images of parents with their children
September 27, 2019
Dear Parents,

This week, Governor Cuomo proclaimed September 25 to be School Breakfast Day in New York State. To celebrate, we recognized the great work happening in schools across the state. Check out this School Breakfast video to see what schools are doing to ensure students have a healthy breakfast each school day. Many school districts now offer breakfast after the school day begins through a program called Breakfast After the Bell. Visit our School Breakfast Program web page to learn more and find out if your child's school is participating in Breakfast After the Bell.

There are many other ways that communities and schools across the state are working every day to help students achieve success. Through the New York State My Brother's Keeper (MBK) initiative, schools and communities work to eliminate opportunity gaps facing boys and young men of color so that all students can reach their full potential. We continue to spotlight MBK programs in our MBK newsletter and share perspectives from MBK students in our social media campaign, #ChangingTheNarrative. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to check out our posts and learn more about these great programs.

This spring, the New York State Education Department (NYSED) hosted the third annual MBK Symposium in Albany. Nearly 1,000 students, parents, educational leaders, and citizens from across New York State gathered to hear about the impact of MBK, gain valuable knowledge, and get motivated to implement new strategies in their communities to address issues impacting boys and young men of color. The event included nationally renowned speakers, student-led panels, workshops, and a college resource fair.

This year's Symposium theme was Building Pipelines to Opportunity, which represents NYSED's mission to ensure that all students have equal access to a high-quality education from elementary years through post-secondary studies. In this MBK Symposium video, MBK students explain what the MBK program means to them and how it has positively impacted their lives.

Finally, NYSED is currently seeking feedback on the draft of the revised New York State Physical Education Learning Standards. If you would like submit comments or suggestions on the draft standards, please complete our NYS Physical Education Learning Standards Survey. Feedback will be accepted through Friday, November 1, 2019.

I appreciate your continued support, and I hope you encourage other parents to sign up for our parent email list to receive my biweekly letter.

Sincerely,

Beth Berlin
Interim Commissioner of Education
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