During the first class photographers will learn and then practice newly acquired skills, taking photographs during a nature walk on APEC’s trails. Each child’s pictures will be assessed during the first class to determine which 10 pictures are print worthy. During the second class, these pictures will be evaluated by the instructor, and participants will create a frame to mount their favorite picture.

Please note – all participants are required to bring their own digital camera, charged battery for your camera, as well as a memory card for this program. Printing the photographs will be the responsibility of the parent in between the two classes; APEC will not be printing the photographs! Limited to 10 participants.

For children ages 5-13.

Click Sign Up to register. Pre-registration required.

By Queens DA Richard Brown

The investigation and prosecution of cases involving sex trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of women and children is among the highest priorities of my office. Since the enactment of New York State’s Sex Trafficking statute in 2007, the Queens County District Attorney’s Office has been in the forefront of efforts to use the statute to protect trafficking victims and bring their traffickers to justice. Queens brought the first indictment in New York State and obtained the first conviction in the state for sex trafficking. To date, 15 individuals have been convicted of sex trafficking. All have received state prison sentences. Another 25 individuals are under indictment for sex trafficking and their cases are pending.

In the convicted cases, the majority of the sex trafficking victims were underage runaways as young as 13 and 14 years old. Many of them are advertised on Backpage.com and on Craigslist. Some were subjected to beatings, choking and threats of death.

In addition to sex trafficking, our office works closely with various local, state and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cases involving promoting prostitution, Internet child luring (cases where an adult uses the Internet to contact a minor and attempts to meet the minor to engage in sexual activity) and child pornography (the possession, sale and distribution of graphic photos and videos of children being sexually abused.) In an effort to obtain critical evidence and build the strongest possible cases, our office utilizes court-authorized search warrants and electronic surveillance. We also employ civil remedies, where appropriate, to close down brothels or evict those who are using businesses or residences to further criminal activity.

Since 2004, our office has participated in a specialized court called the Human Trafficking Intervention Part which offers men and women charged with prostitution or loitering for prostitution the opportunity to attend treatment or service programs targeted for human trafficking victims. A variety of treatment providers serve the court and offer a range of programs to meet the needs of the participants regardless of age, gender identity, language spoken or other special needs. More than 1,000 individuals have benefitted from the services provided by the Human Trafficking Intervention Part.

Our office remains committed to doing all we can to stamp out commercial sexual exploitation of women and children and making our Queens communities safe and healthy places for all of our residents to live and work.

By Queens DA Richard Brown

During the first class photographers will learn and then practice newly acquired skills, taking photographs during a nature walk on APEC’s trails. Each child’s pictures will be assessed during the first class to determine which 10 pictures are print worthy. During the second class, these pictures will be evaluated by the instructor, and participants will create a frame to mount their favorite picture.

Please note – all participants are required to bring their own digital camera, charged battery for your camera, as well as a memory card for this program. Printing the photographs will be the responsibility of the parent in between the two classes; APEC will not be printing the photographs! Limited to 10 participants.

For children ages 5-13.

Click Sign Up to register. Pre-registration required.

By Queens DA Richard Brown

Bullying is often seen as an unfortunate but natural part of adolescence. Once limited to the confines of the schoolyard and the street, bullying has now been transformed into cyberbullying through synchronization with cell phones, the Internet and any other electronic device capable of sending or posting text or images. Social media sites, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Pinterest, are among the leading places that cyberbullying occurs. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, cyberbullying is a problem that affects almost half of all American teens. As in all bullying situations, cyberbullying involves three participants:  the person who is doing the bullying, the person being bullied and those who stand by, see what is happening, and choose to do nothing.

Cyberbullying victims may be targeted anywhere, at any time—even in their own home when they are alone. One of the reasons why it is so devastating for children is the 24/7 aspect of it. It spreads fast, it follows children home and has a huge audience. Such bullying may undermine a child’s sense of security and self-worth. It is therefore important to remember that, as a parent, your child is being victimized and that in dealing with the situation you need to make sure that he or she feels safe and secure and that you fully support them and will work with them to stop the cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying can take many forms. Some examples are: sending mean or threatening messages; spreading rumors through technology; creating false profiles to make fun of someone; obtaining passcodes and accessing someone else’s account to create inappropriate postings; recording and posting fight videos; posting embarrassing pictures; manipulating photo images to make someone look bad; and inappropriate language/trash talking in an online game.

