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Parent Coordinator Updates - 10/30/22
Sun, Oct 30 4:04pm

PARENT COORDINATOR UPDATES

 

Dear PS 107 Families.

 

Please see below for Ms. Joanna’s weekly message and updates from myself and the PTA. 

 

MESSAGE FROM MS JOANNA 

 

Dear PS 107 Families,

 

We have a busy week ahead of us, kicking off with Halloween on Monday! Park Slope is such a wonderful place during the Halloween season, and we know our students are really excited. As a reminder, costumes are not permitted during the school day for students, and though there are varying opinions on this, after a great deal of thought and consideration and for a number of reasons, we feel this is the best decision for PS 107 for this year. But there will be fun at school on Monday! Happy Halloween!

 

On Thursday, students have a half-day (dismissal is at 11:40 am) for Parent-Teacher Conferences. By now, you should have signed up for conferences with your child’s teacher(s). If you would like to meet with one of our specialty teachers, please reach out to them directly to schedule a conference: 

 

Ms. Abby, 2-5 Science, aroberts@ps107.org

Ms. Diane, PreK-5 Physical Education, dditonno@ps107.org 

Mr. DiFranco, PreK-5 Music, gdifranco@ps107.org

Ms. Galella, PreK-1 Library/English as a New Language, Academic Intervention for 2nd grade: pgalella@ps107.org

Ms. Julie, PreK-5 Art, julie@ps107.org 

 

As I noted in a letter to the community earlier this year, Parent-Teacher Conferences will be disconnected from report cards for the first time at PS 107. This was the result of many conversations with our School Leadership Team over the course of last school year where the overall sentiment was that parents and teachers wanted more opportunities to share student progress in both formal and less formal ways during the year. You will receive your child’s first formal report card in January 2023. Our second Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place in March as usual, again disconnected from report card distribution. Final report cards will be distributed on the last day of school in June. While you will receive two, rather than three, report cards, you will have four opportunities to learn how your child is doing in school, rather than three, starting this year and going forward.

 

At these first conferences, teachers will discuss their initial assessments of students’ academic and social-emotional skills. Teachers in 1st-5th grades may share student reading levels, but I urge you to take these as but one data point. Reading levels are based on Fountas + Pinnell benchmark assessments and don’t fully capture the full range of your child’s reading skills. For instance, if a child has a great deal of background knowledge on the topic of the book they are reading, they will be able to read above their reading level. If a child is very motivated to read a book, they will likely be able to read above their reading level. I also remind you not to confuse “decoding” (reading the words) with comprehending text. Sometimes parents believe that a child can read at a very high level because they can read all of the words on the page, but deeply comprehending a text is based on a number of factors, including a child’s developmental level.  

 

As always, questions about student progress are best answered by those closest to your child — their teachers! Feel free to come to your child’s conference with questions that you have about their skills, as well as ways that you can support their learning at home. 

 

Most importantly, I want to assure you that PS 107 students are doing very well! I have been regularly reviewing our schoolwide assessment data, as well as checking in with kids and teachers in classrooms, and the bigger picture shows that all of our students are making wonderful progress and are very much enjoying school and feeling seen and cared for by our staff (which is ultimately what’s most important). 

 

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

 

To see all of Ms Joanna’s weekly updates, click here.

 

PS Don’t forget to follow our official PS 107 Twitter account! https://twitter.com/ps107brooklyn

 

SCHOOL NEWS

 

How About Some Trees on the Perimeter of the Big Yard!
Let's plant some trees in the PS 107 Big Yard! They'll provide some shade and help the environment. "Like" this idea on the City Council Participatory Budgeting idea collection page so that the project gets included on the ballot this year. 
 
1st-5th Grade Parents, Volunteer to Help Our PE Classes at the Armory!
Are you a current Physical Education (PE) volunteer, supporting Ms Diane and Mr St Edwards at the Armory? Or considering becoming a PE volunteer? Please complete this form by Tuesday, November 1st at 5 pm! We are working on bringing more predictability and consistency to our PE volunteer program -- and we would like all PE volunteers to participate in a training. Note that this is only for PE classes that are held at the Armory, so this is just an opportunity for parents of students in 1st-5th grades. 
 
