Weekly Newsletter

Important Dates

March 4 - PTA Executive Board Meeting, 8am

March 5 - Parent Teacher Conferences, 11:30am Dismissal

March 10 -  2nd Grade City Worker Day (see below on how you can volunteer)

March 12 - PTA Meeting & Workshop: Raising Emotionally Intelligent Kids, 6:30pm

March 13 - Lip Synch Battle, 6:30pm

March 17 - SLT Meeting, 4:15pm

March 24 - 2nd - 5th Grade Armory Visit (Sign Up)

March 25&26 - ELA State Tests for 3rd-5th grades 

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Stay up to date with the efforts of our school’s leadership team. Click here for the latest information.

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PS 154 Cares!

Pennies for Patients (P4P) Fundraiser

We are excited to announce that we have officially kicked off our Pennies for Patients program this week! Your child should have come home with their own collection box and a flyer that explains all of the exciting Hero Gear students can receive by collecting money in their box. If it works for your family, students can set up an online page to receive donations, so that our school can make our biggest impact ever for the Mission of Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). Join our squad by clicking on the link.

When heroes work together, we change cancer!

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TAKE THE NYC SCHOOL SURVEY

CALLING ALL PARENTS & GUARDIANS

DEADLINE IS March 31

Give us your honest opinion. Your feedback helps improve our school.

Paper surveys will be given out during Parent Teacher Conferences, but you can complete yours today!

Complete the Survey online in five easy steps!

1. Go to nycschoolsurvey.org

2. Click on the link to the parent & guardian survey

3. Enter your access code (this will be on your paper survey, but you find it on-line now here: https://survey.avii.com/Survey/CodeLookup

4. Complete the survey

5. Click “Submit”

Contact Debby Wattenbarger at dwattenbarger@schools.nyc.gov with questions.

For help getting an access code, call 1-877-819-2363.

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VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

CITY WORKER DAY - March 10, 9am - 11am.

Do you work for the city or have a relative or friend who does? We need city workers for the annual 2nd Grade City Worker Day, a beloved 154 tradition. Our honored guests will simply introduce themselves and then our 2nd graders circulate the room and interview them!

Contact 2nd grade teacher Laura Varriale if you or someone you know can join us!

STEM Professionals Day for 4th & 5th grade - May 4th, 9am-11am Fantastic STEM professional volunteers have made the day a big success with the 4th and 5th graders the last few years, and we are looking forward to another great day in 2020. If you or someone in your family or circle of friends has a job related to Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math and would like to be involved, please e-mail Christine Ponder, our STEM Professionals Day Parent Volunteer. Our honored guests will quickly introduce themselves and then our 4th & 5th graders circulate the room and interview them! All you need to do is come prepared to talk to the kids about your work and STEM experiences. We will follow-up with you to confirm your participation and to get information for a short biography for the 4th and 5th graders. 

Contact parent volunteer Christine Ponder.

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Community News

Summer in the City

Yes, it’s already time to start thinking of summer! Summer in the City offers a variety of free Summer Academy programs for students of different ages. Summer Academy programs include hands-on STEM projects and field trips to museums, parks, and other cultural sites.
Summer in the City provides transportation and students enrolled in programming will receive a free, healthy breakfast, and lunch.

Applications open March 10th for most programs. Find out more here: Summer in the City

Weekly Newsletter

Important Dates

February 17 - February 21 - School Closed - MidWinter Break

February 24 - PTA Meeting & Coffee with the Principal, 8:30am

February 24 - Pennies for Patients Kick Off Assembly

February 25 - 2nd Grade Monster Monologues, 2-204 & 2-206, 7pm

February 26 - 2nd Grade Monster Monologues, 2-207, 7pm

March 4 - PTA Executive Board Meeting., 8am

March 5 - Parent Teacher Conferences, 11:30am Dismissal

March 12 - Workshop: Raising Emotionally Intelligent Kids, 6:30pm

March 13 - Lip Sync Battle, 6:30pm

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Stay up to date with the efforts of our school’s leadership team. Click here for the latest information.

