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Dates & Deadlines
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Teachers
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| Frequently Asked Questions | Officers & Committees | Directions | Contact Us | Links |
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| Greetings! Good Day, Good morning--Lots of announcements and information below. I know these bulletins are too long. One of these days we'll figure out how to place more of the information on the web page and provide the links here, so as to cut back a little on the length of the bulletin. Let me call your attention to the search engine we have installed. This can be a valuable tool for finding out information quickly. Let's say you want to know what union dues was for 2007. Just go to the search engine and type in "union dues 2007." You'll get a quick answer: $ 1005.66 for teachers; for paras, $ 493.92. ...............................*** Schools wishing to apply to become Discovery Schools are asked to submit a letter of interest by this Friday, April 18. The letter should go to both the Union President Richard Stutman and Superintendent Carol Johnson. What's required in the letter of interest can be found on page 3 in the joint Discovery letter co-authored by the superintendent and the union president. Upon receipt of the letter of interest, an application form will be sent out. An updated Discovery School FAQ can be found here. |
| Two Days Left!! Educator of the Year Awards; Nominate a Teacher, Para, Nurse or Any Other BTU Member. |
| On June 23, the city, school department, the school committee, and the union will publicly honor a select group of Boston's exceptional educators -- teachers, paraprofessionals, nurses, therapists, and others who have made a unique contribution to their students, their classrooms, and their schools. A letter from the all parties went out March 5 to all schools seeking nominees. All of the information is in your school office and should be posted for all to see. Applications are due April 15 . Letters of support may be e-mailed to: BostonEducators@cityofboston.gov. Questions, please call Martha at 617-635-4476 |
| Teacher and Para Assignment Pool Dates |
| Para pool is the 29th, teacher pools are April 30, May 1 and 2. All will take place in the Winter Chambers, 26 Court Street. All those excessed (teachers and paras) will receive a letter from us next week with the necessary details, including the day and time of the specific pools for teachers. We will also provide you with the seniority and vacancy lists and post them on MyBPS. Any questions on teacher issues, please email Mike or Caren . Questions on Para issues, please email Jenna . |
| If You Had 30 Seconds to Talk With Supt. Carol Johnson ...What Would You Say? | |
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Elevator Version: What if you had 30 seconds to talk with the superintendent? What would you say? Pet peeves and positive suggestions alike are welcome at this address.As this is an elevator version of a conversation, please keep your suggestions and comments to 150 words or less. |
| Subject to editing, all responses will be published in the union newspaper. | |
| Dates--Blood Drive, Group Ins. etc. |
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| April 14 | Health Insurance Seminar with Consultant, 4:00 PM |
| April 16 | Group Insurance Meeting. Save the Date. At this meeting you can change plans, add dependents, and so on. |
| May 13 | BTU Retirees Day on the Hill |
| May 29 | BTU Annual Blood Drive --mail to blooddrive@btu.org
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| June 17 | Golf Tournament |
| New Teachers & Paras: Know Your Benefits |
| The September issue of the Boston Union Teacher is devoted to a full explanation of benefits. You may access all of the information by clicking on benefits. |
| Retirees Day on Beacon Hill to Fight for a Fair and Just C.O.L.A. |
| Save on your calendar May 13, the Retirees Day on Beacon Hill to Fight for a Fair and Just C.O.L.A. Please call the retirees office at 617-288-2000 and reserve a seat! |
| Guidance Faculty Senate Meets 4/15 |
| Guidance Faculty Senate Meeting on April 15th from 3:30pm-5pm at the BTU Hall: We welcome all new members and look forward to seeing all. Let's discuss how to use our professional development money allocated to guidance, discuss the possibility of new opportunities as the system hires a new director of guidance, and discuss our own visions and needs in our particular schools. Please come and share your ideas,energy and experience. For more info contact Susan Trotz , Guidance Counselor at Mildred Avenue Middle School. |
| TechBoston Facing History Trip to Europe: Keeping in Touch |
| 24 high school seniors and 8 staff members from TechBoston Academy, will travel to Europe April 15-27 as the culminating project for the Facing History and Ourselves curriculum. The trip will include visits to concentration camps such as Dachau and Auschwitz, as well as a visit to Nuremburg and Checkpoint Charlie. The students will share their experiences and reflections on the class blog as they get a first hand look at some of the issues discussed throughout the school year." |
| Timilty Teacher Has New Book Published |
| A shout out goes to Jonathan Cooper-Wiele, Timilty teacher who just had a book published. The book is titled, Skim Milk Yankees Fighting: The Battle of Athens, Missouri August 5, 1861. The publisher is Press of the Camp Pope Bookshop in Iowa City, Iowa. For those persons interested in obtaining a copy of the book, the publisher's web site is here . A fellow teacher wrote of this accomplishment: I think that whenever a BPS teacher is able to achieve such an accomplishment, it should be broadcast from all hilltops. BPS does have accomplished, dedicated teachers, and our BPS/BTU community should be aware of their achievement. We agree. Congratulations, Jonathan. |
| Turn off a Light; Save $$$ |
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One of our readers has suggested that we remind our staff to turn off a light when not in use. Good idea. We are glad to mention. Every little bit of savings helps. Any other bright ideas we will be happy to publish. |
| Science Dep. Social Event |
| Announcing: Boston Science Teachers' April Science Social!! Friday, 4/18, Appetizers will once again be generously provided by the UMass Boston COSMIC (Center for Math and Science in Context) office. Location: Blarney Stone 1505 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester 617.436.8223 Host Schools: Murphy and John D. O'Bryant Time: Anytime from 3-7pm Parking: Lot available and street parking MBTA Directions: Take the Red Line to the Fields Corner stop. (They are 1 1/2 blocks down on the right side of Dorchester Avenue. ) For more information: (jmendillo@boston.k12.ma.us), (jfelicetti@boston.k12.ma.us) or (ehashimoto@boston.k12.ma.us) |
| Aquarium Admission Update | |
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BTU membership card-holders receive free Aquarium admission and reduced IMAX admission ($7.95) - not valid for their special feature films. |
| MA. Budget Analysis |
| For an up-to-date incisive look at the Mass Budget, please see here . While not a particularly sexy topic, budget practices and policies fund our schools, fix our bridges, and pay our salaries. We should know a little about how fiscal policy works. The BTU, by the way, helps fund this research, as it is a valuable tool in our state house lobbying efforts. |
| Text for Peace Contest |
20th Annual POSTER CONTEST; "Text for Peace - Text 'Tip' to Crime (27463)". Enter to win $500 for your school or program!
