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,
It was wonderful to see so many of you at last Friday’s Family Morning! We’re so pleased to be able to bring this tradition back to 107 — and in a more manageable, less crowded way. We’re looking forward to welcoming the final third of parents at our next Family Morning on Friday, March 3rd.
We have also launched a series of parent workshops entitled Practical Parenting for the 21st Century: A Workshop Series for Parents, by Parents. This workshop series will run from February through May, with at least one workshop per month on a topic of interest to PS 107 families. This month, we are hosting two workshops related to supporting your children through two different kinds of challenges — friendship and executive functioning:
- Helping Your Child Navigate Friendship Challenges with school counselor Sarah Green, Thursday, February 9, 2023, 8:30 am in the PS 107 Cafeteria. You can also register to attend via livestream here.
- Strengthening Executive Functions at Home: Creating a Practical Toolbox for our Children with Dr. Anna Levy-Warren, founder of Organizational Tutors, Tuesday, February 14th, 8:30 am in the 4th Floor Art Space at PS 107 (location change!). You can also register to attend via livestream here.
If you are attending these workshops in person, please come in through the main entrance and be prepared to show your ID and proof of COVID vaccination. And coming in March, we’ll host two workshops on building healthy digital habits and protecting your children online!
Fitnessgram is back! For those of you with older children, you may remember that students took a series of physical fitness tests during PE classes in the pre-COVID era. These tests are returning this year, and I know that they are already creating some anxiety for children (and by association, for parents). I want to assure you that there are no stakes attached to these assessments and the data gained from them can help you determine your child’s level of physical fitness (in the same way that reading, writing, and math assessments help identify areas where children are excelling and where they may need more support).
You can read more about Fitnessgram on the DOE’s website. You can also learn about the specific tests that are administered to students here. In NYC, Fitnessgram tests are administered as follows:
- Students in K-3: height and weight only (this is done in a private location, not in PE class)
- Students in grades 4-5: height and weight (conducted in a private location), and 5 additional fitness tests, assessing strength, endurance, flexibility, and aerobic capacity, which are conducted during PE class
You will be able to see the results of your child’s Fitnessgram in your New York City Schools Account under the “Student Wellness” tab.
Ms Diane is well aware of the stress that some students experience when these tests are administered. She will be doing some trial tests in the coming weeks to get students used to these assessments and will also emphasize that there are no stakes attached to them. You can support your child by validating their concerns and emphasizing that this will be a challenge they are ready to take on. (As the mom of an anxious child, I have learned the hard way that it’s best in these situations to validate your child’s feelings and make clear that you know they can get through this, rather than trying to “fix” the situation, which ultimately has the unintended consequence of making their anxiety grow larger and more intense. For more on that, check out this article from The Child Mind Institute.)
Have a wonderful week!
Warmly,
Ms Joanna
SCHOOL NEWS
FEBRUARY PARENT WORKSHOPS
-Please see this flyer for our February workshops in PS 107's workshop series: Practical Parenting for the 21st Century: A Workshop Series for Parents, by Parents.
-Please join the District 15 team for a special session on Wednesday, February 15th at 6:30 p.m. The conversation will be surrounding ‘Drug Prevention Strategies and Supports for Schools and Families’. This Town Hall will be held remotely, via Zoom. Attached you will find the Town Hall flyers in English, Mandarin and Spanish. Use the link below to register:
Registration link: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYoduCsrj8vHNSlaIC4q5IjdlCEUN-pkIyQ
SCHOOL SURVEYS
How are we doing as a school? We want to hear from you! On February 13th, the DOE's annual School Survey administration begins. Your feedback on the School Survey helps us to learn and grow, so please be sure to complete your survey. You can either complete your survey online at www.nycschoolsurvey.org or you can complete a paper copy, which will be backpacked home with your child on or around February 13th. We look forward to your feedback!
REMINDERS
COVID-19 UPDATES
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 .
LOST AND FOUND
Please continue to label your children’s items with their Full Name (First,Last) and classroom. The full name is important as we do have students with the same first name and including the classroom saves the extra step of looking up children in Operoo to find their classrooms to return the items to them.
Please click here to view the virtual lost and found.
