SUNDAY, MARCH 1
Purim Carnival at Poughkeepsie’s Hudson Valley Community Center
Games of chance and children’s activities such as a bounce house and face-painting await your family at this weekend’s Purim Carnival on Sunday, March 1 from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. The Carnival takes place at the Hudson Valley Community Center, located at 110 South Grand Avenue in Poughkeepsie.
Admission costs $5 for children, and adults get in free. For more information, call (845) 471-0430 or visit www.hvcommunitycenter.com.
MONDAY, MARCH 2
Special needs transitioning workshop at Abilities First in Wappingers Falls
Kindergarten is an exciting milestone for many families, but it can also feel daunting if you are trying to navigate services for children with special needs. On Monday, March 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Abilities First, the Mid-Hudson Regional Early Childhood Direction Center presents “Transitioning from Preschool Special Education (CPSE) to Kindergarten.” This free workshop covers differences between preschool and school-age special education, strategies to prepare for the transition meeting, information about Committee on Special Education/CSE, parental rights and more. Bring your dinner, but leave your children home for this one.
Abilities First is located at 167 Myers Corners Road, Suite 104, in Wappingers Falls. Hurry! Registration is due by February 26. For reservations or more information, call (845) 565-1162, extension 240, or e-mail lboykins@myindependentliving.org.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 3
Auditioning workshop for teens at Poughkeepsie’s Half Moon Theatre
For any teens interested in auditions this spring: How should you dress? How do you talk to an accompanist? How do you make a 16- or 32-bar cut in a song? How do you walk in the room? Award-winning Broadway actress Denise Summerford will answer these questions and more in the class “Getting the Part,” geared for teens in grades 7 through 12.
“Getting the Part” takes place on Tuesdays from March 3 to March 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Half Moon Theatre, located at 2515 South Road in Poughkeepsie, behind the Red Robin restaurant. The cost is $150. To register or for more information, call (845) 235-9885 or visit https://halfmoontheatre.org.
Graphic novelists talk at Vassar
I just finished reading my first graphic novel, Persepolis, and wow! I cannot wait to read another one! Graphic novelists Damian Duffy and John Jennings use visual media to communicate about social issues, and they’re coming to Vassar College to tell us about it. Their talk, “Social Justice and Critical Making,” is free and open to the public and takes place on Tuesday, March 3 at 5:30 p.m. in Taylor Hall, Room 203.
Vassar College is located at 124 Raymond Avenue in Poughkeepsie. For more information, call (845) 437-5370 or visit www.vassar.edu.
Speakers defend public education at SUNY-New Paltz
On Tuesday, March 3 at 7 p.m., head over to the Coykendall Science Building Auditorium for “Challenging the Attack on Public Education: Carrying on the Legacy of the Civil Rights Movement.” This event is free and open to the public and features speakers including Dr. Yohuru Williams, Beth DiMino and Dr. Nicholas Tampio, who are considered heroes in the battle to reclaim public education.
SUNY-New Paltz is located at 1 Hawk Drive in New Paltz. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/rethinkingtesting.
Coming up
Free Appropriate Public Education conference
Registrations are due by March 6 for the 18th annual special education conference, “Getting to FAPE: Principles and Partnerships in IEP Development, Programming and Behavior Intervention.” FAPE stands for Free Appropriate Public Education, which is the educational right guaranteed to children with disabilities.
The New York State Special Education Task Force presents this event on Friday, March 13 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Century House in Latham. The cost is $75 for professionals, $50 for parents and family members, and breakfast and lunch are provided. For more information or to register, visit www.nyspecialedtaskforce.org/conference.html.
Practice for Spanish Spelling Bee in Kingston or at Bard
Free weekly practice sessions are available for the second annual Spanish Spelling Bee, which will be held on Saturday, April 25 at 10 a.m. in the Aula auditorium at Vassar College. The contest is open to fourth-through-eighth-graders who speak Spanish and live in Dutchess, Columbia, Orange or Ulster County. The free practice sessions are held on Saturdays through April 18 from 11 a.m. to 12 noon at the Kingston Library at 55 Franklin Street, second floor, in Kingston; and at Bard College’s Olin Language Center, Room 115, in Annandale-on-Hudson. For more information or to register, visit https://spanishspellingbee.webs.com.
In memory of young Schenectadian Draven Rodriguez, aged 17 years. If you are in crisis, call (800) 273-TALK (8255) or visit www.afsp.org. Erica Chase-Salerno can be reached at kidsalmanac@ulsterpublishing.com.
Join the family! 
