Weekly Newsletter

Para español, haga clic aquí.

Please scroll down and read through the whole newsletter to find out all that is going on in and around our school. Also, you can find all of our newsletters here.

IMPORTANT DATES

December 6 - Vaccine Pop Up at PS 154, 7:30am–4:30pm (details below)

December 8 - Equity Team Meeting 4:30–5:30pm. (check calendar for details)

December 9 - Free Mobile PCR Testing Van at PS 154, 7:30–9:30am

December 11 - Winter Fair{ground}: A Good Ole County Fair, 1–4pm

December 15 - PTA Virtual General Mtg, 6:30pm (Zoom link TBA)

December 16 - School Tour for Prospective Families, 3:30pm (Sign Up)

December 16 - D15 Superintendent Skop virtual meeting, 5pm (check calendar for details)

December 21 - Virtual SLT Meeting, 4:30pm (check calendar for details)

December 24–December 31 - School is Closed for Winter Break

January 3 - Return to School

January 6 - School Tour for Prospective Families, 3:30pm (Sign Up)


SCHOOL UPDATES

MESSAGE FROM MS. RACHED

I hope all our families had a restful Thanksgiving. I am delighted to share with the school community that 70% of our student population has received their first (and some second!) vaccine dose. Next week, our safety committee will be meeting to decide on a new lunch plan that will allow students more choice and flexibility on where they eat. We will communicate the new plan to families once it is finalized.

Next Wednesday, 12/8, we will be having an Equity Team meeting. New members are welcome to join or just come by to check it out! You can email lrached@ps154.org for details - hope to see you there!

Happy Hanukkah to those who celebrate!

UPCOMING VACCINE CLINIC AT PS 154

Monday, December 6th from 7:30am–4:30pm in the MMR

NOTE: For 5–11 year olds only

Families can come to the pop-up site for 1st or 2nd doses, until the on-site vaccine supply runs out. The pop-up team will serve the following: any 5–11 year olds who were vaccinated at our pop-up on 11/10; who need a 2nd dose in the 21–28 day range but received their 1st dose at a different city site; or who would like a 1st dose.

Vaccine Sign Up - 2nd Dose (ONLY for students who received their 1st dose at our school):

For those not eligible to make an appointment, walk-up begins at 10:00am: first come, first served. (Please note, your child can come to school as normal. We will call them from class after you arrive and the vaccine providers are ready to administer their vaccine.) 

Complete this form and bring it with you: Covid 19 Vaccine Consent Form

 

SCHOOL PICTURES

If you need your photos in hand by Christmas, the order deadline is TODAY!

If you missed Picture Day or would like a retake, you can sign up to be photographed during makeup day HERE. PLEASE NOTE: RETAKE DAY HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED AND WILL NOW TAKE PLACE ON 12/16.

To place your order, find out about deadlines, estimated arrivals, retakes and more, please visit our school's Picture Day page: https://iloveschoolpictures.com/PS154

TO VIEW YOUR PHOTOS, CLICK ON "VIEW AND PURCHASE" AND ENTER ONLINE CODE: PS154 + FIRST FOUR LETTERS OF CHILD'S FIRST NAME + FIRST FOUR LETTERS OF CHILD'S LAST NAME
e.g., Jane Smith = PS154JaneSmit
Eli Smith = PS154EliSmit

DID YOU KNOW that Stomping Ground donates a portion of the photo package proceeds to our PTA fund? Be sure to buy your prints by the final order deadline on January 10th!

 

COVID TESTING POP-UP

The COVID testing van will be set up outside of PS 154 Thursday, 12/9, from 7:30–9:30am. Registration is suggested, but walk-ups are also accepted! Register HERE!


NYC DOE UPDATES

DOE’S MESSAGE FOR FAMILIES

December Letter from the Chancellor


SCHOOL-WIDE REMINDERS

  • All students/staff/visitors must complete their health screening at home every morning before they arrive in school. Click the link here: Online Health Screening Paper copies will be made available at school if needed.