Fifth Grade Bake Sale and Lost & Found at dismissal on 11/3/22!
Come grab a treat (support our 5th Graders! ) and shop for your stuff at the Lost & Found at dismissal on Thursday 11/3/22 .
Dismissal is early, so don't be late ;)
 
 
REMINDERS

 

FAMILY INCOME FORMS  - School Funding

Did you know that completing these forms helps our school receive money for programs, regardless of whether your family qualifies for free or reduced lunch? If you haven’t done so already, please complete the Family Income Inquiry Form as soon as possible and help PS107 receive the funding we deserve. Deadline is coming up!

 

5TH GRADE FAMILIES

We will host our Parent to Parent Information Session for Fifth Grade Families on Monday, November 7th at 6:30 pm.   This event for PS 107 5th grade families is a valuable tool in helping you and your students rank our D15 schools.  Zoom details to follow in a separate Konstella.

 

LOST AND FOUND - Literal and Virtual 

We will have the lost and found outside at early dismissal on November 3rd on 8th Ave in front of the school. Please stop by and claim any of your child's lost items. Until then,  please take a quick look at our virtual lost and found here . If you see something that belongs to you, please email Nadia and we will be sure to get the item to your child to go home.  Parents usually send the picture with the email to make it clearer.

** We will donate the items in lost and found the week of November 7-10  . Please try to claim any lost items before that time. 

 

LABEL PLEASE

Please label your children’s items with their Full Name (First,Last) and classroom.  We make every effort to return items back to students if we can identify who they belong to.  

 

ENTERING THE BUILDING

Please be sure to bring your photo id and proof of your first vaccine dose with you when you enter the building. School Safety Agent Sharon must ask for both of these items when visitors enter the building.

Pro Tip: Take a picture of both and save them to your home screen or in your camera on your phone. This way if you have your phone with you, you will have both items easily accessible.

 

COVID UPDATES

Positive cases of COVID in students must still be reported to the DOE’s Situation Room; therefore, if your child tests positive, please alert our Parent Coordinator, Nadia Benlarbi, at parentcoordinator@ps107.org and copy Principal Joanna Cohen on your email at jcohen@ps107.org .

  

PTA UPDATES

  

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Parents' Special Education Support Committee - 12:00 pm Nov. 9

  • Powerhouse Book Fair - Nov 15-18

 

BILLION OYSTER PROJECT

This year we are bringing the Billion Oyster Project to PS 107! The Billion Oyster Project is a New York City-based nonprofit organization with the goal of restoring one billion live oysters to New York Harbor by 2035 through education initiatives. We need parents from our community to help champion this effort. There are different ways you can help, including attending webinars, station training, or helping with ongoing tank maintenance.  For more information, check out the announcement that went out Friday here. For any questions or if you’d like to learn more, please reach out to Reem Berro (ramroom@gmail.com) and Jenny-May Reddy (jmayreddy@gmail.com)

 

PARENTS’ SPECIAL EDUCATION SUPPORT COMMITTEE 

The Parents' Special Education Support Committee is hosting its second meeting of the year on Wed, Nov 9 at noon. All are welcome to join. We'll be planning events and offering a forum to discuss our children's needs. Zoom link here and more information in the Konstella announcement here.  Questions? Message co-chairs Ginny Wiehardt (glwiehardt@gmail.com) or Amber Lewis (lewis.amberlynn@gmail.com)

 

POWERHOUSE BOOK FAIR

Once again, Powerhouse will be graciously hosting our classes for bookstore visits.  20% of all sales will support the PS 107 PTA, so please shop anytime that week and mention PS 107.  We are looking for three chaperones for each class (PRE-K will NOT be making a class visit). For more information and to sign up click here or if you have any questions, please reach out to Laurie Tamis ltamis@gmail.com

 

IMPORTANT DATES 

  • November 3 - Parent/Teacher Conferences - Virtual Platform Early Dismissal 11:40 am
  • November 7 - Parent to Parent 5th grade meeting 6:30 pm- zoom details to follow
  • November 15 -18 - Powerhouse Book Fair

 

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

  • November 8 - Election Day - Students do not attend school
  • November 11 - Veterans Day - School is closed
  • November 24 - 25 - Thanksgiving Recess - School is closed

 

Thank you

Nadia