Calling All Plainfield Princesses!!!

As I shared with you all a few days ago I am embarking upon a new calling which involves mentoring our young ladies. Beginning this Saturday @ 2:30 PM at Christian Fellowship Gospel Church located at 255 Johnston Avenue, Plainfield, New Jersey I will begin a 21 week program entitled: ALWAYS SISTERS – Becoming the Princess You Were Created to Be by CeCe Winans.

All young ladies between the ages of 11-19 are welcomed to attend. Parental permission and a signed compact will be required to participate in the program.

The program is completely FREE!



Young ladies it’s time to reclaim your proper place. The Princess is in the palace –How beautiful she is! (Psalms 45:13)

Tell a friend, bring a friend!

Education Makes The Prez Top 3

I trust you all had the opportunity to hear the address by President Obama last evening. Among the critical, if not dire state of the economy, the lack of healthcare and increasing cost for same, the President set a goal for this entire nation -- A Competitively Rigorous Education for EVERY child!

He's also ask every American to step up to the plate and go back to school. For those of you who have been thinking about finishing up that degree, going for your Masters, PhD or technical certification -- I hope his words of encouragement and pronouncements last night are just the catalyst you'll need to get it going!

Remember--learning NEVER stops! And what better way to send this message to our children than to go back to school and up our own skills, expose ourself to new critical thinking theory and simply expand our minds and thereby expand our potential.

The time is ripe for educational innovative thinkers and doers. I said before and I'll say it again -- WE are the HOPE we've been waiting for...Let's G.O. PLAINFIELD!

*Tootles*

PAAAS Infomeeting

Attention Parents of Upcoming 7th and 8th Graders;

PPS District is holding an Info Session regarding the new Plainfield Public School slated to open in September 2009.

Check out the flyer for details.

Click here for the application for admissions:

There are great things happening in the educational arena of our District...tap in and show up!

Cancellation Notice

Que Pasa?

Hello Plainfield Community;

You’re probably wondering why the lack of up-to-the-minute postings for PEPTalk as par usual. Well -- to be quite honest -- PEP only needs one thing…A new Board!

PEP needs people like you who are willing to step up to serve the general welfare of our community and its children.

I have done what I can do and for the most part I have enjoyed it, but I am being called on another assignment, just as worthwhile, to create a young girls mentoring program. You’ll be hearing more about that in the months to come under a new Blog called From Tiaras to Crowns…The journey to your inner princess.

Please consider leading up this organization; it truly is a worthwhile endeavor. There will always we parents who need an active voice and discerning heart – let it be YOU!

Until Later,
Tootles

PEP Nomination Form

2009 –2010 PEP Election

Dear Plainfield Community –

Parents Empowering Parents (PEP Citywide) will be holding elections for the 2009-2010 PEP Board at the upcoming April 27, 2009 PEP General meeting being held at Washington Community School, Darrow Avenue, Plainfield, New Jersey.

At this time we are taking nominations for the following positions:
(Please write your name next to the position you are seeking)

President: ______________________________
(WRITE YOUR NAME HERE LEGIBLY)

Co Vice President: ______________________________
(WRITE YOUR NAME HERE LEGIBLY)

Secretary ______________________________
(WRITE YOUR NAME HERE LEGIBLY)


Your Home Address: _______________________________

Telephone #: ___________________

Email: __________________________________________

Cell #:__________________________


ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

· You must be a resident of Plainfield, New Jersey.

· You must be an active member of PEP or a board member on either
a school Parent Group (PTO/PTA) or SLC.

· You must provide a full street address and telephone number
otherwise this form will not be validated for entry.

· Valid nomination forms are required to be in at the next PEP Mtg
scheduled March 30, 2009; 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM EST;
at Washington Community School, Darrow Avenue, Plainfiled, NJ

· This form must be filed by the deadline date noted at the
appropriate drop-off site.

PEP R&Rs...

