September 19 News

A Note from Ms. Rached

It was so great to see so many families at Back to School Night. Classroom teachers will be sharing their slides with their families.

Schoolwide Communications

If you have not been receiving Remind messages, please email Leila or Tanica.  This week, we will be creating class lists. Please reach out to Leila or Tanica if you do not want your information (email and/or phone number) to be included in the list.

Class parents!

Each year, one or two parents from each class answer the call to serve as class parents for the year. This role involves forwarding email communication to families, and supporting the families in engaging with school as well as with PTA events and initiatives. Please reach out to Tanica if you would like to be a class parent this year.

Lost and Found

As the weather begins to change, our lost and found has started to grow. The BEST way to keep items out of the lost and found is to label them.

Emergency Contact Cards

We need to update our records each year with new Emergency Contact cards. If you have not yet done so, please fill out an emergency contact card and email it to the Main Office (welcome@ps154.org). Kindergaretn families do not need to do this - we have yours!

REMIND

If you have not received any Remind messages, please reach out to Tanica.

Back-to-School Fall Carnival

Did someone say “Carnival?” Join us for food, games, activities, bouncy houses, and…yes…a dunk tank. The “Back-to-School Carnival” is our first PTA sponsored event of the year, so block your calendars for Saturday, September 23rd from 12-4pm. 

We have so much going on, the carnival will escape the schoolyard with activities and games on 11th Avenue! Carnival Highlights:

  • 11th Avenue will be closed to traffic for extra fun

  • Bounce houses & obstacle course

  • Carnival games

  • Dunk tank

  • Face painting

  • Food, music, and fun for all!

  • And…..

Kids classes from our friends in the community. Four awesome Brooklyn organizations will be on hand to showcase some special skills for rambunctious K-5ers: 

Get your tickets in advance to save time and help us plan the event. Tickets are required for all children 2 years old and older. Adults party for free. If you'd like to buy additional food, face painting, throws at the dunk tank, or any of the other awesome activities, they can be purchased at the ticket booth on site.

Our PTA supports in-class enrichments and programming throughout the year. Giving generously helps us support your students!`

Want to take credit for a successful carnival? Parent volunteers power PTA events like the Carnival! Sign up for a shift to make this event a wonderful day for all.

See you all on the 23rd!

PTA General Meeting

Clear your calendars - our first general PTA meeting of the year will be next Friday, September 29th, 8:30a at school!

Annual Boo Bash - It’s Scary Close!

My name is Frank Ricci, 3rd-grade parent, and last year I led the decorating team for the Boo Bash. I will do so again this year, and would like to create sustainable decorations we could reuse every year. But we need help from anyone in the community who is a contractor, wood worker, or someone with a saw who can cut plywood into basic shapes. If this sounds like you, please let me know. Donations of any old, unused halloween decorations would also be super helpful. Instead of throwing them out or giving them to a neighbor, give them to us! 

To contact me you can email me at FrankRicci@gmail.com Thanks so much for your help, looking forward to a fun, spooky, event!

PS…

We also need a photographer for the event who would be willing to donate their time to take kid and family portraits among our fabulous decorations! If you want to help the kids document their terror and joy, contact us at pta_info@ps154.org!

Book Market Update & Call for Class Librarians!

Last year PS154 launched our first ever Book Market, a library of gently used books housed in the MMR. It proved to be a great success: in the absence of a true library, it provided a place for kids to try out and discuss new books! In our first year we distributed thousands of books to 154 kids!

Now we hope to make it even better, but we need your help! This year, each class will visit the Book Market once a month at a designated time on certain Fridays. We would like each class to have a Book Market Class Librarian responsible for the following things:

  • Attend the Book Market Committee orientation, to be held in person on Oct 3rd, at 8:30am, in the MMR

    1. Attend 45 min monthly-ish Book Market Committee meetings (virtual, evenings likely) to discuss, update, troubleshoot, plan

    2. Attend and support the class's monthly designated Book Market visit, or ensure another class parents attends/supports. This will include helping kids select books and ensuring shelves are clean and organized before and after the class visit

    3. Be the class rep should the teacher have questions/concerns or want to do a special activity related to their visit

    4. Work with the Committee as needed to support book donations and market clean-up/organization throughout the year

We anticipate the volunteering commitment to be 3 hours per month. If you are interested in being your class's Book Market Librarian, or supporting your class's Book Market Librarian, please add your name to our sign up list here. Please sign up by Friday, Sept 29.