Warning signs that you should be aware of that your child may be a victim of cyberbullying include avoiding use of their computer, cell phone or any other technological device; appearing stressed when receiving an e-mail, instant message or text; withdrawing from family and friends or acting reluctant to attend school and social events; avoiding conversations about computer use; and exhibiting signs of low self-esteem, including depression and/or fear. Other signs include declining grades or poor eating or sleeping habits.

If your child, preteen or teen is the victim of a cyberbully, tell them not to respond to rude emails, messages, and comments. That will only make it worse and may result in their becoming the bully. Save the evidence, such as e-mail and text messages, and take screenshots of comments and images. Also, take note of the date and time when the harassment occurs. Contact your Internet service provider or cell-phone provider. Ask the website administrator or ISP to remove any web page created to hurt your child. If harassment is via e-mail, social networking sites, instant messaging and chat rooms, help your child to “block” bullies or delete your child’s current account and open a new one. If harassment is via text and phone messages, change the phone number and instruct your child to only share the new number with trustworthy people. Also, check out phone features that may allow the number to be blocked. Make a report if you feel something illegal has occurred and inform law enforcement.

By Queens DA Richard Brown

Queens boasted 7,700 applicants by Tuesday afternoon, roughly 1,500 more than the closest borough, Brooklyn. In all, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced, 21,938 families applied on Monday for the free, full-day program—up from 6,500 in the first day of applications last year. The administration indicated that it expects approximately 70,000 children to enroll by the April 24 closing date.

Last fall, the city registered more than 53,000 children in full-day pre-K at district schools, charter schools, and NYC Early Childhood Centers. This year’s expansion, de Blasio said, means more programs, seats and opportunities in every borough and neighborhood, ensuring enough capacity to accommodate every child, regardless of ZIP code or means. The average family saves more than $10,000 each year in childcare costs as a result of Pre-K for All, de Blasio noted on Tuesday.

“College readiness starts in pre-K, and with the expansion of this critical program, we are putting more students on the path to higher education and a meaningful career,” said Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina. “Four-year-olds are learning new vocabulary, experimenting with science and making friends. Every child deserves this opportunity, and we are delivering for all families across the city.”

The application process is open through April 24 at nyc.gov/prek, by calling 311, or at a Family Welcome Center.

By Michael V. Cusenza michael@theforumnewsgroup.com

Photo Courtesy of Sen. Addabbo’s Office

State Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach) visited PS 62 during its Career Day to talk about his beginnings as an attorney and his political journey all the way to the state Legislature in Albany. Addabbo also met with the school’s Student Council representatives. With young children of his own, Addabbo said he knows the importance of encouraging the 15th District’s youth to explore career options and grow up as well-rounded individuals. 

It is never a bad idea to stay off the road or out of the air in even much less harsh weather conditions, so we can’t really blame our politicians for trying to keep us safe. If we hadn’t been curfewed, we’d be angered by the traffic backlogs caused by accidents. Better safe than sorry. By Tuesday morning, though, only about half of the predicted snowfall had happened in our neck of the woods, so we waited, nervously peering out the window late into morning, expecting to be greeted with continued or even worsened blizzard conditions. The breaking news weather reports blared through (preferred) scheduled programming such as The Price is Right. Then, the weather gods, or meteorologists as they more logically should be called, began to apologize, the politicos to excuse. It was announced (almost shamefully) that schools would reopen the next morning.

Eventually, the sun came out, and the flurries ended. Children played, and the somewhat rhythmic sound of shovels and snow blowers were pleasant on the quiet suburban streets. At The Forum, we worked from home or ventured out (as instructed by authorities) only to take a few pictures for our wintry photo spread.

