Gratitude

Dear PS 107 Families, 

It’s hard to believe that this is my final weekly parent letter of the 2022-23 school year! And what a year it’s been. In many respects, it was the first “normal” school year that we’ve had since the COVID pandemic began in March 2020 — we did not have to wear masks; vaccine requirements were dropped; daily health screenings were a thing of the past; there were no classroom closures or remote learning days; we were able to bring back all of PS 107’s family events (and establish new traditions!); parents could visit classrooms once again — and much, much more. 

I wasn’t quite sure if I’d be able to keep up writing weekly letters to the community all year long, given the many competing responsibilities of the principalship, but I found that I so enjoyed the opportunity to share my thoughts and my vision for our community in this forum. I’ve heard from many of you over the course of this year, and particularly in the last few weeks, how much you appreciated these letters — that you found them to be unifying and that they crystallized for you what the PS 107 community is all about. Thank you for this feedback!

Last week, in this space, I asked you to share with me what you are grateful for about PS 107. Below is some of what parents wrote: 

An amazing school year, we are so grateful for the phenomenal teachers and school staff who have helped our kids not just with academics, but with so much social-emotional support as well.

A fabulous teacher; great events like Spring Fling; hearing my student talk about all of the heritage days and what he’s learning about them in school. A strong community. Thank you! 

Very warm kindergarten welcoming crew every day! Incredible community instilling positive values of inclusion. 

All of the training and work being done to build awareness of neurodiversity at PS107!

THE PEOPLE/COMMUNITY!!! The other families, the teachers, the staff...basically all the human beings that make PS 107 function as a collaborative, supportive, generous, inspiring, attentive and loving place.

I’m extremely grateful for the patience shown to my children and all of the support the school has provided for their special needs. 

The community fostered at 107. 

I feel very grateful for the incredible staff at PS 107! Both my kids' teachers and so many others who take the time to know and care about and teach and mentor and inspire my kids, and so many others. 

This is just a selection of the comments that I received, and the theme of many of the comments is the beautiful community that we have at PS 107. This couldn’t be more accurate. I am tremendously grateful to the parent community, for their unwavering support of our school over the course of this year. Every single staff member at 107 brings their all to their work, every day. It is truly a sight to behold. Thank you to everyone at PS 107 for a truly exceptional year. 

Finally, congratulations to our 5th grade graduates! We will miss you so much and hope that you will come back to the nest and visit us often. For our returning students, families can expect class assignments and supply lists to come out in mid-to-late August. We look forward to seeing you on Thursday, September 7th for the first day of the 2023-24 school year. But for now, have a wonderful, relaxing, enriching summer!

Warmly,

Ms Joanna

Father's Day + Juneteenth + Gratitude

Dear PS 107 Families, 

Yesterday we celebrated Father’s Day! Thank you to those of you who are fathers, or are in a fathering role, for our students. You are giving your children wings and teaching them how to fly.  

On a personal level, Father’s Day is a complicated holiday for me, as my own father, who passed away nearly 18 years ago, was a difficult man who brought a great deal of anger and conflict into my and my siblings’ lives. He often spoke to us about his father, who immigrated from Russia to the United States in 1910 to escape the pogroms against Jewish people. My grandfather was similarly angry and abusive (though, fortunately for me, he was able to be a truly spectacular grandfather). Although the experience of growing up with my father was a challenging one, it also pushed me to reflect on my own behavior and develop strength and resilience in my quest to break the cycle. Through this personal journey, I was able to learn about the impact of trauma and intergenerational trauma, the ways in which traumatic experiences change us through learned behavior and by quite literally altering our DNA.

The body of research on trauma is truly fascinating, and has led me to consider how to create healing spaces in our schools, as the impact of trauma shows up across children’s days. At PS 107, we do this by building meaningful relationships with our students, understanding the root causes of behaviors, and helping children build resilience and coping skills. This work is not easy and takes deep commitment on the part of the entire school community; however, it is extremely important and one way in which I believe PS 107 can contribute to building a more peaceful and just society. 

Today is Juneteenth, which is also known as America’s second independence day. Juneteenth, a combination of the words June + nineteenth, honors the day in 1865 when 2000 Union troops arrived in Galveston, TX to deliver the news that enslaved people were now free. This was two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and two months after General Robert E. Lee had surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant, ending the Civil War. Juneteenth has been celebrated every year since June 19, 1865, but it only became a federal holiday in 2021. Please take a look at these Juneteenth resources from the NYC Public Schools for information that you can share with your children. 

Finally, THANK YOU to parents Betsy Goldfarb and Erin Bestreich for their phenomenal work organizing Spring Fling! Spring Fling is one of my favorite events of the year because it is such a joyful celebration of this very special community. I am so glad that we were able to celebrate together last Thursday. 

As we enter the final six school days of the 2022-23 year, there is so much for which I am grateful. I’d also love to know what you are grateful for this school year. If you have a moment, please share your thoughts with me by completing this very quick survey — and I will share some of your thoughts (and mine) in my final letter of the year next week. 

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna 

Changes to Report Cards Related to Reading + Class Creation for 2023-24

Our 4th graders performed in the Big Yard last week to close out their dance residency with National Dance Institute

Dear PS 107 Families, 

Thank you for your support and flexibility last week as we confronted another public health emergency that impacted our school community — this time, our air quality was dramatically affected because of wildfires burning in Canada. We were prepared with our upgraded HVAC system; our classroom A/Cs, which are outfitted with MERV-13 filters; classroom air purifiers; and extra masks at-the-ready for walks to and from the Armory and for dismissal. This time, it was better to be indoors than outdoors, but it still brought back difficult reminders of the many uncertain times and conflicting information that we were getting during the Covid pandemic. Like before, it was the support and flexibility from our community that got us through, and I am grateful. 

Do you need at-home Covid tests? 

Speaking of Covid, we have a large number of Covid tests at school that we would like to distribute before the end of the school year. If you would like some — or a lot! — for your family, please reach out to Nadia Benlarbi at parentcoordinator@ps107.org, and we will arrange for you to pick them up. Don’t be shy about asking! We have many, many tests in stock and would like them to go to families who can use them. 

Reading information on your child’s June report cards

Teachers are in the process of working on children’s second report cards of the year, and you should expect that the information you will be provided related to your child’s reading skills will be different than you are accustomed to. In the past, parents were given an A-Z reading level that their child had achieved during a recent assessment called a running record and were told whether their child was reading well-below grade level, below grade level, on grade level, or above grade level, based on their letter reading level. As we have been learning more about the Science of Reading and structured literacy, we have come to realize that the assessment system that assigns children to a reading level, the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System, is not backed by research (for a deeper dive into this, download Professor Tim Shanahan’s October 2022 presentation entitled The Science of Reading Levels). 

As a result, on your child’s June report card, teachers will not be providing a letter reading level, and will instead let you know whether your child is reading well-below, below, at, or above grade level based on the criterion-referenced assessments that we are now administering — Acadience Reading benchmark assessments in K-2 and the Acadience Reading Maze assessment for reading comprehension in grades 3-5. Most children’s books are labeled with an approximate grade level on the back, so your child’s teacher will tell you which grade levels to look for when helping your child choose books to read this summer at the library or the book store. Your child’s teacher will also indicate which strands of Scarborough’s Reading Rope your child is struggling with (if any), and how to support your child over the summer with those specific skills. 

