The STEM Fair tool place May 16th on the USS Intrepid. I'm biased, but we 100% had the best exhibit! Congratulations to Ms. Summers, Ms. Best, Ms. Marcano and Mr. Gooden for their Battle Bots arena and to Joseph Martinez for building a robot to beat all robots!

Thank you to Ms. Best for the video!

Our seniors headed to Club Getaway this Friday. They hiked, and zip lined, danced, and ate all the food at a BBQ and ice cream social. I hope it's an event that they never forget,

Thanks to our chaperones for helping to make it so special:

Ms. Mayra Pascual

Mr. Brian Williams

Ms. Ariyelda Duran

Mr. Wally Claudio

Mr. Jerome Gooden

Ms. Sheneise Thelem

Ms. Josefina Perez

Ms. Hildania Perez

Ms. Renee Battee

Mr. Mohammad Farid

Eric Dominguez, our most recent GED graduate, received his first acceptance letter to Kingsborough Community College!

5/23 BTC Celebration of the Arts

5/26 NYSAA Deadline

ComicCon/Structured Teaching Art Event

5/31 Spring SANDI Closes

6/1 Update IEP Data Tracker

6/2 BTC Awards Ceremony

6/3 Family Art Day at the Guggenheim

6/8 Chancellor’s Conference Day, BTC Prom

6/9 Clerical Day, All IEPs MUST be completed

6/12 Graduation Practice

6/13 Art Event at the Met

6/14 BTC Graduation

6/15 Update IEP Data Tracker

6/16 Report Card Grades due

Fire Debaters at 721K

6/17 Art event at MoMA

6/19 Juneteenth- no school

6/27 Last Day of School

The 2022/23 Brooklyn Transition Center COMIC CON will take place on Friday, May 26.

All staff and students are invited to dress as their favorite comic, cartoon, or anime characters!

The day's activities will include:

- A Q&A with a professional Comics Creator!

- A Cosplay Contest with the Anime Club!

- After Seminar we will feature an Artists Alley where classes can purchase 'zines, comics, sketchbooks, and coloring books!

More details to come this week!

Congratulations to our first ten-week Mindfulness and Resilience Program graduates!

Ms. Crousset (Y08) along with Rachel Hayes hosted a movie afternoon to watch “Spellers”-

Ms. Fourquet and Y11 joined in to meet new friends and watch together.

https://spellersthemovie.com

Inspired by the book Underestimated, the new full-length documentary SPELLERS challenges conventional wisdom regarding a group relegated to society’s margins: nonspeakers with autism, who most “experts” believe are cognitively disabled.

As the film opening asks, “What if we’ve been wrong…about every single one of them?” SPELLERS answers that question, in convincing fashion, through the stories of eight nonspeakers—Aydan, Evan, Sid, Maddie, Jamie, Vince, Cade, and Elizabeth—who all found their voice through the miraculous process of using a letterboard to communicate their thoughts and feelings. As Jamie explains, “we think, feel, and learn just like everyone else.”

The film blends beautiful cinematography with heart-wrenching stories of these eight spellers and a strong message for every parent of a nonspeaker: your child can do this, too. SPELLERS also demands that teachers, schools, and therapists wake up to the reality that we may have underestimated the abilities of more than 50 million people worldwide.

Ms. Tritt and her students will have art displayed at the June 3rd Guggenheim Family Day!

Use this link to register.

Congratulations to Andy Hernandez! His work City Collage was nominated by Ms Gillinson, and was selected for display in the annual PSArt exibit at the Met on June 13th!

Congratulations to Donna Bean and her students.

They participated in the SEL and Sketch PD series this year, and their work will be showcased in the "This Is Me" exhibition at The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), showcasing student artists who participated in the CRSE: Collaborative Mural and SEL and Sketch Program/PD Series.

We'll be sharing tech updates with parents- here's our first:

Dear parents, caregivers, and guardians,

We are thrilled to provide you with an update on the exciting world of Computer Science Education and the fantastic progress your students have made in their recent Computer Science class. In this Tech Corner article, we'll explore the valuable lessons they've learned during their unit on cardinal directions, focusing on their engaging Science Fair project named "Battle of the Bots" featuring Dash the Robot and Sphero Bolt.