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PS 154 READ-A-THON Winners

Thank you to all our students for their wholehearted efforts!

Kindergarten
Class winner: Ms. Bowen’s class K-210, 8,792 minutes
Individual winner: Athen Pyfer with 1,213 minutes

First
Class winner: Ms. Ancona’s class, 1-203, 9,694 minutes
Individual winner: Theo Penfold, from Ms. Concannon’s class, 2,527 minutes

Second
Class: Ms. Varriale’s class, 2-206 12,970 minutes
Individual: Declan Hart, Ms. Karunagaran & Ms. Valerio’s class, 2,449 minutes

Third
Class: Ms Chiu's class, 44,196 minutes
Individual: Kaiya Baronberg, from Ms. Lou/Ussery’s class, 5,743 min

Fourth
Class: Ms Milledge, 37,161 minutes
Individual: Jonah Barazani, from Mr Greller’s class. 3,437 minutes. 

Fifth
Class: Mrs Theodorakis class, 16,264 minutes 
Individual: Isabelle Ginsberg, from Ms Moore/Marucci’s class, 4,544 minutes 

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PS 154 Cares!

Pennies for Patients (P4P) Fundraiser

Our school has decided to take on blood cancer and our mission is to help find a cure with Pennies for Patients. Be on the lookout for more information in the upcoming weeks that will allow your child to participate in this rewarding event that emphasizes the importance of social and emotional learning and gaining the experience of helping both children and adults in their fight against blood cancer. Our kickoff assembly is on February 24. Check out the school link at: https://events.lls.org/pages/nyc/Ps-154-Windsor-Terrace-School-2020 and get started with online donations today.  Pennies for Patients is calling all heroes to join our squad! We’d love as many people to donate as possible, but it’s completely up to you and your family if you want to be involved.

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TAKE THE NYC SCHOOL SURVEY

CALLING ALL PARENTS & GUARDIANS

DEADLINE IS March 31

Give us your honest opinion. Your feedback helps improve our school.

Paper surveys will be given out during Parent Teacher Conferences, but you can complete yours today!

Complete the Survey online in five easy steps!

1. Go to nycschoolsurvey.org

2. Click on the link to the parent & guardian survey

3. Enter your access code (this will be on your paper survey, but you find it on-line now here: https://survey.avii.com/Survey/CodeLookup

4. Complete the survey

5. Click “Submit”

Contact Debby Wattenbarger at dwattenbarger@schools.nyc.gov with questions.

For help getting an access code, call 1-877-819-2363.

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Box Tops

Final physical collection due on Friday, February 28

For those who have physical unexpired box tops for submission, please drop off to Ms. Guzzi's office in the MMR no later than Friday, February 28.  Cut-out box tops are being phased out in favor of digital submissions, so this will be the final mail in.  For more information about how to submit box tops digitally and earn money for our school, please click here.

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Community News

STEM Matters Spring Break Program

STEM Matters NYC offers enrichment programs at cultural institutions and experiential learning centers in all five boroughs during spring break. Programs for all grade levels are application-based, but high school programs also require a teacher reference form. Students in kindergarten through grade 8 are selected via lottery. High school students are selected by a review committee.

Career/Job Fair

February 27
Prospect Park Armory YMCA

Prospect Park/Park Slope Armory YMCA is holding a Career/Job Fair for their facility on February 27. Check out the flyer for more information here: YMCA Job Fair

The Beauty of Ballet

Sunday, March 1, 2:00PM
LIU Brooklyn

The School of American Ballet (SAB) will be presenting a free event for families and children at Kumble Theater at LIU Brooklyn on Sunday, March 1 at 2:00 p.m.

