The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 2.25.18

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank.  The first marking period ends this Friday, March 1.  Make sure you and your child are checking Jupiter Grades to know where they stand in their classes.  Report cards will be distributed to students next Wednesday.

As you are planning your schedule for the week I hope you can attend our February Parents Association meeting this Wednesday, February 28 at 6:00 pm in Room 829. 

Next week on Thursday, March 9 and Friday, March 10, we are very excited to welcome you to Fashion for Parent Teacher Conferences.  Thursday’s conferences will be from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm.  Friday’s conferences will be from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.

The morning of afternoon Parent-Teacher conferences on Friday, we will be holding our annual Career Day for the students of the High School of Fashion Industries.  During this morning session, we have over 60 guest speakers who will visit our school to share their experiences with our students.  The speakers will cover career opportunities among all 4 of our majors – Fashion Design, Graphics & Illustration, Fashion Marketing and Visual Merchandising.  Please make sure that your child attends Career Day – it is very important in their preparation for college and career.  Career Day is brought to school by the Advisory Board of the High School of Fashion Industries

In two weeks, HSFI is thrilled to continue again this year our Family Visitation Days on Thursday, March 15 and Friday, March 16.  During HSFI Family Visitation Days, you will be able to observe your children in action in their classes.  You may come and leave when you wish during those days.  During your child’s lunch period, you and your child are invited to lunch in the Principal’s conference room.  Assistant Principal Danielle Silva will be welcoming you in the school lobby and giving you an orientation for the visit.

I write this message with tons of emotion after the school shooting in Broward County, Florida.  This issue hits close to home with the incident at the school earlier this school year.  It is our job to ensure that every school is a safe place for our children and families.  We are always committed to make sure our building is a safe and supportive space – both physically and emotionally — for every child who walks through the door. It is important that our school community takes our safety drills seriously including our evacuation and lockdown drills.  It is important that we continue our efforts to teach Social Emotional Learning to our students and staff.  I look forward to us to continue to work together on making sure the High School of Fashion Industries is a safe and secure place for our students, families and staff.  As always, please feel free to contact me by any means either by phone, email or drop by the school to speak with me about this issue or anything else.  On the school website is a letter from NYC Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina about the shootings.

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 2.11.18

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank.

We have a short week with no school on Friday as we start the Mid-Winter vacation that includes all of next week.

It is Respect For All Week at HSFI where we strive to provide a positive learning environment free from discrimination, harassment and or bullying in all its forms.  We take every opportunity to highlight and build upon the richness of our diverse school community in an effort to promote respect, humanity and a supportive learning environment.  Posted on the school website is our Respect For All document that highlights our activities this week.

HSFI is also celebrating Black History Month. Some of the ways we are celebrating include our change of class music that is a variety of African American artists ranging from Bill Withers to Beyonce.  We also had a Black History Month music contest for students to identify 25 of the 30 songs and artists that played in between classes.  There will also be a movie week held in the student lounge showing the movie ‘Hidden Figures.’  Student government has placed biographies of ground breaking African Americans throughout the school building to inform the student body of their achievements.    Members of the student body are creating collages for African Americans and world-wide black leaders.  Finally, the Social Studies department will be holding a door decoration contest as part of the school’s curriculum.

We are always looking for Parent Volunteers to help us.  The HSFI Parents Association has decided to do monthly bake sales to raise money for the organization and they need help for these fundraisers.  The bake sales will go from 10:30 am – 1:00 pm on the following dates: this Tuesday, February 13; Friday, March 23; Friday, April 27; and Friday, May 25.  If you are able to volunteer, please contact Assistant Principal Danielle Silva at 212-255-1235 ext. 1251 or email Ms. Silva at dsilva@hsfi.us

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 2.4.18

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank. 

Tomorrow, Monday, February 5, we start our new First Monday program.  The redesign of our First Monday involves students participating in educational activities where students selected from a menu of activities based on their personal interests.  Some of the areas that these activities cover are Arts & Culture; Creative Expression; Designing Your Future; Film; Fun & Games; Mind and Body; and Social Responsibility.  All students have been assigned an activity based on their choices; there is no changing of activities at this time.

Students report to school at 8:30 where they will take attendance in their 3^rd period classes.  From there, students will move onto their First Monday activity that will last until approximately 11:30 am.  At this point, students will be able to get lunch.  From 12:30 pm to 1:15 pm students will have an opportunity to have individual conferences with their teachers and/or receive tutoring from them.  The school day will officially end at 1:15 pm when HSFI teachers will then begin their professional development activities.

A list of the proposed activities is right below.. 

Click the following link to review the choices and eligibility requirements: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1s0f1R2vhv8uT_eLFWlrXXi5u4JTeaQ02A18iivup9c8/edit?usp=sharing

With the beginning of the Spring term, I wanted to make sure you and your children had some valuable information to get the academic support they need.  On the school website are the schedules for Math tutoring and the hours of the library.

In addition, our Computer Lab in Room 201 is open every day during the following times:
Period 1, Period 4, Period 5, Period 6, Period 7, Period 9 and 3:45 pm - 5:00 pm.  Students can check their HSFI Email & Jupiter Grades; Print Out an Assignment and Research Information for a Project.

We are always looking for Parent Volunteers to help us.  The HSFI Parents Association has decided to do monthly bake sales to raise money for the organization and they need help for these fundraisers.  The bake sales will go from 10:30 am – 1:00 pm on the following dates: Tuesday, February 13; Friday, March 23; Friday, April 27; and Friday, May 25.  If you are able to volunteer, please contact Assistant Principal Danielle Silva at 212-255-1235 ext. 1251 or email Ms. Silva at dsilva@hsfi.us

It is critically important that all HSFI students check their HSFI email & Jupiter Grades everyday.  We will be sending important information out through these tools – if students do not check them, they will miss out on some valuable opportunities and not know what is going on in the school.

Thank you!