Weather reports dictate school closings, evacuations, and transit schedules. A day’s work or more may be missed as a result of incorrect forecasts – and to some families that’s a day’s salary they can’t afford to lose. On the other hand, if predictions come true and we stay off the roads or get out of Dodge, as it were, we may be saving our lives or others’. Anyway, it’s not as though the snow didn’t temporarily debilitate a good part of the Northeast. In Long Island, they got about two feet of snow, and in Boston, it was upwards of that, along with tremendous windgusts. Obviously, snowfall amounts can differ a great deal over short distances. One meteorologist said, somewhat apologetically, that New York was on the “knife edge of the dry side.” Others offered blatant guilt-ridden mea culpas via Twitter.

Is this what we’ve come to expect from our weather gods, er, meteorologists? Aren’t they in the one truly “damned if you do/damned if you don’t” profession, other than, perhaps, politicians?

If you are fortunate enough to be in a position where the snow day didn’t affect your livelihood too detrimentally, we say: celebrate! You had a day off, and the world was coated in white. Your children were out of school; see the day from their eyes. Grab a book, bundle up, or, even better, go outside and make a snowman. How many chances will you get in your lifetime for such folly?

Designed by the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, this guide provides information about health insurance and access to care, mental-health clinics, school enrollment, food pantries, homelessness prevention, legal services and more. It will be distributed widely for use by city agencies, schools, nonprofit organizations, and immigrant children and families who may benefit from receiving information and referrals to city services and non-governmental resources.

“We want families to access our local programs that are focused on making sure they become and remain strong and healthy, and have the information and tools they need to succeed,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said. “Children who come to our city escaping tragedy and despair should not be shortchanged, but rather embraced with stability and safety. New York City is stepping up the nation’s commitment to these children through this guide—along with the presence of our health and education representatives at immigration court and various other initiatives.”

The guide provides information about public-school enrollment, support services for English Language Learners, literacy programs, and after-school and community services. It also includes information about available education programs for adult immigrants who are interested in learning English or continuing their education.

The resource and referral guide also directs families to legal service providers, healthcare clinics, immunization resources and mental health services, and includes information about the Department of Youth and Community Development after-school and community programs.

As de Blasio mentioned, in September, the administration placed representatives from the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene at the federal immigration court to address the needs of recently-arrived immigrant children undergoing accelerated deportation proceedings. The Administration for Children’s Services is also now based at the immigration court on a part-time basis to help children under 5 enroll in Head Start early childhood education programs.

Additionally, MOIA, in coordination with DOE, DOHMH, ACS and the Human Resources Administration, is partnering with the New York Immigration Coalition, New York Legal Assistance Group, and the state Office of New Americans to run community-based youth assistance clinics across the city. The clinics, the Mayor’s Office indicated, provide free legal consultations and information and referrals for health and education services available to immigrant children and families, regardless of immigration status.

The next free clinic in Queens will be held on Nov. 23 in Jamaica at the DOE Pathways to Graduation at 162-02 Hillside Ave.

The immigrant resource and referral guide is available in English and Spanish at nyc.gov/immigrantchildren

By Michael V. Cusenza

Before summer began, state senators reached out to district schools, offering the opportunity to enroll in the program, in conjunction with the state Library. Participating students kept an online journal to track their progress throughout the break from school. The online journal, used via a website created by Senate Technology Services, gives parents and children the opportunity to work together to track progress and also browse an online database filled with popular reads. This year, more children living in neighborhoods in the 15^th Senate District participated in the program than any other Senate district in the state.

“I am so thrilled to see these numbers,” said state Sen. Joe Addabbo, Jr. (D-Howard Beach), who represents the 15^th district. “The summer gives kids the opportunity to take a break from long days and tests, but in that time, they tend to fall off the learning track. This program allows them to keep their minds stimulated in a casual, fun and effective way. I’m so proud to represent a district in which so many students took advantage of that.”

While the program was open to all grades, primarily fourth through sixth graders took part. The number of books children read ranged from three, to one student who ended the summer having read 36 books.

