The Message from Mr. Pan's Calculus Class

View this on LiveDigital

Shift Happens

In august 2207, Karl Fisch was asked by his administration to do a presentation at his at the new school year faculty meeting. He stated in his his blog (http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/08/did-you-know.html), "I'm really focused on staff development and the "vision" of where we should be headed, so I wanted to do something different." He remixed content from David Warlick, Thomas Friedman, Ian Jukes, Ray Kurzweil and others, added some music, and came up with the following awesome, thoughtful, and widely spreaded presentation, SHIFT HAPPENS.

What Matters Most to Colleges

Copied From https://www.collegedata.com

How do colleges select students? It's not one of the great mysteries of life, even though it sometimes looks that way. While there is no precise formula for how a student gets admitted to a college, admissions departments typically provide their admissions criteria. On CollegeData's College Profile pages (in the College Match section) you can find lists of these factors. Most colleges then rank their factors as Very Important, Important, Considered or Not Considered.

Which Factors Rank as the Most Important to a College?

While every college is different, some factors consistently rank as either Important or Very Important:

College prep course grades (AP, IB, and honors) — Most high schools use a weighted GPA system, so that grades in college prep courses count more than those of regular courses. Even if your high school does not do this, most college admissions officers consider your completion of such courses one of the strongest signs of your commitment to do well in college.

Standardized test scores — These include the results of the SAT I, the ACT, the SAT II, Advanced Placement (AP) tests and the International Baccalaureate (IB) exams. Colleges will let you know which of these tests you will need to submit scores for. The SAT I and the ACT scores are the two most requested. The SAT II Subject Tests, AP tests, and IB exams are more often part of supplemental application materials. The SAT I is designed to predict how well a student will do as a college freshman, and the ACT is designed to show what a student learned in high school.

Overall high school grades — Your transcript will display every class that you have taken in high school and the corresponding grade you received in that class. Colleges will be looking to see whether you took challenging courses or whether you opted for the easier route.

Class rank — Class rank shows which percentage of your high school senior class you are in, or where you place numerically, based on your GPA. The higher your GPA the better chance you have of being in a higher rank, depending on the GPAs of your classmates and how the ranks are divided. Colleges that use this factor (not all do) want to see how much competition you had to face to achieve your rank. Ranking number one or in the top ten percent in a class of 300 is more impressive than ranking in the same position in a class of 12. However, fewer than half of high schools track class rank, and most of those are public high schools.

Letters of recommendation — These are forms which ask certain teachers, your high school counselor and possibly your principal to complete and submit to colleges as a testimony of your achievements and capabilities. They are supposed to be letters of praise, so look for faculty with whom you've had a good history, who know you well and who can vouch for your likelihood of academic success. Colleges want an honest, professional opinion of your abilities and personality. These endorsements can make a difference when your application is compared to others that are similar to yours, especially at private colleges.

The admissions essay — Almost every application will ask you to submit an essay or personal statement, based on a question the college provides. You may usually choose from several questions. Your essay is a way for colleges to find out more about you as an individual, what means the most to you, what experiences have affected you the most or what you have to say about your world. Your essay is your opportunity to put a "personality" behind the application. Like letters of recommendation, a good essay can tip a decision in your favor, especially at private colleges.

Extracurricular activities — These are the things you do outside of high school. What you do in your spare time says a lot about you, so make sure your activities give the message you intend. Maybe you're on a sports team, take ballet classes, play an instrument, are vice president of the chess club, work or volunteer. The thing that counts most to a college is quality over quantity. How long you have been involved, how much time you alot to an activity each week, and whether or not you have taken a role of leadership in your activity are the things that will matter most to a college, especially private colleges.
A special talent — This is a skill that makes you stand out. Whether it's your piano playing or your creativity in painting, a special talent that is valued by a college could give you a leg up on other candidates, not to mention access to scholarships that list your talent as one eligibility criterion. If a college wants a talent you possess, there is no telling what they'll offer.

While all of these factors are important, it is up to the college that you are applying to to tell you which are the most important to them. You can see that colleges want more than just test scores and GPAs. They want a whole student. Start investigating which factors matter most to the college of your dreams.

Happy Family

Let's laugh together!

My 2006 Math & Science Institute Luncheon Speech

Ms. DeAngelis, Assistant Principals, Teachers, and especially Institute Graduates, on this day of celebration, you are all happy and fulfilled. You feel just proud of your accomplishments to date.

A few words of recognition are due to those who have helped make today’s event possible. To Ms. DeAngelis, I thank you for the wisdom and constant support you have provided. To Assistant Principals, I thank you for offering rigorous courses as well as unselfish helps. To teachers, I gratefully acknowledge your dedication, and caring, and for times, you have challenged our students to reach their full potentials. To Mrs. Barnett, I thank you for your hard work and commitment to the institute. To you, the institute graduates, you are the reason why we are here. You have brought the distinction to yourself, your family, and your school. Congratulations!

