This Week @ PS 88Q

What a fantastic week we had with our Secret Spirit Week! Our staff had so much fun dressing up in mystery themes, and it was so much fun watching our students try to figure out each day's theme. Whether it was all black, pajamas, flannel, denim, or even drinking out of anything but a cup, the energy and excitement in the building were contagious! Thank you to everyone who joined in on the fun—we loved seeing the curiosity and creativity from our students!

Now, we look ahead to an important week at PS 88Q—Respect for All Week! We have a week full of meaningful activities planned, including a daily morning read-aloud in our newly remodeled library. We are so excited to share this beautiful space with our students and families. All families are welcome to join us at 9 AM each day for these special read-alouds.

Throughout the week, you’ll also see our staff wearing our special PS 88Q buttons that say, "You Are Safe With Me." This is our way of reminding every student that they are supported, valued, and safe in our school community.

A few important reminders:

Respect for All Week – Daily Themes:

📌 Monday: Express Yourself – Represent YOU!

• Dress in a way that makes you feel proud of who you are! Represent your culture, family history, or what makes you unique!

📌 Tuesday: Kindness – Wear Yellow!

• “There is nothing more truly artistic than to love people.” — Vincent Van Gogh

📌 Wednesday: All You Need Is Love

• “You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” — Buddha

📌 Thursday: Anti-Bullying & Cyberbullying – Wear Blue

• "Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” – Plato

📌 Friday: Wear Red – Nobody Eats Alone Day

• “I would rather walk with a friend in the dark, than alone in the light.”― Helen Keller

📌 Town Hall Meeting – Tuesday at 9 AM

• All families are invited to this important discussion.
• Topics include Subway Surfing and student safety.

📌 PAC Meeting and Anti Bullying Workshop – Tuesday at 5 PM

• Parent Advisory Council workshop : Anti-bullying

📌 PTA Meeting – Tuesday at 6 PM

• Join us to stay informed and engaged in our school community!

📌 Last 3K & Pre-K Open House – Thursday at 9 AM

• Families interested in enrolling their little ones are encouraged to join us to learn more about our amazing early childhood programs!

📌 Mid-Winter Recess: School will be closed from February 17 - February 21.
📌 Parent-Teacher Conferences: School will be closed again on March 6.

Wishing everyone a wonderful week ahead, and I look forward to seeing you all!

Please join us each morning at 9am for a Read Aloud to celebrate Respect For All Week. Each participant will receive a special book!

Monday: Join our Kindergarten Dual Language Class and Ms. Zhune for a read aloud in English and Spanish: Mayas Blanket.

Tuesday: Join Mr. Seeger in the library for a special read aloud, Crictor. Tuesday we focus on Kindness

Wednesday: Join Ms. Cevallos and Ms. Harvey for a special read aloud celebrating what makes us special.

Thursday: Join Ms. Lobosco and her class for a special read aloud about Bullying.

Friday: Join Mr. Brunhuber and his class for a special read aloud.

The NYCDOE is committed to maintaining a safe and supportive learning environment that is free from harassment, intimidation and/or bullying, sexual harassment, and discrimination on account of actual or perceived race, color, age, creed, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship/immigration status, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, or weight.

At PS 88Q, we proudly celebrate Black History Month, but our commitment to culturally responsive teaching and learning is present every day. We honor and uplift the diverse voices, histories, and experiences of our students and community in everything we do—because representation, inclusion, and respect are at the heart of our learning. 💙

Last week, we proudly celebrated National School Counseling Week by honoring our incredible guidance counselor, Mr. Carlos Canales! Mr. Canales is a true pillar of support for our students, always offering a listening ear, a helping hand, and the encouragement they need to thrive. His dedication to fostering a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment makes a lasting impact every day. Thank you, Mr. Canales, for all you do for our PS 88Q community—we are so lucky to have you! 🙌✨ #YouAreSafeWithMe #NationalSchoolCounselingWeek

Check out Pooh and Piglet (Ms. Lowe and Ms. Stiebel) below!

Valentine's Day STEM activity with Ms. Mackiewicz and Ms. Buckley! Students had to create structures using gummy candy hearts and toothpicks. They had a blast!

This week, our student government are excited to launch their campaign for the Participatory Budget proposals!

Below, you will find three posters for each proposal, which provide an overview of what they entail. Students are engaged in this process and understand the importance of how the grant money is being allocated to enhance our school community.

Families, take the time to discuss the proposals, as this is a fantastic opportunity for them to learn about budgeting and decision-making in a real-world context.

Our student government, along with our student-grade representatives will be visiting each classroom this Monday to campaign for the three proposals that the students will be voting on.

Voting will take place on Thursday, February 13th. Students will have the chance to cast their votes in the auditorium, where we aim to replicate a real voting experience.

This is an exciting moment for our students, as they will have a voice in determining how the Participatory Budget funding will be utilized to improve our school. Your involvement as families in guiding and encouraging them through this process is invaluable, and together we can foster a sense of ownership and responsibility within our community!

Our Social Justice Committee is always taking care of our community! For all families who donate new socks or pajamas , you will receive a NO HOMEWORK PASS! I will be at the entry door collecting, and distributing the NO HOMEWORK PASS TO ALL FAMILIES WHO DONATE!

