The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 6.17.18

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank. 

First, Happy Father’s Day to all our HSFI Dads!

Regents continue all this week.  As we get Regents scores, we will post the scores on the HSFI website.  Exam invitations have been distributed to all students.  Please check with your children to make sure you know which exams they are scheduled to take.  When students come to school for these Regents exams they should bring: (1) Exam tickets (2) Student identification card and (3) 2 pencils and 2 pens.  It is important that students DO NOT BRING ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT INTO THEIR TESTING ROOM. We tell students to put their electronic equipment in their lockers before their exam.  The presence of this electronic equipment with your child will result in their score being invalidated and given a 0 on the exam.  This electronic equipment policy is New York State law. If a student does not have an exam, they should not report to school unless there is a special event or tutoring session.  Make sure your children are studying for these exams as they need them to graduate high school and build up their college resume.  The June 2018 Regents examination schedule has also been sent out and also attached to this message.   Please contact anyone of our Assistant Principals—Ms. Moore (English); Mr. Kohm (Math); Mr. Rodrigues (Social Studies); Ms. Frank (Science); Ms. Boulamaali (Majors) - if you have any specific questions about these exams. 

Graduation for seniors is on Friday, June 22.

Students will report to school on Monday, June 25 for a half-day of instruction where students will get to have their voice on plans for upcoming 2018-19 school year.  The last day of school where students pick up their diplomas, final report cards and sadly for some, their summer school information, is on Tuesday, June 26.

As you are planning your schedule for the week I hope you can attend our last Parents Association meeting this Wednesday, June 20 at 6:00 pm.  We are still looking for nominations for all the positions of our Parent Association Executive Board - PA President, PA Vice President, PA Treasurer, and School Leadership Team members.  If you are interested in running for a PA Executive Board position or nominating another HSFI parent, please visit the website link under Parent News section on the HSFI homepage, www.fashionhighschool.net.  Descriptions of the Parents Association positions are on the website link.  Here is direct website link:

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=509648&id=0

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Principal's Message 6.10.18

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank. 

Tomorrow, Monday, June 11, is the last day of classes. Regents exams begin Tuesday, June 12.  There are no exams this Friday, June 15 as schools are closed.  Exam invitations have been distributed to all students.  Please check with your children to make sure you know which exams they are scheduled to take.  If a student does not have an exam, they should not report to school unless there is a special event or tutoring session.  Make sure your children are studying for these exams as they need them to graduate high school and build up their college resume.  The June 2018 Regents examination schedule has also been sent out and also attached to this message.   Please contact anyone of our Assistant Principals—Ms. Moore (English); Mr. Kohm (Math); Mr. Rodrigues (Social Studies); Ms. Frank (Science); Ms. Boulamaali (Majors) - if you have any specific questions about these exams.

Graduation for seniors is on Friday, June 22.

Students will report to school on Monday, June 25 for a half-day of instruction where students will get to have their voice on plans for upcoming 2018-19 school year.  The last day of school where students pick up their diplomas, final report cards and sadly for some, their summer school information, on Tuesday, June 26.

This past week HSFI received amazing media coverage with showcases on MSNBC, NY1, the New York Post and WNYC.  The descriptions of the media coverage are below and posted on the school website.

First, we were on MSNBC  (Stephanie Ruhle Show) which showcased our GLAM4GOOD event where some big names in the fashion and media industries spoke to our senior students about what was needed to be successful while also giving back to the community around them.

http://www.msnbc.com/stephanie-ruhle/watch/glam4good-treats-students-to-shopping-spree-1250339907859

NY1 Spectrum News covered our Kleinfeld Bridal showcase where a group of 11^th graders competed to win through our partnership with the famous ‘Say Yes To The Dress’ store.

http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2018/06/07/bridal-dress-competition-for-students-held-by-kleinfeld-in-manhattan.html#

Next is some coverage about our Anti-Prom team that was instrumental in creating a safe space for students who do not feel comfortable in the traditional ‘Prom’ space – first is an article from the NY Post and then a radio spot from WNYC with a brief write-up.

https://nypost.com/2018/06/06/anti-prom-dresses-are-cooler-than-actual-prom-dresses/

https://www.wnyc.org/story/party-library-how-new-york-librarians-do-prom/

All of the website links to the media coverage is located in one article on the HSFI website in the ‘Fashion News’ section – hope you ENJOY!

