First class: Time for the annual Arts & Science Fair at The Children’s Workshop School

The Children’s Workshop School is hosting its annual Arts & Science Fair tomorrow (Sunday!).

The poster promises arts, crafts, science, experiments, food and family fun. 

The fundraiser will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 610 E. 12th St., between Avenue B and Avenue C.

Celebrating 30Palooza at The Children's Workshop School

The Children's Workshop School is celebrating 30 years at 610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

And if you're looking for some last-minute plans... the school is celebrating with a 30Palooza tomorrow (Wednesday!) evening from 6-10. The invite promises a night of food, dancing and celebration with a very special performance by Lisa Lisa!" (Lisa Velez, the vocalist of the late '80s chart toppers, is the sister of principal and founder Maria Velez-Clarke.) 

Find ticket — and donation — info here.

Planned student protest gets the DOB to take action on closed-off school playground

Talk about an after-school special. 

Following classes on Friday, third graders at the Children's Workshop School on 12th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C planned to hold a protest to encourage the Department of Buildings to inspect an adjacent building that has forced the closure of the schoolyard since Jan. 9. 

As EVG first reported, part of the façade of a single-level building at 638 E. 12th St. next door crumbled, and pieces of concrete from the exterior landed in the playground, also used by students in the P94M program within District 75. 

The playground has been closed while the new-ish landlords of the 638 property made the necessary repairs, which were completed nearly four weeks ago. Despite all this, the DOB had yet to visit the site, forcing the students to stay inside and forego any outdoor activities in the schoolyard. (The playground is also open for neighborhood use on weekends.)

However, according to school sources, when the Department of Buildings heard about the planned protest (presumably from media inquiries), they suddenly built a fence on Thursday evening to protect the yard from the neighboring one-level building, then inspected the work on Friday morning. The schoolyard was deemed accessible to the students, albeit with a section closed off.

So, after school on Friday, the protest turned into a celebration as the students paraded from the building to the playground with the signs they had created...

As one school source told us: "This was an easy workaround that could have been done as soon as the repairs had been made, which, by the way, were done rather promptly after the complaint was reported to the DOB about façade condition, adding insult to the wait."

A parent with two children at the school told us last month that the closed outdoor space was "negatively impacting classroom behavior and depriving kids of much-needed fresh air, exercise, and time to socialize." 

As we understand, the fence is a temporary fix, and the building still needs to be inspected. 

The 8,900-square-foot structure, which has a long history (dating to 1989) of façade issues, had been on the sales market. Per the listing: "Ideal for a luxury residential condominium in a well-established Downtown Manhattan neighborhood" with "Four sides of light and air." (Campos Community Garden is on the building's east side.)

The structure behind 432 E. 11th St., sold last summer for $2.8 million. Public records show the buyer is affiliated with an LLC in Brooklyn that "provides development services for residential and commercial properties."

On Feb. 14, plans were filed for a 6-story residential building at the address. The plans show one residential unit per floor, likely meaning there will be condos as pitched in the sales sheet.

Demolition plans have yet to be filed, per DOB records.

Previously on EV Grieve:

• Façade repairs next door have prevented kids at this East Village school from using the playground

Façade repairs next door have prevented kids at this East Village school from using the playground

Since early January, students at the Children's Workshop School have been without use of the playground here on 12th Street between Avenue B and Avenue C. 

On Jan. 9, part of the façade of an adjacent building at 638 E. 12th St. crumbled, and pieces of concrete from the exterior landed in the playground, also used by students in the P94M program within District 75. 

The playground has been closed while the new landlords of the 638 property made the necessary repairs, completed nearly four weeks ago. 

Since then, school officials (and parents) have been waiting for the Department of Buildings (DOB) to inspect and hopefully approve the work so the kids can have outdoor access again.

An item in the most recent school newsletter, dated Friday from Principal Maria Velez-Clarke, states: "There is no still no news regarding the schoolyard. We are working with elected officials to try and expedite the inspections, but have no control over the Department of Buildings." 

There's a DOB notice posted to the one-story structure dated Feb. 2 for the owner/occupant to call the city for inspection...

Parents hope that this will be resolved soon. (Students are on midwinter break this week.)

"This is negatively impacting classroom behavior and depriving kids of much-needed fresh air, exercise, and time to socialize," one parent with two children at the school told us. 

We're unsure what's inside No. 638 and how often anyone uses it. According to public records, there have been occasional complaints about No. 638's west-facing wall dating to 1989...

Repairs aside, that problematic wall won't be an issue in the months ahead. 

The 8,900-square-foot structure had been on the sales market. Per the listing: "Ideal for a luxury residential condominium in a well-established Downtown Manhattan neighborhood" with "Four sides of light and air." (Campos Community Garden is on the building's east side.)

