PARENT COORDINATOR UPDATES
Hello PS 107 Families!
It was so great to see some you at the Gala this past Friday in a social setting :)
What a fun time!
Please see below for Ms. Joanna’s weekly message and updates from myself and the PTA.
MESSAGE FROM MS JOANNA
Dear PS 107 Families,
What a treat to see everyone dressed to impress on Friday evening at the Spring Auction and Gala! Event chairs Alyse Dosik and Christine Canedo-Pullan have been planning the return of this wonderful tradition since October, and all of their hard work more than paid off (literally and figuratively). Such a great time was had by all — though can we all agree to keep any videos of a certain principal singing a well-known tune by The Monkees to ourselves?!?
Not only was the gala a huge financial help to our school, thanks to the in-kind support from so many parents and community members, we were also able to keep a great deal of single-use plastics from the landfill because of advocacy from our parent-run Green Committee.
The Green Committee, led by parents Kajal Below and Spring Hofeldt, has been encouraging us to reduce our environmental footprint all year long and was particularly active during the month of April, Earth Month. They helped families and students to write letters in support of New York State’s Packaging Reduction and Recycling Act. They collected so many thoughtful letters, which will be delivered to Albany on May 2nd. We are thrilled to be weaving themes of sustainability and climate justice across all that PS 107 does.
May is Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we can’t wait to share the contributions of the AAPI community who have made America what it is today. Daily morning announcements will highlight these contributions, along with our parent AAPI Committee’s PS 107 poster campaign.
This week, on May 2nd and 3rd, our 3rd-5th grade students will take the New York State Math test. Our teachers have been working hard to prepare students for this test, and you can prepare your children by ensuring they get a good night’s sleep before the test and have a healthy breakfast the morning of the test, as well as by reminding them to try their best and not feel overly concerned if there are questions they don’t know how to answer. Like the NYS ELA two weeks ago, the Math test is a low-stakes opportunity for students to practice their test-taking skills.
Even if your child is not currently in a test-taking grade, their days will be a bit different on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week because state test administration is a very large undertaking and involves so many of our staff members, including our specialty teachers Ms Diane, Mr DiFranco, Ms Julie, Ms Galella, and Ms Abby. Huge thanks to our Assistant Principal and Testing Coordinator Rinah Fernandez Vasquez who has to devote the vast majority of her time in April and May to planning and organizing for the state tests. If you have any questions about testing, please feel free to reach out to Ms Rinah at rfvasquez@ps107.org.
Have a terrific week!
Warmly,
Ms Joanna
NEWS
SCHOOL NEWSPAPER
This week we received our April Edition of The 5 Day Week. I have attached it to the update in case you missed it :)
SUMMER RISING - Deadline May 1
Enrollment for Summer Rising began on April 17th. For more information please click here: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/summer/grades-k-8
PARENT WORKSHOPS/FAMILY EVENTS
-May 1, 2023 6:30 to 8pm - The Equity Committee of PS 58 with the CEC invites the District 15 Community to Diversity In Our Schools, a facilitated community conversation about diversity in District 15.
PS 58 Auditorium
330 Smith Street
Special Guests - Mark Winston Griffith and Max Freedman, creators of School Colors: A Narrative Podcast on Race, Class, and Power in NYC Schools
*See the attached flyer for more details.
-The D15 Townhall for May is cancelled. The June D15 Townhall will be a State of the District and Celebration of Schools presentation. More information to follow.
STUDENT ASSEMBLY
May 3rd - grades 3, 4 and 5
If you wish to purchase the book (with author's signature), the cost is $14.40. The deadline for ordering through the school is Tuesday May 2nd.
Please click here to order the book.
ADMISSION INFORMATION
Families who are enrolling kindergarten age students have until May 5th to accept their offers, and until June 27th to provide registration documents.
REMINDERS
CCEC ELECTIONS -Deadline is May 9th.
Please vote in our Community Education Council Elections!
To vote, you will need to sign into your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA). If you do not have an account, it’s not too late! Sign up for your NYC Schools Account (NYCSA) today. If you need help signing up to NYCSA, I will guide you through the process.
Be sure to review the candidates’ profiles here before voting.
Questions? Attend an Information Session! https://www.schools.nyc.