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=515034&id=1

We are still looking for nominations for all the positions of our Parent Association Executive Board - PA President, PA Vice President, PA Treasurer, and School Leadership Team members.  If you are interested in running for a PA Executive Board position or nominating another HSFI parent, please visit the website link under Parent News section on the HSFI homepage, www.fashionhighschool.net.  Descriptions of the Parents Association positions are on the website link.  Here is direct website link:

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=509648&id=0

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 6.3.18

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank. 

We only have 3 regular school days left – this Wednesday, June 6; this Friday, June 8; and next Monday, June 11. Make sure your children know this and appreciate the importance of finishing the school year strong.  Students must understand the grades that they receive in June will be the ones that colleges will see and ultimately determine whether or not they are scheduled for summer school or not.

Tomorrow, Monday, June 4, we will have our last installment of 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.  Students report to school at 8:30 am 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.  If a student is facing academic difficulties, I would encourage them to attend this session to meet with their teacher and receive additional tutoring, if needed.  The school day will officially end at 1:15 pm when HSFI teachers will then begin their professional development activities. If a student does not stay for lunch and does not take advantage of the opportunity to have individual conferences or tutoring from teachers, they can leave for home at 11:30 am.  Again, I encourage them to stay for lunch and take advantage of this individual time with their teachers.

On Tuesday, June 5, we will be administering the new Global History Regents Exam to all 10^th graders and a culminating Merchandising exam – there will be no regular classes on this date and only the students taking these exams will be in attendance.  Students have been given an exam invitation who are taking these exams and must bring this invitation and their ID card to the exam.

There is no school for students this Thursday, June 7.  It is a staff professional development as we will be working with our staff to make sure we finish the school year strong and plan for next year.

Regents exam begin next Tuesday, June 12.  Exam invitations have been distributed to all students.  Please check with your children to make sure you know which exams they are scheduled to take.  Make sure your children are studying for these exams as they need them to graduate high school.  The June 2018 Regents examination schedule has also been sent out.  Please contact anyone of our Assistant Principals—Ms. Moore (English); Mr. Kohm (Math); Mr. Rodrigues (Social Studies); Ms. Frank (Science); Ms. Boulamaali (Majors) - if you have any specific questions about these exams. 

We are still looking for nominations for all the positions of our Parent Association Executive Board - PA President, PA Vice President, PA Treasurer, and School Leadership Team members.  If you are interested in running for a PA Executive Board position or nominating another HSFI parent, please visit the website link under Parent News section on the HSFI homepage, www.fashionhighschool.net.  Descriptions of the Parents Association positions are on the website link.  Here is direct website link:

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=509648&id=0

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 5.20.18

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank. 

We have 3 weeks of classes left before Regents examinations as the school year winds down.  Make sure your children know this and appreciate the importance of finishing the school year strong.  Students must understand the grades that they receive in June will be the ones that colleges will see.

Tutoring for Regents exams are available in all subjects.  The tutoring schedule has been sent out to all students and families.  The June 2018 Regents examination schedule has also been sent out. Please keep in mind that on Tuesday, June 5, we will be administering the new Global History Regents Exam to all 10^th graders – there will be no regular classes on this date and only the students taking this exam will be in attendance.

I want to invite you all to the next edition of our Fashion Show this Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 7:00 pm.  This version of the show is different from last week’s performance – this show will run a half hour.  This show is sponsored by our Advisory Board which is the group of fashion industry professionals that look out for the school.  This year’s show will honor famous fashion designer Nanette Lepore.  We are so excited to invite all Fashion students and families to this show – you can attend whether you did not get to see the show this past Friday or if you want to see it again.  Admission is free for everyone.