Community Corner

We are collecting items for survivors of the earthquake in Morocco. Please see the flyer below for details.

September 12 News

A Note from Ms. Rached

What a tremendous start to the school year! Seeing our students excited to tell their families about their first days of school at dismissal is one of my greatest joys! So much creating and learning was happening around the school during the first few days - from “Math about me,” to playing name games, to scavenger hunts around the building, to heat-wave recess play and more, our students were engaged in many kinds of learning. We will be building on the successes of the first few days as we embark on our year. Please be sure to sign the media consent form - one of the ways we hope to engage with families is by sharing photos in our newsletter more regularly.

Last week, our 3rd graders had their first Media Arts classes with Ms. Eaton, and this week, our kindergarten classes will have their first Media Arts class, and students in all other grades will have their first music classes! Media Arts and Music classes are funded entirely through parent donations to the PTA, and we are so grateful for your support! 


We are looking forward to greeting you virtually at our Back to School Night on Thursday, and seeing you in person at our Back to School Carnival on September 23! (details below)

Back to School Carnival

Our Back to School Carnival is our first PTA sponsored event of the year on Saturday, September 23rd from 12-4pm. Our PTA supports in-class enrichments and programming throughout the year. Giving generously helps us support your students!

Our carnival will take place in the schoolyard and on 11th Avenue.

Carnival Highlights:

  • 11th Avenue will be closed to traffic for extra fun

  • Bounce houses & obstacle course

  • Carnival games

  • Dunk tank

  • Face painting

  • Food, music, and fun for all!

Get your tickets in advance to save time and help us plan for our event. Tickets are required for all children 2 years old and older. Adults party for free. If you'd like to buy additional food, face painting or throws at the dunk tank, they can be purchased at the ticket booth on site.

Want to be a part of the carnival? Parent volunteers power PTA events like the Carnival. Please sign up for a shift to help make sure this event is a wonderful day for all

Summer News from the Garden!

Hi, this is Matt Reeck, the garden crew manager for this year.

First things first, anyone who wants to participate in gardening activities this year is more than welcome to join the Garden’s email list. Please email me at matt.reeck@gmail.com with an expression of interest and you’ll be joined!

We want the garden to be an integrated teaching space with Mr. Wong, our wonderful STEM teacher. Anyone with ideas of how to make that happen on a year-round basis is welcome.

Over the summer, we continued to take care of the garden, and there are just a few highlights.

Probably the most significant improvement came through the help of the father of one of our fourth graders. Tomas Peto at VP Moving—and his crew—filled and hauled 25 large bags of wood chips from Green-wood Cemetery to use as ground cover. They did it for free! So this is a shout-out to Tomas and his generosity. Their charity saved the school more than $600 and days of labor.

His company does short- and long-hauls (in NYC and inter-state). VP Moving is at (347) 663-1618 or www.vpmoving.net./.

Otherwise, I hope these pictures are worth a thousand words.

Please reach out if you’re interested in learning more about the Garden Volunteer Team.

be more “in the know” about 154

Can’t get enough of your weekly PS154 news? We try to make easy - here are some ways to find out more:

June 27 News

HAPPY SUMMER!

It’s the last of school (bittersweet, we know) and we’re all eager to start our vacations, whatever form that takes (we’re exploring the non-vacation vacation — it’s a work in progress). The good news is, that the first step to that summer break is easy to do: order your Edukit and put school supplies out of your mind. The other news: there’s a deadline approaching this Friday! See below for details!

