This Week @ PS 88q

What an unforgettable week it has been here at PS 88Q! Our hearts are still soaring from the incredible visit by ABC World News, who came to film our talented Disney Crew during a rehearsal for The Lion King. The room was absolutely buzzing with excitement—families, staff, and students filled the audience with pride and joy. To see the spotlight shine on our school and our students in such a meaningful way was truly magical.

While this work has been going on for quite some time, the recent recognition has been such a beautiful affirmation. It is not the reason we do this work—but it certainly lifts our spirits. What fills my heart most is the overwhelming sense of pride on the faces of our community. We do this for the core memories our students will carry forever, for the lessons they’ll learn that extend far beyond the stage or classroom, and for the experiences that help shape who they are becoming.

PS 88Q continues to be a special place—not just because of the programs or the performances, but because of each and every person who walks through our doors and every family who chose us for their child’s educational journey.

As we step into May, there are so many more ways our students are shining:

• On May 27th, our Social Justice Committee will once again lead our powerful “May The Change Be With You” Walk, celebrating youth voice and civic responsibility.

• That same week, our amazing Saturday School students will have their work displayed at the Tweed Courthouse, the NYC Public Schools Headquarters—a remarkable honor and opportunity for their voices to be seen and heard.

• And of course, this week, our Grade 3, 4, and 5 students will take the NYS Math Test. While we’ve supported their preparation every step of the way, it’s important to remember: the NYS Tests are one of many ways our students demonstrate what they know. At PS 88Q, student growth, creativity, resilience, and character are reflected in so many ways—and we celebrate them all.

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Thank you for being a part of this joyful, proud, and ever-growing community. Here's to more core memories ahead!

🌸 May

• ➕ May 6–7: NYS Math Test (Grades 3, 4, 5)

• 🐉 May 8: Asian Pacific Dance Company Assembly

• 🚪 May 9: Gifted & Talented Application Closes

• 🧸 May 13: Pre-K Offers Released

• 🔬 May 13: NYS Science Exam (Grade 5 ONLY)

• 🧠 May 19: SLT Meeting @ 5:00 PM

• 👶 May 20: 3K Offers Released

• 🗳️ May 20: PTA Meeting & PTA Elections

• 🇺🇸 May 26: No School – Memorial Day

• May 27: May the Change Be With You Event

• 🏃 May 28: Field Day (Grades K–2)

• 🏅 May 29: Field Day (Grades 3–5)

• 🌧️ May 30: Field Day Rain Date

🌞 June

• 🎉 June 4: #WeArePS88Q Event from 3:30 PM–6:30 PM

• 🕌 June 5: No School – Eid-al-Adha

• 📝 June 6: No Students – Clerical Day

• 🏫 June 9: SLT Meeting @ 5:00 PM

• 💌 June 11: Gifted & Talented Offers Released

• 🤝 June 17: PTA Meeting

• ✊ June 19: No School – Juneteenth

• 🍽️ June 20: Grade 5 Breakfast & Final Walk-Through

• 🎓 June 23: Grade 5 Commencement

• 🥳 June 24: Grade 5 Party

• 📅 June 26: Last Day of School

This week, we take a moment to honor and celebrate the heart and soul of our school—our incredible teachers. But at PS 88Q, we know that teaching doesn’t just happen in classrooms. Every adult who calls PS 88Q their home is a teacher. Whether in the hallways, cafeteria, offices, or playground, our students are always watching—how we act, how we speak, and how we support one another. Every interaction is a lesson, and every moment is a chance to lead by example.

We are proud to have 160 dedicated staff members who each bring their passion, care, and commitment to our school every single day. And while their roles may vary, they are united by one absolute truth:
We put children first. Always.

Let’s take this week to lift them up, show our appreciation, and celebrate the incredible impact they make—not just in teaching lessons, but in shaping lives.

There’s something blooming at PS 88Q—and it’s not just our students! Our school is bursting with green spaces both inside and out. From the vibrant planters lining Fresh Pond Road and the schoolyard, to the flourishing beds in front of our building, growth is everywhere you look. Inside, our hydroponic tower, lovingly maintained by Mrs. Harvey and Mr. Jordan, is overflowing with fresh tomato plants and lettuce. And thanks to a successful Donors Choose project, we now have two outdoor towers and a greenhouse ready to grow even more!