  • Please complete your Covid-19 Testing Consent Form and return it to the main office. Forms were sent home this week for students who are missing consent. You can also provide consent online – go to schoolsaccount.nyc. Log in with your own email at the screen that looks like the DOE student login, then select the blue "my student" button. The link to the Covid-19 Testing Consent is at the top of that page.

  • All families must complete the Family Income Inquiry Form, which helps schools receive money for their programs regardless of if they qualify for free or reduced lunch. No need to sign up for school breakfast or lunch.

  • Complete the Emergency Blue Card here: Emergency Blue Card. We still need you to complete the entire form even if you updated this in your NYCSA. Please return the form to the main office, or email to fancona@ps154.org 


PTA UPDATES

Please reach out to pta_info@ps154.org if you're interested or want more information on how to get involved with the PTA. Please remember we cannot run our school without volunteers!

FUNDRAISERS

THE PRESALE IS LIVE FOR WINTER FAIR!

Now’s the time to order your tickets and enter our chili, mac ‘n’ cheese, and pie contests — and for a limited time, you can preorder the amazing Butterly cookie kits!

And PLEASE volunteer for a shift. We need your help!

Call for donations and volunteers for our New To You: Winter Wear Swap, which will be in full swing at Winter Fair!

ISO new or gently used (and clean) rain/winter gear in kids' sizes 4T to 12/14. Drop off Dec. 8th or 10th in the boxes set up outside PS 154 from 8:00-8:40am or 2:30-3:15pm.

 

The 2021 holiday season is here, and it’s the perfect time to raise funds for the PS 154 PTA simply by shopping at participating vendors!

 

Minted: Order holiday cards + custom gifts at 20% off, and Minted will donate 15% of each purchase to our PTA!

Share our unique code with friends, family, and on social media as early as you can! FUNDRAISEPS154WTS

 

Shutterfly: Order seasonal and special occasions items through our dedicated storefront HERE, and 8% of all proceeds will be donated to our school!

 

Foley Firs:


COMMUNITY

FREE AFTER-SCHOOL BASKETBALL PROGRAM

Grade 3–5 Families: Learn about a FREE after-school basketball program with South Brooklyn Basketball Academy here!

Weekly Newsletter

Para español, haga clic aquí.

Please scroll down and read through the whole newsletter to find out all that is going on in and around our school. Also, you can find all of our newsletters here.

IMPORTANT DATES

November 23 - District 15 Brilliant NYC Community Meeting, 6pm (details below)

November 25–26 - School is Closed for Thanksgiving Break

December 1 - PTA Virtual Executive Board Mtg, 6:30pm

December 2 - School Tour for Prospective Families, 3:30pm (Sign Up)

December 11 - Winter Fair{ground}: A Good Ole County Fair, 1–4pm (SAVE THE DATE! Details to come!)

December 15 - PTA Virtual General Mtg, 6:30pm (Zoom link TBA)

December 16 - School Tour for Prospective Families, 3:30pm (Sign Up)

December 21 - Virtual SLT Meeting, 4:30pm (check calendar for details)

December 24 - December 31 - School is Closed for Winter Break

January 3 - Return to School


SCHOOL UPDATES

COLD WEATHER PROTOCOLS

As the weather gets colder, please note, your arrival doors might not be open right at 8am. As with rainy day arrivals, if your arrival door is not open, please enter through the main entrance.

Lunch will still be outside for as long as we can manage, so please have your children bundle up on colder days. On exceptionally cold days we will be eating inside in the cafeteria using 3ft distance between students.

COVID VACCINES FOR KIDS

Check out these flyers for more information on vaccines for kids age 5–11:

UPCOMING VACCINE CLINIC AT PS 261 IN BOERUM HILL

Monday, Nov 22, 7:30 AM to 4:15PM

NYC Health & Hospitals is having a free pop-up Covid vaccine clinic for children ages 5–11 on Monday, Nov 22 at PS 261 (314 Pacific St btwn Smith & Hoyt) in Boerum Hill. There are plenty of doses and your child does NOT need to be enrolled at PS 261 to get vaxxed there! A parent/guardian must be present and/or give consent. Head to the red trailer off the Big Yard playground.