Introduction to Cardinal Directions:

1. The unit on cardinal directions serves as a fundamental building block for your child's spatial awareness and problem-solving skills. By understanding north, south, east, and west, your students gained the ability to navigate and describe locations with accuracy and precision.

Battle of the Bots:

1. The Science Fair project, "Battle of the Bots," brought together the concepts of cardinal directions and computer science in an exciting and interactive way. The students had the opportunity to program and control two robotic devices: Dash the Robot and Sphero Bolt, which were engaged in a battle to see who could pop the other bots balloon, which was attached to the back of each robot who participated in the battle.

Programming Dash the Robot:

1. Dash the Robot is an educational robot that can be programmed using block-based coding. Your students learned how to give Dash instructions to move in specific directions, turn, and even perform complex maneuvers. By incorporating cardinal directions, they could create intricate paths for Dash to follow during the Battle of the Bots competition, and ultimately pop their opponents' balloons to eliminate them from the competition.

Mastering Sphero Bolt:

1. Sphero Bolt is a spherical robot that introduces your child to the fascinating world of robotics and coding. Through coding exercises, your students learn how to program Sphero Bolt to move in cardinal directions, perform rotations, and even change colors. These skills enabled them to strategize and execute precise movements during the Battle of the Bots.

STEM Fair Experience:

1. The Battle of the Bots was the highlight of the recent D75 STEM Fair, where a select group of students had the opportunity to showcase their creativity, problem-solving abilities, and programming skills. They worked in teams to design a challenging arena and programmed Dash the Robot and Sphero Bolt to navigate it successfully, and to burst their opponents balloon. Our official undefeated champion was Joseph Martinez, who is a student in Ms. Hamilton’s homeroom class.

Key Takeaways:

1. Through the Battle of the Bots project, your children have gained invaluable skills and knowledge. They have learned about cardinal directions, honed their programming skills, and enhanced their problem-solving abilities. Moreover, they have experienced the thrill of collaborating, designing, and competing in a real-world competitive scenario.

Beyond the Classroom:

1. Computer Science education goes beyond the confines of the classroom. It equips students with skills that are increasingly in demand in various fields. By participating in projects like Battle of the Bots, your children gain a deeper understanding of the practical applications of computer science, fostering creativity and critical thinking that will be valuable throughout their lives.

Encouraging Continued Learning:

1. As parents, guardians, and caregivers, we encourage you to nurture your child's interest in computer science and computational thinking. Engage with them in conversations about their projects, encourage them to explore additional coding resources, and support their participation in extracurricular activities related to robotics or computer programming. This ongoing involvement will reinforce the lessons learned in the classroom and provide a solid foundation for their future endeavors.

Computer Science education empowers students with essential skills that will shape their future. We are delighted to witness the remarkable progress your children have made, and we hope you are just as excited about their achievements. By embracing the ever-evolving world of technology, we can prepare our students for a world full of opportunities.

Thank you for your continued support.

https://youtu.be/gVybQJSNlS4

Sincerely,

Khalilah Summers

P373K - Brooklyn Transition Center

Our Young Women's Group heads to Vermont this week for a trip to Zeno Mountain Farm.

Have a great time- I can't wait to share pictures next week!

From Ms. Gillinson:

I would like to shout of Meagan Pastore! When she pushes into art, I love that she takes the time to talk to and get to know each student in the class, she is always enthusiastic and hands-on with whatever messy project we are working on and is unbelievably supportive in prompting students to communicate and be even more independent in the art room!

Humor me here. Most of you know I'm a Mets fan (Yankees fans I see you and I love you).

The game v the Guardians on Friday was the most exciting one I've seen in years. Years. The Mets (and I say this with lots of fan love) seem to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. A lot. It looked like that was the case (down by 5) and THEN, Alvarez, the catcher (catcher? our catcher hits?) slams a solo home run. THEN, Polar Pete with a grand slam to tie and move into extra innings. Finally, Lindor with a walk off against his former team to win in the 10th. Such great New York energy, and a perfect way to usher in summer.

I give you....Meet the Mets.