WHO:   The Community Parent Center, the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, The Bellmore-Merrick Community Coalition, Senator John Brooks, Assemblyman David McDonough, Legislator Tom McKevitt, Legislator Steve Rhoads, Bellmore UFSD, N. Bellmore UFSD, Merrick UFSD and N. Merrick UFSD

 
WHAT:   Naloxone Training (Narcan) for parents, families and community members.  The training is presented by Community Action for Social Justice. An informational session will be presented prior to the training. 
 
WHEN:    Tuesday, March 5, 2019 -- 7 p.m.
 
WHERE:  Brookside School – Board Room # 13
     1260 Meadowbrook Road, North Merrick. 


WHY:  Naloxone is a life-saving drug that can revive overdose victims. Its brand name is Narcan. Naloxone (Narcan) helps restore breathing to a person who is overdosing from opioid drugs such as heroin and prescription drugs such as oxycontin, oxycodone and fentanyl. It works quickly and gives emergency responders time to get the person to a hospital. Naloxone training participants will learn how to administer the lifesaving antidote which can reverse the fatal effects of an opioid overdose; and receive a free Narcan kit. 

Pre-registration is required. 

Pre-registration is requested to ensure receipt of a kit.
If you are planning to attend, please fill out an online registration form at
Google Docs:  https://goo.gl/forms/NstlU1mPGTDTmZXp1
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Attached, please find the 2019 Scholarship Announcement/Application for students impacted by ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).

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School districts from around the state have been trying to restore Foundation Aid funding for many years. This money was promised and allocated but was withheld due to the financial crisis in 2008. While the crisis has passed, the promised funds have never been passed on to the school districts.


Bellmore-Merrick alone is owed close to $8.5 million dollars. Add in the four component elementary districts, and the total rises to over $11 million dollars.
The Long Island Presidents’ Council (LIPC), which BMUST is a member of, is starting a letter writing campaign to Governor Cuomo, our State Senators and our Legislators urging them to restore the Foundation Aid money.
I’m asking everyone to complete the three attached letters and mail them to Governor Cuomo, Senator Brooks and Assemblyman McDonough as soon as possible. The LIPC is hoping this “encouragement” might expedite the dispensing of the funds. I will ask our PTA’s to participate and I’ve shared this with administration too.
This benefits all of us so please participate in this campaign.
In solidarity,
Mark

I encourage ALL staff members to examine the work you have had outside of Bellmore-Merrick. IF YOU DON’T HAVE A MyNYSTRS ACCOUNT, PLEASE CREATE ONE. It’s the best way to keep up to date about your pension. Check into any work that may give you service credit. Too many NYSUT and BMUST members are leaving money on the table. Money that could increase your final pension, possibly hundreds of dollars every month. It’s up to you to claim the service credit, so please investigate this as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more it costs to buy back the service time.

In solidarity,
Mark
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR PENSION
Your pension is based on four factors: tier of membership; total service credit; age at retirement; and, final average salary.
It is important to have all the credit for which you are eligible because your total service credit impacts your eligibility for NYSTRS benefits – and often the amount of those benefits. The following types of service can build your credit and help you reach important service milestones:

• Member Services
• Prior NYS Service
• Out-of-State Prior Service
• Transferring Credit
• Reinstatement Credit
• Military Service
• Benefit Enhancement (Article 19)
• New York City Subsequent Service

-- 
Mark Steinberg

President
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BMUST belongs to the Long Island Teachers’ Benevolent Fund (LITBF), which offers a yearly scholarship, (the Len Motisi Memorial Scholarship) to high school seniors graduating this year, who will be attending a post-secondary institution on a full time basis and whose parent is an active teacher in a Long Island local. Many of our members’ sons and daughters have been awarded this scholarship over the years.  
The attached application must be sent back to me at the BMUST office no later than March 8, 2019 to get my signature on it and for me to send it to LITBF before the deadline of March 15, 2019.  We are also putting the form on our website, www.bmust.org. 
You must include a copy of the school transcript, with the current GPA on it and include a copy of the SAT or ACT scores.  If the transcript does not contain the GPA, your Guidance Counselor must submit a statement with the scores. Please fill the form in as soon as possible and forward it to me through inter-office mail.
Please note, you are now required to included you NYSUT Member Number on the application. If unknown, please reach out to Meg in the BMUST office.
 
Good luck.

Robert G. Porter Scholars Program
The Robert G. Porter Scholars Program offers four 4-year, $8,000 post-secondary scholarships to graduating senior students who are dependents of AFT members, as well as 10 one-time $1,000 grants to AFT members to assist with their continuing education and/or fund their proposed ideas to strengthen and grow their union.

For more details and eligibility requirements, see attached.
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As a reminder, all transfer requests need to be submitted to the Personnel Office no later than March 1, 2019.
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