Class creation for 2023-24

Finally, we are very much in the midst of making up classes for the 2023-24 school year. We have a very in-depth process for creating classes, and we go through multiple rounds of review of these classes. As noted before, we do not take requests for specific teachers, nor can we guarantee that your child will be placed with their closest friend. In the vast majority of cases, we are also aware of challenging social dynamics that need to be interrupted by moving children to separate classes; however, it can be helpful for you to alert your child’s teacher or me about those so that we can take them into consideration. Note that it is extremely difficult to make class changes once school ends and teachers are no longer in the building, as we rely on teacher input during this process. Therefore, if there is any information that you would like to share with your child’s teacher or with me, please do so before Tuesday, June 27th. And as a reminder, we do not make class changes once class assignments are sent out in August, as this has a domino effect. Thank you for your understanding. 

And with that, welcome to the last 11 days of the 2022-23 school year. I’m looking forward to sharing all the end-of-year events with you in the next two weeks, including the rescheduled Spring Fling, this Thursday, 6:30-9 pm, in the Big Yard!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

Memorial Day + the Kickoff to Pride Month @ 107

Dear PS 107 Families, 

I hope that you have had a lovely Memorial Day weekend and were able to enjoy some relaxing time with friends and family. We all know Memorial Day as the unofficial start of summer. It is also a day to pause and reflect on the members of our armed services who gave their lives for our country. The United States of America is unlike any other nation, founded on the principles of liberty and equality for all, and shaped by the many millions of people who have made the difficult journey to this country to escape oppression, poverty, and violence; and seeking to improve their lives and those of their children. We continue to face many challenges as a nation, but I am optimistic that we will continue to work towards a more perfect union, with your thoughtful, committed, compassionate children as our future. 

Pride Month begins on June 1st and it is a wonderful opportunity for PS 107 to show our commitment to our nation’s founding principles of equality for all, particularly as LGBTQ+ rights are under attack in communities across the country. Beginning this Thursday, June 1st and running through next Wednesday, June 7th, our art teacher Ms Julie will lead classes in our annual Rainbow Takeover. During art classes, students will create messages of support and allyship for the LGBTQ+ community on the sidewalk outside of our school. 

Beginning June 2nd and running through the end of the school year, our student Rainbow Club will do daily morning announcements, highlighting members of the LGBTQ+ community who have made an impact on our nation. On Tuesday, June 20th, students in grades K-4 will have the opportunity to meet and hear from children’s book author Joanna McClintick (as of this writing, it appears that, unfortunately, 5th graders won’t be able to meet Joanna because of their many end-of-year activities, though we are trying to make it happen!). On Thursday, June 22nd, we will have a schoolwide Rainbow Day, where children will dress like the rainbow to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community.

Pride Month is always such a celebratory time for our school community — a wonderful way to end another terrific school year! 

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna 

Rainbow Takeover, Peace Walk, Honoring Santi, and Agent Sharon is coming back!

Our annual Peace Walk advocating for a future free from gun violence

Dear PS 107 Families, 

What a week! Our Rainbow Takeover began last Thursday, with students enthusiastically taking up the charge to fill our sidewalks with messages of kindness, inclusion, and allyship. I love the statement All are Welcome Here that graces the sidewalk directly in front our main entrance. Pride Month, with its messages of belonging and hope for a better future, is such a wonderful way for us to close out the school year at PS 107. I am deeply grateful to our art teacher, Julie Brunner Cross, for showing our students how powerful their art can be. 

On Friday, we held our now annual Peace Walk to demonstrate our community’s wish to end gun violence. Thank you to Joanna Lumbang (and her daughter Mika for asking me if we could hold this event again), Jenny May-Reddy, Brittany Manley, and Sarah Foster, for making this happen for the second year in a row. The date of our Peace Walk, June 2nd, is an important one, as it was the kickoff to Wear Orange weekend, advocating for a future free from gun violence. 

Last week, two of our incredible custodial staff members, Marc Hendricks (Custodian Engineer) and Fremiot “Santi” Santiago (Fireman) were honored at a districtwide event, recognizing school-based staff who are critical to the functioning of our buildings, from school safety to food services to crossing guards to custodial. It was a truly joyful celebration, honoring the often unsung heroes of our school communities!

It is with mixed emotions that I also share that Santi will be moving on from PS 107 on Monday, June 12th. Santi has been with the 107 community for the last 8 years, and has been one of the best custodial staff members that I’ve encountered in my nearly 20 years in the system. Santi is becoming a Custodian Engineer, which is a well-deserved promotion for him, but it means that he will be leaving PS 107 for another school. While we are thrilled for Santi, it is a big loss for our school. Fortunately, Frankie Colonna, another member of our talented custodial team, will be stepping into Santi’s role. 

Parents Mika Kleban and Amy Weintraub are organizing a farewell breakfast for Santi on Thursday, June 8th. We’d also like to give Santi a gift to remember from the PS 107 community. If you would like to contribute to the gift, you can send a Venmo to Mika Kleban @Mika-Kleban (the last 4 digits of her phone number are 0093). Thank you!

Finally, I am thrilled to share the great news that Agent Sharon will be returning to PS 107 in the fall! I am so grateful to all of you for advocating for her return — this would not have been possible without your many messages of support to NYPD Commanding Officer Tyema Hill. If you’d like to send CO Hill a thank you note, you can do so by emailing her at tyema.hill@nypd.org. 

I hope to see many of you at our annual Spring Fling on Wednesday, June 7th at 6:30 pm. Spring Fling is one of the many joyful ways in which we close out the year, in community with one another. 

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

This Week at PS 107

Dear PS 107 Families, 

The end of the school year is upon us, and everyone sure is feeling it! We are seeing an uptick in student behavior challenges, as well as difficulties with focusing and managing impulsivity across the school. This is very typical for children in school as the end of the year approaches, and there are a variety of reasons for it, including sadness about leaving their current class and teachers (especially for our 5th graders!), uncertainty about what’s to come in the next school year, and excitement about the summer ahead. 

Our staff are regularly reminding students that the year is not over yet and that it’s important that they continue to adhere to the PS 107 Community Standards. Teachers are also adding in fun activities, trips, and hands-on projects to help students keep learning in different ways, as the year draws to a close. You can help us at home by continuing to reinforce our community standards linked to above. Thank you for your support!

This Tuesday, May 23rd, from 6:30-8 pm, join us on Zoom at our final parent workshop in the series Practical Parenting for the 21st Century for The Talk: Sex Ed 2.0, with local parent and expert Rachel Lotus. Click here for all of the details, and to register. You can also register here. We hope to see you on Zoom this Tuesday!

On Wednesday, May 24th, 5-7 pm, our district is hosting a project-based learning (PBL) showcase at the Brooklyn Army Terminal, featuring PBL from across the district, including the work of two first grade teachers and their students, Ms Marissa and Ms Sharon. All are welcome to come out to the event and see the great work happening at PS 107, as well as across District 15. For details on this event, see the flyer here.   

As a reminder, we are currently working on making up new classes for the 2023-24 school year. Let us know if your family intends to return to PS 107 next school year by completing this short survey. Even if you aren’t sure yet, you can indicate that on the survey. Thanks so much for helping us to plan for the coming school year! (ICYM last week’s parent letter, take a look to see our policies and procedures related to creating new classes.)

As always, feel free to reach out to Nadia Benlarbi at parentcoordinator@ps107.org or me at jcohen72@schools.nyc.gov with anything you’d like to share or discuss!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

Mother's Day, NYCPS Literacy Announcements, Gratitude

Our beautiful Teacher Appreciation lunch on Friday. Thank you PS 107 families for all of the love!