“The Beauty of Ballet” features SAB’s advanced students (some of the most promising young dancers in the U.S.) in a delightful introduction to classical ballet that should be especially enjoyable for children ages 4 and up. This special performance is free and 45 minutes long. Learn more here.

Autism Basics Workshop with Q&A

March 16, 6:00-8:00PM
PS 24

NYU is facilitating an Autism Basics Workshop with Q&A for families. All are welcome. Please find more information here.

Weekly Newsletter

Important Dates

February 7 - TONIGHT! - Movie Night, 6:30pm

February 10 - Seussical performance, 6:30pm

February 11 - PTA Meeting, 8:30am

February 11 - SLT Meeting, 4:15pm

February 11 - 2nd - 5th Grade Armory Visit (Sign Up)February 12 - Workshop: Martial Arts as a Focus Tool, 6:30pm

February 17 - February 21 - School Closed - Mid-Winter Break

February 24 - Pennies for Patients Kick Off Assembly

February 25 - 2nd Grade Monster Monologues, Times and Classes TBA

February 26 - 2nd Grade Monster Monologues, Times and Classes TBA

March 4 - PTA Executive Board Meeting, 8am

March 5 - Parent Teacher Conferences, 11:30am Dismissal

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Stay up to date with the efforts of our school’s leadership team. Click here for the latest information.

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PS 154 Cares

The Lily Bowen Project — Help Save the Koalas

The recent devastating and debilitating bushfires in Australia have decimated the wildlife and in particular, the koalas of Australia.

One of our 5th grade students, Lily Bowen, started a fundraiser and is collecting donations to help save the Koalas of Australia.

All the money collected will be donated to the Australian Koala Foundation. Please place cash or checks in an envelope with your child’s name and class. It will be sent directly to the main office. You can make your check payable to: PS 154

We’re taking donations until February 28.

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PS 154 After School & Child’s Play NY Present
Seussical Kids

Monday, February 10, 6:30PM
$5 suggested donation at the door

Come see our students perform Seussical! And, two spots remain in our Spring Session of Broadway Jr.:

MONDAYS, 3:00-4:30PM
FEBRUARY 24 - JUNE 8 / PERFORMANCE JUNE 8
FOR GRADES 1-3

Tuition: $395 / Registration Opens Feb 3, 2020 at 9:00AM via JackRabbit

Adapted from the three-time-Tony-nominated Broadway hit comes A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS. Based on Arnold Lobel's well-loved books, the jazzy, upbeat score bubbles with melody. Part vaudeville, part make-believe, and all charm, A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS tells the story of a friendship that endures throughout the seasons.

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Movie Night: The Lion King

Friday, February 7, doors open at 6:00
movie will begin at 6:30PM
$5 suggested donation/$1 concessions

Please join us for a cozy Movie Night at PS 154! We’ll be enjoying the live-action Lion King, and raising funds for our school!

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SEL: Martial Arts — A Timeless Approach for Focus and Self-Control

Wednesday, February 12, 6:30PM
FREE/$5 babysitting with RSVP

CLARIFICATION: This event is not an active martial arts workshop. It's a speaking event for parents: the co-founder of Sun Dojo will explain the social and emotional, as well as physical, benefits that children get from training in martial arts. Parents will learn techniques to help their children learn and practice focus and self control. 

What comes to mind when you think of martial arts? Perhaps you think of Bruce Lee or imagine various forms of fighting, or you think of it as a kind of physical exercise. Maybe you even wonder if training in martial arts encourages kids to fight more? 

Did you know that it’s proven to be an effective mental training tool that can improve a child’s ability to focus? There are many other benefits for our children that many parents simply don’t realize. 

The martial arts community is focused on respect, safety and trust. Kids gain confidence, practice self-discipline, improve social skills, and train both their bodies and minds.

Training in martial arts has been proven to: 

• Reduce children's tendency to bully others. 

• Make kids less violent.

• Improve children's academic performance in school. 

• Increase mental focus.

