Monday, March 5, 2018

Dear Families,

Wow!  March is already here and with it comes unpredictable weather.  We all know the old saying “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.”   Well, we just had quite a Nor Easter last Friday…Talk about unpredictable!  Because the temperature is so unpredictable we have to be careful not to let it catch us off guard.  Therefore, I want to stress the importance of making sure your children come to school with a warm coat so they can play outside.  This is inclusive of those who come to Saturday Academy.  Many students are wearing hoodies and waiting till the doors open at 9:00 a.m.  Please note the doors do not open before 9:00 a.m. and during cold winter months children should not be dropped off early.  It is way too cold outside to stand and staff is not officially in until 9:00 am.  Students must always be dressed appropriately as we do engage them in fire drills and evacuation drills as a safety measure.  If your child is not dressed appropriately, this could put them in a very uncomfortable situation should we have to leave the school grounds for an extended period of time.  We must be prepared at all times to evacuate.  Additionally, as long as the weather is above freezing, children will go out for recess.

I certainly hope everyone had a restful and enjoyable winter break.  Now that we are back, the rest of the school year will fly by and before you know it, it will be June.  

At PS 38 we embrace and celebrate cultural diversity.  Before the break your children enjoyed a very special assembly performed by the New York City Chinese Cultural Center and had an amazing experience as they watched and engaged in a variety of Chinese dances. Do visit the New York City Chinese Cultural Center on-line at www.nychineseculturalcenter.org to find out more about this amazing organization and all it has to offer.  On March 8, students in grades 3-5 will enjoy another cultural assembly performed by The Temple for the Arts.  This organization will engage the children in a historical time-line of African American music. Teaching children about the historical accomplishments and struggles of African Americans benefits everyone.  

Parent Teacher Association:  Our PTA has really been working rigorously to bring in outside resources to inform our families.  PTA meetings are a forum to share information regarding our school policies, programs, events, changes, and provide families with resources and information to support and inform you.  Our next meeting will be on March 21 at 6:00 pm.  Additionally we will be honoring our Students of the Month for Reading and our Citizens of the Month.  Please make an effort to attend these meetings as our goal is to strengthen family/community ties.    Our PTA will also be hosting an event for our Male Students and their mother or special adult female in their life on March 26, 2018 at “Painting With A Twist” located at 221 Hylan Boulevard.  Details related to cost, time, etc, can be found in the letter which was sent home.  Additional letters are in the main office. It is a lovely night out with your child and if you’re interested, you may speak with Mrs. Ryan or Mrs. Chow for the information.  We hope to see you there!

Our next Parents as Learning Partners (PALP) day will be on March 23, 2018 and we look forward to you joining us in the classrooms for yet another curricular focus. A letter will be forthcoming.  PALP days provide parents with the opportunity to see our curriculum in action, understand our methodologies, how children are learning, and why we do what we do.  It also provides you with a new lens for our learning expectations and gives insight as to how you can support the work your children bring home.  Our goal is to actively engage parents in the learning process with their child while the teacher explains step by step the “what, why, and how” of the learning process.  For your children, this serves as a proud moment of learning along-side their parent.  We hope to see many parents on March 23, and look forward to a brief discussion with you about your experience afterward.

Parent Surveys have been distributed to all families and it is very important that you please make time to take this survey so that we may once again have 100% participation.  Information gathered from the Parent Surveys contributes to our school’s overall effectiveness and Quality Snapshot results and provides us with information to continue to ensure your children are provided with the best learning experiences.  Every class who has 100% surveys returned will receive a free pretzel and this year will also have No Home Work on a specific Thursday which I will select.  We do not give written HW on Fridays and having a Thursday off will make for a nice long restful family weekend.  Please support our initiative and submit your parent survey before March 23, 2018.

Parent Teacher Conferences will be hosted on Thursday March 15, 2018 from 1-3 pm in the afternoon, and then from 4:30-7:30 pm in the evening.  If you have a scheduled appointment please ensure you are on time.  These are brief 5 minute sessions which are student led conversations about an area they are proud to share they have grown in and areas they are still working on doing better in.  Please bring your child as they will share their own glows and grows.  Should you want to schedule a longer family meeting with your child’s teacher please see Mrs. Chow who can assist you.  

Attendance/Lateness Policy:   

We continue to drive this important initiative.  By 8:20 all children are late and missing instruction.  Children must be in school in order to learn/grow and consistent patterns of absenteeism and lateness directly impact student achievement.  Instruction begins at 8:15 am. We ask that parents also refrain from picking up children early right before the end of the day as this disrupts instruction.  Emergencies may arise, but they should be minimal.

Please note that class trips and special activities are privileges and any student who demonstrates little effort, consistently does no homework, or is excessively absent/late, will not be permitted to go.  Letters will continue to go home to families where children have fallen below the 90% for absence/lateness.  Please support your children in their learning lives by making sure they are well rested, do their homework, and are on time and in school daily.

Pre-Kindergarten sets the stage for Kindergarten.  They are our youngest learners and consistency and routines are a very important facet in their lives.  While we understand when children are sick, when students are consistently absent this sets the children back and makes it very difficult for them to adjust to being in school again when they return.  Please note the importance of bringing your child to school as this early learning will lay the foundation for next year making their adjustment to Kindergarten that much easier.

Testing:  Our State Exams are quickly approaching and I would like to take this opportunity to invite parents of all students in grades 3-5 to our “Getting Ready for Testing” workshops which will take place Friday March 9, 2018 at 8:35 am.  We encourage all parents of students in testing grades to attend and ask that you please send in the tear off so we can estimate how many families may be in attendance. This year we have also invited parents of second grade students who will be taking these exams next year to join us!  If you are interested, do send in the tear off.  The New York State ELA Exams will be on April 11, and 12 and The New York State Math Exams will be on May 1, and 2.  Our curriculum is rigorous and your children have worked hard to prepare all year long. There are 3 Saturday Test Prep Academy days left before the ELA Exam and it is highly recommended that all students are in attendance.  After the ELA there will be 2 sessions of Saturday Academy in April before the Math Exam in May. Again, we have worked hard to prepare and support your children throughout the year and I am confident that they will do their very best.

Our support programs and enrichment programs continue. Additionally, classes with one teacher are supported with another push in teacher to work with small groups of students on occasion, and our paraprofessionals are trained and provide 10-15 minutes of Great Leaps phonics and math support to students in need.  This year with the support of our PTA we have Reading Eggs and Math Seeds computer support programs and grades 3-5 use Reflex Math.  These programs can also be used at home and over the summer, and I encourage families to ensure that their children find some small time to do so.  1 hour 2-3 times a week will make a difference.  

Current Support/Enrichment Programs:

Every one of these support/enrichment programs and our rigorous curriculum has been designed to help your children achieve academic excellence providing them with a strong path to becoming college/career bound.  We will continue to inspire all children, cultivate their strengths, and strive for academic excellence for all.

~Thank you for entrusting your children to us.

Believing In Children...

Inspiring Young Minds,

Nancy Murillo

Principal

My March 2018 Newsletter  3-5-18.docx.doc 

My February 2018 Newsletter February 18.docx.doc 

My January 2018 Newsletter  January 3 2018.docx.doc 

My November 2017 newsletter  November parent letter 17.docx.doc 

My October 2017 newsletter  10-6-17.docx.doc 

 My September 2017 newsletter  sept 11-17.docx.doc