Dear PS 107 Families, 

Happy Mother’s Day to those of you who are mothers or who are in a mothering role — and my thoughts are with all of you whose mothers may no longer be with you, or who have complicated relationships with the mothers in your lives. My own mother, Beverly Cohen, celebrated her 77th birthday yesterday, on May 13th, and today, on Mother’s Day, I honor the impact she has had on me, personally and professionally. 

My mother is a retired teacher who dedicated her career to those students most in need of high-quality teachers. In retirement, she volunteers with the Prison Literacy Project, tutoring inmates in preparation for the GED, and as a result of the relationships she developed over 20 years of doing so, she has become a fierce advocate for criminal justice reform. The vast majority of inmates that she worked with over the years struggled to learn to read, either because of undiagnosed dyslexia, poor reading instruction, or another language-based learning disability.  

My mother’s experience deeply influenced my desire to ensure that all of New York City’s students receive high-quality, evidence-based literacy instruction, which is what led me to agree to become one of the NYC Public Schools structured literacy pilot schools this past winter. As you may have heard, at a press conference last Tuesday, Mayor Adams and NYC Schools Chancellor David Banks announced major changes to the way that all NYC schools will teach reading and writing over the next two years. I was honored to stand on stage with them, representing not only PS 107, but the thousands of NYC children with whom I’ve worked over my nearly two decades in the public schools. 

PS 107’s district, District 15, is a “Phase Two” district, meaning that our entire district is required to select and implement a new curriculum for the 2024-25 school year. (Phase One districts will be implementing new literacy curriculum in the 2023-24 school year.) However, because our teachers are already engaged in professional learning about structured literacy, we expect to implement the shifts that we are able to in the 2023-24 school year. We will maintain our strong phonics program, Recipe for Reading, which has already made a significant impact on our students’ reading skills, and will add more components of structured literacy in the new school year. I will share further details about this as we make decisions as a staff based on what we are learning. 

In other news, we are in the final stretch of the 2022-23 school year, and we are in the thick of planning for next year. One of the major things that we do as the year wraps up is make up new classes for the next school year. This is something into which we put a great deal of time and thought. In general, we aim to have our classes for the new school year set by the end of June, though we do not share class placements with families until August as we are enrolling and discharging students throughout the summer. 

Classroom teachers take into consideration many factors when placing students in new classes, including social-emotional needs; academic skills; friendships (and social challenges); teacher-student match; and more. We aim to build classes that are truly diverse in every way, classes that reflect our greater society so that students learn how to be part of that society. Specialty teachers, who have a birds’ eye view of entire grades, review new classes to ensure that they are balanced and that children who should not be placed together, are not. Ms. Rinah and I take a final look at new classes before they are shared with families in August. We use our professional judgment to ensure these classes are the best possible fit for all of our students. 

Because of this, please be aware that we do not: 

• take requests for specific teachers; 

• make changes once class assignments have been sent out in August (this has a domino effect); or

• meet with parents specifically to discuss individual class placements.

We make every effort to ensure that children are with at least one friend in their new classes (note that it may not be their best friend — and this is ok!). In our vast experience with young children, we know that they settle into new environments and make friendships very quickly, and that this is an invaluable skill for them to have as they grow. We assure you that our teachers, who are deeply aware of how your children interact in the classroom, are committed to making certain that all of our students are in an environment in which they will thrive. Our incredible guidance counselor Sarah Green and social worker Colleen Dondero are always available to support children who may be having a harder time with the transition to a new grade and new class. 

As we make up new classes, it is also important for us to know whether you are planning to return to PS 107 next year. We would appreciate it if all families could fill out this brief survey, indicating your plans for next school year. Even if you aren’t sure yet, you can indicate that on the survey. Please note that this is an informal survey, and you are not bound in any way to what you write on this survey. It is simply for internal planning purposes. 

Last, but absolutely not least, thank you to parent Laurie Tamis for spearheading last week’s Teacher Appreciation festivities. Our staff felt so appreciated, thanks to Laurie, her team of parent volunteers, and every family who contributed in some way. Our staff is so grateful for this amazing community!

Thank you to parent Biba Milioto for organizing spring Movie Night on Friday! Movie Night is such a blast — everyone had a fabulous time watching Lyle, Lyle Crocodile under the stars in the Big Yard. 

As well, enormous thanks to parents Spring Hofeldt and Sarah Harlow, along with our wonderful art teacher Julie Brunner Cross, for organizing a fantastic Art Day on Saturday. The arts are so important to PS 107, and it was great to see that on full display this weekend.

Have a wonderful week!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

PLEASE VOTE IN THE CCEC ELECTIONS!

Dear PS 107 Families, 

I encourage everyone to vote in the Community/Citywide Education Council (CCEC) elections, which are going on right now. Every parent of students in the New York City Public Schools is eligible to vote, and you access the specific elections you can vote for by logging in to your New York City Schools Account (NYCSA). Parents can vote for candidates in the districts in which their children attend school. For example, my daughter is in high school in Queens, and she has an IEP, so I am eligible to vote in the Citywide Council on High Schools - Queens (CCHS - Queens), along with the Citywide Council on Special Education (CCSE) elections. When you log in to your NYCSA, you will click on “Vote for CCEC,” and you will see the elections in which you are eligible to vote. 

In New York City, there are 32 Community Education Councils, one for each community school district (PS 107 is in District 15) and 4 Citywide Education Councils (Citywide Council on High Schools, Citywide Council on English Language Learners, Citywide Council on Special Education, Citywide Council for District 75). They are made up of volunteer parent and community leaders, and they are responsible under state law for supporting their local district schools with the goal of raising student achievement. For more information, click here. 

For those of you who follow the news about school board elections nationally, you have seen how candidates with minority support can win these elections because of low voter turnout, thereby having outsize influence and enacting policies that may run counter to what you believe is important for your child’s education. While NYC does not have school boards because our schools are under mayoral control, the CECs are the most similar to school boards, although they do not have final decision-making authority. 

I voted myself last week, and it took some legwork! The number of candidates for each election for which I was eligible was daunting. In order to make my decision, I read the candidates’ statements, along with endorsements from organizations that most aligned with my personal views on schools. 

Voting runs through Tuesday, May 9th. Please take some time to learn about the candidates and vote by Tuesday!

Last but certainly not least, this week, May 8-12, is Teacher Appreciation Week. PS 107 teachers work incredibly hard to create joyful learning spaces in their classrooms, where children have voice and agency. I know that you will join me in thanking them for the countless hours that they devote to ensuring your children have the best possible educational experience. Our teachers truly are superheroes! 

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

The Gala and Auction, Earth Month Activities, and More!

We honored our beloved Ms Donna and Ms Nadia on April 26th, Administrative Professionals Day

Dear PS 107 Families, 

What a treat to see everyone dressed to impress on Friday evening at the Spring Auction and Gala! Event chairs Alyse Dosik and Christine Canedo-Pullan have been planning the return of this wonderful tradition since October, and all of their hard work more than paid off (literally and figuratively). Such a great time was had by all — though can we all agree to keep any videos of a certain principal singing a well-known tune by The Monkees to ourselves?!?

Not only was the gala a huge financial help to our school, thanks to the in-kind support from so many parents and community members, we were also able to keep a great deal of single-use plastics from the landfill because of advocacy from our parent-run Green Committee. 

