in this issue - web viewwe’re both so excited to begin working with you to move our city...
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WELCOME!
To all of you, the newest corps members to join Teach For America Greater
Philadelphia: welcome to the Philly Pham and to the 2015 TFA Philly corps!
We are Alex Leader-Smith and Becca Rossi and for the next few months, we
will be your primary points of contact as you get ready to start teaching in
Philadelphia.
Alex is the Director of Matriculation and Onboarding for Greater
Philadelphia. He writes most of what's in the weekly e-mail blast and other
TFA Philly communications. You will hear a lot from Alex regarding
placement, among other topics. Alex has been on the Teach For America
team for eight years, and while he's now visited 35 states and (more
importantly) 17 MLB teams’ ballparks and counting, he's always been proud
to call the Greater Philly region home.
Becca is the Associate for Community and School Partnerships. You will
hear a lot from Becca regarding testing and paperwork, in particular. Becca
grew up in Jersey City, NJ, but has loved living in the Philly area for the past
eight years.
In this Issue
January 22, 2015
WELCOME!!
TEN THINGS TO DO RIGHT NOW...
TWO MORE THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR...
We’re both so excited to begin working with you to move our city towards
educational equity. We're already counting down the days until regional
induction begins on June 16 - when we'll all meet in person to lay the
groundwork for everything you'll be doing over the next two years and
beyond.
In the meantime, we'll be keeping in touch virtually. Starting next Tuesday,
January 27, you'll begin receiving an "e-mail blast" from us every Tuesday up
through the summer. These e-mails will contain important to-dos and critical
information about placement, summer programming, and more. We ask that
you read these e-mails carefully, keeping an especially close eye on items
that are required actions. We’ll also be regularly updating the TFA
Philadelphia 2015 corps site with useful info and resources.
You can also always e-mail us at [email protected]. Or
if you have a more complex question – especially involving testing or
paperwork – you can sign up to have Becca call you during her regular “office
hours”.
Congratulations again, welcome to Philadelphia, and welcome to Teach For
America.
- Alex and Becca
TEN THINGS TO DO RIGHT NOW...1. Register for Your Praxis and/or PECT Exams -- required by Fri. 2/6Then forward your registration to the GreaterPhillyInfo mailbox.
2. E-Mail Us a Headshot Photo of Yourself – required by Fri. 2/6For our office photo wall. These can go to GreaterPhillyInfo too.
3. Add Some TFA Style To Your Resume! – required by Fri. 2/6Step 1: Review these TFA resume guidelines
Step 2: Update your resume in the TFA style and e-mail it to… you guessed
it, GreaterPhillyInfo.
This is what we’ll eventually send to schools considering interviewing you.
4. Listen to the TFA Philadelphia Overview of Placement – required by Fri. 2/6Thirty minutes all about how you’ll get your teaching position in a school. To
access:
1. Log into Cornerstone:
http://www2.teachforamerica.org/e/29012/2015-01-22/mpqd/141697
35 (make sure pop-up blockers are off!).
o Username: The e-mail address you used when you applied
to TFA
o Password for first-time users: tfa12345
2. Click on the Learning tab on the upper left hand corner of the
homepage. Under Learning, select View Your Transcript.3. The 2015 TFA Philadelphia Overview of Placement will be listed
at the top of your transcript. Click Launch to start.
5. Complete Your Placement Survey – required by Fri. 2/6This will take about 20 minutes – and will help us greatly as we arrange
interviews for you over the months ahead.
6. Begin Studying for the Praxis and/or PECTThese tests can be hard, so early preparation is key. Here are a few basic
resources to get you started. Very soon, we’ll connect you to other corps
members taking similar tests so you can work together on preparation.
7. Complete the Institute Accommodations Request Form - optional, but recommended
Teach For America strives to accommodate the needs of corps members
with disabilities during institute. Please let us know if you have a
disability/condition that will impact your housing, mobility, medically-dictated
dietary needs (e.g. diabetes), learning materials during summer training, etc.
so our Disabilities Accommodations Officer and institute staff can follow up.
Please note: We will collect information about non medically-dictated dietary
needs (e.g. vegetarian, kosher, vegan) this spring.
8. Review Your Summer Calendar and Submit Summer Leave RequestsStep 1: Review the Summer Training Calendar
Step 2: If you anticipate an irresolvable conflict with induction (June 16-20,
2015), e-mail GreaterPhillyInfo
Step 3: If you anticipate an irresolvable conflict with institute (June 21-July
24, 2015), review the TFA Summer Institute Attendance Policy and submit a
Summer Leave Request as soon as possible
Please note that completing the form does not guarantee your request will be
approved.
9. Apply for Need-Based Transitional Funding – optional by Thu. 2/12If you feel you’ll need financial assistance to join the corps, we encourage
you to apply. You can find the application on the Applicant Center under the
Need-Based Transitional Funding tab until Fri. 2/12. Supporting documents
are required.
10. Join the 2015 TFA Philly Facebook Group - optionalThe best way to get connected to other 2015 TFA Philly corps members.
TWO MORE THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR...
1. Your Mailed Matriculation Packet - arriving/arrived 3-6 days after you accept your offerContains important paperwork that you will need to complete by Friday,
March 13 to be on track to attend TFA summer programming and begin
teaching this fall. If you have not received your packet in the mail by next
week, please e-mail GreaterPhillyInfo.
2. Test Prep E-mail – arriving in the next 1-2 weeksImportant! This will connect you to other corps members studying for similar
certification tests, so you can work together and share notes and study tips.
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Our mailing address is:100 W. Oxford St., Suite E-3000Philadelphia, PA 19122
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