PEP Roles & Responsibilities


President:

·Schedules, creates the agenda in conjunction with the Secretary
·Presides at all meetings of the PEP Citywide and Executive Board
·Acts as the primary resource on matters pertaining to the PEP Citywide or impacting the PEP Citywide mission
·Functions as a liaison to the Superintendent’s Office and other district offices, consulting with appropriate district staff on issues of mutual concern and to apprise the district personnel of proposed PEP Citywide activities
·Obtains necessary permits for PEP Citywide activities and events
·The President or his/her designee shall attend the required monthly meetings reporting all pertinent information to the general membership at the next scheduled PEP Citywide meeting
·Shall serve no more then two consecutive terms


Co-Vice President (Two Positions):

·Performs the duties of the President in his/her absence or inability to serve
·Notifies the Executive Board of meeting changes in a timely manner
·Shall serve as liaison between local PTO and PEP Citywide in order to keep lines of communication open between the two
·Shall attend the required monthly meetings reporting all pertinent information to the general membership at the next scheduled PEP Citywide meeting
·Shall act as the Chairperson of the membership committee
·Shall assist in appointing Chairpersons of approved projects as decided by the Executive Board


Secretary (Two Positions: Recording & Administrative):

·Records, copies and distributes the minutes of all general and Executive Board meetings
·Presents or answers questions about the meeting minutes at each general PEP Citywide meeting
·Assists the President in setting the agenda for the general and Executive Board meetings
·Distributes meeting agendas in advance
·Maintains a current copy of the PEP Citywide Constitution and Bylaws
·Coordinates all PEP Citywide correspondence to ensure that all necessary information is disseminated to the PEP Citywide membership
·Coordinates the receipt of general PEP Citywide mail and distributes items to the individuals and/or positions as appropriate
·Shall be responsible for public relations and nominations/elections of new officers
·Shall be responsible for the coordination of the social programs

All good things must come to an end...

March is the General Election For the PEP Board...

All positions will be up for election and they include:

(1). President

(2). Vice President (Communications & PR)

(3). Vice President (New Memberships)

(4). Secretary (Recording)

(5). Secretary (Administrative)

All Plainfield residents 18 or older are eligible to run. If you are interested in running send me an email with your name, school affiliation(s) and your positioning statement. I will post all candidates information during the next 2 weeks.

Elections will be held at the April Meeting.

Come on Plainfield...it's your TURN to PEP it UP!!!

Is there a Nurse in the House?!?

Okay…so Maria touched on it in her Blog a few days ago and now I’ve got parents emailing me and asking me about it.

What is the deal with the nurses? Yo no se!

Pero,

My suggestion is that any and everyone who cares about this issue, has some concerns, questions, thoughts, or needs clarification should come out to the board meeting tonight.

Come calm, cool and collected. Give the Administration a chance to explain their position, why it is necessary and what is the contingency plan should there be medical emergencies at multiple locations.

Let’s keep our heads and approach this like the team we need to be to get our educational system up to par.

Cogelo Suave

Peace!

My "other" Hat!

Today I had the pleasure of working the entry corridor of Cedarbrook Elementary School for the annual Bring Your Parents to School day on behalf of our PTO a.k.a. The PATT. Special Thanks go to Strossie Smith, Tamar Hill-Sweat and Alicia Jones for assisting and keeping things running smoothly!

We had about 65 parents drop in and do classroom visitation, patronize our Valentine day fundraiser and partake in the district-provided continental breakfast.

I hope our sister schools in PPSD-land had a well attended event and would love to hear your stories, ideas and suggestions for next year!

Until tomorrow...good evening!

Thought for Today

Audacity...boldness or daring, esp. with confident or arrogant disregard for personal safety, conventional thought, or other restrictions... effrontery or insolence; shameless boldness:

As I read some of the going on about Plainfield...yes the rhetoric...I am amazed at the intensity, insensitivity and out and out rude manner in which we speak to and about one another...

How do you encourage partnerships, collaboration and cooperation if all that is put forth are accusations, insinuations and goobledygook.

Come on you guys -- we can do better than this. We deserve better! Stop all this back door name calling and blaming.