You will leave us soon.
I will miss you very, very, …, very much.
I will miss the moment when you demanded me to change your program. I will miss the moment when we danced with slopes, and sang calculus songs with holiday melodies. Asaf, you sang too loudly but you had a good voice, more expresive tham the math formula.
I will miss the Senior Reversal Day.Surit made me became a beautiful blonde high school student.
I will miss your sweet smile after you solved a tough problem, got a good grade, or received an award.
I will miss your shining eyes exploring knowledge and searching for truth.
I will miss the nerurous small talks about your happiness, personal or family problems, and mostly your dreams.
I will miss your shows. In my eyes, your shows are better than the ones on Broadway.

So after you leave New Dorp, please stay in touch!

To express my best wish to you, let me quote what Mark Twain wrote,

“Always work like you don’t need money. Always fall in love like you’ve never hurt. Always dance like nobody is watching. And always, …., always live like it’s heaven on the earth.”

Again, congratulations, and thank you for letting me be part of your life.

My Family Invited by NYC Mayor Bloomberg

A month ago, NYC Mayor's Public Relation Office on behalf of Mayor Bloomberg called me, and invited my wife and me to attend Mayor's Asian Heritage Celebration Party at 5:30 pm on May 8, 2006 at his residence, Gracie Mansion. I requested my daughter to go with us. The lady said that she was not sure if we could bring our child there but promised me to call me back. 15 minutes later, she confirmed that we could bring our child to the party. My wife and my daughter were more excited about Mayor's invitation than I was. They were talking about what they would ware that day and what food would be served there.

On May 8, I got home earlier from work. We decided to take subway instead of driving there. We arrived at Gracie Mansion, the Mayor's residence, at 5:25 pm. Good timing!

There were about 500 guests plus a big catering crew there. We enjoyed all the performances by a Filipino band, a Chinese opera company, and a Korean Tai Kwan Do team. Mayor Bloomberg made a speech to praise Asian America’s great contribution to the New York City, and hosted a quiz game to entertain his guests. He took pictures with each of his guests, and promised us that we would get the picture by mail soon.

NBC anchor Ann Curry made a short speech about her experience as an Asian American. Tons of foods and drinks were served: Chinese food, Japanese food, Korean food, Hawaiian food and Filipino food; Soft drinks, wines and cocktails. I tried to find some educators or my friends who I knew. Unfortunately, I found none. Three of us walked around house and visited his backyard. Here were the photos we took.

Gracie Mansion was built in 1799 by Archibald Gracie. It has served as the New York City mayoral residence since 1942. From my point of view, It is not luxurious but it is simple, functional, and beautiful.

The 7th Grade Band

On May 2, 2006, parents, teachers, and students enjoyed great performances presented by the band, the string orchestra, and the choir of Mark Twain Intermediate School for the Gifted & Talented. My daughter, who was in the 7th grade Band, performed "Aventura" (the Spanish word for adventure), a piece composed by James Swearingen. My daughter started playing piano at 4 and flute at 9. She will be attending Manhattan School of Music Summer Program with full scholarship this summer.

 

This website is for both Calculus students and other high school students

Hi, New dorp students, This is an amazing site. Hope you enjoy it. Check out
the humor as well as AP Calculus plus the high school math.

Shortcut to:
http://www.pen.k12.va.us/Div/Winchester/jhhs/math/lessons/mcalc.html

Keep our imagination alive

Enjoy the nature and the human civilization.

Spring Trip

I was really busy during the spring vacation week. Lots of paper work had to be done. However, We still managed to have time to taste the beauty of this spring. We went to the Prospect Park last saturday. My daughter is 13 now but still love to go to zoos. So we went to the Bronx Zoo yesterday. It was so crowded there that we could hardly move in some places. But It's an enjoyable trip. The blue sky was above us; the sun warmly shone on us; the flowers greeted us; the animals in the zoo put up their best shows in front of us.

Bilingual Power

Wow, My daughter is now 13 years old.

I still remember her tiny hands and little feet, peaceful sleep, innocent smile, cry for food or a new diaper at her birth. Now she is a member of National Junior Honor Society, and talented in many subjects such as math, science, English, and music. But what makes me a proud father is her decency, kindness, joy for life, and integrity. Happy birthday to her.

Spring is coming to NYC

Our Lovely Cat, Snow White

--------------------------------

<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

================================

MAYOR BLOOMBERG ANNOUNCES TENTATIVE AGREEMENT W. UFT

Collective Bargaining Agreement Includes 15% Raise for Teachers and Covers
120,000 Teachers, Paraprofessionals, and other Members of the Department of Education

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that a tentative contract settlement has been reached with the United Federation of Teachers on a contract largely based on the Report and Recommendations of the Fact Finding Panel appointed in the impasse between the United Federation of Teachers and the Department of Education. The agreement covers four years, four months and 12 days and includes a 15% raise in exchange for various reforms. They include: substantially increasing the time teachers spend on instruction and support activities by lengthening the school year by two days and teachers working an additional 50 minutes per week; empowering principals by extending their authority over teacher hiring; and improving school safety and disciplinary procedures by having teachers play a larger role in maintaining order in lunchrooms and hallways and expediting the process to remove teachers if misconduct requires it.

