Author: ITHS
InfoTech Partners with LIC Museums
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Riis Academy-InfoTech Partners with LIC Museums
Teens participating in our Riis Academy-InfoTech Learn & Earn program have recently been exploring the arts by working directly with museums in Long Island City. High school juniors Jade Rosendo and Emily Vargas (pictured above) were just selected as the only two teens to participate in a prestigious Video Performance Workshop series led by the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI). Jade and Emily will engage in a month of intensive video development training and will even have their films included in a short premiere at the museum. Emily said: “I am excited to be part of this. I am just getting started as an artist. This project is ‘next level’ and I am glad I took the chance.” Jade shared her enthusiasm: “I see this program as art in action. Art is like me in many ways…. It is always changing.” Our staff and the other program participants look forward to attending the premiere once the date is announced.
Another Riis Academy-InfoTech participant, Cecelia Castellon, has been an active member of the Museum of the Moving Image’s Teen Council since this summer. This program serves teens interested in curation, public programming, and day-to-day operations of arts and cultural organizations, allowing them to partake in visiting-artist lectures, planning of large-scale events, work in community engagement, and more. Cecelia got the opportunity to present in front of the press at the museum’s gala honoring Puerto Rican actress Rita Moreno this December.
Our program has also been fortunate to work with the Noguchi Museum. High school senior Brenda Saldivar has begun her work as a member of the Noguchi’s Teen Advisory Board. She is part of a group of just six teens who are advising and helping to shape the future evolution of the museum, providing direct input, and helping to guide themes of future installation. About her experience thus far, Brenda said: “The Noguchi Museum not only taught me to see different forms of art … the experience taught me how to express myself more. Art is connected to your emotions. It can show emotion to others without words being exchanged. The Riis program gave me this opportunity and a connection to be part of the Art Community at a time I needed it.”
All these opportunities provide stipends and help youth make ends meet in tough times, while providing a chance to grow and connect with others. We are grateful to partner with highly regarded cultural organizations like MoMI and the Noguchi Museum, and we can’t wait to see what our students will do next!
Updates from the Principal 9/23/2021
Dear Students and Families,
We’ve had a good school start thus far and we want to ensure that everyone continues to adhere to all safety and health guidelines. See attached letter from our school chancellor, Ms. Meisha Porter. Please also see updates/reminders below from the NYCDOE-
• NYCDOE Health Screening: Before entering school buildings each day, every student and staff member must complete the Health Screening Form to confirm that they are not experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, have not recently tested positive, and are not currently required to quarantine based on close contact with an infected person.
We recommend bookmarking healthscreening.schools.nyc on your/your child’s device so you can quickly and easily complete the form before sending your child to school each day.
• COVID-19 Testing Consent: We urge parents/guardians to complete COVID-19 random testing consent forms for each child in school to further ensure we have a safe environment.
In order for your child to participate in the in-school COVID testing program, you must submit an
updated testing consent form to your school.
• You can fill out the form using your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA): schoolsaccount.nyc.• Download the form online at schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting.
• School Visitor Policy Reminder: All visitors aged 12 and older must show proof of at least one
dose of a COVID-19 vaccination to enter a school building. Visitors do not include studentsattending school in a DOE building.
• Vaccination Portal: Using your child’s DOE account information, you can upload an image of your child’s vaccinationcard or NYC Excelsior Pass to the DOE’s vaccine portal at vaccine.schools.nyc. Students ages 12 and older participating in high-risk extracurricular sports and other high-risk
extracurricular activities are required to be vaccinated in order to participate in those activities
during the 2021-22 school year. For more information, please visit our website:schools.nyc.gov/2021health
• Updated Quarantine Policy: Starting Monday, September 27, in accordance with the latest
guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), we will no longer
close an entire classroom when there is a positive case in the classroom. Unvaccinated students who are masked and at least three feet distanced from a student who tests positive are not considered close contacts under CDC guidelines and will not have to quarantine. This new policy applies to all students in any grade.
