Mark Your Calendars:

          • Wednesday, February 12:  Enrollment Lottery, 1 PM, Library
          • Monday, February 17:   SCHOOL CLOSED FOR PRESIDENTS DAY
          • Thursday, March 5:   Family Arts Night, 5:45 – 8 PM (see below)
          • Friday, March 13:   SCHOOL CLOSED FOR STAFF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

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CNH IS Open Tomorrow, Tuesday, February 4!

We are aware there is a special election being held tomorrow, Tuesday, February 4. City Neighbors Hamilton and City Neighbors High School are NOT polling places for this election. Here is a link of Baltimore City Public Schools that will be impacted by tomorrow’s Election: https://www.baltimorecityschools.org/electionclosing. City Neighbors Hamilton will be in session tomorrow, as usual.

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When Should You Keep Your Kids Home from School?

Tis the season for a certain degree of yuckiness that spreads from student to student.  Thank you for doing your part to break the cycle by keeping your children home when they are ill.  Absences due to illness are excused absences, as long as a note of excuse is provided.

The following is excerpted from the School Handbook:

“Children should not attend school when they are exhibiting contagious symptoms such as fever, thick nasal discharge, vomiting, diarrhea, or heavy coughing, or have a communicable disease such as chicken pox or head lice. Students should be symptom-free for 24 hours before returning to school.

If your child has been absent due to a communicable or contagious disease or condition, i.e. strep throat, a note from his/her doctor or nurse practitioner is required upon his/her return to school stating the student has been treated for the condition and is safe to return to school. This note should be provided to the Health Suite.

If your child becomes ill while at school, the school nurse or health aide will notify you. If you are not reachable then we will contact one of the people on your emergency contact list. Please be sure to update your emergency contact list periodically.”

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Volunteers Needed for Spring Jam 2020!

The Community Relations Committee is planning for Spring Jam 2020, a celebration of Northeast Baltimore. The event is an effort to build community and raise funds for special projects that will further integrate the school with surrounding neighborhoods. It will take place on Thursday, May 7 from 7-10 PM at Function Coworking Community, 4709 Harford Road.

The fundraiser will feature performances by local musicians, food and drink from neighborhood vendors, and a silent auction with goods and services donated by local businesses. We will be sending a letter home with more information soon. In the meantime, please follow this link to sign up to volunteer for the event: https://tinyurl.com/vgykkrr.

Questions? Contact Christina Delgado, cdelgado@cityneighborshamilton.org

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Diversity Spotlight

This month’s Diversity Spotlight comes from Lara Grace, who was inspired by the first graders’ visits to the Oak Crest retirement community. Below, Lara offers suggestions for books that touch on differences in age.

We’re partnering with two great institutions in the community on our book recommendations: the Enoch Pratt Free Library and The Children’s Bookstore (4717 Harford Rd. in Lauraville). When the Pratt or the bookstore have our featured books, we’ll include a link. If you “Place a Hold” on the book at the Pratt link, you can choose the local branch where you’d like to pick it up.

You can add suggestions for books on any topic related to diversity, equity, and inclusion at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B4foB7kP7eA_RFAmsDrri96ZpnRIiElPN-GHcO4r9bw/edit?ts=5df11a83.

Talk to you next month!

~Raina Wilson and Lawrence Lanahan

Below are books that celebrate seniors, aging, and seeing the value in having relationships with people who are a different age than you. Included are prompts that can guide you and your family to talk about these topics:

• What can you learn from having friendships with different age groups?
• Is it valuable to spend time with people who are different in age? Why or why not?
• Did the characters seem believable to you? Did they remind you of anyone in your own life?
• Inspired by the book Tiny, Perfect Things by M.H. Clark: Create a drawing that maps out your neighborhood. Include everyday treasures you might find along a walk in your neighborhood. Envision taking a walk with an older/younger family member or friend. What might you both notice along your walk?
• What do you do differently/the same from people older than you? younger than you? your own age?

Tiny, Perfect Things by M.H. Clark

Enoch Pratt

The Children’s Bookstore
The whole world is a treasure waiting to be found. Open your eyes and see the wonderful things all around. This is the story of a child and a grandfather whose walk around the neighborhood leads to a day of shared wonder as they discover all sorts of tiny, perfect things together. With rhythmic storytelling and detailed and intricate illustrations, this is a book about how childlike curiosity can transform ordinary days into extraordinary adventures.

The Remembering Box by Eth Clifford

Enoch Pratt
Joshua spends every Friday night and every Saturday with his grandmother, celebrating the Jewish Sabbath. On Friday night, Grandma blesses the Sabbath lights, and the two share a traditional meal. On Saturday afternoon, they settle down with a box they call “the remembering box.” Joshua draws an item from the box, and Grandma tells its story. And what wonderful stories they are!

Grand Mothers edited by Nikki Giovanni

Enoch Pratt

The Children’s Bookstore
Nikki Giovanni created this book by asking her friends–people like Gloria Naylor, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Maxine Hong Kingston–for their stories and recollections of their grandmothers, then to a group of writers in their nineties for their thoughts. Grand Mothers celebrates those special women in every culture who preserve heritage and prepare the future.

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Mark Your Calendars: Family Arts Night #2!

On Thursday, March 5, CNH will host the 2nd Family Arts Night for the 2019-2020 school year! The event will run from 5:45-8 PM. We will start the evening with performances in the auditorium and then break into student led workshops as well as a few guest artist workshops.  We look forward to coming together again for an evening of fun!

 

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Square 1 Fundraiser

CNH will be partnering with Square 1 Art for the third time this year to support fundraising efforts. Students in grades K-5 have begun creating pieces of artwork that can be turned into memorable keepsakes. At the beginning of March, students and families will receive a custom catalog featuring their artwork. The school earns a profit for every order placed – they even cover our shipping if we reach 50 orders! We look forward to sharing more information with you as this fundraiser progresses.  If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us!

Ms. Cohen & Mary Alice Yeskey

hcohen@cityneighborshamilton.org

myeskey@cityneighborshamilton.org

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City Neighbors Summer Camp

It’s the dead of winter, but City Neighbors Foundation has been working with our two lower schools to begin planning for City Neighbors Children’s Camp for Summer 2020!  Coming Soon!  Watch this space!

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Summer Job Opportunities for Students 14 and Older:

Deadline March 1

It’s not too early for your teens to begin thinking about a summer job!  Summer jobs can provide opportunities for students to earn real pay for real work, learn about the workplace, apply education they received during the school year, contribute to communities and families, and connect with positive role models.  YouthWorks summer jobs program is available to students ages 14 to 21.  Beginning January 2, students can apply at youthworks.oedworks.com.  Find out more at www.oedworks.com.

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What’s Happening at the Pratt

DICheck out what’s happening at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in January and February:  https://www.prattlibrary.org/uploadedfiles/www/about/pratt_publications/compass_janfeb2020_web_smaller.pdf

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Wanna Meet with Dr. Shyla or Ms. Rashida?

You are invited to make an appointment to meet with either of us using our appointment calendars. Be sure to add the topic/agenda of our meeting in the Notes section, so that we are prepared for the meeting. We look forward to speaking with you. 

Here is the link to Shyla’s Appointment Calendar.

Here is the link to Rashida’s Appointment Calendar.

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