SCHOOL PICTURES

School pictures are ready, and the first order deadline is November 22nd! If you missed Picture Day or would like a retake, you can sign up to be photographed during makeup day HERE. To place your order, find out about deadlines, estimated arrivals, retakes and more, please visit our school's Picture Day page: https://iloveschoolpictures.com/PS154

TO VIEW YOUR PHOTOS, CLICK ON "VIEW AND PURCHASE" AND ENTER ONLINE CODE: PS154 + FIRST FOUR LETTERS OF CHILD'S FIRST NAME + FIRST FOUR LETTERS OF CHILD'S LAST NAME
e.g., Jane Smith = PS154JaneSmit
Eli Smith = PS154EliSmit

DID YOU KNOW that Stomping Ground donates a portion of the photo package proceeds to our PTA fund? Be sure to buy your prints by the final order deadline on January 10th!

COVID TESTING POP-UP

The COVID testing van will be set up outside of PS 154 Tuesday, 11/23, from 2:30–4:30pm. Registration is suggested, but walk-ups are also accepted! Register HERE!

A MESSAGE FROM MS. RACHED 

Hi Families,

Thank you so much for your efforts to get our students vaccinated! We are very grateful that so many students have already received their first dose. Your children’s vaccination status is automatically uploaded to the portal when they get their vaccination. According to the current quarantine protocols, close contacts who are considered fully vaccinated (2 weeks after their second dose) do not have to quarantine unless they have symptoms. Additionally, individuals who are considered fully vaccinated will not be eligible for weekly surveillance testing. 

As the weather is getting a little colder, we are continuing to have outdoor lunch and recess as often as possible for students, so please make sure the students are bundled up! We will revisit our outdoor lunch protocols after the winter holidays, taking into consideration our schoolwide vaccination status. 

As we get ready for Thanksgiving, I am reminded of all that I am grateful for. Getting to work in such a caring, supportive community, leading a school with such nurturing teachers, and most importantly, getting to know your wonderful children are all things that I am grateful for every single day! This is also a time to consider the many contributions of the vastly numbered and varied groups of indIgenous people across our country. 

I wish all of our families a happy and healthy Thanksgiving!


NYC DOE UPDATES

BRILLIANT NYC COMMUNITY VIRTUAL MEETING

November 23rd at 6pm

The Brilliant NYC Blueprint is a framework for thinking about a child’s education based on the latest in brain-based and child development research.

This is an opportunity to hear from families and members of Community School District 15 and is hosted by Superintendent Anita Skop.

Please register in advance by 12:00PM on the day of our community meeting:

https://learndoe.org/brilliantnyc/D15/

ELEMENTARY ADMISSIONS EVENTS

Come to a virtual event for Elementary Admissions this fall and winter! For all NYC families with children born in 2017, 2018, and 2019. Join one of our events to learn about 3-K, pre-K, and kindergarten admissions. 


DOE’S MESSAGE FOR FAMILIES

10/20/21


SCHOOL-WIDE REMINDERS

  • All students/staff/visitors must complete their health screening at home every morning before they arrive in school. Click the link here: Online Health Screening Paper copies will be made available at school if needed.

  • Please complete your Covid-19 Testing Consent Form and return it to the main office. Forms were sent home this week for students who are missing consent. You can also provide consent online – go to schoolsaccount.nyc. Log in with your own email at the screen that looks like the DOE student login, then select the blue "my student" button. The link to the Covid-19 Testing Consent is at the top of that page.

  • All families must complete the Family Income Inquiry Form, which helps schools receive money for their programs regardless of if they qualify for free or reduced lunch. No need to sign up for school breakfast or lunch.

