The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 6.25.17

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank.  We have no school on Monday in observance of the Eid al-Fitr holiday.  Tuesday and Wednesday are the last two days of the school year.

On Tuesday, our seniors will be graduating at the United Palace in Manhattan at 3pm.  9^th, 10^th and 11^th graders will report to school at 9:00 am.  Students in attendance will be working on planning for the 2017-18 school year.  Students will work in groups to come up with ideas for the following questions:

□ How can we help students feel more connected to the school?

□ How can we better maintain a positive tone in the halls?

□ How do we help students learn to use social media in a positive way?

□ How can we better keep the school clean?

Students will be dismissed for lunch at 11:30 am.  They can have lunch and go home at that time.

Wednesday, June 28 is the last day of school for students.  Students will arrive at 9:00 am to pick up their report cards, diplomas and sadly for some, their summer school programs.  Students who get to school after 9:45 am will not be given these materials.  9^th, 10^th and 11^th graders will have their materials mailed home to them.  Seniors will need to come back to school at another time to pick up their diplomas.  Seniors can come to Fashion on Thursday, June 29 from 10am –Noon and Friday, June 30 from 10am –Noon to pick up their diploma.  If seniors do not pick up their diploma over these three dates, they will have to come to the school over the summer to do so.  No exceptions will be made.

As you know by now, we have created a new page on our school website for HSFI parents – the page is titled ‘DOE Backpacked Letters.’  We are realistic that sometimes our students do not get these letters to you and that is why we are putting all these letters in one place.  There are 3 new letters on this page:

#1 – The first letter is about NYC Schools Account where you can view your child’s attendance, grades, assessments, NYC FITNESSGRAM results, and contact information in one of ten languages on a computer, phone, or tablet.

#2 – The second letter is about the installation of single-stall restroom at HSFI.  This single-stall student restroom will provide our school with an additional facilities option and the resources to support HSFI students with additional privacy needs, including students with medical conditions and disabilities, as well as transgender and gender non-conforming students.

#3 – The third letter is about the annual Summer Meals program that will launch on June 29, providing free, healthy breakfasts and lunches at hundreds of public schools, pools, parks, libraries and other locations around the city. Summer Meals are available to all children 18 years and younger, regardless of New York City residency.

Here is the link to this website page – if you are not receiving this email, this website page is in the Parents’ section of the HSFI website.

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/news/index.jsp?id=8

Thank you for all your support as HSFI parents.  It is a pleasure to serve you and your children as the school’s Principal.  Please do not hesitate to contact me over the summer if you or your child need anything that I can help with.  I would like to say goodbye to all of our senior families who children graduate on Tuesday.

Thank you! Have a great summer!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 6.18.17

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank.  Regents continue this week until Friday, June 23.  Please understand that Regents examinations are high-stakes tests that students need to graduate high school.  A complete Regents schedule is posted on our school website.  Please make sure that your children attend the exams they are scheduled for and have studied for these exams.

When students come to school for these Regents exams they should bring:

#1 - Exam invitations

#2 – Student identification card

#3 – 2 pencils and 2 pens. 

It is important that students DO NOT BRING ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT to their testing rooms when they take their Regents exams.  The presence of this electronic equipment with your child will result in their score being invalidated and given a 0 on the exam.  We have already had 2 students caught with electronic equipment and had their tests invalidated.  This electronic equipment policy is New York State law. 

Please contact anyone of our Assistant Principals—Ms. Moore (English); Mr. Kohm (Math); Mr. Rodrigues (Social Studies); Ms. Frank (Science) - if you have any specific questions about these exams. 

If your child does not have a Regents exam on a specific day during the testing period, they do not attend school that day unless there is a special event or tutoring session.

Looking ahead to next week – next Monday, June 26 is a holiday and school is closed.  Tuesday, June 27 is graduation for seniors and a school day for all other students.  We will have a special schedule on this day – more details to come next week.  Wednesday, June 28 is the last day of school for all students.  Students will come in to pick up their report cards and seniors their diplomas.  For students who have summer school, this session begins on Wednesday, July 5.  The school will let students and families know if they are scheduled for summer school.

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 6.11.17

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank.  There is a regular school day tomorrow, Monday, June 12, and then Regents exams begin on Tuesday, June 13.  The testing period runs from this Tuesday until next Friay, June 23.  Please understand that Regents examinations are high-stakes tests that students need to graduate high school.  A complete Regents schedule is posted on our school website.  Please make sure that your children attend the exams they are scheduled for and have studied for these exams.

When students come to school for these Regents exams they should bring:

#1 - Exam invitations

#2 – Student identification card

#3 – 2 pencils and 2 pens. 

It is important that students DO NOT BRING ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT to their testing rooms when they take their Regents exams.  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. 

Please contact anyone of our Assistant Principals—Ms. Moore (English); Mr. Kohm (Math); Mr. Rodrigues (Social Studies); Ms. Frank (Science) - if you have any specific questions about these exams. 

If your child does not have a Regents exam on a specific day during the testing period, they do not attend school that day unless there is a special event or tutoring session.

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 6.4.17

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.

We have 6 days of classes left before Regents examinations – 5 days this week and next Monday before Regents exams that start on Tuesday, June 13.  Make sure your children realize that the school year is winding down and that they 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 will determine their promotion status and whether or not they have to go to summer school.

Tutoring for all the major exams given during the June testing period is in full operation.  A complete Regents & RCT tutoring and testing schedule is located on the school website. 

I would like to congratulate our parents who were elected as our Parents Association Executive Board at this past Wednesday’s Parents Association meeting.  Congratulations to our PA President – Ms. Anderson; PA Vice President – Ms. Brister; PA Treasurer – Ms. Jaszczak; Parent At Large member – Ms. Walker and Title 1 Committee member – Mr. Teah.