We’re also deep into planning a Fall Carnival to celebrate the eventual return to school. Please see the Save the Date below and mark your calendars, but after that…

Have a great summer, everyone. It’s been a wonderful year and we want to thank you for all of your contributions, participations, and feedback throughout the year. The PS154 families are the school and we have one of the best!

We’ll be in touch when things arise about which you need to be informed. Until then, order your Edukit and enjoy your summer! (Did I mention the Edukit?)

EDUKIT DEADLINE FAST APPROACHING!

deadline for edukit orders TO BE DELIVERED TO SCHOOL IS FRIDAY!

The PTA of PS 154 offers the EduKit program as a convenient option for busy families to order school supplies for the 2023/2024 year. EduKits include the supplies approved by our school.

Order TODAY at www.edukitinc.com
Order By June 30th for best pricing and free delivery to the school.

For each grade, except kindergarten, there are two kit options. There is a student kit and a household kit. The student kit includes the supplies used by the student. The household kit contains items shared in the classroom and to keep the classroom clean. To see a complete list of items included in each kit, go to edukitinc.com.

If you choose NOT to purchase the household kit, please send the items, with your student, during the first two weeks of school.

Your child’s EduKit will be in your student’s classroom on the first day of school.

Extended ordering is available July 1 through August 1 for a $12.95 additional fee and will be delivered to your home shortly before school begins.

Find the ordering guide and pricing list here.

FALL CARNIVAL - SAVE THE DATE

WE’RE TURNING UP THE FUN ON BACK-TO-SCHOOL

Join us as we kick off the new school year with a Fall Carnival on Saturday, September 23rd from 12pm-5pm. It’s going to be HUGE. There will be tons of fun activities for kids, families, and friends including music, bounce houses, rides, games, and treats! (If we can convince anyone to sit in it, maybe a dunk tank?) You won’t want to miss it.

To make this event a success, we need volunteers. A LOT of volunteers. Please reach out to PTA or grace.ciaccia@gmail.com if you’re interested in planning or volunteering on the day of the event. 

Reminder: ALL proceeds from the event go directly to the PTA to help fund in-school enrichments (like music and chess!), assemblies (more author visits!), recess coaches, after-school opportunities and all the amazing things you help the PTA make possible for our kids.

be more “in the know” about 154

Can’t get enough of your weekly PS154 news? We try to make easy - here are some ways to find out more:

SCHOOL LOGISTICS

Need to contact the main office?

You can you our Main Office and Registrations email account Welcome@ps154.org for all Main Office communications, including:

  • Absence/Lateness

  • Last minute dismissal changes

  • Change of address

  • General inquiries

Planning a Move?

If you are changing address, we need to update your official DOE records. Please see this link for change-of-address instructions.

If you plan on enrolling your students in a different school district, your student will be discharged from PS154 once we have verification that they are enrolled in their new school.

NYCSA ACCOUNTS

We are encouraging all custodial parents to set up their NYCSA account. NYCSA is a very important DOE online portal that provides all your child’s official school records, including report cards, attendance, and IEPs. Please log on to the link below and set up your account. Reach out to Tanica Gordon if you need a creation code or have any questions.

Also Visit this link for more information. https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/student-journey/nyc-schools-account

June 20 News

The PTA & You

PTA Meetings

OUR NEXT MEETING IS IN-PERSON!

Come join us on Wednesday, June 21st from 8:30-9:30 am in the PS 154 schoolyard. Bagels and coffee will be provided! Imagine that - no more trying to push bagels through a webcam; we can just grab one and eat while discussing matters important to you and to the PTA.

Did you know that our PTA Meetings are all listed on our web site under events? You can even add them directly to your calendar using the links on each event page 📅 You can also view our past meeting minutes, programs and by-laws at any time here!

First deadline for edukit orders is fast approaching!

The PTA of PS 154 offers the EduKit program as a convenient option for busy families to order school supplies for the 2023/2024 year. EduKits include the supplies approved by our school.

