April 12, 2013
Important notice regarding Vernon Avenue Children’s School & Metropolitan Child Services, Inc.
It is with great sorrow that with this letter, that we at Vernon Avenue Children’s School & Metropolitan Child Services, Inc. must formally notify you of our intention to close our Head Start program & our Universal Pre-Kindergarten program as of June 30th, 2013.
It has been our absolute pleasure to work with the Administration for Children & Families Office of Head Start over the past 10 years as well as with the Department of Education’s UPK Division over the past 10 years. More importantly, it has been our absolute pleasure to serve the children and families of our community.
We have valued this opportunity greatly and the entire staff at Vernon Avenue Children’s School & Metropolitan Child Services Inc. has received far more satisfaction and reward by working with our families, than we have given to them; again, it has been our pleasure.
For more information on your local Head Start program, please visit: http://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/hslc/HeadStartOffices
For more information on the Universal Pre-Kindergarten program, please visit:
http://schools.nyc.gov/ChoicesEnrollment/PreK/Publications/default.htm
Sincerely,
Michael C. Koffler
Executive Director
3/19/13:
Our Social Worker, Valeria Ossa, LMSW has put together this amazing presentation on Child Abuse Prevention – check out our kids participating!
Jan. 15, 2013: Notification issued 1/14/13 at 8:00 PM. Beginning Wednesday, January 16, there will be a strike by bus drivers who provide school bus services to the majority of NYC’s public and non-public school students. As a result, school bus service for most or all school-age students is not operating. This should not impact Early Intervention or pre-K bus services, but there may be some disruption to those services as well. Please visit http://on.nyc.gov/SAmJCx for more information.
VACS would like to thank the team at FEI Inc. (Frequency Electronics Inc.) for their GENEROUS toy donations to the Toys for Tots @ VACS! Thank you all!!
Vernon Avenue Children’s School’s Children’s Coat Drive, now through 12/21.. requesting coats for children ages 0-4. Contact Valeria Ossa at 718-455-1800 x42 to arrange pick ups. Thank you for your generosity!
11/30/2012: We are hopeful we will receive a donation of 130 children coats from NY Cares. Please support the cause at NY Cares!
Our New Newsletter!: Vernon Avenue Children’s School is proud to announce our new newsletter! We hope you enjoy and welcome your feedback!
FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS LEGAL HELP TODAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2012: YLAG’s Mobile Legal Help Center will be providing free legal services in Red Hook today, including help with FEMA claims and other Hurricane Sandy-related legal issues. Find the New York Legal Assistance Group (Facebook, Twitter) at 11am at the corner of Bay Street & Columbia Street. Visit www.nylag.org/stormhelp for more info.
About New York Legal Assistance Group: “New York Legal Assistance Group provides free civil legal services to low-income New Yorkers who cannot afford a private attorney.”
Also: The Health Department is announcing food safety and water guidelines to help New Yorkers stay healthy and safe as power is restored in neighborhoods across the City. Food that came into contact with flood waters is potentially contaminated and may cause serious illness or death and must be discarded. When frozen food thaws, and refrigerated food warms, bacteria and other pathogens grow that can also cause serious illnesses, and also needs to be discarded. As power is restored and New Yorkers return to their homes, the Health Department recommends the following:
- Throw away any perishable food (such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, mayonnaise or leftovers) that has been above 41 degrees Fahrenheit for four hours or more.
- Throw away any food (including packaged food) that was touched by flood water. IF IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT.
- Given that many residents have been without power since Sunday or Monday, we recommend that all perishable food be thrown away – whether it was in your refrigerator or freezer.
- Inspect canned food and throw away any food in damaged cans.
For more information, visit http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/pr2012/pr033-12.shtml.
PR: Metropolitan Child Services Inc. Receives Grant from Target for 2012-2013 Program: Read Me a Story, Please/ Léame un Cuento, Por Favor (September 13, 2012) [Images with Release: New MCS Library, Target, Target 2, Target 3, Target 4]
Reminder!:
(click for larger image)
Photos From “Dads Take Your Child To School” event:
Dads Take Your Child To School event from September 6-30th at Vernon Avenue Children’s School!
GRANTS RECEIVED
PR:
RESTON, VA, (10/18/11) — Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play today announced Metropolitan Child Services Inc. as one of 394 recipients of a $5000 grant to improve the outdoor play space at Metropolitan Child Services of Brooklyn New York. The Head Start Center can purchase value added packages from one of 27 elite vendors (Play with a Purpose and Discount School Supply) who were selected by a team of evaluators for the packages’ developmental appropriateness, safety and both play and monetary value. The National Center was created through a federal grant to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) and the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation (AAPAR) from the Office of Head Start.
According to Head Start Center Director –Ms. Margot Hamilton-Sigmone, “We appreciate Head Start Body Start for helping us evaluate our play spaces and educate our children and their families about the value of physical activity and playing outdoors, in particular. This grant will enable our Head Start Center to enhance its play space appearance and promote overall development of all students. Promoting sensory stimulation is another key aspect of our goal as we have an increasing need to provide services to children with special needs. Children’s global development must also be incorporated through the use of literature materials integrated into our play space. Helping children to understand how to make good dietary choices and develop a healthy life style works hand in hand with physical development.
–
Our School received the following grants
Head Start Body Start- At Head Start Body Start National Center for Physical Development and Outdoor Play (HSBS), they are dedicated to promoting physical activity, outdoor play and healthy lifestyles for young children and their families.
MCS received $5000 to purchase playground equipment that will support the physical development of our children and their. See pictures of the items we purchased. We will have a Ribbon cutting ceremony in April 2012.
Quality Stars of New York- High quality early care and learning programs are essential for children’s success in school. QUALITYstarsNY is a voluntary quality rating and improvement system that is designed to increase quality in early learning settings – centers, schools, and homes – throughout the state.
MCS received $800 toward improving the quality of education within its program.