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| Marathon Event for Slain Timilty Student | |
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Marathon Fundraiser - Tommy Ozbolt, a City Year corps member at the James P. Timilty Middle School, is running his first Boston Marathon (and first marathon ever!) to honor Steven Odom, a Timilty 8th grader who was s hot and killed in October while walking home from a basketball game. |
Tommy Ozbolt hopes to raise $12,694 in honor of Steven's birthday of January 26, 1994. The funds will be used to create two undergraduate scholarships for graduating 8th grade students this year. If you would like to donate, please visit Tommy's website or send checks payable to Tommy Ozbolt with the memo "Steven Odom Scholarship Fund" at: 27 St. Lukes Rd., Allston, MA 02134. Good Luck Tommy, and thank you. |
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| Donations for Johnson Family Memorial Fund; Acia Johnson was an Honor Roll student at the Gavin Middle School |
| As most have heard, a student at the Gavin Middle School and her younger sister died in what appears to be an arson-caused fire. Acia Johnson was an honor roll student at the Gavin and she was captain of the girl's basketball team. Please join us in donating to the Acia and Sophia memorial fund, c/o the Eastern Bank, 470 West Broadway, South Boston, Mass. 02127. Thank you for your kindness. |
| Conley Elem. School Fundraiser |
| CONLEY SCHOOL SPRING FLING--The Conley School is having a Spring Fling Fundraiser on Friday, May 16th, 2008. The event will take place at the Sons of Italy Hall in Roslindale Square. The cost for food, music, dancing and a silent auction is only $15. The Conley School Parent Council is accepting donations for both the silent auction and live auction. We encourage all past employees and friends of the Conley to join us. Please consider buying a ticket or making a donation. Monies will be used for Conley programs. For more information please call The Conley School at 617-635-8099 or email mjohnson6@boston.k12.ma.us. |
| Triathletes to Raise $$ for Leukemia and Lymphoma | |
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Kristi Tan (teacher at BCLA) and Lexie Oostling (teacher at Community Transition School) are participating in the Mooseman Triathlon in Newfound Lake, New Hampshire to raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Kristi and Lexie ) hope to raise $2600 each by May 1, 2008. |
| Such donations support the unexpected costs that aren't being covered by insurance patients face while undergoing treatment. They also provide patients access to experimental drugs that help further research in combating leukemia and lymphoma. Thank you both, and good luck. | |
| Retirement Party | |
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There is an upcoming retirement party for Ann Caputo Kirby who has worked for the BPS for 36 years as well as was a BTU representative years back. We will be celebrating her retirement and would love others who know and love her to join us on Friday June 13, 2008 at 6pm at the Hilton in Dedham ( 25 Allied Drive) . |
| The cost per person is 70 dollars. RSVP by May 30th with a check payable to Anne Schertzer: 2 Nancy Circle, Canton, MA 02021. |
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| High School Reunion |
| DR and Ladies First Entertainment presents it's first annual CITY OF BOSTON OLD SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL REUNION. For tickets contact me at 617-797-1863, Rhonda Howell Heard, or email oldschoolhighschool@yahoo.com. |
| Scholarship Fund for Peggy Hoban |
| A scholarship fund has been set up in honor of Peggy Hoban at Emmanuel College. Her friends from Emmanuel are attempting to raise 25,000 dollars to be awarded as a 4-year scholarship to a BPS student who has been admitted to Emmanuel. Peggy Hoban worked in the system for many years before her sudden passing last year. She had many friends in the system who may wish to contribute to this cause. Contributions may be made to Emmanuel College in memory of Dr. Margaret Ann (Peggy) Hoban '72. Donations should be sent to: Mr. Chris Leonardi, c/o Development Office, Emmanuel College, 400 The Fenway, Boston MA 02115 |
Sincerely,
Richard Stutman
BTU President
richardstutman@comcast.net (home)rstutman@btu.org (work)
617-288-2000
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