By Michael V. Cusenza

Governor Cuomo’s latest veterans legislation provides better educational and financial opportunities for heroes returning home.
Photo courtesy Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Elected officials from across the state came together back in March to discuss some of the toughest issues facing our veterans as they return home, and one piece of legislation was signed into law this week to achieve that goal.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the new law on Monday, which he said would expand and strengthen services for veterans, active service members and their families by easing the transition to a new school for children of military families that relocate as a result of military orders.

“Honoring our veterans, service members and military families for their service and sacrifice is one of our highest responsibilities as New Yorkers – and today our state is taking a tremendous step forward in how we support both these brave men and women and their loved ones,” Cuomo said. “This new law is a comprehensive package of reforms that will benefit the members of the armed forces and those who support them in communities across the state.”

Under the new law, Cuomo said the cost of higher education would also be brought down for veterans receiving benefits under the GI bills. Military families will also see greater flexibility with professional licenses received from other states, the governor said. It also strengthens the supplemental burial assistance provided by the state to military families when a service member dies in combat or as a result of injuries sustained on the battlefield, officials said.

“From helping children of military families succeed in school, to opening doors to spouses and loved ones in their careers and honoring the ultimate sacrifice with expanded burial assistance, this legislation is comprehensive and needed,” Cuomo said.

“Veterans sacrifice so much to protect the freedoms we hold so dear. Their bravery and commitment to service, overseas and here at home, can sometimes exceed the scope of our own comprehension,” said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. “It is important to convey our gratitude and ensure that there are plenty of resources available to support veterans and their families, who are faced with many challenges.”

Most military children, as a result of one or both of their parents relocating during a 20- to 30- year military career from one installation to another, will attend six to nine different school systems from kindergarten to 12th grade, officials said. There are nearly 12,000 military children attending public schools near Fort Drum in Watertown, the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn who would benefit from the enactment of this portion of the bill, the governor said in a statement.

Cuomo also said the new law allows veterans who attend a community college, college, or university within the SUNY or CUNY systems under the federal GI bills to qualify for the in-state tuition rate.

At the March summit, Cuomo and other officials discussed several different in which the state can improve services to its military men and women, as well as their families. Additionally, as part of the summit, the governor also announced multiple initiatives that will provide veterans and their families greater access to affordable housing, employment, and educational opportunities across the state.

The summit, which was held in Albany, focused on creating a comprehensive approach to improving services, including in the areas of affordable housing, employment, education, benefits, and mental health.

There are more than 886,000 veterans in New York – thousands of whom may not be using the benefits available to them, the governor said. Of New York’s nearly 900,000 veterans, 72 percent served during periods of combat. Approximately 88,000 New Yorkers were in Afghanistan or Iraq.

By The Forum staff

Lego creations come to life at the Atlas Park shopping center. Photo by Cesar Bustamante

A boy shouted out, “Holy Cow,” as the motor-powered Lego model he just helped build started to come alive with its gears moving suddenly.

Bricks 4 Kidz group launched a free summer program inside the Shops at Atlas Park to build up children’s mechanical skills while they build moving Lego models.

“As they have fun, every child walks away knowing they’ve accomplished something,” said Lamacca Holmes, a teacher at the summer program. “And then they can say, ‘Hey mom look what I made.’ Parents love that as well.”

Bricks 4 Kidz instructors walked children ages six through 12 through the process of building Lego models, like a carousel swing, by using motors, Legos and other tools.

Holmes said the children not only get to play with Legos, but also develop fine motor skills, learn to follow instructions better and work in groups.

While she said a lot of boys enjoyed the building aspects of these programs, Holmes also emphasized that girls could also have fun playing with Legos and encouraged more parents to consider enrolling their daughters.

“[Girls] love learning and they love engineering as well so I like the fact that when we see girls in our program they get excited,” she said.

This was the first time Bricks 4 Kidz brought its program to Atlas Park. It was an idea that came from Peter DeLucia Jr., the mall’s marketing manager, who suggested that Johnny Rocket’s restaurant sponsor the event as a good family activity for the community.

“Every year we try to do events that engage the community, and we try to keep it fresh every year,” he said. “I know Legos are popular. Some of my nieces and nephews love Legos. I thought it would be a good fit.”