The Green Committee, led by parents Kajal Below and Spring Hofeldt, has been encouraging us to reduce our environmental footprint all year long and was particularly active during the month of April, Earth Month. They helped families and students to write letters in support of New York State’s Packaging Reduction and Recycling Act. They collected so many thoughtful letters, which will be delivered to Albany on May 2nd. We are thrilled to be weaving themes of sustainability and climate justice across all that PS 107 does. 

May is Asian-American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we can’t wait to share the contributions of the AAPI community who have made America what it is today. Daily morning announcements will highlight these contributions, along with our parent AAPI Committee’s PS 107 poster campaign.

This week, on May 2nd and 3rd, our 3rd-5th grade students will take the New York State Math test. Our teachers have been working hard to prepare students for this test, and you can prepare your children by ensuring they get a good night’s sleep before the test and have a healthy breakfast the morning of the test, as well as by reminding them to try their best and not feel overly concerned if there are questions they don’t know how to answer. Like the NYS ELA two weeks ago, the Math test is a low-stakes opportunity for students to practice their test-taking skills. 

Even if your child is not currently in a test-taking grade, their days will be a bit different on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week because state test administration is a very large undertaking and involves so many of our staff members, including our specialty teachers Ms Diane, Mr DiFranco, Ms Julie, Ms Galella, and Ms Abby. Huge thanks to our Assistant Principal and Testing Coordinator Rinah Fernandez Vasquez who has to devote the vast majority of her time in April and May to planning and organizing for the state tests. If you have any questions about testing, please feel free to reach out to Ms Rinah at rfvasquez@ps107.org. 

Have a terrific week!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

Help Get Agent Sharon Back at PS 107!

Residencies, like this one with National Dance Institute in 4th grade, are in full swing!

Dear PS 107 Families, 

As many of you may have heard — or noticed — our beloved school safety agent, Sharon Hosannah, has been unexpectedly reassigned to another school. In January 2022, Agent Sharon sustained a shoulder injury while on the job at PS 107. Although she was in pain, she continued working until she learned that she needed surgery. In January 2023, Agent Sharon took a medical leave to have shoulder surgery and recover. We all expected that Agent Sharon would return to PS 107 when her leave ended, in early April. 

On what was supposed to be her first day back, Agent Sharon sent me a message that she had been reassigned to MS 136/MS 821 in Sunset Park. I was shocked to learn this and reached out to her direct supervisor at the NYPD (note that School Safety Agents are under the purview of the NYPD, not the Department of Education). I was told that, because there is a shortage of school safety agents, Agent Sharon was moved to a school where there was a vacancy and that there was no way to have her return to PS 107. 

I pressed the issue further and the Commanding Officer for School Safety Agents, Tyema Hill, visited PS 107 to meet with me last week. While she understood my concerns, CO Hill reiterated that Agent Sharon could not be moved back to PS 107. She had been moved from the 78th precinct (PS 107’s) to the 72nd precinct (MS 136/MS 821’s), and moving from precinct to precinct was not possible. I was also told that, in the NYPD, agents do not have “rights” to their previous postings when they go on leave. So, once on leave, an agent can be reassigned anywhere in the city upon their return. CO Hill did share that there would be a new graduating class of School Safety Agents on May 1st, which might ease the NYPD’s staffing issues, and it “might” be possible to have Agent Sharon moved back after that. 

While our current agent, Agent Mata, is a hardworking agent who has been a solid replacement for Agent Sharon during her leave, we absolutely want Agent Sharon to return to PS 107. Agent Sharon has been in the PS 107 community for 17 years. She knows all of our students and their families. She knows the neighborhood. She knows who should be in the building and who should not. She has wonderful relationships with the entire community. All of these qualities are incredibly important for keeping our school safe, and we believe the NYPD should prioritize this when considering agent placements. 

So what can you do to ensure that Agent Sharon is moved back to PS 107 after May 1st? Copy and paste this letter into an email, sign it, and send it to the NYPD, DOE, and City Council staff members listed at the top. If you are so inclined, feel free to add to your email any personal stories you may have related to how Agent Sharon is such an important part of the PS 107 community. The more messages we can send in support of Agent Sharon, the better! 

MAY 4TH PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

You may have noticed on the NYC Public Schools calendar that there is something called “Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences” for elementary schools coming up on Thursday, May 4th. These conferences, which will be held from 4:30 to 7:30 pm, are by invitation only. For these conferences, teachers will be meeting with parents of students about whom they have (or have had) concerns academically and/or social-emotionally. These may be families who received a letter in February indicating their child’s promotion is in doubt or families who have already had additional meetings with teachers this year about their children’s progress. Note that teachers will reach out directly to families with whom they would like to have a conference; please do not reach out to teachers requesting a conference. Thank you for your understanding. 

COVID TEST KIT DISTRIBUTION

As noted in last week’s Parent Coordinator updates, the NYC public schools will no longer be distributing Covid test kits monthly. If you are in need of Covid test kits, please reach out to Parent Coordinator Nadia Benlarbi at parentcoordinator@ps107.org. We can send them home with your child or you can pick them up at school. 

MIDDLE SCHOOL PLACEMENTS

Finally, middle school placements come out this Tuesday, April 25th, after the school day has ended. Some families will be thrilled with their child’s placement and others will be disappointed. This is always an emotional day for our graduating 5th graders. Families, please remember not to speak highly or poorly of any particular middle school in front of your children. We believe that all middle schools have their pros and cons. Ultimately, it is about the “fit” for your child, which is difficult to assess before a child actually attends the school. If you have serious concerns about your child’s middle school placement, please reach out to School Counselor, Sarah Green at sgreen@ps107.org.

Have a wonderful week!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

This Week at PS 107, Structured Literacy Updates, and ICYMI

Our beautifully-restored ecosystem sculptures grace the side of PS 107 once again!

Dear PS 107 Families, 

Welcome back to school! It’s hard to believe we are entering the final stretch of the school year, with less than 50 days to go until the end of the year. This past week certainly gave us a taste of summer, and I hope that you and your family were able to enjoy the sunshine after a long winter. 

THIS WEEK AT PS 107

The final quarter of the school year will be a busy one, as usual! Starting on Monday, April 17th, parents can apply to have their child attend NYC’s Summer Rising program. For the third year in a row, from July 5th through August 18th, a partnership between the NYC Department of Education and the Department of Youth and Community Development will provide full-day academic and enrichment opportunities for students in the NYC public schools. The city is opening many Summer Rising sites across the five boroughs. The closest site to PS 107 (and our official “partner” site) will be PS 130, in Windsor Terrace. But, parents can apply to any site in the city. Applications will be open from April 17th through May 1st, and you will learn about your child’s placement approximately one week after applications close. Enrollment is not first-come, first-serve, as it has been in the past. Please review the application instructions carefully and reach out to Nadia Benlarbi, Parent Coordinator, at parentcoordinator@ps107.org with any questions. 

This week, on April 19th and 20th, our 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will take the New York State English Language Arts (ELA) test. We know that they are well-prepared and will be able to tackle the test with confidence! The New York State Math test is coming up for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders on May 2nd and 3rd. Please encourage your children to try their best, but not to worry if there are questions they aren’t sure how to answer. These tests have very low stakes and are a good opportunity for students to practice their test-taking skills. 

This Friday, April 21st is Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan for Muslims around the world. It is a day off from school for students. Eid Mubarak to all PS 107 families who are celebrating!

