In this Newsletter
Upcoming Events
No School for Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous Peoples’ Day - Monday, October 14
October Equity Committee Meeting - October 16, 6:30 pm Zoom
D15 PTA Fun Run - Saturday, October 26
No School for Diwali - Friday, November 1
No School for Election Day - Tuesday, November 5
No School for Parent-Teacher Conferences - Thursday, November 7
No School for Veterans Day - Monday, November 11
PTA General Meeting and Safety Town Hall - Friday, November 15, MMR
ParentSquare is Live - Download the app
Hispanic Heritage Month
Equity Committee October Meeting
Movie Night - October 18th - Kung Fu Panda 4
Boo Bash Decoration Request!
Boo Bash is coming 👻👻 Buy Tickets / Volunteer / Buy T-Shirts
D15 PTA Fun Run
Get involved with the Book Market
A Note from Principal Fitzgerald
P.S. 154 Families,
Last week was a short week packed with amazing learning experiences! It is a wonder we fit it all in just three days. Grades 1-3 launched the first full module of our Wit and Wisdom curriculum with delicious book tastings that had not just the ambiance of a chefs menu, but the substance as well. See the pictures below to get a taste of what was on offer. This exciting launch will help students get ready for the deep dive into the content over the next few weeks.
The equity team also shared a lovely new years tradition with students during lunch on Wednesday for Rosh Hashanah. Students were offered a snack of apples and honey to ring in the Jewish new year!
The school directory was turned on in ParentSquare on Monday. If you are having trouble finding me, my first name is legally Mary so I am listed as Mary Fitzgerald in the directory. I am still the only Fitzgerald though, so shouldn’t be too confusing!
ParentSquare is Live - Download the app
Hispanic Heritage Month
This month, the Equity Committee created a beautiful bulletin board in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, featuring inspiring Hispanic figures such as Frida Kahlo, Sonia Sotomayor, and Roberto Clemente. We invite you to take a moment to view it near the school entrance.
The Occupational Therapy Department, led by Cristina Septien and Emily Crook, collaborated with our amazing 1st and 2nd graders, along with Equity Committee parent volunteers Stacy Armand Patterson and Mary Llamas, to create a beautiful Frida Kahlo bulletin board and decorative flags representing the countries we celebrated this month.
Equity Committee
Our first Equity Committee meeting of the year was a success! Our October meeting will switch to the evening at 6:30pm on October 16th. Bring your ideas to our meetings and reach out to Mr. Buckley to let him know how you’d like to get involved!
Movie Night - October 18th - Kung Fu Panda 4
Join Us for a Free Community Movie Night! Come enjoy a movie under the stars in our schoolyard as we screen Kung Fu Panda 4!
Date & Time: The schoolyard will open at 6:00 PM for open play, with the movie starting around 6:30 PM.
Location: Schoolyard (outdoor event), MMR in case of rain
Don’t forget to bring a blanket or sleeping bag to sit on! If it’s chilly, these will also help keep you warm.
Snacks and kid-friendly drinks will be available for purchase, and pizza is available for pre-order.
This is a free event and a wonderful opportunity to build community. Events like this are made possible through the support of parent volunteers, so please consider signing up to help!
Important Reminder: This is not a drop-off event children must be accompanied by an adult at all times.
Boo Bash Decoration Request!
Boo Bash is right around the corner! We would love to take any used or unwanted Halloween decorations off your hands. This year we are also in need of white sheets. You can drop off to Frank Ricci after pick up on Friday Oct 11th and or Friday Oct 25th. In front of the school. Or contact him directly to schedule a drop off/pick up. FrankRicci@gmail.com
Boo Bash is coming 👻👻
Get ready for a hauntingly good time at PS 154’s Annual Halloween tradition, where fun and frights await! Our mostly-outdoor event will be packed with monsters, mayhem, and all the magical madness you can handle! Enjoy thrilling games, creative crafts, tasty treats, a dance party, and more!
To maximize your Boo Bash fun, we have three steps you can take in advance:
Purchase presale ticket packages, and avoid the terror of standing in line!
Boo Bash requires a zombie army of volunteers to pull off. Please sign up for as many shifts as you can.
BUY YOUR T-SHIRT BEFORE ITS TOO LATE
Get ready for spook-tacular fun with our limited edition GLOW IN THE DARK 2024 Boo Bash t-shirt! 👻
This limited edition t-shirt won't haunt our store for long, so be sure to order yours now before your size runs out!
D15 PTA Fun Run
The Office of Council Member Shahana Hanif and the President’s Council of District 15 are hosting the 16th Annual Fun Run on Saturday, October 26, 2024 at the Lefrak Center in Prospect Park (9 am bib pickup, 10 am race start).
The Brooklyn PTA Fun Run is a family-friendly event where Brooklyn PTAs and community members of all ages come together to run/bike/scoot/walk around Prospect Park loop road (approximately 3.3 miles). The goal of the Fun Run is to raise PTA funds for Brooklyn schools with Title I status in the last three years (i.e. 60% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch).
Every dollar raised by the PS 154 team will help grow the pot of funds for redistribution to Title I schools in Brooklyn. These flexible funds are critical for schools to be able to pay for services like recess staff, extracurriculars like gardening and musicals, and teacher grants. Let’s show the D15 community our solidarity by raising much needed funds for their PTAs and students.
Get Involved with the Book Market
Looking for a way to volunteer at the school? Join the Book Market Committee! Small commitment, big reward.
What is the Book Market Committee?
Several years ago, parents came together to create PS 154's Book Market, which you may have seen housed on the MMR stage. Although 154 doesn't have a library, the Book Market provides students and teachers with opportunities to both donate and engage with books. Each class is given a designated visiting slot approximately once per month, and students are allowed to take home several books each visit. They can use it like a library (e.g., return the books) or keep the books at home. Each class will have its first visit the week of Oct 21!
How Can I Help?
1. Volunteer! Every year, we ask for 1 Class Librarian per class and class helpers to support this effort. We need one Class Librarian per class, plus several class helpers if possible. The Class Librarian is in charge of ensuring that they or another parent volunteer is present at each class Book Market visit to supervise, support the kids to pick out new books, and clean up the shelves afterward. Librarians and Volunteers will also help keep the Book Market in good shape, including sorting and shelving books and brainstorming ways to improve the Market along with the other volunteers. Please sign up here by the END OF THIS WEEK if you can help! We will have a short zoom orientation Oct 13th, 8pm, for those who sign up. Not mandatory, and the meeting will be recorded.
2. Donate! Keep an eye on the newsletter for donation requests. Right now, we are full (except for graphic novels, which we can always use!), but we will let you know! Reminder: We only accept books in excellent condition, no religious or workbooks. Please donate those elsewhere, as we have minimal capacity for sorting and rehousing.
Questions? Please email Sabrina, mom to Mirele, 4th grade, at sabrinabaronberg@gmail.com
Thank you!