if you have other ideas for activities of the RI Parents' Network, please get in touch with me.

"Crafts with Kids" is a free workshop series for children organized by the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network. The monthly events included "Tram art and necklaces", "Matisse for Kids", "Valentines Craft", "St Patricks Craft", "Earth Day Craft", "Easter Craft", "Mothers Day Craft", "Fathers Day Craft", "Summer craft - a lady bug" and a "Back to school craft".

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Back To School Crafts For Kids Friday September 11 - Please RSVP Today

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Coordinator (RIPN) Eva Bosbach reports:

Dear all,

I hope you had a fun and relaxing summer! Our next event in the "Crafts with Kids" series by the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network will be a "Back to school craft" this Friday, September 11, at the Senior Center, 546 Main Street, 5-6pm.

The children will decorate the cover of a composition notebook. The front will be covered with white paper or paint, and the children can draw or paint on it, decorate with pieces of colored paper etc.

Here is a similar project:

 Image From RachaelsBookNook

We will finish the craft with some back to school themed story-time.

A suggested donation for this craft is $2 per family. Even if you cannot donate, every child is welcome.

A special thank you to Hara Jun for helping us with so many events! We will miss you Hara and wish you best success with school. Also thank you to Dolores Green, Barbara Parker, Wendy Hersh and Marylin Atkins from the Senior Center for letting us use their space for the event.

Please RSVP to eva.bosbach@gmail.com by Thursday, September 10. Please let us know if you can bring some back to school related books for the story time or for our little kids book shelf during the event.

And as always: If you have craft event ideas you would like to organize yourself or would like me to include in our series, or if you have other ideas for activities of our Network, let me know.

We wish all children and parents an easy school start tomorrow and look forward to seeing you on Friday!

"Crafts with Kids" is a free workshop series for children organized by the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network. The monthly events included "Tram art and necklaces", "Matisse for Kids", "Valentines Craft", "St Patricks Craft", "Earth Day Craft", "Easter Craft", "Mothers Day Craft", "Fathers Day Craft" and "Summer craft - a lady bug".

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Summer Crafts For Kids August 7 - Paint A Paper Plate Cheerful Ladybug - Please RSVP

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Coordinator (RIPN) Eva Bosbach reports:

Dear all,

The summer is in full swing and we hope you can join us for the next free event in the "Crafts with Kids" series by the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network!

Our Summer craft will take place on Friday, August 7, at the Senior Center, 546 Main Street, 5-6pm. The children will be painting with red water colors on paper plates, adding dots and eyes later and creating a cheerful ladybug that they can either hang up on the wall or stick into a flower pot at home.

While we will wait for the red layer to dry before painting the black dots there will be plenty of time for some summer themed story-time.

A special thank you goes to HOPE RI Church for contributing to the event supplies and to Dolores Green, Barbara Parker, Wendy Hersh and Marylin Atkins from the Senior Center for letting us use their space for the event.

Please RSVP to eva.bosbach@gmail.com by Friday, July 31. Please include the following information in your RSVP:

• can/cannot bring own water colors (or tube of red color, red finger paint etc.), brushes, and glue. 
• can/cannot bring some summer or bugs related books for the story time or for our little kids book shelf during the event.

And as always: If you have craft event ideas you would like to organize yourself or would like me to include in our series, or if you have other ideas for activities of our Network, let me know! :)

"Crafts with Kids" is a free workshop series for children organized by the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network. The monthly events included "Tram art and necklaces", "Matisse for Kids", "Valentines Craft", "St Patricks Craft", "Earth Day Craft", "Easter Craft", "Mothers Day Craft" and "Fathers Day Craft".

