SEPTEMBER 23 NEWS

SCHOOL CLOSED FOR ROSH HASHANAH SEPT 26-27

L’Shana Tova to those celebrating!

CURRICULUM MORNINGS

Over the next two weeks, we will be inviting caregivers into the school building to visit their children’s classroom, meet their teachers, and learn about what they’ll be learning this year! Teaches will also be sharing curriculum slides with families. Due to space concerns, each child can have one caregiver attend the event with them, and all adult visitors must show proof of Covid vaccination when they sign-in. Each grade will have one morning for their visits, and teachers will communicate to families whether you are in Group 1 or Group 2.

Please see the Curriculum Mornings Info Sheet, and reach out to Leila with any questions.

PTA MEETING

Join our First PTA meeting of the school year to learn about ways in which the PTA supports our school and how you can be involved!
Date: Wednesday, 9/28
Time: 6:00pm
Zoom Link: https://nycdoe.zoom.us/j/82525770324?pwd=UzdoMzlGKzl5V0RwbCtUMVNSTzZIQT09

Meeting ID: 825 2577 0324

Passcode: 867771

One tap mobile

+16465189805,,82525770324#,,,,*867771# US (New York)

+19292056099,,82525770324#,,,,*867771# US (New York)

September 30 MOVIE NIGHT!!

We are excited for our first event of the year. Come enjoy a movie under the stars in our schoolyard. We will be showing Minions: The Rise of Gru. The schoolyard will open at 5:30pm for open play, and the movie will begin at 7. This event is free! Snacks and kid-friendly drinks will be available for sale by the PTA. If it’s chilly, bring a blanket or sleeping bag!

BOO BASH 2022

Get ready all you ghouls and ghosts, PS 154’s Halloween tradition is back for another year of monsters, madness, and mayhem. Please mark your calendars for October 22nd for the sheer terror of the Boo Bash!

This outdoors event will include school favorites like games, crafts, yummy treats, cotton candy, family photo sessions, a dance party, and more! Get your Halloween costumes or BOO BASH 2022 T-shirt ready for a fun-filled event to remember!

Details:

LOCATION: PS154 schoolyard, cafeteria

DATE: Saturday, October 22

TIME: 3–7 pm

We need 100 volunteers to make this a success. Please sign up today

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d4eafad22a2fb6-boobash

PICTURE DAY OCTOBER 12th

Get ready to dress your little ones up, untangle their hair and get ready for Picture Day. This year it will be on October 12th is picture day for all classes with make up day on November 17th.

Community Events:

Freedom to Dream Day - October 1

September 16 News

Remind

We are using Remind for communicating with families this year. You can use it through text, email, or the Remind App. This page explains how to change the language you receive notifications in.If you are feeling inundated with Remind notifications, you can unsubscribe from the threads or turn of notifications for a device (this page explains how)- you will still receive urgent message in an emergency.

Get Involved with the PTA

Did you know that you are already a member of the PTA? To find out how you can be involved (from volunteering at a one-time event, to having a year-long role) reach out to ptainfo@ps154.org , or come to the first PTA meeting on September 28 at 6PM (over Zoom). Hope to see you there!

Class Parents Sign-Up

Working with your child’s class as a class parent is a great way to be involved with your child’s class, to meet people in the 154 community, and to give back to the school. Class parents will work with Tanica and the PTA to communicate with teachers and families. This year, we are hoping for each class to have 2 co-parents, and we strongly encourage class parents to volunteer for at least one PTA Event. Use this page to sign to be a class parent - if both spots are filled, you can reach out to ptainfo@ps154.org for other ways to be involved!

5th Grade Families - Join the 5th Grade Committee

The 5th Grade Committee helps to plan projects and events to make the students’ last year at 154 a memorable experience! Please consider joining the 5th grade Committee - use this form to select a project you’d like to help with.

Opt-out of email list sharing

Family email lists will be shared with classes next week. Please let Tanica know by Monday, 9/19, if you would like for your email address NOT to be shared with other families in your child’s class.

Expanded Media Arts Program

This year, we are expanding our Media Arts program to all grades. All of our students have Media Arts with Ms. Eaton, as well as Studio Art with Ms. Kelly as part of their weekly schedules. In Media Art in the younger grades will focus on building connections and story-telling (with projects such as story-telling through puppetry). In the upper grades, students will learn how to use technology (video, computers, music tech) to help build connections and tell stories. In addition to school-wide Media Arts and Studio Art, we will also have PTA-funded enrichment classes in each grade.

Class birthday celebrations

Students may bring in store-bought treats to celebrate their birthdays with their class. Please make sure all treats have a list of ingredients, and please send in napkins with the treats. 

Lunch Policy

We have the luxury of a relatively large, well-ventilated cafeteria. Last year, the PTA purchased with HEPA-grade air purifiers to supplement the DOE-issued devices for days when students needed to eat lunch indoors. This year, students will be eating lunch with their classes in the cafeteria everyday, and having recess in the school yard. Eating lunch in the cafeteria helps us accountable for students’ locations, and helps us to ensure that all students are properly nourished at lunch.