Jeanine Breen from Middle Village said she was originally going to enroll her young son in a similar program in Long Island until she found out about the Atlas Park program from a brochure inside the mall.

“He learned, he had fun, and he’s very happy. So I’m happy,” she said, after her son called her over to look at the Lego creation he helped build. “I would come back.”

The classes were scheduled for every Thursday through Aug. 28, which includes four sessions starting at 10 a.m. and the final one at 1:45 p.m. Space has been limited and instructors urged anyone interested to register by calling (718) 326-3300.

For more information about activities in Atlas Park, go to ShopAtlasPark.com.

By Cesar Bustamante

U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley, center, joined Assemblywoman Cathy Nolan, back left, state Sen. Michael Gianaris, back center, Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer, second from right, and Assemblywoman Marge Markey, right, last month to denounce the city’s plan to bus hundreds of students from PS 11 to the other end of the school district while the facility is undergoing renovations. The politicians this week praised the city for its decision to hold off on a vote on the matter. File photo

Plans to temporarily relocate Woodside students to a school on the other side of the district in Astoria have been put on hold – for now.

Politicians and parents have been pulling for the city Education Department to nix its plan to bus approximately 250 kindergartners from PS 11 students from Woodside to PS 171 in Astoria as their school undergoes an expansion project, and a recent vote to delay a decision was welcome news. City Schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña called on the city Panel for Education Policy to hold off on the vote to allow more time for debate, officials said late last week.

The city announced plans to expand PS 11 at 54-25 Skillman Ave. by adding 300 seats in an annex earlier this year to ease overcrowding at the school, but with that came the price of bussing some of the youngsters to PS 171 in Astoria three miles away in the interim. Construction was slated to begin this summer but only if the PEP gives the go ahead, officials said.

U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Queens, Bronx) has been at the forefront of the opposition and said he was encouraged to see the city take more time before deciding what to do with the more than 250 potentially displaced kindergarteners.

“Every alternative must be considered to ensure that these young children receive a quality education without having to be uprooted from their home community,” Crowley said. “I call on the Department of Education and the School Construction Authority to use this time to once again, consider the serious concerns of the parents and elected officials with their current proposal.”

Following Fariña’s decision, a number of elected officials penned a letter on March 21 to the chancellor, suggesting that the students slated to be transported to Astoria should instead go to such an alternative site as St. Teresa School in Woodside. Currently, PS 199 rents the first floor of the St. Teresa School for its kindergarten classes, but the second and third floors of the building are unoccupied.

“The option would be much closer to PS 11 and would provide the adequate space needed for a safe and positive learning environment, as well as address the concerns of the parents that have communicated with our offices,” Crowley, Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan (D-Ridgewood), state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Astoria), Assemblywoman Marge Markey (D-Maspeth), Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), and Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) said in the letter.

Dmytro Fedkowskyj, the former Queens borough president’s representative on PEP, has also called on the city to finetune its proposal, saying that while relief from jampacked classrooms is welcome, young students should not have to be bussed far away to attend school while construction is underway.

“While the expansion of PS 11 is a necessary investment in our children’s education and vitally important to alleviating our overcrowded schools, our youngest students deserve a better solution that doesn’t place such a heavy burden on them and their families,” Crowley said. “Our children only get one real opportunity at a great education and we need our city to do right by them.”

PS 11 parent Martin Connolly will have three kids attending the school by fall 2014 and said the city needed to take this time and find another school nearby. Astoria’s PS 171, he said, was nearly 30 minutes away by bus and not easily accessible by public transportation, putting parents in a tough spot.

It was not the first time the PEP delayed its vote on the matter, either. The same thing happened earlier this year and evoked a similar response with elected officials calling on the city to reassess the plan and its impact. The PEP will revisit the plan at its April 19 meeting, the DOE said. A public comment period for the proposal will also remain open until 6 p.m. on April 8, the city said.

Public comments can be directed towards Emily Ades at the DOE, by phone at (212) 374-7621 or by email at D30Proposals@schools.nyc.gov, the Education Department said.

By Phil Corso