This Week @ PS 88Q
September 8, 2024
Meet The Teachers Night is Thurs.Sept. 12th 3:30pm-6:30pm @PS88Q
A Message From Mrs. O'Shaughnessy
I hope everyone had a wonderful return to school! There are so many great things about last week. Our staff returned to the building to prepare, our students and families returned, and our large school yard finally was available to our students. I have a feeling it is just the beginning of what I feel will be an amazing year!
Thank you all for your trust and patience this first week. We changed our arrival and dismissal areas according to our new available space. For our second and third graders last year, nothing changed, as they still exit the same doors in the front as last year, but for grade 5, they now exit through the Catalpa Avenue exit. Our grades K, 1 and 2 all exit through the large school yard. It is imperative that our students are dismissed "hand to hand" with their adults for safety reasons. It is greatly appreciated how patient you have been. It does get easier!
This year, we have all of our extra-curricular opportunities return, plus a whole lot more! Many families have asked when they will begin. In the next few weeks, I will send home details for our before school and afterschool activities which will support grades K-5. Clubs and activities will begin in October. Stay tuned!
Thursday, September 12th we open our doors to you and your family to come meet all of our teachers, and to see our beautiful school. Teachers will be sharing what to expect this year, as well as answer any questions you may have. Come visit not only your child's classroom teachers, but their art, music, PE, and coding teacher. If your child has speech services our speech teachers are here too. Our PTA will be on site as well, so touch base with them about how to get involved this school year. Ms. Lowe, Ms. Herman and I will be hosting a Q and A throughout the evening, so be sure to drop by the auditorium! We are excited for you to walk the halls of PS 88Q!
Have a great week, and I will see you all Thursday from 3:30pm-6:30pm!
Permission Slips (Media Consent and Walk Home)
All families received in their personal email forms for the 2024-2025 School Year from Operoo. The media release form and the walk home alone form. Please complete them this week. No students are permitted to walk home alone without a completed permission slip from the parent. Any questions, reach out to Ms. Jackie (Jpepe4@schools.nyc.gov) and Ms. Ivett (iperezlopez@schools.nyc.gov)
School Supplies
If you would like to drop off your child's school supplies, please bring them to the main lobby, labeled with your child's class and name, and we will deliver them!
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work!
Ms. Becker and Ms. Agostino
Ms. Montalbano and Ms. Pagnotta
Ms. Lowe, Ms. Herman, Ms. Guardi, Ms. Pepe, Mr. Canales and Ms. O'Shaughnessy
Our School Yard
We are so excited to have our space back, and it is amazing! It is still in the final stages, with painting (the track, and basketball courts) and other finishing touches being done daily. Our students will have access to the large yard during the school day. When we are all done, we will have an official opening and ribbon cutting.
Our small playground with the playground equipment is not yet open for our students. There are a few more final touches that must be completed before students are permitted to play on it.
The playground and the large yard is not open outside of school hours at this time. As our yard is part of the PlanNYC (https://www.nycgovparks.org/greening/planyc/schoolyards), it will be officially opened to public only after all construction is complete. Some of the details that are still planned is the landscaping, additional fencing, labeling of the playground equipment (age appropriate), benches for the chess table, canapy for the play equipment, additional planters, and a few more items.
Prior to the play equipment being cleared for use, a permission slip will be sent home regarding the equipment. There are two units, one for ages 2-5 years old and the other for ages 6 and up. I will also host and open house for parents prior to opening the equipment.
Parent University
We are excited to launch a new resource for our families, PS 88Q PARENT UNIVERSITY. This site is a live, and ever updating site with so many resources as well as information for our families. One of our Chancellors Priorities, Priority 5 is "All districts and schools are more inclusive and responsive for parents and families, including having more families choose NYC Public Schools". As a parent myself, I know how important it is to not only know and understand what is going on, but would like to know how I could get involved. This begins with open communication, and information. Check out the new site, PS 88Q Parent University. It aligns to all our communication (newsletters, emails) so it is a great place to find anything that is shared.
Family Income Survey
Each school year, all of our families complete the Family Income Survey. You may wonder why it is so important. When all of our families complete the form, this helps us qualify for Title I funding. Title I funding is a huge asset to our school. For example, this school year, Title I funding is approximately $450,000. This funding helps all students, through staffing, extra-curricular programs, and supplies. Please complete the form online to ensure that our funding remains.
