Fifth Graders help Kindergartners during lunch and recess as part of 5th Grade Community Service
Dear PS 107 Families,
I hope that your Thanksgiving holiday was wonderful — allowing you time with your loved ones, as well as the opportunity to reflect on all that we have to be grateful for. Throughout the month of November, during our student-led morning announcements, children have been sharing what they are grateful for, and they have run the gamut, from their parents, to their pets, to their teachers, to our school, to time outdoors. It’s been such a treat for me to hear all of the people and places that our children value in their lives!
Tis the Season for … Sickness!
As we enter the colder winter months, we are seeing more and more students and staff members getting sick, needing to go to the nurse, and having to stay home from school. It’s hard to ignore the warnings of a “tripledemic” this winter — influenza, COVID, and RSV are circulating at high levels. Nurse Kara reminds everyone to keep children home when they are sick, particularly if they have a fever or obvious symptoms of illness. Ironically, I’m writing this week’s letter from my sick bed, COVID having finally caught up with me, after 2.5 years with lots of exposure, but no positive tests. I was beginning to think I was among the lucky few who were truly immune, but alas, I am not.
While masks are no longer required, they are certainly helpful when there is a lot of illness around. PS 107 continues to keep child-sized surgical masks on hand. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to Parent Coordinator Nadia Benlarbi if you would like us to send some home with your child(ren). As always, when your child is exposed to a case of COVID in their classroom, you will receive a notification via Operoo. Our after-school program will also notify parents via email whose children have been exposed in after-school classes.
As a reminder, when a student is positive for COVID, they must stay home for 5 full days following the onset of symptoms/positive test. Note that symptom onset/positive test is considered day 0, and we start counting days after that. As long as symptoms are improving, children can return to school on day 6, wearing a high-filtration mask through day 10.
Announcing Family Mornings
I am thrilled to announce that our School Leadership Team has developed a plan to get families into classrooms this year! Family Mornings will begin in January 2023 and will take place once a month through June 2023. Each month, one-third of parents from each class will be invited into classrooms to either do a special activity or participate in the classroom’s regular morning work. There will be two cycles of Family Mornings — the first running January through March and the second running April through June. This will give parents the opportunity to visit their children’s classrooms twice during the school year, once during each cycle. Teachers will let you know when it is your turn to visit!
We are hopeful that Family Mornings provide you with the chance to see your child’s classroom in action, in a less crowded and less overwhelming environment for all participants. Please note that parents who are visiting the building must be prepared to show proof of at least one dose of the COVID vaccine upon entry. This is the current NYC DOE policy. We are really looking forward to seeing parents back in the building on a regular basis!
Warmly,
Ms Joanna
PS One of our Amazon wishlists has had some cold weather gear added to it. Please help if you can!