• Motivate children to strive for excellence  - which can help them in all areas of their lives. 

Professor Laurel Carroll is the co-owner of Sun Dojo Martial Arts & Fitness and is the Head Junior Instructor for kids ages 4-15.

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Parents, we need your help!  The Teacher Appreciation Committee is ready to start planning lots of special treats and experiences for Teacher & Staff Appreciation week in May.  We have some great plans in store for spoiling our teachers, and we need more hands to help us put our plans into action.  No amount of time is too small.  Some of the jobs on this committee are minimal and we can fit each task to meet individual schedules.

We need volunteers to:

• keep track of parent donations for our 2020 budget (this is all on your own time...if you are familiar with online bookkeeping, this will be easy and straightforward)

• work at school with kids on decorations/cards for teachers

• stock the teacher lounge with all of their favorite snacks and beverages

• manage one day of teacher massages at PS 154 

• collect notes from parents sharing how a teacher(s) have touched their lives

• co-chair the Teacher Appreciation Week committee

Got ideas to add?  Please join us and share (but be prepared to execute the idea as each idea is only as good as the actions taken to see it through).

If you are interested, please email Lisa Rochlin.

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COMMUNITY INFO & EVENTS

Advocacy Skills for Parents

Monday, February 10, 2020 - 5:30 - 7PM
PS 261 314 Pacific Street, Brooklyn

A free workshop from include NYC open to all. Learn how to speak up for your child with a disability. Become your child's best advocate and get them the support and services they need in any situation, including in school, in the community, and with health care. See the attached flyer in English and Spanish.

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STEM Matters Spring Break Program

STEM Matters NYC offers enrichment programs at cultural institutions and experiential learning centers in all five boroughs during spring break. Programs for all grade levels are application-based, but high school programs also require a teacher reference form. Students in kindergarten through grade 8 are selected via lottery. High school students are selected by a review committee.

Weekly Newsletter

Important Dates

January 31 - TONIGHT! - Microplastic Madness with Q&A, 6:00pm

February 3 - Registration Opens for Broadway Jr. After School Club, 9:00am

February 5 - World Read Aloud Day

February 7 - Family Friday, 8:35am

February 7 - Movie Night, 6:30pm

February 11 - PTA Meeting, 8:30am

February 11 - SLT Meeting, 4:15pm

February 11 - 2nd - 5th Grade Armory Visit (Sign Up)

February 12 - Workshop: Martial Arts as a Focus Tool, 6:30pm

February 17 - February 21 - School Closed - MidWinter Break

February 24 - Pennies for Patients Kick Off Assembly

February 25 - 2nd Grade Monster Monologues, Times and Classes TBA

February 26 - 2nd Grade Monster Monologues, Times and Classes TBA

March 4 - PTA Executive Board Mtg., 8am

March 5 - Parent Teacher Conferences, 11:30am Dismissal

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Stay up to date with the efforts of our school’s leadership team. Click here for the latest information.

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PS 154 Presents a Special Movie Night
screening of Microplastic Madness

Friday, January 31 (TONIGHT) 6:00
movie will begin at 6:30PM with an introduction by Brad Lander
Stay for a Q&A with the filmmakers after the movie!

FREE (with registration)

Please join us for a very special Movie Night at PS 154!

We’re screening Microplastic Madness (trailer) for our local community — PS 154 families, PS 10 families, PS 130 families, and the community at large. Please reserve your FREE tickets today, to ensure your family gets to see this special film.

BROOKLYN KIDS TAKE ON PLASTIC POLLUTION WITH CAFETERIA CULTURE

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After School special registration
Spring Session Broadway Jr. Club with Child’s Play NY

Mondays, 3:00-4:30PM
February 24 - June 8 / Performance June 8
for grades 1-3

Tuition: $395 / Registration Opens Feb 3, 2020 at 9:00AM via JackRabbit

Adapted from the three-time-Tony-nominated Broadway hit comes A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS. Based on Arnold Lobel's well-loved books, the jazzy, upbeat score bubbles with melody. Part vaudeville, part make-believe, and all charm, A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS tells the story of a friendship that endures throughout the seasons.