Looking forward to seeing you,

Eva

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network RI MoM's On The Move Exercise Group Celebrating 1 Year Anniversary, Meeting 9:30 AM Friday, June 26 - Dads Welcome Too

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Coordinator (RIPN) Eva Bosbach reports:

Dear all,

The RI Parents' Network launched its RI Moms on the Move (RI MoM) program one year ago. Congratulations to all! Every Friday since June 27 we met at the Tram kiosk,

Image From Paulina Mansz

went for a walk,

exercised,

Image From Paulina Mansz

 

had picnics, went to playrooms and enjoyed each others company while watching our children play and grow up together.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank every mom and dad

who participated in these fun gatherings

and came to RI MoM despite rain, crying babies, unfinished laundry, sleep-deprivation and other challenges of parenting and life. If you never made it, please join us tomorrow! Pregnant moms, moms of children of all ages and daddies are all welcome.

My special Thank you goes to Paulina Mansz, an Island mom of two who made us sweat
 

and laugh every Friday as our exercise coach. Thank you Paulina for all your volunteered time and for bringing so much joy and friendship into our group! We are very lucky to have you.

To all: Please join us tomorrow for a celebratory picnic on the occasion of a 1 year anniversary of the RI MoM program. No exercise needed! Just bring yourselves, your little ones, something to eat and drink, a picnic blanket if you have and a few toys to share. We will meet at 9.30 at the Tram kiosk and walk on the Manhattan side of the river to the soccer field between the Manhattan Park pool and the Octagon. Find us there in the north corner if you are later, we should be there until around noon. Should the weather not cooperate feel free to contact us here or here to see which playroom or community room we went instead.

Hope to see you tomorrow! :)

Feel free to contact me for more information on the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network.

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Easter Crafts For Kids Thursday April 2 - Children Of All Ages Making Easter Bonnets, Bunny Hats & Egg Sun Catchers

 Easter Hat Image From Parenting Healthy Babies

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Coordinator Eva Bosbach reports:

Dear RI parents,

We hope you and your little ones enjoyed the "Necklaces-making and Tram Art" last September, the "Matisse for Kids" last December, our "Valentines Craft" in February, and most recently the "St. Patrick's Craft" in March. This week, we would like to invite you to another event in the "Crafts with Kids" series by the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network.

Join us for "Easter Craft" this Thursday, April 2, at 4-6pm at the Senior Center, 546 Main Street! Children of all ages are invited to participate in different crafts, including making of Easter bonnets, Bunny hats and Egg sun-catchers. Come have fun gluing, coloring, cutting, listening to a story and more!

Special thank you goes to RIRA and HOPE RI Church for providing the supplies, to Wendy Hersh for booking the room for us, to Amanda for helping make this happen and to about 15 college students from Cornell who will be visiting the island this week and want to help out in any way, including cleaning the Senior center and helping us with our craft time.

Please RSVP to eva.bosbach@gmail.com by Thursday, April 2nd (day of the event), 10am, and indicate if you prefer the 4-5 or 5-6pm time slot in case we have a lot of children coming and are dividing them in two groups similarly to the previous events. Also please bring along any theme related books for our little kids book shelf during the event.

The Roosevelt Island NY Public Library has an Easter Crafts for kids on April 2 as well starting at 3 PM.

Sleep: From Newborn To Preschool Age Workshop Presented By Roosevelt Island Parents' Network March 1 - Please RSVP By February 27

Are you a Roosevelt Island parent with questions about your child's sleep? If yes, Roosevelt Island Parents' Network (RIPN) Coordinator Eva Bosbach invites you to a March 1 workshop on the subject.

According to the RIPN:

Join other Roosevelt Island parents in a safe, judgement-free environment to share your experience and learn what has worked for others. The workshop will be facilitated by Dr. Resnick, a 2nd year Pediatrics residents of the Children's Hospital of Montefiore.

Dr Resnick, born and raised on Roosevelt Island, looks forward to connecting with parents from the community. We welcome participants to submit questions ahead of time with RSVP.

Please RSVP by email no later than February 27.

Here's more on sleep issues for children from Montefiore Medical Center.

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network RI MoM Walking And Exercise Group Meeting 10:30 AM Friday At Tram Kiosk - Dads Welcome Too

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Coordinator Eva Bosbach reports:

Our next free Roosevelt Island Moms on the Move (RI MoM) walk and exercise will take place this Friday, January 23rd, starting at 10:30AM at the Tram kiosk.