Lost and Found

Lost Items can be an added stress for parents, but we are working hard to make sure your children's lost items are back in your possession. Items can be easily returned directly to students if they are labeled. The Lost and Found will be the MMR. It can get overwhelming over a period of time but we will try to keep it organized the best we can. Items that are NOT retrieved will be donated at the end of the school year.

Free Money for the School

Amazon Smile and Box-Tops for Education are just a couple of ways that you can earn money for PS 154. Check out the Free Money page to learn more!

Free Trial Music Classes at Brooklyn College

The Preparatory Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College is hosting a series of free events on two Saturdays, the 17th and 24th of September. Most non-percussion lessons will take place on the 24th. Students of all levels can take mini private lessons on various instruments, or participate in group dance/theater classes – all free of charge. Your students are cordially invited to participate in these events.

Date/Time: Saturdays, September 17 and 24, 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

To reserve a private lesson, or sign up for a space in a group dance class session today, parents can call/e-mail us today, or simply use this link.

September 2022 UPDATE

We have some exciting communications updates to share! We are working on setting up Remind accounts for our currents families. We will still post community news here, and we will send links to it through Remind on a weekly basis. We will also now be posting events on our new events page, which will also link to our calendar.

Current families: Please fill out this Google form so we can get your Remind accounts set up - only one form is needed per family.

We have some exciting events planned for the coming weeks, including a Fall Back-To-School event, an outdoor movie night, and of course, the Boo Bash. Please check back soon for updates on those, and more, and check out the calendar and events page.

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

June 27 - Last Day of School! (dismissal is at 2:50pm as usual)

June 30 - Deadline to order EduKit for school delivery

August 1 - Deadline to order EduKit for home delivery

First day of school for next school year is September 8, 2022. Calendar for 2022-2023

---

SCHOOL UPDATES

SAVE ON SCHOOL SUPPLIES BY JUNE 30!

Each year the PTA organizes an optional program that we think is a win-win: you get to purchase the exact school supplies that your child's teacher has requested, and at the same time participate in a fundraiser for our school. Click HERE to view the flyer with instructions and cost breakdown.

For best pricing and free delivery directly to the school, please order by JUNE 30. The kits will be available for purchase online from July 1 through August 1 for an additional fee. If you choose not to participate, you will still get your child's school supply list from your teacher (or the EduKit website) and can make your purchases on your own.

If you want to help buy school supplies for families in our PS 154 community that are currently experiencing financial hardship, you may donate here. Families that need assistance with purchasing school supplies can reach out to Debby Wattenbarger until June 30th at dwattenbarger@ps154.org. Beginning on July 1, please reach out to Leila Rached at lrached@ps154.org.

Visit https://www.edukitinc.com/schools/1702/ to order your supplies today!

•

SCHOOL BUDGET UPDATE

Please read this letter from Leila Rached regarding our 2022–23 budget.

•

EMAIL CONFIRMATION

Each summer we send out letters to your child(ren) from their teachers. We need to confirm your email address so that each child is connected to the right parent/guardian email address. Even if your email address hasn't changed, please complete this form as soon as possible. If you have questions, please email me until June 30 at dwattenbarger@ps154.org. Starting July 1, please reach out to Leila Rached.

•

OUTDOOR LEARNING GRANT

We are partnering with the National Wildlife Federation to plan and build an outdoor learning space in the Windsor-side front yard of the school. Our fourth and fifth grade classes will be surveying the yard and designing the space, which will be enjoyed by all of our students! If you would like to be involved with this project, please reach out to Leila Rached.

•

SCHOOL GARDEN

An enormous thank-you to Desiree Byker and the Garden Committee for weeding, clearing, planning, and planting! If you’d like to be involved in maintaining the garden this summer, please reach out to Desiree. 

•

ARE YOU LEAVING PS 154?

If you are moving away or changing schools (and your child is not in 5th grade currently), please call the office to let them know so we can start planning for next year. Please call 718-768-0057 and press 0 for the main office any weekday before 2pm.

---

NYC DOE UPDATES

DOE’S MESSAGE FOR FAMILIES

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 notify Debby Wattenbarger as soon as possible if your child tests positive for Covid-19 or is exposed to someone who has tested positive.

• 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

To all current and incoming parents and guardians: WE NEED YOU! We are looking for a few volunteers to serve on the Executive Board of the PS 154 PTA. No experience necessary!

Here are the open Executive Board roles. Please reach out to dani.leeds.kim@gmail.com for more info.

• Volunteer Coordination Chair

• Chair of Marketing and Communications

• Chair of Auctions

• President-Elect

• Chair of Events - Food

•

CYCLONES GAME

The PS 154 Cyclones outing is on Sunday, June 26th at 2pm. Join us to watch them take on the Jersey Shore BlueClaws!

If you bought tickets for the rained-out PS 154 outing, you can bring them to the box office that day or any other home game day this season to exchange them for new ones. Any questions? Email Sarah Gartenberg: sarah.gartenberg@gmail.com

•

THIS WILL BE THE LAST NEWSLETTER UNTIL SEPTEMBER. ENJOY THE SUMMER!

It’s been my pleasure to bring you the school news this year!

Fondly,

Jaime Costas, your 2021–22 Marketing and Communications Board Chair

---