April 9 News

In this Newsletter

A Note from Ms. Rached

What an exciting week, with both an earthquake and a solar eclipse! Both of these events made me feel both tiny on an astronomical scale, and also connected to those around me in our little corner of the world and across the city, country, and world.  As ever, I am grateful to be a part of such a caring school community!

All New York City public schools will be closed on Wednesday, April 10th in observance of Eid-al-Fitr. Celebrated by Muslims throughout the world, Eid-al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and the breaking of the sunrise-to-sunset fasting. We wish a happy Eid to all celebrating!

New Building Access Policy

As a part of the DOE’s Safer Access initiative, we had an intercom and buzzer system installed last week. This initiative will eventually result in such systems being installed in all New York City public schools, and is a safety measure that will allow us to keep the front doors locked during the school day and  visually screen building visitors prior to entry. We will begin using the new system during school and after-school hours beginning on Thursday, April 11.

The main entrance on 11th Ave will remain locked during regular school and after-school hours, with the exception of student arrival and dismissal times.

In order to enter the building, all visitors will need to:

  1. Ring the intercom bell

  2. Face the camera

  3. Wait to buzzed in.

  4. Sign in at the security desk (don’t forget to bring ID!)

Building Access Instructions

State Tests

On April 11 and 12, our students in grades 3 and 4 will be taking the New York State English Language Arts (ELA) test. 3rd and 4th graders will be taking a paper version of the test, which will include both multiple choice and open-response questions based on the New York State ELA standards. The test is untimed - students can use as much time as they need.

The following week, on April 16 and 17, our 5th graders will be taking the computer-based New York State ELA test, which will also be untimed, and includes multiple choice and open-response questions based on the New York State ELA standards.

Families have the option to opt-out of State Testing. If you are interested in exploring this option, please reach out to Mr. Buckley (mbuckley@ps154.org) and your child’s classroom teacher.

Safety Meeting

We will be having a Town Hall Safety Meeting on Wednesday, April 17, over Zoom. On the agenda will be the new building access system as well as earthquake preparedness.

Shape PS 154's Future: Complete the 2023-24 School Survey by April 19, 2024!

Your voice matters! The School Survey is a powerful way for you to share your thoughts about our school and directly influence its direction. Your feedback is crucial—it's used to assess our school's performance in the School Quality Snapshot and guides decisions made by our School Leadership Team.

3 Easy Ways to Complete the Survey:

  • Hard Copy: Fill out and mail the survey sent home in a green envelope a few weeks ago.

  • Online: Visit the School Survey site and complete the survey. (Please have your child’s OSIS number ready. If you need it, reach out to Tanica.)

  • Online via NYCSA: Log in to your NYCSA account and click "Take the 2024 School Survey now!" at the top of the page, then scroll down to "Take Survey."

Important: If you have more than one child enrolled, please fill out a survey for EACH child.

Your input shapes our school's future—don't miss this opportunity to make your voice heard!

ALL CLASSES WITH 100% PARTICIPATION WILL EARN AN ICE-POP PARTY IN THE PLAYGROUND!

Upcoming Events

🎥 Movie Night - Trolls Band Together - April 12

Join us for a free community event to watch the movie Trolls Band Together on April 12th.  The yard opens at 6:15pm for families to spend time together with the movie following at 7:30pm. There will be snacks, drinks and popcorn for sale. If you want pizza, please buy a dinner package in advance. See the events page for more details.

Want to help make it the best movie night ever? Volunteer to help!

🎉 Spirit Day - Silly Hair/Silly Hat Day - May 3

On Friday, May 3rd, let's celebrate with Silly Hair/Silly Hat Day! This is a fantastic opportunity for all students to showcase their creativity. Encourage your child to express themselves with uniquely styled hair or by wearing a delightfully silly hat.

Families, please mark your calendars and join us in making May 3rd a day filled with quirky hairstyles, whimsical hats, and an abundance of smiles. Let's welcome the new season with a burst of fun and laughter! We can't wait to see the fantastic, funny, and fabulous looks our students come up with. Thank you for joining in the fun!

📣 Spring Gala - May 14, 6:30pm, 390 Social

Save the date and secure your sitters! Our highly anticipated Gala is set for May 14th at 6:30 pm and will be hosted at 390 Social. Stay tuned for further updates, and prepare for an evening of excitement.

♟️Chess Tournament, May 19… Maybe!? Parent Lead Needed!

