Dear PS 107 Families,
This year, in October, PS 107 is celebrating Diverse Abilities Month. October is traditionally Dyslexia Awareness Month, as well as Disability Awareness Month. Last year, our staff did an extensive study of neurodiversity, and when we were discussing how to celebrate the differences that we all have in how our brains and bodies function, our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Team decided to designate October as a celebration of diverse abilities, which includes a range of physical differences, as well as neurodiversity. Our DEI Team put together a presentation which will be shared in every classroom that honors the diverse abilities that we all have. In addition, class 4-303, Mr Gary’s class, is working on a Diverse Abilities Quilt of Heroes that will be displayed in our school lobby as soon as it’s completed. At PS 107, we celebrate the many ways in which our brains and bodies work.
Family Mornings – Tomorrow and Friday
We are looking forward to welcoming families tomorrow and Friday for the first Family Mornings of the 2023-24 school year! Half of our families will be visiting classrooms tomorrow, Thursday, 10/26, and the other half of families will be visiting on Friday, 10/27. (Note that 1-202, 4-303, and our 5th grade classes have a slightly different arrangement for Family Mornings – please review the communication sent by your child’s teachers.)
Please enter the school building with your child at their regular entry location so that we can match children to family members and ensure that unauthorized people are not entering the building. We also ask that no more than two adults accompany a child to minimize crowding in our classrooms. Finally, we recommend leaving younger siblings at home if at all possible. We are so glad that you’ll have the opportunity to see your children’s classrooms in action tomorrow and Friday!
Halloween
Halloween is next Tuesday, and we’re thrilled that students are able to wear their costumes to school this year! As a reminder, these are the guidelines for dressing up:
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
Many classrooms will be having Halloween parties in the afternoon. If you are sending in treats to share, please remember that we have children with severe allergies in our school community, so be sure to review teacher guidance about what treats can be sent in – and what cannot. Happy Halloween!
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Parent-Teacher Conferences are next Thursday, 11/2, and they take place within two timeframes, 1-3 pm and 4:30-7:30 pm. Thursday, November 2nd is also a half-day and all students will be dismissed at 11:35 am. There is no after-school on half-days.
Please note that as of September 2022, PS 107 has disconnected report cards from Parent-Teacher Conferences. Your children will not be receiving a report card prior to the November 2nd Parent-Teacher Conferences. These conferences are a time for teachers to provide you with verbal updates on your children’s progress during the first 8 weeks of school. They will share assessment data with you, as well as their observations of children’s academic and social-emotional strengths and challenges. In next week’s issue of The Wednesday Weekly, I will provide you with additional information on what you can expect to learn during these conferences. In the meantime, please be sure to sign up for a conference time with your children’s teachers!
2023-24 Series of Parent/Caregiver Workshops
Finally, we are planning our annual series of parent and caregiver workshops, and we need your input! Please complete this brief survey to let us know when you’d prefer workshops to take place, whether in-person or virtual workshops are better for you, and the topics you’d like to learn about. We look forward to hearing from you.
Have a wonderful week!
Warmly,
Ms Joanna