STRUCTURED LITERACY PILOT UPDATES

As all of you know, PS 107 is one of New York City’s structured literacy pilot schools. This is a great honor and puts us at the forefront of the literacy instructional shifts that are happening across the nation and across our city, based on a settled body of research about how the brain learns to read called the Science of Reading. In order to effectively make these shifts, our teachers need to be trained, and this training will begin the week of April 17th. Our school will be working with the AIM Institute for Learning and Research. Nineteen PS 107 teachers will be taking a 55-hour, graduate-level course called Pathways to Proficient Reading, where they will learn the fundamentals of evidence-based literacy instruction. 

Participating teachers will be out of their classrooms for six days between mid-April and the end of the school year so that they can take the course modules. This will get them part of the way through Pathways to Proficient Reading, and they will complete the course over the summer. Your child’s teacher should let you know when they will be out of the classroom to complete the course modules. We have worked hard to stagger the days teachers are out of the classroom as much as possible to minimize the impact on your children. PS 107’s wonderful team of substitute teachers will also provide full days of instruction when your child’s teacher is out. We also believe all of this is worth it — this is highly specialized training that we are fortunate to be able to provide to our teachers thanks to the New York City Department of Education’s and Assemblymember Robert Carroll’s support of our shift to structured literacy. 

ICYMI: WHAT HAPPENED OVER THE BREAK?

Over the Spring Break, News12 interviewed Councilmember Shahana Hanif on measures that we are working on to improve pedestrian safety on 8th Avenue in the vicinity of PS 107. A big thank you to all of the families who reached out to the Councilmember’s and the Assemblymember’s offices! Changes have already started — and more are on the way. This could not have been accomplished without the advocacy of our entire community.  

Lastly, over Spring Break, we reinstalled our spectacular ecosystem sculptures on the side of our building! These were taken down last year to be refurbished by the original artist (and former 107 parent) Marney Fuller and PS 107 students (who provided a lot of able assistance in the spring of 2022!), and they now look better than ever. We’re starting the process of remaking the Big Yard as well, and we’ll be continuing the ecosystem and sustainability theme in that space. 

Have a wonderful week!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

PS Our Science teacher, Ms Abby, is still in need of some critical supplies! Can you help by ordering from her Amazon wishlist? 

STEM Day, School Safety, Spring Break

Searching for seeds during STEM Day

Dear PS 107 Families, 

I’m writing to you having just left STEM Day, another fantastic community event that we are so grateful to have been able to bring back this year. I cannot thank parent Reem Berro enough for her incredible event planning skills, bringing together such a wonderful group of organizations, as well as 107 and PSACC staff members, to share with our community the magic of science, technology, engineering, and math. Thank you Reem and thank you to the countless parent volunteers who made STEM Day such a huge success!

I am also writing to you following yet another tragic mass shooting at a school, this time at the Covenant School in Nashville, TN. These horrific events have become far too common in the United States, and after each one, we wonder and worry about our children’s safety in school. Dr Harold Koplewicz, the founding President and Medical Director of the Child Mind Institute and a strong advocate for children’s mental health, wrote in a letter this week, “all of our children are in a house with a gun, and that house is called America.” 

Unfortunately, Dr Koplewicz’s words are not hyperbole: Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children and teens in the United States. While school shootings are the most visible reminders of this, they account for only a fraction of firearm-related deaths. Still, the regular exposure to incidents of gun violence, or even the possibility of gun violence, is affecting all of our mental health. For tips on talking to children about school shootings, please take a look at these resources from the Child Mind Institute. 

At PS 107, the safety of your children is our highest priority. We have in place a Building Response Team (BRT) who are trained to use the NYC Department of Education’s General Response Protocols for emergencies. We conduct regular drills for evacuations (fire drills), as well as soft lockdown drills. We recently conducted a soft lockdown drill and will conduct one more before the school year ends. These lockdown drills are presented in developmentally-appropriate ways and children are told that, similar to fire drills, which we practice in the unlikely event of a fire, we have lockdown drills in the unlikely event that a person gets into our building who shouldn’t be there. It provides time for our safety agent and BRT to sweep the building and ensure everyone’s safety. 

Many parents have asked why the main doors to our school building are unlocked. This is the current NYC DOE policy. We are not permitted to lock the main doors of our school building unless we are in a lockdown or a shelter-in-place. However, following the shooting in Uvalde, TX last year, the NYC DOE began investigating the possibility of locking school doors and installing intercom/buzzer entry systems. In February, the Panel for Education Policy, the NYC DOE’s governing body, approved a $43 million contract with Symbrant Technologies, Inc, that will provide schools with video cameras and buzzers monitored by school safety agents. While the timeline for installation remains unclear, we feel that this is a step in the right direction. 

Following the spring break, we will hold a Town Hall for parents that will detail our safety protocols at PS 107. Please keep an eye out for a date and time for this meeting. We also strongly encourage parents to get involved in advocating for common sense gun reforms and recommend donating to and organizing with Everytown for Gun Safety and Sandy Hook Promise. We cannot allow politicians’ inaction to dull us, for it is only sustained public pressure that will lead to change.  

Spring Break starts this week on Thursday, 4/6, and we are hoping to once again avoid the dip in attendance that we often see in the days prior to (and following) a school break. We will have full days of instruction this Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and encourage you to send your children to school. We understand that families have travel plans and suggest that, if you are heading out of town before the end of the school day, that you send children to school for a partial day and pick them up early. As a reminder, our after-school program will be closing early (at 5 pm) on Wednesday, April 5th, so that staff members can attend the first Passover seder. 

Please note that this week, we will also be sending home 6 COVID tests per student — this includes two tests per student to be used before returning to school on Monday, April 17th, along with each student’s regular four-tests-per month allocation. These tests can be used by anyone in your family.

I hope that you and your children have a relaxing and restorative spring break. Happy Passover and Happy Easter to our families who celebrate! These holidays mark the beginning of spring, the season of renewal and rebirth. Though we face many challenges as a society, being part of the wonderful PS 107 community brings us comfort, connection, and joy. I’m looking forward to sharing this season of new beginnings with all of you. 

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

PS Our Science program needs some basic supplies! Can you help? Check out Ms Abby’s Amazon wishlist. 

How do we handle bullying at PS 107?

Dear PS 107 Families, 

In this week’s letter, I’d like to address a topic that we’ve all experienced in some way during our lives: bullying. The very word conjures up painful memories of our years in elementary, middle, and high school. Perhaps we’ve even experienced bullying as an adult, whether by a colleague, a supervisor, a neighbor, or someone else in our orbit. 

First and foremost, I want to be clear that we do not tolerate bullying at PS 107. Once we are made aware of a situation that may constitute bullying, we investigate it thoroughly, address it with all of the children involved, connect with parents, and if appropriate, engage in restorative meetings to address the harm caused by the incident. 

Next, it’s important to define bullying because it is something quite specific that more typical childhood conflict does not rise to. (See here for the difference between bullying and conflict.) Bullying includes behaviors that are repeated over a period of time. There is a pattern in which a particular child is deliberately targeted by another child. There must also be a perceived power imbalance, in which the bully has more perceived “power,” whether physical or social, that they use to control or harm the other child. Many, many students have experienced conflict with other children or other children being unkind to them, but this does not mean it is bullying. To be clear, we are not OK with children being unkind either, and we address it in very similar ways; however, children being unkind to one another or having conflicts is relatively typical behavior as they are learning about themselves and how to treat others in a community in a respectful manner. We believe that a big part of our jobs as educators is to teach children how to be kind and caring community members.

When, following an investigation, children are found to be the victim of bullying, we provide them with significant support, from counseling to ensuring that they are connected with a trusted adult at school with whom they feel comfortable sharing any additional incidents that may occur. Being the victim of bullying can have profoundly negative effects on children, and we know that connection with and support from their community is what helps to mitigate the impact.

