Join the New City School for a Celebration of Peace & Human

Rights

Join us for our annual Peace and Human Rights Night at the New City School on December 18, commemorating the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

On December 10, 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations signed this historic declaration and called upon all Member countries to publicize the text of the Declaration and "to cause it to be disseminated, displayed, read and expounded principally in schools and other educational institutions, without distinction based on the political status of countries or territories."

Since its inception, The New City School has proudly honored this call to action with songs and

The New City School

presentations by the students expressing their present concerns for the world and their hopes for the future.

In this issue of the Noticias you can learn about the rights afforded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (on page 7) as well as ways to give a helping hand to an event celebrating those rights and our school’s own commitment to furthering them. (Check

out various ways to get involved on pages 4, 5 and 8)

This NCS signature event is an important fundraiser for the school; helping to raise the funds necessary for the kind of curriculum enrichment that NCS is dedicating to providing. The funds we raise this year will be particularly essential in light of the pressing budget crisis. For more details of the budget crisis read a note from Ted Hamory on page 3.

So, this year’s Peace and Human Rights Night is a call to action for all of us. In this climate of change and cooperation, let’s all work together to make this night an extraordinary one.

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Nuestra MisiónBrindaremos al alumno un medio ambiente sereno, intimo, y saludable en el que se valore

mas la participación comunitaria que el espíritu competitivo.

A través de un currículo enriquecido por las artes, la tecnología y el medioambiente natural enseñaremos a los alumnos

para que desarrollen un pensamiento critico e independiente y que demuestren dominio en razonamiento y resolución de problemas,

lengua española e inglesa, expresión creativa, y perspectiva histórica.

Teniendo presente dichas metas, las familias y el personal de la New City School trabajaran juntospara entender las necesidades y los intereses de los alumnos, dedicarse al servicio de la justicia,

y extender las oportunidades de aprendizaje al hogar y la comunidad.

December 2008 Volume 2, Issue 4

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Puntos culminantes individuales:

Calendario 2

Proyectando una 2familia

Nota del Director 3

Reporte de Pruebas 3

Directrices de NCS 4

Música en La Tarde 4

Página de 5Estudiantes

Comité Académico 6

Cocina NCS 6

Calendario Pine Ave. 7

Recordatorios, Consejos, y Deseos 8

Dia Evento22 de diciembre - 9 de enero Vacaciones de Invierno19 de enero No Hay Clases – Día de Martin Luther King hijo16 & 23 de febrero No Hay Clases – Día del Presidentes & Abraham

Lincoln16 & 17 de marzo Conferencias Dirigidas por los Alumnos18 de marzo –3 de abril Vacaciones de Primavera (estudiantes)25 de mayo No Hay Clases – Día del Trabajo2 – 4 de junio La Tierra de Campamento a De Benneville Pines24 – 25 de junio Conferencias de Junio

The New City School Noticias

Calendario de NCS 2007-2008!

Page 2 of 8

NCS Family SpotlightTHE MARTINEZ FAMILY

This month’s spotlight on an NCS family tells us about a family that has been with the New City School since it’s beginning. Aquetzaly Hernandez, Oscar and Maria’s oldest daughter, was among the first students to enroll in the New City School, and is now in her freshman year at CAMS (The California Academy of Math and Science)

Tell us the names of the members of your family and about your children here at New City School.OscarMariaAquetzaly, age 14, in high school.Carolina, 6 years old, in el mar.

Where do you live now?We live in Long Beach.Where did you live before coming to Long Beach?Before Long Beach we lived in Mexico City. Aquetzaly was born there. Carolina was born here in Long Beach, and we have lived here ever since.

How did you learn about NCS and what made you send your kids here?

One of Aquetzaly’s teachers recommended the school and after looking at the results of her experience, we decided to send Carolina to New City School

What does your family do on weekends?

We go for walks, eat ice cream, play and go back home to watch movies together. We often go out and dream of the things that we can accomplish in the future as a family

Club de libros de NCS Multi-Cultural

Selección de Noviembre

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Pilares de la Tierra

Próxima Junta21 de Enero6:00 p.m.

Biblioteca de Pine

The New City School Noticias pagina 3 of 8

Una Nota de TedCatching Us Up on the Current State of Affairs at The New City Public Schools

December 1, 2008

Dear NCS Pine Families,

I have been asked by José and the communications committee to begin writing an article for the newsletter each month. It is my pleasure to do so.