“We are encouraged that many of the Panel’s recommended reforms and productivity improvements are mainstays of this agreement,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “The agreement with the UFT not only raises teacher’s salaries but also allows the Department of Education to make meaningful changes to further reform and improve our schools. It will substantially increase the time teachers spend on instruction, especially for struggling students, improve school safety and the discipline process and greatly empower principals to be true education leaders in their schools. The new contract is good for teachers and the City, but most importantly, it is good for New York’s
1.1 million schoolchildren.”

“This is a good day for our educators and our students,” said UFT President
Randi Weingarten. “We’ve worked long and hard to find ways to pay teachers significantly more and to craft the fact-finders’ recommendations in a way that works best for kids and their teachers. We said the fact-finders’ report had its pluses and minuses. This agreement has turned those minuses into pluses.”

The term of the agreement covers a 52-month and 12 day period beginning June 1, 2003 and continuing through October 12, 2007. This collective bargaining agreement comprises two distinct time periods including two contract extensions. The first time period covers from
June 1, 2003 through September 30, 2006, inclusive of a three-month extension. The second time period establishes the pattern for the next round of bargaining. The 3.25% wage increase effective October 1, 2006 consists of 3.15% in City funds and extra value generated by a contract extension of twelve days.
(more)

The principal features of the settlement, which include total wage increases of 15% for teachers and most titles covered by the agreement, are as follows:

2% effective December 1, 2003
3.5% effective December 1, 2004
5.5% effective November 1, 2005
3.25% effective October 1, 2006

By the end of this contract, a teacher’s minimum salary will be $42,512 for new hires as compared to $39,000 under the prior agreement. The maximum salary will be $93,416 as compared to $81,232 previously.

The agreement is funded, in part, through productivity savings generated by teachers working an extra 50 minutes per week. This time will be combined with the additional 100 minutes per week negotiated in the last collective bargaining agreement and aggregated to provide four additional after-school periods. At the discretion of the Chancellor, this additional time shall ordinarily be used for tutorials, test preparation, and/or small-group instruction for students most requiring this assistance with a teacher-student ratio of no more than 1:10.

The agreement also provides that experienced and highly-skilled teachers may be recruited into “lead teacher” positions in high-need schools with a salary differential of $10,000. Teachers will be selected based on merit.

In addition, teachers will now report to work on the Thursday and Friday preceding Labor Day. These two additional days will be used as professional development days and to prepare for the start of classes. Brooklyn-Queens Day will be a third day designated to be used for professional development activities during the school year. Beginning in September 2006, students will start classes on the day following Labor Day.

This agreement also achieves modifications to the teachers’ professional activity period insofar as teachers will be offered a specified menu of activities from which they will perform various instructional, professional development, and/or administrative duties.

The agreement also contains a number of reforms recommended by the Fact-Finding Panel regarding discipline including mandatory discharge of tenured pedagogues and others found to have engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor. Tenured pedagogues who plead guilty or are convicted of any felony will be suspended without pay pending the final outcome of a disciplinary proceeding.

Another provision of this agreement affords flexibility to the Department of Education in two areas. Based on a recommendation of the Fact-Finding Panel, the parties have agreed to eliminate the practice by which transfers were based solely on seniority. Principals will now be able to interview all prospective candidates. Furthermore, teachers who are excessed from their school for budgetary reasons or due to a school’s closing and are unable to secure a position will be offered substitute positions in their former school or District. They will not, however, be able to displace more junior teachers.

The parties have agreed to eliminate certain grievances and arbitrations thereby streamlining the grievance and arbitration process. They have also agreed to an expedited process for handling cases related to absence and lateness.

A Labor-Management Committee will be created to discuss the Fact-Finding Panel’s long term recommendations subject to adequate CFE funding. These recommendations include: bonuses for shortage license areas; school-wide based performance bonuses; reduction in class size.

The agreement comes after a year of record test scores for New York City students. Overall, in 2005, students in Grades 3-8 achieved the highest performance and the largest one-year gains ever in both math and English Language Arts (ELA) on State and City tests combined since standards-based testing began. 52.9% of students in Grades 3-8 met or exceeded math standards, improving 6.2 percentage points from last year and improving 15.6 percentage points from 2002. 51.8% of students in Grades 3-8 met or exceeded ELA standards, improving 10.7 percentage points from last year and improving 12.5 percentage points from 2002.

“I want to thank UFT President Randi Weingarten and her Committee, Deputy Mayor Marc V. Shaw, Chancellor Joel I. Klein, Labor Commissioner James F. Hanley and First Deputy Commissioner Pamela S. Silverblatt and their team, and Budget Director Mark Page and his staff for their efforts in reaching this Agreement,” the Mayor concluded.

Yes! I got my first blog!

I just created this blog with Jessica sitting next to me. Technology makes the distance shorter. Blog makes an ordinary people a reporter.