Our Gardening Club is learning and growing each week. Our Saturday Program students got their hands dirty last week planting out front, as part of their exciting Gardening and Food Sustainability Project-Based Learning (PBL) unit. There’s much more to come—because at PS 88Q, we believe that even city kids can have a green thumb!

ABC World News with David Muir returned to PS 88Q this week to film again for their upcoming feature on our incredible Disney Theater Team! The energy was electric as cameras captured the talent, teamwork, and heart of our students. Stay tuned—this is a moment you won’t want to miss!

Eligibility

For current 2nd and 3rd graders in NYC public schools

• Students are considered eligible if they satisfy the following grade requirements on their most recently available report card (as of March 2025). Once a child is deemed eligible, there is no ranking within eligible students based on differences in course grades.Have course grades of a 3 or 4, or the equivalent, on their report card in Math, Reading and Writing.Cannot have had a 1 in any marking period in Math, Reading, Writing, Social Studies and Science in the current school year. Eligible students will receive notification either by email or mail.
• Current students DO NOT have to reapply to remain at their current program for the upcoming school year.

• Eligibility to apply to G&T programs does not guarantee a G&T seat. Offers for eligible applicants will be determined based on families' application choices, programs' seat availability, and admissions priorities.
• All G&T programs give priority to siblings of current students enrolled or pre-registered for Fall 2025. Some programs also give priority to children who live in a specific district; however, G&T programs do not give priority to zoned families. Some programs also offer Diversity In Admissions(Open external link) initiatives. Individual program priorities are listed in the MySchools directory.
• All applicants will receive a results letter, but due to limited seats, not all eligible applicants will receive an offer to a G&T program. Families who receive offers will have the opportunity to accept or decline any offer that they receive.
• Families with eligible students will be able to add themselves to additional waitlists of G&T programs if desired

💐 🥳 TEACHER/STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK is here! May 5-9 🥳 💐

Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week is such a joyful week. It's a wonderful way to show some love to the all of the teachers and staff AND you get to meet everyone in the building and meet fellow parents!

There are several ways to get involved:

🫱🏽‍🫲🏼 Sign up here to VOLUNTEER at one of the PTA sponsored events 🫱🏽‍🫲🏼

bit.ly/VOLUNTEERAppreciationWk2025

🎁 Sign up here to DONATE to the Raffle (or the other events we have planned) 🎁

bit.ly/DONATEAppreciationWk2025

No donation is too small! It could be a $10 gift card to a local coffee shop, a free Massage at your practice, 20% off a meal at your restaurant. We can't wait to see what you come up with!

💕 Give an official shoutout to your teacher on the DOE All Stars page! 💕

They'll receive a certificate and recognition from the DOE.

doeallstars.schools.nyc

If you would like to help or contribute in some way, but aren't sure what or how, please feel free to reach out to us and we can figure it out together!

✨✨ UPDATES to PTA LEADERSHIP ✨✨ We need YOU! ✨✨

We are proposing new positions to help spread out the work and make this a more fun volunteer experience! We're really excited about the proposed changes and hope that more parents will consider getting involved, knowing that the work will be more evenly spread out.

Check out the roles here: bit.ly/ProposedExecBd

🎈 Love planning birthday parties? Consider one of the Event Planner roles!

🗣️ Great at managing a schedule and love communicating with friends and fellow parents? Consider the Communications role!

🕘 Have a more traditional work schedule and are concerned about the hours you have available? We've marked roles that could work for just this situation!

Reach out anytime with any questions, concerns, or ideas! We are excited to build the PTA into an even more vibrant and active Association so we can help our much loved PS88 grow into an even more fabulous and thriving public school!

🔔 🗳️ GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING and EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTIONS 🗳️ 🔔

May 20th, 5:30pm-7pm, in person ONLY (Kids activity with staff during the meeting!)

We'll hold the Monthly Meeting first, then hold elections.

All positions are up for election! Nominations will be taken from the floor and will be voted on immediately in an expedited election.

Feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns!

You can use the Anonymous Feedback Form (topics are chosen for discussion at the Monthly Meetings) or email us.

Your Executive Board,

Samantha PTA88President@gmail.com

Sabita PTA88Treasurer@gmail.com

Camila PTA88Secretary@gmail.com