  • Complete the Emergency Blue Card here: Emergency Blue Card. We still need you to complete the entire form even if you updated this in your NYCSA. Please return the form to the main office, or email to fancona@ps154.org 


PTA UPDATES

Please reach out to pta_info@ps154.org if you're interested or want more information on how to get involved with the PTA. Please remember we cannot run our school without volunteers!

FUNDRAISING

The 2021 holiday season is here, and it’s the perfect time to raise funds for the PS 154 PTA simply by shopping at participating vendors!

Minted: Order holiday cards + custom gifts at 20% off, and Minted will donate 15% of each purchase to our PTA!

Share our unique code with friends, family, and on social media as early as you can! FUNDRAISEPS154WTS

Shutterfly: Order seasonal and special occasions items through our dedicated storefront HERE, and 8% of all proceeds will be donated to our school!

Foley Firs:

Weekly Newsletter

Para español, haga clic aquí.

Please scroll down and read through the whole newsletter to find out all that is going on in and around our school. Also, you can find all of our newsletters here.

IMPORTANT DATES

November 16 - Virtual SLT Meeting, 4:30pm (check calendar for details) rescheduled from 11/30

November 17 - PTA General Virtual Mtg, 6:30pm (Zoom link TBA)

November 25–26 - School is Closed for Thanksgiving Break

December 1 - PTA Virtual Executive Board Mtg, 6:30pm

December 11 - Winter Fair{ground}: A Good Ole County Fair, 1–4pm (SAVE THE DATE! Details to come!)

December 15 - PTA Virtual General Mtg, 6:30pm (Zoom link TBA)


SCHOOL UPDATES

SCHOOL PICTURES

School pictures are ready, and the first order deadline is November 22nd! If you missed Picture Day or would like a retake, you can sign up to be photographed during makeup day HERE. To place your order, find out about deadlines, estimated arrivals, retakes and more, please visit our school's Picture Day page: https://iloveschoolpictures.com/PS154

TO VIEW YOUR PHOTOS, CLICK ON "VIEW AND PURCHASE" AND ENTER ONLINE CODE: PS154 + FIRST FOUR LETTERS OF CHILD'S FIRST NAME + FIRST FOUR LETTERS OF CHILD'S LAST NAME
e.g., Jane Smith = PS154JaneSmit
Eli Smith = PS154EliSmit

DID YOU KNOW that Stomping Ground donates a portion of the photo package proceeds to our PTA fund? Be sure to buy your prints by the final order deadline on January 10th!


NYC DOE UPDATES

DOE’S MESSAGE FOR FAMILIES

10/20/21


SCHOOL-WIDE REMINDERS

  • All students/staff/visitors must complete their health screening at home every morning before they arrive in school. Click the link here: Online Health Screening Paper copies will be made available at school if needed.

  • Please complete your Covid-19 Testing Consent Form and return it to the main office. Forms were sent home this week for students who are missing consent. You can also provide consent online – go to schoolsaccount.nyc. Log in with your own email at the screen that looks like the DOE student login, then select the blue "my student" button. The link to the Covid-19 Testing Consent is at the top of that page.

  • All families must complete the Family Income Inquiry Form, which helps schools receive money for their programs regardless of if they qualify for free or reduced lunch. No need to sign up for school breakfast or lunch.

  • Complete the Emergency Blue Card here: Emergency Blue Card. We still need you to complete the entire form even if you updated this in your NYCSA. Please return the form to the main office, or email to fancona@ps154.org 


PTA UPDATES

GENERAL VIRTUAL PTA MEETING

Please join the PTA and school administrators at the general virtual PTA meeting on 11/17 at 6:30 PM. This is a great way to keep up with everything happening at our school!

And please reach out to pta_info@ps154.org if you're interested or want more information on how to get involved with the PTA. Please remember that we cannot run our school without volunteers!

THANK YOU TO OUR COVID POP-UP VOLUNTEERS!

