Monday, December 14, 2009

Rescheduled Schools Meeting Tonight!

Tonight: December, 14th.
Where: Macdonough School Cafeteria
Time: 6:00 pm.

Childcare and Dinner will be provided

What: Come discuss the future of our schools. The focus for this workshop will be North End schools, but the implications could touch all of downtown, as well as property values and quality of life. Everyone should attend this workshop.

Call NEAT if you have questions or need transportation 860-346-4845

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Schools Meeting Postponed

Tonight's Important Schools Meeting is Postponed Until Monday, December 14th at 6:00 pm.

I hope you will be able to attend. We will have childcare and dinner.

Middletown Public Schools hired JCJ Architecture to figure out how to solve school overcrowding at Moody and bring Macdonough School into racial balance with the district's average. Whatever happens, the North End will be affected.

Our kids are at the heart of this study. North End children who attend Moody School may be districted to another school and the lines for who attends Macdonough may change. The report also suggests making Macdonough a magnet school to solve racial imbalance.

NEAT will be hosting a meeting this Monday, December 14th 6:00 pm at Macdonough School to discuss what the neighborhood wants its school to become.

It is very important that you attend this meeting. We will discuss what we want in a school, what we'd like to preserve, what our ideal attendance boundaries would be, and how to keep a community school and conform to the state's mandates.

This meeting will be run by NEAT and you will have the chance to express your views and concerns. Childcare will be provided and there will be dinner for everyone. This is open to anyone who would like to participate, no matter what school your child attends, or even if you don't have children.

The entire North End will be affected by this change, your property values depend on having a good school, your friends and neighbors will be affected.

Please call NEAT for more information or email neat@neatmiddletown.org. You can click here to get the links to the JCJ report.


Monday, December 7, 2009

Food Allergy Info

This is info about food allergies from a group that we have sometimes worked with. I hope this is helpful to you.

Oftentimes when we think about taking care of our health and keeping our families safe, there is one danger that is overlooked – Food Allergies.

Each year, food allergies send about 125,000 Americans to emergency rooms. Most of those serious reactions occur in schools and restaurants, not inside the food allergy sufferers’ own homes.

This shows that there is a serious lack of information out there among the general public about the dangers of food allergies. Could you imagine if there was a similar absence of knowledge about heart attacks or CPR?

Children, who can be unaware of the daily risks posed by the things with which they come in contact, are especially susceptible to the dangers of the outside world. It is often up to the adults in their lives to prevent situations that could trigger reactions. But when the adults are similarly unaware, even schools and playgrounds can suddenly become potentially hazardous minefields.

However, there is some good news. Researchers believe that they are only about ten years away from discovering treatments or even cures for food allergies if they are able to continue their work.

We can help! Write a letter to your congressman expressing support for food allergy research, and encourage everyone to do so as well.

As a community, it is our duty to be educated enough to protect the safety of all of our members. Learn how you can help today at www.faiusa.org.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Board of Education Sponsored Workshop Tonight!

Middletown Public Schools hired JCJ Architecture to figure out how to solve school overcrowding at Moody and bring Macdonough school into racial balance with the district's average. JCJ presented their findings at the last Board of Ed meeting. There, they decided to host two public workshops to help inform the public of the various options.

The first of those meetings will be held tonight, December 1st at Macdonough School at 6:30 pm. The second will be on Thursday, December 3rd at Keigwin Middletown School at 6:30 pm.

The Board of Ed would like public input from the public, so please attend if you can. This WILL affect the North End. Our kids are at the heart of this study. North End children who attend Moody School may be districted to another school and the lines for who attends Macdonough may change. The report also suggests making Macdonough a magnet school to solve racial imbalance. Please attend so that the North End is educated.

Also, NEAT will be hosting a meeting next Wednesday, December 9th (our regularly scheduled NEAT meeting, just a location change) at 7:00 pm at Macdonough School to discuss what the neighborhood wants its school to become. Based on the JCJ report, there are a lot of different options, but they all involve changing Macdonough in some way.

It is very important that you attend the December 9th meeting. We will discuss what we want in a school, what we'd like to preserve, what our ideal attendance boudaries would be, and how to keep a community school and conform to the state's mandates.

This meeting will be run by NEAT and you will have greater ability to express your views and concerns.

If you can only attend one meeting, please attend the December 9th meeting.

Childcare will be provided and there will be dinner for everyone. This is open to anyone who would like to participate, no matter what school your child attends, or even if you don't have children. The entire North End will be affected by this change, your property values depend on having a good school, your friends and neighbors will be affected.

Please call NEAT for more information or email neat@neatmiddletown.org. You can click the links below to download the report from JCJ.

Click here for the November 17, 2009 Presentation from JCJ Architecture (9MB)

Click here for the November 10, 2009 report from JCJ Architecture (3MB)

click here to read about this issue in the Middletown Press

click here to read about this issue in the Hartford Courant

click here to read about this issue in the Middletown Eye