Our May Parent Association Meeting will take place this Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at 6:00 pm in Room 829, the Student Lounge. At this meeting, the HSFI Parent Association will be holding Parent Association Executive Board elections for the following positions; PA President, PA Vice President, PA Treasurer, and School Leadership Team members.  If you are interested in running for a PA Executive Board position or nominating another HSFI parent, please visit the website link under Parent News section on the HSFI homepage, www.fashionhighschool.net.  Descriptions of the Parents Association positions are on the website link.  Here is direct website link:

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=509648&id=0

As part of Fashion’s commitment to social emotional learning, wanting to know how students are feeling and then trying to find ways to help students, next school year we are looking to create a ‘Buddy System’ where incoming freshman students would have a ‘buddy’ to mentor them and look out for them during their first year of high school.  If you are the parent of a current 9th, 10th or 11th grade student, please encourage them to apply to become a mentor.  Besides the benefit of helping out one of their classmates in the transition to high school, being part of this program will look great for their college applications.

The organization, ‘Teen Choice’ will have representatives at HSFI again on Monday, May 21.  Teen Choice offers a wide variety of student services including; supportive individual and group counseling; peer leadership opportunities; parent and youth workshops; managing your money support; summer youth employment opportunities; a sexual health curriculum; and college preparation services to fill out financial aid and college applications.  They will be here from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm in the student lounge and cafeteria. 

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 5.13.18

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank. 

First of all, Happy Mother’s Day to all of our HSFI Moms!

We have 4 weeks of classes left before Regents examinations as the school year winds down.  Make sure your children know this and appreciate the importance of finishing the school year strong.  Students must understand the grades that they receive in June will be the ones that colleges will see.

It was great to see so many Fashion Families at our annual Fashion Show this past Friday.  The Fashion Show was awesome – all of our students involved in the show should be so proud.  HSFI looked great between the Fashion Show in our air-conditioned auditorium, our entire lobby decorated with amazing pieces of art from our senior art show and the fashion show window displays up.

I want to invite you all to the next edition of our Fashion Show that is on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 at 7:00 pm.  This version of the show is different from this past Friday’s show – this show on the 22^nd will run a half hour.  This show is sponsored by our Advisory Board which is the group of fashion industry professionals that look out for the school.  This year’s show will honor famous fashion designer Nanette Lepore.  We are so excited to invite all Fashion students and families to this show – you can attend whether you did not get to see the show this past Friday or if you want to see it again.  Admission is free for everyone.

For the upcoming school year, I am super excited to announce that we will have an organization called ‘Teen Choice’ at HSFI.  Teen Choice offers a wide variety of student services including; supportive individual and group counseling; peer leadership opportunities; parent and youth workshops; managing your money support; summer youth employment opportunities; a sexual health curriculum; and college preparation services to fill out financial aid and college applications.  Representatives from Teen Choice will be at HSFI this week on Wednesday, May 16 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm in the student lounge and cafeteria.  This is so exciting to have Teen Choice here at HSFI in addition to all the support the school provides along with other organizations that are part of Fashion Industries like the Falcon Health Center and Relationship Abuse Prevention Program.

Our May Parent Association Meeting and Parent Association Elections for next school year will take place on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. in the Student Lounge, Room 829. The HSFI Parent Association will be holding Parent Association Executive Board elections for the following positions; PA President, PA Vice President, PA Treasurer, and School Leadership Team members.  If you are interested in running for a PA Executive Board position or nominating another HSFI parent, please visit the website link under Parent News section on the HSFI homepage, www.fashionhighschool.net.  Descriptions of the Parents Association positions are on the website link.  Here is direct website link:

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=509648&id=0

One more operational note is that on Tuesday, June 4, we will be administering the new Global History Regents Exam to our 10^th graders.  There will be no regular classes on this date and only the students taking this exam will be in attendance.

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 5.6.18

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank. 

We have 5 weeks of classes left before Regents examinations as the school year winds down.  Make sure your children know this and appreciate the importance of finishing the school year strong.  Students received their second marking period report cards this past Friday – if your child has not shown you their report card yet, please ask them to see it.  We also distributed Summer School letters to students who failed a second marking period class for this Spring term, failed a class from the Fall term or is behind in credits over their entire high school career.  Please ask your child if they received this letter.  We are officially in the last marking period of the school year.  Students must understand the grades that they receive in June will be the ones that colleges will see.

