Dear PS 107 Families,
Our annual Fall Fest is a beloved tradition at PS 107, and this year’s was another beautiful community event! With heavy rain in the forecast, the Fall Fest leads, Sarah Friedman and Lisa Esterhuizen, expertly pivoted to move the event indoors and under tents. Pumpkins were painted in the cafeteria; henna was applied in the halls; pies and chili were sampled and judged in the Big Yard; and games were played on 14th Street. This event would not be possible without the many, many volunteers who brought it to fruition – THANK YOU! The enthusiasm for volunteering to support our school is truly awe-inspiring, and a reminder of what makes this community so special.
I must also congratulate our chili and pie contest winners. Bravo to:
Sarah Liebel for the delicious salted caramel apple pie
James Bednark for the incredible bean and barley vegan chili
Aaron Goldfarb for the amazing bourbon barreled chili
My stomach is growling as I type!
Speaking of the volunteer spirit, Picture Day was on Monday, and I would be remiss if I didn’t thank parent Erik Holm and the many parent volunteers who helped get classes photo-ready. I can’t wait to see the results.
Last but certainly not least, behind the scenes for all of these events is our Parent Coordinator extraordinaire, Nadia Benlarbi. Nadia expertly liaises between school staff, parent volunteers, and the NYCPS’s permitting department. This is not an easy feat! Nadia, we are so grateful for you.
Digital Citizenship
At PS 107, we typically designate the month of March as Digital Citizenship Month; and the New York City Public Schools also have us bring awareness to online safety this week, October 16th-20th. We have shared age-appropriate resources from Common Sense Media with teachers to present to students during Morning Meetings this week. We’d also like to share these family resources that are aligned with the topics we address in school. Finally, I must shout out parent Tali Horowitz, who works for Common Sense, and regularly advocates for teaching our children how to be thoughtful and careful digital citizens, which is so important in today’s world.
Family Mornings are Back!
Family Mornings are a way for parents to get a window into their children’s classrooms, and we are thrilled to announce our Family Mornings schedule for the 2023-24 school year. This year, we are asking teachers to divide their families in half, and to invite half of their parents to visit their classrooms on a Thursday and the other half of their parents to visit classrooms the next day, a Friday. (Note that 5th grade, because of their departmentalized structure, will have a slightly different arrangement for Family Mornings.) This structure is meant to reduce crowding in the classrooms so that parents, teachers, and students can have a more structured experience. Every family will have the opportunity to visit children’s classrooms three times this year, in October, January, and May. The dates for Family Mornings are below, and your children’s teachers will reach out and let you know which day your family is scheduled to visit each month.
OCTOBER: Thursday, 10/26 or Friday, 10/27
JANUARY: Thursday, 1/18 or Friday, 1/19
MAY: Thursday, 5/16 or Friday, 5/17
To further reduce crowding, we ask that a maximum of two family members attend per child, and we recommend leaving younger siblings at home (though we realize this isn’t always possible). Note that Family Mornings are not a time to discuss your child’s progress with their teacher. [Parent-Teacher Conferences, which are an appropriate time for these discussions, are fast-approaching, on Thursday, November 2nd. Your children’s teachers will reach out soon to schedule these.] We are looking forward to seeing many of you in classrooms next Thursday and Friday!
PTA Meeting Budget Presentation
At this week’s PTA Meeting on Thursday, 10/19 at 6:30 pm, I will be giving a presentation on how New York City Public Schools are funded. I hope you’ll be able to join this meeting, as I aim to make a very convoluted, complicated process clear to our families. And what will likely be even more clear is how important PTA funding is to PS 107’s daily operations. I hope to see you on Thursday evening!
Halloween
Finally, a quick reminder about Halloween. Students are permitted to wear costumes to school this year on 10/31. Just keep in mind these guidelines:
No masks or heavy make-up
No weapons or anything that can be used as a weapon; no wands or items that can poke other children
No costumes that are overly gory, bloody, or frightening
Costumes must be comfortable enough for children to wear all day (we cannot manage children changing in and out of costumes during the day)
If children do not want to wear a costume, we also encourage them to wear orange/black or Halloween-themed clothing instead of costumes
As always, if your family needs any kind of support now or at any point in the year, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here for you.
Warmly,
Ms Joanna