This whimsical show follows two great friends – the cheerful, popular Frog, and the rather grumpy Toad – through four fun-filled seasons. Waking from hibernation, Frog and Toad plant gardens, swim, rake leaves, go sledding and learn life lessons along the way. Throughout the year, two best friends celebrate and rejoice in the differences that make them unique and special.

A Year with Frog and Toad KIDS is a great first choice for young performers, with plenty of ensemble roles, accessible music and minimal sets and costumes.

Jocelyn Greene founded Child’s Play NY in 2009 as a way to transform theater education in her community. She drew from her work as a student (MFA, NYU Graduate Acting, BA, Wesleyan University), an actor (The Public Theater, NYSF), and a teacher (Will Power to Youth, Oddfellows Playhouse, Epic Theater) to develop the rigorous curriculum and imagination-based games that ignite the program today. Jocelyn and directs 100s of students each year in dozens of productions from Shakespeare to Sophocles.

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Movie Night: The Lion King

Friday, February 7, doors open at 6:00
movie will begin at 6:30PM
$5 suggested donation/$1 concessions

Please join us for a cozy Movie Night at PS 154! We’ll be enjoying the live-action Lion King, and raising funds for our school!

---

SEL: Martial Arts — A Timeless Approach for Focus and Self-Control

Wednesday, February 12, 6:30PM
FREE/$5 babysitting with RSVP

What comes to mind when you think of martial arts? Perhaps you think of Bruce Lee or imagine various forms of fighting, or you think of it as a kind of physical exercise. Maybe you even wonder if training in martial arts encourages kids to fight more? 

Did you know that it’s proven to be an effective mental training tool that can improve a child’s ability to focus? There are many other benefits for our children that many parents simply don’t realize. 

The martial arts community is focused on respect, safety and trust. Kids gain confidence, practice self-discipline, improve social skills, and train both their bodies and minds.

Training in martial arts has been proven to: 

• Reduce children's tendency to bully others. 

• Make kids less violent.

• Improve children's academic performance in school. 

• Increase mental focus.

• Motivate children to strive for excellence  - which can help them in all areas of their lives. 

Professor Laurel Carroll is the co-owner of Sun Dojo Martial Arts & Fitness and is the Head Junior Instructor for kids ages 4-15.

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Parents, we need your help!  The Teacher Appreciation Committee is ready to start planning lots of special treats and experiences for Teacher & Staff Appreciation week in May.  We have some great plans in store for spoiling our teachers, and we need more hands to help us put our plans into action.  No amount of time is too small.  Some of the jobs on this committee are minimal and we can fit each task to meet individual schedules.

We need volunteers to:

• keep track of parent donations for our 2020 budget (this is all on your own time...if you are familiar with online bookkeeping, this will be easy and straightforward)

• work at school with kids on decorations/cards for teachers

• stock the teacher lounge with all of their favorite snacks and beverages

• manage one day of teacher massages at PS 154 

• collect notes from parents sharing how a teacher(s) have touched their lives

• co-chair the Teacher Appreciation Week committee

Got ideas to add?  Please join us and share (but be prepared to execute the idea as each idea is only as good as the actions taken to see it through).

If you are interested, please email Lisa Rochlin.

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COMMUNITY INFO & EVENTS

SUMMER CAMP EXPO AT PS 261

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2020

Visit PS 261 Saturday, Feb 1st from 11 am to 2 pm for a free camp expo! Face painting, balloon art, glitter tattoos, and food! Come out of the cold and start planning your summer. 30 camps and a babysitting app! Open to all.

Don't forget about Camp Summer Friendship right here at PS 154 for rising K through rising 3rd graders.