Order TODAY at www.edukitinc.com
Order By June 30th for best pricing and free delivery to the school.

For each grade, except kindergarten, there are two kit options. There is a student kit and a household kit. The student kit includes the supplies used by the student. The household kit contains items shared in the classroom and to keep the classroom clean. To see a complete list of items included in each kit, go to edukitinc.com.

If you choose NOT to purchase the household kit, please send the items, with your student, during the first two weeks of school.

Your child’s EduKit will be in your student’s classroom on the first day of school.

Extended ordering is available July 1 through August 1 for a $12.95 additional fee and will be delivered to your home shortly before school begins.

Find the ordering guide and pricing list here.

COMMUNITY CORNER

Message from a Fellow 154 Family:

jewish Afterschool Opportunities

Hello fellow 154 Families,

I’ve spent the last 20 years creating and running fun, thoughtful Jewish education programs for (mostly secular) kids all over this city. Now, with two of my kids at PS 154, I’m thinking it may be time to get something like that going in these parts. I’d like to invite you to meet me in fellow parent Alie‘s living room to figure out together what the best way to go about this might be. I’ve brought kids and families in touch with their Judaism in a variety of ways, and really do have a lot of faith and pride in the educational methods and the philosophical approach that we've developed at my school. But I think to make this fit local needs it would be great to meet, share with folks how we tend to work, and then hear from you all what would make the most sense for everybody both practically and educationally. I’m hoping to set us up so we can start something for our kids in the fall.

Here's a little more about the School:

The School for Creative Judaism (SCJ) is an independent afterschool program that strives to offer a meaningful connection to Judaism for unaffiliated Jewish and interfaith families. We offer a comprehensive Jewish education for children ages 4-13 including Hebrew reading, holidays, Torah, history, prayer and social justice teachings. Our creative teaching methods earned us The Mintz Prize for Creative Jewish Education in 2018. Our robust B Mitzvah program, including preparation and unique musical ceremonies, is central to the School’s identity. It is the prime example of our overall attempt to empower young people to explore, redefine and embrace Judaism as their own. Since 2010 we have been serving unaffiliated families and those skeptical of religion, offering children fun, thoughtful education, and teens a deep, personalized path to B Mitzvah.

We're going to meet on: Sunday, 6/25, at 10:30am (Address will be sent when you register.)

Please RSVP Here. Or if you're interested but can't make it shoot me an email instead to Misha@schoolforcreativejudaism.com

Misha Shulman (Manu and Ezzy's dad)

Director, School for Creative Judaism

Rabbi, The New Shul

Opportunities to Help

Pandemic Funds and Community Giving

If you are a parent with pandemic funds on an EBT and looking for ways to use them, we can help. You can help those in need by supporting family shelters, asylum seekers, and the like. For more information, please email us at pta_info@ps154.org.

be more “in the know” about 154

Can’t get enough of your weekly PS154 news? We try to make easy - here are some ways to find out more:

154 and more — NYC SCHOOLS

Need to contact the main office?

You can you our Main Office and Registrations email account Welcome@ps154.org for all Main Office communications, including:

  • Absence/Lateness

  • Last minute dismissal changes

  • Change of address

  • General inquiries

Planning a Move?

If you are changing address, we need to update your official DOE records. Please see this link for change-of-address instructions.

If you plan on enrolling your students in a different school district, your student will be discharged from PS154 once we have verification that they are enrolled in their new school.

NYCSA ACCOUNTS

We are encouraging all custodial parents to set up their NYCSA account. NYCSA is a very important DOE online portal that provides all your child’s official school records, including report cards, attendance, and IEPs. Please log on to the link below and set up your account. Reach out to Tanica Gordon if you need a creation code or have any questions. tgordon@ps154.org https://www.schools.nyc.gov/learning/student-journey/nyc-schools-account

Book Market Donations

For now, we have plenty of stock of picture books, so we are going to pause collecting them. We are still actively collecting 3-5 grade chapter books and graphic novels, however!

 
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