OPEN SCHOOL WEEK! VISIT YOUR CHILD'S CLASSES! SHARE IN THEIR LEARNING!

JOIN US IN CELEBRATING OPEN SCHOOL WEEK

NOVEMBER 16, 2009 - NOVEMBER 20, 2009

We invite parents/guardians to join us in celebrating open school week. This is the time to reinforce the family-school relationship that facilitates the dynamic partnership that is necessary to ensure the educational success of each student. You will have the opportunity to obtain a realistic picture of your child’s school day while experiencing the day to day activities that occur here at CSI High School for International Studies. You will have the unique opportunity of sharing in your child's learning and learning about the content and skills s/he is learning while here at school. We look forward to welcoming you and having you participate in our school according to the schedule below.

To help with the number of visitors on any given day we are assigning each grade two days to choose from during the week of November 16, 2009-November 20, 2009.

Monday, November 16 – 10th and 11th grade visitors
Tuesday, November 17 – 9th and 12th grade visitors
Wednesday, November 18 – 10th grade visitors
Thursday, November 19 – 9th and 11th grade visitors
Friday, November 20 – 11th and12th grade visitors

Please come prepared with your child's program card filled out along with the room numbers to ensure that your visit goes smoothly. Your child can help you with this. Please try to arrive for the beginning of a class so that you are not interrupting instruction. We welcome you to spend all or part of the day at school in your child's classes.

Please also have a picture ID available upon entering the school building.

CSIHSIS Student Testimony at the Secretary General's High Summit on Climate Change

Excellency,

You might have heard about global warming, melting ice and polar bears reaching extinction. However, climate change is so much more! It is about the floods that wreck homes and lives, the droughts that force farmers to abandon their heritage, the rising sea levels that make entire nations UNINHABITABLE. From personal experiences I can assure you that climate change impacts families. Mine in India has become a victim to malaria, lack of agricultural resources, and usable water.

WHO WILL BE NEXT?

MY RELATIVES? FRIENDS? PEOPLE IN YOUR NATION?

IS WANTING WATER TO DRINK, FOOD FOR SURVIVAL AND A HEALTHY LIFE TOO MUCH TO ASK?

Think about the youths around the world and your own children.
Do not consider taking action against Climate Change a sacrifice. Think of the cultures and creatures you will PRESERVE, the jobs you will CREATE, the innovations you will PROMOTE and most importantly the lives and planet you will SECURE, all by enforcing policies that reduce our footprint on the environment.
You have gathered here to talk, and you will again in Copenhagen, but WHAT HAPPENS AFTER?

Do you intend to wait for calamity or battle climate change?

Contact me and let me know of your actions to PRESERVE THE EARTH and THE PEOPLE ON IT.

Simit Christian - 17 - India

You Can Help the UN Solve Global Problems!

Did you know that everyday the United Nations works to solve global challenges?

The United Nations:

1. Provides food to 108 million people in 74 countries

2. Vaccinates over 40% of the world's children, saving 2 million lives a year

3. Assists over 34 million refugees and others fleeing war, famine, or persecution

4. Fights climate change and leads a campaign to plant 1 billion trees a year

5. Keeps the peace with 116,000 peacekeepers in 17 operations on 4 continents

6. Fights poverty and helped 300 million rural poor achieve better lives in the last 30 years

7. Monitors, promotes, protects and develops human rights worldwide

8. Mobilizes $7 billion in humanitarian aid to help people affected by emergencies

9. Leads international efforts in clearing landmines in over 30 countries

10. Promotes universal primary education reaching 88% enrolment coverage in developing

countries

To learn more, check out http://www.un.org/ and http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm

To help, during the upcoming week, participate in our Trick or Treat for UNICEF by donating your spare change. Simply place it in the box in your advisory, in the main office, or in one of your classrooms.

CSI High School Bids Swiss Exchange Students Adieu!

Tonight CSI High School students, their parents, and our faculty hosted a potluck farewell dinner for our Swiss exchange students. "It's hard to believe a week has gone by already." "He is my new son!" "It was a wonderful experience." "I can't wait until we go to Switzerland." As I walked around our school cafeteria these were the comments I heard from students and their parents about the exchange experience. It was also great to hear about the the bonding experiences that took place over the weekend as students spent time with their host families visiting Washington DC, being there on one of two days when people are permitted on the grounds of the White House, visiting the Holocaust Museum, seeing the memorials at night, visiting the Alice Austen House and Wagner College, Times Square, King of Prussia Mall, meeting friends and family, and more!

As a group, they walked across the Brooklyn Bridge (where they saw Spike Lee), went to Battery Park and even had an interview with Bill Thompson, saw Ground Zero, Trinity Church, and the African Burial Ground as part of a walking tour of Manhattan. Phantom of the Opera was an experience all enjoyed but it appeared, as usual, that what the kids enjoyed most was hanging out with their new friends, talking, getting to know and learning about one another and hopefully forming bonds that will last long beyond the exchange experience.

It is with hope for a lasting school relationship and for lasting friendships that we bid our Swiss guests farewell! It has been a pleasure to have you and to share in this cultural exchange with you! (By the end of the day tomorrow I should have a hat as a souvenier of this visit!)

CHECK OUT OUR DRAGON DANCE TEAM!

In addition to being the CSIHSIS mascot, in China, the dragon is a sacred and powerful mythical creature. Many Chinese proverbs reference the dragon. For example, “Through acts of dedication and valor, a Dragon is born.” If one were to call you a “dragon” it means you’re as powerful as an emperor, who holds imperial authority. Dragons are believed to bring good luck to people, which are reflected in their qualities that include great power, dignity, fertility, and wisdom.

During festive celebrations in China, the Dragon Dance is performed by a skilled team who bring the dragon’s body to life. The College of Staten Island High School for International Studies Dragon Dance Team has learned to perform this sacred cultural dance.

To view a segment of this exciting performance click here

KEVIN CASSIDY OF INTERNATIONAL LABOR ORGANIZATION TO ADDRESS STUDENTS

On Wednesday, October 21st we are fortunate to have Mr. Kevin Cassidy from the International Labor Organization coming to address our entire student body.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) is the the UN specialized agency which seeks the promotion of social justice and internationally recognized human and labor rights. dealing with issues such as child labor, forced labor, sustainiable development, etc. To learn more about the ILO click here: http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm

The International Labor Organization is devoted to advancing opportunities for women and men to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security and human dignity. Its main aims are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue in handling work-related issues.
In promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, the organization continues to pursue its founding mission that labour peace is essential to prosperity. Today, the ILO helps advance the creation of decent jobs and the kinds of economic and working conditions that give working people and business people a stake in lasting peace, prosperity and progress.

AMAZING INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

The deadline is rapidly approaching. If you are interested please see Ms. Horowitz or Ms. Lanceter after you have reviewed the application. http://www.mjhnyc.org/HSAPApplication.pdf Click here to download application!