PARENT COORDINATOR UPDATES

Hello PS 107 Families!

Each time I think I can't be more impressed with this community, you all set a new benchmark! I had such a lovely time at Heritage Day and thoroughly enjoyed and learned from what you all shared. 

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

MESSAGE FROM MS JOANNA 

Dear PS 107 Families, 

WOW! Heritage Day was such a beautiful community celebration! This was my first Heritage Day, which I know has been a beloved 107 tradition for years, and its reputation is well-deserved. It was such a wonderful showcase of the diversity that makes our school community such a special place, as well as a truly collaborative effort, with so many volunteers coming together to make it happen. Enormous thanks to Biba Milioto for coordinating Heritage Day, and to the many, many volunteers who hosted rooms, organized performances, and managed overall operations. All of us at 107 are so thrilled that this tradition has returned!

This past week, as part of Digital Citizenship Month at 107, we hosted an incredibly informative workshop led by parent Kevin McCleary on how to keep your children safe online. Thank you Kevin! This Friday, March 24th, from 12:30-1:30 pm, we’ll have another workshop led by 107 parent and Common Sense Media Education Director Tali Horowitz called Nurturing Healthy Digital Habits. Have your lunch with us while learning how to create balance for your kids online. Please register here to receive the Zoom link. This session will also be recorded if you are unable to attend. 

The holy month of Ramadan begins on Wednesday, March 22nd. If your child will be fasting and would prefer to be in an alternative location during lunch, please reach out to Parent Coordinator Nadia Benlarbi early this week to make arrangements. Ramadan Mubarak to all of our families who celebrate!

Finally, New York State testing will begin right after Spring Break for students in grades 3 through 5. The NYS English Language Arts (ELA) test will be administered on April 19th and 20th, and the NYS Math test will be administered on May 2nd and 3rd. As some of you may remember, these tests used to have very high stakes attached to them, including whether children would be promoted to the next grade, how teachers were evaluated, and whether children would be admitted to particular middle schools. Thanks to statewide protests and a large “opt-out” movement, the stakes attached to the tests were almost completely removed, and the time devoted to testing was significantly reduced.

At 107, we see these tests as just one measure of how children — and our school — are doing. We review aggregate data, particularly our Test Item Analysis report, which helps us to see which ELA and math skills we need to focus on in our teaching across the school year. We do test prep in the weeks leading up to each test, but our teachers make it as low-key and stress-free as possible. 

Parents have the right to refuse the NYS tests for their 3-5th grade children. To do so, simply write an email or a letter to your child’s teacher copying Assistant Principal Rinah Fernandez Vasquez, and include the following information:

• state that you are choosing to opt your child out of the upcoming NYS exams (specify ELA test, Math test, or both); 
• include your child's first and last name, classroom teacher's name and class number; and
• include your name and relationship to the student. 

Please send your letter/email as soon as possible (and before spring break) so that we can plan an alternative schedule for your child for testing days. If you have any questions about opting out of the NYS tests, please reach out to your child’s teacher. 

Have a wonderful week!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

SCHOOL NEWS

RAMADAN

The month of Ramadan begins this Thursday, 3/22/23.                                                                                              PS 107 would like to offer accommodations during snack and lunchtime for students who are fasting for this holy month. Please reach out to me at my email address: parentcoordinator@ps107.org if you would like to discuss arrangements for your child.   

DOE MINECRAFT BATTLE OF THE BOROUGHS                                                                                                       The New York City Department of Education is partnering with Minecraft Education and C40’s Reinventing Cities Initiative to guide students in creating our future New York. Students will compete to create the most inclusive future-ready city spaces by building on the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the City’s OneNYC 2050 Strategic Plan, and existing mayoral initiatives. See attached flyer for more details!

REMINDERS

-Parent/Family Workshop on Zoning: How it Works and Why it Matters by the  NYC DOE     Office of District Planning - March 22  @ 10am  (see attached flyer for registration)

-Nurturing Healthy Digital Habits by Tali Horowitz - March 24 @ 12:30 pm -  Register here: Practical Parenting for the 21st Century - March Workshops

SCHOOL SURVEYS 

All classes with 95% completion of the NYC School Survey can win a PIZZA PARTY!!                        How can you help to make this happen for your students:

• Parents/guardians should complete a separate survey for each child enrolled at PS 107
• Parents/guardians can take the survey online at NYCSchoolSurvey.org
• To access the survey, parents/guardian should enter the letter “f” (lowercase) followed by their student’s identification (OSIS) number which can be found on their report card, student ID card, NYCSA account, or Operoo (e.g. f123456789)
• The deadline to take the survey is March 31st, 2023
• The online survey is available in 10 NYCDOE supported languages: English, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, Spanish and Urdu

Once you complete the survey, please complete this google form so we may track your child's classrooms progress.                                                                                                                                                      Questions? Contact: parentcoordinator@ps107.org 

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 . We are still reporting positive cases to the situation room and notifying classrooms and staff.