If it is the truth -- it will stand on its own. Bring it forth confidently and reverently and stand steadfast in your conviction. Anything else is...well to put it plainly -- is...DISINGENUOUS!

What is your solution(s) to what ails us? What is your value add? What have you done? Most plainly -- what are you doing about making a difference in the life and livelihood of Plainfield's Children?

We can continue to waste time blaming folks, or trying to figure out ulterior motives -- OR -- we can actually begin to work together to bring about the much needed improvements to this city's school.

I'm about the latter! How about You?

ABBOTT vs. School Funding Reform Act (SFRA)

The Following is a direct lift and worthy of duplication -- please read and follow-up accordingly:


News Release

The Abbott v. Burke remand trial ordered by the NJ Supreme Court in a unanimous decision issued on November 18, 2008, will begin on Monday, February 9, at the Bergen County Justice Center in Hackensack.

Judge Peter E. Doyne will conduct fact-finding hearings to determine if the Abbott remedies established by the State Supreme Court in prior rulings can be replaced by the School Funding Reform Act of 2008 (SFRA).

Court will be in session Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. February 28 is expected to be the final day of hearings. Court proceedings are open to the public, and there is ample seating in the courtroom.

The courthouse is located at 10 Main Street in Hackensack For more information about travel to the courthouse and parking, visit: http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/bergen/index.htm

Our Children/Our Schools encourages members and friends to attend the trial. With court in session six days a week for three weeks there will be ample opportunity to observe the proceedings and demonstrate by our presence that there is significant public support for the Abbott remedies and for adequate and equitable education funding for all NJ children.

To share information about the trial and encourage visits to court, OC/OS has created an Abbott Remand Trial Blog. Please visit the blog to find out about scheduled trial witnesses, topics that have been or will be covered in court, and other information. You can also access the blog from the Our Children/Our Schools website.

If you attend court sessions and would like to post on the blog, please send your post to info@ourchildrenourschools.org. You may also post comments directly to the blog.

Please spread the word about the court schedule and the OC/OS trial blog to members of your organizations and other public education supporters.

Are You the One, Two, Three for the BOE?

As Plainfield begins to embark upon its own version of change via the upcoming election for 3 BOE positions, I wanted to share some information from the New Jersey School Board Association regarding frequently asked questions, guidelines and responsibilities for these elected positions.

The following link provides an excellent overview of the job requirements for those of you considering this extensive and worthwhile community role: http://www.njsba.org/candidacy/candkit09%20lnk1.pdf

Equally important is the ETHICS doctrine that outlines State and Fed requirements with regard to the conduct of BOE members: http://www.njsba.org/candidacy/ (Select: Notice New Jersey School Ethics Act)

The March 2, Deadline for petitions is fast approaching. Let's Go Plainfield! It's time to PEP it UP!!!

I look forward to the list of candidacies and subsequent Debates and/or Forums!

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IT CAN BE DONE ... and MARY WILL SHOW YOU EXACTLY HOW!PREPARE NOW TO BRING THIS SCHOOL YEAR TO A CLOSE ON A HIGH NOTE ... TO BEGIN NEXT FALL READY TO ACHIEVE AMAZING ACADEMIC RESULTS!

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Cause vs. Purpose

I heard a marvelous Word yesterday at Church: Cause versus Purpose...

Until that moment I would have said PEP is my purpose...that is to say...equipping parents with knowledge, information and encouragement to collaborate with our educators and uplift our educational system for the betterment of children and our community. The problem with that premise is that there has to be parents and/or community members interested in doing just that. What happens when no one shows up at your meeting? Does that now negate My "Purpose"?

It appears the blessing is not in the purpose by rather the cause. Believing this Word to be Divinely Inspired...I must now focus my intentions on the cause:

• Be CAUSE our children deserve the best!
• Be CAUSE our parents are culpable
• Be CAUSE our teachers are capable
• Be CAUSE our administrators are competent
• Be CAUSE our Students - Will Be Able To
• and Be CAUSE the community-at-large Cares!

So -- I do this just ... Be CAUSE!

Thanks Pastor Miller for reminding me why and for whom!