Family Pathfinder Week of 10/06/24

"By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." — Benjamin Franklin

"The more you practice and prepare, the more you will be in control of your destiny." — Arnold Schwarzenegger

October 6, 2024,

Good evening, I.S. 254 families,

I hope you all enjoyed a restful 4-day weekend with your children and are feeling refreshed for the week ahead!

This week, we’ll be starting our MAP Growth assessments, which will replace the iReady assessments we’ve used in the past. These assessments are very important as they give us a baseline to understand where each of our students is right now. By combining this new data with what we’ve already gathered in the first month of school and last year’s state exam results, we’ll have a clear picture of how to move forward. This, along with our work through the Learning Design Collaborative, will guide us as we continue to strengthen our focus on literacy across all subjects.

Intentional planning and preparation are at the heart of success—not just in school, but in life. Just like in our everyday routines—whether it’s making time for exercise, planning meals, or keeping schedules organized—intentionality brings a sense of order and purpose. In the classroom, this thoughtful planning ensures that our lessons are engaging, meaningful, and tailored to meet each child’s needs. It allows us to take ownership of the learning process, making sure every moment counts.

When we take the time to prepare with care, we’re setting our students up for success—helping them stay focused, clear on their goals, and open to new learning opportunities. Whether it’s in the classroom or in life, preparation is truly the key to unlocking all kinds of potential.

Looking forward to another grrrrrrrreaaat week of teaching, learning, and loving at I.S. 254!

Warm regards,

Javier Ocampo, Principal

• A heartfelt thank you to the Parent Association for a great conversation and the insightful classroom visits. Walking the building through your lens as parents reaffirmed the work we are doing as a school to teach, to learn, and to nurture with love.
  
• Special thanks to Ms. Bridgemohan for a meaningful conversation regarding literacy. Your insights are invaluable as we continue to strengthen our literacy programs.
  
• Deep appreciation to the Instructional Leadership Team for taking on the important work of elevating our instruction and providing honest, constructive feedback. Your commitment to growth is making a real impact.
  
• A special thank you to Ms. Montanez for your ongoing support in helping me stay focused as an instructional leader, committed to whole-school improvement. Your partnership is essential to our success.
  
• Appreciation and gratitude to all of you who keep me grounded and focused on student learning and well-being. Your support is critical in ensuring we meet the needs of every student.

Ms. Rivera wants to shout out:

• Ms. Tobin: Your leadership in the ENL department and dedication to the LDC initiative have truly made an impact.

• The ILT and Teacher Leader Team: Thank you for your dedication to the LDC work and for leading our grade and content meetings with such engagement and purpose.

• Ms. Green: You embody the spirit of our school’s mission, particularly the "We Love" through your support of a colleague. Your kindness and compassion do not go unnoticed.

• Mr. Guzman: Thank you for implementing a thoughtful protocol for analyzing student work during the math meeting. Your focus on aligning student tasks with standards and assessments is invaluable. I’m excited to see more of this meaningful work.

• A special thank you to the math team for your active engagement in this process.

• Ms. Kanhai: Your proactive efforts in sharing information about the MAP Growth assessment this week are much appreciated.

• Ms. Straws: Thank you for taking the lead and supporting as our HIT liaison. You are truly appreciated.

Ms. Brezina wants to shout out:

• Ms. Tobin, for leading the LDC instructional work we’re diving into this week. Your expertise in instructional leadership and ability to navigate complex systems to improve outcomes for both students and teachers is truly impressive. Your ambitious and courageous leadership continues to have a lasting impact on our community.
  

• Our teacher leaders and members of the Instructional Leadership Team—Mr. Guzman, Ms. Maldonado, Ms. Bridgemohan, Ms. Kanhai and Mr. Valentino—thank you for embracing and guiding instructional initiatives that help our students thrive and support our teachers in their growth. Your leadership makes a real difference.
• Our Parent Association. It’s such a privilege to have a thoughtful, caring group of parents working alongside the administration and staff at I.S. 254. Your dedication helps ensure we’re all held to high standards for the benefit of every student in our community.
  
• Mr. Pedro Silva, for wearing so many hats at I.S. 254! Your ability to see what’s best for our students, solve problems, and keep a positive attitude is truly appreciated.
  
• Dr. Rodriguez, your insight, humor, and thoughtful advice are invaluable. Thank you for sharing your deep understanding of people and public schools with our community.
  
• Ms. Green, for your creative and engaging approach to teaching 19th-century American history. The way you connect students’ lives today to the past is inspiring and helps them see themselves as future leaders and informed citizens.
  

Ms. Tobin wants to shout out:

• Mr. Komarek, Ms. Bueti, Ms. Rampersad, Ms. Aiken, Ms. Cruz thank you for your consistency I appreciate you!
  

• A big shout out and thank you to all who consistently show up on time and are ready to dive into the work during Professional Learning. Your reliability and commitment don’t go unnoticed.
• Mr. Jay for his commitment to trying new strategies and seeking different ways to engage students. Your persistence and work ethic shine through as you lay the groundwork for great things with your students.
• Ms. Kanhai, Ms. Bridgemohan, and Ms. Ortiz for taking on the important work of the District 10 Common Interim Assessment team and being liaisons between this work and our school community.
• Ms. Green for her creativity and the incredible different ways she invites students to demonstrate their understanding of key concepts and skills in social studies. Your innovative approach helps students engage with the content and skills while deepening their learning.
• The Teacher Leader team for diving into our exciting new journey with LDC and for rolling up their sleeves with me this week to brainstorm creative ways to engage our staff during Professional Learning. Your dedication to our school community is inspiring, and I wouldn't be able to take on this important work without you.
• Mr. Gannon and Ms. Rampersad, for their dedication to our literacy intervention program and for the hard work they have put into testing our students and determining the right levels of intervention support. I’m so excited to see the impact of this work, especially as we collaborate with LDC to strengthen our approach toward improving student achievement. Thank you for all that you do!
• Ms. White and Ms. Straws, for finding creative and thoughtful ways to celebrate their students' progress while continuing to encourage them to keep moving forward.