We will walk to the south of the island on the Manhattan side and back, and end with some exercise with our fantastic coach and island mom of two Paulina, most likely at the 455 playroom. Come, check it out and have some fun with us.

All moms, moms to-be and moms of all ages are welcome, and dads as well of course.

If you are going to be late, please let us know so we can find each other in case the plan changes for whatever reason.

Looking forward to seeing you and your little ones on Friday,

Feel free to contact me for more information on the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network. 

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network And RIOC Work Together To Continue Baby And Toddler Swim Classes At Sportspark Pool - Registration Deadline For "Mommy & Me" January 23rd

 Image of 2013 Roosevelt Island Sportspark Toddler Swim Program

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Coordinator Eva Bosbach reports:

The registration deadline – January 23rd – for the next session of the Baby and Toddler swim classes at Sportspark is approaching. These lovely and fun classes are for children 6 months to 3 years of age and their caregivers. Classes are offered at four different times:

• Wednesday mornings at 10:30 a.m.,
• Sunday mornings at 11 a.m.,
• and Sunday afternoons at 1:30 p.m. and 2 p.m.

A minimum of six families must register for a given time in order for the class to be offered. Classes run from February 1st to March 22nd and cost $5 per class (or $7 drop-in) for island residents and $10 ($12 drop-in) for non–residents.

Please let your friends know about this great offer!

Click here to register.

We would like to thank RIOC for working with us and continuing these popular swim classes for Babies and toddlers as well as addressing concerns about the temperature of the water and air at Sportspark. We highly appreciate the Roosevelt Island Operating Corp's (RIOC) commitment to keeping the exit door in the pool area closed at all times and to mounting temporary heaters inside the women's locker room until a new permanent heating system is installed. We also thank RIOC for adding a class at a time that our internal survey showed as the most convenient for interested island families. Thank you RIOC!

Remember, deadline to register is Friday January 23 so sign up here.

Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217 Invites Families To Tour School For Kindergarten Friday January 16 and Tuesday January 27

The Roosevelt Island PS/IS 217 PTA reports:

217 invites families to a school tour for Kindergarten.

Friday, January 16 8:40am
or
Tuesday, January 27 at 8:40am.

RSVP to Lauraine Rademaker, Parent Coordinator at 212) 980-0295 ext. 1010.

We look forward to meeting you!

The Roosevelt Island Parents' Network held a very informative Choosing A Kindergarten Workshop for your Roosevelt Issland child last November 2. Click here for video of the full workshop.

More info of PS/IS 217 at the school's NYC Department of Education portal and PTA web page.

You're Invited To Share Ideas About New Roosevelt Island NY Public Library At Community Town Hall Meeting Tonight -Come Join NYPL Reps, NYC Council Member Ben Kallos And Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer 6 PM Tonight At Good Shepherd Community Center

 Image from NYPL

As reported previously:

Please join The New York Public Library for a Community Conversation about the new Roosevelt Island Library
Thursday, November 20, 2014 | 6-8 PM
Good Shepherd Community Center
543 Main Street, Roosevelt Island

The New York Public Library is planning for a new home for the Roosevelt Island Library. We would like to hear your thoughts and ideas on the programs and services for the new library.

The new Roosevelt Island NY Public Library will be located on the ground floor of 504 Main Street and is scheduled to open in 2017.

Future Home Of Roosevelt Island NY Public Library

According to Diane Chin of the Roosevelt Island NY Public Library:

The following NYPL staff members will be speaking at the Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, November 20:

Nicole Nelson, Library Manager of the Roosevelt Island Library
Dawn Chance, Library Network Manager
Christopher Platt, Acting Vice President of Public Service
George Mihaltses, Vice President of Government and Community Affairs

Roosevelt Island's NYC Council Member Ben Kallos will be at tonight's NYPL Town Hall Meeting as well as Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer:

Looking forward to learning about the future of the #RooseveltIsland @NYPL tonight. Join me at 543 Main Street, Roosevelt Island, 6pm.
— Gale A. Brewer (@galeabrewer) November 20, 2014

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Coordinator (RIPN) Eva Bosbach adds:

Most parents are very happy with our local library, especially with the fact that we do have a NYPL branch right here on the island. Among the appreciated services RIPN members often mention are the children's books and play area, the three age specific story times as well as the craft workshops, the friendliness of the staff and the bathroom.

