February 3, 2015 for A and C Weeks

February 9, 2015 for B Week

As we wrap up the most current Regents exams, I want to thank all the students who came to the school during Storm Juno and took their exams.  This is a testament to your resilience (making it through the bad weather), responsibility (taking testing seriously and studying hard), and respect (for yourselves, your families, and your futures).  And thanks to all the families who supported students.  Congratulations to you all!

This semester will bring new challenges and successes.  Our first issue is of course the cell phone policy.  We have heard from a number of students and parents that “the mayor said we could have our phones in school.”  This is not what the mayor said or meant.  In the past, the Chancellor’s Cell Phone Policy was one of zero tolerance.  Cell phones were NOT to be brought into the school building at all. 

Early on, as a Charter School, we set our own policy which was students would be allowed to bring their phones into the building, but had to check them in at the security desk.  This WILL NOT CHANGE.  The mayor’s point was that each school should be able to set their own cell phone policy.  We have already done that, no cell phones past the security desk.  Students who attend New Dawn must be willing to take on the responsibility of checking in their phones before entering the building.  Students who refuse to do this will be sent home.  In the past we allowed cell phones into the building and the amount of classroom disruption this caused was unprecedented and we will not go back to this.  We hope our families will support us and work with your student in understanding why they must check in their cell phones.  Please feel free to contact us and discuss the issue.