We should be very excited as we have another student showcases this week – our annual Fashion Show – these are great moments for our students – the ones that they will remember about their HSFI years!  We had two great showcases this past week with our Entrepreneurship Showcase and Senior Art Show.  It is a pleasure to walk into the school as our entire lobby is decorated with these amazing pieces of art.  In addition, our new fashion show window displays are up and reflect the amazing work that our Visual Merchandising students do on a daily basis.

Our public Fashion Show that showcases our Fashion Design students is this Friday, May 11.  There will be two shows – one at 5:00 pm and one at 7:00 pm.  Tickets sold before the show will be $5 and tickets sold at the door will be $7.  All money raised from ticket sales will be reinvested in our fashion design program for next year’s show.  Tickets are available online at our HSFI Webstore right now.  Tickets are now sold in the school lobby. 

Our May Parent Association Meeting and Parent Association Elections for next school year will take place on Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at 6:00 p.m. in the Student Lounge, Room 829. The HSFI Parent Association will be holding Parent Association Executive Board elections for the following positions; PA President, PA Vice President, PA Treasurer, and School Leadership Team members.  If you are interested in running for a PA Executive Board position or nominating another HSFI parent, please visit the website link under Parent News section on the HSFI homepage, www.fashionhighschool.net.  Here is direct link to that page on the school website:

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/news/show_news.jsp?REC_ID=509648&id=0

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 4.29.18

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank. 

We have 6 weeks of classes left before Regents examinations as the school year winds down.  Make sure your children know this and appreciate the importance of finishing the school year strong.  The second marking period has ended and we are in the last marking period of the school year.  Counselors will be programming students for summer school based on marking period 2 grades.  Students must understand the grades that they receive in June will be the ones that colleges will see.  Students will be receiving their report cards this Friday, May 4.

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

Our Entrepreneurship Showcase where our business students have been working on business plans that focus on Sustainability and Social Responsibility is on Tuesday, May 1 from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm in the school lobby.

Our Senior Art Show that showcases our Graphics & Illustration students opens on Friday, May 4 at 4:00 pm.  Our entire lobby will be decorated with these amazing pieces of art beginning on Friday.

Our public Fashion Show that showcases our Fashion Design students is on Friday, May 11.  There will be two shows – one at 5:00 pm and one at 7:00 pm.  Tickets sold before the show will be $5 and tickets sold at the door will be $7.  All money raised from ticket sales will be reinvested in our fashion design program for next year’s show.  Tickets are available online at our HSFI Webstore from April 25^th thru May 9^th.  Tickets will be sold in the school lobby starting May 4^th. 

As always, our window displays will reflect the amazing work that our Visual Merchandising students do on a daily basis.

I know we are knee-deep in the 2017-18 school year, but we as a school community need to begin thinking about next year.  I wanted to share with you a promising school practice that has proved successful in the Chicago school system and is now coming to NYC – it is called Quiet Time.  Quiet Time allows an entire school community (students and staff) to take exactly what it says – some Quiet Time in the form of meditation and mindfulness exercises during the school day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon.  The research on Quiet Time and the impact of meditation and mindfulness exercises on a school and student outcomes – the results are impressive:

□ ↓ Decreases student stress levels, anxiety and depression

□ ↑ Improved emotional regulation, decision-making and attention with students

□ ↓ Decreases dropout rates in schools

□ ↑ Improves school graduation rates and student grades

□ ↑ Increases College Acceptance rates for students

Here is a brief video where students and staff from the Bronx High School For Law and Community Service here in NYC speak about Quiet Time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MUwkC8bd4o

 

Here is a brief video where students and staff from Chicago public schools speak about Quiet Time - https://app.frame.io/f/3548939c-30e3-40b0-a1ea-4258b36122b1

The research is very impressive.  Please take a couple of minutes to watch the videos.  Quiet Time would nicely fit into what we already do at HSFI with our commitment to Social Emotional Learning through our partnership with Yale University, Restorative Justice and our belief that emotions matter.

It would be great to hear from you about what you think about Quiet Time – you can email me at dblank@schools.nyc.gov or through Jupiter Grades or you can call me at (212) 255-1235 ext. 8191 or you can fill out this Google survey:

https://goo.gl/forms/DpWZEHNVZ9DoK7X22

Thank you!