Improvement suggestions include sorting or at least labeling the books according to the age and reading level of the children and providing reading level recommendations lists, adding children's books and story times in different languages (and we have moms who would volunteer for that), expanding the children's area into a large space so that children of different ages have enough room to read and play, implementing more music classes and craft workshops while minding the lunch-nap time window (12-3pm), or adding a changing table at the bathroom.

Recently a concern was raised that books do not always get back to our library after they had been returned at other branches and that the toys need cleaning. Parents would also appreciate a more efficient communication strategy on the programs with the community, like a newsletter for the month where all upcoming children's workshops and activities would be listed. Since there already is a calendar paper version at the desk in the library, it should be possible do distribute such information electronically.

Overall, the library is a very valuable resource for families with children of all ages, especially during the winter time. We thank Nicole and the entire RI library staff for all their work and efforts!

Members of the RIPN had these suggestions for the new library.

• The library has been a very important part of our lives since moving to the island eight years ago. My children have loved the accesibility of the children's books and the friendly librarians.
We recently learned that the NYPL has stopped returning to our branch books that have been returned at other branches. This means the stack have been depleted. Nothing is more important than having full stacks and for our librarians to be able to order books for our community with our needs in mind.

• I would love for it to take on more of a community meeting space function. RIRA and RIOC meetings could be held there, boy scouts or girls scouts could meet there and so on. I think that the research function the library used to have is fading because most people do research online and they have computers so to keep libraries relevant they have to start doing other things, like serving a purpose in the community by meeting the primary meeting space/place for community info.
• Here are my wishes. More Japanese/Spanish Books ( for kids and adult ) Spanish story time. Japanese story time. Clean the toys frequently especially in the winter ( I don't know how frequently they wash/clean the toys but I have never seen them cleaning them...). I notice they have a mandarin class (with little birds or something like that). With the high Hispanic population in the island it would be wonderful to also have Spanish for toddlers.
• The most important part is that the library remains accessible for moms with babies, toddlers, both in strollers and that stairs are not involved. This branch has a shelf for children's book in Chinese, 10 books in Spanish and that's it. So being an International Island I don't see the point of only having a shelf in Chinese and not the rest of languages. If possible to have the super quiet reading area far far away from the children's area. I do not know why, adults complain more about toddler/babies being excited or not comfortable rather than school age children and early teenagers being to loud. So if possible, if the 2 areas are in opposite sides or different levels parents will be more comfortable going in the afternoons.
• Library is for adults as well. What I believe is missing is books about art. Painting and history of music. This is something that interests me and I did not find it, although I have not asked the librarians.
• I would also like to see expanded hours and a larger, more private kids area. Kids are loud, and instead of silencing them all the time, put their space far away from the tables where older people study. 
• The Westport, CT library and Chicago libraries were featured earlier this week in the Wall Street Journal for investing in interactive robots (~$6k each for high end models) and 3D printers for their patrons' use, changing the way we see libraries as mere repositories for books but also as a community's resource for technology. Is NYPL considering a similar program? In light of Cornell tech campus moving to Roosevelt Island, it may be worth bringing this up. Who knows, Cornell may contribute to costs associated with such purchases.
• The only other suggestion would be to have a small computer kiosk where we can look up books we are interested in either by author or title (specifically the children's books where we know the book and not the author). The labeling isn't great at the library, and I always need to ask a librarian for a book, or author, or where to find a certain level of reading for my child. They are always helpful but I remember back in the day, I was taught how to find books through the library card files (before everything became digital). It truly teaches children and adults how to research something individually. I feel like right now I'm always at the mercy of the librarians.
• I would add more variety of activities for different ages (puppet shows, music activities...) and a more flexible schedule. Currently the only suitable activities for older kids is always at 3pm which often coincides with nap time.
• I would also hope that they fix the outdoor space and remove that old "playground" which is terrible! It would be nice to have grass instead and a couple of benches and tables where some programs could be held in the good weather months.
• I am also interested in the living library project. I see the beautiful garden but never quite understood how families can participate, specially the little ones. It would be great to see this program expanded.

