The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 4.30.17

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank.  It was great to see so many Fashion family members at the opening of our International Center of Photography exhibit, our Spring SING musical performance and our Parents Association meeting ‘Sketch Night’ where you had the chance to learn about the art of sketching from professionals with live models.

We have 6 weeks of classes left before Regents examinations.  The second marking period ends this Tuesday, May 2.  Make sure your children know this and appreciate the importance of finishing the school year strong.  Counselors will be programming students for summer school based on these gardes.  Students must understand the grades that they receive in June will be the ones that colleges will see.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week – it would be great if you took the time this week to write a note, send an email or call a HSFI teacher that has made a special impact on your child’s education.  We have a dedicated teaching staff that works tirelessly on behalf of your children and the HSFI community.  Please encourage your child to shout out a HSFI teacher through the Google survey I sent them through Jupiter Grades and their HSFI email.  It would mean a lot to our staff.

This Monday is a ‘First Monday’ schedule where students will start school later and be dismissed from school early so that our staff can meet in teacher teams for professional development.  Students who begin school 1^st period will start at 8:30 am.  Students who begin school 2^nd period will start at 9:09 am.  Students who finish school after 8^th period will be dismissed at 1:43 pm.  Students who finish school after 9^th period will be dismissed at 2:22 pm.

We should be very excited as our student showcases continue this week – these are great moments for our students – the ones that they will remember about their HSFI years!  Our Senior Art Show that showcases our Graphics & Illustration students opens this Friday, May 5. 

Our public Fashion Show that showcases our Fashion Design students is next Friday, May 12.  As always, our window displays will reflect the amazing work that our Visual Merchandising students do on a daily basis.  Tickets for the Fashion Show are available online now.  There are 2 performances on the May 12 date at 5:30 pm and 8:00 pm.  Tickets are $7 each.  Both shows are the same price.  All the money raised from the Fashion Show is reinvested into our show for next year.  Tickets can and must be picked up in the FLY School Store after May 1.  Students must bring their receipt and sign for the tickets.  The FLY school store is open 7:00 am to 1:30 pm.  The online link to purchase tickets is:

https://webstores.activenetwork.com/school-software/high_school_of_fashi/

If you are not receiving this email, the online link to purchase tickets is on the school’s main website page at www.fashionhighschool.net

As always, we want to showcase our Parent Volunteer opportunities.  We can use your help during the HSFI Spring Blood Drive on May 10^th and we are going to have a Parents Association / Senior Class Bake Sale to support the cost of the Prom this Thursday, May 4^th -- all parent assistance is welcome.  Contact Assistant Principal of Family Engagement Danielle Silva if you are interested in helping.

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 4.23.17

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank.  I want to thank all the Fashion Families that completed the Parent Survey – I apologize for sending so many phone calls, emails and Jupiter messages – I just did not want our parent survey percentage to negatively impact the school.

We have 7 weeks of classes left before Regents examinations.  Make sure your children know this and appreciate the importance of finishing the school year strong.  Counselors will be programming students for summer school based on marking period 2 grades – the second marking period ends on May 2.  Students must understand the grades that they receive in June will be the ones that colleges will see.

As you are planning your schedule for the week I hope you can attend our April Parents Association meeting this Wednesday, April 26 at 6:00 pm in Room 829.  At this meeting we will have ‘Sketch Night’ where you will have the chance to learn about the art of sketching from professionals with live models.

We should be very excited as our student showcases begin this week – these are great moments for our students – the ones that they will remember about their HSFI years!

Our first student showcase is the opening of our International Center of Photography exhibit – the opening takes place this Wednesday, April 26 at 3:30 pm in Room 821.  This exhibition called ‘Designing The Future’ features photographs created by our students in our partnership with the International Center of Photography.  The yearlong program includes both in-school and after-school photography classes, which also incorporate critical thinking, writing, and public speaking into the curriculum.