To the volunteers and bakers who rallied to put together our last-minute Covid pop-up bake sale, in particular Sarah Gartenberg, who coordinated everything: THANK YOU! Folks waiting in line were able to enjoy delicious refreshments, and the PTA earned a quick and easy $200 thanks to all of you!

And a special note of gratitude to Alina Hurtado for organizing the LabQ testing van. Because so many of you participated, the cost was completely covered by LabQ and we’re set to do it again in two weeks, just in time for Thanksgiving. The next van will be Tuesday, 11/23, from 2:30–4:30pm. There will be two techs there this time, so we expect things to run very smoothly.

Registration is suggested, but walk-ups are also accepted! Register HERE!

FUNDRAISING

The 2021 holiday season is here, and it’s the perfect time to raise funds for the PS 154 PTA simply by shopping at Minted. Order holiday cards + custom gifts at 20% off, and Minted will donate 15% of each purchase back to the PTA at the end of the year!

Share our unique code with friends, family, and on social media as early as you can! FUNDRAISEPS154WTS


COMMUNITY EVENTS

On Tuesday, 11/16 at 6pm, please join members of our community for this virtual workshop: The Basics Brooklyn Presents: Maximize Love, Manage Stress.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2060264752?pwd=eTljVmtSWmV1S3NFbkFaZm9UV312QT09#success!

MEETING ID: 206 026 4752

PASSCODE: 855651

Weekly Newsletter

Para español, haga clic aquí.

Please scroll down and read through the whole newsletter to find out all that is going on in and around our school. Also, you can find all of our newsletters here.

IMPORTANT DATES

November 9 - Equity Team Virtual Meeting, 4:30pm

November 9 - Middle School Info Session for 5th Grade Parents/Guardians, 6:30pm

November 10 - Covid Vaccine Pop-Up, 7–11am (details below)

November 10 - LabQ PCR Testing Van, 7:30–9am (details below)

November 10 - PTA Executive Board Virtual Mtg, 6:30pm

November 11 - School Closed - Veterans Day

November 16 - Virtual SLT Meeting, 4:30pm (check calendar for details) rescheduled from 11/30

November 17 - PTA General Virtual Mtg, 6:30pm (Zoom link TBA)

November 25–26 - School is Closed for Thanksgiving Break


SCHOOL UPDATES

A MESSAGE FROM MS. RACHED

Wow! What an eventful week! Last Friday, we had the most wonderful author visit with Jessica Love (if your kiddos are drawing mermaids on everything, I think I might know why…). A huge thank-you to Stephanie Valdez and Nick Raschella for helping with the logistics, book ordering, and hosting!

Our phenomenal teachers worked extra hard this week, meeting with families during conferences to discuss progress and celebrate successes. If you were unable to make your scheduled time, please reach out to your child’s teacher to reschedule. 

Midweek, we got the exciting news that we will be having a pop-up vaccine clinic for our students on-site next Wednesday! The timing of this coincides perfectly with the Covid-19 mobile testing van that the PTA booked for the school. On Wednesday, we will be a one-stop place for everything COVID-prevention related! We will be celebrating this (and providing some nourishment for those waiting on line!) with a PTA bake sale!

We would love to get some extra help for the vaccine event, to keep things moving along. Please sign up HERE to volunteer to help with line management, paperwork, or the bake sale! And for all you wonderful bakers out there, please drop off your baked goods from 7–8 AM on Wednesday!


COVID VACCINE POP-UP EVENT

Vaccines for PS 154 students and siblings age 5–11 will be distributed at the school on November 10th from 7–11 AM. Mention “PTA of PS 154” as your referring organization, and the city will send a $100 donation to the PTA on your child's behalf! More info here: English, Español

In order to help with flow and wait time, please sign up for a time slot using this sign-up: PS154 Vaccine Sign Up

  • Time slots are 15 minutes, but please expect the wait time to be longer.

  • If you sign up for a time after the start of the school day, please bring your child at their vaccination time and not before. Students getting the vaccine will not be marked late.