It has been almost 10 years since Stephanie Lee and I began work on The New City School. At has happened in those 10 years and we are proud of the school and grateful for the lasting relationships we have built with parents and students. Neither of us is based here at Pine full time. This is a big change for us this year and we miss this community. I want to take this opportunity to talk a bit about a few things that are on my mind.

Literacy at NCS

How does The New City School help students develop into good readers? I was asked this question recently and I think it is important to share my response. The first thing we strive to do is make students love books and reading. We expose students daily to good read alouds that make the printed word come alive. This often inspires students to improve their reading and choose harder books to read. We surround students with high quality books that they can choose from and we give them chances to read them daily.

Good literature is the ‘anchor’ for many of our units of study. Students have a daily ‘free voluntary reading’ time during which they are free to read from books at their level. This is often many students favorite time of day.

Creating a culture that values reading does not stop at school. Here are a few things you can do at home:

1. Make sure there are plenty of books, at your child’s level, in your home. Frequent trips to the library and bookstores are great.

2. Let you child see you as a reader. Build in ‘family reading’ times where all members of the family are reading. Talk to your children about the books you are reading.

3. Make sure your child has a least 30 minutes a day to read independently or with your help. This daily practice will help them get better.

Your child’s teacher can give you information about your child’s reading level and can help you select books at their level.

Chat with Stephanie and Ted

Stephanie and I will be on campus each week starting in January. We will hold weekly ‘tea and cookies’ chat sessions about the school. These will be informal talks to socialize and learn more about NCS programs and the history and future plans of the organization. Look for an announcement of the dates on your January calendar.

Feedback on your child’s progress

One of the features I like best about The New City School is the accessibility of the teaching staff. Our teachers go the extra mile to make sure their students are progressing. If you have questions or concerns about your child, please schedule a visit with their teacher. They will be able to share recent assessment data, talk about your child’s strengths and set goals for areas of improvement.

The Economy and NCPS

Bad news about our economy is all around us. The State of California is having serious budget problems. What does this mean for NCPS?

NCPS receives the vast majority of it’s funding from the State of California. We are closely monitoring the State budget. We have been told to brace for significant mid-year cuts in funding. (5% or more) These cuts may be retroactive to July of 2008.

This is very bad news and means we will have to reduce expenses wherever possible. We have implemented a freeze on all non-essential spending and are preparing for some possible deeper cuts. I would urge you to contact your elected officials and make the case for public education. Cutting funding to public education hurts the future of our students.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for supporting the school. Please feel free to contact me anytime. ted@thenewcityschool.org or 562-436-0689.

The New City School Noticiaspagina 4 of 8

Fiesta del Primer Viernes: Noche de Agradecimiento a los Maestros

Reminder: Ways and Means Needs Your Help with FundraisingPeace and Human Rights Night is an important fundraising opportunity for the school and we need your help to make it a success.

Auction ItemsThe following are the themes for Silent Auction Baskets (chosen by the students) of each homeroom class.

José: Someone in Need(Proceeds to go to a Needy family)Alicia: FamilyJohanna: Parent & MeElizabeth:Claudia: Family Game NightArmando: Debora:Samuel: Cartoons & Chocolate

Gift Baskets will be created around these themes to be auctioned off on Peace and Human Rights Night.

Here are a few ways you can help:

1. Provide items to go in the baskets. Talk to your child or your child’s teacher(s) about the class theme and what types of things are still needed.

2. Help put the baskets together. Contact Tami Bennet to find out when and where to go to help arrange the baskets and to make bid sheets for them.

3. Come to Peace and Human Rights Night and bid on this wonderful array of gift baskets.

Snack BarVolunteers are needed to provide homemade food (tamales, sandwiches, a variety of baked goods, fruit plates, etc), drinks (lemonade, cider, coffee, tea, etc), and paper goods for the snack bar.

The snack bar will be set up café style for people to be able to sit casually or browse the auction items. Talk to Leslie Harvey about decorating ideas.

Also, parents from the Long Beach Boulevard campus have kindly offered to come and watch our snack bar so that all Pine parents can enjoy the show. Volunteers are needed to do the same for their Peace and Human Right Night on Friday, December 19.

50/50 RaffleRoberta Denis will need volunteers to help sell tickets, and organize the winnings of the 50/50 Raffle.

Please consider any (or many) of these volunteer opportunities and help make this year’s event a fundraising success.

Sign up sheets can be found in the office.

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After the Holiday Break, the New City School students will be continuing to experiment with a new art medium: The Artist Trading Card.