Now it's your turn to tell the NY Public Library your thoughts and ideas on programs and services for our new library. You can tell them at tonight's Community Conversation.

More background on getting a new Roosevelt Island NY Public Library branch at this previous post.

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network RI MoM Walking And Exercise Group Meeting 11 AM Friday At Tram Kiosk

It's getting colder by the day but that will not stop the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network (RIPN) Roosevelt Island Moms on the Move (RIMoM) walk and exercise group from meeting tomorrow at the Tram Kiosk.

 Image of Roosevelt Island Moms Walking and Exercise Group

RIPN Coordinator Eva Bosbach reports:

Our next free Roosevelt Island Moms on the Move (RI MoM) walk and exercise will take place this Friday, November 21, starting at 11 AM at the Tram kiosk.

Please dress warmly as it likely will be cold in the morning. Pregnant moms and moms with children of all ages are welcome.

Usually we walk all the way to the south of the island on the Manhattan side and back. After that, we continue with some exercise, following our fitness coach and island mom of two Paulina :-).

We will again go somewhere indoors for the exercise part after the walk, possibly to the 425 or 455 playroom or rooftop community room. The last few times this indoor option worked out well as the kids were occupied and content, babies in strollers or on blankets.

Feel free to contact me if you are joining later to find out where we are at.

Every Friday since June we have been meeting for this activity and I hope everyone else who comes enjoys it as much as I do :).

See you on Friday!

Choosing A New York City Kindergarten For Your Roosevelt Island Child - What You Need To Know From The Roosevelt Island Parents' Network Workshop

Roosevelt Island Parents' Network (RIPN) Coordinator Eva Bosbach reports:

About 20 parents attended the second annual RIPN "Parents for Parents" Choosing a NYC Kindergarten Workshop on November 2.

Our speakers were parents who investigated various kindergarten options and successfully placed their children in a variety of schools and programs including:

• PS/IS 217, 
• Lower Lab, 
• PS 267, 
• PS 11, 
• Ella Baker, 
• Gifted & Talented (application deadline extended to November 12)
• Charters
• and private schools.

These parents shared their experience and knowledge about their decisions, the preparation involved and the admission process.

Please find HERE a handout with different time lines of the process and other resources for parents. Emily Gohn-Barnhill, the Director of the Bright Horizons/MSKCC Children's Center at 475 Main St, prepared these materials and kindly approved their distribution to the Roosevelt Island Parents' Network member families and Roosevelt Islander Online readers.

Many thanks to Kristi Towey, Tamara Troadec, Michal Melamed, Natalie Remor, Catherine Shiels, Sarit Schwartz, Maya Bar Dagan, Kelly Turner, Mary Anne Feeney and Matthew Matasar, who donated their time to share their knowledge and experience as our panelists! A special thank you to Jen Reyes for the graphic design of our flyer.

The event was hosted by Main Street Sweets, the Roosevelt Island Jewish Congregation and the RI Parents' Network.

Here's video of the RIPN November 2 Roosevelt Island Choosing A NYC Kindergarten Workshop.

Part 1 - Introduction by Ms. Bosbach, an overview of the Kindergarten selection process, United Nations International School and Individual Education Program



Part 2 - Lower Lab Gifted & Talented Program, Testing, Charter Schools, Pre - Kindergarten programs.



Part 3 - PS 11 Gifted and Talented Program, Sibling Priority, local Roosevelt Island PS 217 and Beacon after school programs.



Part 4 - More on local Roosevelt Island PS 217 school and testing.



Part 5 - Ella Baker progressive school and private schools



Part 6 - Questions and answers.



There was another 10 minutes of Q and A which I missed.

More information available from this handout and July 28 Roosevelt Island education presentation by Cornell Tech's Director of K-12 Education Jane Levitt.