The Fashionable Times Principal's Message 9.22.19

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal Daryl Blank.

As you are planning your schedule for the week I hope you can attend our first Parents Association meeting of the school year, this Wednesday, September 25 at 6:00 pm in Room 829.

Once again as we begin the school year, I want to share with you our school goals – our goal is that every member of the High School of Fashion Industries’ community – students, families and staff feel cared for and challenged.  Our belief is that people succeed when they feel they are being cared for and challenged.  Our school community feels strongly that emotions matter at HSFI.  Everything we do at the school will be aligned to these goals.

Thank you to all Fashion Families for your cooperation with this past Friday’s student walkout highlighting climate change and the need to address this threat to our planet.  We had 425 students participate in the walkout.  We do have a Green Team at the school that is focused on making sure that our school does our part to take care of the environment. 

The Green Team and all of our student clubs and activities will be highlighted next Thursday, October 4 during HSFI’s Club Fair.  During students’ lunch periods they can go to the school lobby to see all the choices for student clubs and activities where students and staff from those clubs and activities will be there to provide information and sign up students who are interested in joining them.  All students and families will be reminded about the Club Fair on many occasions over the next two weeks.

It is critically important that all HSFI students check their HSFI email & Jupiter Grades everyday.  Jupiter Grades is our online grading system.  9^th graders should log onto their HSFI email to get the directions to log onto Jupiter Grades.  We will be sending important information out through both 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.

I wanted to give all Fashion Families a heads up that there is no school next Monday and Tuesday due to a religious holiday.

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 9.15.19

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal Daryl Blank.

Once again as we begin the school year, I want to share with you our school goals – our goal is that every member of the High School of Fashion Industries’ community – students, families and staff feel cared for and challenged.  Our belief is that people succeed when they feel they are being cared for and challenged.  Our school community feels strongly that emotions matter at HSFI.  Everything we do at the school will be aligned to these goals.  One of our teachers shared with me a quote that I wanted to share with you – “If a child can do advanced Math, speak 3 languages, or receive top grades, but can’t manage their emotions, practice conflict resolution, or handle stress, none of that other stuff is really going to matter...”

This Tuesday, we will be on an OP (Homeroom) bell schedule where students will receive updated program cards based on the program changes that took change.  In most cases, students will receive the same program that they had before, just on a new piece of paper.  Students who received program changes based off graduation requirements, will receive their new program.  At this OP, students will also receive a printout of Jupiter Grades passwords for family members.  Families, especially of our 9^th graders, should ask for these papers that will contain their temporary passwords to Jupiter Grades.

A major source of communication to students are our grade level assemblies used to insure that our students are informed about everything that is going on at HSFI.  Every month I will be leading an assembly with each grade to let them know what is going on at HSFI and what they should be thinking about.  The assembly schedule for this week is 9^th and 10^th grades on Tuesday, 11^th grade on Wednesday and 12^th grade on Thursday.

This Friday, there is a student walkout planned to highlight climate change and the need to address this threat to our planet.  The New York City Department of Education has announced it would excuse the absences of students who have a parent's permission to participate in the global climate strike.  Here are the main points that you need to be aware of in preparation for this climate protest:

□ Permission slips are required for students who wish to participate

□ Classes are in session for those students who do not wish to leave the building

□ Staff will not accompany students out of the building

□ Students are responsible for all missed work

□ Permission slips to join the protest will be available to students in the Main Office (Room 125), the Guidance Office (Room 101) and the Peace Office (Room 145)

□ Permission slips are due by Wednesday, September 18 and will be handed in to 3^rd period teachers

□ Students leaving the building for the protest will be required to swipe out using CAASS machine in the lobby

□ Re-entry back into the building is not allowed until the end of the student’s school day

The safety of our students is a top priority for us and we will enforce the policies outlined by the New York City Department of Education in handling this protest.

It is critically important that all HSFI students check their HSFI email & Jupiter Grades everyday.  Jupiter Grades is our online grading system.  9^th graders should log onto their HSFI email to get the directions to log onto Jupiter Grades.  We will be sending important information out through both 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.

HSFI families should know that our first Parents Association meeting of the school year is next Wednesday, September 25 at 6:00 pm.  It would be great to get a large turnout at the first meeting.

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 9.8.19

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal Daryl Blank.

We have a full week of instruction for our students.  As we begin the school year, I want to share with you our school goals – our goal is that every members of the High School of Fashion Industries’ community – students, families and staff feel cared for and challenged.  Our belief is that people succeed when they feel they are being cared for and challenged.  Our school community feels strongly that emotions matter at HSFI.  Everything we do at the school will be aligned to these goals.

This week beginning on Tuesday we will be running program changes for students who need them.   Please keep in mind that these program changes will only be approved for changes that are needed for meeting graduation requirements.  Changes will not be approved based on teacher preferences.  Returning students will not be allowed to drop honors and Advanced Placement classes that they signed up for last year – we programmed and budgeted for this school year based off these requests.  Students will not be allowed to drop classes that help them meet college and career readiness requirements including their major along with math and science classes.  The expectation is that all HSFI students complete their major program and take 4 years of math and science classes if these classes can fit into their program.  All students must be scheduled for 5 and a half hours of instruction every day.

It is critically important that all HSFI students check their HSFI email & Jupiter Grades everyday.  Jupiter Grades is our online grading system.  9^th graders should log onto their HSFI email to get the directions to log onto Jupiter Grades.  We will be sending important information out through both 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.

HSFI families should know that our first Parents Association meeting of the school year is Wednesday, September 25 at 6:00 pm.  It would be great to get a large turnout at the first meeting.

To help us help your child, we are asking Fashion Families to fill out a brief survey that asks the question, ‘How does your child learn best?’  We are asking you to please provide as much information as you wish to help High School of Fashion Industries' teachers support your child.  This information will be shared with teachers and supervisors and NO ONE ELSE.  Here is the link to the Google survey – you will write in your name, your child’s name (and their 9 digit number if you have it) and then there is a place to answer this question.

https://forms.gle/cxTqPJMVswQTe8SW7

Thank you!