The inspiration for Artist Trading Cards began over a decade ago in Switzerland and has since become a global movement. The idea is to create original pieces art in many forms to be shared and enjoyed together as a community. The only restriction for these art cards is that they must be of standard card size (2.5 x3.5 inches).

So far at NCS, La Tierra Students have employed numerous techniques such as collage, tear art, pen & ink, and stamping & stenciling. These mediums were used to explore the theme of identity. Students were asked to think on several levels of existence from the individual, to human relationships, to world awareness, and finally to the

Llamando a todos los artistas, padres de artistas, y amantes del

arteuniverse at large. While El Mar students have so far used collage art to express themes of environmental awareness and peace and love.

Artist Trading Cards will offer NCS kids the opportunity to further explore the meaning of art. You can help by asking with your children such questions as: What do you think Art is?  What makes art good? How do we know that we like some kind of art and not others? And: How can we say we don't like something in a way that is respectful of the opinions of others?

Following the break, students will have the opportunity to trade their cards during free time and in an after-school workshop on Mondays. The goal in trading these cards is to work within the ideas of the Second Step program and to help encourage students to communicate their views on art (and their willingness to trade with one another) in a manner that is considerate and thoughtful. Artist Trading Cards might also provide an inexpensive and original alternative to Pokemon or Uh-Gi-Oh trading.

In ATC Card Making, we will be asking the students to focus on themes of environmental awareness, social justice, and human rights for their cards. Our hope is that the students will find inspiration in the words of great leaders and movements that have

worked toward making the world a healthier, more just, and more peaceful place to live. We will also eventually be looking for opportunities to trade our cards with students from other schools.

Do you have talent or time to offer? We will need volunteers and guest artists to come and help after school. Do you have ideas or experience in mediums such as watercolor, acrylics, drawing, stitching, imprinting, embossing, Do you have knowledge of poetry, civil rights movements, folk wisdom, and so on that you would like to share for inspiration? Or do you just have time that you would like to spend doing art? Then please join us.

Do you have supplies to offer? If you have supplies such as stamps or stencils, crafts scissors, punches, glue, acrylic paints, pencils/erasers, markers, or index cards; or if you have collage materials such as maps, photos, postcards, music scores, postal stamps, poems, national geographic magazines, shells, beads, sequins, textiles, and so on, please send them with your child or deliver them to La Tierra teacher, Claudia.  

Finally, we would like to give the students an opportunity to

Pagina de Estudiantes de New City

The New City School Noticias

Everybody needs beauty as well as

bread, places to play in

and pray in,where nature may

heal and give strength

to body and soul.

~John Muir

Los paseos, una forma divertida y dinámica de aprender: Vamos a conocer un poco más acerca de cómo estos paseos informativos ayudan al aprendizaje de nuestros pequeñitos.

Al inicio del año se planifican los diferentes sitios que cada viernes (aproximadamente) visitarán los niños. Esto se hace basado en el tema a tratar durante todo el año, por ejemplo, insectos, el océano, aves y humedales, etc. Se trata de encontrar lugares interesantes y atractivos para nuestros niños. En ocasiones vamos caminando, utilizamos transporte público o autobús escolar para brindar a los niños la posibilidad de experimentar diferentes medios de transporte a la vez que conviven con sus maestros, compañeros y la comunidad.

Pregúntele a José y Amigos¿Puede por favor explicar la importancia de los paseos en la escuela New City School y su conexión con el currículo?

pagina 6 of 8

Es común que visitemos un lugar más de una vez al año, para poder comparar el tipo de animales, vegetación y variaciones que pueda presentar ese lugar, dependiendo de la estación del año en que nos encontremos. También vamos cambiando las actividades que se realizan en cada paseo: a veces sólo caminamos, observamos, escuchamos, olemos, sentimos y compartimos lo que cada uno está experimentando. En otras ocasiones llevamos materiales, como lápices, colores, tablas, papel, etc., para dibujar, escribir o hacer arte. Sin importar el método que se utilice, cabe mencionar que los niños disfrutan los paseos y aprenden. Los maestros y asistentes se encargan de ir motivando a los niños para que no pierdan detalle de lo que se aprecia en los paseos, dándole

retroalimentación acerca del tema que están viendo en clase, tratando, en lo posible, de siempre de conectar a la escuela con la naturaleza y la comunidad (medioambiente natural y social).

Para concluir, es importante decir que los alumnos tienen la gran oportunidad de experimentar directamente con lo que se está aprendiendo en la escuela: pueden comprobar que es “cierto” y verídico todo aquello que aprenden en el aula, que no sólo es teoría o historias que encontramos en los libros, sino que es real y lo pueden constatar ellos mismos. De esta manera el aprendizaje se vuelve más natural y divertido.

