PS 38 George Cromwell School

March 2023

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.”  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.  Students should always be dressed appropriately, as we continue to 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.  

Parent Teacher Association:  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 Virtual PTA meeting  (code-ps38rpta) will be on March 14 at 2:30 pm.   At this meeting, we will be honoring our Students of the Month for academic excellence in the area of Physical Education.  We will also honor our Citizens of the Month who continue to demonstrate exemplary Respect for All.  Please make an effort to attend these meetings, as our goal is to strengthen family/community ties.    At this meeting I will also share some very important information regarding:

• The Midland Beach Playground Adjacent to our school
• Construction on the Blue Belt near Boundary Avenue.
• Vision Zero Traffic Improvement Plan 

Parents As Learning Partners: 

We are pleased to share we are bringing back Parents as Learning Partners (PALP)!

PALP is one day each month when we invite parents/guardians to come into the school and engage in a learning experience with their child and others in their class around a specific curricular area of focus.  

Upon arrival we will invite you to join Administration in the all-purpose room for a few minutes to discuss the area of focus for the day and set the stage.  Then you will go to the classroom your child is in to engage in the activity.  At the end, we will ask you to join us again in the APR for a brief discussion on your experience and to answers any questions.  

PALP is scheduled early in the day so parents who work can go to work after their visit. Parents with multiple children  may not switch classes as this disrupts the instruction.  You can have another adult go to the other child’s class or you can go to the other child’s class the next month when we do this again.  Our Building Response Team will be positioned throughout the hallways to help you find your way.

We have modified our approach to limit student/staff exposure to illness.  Therefore, only two grades will be scheduled for each PALP visit.   

March Parent’s As Learning Partners Focus:  Respect for All.

8:40 am- 9:30 am on the following dates:

March 27, 2023:  1st and 2nd Grades

March 28, 2023:   Kindergarten and 4th Grades

March 29, 2023:  3rd and 5th Grades

For your children, this serves as a proud moment of learning along-side their parent and we hope many will join us.

Parent Surveys have been distributed to all families and it is very important that you please take this survey.  Information gathered from the Parent Surveys contributes to our school’s overall effectiveness and provides us with information to continue to ensure your children are provided with the best learning experiences.  Every class who returns 100% surveys 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.  The first class to have 100% surveys returned will have a pizza party! Please support our initiative and submit your parent survey before March 31, 2023.

Attendance/Lateness Policy:   

We continue to drive this important initiative and still have a number of students who are chronically absent or at- risk for chronic absenteeism.  Students who fall into this category will receive an attendance notice to ensure you are informed and your child comes to school more regularly.   

Our doors open at 7:45 and instruction begins once students settle in. Anyone who arrives after 7:55 will be marked late. Please keep in mind, children must be in school in order to learn and consistent patterns of absenteeism and lateness directly impact student achievement.  

Testing:  Our State Exams are quickly approaching.  

The New York State ELA Exams will take place on April 19, and 20, 2023, and The New York State Math Exams will take place on May 2, and 3, 2023.  Our curriculum is rigorous and your children have worked hard to prepare all year long. Currently all 3, 4, and 5 grade students are engaged in test prep units of study in ELA and Math.  These units teach students strategies for test taking, the structure of the test and assist them in building stamina.  They learn how to write their short and extended responses and how to improve their writing about reading and math solve and show against the same rubrics and point system used during testing.  Students practice with state tests extracted from Engage NY and explore all elements in test prep centers which focus in on the skills needed. Our teachers have worked hard to prepare and support your children throughout the year and I am confident that they will do their very best.

How are we supporting students? 

Current programs in place to provide students with academic intervention and enrichment.  All AIS programs monitor student progress from beginning to end.

Our support/enrichment programs and our rigorous curriculum are 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.

  “Partners with Families…Partners In Learning”

Believing In Children...

Inspiring Young Minds,

 Nancy Murillo

Principal

 Mrs. Murillo's Family Letter March 2023.docx 

 Mrs. Murillo's Family Letter 2-17-23.doc 

 Mrs. Murillo's Family Letter January 2023.pdf 

 Mrs. Murillo's Family Letter December 2022.doc 

 Mrs. Murillo's Family Letter November 2022.doc 

Mrs. Murillo's Family Letter October