We also approach the student who is in the role of bully from a place of compassion and empathy. While the behavior is not at all OK, we want to understand what causes it so that we can intervene. Research (and our own experience) demonstrates that children who bully lack prosocial skills, have low self-esteem, and may have experienced traumatic events. We all know the expression “hurt people, hurt people,” and that is certainly the case when it comes to bullying. As a result, we do not simply punish children who bully others. We also provide them with support, such as counseling. We also work to identify positive activities that they can become involved with at school so that they feel more connected to the community, building social skills and reducing the (usually unconscious) desire to cause harm. Punishment, which is designed to isolate children, may in fact lead to more aggressive behavior, rather than reducing it. 

Finally, how do we address the third role in bullying — bystanders? Bystanders witness bullying, but don’t do anything to stop it. We work with all of our students, teaching them to be upstanders in the face of bullying. Even if children do not feel comfortable in the moment standing up to another child, we remind them that there is always an adult nearby who they can tell about the incident. 

Unfortunately, conflict will always be a part of all of our lives. The way that we approach it can significantly reduce its impact and prevent it from rising to the level of bullying. At 107, we are teaching children to recognize the signs of bullying and to report it to an adult. We are also working hard to create a connected community and positive climate in our school that helps to prevent bullying in the first place. If you have concerns about a situation that you feel may be bullying, please reach out School Counselor Sarah Green or Social Worker Colleen Dondero to discuss it.  

Last but not least, as you may have noticed, we’re experiencing the return of a familiar pest that we haven’t seen much of since the Covid-19 pandemic started: LICE! Social distancing seemed to keep head lice at bay — we had next to zero cases in the last few years — but since life has returned more or less to normal, lice have made a comeback as well, and we’ve had multiple cases reported over the course of the last two weeks. Prior to the pandemic, we had regular, schoolwide lice checks, and we’ll be resuming them this Monday. The Lady Bug Team will visit all classrooms on Monday. Please help the PTA pay for this valuable service by clicking here. Thank you to Nadia Benlarbi and the PTA Executive Board for making the Lady Bug visit happen so quickly. 

Have a terrific week!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

PS Many thanks to those of you who have donated bags of candy to us! Our staff greatly appreciates having a regularly full candy dish in our conference room. We are always looking to keep our stock of chocolate high to help staff get that sugar rush when they are flagging, so we welcome any additional donations of individually wrapped chocolate. Just drop them off in the main office. THANK YOU!

Heritage Day, Parent Workshops, Ramadan, and New York State Testing

A traditional Chinese lion dance performed during Heritage Day on Saturday.

Dear PS 107 Families, 

WOW! Heritage Day was such a beautiful community celebration! This was my first Heritage Day, which I know has been a beloved 107 tradition for years, and its reputation is well-deserved. It was such a wonderful showcase of the diversity that makes our school community such a special place, as well as a truly collaborative effort, with so many volunteers coming together to make it happen. Enormous thanks to Biba Milioto for coordinating Heritage Day, and to the many, many volunteers who hosted rooms, organized performances, and managed overall operations. All of us at 107 are so thrilled that this tradition has returned!

This past week, as part of Digital Citizenship Month at 107, we hosted an incredibly informative workshop led by parent Kevin McCleary on how to keep your children safe online. Thank you Kevin! This Friday, March 24th, from 12:30-1:30 pm, we’ll have another workshop led by 107 parent and Common Sense Media Education Director Tali Horowitz called Nurturing Healthy Digital Habits. Have your lunch with us while learning how to create balance for your kids online. Please register here to receive the Zoom link. This session will also be recorded if you are unable to attend. 

The holy month of Ramadan begins on Wednesday, March 22nd. If your child will be fasting and would prefer to be in an alternative location during lunch, please reach out to Parent Coordinator Nadia Benlarbi early this week to make arrangements. Ramadan Mubarak to all of our families who celebrate!

Finally, New York State testing will begin right after Spring Break for students in grades 3 through 5. The NYS English Language Arts (ELA) test will be administered on April 19th and 20th, and the NYS Math test will be administered on May 2nd and 3rd. As some of you may remember, these tests used to have very high stakes attached to them, including whether children would be promoted to the next grade, how teachers were evaluated, and whether children would be admitted to particular middle schools. Thanks to statewide protests and a large “opt-out” movement, the stakes attached to the tests were almost completely removed, and the time devoted to testing was significantly reduced.

At 107, we see these tests as just one measure of how children — and our school — are doing. We review aggregate data, particularly our Test Item Analysis report, which helps us to see which ELA and math skills we need to focus on in our teaching across the school year. We do test prep in the weeks leading up to each test, but our teachers make it as low-key and stress-free as possible. 

Parents have the right to refuse the NYS tests for their 3-5th grade children. To do so, simply write an email or a letter to your child’s teacher copying Assistant Principal Rinah Fernandez Vasquez, and include the following information:

• state that you are choosing to opt your child out of the upcoming NYS exams (specify ELA test, Math test, or both); 

• include your child's first and last name, classroom teacher's name and class number; and

• include your name and relationship to the student. 

Please send your letter/email as soon as possible (and before spring break) so that we can plan an alternative schedule for your child for testing days. If you have any questions about opting out of the NYS tests, please reach out to your child’s teacher. 

Have a wonderful week!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

Making 8th Avenue Safer for Pedestrians

Assemblymember Bobby Carroll, Councilmember Shahana Hanif, Ms Joanna, Ms Rinah, Brooklyn DOT Commissioner Keith Bray, PTA Co-President Cynthia Thaler, Officer DeLeon, Officer Valdez during Friday’s 8th Avenue safety walkthrough

Dear PS 107 Families, 

We hope that your conferences with your children’s teachers were productive and that you walked away feeling good about your children’s progress thus far this year. We certainly are proud of our students’ progress! All of our students have different strengths and struggles, but we have seen enormous growth this year and know how hard all of our children are working. Bravo! As always, if you have questions or concerns about how your children are doing during this final third of the year, please don’t hesitate to reach out to their teachers. 

This past Friday, we conducted a walkthrough of 8th Avenue and the side streets surrounding PS 107 with Assemblymember Robert Carroll, Councilmember Shahana Hanif, Brooklyn Borough Department of Transportation Commissioner Keith Bray, PTA Co-President Cynthia Thaler, and Officers DeLeon and Valdez from the NYPD’s 78th Precinct. We identified trouble spots and discussed some possible solutions to calm traffic, including: 

• adding leading pedestrian intervals to the intersections that currently lack them;

• adding small rubber speed bumps so that cars must slow down before turning at the intersections near our school;

• reviewing and adjusting guidance with the NYPD for which intersections crossing guards are required to guard;

• considering the addition of designated loading zones at key points along 8th Avenue to reduce double-parking in the neighborhood; and 

• adding a school zone with a reduced speed limit (and increased fines for speeding) in the blocks around PS 107. 

We also learned from Commissioner Bray that there is currently a mobile speed camera stationed near 15th Street and 8th Avenue! (It is well-hidden — we did not know it was there until Commissioner Bray pointed it out.) This camera is collecting data on the number of cars that are speeding in the vicinity of PS 107. The data gathered will inform the DOT’s determination as to whether a permanent speed camera can be installed on 8th Avenue. Overall, the walkthrough was a positive experience, we felt that the Commissioner took our concerns very seriously, and we were grateful for the support of our elected officials. We hope to see some changes in the coming months!