Fabiola, Gabby, y José

In this month’s New City World Kitchen, the New City Noticias must print its first ever retraction. Last month we incorrectly gave credit to Lisa Miller for that delicious Banana Bread recipe when in fact the recipe was coming from Caroline _____. So, just to make sure that we are giving credit where credit is due, we’ve managed to convince Caroline to give us another whole recipe. Of course the benefit is all ours, as we share in the experience of Vegetarian Masa Tamale Filling.

We have numerous vegetarians and vegans in our community and so this recipe offers options for everyone.

Vegetarian Masa DoughIngredients:2 1/2 cups vegetable stock 2 cups butter, margarine, shortening, olive or corn oil, or any combination of these. (Caroline uses all olive oil)1 -2 tablespoons salt 5 pounds fresh unprepared masa

Directions:

1. If you're using butter, margarine, or shortening as your fat, beat the solid fats on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy.

2. Alternate adding the fresh masa mixture with the warm stock, a cup or so at a time until it is all

incorporated. 3. Continue to beat for about 5-7 minutes or until the dough is a thick paste consistency.

Or,

If you're using oil, put the fresh masa in the bowl of the electric mixer and beat for a minute or two. Slowly drizzle in oil alternating with warm stock, about a cup at a time until it is all incorporated. Beat on high for 5-7 minutes or until the dough is a thick paste consistency.

**Stuff the tamales with whatever

Día Evento18 de diciembre Noche de Paz y Derechos Humanos2 de dic. – 9 de enero

Escuela esta Cerrada – Vacaciones de Invierno

19 de enero Escuela esta Cerrada – Dia de Martin Luther King Hijo

21 de enero Club de libros de NCS Multi-Cultural

En la biblioteca de Pine a las 6 p.m.

The New City School Noticias pagina 7 of 8

Pine Avenue Monthly Community Calendar

We the Peoples of the United Nations…

United for a Better World Declare

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood/ Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty/Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person/ No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment/ Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law/All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law/ Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals /No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile/ Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal / No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation/ Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state/ Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country/ Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution/ Everyone has the right to a nationality/ No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality/ Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses/ Everyone has the right to own property/No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property/ Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion/ Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers/ Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country/ Everyone has the right of equal access to public services in his country/ The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government expressed in

The books of Junie B. Jones are really fun to read. It is about a girl that is in kindergarten. She has two friends Lucille and Grace. These books are very interesting and every boy girl can learn fro these extraordinary books. The autor is Barbara Park.

Barbara made this books to be fun and educational. I recommend to all parents to read to thier children this fantastic books.

Book ReviewBy Natalia (La Tierra Student)

Think about your article and ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the message you’re trying to convey. Avoid selecting images that appear to be out of context.

Microsoft includes thousands of clip art images from which you can choose and import into your newsletter. There are also several tools you can use to draw shapes and symbols.

Once you have chosen an image, place it close to the article. Be sure to place the caption of the image near the image.

About Our Organization…

1230 Pine Ave. Long Beach, CA 90813

Phone:562-436-0689

Fax:562-436-0898

E-Mail:amanda@thenewcityschool.org

Do you have suggestions or comments regarding the NCS Noticias? Do you have a recipe to donate or a family that you think should be spotlighted? Email or drop us a note in the Newsletter Suggestion envelope in the binder in the front office.

Reminders, Tips and Wish lists!

Office: Band Aids.

La Tierra: Spanish books, Newspaper.

Alicia: Bird Books in English and Spanish, yarn for crochet elective. Johanna: empty bathroom tissue rolls, arts & crafts feathers (not real), newspapers, empty cereal boxes.

Debra: for class pet: romaine lettuce, carrots, broccoli, pine bedding

for elective: 15 bound sketch books, 15 large ziplock bagsfor classroom: curtains and rods, hand held sharpeners (4), and indoor plants

Claudia: Camisetas blancas, 7 tamano large, 7 tamano mediano y siete tamano chico

Armando: used cameras, SD disk drives for cameras, photo paper, media readers, AA batteries.

Gabby Elective: Making Instruments 12 or more Hard Cardboard

tubes (mailing type or bigger)

Old or defective keys (you can ask at ACE hardware)

BIG Rigid Plastic containers we can use as chambers for drums

Metal cookware we can use as chambers for drums

Old metal silverware (spoons or other, to make instruments)

Metal and pvc tubes Metal cans-clean please!-

(tomato, tuna, etc)

Wish Lists