It has been wonderful meeting our future families at our Open Houses! Over the course of the last two months, we have hosted 10 Open Houses! Kindergarten applications closed on Friday, January 24th, but 3K and Pre-K is open until February 28th. We will host additional open houses in February. Many of our families asked some of the questions below:

• What time does the school day start and end?
• The day begins at 8:00am and ends at 2:20pm. Early dropoff is available at 7:30am Tuesday-Friday. We do partner with Supermoon for aftercare.
• Do students have to be toilet trained?
• Students do not have to be toilet trained.
• What does the school day look like?
• Our program is an authentic early childhood program that includes the following:
• Family Style breakfast, morning meeting, center time, gross motor play, family style lunch, nap time, afternoon meeting, read alouds, small group instruction.
• What curriculum do we use?
• We use the NYCPS approved curriculum, Creative Curriculum.
• Are parents part of the program?
• Yes! You bring them into the classroom each morning, and enter the classroom at dismissal. Each class hosts many parent events, and culminating events as well. Teachers communicate daily through messaging apps and through a classroom Padlet.
• What is the after care program?
• Supermoon operates on site. Information is below
• https://www.ps88q.com/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=4415750&type=d&pREC_ID=2648772&tota11y=true
  

hank you SO MUCH to all of the amazing parents who volunteered at Family Movie Night: It was such a fun evening thanks to you!

The changes we made this year were a huge success and we're looking forward to future Family Movie Nights at Cinema 88!

🍿🎞️🍿📽️🍿

The next General Membership Meeting is Tuesday February 11th from 6pm-7pm.

As always, there will be activities for the kids while the parents meet.

Also on Tuesday February 11th at 9:30am is the PS88 Town Hall Safety Meeting.

Our local NYPD 104th Precinct will be there speaking about Subway Surfing, as it becomes a bigger and bigger issue in Ridgewood.

There will also be plenty of time for you to ask any questions that you are concerned about!

The Anonymous Feedback Form will be open the entire school year.

bit.ly/ParentNeeds202425

This is a place for you to express any concerns you might not feel comfortable bringing up in person.

Responses are checked regularly and topics will be pulled from here to be addressed during PTA meetings and with the school administration.

There is always a place for your voice to be heard!

Other upcoming PTA Events:

March 18, 20, OR 24: To be confirmed. CEC24 Candidate Forums. Get to know the candidates that will be representing YOU on the Community Education Council

March 22: Spring/Summer Caring Closet - 3K and PreK Parent volunteer sign-ups will be open soon

April: Spring Fling? - To be confirmed pending 4th Grade parent volunteer sign-ups

May 5-9: Staff Appreciation Week - All parents will be welcome to volunteer

New York Cares

Looking to discover new volunteer opportunities within the five boroughs? Look no further than New York Cares. In 1987, a group of friends who wanted to volunteer found themselves frustrated by a fractured nonprofit landscape, making opportunities hard to find. They wanted a centralized way to organize efforts and access communities. Visit the New York Cares website to explore volunteer opportunities across education, food prep, sports, senior support, sustainability, and more.

Bigs and Littles Mentoring NYC

Hundreds of families seek mentoring services through Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring each year, but they can’t serve them without volunteers like you! While they are in need of volunteers across New York City, they have a pressing need for Spanish volunteer mentors. Bigs & Littles NYC Mentoring was founded in 1902, striving to transform the lives of children through one-to-one mentoring, while strengthening entire families in hardship. In Bigs & Littles NYC’s keystone mentoring program, youth ages 7–19 (enrollment till age 17), are carefully matched with a Big Sister or Big Brother who serves as adviser, role model, and adult friend. Mentoring matches meet twice monthly for activities such as enjoying a show or ballgame, working together on a service project, or spending time talking and exploring NYC. Matches are supported by a dedicated Professional Program Manager to oversee and guide the match relationship offering referrals and additional resources as needed. Their holistic approach to mentoring consists of working closely with the entire family ensuring better outcomes. They know the program works: 100% of their participants avoid pregnancy and arrest, 99% are promoted to the next grade, 94% graduate high school, and 94% matriculate into college or a training program. For volunteer information, visit their website.

Grassroots Grocery

Every Saturday is a Produce Party with Grassroots Grocery! Music plays and the vibe is rich as volunteers prepare the weekly harvest. Then their fleet of volunteer drivers bring that beautiful produce the last mile to the Grassroots Grocers, the community leaders who know who needs it most. Grassroots Grocery rescues approximately 15,000 pounds of Fresh Produce which is inspected and packaged to be delivered to their local community sites by volunteer drivers. Grassroots Grocery removes barriers by bringing the pantry to the people. Whether it’s a Saturday spent delivering produce or sorting and packing a volunteer vehicle, every action helps feed people in need – without sacrificing their pride. Volunteers can choose to pack or sort to drive out hunger! Families are welcome; volunteers must be between the ages of 5 and 100! Learn more and sign up online.

World Read Aloud Day

Dear Families and Colleagues,

On February 5, we celebrated World Read Aloud Day, with 1,200-plus volunteers reading 1,325 books with over 3,100 students across the city—totaling more than 6,200 minutes of reading! As a former English teacher, principal, and district leader, I deeply believe that reading lays the foundation for lifelong success. That’s why we launched NYC Reads, to implement research-based instruction across all our schools and ensure our students become confident and curious readers.

Now that NYC Reads has been implemented in the elementary grades citywide, our focus must shift to strong implementation and targeted intervention—in other words, tailoring instruction to each student’s needs. As part of this effort, we will provide an additional year of coaching and professional development for our NYC Reads educators—because when our teachers are supported and empowered, our students thrive.

In celebration of World Read Aloud Day, I encourage you to share the joy of reading with the students in your life. Check out our book recommendations, sorted by grade level, on The Morning Bell blog. Happy reading!

In partnership,

Melissa Aviles-Ramos

Chancellor