• Ms. Saragaglia, Ms. Tobin, Ms. Rampersad, and Mr. Guzman for assisting teachers to set up their MAP Growth Testing Sessions. I truly appreciate you guys for jumping in and helping others to navigate the website.
  
• Mr. Valentino for helping to organize the testing calculators, and for being the BEST Co-Teacher ever. I appreciate you for always supporting me, and I know I can always count on you when needed.
• Ms. Rivera for her continuous guidance and support. Thank you for all you do for the staff, and for always making yourself available whenever I have questions.
• Ms. Merejildo and Ms. Rodriguez for all your support with class 806. I truly appreciate you both and all that you do! ❤️
• Ms. Vanterpool for always being reliable and available when needed. Thank you for all that you do, and for all your support with the Special Education Department.
• Ms. Rampersad for being so hands-on in working and supporting our students, especially our students with disabilities. Thank you for advocating for our students and for finding resources to support them and their families.

• October 7-11: MAP-Growth Diagnostic Administration
• October 11: Brainpower Classroom visits
• 🚨📅 October 14: Italian Heritage / Indigenous Peoples' Day, schools closed
• October 15: 6th grade Brainpower Team Building Activity
  
• October 16: 7th grade Brainpower Team Building Activity
  
• October 17: Biology NYC Performance Task Assessments
  
• October 22-24: All In Learning Common Interim Assessments
• November 7:
• Election Day, students do not attend school
• Staff - Remote Professional Learning Day
• November 14:
• Students not in attendance.
• Half-Day IN-PERSON Staff Professional Development.
• Afternoon & Evening, Remote Conferences
• 🚨📅 November 23-24: Thanksgiving Recess, schools closed
• 🚨📅 December 25–January 1: Winter Recess, schools closed
  
• March 13, 2025:
• Students not in attendance.
  
• Half-Day IN-PERSON Staff Professional Development.
  
• Afternoon & Evening, Remote Conferences
  
• May 8, 2025: Evening, In-Person Parent Conference

Parent Conferences 2024-2025

• November 14, 2024: Afternoon & Evening, Remote Conferences; Morning, In-Person Professional Development
  

• March 13, 2025: Afternoon & Evening, Remote Conferences; Morning, In-Person Professional Development

• May 8, 2025: Evening, In-Person Parent Conference

Marking Period Dates 2024-2025

• November 18, 2024: Marking Period 1 ends

• January 30, 2025: Marking Period 2 ends

• April 14, 2025: Marking Period 3 ends

• June 26, 2025: Marking Period 4 ends

MAP Growth Testing Schedule:

• This week, our students will be taking the ELA and Math MAP Growth assessments. These assessments are important because they help us understand each student's instructional level and highlight areas of strength and focus. The results will guide us in supporting your child’s growth in line with New York State Learning Standards.

Open House Dates:

• invitation to visiting 5th graders from feeder schools on
• October 10th and 24th - 3:30 - 4:45 PM

8th Grade Update:
The high school application process has officially begun at I.S. 254! Many of our 8th graders have started this important journey, and our guidance counselors are working hard to assist them every step of the way. Parents, if you have any questions about the process, please don't hesitate to reach out to our guidance team—we're here to help!

In the coming weeks, our 8th graders will be taking benchmark assessments in ELA and Algebra. These assessments are essential as they allow us to monitor student progress and ensure they are on track for success throughout the year.

We’re also excited to announce that our I.S. 254 Soccer Team has been selected! Our student-athletes have been practicing after school, and we’re so proud of all who made the team. Congratulations to our soccer stars!

Math Update:

• 6th Grade: Last week, we worked on dividing fractions by fractions. This week, we’ll be diving into Greatest Common Factor (GCF) and Least Common Multiple (LCM).
• 7th Grade: Last week, students learned how to identify proportional and nonproportional relationships. This week, they’ll focus on graphing proportional relationships.
• 8th Grade: We spent last week identifying equations from graphed lines. This week, we’ll be focusing on how to graph a line when given an equation.

Science Update:

• 6th Grade: Last week, students explored three different systems and used scientific reasoning to answer the question: "Do all systems have energy?" This week, they’ll be observing wind-up toys to explore kinetic and potential energy.
• 7th Grade: Our 7th graders are progressing through The Microbiome. Last week, we covered Chapter 2.1, and this week we’ll continue with Chapter 2.2.
• 8th Grade: Last week’s lessons focused on gas exchange and cellular respiration. This week, we’ll be discussing homeostasis and evaluating how it functions within the body.

Staff Birthdays

• MS. FERGUSON (10/10)
  

Neuroplasticity Workout: This week, we’re taking a deep dive into the world of neuroplasticity, with 3 different types of exercises for you to try out!

On your mark, get set: GROW!

Easier Neuroplasticity Exercise: “Tap & Sweep”

More Challenging Neuroplasticity Exercise: “Pinky Thumb”

Team-Building Neuroplasticity Exercise: “Wow-Wow”