On another note, we hope that you’ll join us for an important parent workshop — Internet Safety: Parents, Guardians, Communities — this Tuesday, March 14th, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm in the 4th Floor Art Studio. Led by PS 107 parent and US Secret Service staff member Kevin McCleary, you will learn how to keep your children safe in our increasingly online world. Due to the sensitive content of this presentation, it will only be held in-person and children are not permitted to attend. But, we will have childcare available in the cafeteria! Your children can play games, draw, and read with school aides Ms Malani and Ms Brigid during the workshop. If you plan to make use of childcare, please fill out this brief form.

I hope to see many of you at the workshop this Tuesday, as well as at the return of our beloved Heritage Day this Saturday from 1 to 4 pm. Have a terrific week! 

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

Parent-Teacher Conferences + Parent Workshops on Digital Citizenship

Creativity abounds during Family Mornings in Kindergarten!

Dear PS 107 Families, 

It was wonderful seeing so many of you at our 5th grade Family Morning on Thursday and our K-4 Family Morning on Friday! I heard from multiple parents how much they enjoyed being back in classrooms, and I’m so pleased that we can finally provide regular opportunities for that. Our second cycle of Family Mornings begins on Friday, March 31st, with the first third of families returning to visit classrooms for the second time. 

On Thursday, March 9th, we will host Parent-Teacher Conferences! As a reminder, children have a half-day and dismissal is at 11:40 am. There is also no after-school on Thursday. Afternoon conferences will be held from 1 to 3 pm and evening conferences will take place between 4:30 and 7:30 pm. All conferences will be held virtually, and classroom teachers will schedule conferences with you directly. If you would like to set up a conference with our specialty teachers, please reach out to them via email: 

• Ms. Abby, 2-5 Science, aroberts@ps107.org (scheduling afternoon conferences only, 1-3 pm)

• Ms. Diane, PreK-5 Physical Education, dditonno@ps107.org 

• Mr. DiFranco, PreK-5 Music, gdifranco@ps107.org

• Ms. Galella, PreK-1 Library/English as a New Language, Academic Intervention for 1st and 2nd grade: pgalella@ps107.org

• Ms. Julie, PreK-5 Art, julie@ps107.org

We have two parent workshops coming up this month, both related to our focus on the important topic of digital citizenship: 

• Internet Safety: Parents, Guardians, Communities, Tuesday, March 14th, 6:30-7:30 pm, 4th Floor Art Studio (in-person only), presented by PS 107 parent and US Secret Service staff member Kevin McCleary. Childcare will be provided in the cafeteria by Ms Brigid and Ms Malani. If you plan to attend and will need childcare, please complete this short form. 

• Nurturing Healthy Digital Habits, Friday, March 24th, 12:30-1:30 pm, Zoom only, presented by PS 107 parent and Common Sense Education Director Tali Horowitz, along with PS 107 School Counselor Sarah Green. Please register here to receive the Zoom link. 

Since March is Digital Citizenship Month at PS 107, this is also an opportune time to remind all of you of our cell phone and other device policy. We realize that parents give children cell phones and smart watches for safety purposes; however, we would like to remind you to please not call or text children during school hours. This happens more than you might think and is extremely disruptive to classroom learning. If you have an urgent message to share with your child during the school day, please call the main office. Further, please remind children that they should not be taking photos or videos during the school day with smart watches or phones. This is also extremely distracting and can lead to a host of associated problems. We appreciate your support with helping your children follow PS 107’s cell phone and other device policy. 

Have a great week!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

Welcome Back!

Celebrating the 100th Day of School with K-105 and 1-201

Dear PS 107 Families, 

I hope that you and your children had a restful mid-winter break! It’s hard to believe that March begins this week. In March, we’ll be celebrating Women’s History Month, honoring the many incredible women who have worked to make the United States a better place for all. Our morning announcements will focus on important women who have made an impact on their communities. I am grateful for the many strong women that we have, right here, in our PS 107 community, who make our school the supportive, caring place that it is. 

In March, we will also have a schoolwide focus on digital citizenship and online safety. Using resources from Common Sense, teachers will provide weekly lessons to students on such topics as media balance, online privacy, cyberbullying, and more. We will also host two parent workshops, as part of our ongoing series, Practical Parenting for the 21st Century. Both workshops will be led by PS 107 parents, one focusing on keeping your kids safe online with parent Kevin McCleary, and the other on building healthy digital habits with parent Tali Horowitz. For more details, including dates, times, and how to register (if necessary), please see our monthly flyer.   

On Thursday, March 9th, we will host our second Parent-Teacher Conferences of the school year. Conferences will take place in the afternoon, between 1 and 3 pm; and in the evening, between 4:30 and 7:30 pm. Because of conferences, note that children will have a half day on Thursday, 3/9, and will be dismissed at 11:40 am. There is no after-school on Thursday, 3/9. Conferences will continue to be held remotely, per an agreement between the teachers’ union and the DOE. Your children’s teachers will let you know how to sign up for a conference. You can also request a conference with our specialty teachers by reaching out to them directly: 

• Ms. Abby, 2-5 Science, aroberts@ps107.org (afternoon conferences only)

• Ms. Diane, PreK-5 Physical Education, dditonno@ps107.org 

• Mr. DiFranco, PreK-5 Music, gdifranco@ps107.org

• Ms. Galella, PreK-1 Library/English as a New Language, Academic Intervention for 1st and 2nd grade: pgalella@ps107.org

• Ms. Julie, PreK-5 Art, julie@ps107.org

Finally, we are looking forward to seeing the final third of parents at our next Family Morning this Friday, March 3rd (with the exception of 5th grade parents, who will be visiting for Family Morning on Thursday, March 2nd)! Parents will enter the school building with their children at children’s regular drop-off location. Parents should be prepared to show their ID (proof of COVID vaccination is no longer required by the NYC DOE) to school staff members posted at drop-off locations. As during previous months, we recommend leaving younger, non-school-age children at home if possible. 

Have a wonderful week!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

Black History Month, Parent Workshops, the 100th Day of School, and more!

The Safety Patrol by Bisa Butler. All 107 students will be studying the work of Bisa Butler in the coming weeks.

Dear PS 107 Families, 

February is a busy month at PS 107! First and foremost it is Black History Month, and we are honoring Black Americans who have contributed to making our nation the diverse, multifaceted place that it is today. We are commemorating the ongoing struggle for civil rights, along with the many examples of Black excellence that historically have not been accorded adequate representation in our culture. Soon, all 107 students will begin an artist study of Bisa Butler, who uses rich, colorful textiles to create portraits of important figures in Black history. Thanks to our DEI Team and, in particular, Julie Brunner Cross, for putting together this special artist study.  Finally, we are examining our curriculum to ensure that Black history does not just come alive in February, but that it is fully integrated across the year in all that we do, because Black history is American history. 

On February 14th, which is also Valentine’s Day, we will host the second workshop in our series called Practical Parenting for the 21st Century. This workshop, entitled Strengthening Executive Functions at Home: Creating a Practical Toolbox for our Children features Dr. Anna Levy-Warren, who has been working with PS 107 staff this year on understanding neurodiversity and the ways in which we can support neurodiverse learners in our classrooms. The workshop will be held on the 4th floor, in our Art Studio, at 8:30 am, and will also be livestreamed. To sign up to attend via livestream, register here. It was great to see many of you at last Thursday’s workshop on supporting your children through friendship challenges with school counselor Sarah Green. 