Mondays through Thursdays at 9AM, 12PM, and 6PM
Fridays at 9AM and 12PM
D15 DIVERSITY PLAN EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT - open until May 31
2. Interviews with DOE and district leadership
3. Meetings with middle school’s School Leadership Teams
4. Small-group listening sessions with students, caregivers, community-based organizations, guidance counselors, and more
5. Data analysis
6. And, a final report to be shared in 2023.
COVID - 19 TEST KITS UPDATE
As recommended by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), COVID-19 test kits should now be distributed upon request for students and staff who are experiencing symptoms and/or have a known exposure to someone with COVID-19. This practice, beginning May 1, replaces the previous guidance of automatic distribution of four tests per month to each student and staff. Please see the attached letter for more information.
LOST AND FOUND
The Lost & Found has grown exponentially! Please click here to view the virtual lost and found.
Please label your child's items with FIRST and LAST NAME :)
PTA UPDATES
UPCOMING EVENTS
-
CHiPS Food Drive - May 3rd (and every Wednesday)
-
Brooklyn Cyclones Game - May 7th, 2pm (Buy tickets here)
-
Movie Night - May 12th
-
Art Day - May 13th
-
AAPI Month Snack Sale Fundraiser- May 19th, After School
-
Spring Fling - June 7th
ART DAY NEEDS MORE VOLUNTEERS!
Art Day is in danger! Art Day is scheduled for May 13, less than two weeks away and we only have 6 workshop leaders signed up so far. We need at least 10 more workshop leaders to volunteer or we might not be able to offer this special event this year. For anyone who isn't familiar with Art Day, it is an exciting day in the PS 107 school yard, where families participate in arts and crafts activities and explore creativity together. Like Fall Festival and STEAM Day, Art Day has been a PS 107 tradition for more than 10 years. Don't let this be the year it ends!
Leading a workshop doesn't need to feel intimidating. Here are some ideas for successful activities: https://pin.it/2wqICvz
Your workshop can be anything you want it to be. Some examples include:
- Beading
- Vegetable stamping
- Pet rocks
- Marbling
- Collage
- Sting painting
- Friendship bracelets
- Faux Stained Glass (sharpies on transparency paper)
- Button-making
The only limit is your imagination! Please email Sarah Harlow (harlow.sarah@gmail.com) and Spring Hofeldt (spring@springhofeldt.com) to volunteer!
OPEN EXEC BOARD POSITIONS
The PTA is looking to fill its open positions ASAP as voting will happen in May. Please take a look at the open positions here. There are roles suited for all types, so please consider joining the best PTA in all of Park Slope! If you are interested in a role or simply have further questions about the role and/or commitment, please email Davina davina@ps107.org or Cynthia cynthia@ps107.org
BROOKLYN CYCLONES GAME
We hope you'll join fellow PS 107 families in cheering on the Brooklyn Cyclones at Coney Island next weekend, on Sunday, May 7 at 2:00 PM! There will be bouncy houses, giveaways, festivities, sunshine (we hope!), and of course, baseball! A block of seats for the PS 107 community will be reserved in section 17, behind 3rd base.
The last day to purchase your tickets is this Thursday. Tickets can be purchased here for $20 each (plus a nominal PayPal processing fee). This is a school fundraiser, and 50% of the proceeds will benefit the PS 107 PTA. See you there! Please contact Nisha, nisha@ps107.org, with any questions.
WEEKLY GREEN TIP FROM PS107 GREEN COMMITTEE
Save money and the planet! Just label EVERYTHING! That way when your kids lose something, you will find it!!!! And not need to replace it. Easiest green tip ever!
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)
- Order a batch of cookies from Lucky Batch using this link. Lucky Batch is a Brooklyn-based cookie company and with our “always on” bake sale they donate $5 to PS107 for every batch ordered by our family and friends.
- 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
- May 7 - Brooklyn Cyclones Game 2pm
- May 12 - Family Morning Cycle 2, # 2 - 8:20 am/ Coffee w/the Principal 9am
- May 12 - Family Movie Night
- May 13 - Art Day
- May 15 - Spring Picture Day
UPCOMING HOLIDAYS
- May 29 - Memorial Day - school closed
- June 8 - Clerical Day - no school for students
- June 9 - Chancellor's Day - no school for students
Thank you,
Nadia