Have you ever wondered about the little elementary school at the corner of Norman and Eckford Streets? Three fun facts you should know: it was formerly a hospital; it is the oldest continually operating elementary school in Brooklyn; and the first ever benefit for the art education at PS 34 The Art Party happens this coming Wednesday May 22, 2013 at 7pm at From The Source (69 West St).
The community is invited to this exclusive preview of our annual PS 34 art show that will feature live performances by Greenpoint-based artists The Hugh Pool Band, Jack O’Neill, and Shahla Atlas.
"Pointed Bushes, Versailles, 1993" Photogravure by David Armstrong
Come meet your neighbors, purchase amazing art, eat, drink, and dance in support of art education at PS 34 this Wednesday, May 22nd. Tickets at $40 and can be purchased at Cup at (79 Norman Ave), Greenpoint Toys (738 Manhattan Ave), or at the door.
Recently, I took an amazing Public Speaking Workshop with a fantastic teacher named Andrew Linderman and got so much out of the experience that I want to offer the class to Greenpointers readers.
If you want to communicate more confidently and convincingly, perhaps to make a presentation at work or to tell a great story in an effective way, then take this class! I promise that you will leave this workshop a better public speaker and you will learn a lot about yourself and maybe make some new friends. It was really a lot of fun, too!
Details:
Class: Public Speaking Workshop Date: Monday, June 6th 2013 Time: 7-10pm Location:Dobbin Project Space (50-52 Dobbin St, Greenpoint, BK, 11222) Price:$45
Course Description:
Need to feel confident speaking in front of group of strangers? Come across as more genuine and less robotic? Want to finally overcome your fear of public speaking?!?
In this 3-hour workshop, participants will get expert coaching and feedback on ways to strengthen their presentation skills, from techniques to calm frayed nerves to exercises designed to build confidence and improve focus. The class is limited to 16 people, so participants are guaranteed lots of time to practice and plenty of instructor feedback. Everyone will leave this workshop with experience speaking in front of a group and valuable insight into how to be a powerful communicator.
Preparation: If you have something short (1-2 mins) that you’d like to work on, bring it in! Otherwise we can generate some content in class.
Teacher Bio:
Andrew Linderman has a B.S. from the University of California, Berkeley. Andrew currently teaches storytelling with the Brooklyn Brainery and The Moth, and is the executive producer of Local Stories, a monthly storytelling series featuring writers, comedians and performers from all over New York City. Prior to his work as a storyteller, Andrew trained as an actor and improvisor at the Upright Citizens Brigadeand the Atlantic Theater Company in New York City. Andrew has also worked as a city planner, a radio DJ and an economist and has lots of stories to tell.
Recently a writer doing research on a book about Greenpoint interviewed me about life in Greenpoint and the Polish community came up. I explained how unique NYC is in that Polish immigrants could live here and never learn English. They could read the paper, get groceries, go to the doctor, work, get legal services – all in Polish.
It reminds me of my Aunt Grace who immigrated from Italy and lived in Ridgewood for 50 years, getting by with hardly any English. At age 70 she decided to get her American citizenship, and during the interview when they asked her who the first president of the United States was, she said, “Ronald Regan – very nice man.” Aunt Grace somehow passed, and I hope they’ve become stricter on the exam.
While I’m doing a poor job selling it, learning English is a good thing and will help create more opportunities for education, work and socializing. And of course – the ability to read this fine blog!
St. Nicks Alliance is offering FREE English classes for speakers of foreign languages, at both the Williamsburg (850 Grand St.) and Greenpoint (424 Leonard) Beacon Centers. They begin Saturdays – March 16th from 10am-1pm & Mondays – March 18th 6:30-8:30pm, respectively. Each class has 12 sessions. Classes are for beginning and intermediate English learners, and are open to those 18 or older.
Register in person on weekdays from 1-6pm at the Williamsburg Beacon, and from 1-7pm at the Greenpoint Beacon.
For more info, call the Williamsburg Beacon at 718-302-6827 x10, or the Greenpoint Beacon at 718-388-5585.
Williamsburg and Greenpoint Parents Our Public Schools! or WAGPOPS! is an organization formed in 2011 by parents of public school students in North Brooklyn’s District 14.
The group, which is the focus of a recent Village Voice story, consists of hundreds of parents and community members “who support and promote schools that are of, for and by the community.”
Just this month, WAGPOPS filed a lawsuit against SUNY, in an attempt to stop Citizens of the World Charter Schools, which is trying to make inroads into District 14, from opening two new charter schools in North Brooklyn in Fall 2013.
The following interview was conducted via email with Brooke Parker, one of WAGPOPS’ founders:
GP: What does WAGPOPS do? When and in response to what was the group formed?