PTA UPDATES
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Lucky Batch online fundraiser - Jan 29-Feb 10
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Summer Camp Online Auction - February 13th - 17th
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Read-A-Thon - March 3rd-24th
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Heritage Day - March 18th
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Auction/Gala - April 28th
LUCKY BATCH COOKIE FUNDRAISER
This month, the 5th Grade Committee has partnered with Lucky Batch, a Brooklyn-based cookie company that does online bake sales to benefit schools. Owned by a mom of a 6th grader and her sister, Lucky Batch aims to make doing good taste good. Our bake sale starts on January 31 and runs until February 24. Each batch costs $25 with $5 going directly to the 5th Grade Fund!
Please order online. Cookies can be shipped nationwide or select "Pick up" to get them at school drop off or pick up. For more information see the Konstella announcement from earlier this week here. If you have any questions please email: 5thgradeps107@gmail.com
HOST A ROOM FOR HERITAGE DAY
As you may have seen from the recent Konstella announcement the date for Heritage Day is set for March 18th. If you'd like to 'host' a room, please fill out this survey so we know how many folks are interested in participating! In the past, Heritage Day has been a great way for families that share backgrounds to team up and co-host.
Events like Heritage Day are what make our school community so cozy-- and they can't happen without volunteers! If you're not inspired to host a room, know that we'll need lots of help in other ways too. If you have questions, email me at bibamilioto@gmail.com.
SPRING AUCTION GALA
The Spring Auction is coming April 28th, 7-11pm at the Picnic House. Save the Date! As the committee plans for the great event we are looking for your support! Have an amazing donation to contribute to the auction? Fill out our Google Donation form at this link! Aren't sure or have questions? Read more about what makes a great donation from our earlier Konstella post here or email Alyse (alyselaw@gmail.com) and Christine (christine.canedo@gmail.com).
WEEKLY GREEN TIP FROM PS107 GREEN COMMITTEE
Valentine’s Day is coming…here are some green tips! 1) Make valentines with construction paper or buy them in a paper box. 2) Opt for candy that has less packaging. 3) gift wrapping with recycled magazines/newspapers 4) Gift a plant instead of balloons!
Also -- Are you making sandwiches for CHIPS for the Community Outreach Committee’s Wednesday morning collections? Pack them in paper bags instead of plastic. These bags work very well.
SAVE THE DATE FOR SUMMER CAMP ONLINE AUCTION LAUNCHING 2/13!!
We are excited to announce that we are getting ready to launch our 2023 Summer Camp Auction! Get ready to sign-up for some of your favorite camps at a discounted price!
Here is the list of camps that have already donated to our 2023 auction:
Amerikick
AWE
BAX
BBG
Beansprouts
BKCM
Brooklyn Engineering for Kids
Brooklyn Museum
Brooklyn Nature Days
Camp Cody
CBE
CinemaKids
Concept Music
Curious Jane
Gotham Gymnastics
Gasworks
Kids in the Game
NCDC
Park Slope United
Piper Theater
Plato Learning
Snapology
Splat Camp
Textile Arts
The Prospect Park Zoo
Tiny Scientists
Trailblazers Camp
Whitebird Productions
Writopia Lab
SUPPORT THE PS 107 PTA
- Donate to our Annual Fund by clicking here or share this link with friends and family (a special link for non-Konstella users)
- Go to Smile.Amazon.com and select PS 107 Parent Teacher Association before you shop. 5% of your purchase will be donated to the PTA!
- Scan your groceries receipt with the Box Tops for Education app on your phone. It only takes a minute and any purchases with the Box Tops label on them will automatically make money for our school!
IMPORTANT DATES
- February 9 - Parent Workshop : Helping Your Child with Challenging Friendships - 8:30-9:30 am Cafeteria + livestream
- February 14 - Parent Workshop: Strengthening Executive Functions at Home: Creating a practical toolbox for our children - 8:30 - 9:30 am 4th Floor Art Space + livestream
- February 15 - D15 Superintendent Town Hall - See attached flyer
- February 16 - PTA Meeting 6:30 pm
UPCOMING HOLIDAYS
- February 20 - President's Day Observed - School Closed
- February 20 - 24 - Mid Winter Recess - School Closed
Thank you
Nadia