We are excited to announce that our Annual Chess Competition is scheduled for Sunday, May 19th. However, to make this event a success, we need parents to take the lead!

If you are passionate about chess and can spare some time to gather volunteers with the support of the PTA, we would love to hear from you.

Interested? Email pta_info@ps154.org by Friday, April 12th!

Participatory Budgeting  - Vote to fund PS 154’s Cafeteria Renovation!

Between Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 14, residents across New York City will cast their ballot and vote for the locally developed projects that will improve their community! This year, PS 154 is on the ballot to fund a Cafeteria Renovation, which will include aesthetic and functional improvements, like sound-dampening walls, durable floors, and multi-purpose furniture.

Cast your vote! Voting Age 11+!

Anyone 11 years old and over, and living in City Council District 39 can vote. If voting online, make sure you select City Council District 39 - Shahana Hanif is District 39’s Councilmember. And only vote once!

If online voting isn’t your thing, we will have paper ballots available on 4/9 @ 8:20am and 2:40pm (drop-off and dismissal time), as well as 4/12 @ 6:30pm (during movie night).

 
 

2024-2025 PTA Nominations & Elections

Take a more active role and join next year’s PTA of PS 154 Board! We are the parent and caregiver lead organization that is behind all fundraising and community activities for PS 154, operates the After School Program, and funds vital enrichment programs for PS 154 students. Every year the PTA aims to be more impactful that the last, and no doubt this upcoming board led by President Elect Sarah Gartenberg will accomplish that and more.

You can view all positions, as well as the PTA By Laws and past meeting minutes, on the PS 154 Your PTA page.

Nominations will take place in person at the next PTA General Meeting: May 3, 2024, 8:30am, PS 154 MMR.

Anyone can nominate anyone else present the meeting, including themselves! If you can’t make it to the meeting, you can also nominate yourself by emailing pta_info@ps154.org.

Help Us Grow: Join the Generations Fundraising Campaign at PS 154

Calling all Tias, Nonnas, Grampies, Opas, Aunties, Zaydes, Chachas, Granddads and Mimis – PS 154 needs your help! In April, the PTA will bring back our Generations fundraising campaign. Our goal is to help expand our “village” (and fundraising pie!) by inviting all those important people who love our kids to support our school. The best part? You don't even have to be the one to ask.

Take two minutes to help us out by sharing email addresses for any extended family members or loved ones you think might be open to giving. They’ll receive a few messages explaining the important contributions our PTA makes to our school, along with gentle invitations to donate. They'll also be invited to a spring ice cream social to celebrate our 154 community (tentatively scheduled for 5/4). Send any names and emails you would like to include to pta_info@ps154.org this week, and look for more details soon. Thank you!

📚 Book Market - Call for Graphic Novels & Chapter Books! 📚 📢 📕

We are accepting graphic novel and chapter book donations (for all ages). Please bring your gently used books and drop them into the blue bins labeled “Book Market Donation Bins” on the stage in the MMR.

Do not donate other book types for the time being - other book genres will be donated externally immediately as we do not have capacity to take them.

Feel free to send back any graphic novels or chapter books previously sourced from the Book Market as well (if your child is ready to part with them!).

⚾ PS 154 Family Night at the Brooklyn Cyclones - Friday, May 3rd @7PM! 🎉

Get ready to hit a home run of fun at the Brooklyn Cyclones game on Friday, May 3rd, at 7 PM! 🌟 Join us for an unforgettable evening packed with cheers, laughter, and plenty of school spirit!

🎟️ Tickets are  $20 and include a free Brooklyn Cyclones hat🧢! Plus, every purchase supports our school!

🏟️ Join us for a pre-game school spirit parade around the field at 6:15 pm!

And here’s the grand slam:

🎉 If we rally together and snag over 250 tickets, one lucky member of our group will step up to the plate and throw out the ceremonial first pitch! 🥳 Plus, we’ll even get to announce half an inning - talk about a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! ⚾

So rally your friends, gather your family, and join us for a night of PS 154 spirit at the Brooklyn Cyclones game!

🎉 Get your tickets here: PS 154 Brooklyn Cyclones Tickets.

For questions, contact Sarah Gartenberg at Sarah.Gartenberg@gmail.com. Let's fill the ballpark with PS 154 pride - see you there! LET'S GO CYCLONES! 🎉

Jimmy Schementi

 
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