Fourth Graders hold an Iroquois Council
Dear PS 107 Families,
Happy New Year! I hope that the holiday break provided you with just the right balance of time with loved ones and time to rejuvenate and reset. Rest is so important for all of us — it helps our brains function better, improves our mood, and boosts creativity.
Over this past week, I was reflecting on last year’s holiday break and remembering how little time there was to rest. We were in the midst of the Omicron surge and COVID cases were coming in apace. The DOE was shifting policy around student attendance, COVID isolation, and safety protocols. We were making contingency plans to maintain adequate staffing during the Omicron surge. This year, while we are still managing the COVID pandemic, along with a significant uptick in other respiratory viruses, it feels that we are no longer in constant crisis mode, which allows for what we all need so much: rest. I am incredibly grateful to have had that time this year.
I’m so excited for all that’s to come in the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year, starting with the return of having families regularly visiting classrooms. Our new-and-improved Family Mornings begin this Friday, January 6th. One-third of families from each class (with the exception of 5th grade and class 3-304 — you will hear from teachers about when you’ll be visiting) are invited to spend 1st period, 8:20-9:10 am, in your child’s classroom. Teachers will either plan an activity for families and students to do together or will have families participate in regular morning work. Note that this is not a time to discuss your child’s progress with their teacher.
Teachers will let you know if you are in the first third of families invited for this year’s inaugural Family Morning on Friday, January 6th. If you aren’t, the second third of families will visit on Friday, February 3rd; and the final third of families on Friday, March 3rd. The cycle will begin again in April and everyone will have another chance to spend 1st period in the classroom with their child. If you aren’t sure when you are scheduled to visit your child’s classroom for a Family Morning, please reach out to your child’s teacher.
While masks are not mandated, given that there continues to be a great deal of respiratory illness in circulation and New York City continues to have an indoor masking advisory in effect, we strongly recommend wearing a mask to Family Mornings. To reduce crowding in classrooms, we also recommend leaving siblings who are not school-age at home.
We are looking forward to seeing many of you this Friday at our first Family Morning of the school year! I’m excited to see where 2023 takes our wonderful school community.
Warmly,
Ms Joanna
PS Your child’s first report card of the school year will be released on Monday, January 30th via their New York City Schools Acount (NYCSA). If you do not have your child’s NYCSA set up yet, please reach out to Parent Coordinator Nadia Benlarbi as soon as possible.