One important topic that was discussed at this past Wednesday’s School Leadership Team and Parents Association meeting was the move towards Annualization of classes for next school year.  Annualization means that students will stay with the same teachers throughout the entire school year for a large majority of classes at HSFI.  We usually switch teachers mid-way through the school year; starting next year we will not.  Annualization will mean that staff do not have to start over with students every term and have an opportunity to get to know individual students’ strengths & weaknesses, both as people and students identifying their academic strengths and challenges.  Annualization will promote a growth mindset where students can learn from their successes and mistakes over a year with a teacher who can see them grow as a person and a student.  The High School of Fashion Industries will still issue report cards six times a year.  All six report cards will indicate a term grade, and the third and sixth report cards, issued at the end of each semester in January and June, will indicate both a term grade and final grade for each course.

We have created a new page on our school website for HSFI parents – the page is titled ‘DOE Backpacked Letters.’  A new letter is on the website about filling out lunch applications online for next school year.  We are realistic that sometimes our students do not get these letters to you and that is why we are putting all these letters in one place.  Here is the link to this website page – if you are not receiving this email, this website page is in the Parents’ section.

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/news/index.jsp?id=8

Thank you!

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 5.29.17

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank. 

We have 2 weeks of classes left before Regents examinations – it is actually 10 school days.  Make sure your children realize that the school year is winding down and that they 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 will determine their promotion status and whether or not they have to go to summer school.

Tutoring for all the major exams given during the June testing period is in full operation.  A complete Regents & RCT tutoring and testing schedule is located on the school website. 

Our May Parents Association (PA) meeting will take place this Wednesday, May 31 at 6:00 pm in our Student lounge, Room 829.  We will be holding Parents Association Executive Board elections for the following positions: PA President, PA Vice President, PA Secretary, School Leadership Team member and Parent At Large member. If you are interested in running for a PA Executive Board position or nominating another HSFI parent, please visit the link below or on the Parent page of our website at www.fashionhighschool.net.  Descriptions of the responsibilities of these positions are on this website page.

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=129061&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=571041

We have created a new page on our school website for HSFI parents – the page is titled ‘DOE Backpacked Letters.’  We are realistic that sometimes our students do not get these letters to you and that is why we are putting all these letters in one place.  Here is the link to this website page – if you are not receiving this email, this website page is in the Parents’ section.

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/news/index.jsp?id=8

Thank you! 

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 5.21.17

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank. 

We have 3 weeks of classes left before Regents examinations.  If it gets hot again, we are ready for it when 43 newly installed classroom air conditioners.  Make sure your children realize that the school year is winding down and that they 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 will determine their promotion status and whether or not they have to go to summer school.

Tutoring for all the major exams given during the June testing period is in full operation.  A complete Regents & RCT tutoring and testing schedule is attached to this email and located on the school website. 

Our May Parent Association Meeting will take place next Wednesday, May, 31 at 6:00 pm in our Student lounge, Room 829.  We will be holding Parent Association Executive Board elections for the following positions: PA President, PA Vice President, PA Secretary, School Leadership Team member and Parent At Large member. If you are interested in running for a PA Executive Board position or nominating another HSFI parent, please visit the link below on the Parent page on our website at www.fashionhighschool.net.  Descriptions of the responsibilities of these positions is on this website page.  Again, this Parents meeting and elections are next week.

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=129061&type=d&termREC_ID=&pREC_ID=571041

We have created a new page on our school website for HSFI parents – the page is titled ‘DOE Backpacked Letters.’  We are realistic that sometimes our students do not get these letters to you and that is why we are putting all these letters in one place.  There is a new letter from the NYC Department of Education that outlines how city schools protect all students regardless of immigration status.  Here is the link to this website page – if you are not receiving this email, this website page is in the Parents’ section.

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/news/index.jsp?id=8

Thank you! 

The Fashionable Times Blog Principal's Message 5.14.17

Greetings Fashion Families from your Principal, Daryl Blank. 

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

It was great to see so many Fashion family members at annual Fashion Show this past Friday.  The quality of the fashions produced by our students under the direction of our staff keeps getting better and better.  In addition, the window displays are now finished and once again are a beautiful sight to behold along 24^th Street and inside the first floor lobby.

All our Air Conditioning efforts will be felt this week as 42 AC units in 42 classrooms are scheduled for installation on Wednesday!  As announced by the Mayor, Manhattan Borough President and Chancellor. we are scheduled to be the first school to be fully air conditioned, so any classrooms that do not get ACs will get them over the summer.  Combine this with the air conditioning of our auditorium, HSFI is in a much better place comfort-wise.

We have 4 weeks of classes left before Regents examinations.  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 all the major exams given during the June testing period is in full operation.  A complete Regents & RCT tutoring and testing schedule is located on the school website. 

The Industry Fashion Show is this Thursday, May 18.  This is a condensed version of the Fashion Show that is used as a fund raiser for the school through our Advisory Board, a group of fashion industry professionals who volunteer their time and energy for the benefit of HSFI.  The Advisory Board’s fund raising efforts has benefitted us in many ways including the $28,000 they contributed to our recent air conditioning campaign. 

We have created a new page on our school website for HSFI parents – the page is titled ‘DOE Backpacked Letters.’  We get a good amount of letters from the NYC Department of Education that they ask us to backpack home with students.  We are realistic that sometimes our students do not get these letters to you and that is why we are putting all these letters in one place.  Here is the link to this website page – if you are not receiving this email, this website page is in the Parents’ section.

http://fashionhighschool.net/apps/news/index.jsp?id=8

Thank you!