Brooke: Williamsburg and Greenpoint Parents: Our Public Schools! was formed by a group of parents who met on the brooklynbabyhui, a private listserv for local parents of infants and toddlers. In December 2011, “Success Academy Charter Schools” launched a super-expensive ad campaign with “Success Academy” posters all over the Northside subways. Parents on the listserv then discovered that Eva Moskowitz’ husband, Eric Grannis, was trying to recruit parents off the brooklynbabyhui to push for more charter schools in North Brooklyn. We began emailing each other off-list, only meeting in person months later. None of us expected to become grassroots activists, but like the neighborhood residents who fought Radicac, we responded to a real threat to our neighborhood public schools and became more outraged the more we learned.
PS 31 is having a Fall Harvest Fest on Tuesday October 30, 2012. ”As you know public schools don’t get much from the NYC Dept of Ed,” so the school is looking for donations for the following items:
* Someone who can create/paint a Fall Harvest Festival theme background/surrounding
• Pumpkins
• Markers
• Stickers
• Ring Toss Game
• Fall Harvest Festival Giveaway
Gosh I wish I could paint, because I’d would be all over that fall harvest background!
*Greenpointers will sponsor an artist to paint the background by paying for the materials – just give me a shout: greenpointers (at) gmail.com.
If anyone can donate any of these items, please contact Maria: sdmla (AT) aol.com.
Meet up with NAG tomorrow at 10am at McGolrick Park and take a casual and family friendly walking tour of the Newtown Creek led by organizer and Newtown Creek “expert,” Ryan Kuonen.
“The Newtown Creek has been a core part of the Greenpoint neighborhood for all of its history. From Native American fishing grounds to colonial farms; from ship building mecca to oil refining hub; from manufacturing base to abandoned warehouses; from graffiti to galleries; from polluted wasteland to the promise of parks, our stroller-friendly tour cruises by important places in Greenpoint’s history and discusses the future of this rapidly developing neighborhood on the banks of the Newtown Creek. This tour’s major focus will be the Greenpoint Oil Spill.”
Bring lunches, water, and your little ones!! (Little ones not required. However, this tour will be paced accordingly)
Meet at 10am at the Monitor Statue in McGolrick Park. Look for lady with NAG sign.
Three Japanese master craftsmen from Kikuichi Knives will be at Smorgasburg (27 N. 6th St.) this Saturday 8/18/12 from 11am-3pm demonstrating how to make knives from iron to blade as part of The Brooklyn Kitchen’s ‘Kitchen Island’ summer series.
Kikuichi Knives has been making knives for over a hundred years, but before that they were making Samurai swords that bore the Emperor’s Chrysanthemum symbol as a mark of their excellence.
This event is Free and there will be tastes of Japanese beer, sake and sushi from Chef Kaz Limori.
If an inventor could create a device that converts sheer brain power into energy, said device should be brought to the Northside Entrepreneurship Festival next year. That inventor would take away enough energy to send a spaceship to Mars and back. It’s a given that this spaceship would update it’s Sonar status from the red planet, and have it’s own veggie garden on board.
I’ve never been to South by Southwest, the annual festival in Austin, Texas. But this day of discussion around sustainable business ideas that encourage community is exactly what I’ve always thought it would be like. But after this one, I could travel home on foot and sleep in my own bed that night.
If Greenpoint could get any more awesome, there is a boat house in the works at the tip of Manhattan Ave. Greenpointers was at the first meeting and ALOT has happened since then. This crew doesn’t drag it’s feet and already have been taking to the waters. Board member Jens Rasmussen gave us some updates.
If you want to learn more or join the club, attend the meeting tonight, Tuesday April 3rd, 2012, 8pm at the Brooklyn Rod and Gun Club (59 Kent Ave.)
GP: What is the overall goal for the boat club? Jens: Have fun and make the world a better place.
GP: What is your role in the boat club?
Jens: I’m a board member, steering committee member, and facilitator for the communications group. (I’m also restoring a 1930 wood canvas Old Town Canoe.)
GP: How is planning coming along? Jens: Amazing! Superb! and many other superlatives. We are thrilled and honored with the support that we’re receiving from local residents, business owners, foundations, and other community organizations. They’ve all provided the foundation for us to be able to build quickly on.
We are excited to announce our next class: Chutney Class with Drake from DP Chutney Collective. The class will take place on Wednesday March 14, 2012, 7pm at Good Yoga (73 Calyer St.) Learn to make and take home 2 fresh chutneys: coriander/mint & tamarind, and one cooked and unusual eggplant chutney, which will be canned. Class is $25 and includes all materials. Limit 12 people. RSVP to greenpointers (at) gmail.com. Our last class sold out quickly so sign-up ASAP.
Some visual credits: I shamelessly stole the poster design from Claire Typaldos, our Terrarium Class Instructor. And Jon Pywell made the awesome jar illustration!