LOST AND FOUND 

Please click here to view the virtual 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.  

PTA UPDATES

UPCOMING EVENTS

• Read-A-Thon - March 3rd-24th

• Art Day Planning Meeting - March 21st, 7:00pm - Zoom Link

• CHiPS Food Drive - March 22nd (and every Wednesday)

• STEM Day - April 1st

• Auction/Gala - April 28th 

• Movie Night - May 1st

• Art Day - May 6th 

• Brooklyn Cyclones Game - May 7th, 2pm 

• Spring Fling - June 7th

LAST WEEK OF THE READ-A-THON!

Week two of the Read-a-Thon was a huge success! PS107 has logged over 180,000 minutes of reading time! This week is the final week and it’s MYSTERY WEEK. Leaderboards are going dark until the end! Congratulations to the top readers of Week One! Week Two winners will be announced this week. Winners will receive a $5 gift card to Fferin’s of Brooklyn!

ART DAY PLANNING MEETING THIS TUESDAY

Art Day is slated to take place in the big yard on Saturday, May 6, 2023.  So that means, it's time to get the ball rolling with planning the delightful details. If you are interested in helping to shape & make the event, or simply want to learn more please join the Art Day planning & organizing Committee's first meeting.  The meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 21st, at 7:00pm via Zoom.  Link here.  For more details check out the Konstella announcement here and with any questions email Sarah Harlow  (harlow.sarah@gmail.com) and Spring Hofeldt  (spring@springhofeldt.com).

STEM DAY - APRIL 1st

Mark your calendars and get ready for PS 107's science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) day on April 1st from 12:00 to 3:00 PM. We plan to transform the school into a science and technology wonderland with exciting hands-on activities, interactive experiments, and fascinating demonstrations. From building and launching rockets to coding, from discovering the intricacies of life under the microscope to experiencing the physical properties of matter, there's something for everyone!

We need YOU to make STEM Day a success! If you're planning to attend, please sign up here to help out during the event (set up, clean up, assisting with activities, or general support).

If you have any questions, please email us at ramroom@gmail.com (Reem) and xinalowe@gmail.com (Christina). 

SQUARE 1 ART FUNDRAISER
Thinking ahead about Mothers' Day and Fathers' Day gifts? Immortalize your children's artwork on mugs, keychains, potholders, and more, while raising funds for PS 107!  Use this link to order from Square 1 Art by April 12th, selecting "New York" and "PS 107 John W Kimball (Brooklyn)" from the dropdown menus, and PS 107 will receive 20% of proceeds. For tips on choosing, photographing, and uploading your kids' art, check out Square 1 Art's helpful guide. Happy crafting!

SAVE THE DATE - APRIL 23rd - NYCRUNS BROOKLYN HALF MARATHON (PROSPECT PARK) 

We have the opportunity to raise $2,500 for the Community Outreach Committee of the PTA by volunteering at the half marathon! It was a fun event last year, and we hope to get a great turnout again this year! Signups and more info to follow later in March.

SPRING AUCTION GALA

Tickets are now on sale for the P.S. 107 Spring Gala, which is being held on April 28th at the Prospect Park Picnic House! Buy now, before they sell out! If you are interested in volunteering, please email auction@ps107.org before you buy tickets, as you may be eligible for a free or discounted ticket.

WEEKLY GREEN TIP FROM PS107 GREEN COMMITTEE
GrowNYC sponsors Stop n Swap events where we can drop off clean, reusable, portable items such as clothing, housewares, games, books, & toys. Next one is on Saturday, March 25 in Crown Heights (Brooklyn Green School, 130 Rochester Ave, 11-2pm). Flier here.

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)
- 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

• March 22 - Parent Workshop - Zoning: How it Works and Why it Matters by the Office of District Planning @ 10 am  (see attached flyer for registration information)

• March 22 - CHiPS Food Drive every Wednesday at drop off

• March 24 - Parent Workshop - Nurturing Healthy Digital Habits by Tali Horowitz- 12:30 virtual platform
• March 31 - Family Morning Cycle 2, session 1
• March 31 - School Survey completion deadline
• April 1 - Stem Day

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS

• April 6 - 16 - Spring Recess - School Closed

Thank you,

Nadia