Next, is our Spring SING musical production that takes place on Friday, April 28.   We have two shows – one at 4:30 pm & 7:30 pm.  Our students will be presenting an exciting, all new, original and student written show called DAYDREAMERS: Inside the Minds of Teenagers.  This show explores what's really going on inside the minds of HSFI students and is a musical and theatrical journey about the positive and negative emotions we all face. 

Our Senior Art Show that showcases our Graphics & Illustration students opens on Friday, May 5.  Our public Fashion Show that showcases our Fashion Design students is on Friday, May 12.  As always, our window displays will reflect the amazing work that our Visual Merchandising students do on a daily basis.  Tickets for the Fashion Show are available online now.  There are 2 performances on the May 12 date at 5:30 pm and 8:00 pm.  Tickets are $7 each.  Both shows are the same price.  All the money raised from the Fashion Show is reinvested into our show for next year.  Tickets can and must be picked up in the FLY School Store after May 1.  Students must bring their receipt and sign for the tickets.  The FLY school store is open 7:00 am to 1:30 pm.  The online link to purchase tickets is:

https://webstores.activenetwork.com/school-software/high_school_of_fashi/

If you are not receiving this email, the online link to purchase tickets is on the school’s main website page at www.fashionhighschool.net

As always, we want to showcase our Parent Volunteer opportunities.  We can use your help during the HSFI Spring Blood Drive on May 10^th and we are going to have a Parents Association / Senior Class Bake Sale to support the cost of the Prom on May 4^th -- all parent assistance is welcome.  Contact Assistant Principal of Family Engagement Danielle Silva if you are interested in helping.

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 4.2.17

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank. 

This Monday is a ‘First Monday’ schedule where students will start school later and be dismissed from school early so that our staff can meet in teacher teams for professional development.  Students who begin school 1^st period will start at 8:30 am.  Students who begin school 2^nd period will start at 9:09 am.  Students who finish school after 8^th period will be dismissed at 1:43 pm.  Students who finish school after 9^th period will be dismissed at 2:22 pm.

This Wednesday, April 5, all 10^th graders will be taking the PSAT exam and all 11^th graders will be taking the SAT exam at Fashion.  These exams will be given to all New York City public school students.  Our 9^th Graders will be taking trips to colleges and universities to get them experience on a college campus.  Our 12^th graders and 9^th graders who do not sign up for a college trip will be in the auditorium for a special assembly.  All students should expect to get out of school or released from their college trip by mid-day. 

I want to showcase a chance for HSFI families to volunteer at the school and our Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Committee that takes place on Monday, April 3, from 11:50 am to 12:25 pm in Room 821.  The primary purpose of the Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports Committee is to examine how the Fashion Dollars programs can support students’ performance at the High School of Fashion Industries. 

The Academic / Career & Technical Education Committee is on Tuesday, April 4 from 9:00 am to 9:45 am in Room 821.  The primary purpose of the Academic and Career and Technical Education Committee is to examine whether or not we should annualize classes next year where students would be enrolled in a year-long course as opposed to two separate academic terms.

 

The NYC Department of Education has extended the deadline to complete the Parent Survey until this coming Friday, April 7.   As you understand from my calls and emails, this is extremely important to me as Principal!  I want to know what you think about the school - what we are doing well and what we can improve on.  When you fill out the survey, please consider the strong partnership between the school and Fashion families that includes (1) All the phone calls and emails we send out to our families; (2) Our communication through Jupiter Grades; (3) Maintenance of our school website and social media accounts; (4) Our 1^st Annual Family Visitation Day that just took place; and (5) All the volunteer opportunities that we have shared with you on our Sunday messages.  As you know we work hard to get your children the best education in a safe and clean environment with a focus on supporting students on the way to college.  Besides strong academics, our school has tremendous opportunities within our fashion, art and business majors and this year we are partnering with Yale University for Social Emotional Learning lessons.  Our goal is that 100% of Fashion Families complete the survey!

You can do the survey on paper or online using the below link.  You will need the access code from the survey you received in the mail that is on the survey itself.  If you did not receive your survey in the mail, please call the Survey Hotline at 1-800-690-8603.  

http://schools.nyc.gov/Accountability/tools/survey/default.htm

Thank you!