  • This is for the initial dose of the Pfizer vaccine. The vaccine provider will refer families to a local vaccine site for students to receive their second dose.

Alternatively, if you choose to book your own appointment through the city at vax4nyc.nyc.gov, you can select "The PTA of PS 154 Brooklyn" as your referring organization to secure the $100 donation.

COMMUNITY COVID TESTING

Announcing a new biweekly opportunity to get free PCR tests outside of PS 154. The first round is coming up on Wednesday, November 10th from 7:30–9 AM, on 11th Ave. near the Sherman Street corner. The PCR nose swab testing will be done through LabQ, and results generally come back within 24 hours.

Testing is open to anyone in the community; registration is required. Register HERE.


SCHOOL PICTURES

School pictures are ready, and the first order deadline is November 22nd! If you missed Picture Day or would like a retake, you can sign up to be photographed during makeup day HERE. To place your order, find out about deadlines, estimated arrivals, retakes and more, please visit our school's Picture Day page: https://iloveschoolpictures.com/PS154

TO VIEW YOUR PHOTOS, CLICK ON "VIEW AND PURCHASE" AND ENTER ONLINE CODE: PS154 + FIRST FOUR LETTERS OF CHILD'S FIRST NAME + FIRST FOUR LETTERS OF CHILD'S LAST NAME
e.g., Jane Smith = PS154JaneSmit
Eli Smith = PS154EliSmit

DID YOU KNOW that Stomping Ground donates a portion of the photo package proceeds to our PTA fund? Be sure to buy your prints by the final order deadline on January 10th!


NYC DOE UPDATES

DOE’S MESSAGE FOR FAMILIES

10/20/21


SCHOOL-WIDE REMINDERS

  • All students/staff/visitors must complete their health screening at home every morning before they arrive in school. Click the link here: Online Health Screening Paper copies will be made available at school if needed.

  • Please complete your Covid-19 Testing Consent Form and return it to the main office. Forms were sent home this week for students who are missing consent. You can also provide consent online – go to schoolsaccount.nyc. Log in with your own email at the screen that looks like the DOE student login, then select the blue "my student" button. The link to the Covid-19 Testing Consent is at the top of that page.

  • All families must complete the Family Income Inquiry Form, which helps schools receive money for their programs regardless of if they qualify for free or reduced lunch. No need to sign up for school breakfast or lunch.

  • Complete the Emergency Blue Card here: Emergency Blue Card. We still need you to complete the entire form even if you updated this in your NYCSA. Please return the form to the main office, or email to fancona@ps154.org 


PTA UPDATES

GET INVOLVED WITH A PTA COMMITTEE!

Have you ever thought about getting involved with the PTA but are worried about the time commitment? Are you interested in helping with just one event or one short-term project? We can make that happen!

Please take a look at our PTA subcommittee survey, and let us know how you might see yourself getting involved. Even small gestures can make a big impact! https://forms.gle/4wpmPbQhVQ8qrpAW9

Please reach out to pta_info@ps154.org for more information on participating in the PTA.  Please remember that we cannot run our school without volunteers! OUR SCHOOL NEEDS YOU!


COMMUNITY EVENTS

THANK YOU FROM THE PTA FUN RUN ORGANIZERS

Hello Brooklyn School Community Members!

A tremendous thank-you for helping to make the 13th Annual Brooklyn PTA Fun Run last Saturday such a resounding success! Thanks to you, we were able to raise over $20K (net of costs) for Title I schools. It was wonderful to see so many educators and families from different school communities showing their school spirit in support of all of our schools. Public education represents what is best about our democracy, but it is up to all of us to keep our schools the vibrant, creative, nurturing, equitable spaces for learning and growth we want them to be for all our children.

If you are a Title I school that participated in the Fun Run with at least 10 runners, we are now beginning to go through our accounting process and will be reaching out soon about how and when to expect an allocation of the funds raised.

Thank you again!

Brad

Council Member Brad Lander
Deputy Leader for Policy
39th District, Brooklyn