Alumni News

Looking for Elementary School Teachers in Western MA to Share Wisdom and Experiences
posted 2/28/09 by Beth Volkmann
volkmann@comcast.net
Hello, I am pursuing a graduate degree in Early Childhood Education in Western Massachusetts after realizing that my dream of moving back to NYC to attend Bank Street just wasn’t going to happen soon enough (thus I am not an alum!)! However, I would like to pursue my degree and teaching career with a Bank Street-frame-of-mind! I would like to connect with Bank Street graduates who are (preferably) teaching in public school PreK-3 classrooms so that I can see how maintaining best practices and the Bank Street philosophy are integrated with public school mandates. I am willing to travel 50 miles or so to have this opportunity. Thank you!

Principal Needed – New Los Angeles Charter School
posted 2/28/09 by Robin Levey Burkhardt
robin@post-industrial.com
I am hoping to get in touch with alumni in the California area. I live in Los Angeles and am working on setting up a new charter school in the San Fernando Valley. We are set to open in the fall of 2010. We are currently looking for a principal who can lead the charge on writing our charter, build a project-based curriculum, and establish a warm, nurturing, and vibrant constructivist learning environment. We believe in supporting the growth and development of the whole child. We are committed to serving a population of mixed socio-economic status. For more information contact me or send a resume to valleycharter@gmail.com.

Have you been to Reggio Emilia, Italy?
posted 2/3/09 by Zuleika Fertullien ‘06
zfertu@msn.com
www.beyondbasiclearning.com
I will be attending the Reggio Emilia conference in Italy and would like obtain more information about the landscape of the area and recommendations on dining and local area trips. Look forward to hearing from you.

Looking for NYC Teaching Opportunities with “emotionally challenged children”
posted 1/27/09 by Susan Nussbaum ‘83
Susan9799@aol.com
I left the Bd. of Education when my son was born in 1997, after 15 years of teaching. At this point my children are older and, after contracting out through various agencies doing Early Intervention and SEIT, I want very much to teach again with emotionally challenged children in a NYCDOE school. If you know anyone I could contact, please let me know. I am off to look at The New Perspectives programs, which if you’ve never taken any, you must. They are great and so beneficial. Hope to hear from you!

Bank Street Alums in Denver?
posted 1/24/09 by Jill Stacy ‘03 (nee Syvret)
jill@strocket.com
After living in New York City for nine years, my husband and I have decided to move west to Denver this summer. I would like to connect with alumni who continue to practice Bank Street’s educational philosophy and live in Denver. I would like to teach in a progressive environment and I am hoping to find some one who can advise/guide me as I make my way through the job search process, instead of going in blind, or making cold calls. I graduated from Bank Street’s Early Childhood and Elementary Education program in 2003, and will receive an Advanced Literacy Specialization degree this spring. I look forward to hearing from you! Please contact me at the above e-mail address.

February Open House at the Rubin Museum for Elementary Educators (NYC)
posted 1/22/09 by David Bowles ‘08
dbowles@rmanyc.org
www.rmanyc.org
I’ve been working full time at the Rubin Museum of Art for over a year, and just finished up my MSEd in Museum Education at Bank Street last month. I’d like to share an invitation to an Elementary Educator’s Open House, to share ideas and discuss ways to integrate museum education into classroom learning. Details are below. Cheers!

Dear Educator,
You are warmly invited to attend the Rubin Museum of Art’s Open House for Elementary School Educators, taking place on Wednesday, February 4th from 4-7 pm. The Rubin Museum of Art is at 150 West 17th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues.  The Open House will focus on finding new and exciting ways to enhance your Pre-K to 5th grade curriculum, utilizing the geography, society, history and art of the Himalayan region. Come explore the cultures of Tibet, China, India, and beyond! Bring your fellow teachers and administrators and enjoy an evening of exhibition tours, free exploration of the galleries, art-making activities, and refreshments.  Please rsvp to dbowles@rmanyc.org by February 2nd.  A schedule of the evening’s events is below:

4 pm, Meet & Greet •  Meet fellow educators and learn about Education Programs at the Rubin Museum.
4:30 pm, Exploring Geography Through Art •  Learn how the geography of the Himalayas is connected to the people and art of the region, and how it can help students understand concepts of place and location.
5 pm, Pattern & Shape in Textiles • Explore the exhibition Color & Light: Textiles from India & Pakistan, and use real objects to identify patterns and colors.
5:30 pm, Materials from the Earth • Experience the unique materials that artists from the Himalayas use to create paintings and sculptures.
6pm, Explore Nepal! • Explore the cultural and artistic diversity of the Katmandu Valley with this interactive tour of From the Land of the Gods: Art of the Katmandu Valley.
6pm, Exploring Geography Through Art • Learn how the geography of the Himalayas influences the people and art of the region, and how it can relate to student learning of place and location.
6:45 pm, Making Maps of the Himalayas • Learn a fun way to make geography come alive in the classroom with print making and topographical maps of the Himalayas.

Looking for Bank Street Alums in South Florida
posted 1/8/09 by Janet (Levine) Steinman ‘94, Florida
yanet32@att.net
I am living the good suburban life in Weston, Florida, outside of Fort Lauderdale, with my husband, three children by marriage and one by birth. I taught for years in NYC, in various private schools, and for one year in Weston. My son will be two years old in a few days and I will be thinking about going back to work when he begins school himself. I would like to connect with Bank Street alumni in the South Florida area, specifically Fort Lauderdale itself. I was a Museum Education major and graduated in 1994. Thanks in advance and Happy New Year!

A National Park, Environmental Education, and Smokey the Bear (in Staten Island!)
posted 1/8/09 by John Harlan Warren, NYC
John_Warren@nps.gov
www.nps.gov/npnh/forteachers
John Harlan Warren is an education specialist with the National Parks of New York Harbor Education Center, located at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, New York. Yes, he wears a Smokey Bear hat.

Philly PD/Coach Jobs?
posted 1/8/09 by Elaine Weems, Philadelphia
regpix@aol.com
Dear Fellow Bank Street Graduates,
I live in Pennsylvania and have been searching for a Professional Developer/Coach position in Early Childhood Education. Does anyone know of any opportunities in Philadelphia? Please contact me via e-mail if you do.
Thanking you in advance,
Elaine

Quality Online Classes?
posted 1/8/09 by Heather B. Weisenfluh ‘98, Maine
hweisenf@maine.rr.com
I am looking for feedback about quality online classes. I graduated from Bank Street in 1998 and since have moved from NY. I am looking for classes to keep my certification in Maine current. I am interested in Special Education, regular education classes (mainly pertaining to teaching grades 4 – 8), and classes related to writing curriculum – or if you took any wonderful class online let me know. The classes do not have to be related to education just as long as I am continuing my own education. Please let me know – I miss Bank Street!!!
Thanks,
Heather Bond Weisenfluh