In this Newsletter
Upcoming Events
Pajama Day - Fri, Dec 20
Last Day of Fall Clubs - Fri, Dec 20
No School for Winter Recess - Dec 23-Jan 1
First Day of Winter Clubs - Mon, Jan 6
Readathon - Jan 6-24
Readathon kickoff event - Jan 7, 6-7 pm, MMR
No School, MLK Day - Mon, Jan 20
Twin Day - Wed, Jan 22
A Note from Principal Fitzgerald
Makeup, Sibling, and Fifth Grade Photos -Order now!
End of year deadline for PTA Annual Fund dues!
Calling All Hosts for Our School's First-Ever Stoop Crawl Fundraiser!
Spring Auction
Holiday GiveBacks - Foley Firs
Holiday GiveBacks - Minted
A Note from Principal Fitzgerald
Dear P.S. 154 Families,
As we approach the holiday season, I want to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible spirit that makes our school such a special place. Together, we’ve created a vibrant, supportive community where care, curiosity, and courage guide everything we do.
This season is a perfect time to reflect on how we’ve grown as a school community. Our students demonstrate care through the kindness they show one another and the world around them. Their curiosity shines as they explore new ideas and challenge themselves to ask meaningful questions. And every day, they show courage—whether it’s trying something new, sharing their voices, or facing challenges with determination.
As you enjoy this well-deserved holiday break, I hope you find time to relax, recharge, and make special memories with your loved ones. We look forward to welcoming 2025 with renewed energy and excitement for all the opportunities the new year will bring.
Wishing you and your family a joyous holiday season and a very Happy New Year!
Don’t forget about PJ Day on Friday! Our next Spirit Day will be Twin Day on Wednesday, January 22. Dress like a twin, a triplet, or even a quintuplet!
Big shout out to the P.S. 154 students who came in 1st place at the Right Move Chess Competition! Showing lots of courage by entering an open chess tournament!
Makeup, Sibling, and Fifth Grade Photos - Order now!
Makeup, sibling, and fifth-grade photos will be available to view tomorrow! Pictures can be viewed and ordered through this site.
All school photos ordered before December 27th will be part of a PTA fundraiser. If you want to help your school out and give back - we recommend purchasing ASAP! (Pics of your cuties also make excellent gifts!)
End of year deadline for PTA Annual Fund dues!
The PTA aims to raise $50,000 by the end of the calendar year, and we need your help! We are only half of the way there - we need $25,000 by December 31st to hit our end-of-2024 goal. Support the PTA today.
This year the PTA is asking families to support the school with $400/student - without your contributions to the PTA Annual Fund, PS 154 can only fund core subjects, and would need to stop many beloved programs, like Music, Media Arts, Chess, Author Visits, or more.
Let’s not let this happen! Contribute to the PTA Annual Fund before December 31st - you can give one-time online, or setup a recurring monthly donation. Ask your employer about matching too! Every bit helps us get closer to our goal. Whether you can give $4, $400, or more, your generosity ensures that our kids have the enriching experiences they deserve—and helps build a stronger school community.
Calling All Hosts for Our School's First-Ever Stoop Crawl Fundraiser!
We're excited to announce a unique new fundraiser that promises to bring fun and community spirit right to our neighborhood: a Stoop Crawl! This event is all about connecting local families, having a great time, and raising funds to support our school—and we need your help to make it happen!
How It Works:
Families will have the opportunity to volunteer their stoops, patios, backyards, living rooms, or even open a tab at a nearby bar to host 20 guests for a drink and snack (adults only). Each stop can be as simple or fancy as you like, from Natty Light + Cornuts to Dom Pérignon + Caviar— creativity is encouraged! Our parent community will then purchase tickets, allowing them to enjoy 3 “stoop” stops throughout the event.
We Need Volunteers!
To make this fundraiser a success, we're looking for at least 15 families willing to host. Being a host means you’ll help create a welcoming and memorable stop for guests to enjoy a sip, snack, and socialize. We are targeting the evening of May 2.
How Exactly Will This Work??
We expect that each host will host for 2-3 time slots of approximately 45 minutes each, with a cap of 20 attendees at a time. Ideally, we will cluster hosts in the school district so that folks can walk easily between stops, but we are open to discussing having a cluster of hosts elsewhere! We ask you to email and express interest by Friday, Jan 17, so we can work out the details!
What’s In It for You:
The reward of knowing you’re helping raise funds for the students at PS 154
The chance to showcase your unique hosting style
An opportunity to connect with other school families
Interested in Hosting?
Please reach out to us with any questions and let us know if you'd like to host by Friday, January 17. We'll follow up with all the details and ensure you’re set up for a fun and easy hosting experience.
Thank you for helping us make the Stoop Crawl a great success. Let’s bring our community together and support our school in a new and exciting way!
Stoop Crawl Chairs,
Stephanie Schiada (stefanieschiada@gmail.com)
Cheryl Gladstone (cgladstone@gmail.com)
Spring Auction — Volunteers and Donations Needed!
We are starting to plan the Spring Auction, one of our biggest fundraisers of the year! Can you help?
We need volunteers! No matter how much or how little time you have, there’s a role for you. We need people to:
Contact prior business/parent donors
Identify and/or reach out to potential new business donors by email or by walking around and speaking with (friendly!) neighborhood businesses.
Help with communications
We need donations! Are you willing to donate an item or experience for a silent auction? Examples include a gift card to a local business, tickets to a game or show, or a stay in your vacation home — just to name a few. Ask a friend, too! Or please pass on a name or idea using the form above and we can get in touch.
Please fill out this short form to let us know you’re willing to volunteer or donate. You can also email Auctions & Sponsorships Chair Judd Gartenberg (judd.gartenberg@gmail.com).
Read-A-Thon 2025!
We’re so excited to launch the 2025 Read-A-Thon on January 6th!
Cozy up with a good book - we are kicking off 2025 with our annual Read-A-Thon! Our Read-A-Thon puts the FUN in fundraising - students will work with their teachers to set reading goals, track progress, and celebrate their accomplishments. We have some fun events planned to make the Read-A-Thon extra-special, starting with an evening event for the kick-off week!
This year’s Read-A-Thon excitement will include class prizes (hot chocolate party, anyone???) for participation, as well as grade-level lotteries for goal-meeters, and a special prize for the top-earning class.
We will be using an online platform again this year to log minutes read and fundraising totals.
Holiday GiveBacks - Foley Firs
The 2024 holiday season is here, and it’s the perfect time to raise funds for the PS 154 PTA simply by shopping at participating vendors!
Holiday GiveBacks - Minted
Did you know that you can raise funds for PS 154 (and save money)when you purchase holiday cards, art, stationary and tote bags from Minted?
Using our unique code FUNDRAISEPS154WTS, you can get 20% OFF all your Minted holiday card & gift purchases — and for every order placed, Minted will donate 15% back to PS 154.
To participate, simply visit minted.com/holiday to start your holiday shopping. Apply code FUNDRAISEPS154WTS at check out to claim your 20% discount. It’s that easy!