In addition, we continue to ensure our school’s custodial team cleans throughout the school day, we have PPE available to all students and staff, masks are required to be worn at all times by everyone, we encourage social distancing and there are air purifiers throughout the building to name a few measures we have taken. As stated at school start, our school building has also passed all ventilation and physical inspections. We will continue to keep you all updated on health and safety measures throughout the school year and we thank you again for your support and partnership. If you have any further questions or concerns, please email our Parent Coordinator, Ms. Emma Roman-Mendoza, at ERomanMendoza@schools.nyc.gov.
Sincerely,
Principal Jean Woods-Powell
Apreciados Estudiantes y Familias,
Hasta ahora hemos tenido un buen comienzo de la escuela y queremos asegurar que todos continuen adheriendose a todas las guias de seguridad y salud. Vean la carta adjunta de nuestra canciller, Ms. Meisha Porter. Por favor, tambien vean abajo las actualizaciones y recordatorios del NYCDOE-
Examenes de Salud de NYCDOE: Todos los dias antes de entrar a los edificios escolares, todo estudiante y miembro del personal debe completar el Formulario de Examen de Salud para confirmar que no estan experimentando algun sintoma de COVID-19, no han tenido un resultado positivo recientemente, y en el presente no se les requiere que permanezcan en cuarentena basado a contacto cercano con una persona infectada.
Le recomendamos que marquen healthscreening.schools.nyc en su depositivo o el de su hijo/a para que Usted puedan completar el formulario rapido y facilmente antes de enviar a su hijo/a a la escuela todos los dias.
Consentimiento para Pruebas de COVID-19: Con urgencia pedimos a los padres/tutores que completen los formularios para pruebas al azar de COVID-19 para cada nino/a en la escuela para mas asegurar que tenemos un medioambiente seguro.
Para que su hijo/a pueda participar en el programa escolar de pruebas de COVID, Usted debe someter a su escuela un formulario de consentimiento actualizado.
Usted puede llenar el formulario utilizando la Cuenta Escolar de NYC (NYCSA): schoolsaccount.nyc • Bajar el formulario en linea en schools.nyc.gov/covidtesting.
Recordatorio de Visitantes Escolares: Todos los visitantes de edad 12 anos en adelante deben mostrar prueba de por lo menos una dosis de la vacuna COVID-19 para poder entrar a el edificio escolar. Los visitantes no incluye estudiantes asistiendo a una escuela en un edificio de DOE.
Portal de Vacunas: Utilizando la informacion de la cuenta de DOE de su hijo/a, Usted puede subir un imagen de la tarjeta de vacunacion de su nino/a o el Pase Excelsior NYC a el portal de vacunas de DOE en vaccine.schools.nyc. Estudiantes de edades de 12 en adelante quienes participen en deportes extracuriculares de alto riesgo y otras actividades extracuriculares de alto riesgo se les requiere que sean vacunados para poder participar en esas actividades durante el ano escolar 2021-22. Para mas informacion, por favor visite nuestro sitio de web: schools.nyc.gov/2021health
Poliza de Cuarentena Actualizada- Comenzando el Lunes, 27 Septiembre, de acuerdo con la ultima guia de el Centro de Control de Enfermedades y Prevencion (CDC), ya no cerraremos una aula completa cuando exista un caso positivo en un salon de clases. Los estudiantes que no esten vacunados y esten utilizando una mascarilla y esten a por lo menos tres pies de distancia de el estudiante que cuyo prueba es positiva no se considera en contacto cercano bajo las guias del CDC y no tendra que observar cuarentena. Esta nueva poliza aplica a todos los estudiantes en cualquier grado.
Ademas, continuamos asegurandonos que nuestro equipo de conserjes escolares limpien atraves del dia escolar, tenemos PPE disponible a todos los estudiantes y personal, se requiere que utilizen mascarillas en todo tiempo por todos, animamos distanciamiento social y aparecen purificadores de aire atraves del edificio para nombrar algunas de las medidas que hemos tomado. Como se dijo al principio, nuestro edificio escolar tambien ha pasado todas las inspeciones de ventilacion y fisicas. Nosotros continuaremos manteniendolos a todos Ustedes actualizados sobre las medidas de salud y seguridad atraves de ano escolar y le damos las gracias una vez mas por su apoyo y sociedad. Si Usted tuviere alguna otra pregunta o preocupacion, por favor envie un correo electronico a nuestra Coordinadora de Padres, Ms. Emma Roman, a ERomanMendoza@schools.nyc.gov.