The structure behind 432 E. 11th St., sold last summer for $2.8 million. Public records show the buyer is affiliated with an LLC in Brooklyn that "provides development services for residential and commercial properties."

This past Wednesday, plans were filed for a 6-story residential building at the address. The plans show one residential unit per floor, likely meaning there will be condos as pitched in the sales sheet.

Here's an aerial view of the space via Google Maps...

The project is in its earliest stages, and there's no estimate when construction could start... work that will possibly prompt closure of at least part of the playground and community garden for scaffolding and netting.

Since April 2016, the front of 638 E. 12th St. has served as a memorial (via Chico) for Elliot Caldwell, a 23-year-old who was shot and killed across the street outside Campos Plaza (below photo via LoopNet)...

Help for an East Village teacher who lost everything in an apartment fire

Jean Finnerty, a teacher and co-founder of the Children's Workshop School on 12th Street, lost everything when her apartment caught fire on Tuesday. 

Maria Velez-Clarke, principal at CWS, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help Finnerty replace her personal items and find long-term housing. 

Per Velez-Clarke: 

Over the years, Jean has served as a leader in our school and has taught nearly all grades at the school, and this year is serving as our health and wellness physical education teacher. She has mentored and supported thousands of children over the years and works to nurture the next generation of public school teachers as the student-teacher coordinator at CWS. 

You can find the GoFundMe here.

H/T Salim

Tomorrow (Friday!): Holiday Bazaar at the Children's Workshop School

The Children's Workshop School on 12th Street is hosting its Holiday Bazaar tomorrow (Friday). Here are a few details via the EVG inbox...

Come see our lobby transformed into a winter wonderland, do some holiday shopping and come eat at the CWS Cafe. We have something for everyone.

• An expanded Cafe — breakfast items including bagels with cream cheese and smoked salmon, breakfast sandwiches, assorted holiday treats! Lunch items including salads, chili and sandwiches, after-school treats! Also available: whole breads — banana, babka, etc.
• Gifts for children to buy — CWS slime, air plants, small crafts
• A wide variety of vendors — from homemade crafts to artisanal chocolates, gold jewelry, records, CWS branded items

And for the first time this year, a gift wrap table — buy something and get it wrapped for only $3

Come browse, get something to eat and enjoy the beginning of the holidays with the CWS community.

CWS Holiday Bazaar
Dec. 7
7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C

This link has the full list of vendors.

The Children’s Workshop is hosting a Fall Harvest on Sunday

The Fall Harvest action takes place Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. over at the The Children's Workshop School, 610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. Per one parent: "It’ll be a great day of family fun and we invite all our neighbors in the East Village."

Winter Craft Fair tomorrow at the Children's Workshop School

The Children's Workshop School (CWS) is hosting a Winter Craft Fair tomorrow (Friday!) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will be a variety of handmade items for sale to the public at the school, 610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. The CWS website has more info here.

Where to find Art & Science (& glop) tomorrow

At The Children’s Workshop School, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., tomorrow (Saturday), 610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C. The flyer promises glop.

The Children's Workshop School Schoolapalooza 2016 is Friday night

Schoolapalooza, the annual fundraiser for the Children's Workshop School at 610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C is Friday night (April 15) from 6-10.

Here is the flyer via the EVG inbox...



Late 1980s chart-topper Lisa Lisa (she is principal Maria Velez-Clarke's sister) will perform (and please no yelling "Lost in Emotion"...)

This year's palooza is at St. Nicholas Myra Church on East 10th Street at Avenue A. More details are here.

Schoolhouse Rock

Schoolapalooza, the annual fundraiser for the Children's Workshop School at 610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C is tomorrow night (April 24).

Here are details via the EVG inbox...

It is from 6-10 p.m. at the Manny Cantor Center in the Educational Alliance building on East Broadway near Grand Street featuring beautiful downtown skyline views from the rooftop deck. Lisa Lisa (she is the principal Maria Velez-Clarke's sister) will perform around 9 p.m. as well as The Lonesome Cupcakes and a special surprise guest. Delicious food, great auction items and cocktails served in flashing disco ball cups. All proceeds fund programs at the Children's Workshop School, everything from the school band to class trips.

Find more details here. And find some No. 1 Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam singles here from 1987 — Lost in Emotion and Head to Toe.

'Harvest' time today at the Children's Workshop School

The school is at 610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C… Festival times: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Get your glop on at the 20th annual CWS Arts and Science Fair today

Today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. … at the The Children's Workshop School at 610 E. 12th St. between Avenue B and Avenue C…