On February 14th, we will also send love and support, along with funds, for the earthquake victims in Northern Syria and Turkey. We will be hosting a schoolwide Bake Sale from 2:30-5:30 pm, with all proceeds being donated to Bridge to Turkiye Fund and White Helmets. Thank you to our Community Outreach Team, and parents Elif Karakurt Franco, Olga Morkova, and Vanessa Sparling for organizing this critical effort. Please sign up to help on Konstella!  

February 15th is the 100th Day of School, which is a landmark day of the year that we love to celebrate! It means that we are more than halfway through the school year, plus the number 100 is an important one in our base 10 number system. Students learn about the hundreds place and how it is made up of 10 groups of 10. This is foundational knowledge important to making sense of our number system. 

This Friday, February 17th also marks the last day of school before the annual Mid-Winter Recess. It will be a day of instruction and of fun and celebration, and we strongly encourage you to make sure your children attend school that day. Our attendance has historically dipped significantly on the days before vacations, and we’d like to break that trend in 2023.

We encourage you to continue to advocate for traffic safety on 8th Avenue and the neighboring side streets near PS 107. You can write to our State Assemblymember Robert Carroll and City Councilmember Shahana Hanif  to advocate for traffic safety measures, including a speed camera and/or red light camera on 8th Avenue near our school, speed bumps on side streets close to where children and families cross 8th Avenue, and more city funding for crossing guards. We also remind all parents who drop off their children by car to please be mindful of where you stop your car to let your children out. In particular, please do not block the crosswalks.

Finally, last Thursday, February 9th, our structured literacy work was announced at a press conference at nearby PS 295, as well as in this press release. You can also take a look at this video produced by the DOE’s Press Office, in which I share what I believe the benefits of structured literacy will be for all students in the NYC public schools. Literacy is a civil rights issue, and I’m proud that PS 107 will be at the forefront of this necessary change in how we teach reading and writing in New York City. 

Have a wonderful week and a restful mid-winter break!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

Parent Workshops + Fitnessgram

Dear PS 107 Families, 

It was wonderful to see so many of you at last Friday’s Family Morning! We’re so pleased to be able to bring this tradition back to 107 — and in a more manageable, less crowded way. We’re looking forward to welcoming the final third of parents at our next Family Morning on Friday, March 3rd. 

We have also launched a series of parent workshops entitled Practical Parenting for the 21st Century: A Workshop Series for Parents, by Parents. This workshop series will run from February through May, with at least one workshop per month on a topic of interest to PS 107 families. This month, we are hosting two workshops related to supporting your children through two different kinds of challenges — friendship and executive functioning:  

• Helping Your Child Navigate Friendship Challenges with school counselor Sarah Green, Thursday, February 9, 2023, 8:30 am in the PS 107 Cafeteria. You can also register to attend via livestream here.

• Strengthening Executive Functions at Home: Creating a Practical Toolbox for our Children with Dr. Anna Levy-Warren, founder of Organizational Tutors, Tuesday, February 14th, 8:30 am in the 4th Floor Art Space at PS 107 (location change!). You can also register to attend via livestream here.  

If you are attending these workshops in person, please come in through the main entrance and be prepared to show your ID and proof of COVID vaccination. And coming in March, we’ll host two workshops on building healthy digital habits and protecting your children online.

Fitnessgram is back! For those of you with older children, you may remember that students took a series of physical fitness tests during PE classes in the pre-COVID era. These tests are returning this year, and I know that they are already creating some anxiety for children (and by association, for parents). I want to assure you that there are no stakes attached to these assessments and the data gained from them can help you determine your child’s level of physical fitness (in the same way that reading, writing, and math assessments help identify areas where children are excelling and where they may need more support). 

You can read more about Fitnessgram on the DOE’s website. You can also learn about the specific tests that are administered to students here. In NYC, Fitnessgram tests are administered as follows: 

• Students in K-3: height and weight only (this is done in a private location, not in PE class)

• Students in grades 4-5: height and weight (conducted in a private location), and 5 additional fitness tests, assessing strength, endurance, flexibility, and aerobic capacity, which are conducted during PE class 

You will be able to see the results of your child’s Fitnessgram in your New York City Schools Account under the “Student Wellness” tab. 

Ms Diane is well aware of the stress that some students experience when these tests are administered. She will be doing some trial tests in the coming weeks to get students used to these assessments and will also emphasize that there are no stakes attached to them. You can support your child by validating their concerns and emphasizing that this will be a challenge they are ready to take on. (As the mom of an anxious child, I have learned the hard way that it’s best in these situations to validate your child’s feelings and make clear that you know they can get through this, rather than trying to “fix” the situation, which ultimately has the unintended consequence of making their anxiety grow larger and more intense. For more on that, check out this article from The Child Mind Institute.)

Have a wonderful week!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna

Report Cards Drop in your NYCSA on Monday!

Thank you for all of the donations to CHiPS!

Dear PS 107 Families, 

Your child’s first report card of the year will be released on Monday, 1/30 to your New York City Schools Account. Ms Rinah and I reviewed every student’s report card and are confident that it will provide you with very detailed information about how your child is doing in all subjects, along with clear next steps for the remainder of the year. 

As a reminder, Parent-Teachers conferences are now disconnected from report card distribution, which was decided by our School Leadership Team last school year. Our next Parent-Teacher conferences are scheduled for Thursday, March 9th, and they will be here before you know it! Unless you have significant concerns that have not yet been addressed this year by your child’s teacher, please wait until conferences on 3/9 to have a conversation about your child’s progress. The intention is not for parents to schedule a third parent-teacher conference at this time. 

As noted on the report cards, PS 107’s grading scale is as follows: 

• 4: far exceeding grade level expectations

• 3: meeting current grade level expectations

• 2: approaching current grade level expectations

• 1: below current grade level expectations

All subjects are graded using this 1-4 scale, with the exception of Science, which is graded using P(ass)/F(ail).

I would encourage you not to get too stuck on number grades or reading levels. The comments your child’s teacher has written will provide far more information than numbers or levels, though I understand that numbers and levels feel straightforward, and we tend to gravitate towards them. We have a grading policy that is holistic and takes into account multiple measures —  including formal and informal assessments, teacher review of exit tickets and daily student work, and teacher observations — when assigning grades. 

Remember that your child’s reading level is but one measure of their reading skills. As we have started diving into learning about the Science of Reading as a staff, we have also learned that the leveling system that we so often refer to is not scientifically-based, and further, that reading levels were meant to be a teaching tool and not something that was ever intended to be shared with parents (or students). However, because our community has become accustomed to being provided with student reading levels over the years, we have decided to keep them in our report cards for now. As we learn about new reading assessment tools during our transition to structured literacy instruction, we will provide that information to you. 

For directions on how to access your child’s first report card on your NYCSA, please see this video. Remember that it can take between 24 and 48 hours even after January 30th for your child’s report card to appear in your NYCSA. However, if your child’s report card is not there by Thursday morning, February 2nd, please reach out to Nadia Benlarbi for assistance.

Finally, we are looking forward to seeing many of you at this Friday’s second Family Morning! As a reminder, the second third of families from all classes (with the exception of 5th grade and K-106) will be joining us this Friday, 2/3. As in January, there continues to be a great deal of respiratory illness circulating, so we strongly encourage mask-wearing for all visiting families. As well, we encourage leaving younger non-school-age siblings at home where possible. Parents will enter school with their children, at their regular location. Please be ready to show proof of COVID vaccination, along with your ID, to the staff stationed at your child’s arrival location.  

Have a wonderful week!

Warmly, 

Ms Joanna