No Parking Zone
As a reminder, there is no parking in front of the school (Catalpa Avenue) and in the back (68th Road) especially at dismissal. Our multiple school buses pick up our students on Catalpa Avenue, and no cars are permitted to park in front of the building. This is a safety concern. When buses pull up, they do extend their stop sign, which does hold up traffic. Double parking prevents buses from coming down the block as well. I am at dismissal (Mrs. O'Shaughnessy) in the front, and will ask cars to move if you are parked there.
In the rear, all families are exiting through the large school yard. Please do not double park, or block the entrance to the school yard.
When GRYC begins, this reduces the number of students at dismissal, as well as students who do walk home alone, but safety is always our greatest concern. The 104 Precinct will be present giving tickets to any cars parked in the No Standing School Days area
Are you receiving the newsletter in your email?
Each week the newsletter is shared many ways:
- Direct email
- Through the NYCPS Messenger App
- On the website
- On Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/ps88_q/)
- On Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/P.S.88QPTA)
- From teacher Dojo
If you would like to receive it via email, and are not currently receiving at your email, please click below
PTA News
We hope everyone had a great first 2 days of school!
Thursday September 12th is the big PS88 Open House Event. The PTA will have a table set up where you can get info, ask questions, or just chat. We'll also have some treats, so be sure to stop by and say hi!
Wednesday September 18th at 6pm will be the first monthly General Membership Meeting of the year. "General Membership" means YOU! These monthly meetings are where you can get to know other families, learn more about the school and what's going on, and bring any questions or concerns - no matter how big or small. Meetings are always in person (usually in the Auditorium) but there will also be a Zoom link (we get it, life happens!). There are always activities for the kids during the meeting, which are planned and run by our amazing teachers, paras, and aides - yup, that means the adults can actually concentrate and maybe even relax!
Please fill out the Annual PTA Parent Survey: https://bit.ly/202425_PTASurvey
Based on the results of this survey, we'll schedule the General Membership Meetings for the rest of the year, and will be able to better plan and communicate with you.
Returning families: Please fill out this year's survey. We will update all of our mailing lists from this survey and don't want you to get left off!
We're so excited to see you all again and to welcome our new families to the PS88 community!
How Do I Stay Connected?
I know how hard it is to stay connected! If you are like me, you have 2 or 3 different emails (yes, I am still hanging on to my aol account as well as outlook and gmail). You probably have multiple platforms of information you check regularly, like me too! Then of course, there is the phone, and its many apps! Sometimes to much is too much! In order to start you off this year, I am going to share a few of the must haves for a parent.
- Access to your child's NYCSA (New York City Schools Account). THIS IS A MUST! This is your one place to access all of YOUR CHILD'S information. It is specific to you, as it includes information that only a parent or guardian are privy to. This includes report cards, attendance, IEP, bus route information, and all student documents. If you do not have access to this, please attend my information session in September. Only adults who are listed as legal guardians can access their students information.
- School-wide Communication: Each week, I create a newsletter which communicates information, as well as highlight the past week @ PS88Q. For those of you who know, it is a Sunday ritual for me! It is filled with links, and current information. I email it to families, as well as post it on social media, and our website. Our teachers also share it on Dojo. But if for some reason you don't see it those ways, here is the link for every newsletter! https://secure.smore.com/u/studenta6
- Class Specific Two-Way Communication: Class Dojo or Remind. Each classroom teacher has a DOE approved app (Dojo or Remind) that they use to communicate classroom specific information. Please make sure you are connected. Classroom teachers will share this app the first week.
Here are some other ways to stay connected:
- Check our website https://www.ps88q.com/ for any questions you have. I have updated it over the summer. It includes all staff emails, curriculum details, student clubs and extra curricular activities, calendars, videos, podcasts, etc. It is a great hub for you to perhaps answer some of your questions, or to inform you of some questions you may have. This website is for all families, prospective families, and the community.
- NEW this year is the Parent University. This is something I created that houses information that families need, AND to post opportunities for parent learning. During the year, we will host many in person, and virtual workshops and learning opportunities for families. https://sites.google.com/schools.nyc.gov/ps88parentuniversity/home
- Attend my monthly Coffee with Mrs. O'Shaughnessy and Coffee with Ms. Ivett, our Parent Coordinator.
- And most important, attend our PTA meetings. During the monthly meeting, you can find out ways to support PS 88Q, join sub committees, and meet other families.